Phase 2 of Brentford Lock West is part of a competition winning masterplan, which was a collaboration with Karakusevic Carsen and Duggan Morris Architects, consisting of various plots. Mikhail Riches’ plot offers 27 homes and a commercial unit for rent. The client’s requirements for this scheme were to transform a wasted site into a sensitive and elegant mixed tenure development, creating a new active edge for the waterside that has lacked definition for 40 years. Our approach was to create a sense of place and genuine discernible character to the new development area, including play spaces for children, social spaces for young children and a design for green spaces that enhances the biodiversity and wildlife of the area and canal. Plot J is a linear plot that forms an edge to one of the side streets leading to the canal towpath and backs onto industrial land. The absence of projecting balconies and the directional quality of the ‘side street’ required a simple and elegant architecture to create a domestic and traffic calmed homezone street. In order to achieve the high densities required, circulation is kept to a minimum with all units accessed directly from the street or from two naturally lit, stair cores with no communal corridors. The street is lined with front doors and kitchen windows, giving a lively and overlooked streetscape, bedrooms and living rooms face onto back gardens, maintaining privacy. An existing art deco’ building is retained for commercial uses. The lack of horizontal circulation makes for an extremely efficient layout yet all units are dual aspect bar two south facing 1-bedroom flats. The majority of private amenity spaces, balconies and gardens face south, Generously sized roof gardens to duplexes on the upper stories are indented into the roof profile, here the living accommodation wraps around these spaces and will get sunlight throughout the day. Working as part of a design team has provided variety in the architectural experience for Brentford Lock West, creating the diversity expected in an urban neighbourhood. At competition stage we spent two weeks developing the whole masterplan as a team, discussing possibilities, the wider area, how spaces could and should work. We met regularly throughout the process, both sharing ideas and providing individual approaches to design. The result of our successful collaboration on this project is a unique approach that allies diversity of architectural design with an coordinated approach to making a unique community, and we feel confident taking this idea forward and working in teams on future projects. Throughout various stages of the design process we have taken part in a number of high profile consultation sessions from which we have gained invaluable feedback. We took part in a “Big Crit” presentation at which we presented to a panel including Design for London. We also attended ‘Design surgeries’ as well as a review of the process at every workstage with the client team. We presented to the Brentford Community Council and the Hounslow Chamber.