Ossulton Court
A Project By: Atelier Architecture
Project Summary:
Hillingdon Borough – Sheltered Housing for Pensionable Age – with a housing mix including private rental to fund the development – Completed
“An extraordinary piece of urban replacement, addressing changing social needs”
BIG PICTURE
Client – ‘Uxbridge United Welfare Trust’ wanted a flagship building to mark a 500yr old tradition of the Almshouse Charity in the neighbourhood, and to be a viable investment in the long term
The pre-existing building was not fit for purpose and could not meet the demand for sheltered housing in the borough
The landlocked site in a conservation area, requiring demolition of a locally listed building, formerly the site of a 19C Artillery Barracks. The extraordinary focus and demonstrable needs of the charity that were able to address local planning policy
CONCEPTS
- ‘A community of living spaces around a communal courtyard’
- ‘Meeting social and environmental needs in the heart of Uxbridge’
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
South facing U shaped Courtyard – Cloister – Sheltered Walkways – Private Patios and Balconies looking onto sheltered courtyard – Bee Hives – Landscaping – Café Social Room – M43 wheelchair complaint level access to all 30# apartments
Belgian Bricks – Hit-and-Miss brick friezes and corbelling –
Zinc roofing, including dormers and Mansards
Heat recovery, Monodraught natural ventilation windcatchers, fabric first insulation to building envelope to Passivhaus standard including airtightness.
The sense of flow in circulation, the spatial hierarchy between civic and private space
There are good images of sketches, drawings, pre-existing building, demolition, in progress and completion
BEHIND THE SCENES
4 years to get planning – COVID during the build – unforeseen groundworks – statutory delays contractor was claim conscious and won the contract on cheap tender.
Completing the project after 9 years hard work.
USEFUL SCRIPT – 21C Context
Almshouse typology can offer much to the social housing crisis and ageing demographic we face in the 21C restoring care, integrity and wellbeing, using simple principles of daylight, dual aspect, shared communal spaces and more
This project has delivered 30 new apartments, combining Almshouses for older residents with private rental homes aimed at young professionals. The site sits within a conservation area, tucked into an urban block with narrow alleyway access, and lies close to the River Fray, one of the chalk streams flowing from the Chilterns to the Thames. As part of the scheme, the former Almshouses – which were no longer suitable for modern living – will be replaced with a building that better meets the needs of residents and the local community.
The design focuses on wellbeing, care, and social interaction. All homes are fully wheelchair accessible, ensuring they can be enjoyed by people of all abilities. Shared spaces including a café, meeting areas, and a south-facing courtyard garden are at the heart of the development, providing places for residents to meet, relax, and enjoy the outdoors in a sheltered environment. The scheme also encourages engagement with the wider community through school visits, gardening projects, and beekeeping workshops. Each apartment benefits from dual-aspect living, giving natural light, cross-ventilation, and views from both sides of the home. Private outdoor spaces overlook the shared courtyard, helping residents feel connected to the communal heart of the development.
RECOGNITION
- Local Council Social Housing Officer: “the best social housing in Hillingdon.”
- The Almshouse Association https://www.almshouses.org/ 2025 Award Housing Innovation
- RIBA Housing LIN ‘Age Friendly Communities and Lifetime Neighbourhoods’ https://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/browse/Design-building/Neighbourhoods/
Our most recent Almshouse project in West London, completed in 2022. It required the demolition of 20# locally listed Almshouse bedsits (1906) that were no longer fit for purpose, and replacement with 30# modern Almshouse apartments. The project achieved high quality living standards for all 30# wheelchair accessible apartments. It was heralded by the Hillingdon Officer for Social Housing as the best social housing in the borough.
The challenge was firstly one of spatial constraint; the site is an enclosed courtyard in an urban area, with development on four sides and limited access, but added to this were heritage constraints, including the locally listed building, and its location in a Conservation Area. The design and planning process required patience, quality proposals and a coordinated response with various experts to present an innovative submission that ultimately won the hearts and minds of the local authority planning committee. We prepared a #140-page Design & Access Statement that was instrumental in winning planning permission against local opposition. Some of the early concept sketches are available
Following planning approval, the technical design progressed, and following a value engineering exercise and second tender the construction commenced after demolition of the existing bedsits. The construction phase faced various unforeseen challenges, including unknown ground conditions, COVID shutdown, subcontractor supply chains delays, client variations, and rising labour and material costs. It was one of the most complex times to attempt to construct a building in recent memory.
