Our project on Brentwood High Street completely transformed a tired 1970s office building into a vibrant residential apartment block, with a expressive presence on the main street.

The design included the subdivision of open plan office floors into 8 residential units (4 per floor). The existing 1970s curtain walling on the street facing elevation was replaced with a lightweight suspended brick façade.

Located in a conservation area the new façade reinterpreted the rhythm and proportions of an adjacent grade 2 listed building. Three brick specifications were used to mediate between the colours and materials of the historic building and the office block. Organic brick patterns were used to balance the formal composition of the façade with a sense of playfulness.
The project also involved complex co-ordination of drainage to avoid interference with the operation of the public house during the construction phase.

Like many of our projects in conservation areas and on tight urban sites, we worked collaboratively with the local authority to establish design principles, before developing the final proposals. For more details on this approach visit our article ‘Planning for Success’ on Linkedin.