Riverside Industrial Estate in Dartford

A 2,200m2 coffee factory and warehouse building in Dartford has been granted planning permission.

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After a fire destroyed the original building, the gdm re-design resulted in a higher-quality building, more appropriate to its surroundings. Industrial buildings are often required to have a substantial size and therefore the design focused on ‘breaking’ the building down by materials in a way that makes it appear smaller in scale. A tall plinth of light grey brick is proposed on the Southern facade to ‘break down’ the height of the building, whereas the North-facing facade has been divided vertically to mimic the scale of the residential buildings across the road. The fire escape doors give further character to the elevations, creating an association of small houses in the viewer.

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The building will target BREEAM 'Very Good' rating of sustainability, with a thermal efficiency above the regulations, and the site incorporates a sustainable urban drainage system, solar panels and various other sustainability measures.