Carpenters Estate

Leading resident engagement for a major redevelopment of the Carpenters Estate, Stratford. Involving residents in creating a masterplan with partial demolition of the existing homes which was endorsed via a resident ballot in December 2021. Phase 1 received planning permission in March 2022 and an outline application for the whole masterplan was approved in 2024. From door knocking, phone calls, digital and analogue communications this project required the full spectrum of methods to keep people involved. Specific programmes including study trips, gardening and a young designers group has allowed engagement to be targeted to specific needs and interests. All resident interactions were monitored so that detailed reach and sentiment could be reported to the client, design team and political stakeholders and was updated on a weekly basis at critical moments for the project. Central to our in person approach was creating an engagement and community space, The Dovetail, that was used as both a space for running workshops, exhibitions and activities relating to the design; but also as a space for residents to run programming for their neighbours. This space brought together the social value aspirations of the borough and the engagement.