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PROCESS

Plans have been submitted for the creation of a new creative arts-led, mixed-use development at Omega Works in the London Borough of Haringey. The proposal includes new employment spaces, residences and public realm, with key aspects of the design highlighting the identity of the surrounding warehouse district.

Project

  • Use: Arts, Retail, Warehouse Living and Residential
  • Location: London Borough of Haringey
  • Status: Planning
  • Size: Retail 1,041m², Residential 2,759m²
  • Date: Ongoing

Team

“Omega Works is home to a creative community that has emerged organically over time, occupying an ad hoc group of dilapidated warehouses, forming part of the wider Harringay Warehouse District. Our proposal seeks to formalise the existing use types by analysing and translating them into a robust contextual design that futureproofs existing and new communities on the site.”

vPPR Architects

PROCESS

Designed by vPPR Architects for Majorlink, this infill development will double the amount of employment provision to 1,041m2 and re-provide 2,759m2 of Warehouse Living Space and 76 new residential units. Through careful research and site analysis, a plan was developed to split the single monolithic block into several different buildings with a shared courtyard forming the heart of the new scheme, resulting in an increase of open space from 37% to 44%.

By retaining key historic features of the façade on Hermitage Road, it is possible to provide places for employment and meet local housing targets without radically changing the look and feel of the area. Each of the three entrances to Omega Works will be adorned by site-specific artworks that take inspiration from the history of the area, created by local artists. These will create welcoming gateways to the development, which can also be enjoyed by passersby on the street.

Ground Floor Plan
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Second Floor Plan
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Third Floor Plan
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In the courtyard, the landscape design traces the historic footprint of the warehouses on the site through different tones of grey paving indicating the position of the original buildings. The history of the site is further preserved through a series of imprinted terrazzo walls, made from demolition waste and other construction materials, that serve as new interpretations of old structures. Elsewhere, the design prioritises sustainability through the maximising of dual aspect units, high thermal performance, biosolar roofs, air-source heat pumps, external shading, permeable ground surfaces and biodiverse planting.

Section

Translating the character of the existing warehouses into new typologies, the warehouse living units have split sections with flexible layouts and a raw material palette, while the residential units interlock with double-height living rooms opening onto balconies facing the communal courtyard.

Site Plan