Focusing on small-site development, the practice was set up last year by former Bell Phillips architects Ned Scott and Alex Somerville.

Its debut project will create a pair of two-bedroom houses on a plot made up of two rear gardens in Torridon Road, Catford, in Lewisham.

Two previous, unsuccessful attempts had been made to develop the land. However, the emerging practice said it had been ‘encouraged by recent changes in local planning policy’ – namely the borough’s Small Sites Design Guide (adopted October 2021) – and had been ‘confident the challenges could be addressed’ by ‘actively engaging with planners and local residents throughout the design process’.

The choice of materials and the designs of the elevations have been inspired by the listed Corbett Community Library and St Andrew’s Church opposite.

A spokesperson for Oddment said: ‘The red brick which remains consistent across the building with a change in mortar colour to establish a plinth to the building, with the precast crown offering a nod to the stone balustrade to the top of the library.

‘The finer details at the human scale transform the street frontage and a forgotten parcel land into new high-quality family homes.’

The practice is now working with a development partner to deliver the scheme and with a view to being retained as architect and principal designer for RIBA stages 4 and 5.

Work could start before the end of the year and complete in November 2026.

Torridon Road, process sketch

Project data

Location Torridon Road, Catford, Lewisham
Local authority London Borough of Lewisham
Type of project Residential
Client Oddment
Architect Oddment
Planning consultant West Green Planning
Principal designer Oddment
Funding Private
Tender date August 2025
Start on site date November 2025
Completion November 2026
Contract duration 12 months
Gross internal floor area 178.4m²
Planning application reference DC/24/138501
Visuals Grant Mitchell
Ecology/arboriculture/BNG consultant Arbtech
Transport consultant Transport Planning Practice
Daylight and sunlight consultant T16 Design
Heritage consultant Jon Wright
Air quality consultant GEM Air Quality

Torridon Road – site plan