Sarah Constructions were engaged by The Department for Families & Community Housing to undertake the construction of a new 95 bed lodging house style facility for vulnerable adults.
The 19th Century stone two-storey townhouse terraces at the front of the site have been retained to provide a consistency to the streetscape, whilst the main building work has taken place to the rear of the site, replacing some non-descript three-level accommodation blocks with two four-storey blocks utilising modern architecture to upgrade and update the buildings on site. These buildings are screened from the street by the two-storey townhouse terraces and have minimal impact on the streetscape.
Recreation and communcal areas have been incorporated into the design of the new buildings providing residents with opportunities to socialise within the Afton House community. One of the two courtyards has a BBQ shelter for communal use and the other has a more utilitarian role where laundry lines are provided in conjunction with a laundry for residents use.
The building has been designed to be compatible with neighbouring properties and overshadowing and overlooking issues inherent in multi-storey urban development have been addressed and interated in to the design solution. The new buildings are set back from the property boundaries and where necessary perforated metal sightscreens have been incorporated into the balcony balustrades to provide privacy to the residents.