From the beginning of our regeneration of the Aylesbury estate, which we took over in 2014, we have involved residents in shaping the future of the neighbourhood. This commitment continues with an initiative led by our head of social and economic investment, Meghan Doyle, to support young people to design elements of the latest buildings in the next phase of the regeneration.
We’ve been working with children on the estate to create Mandala designs that pay homage to the iconic Aylesbury architecture.
Background
The old estate, built in the 1970s, was designed to replace slum housing and was a great improvement for many of the residents. Sadly though, after persistent problems with the buildings, our team have been working with Southwark to regenerate the area.
The residents
Ever since starting work on the estate, it has been clear to our team that while the built environment was failing, the sense of community was strong and residents are keen to celebrate the history of the area. In the early days of the regeneration, Meghan and the team would visit local schools to show the children the plans for the area and new buildings. Meghan remembers the excitement that the children showed when seeing the CGIs, particularly one building which had decorative columns. This gave her and the team an idea.
Designing the future
Back in the summer of 2023, as construction of these buildings began, it was time to time to put the plan into action. A large group of children and young residents were assembled and tasked with creating the designs that would adorn the entrance columns and balconies of flats on what is known as First Development Site C.
Working with 30 young residents was quite a challenge, but by collaborating with local artist Harriet Mena Hill, the young people were encouraged to draw their favourite parts of the existing estate. This included the built environment, nature and the views from the buildings. These drawings were then taken apart and the elements reconstructed into decorative Aylesbury-inspired patterns.
Taking shape
The resulting designs are a celebration of Aylesbury past and a chance for the young people to have their artwork permanently captured for generations to come. In her role as regeneration development manager, Ella Roberts is working with Hill Partnerships, HTA Design and Hawkins Brown to bring them to life. A technically difficult feat due to their bespoke nature and the different mediums, including concrete and aluminium.
Until then
While the buildings are taking shape, and the children wait to see their designs, they have been celebrating their achievement through workshops where they made souvenirs with their designs. A number of rubber stamps were made which allowed them to print some of their work.
