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Chatham Place Reading

Building in Berkshire design by Cartwright Pickard Architects, England, UK

22 Jun 2010

Chatham Place

CHATHAM PLACE OPENS IN READING

Design: Cartwright Pickard

Chatham Place Reading Building

The first Phase of Chatham Place, a new development in the heart of Reading, designed by Cartwright Pickard architects has recently been completed. The largest building with its eye-catching design incorporates 211 contemporary apartments and penthouses. All are designed with light and space in mind, coupled with the high level of specification making it an ideal place to live, with easy access for both work and leisure.

photographs : Daniel Clements Photography

The building’s striking design incorporates projecting bays along its east elevation, angled to face south and incorporate coloured glass panels that project colour onto its silver anodized aluminium facades at certain times of day. Smaller projecting bays to the north of the building also have coloured glass panels, whilst the elevations facing the courtyard space within the building’s outer shell are clad in larch timber, providing a warm feel to the building’s interior space.

The interior courtyard treatment is designed to contrast with the building’s hard outer shell. Paved and landscaped with lawns, low shrub planting and trees in raised beds, it provides a welcome seating area for residents.

The scheme comprises three distinctive blocks, three new streets and a major area of public realm. A new pedestrian street (Chatham Place) runs east to west through the centre of the site and provides an important first step in the creation of a new street pattern and urban structure for the area.

The three buildings within Phase One, which also include Keyworker Housing and New Public Car Park, of the development have distinctive and contemporary elevational treatments that reflect the prominent nature of the development within Reading. The buildings draw from a common palate of materials, however within each, their use is varied to create interest and avoid the development appearing as a large and amorphous block.

Cartwright Pickard Architects also produced a new masterplan for this £250 regeneration project which received outline planning permission.

Cartwright Pickard Architects

Reading Buildings

About Cartwright Pickard Architects

Cartwright Pickard is an award-winning practice based in the UK, founded in 1997.

Cartwright Pickard Architects aim to improve the quality of life for building users and occupiers by delivering buildings with lasting architectural merit that create and sustain value. The practice’s first built project was a development of 30 key worker apartments in Murray Grove, East London, which employed the first use of an innovative steel-framed modular construction technique. Since then, its wide variety of projects has encompassed the residential, commercial, industrial and education sectors.

The practice has a continuing programme of research and development, resulting in notable projects that apply innovative methods of construction and use of materials. In 2007, Cartwright Pickard won the international Living Steel competition for sustainable housing, leading the way for current work with Living Steel. The practice continues to use its expertise in off-site construction and environmental design to create innovative buildings across many sectors worldwide. The practice’s ability to transfer its knowledge without adding risk underpins its ability to produce high quality buildings that meet the needs of clients and address wider social concerns.

About Chatham Place
The Chatham Place development is located in Central Reading, bounded by Eaton Place to the west, Chatham Street to the north, the rear of the Oxford Road properties to the south and the boundary to the future Phase Two site to the east of Alfred street. The site was formally used as a Public Multi Storey Car park with associated retail uses.

Located in Reading, Britain’s fastest growing and most prosperous location, the development has excellent road and rail links, with easy access to the M25 and M4 motorways, allowing fast transit to Heathrow, Gatwick, London and Bristol. High-speed rail connections also serve London, The West and main line stations throughout the UK. Reading also tops the polls as one of he UK’s leading cities for business and boasts an attractive, retail district, 5 minutes from Chatham Place which includes the Oracle shopping centre as well as many popular restaurants and bar.

Chatham Place Reading images / information received 220610

Cartwright Pickard

Location: Reading, Berkshire, England, UK