Blaker Road, London E15

This modern three-bedroom apartment, designed by Roberts and Treuger, sits beside the winding waterways of City Mill Lock on the River Lee in Bow. The apartment, set across around 1,000 sq ft, has panoramic views across the surrounding warren of canals and rivers. Energy efficiency is key to its design: triple glazing runs throughout, accompanied by a Nilan heating and cooling system and a double-filtered air supply. Walls of cross-laminated timber and exposed beams lend a Scandinavian feel to the interiors. Pudding Mill Lane Station is a short walk away, providing direct connections to Canary Wharf and Stratford for the Elizabeth Line.

The Building

Roberts and Treuger were driven by a desire to provide low-energy, high-quality homes in London's East End. This scheme sits on City Mill Lock Island, a man-made island housing a working lock on the Bow Back Rivers in Stratford’s Olympic Park.

Its design was based on the local vernacular of the traditional warehouses set along the River Lee and its connected rivers. To help meet the high level of airtightness required for Passivhaus standards, the development was constructed using sustainably sourced cross-laminated timber. The result is an award-winning design that provides generously proportioned apartments with private outside space and large windows framing views over the Olympic Park.

The Tour

With sand-coloured brick, rusted steel panels and grey-framed windows, the building's façade is distinctive along this stretch of City Mill Lock. This apartment, on the building's ground floor, makes use of a concise material palette throughout, establishing a series of warm and tactile spaces. Grey marmoleum floors are soft underfoot and contrast beautifully with timber walls. A central hallway connects the living room with the bedrooms and has plenty of storage.

The main room is open plan, with clearly defined areas for lounging, dining and cooking. The monochromatic kitchen has a Bosch induction hob, microwave and convection ovens below the black marble countertop. Two tall glazed apertures at one end face onto a private terrace, one of which is a door that provides access thereto.

One of the apartment's double bedrooms leads on from the main room. Currently used as an office and a guest room, it has one cross-laminated timber wall, one tall glazed window and a tall glazed door that frames a view of the canal.

Along the internal hall is a second double bedroom, also overlooking the canal. Built-in wardrobes set behind the doors provide useful storage and there is a handy en suite next door, grounded by grey marmoleum floors and with a walk-in shower.

There is a third double bedroom off the hallway, along with a neat family bathroom.

Outdoor Space

A private terrace with space for a bistro set flows from the main living space. Flagstones run underfoot and there is a planted bed at one end planted with laurel, heather and evergreen 'Tom Thumb'.

There is also access to a bike shed on the ground floor.

The Area

Stratford has undergone significant regeneration over the previous decade, kick-started initially by the preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was purpose-built for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and contains the Olympic Stadium (now known as the London Stadium), the Olympic Swimming Pool and the former athletes' village which is now in residential use. The park has hundreds of acres of parkland and activity trails. The Arcelor Mittal Orbit, an observation tower with breathtaking views across London, lays claim to being both Britain's largest piece of public art and the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide.

Westfield Stratford City shopping centre lies adjacent to the Olympic Park and is the largest urban shopping centre in the UK by land area. With almost 2,000,000 sq ft of retail space, the centre is anchored by a John Lewis department store, a Marks & Spencer department store and a Waitrose supermarket. There are around 280 retailers present, along with three hotels and 70 restaurants.

Across the street is Jim & Tonic, a lively spot to relax after work. The green expanses of Victoria Park are a 30-minute walk or a 16-minute bus journey away, where Pavilion Café makes for a lovely, airy, waterfront spot for a morning coffee and organic breakfast. Hackney Wick, with its range of independent shops, eateries and bars, is a 25-minute walk from the apartment via the Olympic Park. Favourites here include the Michelin-starred Cornerstone by Tom Brown, the zero-waste restaurant Silo, Barge East and local stalwart Crate brewery and pizzeria for a relaxed hang-out.

Pudding Mill Station (DLR) is a five-minute walk from the apartment. Stratford Station, a 15-minute walk away, also provides DLR connections, as well as Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth Line services. Stratford International runs mainline connections to St Pancras International, Ramsgate via Dover Priory, and Margate via Canterbury West.

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease: Approximately 992 years remaining
Service charge: Approximately £2,500 per annum
Council Tax Band: D