KM Architects were approached by a commercial developer who wished to enhance an existing planning consent for a small residential development. The commercial developer wished to revitalise this underused site in a small characterful Northamptonshire village to accommodate nine houses of differing sizes. The site contained three derelict residential properties with a block of five dilapidated garages to the rear. Planning permission had previously been granted for a scheme containing nine dwellings in a mix of houses and flats. The commercial developer client wanted a much more sympathetic scheme to be designed and submitted for planning approval, which would contribute to the streetscape, the setting of the listed building opposite the site and the sense of community within the Northamptonshire village.
The site lay within a flood zone and was adjacent to a stream. Unfortunately the site flooded prior to KM Architects application being submitted, which resulted in the planning authority requiring a detailed flood risk assessment by specialist hydraulic engineers to mitigate the potential of future flooding. Ironically, the flooding was not due to the stream flooding but was due to a burst water main further up the street. Much later our commercial developer client found one of two culverts taking the stream under the road blocked by a discarded gas bottle which must have been washed down the stream some years previously!
KM Architects scheme was designed to work in harmony with the listed buildings opposite, and was formulated to look like a traditional group of agricultural buildings on the edge of the Northamptonshire village that over time had become inhabited. The variation in size and aesthetic treatment of the houses was deliberate to emulate the hierarchy and variation occurring in the local Northamptonshire vernacular architecture, whilst providing a mix of sizes of residential property for potential purchasers. Traditional materials were used such as stone and brick, with detailing and features typical of the area. KM Architects designed the residential properties for contemporary living and to take advantage of the lovely views over the open fields to the rear and the stream to the West.
KM Architects designed the scheme to take account of any flood risks, and in collaboration with the hydraulic engineers and other consultants, including a planning consultant and an arboricultural consultant.
The commercial developer client was very pleased that approval was granted for a much more attractive scheme, both in marketing terms and by complementing the local setting. The residential scheme has now been built and all the houses sold and occupied.
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