ADP Returns to the Forum, Southend-on-Sea

In 2013, ADP delivered a new mixed-use building in Southend-on-Sea, including a library, a public art gallery and a range of teaching and learning spaces. The project was born out of a shared vision by three clients – Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the University of Essex, and South Essex College – who came together to create a building that could be greater than the sum of its parts.

This year, we returned to speak to these clients about the Forum’s impact on the people who use it, and how it was performing nearly a decade on. They gave positive feedback, praising the teaching and study facilities and the benefits of three clients collaborating. A good example of this is the library, which provides a large space which would have been much more difficult for one of the clients to deliver individually.

Their responses also highlighted some key lessons we could learn from the project. For instance, the project provided a new public square, but use of this outdoor space hasn’t met expectations. To help address this, ADP is currently delivering a redesign of this area to ensure it fully meets its potential.

We captured some of our clients’ views on the Forum in our latest video, showing how unique collaborations can transform whole communities for the better.