Mikhail Riches wins planning for low-carbon housing in Somerset

Mikhail Riches has won planning for 52 Passivhaus-certified homes near Bristol after being selected through the Greater London Authority’s ADUP2 framework.

斯特灵奖获得者于2019年7月被任命为西部国家项目的竞争招标过程中使用的框架。

It underlines the significance for architects of getting on the framework which can be used by authorities outside London. More than 1,100 applications were received for the 14 categories of the rebranded architecture urbanism panel 3 whenretendering began last year.

North Somerset Council said it wanted to “challenge the development sector to do better by working with some of the best designers in the country”. It is also working on placemaking schemes with Allies & Morrison in Portishead and Turner Works in Weston and will shortly be starting work on similar initiatives in Clevedon and Nailsea.

Plans and elevations

It will begin procurement of a delivery partner for the Mikhail Riches development this summer with the aim of work starting on site early in 2022. The scheme is designed for manufacture and assembly of MMC panellised construction throughout.

The scheme, on council-owned land at The Uplands in Nailsea, a former 19^th-century industrial town eight miles southwest of Bristol, is described as landscape-led and includes communal gardens and wildlife corridors. It has electrical vehicle charging throughout.

主任安纳莉·里奇说，这是一个“有远见的委员会可以实现的”例子。

52座被动式住宅的空间标准将至少超过国家描述的10%，并包括家庭办公空间。该方案包括小型住宅和八间可以为轮椅使用者改造的平房。

Juliet Bidgood, chair of the Design West review panel which reviewed the scheme at three stages before and during lockdown, said: “We were inspired to see North Somerset leading by example using a strategic site to promote the high-quality design of housing by commissioning a talented design team.

“The project is a valuable demonstration of how contemporary low-carbon approaches to architecture can contribute new character and difference while learning from the local vernacular of a place.

Landscape sketches

“The project also has the potential to lead the way locally in how to develop homes that are part of a sociable and nature-friendly landscape. The panel were impressed by the way the architect and landscape architect worked together to bring trees into street landscapes and create communal gardens and orchards. It’s good to see North Somerset take practical action to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies through this approach.”

Uplands is the second scheme to be brought forward by the council as part of its development programme. In October the council appointed Keepmoat Homes to deliver 425 MMC homes on land it owns at Parklands Village in Weston-super-Mare, including 15% zero-carbon homes and 75 volumetric units. Both have been received Homes England Local Authority Accelerated Construction funding.

The project team included Seed Landscape Design.