Bellamy Close and Byng Street

The architecture of Bellamy Close and Byng Street emerged from a deeply collaborative and iterative design process. Shaped by close dialogue with residents, planners, and the Greater London Authority, the scheme responds to a highly constrained urban site through a thoughtful arrangement of building forms that prioritise liveability, daylight, and a strong sense of place.

A central 31-storey residential tower acts as a slender vertical marker, mediating between the tall buildings of Canary Wharf and the low-rise neighbourhoods of Millwall. To its edges, a row of three-storey brick houses and a maisonette block reinforce the domestic scale of Byng Street and Manilla Street. This layout reduces overshadowing, maximises dual aspect opportunities, and frames a generous communal courtyard at the heart of the site.

Materiality plays a key role in anchoring the project in its layered context. The warm brickwork of the low-rise buildings references traditional London streets, while the bronze-toned metal cladding of the tower evokes the site’s industrial past – once home to John Bellamy’s metalworks. The unitised cladding system was manufactured off-site, supporting quality, efficiency, and sustainability goals.

Internally, the tower is designed around a rational floorplate with efficient circulation and a variety of apartment layouts. Generous glazing, outset balconies and dual-aspect homes ensure high levels of daylight and outward views. At ground level, a welcoming entrance lobby connects to shared amenity spaces and a landscaped courtyard above, fostering interaction and shared ownership.

Throughout, the architecture is guided by proportion, rhythm, and material quality. The result is a legible and resilient urban form – one that reflects its community-led origins while embracing the evolving character of the Isle of Dogs.

The landscape design for the Bellamy Close and Byng Street regeneration plays a central role in shaping the character, functionality, and inclusivity of the development. Set within a dense and evolving urban context, the landscape strategy reclaims space previously used for car parking and transforms it into a network of green, people-focused environments that prioritise play, permeability, and wellbeing.

Central to the scheme is a new pedestrian link connecting Byng Street to Manilla Street – a route that is both practical and symbolic, stitching the site back into its wider neighbourhood. This connection is not simply a passageway but a sequence of landscaped spaces, designed to support informal play, social interaction, and biodiversity. Sculptural elements, varied planting, and integrated seating create an animated public realm that feels safe, engaging, and well-overlooked by surrounding homes.

A key element of the landscape strategy is the podium garden located on the first floor of the residential tower. This semi-private space offers residents a green refuge from the surrounding city, with playable landscape features,planted borders, and flexible areas for rest and recreation. Designed with accessibility in mind, the podium is open to all residents of the tower regardless of tenure.

Two mature London Plane trees are retained on site, anchoring a new civic space at the tower entrance and contributing to the ecological and visual richness of the scheme. The broader planting palette emphasises native and pollinator-friendly species, while a strong Urban Greening Factor reflects a commitment to sustainable urban ecology.

From doorstep play areas to biodiversity corridors, the landscape design integrates ecological sensitivity with social value. It supports healthier lifestyles, encourages community activity, and enhances the experience of moving through and living within the development – making landscape not just a backdrop, but an active and inclusive part of everyday life.

From the outset, community engagement has been a cornerstone of the design process for Phase 3. Recognising the importance of local insight, we hosted a series of workshops and consultation events to better understand the priorities of both existing and future residents. These conversations directly influenced key elements of the design, particularly the layout and programming of the community centre, public realm, and play facilities.

The community centre, in particular, was developed in close dialogue with stakeholders to ensure it could support a wide range of activities, from youth engagement to cultural events and social services. Feedback on accessibility, safety, and inclusivity informed both the internal layout and external access strategies.

The play spaces were also shaped through co-design activities with families and local groups, ensuring they reflect the needs of a diverse population. This level of engagement helped build trust, foster ownership, and deliver a development that is not just architecturally well-resolved, but socially embedded.

The wayfinding strategy at Bellamy Close and Byng Street supports both orientation and identity, enhancing how residents and visitors navigate the site’s layered public realm. Designed to complement the architectural language and landscape character, the signage system is minimal, legible, and material-led, contributing to the premium feel of the development without overpowering it.

Using a refined sans-serif typeface and consistent line motif, the signage reinforces visual clarity across the site. Materials have been carefully selected: metal lettering and monolith signs reference the industrial heritage of the site while providing durable, tactile markers at key points of arrival and transition. Directional signage within the building supports intuitive movement, with internal signs cut from single pieces of metal to ensure consistency and ease of maintenance.

The system includes building identifiers, directional guides, and amenity signposting – all designed to ensure that every space, from communal gardens to tower entrances, is easy to find and welcoming. Accessibility has been considered throughout, with clear visual contrast, logical placement, and thoughtful scale to support a wide range of users.

More than just a navigation tool, the wayfinding strategy contributes to the project’s sense of place. It links architecture, landscape, and community-focused design through a unified visual language, delivering a calm and coherent experience that reflects the project’s broader values of design quality and long-term stewardship.