insights EDAROTH - Hillside Gardens, Lambeth

As our flagship project, Hillside Gardens, in the London Borough of Lambeth marks the start of a new and fresh approach to social housing.

It embodies our vision and everything we stand for at EDAROTH. Handed back to the local authority, this once disused and neglected land has been transformed into four beautiful, sustainable homes at the heart of a thriving community. Because everybody deserves a roof over their head. A home where they can thrive. A home to be proud of.

Cllr Matthew Bennett, Cabinet Member for Planning, Investment and New Homes, said: “Lambeth Council is committed to delivering a new generation of social housing in the borough, to tackle Lambeth’s housing crisis and support the thousands of families on our waiting list.

“I’m delighted to see the completion of this latest project which contributes to meeting that goal. The Hillside Gardens development demonstrates how despite restrictions in funding, restrictions on council borrowing and challenges in the development market the council is finding ways of provide much needed new family homes at council level rents.”

An end-to-end-solution

Offering an innovative, end-to-end housing solution requires engineering expertise, fresh thinking and human understanding to create a solution that will benefit not only future residents, but the community as a whole. It starts with comprehensive feasibility studies to review site suitability, local infrastructure and the needs of the surrounding community. Using off-site-manufactured housing to unlock the potential of under-utilised land, previously deemed unsuitable for development, we were able to create a sustainable, end-to-end solution for a once neglected, disused site.

1. Site identification

A challenging site of disused garages in an area of high housing need. Long neglected and challenging in its scale and location, and previously regarded as unsuitable for development. The EDAROTH team shared their vision with Lambeth, who agreed to go forward with a new, innovative approach to transforming the site into sustainable social housing.

2. Site appraisal

With the resources, expertise and experience of AtkinsRéalis behind us, EDAROTH was uniquely positioned to transform this very challenging site. A combination of design ingenuity, vision and commitment was needed to unlock its potential.

3. Design and planning

The key to successful design and planning of a project is active engagement with the local community. Community meetings helped us to reach out to the wider population, engage in open and honest communication, listening to and addressing their concerns. This enabled a smoother process, where people could see the potential benefits for themselves and share in our vision: for an attractive, sensitive and sustainable development that would unlock disused land and improve social cohesion in the area.

4. Construction using modern methods

Utilising off-site-manufactured panels and steel frames, with assembly on site, was key to transforming a challenging, under-utilised site of limited scale and accessibility. These modern methods allow us to work faster than traditional construction companies, and we can aim for ‘48 hours to watertight’: meaning the inner housing shell was protected from the elements and we could construct the housing in tight time frames around the weather. Working this way also improved overall efficiency and health and safety and was less disruptive to the surrounding community and road infrastructure. Just-in-time delivery meant large components were not stored on site, at risk from poor weather conditions, vandalism or theft.