Ham Sandwich

Sandwiched between the River Brent and the Ham, the current site is an industrial re-cycling centre which is a poor neighbour to the other mixed-uses along the Ham. To maximise the awkward site, the new building follows the sweep of the river and is nestled in between the locally listed Victorian School and the adjacent business centre achieving 5,000 sqm of floor area.

The ground floor is set back as an undulating brick base creating a unique pocket park along the river frontage whilst the upper storeys are cantilevered towards the river reflecting the grand bays of the historic boat buildings. The building is layered with a partial screen expressing the oblique cut of industrial waterway heritage building roofs in front of a transparent cladding at the skyline to reduce the buildings visual mass.

Through extensive consultation with the local authority and stakeholders along with the responsive and creative design we have achieved a valuable town planning consent for the maximum building footprint on this challenging site.