Central Victorian Park Redesign

A contemporary revision of Victorian park in Northampton, UK, estimated budget of £3 million for outline works. Working alongside a very inspiring senior LA project manager, I designed and produced much of the output, including the masterplan and more detailed concept areas. The masterplan incorporated a careful integration of mixed use leisure facilities (with new riverside restaurant/hub, designed by D5 Architects) and zones of use to concept detail level, such as display, healing and contemplation gardens, age based play areas, riverside, central park and plaza.

I also worked on the public consultation aspects for the proposals, including particularly the final stakeholder and ‘public engagement’ discussions in a local park. This was particularly interesting as you don’t often get enough (/..any) public feedback during project development process (and led to future interest in the topic for an MA dissertation subject). I designed and produced the  planning report document that supported this project (adobe indesign). This also included many of the illustrations and design guidance aspects of its content.

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Over several months, the project required much discussion with several other members of multidisciplinary design team (urban design, architecture, planning, transport and economics) to many resolve and refine complex site and design issues. The council, stakeholders and public in general showed incredibly strong support for the proposals. The project greatly expanded relations with the client and helped to secure the next stage tender for this project and another for further major projects.

Unfortunately these long term outline proposals were finished at the start of what would become a very difficult economic period. Many of the sources which had been contemplated for funding the various aspects of the project dried up very quickly and it soon became clear that it would have been unfeasible to install even the rudimentary works to the park. Hopefully though, this project set a precedent that can be picked up when a reinvestment in the park is again a possibility.