New Avenue

The New Avenue architectural design leverages the site’s natural topography to create a harmonious and community-focused development. By strategically positioning buildings within the site’s hidden valley, the project minimises visual impact on the surrounding area while preserving the existing residential character. The design’s sensitivity to the topography is evident in the varying heights of the blocks, ensuring a seamless transition between the development and neighbouring houses.

Furthermore, the project cleverly leverages the site’s constraints to maximise community benefits. Through careful planning, the number of homes has nearly tripled while maintaining the same level of affordable housing. Transforming disconnected blocks into a network of streets and green spaces enhances accessibility and connectivity, fostering a vibrant neighbourhood. This approach not only addresses the site’s challenges but also significantly improves the quality of life for residents.

New Avenue enhances connectivity and accessibility through several key design features. A wide central street along the line of the culvert, accompanied by an adjoining landscaped swale, guides movement through the site from Avenue Road and connects new streets with the existing network. At the upper west end, a landscaped sunken garden with a play space, overlooked by mews houses and flats, provides communal recreational space. Additionally, a boardwalk over another landscaped sunken garden, part of the flood mitigation measures, connects to an existing footpath leading to the wider neighbourhood, including a school and Oakwood underground station. These elements ensure that the development is well-integrated with the surrounding area, promoting easy access and connectivity for residents

The project incorporates several architectural features and amenities to enhance residents’ quality of life. All homes are designed with generous private amenities, such as front and rear gardens for ground floor homes, and projecting and semi-recessed balconies or roof terraces for flats. The design includes dual aspect layouts for all two and three-bedroom homes, large windows for ample natural light, and some homes with bay windows and rooms receiving light from two sides.

The mews houses and flats feature distinctive roofscapes with gables, and are arranged around landscaped squares, adding to the aesthetic appeal and creating communal spaces. The project also ensures inclusivity and adaptability, with homes meeting wheelchair accessibility standards and providing gentler routes through the site for ease of use by both young and elderly residents. Additionally, a community centre and nursery are centrally located within the scheme, fostering a sense of community and providing essential services close to home.

The landscape design at New Avenue enhances community well-being by creating multifunctional spaces that cater to different age groups and interests. It fosters social interaction through landscaped streets and garden spaces while also providing opportunities for relaxation and recreation.

The design also prioritises environmental sustainability by incorporating biodiversity-enhancing features such as new tree planting, wildflower meadows, and a swale to manage water runoff and create an ecological corridor. These elements improve air quality, manage water more effectively, and create habitats for wildlife. By combining these elements, the project enhances both the ecological value and social amenity of the site.

The New Avenue project has introduced several sustainability measures to boost environmental performance. An energy center supplies on-site heat and power, reducing dependence on external energy sources. The homes are designed to minimise energy and water usage, ensuring efficient resource consumption.

Additionally, the project promotes sustainable transportation options through its thoughtful layout and design features. Reconnected streets and paths within the development encourage walking and cycling, providing safe and convenient routes for residents. Ample cycle storage is available within each block, making it easy for residents to choose cycling as a primary mode of transport.

New Avenue was designed with significant input from residents from the very beginning. The design team engaged extensively with existing residents through workshops and visits to other schemes throughout the design process. We also held workshops focused on the Turkish-speaking community to ensure inclusive participation. The project team gathered valuable insights into their needs and preferences by fostering open dialogue and actively listening to residents’ aspirations.

The resident’s strong preference for maisonettes, generous private amenities, and adaptable internal layouts with options for separate kitchens or open plans was directly incorporated into the design. Additionally, new flats, at most six storeys, without flat roofs influenced the overall architectural style. While some apartments needed higher, residents were satisfied with including pitched roofs in the design.

Our collaborative approach’s success is evident, with most residents having moved directly from their existing homes to the new rented homes in the first phase, which includes a mix of social rent and private sale options. By involving the community in the planning process, the project has created a suburban masterplan that resonates with the people there. The engagement of the community in shaping the masterplan ensures that the new development enhances the quality of life for existing and new residents, creating a cohesive and supportive neighbourhood.