Clock House Gardens Welwyn, Developing London Housing Development, Building
Clock House Gardens Welwyn, Hertfordshire
New Residential Building for Developing London design by Stockwool Architects, UK
7 Oct 2017
Clock House Gardens in Welwyn
Location: Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Design: Stockwool, Architects
Clock House Gardens Housing in Welwyn, Hertfordshire
Stockwool has completed this £7m housing scheme for Developing London on the edge of Welwyn in Hertfordshire.
Clock House Gardens transforms a derelict hotel site into an intimate community of 50 new homes within five two and three storey buildings that combine brickwork with timber cladding and together create a central shared courtyard.
The design solution responded to the site’s very particular context of the A1(M) motorway on one side and dense woodland on the other. The concept, a modern take on a walled village, was informed by the unique combination of urban and rural surroundings and sought to reduce noise and pollution from the motorway.
Deep reveals and projected windows create a richness in the elevations and this high-quality aesthetic makes the scheme a unique yet sensitive addition to the built fabric of Welwyn. Clock House Gardens is a totally flatted development, redressing a previous small home shortfall in Welwyn.
Key to its success is the careful layering of building form: the treatment responds to the harsher environment on the edge of the site with robust brickwork, where a softer treatment of timber and glazing is applied elsewhere to respond to the woodland beyond. All homes are dual aspect to maximise on the great surrounding views.
An extensive landscaping strategy introduces planting and greenery back to the site with the neighbouring lush woodland brought into the development through the large central courtyard space.
From the Architect
“This edge of town centre site presented a fabulous opportunity to work in an unusual setting with challenges associated with the diverse edge conditions: dense woodland and a busy motorway slip road. I am proud of what we have achieved here – a scheme with a fine urban grain that creates a secret haven for residents in an adverse location.”
Monica Coffey Partner, Stockwool
From the developer:
“As Developing London’s first large scale project, we were very pleased to acquire such an iconic and locally recognisable site. We specialise in high-end single family homes and this formed the ethos of the development – to bring a high-end level of finish and design to a more realistically priced home.
The welcoming brick and timber clad internal communal areas, complemented with stunning contemporary landscaped gardens, contribute to a comfortable feeling of luxurious value for money.
The site’s design welcomes residents home and the warm Siberian larch reflects the silvers when the sun passes across, giving a decidedly Scandinavian feel. The transition from historic village to the complementary sereneness of the contemporary gardens is a fusion that works well.
We were involved from an early stage of design, contributing to the finishes and style and we were passionate about ensuring all elements of the Stockwool vision were maintained throughout the build.”
Clayton Lyon Founder, Developing London
Clock House Gardens Welwyn Housing – Building Information
CLIENT: Developing London
LOCATION: Welwyn, Hertfordshire
SCOPE: 50 new homes
CONSTRUCTION VALUE: £7m
SITE: 0.7 ha
ARCHITECT: Stockwool
ACOUSTICS: Hepworth Acoustics
PLANNING CONSULTANT: Christopher Wickham Associates
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: D.F. Clark Bionomique
PHOTOGRAPHY: Morley von Sternberg
ABOUT DEVELOPING LONDON
Developing London is a company specialising in domestic developments. Our projects are based upon modern concepts of design and construction. We are experienced and qualified professionals, combined with our team of skilled tradespeople. We drive to provide a service of satisfaction, through completion of a building project to timescale, budget and a high finish.
Founded by Clayton Lyon, an award-winning project manager, Developing London Ltd strives to maintain excellence and professionalism. With a reputation for aits can-do attitude, Developing London Ltd is a sought after partner for any project. Developing London Ltd brings expertise, experience and flair to new build projects.
Clock House Gardens Welwyn, Hertfordshire Development images / information from Stockwool, Architects
Location: Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, UK
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