Our architect and interior designer worked hard to design aspirational living spaces for the rental sector that could be delivered at affordable prices. We have created a secure, next-generation living space that emphasises sustainability from the ground up.
We designed an efficient, attractive, and avant-garde residential space with top-tier amenities and community-inclusive services to achieve this.
Our new development, Hexagon Court, is a 25,000 square feet mixed-use retail and residential rental development in Balham, southwest London, providing a range of stylish 1-3 bedroom apartments and townhouses.
Work on the building started in 2018 and was completed in February 2020. The project transformed disused brownfield land, including a sombre old car park, into a modern living space combining technical innovation with natural well-being. The development embodies our vision of what harmonious urban living looks like.
Well received by the local community, the development features Balham’s first organic supermarket.
Looking In
Internally, we created a range of valuable features such as a virtual concierge, remote locks, high-security doors, flowing green spaces, an en-suite layout, a roof terrace, high-speed fibre-optic broadband as standard, an onsite gym, and other supplementary amenities that streamline daily life.
We prioritised ensuring Hexagon Court delivered amenities only available in the largest developments. We wanted to bridge the gap between luxury and affordability while providing advanced features that renters typically miss out on.
The type of people we envisaged living at Hexagon Court were aspirational professionals and young families. We liaised with interior designers for several elements while some were designed in-house, based on our experience developing and operating high-quality, smaller Build-To-Rent schemes. By incorporating feedback from residents, we try to take the lessons we’ve learnt from one development and apply them to all our properties.
Looking Out
Externally, our mission was to ensure the building specification was as considerate of the natural environment. Our development team minimised adverse environmental impacts by retaining some aspects of the previous building structure and building with long lifespan materials needing less frequent replacement.
Many novel features were incorporated into the fabric of the building, such as fire-resistant steel security doors with remote keyless entry. This has proved to be particularly popular following the emergence of COVID because residents can use their phones to access their properties.
One of the most significant challenges was keeping abreast of the rapidly changing government advice on fire hazard safety. Our fire strategy was amended because of the tragic Grenfell fire in June 2017. As the Government’s fire guidance was still being developed, our fire consultants helped us design a fire strategy that comfortably exceeded all current and proposed requirements. Our development features dry risers, sprinklers throughout, plus fire alarms with automatic opening vents.
The building welcomed its first residents at the end of February 2020, one month before the COVID lockdown restrictions were introduced. Hexagon Court has thrived as a modern living space with a vibrant community that has enabled families to endure the pandemic with greater dignity.
“Our resident’ response to this project has been nothing short of breathtaking which makes us extremely proud to be responsible for Hexagon Court.” – Sanjeev Patel
Sustaining Safety and Security
Regarding fire safety, Hexagon Court was designed before the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, which meant we had to re evaluate every fire safety aspect of the building before breaking ground. As a means of future proofing the development, we chose to upgrade fire safety features throughout the development to the point they not only met current standards but comfortably exceeded them.
Specifically, we fitted sprinklers in every living space and common area and installed a specialised fire alarm panel connected to retailers in the parade. This was supplemented with fire-fighting dry risers being integrated into the building design, ensuring total fire hazard coverage and reducing the risk of a fire hazard down to almost zero – a feat few new builds in the UK can claim.
Going Green
Hexagon Court is a “green” construction concerning its internal structure and environmental impact. The building is also highly resource-efficient. Being a BTR project that includes utilities in the rental price, we worked with our designers to insulate the property as much as possible. The net result is a smaller carbon footprint as a building, lower energy consumption and lower monthly utility bills for residents.
To emphasise our commitment to efficiency and modernity, we also fitted a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the building, delivering 6.6kW of electricity to run common systems in the building, thereby alleviating reliance on grid power and further reducing the cost of energy consumption.
Additionally, we installed a 50 square-metre exterior “living wall” with an automatic irrigation system, including automated fertiliser dosing and remote monitoring.
The living wall is a crucial design feature housing several species of plants that remain colourful and aesthetically pleasing regardless of the weather. This wall also purifies the air, absorbs noise, improves biodiversity and increases the productivity of our residents, many of whom are still working from home. The system features Spiio remote monitoring, enabling remote maintenance of plants and onsite gardens. The building also features a green roof and a rooftop terrace as an additional recreational area and natural point of interest.
After extensive consultations with horticulturalists, we decided the building’s terrace should feature twenty British wildflowers, purposefully selected to attract a high diversity of native pollinating species. We also included aged wood trunk decorations to improve invertebrates’ habitat and boost local biodiversity.
Our idea of good living is to blend useful tech features with beautiful natural living spaces that are delightful to experience. We want our residents to live in buildings that harness technology while showcasing biophilia.
We also fitted acoustic glass in all apartments, helping Hexagon Court achieve a 68dB daytime and 65dB night-time noise rating.
As you can see, we’ve gone above and beyond in all areas to ensure a truly next-generation living experience for our residents.
To ensure our residents receive both a premium living experience and a premium support service, we provide an around-the-clock support team that will cater to what our residents need most.
To access ongoing updates about our Hexagon Court project as well as all other developments, please visit the News section or our dedicated Hexagon Court website.
CONSTRUCTION IMAGES
FINISHED PRODUCTS
