Current Projects
East Street, Farnham
This £10 million mixed development designed by Haworth King on behalf of their clients Farnham Estates Limited replaces an earlier design proposal for this site.
The earlier proposal was based upon a 60,000ft2 commercial office development and Waverley Borough Council granted a Resolution to grant consent for the scheme in 2004.
The current project featured here is a mixed development comprising an office village of small office suites with a retail element on the East Street frontage with restaurant(s) and roof garden above. The scheme retains the 1930’s Satelliet / Emporio building.
The design is planned around a central open landscaped “piazza”, the fulcrum of the development providing pedestrian access to all elements of the proposal and by passenger lift for disabled access to the underground car parking.
The project will comprise 2,418m2 of office floor space arranged in five suites with shared cores; 1,500m2 of retail space planned on two levels and 859m2 restaurant space including a covered landscaped roof area. The total development will provide 4,777m2 measured gross external overall, together with 98 car parking spaces.
In terms of infrastructure, the design concept provides for a public footpath and cycleway through the site connecting the busy thoroughfare of East Street, with the new public “piazza” to the Riverside land providing access to the Town Centre via a landscaped walk on the north side of the River Wey, and public car parking.
The proposed development holistically embraces sustainability technologies in terms of modern methods of construction providing significantly reduced energy demands. In particular the construction is designed to reduce heating, cooling and ventilation energy demands by achieving a high standard of thermal efficiency, insulation and air tightness of the construction envelope reflected in the design and appearance of the development.
The design and layout of the proposed development is influenced by consideration of the following aspects integrated into the design solution to this site:
- (a) Existing site characteristics and topography;
- (b) Integration of new building(s) within the context of the neighbouring scale, size and style of existing built urban environment including contributing to a positive urban design framework;
- (c) Recycling and refurbishment of existing building(s) where appropriate;
- (d) Site access and parking, including access hierarchy which prioritises pedestrians, cyclists and the non-ambulant disabled;
- (e) Appearance and character compatibility related to local references where appropriate and availability of skilled construction labour force;
- (f) Layout and design which addresses green issues and conservation of natural resources and sustainability;
- (g) Architectural identity relative to an important “gateway” site to the Town Centre;
- (h) Landscaping commensurate with the foregoing objectives and the best use of land within the urban envelope.
A detailed Town Planning application was submitted to the Local Authority in March 2008. The full application can be viewed on Waverley Borough Council’s website, reference WA/2008/0674.
