Constructed in the 1930s, Festival House is a factory with a feature 3-storey red brick block, built in the Art Deco style, fronting Osmondthorpe Lane. Having had a variety of uses, the building has reached the end of its economic life and now lies empty, a blight on the landscape in a mainly residential area.
Osmondthorpe has suffered from low investment over the years and the area exhibits social, economic, and health issues. This scheme will be a vital ingredient in the area’s regeneration, for the proposal is to provide extra care apartments for the over 55’s with amenities for use by the wider community.
The site is ideally located for such a development, with a church, community hall, health centre, and corner shop all within walking distance. Being just off the A64, York Road, the East Leeds bus line provides regular services into Leeds City Centre.
Due to its condition and the difficulties in achieving level access, the proposed scheme does necessitate the demolition of the existing building. As the Art Deco element of Festival House is characterful in appearance and provides a historical connection to the site’s former use, this feature has been used as a cue to set the height, mass and style of the proposed design.
By maximising the site with a split-level design, the scheme provides a mix of 56 one and two-bed apartments across five floors. A sunken south-facing garden creates an oasis of calm and a sky lounge with a roof terrace creates an element of drama.
