A consortium led by masterplanner EDAW and architect HOK Sport this week started a race against the clock to design a 拢1m masterplan for London's 2012 Olympic bid
The team, which includes Foreign Office Architects and Allies and Morrison, has 17 weeks to draw up a plan for the 600 ha site in the Lower Lea Valley, east London.

The masterplan will identify sites for the principal projects, such the main stadium and the Olympic village. It will also ink in plans for transport and infrastructure facilities.

Transport is still an issue as CrossRail is unlikely to be in place by 2012. Jason Prior, regional vice president and team leader of EDAW, said: "Running the Olympics with London's current transport infrastructure is entirely possible 鈥� it is not dependent on CrossRail."

Mayor Ken Livingstone said he would continue to push the government on CrossRail, which would be a boost for London's bid.

He said: "This bid goes ahead with or without CrossRail, which I have no doubt will be built. I hope that before we have to submit the masterplan we will have a clear indication from government on the CrossRail timescale."

The masterplan must be completed by early December in time for its initial submission to the International Olympic Committee on 15 January. The final submission must be handed over to the IOC in November next year.

HOK Sport principal Derek Wilson said that meetings with EDAW and the British Olympic Authority had been held to identify the locations of venues.

He said: "We are looking at the possibility of locating the main stadium and swimming pool around the Hackney Wick dog track. The Millennium Dome, Excel Centre and Earls Court will also play a role as sites."

The masterplanners havebeen asked to draw up fallback proposals if the Olympic bid is unsuccessful. This plan will include the construction of 30,000 homes, as part of the London Development Agency's15-year regeneration programme for the Lower Lea Valley.

The make-up of the winning team

  • EDAW will provide overall team leadership, regeneration and urban design.

  • HOK Sport will lead on locating sites for the main facilities. The practice has worked on every Games since Atlanta in 1996.

  • Foreign Office Architects and Allies and Morrison will handle conceptual design.

  • The project team also includes Mott MacDonald, Buro Happold, Faithful & Gould, C2C Management and Fluid.