Queen Victoria Street, Reading
Built in 1894 in flamboyant Baroque style, the building comprises a series of shop fronts on the ground floor with further accommodation and storage on upper floors (listed at Grade II). Permission for reconfiguration of internal layout for use as Hotel and refurbishment of shop fronts was given in 2022 with a condition requiring historic building recording of the existing buildings.
In addition to providing a Level 2 historic recording, we also advised on minor alterations to the shop front designs in order to accommodate additional entrance to the approved Hotel.
McKay Trading Estate, Poyle
Designed by the prominent post-modernist architect John Outram, the McKay Trading Estate was one of his first warehouse buildings, listed at Grade II in 2018. The building comprises nine units with a two storey office block along the street frontage.
Outram’s design was inspired by the Victorian railway arches but with a modern take on the same. To address the irregular shape of the Site, he created a series of buildings, each breaking forward of the other resulting in flexible spaces that could be adapted easily for single or multiple occupancy.
Working closely with estate managers and architect, we advised on the refurbishment of the building, including new windows, roof and solar panels.
Lawrence Road, Tottenham, London
The Site is currently occupied by a large warehouse building, used for dry cleaners, set back from the street frontage. The wider area is predominantly residential, with traditional terraced housing within Clyde Circus Conservation Area. Philip Lane and West Green Road are lines with Victorian terraces, with shops on the ground floor and residential above.
The scheme proposes the partial demolition of the existing warehouse building and integrating it with a six storey building accommodating 56 residential units, 1,541 sqm of commercial space within the refurbished building and 126 sqm of workspaces.
Our advice related to the townscape assessment impact on the wider historic character of the area. The proposal was approved unanimously by Haringey Planning Committee in March 2025.
Kings Cross Methodist Church
Nestled between several listed Georgian terraces and within Bloomsbury Conservation Area, the Kings Cross Methodist Church was one of the first buildings within the area. Changes over time meant several alterations to the layout and facade. The challenge was to adapt the building for its continued use as a methodist church alongside additional accommodation, all within the current sensitive setting.
Working with Matthew Lloyd Architects, we advised on the heritage and townscape impacts on the new massing and elevation language, deliberately designed to reinstate the building’s important position as a community institution since 1828.
