Sandringham Mansions, Charing Cross Road, Soho, london

Sandringham Mansions comprises 140 residential apartments located on Charing Cross Road in the heart of Soho, one of London’s most operationally complex and environmentally exposed urban environments. The building sits within a dense mixed-use setting characterised by high footfall, and continuous occupation. Sandringham Mansions is a substantial late-Victorian brick mansion block that while not Listed, the building itself forms a prominent corner presence within one of London’s most architecturally layered urban environments.

Constructed in the characteristic red and yellow stock brick of the period, the building reflects the robust urban mansion typology of the late 19th century. The façade is defined by repetitive vertical window bays with decorative stucco lintels and string courses, a pronounced corner turret condition, and a strong parapet line that anchors the block within the streetscape. The architecture balances ornament and solidity - a confident expression of metropolitan residential density designed for durability. Its scale, rhythm, and material palette contribute positively to the conservation character of the area.

Gbolade Design Studio was appointed by Soho Housing Association as Retrofit Designer, Client Advisor, and Principal Designer to lead the decarbonisation strategy for this substantial residential asset. The brief demanded more than compliance. It required a risk-managed, resident-centred retrofit roadmap capable of improving energy performance while protecting asset value, minimising disruption, and safeguarding long-term building health. The scheme is being delivered as part of the government's Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WHSHF) programme. The objective is clear: uplift homes currently rated EPC D and E to EPC C, while safeguarding heritage character and ensuring long-term asset performance.

The scale of the block, its solid brick construction, and continuous occupation present inherent PAS 2035 challenges. The retrofit approach has therefore been structured around a whole-building, fabric-first strategy supported by detailed risk assessment, occupancy profiling, and modelling that prioritise improving residents comfort. The project is being delivered in accordance with PAS 2035, recognising the scale and complexity of occupied building within a constrained central London context and mixed housing tenures. The strategy also addresses fuel poverty risk across the block. By targeting reductions in space-heating demand and improving thermal stability, the works are projected to lower energy consumption and reduce resident vulnerability to volatile energy pricing.

As Client Advisor, GDS has supported Soho Housing Association in aligning technical design decisions with funding criteria, compliance obligations, and long-term asset management priorities. In our role as Principal Designer, we have provided integrated oversight of CDM and Building Regulations risk.

Sandringham Mansions reflects GDS’s experience of delivering PAS2035-compliant retrofits within complex, conservation-sensitive, large-scale retrofit at portfolio scale - transforming decarbonisation funding into measurable improvements in energy performance, resident health, and long-term asset resilience.