Tustin Estate

Project
Community Engagement and Social Value

Client
Southwark Council

Project Team
dRMM, JA Projects, Adam Khan Architects, Exterior Architecture

Location
Southwark, Old Kent Road, South London

Southwark Council and dRMM invited Beyond the Box to spearhead a dynamic strategy focused on collaborative design, community engagement, and social impact for the Tustin Estate and its residents.

In partnership with dRMM, Adam Khan Architects, JA Projects, and Exterior Architecture, Beyond the Box joined forces for the Tustin Estate project on Old Kent Road in Southwark, South London.

The Tustin Estate development aims to create a residential-focused community with diverse housing options, including council homes, shared equity housing, and accommodations for key workers. In addition to residential units, the project includes plans for essential amenities such as a new primary school, commercial spaces, and a central park designed to enrich community life and promote well-being. This holistic approach seeks to address the varied needs of residents while fostering a sustainable and vibrant neighbourhood environment.

Community Engagement

For the winter design exhibition, we enlisted a local steel band to perform, using music and culture as a means to connect residents with the plans for their community. This approach aimed to create a lively and engaging atmosphere, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of the design proposals among the residents.

Community at the heart

We crafted a series of engagement events for residents of Tustin Estate on Old Kent Road in Southwark.

Our initiative kicked off with a "Meet the Team" event in collaboration with Pilgrim’s Way Primary School, situated within the estate. Partnering with local artistic studio F.A.T studios, we organised arts activities for young people during the event. Catering was sourced from JB Soul Food, a local Caribbean restaurant, complemented by live music and sports activities

Co-design Workshops

This vibrant atmosphere was enriched by architectural design boards showcasing early concepts for the estate, leveraging cultural norms to unite the community.

Following this successful launch, we conducted weekly drop-in design sessions and workshops. These sessions offered residents opportunities to actively participate in the design process, sharing their perspectives and insights directly with the design team.

Study Trips

We organised several study trips for residents to visit exemplary projects across London, facilitated by dRMM and Adam Khan Architects. These trips were designed to bring architectural design ideas to life for residents and allowed them to see completed projects firsthand. The trips also provided opportunities to gather feedback from residents about what they liked and disliked

Designers & Makers Week
Young Resident Engagement

As part of our collaborative efforts with dRMM Architects on Tustin Estate, we organised a week-long Designers and Makers program for young residents during the October half-term. The program included a design competition titled ‘Outside for Longer’, inviting individuals aged 14-25 to create designs for an outdoor community space and play area on the estate.

In our commitment to strengthen local cultural and civic infrastructure, we partnered with several local creative organizations and practitioners. This included collaboration with local photographer Dominic Markes, the art collective F.A.T Studios, and trained actors from Beloved Theatre, who conducted specialized workshops throughout the week.

Participants worked closely with street photographer Dominic, using cameras to document their perspectives on surrounding public spaces in their borough. These images were then used to create mood boards, aiding in the development of their design concepts. Rachel, an illustrator from F.A.T Studios, guided the young designers in exploring design through illustration and sketching techniques, helping them visualize their creative ideas for the competition.

Additionally, participants had the opportunity to visit dRMM’s model making workshop at their Southwark studio, where they crafted physical models of their designs. Prior to their final presentations, the team engaged in actor training techniques to enhance their confidence in pitching their design ideas effectively.

All participants were rewarded with work experience placements at architectural design studios. The two runners-up each received £50, while the winning design earned £450 in recognition of their achievement.

Victoria’s design approach impressed everyone she came into contact with throughout the week. Her carefully considered design titled ‘Fragmental Ego Living’ focused on green and recycled materials, planting and flowers that aimed to bring the community together through gardening and wellbeing. There was also seating which curved to encourage conversation and interaction.
Victoria also understood the benefit of multi-use play spaces, with considerations for space for girls on the estate. Victoria designed retractable nets for volleyball and other sports and thought about floor materials that would be soft but durable for young people. The design was pulled together with well lite areas throughout the estate to form a welcoming neighbourhood.
Stelly shared their ideas for an inclusive and accessible space that included seating areas to bring the community together, a clock feature that also depicted a historic timeline and evolution of the Tustin Estate over the past century, as well as climbing walls for young children and well-lit areas throughout the estate, bringing the estate to life during the night. There were also interactive planters where people could write a message with chalk that would also glow of a night and a careful consideration for animals and wildlife.
Lucien took part in our designers & makers week and impressed the panel when presenting his ideas, which included research into the history of Tustin Estate, discovering the tower blocks were named after peaks in the Lake District. Lucien also took influence from nearby landmarks and brought them into his designs, including a sheltered seating area made from recycled materials, lights and an outdoor games area for all ages.

Meet The Developer

At the request of the developer LinkCity and the Tustin community we were asked to design and produce a Summer Event, providing an opportunity for the developer to engage with estate residents who will benefit from the works. LinkCity’s sister company Bouygues, hosted their Meet the Contractor event to co- inside with the Summer Event, where locals could ask questions about the scheme and get to know those building it.