Franciscan Road, Tooting

Extra Care Development providing 45 apartments for Optivo Housing in Tooting, Wandsworth, the development provides self-contained apartments with communal areas. Each property is fully self-contained, with its own front door, round the clock on-site care support and first-rate communal facilities including a lounge and garden.

The development was designed by Pozzoni Architecture with Capital Symonds acting as Employer’s Agent for the development. The development included a number of communal areas and facilities all designed to enhance and encourage an independent lifestyle for the elderly residents. The main communal areas were located on the ground floor, consisting of a large open-plan lounge and a kitchen/dining area overlooking the large landscaped garden.

Additional communal facilities included a spacious hairdressing/beauty salon, laundry room, a “buggy room” with outside access for mobility scooters, a social craft room, a guest room for visitors and separate offices for the care staff.

A challenge for this project had been operating on a shared construction site alongside another contractor, refurbishing the adjoining school. This required the use of shared site access, security and regular delivery and progress coordination meetings.