Ebury Place
A £34M high rise, concrete frame mixed use development incorporating 47 residential units for Taylor Wimpey Central London which sits alongside a further education building.
‘Ebury Place’ is a 10 storey residential block comprising 47 new, high end apartments with a luxurious, contemporary style that epitomises central London living. The apartments are either 1, 2 or 3 bedroom, providing a rich and traditional ambience and the majority include external balconies with views over central London.
Each volume has a clearly differentiated architectural expression and material pallet to respond to their varying functional requirements and immediate context. The residential building uses a palette of finely textured stone and aluminium that reflects the refined architectural character of the adjacent Pimlico Conservation area.
Massing, form orientation and façade design evolved to ensure that solar gain is kept to a minimum, whilst suitable balance between heat loss and provision of natural light is achieved and protection is provided against the noise generating aspects of the site. Other means of increasing energy efficiency include the use of a district heating system, high levels of thermal efficiency, a low energy lighting scheme and use of photovoltaic panels.
The site is fragmented into the low rise volume to the south housing the teaching spaces of the college building, mid-rise volume to the north housing the apartments and an infill volume to connect the two.
The design considers accessibility and legibility of orientation for both the approach and circulation.
Following our appointment at RIBA Stage 3, a series of quick design studies demonstrated our resolution of key technical compliance issues, and how stakeholder aspirations and concerns could be achieved and resolved within cost constraints.
The scheme utilised a precast concrete twin wall system, fabricated off-site, to combine the speed of erection and quality of precast concrete with the structural integrity of insitu concrete. The site was also bounded by a busy road and rail approaches to Victoria Station, necessitating detailed liaison with Network Rail.
The development lends the Ebury Place domain as a whole an impressive presence of international standing, helping to regenerate the locality. The design approach shows a commitment to good design in a public sector building that equals that for the private sector, an illustration of the advantages of mixed use development.