The client wanted to develop an old Ice Cream factory in Chalk Farm, North London. This was a well-known icon within the local area, with the development of the proposals receiving a lot of press.

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Ice Cream was both sold and produced on the site, housed within a tired rendered 2 storey building. The building fabric, structure, and internal configuration was so haphazard and convoluted that full demolition was deemed the sensible option.

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The site faces Chalk Farm Road and Crogsland Road, opposite Chalk Farm Tube Station, with the Enterprise Public House on the corner completing the block. The completed development accommodates 19 residential apartments and 20000ft2 of commercial space over Ground Floor and Basement level.

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As explained earlier, the existing building was to be demolished, apart from the facade on Crogsland Road which the Local Authority deemed of historical merit. This was of Georgian character and read as part of a wider terrace including the corner Public House.

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At the front, facing Chalk Farm, the building is a simple solid brick massing with the shop frontage and parapet datums extended from the Public House on the corner.

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The scheme developed into 2 separate buildings, looking onto a private courtyard, with each building using the same language which adapts to the different contextual street scenes. Materials help to unify the language, with brickwork used to the lower floors and Champagne and Beige cladding used on the set back top floors.

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The rear block faces onto the Haverstock School, with balconies cantilevered from the form. We developed an angled design, with opaque screening to one side, to ensure views were restricted towards the road away from the playground.

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Balconies on the front block were facing North South looking onto Chalk Farm Road. We devised louvered screens which could slide to limit solar glare into the associated living rooms. Recessing the baronies also helped to create natural screening, albiet they offer a converse challenge from a Daylight and Sunlight perspective.

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The central courtyard between the two block provides communal landscaping enjoyed by all residents. Their proximity of the blocks to one another meant we needed to mitigate potential privacy issues. External walkways were created which created a barrier to the windows for one block, whilst we also ensured that habitable rooms were facing in the opposite direction. A balanced approach was deemed sensible when we were providing dual aspect to all properties.