Newly built houses and apartments for Greenwich

The gracious old naval town of Greenwich offers homes of most shapes and sizes, ages and prices - swish riverside apartments, quaint cottages, Georgian townhouses, Victorian terraces and period conversions. Quite rare are newly-built houses with a contemporary design twist and flexible interiors suitable for modern family living.

David Mews fills this gap. Tucked away at the end of a cobbled lane on the cusp of the conservation area is a back garden plot where three new properties are rising from the ground.

Space constraints demanded clever architectural thinking. Set over three floors, each house extends to 1,750 sq ft and features an internal glass atrium allowing light to flood into the subterranean basement - the main living area - and the upper levels.

The basement is an open-plan space set around a courtyard formed by the atrium. A family room, bedroom and terrace occupy the ground floor, while on the top floor are another two bedrooms, with sky lights puncturing a green-planted roof.

Externally, the look is traditional - stock brick and rather boxy - but the interior design by Target Living is crisp and modern, with timber, stone and glass finishes. A central staircase is enclosed on one side by floor-to-ceiling glass rather than having a low-level balustrade. A parking space comes with each house.

It is a charming location - away from the busy town centre and almost hidden behind a pretty parade of shops on Greenwich South Street. Completion is still some time off. Prices are expected to be around £800,000, less than some riverside flats. Call King Sturge on 020 7715 9700.

Canary Wharf bankers who want to put down roots in the Greenwich area are likely buyers.

Several big new apartment schemes are sprouting up around the town centre in advance of the 2012 Olympics, which will cast the international spotlight on Greenwich.

The most eye-catching scheme coming out of the ground is Greenwich Creekside (left), the first phase (242 flats) of a new “creative quarter” alongside the Laban Dance Centre. Modern, glass architecture by Squire and Partners raises the bar. Homes include penthouse flats with river and park views. Plans include a jazz venue, galleries, canalside bars and restaurants. Prices from £240,000. Call Telford Homes on 020 8694 8186.

New Capital Quay, nearby, is being built in a dock basin so deep a cruise liner terminal was once earmarked. When complete in 2013, the development will have 636 flats across 11 blocks, one a “peninsula building” rising to 15 storeys. Call Galliard Homes on 020 7620 1500.