Barking Riverside

At 140 hectares, Barking Riverside is the UK’s largest residential regeneration scheme.

Sheppard Robson’s work takes the outline consented masterplan and develops it in greater detail, designing two distinct areas separated by a central linear park. The masterplan includes SUDs, cycle routes, a designated bus route and play areas. The design balances the needs of people and the environment to create a sustainable long-term community, facilitated by: 

Encouraging people to meet – communal spaces are attractive and welcoming; shared building entrances and outdoor spaces encourage impromptu meetings; homes are connected into up to 40 family clusters to facilitate neighbourly familiarity.

Fostering a sense of ownership – communal orchards, gardens and semi-private spaces are designed to encourage people to actively care for their neighbourhood. A neighbourhood group will organise activities and oversee the maintenance of the site.

Welcoming and accessible to all – great care has been taken to accommodate the needs of all users, to foster a new and diverse community. Outdoor spaces accommodate the need for both boisterous play and quiet contemplation.

Creating a long-term community where people want to stay – homes have been designed to be responsive to people’s changing needs, eg homes adaptable to wheelchair use. Buildings are energy-efficient and future-proofed to allow the installation of micro-renewables.

Creating a biodiverse landscape – two distinct zones: an uninterrupted, ecologically-rich landscape ranging from the creek and floodplain landscape to Ripple Nature Reserve, and a linked corridor of activity space crossing the site.

Celebrating the site’s historical legacy – its ancient past as marshland provides the inspiration for the landscape’s conceptual theme.