Seven new-build ecohomes on Grey Belt land in Stanborough, on the Great North Road beside the A1(M), which have recently received planning permission.
Our proposals overcome some challenging constraints to provide a new terrace of contemporary low-energy dwellings that address the urgent need for new homes while responding sensitively to the local context and character.
These are high-quality, healthy, family ecohomes, set amongst a resilient landscape that supports biodiversity: a regenerative scheme that offers a positive contribution to the local community.
Connected Chalets
Putting future residents at the heart of the proposals, these homes combine the calm and comfort of well-proportioned interiors with best practice passive and low-energy design, within a form that evolved following extensive analysis of the local architectural and environmental context. The layouts have been designed to prioritise daylight and optimise views to nature, with rooms arranged to support modern living.
Externally, our design takes cues from the properties opposite the site, as the building gently shifts in plan and elevation to give the impression of four gable-fronted contemporary chalets, interconnected with homes that are topped with biosolar roofing. The rhythm of pitched and flat roofs serves to reduce perceived mass and respond to the arrangement of chalet-type homes found opposite, many of which have been enlarged with flat-roof extensions set below the eaves of the gabled frontage.
Materially, these follow the modest local character of clay tiled pitched roofs combined with pale render, brick and tiled façades. The biosolar flat roof (green roof with solar panels) between pitched roofing helps with rainwater attenuation as well as biodiversity enhancement and energy generation. The facades are composed with an elegant simplicity, balancing active frontages and views out, privacy and best-practice solar orientation for passive house design.
Two homes towards the northern end of the site have been designed to meet the requirements of Part M4(2): Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings, while the remaining five homes have a split-level entrance floor: homes are entered from the existing street level before stepping down internally in response to the existing topography of the site.
All homes are dual aspect, orientated east-west. At ground floor living spaces are located away from the A1(M), offering an active frontage to the Great North Road. Kitchen/dining spaces are provided to the rear, opening directly onto gardens. At first floor two bedrooms are located on the front elevation, with the master bedroom at the rear of the house. Ample space is also allocated for zero carbon services within the utility/plant room at ground floor and plant cupboard at first floor.
Modern Mews
To the rear of the site a row of garages, with ancillary space above, will provide an acoustic barrier to the A1(M). Although contemporary in appearance, these are inspired by the traditional mews arrangement of townhouses found up and down the country. Accessed via a private roadway, each home has a generous garage with an ancillary space above, providing a back door with direct access up to their private gardens. The mews building follows the existing topography of the site, gently stepping down from the north to the south-east.
A generous ancillary space is incorporated above the garages, perfect for home-working, yoga, playspace and much more besides. The vertical treatment of the elevations has been designed to prevent overlooking between dwellings.
Sustainable Design Summary
All homes will be net-zero carbon in line with the recently published Net Zero Building Standard*. Low carbon materials will minimise the upfront embodied carbon to <400 kgCO2e/m2GIA. Fabric first and passive design, combined with efficient services will minimise operational carbon to <39 kWh/m2GIA/y and extensive array of PV panels will provide renewable energy >75 kWh/m2GEA/y. The scheme is designed to target a maximum heating load of 15 kWh/m2GIA/y in line with best-practice passive design.
The proposals will protect and enhance the ecology of the site. The environmental impact of the proposals will be minimised during construction and operation, including noise, sound, light and air pollution. Resilience to climate change will be achieved through our fabric first approach, combined with resilient landscape design, to maximise winter heat gains, minimise summer cooling loads, risk of flooding and the effects of drought.
The connected structure of the our designs reduces ambient noise levels to the gardens and achieves a form factor that is in-line with best practice low-energy recommendations of LETI. The flat roofs would include a large green roof area, maximising habitats for wildlife locally. These areas attenuate rainwater, enhance insulation and provide a valuable contribution to the site’s BNG in line with Climate Resilience best practice.
Facades have been carefully developed to ensure the percentages of glazed openings are in line with Passivhaus guidance according to orientation, while internal daylight modelling shows that habitable rooms receive good levels of daylight – minimising lighting demand while offering a high-quality internal experience.
* Based on ‘Single family homes’ and an anticipated commencement on site in 2026
