Sapphire’s Glide-On™ balconies have transformed the Abbey Place development in South London, offering residents valuable outdoor space while enhancing the building’s aesthetic. Collaborating closely with architects, Shed KM, Sapphire Balconies brought a vibrant architectural feature to life, integrating a striking lime green colour into the facade, aligned with the architect’s vision for a distinctive identity.
Abbey Place, a transformative development in Abbey Wood, South London, is at the forefront of the area’s rejuvenation, closely aligned with the advent of the new Crossrail interchange. Spearheaded by HUB, this project has been a beacon of affordable housing, offering 245 residential apartments, with over 70% designated as affordable. Encompassing 882m2 of flexible commercial space and 2,126m2 of public amenity space, Abbey Place represents a significant investment in the community’s future, valued at £50 million. The development’s architectural landmark comprises two buildings, standing 13 and 21 storeys tall, designed to instil a renewed sense of place and community in the heart of Abbey Wood.
Designed ‘inside-out’ to prioritise space efficiency and passive sustainability, the apartments at Abbey Place aim to reduce environmental impact while enhancing living quality. The orientation of homes to provide dual-aspect frontages, alongside the strategic accommodation arrangement, maximises the site’s geographical advantages. The development is complemented by extensive private and communal amenity spaces created to foster community interaction within and beyond the development, seamlessly integrating it with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Sapphire’s innovative approach included designing balconies with solid side walls, or ‘cheeks,’ allowing for the seamless integration of the bold green colour into the building’s exterior, making Abbey Place a standout development. This unique approach to balcony design not only addressed the aesthetic requirements of Abbey Place but also leveraged the benefits of offsite manufacturing. By prefabricating these components at Sapphire’s Leicester factory, the installation process was significantly streamlined, ensuring efficiency and reducing the potential for on-site complexities. The balconies’ design and colour seamlessly blended with the development’s overall architectural language, contributing to Abbey Place’s role as a landmark in the rejuvenation of Abbey Wood.
Abbey Place stands as a testament to the successful collaboration between architects and balcony manufacturers, highlighting the importance of innovative design in creating modern, sustainable living spaces that resonate with the community’s identity and aspirations. Through Sapphire Balconies’ expertise, Abbey Place has not only achieved its vision of providing much-needed affordable housing but has also set a benchmark in architectural design and community integration for future developments in Abbey Wood and beyond.
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