Sitting amongst a green belt, the plot is located within existing mature woodland that forms a natural boundary to the neighbouring properties and the main road. The new single villa is configured to sit within the undulating topography and embed sensitively within the protected habitat. The low-carbon proposal features nine generously proportioned family homes that widen the offer available locally and support a community of all ages.

Inspired by the working buildings of the surrounding historic farm estates, the material palette and suite of details were developed to celebrate and reinterpret the use of traditional materials, form, and detailing. The timber frame and timber cladding will be constructed and clad from sustainable sources, dramatically reducing its embodied carbon. The material selection, as far as possible, is environmentally friendly with responsibly specified and robust choices that; make reference to their industrial heritage, are contextually suitable, and offer potential for future repair and reuse.

The pitched asymmetric roofs tier down to respond to the undulating site and culminate with a brick collar, which traditionally would have been the chimney stack but has been reinterpreted as a contemporary roof light. The feature provides an abundance of natural daylight and ventilation to circulation cores and top floor apartments. Internally, the upper floors utilise the roof geometry to create unique and distinct double height spaces whilst lower floors are sunken to further embed within the natural site topography.

Gareth Bansor, Director at GPAD adds “Delighted with the approval for New Road. A housing scheme that is truly sustainable inspired by the rural working buildings that once populated the surrounding historic farm estates. It clearly demonstrates the practice’s focus on whole-life carbon. Designed to passivhaus standards with on-site renewables and a mass timber construction it will deliver nine lowcarbon homes for local people set within an enhanced mature landscape that delivers a 17% increase in biodiversity.”

Featured in Building Design.

Full project information here.