St Pancras Way
Project information
The development comprises 72 apartments in two blocks encompassing commercial and office space on the ground floors. The 5-storey block includes 27 apartments for affordable rent, the 6-storey block comprises 45 apartments for shared ownership.
To start the project, Durkan demolished the original 2-storey derelict warehouses and constructed a concrete frame with light gauge steel infill panels. In keeping with the natural canal side setting the buildings are clad in a combination of blue engineering bricks, natural larch timber boarding drawn from sustainable sources and sleek aluminum to deliver a striking complement.
The completed buildings received the government’s environmental standard rating of ‘Very Good.’ To achieve this rating Durkan installed solar panels on the roof that feed the communal heating facilities, located in the basement. A centralized renewable plant system has been created, this includes a ‘green wall’ feature consisting of climbing plants and boxes to create a welcoming habitat for local wildlife such as birds and bats.
All apartments feature double glazed composite windows and door leading onto their own private balconies, providing much sought after outside space for residents. Each block also has its own independent main entrance and lift and staircase to each floor as well as an independent escape staircase at the end of each block. An entry phone system controls visitors and trades people.
As construction was on a footprint site, Durkan used the adjacent canal to set up site offices on a barge. To reduce the environmental impact of site activities the canal was also used to supply materials and remove waste from the site. Durkan set up a 6 skip segregation method on the canal to sort waste for recycling. Skip movement was reduced by over 60% with the use of a plasterboard chipper, enabling plasterboard to be cut down in to small pieces. The blocks have also been built to enable future provision for a lift so goods can be transported to and from the canal via waterfield.
Client Details
Client:
Genesis Housing Group
Form of Contract:
JCT 98 with contractors design
Contract Value:
£11m
Professional Team
Architect:
David Wood Architects
Employer's Agent:
European Urban Architecture
