CZWG’s Wembley student housing passes planning consent kick starting regeneration.

‘The proposed building is of an outstanding architectural and urban design quality’ is how the inspector describes CZWG’s student housing building in Wembley.

‘It would create an attractive landmark enhancing the Stadium environs as well as the Capital’ continues the report which upheld the recent planning appeal and granted consent.

The £25m project for Victoria Hall Ltd has 435 student rooms on a 0.32 hectare site at the edge of the regeneration area around the new Stadium. Works  on site will start in late 2009 and completed by mid 2011 and is one of the first to metaphorically kick start the regeneration around Wembley Stadium.

The building is planned as three wings around a central tower which steps and spirals up to 20 stories. The wings are differing heights responding to neighboring lower and higher residential and commercial buildings and an adjacent amenity space.

The facades of the two wings that face south are to be partly clad in photovoltaics, their dark colour contrasting with the silver grey of the other metal cladding panels. The windows which are set in a diagonal pattern across the facades are recessed in chamfered reveals to increase their visual scale and depth. Active frontages to the street include a spectacular double height central entrance, a launderette, management offices and extensive bicycle parking. There are two landscaped amenity areas, the one to the west is intended for gatherings, the other which adjoins and visually extends the neighbouring residents garden will be reserved for quieter uses.