Architects CarverHaggard, with support from REDO, were commissioned by London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to provide advice on the potential of underutilised sites within the London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, including South Park Rooms and Belvedere and Mandeville Place.

The aim of the project was to demonstrate that these South Park Spaces are capable of providing greater benefits for the local community and can support the operations of the park as a whole. 

REDO worked with LLDC to develop a financial appraisal tool which could be used to assess different scenarios for leisure, f&b and community uses, and combinations of capital funding, operator funding and rental income.  

2024

PRD and REDO are conducting a study into the market conditions, the implications for and challenges faced in delivering affordable workspace in Islington, London. The area of analysis includes Islington Central Activity Zone (CAZ) and CAZ Fringe Office market.

Within the current context of challenge, change and opportunity we will be providing a refresh of Councils evidence base; in order to better understand the local context, conditions and opportunities which will shape the future, whilst also supporting the Council to more clearly define its ambitions, roles and parameters for participation in enabling and delivering affordable workspace in the CAZ.

Current - 2024

REDO was part of a team led by We Made That that carried out a feasibility study on Holbeach Road Car Park in Catford for LB Lewisham. Lewisham are keen to explore how new workspace and other uses, including last mile delivery hubs and zero-carbon infrastructure, can be introduced to the town centre, and have identified an opportunity within the Holbeach Road Car Park site.

REDO carried out significant viability testing on the operational model and business plan for the site, which included a stakeholder summit with potential operators of the site.

The viability testing informed the design work which was being conducted by We Made That.

REDO led a partnership with PRD to support GLAP with a strategy for meanwhile use for their development sites in London. The focus of the study was on two sites where activation could be delivered immediately at Blackhorse Yard and Royal Albert Docks (RAD).

The work was split into two components. The first section was to provide a market facing report that provided GLAP with insight into operator and occupier requirements and the attractiveness of the two sites and the compilation of an assessment framework.

The second part of the commission was to employ the assessment framework to consider particular uses for the two sites. The Blackhorse Yard site is set to be activated with an open storage use able to generate an income that can cross-subsidise other uses which deliver social value, including a community garden, forest school and affordable workspace. Consideration is also being given to increasing the permeability of the site and community aspirations for a pathway through to a public transport hub.

2024

REDO was commissioned by LB Camden to review plans for 2 Prince of Wales Road which is set to become home to a community incubator space and affordable workspace.

Changes to market conditions necessitated a review of what kind of space should be provided. REDO carried out a spatial review including suggested partitioning for the site and subsequently put forward financial models for three different layouts that considered potential return against upfront capital costs.

The financial models were supported by an operational plan with recommendations put forward for the best route to take forward.

2024

REDO with PRD are currently undertaking an analysis to set out the case for affordable workspace in Oxford for Oxford City Council. This includes providing the evidence base to support the new Local Plan 2040 policy which will require affordable workspace to be provided on several major sites. 

The case making will also help Council to consider all options it has available for delivery of affordable workspace. 

Current - 2024

Lewisham Council secured funding to repurpose the existing 1960s library space on the high street in Lewisham to deliver a flagship cultural and civic space. The refurbished space will provide a new library, a business hub and ground floor cafe. This will create a new anchor for Lewisham town centre and an innovative approach to the delivery of library services. It will help activate the night-time economy and draw visitors to this part of the high street.

REDO provided a financial appraisal for the proposed use, including business modeling of options for proposed uses and capital investment. REDO also provided advice to the council on a suitable operating model that would reduce operating costs for the council as a whole.    

2024

London Housing Association, Peabody, manages and owns 66,000 homes across London, and at any one time is working on up to 50 new development schemes. Within their housing estates and redevelopment sites are a portfolio of commercial properties.

REDO advises Peabody on maximising the use of these commercial properties across London, including community use of the historic portfolio, the suitability and financial evaluation of prospective workspace operators, and the provision of workspace in new mixed-use development.

Recently REDO provided advice to Peabody on an affordable workspace strategy for the development of Phase 4A, a 1200 sqm ground floor space at Battersea Powerstation major development site. REDO prepared an Affordable Workspace Strategy for submission to the local authority as part of the planning process.

REDO is currently advising Peabody on the vision, set up and implementation of its in-house branded and operated affordable workspace - Peabody Workspace Matters. This will open in late 2024 at the New Mansion Square in Battersea London

2019 - current

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) has secured £22.7m in Town Deal funding to deliver separate projects, one of which is the Milton Keynes Innovation Hub.

REDO worked with Avison Young to produce a feasibility study and business case for the Milton Keynes Innovation Space for MKCC. REDO’s focus was on the feasibility study which included business modelling, operational considerations, phasing and capacity as well as setting out the types of operator who could go on to operate the space.

The Feasibility Study and Business Case was submitted to and subsequently signed off by the Bletchley Town Deal board.

We were then commissioned to deliver a subsequent commission for Milton Keynes Development Partnership to support them in positioning the opportunity and taking it through a procurement process.

2022-2023

REDO are leading a multi-disciplinary team including PRD and Jas Bhalla Architects to support London homelessness charity All People All Places (APAP) in their aims to open a new day centre facility in Enfield as part of the Night Shelter Transformation Fund (NSFT) Capital Incubator Fund. We are working with the Council to identify and secure a new site and will provide the design, costings, and socio-economic case which is required for APAP to submit a full Capital Grant Fund Application in Year 2 of the programme.

The initial phase of the project is to set the parameters of the search and the principles for the leasing arrangements. We will then conduct a review of proposed sites before making recommendations on which unit to progress with. This unit will then undergo initial design and costings work by Jas Bhalla Architects, and PRD will identify the public and community benefits that LB Enfield will create through this approach.

2023

REDO have partnered with We Made That to produce a Meanwhile Strategy for Thurrock Council.

The Strategy will identify potential opportunities and set the strategic case for meanwhile use interventions before conducting a site analysis of shortlisted opportunities. The strategy will also set out an evaluation process by which can be applied to other as yet unidentified properties.

The role that Thurrock will need to play in enabling meanwhile uses will be explored as well as setting out delivery advice and the different operational approaches and drivers for participation.

The outcome of the commission will be a co-ordinated strategy that brings together the localised and phased vision, selected priority projects and the supporting steps to delivery.

2023

REDO were part of a team including PRD and Bow Arts Trust, that were commissioned to draft Lewisham’s Affordable Workspace strategy. It sets out the council’s approach and the actions required for increasing affordable workspace in the borough, in alignment with the Local Plan objectives.

The Strategy states there should be no net loss of affordable workspace across the borough as new development comes forward and active workspace buildings reach the end of their life. It puts forward measures to both safeguard existing workspace and secure new ones.

Affordability is considered from the bottom up to ensure operator viability and genuine affordability to the end user, with different opportunities and delivery methods mapped out across the borough, aligned with the strategy’s objective to have an affordable workspace in every neighbourhood.

2022 - 2023

Established in 2009, the South Kilburn Trust took on the management of The Granville in 2017 to safeguard this much-loved community building. SKT recognises the long-lasting link between The Granville and the people of South Kilburn and is dedicated to ensuring The Granville is a thriving hub of local community. The Trust is entering an exciting period of change and growth as it takes on additional properties including the Carlton Building.

Our team led by PRD with Augarde Consulting and REDO are supporting the Trust to design and implement an organisational structure and operating model that will effectively address the challenges, responsibilities and opportunities faced as a result of Phase 2 of the Carlton and Granville development project.

REDO will review the Trust’s existing assets and explore opportunities for new management approaches. We will model and undertake a feasibility analysis to identify several options which find a balance between the required revenue generation and social outcomes.

2023

REDO are part of a team led by PRD who have been commissioned by London Borough of Waltham Forest to develop an Affordable Workspace Strategy for the Council, which will recommend tools and processes to support the Local Plan. The strategy will be underpinned by an evidence base which will identify and define where the clusters of emerging business sectors are, the cultural and economic value they offer and include recommendations for the size specification and design typology required for each.

This will then allow us to develop a methodology based on existing supply and demand, which the council can use to appraise offers made as part of planning applications and S106 negotiations and agreements. This will include recommendations for the levels of discount required to make workspaces affordable and how this will vary across different districts and industry typologies and identify the fit out that developers should provide on completion.

We will also be providing recommendations on how developers can work collaboratively with Waltham Forest and workspace providers.

2023

Blue Coast Capital are building a 9 storey office development in the heart of Shoreditch, London’s best known creative district.

REDO are providing support to Blue Coast Capital to deliver affordable space. The work will support the overall creative vision for the development and identify suitable operating partners, layouts and operating models.

2022 - 2023

REDO and Volterra have been commissioned by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and London Borough of Ealing to undertake a comprehensive study into affordable workspace within the study area. The findings were use to inform a draft Planning Obligations SPD and consider where further government intervention could support delivery of more affordable space.

The draft SPD recommendations introduces flexibility and a focus on operator viability, whilst acknowledging the restrictions of current planning policy and that developer viability is often used for decision making. The OPDC approach also takes steps to promote that an off-site development contribution might be a better solution. It sets out a:

• Value in pounds for the affordable workspace provision based on the traditional approach of reduction against market rent to meet development viability requirements;

• Minimum size if provided on-site, with design conditions to ensure any affordable workspace would be large enough to have a meaningful impact; and

• Requirement for several tests at application stage to set rents, including submission of a business plan/model which must outline the operator rent to landlord, operator costs, and rents to end users. Benchmarking on operator costs was provided which considers the impact of rates, service charges, management costs etc.

Importantly, rather than relying on a blunt percent reduction from market rent, the calculation for affordability works back from what it costs to operate (and to provide affordable rents to end users depending on the target sector).

This process makes sure rents from landlord to operator are agreed at application stage. Operators are then accountable for affordability to end users by definition of their type of operation and target social, economic and public value outcomes, along with other council oversight.

2021 - 2023

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) have been awarded £2 mil in Good Growth Funding to deliver their vision for North End Road. This includes £1.7 mil funding to deliver a community facility at the car park owned by Council on Coomer Place.

However, before proceeding with detailed design and delivery of the proposed concept, REDO are helping LBHF to understand the impact of Covid and assess the needs of the businesses and community to shape the design and better understand the feasibility including costs of operation, management and procurement process.

2021 - 2022

REDO with PRD, Assemble and IKS consulting have undertaken a scoping exercise followed by feasibility and options analysis in preparation for Levelling Up Funding bid. The site is a 80k sq ft former railway engine sheds which is connected by a railway tunnel under the road to Isaac Maddox House (another REDO project).

2021 - 2022

PRD and REDO are undertaking a study to help inform the economic growth and associated workspace requirements in Catford town centre.

The study considers both the economic demand for different types of workspace and the current supply including London Borough of Lewisham’s portfolio of assets, opportunities presented through the Catford Regeneration Partnership (CRPL) and other levers to activate high street units.

Through this study we have a developed an understanding of Lewisham’s approach to the use of assets in their ownership and influence and have provided the foundations on which to support new workspace delivery in Catford.

2022

London Housing Association Catalyst have secured Greater London Authority funding to transform 36 redundant garages and about 2,000sqm on the Havelock Estate in Southall to create a community base from which to deliver play, sport, and recreation.

REDO is conducting a rapid review into the project to stress test some the Catalyst assumptions and ensure the operating model is fit for purpose in a post-covid world.

2021

Working with architects, Assemble, along with PRD and IKS consulting we are conducting feasibility work to determine the future use of Isaac Maddox House in Worcester, a 30k sq ft building that is set to be refurbished as an enterprise centre. This is a good example of how REDO works collaboratively for a public sector landlord (Isaac Maddox House is owned by Worcester County Council) on the preparation of the design, cost contingencies and proposed operation of a building.

IKS carried out extensive cost consultancy work to establish the level of refurbishment which would be achievable and worked closely with Assemble to outline the different interventions that would be possible within the proposed budget, which would come from the Towns Fund. As well as commissioning initial surveys, this consisted of considering different partitioning, an outline access, servicing and environmental approach, outline specification for internal finishes and external works including the building facade and surrounding public realm.

REDO used the findings from Assemble and IKS' work and drew up a business plan to test the commercial sustainability of the project and mapped out the different operational approaches that could be employed for the future operation of the building.

2021 - 2022

The Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation, in partnership with Brent Council and the Canal & River Trust, have funding to deliver improvements to Harlesden Canalside. Located upstream from Acton Lane in Harlesden the project recognises the strategic importance of the Paddington arm of the canal as a major public realm asset and also the opportunity to deliver a thriving gateway to London’s largest Opportunity Area, Old Oak and Park Royal.

To deliver the project, OPDC appointed REDO and architects, We Made That, and a wider consultant team to work closely with the local community to scope and undertake a feasibility analysis. The project is part of a £1.2m community investment, funded by the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund to bring forward a range of improvements to public spaces on the canal.

The aim of the project was to create a flagship community hub for local residents, businesses, boaters and visitors. The team engaged with local people through a range of consultation and co-design activities to understand what could happen on this space. Early ideas included work and social space; a café or bar; event space; markets; a bicycle, boat and canoe repair workshop; and allotments. The team worked with local people and groups to experiment and determine what uses would be most viable and suitable for people who work and live nearby.

This informed the creation of the business plan and preliminary designs.

2020-21

Surplus public owned buildings are an opportunity to provide affordable space, and therefore sustainable growth in cities. In Brixton London Lambeth Council worked up plans to shift the economy towards higher skilled office uses. However, they wanted to do this in a way that was inclusive for the existing diverse community. Responding to this strategy a 7000 sqm surplus former Council office was repurposed by REDO’s sister organisation, 3Space, as London’s Largest affordable workspace, a project which will run for five years from 2018. 3Space’s BuyGiveWork model was implemented at scale, where for every space paid for one is given away.

London Borough of Newham is one of the top 20 landowners in London and its portfolio includes a diverse range of assets across the borough, which are in various states of repair and accommodate a mixture of uses.

LBN’s Inclusive Economy Strategy identified that making better use of existing assets within the borough is a key strategic opportunity to deliver Community Wealth Building.

Working with PRD we are undertaking an initial sifting of these Council owned assets to identify a short list of opportunities for community wealth building and local entrepreneurial activity. This will be followed by a feasibility and commercial viability analysis and then selection of the best option for delivery to take these forward to market.

Client: London Borough of Newham

2020 - ongoing

The Vine is an 89,000 sq ft former TK Maxx and New Look building in Peterborough, recently bought by the Council to provide a new hub with a range of uses including library, affordable business space, education centre and café.

REDO and PRD were commissioned to provide strategic assurance support, to help Council explore how the Vine should be procured and taken to market, so as to deliver both the commercial and community based uses the project needs to accommodate.

2021

REDO, together with PRD are working with Camden to finalise their Affordable Workspace Strategy which was drafted in 2020.

It sets out how to make use of their own resources, assets and levers to help create a more inclusive economy. This includes ensuring that small businesses and social enterprises have access to affordable workspaces to grow business ventures that benefit their communities.

2022

REDO with PRD supported Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to scope and test options for converting a car park with boxing gym/community asset with Good Growth Funding provided by the GLA. Options explored included a community lounge, with drop in spaces for VCS organisations moving towards a bigger, longer-term opportunity around circular economy and last mile logistics. Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea’s commercial strategy will involve the use of social value leasing, which will ensure that the asset ‘washes its own face,’ but will also enable socially-oriented uses that matter to the community to flourish.

2022

Grosvenor Estates are developing the former Biscuit Factory site in Bermondsey in south London, with plans to deliver up to 1500 new homes. This design and Planning process has taken over three years, during which time Grosvenor have worked with REDO’s sister organisation 3Space to maximise the use of the former college, which is part of the future redevelopment site.

Working with 3Space, a Space for Public Good operator, meant they were able to use their assets to provide opportunities for local people, whilst retaining the opportunity to develop when they are granted Planning Permission.

Delivered as a Meanwhile Use project and using a small capital budget for fit-out 3Space were able to repurpose the college as a workspace and agri-tech incubator. The BuyGiveWork initiative provides space for innovative Green Lab, Business Launchpad’s Youth Wellbeing Hub and space for local non-profits and social enterprises.

Green Lab was London’s first incubator workspace for urban farming entrepreneurs and ‘agritech’ startup businesses, working to create a new city community for sustainable food innovators in the capital and the country's expanding £14 billion agri-tech sector. This experimental project is explained in more detail in this article in the Guardian and a post on the Atlas of the Future

In late 2018 Urban Economists Hatch Regeneris completed an evaluation of 3Space Keeton’s & Collett which showed that 65% of businesses based there interacted with the local area more - to find out more detail about this project you can read the report here

66 & 68 Pier Road are two long term vacant high street properties in Erith, London. They are part of the Greater Erith Regeneration programme which aims to improve the quality of life of people living in and around Erith and improve the town’s economic resilience.

In partnership with key stakeholders the council is doing this through a series of interventions that improve the public realm, create new workspaces and employment opportunities and accelerate the delivery of new homes. Within the wider programme, a number of projects are funded through the GLA’s Good Growth Fund including 66 & 68 Pier Road.

REDO and PRD were commissioned to work with LB Bexley, architects Alma-nac and the preferred local operator to re-examine the proposed business model. We were able to write a business plan and operational model which gave all stakeholders the confidence that there is a commercially sustainable model which can underpin the use of the space, as well as highlighting some spatial considerations which will need to be addressed in the subsequent stages of the project.

2022

REDO is part of an expert advisory panel working with Left Bank Co. to provide advice to the City of Melbourne on strategic options for the Creative Spaces Program

2022

Picture Palace in Harlesden was purchased by Brent Council to support the delivery of their strategic plan for the town centre.

REDO was commissioned by Brent Council in 2020 to undertake an opportunity analysis of the Picture Palace. The Council owned building has previously been used as a cinema and pub. Our work provided advice that will help Council find and appoint a suitable end use and operator. This consisted of an analysis of the building’s condition and layout as well as proposed end use, business modelling and feasibility.

REDO also assisted further with business planning and support to tender bidders as part of a capacity building process offered to all bidders.

Client: London Borough of Brent

2020 - 2021

Kensal Canalside is a site located to the north of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea that has been selected as one of London's 38 Opportunity Areas within the London Plan and the Council's Local Plan. This means it is an area for growth that has the potential to bring at least 3,500 new homes and 2,000 new jobs to the area.

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Greater London Authority have commissioned a research, strategy and delivery project focused on the expansion of Kensal’s creative economy within the area.

The work is led by architect, urbanism and research practice We Made That working with Hatch Regeneris, PRD and REDO. Over the next 2 years the project will research the existing creative industry in the area, consult extensively with the community, master plan and inform planning strategy, before identifying a number of suitable interventions to support the creative economy, which will then be implemented. The delivery of the intervention projects will be supported by GLA’s Good Growth fund, which supports regeneration projects in the capital.

Client: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea & Greater London Authority

2019 - 2021

PRD and REDO have been commissioned to undertake an Asset Management Strategy for the Westway Trust to assist in the management of the Trust's assets and the implementation of a different tenant mix to achieve more social value impact, including renewing leasing agreements in line with social purpose.

This forms the basis of a Tenant Recovery Strategy for the Trust post Covid-19, which both assesses units that are already vacant and sets out some of the strategic principles in expectation that there will be further void properties on the estate as the economic impact of the pandemic takes effect. This will ensure that when void properties are subsequently re-tenanted they will deliver benefit to the local community.

Our report provided site specific work that will provide a practical consultation tool for the next use of Bramley's, Westbank and Bays 57 & 58 Acklam Village. The work constitutes an asset assessment and then an options analysis for the 3 sites that will facilitate a participatory approach to decision making that includes the wider community in the discussion on the best use of these spaces.

The Westway Trust - was set up in 1971, in partnership with the local authority, as the custodian of the 23 acres of land under the motorway to help promote positive use of the spaces that lie underneath the Westway. The Westway, is an overhead motorway, the A40(M) which in 1960s was driven through North Kensington London staked out on giant stilts - the largest continuous concrete structure in the country. Two and a half miles of new road made it the longest stretch of elevated motorway in Europe.

2020

Urban economic consultants Hatch Regeneris, with Prior & Partners, WorkWild and REDO have been commissioned to prepare the Oxford Economic Strategy and City Centre Strategy and Action Plan.

REDO are specifically tasked with investigating suitable interventions and operating models for under-utilised sites within the city centre owned by the Council, University and Colleges.

The work included a workspace strategy for Oxford and a feasibility and options report for three Council owned sites. The feasibility report was used for a successful ERDF funding bid.

Client: Oxford City Council, UK

2019 - 2020

LB Wandsworth were allocated £ 1 million in SIP funding for capital works projects to be used to deliver affordable workspace within the borough.

REDO prepared a pack to advertise the opportunity and consulted with local operators in need of funding.

2021

REDO and PRD were commissioned by Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation to carry out a two-part study that would first develop an understanding of the needs and opportunities to support SME and micro businesses to develop and stay in Park Royal. The study was focused around the Old Refectory Building providing the economic purpose to frame action and intervention.

The second part was a feasibility study which then determined the most viable option for operation of the building.

2019 - 2020

Responding to the challenge of branches closing across the banking sector, REDO’s sister organisation, 3Space devised, prototyped and delivered the Barclays Hatch project. Empty Barclays branches were repurposed into co-working, event and makerspaces, supporting community engagement and growth of local start-ups. As part of this two year project 3Space provided analysis on close to 100 properties in Barclays portfolio to determine the most efficient use and developed a business model for their community use.  Building on our prototype, the concept has now been rolled-out by Barclays across the UK, and is called Barclays Eagle Labs.

Oxford City Council ran an open tender to find a workspace operator for two sites of 6000 sq ft and 13 000 sq ft in the centre in 2020.

REDO provided professional advise to support the evaluation of tender bids received.

Client: Oxford City Council

2020 - 2021

London Borough of Wandsworth engaged Redo to review 7 sites across Richmond and Wandsworth. Sites range from a former library to a former Council office and a number of buildings and under-utilised space within a housing estate in Battersea.

On behalf of the Economic Development team 3Space provided an independent review of the potential for the provision of flexible workspace utilising premises within the Council owned estate. The analysis was used to inform decision-making on the future use of the premises and also to inform funding bids.

At each site 3Space completed the following analysis:

- Suggested configuration options and analysis of access and facilities management issues.

- Business planning to determine viability for workspace use, including expected income, the operator running costs and rental income for Council

- High-level estimation of capital expenditure costs

- Recommendations for partners and suitable operators

- Recommendations on inclusion for funding bids and alternative options for use

Key challenges:

- Identifying sites where workspace is viable. Workspace, particularly affordable workspace, is increasingly the most popular use for under-utilised local authority owned space. But it is not always viable and Redo sees its role to challenge this and provide robust evidence on viability. For one of the properties within the review, there was an aspiration for workspace but this was the wrong size in the wrong location. Redo were able to show why there were viability concerns and make recommendations that the property be used for its existing community use with more emphasis on events and community uses that generate income.

- Alternative uses. Through its work at 3Space where buildings have been used for a range of uses including, for example a circus training venue, theatre performances, urban agri-tech incubator, workspace, high street co-working and food & drink - we are able to suggest suitable alternative uses. During a site visit to a large Council housing estate in Battersea Redo were asked to look at a small ground floor unit for workspace use, but were also able to identify a larger opportunity within the adjacent 3000 sqm undercroft space. Redo’s recommendation was to make use of this space for an industrial scale urban farming pilot, which is a relatively low-cost intervention which would provide jobs for people on the estate and take advantage of its proximity to New Covent Garden market. Redo were able to call on expertise from previous projects and make recommendations which are now being taken forward for an application for central government and GLA funding.

Cost-effective solutions. A consultant report by a major property firm for the Council estates team for one of the properties reviewed identified capital expenditure costs required to achieve the desired rent to be £550k. Redo reviewed this building, investigated the running costs and configuration options, and were able to recommend a reduced £85-130k for capital expenditure costs which could achieve similar rent levels as recommended by the consultant. This approach would also deliver the social outputs and strategic economic objectives required by the economic development team.

Client: London Borough of Wandsworth and Richmond

2019

REDO worked with Lendlease on their proposals for developing plot H1 of Elephant Park in the London Borough of Southwark into office space.

Working collaboratively with Lendlease, REDO and Volterra developed an affordable workspace strategy for submission for planning

2019 - 2020