ArtHouse

Prime location living.

ArtHouse is the first collection of private homes at the King’s Cross redevelopment site. The intelligently planned scheme is a residential-led mixed-use development made up of 132 apartments (29 of which are affordable) located within four interlinked buildings with retail spaces at ground level and parking at basement level.

Site constraints.

The site is in close proximity to underground train lines and next to a relatively busy main road. We worked closely with the structural engineer to ensure that the vibrations from the underground were isolated from the building and not transferred via building services into the accommodation above. The development also needed to be connected to the site-wide district heating system. We used our knowledge of working on constrained sites to deliver an effective services solution, providing packaged plant at basement to enable connections onto the district heating system. We also liaised with the district heating utility provider to understand their requirements and how they were to be incorporated into the building.

Code considerations.

It was vital to consider the occupants comfort and energy efficiency of the building in tandem. In order to prevent summertime overheating  while still maintaining high levels of daylight penetration, we specified moveable solar control louvres for the external elevations. Apartments also have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) units, which provide ventilation without the need for opening windows. Throughout the project, we worked with the wider design team to ultimately deliver a cost-effective design with affordable units that achieved a Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4.