Enfield Council has chosen 13 companies from diverse backgrounds to comprise the Architect Consortium responsible for making the latest stage of its £6bn Meridian Water development a reality.
The winning team has also committed to sponsoring a local Enfield pupil through architecture school and appointing an Edmonton architect company.
Meridian Four is the fourth development opportunity within the 85-hectare Meridian Water site. This new mixed-use community will deliver around 800 build-to-rent and affordable homes as well as commercial, community space and public realm.
Located around the three water courses of Pymmes Brook, Salmons Brook and the Lee Navigation and to the north of the Council’s proposed new Brooks Park, the design of Meridian Four will open opportunities to make the natural environment and integral part of the scheme.
The Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “The companies we have chosen to design Meridian Four have shown a clear commitment to promoting equality and diversity and expertise in delivering high quality designs for developments which meet the needs of the people living within them.
“With approximately 60% of the local population from non-white British backgrounds it was imperative to us that the architectural team reflects the rich diversity of the local community.
“We want Meridian Water to be an exemplar both in design terms, but also in terms of how we deliver the project, we have an obligation to society to provide equity of opportunity to people regardless of their gender and ethnicity and this project supports that goal.
“Diversifying our architecture consortium also maximises the likelihood that the designs they produce will better meet the needs of our residents in the short, medium and long-term.”
“I am also particularly proud that our insistence that the winning team sponsors a local student through architectural school and beyond will transform the life chances of that individual, and I am equally excited that an Edmonton architect company will also be appointed as part of the team.”
The Meridian Four Architect consortium which will be providing Lead and Plot and Landscape architect services, as well as fulfilling the Principal Designer and BIM coordination role, comprises Al-Jawad Pike, Architecture Doing Place, Beyond the Box, Homegrown Plus / Celebrating Architecture, Karakusevic Carson Architects, London Wildlife Trust, Maccreanor Lavington Architects, Mary Duggan, Office Sian, Sahara Hersi, Studio ONB, Townsend and Wallace Lui.
The Council used its procurement process to challenge the industry to open opportunities for emerging practices and to promote equality and diversity within its project teams.
The project has successfully broken up the tradition of white British male led practices with the inclusion of practices led by black, Chinese, Indian and middle-eastern partners in addition to a number of and female led practices.
As part of their contribution to delivering Social Value at Meridian Water and diversifying the architectural pool the architect consortium has also committed to offering a full scholarship Parts 1-3 to an Enfield based student.
The Council and the Architect Consortium will work together to appoint an additional architect practice from within the Edmonton area.
The project team will also feed into the Meridian Water educational programme, which seeks to create a model for broadening access to architecture, engineering and Built Environment professions within Enfield. This project will be supported by Beyond the Box and Homegrown Plus / Celebrating Architecture and will draw from experience and skill across the whole of the Meridian Four Design Team.
