TRAMSHED

Client: Flanchford Developments

Another mixed-use development for west-London family business Flanchford Developments which delivers 8 units over 3,250 sqf of commercial space. Heavily constrained, the site is on the doorsteps of busy Shepperd’s Bush Green with excellent transport links.

It’s not every day one stumbles across a site like the old tramshed, in what one could call ‘central Shepherds Bush’, within walking distance from the BBC headquarters, Westfield shopping centre and the Central Line station. And that’s exactly what our clients Flanchford Development did in 2018, asking HWO architects to prepare planning proposals.

Thanks to an excellent PTAL rating of 6b, and given the high public transport accessibility of the site, no car parking was proposed. This meant the proposals could aim for as many units as the site could physically take, having only regard to the daylight/ sunlight analysis and overlooking issues. The consented scheme provides 8 flexible, well designed units and aims to provide a robust housing mix to satisfy the demand for a range of users within the community. The proposals consist of a 3 bedroom unit and seven 2 bedroom units, all with 2 bathrooms. All unit sizes meet the required Technical Housing standards –nationally described space standards. One of the key issue with any central London site is always Daylight/Sunlight, and specifically the impact of the development on neighbourhing properies and the quality of lighting within the proposed residential units. Thanks to careful massing and context analysis work, both issues were addressed at an early stage of the planning application. As a result, a total of 100% of the units are dual aspect. To ensure high quality design and proposals with varying external views, the layouts have were designed to maximise dual aspect units and southern facing flats. The shape of the building was designed with the two longest façades to be south facing, therefore maximising the amount of sunlight the units receive. Clear floor to ceiling heights were designed to a comfortable 2.5m. In terms of energy, the development will benefit from the following integrated systems: Passive design features (Be Lean), Energy efficiency measures (Be Clean) and Low and zero carbon technologies

(Be Green). The target for the project is to achieve zero carbon emissions to meet the London Plan and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s local plan. The proposals also meet policy requirement for Wheel Chair units of which 10% are Part M4(3) compliant. The proposal aims to provide safe and unbiased access for all. Consideration has been used to ensure ease of use for not only disable users, but to create a high quality environment for families and the elderly. Finally the proposal aims to create a spaces that are easy and well thought out for the entire community. This includes Part M requirements, for instance that all approach routes are safe and convenient for everyone and that all entrance doors minimum clear opening of 775mm.

With most units pre-sold before completion of the works on site, the main issue with the development was the limited access to site and its construction management. Thankfully, this is something that Flanchford in-house contracting arm knew how to manage. Works were successfuly completed mid-2019 and the remaining units put on the market shortly after.