Context/ Aberdeen Park is a privately maintained street, containing both social and private housing, with full public access. It is located in Highbury, North London (just to the east of Highbury Fields public park). It largely sits within a Conservation Area; and is strongly characterized by the scale of the streetscape, its mature trees and material palette (including the distinctive grass verges, which are becoming subject to increasing wear and tear due to the intensity of use, and the narrowness of the existing foot way).
Phase 1 is defined by the two entrance sections of Aberdeen Park, which both provide links to the wider local network of parks and streets. Entrance section 01 has a sight line west towards Highbury Fields.
Landscape Proposals/ The Aberdeen Park Maintenance Company seeks to implement a new design strategy which includes wider foot ways giving greater priority to the pedestrian at the entrances, new trees; and a new surface water management system, with permeable paving and planted rain gardens also increasing biodiversity (SuDs/ sustainable urban drainage). The central planter at Entrance 01 would be replanted with long flowering seasonal pollinators; and the sight line to and from Highbury Fields made clearer by reducing the height of the planter and lifting canopies, also creating a sitting wall where the planter abuts the pavement. Beyond the entrance areas the grass verges would be restored with a robust and reinforced new turf.
Rain Gardens recycle surface water and enhance biodiversity
Client and Collaborators:
Aberdeen Park Maintenance Company Client/ remapp Landscape Architect/ Michael Small Consultant Engineer + SuDs/ London Borough of Islington Planning Authority/
Programme: 2017 – 2020: Phase 1 currently under construction