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We were asked to look at a site by one of their regular clients Tailored Living Solutions in George Lane, Catford, London Borough of Lewisham.

The site history was interesting. The site was a typical back land site between two residential streets. The land was a mixture of overgrown spaces and collection of rundown buildings that were used for storage. The site had previous planning applications which had all been refused and the last had gone to appeal. However, the planning inspector had established that the commercial unit’s employment needs not to be retained and that residential use was appropriate. The proximity of the new houses to the houses in Davenport Rd was the main problem of the scheme that went to appeal.

This was overcome by using a courtyard house, a less traditional building form. By creating a single storey element at the garden walls of the Davenport Rd which looked over into a private courtyard garden this distanced the two-storey element from any overlooking from the Davenport Rd and George Lane houses. These self-contained courtyard spaces allow natural light to filter into the heart of each residence.

The 6 new dwellings were to be constructed using a multi red brick and linked by timber clad single storey elements. The flat roofs are all “living roofs”, incorporating a wildflower meadow mix.