Preferred Developers
Preferred Developer
Lead Member:
Countryside Properties plc with Hyde Housing Association Ltd
Architect:
PCKO
Registered Social Landlord:
Hyde Housing Association Ltd
Main Supply Chain Partners:
BUMA Free-dom SA (Polish timber frame manufacturers)
The Homes Factory (UK atructural insulated panel manufacturers)
Other Key Partners:
Countryside Properties plc (principal contractor)
Brand-Leonard (engineers)
Mace (consultants)
Acton Housing Group; Metropolitan Housing Trust; Presentation Social Investment Agency (partnering Housing Association developers)
Walker Management (Employer's Agent)
Features
Proposed Construction Method:
The Countryside Consortium combines the expertise of one of the UK's leading housebuilders with those of the South East's major housing associations.
The consortium proposes to use both the BUMA volumetric system and The Homes Factory as their chosen construction methods. The BUMA system is a light gauged steel frame, clad externally with either render-finished insulated OSB board or metal cladding with drained or ventilated cavity; internally lined with plasterboard. The components and process of constructing the units is standard, although the products and materials are sourced in Poland. Hyde Housing Association, one of the partners in the consortium, has already used this product for affordable housing projects in London.
The Homes Factory is a timber-frame system that has evolved technology transfer from its North American house construction partners. The Homes Factory uses a one-layer design process which dramatically reduces design lead times to site from around 14 weeks to four weeks for typical residential schemes and dramatically reducing production cost. The houses and flats can be clad with brick at ground floor with solid timber, metal panels and timber screens at the upper floors.
House Type Design Features:
The proposed house-type marries together space, light and flexible living in an innovative interpretation of the typical terraced house. The consortium has achieved a large 88 sq m house within the £60,000 cost target.
Each home is entered via an impressive double-height glazed galleried atrium space that creates a heart to the home and acts as both circulation space and light source. The home incorporates a service wall, which allows the space to be used flexibly and adapted, allowing homeowners to personalise their use of the space to their specific and changing needs. The flats will have two bedrooms incorporating a single 3.5m span which provides internal flexibility for the occupants. The flats have large windows and good corner features that contribute to the streetscape.
Urban Design Approach:
The dynamic and innovative house-plans present an equally interesting visual appearance to the street, with recessed atria, large areas of glazing and good-quality architectural detailing forging together to create a unique streetscape. The inventive design of the housing units dominates the site layout with car-parking tucked away yet overlooked by adjacent properties. The plan is simple and economical with a shared central courtyard to reduce the impact of car parking and car movement and fits well into the existing urban environment of this part of Dartford.
