26 Unit Affordable Housing Development
We were approached with a site that benefitted from an outline planning consent for 10 residential dwellings. In response to the national housing crisis (the National Housing Federation estimate 8.4 million people in England are living in an unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable home) our approach was to maximise the density and provide an attractive and desirable affordable housing development that responded to its context and site-specific constraints.
The site is surrounded by established planting and trees, and boarders The Atlantic Highway (which connects central Cornwall to popular holiday destinations on the north coast); this provided a considerable noise constraint. In response we have provided a 26-unit affordable housing development that acts as a gateway to St Columb. Dwellings front on to Station Road welcoming visitors from the south, whilst within the site dwellings are orientated so that habitable rooms are not affected by the noise from the adjacent highway.
The appearance of the scheme reflects the Cornish vernacular with a simple materials palette of two colours of painted render (ivory and wheat), natural stone and fibre cement roof tiles. Natural stone faced Cornish hedgebanks have been strategically located to help connect the site to place.
The scheme received full planning approval in September 2020 and construction commenced in late 2020 and was completed in July 2022.
