We have two shortlisted projects in this year’s Building awards
75 Wallis Road: Retrofit/Refurbishment Project of the Year sponsored by AET Flexible Space
75 Wallis Road retains the basic structure and celebrates the huge variety of colour and texture inherent in the various bricks and mortars used through the ages. Huge timber trusses with 10m spans aided by ironwork strapping and tension rods look good for another 150 years. The existing structure provides protection as the building envelope, but it also offers a new public face for our business, displaying our creative purpose.
A muted colour palette draws on precedents from the original building materials and surrounding historical context, while creating a light-filled and calming atmosphere for HTA employees. There's a series of hardworking spaces that reflect an understanding of their own organisational culture. Originally divided into four separate buildings, new openings configure the space to create varied character areas which meet the needs of the modern workplace. Drama is provided with double height spaces which host flexible working, events, and exhibitions. A homely reception area leads to the ‘lunchHTAbles’, a dedicated lunch space with a commercial kitchen. This social space also supports panel events, talks and design crits.
HTA’s awareness of individual and collective wellbeing is threaded throughout. This is most evident in the ‘The Snug’, a lockable, domestic-scale room, used as a multi-faith prayer space and equipped with a breast milk fridge to support the company’s parents. A fully accessible WC and shower room is provided. At first floor level, the team had to carefully infill floor voids and form openings between spaces to install a DDA compliant lift. Where the existing fabric meant a walkway couldn’t be lowered, they designed a small internal ramp with a new skylight above.
Lyons Dock submitted by Tide & Vision: Offsite Project of the Year
Lyon’s Dock is the third building to be completed within HTA’s Greenford Quay masterplan for build-to-rent developers Greystar. The overall development will eventually deliver over 2,100 mixed tenure homes with almost 1000 completed within the 5 years since achieving detailed consent following on from the first completed block, Tillermans, also designed by HTA.
The Greystar model is to develop and manage housing for rent of the highest quality, with a wide choice of apartments within purpose designed buildings, combined with a remarkable choice of shared facilities and levels of on-site servicing not normally available with market rental housing in London. The masterplan sought to open up the canal to residents and the wider community, led by a landscape concept of new squares and gardens, and amphitheatre seating fronting the canal to create a new space. The site and buildings have been designed using a mixture of traditional and modern materials that reflect the history and heritage of the site and are robust and hard-wearing. This is a landscape-led masterplan with the early implementation of public spaces to foster the community feel and create important new links and connections. 40% of the overall masterplan will consist of pockets of green public open space, a canalside setting, play areas, new trees, a large water feature and a significant public square at the centre of the development.
Lyons Dock, the most recent block to launch as part of the Masterplan, offers tranquil views and a stunning design that blends contemporary comfort with grand interiors inspired by the historic stately homes of Greenford. HTA were appointed by Tide Construction and Greystar to deliver the scheme using offsite construction and an interior design package for the amenity and communal spaces. The building contains a mix of 251 apartments along with generous resident amenities such as resident lounges, meeting rooms, screen room, bar, gym, dining room and games room. Two communal podiums and a high-level roof terrace also provide welcoming green spaces where residents can relax and socialise outdoors. A generous double-height entrance sits at the North-West corner of the building by the canal, which has a grand, welcoming feel. Carefully thought-through interiors with warm timber linings guide residents into the amenity facilities and apartments. The famous Art Deco interior design led the inspiration for the block's interiors.
Lyons dock offers a beautiful setting right beside the Grand Union Canal as well as a wonderful community with residents being able to meet, socialise and foster friendships. This project is a great example of where our clients benefit from the multi-disciplinary nature of HTA Design LLP.
