Academy Central Longbridge Road Barking
April 22nd, 2010
During the 1940s my late Father studied architecture at the South East Essex Technical College in Longbridge Road Barking, later to become the Barking Campus of the University of East London and then sold in 2006 for housing. “Academy Central” developed by Taylor Wimpey has preserved the main building and put housing on the surrounding land as advertised at their website here
Living space
I had a quick look at the plan for a two bedroom flat and noted immediately that it is corridor access single aspect. The kitchen, bathroom and ensuite shower are all internal having no natural light. The provision of two bathrooms and toilets in a space intended at most for two adults and two children, and more likely a couple with a guest room, seems excessive and takes useful space away from the master bedroom. There is a stub wall only between the kitchen and living space and no dining room.
Kitchen
Cooking smells will accumulate in the living room, unless some form of extraction is present (not immediately obvious from the plan). Through ventilation is not possible without opening the door to the corridor which will compromise security and provide an opportunity for a young child to run out into semi-public space.