We are thrilled that our project for 34 new, low energy, affordable homes in Armley has been granted planning permission!
It is great to be working with such a brilliant client as Leeds Community Homes to help deliver community-led housing in our home city of Leeds. We have worked together from feasibility stage to envisage the possibilities for the site, developing concepts, testing viability, and engaging with the local community.
The existing brownfield site has its challenges but they are exactly the kind that we like and lead to interesting proposals. The homes will be a mix of 1-bed and 2-bed apartments, as well as 6 semi-detached family houses. At the centre of the scheme will be a new multi-purpose flexible community space and all brought together with landscaping that will stitch in with the existing site and neighbours. Quality of space for residents, visitors and passers-by is crucial to the community housing scheme embedding into the existing neighbourhood. We worked with our collaborators Urban Wilderness to develop the building and landscape proposals in tandem, one informing the other.
The principal building intervention is to plug the existing gap in the street scene, creating definition and a sense of enclosure with new edges. Generosity of public realm guides the design approach throughout, with openness and permeability important qualities to create places to stay and enjoy. Around the site, at entrances, along desire lines and between different external spaces; edges and thresholds are designed thoughtfully with qualities of comfort, privacy and generosity.