24 CASE STUDY
array of shared facilities,” as well as its popularity among the locals.
HOMES & AMENITIES With the stadium still looming behind us and Canada Gardens’ brick facade ahead, when moving through the park it is apparent the now completed and occupied project is already teeming with life. Heading inside the building through
sliding doors, visitors are first welcomed by its concierge and management team, who can direct users to the right, towards a coffee shop that’s open to the public, above, where a library resides, visible over the balcony in this double-floor space, and to the left, where the mail rooms and the lifts and stairs to the rest of the development are located. Going up the stairs and out first into the
air towards the shared podium gardens between Canada Garden’s multiple build- ings, visitors can find a pirate themed children’s play area and water feature, an indoor playroom, outdoor kitchens and BBQs, “work-from-home sheds,” allotment beds, and a serviced ‘clubhouse,’ all avail- able to residents and their families. Influenced by Covid-induced lockdowns, Quintain believes the key to apartment-building success is in such readily available outdoors space; their belief in which is further evidenced at the very top of the building, where a roof terrace offers expansive views over the area, and a unique viewpoint over the stadium itself. Between these exterior spaces are the apartment floors, the interiors of which – as in the residents’ amenities – have been designed alongside Fossey Arora, who developed a concept of ‘urban country,’ which Julian explains “means the apart- ments are very cosy and comfortable.” “They have a contemporary country
303HOMES LET BY WEMBLEY PARK RESIDENTIAL AT DISCOUNT MARKET RENT ARE ‘PEPPERED’THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT
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chic vibe that feels very welcoming,” he continues. “Think soft textures, warm colours, very natural tones and lots of natural materials; there’s wood every- where, which brings a sense of warmth and comfort.” In each apartment, which can be rented furnished or unfurnished, are appliances from Quintan’s partners, Samsung, as well as furniture from John Lewis & Partners, and all utilities arranged andWiFi set up and ready to connect to. There is a general focus on ease of use in
these apartments, withWIFI set up on a per-floor basis, and water heated outside the rooms to reduce maintenance access to the homes themselves. Beyond this, the apartments are also pet-friendly (rare in such buildings), with pet amenities onsite. This easy, family sense of living has been well-developed by the company.
Inspired by its previous projects, the team glue this all together with regular resident events, both in-person and online, “from artisan bread-baking classes to MasterChef supper clubs,” helping to engender community spirit.
DELIVERY While immediately successful – with many of its homes quickly occupied – such a project was of course not without its challenges. Despite this, Julian tells me that Quintain’s “significant experience” in the area has left them well prepared to rise to each and every hurdle. Looking back to its earliest days, in the
first instance, outline planning permission for Canada Gardens was secured as part of the previously mentioned wider masterplan. It was followed by the approval of the detailed design, which Julian tells me was “relatively straightfor- ward,” and didn’t raise any significant objections from the council or any of the consultees. Getting planning consent was perhaps
the easiest part of the project, however – with Brent Council and the locals impressed with the range of public spaces and JVs Quintain brought to the table. One of the first challenges presented
was its sheer size. Canada Gardens was the largest construction contract Quintain had ever signed atWembley Park, with a value of £211m, and involving a range of contributors including contractors John Sisk & Son lead designers PRP. Beyond the challenges of its size- induced complexities, Julian tells me that the delivery of the project in the midst of an already active residential neighbour- hood proved “especially daunting.” He says however that the site’s principal contractor, John Sisk & Son, aided this significantly with its use of digital technologies, from design through to delivery to improve efficiency, productiv- ity and health and safety on site, including the use of drones for high- altitude quality checks and radical digitalisation. Other technologies he praises, especially at Canada Gardens, was the continued use of prefabricated facade elements such as balconies and offsite manufactured bathroom pods, which he says encouraged “factory-controlled, consistent standards for the end user” at the pace necessary and in the tight spatial requirements. Through “remarkable levels of collabo-
ration” between contractors, he says, the team were able to utilise these new technologies and “work leaner and more efficiently than ever before,” minimising the impact on existing residents. “It took
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