Preston Housing Scheme Granted Planning Permission
February 25th, 2011 by Russell CurtisArchitects RCKa have obtained planning approval for a contemporary affordable housing scheme in the centre of Preston. The 1400m² scheme will provide 14 new homes for affordable rent on behalf of Community Gateway Association, comprising of three and four bedroom houses and one bedroom bungalows.
Terraced houses have a distinctive staggered form with interlocking rear gardens that offer long street views to each individual unit and defensible amenity space. A new mews will be created at the rear of the site with taller, larger town-houses overlooking a home zone with parking and communal amenities. The housing scheme will achieve Code for Sustainable Homes level 4.
The proposed palette of materials respects those of the surrounding St Ignatius Conservation Area and listed Victorian square and also provides the scheme with a strong identity. The houses are brick with stone sills and parapets, and have generously sized timber windows. A subtle variation of the brick and mortar colour on each house helps define individual dwellings and adds richness to the street scene.
RCKa worked closely with local community champions at both an urban and a detailed material scale to develop the original competition winning design into the now approved planning scheme. The designs have also been presented to Places Matter where the team were commended for their bold approach.
RCKa’s design for the scheme was selected in an RIBA competition, ‘Gateway Goes for Guild’, ahead of 74 UK and international entries. Once built, RCKa’s winning design will form a central part of Preston’s Guild celebrations – a unique event to Preston which happens every 20 years and includes festivities as well as offering public institutions the opportunity to create notable projects or landmarks in the city.
Subject to funding by the Homes and Communities Agency, the scheme is due to start on site this year and will be complete in time for the Guild event in 2012.
RCKa Director Tim Riley said: “Our scheme attempts to knit together the existing incompatible urban fabric, consisting of disperate 70s houses and high quality Victorian terraces, on a challenging infill site. The ‘toothed gardens’ of our proposals allow us to complete a dense urban block, enhance street frontages on all sides and provide a community space to create a sociable housing development. The response to our approach has been very positive and we are delighted with the approval.”
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June 2nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm
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