Deptford Creekside Charette

One of the fundamental aspects of any design project is in depth research and this project is no exception. Many facets of a space and its surrounding area have to be taken into consideration to fully maximize its potential success and use, and this is exactly w

hat I intend to do with the space we have at Creekside. Intended use, the users, the space and the areas history, demand for specific use etc... are to name but a few so I was intrigued to find out that a Charette had been under taken on the whole Deptford Creekside area as it is currently sought to be redeveloped, all helpful information for someone looking to maximize potential for it.  

What is a Charette? Good question. That's exactly what I thought when confronted with it. 

'A charette is a collaborative planning process that is undertaken over the course of up to a week which ties together an areas stakeholders to create and support a comprehensive and feasible area plan. The structure of the charette event enables stakehold

ers and the design team to interact, review ideas and develop alternative concepts'

- Objectives, measures and strategies

- Mission formulation

- Products lists

- Design team

- Stakeholder analysis

- Complexity analysis

- Dynamic planning process

So basically a mix of the areas land owners, tenants, governing bodies and designers, planners and architects all come together to map out the potential future of a designated area looking for regeneration, considering a variety of complex issues concerning the areas sensitive ecology, current occupancy, prospective development and the welfare of the area. I felt that this would be a crucial bit of reading, despite being partially speculative, in informing the development of Johns Creekside plot. Research of this type was something I was keen to provoke to inform design plans as it is of paramount importance that all surrounding factors are taken into consideration so what follows is a synopsis of what the document detailed in its outcome.

It was outlined that Deptford has no real temporal logic and seems to have been developed without making this edge a complete space, this is certainly an atmosphere which is encountered when one ventures up through Creekside, as detailed it consists of 52 independent premises which seemingly fail to intermingle forming any real cohesive fabric. 

The vision for the area as a whole entails putting the waterway at the heart of the area, an advantage aforded by Johns plot as he is the owner of Theatre Wharf which runs directly parallel to his plot. Making sure that new buildings reflect the character of the past and avoid dominating the Creek and provide for views of the waterspace, alongside making space for flourishing wildlife and creating a socially and economically cohesive place with its own identity are all important factors.

Outline of factors outlines regarding Deptford Creek as a place

- Few use the Creekside as a place to visit unless specific events bring them there

- It is however home to a unique group of artists and boat people where they also work

- Successful redevelopment of Creekside must achieve two principal objectives; to stitch back the Creek to its neighbouring community and protect the activities and environment which provide its unique sense of place.

- New developments  could provide affordable, flexible workspace to ensure

 the growth of this sector. In addition, there is potential for the area to become a creative quarter destination.

Challenges faced

- There is a lack of clear cohesion in vision for the area

- A community used to facing adversity can often be ignored

- Site owners often develop in isolation and can find the planning process frustrating and negative

- There is little incentive for landowners to look at the area as a whole the

refore sites are viewed accordingly

- Unique cultures live side by side

- The Creek is seen as a barrier not an area in its own right

Main factors for consideration

- Much of Creekside's character comes from its relationship with the waterways and its industrial heritage

- Encouraging new opportunities for river related uses, dock space f

or leisure, business and moorings

- Growing the creative industries cluster

- Allowing a mixture of uses on other sites

- Proving additional public space and rental levels that are suitable for creative industries, promoting networks that support the cluster

- Area strengths such as creative industries need to be thought of in a strategic way and new developments planned  so as to use their value as destination enhancers.

- Charette team saw preservation of the natural environment as important from both a biodiversity viewpoint and also as a means to improve the quality of life for residents and workers.

- All proposed developments should have green roofs for biodiversity to provide habitats for wildlife out of reach of any disturbance (the Mayors Living Roofs and Walls publication?)

 - The area is well served by public transport and many improvements are underway such as upgrading the lengths of the DLR trains from two to three carriages, bus stop improvement etc...

- Sustainable materials and construction methods should be used throughout

This document goes into far greater detail concerning the project, so what I have included is a taster of the research that has already been undertaken and there are many nuggets which may prove invaluable. There is still thus a plethora of research that needs to be undertaken, research that will inform what he space is going to primarily function as and for whom. The space it self was designated a function by the planners and was as follows:

"New public space opened up between Bird's Nest pub and APT. Improving access to the Creek edge, this could become a hard surfaced semi-public managed space for market stalls in the day time" 

A small scale market was something that had entered my head so perhaps a little research into its viability, even if just occurs at the weekend, even a continuation of the Deptford weekend markets.