Living at Wembley Park – an evolution not a revolution
- Wembley Park residents’ feedback influential in enhancing future apartment design
- Greenery and storage found to be top priorities
- First new homes at Wembley Park since 2010 available from just £305,000
The new apartment buildings springing up at Wembley Park have firmly caught the eyes of Londoners looking for stylish, contemporary homes at mid-market prices. Developer Quintain has been careful to listen and understand what Londoners want – and to design each new phase of the expansive site in North West London with this in mind.
Quintain’s Head of Residential Sales, Paul Hogarth, explains,
“We want to ensure that Wembley Park is an area that provides homes for Londoners. We’re shaping the design of the site to meet their needs and in response to their direct feedback. It means that each new phase of housing has evolved from the one preceding, with residents able to contribute to the plans, allowing them to shape the environment in which they live in.”
The Emerald Gardens phase of the development, which has just seen the final allocation of one, two and three bedroom apartments released to the market, is a prime example of how consultation has been used to improve the offering at Wembley Park. Quintain consulted with and listened to residents already living in two earlier residential projects on the site when designing Emerald Gardens, which resulted in a number of additions to the plans.
A wide-ranging and comprehensive design brief was produced. Group feedback sessions and one-to-one interviews were then held with the owners and tenants of previously purchased Quintain homes. Consultation also took place with the Wembley Park Residential lettings team, who deal with residents’ feedback every day. As an on-site team who know Wembley Park inside out and deal with residents daily, the lettings staff were perfectly positions to contribute to the evolution of the next phase of the development.
The result was a number of changes designed to make Emerald Gardens even better than the (already excellent) previous phases. The near-acre of gardens around Emerald Gardens was one result. So much green open space as part of a London development is extremely rare and has helped to shape a truly unique offering at Emerald Gardens. Additionally, the apartment buildings were left unconnected, creating even more of an open feel to the development.
Architects GRID were keen to support Quintain’s goal of challenging perceptions and reflecting owners’ needs with storage another area that benefited from their evolutionary design approach. Emerald Gardens now includes an array of internal storage options, based around the three principles of storage: primary, secondary and tertiary.
For primary storage of everyday household items such as pantry supplies and toiletries, they introduced full height recessed mirrored cabinets in bathrooms and plentiful storage in kitchen cupboards. Secondary storage (for items used weekly, such as umbrellas, ironing boards and vacuum cleaners), GRID built in generous cupboards in each apartment’s hall. And for tertiary storage items that are used less frequently (suitcases, sports equipment) there are secure lockers for residents in the basement.
The result of GRID’s work has been an ideal balance between the desire for space and comfort and the need to quickly and easily access the many possessions that are an essential part of modern-day life. It is a point that Quintain was keen to pursue, as the company’s Paul Hogarth explains:
“For many developers, efficiency and optimization drive the design, and can lead to a compromised living space for the resident, with storage space often overlooked. The result is homes that feel cluttered and untidy from the moment you move in, and there’s a clear link between a cluttered home environment and heightened stress levels. We’ve addressed this at Emerald Gardens by listening responding and adapting to customers feedback allowing us to deliver to residents the space they need to live comfortably while still having easy access to their belongings.”
The Alto Apartments phase of Wembley Park has also benefited from this evolutionary design approach. The residents’ only courtyard garden and beautiful new London square, Elvin Gardens, are in response to residents’ direct feedback on their enjoyment of the existing green spaces. Alto will also benefit from the inclusion of the community hall on site upon completion in 2017, to further residents’ engagement with their local area.
With each new phase planned by Quintain at Wembley Park, design and specification are carefully examined to see where improvements can be made. This enables the continual evolution of the site, creating homes that perfectly suit the needs of Londoners at every stage.
Prices at Emerald Gardens start at £305,000 with first completions due Spring 2016. Apartments at Alto are available from £415,000.
For more information and to book a visit to the newly launched show apartments, visit www.northwestvillage.com, visit www.alto-apartments.com or call the on-site Savills sales team on +44 20 3151 8601.