Spring Grove
Arts & Crafts Homes
This prominent corner site is fronted with an Arts & Crafts form
What We Propose
Our proposal takes a promising parcel of land, redeveloping the current single-home house into nine apartments on the cusp of Loughton Town centre. Through clever use of space, we have maximised the potential of the site with a modern interpretation of Arts & Crafts architecture. This style of architecture can also be seen on our Church Lane project, in this instance used to create a brand-new, unique family home.
We saw this site as a “Gateway to Loughton”, with the location of the corner plot having a pivotal position, locally. We considered this, and sympathetically referenced this impact through the design itself. This can be seen in the feature curved façade, developed with selected brick detail to emphasise its place within the street scene and enhance its unique position.
With the site’s sloping nature, we took into account differences in levels and have proposed a building that resembles two separate wings connected by a circulation core, to break up its form and prevent it from dominating the streetscape. The building is an exquisite and individual piece of architecture which respects and relates to the existing setting, honouring and sympathetically mirroring Loughton town centre’s current aesthetic, whilst maintaining the property’s distinctiveness.
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Location
Loughton, Essex -
Size
630 square metres -
Status
Planning Under Consideration -
Cost
Undisclosed
Varied and intricate brickwork is a key component of our design. Textured brick has been chosen as the principle facing material with a combination of feature detailing on the curved corner section. Dark roof tiles with scallops and dark brown windows are proposed to mimic the materiality used locally, but within its own form to provide visual interest. Through our precise detailing of windows with a modern twist, brickwork, and a feature gable, the property is able to succinctly honour the Arts & Crafts movement without being a pastiche.
This site strongly encourages a car-free lifestyle, with the residents of all nine apartments having access to cycle storage space, and multiple public transport options as little as 50m from the property. This choice is particularly important, as this site is in Epping Forest, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and this will have a hugely positive impact on air quality in the community.
Spring Grove Design Features
- Nine apartments on a site that originally housed just one property
- Intricate brick detailing including pushed out brick; brick soldier courses; contemporary brick bays; perforated brick façade to communal entrance; brick corbelling; and brick chamfers around window openings. These features create the property’s signature Arts and Crafts aesthetic
- Natural slate roof with integrated band of slate scallops, in the style of locally listed buildings
- Windows have been designed to prevent overlooking neighbours
- Existing foliage is retained to soften the site’s borders
The Existing House
