2005 Downham Road

2005

One that got away.

The site sits at the top of the Kingsland Basin (Kings Wharf 1999). Our client tried to purchase the site.  Had he been successful, we had developed a mixed use scheme which would have met our clients requirements and those of the planning authority.  Namely, to continue the redevelopment of the basin while opening up views and access to the basin from Downham Road.  It would have been a great addition to the basin and streetscape. Unfortunately, what’s there makes little or no connection between the basin and street.

Stephen Davy, Director

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2004 Manor Farm, Reading

2004

A project that could have been the start of much larger urban developments.

The original intention was to produce something different and special in Reading. Unfortunately as the scheme developed the client felt a need to water down the scheme, to a point where we were not the architects to continue with it.  Looking at what has been built I think there are still elements of the masterplan in place.

Stephen Davy, Director

2003 Morris House

2003

Morris House forms part of a much larger development that includes Issigonis House. The scheme as the names suggest have links back to the early days of the Morris Minor. Morris House is the reworking of a former coachworks into a mixed use building providing residential and B1 space. Due to the buildings historic past and local listing the building was retained and four floors of residential inserted into the existing building, creating a contrast between the old and the new. The new building incorporates aspects explored at Wenlock (2000). The communal route at the top of the building is an open street off which single and duplex units are accessed. Light form this street filters down into the corridor below.

Stephen Davy, Director

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2002 Lever Street

2002

Up until Lever Street our clients had been RSL’s and private developers on a budget. Here we were given the opportunity to show we could deliver maximum value on the site, and our first high-end apartments. The client had commended us on our ability to deliver ‘trendy hackney warehouse apartments’.  Given this opportunity to work further west, through the use of materials, layout and organization, we demonstrated that  we could deliver high end units. Our client was impressed.

Stephen Davy, Director

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2001 Morrell’s Yard

2001

We were introduced to the client by a surveyor we were working with at the time. The clients were brothers who were the descendents of the family run builders merchants on Kennington Lane. The site was the yard at the rear of the shop next to the listed library, a court house and a council block and was within the conservation area. We proposed a scheme of 7 units in two blocks clad in cedar. We had a hell of a time getting it through planning and planning appeal. A lot of credit has to go to the client for sticking with the scheme. That in the end was well worth it. The client was happy, and by all accounts the conservation and planning department was pleased. Why all the fuss early on!! It’s the only project of ours where the client made a calendar with images of the completed build. A copy still hangs on the wall next to me in the office.

Stephen Davy, Director

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2000 Wenlock Works (Union Wharf)

2000

This is one of my real favorites.  We had a great team working on the project in the office, (thanks again Amy). And, it embodied many things that I believe are important in a building – which in residential schemes are often forgotten about or removed on the assumption it is not important – primarily, the communal spaces.

The building has a grand entrance which expresses the buildings scale (if you suffer from vertigo you may not want to use the central stair). The corridors on the lower floors give the entrance doors to the units a place, rather than just an opening in an endless corridor.

Stephen Davy, Director

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1999 Kings Wharf

1999

The first regeneration project on the Kingsland Basin and still the only one which included greenery.  This project that was widely published and showed what we could do; creating a building which could kick-start the regeneration of an area, relate to the street, canal setting and create a community within the development.

Stephen Davy, Director

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1998 Royle House

1998

A residential conversion of the Royle Print works on Wenlock Basin, Hackney. The contractor and I worked through the night on the show suite, to ensure it was completed for the public opening the following day.  As the purchasers arrived myself and the contractor where packing up to head home for a good days sleep. Great fun and a enjoyable project from beginning to end.

Stephen Davy, Director

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1997 King Edwards Road

1997

A conversion on a former warehouse in Hackney into 51 live-work units. What makes this special is it was one of the early live-work schemes in Hackney and we were given the scheme on the basis of the ideas we presented to the client and his agent in the form of hurriedly put together models which showed how the best of the building could be expressed in the units. The scheme lead to a run of successful projects with the same client.

Stephen Davy, Director

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1996 Carterhatch Infant School

1996

This was a three classroom extension for LB Enfield.  It  focused on lots of natural light, natural ventilation, increased thermal performance and liberal interpretation of space standards to create an extension which was much appreciated by the school where I became a governor for 10 years.

Thanks to Ev Dixon, Head teacher for having the faith in our ideas.

Stephen Davy, Director

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