Wellington House & Chapel, NW10

6,500sqft converted 19th C Chapel with live/work units, involving the raising of the original roof, new spire with lighting, extension and complete refurbishment, completed 2004
29,500sqft new 5-storey building with 19 apartments, raised ground floor and half basement offices and half-basement parking, under construction.
The redevelopment of this pivotal site is intended as part of the wider regeneration of Kensal Green. The scheme forms a public open space to the south of the Chapel along Wellington Road, which is overlooked by entrances, promoting ownership. The main mass of the proposed new-build is limited to allow clear views of the Chapel from the cemetary gates on Harrow Road.
With affordable low energy strategies, low external surface areas and efficient use of materials, the building sustainable over the long term. The Chapel is retained as an historic element significant within the neighbourhood. Its presence and connection to public space is amplified by an extension to the South, the lifting of the roof to give satisfactory ceiling heights and the introduction of contemporary materials such as glass and metals. Parking is at half basement level beneath the new-build component to minimise the visibility of cars, avoid long ramps and the need for mechanical ventilation.