Twenty Bishops Square and NEO Bankside, two of Native Land’s award-winning London developments, have been praised for their exemplary design and awareness of surrounding infrastructure requirements, by the GLA.

The London Plan, the official development strategy plan for the Greater London area, includes several objectives. These comprise planning for a city that meets the challenges of economic and population growth; setting the foundation for an internationally competitive and successful city; creating diverse, strong, secure and accessible neighbourhoods; delighting the senses; ensuring London becomes a world leader in improving the environment; and providing a city where it is easy, safe and convenient for everyone to access jobs, opportunities and facilities.

Twenty Bishops Square was used to highlight how new schemes can be designed to fit into and enhance a sensitive environment. Designed by Matthew Lloyd architects and completed in 2008, this residential project references the materials of the adjacent grade II-listed St Botolph’s Hall, and uses terracotta cladding in a way that reinforces the significance of the neighbouring heritage asset. Due to this considered design approach, 20 Bishops Square won ‘Best Housing Development’ in the 2009 Grand Design Awards and received an RIBA award for architectural excellence in 2010.

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners – designed NEO Bankside has won multiple international awards for its design, however its success in providing infrastructure for the community was noted within the London Plan as being exemplary. An important aspect of the NEO Bankside development, which was completed in 2012, was to balance the need for housing alongside offices and other strategic functions. This was achieved through forward-thinking design with careful consideration to the requirements of the local area.

Alasdair Nicholls, Chief Executive of Native Land said:

“Our developments demonstrate our commitment to both high quality and innovative design and to providing the local community with necessary infrastructure to ensure the London Plan is successful. We are pleased to have two of our developments referred to in the London Plan and hope to provide continues best-practice leadership to London’s built environment industry.”