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Retrofit-first sustainable vision
for the Avon House Estate

View our proposals
20 Stratford Place

M & G Real Estate and Oxygen are delighted to present a public consultation on proposals for renewed investment in the Avon House Estate.

We are proposing a retrofit-first sustainable restoration and rejuvenation of the Avon House Estate to secure its long term future in line with local priorities and current market demand.
Our proposals will rejuvenate a valued local asset, with a retrofit-first design approach conserving and enhancing the existing buildings, with sensitive, localised interventions. Our retrofit-first vision follows an attractive and considerate design in keeping with the local character of the area, whilst being sympathetic to the site’s unique heritage and congruent with the historic area. Our aspiration is to provide a scheme which is aligned with local priorities and current market demand to support future growth and jobs in the West End with flexible and modern workspace, whilst achieving excellent sustainability and biodiversity enhancements.
Ahead of submitting a planning application to Westminster City Council, we want to hear your feedback and perspectives to shape the development of our plans. Please read on to find out more information about the buildings that are comprising the Avon House Estate and its history, our proposals, and how you can get involved in our public consultation.
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The Site

The wider estate and the case for the restoration

Located along Oxford Street just opposite Bond Street Underground Station, ‘The Avon House Estate’ is a site comprising of four buildings and a shared central courtyard. The Estate occupies the majority of the urban block bounded by Oxford Street to the south, Gee’s Court to the west, St. Christopher’s Place to the north and Stratford Place to the east.
The buildings relevant to our proposals are:
  • 20 Stratford Place
  • 2 Gee's Court
  • 4 Gee's Court
Swan House, whilst forming part of the wider estate, is generally excluded from the scope of these proposals, except for a revised estate wide access strategy and improved access strategy.

The majority of the ground, first and basement floors are retail use and only the new and relocated office receptions form part of the scope of our proposals.  

The site is located within the Stratford Place Conservation Area.
The Grade II listed corner plot is treated as two distinct buildings in the statutory listings: Nos. 360-366 Oxford Street and No. 20 Stratford Place.The other 3 buildings forming part of the Avon House Estate are not listed.
The site has undergone many changes and alterations over the years. However, the current site presents a number of challenges that are preventing it from contributing to the local economy in the way it could. This restricts the environmental sustainability targets that would future-proof the building.
Previous unsympathetic alterations are causing heritage harm and the current fabric condition is need of upgrading. The existing entrances to the offices have limited street frontage and presence. Our proposals represent a great opportunity to create a flexible and sustainable modern workspace with an improved arrival experience and introduce excellent sustainability and thermal performance credentials to the site.
View location
View tIMELINE
  • A) 20 Stratford Place
  • B) 2 Gee's Court
  • C) 4 Gee's Court

The Site Overview

20 Stratford Place occupies the corner of Oxford Street and Stratford Place. It is a Grade II listed building, the site is treated as two distinct buildings in the statutory listings: 360-366 Oxford Street and No. 20 Stratford Place. The basement, ground and first floor are predominately retail use and out of scope in this proposal, whilst the upper floors are office workspace accessed from Stratford Place.
2 Gee’s Court occupies the corner of Oxford Street and Gee’s Court. The basement, ground and first floors are mainly retail use and out of scope pf these proposals. This retail unit is currently undergoing a refurbishment (19/10008/FULL). The scope in this proposal includes the refurbishment of the 2nd-6th floors.

4 Gee’s Court is located to the north of the site, with retail at ground, the scope includes refurbishment of the basement and upper floor office levels.

Swan House, whilst forming part of the wider estate, is excluded from the scope of these proposals.

Our Proposals

Our vision for the site includes the retrofit-first sustainable restoration and rejuvenation of the Avon House Estate to secure its long term future in line with local priorities and current market demand.

Provide a flexible modern workspace

Sustainable retrofit-first restoration and rejuvenation of the estate

Support future growth and jobs in the West End

Improve sustainability and increase biodiversity gain

Improve the accessibility and arrival experience

Create welcoming amenity space

Retrofit-first rejuvenation of Avon House Estate to secure its long-term future by creating a quality workspace that meets the demand for modern occupiers.

Overall, our proposals will rejuvenate a significant area of the Oxford Street and Bond Street area, and make Avon House Estate a competitive workspace within an area renowned for commercial appeal

  • Creating modern and functional office space with enhanced provisions; going beyond current regulatory standards to provide high-quality, in-demand accommodation
  • Re-establishing the original staircase configuration from ground floor upwards, improving accessiblity for ambulant users and realigning the sill heights throughout the building
  • Delivering a bright, welcoming entrance and internal atrium at 20 Stratford Place to improve natural lighting to the building and provide enhanced amenity
  • Improving street presence and frontage with a combined entrance to 2 and 4 Gee’s Court that will significantly improve how Gee’s Court looks and feels to all those passing by
  • Providing a sensitively designed communal rooftop terrace on 4 Gees Court, significantly increasing the biodiversity across the site and providing a calm, nature-filled external space for the improved health & wellbeing of all employees
  • Private terrace tucked into the roof of 20 Stratford Place, providing unrivalled views along South Molton street
  • Addressing and improving the accessibility of Gee’s Court with an improved arrival experience with level access throughout the estate for the first time in its history
  • Replacing unsafe glazing and removing dangerous lead and contaminants from the buildings

Restoring and rejuvenating Avon House Estate’s key buildings to be more sympathetic to their unique heritage and congruent with the historic area.

  • Retrofit- first design approach to preserve and enhance the existing buildings
  • Enhancing the external appearance of 20 Stratford Place and 2 & 4 Gee’s Court to provide a unifying estate identity and positive contribution to the local area
  • Sensitively upgrading the existing fabric condition and thermal condition to improve Operational Energy of the buildings in harmony with their heritage

Sustainability and biodiversity enhancement exceeding regulatory standards

Overall, our proposals follow a retrofit-first sustainable design approach that will preserve and enhance the existing buildings.

  • The building is targeting a minimum of BREEAM Excellent, Along with a NABERS rating of 4.5*. The building will also be WELL Enabled
  • Improving and upgrading the windows for better thermal performance, upgrading to double or triple glazing where appropriate
  • Retrofitting and upgrading the buildings to significantly improve thermal performance and targeting EPC rating A
  • Making provisions for biodiversity gain with planting to provide screening from neighbouring properties and greenery at both the rooftop terrace and outer facades
  • Delivering a well-designed rooftop terrace at 20 Stratford Place and a communal rooftop pavilion at 4 Gee’s Court with additional biodiversity enhancements
  • Providing enhanced bike storage space in the basement to encourage more sustainable transport

Creating a more welcoming and activated Courtyard

  • Addressing unsightly building facades and lack of a sense of place and scale
  • Adding scale and visual interest with sculptural pergola, lighting and new decoration, creating an outer appearance that better suits the high-end commerciality associated with the area, helping to attract modern occupiers
  • Convert a back of house space into a vibrant arrival to the site, connecting then with the amenity at 4 Gees Ct Basement.
  • New end of trip amenity will be provided within the basement of 4 Gee's Court to provide estate wide end of journey facilities in line with industry standards, encouraging active travel to work

Considerate of neighbouring amenity

  • Careful consideration has been made to the privacy of our neighbours. By designing in carefully placed greening and introducing a well-managed planting strategy to specific areas of the terraces and rooftop pavilion, we aim to screen the terraces from adjacent residential areas. The operating hours of the terraces will be in-line with Westminster City Council Guidance.
  • Consideration for our neighbours has been at the heart of the design review process. The proposals will deliver a concise and timely programme of works which avoids the disruption associated with extensive demolition and redevelopment, with all works conducted to the specification of a Construction Management Plan.
  • We will have a tier 1 contractor who will develop a full, considered construction logistics plan to reduce any disruption to our neighbours.
Indicative images
20 Stratford Place:
Proposed Entrance
Proposed Entrance
Proposed Arrival
Proposed Arrival
Proposed Plans
Proposed Plans
Proposed 2nd Floor
Proposed 2nd Floor
Workspace Illustration
Workspace Illustration
Proposed 4th Floor terrace
Proposed 4th Floor terrace
2 & 4 Gee’s Court:
New combined entrance
New combined entrance
2 Gee’s Court proposed frontage
2 Gee’s Court proposed frontage
Proposed reception
Proposed reception
2 Gee’s Court indicative image
2 Gee’s Court indicative image
2 Gee’s Court proposed plans
2 Gee’s Court proposed plans
4 Gee’s Court indicative image
4 Gee’s Court indicative image
4 Gee’s Court proposed plans
4 Gee’s Court proposed plans
Roof terrace proposal
Roof terrace proposal
New combined entrance
New combined entrance
The team

M&G Real Estate is the owner of the building and is recognised as one of the world’s leading property investors. M & G truly believes in sustainability and in the need to create genuine social value for the communities in the areas they invest in. 

Alongside Oxygen, who are the development managers for these proposals, they have partnered with a number of social organisations to deliver genuine social value, for the area it operates in.

The wider team

logo_GeraldEve
logo_Concilio
logo_TFT
logo_Sprantley & Partners
logo_elliott wood
logo_chapmanbdsp

Delivering Social Value

Oxygen and M & G Real Estate have partnered with a number of social organisations to deliver genuine social value, for the area it operates in. One of these is CollectEco, an organisation which helps companies to donate furniture, materials and equipment to good causes.

So far, through this partnership a total kit valued at £70,718 has been donated to the community in support of 10 good causes. These donations have translated to a total of 39,935 kg of Co2 being avoided with 16,804 kg diverted from landfill. These materials have been donated to support multiple organisations including charities, schools, non-profits.

These organisations include Clipstone Miners Community Trust, Sheppey Sea Cadets, Rebel Business School, Start2Finish and Mugeni Montage, a not for profit that helps young people from underprivileged backgrounds.

Rebel Business School said:

''We are a CIC, supporting local communities, disadvantaged people and those furthest from the job market to explore self-employment to deliver empowerment and social mobility using entrepreneurship as the vehicle. The donated furniture has been used to furnish a brand new community co-working space to fund on-going support, courses and projects for the local community and to aid social mobility as one of the most important things we can focus on to support the community to get going and create their own opportunities''.

Have your say

We want to hear your feedback on our vision for the Avon House Estate to shape the development of our plans.

If you would like printed copies of the material or have any further questions, please do get in touch using the contact details on this website.

Online Survey

Please fill in our online survey to let us know your feedback on the proposals

Available till: Monday 6th May

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