An existing two storey Victorian warehouse set in a landlocked site in central London, surrounded by residential blocks and local industry buildings, all set within the boroughs very sensitive conservation area.
Our design aim was to retain the existing two storey frontage of the building and extend upwards by a further four storeys to provide a mixed use development of approximately 25,000 square feet of commercial space and private residential flats, all with exceptional amenity spaces on the surrounding flat roofs.
Significant local hostility to any development of the building and site existed, combined with a very strong resident and area interest lobbies. This led to extensive consultation which we undertook with Four Communication. Shadowing, noise pollution, reduction in natural daylighting, overlooking and general over development concerns were all key features in the objections and in turn informed the shape and extent of the new design.
The mass of the upward extension is entirely formed to suit careful sunlight studies that were carried out on the site to avoid any shadowing on adjacent properties. All internal layouts are designed to suit habitable room window positions, in turn to avoid overlooking into adjacent properties. Environmental concerns were key drivers from Southwark which lead to green roofs; biomass heating systems and grey water cycling facilities were all designed in.
Aesthetically the existing two storey brick plinth was to be retained as the dominant mass with replacement Crittall metal windows.The new form would then rise above it setting back as it gets higher and with a mixture of very contextual materials such as match stock brick and industrial zinc cladding.
Fereday Pollard secured planning consent for the development in 2008 on resubmission upon appeal and are working on the detailed design packages for an anticipated start on site date of January 2013.