Thamesmead’s Tump 53 nature reserve is ready for a school summer holiday of bringing nature, children and the wider community together, thanks to multisensory placemaking and an augmented reality (AR) learning app by London brand agency Alphabetical.

Thamesmead has more than double the amount of green space than the London average and Peabody owns around 65% of the land (including five lakes, seven kilometres of canals and 240 hectares of verdant parks). Peabody wanted to increase their engagement with the local community so that residents could get the most out of these unique natural assets.

Peabody approached Alphabetical because it wanted to encourage more people engage with the Tump 53 nature reserve and nearby Water Lily Walk, which are two of Thamesmead’s hidden treasures, and create a sense of pride and ownership among local residents and school children.

“We’re taking a ‘whole place’ approach to improve, grow and look after Thamesmead for the long-term, and Tump 53 nature reserve and Water Lily Walk are key parts of this. We partnered with Alphabetical as part of our ‘Living in the Landscape’ initiative, which aims to engage communities and encourage greater use of our unique green spaces,” says Kate Batchelor, head of landscape and placemaking at Peabody.

Alphabetical has created a brand identity for Tump 53 nature reserve, as well as an environmental design and digital learning app to strengthen the link between the green space and the people who live nearby, including children from local primary schools Hawksmoor and Windrush.

Tommy Taylor, creative partner at Alphabetical, says: “This project is about placemaking and creating ways to help people connect with nature. From the outset it made sense to collaborate with locals, especially children.”

Alphabetical created workshops for the young people centred on discovering the local insects and animals of Tump 53 nature reserve and Water Lily Walk – the places they inhabit, the food they eat, the sounds they make, and why they’re so important to our ecosystem. “The kids were the real designers here,” says Taylor. “Through mimicking the sounds and movements of local creatures, the project enabled them to take ownership of their environment, becoming more and more invested as time went on.”