This project began with research into architect Lina Bo Bardi, particularly her design approach and the SESC Pompeia in São Paulo. The brief was to design an open-plan studio and consultation space for Bo Bardi to support her role in the regeneration of Greenhill Way, along with a flexible public area to foster community engagement.
The site, located at the intersection of Springfield Road and Greenhill Way in Harrow, sits between a commercial zone to the south and residential areas to the north, with strong transport links. Harrow Council is currently leading a regeneration programme which aims to transform the town centre with new homes, public spaces, cultural venues, and improved infrastructure.
The proposal features a two-storey building: the ground floor serves as a public-facing design studio and consultation space extending along Springfield Road, and the first floor as a multi-use area for events and social gatherings, with supporting facilities.
Vertical gardens along Greenhill Way act as green filters, reducing noise and air pollution, attracting pollinators, regulating temperature, and enhancing the street's ambiance. Narrowing the road would slow traffic and free up space for pedestrian infrastructure, encouraging a more vibrant, shared environment where people, plants, and wildlife coexist.
The reduction in the current width of the two-way street would compel vehicles to reduce their speed, while at the same time allow more space for the creation of new infrastructure for pedestrians, residents and local businesses. All of these measures aim to make the street more lively and allow for a continuous and timeless entanglement of humans, plants and animals.