Rickmansworth

Review of new apartments in a suburban village

Client

Location

Scale

Private client

Small development

Croxley Green, Rickmansworth

We were appointed to review a recently consented scheme for new apartments in the suburban village of Rickmansworth.

CONTEXT

Through a detailed scheme audit, we identified several critical issues that risked making the scheme undeliverable, including non‑compliance with technical regulations. Further inefficiencies, such as missing service risers and oversized homes, meant the full development value had yet to be realised.

APPROACH

In response, we developed a series of design options to support the developer in selecting the best way forward. These proposals addressed technical compliance and rationalised inefficient layouts to create a deliverable and commercially viable scheme.

Key optimisation strategies included:

  • Adjusting the housing mix to better align with market demand
  • Enhancing unit layouts to maximise value, for example converting 2‑bed 3‑person units into 2‑bed 4‑person homes — a modest increase in area delivering a notable uplift in sales value
  • Introducing service risers and other technical improvements to achieve compliance and reduce construction risk

RESULTS

This targeted review and redesign helped unlock latent value in the consented scheme while ensuring it could be delivered efficiently and meet current regulations.

Transformation in numbers

59

Total Homes

Ground floor

BEFORE

ATER

First floor

BEFORE

AFTER

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Testimonials

"I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Tim as part of team delivering the Church Street regeneration in Westminster.

Tim has the brilliant combination of talented designer, clear communicator and trusting leader, giving us as architects the tools we needed to deliver the project vision, while working collaboratively and always being available to review and resolve the inevitable challenges that arose."

Tom Morgan

Director at Bell Phillips

"I worked with Tim when he was Mount Anvil’s Head of Design on Burridge Gardens (St John's Hill) in London, which was a joint venture development between Mount Anvil and Peabody.

In his position Tim carefully guided the design team to meet the development requirements of these two organisations. Balancing the cost plan whilst delivering a scheme with great residential and retail architecture."

Iain Cochran

Former Partner at Hawkins\Brown

"Working with Tim is always a pleasure. He consistently delivers high-quality, efficient outputs, driving both himself and the wider consultant team to meet challenging briefs and tight programmes.

Tim has a rare blend of strategic refinement and a keen eye for detailed design, which allows him to unlock complex or stalled sites—such as Watermeadow Court—through intelligent optimisation of plan, form, and elevation."

Rebecca Hayden-Skinner

Development Director at Mount Anvil
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"I had the privilege of collaborating with Tim on our Whitechapel project in London, known as the Silk District where we acted as Architects.

The project presented a complex redevelopment challenge within a dense urban context, requiring a strategic balance between maximising site value and driving efficiency whilst navigating the local planning landscape. Tim delivered exceptional results across all these areas, demonstrating outstanding expertise and professional acumen."

Ewout Vandeweghe

Partner at Stockwool
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"Tim came into the project at a critical point, with the final phase of our residential development stalled due to a housing mix that no longer reflected market demand. We needed fresh thinking and a range of viable options quickly to move things forward. Tim immediately understood the challenge and delivered a well thought out suite of design options, each carefully considered from both a planning and commercial perspective."

Peter Gore

Former Managing Director, Taylor Wimpey
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"Working with Tim was a genuinely collaborative experience. He has a strong grasp of both the design process and the commercial realities of development, which meant we were always pulling in the same direction. From the outset — having already identified key optimisation opportunities — Tim clearly set out the vision and overarching development goals, and worked closely with us to shape a scheme that balanced planning strategy, viability, and strong design principles."

Mark Baines

Managing Director at Hunters Architects
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