Wood Street

This small development of 14 residential units acts as the final piece of a complex urban jigsaw, mediating between past and present, as well as absorbing a series of complex site boundaries. Only a thorough understanding of the surrounding area meant that Autor Architecture could deliver a successful planning result when all other schemes failed.

The small odd-shaped timber yard in Walthamstow is the product of a long history that includes random settlements and 19^th century industrialisation. Three buildings have been proposed which fill the available plot while creating four courtyards that transition from semi-private to private as they move away from the busy high street. Both the sinuous buildings and the voids between them were welcomed by the planners as they will lead to the removal of dangerous bric-a-brac from the site, and street obstacles that reduced the pavement to a mere 90cm.

Designed across multiple levels, the building has been lifted up on a series of pilotti to provide parking bays underneath. The facades of the buildings have been carefully modulated to avoid overlooking into neighbouring properties, which includes south-facing louvres across a dramatic stretch of fenestration and carefully angled window boxes that provide passive surveillance. Internally, a rational grid was used to harmonise the layouts and allow for an easier construction process despite the buildings’ unusual forms.