In collaboration with Southwark Council, we were engaged to investigate and transform a kerbside within Southwark’s built environment using design schemes based on their policies and principles. Our group of 4 consisted of creatives from (BA) Design Management & Cultures and (BA) Spatial Design in London College of Communication. This design proposal should address the big issues facing Southwark to regenerate and reconnect people within the street. With this objective, we began to research, design, prototype, and brand this space — consisting an in-depth urban analysis, interviews with stakeholders, user testing, budgeting, implementation strategy, design and the construction of a 1:1 prototype.
Our allocated kerbside is located along the quaint streets of East Dulwich, Lordship Lane. East Dulwich is not simply the east of Dulwich; it is a manor with a very distinct identity and a number of commercial high streets. Here reside upper middle-class dwellers with a naturally higher spending power — you can expect to find local produce and independent businesses thriving, along with many established family trade. Its unique concoction of offerings gave SE22 a defiantly independent and individualistic character. Despite its perks, we identified a complete absence of public seating along this busy high street! On this note, we began speculating a public design that encourages locals to stop, sit and #takeabreak.
Breaks are part of our everyday life. They structure our day, both in time and in space, and they improve our physical, mental and emotional well-being! Beyond its purpose to reconnect, this seating area also functions as an extension of the small shop spaces that East Dulwich is infamous for. There are however still many other ways to #takeabreak beyond this space. Thus we envision our design and strategy to influence the community over time beyond its tangible function; through conversations generated that will hopefully inspire change in individual lifestyles.
