Our habit of driving around and scouting potential sites, revealed the plot for 1a Donaldson Road – sitting on a quiet road in Queen’s Park. Previously home to six single-storey garages behind 77 Brondesbury Road, constructed in the 1970s as part of its conversion into flats, the site had a history of planning refusals and, frustrated, the owner finally decided to try his luck at auction.
We were fortunate and purchased this 195 square metre site in October 2004, appointing architects Groves Natcheva to design a detached family house of 187 square metres. Planning consent was approved in October 2005, to create a building of two interlocking volumes in both plan and section. It was dug down by half a floor level and, although two storeys internally, its southern facade to the street was only 4.5 metres in height. This met the proscribed light angle from the windows to the rear of the neighbouring 77 Brondesbury Road. The northern volume consisted of three storeys (matching 1 Donaldson Road next door), with three levels on basement, ground and first floor.
The generous proportions of the Solidspace DNA in 1a Donaldson Road, allow a triple height void, exposing the section with views to the upper levels of the house, and to the sky, balancing the long views from the living space down to the kitchen/dining area on the lower garden level.
The entire development demonstrates the gap site feasibility of building houses at 187 square metres equating to a density of 52 units per hectare.
Location: 1a Donaldson Road, Queens Park, London NW6 6NA
Completed: 2009
Site area: 190m2
Gross internal area: 175m2
Gross internal volume: 569m3
Number of bedrooms: 3 plus 1 bed self-contained apartment
Number of storeys: 4
Architect: Groves Natcheva
Structural Shell: Kastell-UK
Photos: James Brittain, Simon Maxwell, S. Taylor, Morley von Sternberg