24 PROJECT REPORT: SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DESIGN
“The masterplan is built around a series of streets and squares that stitch the estate back into the surrounding streets” James Woodward, Hawkins\Brown
comprehensive resident consultation that would largely dictate what direction the project would take, a concept that appealed to Hawkins\Brown. “We were attracted by the prospect of creating an exemplar regeneration scheme – Camden was keen on a resident ballot to establish the principle of the development, and in 2013 this was really unusual,” explains James Woodward, architect and Passivhaus certified designer at Hawkins\Brown.
PROJECT FACTFILE
Client: LB Camden Masterplan: Hawkins\Brown, Mae, Grant Associates Lead designer: Hawkins\Brown Architects: Hawkins\Brown, Mae Delivery architect: Hawkins\Brown (Phase 1c), Architype (Phase 1a/b) Contractor: Hill Partnerships Project manager: Arcadis Structural engineer: Stantec (Phase 1a/b), Price and Myers (Phase 1c) Services engineer: Max Fordham, Robinson Associates (Phase 1a/b delivery) Landscape: Grant Associates Passivhaus consultant: Max Fordham Passivhaus certifier: WARM
At this stage however, Passivhaus wasn’t in the brief. Woodward explains that the practice has found on “a lot of projects” that when it comes to Passivhaus, “the client needs to develop confidence that it won’t have an adverse impact on cost or programme, by which time the scheme has already developed.” It was the consultation process with residents that led to the idea that Passivhaus certification could be the target for Agar Grove. Woodward explains: “Existing residents voted in favour of comprehensive redevelopment, as opposed to infill or refurbishment options.” With a major objective of the client behind the regeneration the estate being “to minimise fuel poverty,” all new blocks in the scheme will be built to Passivhaus standards. The estate’s housing stock, which dates back to 1966, had become “inefficient, outdated and disconnected from the wider city.” An 18 storey tower block was at the heart of the estate, with low-rise blocks surrounding it, comprising 249 social-rent homes in total. “The masterplan is built around a series of streets and squares that stitch the estate back into the surrounding
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streets,” explains Woodward. “Streets are lined with maisonettes and shared entrances, with bedrooms located away from the street at ground level, and each perimeter block contains a shared semi-private residents’ amenity space plus infant play space.” The central tower block will be stripped back to the concrete frame, and the space around it extended to provide amenity space. A new tower will house a community centre and tenant management offices.
The project was broken down into six phases in order to minimise disruption to existing tenants, and keep the community together. Phase 1a consisted of building 38 social rented homes on a site which previously housed garages predominantly, and four homes. This enabled, says Woodward, a “single phase decant” process for the entire estate – delivering on another of the client’s main objectives. “Camden had promised the residents that they could watch their new home being built then move just once, into their new home.” Only one family from those four houses elected to move away from the estate altogether.
A collaborative effort
A multitude of firms have been and are involved in the design and construction of Agar Grove. Hawkins\Brown have, alongside Mae, designed the masterplan and completed detailed planning for specific blocks. These were then individually taken on by different architects for their detailed design under the appointment of contractor Hill. Architype were the Passivhaus delivery architects for both Phase 1a and 1b.
ADF DECEMBER 2021
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