Commerce Road

Commerce Road forms an integral part of the concluding phase of the Brentford Lock West redevelopment on the Grand Union Canal in the London Borough of Hounslow. Our project will create 124 socially rented homes, divided between two blocks, in a setting specifically focused on fostering community, enriching day to day lives, combatting loneliness and placing emphasis on healthy lifestyles.

Situated on a tightly constrained site, bordering the Hounslow Loop railway and adjacent bus depot as well as neighbouring blocks of the wider masterplan, the 9 to11 storey russet and brown brick buildings bookend the new car-free residential neighbourhood. Our proposal sensitively responds to its context through massing formed in stepped heights and articulated balconies in sculpted brick.

The development provides 100% dual aspect homes with an even dwelling distribution between the two blocks. Through its form, light is pulled through the building down into a central courtyard, ensuring cross ventilation and passive cooling – alongside a reduced reliance on mechanical cooling systems. Private amenities are plentiful throughout with generous balconies and gardens for all homes.

At street level, a generous sequence of amenity spaces, including a new TRA meeting hall, welcomes residents through an architectural colonnade, guiding the route to communal entrances and creating an everyday connection to nature.

Green space is central to the design, seeking to provide a strong contrast to the dense urban surroundings. Play is embedded in the landscape strategy, closely tied to the scheme’s connection to nature. The giant slide for children makes use of the wall of the cycle storage, creating a joyful focal point within the courtyard, while encouraging social interaction. A playful path and meandering steppingstones weave through planting, bringing natural play into the forest-like courtyard. The wider public realm also benefits from the approach to greening, with green space spilling onto the street and softening the urban edge.

Above, the rooftops are designed as walled gardens creating further spaces for communion with nature. Raised bed allotments are provided for children and adults alike, providing invaluable access to cultivation supported by LB Hounslow community growing programmes.

The proposals deliver a rich and diverse layered framework of amenity spaces which invite interaction across all ages and backgrounds, so this community can grow, evolve and thrive as individuals and as a collective.