Former STC Sports Club

ECE Architecture

Transforming a sports club site into 205 homes whilst enhancing community life. A landscape-led development in New Eltham that celebrates local character, delivers biodiversity gains, and creates spaces for everyone.

Our design approach draws from New Eltham’s rich architectural heritage. The surrounding streets tell a story of 1920s-1940s Arts & Crafts houses – gabled roofs, bay windows, modest front gardens. We’ve reinterpreted these elements for contemporary living, creating a development that feels like it belongs whilst delivering modern, sustainable homes.

The masterplan will create a rhythm across the site, with 2-3 storey perimeter housing stepping up to 4-5 storey apartment blocks at the centre. Each building type speaks the same design language: gabled frontages, pitched roofs, and carefully composed materials. A buff brick plinth grounds the scheme, whilst white brick above references local render. Clay roof tiles, charcoal zinc standing seam, and bronze metalwork complete a palette that’s both contextual and contemporary.

Listening shaped this project. Through pre-application discussions with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and public consultation with residents, we gathered 83 formal responses that directly influenced our design. People wanted less car dominance and more green space, so we proposed both. Concerns about scale led us to reduce dwellings along the western boundary and introduce two-storey houses that step down sensitively. This iterative process wasn’t about compromise; it was about creating something better together. The result is a scheme that meets real local needs and exceeds planning expectations.

At the heart of community life sits the King’s Bowls Club. We worked closely with members and proposed a new clubhouse to replace their existing facility. The brief emerged through collaboration: changing rooms, kitchen, bar area, and, crucially, a flexible space for year-round indoor bowls. The single-storey building will feature a south-facing terrace overlooking the bowling green, creating a social hub that will secure the club’s long-term future.

Community benefits extend across the entire site. The landscape-led approach will deliver over 17% biodiversity net gain through green and blue infrastructure, including wetland SUDS and doorstep play spaces. A central pavilion will offer space for a coffee concession and bike repair station, with Brompton bike lockers promoting active travel. The housing mix – from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses – caters specifically to local demand, with emphasis on family homes. Public realm spaces are designed for everyone, not just residents, softening urban boundaries and creating permeable, welcoming routes through the site.

By rooting our approach in local character and listening to community voices, we’ve designed a place that will enhance New Eltham for new residents and existing neighbours alike.