Postmark, which sits on part of a site formerly occupied by the Mount Pleasant postal sorting office in Islington, will comprise 204 housing units, of which almost 30 per cent will be affordable.

Drawing on the site’s heritage, our design concept, incorporates bespoke items which visually reference the tradition of letter writing and the sorting of mail. The design uses a mixture of colour, materiality, furniture and fittings to complement the architecture of the new buildings and their location at the junction of the WC1 and EC1 London postcodes.

We have reinterpreted the east meets west approach by drawing on the differing typologies associated with these contrasting areas of London. West evokes the culture and sophistication of Soho, Covent Garden, Theatreland and Bloomsbury, while east echoes the eclectic, more bohemian neighbourhoods of Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and Hackney.

As part of our approach we profiled potential buyers, identifying two distinct types: those who work in the east but go out in the west; and those who work in the west and Central London but enjoy socialising in East London. These design interpretations are polished, integrated and refined (west) and matte, exposed and industrial (east).

The residents’ cinema and amenity spaces on the lower ground floor echo the traditional members’ clubs and picture houses of West London with spacious, indulgent seating and rich fabrics. In contrast, the gym and roof terrace create light, airy spaces finished with exposed stone, metal and woodwork to reflect a feel of East London.