Chocolate Box

Contemporary Living, Thoughtfully Designed

Chocolate Box is a contemporary apartment building in Farncombe, Surrey, designed for a local developer to replace a tired existing property with six carefully considered homes. The project demonstrates how higher-density housing can enrich the character of a neighbourhood through thoughtful architecture, generous living spaces and carefully crafted detailing.

Rather than maximising numbers at the expense of quality, the design prioritises light, privacy and a strong relationship with the surrounding streetscape, creating homes that are both commercially successful and enjoyable to live in.

Designed Around Everyday Living

The six two-bedroom apartments are planned to make the most of natural light and usable living space. Open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas provide flexible layouts for modern lifestyles, while private terraces and gardens extend each home beyond its internal footprint.

Ground-floor apartments benefit from their own individual entrances and private gardens, creating the character of small houses within a shared development. The upper apartments are accessed from a central entrance and stair, providing simple, intuitive circulation while maintaining a sense of arrival for every resident.

Throughout the building, carefully positioned glazing balances privacy with daylight, creating bright interiors that remain connected to the surrounding landscape.

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Enhancing the Street

The new building follows the established building line and scale of the surrounding street, replacing a deteriorating property with a confident contemporary addition that complements its neighbours without imitating them.

Changes in brick detailing, carefully proportioned openings and a varied roofline reduce the perceived scale of the building, giving it a domestic character that sits comfortably within the local context.

Materiality

A restrained palette of brick, timber and standing seam zinc gives the building a timeless architectural quality. Textured brickwork introduces rhythm and depth to the elevations, while timber cladding softens the composition and provides warmth to terraces and external spaces.

The zinc-clad upper storey forms a contemporary interpretation of the traditional pitched roof, creating a distinctive silhouette while drawing inspiration from the slate roofs found throughout the surrounding neighbourhood.

Sustainable Urban Housing

Environmental performance was considered throughout the design. High-performance glazing maximises daylight while reducing solar gain and heat loss, creating comfortable, energy-efficient homes throughout the year.

By redeveloping a previously underperforming site and increasing housing density within an established neighbourhood, Chocolate Box demonstrates how contemporary architecture can contribute positively to sustainable urban growth while enhancing the quality and character of the local streetscape.