The Perfume Factory
Project: The Perfume Factory
Location: Hanwell, West London
Client: HGS Property Group
Status: Completed
The Brief
The Perfume Factory is a unique development of 9 one and two bedroom apartments, duplexes and penthouses in Hanwell, one of West London’s most popular neighbourhoods. Steeped in history, the site was used for half a century as a perfume bottle manufacturer, from where all the leading luxury UK brands were printed.
Following the company’s relocation to a purpose-built, family-run operation in Suffolk, the building was purchased by HGS Property Group for conversion into luxury new homes for young professionals.
Our Approach
Our involvement on the Perfume Factory began after planning consent was secured for conversion from employment to residential use but the client asked us to ensure the design was entirely optimised, both for the young professional market and resale value. The site has several limitations but the most significant was size; we were unable to make it any higher or wider because of its constrained location down a mews. Extensively using VR, we modelled lots of different configurations, especially in the entranceway and stairwells, to improve quality of light and space and this resulted in the provision of an additional 108m² net saleable area across the whole site, the equivalent to another apartment.
A further limitation was the external envelope’s appearance. Our intention was to make this bespoke and interesting so after adding as much daylight as possible via S73 amendments, we created the front elevation to mimic a series of townhouse scale facades with pitched roofs, aluminium clad timber window and doors, and textured light grey bricks with coal sintered or cemented finishes.
Our Design
The advantage of being both architect and interior designer meant we were able to really explore concepts with the final purchaser in mind. We thought about how the space would be used, what type of finishes and specifications would appeal and most importantly, how the pandemic has altered lifestyles in terms of working from home and access to the outdoors.
The Perfume Factory is fundamentally designed to maximise natural light, featuring well-conceived layouts focused on clean lines, generous storage and open-plan living areas with engineered timber flooring to create practical and homely spaces. Each home has a smart lighting plan to complement the floor to ceiling windows and also benefits from its own private terrace or garden. The scheme’s communal entrance was also opened up to further enhance light and create a sense of arrival.
The interior design for each home is luxurious and sleek, adopting a natural and earthy colour palette of greys and neutrals to provide synergy between the building’s external and internal appearance. High quality fixtures and finishes are included throughout including textured porcelain floor and wall tiles, soft close handleless kitchen cabinetry, concrete/marble effect worksurfaces, satin brassware, recessed LED lighting and underfloor heating.
The Result
Construction on the Perfume Factory has completed and all units were sold quickly, not only because of the scheme’s great design and quality of space but because it occupies a prime location, nearby the new Crossrail station.
“The Perfume Factory is a bespoke development that has regenerated an historic site into vibrant, thoughtfully-designed homes. Ackroyd Lowrie’s determination and creativity to help us achieve the level of quality was undoubtedly one of the keys to its widespread appeal and we’re extremely grateful for their insight. We’re already collaborating on our next scheme together in Norwood, South London.”
Phillip Howard, director, HGS Property Group