please empty your brain below
I love a good Design & Access statement, although I’ve never found one quite so interesting.

While the design may not be to your liking, it’s nice to see the entire development has been built with Passivhaus Certification in mind. More developers should do the same.

Matthew | 27.08.18 - 7:33 a.m. | #

Gosh, this is dispiriting. This used to be a quiet backwater, now it is urbanised. There may be a passing nod to local heritage in the pair of houses, but the flats could be anywhere.

Liz | 27.08.18 - 7:41 a.m. | #

Design is subjective, but what I find most jarring is the juxtaposition of colours in such a location. Different bricks on each development, and the ugly brown elements too. What is the purpose of the single storey brown shed-like extension on the end of the houses?

Frank F | 27.08.18 - 8:03 a.m. | #

This compression is happening everywhere - Stratford Hackney and Camden Town included - a very dispiriting environment is being created and not only in Inner London. Souless blocks and houses being built for profit with the same meaningless drivel being written about them. Enjoy the best of the UK while you can.

Dave B | 27.08.18 - 8:15 a.m. | #

Surprised the Lockkeepers 'Cottage' (an estate agents term if ever there was one) hasn't had a loft conversion, it would have helped if they had taken elements from the 'cottage', like the smaller first floor windows.

They have added more railings - but there is still plenty of scope for toddlers to fall into the canal.

Still Anon | 27.08.18 - 8:35 a.m. | #

I quite like the new buildings, and think it's a major improvement on what was there in 2012.

Chris P | 27.08.18 - 8:45 a.m. | #

It looks like the first two storeys of a 1950's telephone exchange. And those porches are much too heavy for the size of the building-they should have copied the one on the cottage.

HoosierSands | Homepage | 27.08.18 - 9:00 a.m. | #

To me, the new development looks like part of an old C19th Tower Hamlets terrace has been rebuilt with obligatory nod to history....in this case the roof level weaving floor of C18th. Of course, they need a convenience for all those people, hence the brick out-house tacked on to the side. Meanwhile, on the other side of the original building is what looks like a multi-storey car park. Ignorant and tasteless all at once.

B | 27.08.18 - 9:13 a.m. | #

Chris P must be an architect.

kev | 27.08.18 - 9:42 a.m. | #

Absolutely hideous: the new building to the left dwarfs the cottage and as for the top floor! Wherever was the architect trained? I read a lot of planning applications and bull poo phrases/terms like 'historically contextual', 'massing' and 'perspective of enhancing' turn up all the time.

J. | 27.08.18 - 9:58 a.m. | #

It took me several looks and a bit of a bread to realise that the box was not in fact the cottage extended out of all recognition, which was my first impression, having failed to spot it squished between the two!

A regular bungalow near me was pulled down last week and they'll be cramming 5 flats onto its former footprint - squashed between a 1940s end of terrace and another bungalow identical to the one demolished!
It'll stick out like a sore thumb in the short quiet residential road!

It's not so much the laughable "affordable" housing that's needed, but social housing.

Cornish Cockney | 27.08.18 - 10:05 a.m. | #

Howard Road in Plaistow is also named after Luke Howard.

None | 27.08.18 - 10:17 a.m. | #

More on Luke Howard here

Bob L-S | 27.08.18 - 11:58 a.m. | #

Reminds me of a variation on Poundbury, the ridiculous HRH faux confection in Dorchester. What a shame.

Ironicsteve | 27.08.18 - 12:31 p.m. | #

So easy to oppose and dislike, but you have no suggestions for a better way...

dg writes: So easy to oppose and dislike, but you have nothing positive to say yourself.

Sir Biton | 27.08.18 - 2:29 p.m. | #

I'm going to be unfashionable and say I rather like the new additions. Sorry dg.

What grates with me somewhat is the blatant revisionism to make it appear the house was pre-existing, merely reconstructed upward and the flats thereafter taking their design cue from it.


Other than that, it works for me aesthetically, despite the spacing being far too tight.

Michael T | 27.08.18 - 3:34 p.m. | #

Stunning and exciting are words that should be banned in property sales. Totally irrelevant and meaningless.

What is stunning is that 'property benefits from two outdoor spaces' refers to a 3ft to 9ft sliver across the rear.
Exciting maybe for the lowly Estate Agent in a mini who finds a mug to stump up so much for so little.

In the heart of Stratford , my foot.

scrumpy | 27.08.18 - 4:43 p.m. | #

I like a bit of densification, but on the basis of the photos I agree with you, DG.

"It looks like the first two storeys of a 1950's telephone exchange." HoosierSands is spot on - I knew the design reminded me of something!

Ian Brooker | 27.08.18 - 6:08 p.m. | #

"Our objective for the scheme is to reveal the memory of past, in a way that is relevant to the future context of the site, whilst developing a vision for a zero carbon future. This will be achieved by putting the heritage of the site and the long term management of the scheme at the heart of the proposals. Lifecycle thinking and community engagement will help to achieve these objectives."

No other word for this than bollocks.

drD | Homepage | 27.08.18 - 8:18 p.m. | #

When you look at all the agencies involved in spouting their ten pennyworth of "drD" bollocks it is surprising that it is so cheap. Maybe you suck in the bollocks for £765k, and the house is chucked in free if you succumb to that bs. Bit like a Spanish timeshare spiel.

"Moments from Westfields" (sic) and "Sleek kitchens with branded integrated appliances" particularly desirable. Begs the question. Is there an integrated appliance that is not of a brand?

scrumpy | 27.08.18 - 11:01 p.m. | #

There are bit of the Canal & River Trust's land that would have made worse sites. I rather like this one, it's at least sympathetic to the original buildings, such as they were.

And I presume the ground rent will be helping maintain the waterways.

Giles Williams | 28.08.18 - 8:44 a.m. | #

It looks like the £765k house still for sale is the original lock keeper's cottage, not one of the new Poundbury-style semis.

dg writes: Agreed, and updated, thanks.

Rich Thomas | 28.08.18 - 10:35 a.m. | #

Going there on Google Street View shows the cottage as it was, surroundings and all. The cameras last went there 3 years ago.

X-Plaistow | 28.08.18 - 2:30 p.m. | #

I go past these three building on the bus and on foot quite often, and DG's photos only hint at how horrible the mismatch of styles is when you see it from the main road. I've often looked over and wondered who could possibly have thought this was a good idea. Glad you posted this.

Aline Reed | 28.08.18 - 3:12 p.m. | #

Ugly!

Darren Eddy | 28.08.18 - 9:41 p.m. | #

Have you ever read Alan Bennetts take on architects? I think you might be quietly amused.

Milo | 29.08.18 - 3:52 a.m. | #

I'm obviously in the minority but I am quite pleased with what they've done with the site (I live nearby).

As someone else mentioned, they've been built to the Passivhaus standard, which is very unexpected and shows they've taken a lot more care than the average new build development.

However, having seen a few of the properties advertised online, the internal spaces seem a bit odd and the cottage refurbishment looks pretty soulless inside.

chris | 31.08.18 - 7:31 p.m. | #











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