A'Bear & Ball Architects LLP worked on the design for the Edge Hotel. In October 2022, Planning Consent, by way of Appeal, was granted for the erection of a new 38-bedroom, three-storey hotel on Abingdon Road, Oxford.
In the words of the appeal inspector: “The development proposed would make more efficient use of a sustainable brownfield site with the development of a highly sustainable new building to provide much needed short stay accommodation."
Key to the success at appeal was a careful re-configuration of the site to provide a coherent building frontage on the Abingdon Road, whilst also making provision for minimising the impact of the development on the occupiers of the neighbouring properties.
The appeal inspector agreed, commenting that: “The elevation shows how the scale and mass of the building seeks a careful balance between a building having character but also respecting the wider street scene” and “The proposal has also taken into account the potential impacts on neighbouring occupier in terms of privacy, living conditions and light".
Several other factors also influenced the development of the design, including its location in Flood Zone 3, proximity to Listed Buildings and Oxford City Councils requirement for the scheme to meet BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
The consent is an opportunity to transform a dilapidated site and to make a valuable contribution to the local economy. A'Bear & Ball Architects assisted the client with the detailed design, and work recently commenced on the hotel.