Home Fixture
This seven storey scheme of 164 contemporary apartments for intermediate rent is on an unusual site, literally’ wrapped’ around the stadium of Watford Football Club. Origin Housing wanted a building that would be in keeping with the stadium, but would also be a desirable place to live. Stephen Marshall Architects’ design embraces the south end of the stand and has a slick white and anthracite exterior finish, with a combination of ‘Watford red’ steel mesh and glass encased balconies. Inside, homes have generous floor to ceiling windows to maximise natural light. Some apartments have open plan kitchen/living/dining areas while others have been designed to accommodate flatsharers, in response to a request from the NHS Trust at Watford General Hospital. The scheme has photovoltaic panels on the roof, which supply enough energy to light communal areas. As the scheme is in a car-free zone, residents have access to a bicycle pool. The stadium-side location set some unusual design challenges, such as noise attenuation from the football crowds, security for residents, and the provision of clear and separate access to the housing. Construction had to be carried out without disrupting the operations of the football club and around its working turnstiles. As a result, construction was planned in four sections, allowing contractor Kier to fully build most of the structure during the football season. Outside the football season, the four sections of the building were joined.
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