Loampit Vale (1)

Lewisham

Eight buildings from five to 22 storeys in Lewisham, including 819 apartments, a leisure centre, offices and replacement facilities for the London City Mission. Designed by Assael Architecture.

We also reviewed this scheme on 9 April 2009.

Loampit Vale plays a vital role in the redevelopment of this part of Lewisham and we welcome the efforts that went into the design of this scheme. The quantum of the proposed development appears large, but that could be acceptable on this site. We think that the placing, the massing and the height of the blocks will create problems in terms of microclimate, especially wind conditions and overshadowing, which we think need to be resolved before we can support the scheme.

Composition and massing

While the mix of use and the overall size of the development is sound, we do not think that the massing of the blocks around the courts is successful. The composition of the blocks, reinforced by the height of the tower elements, is likely to have a detrimental effect on the microclimate of the public space around the buildings and on the podium level, particularly at the eastern edge of the site. We note, as stated in the Design and Access Statement, that the proposal relies on soft landscaping in order to make the public spaces safe and suitable for pedestrians. This is not appropriate and should be addressed before we can support the scheme. We urge the local authority to study the different analysis carefully and convince themselves that the necessary standards are met.

We think that the distance between the taller elements of the terraced roof garden on the eastern block does not appear sufficient and that the garden could benefit from being wider. In terms of the western roof garden, we note that different tenures have access to the shared space. We question whether this will work well in practice and we think that a clear and carefully designed landscaping strategy should explore this issue more thoroughly.

Overall, the typological strategies of the buildings blocks need more clarity. The current proposal introduces a complex composition of large podiums with towers incorporating, for example, the terrace of family houses on the western block and the slab blocks above the leisure centre. With this complicated arrangement, we think that particular care is needed to ensure that all residents and visitors can easily find the way to their flats.

Leisure centre

In general terms, while we support the idea of a leisure centre in this location, we think that it is challenging to integrate this function into a residential scheme. The characteristics of a large leisure centre volume have a negative impact on the siting and design of the residential accommodation above. Furthermore, the two functions have different life expectancies and the programme for a swimming pool, in terms of use and maintenance, is likely to change in the future. Fundamental alterations to the leisure centre will be difficult to carry out with the fixes of the residential above.

To conclude, while we see the potential to create a vibrant public destination and a pleasant place to live, we think further work is work necessary to address our concerns and, in particular, the microclimate and wind issues at the eastern border of the site.