Background
Since coming to the Aylesbury Estate in 2014, our team have been working to involve residents in shaping the future of the neighbourhood. This commitment continues with an initiative led by Meghan Doyle to support young people to design elements of the latest buildings in the next phase of the regeneration.
Back in 2015, Meghan and Chris Cotton began visiting local schools to show the children the plans for the area and new buildings. Meghan remembers the excitement that the children showed when seeing the CGIs, particularly one building which had decorative columns. This gave her and the team an idea…
Many years later
Then, in the summer of 2023, as construction of these buildings began, it was time to put the plan into action. A large group of children and young residents were assembled and tasked with creating the designs that would adorn the entrance columns and balconies of flats on our site known as First Development Site C.
Working with 30 young residents was quite a challenge but assisted by Chris Cotton and local artist, Harriet Mena Hill, the young people were encouraged to draw their favourite parts of the existing estate. This would include the built environment, nature and the views from the buildings. These drawings were then taken apart and the elements reconstructed into decorative Aylesbury-inspired patterns.
Taking shape
The resulting designs are a celebration of Aylesbury past and a chance for the young people to have their artwork permanently captured in the fabric of the buildings for generations to come. In her role as Regeneration Development Manager, Ella Roberts is working with Hill Partnerships, HTA Design and Hawkins Brown to bring them to life. A technically difficult feat due to their bespoke nature and the different mediums, including concrete and aluminium.
Whilst we wait
Whilst the buildings are taking shape and the children wait to see their designs, they have been celebrating their achievement through workshops where they made souvenirs. A number of unique rubber stamps were used which allowed them to experiment and get creative. You can see some of the designs and pictures of their work here: (link to photos on google drive)
We will continue to share updates on progress of the design project as we see it take shape.
