Toft Mansion, Manor Road

This project explores the comprehensive redevelopment potential of a prominent clifftop site on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, occupying a highly desirable coastal position with exceptional panoramic sea views. The existing site comprises a four-storey Victorian villa containing 22 flats alongside four cottages positioned along the road frontage. LUSO prepared an extensive feasibility study and initial architectural concept aimed at maximising the site’s development potential through the introduction of a landmark residential scheme while carefully responding to the surrounding streetscape and coastal character.

The proposal introduces an elegant 11-storey residential building comprising 94 apartments, while sensitively retaining the existing cottages to preserve elements of the site’s established identity. The architectural approach draws inspiration from classic Art Deco design principles, creating a bold yet refined composition defined by strong horizontal forms, stepped massing, and carefully articulated balconies that prioritise uninterrupted views towards the seafront. The building has been carefully shaped to enhance outlook, natural light, and the relationship between the apartments and the coastline beyond.

Externally, the design incorporates a sophisticated palette of textured white render, dark grey metal cladding, and expansive glazing to create a timeless coastal aesthetic that feels both contemporary and contextually appropriate. The interplay between lighter and darker materials adds depth and rhythm to the façade while reinforcing the building’s verticality and elegance within the skyline. Overall, the scheme seeks to deliver a high-quality residential development that balances architectural ambition with sensitivity to its prestigious seafront setting, establishing a distinctive new presence along Bournemouth’s East Cliff.