OVERVIEW:
Located within the heart of the Abbey and Barking Town Conservation Area is the redevelopment of 34-42 East Street Barking. This four-to-seven storey mixed-use scheme provides 65 new, one, two and three bedroom homes and c.20,000sqft of new commercial space to one of London’s oldest boroughs.

COMMUNITY IMPACT/VALUE:
Sited alongside the recently renovated listed former Magistrate Court, our proposal incorporates active frontages at ground floor level linking the nearby landmark buildings, high street and town square with the wider Conservation Area. A base podium of commercial and cultural uses sits within a deep brick plinth capped with reconstituted stone arches. Above, a cluster of apartment buildings adopt a stepped massing approach to reduce the visual density of the overall scheme, and create a distinctive character when viewed from any approaching street.

TECHNICAL INSIGHTS/CHALLENGES:
Special care was given to a considered and contemporary proposal that was also complementary to the existing character of the area, reflected in a palette of red and grey brick with regular arched openings. The facades combine cues taken from the immediate context with an elevated, refined aesthetic. The scale of windows in particular references the industrial and civic buildings found nearby, while the recesses, mullions, and layered elements within them create a direct connection to the surrounding residential properties.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
The scheme continues the previous successful regeneration work from 2010 of Barking Town Centre, making a long-lasting contribution to a new innovative city block model. Our addition stitches together the remaining disconnected series of public spaces and functions, helping to establish prosperous links between East Street and the Town Square as part of the Barking Central development.