Progress Mews
The team at WWA worked with Kingston Churches Housing Association (KCHA) to provide a 3-unit residential scheme for affordable rent on a garage site in the Borough of Kingston upon Thames. More information about this exceptional organisation can be found via this link to the KCHA website.
In town planning terms the scheme is classed as ‘backland development’ and is surrounded by residential gardens on all four boundaries. Our in-house Heritage and Planning Consultants advised on what would be acceptable to the planners and designed the scheme sensitively and creatively around these parameters. The existing tenants of the apartments fronting the road were consulted at two events on site and at the Housing Association’s offices prior to the planning application being submitted. Their feedback was taken on board and led to design changes such as the distribution of the massing on site and the external spaces layout. An innovative L-shaped house plan was created with a space-efficient layout allowing for the houses to be dual aspect with private courtyards and open garden space to the front. The massing and appearance of the development were carefully considered to be subservient to the existing building on the site. The building massing comprises a mix of single and 1.5 storeys to keep the bulk of the building to a minimum and to design out any undesireable overshadowing.
Located in a Conservation area, the housing association site was small and tightly constrained with a narrow access leading to the existing garages. The plot had a limited outlook and many existing trees to design around, some with Tree Protection Orders. Despite these challenges, we were able to produce three high-quality, 100% affordable houses with sustainable features, including high insulation levels and green roofs. Each dwelling has been designed to London Design Guide standards and HCA Housing Quality Indicators.
As an interdiciplinary design agency, it is a particularly proud moment when the blend of in-house expertise unlocks real potential for a client as it did in the case of Progress Mews. The complexity of a backland site, in a conservation area, overlooked by neighbours, and constrained by protected trees, had the feel of a project that needed up-front and regular town planning expertise to avoid abortive design work or overpromissing on the site potential. For a full list of the in-house expertise at WWA, check out the following link to our Services Page.
