New homes as part of Croydon’s renaissance…

The objective of the brief was to replace an existing chapel of rest on the ground floor with new CCHA office space and supplement this with housing on the upper floors.

The context of the site is inhospitable and presented significant challenges which required careful and sensitive mediation: A shallow triangle plan – immediately backing on to the rear gardens of two storey dwellings to the southeast; The elevated section of the ‘Croydon flyover’ plus off-ramp to the northwest (the only available outward facing façade); Adjoining two storey semi-detached houses to the northeast.

A key challenge for the scheme was how to secure planning approval for a building of significantly greater scale than the adjacent ‘Special CharacterArea’ (Laud Street Area). This required extensive character/impact analysis close liaison with Croydon PlanningDepartment.

The minimal site area and close proximity to the Croydon flyover led to the development of a linked block strategy where private balconies could be inserted between – sheltered from over exposure to adjacent flyover. This approach was extended to achieve southeast facing apartments through the depth of the plan enabling the most sensitive overlooking conditions to the southeast to be mitigated by use of filigree brickwork screens whilst still achieving viable aspect.

Client

JB Shakespeare Ltd and Croydon Churches Housing

Location

Sheldon Street, Croydon

Size

23 Homes & CCHA Offices