On this exciting project for Barking and Dagenham Council’s in house development company BeFirst we have designed a residential landscape scheme within the Becontree Estate.

Our design builds upon the Architects competition winning concept of ‘Villas on a green carpet’. Both the landscape and architecture celebrate the unique character of the purpose built inter-war estate which when built was a pioneering world first. Our landscape proposals seek to build upon the stories about the first residents and their pride for their gardens.  Historic landscape features from its past such privet hedging (known locally as ‘Evers’) and cleft chestnut fencing are are used to mark thresholds and the corners of the two villas.

The design provides a new semi private residential garden, on site play equipment, car parking, secure cycle parking and water sensitive design through the provision of rain gardens and biodiverse roofs. The hard landscape builds upon the strong architecture of the two villas with clay brick paving throughout. As part of the development the adjacent uninspiring pedestrianised street, School Way, will be transformed into a Play Street thus serving the wider community. The design builds upon London’s historic play streets and consist of new tree planting, playful road markings and resurfaced asphalt.