AT HOME
could do that very quickly so they couldn’t
congregate and hang around where the
residents are, but they also needed to have
in terms of stadium safety enough room for
the people to leave.
A line of trees helps create a protected
path between the main thoroughfare of
the north-south street, adjacent to the
stadium, and access to the maisonettes and
residential cores, which will be particularly
important on match days when there will
be a high number of visitors in this space.
Stepped access is provided to maisonettes
at raised ground floor level, with small
private gardens which helps to reinforce
the distinction between public and private
space.
How did you go about greenifying the
area/ was that a consideration?
We presented a opportunity to add a level
of green infrastructure across the site
that didn’t exist before which was a large
car park space with maybe to or three
trees at the periphery and we have been
able to add in almost a hundred trees,
large green courtyards extended planting
throughout which will improve the green
infrastructu re in the area.
How big was the team on this
project?
The project team includes the architects,
structural, civil, M&E and sustainability
engineers, transport engineers and flood
risk specialists as well as a full EIA team.
At planning the architects for the
residential development were Sheppard
Robson and for the stadium the architects
were David Morley Architects.
Since planning, Galliard Homes are
providing in-house architectural design
and the stadium the architects are now
Wilson Owens Owens.
How was the design received by the
clients?
The client team, both AFC Wimbledon
and Galliard Homes, are very excited
about the project and the opportunities
it provides. The planning approval that
we helped to secure means that AFC
Wimbledon can make plans to ‘bring
football home’ to Plough Lane, which they
see as their spiritual base.
We have been retained by GHA to
develop the proposals through to tender
stage which we believe is testament to
their belief in the quality of the landscape
design prepared as well as the quality
of design and project knowledge we can
provide going forward.
What is the current status of the
project?
The site is currently being cleared and
demolished from the old Wimbledon
stadium and the stadium is expected to be
completed in 2019/20 and the residential
will be by around 2022. It actually starts
on site in January.
I am a director at Turkington Martin
AFC WIMBLEDON
and alongside our founder Ian Turkington
I have been working alongside him on the
project since 2013.
They key thing is how we approached
the difference you get between needing to
accommodate 20,000 people on match-
days but also creating a fairly intimate
street space for residents and that is not
something I have dealt with before. Testing
that through plan sections models was a
real key learning point that I took away
from this scheme.
This project has definitely been one
of the most challenging projects as it
sits within a flood-zone and there is a
cultivated river beneath the site that had
to be diverted and the courtyards are
all on podiums. There was also HBM
aspect aspect to take on board making
sure that we were providing a safe space
in the modern climate such as all football
stadiums becoming a possible terrorist
target due to the high number of people.
It has been one of the most challenging
projects i have ever undertaken.
My favourite aspects of the design are
probably the courtyards in the way it
creates an elevated street that is pedestrian
only and it is heavily tree-lined and
provides options to sit, it really acts as to
bring residents together and meet each
other rather than just a courtyard that is
looked down upon. it is going to be used
with also garden backing out onto it - it has
potential to be a very active space and I am
proud of that. g
September 2018 | Landscape Insight
25