Our clients acquired a derelict workshop on a narrow site in East Ham, London Borough of Newham, to develop it into housing. The existing building was dilapidated and at just 68 sqm, and close to the rear of a row of Victorian houses, the site presented a seemingly limited opportunity.

Our proposal was for two new 2-bed maisonettes, set over three floors. The floor plans included a homeworking space / single bedroom, an accessible WC, bike and storage areas at ground floor level. On the first and second floors, there is a combination of open plan living and kitchen space, with bedrooms and bathrooms. Each maisonette has a private terrace to give amenity space to the occupants.

Because of the tightness of the site and having to meet London Plan Standards, there is a cranked party wall line, allowing each maisonette to be very close in the internal floor area, at approximately 70 sqm each.

We carefully considered the issues of overlooking and privacy to minimise any impact on neighbours. This detail helped to provide an excellent outlook to the homeowners.

All primary larger windows look onto or across Pelly Road, with secondary windows facing the houses to the rear, positioned at a high level and smaller in size.

The context and the existing use of the building influenced the choice of materials. A London stock brick base offers a robust street frontage, whilst a profiled metal cladding wraps around the upper two floors, providing low maintenance and an urban response to the site.

High-quality aluminium windows are coloured to match the cladding. We also carefully considered the position of rainwater and soil vent pipes to avoid the typical visual clutter seen on residential developments.