Build to Rent specialist – Amro Partners – receives planning approval for The Rex, its first micro-living scheme in the heart of Kingston-upon-Thames. The £65m GDV development will become one of Europe’s most sustainable buildings.
Designed by HTA Architects, the 202 home scheme will comprise three elements of five, seven and nine storeys – and it will transform one of the key pedestrian routes between Kingston town centre and train station. The Rex, an innovative micro-living model will include extensive shared facilities – a residents’ lounge, communal kitchens and dining rooms, a wellness centre, co-working spaces and a rooftop terrace with far-reaching London views.
Situated opposite Kingston Station, the existing building will be retained and extended to provide 44,185 sq ft of residential space and 11,600 sq ft of shared amenity space. In line with Amro’s NZC2030 pledge, the company will reuse the existing substructure and superstructure, which will help the project achieve the highest possible sustainability credentials due to the embodied carbon reuse. The company is targeting BREEAM Outstanding, Fitwel 3* and WiredScore Platinum ratings for The Rex. Completion is expected in Q4 2023.
“With planning secured, we look forward to starting work on delivering our first micro-living project in a prime location directly opposite Kingston Station. Our decision to retain and repurpose the existing building, reusing the embodied carbon, will allow us to deliver one of Europe’s most sustainable residential rental assets.”
Raj Kotecha, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Amro Partners
The Rex scheme will make a substantial contribution to the London Plan housing target – which is set at 9,640 new homes between 2019/20 to 2028/29. There is also a need for new homes in Kingston, which will help meet the needs of younger households, graduates, young professionals and key workers.
Amro Partners currently has over 1,600 purpose-built rental homes under development across Greater London, with a pipeline of projects coming forward in both London and regionally. The company recently acquired Croydon Park Hotel in Croydon, South London for a £200m GDV Build to Rent project, which will deliver c.600 new homes and shared amenity spaces. The Wiltern, Amro’s 278-bed Build to Rent scheme in Ealing, adjacent to the iconic Art Deco Hoover Building, is currently under construction and will open its doors to residents in late 2023.
