We Built 9 Flats Above a Tesco in West London (Here's What It Actually Takes)

Aura Architecture take us inside Northfield — a seriously complex residential development in Ealing, West London, where a former commercial unit with a ground-floor Tesco has been transformed into 9 rental flats across four storeys. This isn't your average conversion. Aura came onto the project at Stage 4 — after planning had already been approved — and had to navigate a stack of technical challenges: a single shared terrace as the sole means of escape, a Heathrow flight path directly overhead, a busy main road, and no gas anywhere on site. In this episode, we walk through a 1-bed, a staged 2-bed, and a 3-bed, covering: 🔥 Fire strategy — replacing combustible timber with Class O glass and steel throughout the escape route 🔇 Acoustic glazing — all windows fixed shut to meet noise requirements from road and flight path 💨 MVHR — whole-building mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems explained 🌡️ Air source water cylinders — the no-gas heating solution achieving B–C EPC ratings 🏗️ Mansard extension — how two extra units were added by going up to a new fourth storey 🛋️ Show flat strategy — why furnishing one unit pays off for rental and sales A fascinating look at what it really means to take on a project mid-stream — and make it work. Watch next: •    • How This Developer Made £500,000 Turning O...   •    • Behind The Scenes of a £7,000,000 Property...   Follow us on Instagram to see more of our projects:   / auraarchitecture.developments   Or check out our website to get in touch: https://aurahomes.co.uk/ or email us at [email protected] Subscribe to us here → ‪@auraarchitecture.developments‬ Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction — Ealing development overview 00:55 One-bed unit tour — rooflight, LVT flooring & rental spec 01:40 EPC ratings & fully electric heating strategy 02:08 Terrace access, acoustic glazing & fixed windows 02:50 MVHR system explained 03:24 Means of escape — fire strategy & Class O materials 04:13 Show flat walkthrough — staging for rental 05:10 Air source water cylinders explained 05:51 Acoustic separation between flats 06:24 Mansard extension — adding two units at roof level 07:01 MVHR unit up close & MEP coordination challenges 07:38 Why Aura joined at Stage 4 & technical competency