Lacuna

One of the most noticeable characteristics of Lacuna is its interpretation of the Kentish vernacular. There is an understanding of the cultural heritage of the area, but the houses still feel like modern, considered dwellings that make use of contemporary construction techniques. Eleven basic house types of two to three bedroom flats and three, four and five bedroom houses are used. These are then adapted to suit each site as either detached, semidetached or terraced accommodation. The homeowner is able to chose from two styles of small hard landscaped gardens, cottage or exotic, and is provided with a maintenance service if required.

The initial batch of houses, which were built in brick and block, achieved high SAP ratings in the 90's (about 15% better than required). Due to the lack of skilled labour, the high quality expected, and the ambition to be energy efficient, timber framed prefabricated 'Super E Homes' were shipped from Canada for the most recent houses.

The Super E Home is built to the standards of the MIC Alouette of Montreal which require only 140mm studs, but resists heat loss through being airtight. They come with a ‘pick list’ which is a guide for reducing toxic substances produced in construction, fixtures and fitting. From this list Environ Sunley chose an electric air cleaner to improve air quality and exterior lighting powered by photovoltaic cells. The houses have ratings of about 50 Pascals in the blower door test (about 7 times higher than average UK house building). There were however some problems with this new choice of construction.

Some members of the design team felt that the chosen methods contributed to the project running over budget (by twenty percent) and over time. The final result is however a success. The initial Super E Homes reach high levels of insulation (less than two air-changes per hour, with a national average at about ten per hour), and more homes have been put on order to be delivered to the site.

The use of a master plan has proved advantageous in the design. The hierarchy of space from high street to back lanes, and squares to private lanes, has been emphasised. Most of the housing comes right up to the street, ensuring the tight village centre feel. Due to the orientation of the front doors of the homes, and the use of hanging bays and balconies, walkways are well overlooked. This adds security for pedestrians and emphasises their significance in the design process.

All living spaces relate directly to the outdoors. Due to new government density requirements the site is very dense, but the careful planning of the interrelationship of the homes and the use of internal elements, such as glass blocks, ensure that the homes feel very spacious.

Lacuna is connected to the rest of the Kings Hill development and the local area by green walking and cycling routes. The residents are encouraged to walk to local amenities, such as the supermarket, to conserve energy. Each house is allocated one garage and one parking space, and flats are allocated one and a half parking spaces. There is also parking on squares, in mews courts and housing courts. The access to Kings Hill is via an adopted highway, with all of the rest of the roads in the development being privately owned and maintained by Lacuna staff.