Alto Development in Wembley Park, London by Flanagan Lawrence

Article source: Flanagan Lawrence 

Set within Wembley Park, London, Flanagan Lawrence’s Alto development is a large-scale residential development for Quintain. Inspired by the adjacent stadium’s leading-edge design, the development forms a key part of one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects. Quintain is transforming what was a derelict brownfield site into a dynamic mixed-use neighbourhood located just 12 minutes from Central London.

Recently named Development of the Year at the 2018 RESI Awards, the Alto development has been designed as part of Quintain’s larger masterplan for the 85 acre site, which also delivers 42 acres of public realm, creating an urban oasis with pockets of green and open space. Seamlessly integrated public realm is a key feature of the scheme, which includes Elvin Gardens, and adjacent pocket parks.

Entrance facade, Alto Apartments, Image Courtesy © Hufton+Crow

• Architects: Flanagan Lawrence
• Project: Alto Development in Wembley Park
• Location: Wembley Park, London, England
• Photography: Hufton+Crow
  
• Client: Quintain Ltd
  
• Designer: FLINT
  
• Planning Consultant: WYG
  
• Employer’s Agent: Stace
  
• Main Contractor: Wates
  
• Structural Engineer: Price & Myers
  

Image Courtesy © Hufton+Crow

• Cost Consultant: Tower 8
  
• Landscape Architect: LDA
  
• Vertical Transportation: Hilson Moran
  
• Acoustic Engineer: AECOM
  
• Façade Consultant: Interface Façade
  
• Fire Engineer: JGA
  
• Transport and Logistics: I-Transport
  
• Access Consultant: SYSTRA-JMP
  

Image Courtesy © Hufton+Crow

Angus Dodd, CEO of Quintain, said: “We’re delighted to announce this completion, marking another milestone on our journey to delivering the largest number of build to rent homes on a single site in the UK.

“The Alto development provides rental and purchase offers that we believe are extremely attractive in today’s market and its completion takes us closer to realising our ambition of 5,000 new rental homes in Wembley Park.”

The Alto development comprises 362 apartments across four blocks, ranging from nine to 19 storeys in height, comprising:

• Alto Apartments – 120 Build-to-Rent (BtR) homes
• Belcanto and Pienna – 211 for sale apartments
• Vivo – 31 apartments for affordable rent and discount market sale

The apartments and community spaces, designed by the in-house interior design team at Flanagan Lawrence, FLINT, all benefit from open plan living, kitchen and dining areas with peninsula or island kitchens forming a focal point. Floor to ceiling windows maximise natural daylight and high quality of finishes, fixtures and appliances have been specified.

The stepped, framed tiers and symmetrical lines of Alto’s design establish a distinctive, considered order, and clearly respond to the internal layout. The articulation and scale of each elevation’s facade responds to the immediate context, achieving civic presence through the use of natural stone, glass and aluminium cladding. The main entrance to the building leads from Elvin Gardens into an impressive double-height lobby, with a concierge facility providing services for all residents. Residents can then also access the landscaped courtyard at the centre of the development, which enjoys a strong visual link with Paul Daisley Gardens, next to the Civic Centre.

Show apartment, Pienna, Image Courtesy © Hufton+Crow

The BtR apartments are run by Quintain’s dedicated rental management company, Tipi. This building is the third in its portfolio and forms part of Quintain’s wider strategy, which will see Wembley Park become the UK’s largest BtR development, with over 5,000 new rental homes. Tipi’s building is a leading example of a professionally managed rental product with amenities based around tenant requirements. It includes both indoor and outdoor social spaces available for everyday use or for hire, and includes a shared state-of-the art kitchen, a lounge with break-out areas and 100mb/s broadband for home-workers, a gym and a rooftop terrace with 360˚ views of Wembley Stadium and beyond over London.

The affordable units in Vivo, which are managed by Network Homes, comprise 18 affordable rented units and 13 are intermediate market units. Many apartments within Vivo are dual aspect, and all are designed in full compliance with the LHDG and Lifetime Homes. Rooms within apartments often exceed LHDG internal area requirements and external amenity provision is often more generous than required.

A 300 sqm community centre – ‘The Yellow’ – sits at its heart. As part of Quintain’s extensive community engagement programme, and wider placemaking initiative, ‘The Yellow’ is designed to bring people together within a community who live, work and study in Wembley Park.

Entrance lobby, Alto Apartments, Image Courtesy © Hufton+Crow

Jason Flanagan, Director, Flanagan Lawrence, adds: “We are thrilled that Alto has been recognised as ‘Development of the Year’ at the 2018 RESI Awards. Alto is our first completed building for Quintain within the emerging north-west quarter of Wembley Park, and is part of the transformation of the area into the UK’s largest purpose-built Build-to-Rent scheme. Set amongst a framework of landscaped courtyards and garden squares, Alto is characterised by its distinctive profile of striking towers which increase in height towards the north, creating roof terraces overlooking the Civic Centre and Stadium”.

Quintain has collaborated with London arts organisation Second Floor Studios & Arts (SFSA) to provide eight affordable art studios within the Alto development, providing long-term affordable employment space and helping turn Wembley Park into a hub for creativity and culture.

Residential sales in Pienna and Belcanto launched in September 2015 with apartments ranging in cost from £350,000 to over £1m for the Penthouse Collection. Sales momentum was strong, with a significant number of people happy to purchase a new home off plan, and 90% of apartments were sold before unit completions in summer 2017. A number of one and two bedroom apartments were also retained for the launch of Help to Buy, which allowed local buyers who would not have been in a position to purchase off plan the opportunity to live in the development.

The lease up for Tipi was equally strong. The team has had success growing income since opening, with current rents (inclusive of broadband and utilities) being £1,850 for 1-beds and £2,350 for 2-beds. Tipi’s building launched in September 2017, and by December that year was already 70% leased, with stabilised occupancy expected early in 2018.

Image Courtesy © Flanagan Lawrence

Above, ground floor plan; below, site plan, Image Courtesy © Flanagan Lawrence

Tags: England, London

Categories: Apartments, Garden, House, Housing Development, Park, Residential

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