24 C O N T E X T 1 1 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 Alex Jones Striking a balance Compromises had to be made when the 1930s Grade II listed art deco landmark Wallis House in Brentford was converted to a mixed-use development. Brentford’s Golden Mile still contains a pocket of art deco elegance, where the buildings provide a stark contrast to the more contemporary offerings that cluster around the routes leading west through London towards Heathrow Airport. The origins of these 1920s, ’30s and ’40s buildings are mainly industrial. While they might bring certain nostalgia, they seldom match the requirements of modern industry. Some, such as the Firestone building, have already been demolished. For others it has been possible to find alternative uses that allow the retention of the stylish fabric and the integration of modern standards such as thermal and acoustic insulation.This is, however, not without its challenges. Wallis House is one of Brentford’s surviving art deco icons. A Grade II listed building, it was commissioned in two stages in the 1930s. In 1936 Simmonds Aerocessories commissioned George Warren to design the low three-storey building, which is now the east wing. The 11-storey tower, shoulders and three-storey west wing were added between 1937 and 1942 by Thomas Wallis of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, who gave the building its name. It was occupied in 1947 by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) HQ and from 1955 by Beecham Pharmaceuticals, which has since become GlaxoSmithKline and remains in the area, even though it has since departed this building. The latest incarnation of Wallis House began in 2005, when Barratt Homes bought the vacant building with the intention of creating a mixed-use development comprising 111 private apartments, a 1,500 sq m health club and 1,700 sq m of office space. An existing building of this nature is a potential minefield for a new owner. The building’s location, adjacent to the elevated section of the A4 and close to the M4, meant that a significant amount of its envelope fell within the ‘noise emission category D’. This, in planning terms, normally leads to planning consent refusal for residential use. Overcoming this was to be a key factor in ensuring the scheme’s viability. Refurbishment is a complex process, exposing a great many unforeseen problems, especially when dealing with a listed property. A certain amount of detective work is required to gain sufficient understanding of the building and determine its true condition. In the case of Wallis House, a few original drawings were sourced from theTwentieth Century Society and a local library, but these did not tell the whole story because of the many modifications that had been made over the years. Structural surveys were carried out in two phases: one before the building was stripped out and another more comprehensive one afterwards. The early exploratory work revealed extensive corrosion to some of the main structural steel frame elements. A visual survey of the external envelope was carried out. Some areas of damaged brick and stonework exposed some The Grade II listedWallis House was commissioned in two stages in the 1930s.
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