Farrells scheme delivers affordable housing for working Londoners in west London

 

A new scheme by Farrells for Dolphin Living comprising 29 apartments, 14 of which are affordable, completed in Gorleston Street, Hammersmith and Fulham.

The site – previously inhabited by an unused recording studio and parking – had undergone significant alterations, resulting in the loss of much of its original character and quality, becoming detached from its surroundings.

Designed and delivered by Farrells, the new scheme provides studio, one and two bed apartments for rent, hoping to attract London workers with over 50% of the units available as affordable housing. The fit-outs are designed to maximise space and offer flexibility to residents and suit working Londoners’ lives.

The scheme will be split over 3, 4 and 5 storey brick buildings in an L-shape footprint, facing Marcus Garvey Park, affording green views. The ‘Hectic Special’ bricks chosen as the buildings’ façade help to blend the two blocks – one in ‘oyster white’ and the larger block in darker tones – not only with each other, but amongst neighbouring residencies. Green roofs, living walls, photovoltaic panels and quality material-selection coupled with daylighting provisions, high levels of insulation, air-tightness and shading means the development achieves Code for Sustainable Homes, Level 4.

The Farrells design aspires to set high standards for affordable housing by offering balconies, roof terraces and a communal courtyard garden to provide private outdoor amenity space for all residents. Under-floor heating and in-built storage provides additional space-efficiencies for residents while the open-plan living areas create flexible user-friendly spaces, and storey height windows fill the interiors with daylight.

Peter Barbalov, project partner at Farrells says, “Working Londoners are those on demanding hours, sometimes shift work, and modest pay in London; they need comfortable, affordable and well-designed spaces to keep them safe, happy and healthy. Choosing high-quality materials, such as a Wienerberger ‘Hectic Special’ brick, was an important part of the design objective for Farrells. Features such as these and the living walls, in keeping with its leafy surroundings, will help the scheme keep the residents healthier and ensure the building designs remain sensitive to the neighbouring residencies.”

Dolphin Living was set up with the sole aim of providing key worker accommodation in central London. This allows tenants to live in affordable accommodation and take an otherwise unobtainable step towards property ownership. On completion, DSF manages its developments and the units are held in perpetuity to prevent the units becoming private in future.

19 October 2017

Working Londoners are those on demanding hours, sometimes shift work, and modest pay in London; they need comfortable, affordable and well-designed spaces to keep them safe, happy and healthy.

Peter Barbalov, Project Partner