Highly Commended in the Private Category was Carlisle Lane Lofts, a hidden development in London’s Waterloo area which the judges regarded as “an interesting, well executed project that will provide very comfortable first homes. The system uses a lot of wood but with current acoustic regulations this is a good way of complying.

PRIVATE CATEGORY - HIGHLY COMMENDED
Carlisle Lane Lofts, London

LOFT-LIVING RARELY IMPLIES NEW-BUILD OR AFFORDABLE housing but here, next to a railway viaduct on London's South Bank, four smart one-bedroom 'lofts' have been economically built using sustainable wooden construction.

Designed by the architects for their two university-age children, the project also provides space to sell or let. The judges describe it as 'an interesting, well executed project that will provide very comfortable first homes'.

A two-storey free-standing timber frame clad in lightweight structural timber panels slots between three existing walls. The void is filled with insulation, making use of the neighbouring fire resistant party wails. The building takes up just over half the site, allowing room for a narrow wooden-decked courtyard punctuated by a galvanized steel spiral stairway. The courtyard facade uses heat-treated spruce timber boarding which improves both rot and water resistance, while solid timber structural panels were chosen for their acoustic properties.

Prefabrication was key to the design, both to save time (the architects did the project as a private commission) and because site access was restricted. The frame was built in just over two weeks and the timber structure is so light that piling was not necessary.

Wood German spruce
Client Pringle & Richards
Architect Pringle Richards Sharratt
Structural Engineer Alan Baxter & Associates, London
Main Contractor Eurban, London
Joinery/timber supplier Finnforest Merk