The site for this project began as an awkward former workshop with 4‑metre‑high retained walls - a constraint that became the catalyst for the entire design approach. Rather than extend the existing terrace, the scheme re‑imagined the plot across two phases. Phase 1 introduced two one‑bedroom “pod” houses built within the original factory walls, carefully managing overlooking and scale. Phase 2 followed during the pandemic, replacing a poorly built outrigger with three new homes designed as a precise puzzle of massing, form and window placement to ensure privacy while maximising daylight through small courtyards and private balconies.
The material palette draws directly from the site’s industrial heritage, combining restored brickwork, black corrugated steel, Thermowood cladding and Crittall‑style aluminium windows. Sustainability was embedded from the outset: reusing the existing slab and walls, adopting a lightweight timber frame, and integrating air‑source heat pumps, south‑facing solar panels and high‑performance fabric. All new units achieved A‑rated EPCs, with the highest scoring 97/100.
What was once considered an un-developable plot now delivers five newbuild homes and one refurbishment, setting a precedent for high‑quality, low‑carbon infill development on constrained urban sites. The project’s considered approach led the LBWF Planning Department to invite the team to present the design process as a CPD session in 2025.
This shortlisting celebrates the ambition, collaboration and persistence that shaped Coach Yard — and the potential of overlooked spaces to become exceptional places to live.
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