This project will bring back into use one of Kingston’s much loved historic buildings, to provide a mixed-use development providing 292 new homes and 50,000sqft of flexible SME workspace.

County Hall Kingston is an ambitious heritage-led regeneration project. The scheme reimagines a vacant civic landmark; the Grade II* listed headquarters of Surrey Council, into an inclusive, mixed-use neighbourhood.

Opened in 1893, CHK was Surrey’s administrative centre for over a century. Following the Council’s departure in early 2021, the 5.2-acre site presented a challenge and opportunity: to safeguard a landmark civic asset and transform it into a multifunctional destination addressing Kingston’s needs.

Our vision is rooted in heritage-led placemaking, revitalising over 80% of the historic fabric while sensitively integrating new-build components.

At the heart of CHK is the restoration and adaptive reuse of the original County Hall, including its classical façade, former courtrooms and jail cells. These will be repurposed for a range of community, employment and cultural uses, reasserting the building’s civic role.

Heritage elements like the bell tower, stained glass, courtroom and council chamber are being meticulously conserved using specialist techniques delivering significant embodied -carbon savings compared with demolition and rebuild.

To ensure balance, new structures, varied in height, materials and form, have been crafted to respect the heritage setting and townscape, reinforcing a sense of place.

290 homes are being delivered across private and social rent units. Each apartment within the heritage building responds to original spatial characteristics, resulting in uniquely shaped living spaces that celebrate legacy features while meeting modern standards.

The masterplan unlocks previously inaccessible areas of the site, introducing new pedestrian and cycle routes that connect Kingston’s centre, university and the Thames. Former car parks are transformed into landscaped courtyards and public gardens, enhancing biodiversity and creating inclusive, active spaces.

CHK’s placemaking success is reinforced by its genuinely mixed -use character. 50,000sqft of flexible workspace will support SMEs, generate employment and nurture the local innovation economy.