MDR

What a better way to start 2015 than with the successful planning decision for Flowers Way, Luton. The scheme proves to be our largest to date providing 359 student accommodation and 130 residential units.

The proposal is for a mixed-use development of three apartment blocks, comprising a mix of student and residential accommodation, commercial units at ground floor level and associated landscaping.

As well as providing private shared amenity space, the scheme has an element of open public realm to offer new safe pedestrian routes

The site, which is currently under-used and undefined as a temporary car park, is on the edge of the town centre. The proposal aims to address the current market needs for much-needed student and residential accommodation, as well as commercial space for various businesses to operate in. The site is ideally placed to offer a mixed-use scheme to serve the general public as well as local business interests, with a flexible design to allow for easy adaptation.

Our knowledge of the area, previous work within Luton and a complete reworking of the original approved scheme to provide a much more efficient proposal has allowed us to assist the Client in delivering a scheme on the site currently being under-used as a car park.

A new public realm/internal street cuts through the site to reinforce the link between the south of Luton and the amenity of the town centre, the historic St Mary’s church and Bedfordshire University campus to the north, which have been divided since the creation of the ring road. This route will provide a place for respite for pedestrians via seating, soft and hard landscaping, trees, external lighting, a south aspect and encourage interaction with the residential and student blocks creating natural surveillance and clear visibility, whilst also uplifting and enlivening the existing streets.

Careful consideration was given to the overall design in order to successful combine student housing and residential living with the commercial ground floor unit.

A strong relationship has been forged with Luton council and is reflected with the successful decision of Whitbread House, towards the end of 2014. The two schemes combined provide over 500 student accommodation units and 210 residential units within Luton.

If you would like to know more about the scheme please contact Penny Fitzpatrick.

MDR have had a long association with Croydon and over the last year have seen our workload within the borough increase substantially, we are currently working on numerous mixed use developments providing over 700 new residential units in or around the Town Centre to be delivered within the next few years.

These developments are contained on a diverse selection of sites all with bespoke designed schemes. These have been tailored to meet existing and new local and borough wide needs, with regard to residents, workers, and visitors.

MDR’s designs adopt and preserve the best local features, and promote sustainable City living. We have also retained living and work spaces in close proximity thereby providing opportunities for new communities to develop and thrive.

Why suddenly has Croydon become a focus for developers, it cannot just be as a result of an expanding London, and new and improved transport connections to central London. We believe that there are many other elements that are attracting people to live and work in Croydon, facets that need to be protected and promoted to ensure Croydon does not lose its unique appeal, or change beyond recognition.

As Architects, MDR believe that Croydon has one very special feature in its armory, a very distinctive skyline with a cluster of tall buildings. This imagery portrays prosperity, aspiration, and progressive thinking by the local authority and Croydon’s residents, who have always embraced change and new technologies.

Croydon also has a growing folio of contemporary well-deigned and constructed buildings and is improving the street scene and urban realm by creating inventive and aspirational public spaces.

It also has a very diverse collection of well-built quality buildings that reflect the historic changing aspirations and diversity of the borough through out its recent years. Croydon has good examples throughout of old historic buildings, Grand scale aspirational post war Civic buildings set around large public spaces.

These older buildings are now acting as a catalyst for Croydon’s newest transformation, with their distinctive styles, abundance of potential, and affordability they are now attracting new types of developers and tenants.

These include, designers and new emerging technology companies who have been priced out of their previous locations.

MDR are pleased to announce that they are already working on schemes designed to promote and encourage these new initiatives, on one of our sites in Gloucester Rd/ Milton House, old empty redundant factory and storage units that cannot be economically refurbished to a standard to allow for re-occupation as commercial space are being replaced with new live–work units. These have been designed in conjunction with Artisan and Art initiatives who will become their future residents.

It was a pleasant surprise to see MDR Associates mentioned in Monday’s edition of the Evening Standard.

In an article regarding the potential increased tax powers Croydon council are due to benefit from, Edridge Road was mentioned as part of the master plan to create ‘a borough fit for the future’.

Croydon is set to change drastically over the coming years, with investment in not only the new Westfield development but also almost 3m sq.ft. of high-end office space along with approximately 8,300 new homes.

To find out more about Edridge Road click here to view the project page.

Evening Standard Article:
Croydon in bid to keep £5bn taxes to give borough a major facelift

MDR are proud to officially announce the successful planning decision for The Former Whitbread House, Park Street West. The development, located in the heart of Luton, consists of two ‘L’ shaped blocks, over 10 storeys, providing 84 residential units and 180 student accommodation rooms. The close proximity to the University of Bedfordshire makes Whitbread House a prime development to cater for the expanding student population of Luton.

The combination of student housing and mixed tenure residential works well as a sustainable and compatible usage and offers the opportunity of viable commercial space at ground level to activate and improve street scenes.

The £25m development has sough to utilise green roofing, solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels and super insulation all resulting in the scheme achieving CfSH level 4.

To find out more please contact us at info@mdrassociates.co.uk