Portland limestone is usually associated with the most prestigious of building projects but it has just been used on affordable housing in London.

Stone contractor Putney & Wood completed the external Portland stone cladding contract as part of the Crown Estate’s £1billion investment in the Regent Street area.

Work included redevelopment of a former School of Nursing to create 15 rented and six shared ownership homes of between one and four bedrooms in the conservation area of Fitzrovia in London’s West End.

The project is notable not just for its contemporary yet sympathetic design, but also because it is a rare example of an all-affordable housing scheme just minutes from Oxford Circus and incorporating natural stone.

The work was a collaboration between the Crown Estate and Peabody, using stone from the Crown Estate’s quarries on Portland that are operated by Albion Stone.

The accommodation is created to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and includes solar panels providing communal heating.

Main contractor Allenbuild Ltd appointed Putney & Wood to carry out the Portland stone external cladding package, which includes the façade of the new six storey stair core and architectural dressings on the main brickwork elevations.

Putney & Wood’s in-house design and site installation teams worked closely with Buro Four, TateHindle and Allenbuild Ltd to deliver the stone cladding package within a tight budget.

The development uses Portland stone from the Crown Estate’s Portland Estate in Dorset, seen on high value properties throughout London, but rarely seen before on an affordable housing scheme.

Craig Kelly of Allenbuild Ltd said, “I was impressed with Putney & Wood’s work on this project. Their team was professional and courteous and the stonemasons showed a good eye for detail.

They also arranged two informative quarry visits which really helped us with the programme. I

would certainly recommend them and look forward to working with them in the future.”