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Architects: Hawkins\Brown
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Photographs:Tim Crocker
Text description provided by the architects. Hawkins\Brown has completed the former Highmead Estate in Angel Edmonton, now renamed Prowse Court and Lord Graham Mews, which is being redeveloped as part of a comprehensive investment programme designed to kick start the regeneration of the London Borough of Enfield.
The scheme includes 118 new residential units of which 22 are houses. A health centre and a new community facility, designed by Hawkins\Brown also occupy the site. Located in an area of social and economic deprivation, the site interfaces with both a town centre high street and streets of two storey terrace houses. The scheme seeks to make a positive statement of regeneration through a distinctive architectural form and a responsive urban site planning approach.
Greg Moss, Partner at Hawkins\Brown, said: “This project has furthered our understanding of regeneration. From achieving strategic planning goals, attracting a developer and making designs marketable to homeowners and commercial tenants, we know what will work in different contexts. This project shows that we can create appropriate new identities and emphasise place making. We know how to control density to heighten the drama of the public realm and create intimacy and defensibility in private areas. Similarly, we can manipulate mass and scale to produce landmarks, define site edges and assemble the theatre of townscape”.
Peter George at Enfield Council said: “Prowse Court represents the first physical manifestation of the regeneration of Angel Edmonton. The objective from the outset was the delivery of a landmark building; the design by Hawkins\Brown not only exceeds this objective but the inclusion of essential health and community facilities will mean that Prowse Court will be a real focus for the whole community”.
Richard Cherry, Chief Executive of Partnerships at Countryside said: “Countryside thoroughly enjoyed working with our partners Enfield Council, Newlon, the architect Hawkins\Brown and the community in creating a beautiful new landmark development, which brings much needed affordable housing to the area as well as a new GP surgery, retail and community centre. We wish all the new residents, retail occupants and users of the community centre a very big welcome”.
The redevelopment reinforces the high street by replacing existing shops with new, better serviced units, by aligning the residential block along the street edge and making a dramatic contribution to the townscape. At the same time, the orientation of the flatted block is changed from east-west to north-south to optimize solar gain and improve daylighting. To the rear Hawkins\Brown introduced new, energy efficient (Code 4) houses to complete the Victorian suburban fabric that was disrupted by development in the 1960s.
Through a tender process, Enfield selected Countryside as the preferred Development Partner to whom Hawkins\Brown was novated. The scheme used BIM for coordination of design and subsequent delivery.
