We were commissioned by Catton Homes to design a high quality housing development acting as a gateway to Harpenden from Lower Luton Road, Batford. The site will compliment not just the historic surrounding context but also the new school buildings opposite. It will replace an ugly and introverted industrial building and enhance this important corner.
In late September 2021 we had planning permission granted to start the development of this site.
Modern Mill Site Interpretation
The proposal is sympathetic in materials, forms and heights. However the scheme is also contemporary in its detailing and fenestration. An appropriate 21st century interpretation of a mill site.
We envisage a larger scale apartment block to the west, with a row of townhouses running along the northern boundary and two more on the south eastern corner. Two small retail units are located under the apartment building, providing active frontage at ground floor. This provides an interesting mixed development, with varying scales of building related to the surrounding context.
