Product used: Staffordshire Blue bricks
Project location: Clapham, London
Architect: Hawkins/Brown

The second phase of the St John’s Hill Estate regeneration in Clapham continues in a similar vein to the first by including eye-catching brick sculptures by renowned artists Rodney Harris and Valda Jackson. The first phase, Burridge Gardens, delivered 153 award-winning homes for the community and a Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture for the artists. Phase 2 will provide a further 198 homes - every one an affordable home - plus a new community centre.

Designed by architects Hawkins\Brown, the ambitious project celebrates the history of the site and the people who have lived there. In phase one, consultation and collaboration with the community resulted in a series of relevant sculptures being incorporated into the brick. These included a porter’s uniform, a World War II officer’s jacket, a washroom sink, and a line of children’s clothing. In this second phase, the front elevation includes a large-scale brick relief sculpture of a giant espaliered apple tree with a number of objects sitting in the branches, including a bird, a pineapple, a train, and a pair of ballet shoes.