Our project for the regeneration of the Achilles Estate is shortlisted for the @housingdesignawards_uk !
Designed in partnership with @wrap_architects , the project was shaped through an extensive, collaborative planning process led by @lewishamcouncil , and informed by residents at every stage.
The new development will deliver 278 low-energy homes alongside 1,411 sqm of commercial and maker spaces. The design delivers stronger, safer and more visible connections to Fordham Park, enhancing residents' access to play, activity and nature.
#homes #regeneration #placemaking #design #housing #affordablehousing
For the second of our social, social posts, in February the team headed out for an evening of beers, burgers, and a few competitive rounds of board games, the perfect way to unwind after a busy start to the year. It was a great chance to catch up outside the studio, share a few laughs, and enjoy some well-earned downtime together.
Thanks to everyone who came along, already looking forward to the next one!
#TeamWRAP #StudioCulture #ArchitectureLife #TeamSocial #PracticeLife #ArchitectureStudio #WorkLifeBalance #TeamTime #Architects #StudioLife
In January some of the WR-AP team visited the Design and Disability exhibition at the @vamuseum . This powerful showcase explores how disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent creatives have shaped both design history and contemporary practice. The exhibition highlights inclusive design, adaptive fashion, accessible architecture, and the transformative impact of designing with, rather than for, disabled communities.
We left feeling inspired, having also expanded our knowledge by learning some architectural terminology in British sign language. With some time left after, we ventured into the main museum to view the section on Architecture to round off the day (then to the pub for a quick pint!)
#londonarchitecture #vanda
21 Belvedere Grove / Foamboard Model
At 21 Belvedere Grove, our Garden Pavilion draws inspiration from traditional lightweight oriental garden structures, creating a calm, multifunctional retreat within the landscape.
Clad in Shou Sugi Ban, a centuries-old Japanese wood-charring technique, the pavilion’s material palette is designed to sit comfortably within the garden’s seasonal changes.
This 1:50 physical model was crafted using black-painted foam board, carefully scored to echo the vertical timber slats of the external envelope. A sheet of cork forms the ground plane, offering a warm contrast to the pavilion’s dark exterior.
Model maker: @_alexe.m_ our summer work-experience student from @ku_archland
#modelmaking #foamboardmodel #architectureworkexperience
Haringey Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation / 3D-Printed Site Models
For the next phase of our work with @haringeycouncil on new Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, we’ve been developing 3D-printed site models, one for Brookside Green and another for The Land Behind the Roundway.
Printed at 1:750 scale, each model captures the emerging form and context of the proposed pitches, helping our team and collaborators explore how these sites can evolve within their wider neighbourhoods.
Produced in-house on our Flashforge printer, the prints transform complex digital massing into precise, tactile studies of place and scale.
Model maker: @chellyr97
#modelmaking #travelleraccommodation #3dprint
Guildford Council Homeless Housing / Balsa + Card Exploded Axonometric
We’ve been developing the next stage of our work on a housing scheme in Guildford for people experiencing homelessness, commissioned by the council, and exploring it through a suspended balsa-wood and card model, hand-crafted in-house by Bee.
Formed as an exploded axonometric, the model reveals how the building’s layers and components interact to shape a supportive, dignified living environment.
The project involves the deep retrofit of three existing buildings within a conservation area, and the fragility of the model mirrors the delicacy of the intervention we’re planning.
Model maker: @leightonarchitecture
#modelmaking #balsamodel #homes4homeless
Community engagement has been central to the Achilles Street Estate regeneration that we have developed with @lewishamcouncil .
Through residents’ meetings and public events, we’ve listened closely to what matters most to the existing community, ensuring their voices help shape the proposals.
WR-AP’s contribution to the masterplan is a mixed-use building fronting New Cross Road, reinforcing the much-loved Parade — a set-back row of shops that defines the High Street’s vibrancy. Our design draws on the area’s rich heritage, with ornamented shopfronts recalling its 19th-century splendour. The massing reflects the traditional character of the High Street, where distinctive corner buildings act as architectural markers and bookends to the terraces.
We are proud to have developed this work in close collaboration with @levitt_bernstein and @zcd_architects , from the early stages of the project through to the recent planning application.
#communityengagement #londonhousing #streetbuildings #historicalcontext
A key part of our work on the Achilles Street Estate regeneration for @lewishamcouncil has been the development of the internal communal areas and the deck access arrangement. Our approach places emphasis on creating welcoming, accessible, and safe shared spaces that encourage interaction and support community life.
The deck access design provides natural surveillance and daylight, fostering a sense of openness while strengthening neighbourly connections. Inside, communal areas are designed as bright, generous, and practical spaces — more than just circulation, they act as places where residents can meet, pause, and feel part of the wider community.
The project has recently been submitted for planning, marking an important milestone. We are proud to have worked collaboratively with @levitt_bernstein and @zcd_architects throughout the process to help shape a masterplan that reflects community priorities and supports long-term social cohesion.
#regeneration #HomesForAll #goodbusiness #londonhousing
First look at design proposals for Achilles Street estate 🏗️✔️
This week, the planning application was submitted for thismajor affordable housing and regeneration project in New Cross.
An estate ballot took place in 2019 in which 92% of eligible residents voted, with 73% of the voters in favour of the regeneration of the estate.
📍278 new homes – 60% affordable, including 122 for social rent
🌳 more public space, better links to Fordham Park
🛍️ 1,400+ sqm of new shops, workspaces & maker spaces to support local entrepreneurs
🎨 designed in partnership with Levitt Bernstein, WR-AP and ZCD Architects, shaped by residents, youth panels and schools since 2016
🏘️ design has a neighbourhood-first approach with family homes, play areas and safe, accessible streets
Watch the video for a first look at the designs 🗞️ and read the story via the link in bio or by visiting the Council’s website news page
You can view and comment on the proposal of Achilles Street estate on the Council’s planning portal
#lewisham #affordablehousing #newcross #architecture
WR-AP BUILDING STUDY TOUR
East Wick & Sweetwater + V&A Storehouse
📍 East Wick & Sweetwater, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The WR-APpers hit the Olympic Park to explore East Wick & Sweetwater — a new neighbourhood (previously worked on by WR-AP members) stitching together legacy sports venues with riverside living. Smart brick detailing, playful façades, and a thoughtful streetscape prove regeneration doesn’t have to mean “cookie cutter.”.
The tour finished at the V&A Storehouse: part archive, part theatre, and 100% architectural delight. Transparent storage lets you peek at treasures usually hidden behind the scenes — a masterclass in turning function into spectacle. BRAVO.
#WRAPstudyTour #EastWick #Sweetwater #VAStorehouse #UrbanDesign #ArchitectureInLondon
WR-AP BUILDING STUDY TOUR.
Fish Island
📍 Fish Island, Hackney Wick
Once the gritty heart of industry, Fish Island is now a buzzing patchwork of canalside homes, studios, and cafés — but the layers of history are still written into the brickwork.
The WR-APpers wandered through tight lanes and over bridges, spotting adaptive reuse at its finest: warehouses reborn as live-work lofts, contemporary blocks woven into the industrial grain. A reminder that good design listens to what came before..
#WRAPstudyTour #FishIsland #AdaptiveReuse #UrbanRegeneration #LondonArchitecture
WR-AP BUILDING STUY TOUR
London College of Fashion @ Stratford + Sadler’s Wells + V&A East
📍 Stratford Waterfront.
From cutting-edge fashion to world-class dance, Stratford’s new cultural quarter is raising the game.
The WR-AP team explored the freshly opened London College of Fashion — a showcase of material craft and social space — before peeking into the new Sadler’s Wells East theatre and V&A East. Each building has its own voice, yet together they form a cultural campus that feels open, inclusive, and alive.
#WRAPstudyTour #LondonCollegeOfFashion #SadlersWellsEast #VAEast #CulturalQuarter #StratfordLondon
