Located on the western edge of Southmere Lake in south-east London at the intersection of major urban infrastructure, our proposals for South Thamesmead (Phase 2) form part of the wide reaching and ambitious masterplan strategy shaping this part of the city. Our scheme creates a mixed-tenure neighbourhood of 329 homes, including 59 affordable rent homes for returning Thamesmead residents reflecting the qualities and characteristics of its varied setting.
This largely pedestrianised site creates a series of gardens, swales and play spaces linking to a generous public promenade which will allow people to enjoy the waterfront more easily. Using the lake as a focal point, the neighbourhood is formed of a series of elegant brick-built residential buildings configured to front onto the water and provide elevated views from the living spaces.
Occupying the centre of the site are two ‘C’ shaped courtyard mansion blocks containing landscaped gardens at their centre which both residents and the public can use. Taking their cue from the historic Peabody mansion buildings, the blocks are carefully articulated to increase the number of dual-aspect dwellings with adjoining private terraces and balconies.
Bookending the site are two taller urban blocks, providing an appropriate step-up to address the urban infrastructure that wraps around the scheme; to the south, an 8-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 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.