Terminal Five architects design first homes for private rent scheme

The innovative modular design which has been approved for the Leather Gardens estate (Image: Archant)

The architects behind Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five will deliver the pilot development for Newham Council’s new property company.

Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales at the Red Door Ventures ground-breaking ceremony. (Image: Archant)

Red Door Ventures, which is owned by the council, plans to build at least 3,000 new homes in the next 13 years and offer a third of them at a subsidised rent below the market value.

The first development, announced today, will bring 36 modern two-bedroom apartments and duplexes to the Leather Gardens estate at the junction of Abbey Road and Eastbourne Road.

Most of the construction can completed off-site and residents should be in their new homes by the end of this year.

Architect Lord Richard Rogers, of Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, said houses are in vital need and praised the Newham Council for using its initiative to help rectify the situation.

“The council is more or less the first borough to take the lead on providing rented housing and that is fantastic,” he said. “It is very important to bring quality to the design of the housing, it is not just about knocking out boxes.”

Partner Ivan Harbour added: “The important thing is to make sure the housing talks to the street and has a great relationship with it. The impact is far more than providing the housing itself.”

Sir Robin Wales, mayor of Newham, said the council initiative will enable more people to live in the borough, and by setting up its own company they could ensure that Newham residents’ needs are prioritised.

“We will get the profit so we can plough it back into subsidising the houses and making them more affordable,” he said. “We won’t compromise on quality as we are not looking to make a quick buck, we are building these for hundreds of years.”