Project Overview
Developer, Inland Homes, has repurposed the Grade II listed former Randalls department store in Uxbridge as contemporary apartments.
Alongside conversion of the original store building, which has been renamed Gatsby House, the development includes four new builds: Charleston House, Eves House, Old Brigade House and Dalloway House. The original faience façade of the Grade II listed former retail store has been repaired and restored, and the new buildings at the rear are of brick construction. For Charleston House, the planning authority and the architect wanted to ensure the façade complements the materiality and colour palette of the heritage retail building so Shackerley’s SureClad® Ceramic Granite system was chosen.
Charleston House is a five-storey building of concrete frame construction with ground floor retail/leisure accommodation and a total of 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments, across floors 1-4, each with a private balcony.
Design Requirements
Because the former Randalls building sits on a corner plot on the high street and Charleston House is at right angles to the existing elevation, facing onto a main road, the local planning authority and the architect wanted a high-end finish for the façade that complements the aesthetics of the legacy building. At the same time, the façade for the new building needed to provide a contemporary addition that articulates the change.
Clean creamy coloured Lopar SureClad® panels were chosen to complement the cream faience façade of the Randalls store front, while classic SureClad® panels provide contrast and accentuate the depth provided by a stepped-in façade design.
Alongside aesthetic considerations, the architect was looking for a ceramic cladding system that would offer excellent fire safety standards.
Materials Used
The architect specified Shackerley’s SureClad® Ceramic Granite system in a Lopar colourway that matches the creamy colour of the existing building’s faience façade for the majority of the Charleston House façade at levels ground to 3. On each corner, the building steps in at level 3 and the façade for the recessed area of the level 3 and level 4 has been specified with Shackerley’s SureClad® Ceramic Granite system in a contrasting Wolseley colourway.
The façade design was developed utilising Shackerley’s standard 1198mm X 598 mm panel size. There was also a range of bespoke detailing to create the recessed balconies and a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco style, including feature bands and columns with integrated reveals, soffits and deep returns.
The façade was installed using the Shackerley SureClad® Access installation system, with installation-ready panels fully fabricated at one of Shackerley’s ISO9001 accredited UK factories.
