Site and Surrounding Context
1-2 Seven Arches Road sits adjacent to the Brentwood Town Hall site and within walking distance of town centre amenities and transport connections. The site opposite Shenfield Common, currently comprises a two-storey building which was formerly occupied as the Council Registry office, it is now vacant and surplus to requirement. This is a prime example of an opportunity to develop a highly constrained brownfield site within a sustainable urban location for new homes.
Scheme Proposals
The proposed building comprises of new high-quality apartments of varying size and type to meet local demand, along with associated amenities and parking facilities . In March 2021, the Planning Committee approved our proposals for a development of 11 apartments comprising a mix of one and two bed units to meet local demand and are designed to comply with Nationally Described Space Standards. All apartments are designed with balconies that are big enough to accommodate a table and chairs so that they have access to private useable external space.
Design Vision
The site represents an opportunity to deliver a high-quality landmark building, demarcating a transition between commercial buildings to the north and lower density residential context to the south. A key principle was the design of a villa style building set within high quality landscaping and public realm. The material design of the building draws cues from the local context to achieve an interesting urban form, reflective of other buildings in the surroundings, particularly Brentwood School to the north and its playful gables that have inspired this design. The siting, massing and design of the new building was developed through an extensive consultation process with officers at Brentwood Council and the Essex Quality Review Panel who complimented the ‘playful’ and ‘exciting’ material design for the building.
