Connaught Gardens was designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards architects. PTEa has developed this site through a subsidiary company Connaught House Developments (a joint venture between PTE Property and Guild Developments) after the firm won planning permission for seven contemporary townhouses on this unique steeply sloping site near Highgate Woods. When approaching the houses, the Northern elevation is most prominent, the form and materials relating to the wooded hillside. The individual houses are merged to suggest a ‘building in the woods’ and are faced with a staggered butt cedar shingle, like the bark of a tree.

The southern elevation in contrast relates to the black and white ‘Tudorbethan’ vernacular of immediate neighbours, where black windows and doors sit in a white rendered terrace. The section of the typical house was carefully articulated to benefit from views, orientation and the dramatic level changes across the site. Houses are entered at upper ground level across an implied bridge with glazed screens providing glimpses of the garden beyond. Access to the garden is provided by a winding timber stair, to a lower ground storey, partly excavated to maximise the use of the slope.

The roof eaves are stopped short of a conventional ridge, where a hidden roof terrace provides large amenity space and dramatic long views. Here a fully glazed lantern provides south light to the living spaces on the northern side of the building. The eyrie-like quality of the attic rooms are popular children’s rooms with low level windows to the garden, and ceilings which follow the roof slope to provide high level light through clerestory glazing.

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The UK’s Digital Economy Bill (DEB) may have a negative effect on establishments that offer open Wi-Fi access to users. Libraries, Universities, Cafes and other small businesses will not be exempt from anti-piracy policies in the Digital Economy Bill, meaning that a small business offering WiFi might be warned and held responsible for copyright infringement of somebody using their WiFi access.
Lilian Edwards, professor of internet law at Sheffield University, said that the scenario as described by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) would effectively “outlaw open Wi-Fi for small businesses,” while leaving the likes of Universities and public Libraries in an uncertain position.

“This is going to be a very unfortunate measure for small businesses, particularly in a recession, many of whom are using open free Wi-Fi very effectively as a way to get the punters in,” Edwards said. “Even if they password protect, they then have two options — to pay someone like The Cloud to manage it for them, or take responsibility themselves for becoming an ISP effectively, and keep records for everyone they assign connections to, which is an impossible burden for a small cafe.”

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