The Proposals
Overview of the development
The site is located centrally on the east side of Lawrence Road. The facility is accessed off Lawrence Road through an undercroft to access the external yard to the rear of the site. The addition of the units along Lawrence Road ensures the whole of the public facing site maintains an active frontage to the street at ground floor.
The building will be used by the Fablab tenants and self storage customers. The STOREX Hub will be the main pedestrian access for new self storage customers and the Fablab workshops. Secure vehicular and cycle parking is provided beyond the secure gate through the undercroft. Beyond the parking, single storey direct access units are also provided.
Public facing spaces provide a warm and welcoming relaxed environment through calm and natural materials that will activate the street. The shopfront and the managed Fablab workspaces at ground floor are a key component to support street activation.
A landscaped zone will sit between the building and the pavement, which will link in the existing trees on the site. The design will also look to utilise raised planters to deal with any level change between the building and the pavement.
View from Lawrence Road as proposed
Building Massing
Proposed Ground Floor Plan
STOREX requires a modern warehouse with an efficient footprint that supports safe vehicle movement and makes full use of the site layout and yard area. This proposal allows the existing building to be retained and refurbished with additional space being provided in a new build block of similar scale to other buildings that front Lawrence Road.
Vehicular access will be taken from Lawrence Road, leading into an undercroft where self storage customer parking is located. A dedicated pedestrian entrance near the vehicle gate will serve self storage users, while FabLab tenants will have individual entrances directly from the pavement or via the main self storage lobby.
An accessible parking bay is positioned within 10 metres of the STOREX customer lobby, and new customers can also enter the STOREX Hub reception directly from Lawrence Road. Ground floor FabLab units are accessible both from a landscaped pavement entrance and through the shared lobby.
Cycle parking will include both long- and short-stay spaces, with three spaces allocated for cargo bikes, which suit the needs of FabLab and storage users.
Two fire escape routes are proposed, both located on the west side of the building.
In addition to the self storage element, the scheme will deliver 548 sqm of light industrial workshop space. These FabLab units will accommodate a mix of businesses, offering both enclosed office-style units and open workshops. All units will be actively managed as part of the wider STOREX offer by the on-site management team, forming an integral part of the development’s commercial offer.
Proposed Elevations
The primary design focus is the Lawrence Road frontage, due to its contribution to the streetscape. The proposed elevation follows an established local pattern: a two-storey base, four-storey middle, and one-storey top, arranged across seven vertically aligned bays. The base houses the FabLabs, providing light industrial workspace and activating the street frontage.
The design draws architectural references from neighbouring buildings, incorporating defined brick piers, recessed brick panels for glazing, a double-height base, and a consistent mid-section. A setback black metal-clad “top hat” crowns the building, aligning with the parapet line and echoing nearby developments.
The approach balances contextual sensitivity with an honest architectural expression, where form follows function. While the rhythmic bay pattern is consistent, the upper floors use metal panelling rather than glazing to reflect the interior storage use. This avoids any false impression of activity at upper levels while reinforcing the building’s industrial purpose.
The south elevation, located just 2.8 metres from the blank northern façade of No. 50 (The Verbal Building), is mostly obscured due to its proximity. However, brick detailing is returned around the corner to maintain visual continuity when viewed at an angle.
The north and rear elevations mirror the Lawrence Road rhythm, replacing glazing zones with metal panels. This design choice directly addresses privacy and overlooking concerns raised during the previous planning application by residents living along the southern and eastern boundaries. The result is a building that sits comfortably within its context while honestly reflecting its function and responding to local sensitivities.
Material Palette
The materials, textures and colours specified are chosen to reinforce the architectural brand of STOREX. A short description of the palette reasoning is outlined below.
Black
This is an elegant and luxurious colour that has presence. It doesn’t suffer the fashionable trends like bold colours tend to, and its sophistication will contribute to the sense of minimalist elegance in contrast to the brashness of competitors.
Natural
All materials proposed are an untreated natural finish or neutral colour to reinforce the brand values of environmentally conscious design. There is the potential to allow brand colour accents / highlights to contrast and this could be achieved in locations where it is easy to update, i.e. internal finishes.
Brick
A red multi / mixed tone brick will offer a texture and richness next to the clean lines of the black cladding and mill finish steel / aluminium glazing frames etc.
Timber
Warm untreated timber sections or panelling to the shopfront area will contribute to the relaxed welcoming palette and layout of the front of house shop. While this is a small area, it is a big part of the experience and identity for customers.
Curtain Walling
Brushed finished aluminium sections are used to contrast against the black cladding and to emphasis the display, work units and shop windows.
Bio-Diverse Roof
Biodiverse roofs are intentionally designed to support a variety of plant and animal species, enhancing urban biodiversity. Unlike green roofs, which are typically planted with vegetation over a growing medium, biodiverse roofs often utilise materials like gravel, soil, or rubble to encourage self-colonization by native species. This approach not only provides habitats for various organisms but also contributes to the overall health of urban ecosystems.
Key Benefits:
Habitat Creation: Biodiverse roofs serve as valuable habitats for a range of species, including rare plants, insects, and birds. For example, the Laban Centre in London features a brown roof designed to attract the nationally rare black redstart bird.
Stormwater Management: These roofs can aid in managing stormwater runoff by retaining rainwater and reducing the risk of flooding. The materials used in biodiverse roofs can absorb and slow down the flow of water, mitigating the impact on urban drainage systems.
Urban Heat Island Mitigation: By incorporating materials that support vegetation and natural processes, biodiverse roofs can help lower ambient temperatures in urban areas, counteracting the heat retention typically associated with conventional roofing materials.
Air Quality Improvement: The plants and substrates on biodiverse roofs can filter pollutants and absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to cleaner air and aiding in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Aesthetic and Recreational Value: These roofs can enhance the visual appeal of urban environments and may provide recreational spaces for residents, fostering a deeper connection to nature within city settings.
Incorporating biodiverse roofs into urban planning aligns with sustainable development goals by promoting environmental stewardship and enhancing the quality of life in cities.
Design Development
We met with Quality Review Panel on the 20th August and with the LPA on 10th September. As a result of comments from these engagement sessions and feedback we received from the last public consultation we have made the following changes;
• The height of the building has been dropped by 475mm to align with the neighbouring Vabel Building.
• The drop has also created a more immediate relationship with the street.
• The amount of black cladding has been reduced with an increased mixture of glazing and metal infill to activate upper levels and replace the bay sizes seen on Lawrence Road.
• Window proportions reworked to be more human in scale.
• The landscape design has been amended to be linear rather than vertical to make the scheme less defensive.
• The step in the façade has been removed to align with the deeper set back
• The Fablabs now have a distinct entrance .