BOW GARDEN SQUARE

Bow Garden Square, the result of a partnership between Poplar HARCA, Telford Homes and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, has transformed the former East End Burdett Estate.

This regeneration project has signalled a fresh start for the area with a state-of-the-art primary school and nursery around which are arranged a collection of studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, duplex skyline apartments and homes for social rent and shared ownership, a community sports hall, a new mosque for the wider community, a new playground and public pocket park. 

The design and construction of the scheme was used as a learning project for the school children who paid regular visits to the site during the project. Design competitions were also run for the children on different elements of the projects including safety notices, hoarding designs and playground fencing.

Homes for shared ownership and private sale are indistinguishable from each other; everything is included as standard, meaning all appliances, carpets and flooring, so there are no hidden extras. Every apartment has its own balcony. Service charges are kept to a minimum at £225 per square foot, excellent value for London apartments.

The homes, school and mosque sit side by side, all sharing the same space in an efficient use of land in an area where council-ready land is in short supply.This also means that the combined communal heating and power plant has balanced use of land throughout the day by the school and by the residents at evenings and weekends.

Despite the challenges faced by the housing market in London, all homes have been sold since March 2018. More than 90 per cent of buyers were owner-occupiers and London Help to Buy was available on all homes for private sale.