Porter's Lodge & Community Office

This context comprises Nash’s elegant neoclassical stucco terraces to the north, and 1960’s brick apartment blocks to the east, south and west. The lodge itself is composed of extruded hexagonal geometries of varying heights formed from the 1960s ventilation shafts on which it sits. The ‘island' is clad in English Oak and softened with green roofs consisting of four different biodiversities creating an organic ‘garden’ presence within this formal urban context. The green roofs also offer a visual treat for neighbouring residents, creating a verdant garden view from above. The roof planting includes a stylised meadow, a montane scrub, a moorland and an aquatic zone. This new biodiversity provides year-round nectar-rich flowers, supporting nesting birds and invertebrates. An ecologically sensitive planting scheme was developed to encourage pollinator activity with a particular focus on encouraging urban bees. The dense greenery also helps to mitigate the ‘canyon' effect where pollution becomes trapped at street level due to the taller surrounding buildings. The lodge serves as a social and functional focal point for the local residential community providing essential services such as fire safety, security, access control, and postal services. The building is constructed using an innovative, prefabricated modular timber system by ‘Blokbuild’. Precise manufacturing and optimised material usage significantly reduce construction waste, while prefabrication minimises site disruption and accelerates the construction timeline, contributing to a lower carbon footprint. The resident porters say that since its completion, the unusual hexagonal-shaped Lodge nestled amongst the surrounding historic buildings often attracts curious commuters and tourists who often pause to admire - and photograph - this unexpected addition to the neighbourhood.