• Open–City

What's happening in Brent

Open House London showcases great design in every London borough. Click here to find out what you can see in Brent this year.

Below, you can find out all about the local context of this borough's architecture, areas undergoing change and projects under construction.

Brent’s regeneration projects aim to enhance economic, social and environmental positives in the area. The varieties of projects are there to improve and maintain the quality of life for all Brent residents and to put the borough on par with surrounding areas of London. It is hoped that the initiatives will result in an improved, greener borough with attractive cultural areas.

The 20-year Regeneration Strategy (2001-2021) is based on the principles of equality, local benefit, sustainability, quality, best value and partnership. Brent council believes that at the heart of regeneration are the factors of need and opportunity. The council seeks to maximise the benefits of opportunities when they arise to address social and economic needs.

There are many specific regeneration programmes. The Alperton regeneration is a response to the government asking Brent to plan for new homes in order to meet the demands of population growth. As well as creating new homes in the growth area there will be opportunity for businesses and employment to grow. The site is on land adjoining a canal and by creating a new area the canal should achieve a new lease of life, making it a place for the community to visit and enjoy.

The North Circular Road regeneration is a major new initiative. The vision seeks to create a series of distinct places within the area, challenging the negative areas such as turning the Brent section into the ‘greenest’ stretch of highway in London and showcasing the boroughs key attractions. The latter principal involves Wembley National Stadium.

However the area of Wembley itself is another area undergoing transformation. Brent notes that the stadium is a year round destination in its own right but the stadium’s industrial surroundings provide an opportunity for growth than can not be passed up. This area will be an expression of Brent’s desire to transform Wembley into one of the most exciting areas to visit in London. The vision is for Wembley to be an area of contemporary sporting and architectural achievements

The Stonebridge Hillside Hub will be open virtually this year for Open House London. The public will be able to explore the building, online, from Friday 16th September. The architects will be online for a live Q&A session between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday 18th September 2011.

By visiting this website - www.ecarch.co.uk/virtualstonebridge - members of the public can virtually ‘walk’ around the building and leave comments and questions for the architects using virtual ‘sticky notes’ placed on areas of interest throughout the Hillside Hub. The virtual tour will be powered by StickyWorld, an innovative web application that helps people engage in dialogue about visual material, including panoramic photography of buildings and spaces.
                                                                                                          
The architects for the Stonebridge Hillside Hub, Roddy Langmuir (Project Director) and David Cawston (Project Architect) will be virtually in the building, answering comments and questions live on the Sunday. As the building is not physically taking part in Open House this year, it provides a great opportunity for the public to find out more about this landmark regeneration building.

The Stonebridge Hillside Hub provides a major resource for the 4,000 strong culturally diverse local community and establishes the economic, social and environmental improvements that the Stonebridge Estate has worked so hard to achieve for itself. The complex and large scale building provides a Health Centre, a Community Centre, a convenience store, a café, open-market and shared ownership residential apartments, private car parking, a garden and a public piazza.

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