The site is on a popular, although run down shopping street outside of Southampton city centre and is highly sustainable with extensive public transport links.
The original site accommodated three existing buildings, two of which are retail with residential above whilst the other is derelict.
The scheme proposes to demolish the three existing buildings and construct a four-storey building plus basement. This includes a two-storey restaurant at ground and basement level with eight flats on first to third floors. The flats are a mix of studio, one and two bedrooms.
The site benefits from a corner plot which the design emphasizes by using a ground floor chamfer together with prominent angular bay windows above which offer views along the entire street and puncture distant views.
The restaurant proposes extensive glazing at ground floor level which will offer a very different setting to the basement which benefits from natural light borrowed from the open entrance staircase.
The back of house facilities will be housed at the rear of the basement to maximise usable space on the ground floor.
The upper floors are articulated to reduce the visual mass of the building and respond to the varied building line. The top floor is set back to mitigate the impact upon the neighbours and to reduce the mass of the building from street level.
The residents of the top floor therefore benefit from an extensive terrace with far reaching views of the surrounding area.
The materials have been chosen to complement the existing buildings which are a mixture of brick and render, many of which are quirky. The primary material is to be black brick with areas of white render, both recessed and projecting, together with red highlight to the some window surrounds.