In Dartmouth Park there is an early example of the use of Reema hollow panel construction being used to provide 42 flats, in a series of 3 and 4 storey blocks with entrances on both Dartmouth Park Hill and Dartmouth Park Avenue. Designed by architect R.H. Bailey, and constructed in 1959 by Reema Construction Ltd, they appear to be well maintained by Camden with well used external spaces.
The Dartmouth Park Hill frontage shows that care was taken to set the buildings back so that they line through with the adjoining nineteenth century houses. The overhanging eaves and central projecting bay also respond to this context in simple and modest way. The success of this scheme led St Pancras Borough Council to select the same construction method and company to construct the much larger scheme at West Kentish Town. A preliminary design for West Kentish Town had been previously drawn up Leslie Martin, but it was thought to be too complex and costly:
above: extract from Industrialised Housing at West Kentish Town, November 1964
The use of the Reema large panel system at Dartmouth Park has been shown it to be a long lasting and durable construction method. In considering the future of the Reema buildings at West Kentish Town, it should be noted that the Dartmouth Park scheme has the following advantages:
- dual-aspect flats
- larger flats
- higher quality aggregate to the precast panels
- buildings better integrated into the 19th century street pattern
However, the Reema system has been shown to be adaptable, and the flats at West Kentish Town estate could be altered to address these issues as part of an intensive retrofit scheme.
West Kentish Town 