Tune into BBC Radio Regeneration 23.11.2006
A BBC crew investigating two months ago how 1960’s multi-storey council estates failed their residents, had to move quick for interviews from the Market Estate in Islington to be broadcast over the next two weeks beginning on 27 November, because Higgins Construction PLC’s complete £40 million rebuild for Southern Housing Group is moving so fast.
The estate that is already being rebuilt three months ahead of schedule according to main contractor Higgins’ project manager Peter Crane is one of two to feature in a two-part Radio 4 series of shows called Knocking Down The Past beginning on Monday 27 November at 11am.
For the half-hour shows, presenter Sarfraz Mansoor has interviewed residents to compare their estate’s historical misfortunes and newly regenerated futures with those of Glasgow’s once-notorious Gorbals, to see if architects are learning from the past.
Market Estate residents were asked exactly how they’ve been involved in the plans for the new homes and what their hopes are for the future.
The Market Estate in North London is described in the radio show’s listing as notorious: “Dirty needles and smashed glass litter the corridors and the residents are afraid to go out at night. But an extraordinary change is happening in front of their eyes. New houses are being built for them to move into and, once complete, the old ones will be demolished. Sarfraz Mansoor talks to local residents to find out how they have been involved in the plans for the new houses and what their hopes are for the future.”
The same listing describes the much bigger Gorbals as “sharing the reputation of being a terrible place to live – until recently. Now there is the New Gorbals and the architects believe it will be an attractive place to live within the inner city.”
Construction of the first 140 apartments rising to no more than five storeys for the new-look Market Estate is already so far ahead of programme according to Higgins, that Southern Housing Group can expect first residents to move into their new homes three months earlier than first programmed.
Exactly 359 new homes are being developed in total on the site of the 45-year-old Market Estate for both affordable shared-ownership and rent.
The housing is designed by HTA Architects to integrate 10 retail units based upon a masterplan by Watkins Gray International, following staged demolitions around a neighbouring park’s elaborate 47m-high listed Victorian clock tower.
The project team involves Tully De’Ath (structural & civil engineers), ECC as mechanical engineers, Whitelaw Turkington a slandscape architects and the Philip Pank Partnership as both cost consultants and employer’s agent to Southern Housing Group.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/schedule/2006/11/27/day/
www.shgroup.org.uk
www.shgmarket.org.uk
www.islington.gov.uk
www.hta-arch.co.uk
www.wgi.co.uk
www.philippank.co.uk
www.gorbalslive.org.uk/data/community/cgroups/newgorb.htm www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/out/outdoors/thegorbals.html
A BBC crew investigating two months ago how 1960’s multi-storey council estates failed their residents, had to move quick for interviews from the Market Estate in Islington to be broadcast over the next two weeks beginning on 27 November, because Higgins Construction PLC’s complete £40 million rebuild for Southern Housing Group is moving so fast.
The estate that is already being rebuilt three months ahead of schedule according to main contractor Higgins’ project manager Peter Crane is one of two to feature in a two-part Radio 4 series of shows called Knocking Down The Past beginning on Monday 27 November at 11am.
For the half-hour shows, presenter Sarfraz Mansoor has interviewed residents to compare their estate’s historical misfortunes and newly regenerated futures with those of Glasgow’s once-notorious Gorbals, to see if architects are learning from the past.
Market Estate residents were asked exactly how they’ve been involved in the plans for the new homes and what their hopes are for the future.
The Market Estate in North London is described in the radio show’s listing as notorious: “Dirty needles and smashed glass litter the corridors and the residents are afraid to go out at night. But an extraordinary change is happening in front of their eyes. New houses are being built for them to move into and, once complete, the old ones will be demolished. Sarfraz Mansoor talks to local residents to find out how they have been involved in the plans for the new houses and what their hopes are for the future.”
The same listing describes the much bigger Gorbals as “sharing the reputation of being a terrible place to live – until recently. Now there is the New Gorbals and the architects believe it will be an attractive place to live within the inner city.”
Construction of the first 140 apartments rising to no more than five storeys for the new-look Market Estate is already so far ahead of programme according to Higgins, that Southern Housing Group can expect first residents to move into their new homes three months earlier than first programmed.
Exactly 359 new homes are being developed in total on the site of the 45-year-old Market Estate for both affordable shared-ownership and rent.
The housing is designed by HTA Architects to integrate 10 retail units based upon a masterplan by Watkins Gray International, following staged demolitions around a neighbouring park’s elaborate 47m-high listed Victorian clock tower.
The project team involves Tully De’Ath (structural & civil engineers), ECC as mechanical engineers, Whitelaw Turkington a slandscape architects and the Philip Pank Partnership as both cost consultants and employer’s agent to Southern Housing Group.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/schedule/2006/11/27/day/
www.shgroup.org.uk
www.shgmarket.org.uk
www.islington.gov.uk
www.hta-arch.co.uk
www.wgi.co.uk
www.philippank.co.uk
www.gorbalslive.org.uk/data/community/cgroups/newgorb.htm www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/out/outdoors/thegorbals.html
Comments