Historic Properties and Urban Regeneration for London’s New Developments
Offerings include large, mixed-use projects and private homes
The London housing market is still struggling. A recent poll by 30 analysts for Reuters found that home sales prices are expected to fall 1.6% this year and 0.1% next year. The drop is attributed to uncertainty surrounded Brexit, which is keeping international buyers away.
In the face of this, more properties have experienced price cuts, especially as the market has filled with many luxury new developments. According to Savills, property prices in the most desirable areas of London have fallen almost 18% since 2014.
However, these new-build projects are changing the marketplace. Year-on-year to April, new builds accounted for 18% of sales in the £1-million-plus market, as compared to less than 10% in 2014, according to Savills. London has seen more than 18,000 new-build completions since 2014.
And many new builds are available this fall, too. Buyers can choose from urban regenerations in Battersea or centrally located Covent Garden, factory conversions and beautifully landscaped gardens with river access.
There’s the chance to live in a converted film studio, and at a very special address, across the street from the newlywed royals.
The Villas, SW13, Barnes
Located in the southwest of the city, Barnes offers a bit of small town life and proximity to nature with an easy commute to the heart of the city. These seven, five-bedroom townhouses offer room to spread out, with private gardens and double garages. The homes, located on a historic residential street behind mature trees, feature classic Georgian architecture in the form of sash windows and brick facades.
The four-story homes, which are over 3,000 square feet, have four bathrooms or more and offer flexible layouts. Barnes offers shopping, a popular weekly farmer’s market, coffee shops and two excellent greenspaces: Barnes Pond and Barnes Common Nature Reserve.
Clapham Junction is only 12 minutes away by train, Heathrow is 25 minutes away by car.
The project has just launched.
Number of units: 7
Price range: £3.599 million (US$4.6 million) to £3,750,000 (US$4.9 million)
Developer/architect: Berkeley/ Brookes Architects Ltd.
Sizes: Over 3,000 square feet, with five bedrooms and four-plus bathrooms
Amenities: Gardens, double garages
Website: berkeleygroup.co.uk
Photos: The Villas
Teddington Riverside, TW11 9BE, Teddington
Nestled in landscaped gardens, this new luxury development overlooks South West London’s Teddington Lock.
The project is located on the historic site of Teddington Studios, the former home of an independent studio that produced programs for BBC and shows like “The Office.”
The 217-unit project offers a variety of layouts, including one-, two- and three-bedroom units and six complete houses. Amenities include a 24-hour concierge, parking and river access. It’s only a few minutes from Teddington Village’s high street and close to Lensbury Club, a leisure club hotel and spa founded in 1919.
The first phase of 57 apartments, Carlton House, launches this month.
Number of units: 217
Price range: From £770,000 (US$987,990)
Developer/architect: Pinenorth Properties Limited/Hamiltons Architects
Sizes: One- to three-bedrooms apartments, six houses
Amenities: 24-hour concierge, underground parking, river access
Website: teddingtonriverside.co.uk
Photos: Redvertex
The Park Modern, Bayswater Road W2 3JH, Bayswater
This £450-million (US$577-million) mixed-use development will overlook Kensington Palace, so buyers’ new neighbors will be Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who live 400 meters away. The project includes 57 residences, 30,000-square-feet of commercial space, and a new set of gates for Kensington Gardens, the former gardens of the palace, now a public park.
The new development will feature a leaded roofscape, an undulating facade with stonework, curved bays and corners, and a double-height lobby, signature luxury boutique, restaurant and health spa.
Construction will start in October and sales launch this month.
Number of units: 57
Price range: £2 million to £30 million (US$2.6 million to US$38.4 million)
Developer/architect: Fenton Whelan/ PLP Architecture
Apartment sizes: One- to five-bedroom residences, including double-height penthouses with five bedrooms
Amenities: Health club and spa, restaurant, retail
Website: fentonwhelan.com
Photos: Fenton Whelan
Prince of Wales Drive, SW11, Battersea
A former gasworks in Battersea is turning into an urban oasis of 955 homes with a landscaped garden designed by urban planners Gillespies.
Prince of Wales Drive will feature one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes joined by pavilions, with a nursery, cafes and stores on 2.5 acres of sustainably designed gardens.
The architecture, by Squire and Partners, pays homage to the building’s original industrial Victorian heritage, with a 26-story bell tower at the end of the central gardens.
The project features decorative brickwork and metalwork and balconies, inspired by the historic buildings in the area. The interiors, by Muza Lab, offer details such as acoustic insulation and underfoot heating.
Battersea Park is nearby, and the project is only a mile from Sloane Square. Sales will launch in November.
Number of units: 955
Price range: From £700,000 (US$900,000) to £2.495 million (US$3.2 million)
Developer/architect: St William/Squire & Partners
Apartment sizes: One-, two-, and three-bedroom homes
Amenities: Pool, sauna, steam room, residents’ roof terrace, concierge and underground parking
Website: princeofwalesdrive.co.uk
Photos: St William
Floral Court, Covent Garden, Floral Street Covent Garden, WC2E 9DS
In the heart of Covent Garden, this project by architecture firm KPF will comprise 31 homes ranging from studios to a penthouse with three bedrooms. It is partly new construction and partly a renovation, and forms the cornerstone of a mixed-use development.
No two units in this project look the same and every layout is different. The experience starts in the lobby, located in the former boardroom of the Westminster Fire Office. The interiors of the building maintain period details, such as Corinthian columns, Hague blue wall panels and pendant lamps, complemented by new construction elements.
The development launches in October.
Number of units: 31
Price range: From £1,300,000 (US$1.7 million)
Developer/architect: CAPCO/KPF
Apartment sizes: Studios to three bedrooms, one penthouse
Amenities: Residents’ lounge, benefits with Covent Garden Brands
Website: kpf.com
Photos: Philip Durrent
