Paul Vick Architects secures planning for redevelopment of historic Chiswick care home

By Ben Flatman2025-02-14T05:00:00+00:00

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The Grade II-listed St Mary’s Convent and Nursing Home in Chiswick is set for redevelopment, with plans for new independent residences and expanded communal spaces. The scheme seeks to integrate sustainability measures, enhance care provision, and adapt the historic site to contemporary needs while maintaining its architectural and social heritage

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Paul Vick Architects has received planning and listed building consent for a £4.5 million redevelopment of St Mary’s Convent and Nursing Home in Chiswick. The scheme seeks to adapt the Grade II-listed care home to contemporary needs, incorporating new independent residences and expanded communal spaces.

The proposals include approximately 450sqm of covered courtyards and eight independent residences, designed to integrate with the landscape and incorporate tree planting. The covered courtyards are intended to provide heated communal areas for the 50 full-care residents, with layouts designed to accommodate social distancing measures. The independent units, featuring two bedrooms, are designed to offer residents the option of close care while allowing space for partners or family members to stay.

The scheme incorporates sustainability measures, including south-facing roof slopes with photovoltaics, air source heat pumps, and a fabric-first approach. The residences are designed to meet zero-carbon standards without offsets, a condition of planning consent from London Borough of Hounslow. Flood mitigation measures exceeding Building Regulations requirements have also been incorporated.

Fig 5. Aerial view

Source: Paul Vick Architects

Aerial view

Architect Paul Vick stated: “In particular, the curved, communal pavilion facade aims to make a fluid sense of inside and outside, with trees at its shared centre, redefining the circular idea of a traditionally internalised Chapter House and its meeting function. The analogy draws on St Mary’s historic origins and ethos of family, where the 19th-century chapel is still used by residents and the remaining nuns.”

St Mary’s Convent and Nursing Home was established in 1896 by Mary Jones, a pioneer of professionalised nursing care. She was involved in providing nurses for Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War and played a role in shaping the ward system still in use today. The convent’s history and architecture form part of the scheme’s wider heritage context.