Alexandra Road Estate Including Walls, Ramps And Steps Community Centre And Boiler House To Alexandra Road Estate Numbers 1-21 (Including A And B To Each Number) Numbers 4-119 (Including A And B To Each Number On South Side, And A-K To Each Number On

ALEXANDRA ROAD ESTATE INCLUDING WALLS, RAMPS AND STEPS, COMMUNITY CENTRE AND BOILER HOUSE

Housing estate. Designed in 1968 and built between 1972 and 1978. Designed by Neave Brown of Camden Architects' Department.

The estate comprises site-cast board-marked white, unpainted reinforced concrete construction with flat roofs. It is organised as three parallel east-west blocks. The northern block forms an acoustic wall to shield the estate from the adjacent railway line. The northern pair of blocks face inwards towards the pedestrian street Rowley Way, with stepped elevations that provide private outdoor areas for every home.

Block A on Rowley Way has seven storeys, accommodating 2-storey, 2-bed flats at the top and 2-storey, 3-bed flats at the bottom, with three layers of single-storey 1-bed flats between. Block B comprises four storeys of 2 and 3-bed maisonettes. Garages are situated beneath Block A and along Rowley Way itself, which is paved in red terracotta blocks.

Balconies to Blocks A and B feature thick reinforced concrete handrails with glass panels beneath. Floor-to-ceiling glazing faces Rowley Way with thick dark-stained window frames. South of Rowley Way are play areas and a public park, separated from the housing by concrete walls, banks and planting arranged in a sequence of small spaces with built-in seating.

Attached to the south is Ainsworth Way, comprising three linked rows of 3-storey terraced houses. Each house comprises one bay with paired entrances; the top storey is set back, providing a roof terrace with floor-to-ceiling windows and heavy reinforced concrete balustrade with glass panels beneath. Ground floors are slightly raised over garages. Houses feature thick timber windows.

The three blocks of Ainsworth Way are linked by low reinforced concrete walls enclosing built-in seating areas. A further seating area is attached to the west of Block B Rowley Way, with a raised circular section paved in granite sets and a lower rectangular section.

The Community Centre is attached to the east of Ainsworth Way and Rowley Way, on a single level with an irregular, triangular plan, horizontal strip windows, and a roof terrace. The boiler house is positioned below, with a tall 3-shafted metal chimney. Ramps and staircases, including East Bridge and West Bridge, are attached to the north and west.

The play area and public park to the west are linked by ramps and steps, enclosed by robust board-marked concrete walls and planting boxes, some diagonally set and some curved, with inset seats. The three blocks of Ainsworth Way are linked by low reinforced concrete walls enclosing built-in seating areas.