GREEN TECH R&D: A HUB FOR COLLABORATION

The sense of community in Canary Wharf seemed to have disappeared over the last few decades as recent developments focused mainly to serve the workers in the towers of large wealthy companies rather than the local community. The proposal aims to challenge the typical conventional research & development centre typology where there is generally a clear separation between the public and private zones and reimagine and expand Canary Wharf from being purely a business district into a site that serves as a global centre for technology and innovation. The proposed centre would provide an environment that brings together the public and the private, whereby various start-up green tech companies from all over the world can share ideas, test, and develop technologies focusing on renewable energy whilst also benefiting the local community by creating direct employment opportunities which in turn will expand the demographics of Canary Wharf, creating a more diverse and strong sense of community. Located in London’s business district the centre would become a beacon of partnership that directly connects start-up companies with investors and the business community, allowing them to collaborate and make significant contributions to the development of a future that is beyond carbon neutral.