Queen’s Park Place provides 144 ‘tenure-blind’ homes in a 16,000sqm scheme of three buildings for Bouygues Development and London. A key project in the South Kilburn Regeneration Area, the high quality development deals skillfully with a difficult site bounded by the West Coast Mainline train route to the north and a busy arterial traffic route to the west.
Rising from five to eight storeys, the design provides a gateway marker for South Kilburn at the corner of Salusbury Road and Albert Road. High quality facades, a dramatically cantilevered entrance and increased public realm contribute positively to the streetscape by creating a strong sense of place.
In response to the site constraints, SimpsonHaugh and Partners both maximised the site’s southern aspect and limited the impact of the northern outlook. The practice designed a predominantly solid masonry perimeter adjacent to the railway line and reduced the number of apartments facing north by decreasing the height of the buildings along the northern edge. The layout is configured to ensure that no living spaces have a purely north-facing outlook. The apartment buildings then open up around two south-facing courtyards, with all apartments benefitting from a large balcony and/or roof terrace.
“The design takes the greatest advantage possible of the southern aspect to enhance south facing living and amenity spaces. The greater transparency to the south, east and west elevations increases the connection between internal living spaces and external areas,” says Helen Trott, Partner at SimpsonHaugh and Partners
Brick is used on the northern, western and eastern elevations to resonate with the surrounding Victorian and post-war housing. On the northern elevation, brick piers are interspersed with solid recessed panels and modest windows with reflective metal panels to catch evening sun from the west. The brick contrasts with standing seam zinc cladding on the courtyards and penthouses. Courtyard balconies are lined with cedar boarding to the rear and have glass balustrades. Sliding, full-height, perforated metal panels at the front of the balconies can be adjusted by residents for privacy or solar shading, thus animating the composition of the elevations.
Queen’s Park Place is part of the London Borough of Brent’s plan to deliver 2400 new homes in South Kilburn by 2025. It includes 28 affordable units as well as 116 apartments for private sale, a 465sq m food store let by Marks & Spencer and basement parking.
Councillor Mashari, Lead Member for Regeneration and Growth at Brent Council said:
“It’s exciting to see council tenants starting to move into their new, high quality homes in the completed development at Queen’s Park Place. The regeneration programme in South Kilburn is half way through and it’s encouraging to see the results so far, of this fifteen year programme. We believe the changes will ultimately improve living standards, make the area safer, cleaner and greener, and provide more opportunities to work. We’re delighted to have worked with high calibre organisations such as SimpsonHaugh and Partners, to help achieve our aims.”
