Coppice Park
Communal living, set in a lush landscape of meadows & trees. Here people can be in nature. Children can play in a secure environment, safely away from vehicular movement, with shared landscape allowing communal activities to happen ad hoc.
The site is located on the northern edge of the village of Brampton in Huntingdonshire, approximately 1.3km south west of Huntingdon and 3.7km west of Godmanchester. Hinchingbrooke Country Park, a large recreational park, separates Brampton village from Huntingdon.
On the site is Meadow View Farm, a disused farm with associated fields to the north. A reasonably flat site flanked by roads, the development will be accessed from Thrapston Road, which borders the south site boundary. The A141 runs close to the north site boundary beyond a dense mound and treeline. The neighbouring housing is disconnected and separate to the south with the village centre further south east, accessed by road or via pedestrian footpath.
The Brief asked for a development with a unique character, a strong emphasis on community and generous communal spaces. The design was to provide a sense of arrival and identity, a gated community without the gates, for a target market of 25-35 year olds with families.
A traditional barn cluster form, with a contemporary twist.
The existing site contains a farmhouse, along with a cluster of farmhouse buildings and adjacent fields. In developing the architectural identity for this project, we looked at simple forms of buildings with pitched roofs, structures with a single material covering both the wall and roof, and methods of joining buildings to create pockets of private space.
A mix of cladding and roof materials
Mimicking a village setting, with variety stemming from development spread over time, the design has a number of different house types with mismatched cladding materials. Each cluster of houses is unique in type, form, orientation and material mix. This provides a rich variation across the development.
The cluster arrangement provided clear benefits to both the inhabitants and the neighbouring dwellings. As one moves through site, foreground and background create a collage of simple layered forms. Oblique views deter overlooking and offer wide angled views out into the landscape from dual aspects. Light and shadow cast in unique and interesting ways, each dwelling receiving sunlight at different points in the day. Trees can be selectively planted to create vistas, privacy, depth and texture to the entire site. Permeability between living space and green space with dual aspect gardens bordered with foliage.
....each dwelling faces the green oasis, and has a private external area....
To create variety and to enhance the layering of views through the site, the team have sought to mix house types away from uniformity, shuffling the arrangement of
each cluster.
There are 3no house types (1,2+3) and two affordable housing clusters.
The site provides 40% affordable housing. These affordable housing clusters have been designed and positioned within the development to integrate and have the same materials and appearance.
Each house has been situated and arranged to provide its own unique outlook over the landscape. The houses are each positioned to achieve a balance of privacy and connectivity. Views out will provide oblique glimpses of neighbouring dwellings nestled between the trees.
The cladding and roof materials of the dwellings are selected from 5no materials. The concept is for each dwelling to have a matching wall and roof colour and material.
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Client
This Land -
Location
Brampton, Cambridgeshire -
Budget
Private -
Design Team
Farrer Huxley
Northmores
Conisbee
TEP
Oxbury -
Team
Robin Dryer, Mark Clarke, Delphine Dryer, James Howells, Ting Khu, Ana Pratas, Ciara Fitzpatrick -
Images
Farrer Huxley
CDC Studio