Frog Marsh is a new pedestrian space outside Bannerman Road Community Academy designed by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad in collaboration with a group of 7-9yr old students, teachers and parents.

Developed through a process of observation, story-telling and design workshops, and spatial prototyped through planned road closures, the design of Frog Marsh primarily involved the young students as well as their parents, teachers and residents in imagining an experimental permanent public space that addresses road safety and encourages social cohesion in the community.

Commissioned by the Friends of Bannerman Road and supported by Bristol City Council, the project set out to transform the heavily used junction adjacent to the school – which was used as a rat run, and faced issues of speeding and unsafe parking – by including the experiences, imagination and desires of the students and the wider public in the conception and creation of the space.

The final design which includes a series of playful interventions, public stage, vibrant colour scheme, new name (Frog Marsh) and a ‘museum’ of 30 different orange bollards sought to address the key themes of spatial identity, comfort/play, and safety.

In order to expand the consultation to the local community and general public, the team ran a series of engagement events to generate in-depth dialogue with members of the public and provide further insights into the final design, including a street party and temporary pizza restaurant designed and ran by Bahbak and the students.

Identity – Giving the area a name, and therefore an identity, was an opportunity to create a sense of ownership and encourage people to value the space. Local residents selected Frog Marsh, the historical name for this area of Easton until around 1950. Studio Ard were commissioned to design a bespoke typeface for the bridge and a series of playful Frog Marsh illustrations produced by Peter Judson promote the new space.

Comfort – Key in creating a space that encourages communities to spend time and encourage social use. New furniture was designed and colours introduced, to create a warm, welcoming space and encourage parents to walk to school, or adopt “park and stride” when dropping their children at school.

Safety – A raised table to slow traffic, and improved lighting and signage as well as a ‘museum of bollards’ – a playful collection of different bollards that skirts the area, and a large coloured surface to indicate a safe space where the experiences of children are prioritised.

A public programme has been devised to activate and celebrate the space between 2020-2021, including summer fairs, Halloween events, Christmas markets, poetry slams and outdoor school activities.