Courtauld Road

Pollard Thomas Edwards and Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects, working for Family Mosaic Housing Association, have successfully converted a collection of adjoining sites at 174-178 Courtauld Road, Islington, London, N19 into 52 new homes.

The sites included a warehouse building, which has been retained, an adjoining former MOT garage, and a light industrial building which Family Mosaic assembled to create a mixed development of flats and houses for private sale, shared ownership and social rent. This, together with an earlier phase for Family Mosaic on the site of an adjacent former timber yard - including 80 homes for rent and shared ownership and two shops, has regenerated the area, creating improved permeability of the former industrial area and creating an entire new street, now named Charles Street.

This distinctive design of the development pays homage to the industrial heritage of the site. The layout follows the urban grain established by the existing buildings, preserving the historical pattern that has evolved over many years. The scale of buildings mediates between the older neighbouring homes and the newer 5-storey flat blocks. The new eastern apartment building is a contemporary interpretation of a warehouse building, with an ordered formal deeply recessed grid of openings, and subtle architectural detailing in the double soldier coursing.

The entrance to the mews courtyard of family houses and the apartments is through one of these warehouse openings. The family houses reflect the aesthetic of the folded metal roofs of the industrial buildings which used to occupy the site, a roofscape which the local residents were keen not to lose in the new development proposals.

The early consultation with the Courtauld Road neighbours informed the design evolution on a number of other issues. Although the overlooking distances complied with policy standards, internal house layouts were revised to avoid any windows with habitable rooms facing the rear boundaries of Courtauld Road homes. Bedrooms were relocated to overlook the mews, and only small frosted bathroom windows remained on the neighbours’ elevation. Roof terraces on some of the apartments were also revised in response to neighbours’ concerns about potential overlooking and the design of the boundary wall, retained from the existing warehouse, were also adjusted, reducing it to a lower 3m wall with a trellis.

Ventilation + Heat recovery

Innovative cooling system

Photovoltaics

Biofuel fired CHP

Green or brown roofs