Choices for Grahame Park announces design team winners for estate's regeneration

Choices for Grahame Park (CfGP) has appointed a design team led by architects Jestico + Whiles for a key phase of its £95m regeneration gateway Phase 1b project for the Barnet housing estate.

Key to the ground-breaking development will be a new library, park, community centre and shops for Grahame Park, as well as over 500 new homes. Construction work is due to start in 2010.

Five architect design teams were shortlisted from thirty Europe-wide entrants to prepare design proposals for the three main mixed-use buildings and the new town square.

Residents played a key role in this process. The Grahame Park Residents’ Design Panel assessed the shortlisted teams before they were further assessed by the CfGP Evaluation Team which included Barnet Council and Countryside Properties. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) managed the competition process and provided a specialist architect adviser.

The evaluation panel assessed Jestico + Whiles as “superb leaders for this project” and, together with their team members, Rivington Street Studio and Peter Barber Architects, were considered “brilliant designers” for addressing the challenges and opportunities of Grahame Park’s Phase 1b.

The next steps are for the Jestico + Whiles consortium to join the technical team to begin the process of developing the design proposals. This will involve consulting with the community, working up ideas and liaising with the Council’s Planning and Highways departments.

Anne Dufton, Chief Executive of Choices for Grahame Park, part of Genesis Housing Group, said: "CfGP is again bringing excellent architects into Colindale. Our expectations and those of the Grahame Park residents have been raised by this enthralling competition process.

"We had so many great ideas presented to us by some extremely talented teams of architects and are delighted with our choice, the Jestico + Whiles team."

Heinz Richardson, Director of Jestico + Whiles, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen for this important regeneration project, particularly given the extremely high calibre of the shortlisted teams.

"We look forward to working together with Choices for Grahame Park, and in particular the residents of Grahame Park, to create a truly inspirational and sustainable place to live, which is above all humane”