Abode

This development thoroughly deserves the awards it has received. It is exceptional in its concept, design, implementation, environmental approach, and in what it is offering the customer over time. Purchasers are getting 'a lot of architecture for their money'. Buildings are planned economically which not only liberates space for communal use, but also enables an urban dynamism to develop. Abode is very different to the more normal suburban layout, which would be expected in this type of location.

This urban dynamism touches every part of the design, with the guideline pallet extended to include a large variety of finishes. Roofs are thatched or slated, with strong lead features. Red brick garden and ground floor walls provide a unifying feature, with rubble and limestone gabion walls in their mesh enclosures forming a robust additional element. The upper level facing of dark rough-sawn timber shiplap boards reflect local farm buildings. Bays, screens and louvers all provide animation to the elevations.

The layout of the development encourages passive solar heating with many of the terraced houses on the East / West axis where they gain from the Southern sun. Streets running North / South have detached houses or features such as towers so gables catch the sun.

The master plan aims for 40% green space and attempts to maintain the existing topography of the site, conserving all the streams, copses, woodland and hedgerow, and joining them with 'green corridors' which provide a visual structure for the neighbourhood. Communal areas provide places for children to play safely and inhabitants to interact and the masterplan ensures that all houses are no more than one block away from green spaces. People take precedent over cars on the roads, with the speed of cars being reduced by a number of measures including narrow streets. Car parking is tucked behind buildings, within mews areas and under trees.

The underlying philosophy of the Newhall project is that places that attract people attract investment. By careful design, a high quality environment will be created which, in turn, will command premium prices for the property. Considerable effort has been made to ensure the principles of environmental and social sustainability, as well as economic viability are adhered to. There will be a Residents Association, a key element in the social development of the project, which will be involved in managing key facilities including planted areas and parkland.