The Officers' House - EH Smith

The Officers’ House

Royal Arsenal, London

Part of the regeneration of the historic Royal Arsenal, The Officers’ House redevelops a dilapidated Grade II listed barracks building (Block A) and provides additional housing within a new twin block (Block B). Block A was fully refurbished after 30 years of neglect since the Ministry of Defence’s vacation of the site. Many original features such as moulds of cornices and fireplaces were reused to preserve the original character of the building.

One of the significant challenges of the scheme was to dovetail a modern development into the existing Grade II listed building. The selection of a complimentary palette of bricks was crucial.

For Block B, the client chose an offsite construction method. In total forty-eight modular units were manufactured to create 19 apartments. Block B also accommodates retail units addressing the new public square. Externally, the facade is composed of Flemish bond brickwork with, deep window reveals and large external balconies overlooking the square. Extensive landscaping and public realm work has been undertaken as part of the redevelopment to create a pedestrian route to and from the future CrossRail entrance.

Location: London

Architect: Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Contractors: Berkeley Homes

Products used on this case study

Compass Student Accommodation

Berners Wells Building