Residential Selected Projects FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
N
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Once home to two blocks of bedsits and an underground car park, Fraser Brown MacKenna have secured planning consent to redevelop Pembury Circus in Hackney to provide around 270 new homes together with a brand new community centre, shops, a nursery and a gym. We have used existing ‘desire lines’ and informal pedestrian routes across the site as a starting point for determining how to link the site to the surrounding neighbourhood. Formalising these desire lines creates three new principal routes through the site. A key issue for residents was improving the security of the estate. The previous buildings on the site were unpopular (and often unoccupied) bedsits that had been sub-let by leaseholders leading to a transient population. The area had become synonymous with drug taking and crime and was a no-go area for many.
The developer, Bellway Homes, was keen to create secure, ‘gated’ type spaces throughout. The planners were also minded that a less permeable scheme would be beneficial. The design team felt that providing some public access through the site, focussed around the new Community Centre, would be key to the future success of the space and the Peabody Trust agreed. By testing a number of design solutions, carefully locating entrances to each new building to provide passive surveillance, we were able to secure the support of the Secured by Design Officer, the residents and tenants from PETRA (the Pembury Estate Tenants and Residents Association), Bellway and the local planning authority as well as Design for London (CABE). The scheme received planning consent in April 2012 and the first phase was completed in January 2015. The final phase is due for completion in September 2015 and is shortlisted in the National Housing Awards as Best Regeneration Project.
Mixed Use Development of a Gateway Site Pembury Circus, Hackney
• • • • • • • • •
Brownfield site Mixed use development 270 residential units Gymnasium and nursery Commercial space Community Centre £50m contract High rise buildings Planning permission granted April 2012
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Silvermills provides 132 new apartments on an edge of town centre site in Lewisham. The development is adjacent to the completed Silkworks development, also by St James. Silvermills provides 33% affordable units within a mixture of 13 studio, 63 one. 47 two and 9 three bedroom apartments. The development is formed from three modulated pavilions. The orientation of the pavilions reflects the existing pedestrian routes around and through the site, creating vistas and views into and within the new landscaped courtyard either side of Silk Mills Path – an important connection to the town centre. Within each pavilion, internal layouts are arranged to minimise overlooking between residential units whilst promote passive surveillance to improve the security of the site. Its former use as industrial premises and workshops has led the surrounding buildings to ‘turn their back’ on the site.
The design aims to create activity along Conington Road for the first time in decades, through the location of entrances to the ground floor apartments, with thresholds that can be personalised with plants and furniture. The pavilions are read as volumes from both Conington Road and Silk Mills Path and are clad in brick. The tone and texture of the brick has been tested to provide a suitable transition between the predominantly white insulated render and buff brick of the Silkworks development and the darker brick of the houses to the north and east of the site.
132 New Apartments Silvermills Lewisham
132 apartments Brownfield site Edge of town centre Formed part of AAP 1,170 hr/ha 33% affordable units CfSH Level 3 Significant stakeholder consultation
The development meets CfSH Level 3. The site has good accessibility to public transport, lying close to Elverson Road station and Lewisham station, which is served by a number of bus routes. The development is car free. By using air source heat pumps, the scheme meets a 20% on-site renewable contribution.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Hotel, Apartments + Live/ Work Units Deals Gateway, Greenwich
• • • • • • • • •
90 room hotel 103 new homes 20 live/work units 590sqm commercial space Opposite conservation area Gateway site Final phase of OneSE8 £15m construction cost Complete 2012
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Our challenge at Deals Gateway was to create a mixed-use building on an important corner site. The development was the final phase of St James’ successful OneSE8 development, just south of the River Thames between Deptford and Greenwich. Our design creates a perimeter block that connects to the adjoining OneSE8 development. This form provides definition to the streetscape at this important intersection, providing a public ‘outer’ face and a private inner courtyard. The perimeter block can be read as three elements. A 90 bedroom hotel marks the corner of Blackheath Road and Deals Gateway, facing the DLR and bus transport hub. The lobby and restaurant generate activity along the streetface.
Either side of the hotel are two wings which make up the other elements of the scheme. The western wing provides 36 units for private sale. The eastern wing provides 20 live/work units along the Blackheath Road frontage, 11 affordable homes and a further 36 apartments for private sale. The hotel is characterised by a screen that wraps around the corner of the building facing the major road intersection. The screen is punctuated by recessed vertical and horizontal bands that intersect with each other and contain windows separated by spandrel panels. The bands echo the dynamism of this primary route and break up the repetition of the windows to the hotel rooms whilst allowing for a rational structural solution and thus the most effective use of the site to be achieved.
Residential
The two uppermost storeys are clad in timber effect panels and set above the white render screen, establishing a positive and strong presence on the corner of the site to address the junction. The simple palette of materials, the use of the punctuated screen to create a rhythm and the outward expression of uses within results in a rational aesthetic that is consistent with the visual themes found within the surrounding area. The appearance of the residential wings is characterised by the use of variegated yellow London Stock Brick, reflecting the local built tradition. The courtyard elevations take on a simpler character, reflecting the more relaxed atmosphere within this private space.
The live/work units are clad in render but are separated from the hotel ‘screen’ using a shadow gap. Window openings use the same module proportions as the hotel, to create a consistent timbre - but the openings themselves are larger - with the largest apertures indicating the principal habitable rooms. The building has been constructed to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The development was completed in 2012.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
62 Homes on a Backland Site Northwold Road, Hackney
62 homes 18 bed support facility Conservation area Post-industrial site Overlooked backland site
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
We were appointed by One Housing Group to develop this former lightindustrial site. The brief was to maximise the number of high quality homes, providing not only affordable housing but also a care and support facility for residents with mild learning disabilities. Our challenge was to deliver the requirements of the brief within the complex geometry of the site whilst minimising impact on the surrounding homes. A backland site with minimal street frontage, we arranged the new homes around two courtyards; Saxony Court is accessed from Geldeston Road with access to the larger Hazlitt Court from Northwold Road. We located Salvesen House, the care and support facility along Narford Road. Buildings range in height from one to four storeys and are orientated so to minimise impact on the surrounding homes. A range of strategies have been used to prevent overlooking, including solar and privacy shading using timber screens, the use of high level and carefully orientated windows.
The landscape, by MESH Landscape Architects, is critical to the success of the development – soft landscaping including trees, shrubs and climbing plants will in time create a green oasis within each of the courtyards, enhancing the spatial quality of the development and creating a natural buffer to the surrounding gardens. On Northwold Road, a gatehouse announces the entrance to the largest courtyard, expressed in a dark grey brick in contrast to the surrounding terrace. The ground floor provides vehicular access for the two wheelchair accessible apartments only – the development is entirely car free. The majority of homes are clad in light brick and timber; providing a subtle and natural outlook from the surrounding homes. The development, which provides 62 new apartments, including an 18 bedroom care and support facility, gained planning permission in March 2010 and was completed in July 2012.
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
“Ronaldson’s Wharf is an example of planning and design appropriate for our time, yet also fitting with the robust terraces that typify the best of Leith’s built tradition. A positive, practical contribution to its place.” Charles Prosser, Secretary Royal Fine Arts Commission for Scotland
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
A 120 unit three-phase tenure-blind development in an historic area, Ronaldson’s Wharf re-energises a derelict site using a contemporary architecture to integrate with and enhance the sense of place. The wharf was a long-standing area of dereliction and neglect at the heart of the historic Leith Conservation Area comprising run down tenements and industrial sheds. In 1995, Fraser Brown MacKenna won a design competition to redevelop the site beating over 120 entries from around the world. Together with residents, the civic authorities and Civic Trust groups, an ambitious programme of consultation commenced to develop the design of the scheme.
Initially, there was a hesitancy to forge a new modern identity through a modern vernacular. Combined with a degree of uncertainty about the future of the residential market, the design development process took five years with the design of the waterfront building, housing units for private sale, rationalised from four pavilions to a single block. The scheme is comprised of three distinct buildings. A and B (the waterside blocks) house 62 apartments for private sale. The serpentine form of Block C to the rear of the site houses 48 two and three bedroom socially rented apartments, managed by the Port of Leith Housing Association.
120 New Homes on a Sensitive Site Ronaldson’s Wharf, Leith
Competition winning Award winning project on a brownfield site Adjacent to a scheduled ancient monument
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Windows on the waterfront block frame views upriver and prevent overlooking onto private balcony spaces. They also allow light to penetrate deep within the plan. The palette of materials which includes cedar, aluminium, glass and steel is reflected elsewhere in this ‘tenure blind’ scheme, where the private and socially rented accommodation cannot be distinguished. At ground floor level, commercial units are set back under a colonnade, behind a gently serpentine plan façade, a new riverfront footpath creating the final link along a route through Edinburgh to the Pentland Hills. The three phases of the scheme restore enclosure by creating a new courtyard. Intriguing pedestrian links have been created with the surrounding streets, courtyards and quayside.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Winner of a Housing Design Awards, the development provides 234 student rooms and a nursery in a sensitive location on the edge of two conservation areas in Hammersmith. The site on Paddenswick Road lies within the mainly residential Ravenscourt Park area of Hammersmith and adjoins two conservation areas. The existing building dates from the early twentieth century and was used as a police section house until 1996 and since that time as a hostel. Initially a retrofit option was explored, however the number of internal level changes would be costly to resolve and the poor thermal quality of the building envelope meant retaining the façade was inviable. It was decided that in the long-term, the more sustainable option would be to redevelop the site; however the existing buildings remained a key design driver.
Securing planning consent on this prestige site adjoining two conservation areas required a richly textured façade. The high value site meant the development maximised the site boundary, leaving little room for manoeuvre during construction. Realising a building of this quality within cost and programme requirements and overcoming the operational constraints imposed by the restricted site conditions, required an innovative approach to delivery. We employed a pre-fabricated façade solution to overcome these challenges, working with Thorpe Pre-cast to develop construction details.
Student Residences + Nursery Ravenscourt Halls Hammersmith • • • • •
Edge of conservation area Brownfield site Student residences Nursery £20m construction cost
Appointed by Abanar LLP and South Street Asset Management, Fraser Brown MacKenna acted as Lead Deswign consultants. The project was completed in September 2014.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Fraser Brown MacKenna were lead design consultants for a new £31m development of student residences on the Royal Albert Dock in Newham. As a major development in an Olympic Borough occupying a critical site along the dock edge, the design process involved close liaison with London Borough of Newham Planners and the Mayor’s Architecture & Urbanism Unit and also passed detailed scrutiny by CABE’s Design Review panel. Fraser Brown MacKenna were novated to HBG Construction (now part of the BAM Group) and co-ordinated the discharge of a range of complex reserved matters and negotiation of the s106 agreement.
Accommodation is arranged in five seven storey blocks containing flats connected by a three-storey central spine housing self contained studios. The spine links the single circulation core in each of the larger blocks which are oriented perpendicular to the dock edge. This layout affords the most efficient circulation throughout the development and in addition creates a series of more sheltered north facing courtyards, private to the students, and more public south facing gardens. The rectilinear form of the bold seven storey blocks is softened towards the dock with the plan taking on a gentle sail-like curve. To the north the curved coloured render forms of the kitchens reference the drum forms of the existing accommodation on campus.
Docklands Student Village University of East London
£31m contract Complex site next to airport Maximising a limited budget Award winning scheme 7 storey building Use of ‘fast-build’ off site manufactured products
The project involved extensive use of Off Site Manufactured products to achieve the target programme, including the use of Bell & Webster Fast Build Rooms.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Close consultation was required throughout the design development phase, with both the heritage and conservation officer from the London Borough of Greenwich, as well as local civic groups including the Greenwich Society and the Ashburnham Triangle Association. The Greenwich High Road elevation takes the form of three villas, echoing the substantial forms of Miller House and the row of buildings to the south west of the site and on Burgos Grove. Rendered banding provides a visual link between the new forms and the Georgian and late Victorian buildings nearby.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Housing Design Awards co/ Design for Homes The Building Centre 26 Store Street London WC1E 7BT
e-mail: info@hdawards.org www.designforhomes.org/hda
Tel: 0870 890 2888 Fax: 020 7436 0573
Registered in England No. 3996067
Judging is carried out by a panel consisting of 2 representatives from the department of Communities and Local Government, NHBC, RIBA, RTPI and the Homes and Communities Agency. There are two further judges, one from CABE and one from Design for Homes (the rapporteur).
Judging
Schemes completed and occupied since January 2007 may be submitted for a completed scheme award. Previous project award winners will be automatically shortlisted.
Completed schemes
Ashburnham 3 is a contextual response to the opportunities presented by this unique site. The scheme draws on recognisable characteristics of its historic setting but does not seek to mimic particular styles.
To be eligible, projects must have detailed planning permission, but not yet be complete.
The existing site is characteristic of the continuing evolution of the borough; it lies at the transition of the historic conservation area - the Ashburnham Triangle - and new developments in Creekside.
Projects
Each scheme entered must identify relevant contacts from all parties involved in the scheme, including the details or representatives from the local planning authority. Any award made is made to all key parties involved.
Promoters
Although some shared domestic facilities are allowed, for example, in housing for the elderly or disabled, or in shared flats for student accommodation, schemes such as nursing homes would not be eligible.
Developments may consist of houses, bungalows, maisonettes, or flats, or any combination of these. Schemes including non-residential uses may be entered, provided housing constitutes the main element.
Entries should be sent in now for projects or completed schemes in England consisting of a minimum of four dwellings. Schemes may include either new build or conversion and improvement, or a combination of both.
Categories
Awards are presented annually for projects or completed schemes of four or more dwellings which reflect the highest standards in housing design.
Ashburnham 3, in Greenwich began life as a 200 bedroom student residences development which gained planning approval in December 2008 on the first attempt, despite the natural reticence towards contemporary architecture, particularly from historic buildings groups and residents associations. The site lies within the historic Ashburnham Triangle Conservation Area and opposite the oldest surviving town house in Greenwich. The project won a prestigious Housing Design Award in 2009.
2009's Housing Design Awards are promoted by Communities and Local Government (CLG) in partnership with NHBC, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the national regeneration and housing delivery agency for England, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Government is also supported by its design champion, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).
Entry Instructions 2009
Page 1
Residential
New Homes in a Heritage Setting
Ashburnham 3 Greenwich
Student residences Heritage site Adjoining three listed buildings Opposite the oldest surviving town house in Greenwich Significant consultation with heritage groups
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Fulneck is one of four residential blocks that together form the Stepney Green Estate in Tower Hamlets, which is owned and managed by Southern Housing Group. The existing 1970’s building was decaying and deteriorating. Its inefficient layout provided just 30 two bedroom maisonettes. Situated at the junction of Mile End Road and Stepney Green Road, Fulneck lies within the heart of the most historic part of Mile End. Our proposals provided 78 high quality homes, the majority of which are larger family units, catering for the housing needs of the local community. We have also provided 435sqm of commercial space fronting Mile End Road to reactivate this busy route. The building rises from four storeys in the west, respecting the scale of the adjoining Grade II listed terrace of shops, to six storeys at the junction of Stepney Green and Mile End Road to celebrate the corner. The scheme creates a perimeter block, wrapping around the northern and eastern edge of the site, reflecting the urban form
We have sought to create a place that forms a natural part of the evolving story of Mile End Road by reflecting the surrounding context in a contemporary way. The detailed design of screens and mesh will be based on hops - an echo of the Anchor Brewery opposite the site (now a trading estate car park). The project also involved remodelling of the ground floor of the adjoining Gracehill block, together with landscaping improvements, to connect the two courtyards within the estate for the first time. The project involved extensive resident consultation, using interpreters to assist in communicating with the largely Bangladeshi population. Achievements included providing more and better homes on the site than the existing building, with homes benefitting from more private amenity space than before. Responding to the particular needs of the local population, we were able to adapt the interior design to meet specific cultural and religious needs whilst maintaining compliance with the London Housing Design Guide and SHG’s own design standards.
Estate Regeneration Fulneck, Stepney Green Estate
• • • • • •
Regeneration 78 high quality homes Commercial space Site sensitive £12m construction cost Completed 2015
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Fraser Brown MacKenna were appointed by St James Homes to develop a brownfield site in Lewisham as part of a mixed-use development. The high density scheme, which rises to 11 storeys, incorporates 330 units as well as commercial space. We were appointed following planning approval as ‘Technical Architects’. St James were impressed by our ability to deliver to programme and subsequently appointed us to work on the adjacent Venson site and on a further scheme - the final gateway phase of the successful OneSE8 development. We worked closely with St James in order to reappraise the most viable dwelling mix without the need to alter the elevation (thus constitute another planning application).
Through re-stacking units and re-planning some flat types, we were able to align SVPs and the grid of the building without affecting the exterior. A central boiler system powers heating and hot water for all apartments, supplemented by roof-mounted solar panels that pre-heat water being fed into the central boiler. The external walls, windows, ground floor, and roof, are highly insulated reducing heat loss. Windows use a “Low-E” clear glass with a thin, transparent metaloxide coating which helps block the transfer of heat into the apartments. All this results in an external envelope that keeps the development warmer in winter and cooler in summer, reducing energy bills and therefore costs to residents.
Three Hundred New Apartments Silkworks, Lewisham
Brownfield site Technical Architects Replanning & restacking High density development Mixed tenure 11 storey building
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Regeneration of a Brownfield Site Wharf Road, Hackney
• • • • • • • • • •
Canalside site Conservation area Brownfield regeneration 327 new homes 60/40 private/affordable 6,000sqm commercial space Basement parking Developed using BIM £50m construction cost Completed 2015
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
We have been appointed by United House Developments as Technical Architects for a major new mixeduse development on Wharf Road in Islington. The design is being developed entirely in BIM (Building Information Modelling). BIM concept envisages virtual construction of a building prior to its actual physical construction, in order to reduce uncertainty, improve safety, work out problems, and simulate and analyse potential impacts. It prevents errors by enabling conflict or ‘clash detection’ whereby the computer model visually highlights to the team where parts of the building (e.g. structural frame and building services pipes or ducts) may wrongly intersect. This allows important decisions about the project’s life cycle to be made reliably ahead of time and maximises productivity on site during the build programme, often shortening construction time and decreasing costly deliveries and site waste.
The site lies within a conservation area and sits alongside the Grand Union Canal. We secured planning consent for the revised scheme and discharged pre-commencement conditions for an optimised scheme. The development includes 327 new homes (for private sale, shared ownership and social rent) arranged in 4 blocks ranging from 7 to ten storeys, with rooftop play areas and terraces, plus nearly 6,000 sq ft of commercial space. Our challenge was to optimising a planning consent by other architects, rationalising MEP and Structural design. We used BIM technology to develop a multi-disciplinary model file to improve sptial co-ordination, reduce clashes, improve viability. Demolition work started on the 0.83 acre site in September 2012. Construction commenced in February 2013.The first phase was completed in April 2015.
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
This mixed-use scheme proposes 2296m2 of commercial floor space and a residential development of 96 residential units with associated access, parking, public and communal landscaped areas. Lombard House currently provides outdated and underutilised office accommodation with additional poor quality light industrial units to the rear. Working with the site owners Workspace Group, Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects have developed proposals for a high quality residential scheme alongside commercial floor space which is designed to maximise flexibility for users. This highly constrained site is prominently located on a key junction in south London, the Lombard Roundabout on the A23 which links Central London to the north with the M25 and Gatwick Airport to the south. The site is bounded by residential streets to the North West, large commercial units to the south, and the Lombard Roundabout along the entire western elevation. Access into the site is only available from the south eastern corner at the same location as the existing crossover. The form and layout of the development is directly derived from these constraints and opportunities. The building plan follows the gentle sweeping curvature of the site, turning in on itself to mask the commercial unit. It maximises the available east-west orientation and avoids north facing units.
The built mass is pushed to the edge of the site to maximise amenity space in the centre. Sheltered from road noise by the building form, a large communal garden - split over two levels - provides extensive landscaped amenity space for residents as well as visual benefit to the neighbouring residents The long frontage of the residential building faces directly onto Lombard Roundabout. Through the use of a buffer zone, issues of noise and air quality are addressed to ensure the provision of quality living environments, generous residential amenity and a high quality addition to the public realm at this highly prominent location.
Lombard House Mixed-use development
• • • • •
Mixed-use development 96 residential units Complex, brownfield site £14.5m construction cost Planning approval 2015
The design of this buffer zone is defined by expressed horizontal bands which reference the language of the existing building, coupled with vertical piers which introduce a strong rhythm to balance the horizontal emphasis. The two elements combine to create a grid, or frame, that structures the elevation. The grid has a subtle hierarchy expressing the horizontal over the vertical. Winter gardens of varying position and depth are then inserted within the grid to provide additional amenity space as well as creating visual interest within the overall composition. We have proposed a brick clad façade in two tones to further enhance the layered language of the facade. A lighter colour to the vertical piers with darker colour behind is proposed, ‘grounding’ the building within the public realm.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
High Quality Mixed Tenure Residential Salcombe Road, Hackney
30 new homes Reanimating street level Internal courtyards Brownfield site
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Fraser Brown MacKenna were appointed by Bellway to prepare design proposals for the redevelopment of a 0.4 acre site in Hackney. Currently occupied by a 1980’s two storey housing block, which is to be demolished, the scheme offers 30 new high quality residential units that are to be a mixture of affordable and private. The L-shaped form and varying heights of the proposed development seeks to respond to the context of the site in a way in which the consented scheme fails to do. The positioning of the building’s entrance and egress points encourage activity on ground floor; engaging and reanimating street level.
The building’s facade is predominately brick clad with large glazed windows to allow for optimum natural daylight to the living spaces inside. The introduction of balconies, setbacks and planting create privacy, shading and minimise overlooking. Pockets within the building’s form are home to communal landscaped areas. For these internal courtyards a lighter white brick is used which form a backdrop for the vibrant green planting and trees.
Residential
Opened in September 2008, Will Wyatt Court is purpose-built, high quality student accommodation located in the vibrant Old Street area on 168 Pitfield Street, Hackney. Built on a 2,800 sqm brownfield site, the accommodation is arranged in a perimeter block, set around a central landscaped courtyard. The building provides 524 en-suite study bedrooms which are grouped together into flats. Each flat has a shared kitchen and living area that benefit from vast amounts of daylight that flood through the generous floor to ceiling windows.
On the ground and lower ground floor levels, a student ‘hub’ and community space is located, which adds to the buildings active frontage.
Student Residences on a Brownfield Site
Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects designed the scheme and obtained planning permission for Capital and Provident Management Ltd. The site was then sold to OPAL Student Housing Property Group who developed the site. The residences are now joint managed by OPAL and the University for the exclusive use of students from the University of the Arts, London.
Will Wyatt Court, Hackney
Brownfield site Student residences 524 units £25m contract
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Refurbishment and Extension of a Former Hospice Willow Lodge, Sydenham • • • • •
Refurbishment & extension Change of use Former hospice Suburban location 22 affordable homes
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects secured planning consent from the London Borough of Lewisham for the creation of 22 new homes for London & Quadrant at Willow Lodge in Sydenham. The former care facility on Westwood Hill dates from the early 1990s but has been disused since 2008. Due to the age and condition of the existing buildings on the site, we sought to re-use and retain the existing structure as far as possible. The existing buildings were used as a residential care facility and comprise a cellular layout of individual bedrooms together with storage and office accommodation. Internally, the existing four storey building is being remodelled and a new penthouse added to the flat roof, together offering sixteen new one and two bedroom apartments.
In order to provide improved daylighting to the new apartments, the elevation of the existing building will be re-configured to enlarge the window openings. The project will also involve enhancing the thermal properties of the building envelope to improve energy efficiency. An existing detached building within the grounds will be demolished to make way for a new villa which will offer three larger flats and three family homes. The mature garden will be retained as a shared amenity space. The project will achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4.
Residential
We have considerable experience working closely with residents and neighbouring home owners during the refurbishment of housing estates. Key to success is identifying and monitoring areas of high impact (such as noise, dust and disruption to services) and planning a mitigation strategy before works begin on site. Communication before, during and after the construction phase is also vital. We were appointed by Phoenix Community Housing to undertake the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Passfields Estate in Lewisham. The estate was built in 1950 and the blocks are regarded as a good example of low rise, post war housing, including one of the earliest examples of the maisonette home. Our challenge, working closely with contractor United House, was to bring the blocks up to a modern Decent Homes standard whilst complying with the Listed Building status and conditions.
Residents remained in occupation throughout the works, which included: kitchen & bathroom replacement, electrical upgrade, heating, flat roof renewal, window replacement (double glazed steel Crittall windows), brickwork and concrete repairs, new front entrance doors, external and communal decorations, asphalt repair/renewal to balconies and walkways, new lateral mains supplies, communal security works and door entry systems, balcony frame and panel renewal (to replace asbestos panels), environmental works to estate paths and fencing in courtyard areas, drainage repairs. We worked closely with residents to support and engage with them throughout the process. Estate consultation was carried out to present the design ideas and colour schemes. Individual visits were made to each home to explain the works and what the resident should expect and also to identify any special requirements in the way we communicated or carried out the works. The project successfully achieved the objective of carrying out modernisation works whilst re-activating the blocks original appearance.
Refurbishment and Repair of a Listed 1950s Housing Estate Passfields Estate Lewisham
1950’s low-rise estate Grade II listed National significance Replacement windows Internal repair works Landscape improvements Re-introducing colour
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
New Homes on a Complex Site Antony House, Peabody Trust
30 shared ownership units Complex overlooked site All units sold off-plan Deep balconies balance privacy with security Innovative technical solution to deliver exposed cantilevered concrete design Housing Design Award Commendation Hackney Design Awards Finalist
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
The challenge for us at Pembury Place was not only to meet the constraints imposed by the narrow and overlooked site, but to create a development that people would want to invest in, through shared equity, within the centre of an estate with a history of a high level of crime. Good design, combining security with openness and transparency, has made these units extremely popular and all were sold off plan. The scheme was commended in the Housing Design Awards 2009 and the Hackney Design Awards 2008 Antony House on the Pembury Estate in Hackney was completed in May 2007 and provides 30 units of shared ownership accommodation for the Peabody Trust. The redevelopment of the former construction compound provided the first opportunity for a new building on the estate and a chance to forge a fresh urban identity. The shape, scale and orientation of the scheme complement and complete the existing pattern of built and un-built spaces on the Estate and retain the flow and generosity of the outdoor spaces. Each of the thirty units benefits from generous balconies and glazing, ensuring a fluid interaction with the landscape.
Residential
Creating a positive intervention within the streetscape, the inclined plane of the upper storeys cantilevers over a timber clad plinth; the darker upper form ‘peeping’ around the corner towards Pembury Square. The plinth, originally to have been a Doctors surgery (the design for which was taken to Stage D), mirrors the shape of the site, its rich materiality generating a soft and welcoming presence that guides visitors towards the entrance to the building; the timber continuing beyond to define the edge of the courtyard gardens. Sited within a secure yet permeable boundary, the landscape design provides car and cycle parking together with waste storage facilities. All units are double aspect maximizing both the natural light and views. Living rooms and bedrooms are situated along the private balconies on the west elevation and bathrooms and kitchens have been located on the eastern side, allowing for a rational and modular service core.
behind, adding a dynamism and depth. The inner layer of red render responds to the colour of the surrounding brick blocks. The simplicity of the palette of materials is carried through to the detailing of the components; the lack of visible supports to the balconies and mesh screens along the walkway generating a sense of openness and a connection with the outdoors. Like most of our completed projects, Pembury Place was carried out under a design and build contract. We were novated to Sandwood Construction at RIBA Stage E. We built up a strong working relationship with the contractor enabling the delivery of an award-winning scheme on budget. Attention to detail was critical and included the sourcing of an innovative Halfen connector, to allow the exposed cantilevered concrete design to be realised whilst resolving with the issues of cold-bridging.
A rich layered façade is formed by an outer skin of fixed mesh panels, which follow the ‘zig-zag’ pattern of glazing FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Apartments on a Brownfield Site Alscot Road Southwark
• • • •
Brownfield site Mixed use development 23 new apartments Design & build contract
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
63 Alscot Road was home to an industrial estate with little architectural merit, located on the edge of a no-through road that borders Bermondsey Spa Gardens. Replacing the bland factory units, the new development offers high quality new homes, consisting of flats and duplex houses spread over four levels. The ground floor layout has been split into three distinct elements: Servicing & Parking; Communal Entrance & Arrival and the three duplex houses, each with their own private front doors and parking directly off Alscot Road. The location of these components has been carefully considered to respond to the context of the site and to enhance the quality of the street scene. The three upper levels make up the main living spaces, with flats being larger than the Local Authorities planning requirements, providing comfortable and high quality homes.
High quality materials have been adopted, using a light brick that reflects the contextual materiality, accented with glass, Cor-ten steel and laser cut metal panels. The metal screens conceal services, parking and cycle storage creating a visually pleasing façade and improving the street scene. This has strengthened the relationship with the adjacent allotments and encouraged a safer environment along Alscot Road. An undulating soffit line appears as a subtle contrast to the regular traditional brickwork form below giving the facade a unique yet modern character. Internally, integrating light-weight, removable partitioning between living spaces has created adaptable life-time homes to suit the needs of large families or wheelchair users if required. The project was completed in 2012 for London & Quadrant The contractor was Hill Partnerships
Residential
In June 2006 we were appointed as architects for Parcel 1a, which lies within the ‘Eastern Edge’ of Merton Rise and will create the first, landmark phase of the new development, playing an important role in establishing the design quality threshold that will set the standard for subsequent phases of the scheme. The scheme provides 79 family homes built by Miller Homes (Southern), arranged in two parcels facing out towards the spine road with secure courtyards to the rear providing access to car parking and garages. Feature buildings mark the intersection between principal routes, with variations in house types enhanced through a palette of corner windows, located so as to maximise views. A vibrant skyline is created using monopitch roofs.
In 2009, a series of Low and Zero Carbon Homes were unveiled as part of the development. The project was named as the Best Low or Zero Carbon initiative in the 2009 Innovation in Housebuilding Awards. As part of our competition-winning design for Merton Rise in Basingstoke, we persuaded the developer Miller Homes to market test four identical units to meet Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. They accepted our challenge but our brief was to achieve the standards by only using ‘off the shelf’ and readily available products.
Low and Zero Carbon Homes Merton Rise, Basingstoke
Greenfield site Design competition winner Low and Zero Carbon Homes 79 family homes Code Level 6 pilot home
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
“A distinguished and distinctive addition to the architectural heritage of the area, expressing the best of modern design of the twentieth century” Hertsmere District Council Conservation Report
The Art House is a response to a client with an interest in contemporary art and a mature garden landscape in a parkland setting. Having made the decision to redevelop the site of their existing house, the retention of the existing tree canopy and lawn, designed by a head gardener from Kew has influenced the intimate relationship between the house and the new and existing garden spaces. The control and interplay of light and space, both internally and externally, was key in its planning. The simplicity in form of the rectangular, two-storey volume, is reflected in the natural materials used - concrete, wood, granite, and glass, with plaster and render.
New Building in a Green Belt Setting Bespoke House + Gallery
New contemporary home Green Belt location Conservation area setting Landscape-led design
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Living Room Wine Store Data and Comms Dining Kitchen Boiler Main Entrance Second Entrance Dividable Bedroom 10 Shower Room 11 Entrance Gate 12 Drive 13 Fine lawn 14 Upper Pond 15 Lower Pond 16 Deck 17 Garden Store 18 Car Port
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Approaching the house, the regular rhythm of fair-faced double height columns infilled with storey height glazing, contrasts with the mass of the windowless white wall to the right of the driveway. The house plan is resolved within three zones: habitable rooms to the front; a circulation gallery along the rear; and a storage and services zone through the middle. On the ground floor, the circulation zone leads through the service zone into the kitchen and dining and living room areas. The driveway on the ground floor separates the adult children’s accommodation from the rest of the house; at first floor level the two areas are connected by a glazed bridge. The construction is a lightweight, insulated, exposed concrete frame, with load-bearing blockwork walls finished in insulating render and plaster.
Argon filled, double glazed units are set flush within the very large window openings, which are shaded by external louvres suspended on stainless steel cables. Internally, concealed electric roller blinds provide privacy when required. The house is naturally ventilated, with gas-fired under floor perimeter heating. The house lies within a semi-rural setting in Hertfordshire within a conservation area, a location that surprises many in view of the contemporary architecture. Hertsmere District Council was supportive of the scheme throughout, which lies in an area that has seen gradual development over the past one hundred years. The gallery incorporates installations by glass artist George Papadopoulos and sculptures by John Aiken.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Passivhaus Retrofit of a Family Home Wolvercote Road, Thamesmead
Passivhaus specification Prototype nanogel wall Recladding Triple glazed windows Internal refurbishment Space reconfiguration 87% CO2 saving Use of BIM technology
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects, working with Buro Happold and Martin Associates have completed the refurbishment an end-of-terrace family home on the Thamesmead Estate owned by Gallions Housing Association. The project was part funded by the Government’s “Retrofit for the Future” initiative to test and monitor the effectiveness of new products to improve energy efficiency in social housing. The new home achieves an 87% reduction in CO2 emissions. The Thamesmead Estate was constructed using a pre-cast “French Balency” system with a minimal 50mm layer of insulation and single glazing.
By current standards the thermal properties of the envelope are poor. Homes often suffer from moisturerelated problems such as condensation, rising damp and mould growth. In addition to seeking to improve the energy efficiency of the home, the design has been developed in consultation with Gallions Housing Association to ensure the layout is adjusted to meet the needs of current and future tenants. The refurbished house provides accommodation for up to nine people, rather than six as at present. Central to our proposals is a reconfiguration and rationalisation of points of access and egress into the house, to create more activity at ground floor level.
Residential
NORTH-EAST ELEVATION – ASBESTOS WALL AND OVERHANG ON BEDROOM
Other houses on the estate
Thermal imaging NORTH-EAST ELEVATION – PARTITION WALL BETWEEN LINK-HOUSE SOUTH-EAST ELEVATION - LIVING ROOM GLAZING AND MVHR EXHAUST Retrofit house
- before retrofit
Link-house (not Link being retrofitted)
The thermal images above focus on a single bedroom as this was the only heated space. As shown, the asbestos
Thermal imaging -thermal post present retrofit When assessing the living room glazing on in therelation south-east elevation, no major bridges can bewalls seen. panelling on the north orth wall performs poorly to the pre castagain, pre-cast concrete construction in the Tooverhanging be expected,floor. the hot spotisin the bottom left corner of theother image is the on warm air frominthe and There little/no distinction between houses theexhaust estate (shown theMVHR. background
of the top photo) and the link house (shown in the lower image, which is not being refurbished). EAST ELEVATION: SPACETHERM AND PASSIVHAUS DOOR
Reducing the external surface area of the building through infilling voids and limiting the number of access points are also part of our energy efficiency strategy. Internally, the living accommodation was re-arranged to make better use of the space. The existing garages are too narrow for modern cars and the remaining ground floor space is occupied by cellular storage. Our proposals involved enclosing the void along the western frontage and locating a kitchen/dining room here. One of the garages was retained as a plant room to house the equipment installed to monitor the new technology. The other garage was replaced with storage space for bikes and space for a new WC and shower room. We infilled the covered first floor walkway. The enlarged space becomes the new living room. The existing living room on the western frontage will be converted to provide two new bedrooms, expanding the accommodation to cater for a large family. The project was completed in March 2012
Heating : Warm air supplied In terms of our strategy for improving by MVHR. System boiler with the energy efficiency of the house, our small-zoned radiators for peak approach was to increase insulation winter conditions. levels by over-cladding and allowing the concrete mass of the structure of Electricity generation : Ten the building to act as a heat store, thus PV panels generate 2.30-kW reducing energy demand for space peak. Array ballasted using and water heating. The new insulation aluminium frame to avoid (insulated render on the walls and a piercing insulation. This photo implies that the custom-built door incorporating 30mm of aerogel loses less heat than the certified single ply roof membrane fixed to the Passivhaus door besides it. Notice that heat loss between layers of aerogel board and framing are clearly visible. Windows : Passivhaus roof insulation) was designed to meet certified Nordan N-tech triple Passivhaus NORTH standards. ELEVATION:New GLAZINGtriple AND LINKglazed HOUSE glazing with U-value of 0.8W/ Passivhaus certified windows further sqmK minimise heat loss through the building fabric. Predicted CO2 emissions (CO2/sqm/year)
As part of the project, an innovative flat plate solar-air collector was installed Baseline : 111 on the southern elevation, containing Post retrofit : 14 a highly insulating aerogel cover. This CO2 reduction : 87% 6 x 0.9m “aerogel solar collector” (Normal) heat losses through window frames can be seen in this image. Again, the link-house is clearly illuminated. has been designed to provide a free source of additional heat for the whole house mechanical ventilation system by elevating the temperature of the exhaust air from the kitchen and bathrooms before it indirectly pre-heats the incoming supply air.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Basic components are a polycarbonate panel filled with Nanogel™ aerogel, transparent to solar radiation whilst reducing convection and radiation losses, a cavity to pass the air through containing a perforated black solar absorbing surface, foil-backed insulation inside the collector to reduce heat losses, and insulated ducts to transfer the warm air back to the MVHR. The in-situ performance of this prototype is being monitored by Mark Dowson, an engineer at Buro Happold. Promising results have already been observed. During a seven day controlled test in October 2011, the colector outlet reached 45C on a cold sunny day, pre-heating the supply air in the mechanical ventilation system to 30C, enabling the house to maintain comfortable living conditions at 21-22C without additional heating.
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
A new flat roof with additional EPS insulation will make way for rooftop solar thermal and photovoltaic arrays. Thin Spacetherm™ aerogel floor panels will also be used to insulate a part of the ground floor slab to allow for reasonable ceiling heights to be maintained, instead of their more costly demolition, removal and replacement. The result of these thermal improvements that the house’s total energy demand is predicted to drop by 85%. A custom built ‘aerogel door’ developed by Proctor Group was also integrated into the project. The double leaf plant-room door incorporates a 30mm thick opaque aerogel blanket, capable of achieving a central U-value as low as 0.39W/sqmK.
Residential
Fraser Brown Mackenna successfully secured planning consent for the redevelopment of a former petrol station in the Tulse Hill area of Lambeth. The site lies at the junction of two roads, surrounded by housing on the north and east sides and shadowed by a tall railway embankment and facing the busy South Circular Road. Our challenge was to ensure the plot could realise value for our client. Key to unlocking the site was obtaining agreement from the planning officers to our amenity space proposals. The location gave our client an expectation of creating a new building of five to six storeys, but the planners expressed a preference to continue the height of the existing street scene. The application was complicated further by late feedback from Network Rail regarding access requirements to the embankment which restricted the developable area.
Through intelligent design and detailed planning the scheme was revised to reduce the structure from 17 units to 9 and to include a greater mix of smaller and larger family units. We created a raised area to improve daylighting to the rear of the site, within the Network Rail access zone. We moved the footprint of the proposed building to the back edge of the pavement, behind a small curtilage strip, and created integrated bin and cycle storage, accessed from the street. Arranged around a central stair core the apartments benefit from private outdoor space and a shared amenity area giving 122.8sqm of shared outdoor space . Soft planting and natural materials help to balance the hard surfaces and improve the outdoor acoustic. Lobbies and clear openings have been provided throughout, allowing wheelchair bound visitors to the upper storey apartments an adequate space to circulate.
New Apartments on a Former Garage Site Tulse Hill, Lambeth
• Apartment of varying size • Sustainable design • Shared and private open space for each unit
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
Estate Capacity Study Agar Grove, Camden
Urban design analysis Range of development options Retrofit New Build
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
We were commissioned by the London Borough of Camden to prepare development proposals and a capacity study for the Agar Grove Estate as part of the Council’s Community Investment programme in order to maximise the value of the assets. Our brief was to prepare an urban design analysis of the existing site - a radburn style estate, which incorporates a prominent tower. The study examined a range of development options from infill development to partial redevelopment and wholesale phased redevelopment options. Each option retained the tower and the recently completed Children’s Centre.
The study looked at retrofit options to improve the tower and improvements to the community centre and shared facilities used by the successful TMO. Our commission involved presenting our design proposals to residents of the Agar Grove Estate and the Borough’s Works Panel.
Residential
Fraser Brown MacKenna were appointed by Berkeley Homes after a previous firm failed to obtain outline planning consent. We secured officers recommendation for approval and achieved consent on appeal. A client reference is opposite. We maintained the number of units provided by the previous, rejected, scheme whilst increasing public open space by drawing the surrounding habitats into the site and using them as a basis for character areas that informed the design of each development parcel.
An innovative house-type incorporating a mechanical heat-recovery system allowed a high density of units adjacent to the railway line that met World Health Organisation guidelines on noise. All units will meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes to reduce energy costs. The ‘working’ landscape combines public open space, habitat protection, car parking and SUDS in a single strategy to reduce service charges whilst maximising amenity.
500 New Homes Next to a Nature Reserve Dunton Green Sevenoaks
Green belt post-industrial site 500 new homes Sensitive landscape setting Adjacent to an SSSI
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects
Residential
FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects FraserBrownMacKennaArchitects