Located on the western edge of Southmere Lake in South-East London, South Thamesmead Phase 2 is a mixed-tenure neighbourhood of 329 homes accommodated within carefully sculpted landmark buildings united around new gardens, playspaces and a generous pedestrian lakeside promenade.
Reflecting the qualities and characteristics of its varied topography setting, the project forms part of a wide-reaching and ambitious masterplan strategy led by Peabody that is re-shaping this part of the city. Using the lake as a focal point, our Phase 2 neighbourhood is formed of a purposeful group of elegant brick-built residential buildings that are orientated to the water to provide both, amazing elevated views from the living spaces and access to improved open spaces.
At the centre of the site are two ‘C’ shaped courtyard mansion blocks containing landscaped gardens at their heart which both residents and the public can use. Taking their cue from the detailing of historic Peabody mansion buildings of the 19th century, the blocks are carefully articulated and shaped to increase the number of dual-aspect dwellings and include adjoining private terraces and balconies.
Book-ending the site are two taller urban blocks, providing an appropriate step-up to address the adjacent urban infrastructure that wraps around the west side of the scheme. To the south of the group, a 9-storey block is articulated with cut-away corners and recessed balconies creating light-filled dwellings with sheltered outdoor space overlooking the lake, while to the north, a 17-storey landmark building is positioned to mark the edge of the large site. As this block ascends, a distinctive silhouette is sculpted out by a series of considered cut-aways at different levels to visually break-down its massing and create a mix of amenity-rich 1, 2 and 3-bed dwellings.
The adoption of fabric first principles including efficient building massing, high-performance building fabric and integrated Air Source Heat pumps to increase energy savings and keep fuel bills low. Throughout the landscape and public realm, a sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) utilises planted swales to increase bio-diversity and ecologies near to the lake.