5 SYCAMORE STREET, LONDON EC1

Design, Heritage and Planning Statement Sycamore Street, London, EC1 CONTENTS Introduction 1.0

Site Assessment 2.0

Heritage 3.0

Design Development 4.0

Pre-Application Discussions 5.0

Proposed Scheme 6.0

Planning Assessment 7.0

Conclusion 8.0

Septemper 2015 Pre-Application 01 Drawings - Appendix 1 November 2015 Follow-up Pre-Application 01 Details - Appendix 2 March 2016 Pre-Application 02 Details - Appendix 3

architecture & interior design PAG E 2 5 SYCAMORE STREET,INTRODUCTION LONDON EC1 Design, Heritage and Planning1.0 Statement Sycamore Street, London, EC1 INTRODUCTION & BRIEF 1.0

On behalf of our client, Ndemi Investments Limited, we hereby submit a request for planning permission in relation to the proposed redevelopment of Sycamore House, 5 Sycamore Street, Islington.

GPAD has been engaged to review the existing building at 5 Sycamore street and develop a proposal that improves the quality of the existing building to maximise the site.

After in depth research, exploring the options of refurbishment and mixed use schemes, we came to the conclusion that a new build would be the most suitable design solution for the site.

The brief is to include:

• High standard of office space • Maximising site potential • An efficient building layout • A building fit for its purpose • Level access & improved internal space to meet accessibility standards • A more engaged relationship with the street • A positive addition to the character of the area • Improved energy efficiency and sustainability credentials

architecture & interior design PAG E 4 5 SYCAMORE STREET,SITE LONDON ASSESSMENT EC1 Design, Heritage and Planning2.0 Statement Sycamore Street, London, EC1 SITE LOCATION 2.01

5 Sycamore Street

5 Sycamore Street is situated in Islington Borough close to the boundary of the .

Islington Borough indicated in red.

Map of London to show site position

architecture & interior design PAG E 6 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 NEIGHBOURHOOD ANALYSIS 2.02

5 Sycamore Street

HOXTON

PENTOVILLE KINGʼS CROSS

ST PANCRAS FINSBURY SHOREDITCH

ST LUKEʼS

CLERKENWELL

FARRINGDON BARBICAN BLOOMSBURY SPITALFIELDS GRAYʼS INN

HOLBORN

LINCOLNʼS INN FIELDS CITY

ST GILES

WHITECHAPEL STRAND LONDON

SOUTH BANK

Clerkenwell & Farringdon Barbican & The City Shoreditch & Old Street

• Vibrant area of office buildings • Brutalist, modernist architecture of • Previously light industry & warehouses popular with design & media the post war era. • Silicon roundabout is home to large agencies. • Numerous significant office technology companies such as • Mix of historical buildings & recent developments along Google & Twitter. developments. Road & .

architecture & interior design PAG E 7 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 NEIGHBOURHOOD ANALYSIS - WORKPLACE DEVELOPMENTS 2.03

Clerkenwell / Farringdon Old Street / Shoreditch Barbican / City of London The images show recent commercial developments in the area. The market has seen a demand for high quality commercial property on the “City Fringe”.

Reasons for the recent increase in demand:

1) Growth in the economy, which has seen a multitude of new businesses set up in the area.

2) Boom in the Tech Industry around Old Street has filtered through to the surrounding areas 1 AHMM Architects 4 Mark Wojciechowski Architects 7 Barts Square Development such as Farringdon and Clerkenwell decreasing 80 Goswell Road 30 Old Street the stock levels further.

SITE

2 Piercy & Co Architects 5 AHMM Architects 8 Barts Square Development 63 Clerkenwell Road White Collar Factory - Old Street

3 5/6 1 4 2

9 8 7

3 Buckley Building - Buckley Grey Yeoman 6 AHMM Architects 9 Askew Building Architects - Clerkenwell Green White Collar Factory Old Street Barts Square Development

architecture & interior design PAG E 8 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 NEIGHBOURHOOD ANALYSIS - AMENITY SPACES 2.04

Angel 5 Sycamore Street KEY

Main areas of green space or tree cover

Charterhouse Square Old Street Site of importance for Site Conservation

Existing Green Chain

Proposed extension to Green Chain

St Lukes Square Barbican

Golden Lane Estate Source: Finsbury Local Plan 2013 Figure 6 - Green infrastructure and natural features

architecture & interior design PAG E 9 SITE CONTEXT Sycamore Street, London, EC1 SITE CONTEXT 2.05

Grade 11 Listed Building - Originally Constructed 30 Old Street - Conversion of existing six storey office in 1876 known as Old Rodney’s Head Public House building (Use Class B1) to provide 252 sqm of A1/A2/B1/Showroom floorspace over basement and ground floor and residential use (Use Class C3) at first to Hat & Feathers fifth floor comprising 8 units. Public House

St Lukes Conservation Area to Angel to Old Street

to Farringdon

Hat & Feathers Conservation Area

City of London St Lukes to Barbican Conservation Area Conservation Area

Golden Lane Estate - 1950’s Housing estate by Chamberlin, Powell & Bon. Much of the Estate Cresent House Grade 11 Listed Building is grade 11 listed buildings.

architecture & interior design PAG E 11 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 SITE CONTEXT - LAND USE 2.06

Land Use

The site is subject to the following designations 20.1m within the Development Plan:

19.7m

G

O 20.2m S

W

E L • Employment Priority Area (General) L

R

O

A D T • Central Activities Zone E E T R S L D O • Core Strategy Key Area D O M

I N G O

T S E E T 20.2m R T S T R S E A E T The site has access from a number of points, D W E E L T E 19.5m O O T R R S T I C N T T E E L E A C R B including Baltic Street West and Sycamore S T E S R L S C E Y M C E A M M M E street. The site is situated close to the busy O M R E E L

S C T O R U interchange of Goswell Road, Old Street & E E R 19.8m T T Clerkenwell Road. Policy BC8 supports the T E S 20.1m W G T O E E S T R W S area’s economic role within Central London by

C E T I D L L S E A L A U O B O R R H L O L D E L F I E A T prioritising employment development in areas W A N D H K E E R C L located on the fringes of the City, reflecting their 18.8m existing character as well as their exceptional accessibility (which will be further enhanced

19.5m following the implementation of ).

Source: Figure 16 Land use priorities and policy designations, Finsbury Local Plan 2013

Employment Priority Area - General

Employment Priority Area - Office

Pedestrian access routes Areas with high concentration of alcohol licensed premises.

architecture & interior design PAG E 12 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 SITE CONTEXT - LAND USE 2.07

Building Usage at Street level - Scale 1:4000 Active Frontages - Scale 1:4000 Access Routes to the Site - Scale 1:4000

Public / Civic Primary Road Residential Secondary Road Retail Pedestrian route Offices

architecture & interior design PAG E 13 Sycamore Street, London, EC1 SITE CONTEXT - BUILDING HEIGHTS 2.08

KEY Building Heights from Street Level

1 storey There are a number of buildings of significant 2 storey height within close proximity to the site. 3 storey Properties along Goswell Road, in the direction 4 storey of the Barbican tube station, are generally taller 5 storey and predominately of commercial usage. 6 storey 7 storey In addition to the overall height of buildings 8 storey in the area, we have also looked closely car park 9+ Storey at relative parapet heights, arguably more perceptible from street level.

Building Levels - Scale 1:2000

N

architecture & interior design PAG E 14