Architectural UK homes for sale that celebrate Britain’s industrial heritage

The UK's rich industrial heritage sits at the heart of these clever residential conversions, which celebrate history while creating contemporary homes; all of which are currently on the market

Spencer courtyard exterior
Kennedytwadde’s Spencer Courtyard in London
(Image credit: TBC)

Spencer Courtyard, North London

Spencer Courtyard, North London

Price: £650,000-685,000
themodernhouse.com

(Image credit: TBC)

Emerging architecture studio kennedytwaddle's latest residential offering makes the most of a site previously housing a timber yard. The project – a composition of five homes – provides an array of open and closed spaces in brick, allowing open air courtyards, large openings and room to breathe for each of the spaces within. While sitting low, the design successfully navigates the challenges brought by the site's positioning (it is overlooked and surrounded by existing properties) and ensures plenty of light into each one. The warm, timber-clad interior in soft colours is topped by a distinctively shaped planted roofline, which adds a green touch to this former industrial plot. The project features a range of units some of which are currently on the market via The Modern House. 

Old Granary, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Old Granary, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Price: £525,000
themodernhouse.com

(Image credit: TBC)

Nautical notes, Nordic simplicity and a touch of industrial aesthetic define the Old Granary cottage building in this complex in Woodbridge, Sufflolk. The Grade II listed property is simple and modern within, with white painted floor boards and cladding, and a mix of contemporary and historical details, such as handcrafted cabinetry and Suffolk brickwork. Sitting at the end of a row of former industrial buildings by the waterfront, the home is enveloped in white weatherboard and offers striking sea views. 

Battersea Power Station apartment, South London

Battersea Power Station apartment, South London

Price: £955,000
knightfrank.co.uk

(Image credit: TBC)

London's Battersea Power Station needs no introduction. A landmark in the capital's architecture scene through sheer size, function, riverside location and its role in pop culture over the years (who can forget that 1977 Pink Floyd album cover?), this dramatic building is famously in the process of being converted into residential and commercial properties for the last decade or so. Now, one of its studio apartments, with interiors by Michaelis Boyd, is up for sale via Knight Frank. The whole area has been undergoing a phased regeneration. The Grade II* power station building at its heart is restored and redesigned by Wilkinson Eyre, while the wider development boasts projects by leading names such as Foster + Partners and Gehry Partners. 

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).