Riverside Gardens

Clapham, Bedford

A multi-unit residential development on a former industrial site.

The concept for the project centred around private amenity and how, on a tight and constrained site, we could provide each dwelling with a piece of external space for residents to relax in and enjoy. The site is located in an area of Bedford where agriculture and fruit-growing was prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries. Our proposals looked to celebrate this in some way - suggesting individual ‘kitchen gardens’ to the frontage of each apartment, re-promoting a shared sense of cultivation.

The scheme converts an existing former warehouse building at the site’s frontage into several self-contained apartments, with a new rear extension increasing the number of dwellings. At the far end of the site, a shared green space is offered - directly adjacent to the River Ouse.

A ‘shared street’ running the length of the site provides safe access and circulation through the development for cars, bicycles and pedestrians. A carefully selected palette of external finishes and surface materials suggests a domestic character.