26
PROJECT REPORT: RETIREMENT LIVING & CARE HOMES PROJECT FACTFILE
Date of completion: April 2021 Tenure: 100% Affordable Rent Total number of homes: 38 Site size (hectares): 0.16 ha Size of principal unit: 57 m2 Smallest unit: 55 m2 Largest unit: 74 m2 Architect: PRP Developer: London Borough of Camden Contractor: Vistry Partnership Planning authority: London Borough of Camden
Planning consultant: PRP
At the same time, the balcony screens can be locked to ensure safety if a risk assessment deems that the use of an open balcony is not appropriate. As well as space for wheelchairs, kitchens have reinforced sinks/basins and eye-level ovens. Wayfinding is assisted through views out to the surrounding area, maximum natural light and the use of different, bold colours for each stairwell. Having designed a building that is “accessible for everybody,” the architect says that there was no physical reason that someone of a different age couldn’t be housed in the spaces. This meant that they needed no adaptation for the younger residents with learning disabilities to be able to use them.
Elevations The building’s form ties in with its neighbours in both scale and materials. Facades have been designed to offer the best of both worlds, being both “contemporary, while respectful of the historic context, and in keeping with Camden housing typologies.” Victorian townhouses surround the site; in particular an adjacent terrace of locally listed houses provided inspiration. The arrangement of windows on the new building has been carefully chosen to help tie in with the proportions of these houses; at the same time the balconies (when their screens are open) offer depth to the south facade facing the road.
Elevational studies carried out by the architects led them to use reconstituted stone panels for the base to emulate the stone of the adjacent buildings, as well as a London stock brick on the stories above. The council’s ‘Urban Designer’ told the architects, “you don’t need to be slavish, just pick up the key qualities,” which was a boon to the designers, who wanted facades which “fit in with the grain,” but weren’t a pastiche of the local listed buildings. Alongside this however, Clare says that a lot of the local residents were “active during the consultation, and worried about what was coming, and PRP wanted to be as sensitive as we possibly could.” The sixth storey is set back in a grey clad form which refers to nearby slate roofs. Cameron pays tribute to Design and Build contractor Vistry for the work they did to achieve a precise finish on the building.
Sustainability
The project has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, a result of a combination of passive design measures, renewable energies and low carbon technologies.
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Cameron says that when designing to HAPPI standards, it’s “actually quite easy to get to BREEAM Excellent,” as the need for cooling is reduced, with circulation spaces that are airy and pleasant without a need for heating.
The balconies, whether screened or not enable solar gain, to reduce energy demand, and warm the whole living space. Their deep, recessed design provides shading to avoid overheating, plus year-round usability. There’s no car parking on the site, and the roof is covered in PVs. Lastly, an MVHR system provides an efficient source of heating the apartments and ground floor communal spaces. The community cafe is naturally ventilated via doors to the front garden and to a rear courtyard, allowing quick cross-ventilation for events held here. These also benefit from protected external space thanks to overhangs from the galleried access above, which run across the whole north elevation.
The architects will be revisiting the scheme as part of their focus on post- occupancy evaluation in later living schemes, so will be finding out how efficiently the building performs in use.
Conclusion
Intergenerational housing has become “very much the buzzword at the moment,” says the project’s architect, “as people realise the benefits.” However she asserts that Charlie Ratchford Court is a rare example of a local authority which is actually delivering it, saying it’s “testament to Camden Council that they have been able to actually make it come about.”
Cameron adds that another thing that marks the council out as a client is how proactive they were on “ensuring good quality design,” and that they supported the design quality on the project “every step of the way, from the concept to delivery.” This meant that any cost-savings suggested during the Design and Build process were robustly investigated to ensure value for money. This projection of the original design was one crucial aspect that contributed to the project’s overall success. As the architect says, many older people might prefer to stay at home in their later years. However, as our population ages, many will also be keen to be in a specialist building such as this, with staff on hand to support and care for them when needed. It is increasingly important therefore for residents’ wellness that their buildings are carefully designed to keep people connected to the outside world.g
ADF AUGUST 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
