Long Meadow, Diss
Khoury Architects was tasked with the design and delivery of 114 private sector homes to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes using renewable materials, as cost effectively as possible. The challenge was fulfilment of this brief within the limitations of the planning permission that had already been granted.
Khoury Architects inherited Long Meadow once planning permission had been granted for a traditional housing development. The planning department would not allow any changes to the external design of footprints or terraces, which created a number of challenges:
- To design a scheme that would achieve Lifetime Homes, HQI, Code for Sustainable Homes and Secured by Design accreditations within a given footprint and with pre-determined external window and door locations
- To completely re-plan the interiors whilst maintaining window and door locations within the external envelopes
- To propose an innovative construction solution for the build system and envelope fabric whilst maintaining the traditional external appearance of the permitted scheme
Khoury Architects focussed on internal re-planning, the design of a highly efficient building envelope and renewable technologies.
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- The resultant buildings are finished in through coloured render which references terraced cottages nearby
- Two and three bedroom houses are laid out in terraces of four and six homes to reduce external wall areas and maximise external open space
- The scheme achieved 18.5/20 in the Building for Life Accreditation, the criteria for which reflects the importance of functionality, attractiveness and sustainability in well-designed housing developments
- The development was also compliant with Lifetime Homes which ensures the houses are accessible to everyone and provides a flexible dwelling that adapts according to the inhabitants needs.
Sustainability
Khoury Architects adopted a holistic approach to sustainability which included site wide strategies as well as detailed specification of building fabric.