Are you maybe looking for this?

Gascoigne East has been awarded ‘Place of the Year’ at The Pineapples 2024

Phase 2 of Gascoigne East was named Place of the Year at the prestigious Pineapples Awards in London last night. An honour and testament to the collaborative efforts of our team, partners and the local community of Gascoigne East.

Built in the 1960s, the existing estate featured deteriorating high-rise towers, low rise blocks, and a lack of useable community space. The project was an opportunity to regenerate the neighbourhood, deliver new apartments, townhouses, community facilities, and a new park in a place where people will want to live. It raises the bar for affordable housing with modern, spacious homes and a rich mix of open spaces and nature.

The award is a wonderful recognition for an ambitious council-led project that is providing high-quality affordable housing in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

We are truly honored to receive the Pineapples Place of the Year award. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our team, partners, and the local community of Gascoigne East.
Lukas Thiel, partner at White Arkitekter
The site fulfils the design objectives for a city at eye level and creates public luxury. Being tenure-blind and mixed-use also achieves a permeable and varied community asset.
Judges’ comments

New homes for Barking

Together with Willmott Dixon Construction, we have delivered a rich mix of safe, warm, and affordable housing, open green spaces, and commercial spaces. A total of 430 apartments and four townhouses are arranged into five tenure blind blocks with 11 buildings in total, ranging in height from 2 to 13 storeys.

To foster a diverse and inclusive neighbourhood, homes are available in a mix of tenures, with 62% affordable or shared ownership and 38% private, and there is a significant proportion of larger family homes. All homes have private amenity space in the form of a balcony, terrace or garden.

Working with Be First and Willmott Dixon has been a remarkable experience, blending Scandinavian and London elements to create a thriving environment.
Lukas Thiel, partner at White Arkitekter

High-quality Scandinavian design principles that respect the context

Be First helped establish the Gascoigne Residents’ Forum so that residents’ ideas and feedback are listened to and placemaking principles remain at the forefront of the wider regeneration of the Gascoigne Neighbourhood. Highlighting the needs of young female residents, White Arkitekter’s ‘Places for Girls’ co-design workshops at Greatfields School, made sure the design was inclusive for all.

The Scandinavian design principles of community wellbeing and shared outdoor space have been carefully crafted to align with neighbourhood’s context. The new 5,000 sqm park at the heart of the neighbourhood is a place to play, exercise, socialise and rest, at the same time improving biodiversity. Enhanced links to Barking Town Centre and revived existing routes around the neighbourhood improve safety and encourage walking and cycling for healthier streets.

Read more about Gascoigne East Phase 2

Images: Paul Riddle

About The Pineapples Awards

The Pineapples by The Developer and Festival of Place celebrate the best in placemaking and place-led initiatives with an exciting programme and commitment to recognising projects that have a positive social, environmental and economic impact.

Contact person

Linda Thiel
Director
+44 793 269 01 56
Send mail

Please share!