Lewisham Shopping Centre

This redevelopment will introduce a large park and meadow atop the shopping centre, enhancing local biodiversity by 300% with 300 trees and thousands of plants. Alongside these green spaces, the area will feature new community spaces, retail amenities, and a nonprofit live music venue.

The project will also bring 1,700 new homes, with 20% designated as affordable housing, as well as residences for students and co-living options. Nearly half the area will be dedicated to open, green public spaces, with safe walking routes throughout. Additionally, there will be increased support for local businesses, including investments in the high street, jobs, and skills development for the borough.

Our collaboration with Landsec U+I and Studio Egret West on this transformative redevelopment demonstrates how cross-industry partnerships can overcome complex urban challenges. Leading the blue infrastructure design for this 4.4-hectare masterplan, we worked closely with landscape designers to integrate nature-based solutions that support the scheme’s residential and leisure aspects whilst mitigating fluvial flooding from the nearby River Ravensbourne.

The critical challenge of sustainable water sourcing for podium planting during dry periods required innovative thinking across disciplines. Through bespoke water balance studies, we developed smart weather-controlled rainwater harvesting solutions that source irrigation directly from stormwater attenuation storage – eliminating dedicated harvesting tanks and reducing carbon emissions while significantly reducing impact on scarce water resources.

This approach enabled seamless integration of water sensitive design with biodiversity and placemaking, creating a regenerative infrastructure that serves both community needs and climate resilience.