RIBA Ideas Competition
February 2002
This vibrant urban quarter promotes social, economic and environmental sustainability, aiming to be a comfortable and exciting place to live and work. The central market square provides a community focus and ‘buzz’ while the mixed development tightly integrates living, working and social facilities.
The complex is situated on a brown-field site to promote urban regeneration and environmental conservation. The contemporary-style buildings are carefully terraced and orientated to capture all the available sunlight and take advantage of passive solar gain – reducing energy costs for the tenants while facilitating a low-carbon lifestyle. An on-site combined heat and power plant fuelled by council tree offcuts coupled with on-site wind turbines provide electricity and hot water.