Austin Street / Virginia Road E2

This inner city site, located on a derelict triangular corner, surrounded by single lane one way roads, was never going to be an easy job! With backfilled basements the deep strip concrete foundations and new drainage systems proved to be an early problem and the imaginative design Circle Architects had squeezed onto the plot, with not a square corner in sight, continued to keep us on our toes throughout our 11 month visit to Shorditch. Accommodation comprised 4No 3B Maisonettes, 4No 1B and 3No flats 2B, gardens and off street parking. The building commands the corner road junction and fairly bristles with qualitative features. Hollow steel columns and stainless steel angle support the precast concrete balconies and decorative wrot iron metalwork; purpose made steel hopper heads and iron rainwater pipes complement to good effect. Traditionally constructed with masonry cavity external walls, precast floors, trussed roofs the external elevations are complemented with the use of reconstituted stone arches, cills, copings and finials. High performance, purpose made mock sash and feature windows with contrasting coloured paneling are used throughout. The building is also dry lined and insulated to a high standard.