Southwark Council has given the go ahead for a new mixed-use building forming part of the Ruby Street Triangle on Old Kent Road, London SE15.The planning committee gave unanimous approval to the Maccreanor Lavington scheme for Acorn Commercial Limited, which comprises 111 new homes, with over 2000sqm of work space, retail and café uses and the reprovision of an existing church and community facility.
The site is located on a prominent junction between Ruby Street, Murdock Street and the Old Kent Road. A three storey plinth responds to the scale of lower existing buildings, creating an intimate streetscape on Ruby Street. A stepping, faceted tower, rises to 22 storeys, and forms part of an emerging cluster of taller buildings within the context of the Ruby Triangle scheme.
The apartments range from one to three bedrooms, with over 36% affordable tenure. A single entrance lobby and circulation, including access to communal roof terraces, ensure that all units are provided on a tenure blind basis.
An approach has been taken is to minimise the circulation space within each flat with a view to maximising the area of the living/dining spaces. As a result, many of the proposed flat typologies have living/dining spaces which far exceed minimum guidelines and are capable of accommodating additional or large pieces of furniture such as desks and storage for a home office. All balconies / winter gardens to the two-bed and three-bed units are recessed, except where large private roof terraces are provided.
The new church and community facility will help attract new users and increase their social outreach programme, which includes youth work, child care, after school clubs, adult education and help for the homeless
The proposal provides a robust masonry building that responds to the existing and emerging character of the Old Kent Road. Lower levels are articulated with a rich combination of stepping brickwork piers, decorative spandrel panels and pre-cast concrete banding. Deep, sloping pre-cast sills at ground floor provide a robust plinth to the building, with raised sills to the retail units and church foyer. Upper levels along are characterised by horizontal format windows to take advantage of long views and are combined with horizontal banding in light coloured brickwork.
Gerard Maccreanor, Founding Partner with Maccreanor Lavington commented:
“The project forms part of the wider regeneration of this key route into the city and the growth of high quality urban design emerging. We are excited to be part of the evolution of this new community in Southwark.”