Housing Design Event Blog

Posted By on Jun 11, 2015 |


On the 9th of March 40 members of the public joined Igloo and Brixton Green to talk about the design of the new housing on Somerleyton Road.

So far design work for the project has concentrated on delivering a strategy for the site that balances community needs (including affordable housing), financial viability and a good design.   This has resulted in the masterplan for the project created by Metropolitan Workshop.  This sets out various ‘rules’ for development, including things like building heights, the arrangement of blocks and the layout /mix of uses along Somerleyton Road.

The project is now entering the detailed design stage.  This is where architects will be appointed to develop detailed designs for each individual building.  This housing design event offered the public a chance to see the up to date masterplan and for them to tell us what they think the plot architects should consider when designing individual homes. You can see the material presented by clicking here. This included:

  • up to date facts about the development including the amount of affordable homes it will provide (50%), the mix and size of units, the key design principles and an illustration of how the blocks of housing will sit along the road.
  • An illustration showing a typical design of one of the apartments
  • Some ideas for the design of entrance areas
  • Some ideas for the design of communal outdoor spaces.

The public were then asked for their own design ideas.  Here’s what they told us:

Open Space

  • Balconies should be seen as an extension of the living space and should be large enough for children to play on them.
  • Food growing and composting should be integrated in to communal outside space.
  • Play space for children should be provided in communal outside space.  Parents should be able to supervise their children from their dwelling.

Design of homes

  • Dwellings should be filled with light and be spacious
  • Dwellings should provide plenty of built in storage
  • Noise transfer through the ceiling and floors and through walls must be avoided
  • Individuals should be able to customise their home (painting, changing the lights, hanging pictures)

Recycling and waste

  • Food recycling / composting should be provided

Entrances

The provision of space for drying clothes was identified as a potential use for communal areas.  This should be considered at both communal and individual dwelling levels.

  • The most popular idea for entrance spaces was having a book sharing library refrigerated space for deliveries
  • As well as secure bike storage you suggested that storage for pushchairs and scooters should be provided  - either in communal areas or in individual flats

In addition to housing design, Brixton Green took the opportunity to talk to the public about the principles behind the scheme and how it will be managed and let out in the future.

You told us that it was important to ensure that the new housing must be affordable and available to local people and that it was extremely important to build homes fore a mix of incomes.

What’s next?

All of the feedback gathered will be forwarded to the architects designing the new homes.  There is still a chance to tell us what you think by answering our online survey by clicking here. This survey will be open until the end of April.

You will get the chance to meet the architects yourself at our ‘Meet the architects’ event on the 14th of April. We will publish more details soon.