The year 2020 will mark a milestone in the history of Canary Wharf, as the first residents move into its new 23-acre district, Wood Wharf. In celebration, Make Architects, the interior designers behind 10 Park Drive, have been invited to reveal their design predictions for 2020.
Set across two 42-storey and 13-storey towers, 10 Park Drive is a striking 345-apartment scheme and the very first residential building to be constructed on the Estate. Designed by Stanton Williams and with interiors by award-winning Make Architects, the development marks a new era for Canary Wharf.
Alice Simmons, Interior Designer at Make Architects, reveals her interior design predictions for 2020.
Wellbeing
“Our homes need to prioritise and promote our wellbeing. Biophilic design expert Bill Browning says that ‘humans innately favour specific sensory interactions with nature’ and that ‘experiences of nature elicit beneficial psychological and physiological responses’. So, in a nutshell, including natural materials and planting into our interiors can positively impact our wellbeing. And it needn’t cost the earth, as our brains identify the sense of comfort, habitat, security and safety from things perceived to be natural, so even artificial plants can have the same beneficial impact psychologically.”
“At 10 Park Drive, this thinking is at the centre of our approach. We have designed calm, uplifting spaces filled with natural light, that will engage residents with the surrounding water, landscaped gardens and views.”
Character, sense of place, a strong relationship with location
“Understanding where we belong is important. Interiors which embody and complete the architecture are becoming more and more in demand. This was very much a factor in the design of 10 Park Drive, where the architecture and location were the inspiration for the interior design. We took the architects’ vision and integrated it, right down to the smallest detail materials; so residents will find the same materials, textures and design cues on the inside as well as the outside, such as the framing of views, the warmth of the timber and the metal detailing.”
Innovation
“At this year’s design festival in Milan, there was an explosion of large format tiles. And by large, we’re talking 2m x 3.5m. This points to massive innovation in the industry. It can be unaffordable to make tiles to this size in traditional stone and marble, but the ceramic and porcelain industry has developed enormously to create tiles that look like real marble or stone but are actually made from more durable porcelain and to much larger proportions than ever before.”
Apartments at 10 Park Drive include sleek kitchens with fully-integrated Siemens appliances, zoned underfloor heating, fitted storage throughout, comfort cooling, feature ceiling detailing and engineered timber flooring. 10 Park Drive also offers 24-hour security, concierge, entry-phone system, bicycle storage and charging points for electric vehicles. Purchasers will benefit from exclusive access to the “oasis in the city”; a terraced sky garden situated on the 13th floor and residents’ only fitness facilities at a brand new Third Space gym.
Bathing is a ritual
“Bathrooms are becoming far more luxurious to feel more spa-like. These are spaces that are less clinical and functional and designed to feel more like a space we’d choose to spend time in, embodied by the choice of materials and lighting.
Multifunctional heart spaces
“Kitchens being the heart of the home are nothing new. But now, there is a change in how we use them. Kitchens have become our home office, our meeting places, dining rooms, entertaining spaces. All apartments at 10 Park Drive have open plan central kitchens, regardless of size, in either a linear or peninsular style with a very high quality and durable finish so that residents can work or play, congregate or eat.”
Due to complete at the beginning of 2020, purchasers at 10 Park Drive will be among the first to live on the Canary Wharf estate.
Apartments at 10 Park Drive start from £880,000. For more information contact Canary Wharf Group on 020 7001 3800, email residential.sales@canarywharf.com
