Textured brickwork, arch motifs and large mansard roofs are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts-style setting of Farmstead Road, an affordable housing development developed in London by local studio Metropolitan Workshop.
Located on Lewisham’s 1920s Bellingham Estate reclaimed land, the 24-unit development was designed for Phoenix Community Housing, a not-for-profit, resident-led association.
The surrounding Bellingham Estate was originally designed as a cottage estate and consists of small terraced houses influenced by the Arts and Crafts and Garden City movements.
To maintain the scale of these environments, Metropolitan Workshop has divided Farmstead Road into three volumes, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments, all designed to Passive House standards.
Studio partner Tom Mitchell said: “We needed to prove that it was possible to develop a sensitive design without compromising the integrity of the site’s radial master plan and character.”
“We achieved this by adjusting the layout to the shape of the surrounding site so that when you zoom out, it would appear to be part of the original site design. Fortunately, the planners agreed,” he told Dezeen.
The street-facing development replaces the existing terrace with two ‘gatehouse’ volumes. These will surround the driveway to the shared car park and green space at the heart of the scheme.
This common space is hugged by large blocks with a butterfly-shaped plan that aligns with the surrounding property boundaries.
The block’s two diagonal wings are flanked by a central outdoor staircase that looks back onto the street through a large arched opening. This motif is repeated on the balcony of the gatehouse block.
Each block is finished in brickwork selected to closely match the surrounding site, with textured and tiled areas introduced next to entrances and openings.
The brickwork is complemented by orange metalwork used on the parapets and gutters, as well as dormer window frames that protrude from the oversized mansard roof.
These roofs allowed additional housing to be added without the building becoming too large.
“The brick pattern indicates the entrance and frame circulation, the chimney features the house elevator and service riser, and the archway marks the route to the communal gardens. This is a common local aspect,” Mr Mitchell said.
“These shapes are playfully turned upside down to form a corrugated railing to the balcony of the gatehouse and the social circulation terrace of the butterfly block,” he added.
Metropolitan Workshop was founded in 2005 by Neil Deeley and David Pritchard and has offices in London and Dublin.
Previous projects by the studio include a modular house tower for developer Pocket Living in Wandsworth, finished in ‘chameleon-style’ glazed ceramic tiles.
Other recently completed residential developments in London include Albion Street by Bell Phillips, which features a white brick undulating façade, and Stanton Williams’ faceted retirement complex in Hampstead.
Photographed by Fred Howarth.
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