The Society has, for a number of years, been concerned about affordable housing (click for link to briefing note), in terms of both the quantity and quality of provision. In 2004, when it celebrated its 75th Anniversary, it was decided that the Society should spearhead a positive initiative to address affordable housing problems.
In partnership with Orwell Housing, Mid Suffolk District Council and Elmswell Parish Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) were commissioned to organise a design competition.
The RIBA contacted all the architectural practices in the country - 73 expressions of interest were received and following detailed examination and judging, six practices were short listed.
The six teams then prepared detailed schemes for the site, their designs had to address and respond to the Aspiration Statement.
On 13th December 2005 the winning scheme was chosen. The judging panel felt that the Riches Hawley Mikhail (RHM) team had produced a subtle poetic response which was highly efficient in terms of its land take and had skilfully resolved potential issues on this challenging site. Their entry combined imagination with practicality, an awareness of the past with an appreciation of future residents' needs.
The development comprises 13 two-bedroom, 9 three-bedroom houses and 4 one-bedroom flats for local people.
All the houses are orientated north-south and have dense ground floor surfaces to allow for solar heat absorption and radiation. Interiors will be sunlit and relate directly to gardens and shared spaces.
Each house has its own private garden whilst low maintenance communal gardens give spaces to cultivate but also to relax and socialise in. These include a wildflower meadow, an orchard of Suffolk apples and allotments.
Cars can enter the site but not drive through it and parking is provided under trees near each group of houses. Curved walls define the extent of the private gardens and give a sense of privacy and enclosure.
This exciting project won the Housing Design Award in 2007
A Step in the right direction
"Securing good design and truly sustainable zero carbon housing that is affordable and marketable, will take a little more time," says Richard Ward, SPS Director. "However, the scheme at Elmswell is a "step in the right direction". Affordable housing does not have to be associated with bland cheapness and poor design. This scheme has risen to the challenge of truly sustainable housing, providing affordable homes with virtually carbon-free footprints.
The Architects Journal described it as "...a housing scheme in Suffolk that will be about as close to zero carbon as any multi-unit residential project completed to date in the UK. But there are no solar panels or wind turbines here."
See Suffolk View Spring 2008 for full details on the scheme.
Click on link below for further news and mention in "Building News"
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=428&storycode=3127259&c=2&encCode=000000000187cdef
LATEST NEWS - 2009
We are delighted to report that the Elmswell scheme won an Award in the "CREATING THE GREENEST COUNTY AWARDS - 2009" for "Greenest Community: Buildings" (www.greensuffolk.org)
The award was presented by Lady Clare Euston and Robbie Gawthorp and Linda Grave from East Green Energy at a ceremony held in The West Wing, Ickworth House on 18 March 2009
DVD - A DVD is now available detailing the whole story, from conception to the first tenants moving in - please contact sps@suffolksociety.org for a copy - Price: £10-00 each