The client wished to develop a new housing scheme to pilot an progressive form of private rented tenure. The target market for the residential element was young professionals and perhaps graduates sharing. The brief catered for them with innovative thinking for a type of apartment with two bedrooms of similar size both with en suite bathrooms, one of which is in a ‘Jack and Jill’ arrangement.
The proposal consists of an L shape six storey building and a four storey unit completing the block on the footprint of a former car park. The building is mixed use with commercial on the ground floor and residential above.
A significant amount of space was also to be given over to common amenity space which is an important part of achieving the aim that the residents will live in the whole scheme and not just behind their front doors.
The design is based on ‘fabric first’ passive house principles, with concrete slabs and prefabricated double brick skins to provide good thermal mass. The 4 storey block is fabricated from CLT and the bathrooms are prefabricated pods to reduce CO2 levels and time on site. Low carbon materials and off-site prefabrication are used whenever possible. Solar panels and air source heat pumps are also used.