A community of black townhouses and apartments under construction in Sheffield’s Kelham Island Quarter has been designed to contrast with the historic red-brick factory buildings of the industrial inner-city district.
Called Little Kelham, the housing is segmented into blocks of varying sizes, the facades then punctuated with openings for windows and doors. Small, black-brick, cube-shaped homes neighbour larger terraced blocks with traditionally influenced gabled roofs.
Black corrugated sheet metal and dark slate cladding add to the scheme’s monochrome colour palette, which is broken occasionally by slatted red wood balconies. To the rear of the rows of townhouses, grey rendered surfaces back on to communal gardens.
Inside, white living and kitchen spaces are visually connected with upper floors through glazed bedroom walls and voids, which also allow daylight to spill into deeper parts of the homes.
Property development firm Citu have worked with a number of yorkshire-based architects on the project, including Bauman Lyons, and CAL Architects.
The masterplan encompasses the sites of two former industrial facilities, from which several architectural features will be retained. Work recently began on the grade-II listed Green Lane Works Clock tower, which will see it’s facade altered to front a new public space. The renovated clock tower will accommodate office space, a bar, and six apartments.
Eagle Works – a second disused steel works – has been transformed into a temporary workshop to produce the timber frames which form the skeletons of the 250 new homes. When no longer required, the ex-factory will be converted into independent cafes and co-working space.
Kelham Island is most famous for it’s museum which documents Sheffield’s history, and the city’s connection with the steel industry.
Following the decline of industry in the area, Much of Kelham Island became disused and derelict – the district became a no-go area for many of the City’s residents. However following a period of urban regeneration, it has seen a huge rise in popularity, and it was recently named one of Britain’s Best Places to Live by the Sunday Times.
Citu has previously won awards for its role on innovative and sustainable projects. They recently started work on a £125 million pound scheme forming part of the regeneration masterplan of the South Bank area of Leeds – the city in which the development company are based. The Climate Innovation District masterplan is designed by Swedish studio White Arkitekter, and incorporates 500 new low-carbon homes.
Photography is by Will Roberts/Vox Multimedia.