Dulux Trade has assembled a panel of leading industry experts to share their design insights and initiatives under the theme, ‘Future Proofing Design’ at RIBA London later this month. The event, on February 26, will incorporate a presentation revealing the insights underpinning the ColourFutures™ 2019 palettes – the annual AkzoNobel
The Preferred Bidder to develop 11,500 homes at Thamesmead Waterfront in London is Lendlease. The firm was selected by housing charity Peabody and it is subject to contracts being finalised. Lendlease will work alongside Peabody in a corporate joint venture to masterplan and deliver the mammoth scheme over the next
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature
Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of
A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that a campaign for wide-ranging rent control is to be key to his 2020 re-election bid. He asked the government to give the London mayoralty the power to combat soaring rents in the capital. To this news, Alexandra Morris, Managing Director of
Planning consent for the design of a new high quality residential scheme in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has been secured by FBM Architects. The new development for Gateway Housing Association will provide 32 homes across the site located near Medway Conservation Area in Bow. FBM Architects’ carefully thought
The plans to replace 70 social homes in Kensington and Chelsea with private housing options have been rejected by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Clarion Housing’s project aimed to demolish the William Sutton Estate build to make room for private units for sale. After initially submitting an objection
Hundreds of new homes are coming to Waltham Forest in London as residential development receives planning approval. For this project Transport for London has teamed up with Barratt London as part of its Property Partnership Framework. Built on a 1.8 acre site, the Blackhorse Point development will deliver 350 new
The Office for National Statistics has warned that the number of Londoners under the age of 40 setting up their own home in the capital is to fall significantly over the next 15 years. However, the report goes on to say that the borough of Barking and Havering, will buck
Dulux Trade has assembled a panel of leading industry experts to share their design insights and initiatives under the theme, ‘Future Proofing Design’ at RIBA London later this month. The event, on February 26, will incorporate a presentation revealing the insights underpinning the ColourFutures™ 2019 palettes – the annual AkzoNobel snapshot of global current affairs and emerging macro design trends, distilled into separate and distinct colour palettes to inspire specifiers. Joining the discussion at RIBA HQ in Portland Place will be Rosemary Jenssen from Jenssen Architecture Ltd representing the ProCure 22 Framework; Louise Tod, independent colourist; Ted Szuman, head of innovation at AkzoNobel; Jim Ashley-Down, managing director at Waldmann Lighting plus Flavie Lowres and Mindy Hadi, Associate Director and Head of Social Research at BRE. The panel will discuss themes around the topic of future proofing design and incorporate the exploration of initiatives that put the occupants at the heart of the design brief. The discussion will highlight how, in a world dominated by new technology, design professionals can cultivate positive connections, wellbeing and productivity in the built environment. Against a backdrop of increasing budget constraints, this event will explore ways in which designers can deliver greater value for their clients. Capturing the emerging movement to optimize building design through enhanced occupant outcomes, this forum will enable design professionals to understand the significance of introducing a biophilic design application into office spaces as part of the BRE’s ground breaking research initiative. This discussion will also explain how the panel are harnessing and acting on research regarding the benefits of an occupant-centric approach to colour and design. Marking this as the base foundation for all future interior design briefs, they will uncover under-deployed innovations in lighting, surface materials and smart coatings that support ambitions for more sustainable buildings that enable us all to be more productive and to thrive at every stage of life – whether in education, pursuing careers or using the healthcare system. Attendees will then be given the opportunity to take part in an open question and answer session. Places are extremely limited, but accredited specifiers, designers and architects can book their place by emailing futureproofingdesign@democracypr.com by 22nd February. Now in its 16th year, the Dulux Trade ColourFutures™ palettes are selected to help professionals make choices for a wide variety of buildings with more confidence, providing support on all steps from inspiration through visualisation, product choice and application. Central to this is the Dulux Colour of the Year 2019, Spiced Honey™, a neutral shade that struck a chord with the experts during the forecasting workshop. Honey is associated with nourishment and energy and the imagery of bees themselves perfectly captured the idea of a caring, thriving community. The event is at RIBA, Portland Place, London, on February 26 from 9am-11am.
The Preferred Bidder to develop 11,500 homes at Thamesmead Waterfront in London is Lendlease. The firm was selected by housing charity Peabody and it is subject to contracts being finalised. Lendlease will work alongside Peabody in a corporate joint venture to masterplan and deliver the mammoth scheme over the next 30 years. The details of the new Joint Venture (JV) vehicle will be finalised by Summer 2019. “As one of London’s largest areas of opportunity to develop new housing and to support business and employment growth, Thamesmead can offer a fresh approach to living in London. Surrounded by water and outstanding wildlife, but within reach of the heart of the capital, we are excited at the opportunity to collaborate with Peabody, the local community and businesses, to bring new high-quality homes and workspaces to this exciting part of south-east London,” commented Dan Labbad, CEO at Lendlease, Europe. The 250-acre site is currently undeveloped and underpopulated, benefiting from 2.5 km of undeveloped river frontage, with an abundance of green space, open grassed and wooded areas, canals, two major lakes and an existing town centre. To transform the area, the scheme includes a new waterfront district of 11,500 new homes, focused around a proposed new DLR station in the heart of the development. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan instructed TfL in 2017 to carry out detailed work on a DLR crossing connecting east and south-east London. “We are pleased to have selected Lendlease as a development partner for Thamesmead Waterfront. Our shared vision is to create thousands of new homes by the Thames and drive the local economy through new jobs and commercial spaces. With a new DLR river connection complementing the Elizabeth Line on the other side of town, Thamesmead would be more connected to the city than ever before. This would unlock enormous potential and could be a real game-changer for this part of London,” added Peabody Chief Executive Brendan Sarsfield.
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature a 373-bed Premier Inn and a 247-bed Staycity aparthotel across 19 floors. The development will also deliver 27,000 square feet of social and community floorspace. “We are looking forward to working as development partners with Concierge 3 and all shareholders in delivering this exciting project within the wider Paddington regeneration masterplan. Our experience in delivering high quality mixed-use buildings will ensure this project is a real success and is currently our second major development in Paddington Basin,” said Emmett McGinley, Commercial Director, McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK. Led by developer Concierge 3, a consortium of BSW Land & Property, Staycity and The Pickstock Group, the scheme is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan and part of a wider investment which has seen new offices, shops, homes and leisure facilities being built over the last number of years revitalising this unique location. The new hotel-aparthotel hybrid will open its doors in late Summer 2021.
Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of Britain and those who lost their lives in the conflict. “The museum offers a new way of telling for what some people would be a familiar story,” said director of the Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum, Jemma Davey. Other artefacts on display include objects that reflect the lives of those who worked at RAF Biggin Hill and those that reflect the personal stories of service men and women that operated at the airfield. “The history of Biggin Hill goes so much further back than the Battle of Britain. It is one of Britain’s oldest aerodromes and was instrumental to the development of wireless communication technologies,” added Jemma. Called by Winston Churchill his “strongest link” during the Battle of Britain, RAF Biggin Hill is an airfield in South London. Pilots from the airfield took down 1,400 Luftwaffe aircraft during World War 2. Construction work on the £5.3 million (US$6.9m, €6m) museum started in Q4 2017 and the project received funding from the UK Government, the National Lottery, the local Bromley Council and private donors. The historic airfield site is also home to St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, where those who died working from Biggin Hill sector are commemorated.
A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by Kajima, to deliver this exciting project in central London. Utilising our high quality construction and fit out capabilities, 77 Coleman Street will be a significant addition to our portfolio of multi-use developments in the capital,” said Stuart Deverill, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building division. VolkerFitzpatrick’s involvement in the project includes fiting the office spaces out to a CAT A specification, including the shell and core structures, ceilings, floors and installation of key services. Meanwhile, the retail and leisure units will feature a complete base build, concrete walls, flooring, lighting and installation of fire alarms. The units will be fitted with retail frontages at ground floor level and terrace areas will be constructed around the upper floors. A new four-metre high reception and breakout area will also be delivered as the building’s main entrance and a new public street, named Nun Court, linking Coleman Street with Moorgate. “This is a technically complicated development and a really important project for us in terms of the expected quality and programme, so we’re delighted to place its delivery into the reliable hands of the VolkerFitzpatrick team,” commented James Starkey, project director for Kajima. The multi-use development project was first launched in April 2018, and is scheduled for completion in Q4 of this year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that a campaign for wide-ranging rent control is to be key to his 2020 re-election bid. He asked the government to give the London mayoralty the power to combat soaring rents in the capital. To this news, Alexandra Morris, Managing Director of online letting agent, MakeUrMove, said the following: “The main problem for tenants is a lack of supply in the housing market, meaning it does not meet demand, particularly when it comes to social housing. Rent controls do not deal with this problem, they merely seek to address a symptom of the problem. “Most good landlords don’t regularly increase rents, because they want to provide a service their tenants can afford. This means most landlords experience a real terms reduction in their rental income year on year. “Rent controls would represent another burden for landlords who are already facing interest rate rises, tax relief changes and increasing regulation. This could become a further barrier to landlords covering their costs or making a small profit. “As smaller landlords often have one eye on getting out of the market, rent controls could prove to be the final straw. This would further reduce capacity in the private rental sector. “In addition, there will also be some landlords who wouldn’t have increased rents but who now feel they have permission to put rents up in line with the rent control measures. “All of these factors will lead to more rapidly increasing average rents because the fundamental issue – that we aren’t building anywhere near enough homes in the UK – has yet to be adequately addressed.”
Planning consent for the design of a new high quality residential scheme in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has been secured by FBM Architects. The new development for Gateway Housing Association will provide 32 homes across the site located near Medway Conservation Area in Bow. FBM Architects’ carefully thought out design complements the urban and historic setting, whilst providing homes for contemporary living. The new scheme, its height defined by the strong parapet line, offers a continuous three-storey frontage along Norman Grove and Saxon Road, relating to the character of the Medway Conservation Area and the locally listed Saxon Lea Court. A generous space between the two buildings on the eastern part of the development ensures a soft transition in height from three to four storeys, and creating the entrance to the new apartments. The building line is set back from the street, re-establishing a typical scale for the Victorian streets in the immediate neighbourhood, while successfully solving the issue of overlooking between the existing and proposed houses on Norman Grove. Ordered fenestration patterns with tall, generous window proportions further underpin the scheme’s connection with Victorian architectural legacy. The inclusion of arched entrances to individual dwellings introduces an intimate, human-scale character that echoes this distinctive feature of the surrounding streets which contain arched openings to windows and front doors. Full height windows and doors further reinforce the connection between the external and internal spaces. A buff/brown coloured brickwork provides a contextual, robust appearance that unifies the scheme. The ground floor apartments benefit from private terraces facing onto the central courtyard. The upper floor apartments have private amenity space in the form of deep balconies that act as an extension of the adjacent rooms. The central courtyard provides landscaped open space and includes a playground while a wide green strip of front gardens on Norman Grove and Saxon Road ties Regency Court to its neighbouring context. The scheme is fully car-free, given the excellent proximity to local transport links and supportive of local policy that encourages sustainable modes of transport. Dedicated cycle storage is provided within the courtyard that is accessible to all residents.
The plans to replace 70 social homes in Kensington and Chelsea with private housing options have been rejected by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Clarion Housing’s project aimed to demolish the William Sutton Estate build to make room for private units for sale. After initially submitting an objection to planning application submitted by the Sutton Trust to redevelop the Sutton Estate, GMB has welcomed the planning decision. Warren Kenny, GMB Regional Secretary, said: “GMB is very pleased with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s decision to reject the Clarion Group’s appeal for planning permission for proposals that would have led to the loss of nearly one third of the social housing units on the William Sutton Estate in Chelsea. GMB had branded this development a blatant case of asset stripping. “Clarion must not forget the primary reason of a housing association is to provide low cost housing to those on low incomes or those who need extra support. Nor must it forget that the Sutton Dwellings Trust was founded to provide ‘model low-rented dwellings for occupation by the poor of London and other towns and populous places’. “GMB has consistently supported residents fighting for their voices to be heard on proposals for demolition of their estates. We salute the residents of the Sutton Estate in their fight to retain social housing in Chelsea. We are supporters of Demolition Watch London in its campaign for all residents on estates facing demolition to be balloted on redevelopment plans with no loopholes or exceptions. This is the only way to stop asset stripping and the loss of social housing.” Cllr Ian Henderson, Chair of the Chelsea Association of Tenants and Save The Sutton also commented on the news: “I think this is a great day for the residents of Kensington and Chelsea and for all the other housing battles that are taking place across the country. “London needs homes for Londoners, not investment vehicles for international hedge funds. Social housing tenants across the UK can take heart from this decision. Just because your landlord says it needs to be knocked down, it isn’t necessarily so. We call for a halt to the 10 year managed decline of the estate and for Clarion to meaningfully engage with residents and the council, so we can get people out of temporary accommodation and into a home,” he concluded.
Hundreds of new homes are coming to Waltham Forest in London as residential development receives planning approval. For this project Transport for London has teamed up with Barratt London as part of its Property Partnership Framework. Built on a 1.8 acre site, the Blackhorse Point development will deliver 350 new homes across six new buildings. The new homes will provide a mixture of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties. The development is situated opposite Blackhorse Road station, which is serviced by both the Victoria line and London Overground. The site will also make it easier for residents to cycle with 650 cycle parking spaces. “Blackhorse Point is a really exciting development and we are thrilled to be taking it forward with Barratt London. It will have a huge, positive impact on Waltham Forest, supporting the regeneration already taking place. It will be providing the housing that the borough and London desperately need, while generating vital revenue to reinvest back into the transport network,” said Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at Transport for London. Blackhorse Point was designed by RMA Architects and it is a key element of the wider masterplan of the Blackhorse Lane regeneration area, which falls under part of the Greater London Authority’s Blackhorse Road and Northern Olympic Park Housing zone as well as the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Blackhorse Lane Area Action Plan. It will ensure that those living and working in the area continue to benefit from the changes taking place by improving public amenities – including new public pedestrian links, new trees and new children’s play areas. “The development will enable the local economy to continue to flourish with even better public amenities and new job and local apprenticeship opportunities. The additional retail and work spaces will provide a fantastic offering for those looking to start or expand their businesses in a brilliant location,” added Graeme Craig. Blackhorse Point will deliver 17,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, which will include opportunities for small and independent businesses. This includes a new co-working hub and creative workspaces, which will further support the Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone. The construction of the site will create up to 300 jobs and local apprenticeships.
The Office for National Statistics has warned that the number of Londoners under the age of 40 setting up their own home in the capital is to fall significantly over the next 15 years. However, the report goes on to say that the borough of Barking and Havering, will buck the trend and show projected increases. Thurrock lies a mile away to the east of where Bellway launched Renovo, a development of 200 new homes on 27thOctober with a second phase to follow. In the past five years property in Thurrock, Essex has seen a rise in value of 37.04%, and the average value of property in the area is currently just under £220,000 according to Zoopla’s Zed Index. Bellway’s Renovo development, offers a selection of new homes and apartments which will include one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses starting from £219,995. Renovo includes a collection of two, three and four bedroom houses, and one and two bedroom apartments, ideal for families, investors or commuting professionals looking for a new modern pad. Thurrock is a fantastic commuter location, with an excellent range of nearby facilities and amenities, good transport connections and plenty of green spaces, offering residents a versatile and reasonably priced locality. “Often homebuyers are struggling to find competitively priced new-build homes within easy striking distance of London, so we’re pleased to be offering Renovo, an attractive development with a varied selection of homes at affordable prices. This is an area on the fringes of London that is ripe for development and will provide excellent commuter homes for professionals and families alike,” said Paul Timson, Sales Manager at Bellway Homes Essex. This regeneration of West Thurrock gives residents wonderful open space; the 200-acre Chafford Gorges Nature Park just 20 minutes on foot; perfect for a family day out or just getting away from it all with stunning views across the gorge. Less than a 10 minute drive away, Rainham Marshes RSPB Nature Reserve is popular with the more active members of the community; cyclists, runners and walkers can all enjoy this idyllic Essex countryside. Various sports amenities are close by, including Mardyke Valley Golf Club and Blackshots leisure centre, which hosts two swimming pools, a fitness suite and exercise studios. Residents of Renovo are also ideally placed to enjoy the Intu Lakeside Mall which is home to a myriad of restaurants, bars, cafes and a wide range of shopping amenities. Further afield there is easy train access to the heart of East London and the Docklands where visitors can explore a wide range of dining and leisure options. Ideal for commuters, Chafford Hundred is the nearest train station, which is a 20 minute walk from the development, reaching London Fenchurch Station in as little as 30 minutes and providing excellent transport links to Barking, Limehouse and Southend. Major road connections accessible from the development include the A13 to East London and Docklands, which is also a great link to London City Airport in a short 25 minute drive and the M25 Orbital. Prices start at £219,995 for a one bedroom apartment. For further information please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call 0845 548 8026.
