Mixed-use Residential & Shared Living Masterplan Development

The Oval is a mixed-use development in Tower Hamlets, delivering 24 affordable homes, 222 shared living units, commercial maker spaces and over 1,000 sqm of amenities including a rooftop terrace. The scheme retains a former brewery building, integrating heritage with contemporary design on a highly constrained site. Early collaboration with the client and consultants, including a shared living specialist, shaped a robust brief responsive to local policy and urban context.

The planning process involved seven pre-application meetings, two Quality Review Panels and public engagement, supported by physical models to communicate massing and scale. To mitigate overlooking and daylight impacts on neighbouring Empress Works, the design introduced setbacks and mirrored massing, enabling the delivery of family homes at social rent while respecting adjacent character.

Central to the scheme is the restored brewery, reimagined as part of the co-living offer and fronting a new landscaped courtyard. Access constraints and proximity to rail infrastructure required careful coordination of fire strategy, servicing and pedestrian movement. Back alleyways were activated through lighting, wayfinding and active frontages, while new public realm and commercial uses contribute to a safer, more vibrant streetscape. The Oval transforms an underused site into a high-quality, policy-aligned development rooted in local context.