Following completion of Raine's House Community Centre, London Borough of Tower Hamlets asked us to explore development opportunities around the adjacent park.
Once a complete urban block, Raine's Mansions Park had been badly damaged in the Blitz. With only the listed former school still standing, we looked to reinstate residential and community uses.
Raine's Mansions Park was established as a local green space after World War II but, over time, had become closed off with little connection to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Whilst retaining most of the green space, we looked to add four affordable family homes to the perimeter – three 3-bed and one 4-bed – all with south facing gardens leading to the park.
Within the park grounds, we designed a new single storey timber framed pavilion connected to the community centre, creating a flexible, modern space for extended activities within the natural setting.
Due to the site’s sensitive location, we designed both structures in cross laminated timber (CLT) on lightweight screw-pile foundations, minimising intrusive construction works and reducing time needed on site.
Our feasibility highlighted the potential to activate the park as a local asset, increase good quality affordable housing for families and encourage community activity in and around the under-used site.
