The Oren is a retirement living development designed by Stanton Williams for Elysian Residences. Located on the edge of Hampstead Heath and adjacent to Golders Hill Park in Golders Green, London, the project draws on Hampstead’s tradition of modernist residential buildings set within landscaped environments, responding to the site’s natural setting and neighbourhood scale.
Overall organisation and form
The site presented several design challenges, including a sloping and overgrown wooded landscape that made access difficult, alongside the need to minimise overlooking, maintain visual amenity, and mitigate traffic noise from neighbouring roads. To address these constraints, Stanton Williams developed four separate but connected building elements, organised to follow the natural contours of the site.
The buildings are set into the hillside so that the ground floor is partially embedded within the terrain, allowing level movement throughout and reducing the perceived height of the development. Setbacks on the upper floors further moderate the building’s presence and help it sit within the landscape. A glazed link connects the volumes, introducing daylight into the interior and framing views outwards to the gardens.
Landscape strategy
The configuration of the four elements divides the external space into a series of distinct landscaped areas, allowing each garden to develop its own character. The integration of building and landscape was developed in close collaboration with landscape architect Christopher Bradley-Hole, with communal gardens designed to support shared use and visual continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Residential layout, private space, and shared amenities
The Oren comprises 46 residences, including two- and three-bedroom apartments, four penthouses, and two guest suites. Each building element contains no more than three apartments per floor, creating small-scale residential clusters aligned with the surrounding housing context. Apartments are dual aspect, with carefully angled balconies that maximise daylight, provide privacy, and frame views towards the gardens or surrounding woodland.
Every residence has access to a private outdoor space, either a balcony or a terrace, reinforcing the connection between interior living spaces and the landscape setting.
Shared facilities are primarily located at ground-floor level and are intended to support independent and social living. Amenities include a residents’ lounge, dining areas, and a healthcare and wellness centre.
Naturally lit circulation routes are designed to prioritise ease of movement and accessibility.
Materials and interior character
The material palette is restrained and based on natural, responsibly sourced materials, including warm-toned brick and timber. These materials are used across both external and internal areas to reinforce a domestic rather than institutional character. Generous ceiling heights in communal spaces and carefully detailed interiors contribute to a residential atmosphere.
Environmental and social sustainability
Sustainability measures are integrated throughout the scheme. The building is all-electric and incorporates rooftop photovoltaic panels. A passive design approach maximises daylight while limiting solar gain, supported by a fabric-first strategy with high levels of insulation and airtightness. Additional measures include rainwater attenuation in accordance with Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), achieved through green roofs, a basement-level attenuation tank, and bird boxes integrated into the brickwork.
The Oren provides supported accommodation for older people, enabling residents to live independently for longer. Shared amenity spaces support social interaction among residents, helping to maintain social connections and address isolation, improving health and well-being.
“Buildings must be able to evolve to be truly sustainable,” says Stanton Williams. “We design for the long term, recognising the timescale of cultural and social change, and allowing for adaptation while maintaining quality and identity.”
