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Architects: Paul Davis+Partners
- Area: 2400 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Adam Parker
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Manufacturers: IKO, Karndean, Marley Eternit
Paul Davis + Partners has recently completed a quality, sustainable project for keyworker housing in Pimlico that respects the adjacent grade I listed St James the Less Church.
One Church Square is situated on the busy Vauxhall Bridge Road, and Paul Davis + Partner’s design ingeniously exploits its quieter elevation by locating its entrance off the public square it shares with the church. This move ensures that a previously under-utilised square has been revitalised and also reinforces its connection to the church and its grounds.
The £5.5m development, commissioned by the Dolphin Square Foundation, provides 39 units spread over 5-storeys. Thirty-one apartments are for key workers while the remaining eight are being rented at open market values. The design employs a central glass-covered courtyard and a roof terrace that aims to contribute to social interaction and a sense of community. Located in a conservation area, the 2,400sq m development’s quality design and choice of materials sympathetically respond to the surrounding historic urban context.
Unusual for an affordable housing scheme, One Church Square utilises a range of sustainable measures to achieve Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. To comply with Westminster City Council’s challenging planning brief and to meet Level 4, a number of passive measures have been integrated into the scheme. These include; a super-insulated, airtight building envelope, solar shading fins, a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system, and the provision of photovoltaic panels on the roof to generate the building’s own electricity.
One Church Square’s recent win of the 24housing Award for Affordable Housing Scheme of the Year and Civic Trust Award commendation proves that Paul Davis + Partners thoughtful design has set the bar high for other sustainable and quality, affordable housing projects.
