The building lacks any distinguishing architectural merit and presents an uninspiring frontage on Upper Wickham Lane, while the rear of the building on a service area, exacerbated by a nearby supermarket car park and shop yards. The immediate area around the site also lacks significant character or historical importance, with a few notable exceptions that are listed, including a 1920s deco cinema building opposite the site, a historic pub (now closed), and a small red brick church. Our design for the building will help raise the quality of the local architectural language and enhance the urban landscape around Upper Wickham Lane.

Currently, the building is split into two commercial premises and two apartments. Our plans involve creating an uninterrupted commercial space on the ground floor of approximately 150m2 with residential use above. Our intention is to demolish the existing pitched roof whilst retaining the ground and first floor perimeter walls. The extension follows the footprint of the building, including the first-floor lightwell, up by one floor to create a three-storey, c-shaped, flat-roofed building. The two floors of residential space are divided into six 'cluster apartments', each containing 3-4 self contained rooms with shared facilities. Each room includes an en-suite bathroom, kitchenette and at least one large window to create safe, secure and comfortable living spaces. Our proposal takes careful consideration of light, ensuring that each bedsit unit meets or exceeds the standards for access to daylight.

Our design strategy for Upper Wickham Lane is led by the Home Quality Mark (HQM) - a quality assurance standard that stipulates best practices for homebuilding, including for project management and delivery, as well as the proposed building's thermal efficiency, ventilation, acoustic insulation, security and flood risk. Additionally, the design for Upper Wickham Lane is compliant with the Secure By Design guidelines, and our plans include provision for colour video doorbells for every bedsit, secure mailboxes in the ground floor entrance area, security-rated doors, windows and walls, and a recommendation for CCTV to cover the main entrance, mailboxes, cycle store and each landing. Our design for the exterior of the building includes a green roof which will help to store water and offer a sustainable urban drainage system to reduce the risk of flash flooding, add biodiversity and soften the impact of the building on its vicinity.

We have recessed the upper floor at the front of the building to lessen the appearance of mass, and chosen a zinc roof/wall cladding for a modern feel that also helps to break up the building's vertical presentation. For the remaining walls, we have chosen a specific render system that can be used on both the new walls fitted with fire-resistant insulation panels and over the existing render on the existing walls. This uninterrupted render will ensure the original building and new extension will read as one. This exceptional refurbishment and extension of 35 Upper Wickham Lane will create 23 modern, attractive homes for single people in this London suburb, with its plentiful public transport links, comparatively low housing costs, and plentiful green spaces. Our design adds character and modernity to Upper Wickham Lane without ostentation or perturbation, and we hope the works will be viewed favourably by the local authority so we can realise the works through to construction.