The plans have been developed for the client, who has owned the existing commercial building for a number of years and wants to explore options to develop the site in sympathy with its surroundings and consonant with today's expectations of sustainable urban living.

The site is adjacent to the Lea Navigation, a canalised river flowing towards the River Thames, with Walthamstow Marshes and Lea Valley Park on the opposite bank. The site offers a wide eastward vista and is bookended by existing five - and six-storey, modern residential buildings built within the last two decades. With a footbridge less than a quarter of a mile away, access to both sides of the Lea Navigation is available, greatly increasing the recreational and sustainable transport credentials of the site.

T2S' design began with an initial C-shaped footprint to make the most of the constrained site, which was further divided into smaller elements, reacting to the local context and creating a sympathetic form without mimicry. The residential sections of the plan have been balanced towards the riverside, with commercial space predominant towards Leaside Road itself, creating important opportunities for local business and retail in this densely populated area.

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