Our Proposals

The proposals include demolishing the existing neglected building on site and replacing it with six buildings of various sizes focused around a central courtyard. Our desire is to produce a scheme that contributes to the surrounding area and leads the way in terms of sustainability.

We are proposing:

• 111 flats
• A residential care home
• Commercial / office space
• Landscaping improvements
• Parking for 154 cars
• Central courtyard open space
  

Our Vision for the Old Sorting Office site is:

• To transform the site, which has been neglected for a number of years, into a high quality and visually attractive living and working environment
• To provide a development that is environmentally responsible
• To deliver a development that is inclusive and beneficial to the
  whole community

Car parking

Providing the right amount of car parking is an issue faced by all new developments; the requirement is to strike a balance between giving new residents space to park their cars, against the need to encourage the use of more sustainable methods of transport and limiting the volume of traffic on the roads. Due to the proximity of the Sorting Office to Kew Gardens station, we feel that the site is well serviced by public transport links, but have nevertheless provided almost the maximum amount of car parking spaces allowed under Richmond Council’s planning policy. We are restricted from providing any more spaces by the planning guidelines which allow for a maximum of one car parking space for every one or two bedroom apartment and two spaces for apartments with more bedrooms.

Height and Density

When looking at the height of the scheme, the team carefully considered the context in which it will sit. The Kew Riverside development comprises buildings ranging from four to seven stories in height and the National Archives building is over 25m high at its ridge (the equivalent to at least seven domestic storeys), whereas the homes on Defoe Avenue, situated approximately 70m to the south east, are a lot smaller and are separated from the site by a car park and a row of trees. Initial ideas for the scheme proposed that the buildings would be taller, but it was felt that this would be inappropriate for the local area and therefore they were reduced in height. Now at five storeys tall, we feel that the buildings fit well within the immediate context; acting as a gradual step up between the smaller-scale homes on one side, and the larger buildings closer to the river. Through detailed design the scheme has also been reduced in height significantly since our initial consultation when a mixture of 5, 6 & 7 storey buildings were proposed.. Overall, we feel that it will make a positive contribution to the urban design of the area.

Architecture

Architectural preference is very subjective: during last year’s consultation a range of opinions were expressed on the type of architecture which should be used in the scheme; some people voiced a preference for traditional style buildings, whilst others said a more modern type of architecture would be more appropriate. As the traditional terraced houses in the area lie more than 70m away from the site, and are mostly screened from view by a dense row of trees, we felt it was a great opportunity for a more contemporary style of architecture.

Meetings have been held with the Council regarding the design, which has also been reviewed twice by the Richmond Design Panel – an independent group of architects whom the Council consults on larger schemes. Their comments have been taken on board and the panel are now supportive of the scheme design. In terms of the materials used; these were chosen because they echo the traditional materials used in other buildings in the area but have been applied to the scheme to create a modern and contemporary design. Different colours of brick (red, yellow and blue) have been combined to give each type of building proposed on site (the residential apartments, retirement home and the commercial building) its own individual character, but with some design features running throughout to provide consistency. The idea is to create a family of buildings which work together without being monotonous.