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One Eight One is a landmark building of 13 apartments bringing together the best of old and new. A three-storey late Victorian Public House has been retained and refurbished to provide 150 sq m of commercial (A3) usage on the ground floor and three apartments above, whilst ten apartments are accommodated in a new four-storey building alongside. The scheme is located on a prominent corner bounded by Queens Road and Sheen Road in Richmond – offering easy access to the historic town centre and a number of parks and green spaces.

The design of the scheme is site specific. The massing of the building, articulated in a variety of identifiable blocks and setbacks, respects the scale and detailing of the pub. The new apartment block reduces to be a full storey lower at its junction with the pub, allowing the two periods of building to meet comfortably. The extensive areas of glazing are detailed to have minimal visual impact – keeping the emphasis on clean lines. The palette of materials has been carefully selected to counterpoint the sculptural complexity of the design and offer sustainability. The external timber cladding is specified to be FSA certified and, after an initial application of Danish oil, will require little maintenance. A self-finished insulating render covers much of the solid external walls, offering high levels of thermal insulation and requiring far less maintenance that conventional painted render.

The interior layouts of the apartments are driven by the external form and are therefore each individual in character, offering a variety of size, shape and configuration of rooms rare in new build schemes. All apartments benefit from generous living spaces, clean lines and an abundance of natural light – with many apartments triple aspect. The high interior specification includes American oak doors, hardwood floors, stainless steel ironmongery, bespoke fitted kitchens, programmable lighting, under floor heating and comfort cooling. All the new-build apartments have access to private outside space, some enjoying both a terrace and a balcony. In the refurbished pub apartments careful attention has been paid to integrate a workable interior layout with existing features.

Access to all apartments is via a gated entrance courtyard that leads to secure underground car parking. Video entry system with colour monitors ensures a reassuring level of security. A pollarded horse chestnut tree, designated a 'Great Tree of London' by the Forestry Commission, dominates the landscaping scheme to the entrance court. Beyond the canopy of the tree, tegular set paving contrasts with soft landscaping and planting including a dwarf acer, phormiums, hostas, cordylines and an abundance of lavenders.