Albert Jacob House, Roman Road, Tower Hamlets

The development, on behalf of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, comprises demolition of the existing building and erection of a 5-9 storey mixed-use building with commercial (Use Class E) on the ground floor and provision of 53 new affordable rent homes (Use Class C3) at ground and upper floor levels, involving landscaping works, relocation of a sub station, servicing and parking arrangements. Additionally, the proposals involve repaving of the adjoining highway area on Roman Road and provision of a new communal garden and reconfiguration of existing parking bays.

The height, scale and massing of the proposed building has been carefully considered in response to the local context and the adjacent Conservation Area, with no identified harm to the townscape character or conservation area setting. The proposed materiality and detailing are high quality, with active and human-scaled frontages contributing positively to the Roman Road District Centre.

Although the scheme results in a net reduction in employment floorspace, this reflects the loss of now-redundant Council office space, with no associated job losses. The retained ground floor commercial space is expected to contribute to the vitality of the town centre.

Importantly, the scheme delivers 100% affordable rent housing, including 3 and 4 bedroom family sized homes. This represents a significant public benefit that outweighs the loss of employment space and supports the sustainable repurposing of the site.

Images by Secchi Smith

.