Alexis Butterfield, Addressing affordability through design

Addressing affordability through design Alexis Butterfield, Associate Partner, Pollard Thomas Edwards Presentation to The Academy of Urbanism June 2019

Pollard Thomas Edwards – who we are

Around 150 design professionals and support staff based in Islington, London • Architecture • Masterplanning • Urban design • Community engagement • Property development

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Pollard Thomas Edwards – in numbers (2018)

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Pollard Thomas Edwards – what we do

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Pollard Thomas Edwards – project examples

We have chosen 3 of our recent projects to illustrate how we work with private developers, local authorities and housing associations. They focus on 3 particular aspects: • Adding value i.e. “growing the cake” • Stacking structures and services • Kit of parts design solutions The Avenue, Saffron Walden, Essex – major housebuilder (Hill) NWCC, South Kilburn Regeneration Phase 4, London – local authority (Brent) Beechwood West custom build, Basildon, Essex – housing association (Swan/NU living)

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Project example 1 – The Avenue, Saffron Walden, Essex

• Private developer led (Hill) • Affordable, shared ownership and private sale homes • 76 contemporary homes in a sensitive conservation setting • 150 mature protected trees • Raising development density • Project paid for the construction of a new school building • Previous planning application (by others) refused The challenge - “every home should be different and have something special about it”

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The Avenue – Saffron Walden character

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The Avenue - the site

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The Avenue – focus the layout on the mature trees

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The Avenue – create small shared courtyards

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The Avenue – adding over 55’s homes

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The Avenue – tenure blind in scale, details and materials

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The Avenue – develop a kit of parts and use “intelligent replication”

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The Avenue – continuity and diversity

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Project example 2 – NWCC, South Kilburn Regeneration (phase 4), London

• Local authority client (Brent) • Required uplift from 88 homes to 208 homes (264 homes achieved) • Regular residents design workshops • Mixed tenure - maximise values of private sale to subsidise low social rents The challenge – to maximise homes and be inspired by London’s distinctive Victorian mansion flats

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NWCC – the existing site

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NWCC – client vision

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NWCC – a traditional street network

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NWCC – tenure blind urban blocks joined by a play street

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NWCC – stacking duplexes and flats for structures and services

Private sale

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Social rent

NWCC – interchangeable layouts for consultation

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NWCC – prioritise entrances, identity and signage

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NWCC – focus on gardens and spaces for neighbourliness

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NWCC – repeating kit of parts for all features and elements with BIM modelling

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Project example 3 – Beechwood West, Basildon

• Housing association client (Swan NU-living) • 251 custom build homes • Modular off-site construction • Raising densities from surrounding area • Flagship project • Low sales values in local area; challenge of affordability The challenge - “over a million possible variations!”

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Beechwood West – Essex “plotlands” character

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Beechwood West –masterplan layout and baseline typologies

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Beechwood West – kit of parts with layout and material options

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Beechwood West – Website “configurator” exterior options

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Beechwood West – planning “passport” for options

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Beechwood West – customised home modules manufactured in nearby Swan factory

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Beechwood West – completed modules assembled on site

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Beechwood West – external cladding installed

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Beechwood West – using the home configurator (short film)

https://youtu.be/iJgD7YN_H5c

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Conclusion

Some of the ways Pollard Thomas Edwards work to improve affordability through design: • We add value wherever possible (growing the cake) • Collaborate to make decisions at the right time and to prioritise • Build in flexibility! (e.g. allow for options) • Repeat the basics and think about how things fit together • Try to stack structures and services • Use “kit of parts” design to offer diversity and customisation while controlling costs

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