Make’s ambition for Chobham Manor was to create a cohesive and sustainable neighbourhood that is inclusive and family-focused, strengthening the local community at every level. Make worked with PRP to masterplan the site adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – alongside three other plot architects: Karakusevic Carson, Haworth Tompkins and AHMM – delivering about a quarter of the homes across seven plots. A decade on from the London 2012 Olympics, those homes have become the building blocks for a thriving community, bringing lasting change to the area for a new generation.
With its spacious urban setting, the scheme capitalises on the rare opportunity to create a new neighbourhood within easy reach of central London. Along with over 850 new homes, the scheme delivers a café, retail and local nursery, plus spacious public realm and a central green spine where the community can come together and children can play.
Focusing on families, 75% of homes in Chobham Manor include three bedrooms – a unique feature in a large-scale residential development in London. Spread across a range of typologies, including maisonettes, mews and mansion blocks, 35% of the homes are affordable, giving greater access to family homes in London. Together, the affordability and mixture of typologies encourages an inclusive family community identity that continues to flourish post-completion.
Make’s designs are modern interpretations of typical London housing typologies, tied together with a subtle, consistent materials palette. The layouts follow traditional formats, reflecting the layered vertical and horizontal emphasis of traditional London mansion blocks, terrace homes and maisonettes, but in a contemporary way. The facades work together to create ordered and uncluttered elevations, using modern versions of traditional materials and colours that reiterate the neighbourhood’s quintessential ‘London’.
Frank Filskow, Project Architect at Make, says: “We set out to establish a neighbourhood where people would feel part of a place. We wanted to ensure a seamless connection with immediate neighbours and complement the rest of the Olympic legacy park. We’re proud to have driven this project from the vision for the masterplan at QRP right through to completion, and to now see residents bringing that vision to life.”
Tony Westbrook, Head of Development at the LLDC, said: “[Make] always worked to strive for the broader ambition of the whole stakeholder group, and took part in, and encouraged, collaboration working to ensure transparency at all times across the client, design and delivery teams. They positively supported the project throughout its fruition … [and] their pragmatic approach and listening attitude contributed to the success of the project. Fundamentally Make’s approach to collaboration protected the vision from the onset and helped ensure the final outcome achieved the goal of a sustainable and community led new place to live in London.”
Clement Okwuegbuna, Head of Development and Project Management at L&Q, said: “The neighbourhood looks great. It’s well-designed, well-maintained. The Olympic Park is a great location. These have all added benefits to the scheme. I believe it will stand the test of time. 35% of homes in the development are affordable. The development features a wide range of options to suit any budget. There’s a mix of tenures and mix of sizes, with a good number of family homes that are three beds and above. That’s a bit unique at Chobham and good for the development. I think we’ve done that really well in terms of the proportion of affordable to private sale, as well as the range of tenure types.”
