BPTW draws on historic references for a housing scheme in Greenwich, south London

Buildings.

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Fotohaus

Facing onto Creek Road – the main approach to the centre of Greenwich, south London – and forming a new mews to the rear, an £18 million scheme by architect BPTW partnership provides 83 homes alongside 1800 square metres of commercial space. The jumbled character of the historic context is referred to both in the Creek Road elevation, which features a zinc-clad mansard with a stepped roofline, and by the narrow, winding mews, as well as the use of yellow and brown brick and perforated metalwork.

Homes include both houses and flats, among which there are 19 units for affordable rent and 43 for shared ownership.

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The scheme wraps around the existing ‘Up the Creek’ comedy club, housed in a former church. That locally listed building has been refurbished, with brickwork restored and church windows reinstated, and also extended to the rear with the addition of mews-facing townhouses.

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BPTW is based locally and engaged in extensive community consultation on the scheme, securing the support of local conservation groups by demonstrating an understanding of the sensitivity of a site on the edge of a World Heritage Site.

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Creek Road and Bardsley Lane elevations of the apartment building

The Creek Road facade is broken up into smaller sections, each articulated by a slightly set back division in the brickwork. “The proportions reflect those of local shops and interior layouts”, explains the architect, “though inspiration was also taken from the rich architectural detail typical of Greenwich”. The retail units also feature large windows, blending in with this strict alignment. The glazing maintains the same signage height as the existing shops on the street.

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Mews houses

Running parallel to the main road, Bardsley Lane is now home to a row of mews houses, which form the scheme boundary. They supply a more rigorous counterpoint to the more informal facade of the apartment block opposite, where variation in massing creates opportunity for private balconies, south-facing courtyard gardens and podiums at first-floor level.

Upper storeys of the mews houses cantilever over parking spaces, and slots between the houses articulate each home individually, increase the natural light reaching Bardsley Lane and allow for direct views from the apartment building to the adjacent St Alfeges’ park.

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Credits

Architect, planning consultant
bptw partnership
M&E
Peter Deer and Associates
Landscape
Ireland Albrecht
Quantity surveyor, structural engineer, main contractor
Bouygues
Client
Family Mosaic