BLOCK L, EASTMAN VILLAGE
Reviving the community spirit of the former Kodak factory
Block L occupies a central plot within Eastman Village in Harrow, linking two major public spaces of this mixed-use 2,000 homes development on what was once the largest Kodak factory outside the United States, built in 1891. The regeneration masterplan will ultimately deliver a completely new urban neighbourhood.
The block is located at the southern edge of the site, facing the Green Link linear park and a new community pavilion built around the retrofitted Kodak chimney. A simple courtyard, the block consists of four buildings (the two at the north designed by Piercy & Co) arranged around a communal podium garden. Though predominantly residential, the block provides two commercial units at each corner to ensure street-level activity and services for the community.
Compact Living
Block L introduced a new typology that we have designed for Barratt London: an intermediate unit called DMS – Discounted Market Sale – targeted at younger people who want home ownership on a more limited budget. Affordably designed, they typically have a 20 per cent discount. The two standard formats are: one-bed, one-person flat and a two-bed, three-person home. Both have been designed to leave maximum flexibility to the tenant with the best use of space – for instance, the two-bed flat has a dumbbell layout to allow for the possibility of each bedroom becoming an independent suite. For the one-bed flat, the bathroom has a two-door solution which allows for flow of movement within the space.
The Kodak pavillion with block L in the background.