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Planning and Design Process
Planning
In December 2012, an informal meeting was held with planning officers to discuss preliminary concepts and planning constraints. A pre-application submission was submitted to planning officers in May 2013. Following this process the design was amended, notably by reducing the roof height at either end of the building and by breaking the building into three connected ‘pavilions’.
Concept
The building sits between the town centre and the residential hinterland, each of which is laid out on an orthogonal grid; angled in relation to the other. These two different angles have been used to derive a distinctive facetted form for the proposed building. This form, combined with a series of alternating pitched roofs and angled balconies helps to reduce the perceived mass of the building and responds to the adjacent low-rise housing. This effect is further enhanced by separating the building into three separate ‘pavilions’ linked by glazed sitting areas.
Social interaction
Particular consideration has been given to the importance of social interaction. A communal garden room and terrace giving on to the shared communal garden are provided on the ground floor, whilst informal sitting areas on each of the upper floors animate the circulation space, provide views across the garden and provide opportunities for casual interaction.
Personalisation
Careful design of each flat entrance door provides residents with an opportunity to personalise their own entrance giving a more human and personal quality to the communal spaces. The communal areas on each floor have been designed with a different colour scheme to facilitate ease of wayfinding for residents.
Design features
Specific flexible layout features include oversized bathrooms that can be adapted to be fully wheelchair accessible and a second single bedroom with sliding partition to the living room that can be used as an occasional guest room, study or part of the living space. There is also generous circulation and an oversized store that can be adapted into a wheelchair storage space.
Key Sustainability Points
Fabric first
The architects took a fabric first approach to reduce reliance on ‘bolt on’ renewables, which included a super insulated building fabric and high levels of air tightness. The scheme achieved level 4 on Code for Sustainable Homes.
Materials
The timber cladding was sourced from sustainable sources.
Renewable technology
Photovoltaic panels were included at roof level and each dwelling has mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
Photo credit: Kilian O’Sullivan