Beak Street

Soho

The approved scheme involves the demolition and redevelopment of the existing unlisted building of merit to provide a new building of five storeys for use as offices with three self-contained flats.

Location: London
Status: Permission granted
Size: 1600 sq m (17,200 sq ft) commercial office space 720 sq m
(7,750 sq ft) residential
Scale: Building

Our methodology brought a sophisticated analytical approach which positively informed creative dialogue with the LPA. This project has been upheld by the City of Westminster as an exemplar for contemporary redevelopment within a conservation area.

Having defended a request from Westminster Council to English Heritage to list the building, we put forward a shortlist of architects that we felt could meet the high quality threshold for replacing a 'building of merit' within a conservation area. Working with the client's choice of DSDHA, we engaged in an intelligent consensus building debate with Westminster's planning and conservation officers.

The heritage planning strategy relied upon an extensive analysis of the merit of the existing building and of the character and appearance of the conservation area. Consultation with the local amenity society was also important to establish their informal approval.

Alastair Moss, the Chairman of the Planning Committee gave the project particular praise, noting: "If only every scheme was like that. It's an area that's particularly sensitive and therefore I welcome it."

The landowner, the Reeves Foundation, is a charity who provides funding to students and school children to continue in education and realise particular talents.

Click thumbnail image to enlarge