Kent House

Kent House is a pair of blocks of model low-cost flats and a shop, built in 1935 by architects Colin Lucas, Amyas Connell, and Basil Ward for the St Pancras House Improvement Society (Northern Group). The structure features a reinforced concrete frame with external walls that act as beams supporting the floors, finished with a cement skim.

Each block stands five storeys tall and includes a roof terrace. The front elevations are characterized by horizontally set metal frame casement windows and two bays with vertically stacked balconies, which have metal grid balustrades similar to those on the roof terrace. At the rear, access towers allow tenants to step directly from the vertical circulation onto their own entrance balconies. The block facing Ferdinand Street has an entrance formed by two ground floor bays of piloti, which are closed off by later geometrically patterned iron gates. To the left, there is a projecting single-storey shop.

Inside, each block contains two flats per floor, designed with logical layouts where no rooms open off one another. Kent House is notable for its staircase access, room layouts, generous usable balconies, and complete reliance on electricity for services. These features place it at the forefront of contemporary flat design, showcasing the quality of detailing expected from a private commission. The flats represent a successful early example of the Modern Movement's commitment to social housing in the UK and were the only commission of this type by Connell, Ward, and Lucas.