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T&T Assets Group has appointed JSA to lead the architectural transformation of Forester House, the former Derby job centre that has stood empty since 2017. The development will create 72 apartments across four floors, with a complete external redesign featuring living walls that climb the full height of the building.
The project represents a significant step up in ambition from T&T Assets' typical permitted development conversions. While maintaining their pragmatic approach to commercial viability, The Forest introduces architectural elements more commonly associated with high-end residential developments: vertical gardens, contemporary cladding systems, and premium ground-floor amenities including a concierge service, gym, and private dining facilities.
T&T Assets Group specialises in converting vacant commercial properties into residential developments, with a portfolio focused on town centre regeneration across the Midlands. Their projects include successful conversions in Derby, Nuneaton, Loughborough, and Burton-upon-Trent, typically targeting buildings with existing planning permission—what they term "zero-risk purchases."
The company's Derby development, also called The Forest, demonstrates their standard model: a former Job Centre Plus converted into 73 residential apartments with ground floor commercial spaces. However, the Derby project takes this formula significantly further with its comprehensive external transformation.
Previous T&T successes include Heron House in Nuneaton, where they increased the approved scheme from 22 to 32 apartments through strategic replanning, generating over £1.5 million in additional profit. This track record of maximising asset value through intelligent development made them ideal clients for The Forest's more ambitious scope.
Design Approach
The architectural strategy for The Forest balances transformation with commercial reality. Rather than demolishing the concrete frame—both environmentally and financially prohibitive—JSA's design wraps the existing structure in new materials that completely change its presence while improving performance.
Each design decision underwent cost-benefit analysis. Enhanced sound insulation justifies its cost through reduced tenant turnover. Premium window systems pay back through lower energy bills and higher rental values. The concierge desk adds operational cost but enables premium pricing and reduces vacancy rates.
Creating Community Value
The ground floor strategy moves beyond typical residential conversions by creating genuine community spaces. The concierge service handles parcels, security, and daily resident needs—practical solutions that justify premium rents. The gym eliminates membership fees for residents. Meeting rooms support the work-from-home economy. The private dining room solves the entertainment limitations of apartment living.
Breakout spaces with booth seating provide informal meeting areas, while the reception creates a hotel-like arrival experience. These aren't luxury additions—they're calculated investments in resident satisfaction and retention.
The basement car park remains, acknowledging market realities. Despite city-centre location, parking adds approximately £15,000 to apartment values. However, equal provision for cycle storage recognises changing urban transport patterns.
Getting It Through Planning
The development follows a two-phase planning approach. Residential conversion under permitted development rights has already received approval, allowing internal works to commence. The separate application for external alterations, currently with the council, covers the facade transformation and living walls.
This pragmatic approach maintains programme momentum while finalising design details. Internal apartment layouts, services installation, and structural works can progress while planning determines the external treatment. It reflects T&T Assets' experience in navigating planning systems efficiently.
The planning application emphasises regeneration benefits: bringing empty buildings back into use, providing city-centre housing during a shortage, improving the streetscape, and increasing biodiversity. The living walls require detailed maintenance strategies and structural calculations, all included in the submission.
