1st place Professional

Pope Priestley Architects
Hillington Square Site

At Pope Priestley Architects we wanted to create a strategy that could be applied to any housing regeneration site. The strategy consists of six steps; 'a recipe' to create successful sustainable built forms. Once all six steps are undertaken you are left with a sustainable; affordable; desirable; unique, community focused dwelling place, which architecturally relates to the sites history, locality and constraints.

The key to the success of the strategy and the regeneration of the site is the community involvement. The new built forms that emerged from the methodology; an interweaving of existing post war and contemporary forms, create larger, versatile dwelling spaces which can be broken down vertically and horizontally depending on the community's requirements. The external fabric would be a kit of parts designed by the Architect and approved by the Local Authority. The Community then selects their desired materials from the kit. All external materials will be made from recycled products and locally sourced.

Specifically to Hillington Square raised allotment decks were introduced. As well as providing residents with the space to be self sufficient, they also create large green, community focused spaces with semi private gardens and undercroft parking. Rooftop allotments create more green space. The new living green walls will create a habitat for wildlife, insects and birds to flourish. It will be created from a mixture of plants to encourage honey bees and other indigenous insects.

A Public Square is introduced providing a mixture of live work units, cafes, boutiques, commercial units alongside All Saints Church. The predominant pedestrian link via the Public Street would be retail lets, whereas situated around the Public Square it will be more of a gastronomy centre, with vibrant eateries and coffee lounges. A weekly market would be held at the Public Square for local farmers and residents to buy and sell the fruit and vegetables they have grown from their allotment gardens.

The strategy plus the community involvement creates lifetime communities, not only lifetime homes.