United Kingdom | Leeds | Waterman’s Place | CZWG Architects LLP

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CZWG completes new residential complex in Leeds city centre

The design of Waterman’s Place has been based upon a careful analysis of the site, which was carried out at the inception of the project in order to explore the context of the site, its location and connectivity. Waterman’s Place is sited at Granary Wharf in the heart of Leeds city centre to the south of Leeds City railway station along side the canal and the river Aire. From the east, this new quarter is now accessed via a replacement footbridge spanning the river where it emerges from the vaults beneath City railway station. Raised above a publicly permeable ground floor of commercial units, is CZWG’s apartment building. Like an eroded geological mass surmounted by a ‘hill town’ of stepping blocks, and riven by a seam of polished copper, it’s a rigorously planned assembly of forms governed by its own architectural logic, but which is responsive to its canal-side location: indigenous brick walls deeply punctured by repetitive windows, and timber cladding which will weather to a warm beige-grey.
Waterman’s Place represents economic diversity and independence; it contains 122 apartments of varying sizes including a percentage of affordable flats which will contribute to the diversity of its residents. The building’s ground floor will be occupied by a number of commercial units to ensure that Waterman’s Place contributes to the new liveable neighbourhood. An energy strategy was devised which at practical completion achieved an Ecohomes ‘Very Good’ Rating, containing a district heating system for all apartments with white goods all certified A rated. All materials have come from sustainable sources, and are recyclable. All insulation materials are HCFC free, all timber is FSC Certified and all brick and stone is locally sourced. Sustainability has also been enhanced by the deployment of modern methods of construction (MMC). MMC included off site prefabricated bathrooms, prefabricated balconies and off-site joinery, the carbon footprint of these elements being significantly reduced, cutting down journeys to site for both materials and labour. In the spirit of journey reduction, an otter tunnel has been installed beneath the Waterman’s Place to allow them to traverse between the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Fonte: World Architecture News