Gwender Road

Designed by Autor director Frederic Akuffo while he was a project lead at Weston Williamson Architects, this residential development takes inspiration from an unusual local Victorian building type. It was decided that the best way to utilise an incredibly thin strip of land was to use vertical space to create a light and airy environment for residents.

The site for this building is sandwiched between quiet back gardens and an incredibly busy dual carriageway, which means that overlooking and views were not a primary concern. The Studios for Gentlemen Artists, designed by Frank Wheeler, are located opposite and are well-known for their dramatic floor-to-ceiling heights and top-lit rooms (beneficial for the studios inside). This nearby precedent led to the creation of 4-metre high living spaces to compensate for the lack of available amenity space.

Angled and perforated fins across the façade help to manage privacy for the occupants and block light from passing cars at night. The entire development contains eight two-storey duplex apartments, sitting on top of single-storey units below.