Westhorpe Gardens – Projects
Westhorpe Gardens
About Westhorpe Gardens
A phased regeneration of an existing housing estate consisting of 251 mixed tenure units, Westhorpe Gardens, is Pozzoni’s second project for Metropolitan Thames Valley.
It is the very first scheme to undertake the Mayor of London’s recent process for estate regeneration and achieve a successful resident ballot. As such, community engagement and consultation has formed an integral part of the design development process.
All buildings respond to and engage with the natural landscape; the proposal seeks to retain existing trees and maintain the natural qualities of the site. Buildings are located and orientated in relation to existing trees and to enhance pedestrian routes and views through the site. This strategy connects the two parts of the site and various public amenity spaces between the buildings which offer a range of uses for all.
An impressive 88% of the scheme will offer affordable housing. The scheme is configured as follows:
- Seven apartment buildings of 5 to 7-storeys in height, providing a combination of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments with dual aspect open plan living spaces and external balconies.
- Two terraces of 3 and 4-bedroom houses, with covered entrances, integrated refuse/cycle storage and second floor terraces.
The form and composition of building elements are responsive to the site characteristics. Subtle details pull together these elements, providing a calming effect to the overall coherence of the buildings, with a neutral palette of materials sensitive to the surrounding context.
At the heart of the scheme sits a 79-unit extra-care facility.
It was important that the architect for this scheme was responsive to our needs, understood our residents' needs and had a strong awareness of the local environment. Further, the architect needed to be adaptive to the design needs of the planning authority and provide a scheme that met the Greater London Authority’s aspirations. The proposed scheme needed to be organic and functional, a home and a place for a community to grow. I am pleased to say Pozzoni met these requirements and was committed throughout the project to ensuring a high degree of diligence and quality.
Mohammed Habib - Metropolitan Thames Valley
Project Gallery
