Architecture

Chapel Place delivers 837 new homes and 447 new student bedrooms, all supported by what will be the largest piece of greened public realm in Ilford and activated at ground level by new retail, workspace and leisure spaces. The impact of the project will be transformative. Supported by the nearby cross-rail link, it represents a large and important contribution to growth in Ilford, as LB Redbridge envisioned in their development prospectus. The scheme will comprise seven buildings ranging from 2 storeys in the south to 36 storeys towards the north. The new homes are a mix of Build to Rent, London Affordable Rent and Intermediate tenures and deliver 35% affordable homes. The landscaped ground floor, podiums and roof terraces provide outdoor amenity and play space for all ages on site.

The new central public space will provide an opportunity for all Ilford residents and visitors to relax, linger, and dwell, a feature not found at such scale elsewhere in the town centre. The space forms part of a network of new public realm spaces and routes totalling over 6800 sqm that permeate the site and open it up to the residential neighbourhoods to the south and the town centre to the north.

The scheme achieves a 60% reduction in carbon emissions, an improvement over the required 35%, with a sitewide energy strategy that avoids combustible forms of energy and stands ready to connect to future district energy initiatives. A car-free transport strategy promotes sustainable modes of transport and associated charging points. The scheme will be enriched by a public art strategy curated in consultation with the local community. Sainsbury's will retain a prominent presence on-site to serve Ilford's new and existing communities.

The 2-hectare site, currently occupied by a Sainsbury's store and parking, has a rich heritage as the site of the Britannica Works factory for Ilford photographic film. The pioneering work by the company in the early days of plate photography established Ilford Limited as one of the oldest and most established names in photographic cinema worldwide. The design draws on this history to lend names to the key public realm spaces and revives the site's story in wayfinding and interpretation points throughout the landscaping and public realm.