Design ACB has submitted a planning application for the Alpine House development, a 1.4 Ha. mixed-use site in Brent, North London.

The sustainability credentials of the scheme, formed of four blocks comprising 144 residential units, 1,800m2 of B1 office accommodation and five live/work units, have been recognised as exemplar for London and the UK by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The project has been in design development for 9 months and will commence on site in Spring 2013, subject to planning.

Design ACB, with their client Jaysam Developments [Stanmore] Limited, has been working on the redevelopment of a former light industrial estate in North London to create high quality family housing. The scheme comprises four mixed-use 5-storey buildings, basement car parking and associated landscaping, as well as major improvements to the public realm to help regenerate the immediate area.

The design provides a variety of unit types through the use of interlocking apartments, duplexes and family homes. The scheme delivers a well-balanced mix of housing tenure, offering opportunities for social, intermediate and open market accommodation. All apartments exceed London Housing Design Guide spatial standards and feature private amenity space in the form of balconies and terraces. The scheme is spacious both inside and out with a controlled 'home zone' area that minimises all but essential vehicular access, creating a much improved pedestrian environment benefitting the families who will live there. There are ample shared amenity spaces across the scheme for residents and visitors to enjoy, including a dedicated childrens' 'play space'.

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The double-height commercial live/work units positioned to the front of the scheme have been designed in collaboration with the artists’ charity ACAVA (the Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art), thereby ensuring their needs as future residents are met.

Of the four buildings, three are clad in buff brick with brass infill while the final block, containing most of the B1 accommodation at ground floor, reverses the materiality of the others and is clad in brass with brick infill. The architectural and material quality ensures the buildings are contextual and contemporary, reflecting the industrial urban history of the local area. The buildings also feature a perforated metal and brick lattice with an ornamental pattern that creates interest across the scheme while providing a filtering screen to diffuse light and air flow, and provides privacy for residents.

The housing exceeds Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 with 80% carbon dioxide reduction in Dwelling Emission Rate over 2010 building regulations, and 50% of the scheme's carbon emissions being offset with onsite renewables. The commercial spaces will achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating.

David Ayre, Project Director, said: "We're delighted to be working with Jaysam Developments [Stanmore] Limited on the Alpine House project. As well as being the biggest project the studio has won so far, it will also be our most sustainable housing project. It's a fantastic opportunity, not only for us, but for this area of Brent."

Design ACB is currently developing proposals for a number of housing schemes in London and across southern England.