050 CLIENT FILE
Philip Tait, director of development for Canada Water, British Land, provides an insight into the vision for the location, as well as the process for appointing a design team and the qualities they must display
What is your role at British Land? I am director of development for Canada Water at British Land, and a large part of my role involves overseeing the planning, design and delivery of the 53-acre Canada Water development. I get to work with an incredible team alongside our joint venture partners, AustralianSuper, to bring new homes, workspaces, retail, leisure and cultural spaces to this London location.
What experience did you have of working with architects and designers before Canada Water? I have been privileged to work with many world- class architects and designers throughout my career and have built many long-standing relationships over the years. Prior to Canada Water, I was programme director at Argent, where I worked with Allies & Morrison (master planner) and Townshend (landscape architect) on King’s Cross. Tey are also working in the same roles at Canada Water, providing fantastic opportunities to develop our thinking in what makes great places. My mixed-use, cross-sector experience
has allowed me to work with a wide range of amazing architects and designers such as
Stanton Williams, Fumihiko Maki, Squire & Partners, Maccreanor Lavington, Heatherwick Studio, Conran & Partners and Johnson Naylor, to name just a few.
What is your vision for the type of place you want to create at Canada Water? To create a great place that people want to experience, stay in and enjoy. At Canada Water, we are focused on creating a mixed-use neighbourhood that combines world-class public realm and architecture, with expansive green spaces, and a rich mix of cultural, commercial, and community spaces. We want Canada Water to be a place that caters to the community, while also becoming a destination, a place that people will choose to visit on the weekend or after work to catch up with friends and experience cultural events. We want to create a place where the buildings are ‘of their place’ and reflect the area’s heritage. You can see this taking shape in our first phase with Te Founding’s elevated warehouse style and the roof of Te Dock Shed, which was inspired by the historic timber sheds that historically lined the sides of Canada Dock.
How important will architecture and design be to realising this vision? Architecture and design are key to achieving our vision for Canada Water. We invest a lot of time in considering how buildings create and interact with open spaces and routes that flow through the masterplan, and how the mixes of uses cluster to create zones that feel intuitively right. A key challenge is around ensuring that we design places that work for businesses, retailers, cultural and educational institutions and residents alike – a place at a human scale. Te new boardwalk across Canada Dock is a prime example of how design can enhance both the public realm and the experience of those who interact with it.
Who are you working with there? We are collaborating with a huge range of
Right The boardwalk and the revitalised Canada Dock are part of the first completed public realm at Canada Water
Below Tait says the focus was on creating a mixed-use neighbourhood that combines world-class public realm and architecture
Below left Philip Tait
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