College Road Follow Up Meeting

Project SI_420 College Road

We today had a meeting with two of our clients from a project that we recently had granted in the London Borough of Brent for a new gymnasium in the garden of their property. This follow up meeting was to address the next stages in the development of the project, and how we may move forward together in the future to fully realise the proposed new structure.

From our studio in the heart of Shoreditch, we are able to offer our clients one to one consultations that can often alleviate many of the unanswered questions many of our clients have regarding the complexities of construction and the planning process.

From the comfort of our studio, we have been able to plan and progress the next stages of the development in an extremely personable and accessible way which allows our clients to have full control and understanding of the various stages of the architectural design process.

New Appointment on Rochester Square

Project SI_529 Rochester Square

We have recently been appointed to develop and pre – planning application for a property situated on the South West edge of the prestigious Camden Square Conservation Area in the London Borough of Camden. The application in question is for the development of a Victorian semi detached Villa with a generously sized rear garden overlooking the beautiful Rochester Square. The house has remained in much the same condition for around 70 years, and is in need of restoration and modernisation.

The area was initially developed in the 1840’s and with completion around 1880, with the houses on Rochester Square being developed earliest on. The square was designed in a typically Italianate style that developed along with the expansion of the city northwards into what was previously a collection of farmsteads and individual dwellings. In this period, the classically proportioned continental square looked on to a typically English communal nursery garden, shared by all of the residents, and designed to offer a certain degree of autarky for the residents of the square in this rapidly developing new quarter of the city.

Here, the middle classes rubbed shoulders with the working classes who fuelled the expansion of the railways at nearby Kings Cross and St Pancras, whilst the area was quickly establishing itself as one of the most prestigious addresses in the north of the city. The proposal that we are developing seeks to capitalise on the abundance of outdoor space bestowed on the house on the square in seeking to create a contemporary new living space for the family who inhabit this property.

Feedback Forms

Project SI_513 St Agustine Avenue

Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda with our new initiative begun as a response to our increased workload recently. We have designed a feedback form to distribute once we have completed a project to gather information about satisfaction with the service that we are providing. We hope to learn from the responses and also to build on our record of testimonials to show to prospective clients.

Full Planning Permission Granted

Project SI_476 Holland Road

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Ref PP/12/02681

Feedback Forms

Project SI_496 Bramston Road

Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda with our new initiative begun as a response to our increased workload recently. We have designed a feedback form to distribute once we have completed a project to gather information about satisfaction with the service that we are providing. We hope to learn from the responses and also to build on our record of testimonials to show to prospective clients.

'The Gas House'

We have recently submitted our entry for the green infrastructures ideas competition for a new London landmark. The competition aims to find innovative methods of creating new landscapes out of some of the capitals forgotten urban spaces. Our proposal for creating a new London landscape looks to the cities industrial heritage for inspiration, and aims to generate a innovative green infrastructure through the incorporation rather than removal of many of the remnants of the capitals extensive manufacturing legacy. An interesting juxtaposition between the abundance of nature we propose to introduce to the area and a post-industrial relic of the Victorian age is achieved in our proposal.

We propose to allow the land around the industrial Hackney site to grow wild and free, encouraging a wealth of wildlife to make the land around the gas cylinders their new habitat. A profusion of birdlife can nest in numerous cavities of the iron structure, whilst species that are increasingly under threat in the urban environment such as foxes and badgers can also inhabit the newly created wild parkland. We also intend to intersect the new environment with a manmade edifice that utilises the existing structure of the gas works in its construction, thus minimising the footprint of the proposal on the new green space that will thrive on the former brownfield site.

The manmade additions will incorporate a series of balconies and lighting systems into the iron structure of the gas works, creating an inward looking contemporary interpretation of the amphitheatre. Performance, music, dance and theatre will be staged in a unique naturalistic setting, which has been magnificently formed out of the ruins of post-industrial decline, whilst contributing to a innovative, unique and sustainable London landscape.

New Appointment in the Heart of the City

Project SI_520 Middlesex Street

We have recently been appointed to assist in the conversion of a prominently located bar in the East End of London into a new retail space for our clients. The conversion of a former venue into a wholesale fabric merchant situated within Middlesex Streets famous Petticoat Lane Market is testament to the enduring popularity of one on London’s oldest surviving trading points. The area is noted for its cloth markets and second hand merchants from as early as 1608, when the district surrounding Middlesex Street was home to a wealth of traders.

The turbulent past of the area is almost a reflection of every significant historical event of the past four centuries, from the Great Plague that ravaged this particular part of London so significantly in 1665, through to the massive wave of immigration that took place in the wake of World War II, which subsequently has given this part of London its unique multicultural character.

Today, the area is a hub for cloth vendors to sell their wares, with the streets surrounding the former bar transformed with a vibrant mix of sellers and the wealth of visitors who descend on the street every day. This project offers an exciting opportunity to further develop the unique architectural character of one of London’s most historic districts, further contributing to the incredible cultural fabric of the area.

Architecture Reflecting Cultural Change

Project SI_514 Reeves Rest

Two of our team today visited an extremely large Mansion House at Reeves Rest, situated in Surrey, just outside of Greater London. The Regency style building was originally built in 1810, and has been extended comprehensively in the years that followed with both Victorian and Edwardian architects all making their marks on the complex architectural makeup of the property. The incredible scale of the dwelling in evident in its fourteen bedrooms and dressing rooms, multiple garages, stables and cottages for gardeners and chauffeurs all situated within the extensive grounds. The house also boasts accommodation within the property for the multitude of staff that would have been employed by families such as Lord and Lady Tritton who occupied the house during the roaring twenties.

The arrival of World War II though had a great effect on the house. In the war years the house was taken over by the government and used as a hospital for injured Canadian soldiers. The post war years saw the decline in the large estates that once graced most towns and villages in Britain, along with increased social upheaval and demands for equality. Thus, once fighting had ceased in 1945 the property was broken up into three separate dwellings, whilst the individual cottages and stables were also all sold off.

The profound changes to the way in which many of us live that have occurred in the twentieth century is no more apparent than at Reeves Rest. This once sprawling estate is now home to many families and reflects the way in which society today has moved on from a time of servants and chambermaids, with many of the class barriers that once divided society less than a century ago broken. This property reminds us once again of the way in which our architectural heritage can give us a unique insight into the multitude of sociological and cultural changes that have occurred in Britain during recent times.

Lomography as a New Design Medium in the Studio

Today we received the new Diana F+ Lomography Camera that we have been awarded as a prize for the PLOY (Public Life in the Olympic Year) Photography Competition in which we achieved second place in last month. We were invited to collect the prize from the offices of Space Syntax, the company behind the PLOY competition, and enjoyed a champagne reception to celebrate our success in the contest. We are now excited to experiment with this intriguing new medium in an architectural context, exploring the way in which this modern interpretation of a classic piece of photographic equipment can influence and direct our designs in the studio.

The medium of Lomography stems from the experimental photography of a group of Austrian students in the 1990’s who began to explore the results produced with a 1982 Lomo Kompakt Automat, a small Russian camera, which recorded some extraordinary results when developed. In an age of increasing dependence on digital technology, the vibrant colours and deep saturation produced by the Lomo Kompakt was a refreshing break from more polished photographic trends of the period.

Today the Lomography movement is a globally active organisation, with photographers contributing their latest work to the Lomography website whilst adhering to a set of ’10 Golden Rules’ laid out by the founders of the movement. Rules such as ‘take your camera everywhere you go’ and ‘try to shoot from the hip’ ensure that the playful nature of the shots the cameras produce is preserved. The range of lenses and accessories available to the contemporary interpretation of the Lomo Kompakt have aided in the creation of a unique approach to analogue photography that contributes towards an intriguing new style of imagery.

Investigating the Exodus to the Suburbs

Project SI_512 Brook Walk

We have recently undertaken a site visit to a property situated on Brooke Walk in the London Borough of Barnet which is just a few minutes walk from the leafy Mill Hill area of the borough. We were initially struck by the abundance of open spaces and greenery the area had to offer, highlighting Mill Hill’s roots as a village far removed from the chaos of the city until the inauguration of the Edgeware, Highgate and London Railway, which were to have a profound effect on this and many of London’s other outlying villages in this period.

During the Victorian era, many families were encouraged to relocate to these outlying areas of the city with the promise of an abundance of living space and modern accommodation, in what became dubbed ‘Metro-Land’. The Edgeware, Highgate and London Railway, now incorporated into the present day Northern Line, allowed access to the city and were affordable and fast for the masses, facilitating the rapid expansion of areas such as Mill Hill, and the exodus of many families from the capitals overcrowded housing where large numbers resided in poverty.

The villages surrounding the city grew at a phenomenal rate, and soon were incorporated into the city, forming the region now known as Greater London. Many of these areas such as Mill Hill still preserve their rural almost village like feel, enhancing the unique urban fabric of the city. One feels completely removed from the commotion of the capital, yet in reality, through the introduction of these fast efficient railways one can be back in the city in a matter of minutes thus striking an ideal balance between country living and the convenience of the city.

Full Planning Permission Granted

Project SI_387 Norfolk Road

Croydon Council. Ref 12/01641/P

Open House

With less than two weeks until the annual event held across the capital, London Open House, we are busy in the studio collating a range of our selected work from the past four years to display as we prepare to open our studio to the public for the entire weekend of the 22 – 23 September. This occasion will give the public a unique insight into the working life of the team at Studio Idealyc, as well as the opportunity to experience a working architectural studio in the heart of Shoreditch.

The Open House will give us the chance to showcase some of our latest work, such as our residential projects just a few minutes away at Underwood Road, as well as some of competitions pieces we have been developing over the last few months. The studio has seen some changes recently including graffiti on the front door by a well known artist which draws crowds daily.

We are professional supporters of this year Open House and the events in our office will include the sale of our diary of a practice which is available to download from our website. The team will also be on site during the weekend to discuss our methods and the themes that flow through our projects. We see this also as a possibility for students of architecture to take a glimpse of professional practice in a diverse and busy office.

Feedback Forms

Project SI_515 Balcaskie Road

Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda with our new initiative begun as a response to our increased workload recently. We have designed a feedback form to distribute once we have completed a project to gather information about satisfaction with the service that we are providing. We hope to learn from the responses and also to build on our record of testimonials to show to prospective clients.

Full Planning Permission Granted

Project SI_472 Baxendale Street

Tower Hamlets Council. Ref PA/12/02075

Listed Building Consent Granted

Project SI_453 Old Ford Road

Tower Hamlets Council. Ref PA/12/01911

Full Planning Permission Granted

Project SI_483 Mowbray Road

Croydon Council. Ref 12/01819/P

New Appointment at Sefton Street

Project SI_503 Sefton Street

Sometimes in the urban environment the unassuming façade can conceal a myriad of programmes as Sefton Street, a recent project of ours that has now been submitted to the planning department demonstrates. Like its neighbour, the development is a small outbuilding used as a garage. However using the Permitted Development Rights this area can be used for other functions subsidiary to the enjoyment of the main dwelling house.

The double aspect apparent in this project provides rare opportunities as a façade that is part of the street fabric is an important part of any urban development. Access to the street provides the chance for visitors and passers by to use the space and interact with the intervention.

In this case the garage belongs to a householder who will be using the extra internal area created as a playroom to entertain the young generation of the family although in similar situations we have assisted clients with the creation of extra places, sheltering gyms, artist studios and music rooms all of which provided a secluded retreat within the bounds of a home.