1-7 Howick Place, London 

Designs by Rolfe Judd for a significant new build redevelopment of the old House of Fraser headquarters at 1-7 Howick Place in Victoria have recently been granted planning permission by Westminster Council.

Situated on the edge of the Westminster Cathedral Conservation area, the £45 million mixed-use redevelopment will comprise high quality offices, 33 apartments residential, and ground floor retail space. The site provides a fantastic opportunity for Rolfe Judd architects to design a scheme that mediates successfully between the sensitivity of the Conservation Area and the bulk of Victoria Street.

At over 21,000 square meters, the redevelopment will be a significant increase in floorspace than exists on the site at present. The application had to contend with a last-minute intervention by the Mayor of London after it was agreed by Westminster’s Planning Committee. Hard-fought negotiations over the substantial contribution requested by the Mayor towards the Crossrail project reached were finally resolved last week, with the Mayor lifting his original direction to refuse, enabling this significant Victoria mixed use regeneration project to proceed.

At the forefront of this project are issues of sustainability; this is seen by the fact that the designs utilize both ground water sources and combined cooling, heat and power.