Lion Green Road

: Delivery Architect: RUFFARCHITECTS (Novated), Landscape Architects: Planit-IE (pre-construction); RUFFARCHITECTS (post-construction)

Lion Green Road is a landscape-led residential development of five sculpted pavilions sitting within a verdant landscape, containing 157 homes for private sale and affordable rent, in Coulsdon, London Borough of Croydon. The site fronts onto Lion Green Road, mediating between the urban character of Coulsdon and the green space of Cane Hill, adjoining a historic railway embankment to the rear, a significant relic of the Surrey Iron Railway. The pavilions range in height from 5 to 7 storeys, shifting to reveal views of the embankment, and allowing space for the existing mature trees to flourish.

Each block is carefully rotated to manage proximity and views over the surrounding landscape, with its pavilion typology achieving more homes than originally envisaged possible on the site. This unique plan arrangement generates efficient and spatially rich layouts with generous corner loggia set amongst the surrounding trees. This experience of continually re-engaging with the landscape from the interior spaces was key to the design. A delicate projecting brick detail softens the overarching materiality to the surrounding landscape; three complementary brick colours are used across the five buildings to provide differentiation between overlapping façades. The project was also at the forefront of responses to new Building Regulations, creating an example of best practice for buildings over 18m through careful material specification. The project obtained planning permission in 2018 and was completed by early 2023. Mary Duggan Architects was retained client-side for design monitoring and RUFFARCHITECTS were the Novated Architects working with the contractor, CField Construction.