The development of a mixed use site on Lower Mortlake Road offered Quad the opportunity to relocate to a building of our own design. The site formerly housed a mix of office, retail and light industrial buildings. Our proposal was to demolish the existing buildings on the site and erect a new high quality contemporary block, with the ground floor accommodating two residential units and 1900 sq ft of commercial space for A2, B1 or D2 use. Nine further apartments occupy the first and second floors, with a penthouse taking up the entire third floor.

Due to the varied character along Lower Mortlake Road our approach was to design a distinctive contemporary building. Using a palette of wood, steel and render, and through a series of articulated boxes, the main façade is broken down to give a sense of individuality to the domestic units behind, avoiding excessive repetition and anonymity. The design of the building, through its massing and detail aims to mediate between the contrasting scales of Lower Mortlake Road and the more domestic nature of West Sheen Vale.

The materials used wherever possible come from sustainable sources. In particular the scheme uses timber extensively, which when properly sourced is the most ecologically sound building material. All timber used in the construction was sourced from accredited suppliers of timber from managed forests. Highly efficient condensing boilers are installed in each flat and these, in combination with high levels of thermal insulation, ensure that the energy efficiency of the block exceeds current regulation standards.