From 2022 Periscope has been working to develop a live research project, testing innovations in improving soil health on post-industrial sites, even if only on a temporary basis. The garden explores the significance of ‘temporary’ landscapes as underestimated contributors to urban green infrastructure and builds on our early research into soil health across London and the UK.

Stockpile transforms a working construction site on the Thames Estuary into a new type of public space. Bringing together landscape design practitioners, university researchers, construction developers and members of the local community, the garden is designed responsively to on-site processes and constructed from brownfield soil and construction rubble. These low-fidelity techniques have allowed us to explore how to deploy locally sourced, low-cost, and low-maintenance ecological solutions amongst urban development

As the garden grows, it continues to host a programme of public events and experiments, over the coming years we hope to test bioremediation techniques and monitor the biodiversity improvements on site. The learnings from the garden will help fill the knowledge gaps in the how brownfield sites function ecologically and their overlooked value in the green fabric of cities.

You can read more in the Stockpile Books here.