About the site
The site is located on Grove Road in Walthamstow. It is currently in use as an MOT testing garage and vehicle service centre. This building is surrounded by predominately terraced and semi-detached houses. The Council has identified the site as being appropriate for residential development, and has included the site on its brownfield land register.
Here are some views of the current building. Use the arrows to cycle the images.
The current use of this property, with its bulk, scale and almost full site coverage, is at odds with the rows of terrace houses in Grove Road and surrounding streets.
The proposals
We propose to demolish the existing commercial building and replace it with 14 new one-, two-and three-bedroom homes with private amenity spaces. There will be 6 one-bed, 5 two-bed and 3 three-bed homes.
There will also be separate secure cycle storage for both residents and visitors.
These family-size homes are situated close to Hoe Street with shops and other amenities with good public transport links. All homes will be dual aspect with opening windows on at least two sides. This provides many benefits including better daylight, a greater chance of direct sunlight for longer periods, natural cross-ventilation and better ability to mitigate overheating.
Secure access is provided by a new airlocked double door system at the entrance to the building. This ensures the security and safety of the upper floors and rear of the building.
There will be three wheelchair accessible homes.
Above: Sketch of aerial view
The proposed development is similar in height to adjacent homes and is a short distance from Hoe Street. It will replace a commercial auto repair garage with much needed homes.
Above: Image of front of building
This highlights how well the proposal complements the existing houses in the terraced street, providing much needed homes.
Above: Image of street view
This proposed development merges well with the existing terrace houses enhancing the streetscape. It will provide much-needed high-quality family sized homes in a highly sought-after area.
Above: Image of view from rear showing communal courtyard
The scheme has evolved in response to planning officer comments to include a secure residents’ cycle store within the communal courtyard with space for 25 residents’ cycles and two visitor cycles. The courtyard provides a safe amenity area for all residents to relax. The scheme provides 81sqm of communal amenity space, which is an 21sqm surplus to the 50m2 minimum requirement.
Above: Image of the front of the building showing access from Grove Road
This is also the route to the secure cycle storage in the communal courtyard. Visitors’ cycles will have a safe storage space at the front of the building. This will be screened by landscaping & greenery to improve the security. Bin storage for both refuse and recycling will also be provided in this area.
Above: View of south facing aspect of the building
The south facing windows will offer a greater chance of direct sunlight, providing natural warmth and an area for plants to thrive. The upper floors offer balcony space.
Above: The homes are well screened from adjacent properties
Following written feedback and further conversation with Waltham Forest council, the design has been updated to have 1.85m high privacy screening on the west and eastern edges to minimise overlooking of the neighbouring properties. The proposed scheme has been designed so that it does not harm views from nearby homes. As such, the massing has been arranged in two north-south blocks.
Sustainability
The team is deeply committed to creating sustainable projects that address the key challenges of delivering a sustainable built environment. The approach integrates various principles and strategies to ensure that our designs align with the vision of the local authority. Net Zero Carbon by 2040:
Our projects prioritise energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and carbon offset strategies to minimize operational carbon emissions.
Sustainable Design Solutions:
We prioritise passive design strategies, such as optimizing building orientation for solar gain, natural ventilation, and daylighting, to reduce energy consumption.
Passivhaus Standard:
Our team includes certified Passivhaus designers who apply their expertise to ensure energy efficient and comfortable spaces for the residents.
Circular Economy:
Our design approach incorporates strategies such as material re-use, recycling, and designing for disassembly to create a closed-loop system.
Green Infrastructure Framework:
Our designs leverage the principles of the Green Infrastructure Framework by incorporate features such as green roofs, living walls, urban agriculture, and sustainable drainage systems to enhance biodiversity, promote wellbeing and manage storm water runoff.
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