Paxton House is an innovative housing solution on a complex site, for Joseph Homes in Croydon, South London. Forty-three dwellings and a series of shared spaces have been carefully crafted to occupy an existing concrete-framed building, a former office block which had been left vacant and was being used by squatters. Avoiding a traditional central corridor arrangement, the architects have achieved a very different type of apartment block. Through the design of an external circulation strategy, every single apartment has been created as dual aspect, with a south facing living space. Along the building's tight perimeter, each room on the south facing elevation is a living space which makes use of an angled balcony that provides privacy and directs views over nearby train tracks. Here, acetylated timber ensures the sustainable longevity of the cladding. This tightly set, animated facade naturally led to an angled balustrade design, ensuring privacy from neighbouring apartments and adjoining gardens alike, while maximising vistas from inside.
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