Morris+Company’s Post

I recently joined Open City's tour of Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea Power Station regeneration zone. It was a fascinating insight into the transformation of this once industrial area 🏭 into a vast new £15 billion mixed-use district which has reshaped London’s skyline. Landmark buildings 🌟 include Prospect Place by Frank Gehry, his first building in Britain and a stunning example of his twisted architectural style, the engineering marvel of Embassy Garden’s sky pool, and of course the iconic Power Station. Versace Home designed luxury apartments sit like a T-shaped Tetris block among student accommodation. And the US embassy stands proudly as a fortified translucent cube surrounded by a moat. Every corner tells a story of architectural innovation.🔥 Terry Farrell’s post-modern MI6 building, featuring 🚀rocket-proof concrete and green glass with New York art deco vibes, is echoed in the design of the St George’s Wharf riverside development. The MI6 building was originally designed as residential apartments, however the north facing balconies, coupled with the economy at the time, caused the building to remain empty until it was adapted to become MI6’s HQ. Who knew the outside of Battersea Power Station was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott who also created the iconic red telephone box? 📞 Over 30 years ago you could buy the Power Station for £1.5m, an absolute steal considering the rooftop villas cost £8m today! 💰 Following it’s decommission, the building remained empty for almost 40 years. There were many proposals of what it could become, from a theme park to Chelsea’s new football stadium.⚽ Disappointing, Battersea Power Station was approved to deliver a much higher % of affordable housing which has ended up being only 9%. A reminder of the challenges we still face in creating inclusive communities.🤝 Fun fact 😁 👉 Falkes’ Hall was the home of Falkes de Breauté an anglo-norman soldier who earned high office. Over 500 years the name evolved to Fawkes Hall, Foxhall and finally Vauxhall. #UrbanRegeneration #ArchitecturalMarvels #CommunityDevelopment #BuiltEnvironment #InclusiveCommunities

Located on the banks of the River Lee Navigation Canal, Kingfisher Place is a row of four three-storey houses, blending both contemporary and traditional design choices. All units were sold quickly, such is the demand for high-quality housing in London’s suburbs. Meeting the capital’s housing demand is more than just a numbers game - it’s about choosing the right locations close to the amenities that people want, and that starts right at the beginning, when identifying vacant land or disused buildings that have development potential. That is where you come in - if you are aware of any similar sites that have this potential, then get in touch to enquire about a collaboration opportunity! #LandDevelopment #JointVentures #CollaborationOpportunities #PropertyDevelopment #Planning #PlanningPermission #ResidentialDevelopment #CommercialDevelopment #MixedUseDevelopment

Skyscraper matching The Shard is set for approval!!! A 309.6m (1,016ft) skyscraper, matching #TheShard's height, is set for approval in central #London. Named 1 Undershaft, it will replace the 28-storey Aviva Tower, offering office and retail space, a viewing gallery, and a garden. Historic England has opposed the plans, citing concerns about the impact on the area's character and historic sites, including the Tower of London and St James’s Park. The Twentieth Century Society also objected, highlighting the significance of the existing 1960s Aviva Tower. If approved by the City of London’s planning committee, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the next Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary would need to review the proposal. The new 74-floor #skyscraper would replace a vacant 28-storey tower, featuring office and retail space, a viewing gallery, and a garden. It would be the tallest building in the City of London’s skyline. The plans were revised from a previously approved 72-storey design to address post-pandemic needs and market changes. The GLA noted that the project does not fully align with the London Plan and requires more details on energy strategy, sustainable development, and traffic impact. Mayor Sadiq Khan will evaluate the public benefits against heritage impacts in his decision-making. #watchthisspace

A former office and dental practice in the heart of Leicester city centre will be converted into 24 studio apartments after we secured successful Class MA and external alterations approvals. “Carlton House is a circa. 1970’s building that was vacated towards the end of 2023 and had begun falling into a state of disrepair,” explains our senior planner, Charlotte Mills. “Our client, GRANDEUR CAPITAL LTD, sought to repurpose the building into a high-quality development of residential apartments. “Working with a local architect, InkDrawn, we developed a design to upgrade and reconfigure the existing building to bring it back into productive use and more in keeping with the original architectural character of the neighbourhood,” adds Charlotte. Situated on Regent Road, Carlton House also lies within the New Walk Conservation Area, which is home to many listed buildings and a nationally rare example of a Georgian Promenade. As such, external alterations were deliberately designed to be sympathetic and include revised fenestration aspects along with new openings to re-establish a rhythm and order similar to neighbouring properties. Red brickwork pillars and recessed grey aluminum panels give Carlton House its own distinct identity. In addition to the façade alterations, the newly approved redevelopment will include cycle parking and a private amenity area with seating and soft landscaping, replacing the office’s former car park. Charlotte concludes: “This redevelopment will give Carlton House a new lease of life and bring high quality accommodation for those seeking sustainable living in Leicester city centre. Class MA applications are one of the most effective permitted development rights so we encourage those with similar brownfield sites to get in touch for planning advice.” #planningapproval #planninggranted #planningnews #planningpermission #proudofplanning #regeneration #reuse #PDRs #ClassMA #redevelopment #Leicester #newhomes #citycentre #sustainableliving #bronwfieldsite #urbandevelopment 

Great article in the FT with POoR Collective, discussing the issue of how buildings can be repurposed and retrofitted in a way that is responsive to local needs. Pleased to see the references to the Stratford Centre which I'm fond of to this day, and in agreement with Larry Botchway's comments that it has been “readopted and reactivated” to the benefit of the community. Although still scruffy around the edges (and subject to numerous failed redevelopment proposals over the past decade), it has a footfall of 20million(!) a year and plays an important part in providing affordable retall and eating options for local people. Many of them visit Roof East up on the top level of the centre's car park. It was a hard sell back in 2013/14 when we (the Stratford Renaissance Partnership) worked to facilitate the opening of the new attraction up on the roof, a space previously occupied only by pigeons and a few other activities (not to be mentioned here). Many people thought there was no way such a stark concrete space open to the elements could compete with the wealth attractions on offer in the shiny new Westfield mall across the road and it would be best to just demolish the whole centre - starting with the underused car park in question. But all credit to Cathy Low, Urban Space Management and Newham Council (the freeholder) who inspired by our 2013 visit to Frank's Cafe in Peckham worked together to turn the disused roof into a thriving space full of fun, creativity and small business enterprise, still successfully operating 10 years later! It might not have the stunning views over London that you get from the top of Peckham Levels but it does hold its own in terms of how popular it has become and managed to hold onto its place in the 'new' Stratford. And who would ever have imagined the Washington Post describing it as "Stratford’s place to be... they have thought of everything" and Time Out saying "it’s the most fun you can ever hope to have in a multi- storey car park. Legally." It will be a number of years before the vision to re-imagine The Train Shed here on the Earls Court site as a new destination for cultural events, food and more will come to life, but the example of the Roof Garden shows just how quickly time passes - hard to believe it is over a decade since the first plans were made for that space.

A new park by LDA Design is at the heart of proposals for a £1 billion development in #Salford, submitted for #planning by Henley Investment Management Ltd with Savills and Matt Brook Architects. It will be the first park in the area in a generation. The development will transform the big box units of Salford’s Regent Retail Park to create a sustainable new place to live with a car-free core. The central green space sits within a wider two-hectare linear #park providing places to play and bringing close contact with nature. The #masterplan represents a 40% biodiversity net gain, transforming a large surface car park into a thriving green space. LDA Design delivered a #placemaking strategy prior to the #masterplan being developed to ensure landscape was at the heart of any new thinking for the area. LDA Design #Manchester studio lead Mark Graham said: “This is a significant development with landscape and placemaking at its heart. It demonstrates the importance of connecting new homes to playful, quality green space and investing in local infrastructure so that new and existing communities can benefit together.” A huge effort by many to get to this point, from LDA Design this includes: Mark Graham Ashleigh Davis and Sarah Brooks. https://lnkd.in/eicpcB2Z #Salford #Manchester #newhomes #homes #development #placemaking #landscape #landscapearchitecture #bettercity #greenercity #biodivesity #BNG

I found this to be an interesting read. The view of the Empire State Building south of Madison Square Park is arguably iconic. Most of the gripes towards the new building extend from it blocking these views at street level and that the design of said building, though subjective, doesn't hold up to its legendary neighbor. Aesthethics, vantage points, and sight lines can be important to a city's design and identity. However, is this a pressing issue when we're in the midst of a housing crisis? Is a view like this worth preserving? Any thoughts? #urbanplanning #housing

Suburbanites are clamoring for pedestrian-friendly oases, but some balk at what developers and architects say are critical components of live-work-play developments: the higher-density apartments, hotels, and offices that help pay for these projects. #ICSC #Marketplaces #Retail #RealEstate https://bit.ly/3Lr2Rjp

The oldest buildings are the most sustainable buildings, and a very satisfying part of our work is being able to give an old building a new purpose and lease of life. Especially when it’s a distinctive brutalist building like this one in Sheffield city centre. Sheffield is known for its brutalist landmark buildings, such as Park Hill, the Moorfoot building, and the Moore Street electricity substation. Division House, the former Westfield offices on Division Street, is not as well-known, but it is a little brutalist gem. Working on behalf of our client MCR, we converted this building from offices into 39 residential apartments whilst retaining the ground-floor retail units on this popular city centre street. The things I particularly like about this scheme are: 🏘️ More new homes in the city centre 💰Local businesses occupy ground-floor spaces, supporting local commerce and activating the street. 🏢 Sheffield is known for its brutalist architecture, so the retention of this building contributes to local identity and distinctiveness. ✅ Breathe new life into a building whose former use had become obsolete, securing its future for many decades to come. 🏬 A good example of mixed use ‘gentle density, buildings ranging between 3-7 storeys. ♻️ Reusing the existing structure was a more sustainable alternative to demolition and the construction of a new building on the site. Division House is a project that can help bring new life into urban centres, and it is a classic example of our work.

In April 2024, the world saw the completion of RED7, one of the most innovative residential complexes in the heart of the city. I am personally familiar with this project and today I want to share my impressions with you.   RED7 is not just a regular residential complex. It's an architectural marvel that stands out with its striking red facade and unique design. Every detail of the building was carefully considered to provide residents with more than just a place to call home. It offers a high level of comfort and safety.   The architecture of RED7 combines classical tradition with modern technology, creating a model of urban living for the next generation. Inside, there's a diverse range of amenities: a premium fitness center, cozy cafes and restaurants with gourmet cuisine, a supermarket, and even a medical center.The services offered by RED7 set new standards in residential complexes. From concierge service to bellmen assistance, valet parking to round-the-clock engineering support, everything has been designed to make life as comfortable and stress-free as possible for residents.   RED7 is more than just a place to live. It's a community where every aspect of life is considered and valued. Whether you enjoy captivating sunsets or relaxing in the spa, the panoramic city views are always there to admire. It's where the future starts today, and each resident can be a part of something great.   Red7 is not just reshaping the city skyline - it's redefining the very idea of city living. It's an icon of progress and innovation, where everyone can find their own piece of paradise. Welcome to Red7, the new standard of modern urban living. #architecture #urban