Brentford Lock West Block E

by Mæ

Client for Waterside Places

Awards RIBA London Award 2018

BrentfordLockWest2378RoryGardinerWEBIMAGE1jpg — © Rory Gardiner

The old canal architecture of Brentford Lock West is industrial and robust, the architecture of this scheme sits boldly alongside the water and adjacent to historic warehouses that share its intelligent response to site and typology and unfussy attention material.

Two pavilion buildings provide a verticality and strength to the canal elevation, the pavilions also provide a parti that enables almost one hundred percent dual aspect flats.

The twin pavilions are given direction by the sawtooth roofline and a deep east facing loggia to the canal, expressing canal side living and a certain monumentality that architecture in a landscape of such scale impressively suits.

The loggia formed of alternating brick columns in an AB rhythm provides a welcome verticality against adjacent buildings as well as providing solid and usable external amenity space for the housing units behind.

At ground level the gap between the pavilions generously provides a double height entrance space shared by all residents. A space that is large enough to accommodate community use and is accessible from the rear.

Through this enclosed ‘outdoor’ space residents can see the canal and also enjoy a communal terrace, an enjoyable shared waterside amenity space.

At roof level the sawtooth form of the roof allows for generous height within the top floor apartments unusual within such housing schemes and creates a grand terrace to the front of these units. Materials used are simple but of high quality, brick, precast concrete with simple grey balustrading and detail.

The simplicity of form, robust detailing and generosity of spirit of this building is handled with great care. The resulting architecture sits as a bold yet sympathetic addition to the canal bank, offering dual aspect flats, community space and volume to connect residents to the canal through a delightful entrance sequence.

The pavilions provide a vertical grandeur to the canal, respectful in their orientation and loggia treatment adding richness to the tapestry of canal life.

Internal Area 3,993 m²

Contractor McAleer & Rushe

Structural Engineers Expedition

Project Management Tower Eight

Landscape Architects Camlins

Services Engineer Thornton Reynolds

Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant Tower Eight

Environmental / M&E Engineers Eight Associates

Acoustic Engineers Buro Happold

Fire Consultant The Fire Surgery

Daylight / Sunlight Consultant Waterslade Ltd

Contractors' Services Engineer Caldwell