St Albans’ Old Electricity Works set for major redevelopment

The Old Electricity Works building on Campfield Road, St Albans, is to be redeveloped as part of a new mixed-use scheme, to include 107 homes and 499 sq m of commercial space.

Wrapped around two courtyards, the pedestrian-centred development will have hidden parking beneath landscaped shared spaces.

There will be a ‘lower courtyard’ and ‘upper courtyard’, delivering shared public amenity space for all of the building’s occupants. There will also be a number of planted terraces for semi-private amenity or play.

Architects pH+ and developer City & Suburban have said that they plan to work sensitively around the retained electricity works building through a “restrained brick palette”.

Red brick will be used to create a strong ‘plinth’ element for the new blocks at a lower level while light grey bricks will soften the upper floors of the project.

An additional layer of tone and variation will be added through a contemporary interpretation of the knapped flint walls found in St Albans through the use of dark grey bricks graduated throughout the lighter areas.

Andy Puncher, pH+ Director, said: “It has been exciting to explore and respond to the specific qualities of this historic St Albans site.

“It has allowed us to continue to explore and deliver our shared space agenda whilst highlighting that density and intensity can and should be explored across all contexts to respond to the south east’s housing need”