Victoria Works

Type/size: 74 residential dwellings – 49 flats & 26 townhouses

Location: Redditch, Worcestershire

Status: Under Construction

Construction Type: MMC- OSM Timber panelised system (Eco 100 by Local Homes)

Contract Value: £10.4 Million

Client: Accord Housing Association (In-house scheme)

Scheme Overview:

The scheme is in a prominent location next to Redditch train station consisting of a apartment block and row of Townhouses facing onto Edward Street. It is part of larger development of 94 homes and office space for Redditch Co-operative Homes (Accord) to be built by Accord using timber panels from LoCal Homes.

Victoria Works is a 100% affordable new housing scheme of 74 dwellings and is located on the site known as Victoria Works which is bounded by Britten Street to the west and Edward Street to the east and in close proximity to the train station. Until very recently, the majority of the site was occupied by a large rectangular, flat-roofed grey brick warehouse building.

It is worth mentioning that the area developed principally in the 19th century with a series of larger scale factories, industrial premises and housing. This has however been fragmented, and the area now is a mix of residential dwellings, predominantly detached or semi-detached which include examples of both 20th century designs and remnants of 19th century villas and industrial premises such as the locally listed Ashleigh Works, which is situated to the southern boundary of the site and is a key remnant of the historic streetscape that developed in the 19th century.

The proposed layout maximises the site by having a vehicular and pedestrian entrance off Edward Street, with the apartment block to the south facing Edward Street and the parking court at the back, plus the two rows of terraced townhouses facing both Edward and Britten Streets with the internal mews in-between. It is worth noting the existing level difference of 2.5-3metres between the two parallel streets which was a main site constraint and informed the design of the layout and the access points.

The apartment block comprises 49 flats in total with a mix of 19 1-bed and 30 2-bed apartments plus additional space for plant equipment and bike storage, whilst the two rows of townhouses accommodate 20 2-bed and 6 3-bed houses. The externals and landscaping have been carefully designed to enhance the character of the scheme with the use of block paving, timber slatted bin shelters and soft landscaping and planting.

The external appearance of the buildings has been designed to follow a contemporary approach which has looked to draw on some of the visual and spatial elements of the area’s industrial heritage without being overly pastiche. The material palette consists of a fusion of traditional and modern textures with a mixture of brick, fibre cement cladding and slate tiles. Panels of recessed brickwork featuring a secondary brick colour sit within the façade walls and emphasise the verticality of the design which is also enhanced by the full height heritage style windows.

In summary, Victoria Works is an ambitious scheme which has been thoughtfully designed and detailed to a high standard, which will surely lift the character of the area once built through its contemporary design and innovative approach whilst tying up with the context and respecting the local industrial heritage.