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New affordable housing in West London
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Walking past 180-184 Westville Road in West London, there is no mistaking that the building makes its mark within the varied streetscape.
The scheme comprises three affordable housing units for shared ownership, built for the housing association Octavia Housing and Care.
Sandwiched in between back gardens and the grounds of Greenside Primary School, designed by Erno Goldfinger, the site provided an interesting design challenge, being entirely below pavement level.
Due to the scheme’s close proximity to neighbouring residential buildings, it had a contentious route through the Planning process. Despite vigorous objections from neighbours and internal politics at Committee level, the final scheme was granted approval on its third attempt.
The site constraints and closeness to adjacent buildings were instrumental in generating the scale, volume and fenestration of the development.
The original design concept took on the typology of the London mews. The building – with its white rendered walls, large openings, corner windows and internal courtyards - is intended to give the residents a sense of spaciousness and light, despite the Planning restrictions.
Inside, double height volumes also give the compact units a sense of openness, with natural light flooding through at both levels.
