Cambridge Architecture Gazette CA66

CAMBRIDGE ARCHITECTURE

Autumn 2013

Semi Detached, Cromwell Road, 1930

Courtyard House, Accordia, 2007

Trumpington Meadows, 2012

Highsett, Hills road, 1958-1964

Typical Worker’s cottage, 1925

Typical Victorian Terrace, 1837-1901

CA

aspirational

66 LIVING Cambridge Association of Architects

www.architecture.com/cambridgegazette

aspirational CAMBRIDGE 2

Editorial CA66 is the first of three editions with the over-arching theme of “Aspirational Cambridge”. In this edition we look at Aspirational Living which focuses on housing issues concerning both new developments, and the existing residential stock.

Nobody can fail to notice the rapid change of the built environment in and around our treasured City. Residential developments both in the City Centre and on the Fringes are changing the skyline and footprint at a great pace. The precious historic core may be sacrosanct, but the wider character of the built environment is under mounting regional pressure in the name of growth. Living in Cambridge is set to change as expansion plans progress, affecting local areas and Fringe sites with developments such as Trumpington Meadows, Great Kneighton (Glebe Farm, and Clay Farm), and Darwin Green (NIAB), the most recent to be built-out. In addition, there is the University’s ambitious mixed-use Northwest site, which has just begun, and future schemes such as Marshall’s Wing coming into focus.

We feature a couple of recent developments, but also cover some salient aspects including retrofit, and affordable housing. We reflect on strategies that Cambridge City Council propose putting in place to deliver successful communities, before we herald in a new Local Plan.

We also thought now would be a good time to ask a well-known critic to discuss the changing nature of our suburbs.

In the complex process of building today, all those involved in shaping the built environment, including patrons, have a responsibility to constantly question what they are bequeathing the City, and whether their developments will be a worthy legacy of an aspiring Cambridge for generations to come.

No doubt this edition will stimulate and provoke debate about the quality of living in our city, as we ask the question, “Are our aspirations being met?”.

Editorial Team Daniela Muscat, CtC Architects Ashley Courtney, Ashley Courtney RIBA AABC James O’Kane, Freeland Rees Roberts Mark Richards, studio24 architects LLP

The front cover was designed by CAA members Ze’ev Feigis and Kaiyil Gnanakumaran to raise awareness of the RIBA campaign ‘Without Space and Light’ during Architecture Semi Detached, Cromwell Road, 1930

Courtyard House, Accordia, 2007

week. Each laser-cut model provided information about window areas as a percentage of floor area for typical house types in Cambridge.

Trumpington Meadows, 2012

Highsett, Hills road, 1958-1964

Typical Worker’s cottage, 1925

Typical Victorian Terrace, 1837-1901

News CAMBRIDGE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AWARDS Cambridge City Council, together with co-sponsors Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry and Cambridge News, have replaced the David Urwin Awards with the “Cambridge Design and Construction Awards” to celebrate high quality developments built in the city.

The 2012 award winners were announced in March. The award for Best Alteration or Extension of an Existing Building went to NRAP Architects Ltd for their project The Nook, Cherry Hinton Road. The award for Conservation of an Existing Building went to NRAP Architects Ltd for their project Pembroke College Hall. There were also two Commendations awarded: Commendation for Sustainability, which went to AC Architects Cambridge Ltd for 30-132 Chesterton Road; and Commendation for Public Realm, which went to Nicholas Hare Architects LLP for Alison Richard Building, West Road.

The closing date to be considered for this years awards is 31st December, with the results being announced in March 2014. This years entry categories are: ● Best New Building – small (under £1m construction costs) ● Best New Building – large (over £1m construction costs) ● Conservation of Existing Building ● Alteration or Extension of Existing Building For full details visit www.cambridge.gov.uk and search Cambridge Design and Construction Awards.

CARBUNCLE CUP The UK’s most controversial architecture award has struck a blow in Cambridge, with Microsoft HQ by Chetwoods and Student Housing by TP Bennett (part of the CB1 Development) both nominated as contenders for this year’s worst new building.

The number one spot went to 465 Caledonian Road by Stephen George & Partners. For more information and to see the full list of nominations, visit www.bdonline.co.uk and search Carbuncle Cup. DRAFT LOCAL PLAN Cambridge City Council have drawn up a draft Local Plan for the city. The Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission, has been open for public consultation for 10 weeks. Cambridge City Council have held a number of public exhibitions during the

consultation period, and an online consultation system was set up for public comment. More information can be found at www.cambridge.gov.uk.

RIBA EAST AWARDS Seven buildings in the East region have won an RIBA Regional Award 2013, praising exceptional, innovative architecture. This years special award winners were: Westborough Primary School by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture (Sustainability Award); The Governors of Westborough Primary School for Westborough Primary School by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture (Client of the Year Award); and Newhall Be by Alison Brooks Architects (Building of the Year Award).

Two RIBA East Regional winners went on to win an RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural merit on a national platform: Crowbrook,

by Knox Bhavan Architects and Newhall Be by Alison Brooks Architects.

GREEN LIGHT FOR PASSIVHAUS APARTMENTS Cambridge is set to have its first sustainable low energy Passivhaus apartments. The scheme for two 2-bedroom luxury apartments designed to Lifetime Homes standards, received the thumbs up by the East Area Committee, which approved development unanimously. CtC Architects, Certified Passivhaus Designers, will be seeing the scheme through to completion. The development, located off Cherry Hinton Road, aspires to be a showcase of how we can live comfortably with minimal impact on the natural world.

WITHOUT SPACE AND LIGHT CAMPAIGN The RIBA’s Without Space and Light Campaign took a blow recently when communities minister Don Foster was reported in the Guardian newspaper stating that the Government may now rely upon voluntary mechanisms to deliver minimum space standards.

Cambridge City Council may be one of the first places in the UK to introduce minimum space standards for new developments, as laid out in their draft local plan. To get involved and have your say, visit www.withoutspaceandlight.com.

THE CAA ARE ON TWITTER For the latest news, updates and information from the Cambridge Association of Architects, follow @ RIBACambridge.

Without Space and Light Campaign Logo

CFCI EVENTS CFCI have released details of their events for the Michaelmas term 2013 which include: ‘Inspirational Engineering’ – A talk by John Parker (Technical Director at WSP, who led the team carrying out the structural design of the Shard); and ‘Local Plans’ – which sees Senior Officers from Cambridge City Council and South Cambs District Council present some of the significant proposals in their emerging local plans.

Visit www.cfci.org.uk for more detail or email secretary@cfci.org.uk.

The CAA at Love Architecture. Photo: CAA

LOVE ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL The Love Architecture Festival 2013 took place between the 21st and 30th June, with events happening across England and Wales to help celebrate architecture.

The East of England Region had a huge series of events, from cycle tours and exhibitions to floating micro cinemas!

The Cambridge Association of Architects gave away 400 free models of typical Cambridge house types in Cambridge city centre on Saturday 29th June, whilst speaking to members of the public about the RIBA’s ‘Without Space and Light Campaign’’. The event provided an opportunity to local residents to compare standards of six house types from different eras including a typical Victorian terrace, inter-war semi detached and the more recent Accordia court house.

The foldable scaled model templates (see cover) each carried information about the comparative ratio between window size and floor space.

Newhall Be by Alison Brooks Architects. Photo: Paul Riddle

If you have interesting architectural news, you’d like to see featured in the next edition, please email riba.caa@googlemail.com with NEWS in the subject title

3

Local Projects DESIGNED TO BREATHE Husband and wife team Andrew and Rachel Loader designed and project managed the build of this 2-storey family home in Newmarket. Rachel (who studied at Queens’ College Cambridge, and now works at Cowper Griffith Architects) first came across straw bale building on a traditional timber-framing course, and felt it had a lot of potential as a natural, healthy alternative to more common building materials.

The aim has been to combine traditional, waste, and natural materials with modern technology to produce a super insulated, low impact family home. It was hoped from an early stage that the external walls would be built out of straw bales. “We liked the concept that these could be grown in the field next door, with virtually no energy required to transport them to site.”

“We have used the build as an opportunity to experiment with a range of interesting materials: to learn about their possibilities and limitations.”

The exceptional carbon credentials of straw (owing to it actually drawing in and storing carbon from the atmosphere) mean that this readily available building material actually has a negative carbon footprint!

This project is about more than building a sustainable home, it’s about conserving and supporting a sustainable lifestyle. The whole build process has been recorded online, so for more information about the project head to: designedtobreathe.blogspot.co.uk.

THE NOOK In October 2010 Richard Owers spotted a ramshackle bakery and detached baker’s house in the south of Cambridge. As separate units the two existing buildings had little obvious appeal. The commercial property suffered from being hidden away beyond the shopping street, and the house was small and lacked privacy. As a place to live it had little going for it - or that was the general perception!

Having recently been awarded Cambridge Design and Construction Award 2013’s best Alteration or Extension to an Existing Building, this house by NRAP Architects is an excellent example of back land development and the creative and sustainable reuse of Cambridge’s existing building stock.

One important and often overlooked challenge for architects interested in sustainability is how to adapt and reuse existing buildings in a creative and cost effective manner. This project to convert and adapt two existing structures demonstrates how buildings that appeared to have little architectural value can be rescued through good design.

For more information about the project head to: www.nrap.co.uk.

Expertise on call.

Your kind of law 4

We asked regional Cambridgeshire architects to send in examples of their local aspirational architecture, to celebrate the work of local practices. After a fantastic response, here are a few of our residential favourites. If you would like to appear in the next edition of the gazette, please send in a drawing or photograph that captures the essence of your project with a brief summary of no more than 150 words via email to riba.caa@googlemail.com.

RICHMOND ROAD Haysom Ward Miller Architects have just completed this development of four terraced houses on a brownfield site at the rear of no’s 82 - 90 Richmond Road.

The design has developed as a reinterpretation of the traditional model of terraced housing in a way, which successfully accommodates cars and responds to modern housing needs. The buildings are arranged as a mews to define a shared public entrance space under a canopy of mature trees. One car parking space is located to the side of each property within an open element with views through to the gardens beyond. A living room on the ground floor entrance side overlooks this public space to promote natural surveillance.

The back of the dwellings open out over bright, sunny, courtyard gardens. To the upper floors the building steps back as a series of terraces to make the most of the south light and views out over the trees.

EXTENSION TO GEORGIAN COTTAGE Bruce Stuart Architects completed this contemporary, two-story extension to a cottage in St. Ives in 2011.

Bruce Stuart, originally from Cambridge, trained as an architect in Edinburgh at Heriot-Watt University.

This extension to the cottage in St. Ives was really the third slice to a Georgian cottage with a Victorian extension. That earlier extension was complementary and of quality and it did not try to mimic the original.

Bruce decided that the 21st Century slice should do the same and the client was happy to buy into that philosophy. The joy of the site is the compact but delightful rear garden, including a mature Mulberry tree. The new extension exploits these assets in a way that the existing house did not, using full-height glazing to the kitchen/dining area and bedroom above.

Call us to find out more about our expert team of planning, environmental, property and construction lawyers.

Contact Colin Jones on 01223 532731 (colinjones@hewitsons.com) Cambridge | Milton Keynes | Northampton

www.hewitsons.com

Your kind of law 5

Community Matters

View across Central Square (POS4) of Orchard Park containing new Community Centre

Julie Ayre, Principal Planning Officer of South

The pressure on community facilities is always

K1 is an undeveloped land parcel owned by

Cambridgeshire District Council, outlines the

high in new developments, and Orchard Park is no

Cambridge City Council where a hybrid self-build

chronology of Orchard Park’s new community, and

different. The community centre, areas for sport,

scheme is proposed. Orchard Park has a defined

news of further developments about to take shape:

public open spaces and local play areas are well

master plan, and each land parcel has ‘layout

This development on the edge of Cambridge

used, and mainly managed by the Orchard Park

conditions’ within character areas. The scheme

was granted outline planning permission in 2005 and

Community Council. The settlement has very good

will follow those principles, but gives individuals an

includes a primary school, community and sports

green credentials with a ‘living’ roof on the community

opportunity to adapt the shell of the building from a

buildings, dedicated public open spaces and local

centre and solar panels on the school. It has

pallet of materials.

areas of play. Cambridgeshire’s Guided Busway – a

an eating and drinking establishment within one the

dedicated rapid transport route – also runs through

hotel complexes.

the development and serves the community.

Orchard Park is now a thriving community with over 850 homes occupied. With all developments

Bringing forward the Civic centre has been

there are challenges to overcome, but when you

In 2011 South Cambridgeshire District Council

difficult. Residents were given hope of new shops in

speak to people who live in Orchard Park they are

(SCDC) reassessed the undeveloped land parcels

2007 by the approval of a planning application but

happy and enjoy living there.

within Orchard Park and created a Supplementary

the economic downturn resulted in the project being

Planning Document which changed the original

shelved. SCDC continued to encourage the promoters

For future news about Orchard Park see www.scambs.

master plan by allowing up to a further 220 homes

to deliver this important facility and discussions

gov.uk/content/orchard-park-north-cambridge

to be built.

between the master developers (Gallagher Estates

The planning changes and the growing population resulted in a need for an additional 190 school places

Ltd) and a local registered provider Bedford Pilgrims Housing Association began.

In 2011 Gallagher Estates submitted a hybrid

Opportunities for further extensions is limited, but the

planning application – part outline and part full – for

building was constructed with a community and health

140 new homes and a parade of seven shops on

wing which could potentially be available in the future.

two sites. This application was supported by a legal

The

main

roads

have

been

adopted

by

agreement worth £1.35 million which provides support

Cambridgeshire County Council but slow progress is

and enhancements to community infrastructure.

being made on the side roads which are still in the

Construction of the shops will start within a matter

control of the individual house builders.

of weeks.

image:SCDC

and consequently the school has been extended.

CGI of the mixed-use centre looking North through Unwin Square

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6

Orchard Park is bounded by the A14 embankment, the Guided Bus route, and Kings Hedges Road. David Lock provided the masterplan, subsequently amplified in a Design Guide by John Thompson and Partners. The ambitions were to provide: a loose grid of streets but a hierachy of roads; four character areas; streets edged with perimeter blocks four storeys high, with two-and-a-half storey high terraces behind creating an urban feel; buff brick and exterior render to provide colour; design intended to be tenure blind; focal buildings on the corners; Kings Hedges Road slowed down from 40mph and 60mph in places to 30mph with four crossing points. The Circus is the heart, centred on the avenue (Chariot Way) giving a formal link from Kings Hedges to the civic centre of Unwin Square. Local shops were initially intended at the front of the site but have since moved to the back of Unwin Square. Perhaps in hindsight, if Kings Hedges Road had been moved adjacent the A14, creating a buffer and a service road, then Orchard Park would have been more integrated into the communities of Kings Hedges and Arbury. images:SCDC

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Orchard Park Masterplan showing character areas, Public Open Spaces (POS) and the remaining land parcels to be developed.

Adam Broadway of Instinctively Green, is Project

manages or owns the freehold including the open

Manager for the development of the K1 site. Here

space and possibly a communal building.

he explains the concept behind it:

Schematic Plan of Unwin Square and the Civic Centre

Key North Edge Design Brief March 2010 (South Cambridge District Council)

Community matters, but what about the architecture? Example of a corner focal building - questionable architectonics and building craft skills?

The concept is relatively new to the UK, coming

Cambridge’s growth seems endless. While the

from Germany and USA. Some see it as quite ‘hippy’

local economy expands it creates huge pressures

but in fact it is not. We have been able to bring together

on important service areas such as housing. House

an eclectic mix of local with people from all walks of

prices simply don’t seem to stop increasing which

life and work with them to set out a clear vision and

means that for many, their housing options become

ambition for their new homes and community. The

more and more limited.

energy and enthusiasm has been tremendous. The

While many people continue to desire a new

common theme is that while wanting private space

home, the chances of buying, let alone influence the

that is highly efficient, the group see the benefits of

design, seem limited only to those with Grand Design

creating a stronger community and sharing resources

funds and aspirations.

when they need to.

However, this isn’t the case for a small group

The K1 project is now finalising their requirements

of people who have been working together to

in a client briefing document which has been evolved

commission and design an exciting new housing

with the support of Jim Ross from Cambridge

project in north Cambridge. The project is known as

Architectural Research Ltd.

K1 and is the first new Co-housing Project in the City

The group now have 13 members and are

and will be at Orchard Park, north Cambridge; a site

constantly looking for new households to join. For

well connected by local transport, easy access to the

more information or membership details:

Science Park and Cambridge Regional College.

Co-housing is a term used to describe a

www.cambridge-k1.co.uk

housing project whereby a group come together to

info@cambridge-k1.co.uk

commission, design, set the standards for their new

or call Adam Broadway 07817 888448

homes and community. They form a company which

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7

Living on the Fri Sharon Brown, the New Neighbourhoods Development Manager at Cambridge City Council, has been involved in the evolution and delivery of the Cambridge Fringe developments since arriving at the Council in 2005, prior to which she worked for Westminster City Council, dealing with large-scale development projects in central London. Here, she discusses the lessons learnt from earlier developments, and explains how they are being implemented on the largescale Cambridge Fringe sites currently taking shape.

The Cambridge sub-region has experienced significant

Early provision of community infrastructure

occupations on the new developments. The County

large-scale growth over the last 10-15 years, with a

and community support: Trumpington Pavilion

Council took out prudential borrowing and there was

number of strategic developments coming forward

is a new community facility, delivered in part, to

support from Central Government growth area funding

at Cambourne, Orchard Park, and around the edge

meet the additional demands arising from the new

to enable this.

of Cambridge where some of the developments

developments on an interim basis until the proposed

● The need for a phasing plan to ensure delivery

straddle

district

new Clay Farm community hub project is delivered in

of community infrastructure early on: the Fringe

boundary. The two local authorities have worked

2015. Community support was also secured through

site developments are all subject to phasing strategy

collaboratively (together with Cambridgeshire County

developer contributions. This provided for a small

conditions on the outline permissions. These have to

Council) reviewing key issues arising from the master

Southern Fringe community development team, put in

set out the overall sequencing of the development

planning and project management of some earlier

place prior to first occupations taking place, enabling

over the build out period. The phasing strategies have

developments such as Cambourne and Orchard Park,

cohesion between existing and new communities.

to be approved by Committee.

the

City/South

Cambridgeshire

and have sought to address these in the planning of

●

●

Use of welcome packs for new residents:

●

Good governance arrangements need to be

more recent urban extension developments around

all the new residents on the Southern Fringe

put in place at an early stage: given the cross-local

Cambridge. Some of the learning points identified are

developments have received local authority welcome

authority boundary aspect of many of the Cambridge

being applied on Trumpington Meadows, Clay Farm,

packs containing a range of information including

Fringe sites and the critical role of the County Council

Glebe Farm and North West Cambridge and are

details of local public transport provision, useful local

as the education, transport and strategic waste

highlighted below:

contacts lists, waste collection arrangements, local

authority, the City Council, South Cambridgeshire

school information etc.

District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council

● The

need for design guidance developed and

Effective communications include setting

formed the Fringe Sites Joint Development Control

at the outset: the above developments all have site

up liaison groups at an early stage: all the Fringe

Committee in 2007. The purpose of the Committee is

wide design codes/design strategies negotiated post

site developments have joint local authority led

to ensure that planning decisions on these important

outline permission, but prior to any detailed reserved

developer/house builder steering groups or project

strategic developments are made in a joined-up

matters applications coming forward. The design

teams to oversee them, ensuring the developments

and collaborative way from the earliest stage of the

codes provide a strategic site-wide framework for

are fully coordinated through various planning stages

development process.

maintaining design quality and coherence throughout

and delivery phases. These groups are supported by

the entire development, regardless of the number of

area-based, open community forums, chaired by local

monitoring regime: monitoring contributions, were

multiple house builders involved on different plots/

councillors, which meet on a quarterly basis. They

secured through developer contributions to allow for

parcels. Any reserved matters are considered against

provide an opportunity both for developers and house

a range of issues to be monitored by different officers

the context of compliance with the site-wide design

builders to consult and update the local communities

sharing information on a collaborative basis including

codes.

on emerging projects, but also for local concerns and

laying out and completion of open spaces, installation

“snagging” issues to be discussed.

of street trees, design quality compliance etc.

approved early on, and a strong design strategy

●

The

need

for

a

Design

Panel:

the

●

●

Importance of a robust local authority

Delays in school provision and creation of

Given that four of the Clay Farm development

an independent panel of experts that reviews and

capacity for children of new residents: the first

projects have received design or planning awards in the

comments upon large-scale strategic developments

new primary school, at Trumpington Meadows, was

last two years, the local authorities feel confident that

across the whole sub-region, focusing on the four

delivered at an early stage of the build out, and is

many of the lessons identified from past experience

key criteria in the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter

scheduled to open for admissions next month.

are being addressed. However, the successful master

Cambridgeshire Quality Panel has been set up as

●

transport

planning and delivery of large-scale developments is

community. The Panel has had an active role in

infrastructure: the Addenbrookes Road and Guided

very much both a challenging and iterative process,

reviewing the Cambridge Fringe site developments.

Bus were delivered by the County Council prior to any

and there are always more lessons to be learnt…

Abode, Gt Kneighton Developer: Countryside Properties Architect: Proctor Matthews Award: Housing Design Awards Project Winner 2012

Paragon, Gt Kneighton Developer: Bovis Homes Architect: Levitt Bernstein Award: Regional Town Planning Institute, Planning Achievement Award

Long Road, Clay Farm Developer: Countryside Properties Architect: TateHindle Award: Housing Design Awards Project Winner 2012

for Growth: connectivity, character, climate and

●

Early

provision

of

public

©HDAwards

8

nges...

Crispin Kelly is managing director of award winning company Baylight, a property and investment company founded in 1982 which develops sites and buildings into sustainable communities using good design and robust commercial viability. A former President of the Architectural Association, he also a writer and commentator on housing issues. As an advocate of the under-rated suburb as a planning concept, we asked him for his views on what makes a successful suburb.

We have become used to the metropolitan elite’s

work as a neighbourhood though is the 29th house,

an intensity of experience: architects mark important

disdain for suburbia. The only words buzzing are

which all the others part own, and use for yoga, socials

moments. Peter Salter is doing this in concrete at

urbanism and density. 80% of the population in the

and a bookable flat for friends and family. Added to that

our scheme Walmer Yard in London. Thresholds and

UK, living in houses rather than flats, the inhabitants of

is a communal garden running along the back, and a

touchstones, compressed and concentrated.

suburbs, have been left without champions.

tennis court.

As obviously necessary is a sense of hierarchy,

It’s not everyone’s cup of flat white. But for millions

Both these places have modest shared spaces

so comfortably established by Georgian suburban

of us it offers a feeling of security (our own front door),

which are managed by the people who live there, and

housing. In our project in Aldershot, Sergison Bates

neighbours that we might know, a place to park, a

this is the most important lesson I learned.

have designed homes with a low entrance hall, then a

decent school, and a garden. The supposed charms of

The Ryde offers another clue. Not about what it is,

higher ceilinged sitting room. This has a knock on effect

developing a sense of ourselves through conflict and

but how it was made. The brainchild of Michael Bailey,

with extra stairs on the first floor, and bedrooms open

difference offered by the anthill of the city are happily

the transport correspondent of The Times, he kicked it

to the sloped eaves.

traded for feeling the kids can play in safety. Perhaps

off with an advertisement for ‘anyone interested in co-

Car parking is a challenge. With ARU we have been

‘Uburbia’ can be a kind of nursery, a step on the way to

operative venture to build group of imaginative homes

experimenting with parking barns, which can be cleared

becoming fully urbanist.

for own occupation’.

and used occasionally for community events, whilst

I have spent two years visiting suburbs that

What is promising in this approach is the

seemed successful to inform my own passion to do

disenfranchisement of the volume housebuilder.

new housebuilding better. I am sorry to report that

It seems

architecture doesn’t really feature as a critical factor.

neighbourhood plans giving communities control over

Far more important is planning. Suburbs thrive

also sheltering small garden sheds or home offices.

In the teeth of the discipline of the cost plan, I also

pertinent now, with the possibilities of

want to have moments of obvious decoration.

Although I sometimes feel a bit lonely trying to

local growth.

make ordinary housing better, I know the volume

on balancing privacy and community. Privacy can be

It suggests a new model for making successful

housebuilders are no fools. In London, a new vastly

delivered with a front door of your own and a back

suburbs which harnesses the mechanics of the

improved model has become established for blocks of

garden. A sense of neighbourhood is crucial but a lot

neighbourhood plan to give the uplift in land values to

flats. This seems to have borrowed a well mannered

trickier.

the promoting community, rather than the housebuilders

brick idiom from the Dutch, added large windows and

Look at Corner Green, a 1959 Span development

and landowners. For a scheme in Kent, we are co-

balconies stepping in and out of the facade, and kept

by my hero Eric Lyons in Blackheath, London. There

ordinating the development for a fee. For every 12

things simple.

are 23 houses arranged around a shared garden, what

houses built, the landowner receives 2; the community

Eric Cunningham called its wall to wall landscape,

sells 5 to recoup the construction costs, and is left with

Cambridge. On a recent visit I was impressed to see the

without front gardens. Lyons imposed fierce rules for

5 to do with as it wishes in perpetuity. The increase in

new developments in Great Kneighton by Countryside

the management of the estate by a residents’ company,

land value through planning becomes an endowment

and Skanska. There is again the same interest in

on the board of which he sat. It looked after window

for the neighbourhood.

simple forms, large windows, restrained palettes and

cleaning, garden maintenance and redecorating.

I see

visual connections with Accordia in

an engagement with what is shared. Where property

And at the Ryde at Hatfield. Developed in 1966,

there are scraps for architects to do. They might not

values are high enough, and where there appears to

it is a terrace of 28 single storey courtyard houses:

make people happy, but they shouldn’t make the

be a shared vision between landowner and planner, the

extremely private, almost introverted. What makes it

situation worse. In my own projects, I am looking for

volume housebuilder is threatening to deliver.

Seven Acres, Great Kneighton, Cambridge Developer: Skanska Architect: Formation Architects Awards: Built for Life, CABE and HBF London Evening Standard New Homes Award - Eco Living Award 2013 Blue Ribbon Awards ‘Ideal Home of the Year’ International Property Awards ‘Best Development Multiple Units’ UK 2012 House Builder Awards ‘Best Low or Zero Carbon Initiative’ Skanska Awarded the Best Green Companies 2011

Corner Green, Blackheath Architect: Eric Lyons Built: 1959 Span developments were often located in tight suburban sites, and in historic contexts. Pevsner described them as “ingenious layouts of houses and flats in carefully landscaped small cul-de-sacs or set around courtyards or comunual lawns, with friendly detailing of tile-hanging or weatherboarding, a total contrast in every respect to the council estates of the same period.”

© c20society

© Tim Crocker

Although sharing things is the root of community,

The Ryde, Hatfield Client: Cockraigne Housing Group Architect: Phippen Randall Parkes Built: 1967 A co-operative housing scheme, incorporating the new Parker-Morris space standards, it comprises 28 terraced single-storey houses, 71% of them 3 and 4 bedroom, together with tennis court, and clubroom incorporating a flat over for visitors. in a 1966 radio interview, Michael Baily said “the problem of how to raise the standard is not an easy one, but must depend greatly on the quality of patrons as well as the quality of architects.”

9

Parkside Siren(s) One can argue that the recently completed mixed use Parkside Fire Station re-development bang in the middle of a historic town, is not easy to be repeated in years to come. Andy Thompson, Planning Consultant at Beacon Planning looks back in time and questions how various attitudes, from local residents to planners might have changed, the result of which is this aspirational multi-use scheme overlooking one of the most beautiful park settings in Cambridge.

Beacon Planning

The old Fire Station provided ‘a disappointing end to an important street’ (Planning Inspector’s comments, May 2007).

Grosvenor

Beacon Planning

10

Revised scheme

It’s not every day that a leading architect turns up at

The application for 131 one and two bedroom

your office and asks you to ‘crit’ their proposals. Well

apartments above the fire station met virtually no

In 2009 new owners, Grosvenor, sought permission to

that is what Glenn Howells did in 2005 after he was

opposition and was supported by officers and the

reduce the number of units to 99 (29 x 1-bed, 54 x 2-bed

told by the city planners his plans were not exciting

Council’s Design Panel. Despite a recommendation

and 15 x 3-bed residential units including duplexes and

enough for such a prominent location.

for approval, the Planning Committee spent many

1 2-bed penthouse) which also addressed many of the

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service had

hours spanning two meetings trying to agree reasons

Council’s earlier concerns about the quality and mix

entered a development agreement which required

to refuse the application which it did by 5 votes to

of the housing. This application had a much smoother

housing on the upper floors to generate the funding

4.

passage through Committee and was approved in

for a replacement fire station to be provided at no

accommodation, the inappropriate mix of flat sizes, the

September 2010.

cost to the Council Tax payer. Although a Building

height of ‘tower’ and lack of information on servicing

Lessons learned

of Local Interest the former Fire Station was not held

the development.

A sound understanding of a site’s context is essential.

in high regard for its architecture being described

Success at Last

The original application pre-dated the Council’s

as ‘a crude rebuff to its environment’ which ‘excites

The scheme was however won on appeal with the

Skyline Guidance or the requirement for Design and

nightmarish disbelief’. (Booth and Taylor (Cambridge

Inspector (in this case an architect) giving both the

Access Statements, yet looking back at the work done

New Architecture 1970)).

design process and building a ringing endorsement

at the time this was precisely what was produced.

The principal reasons were the quality of the

A context study was prepared to establish a

providing positive comments on the design, including:

The final scheme has benefitted from the active

site design strategy which included the taller corner

‘much of what is proposed derives from an

involvement of the project architect from inception

building and the mass of development on the Parkside

informed, analytical understanding of its context’

to completion, and a client in Grosvenor who was

and East Road frontages and was agreed with the

‘the eight storey tower .. could become an established

prepared to change a consent to improve the quality

Council.

part of the townscape in which tall structures,

of the accommodation provided. The city now has

Added complications

albeit not many, sit comfortably in the skyline. The

a development which is providing much needed

To complicate matters the new Local Plan came

slim shape and particular modelling of the tower

housing, including affordable at the heart of the city in

into force during the design development stage

would give it a sense of lightness which would

a distinctive and high quality building.

which required an increase in the affordable housing

avoid the sort of dominating impact one would

Looking back, it begs the question has the attitude

provision from 30% to 40% and the incorporation of

normally expect from a building of such height’.

to such developments in the city changed, and could a

on-site renewable energy generation therefore an

building of this scale in a sensitive location attract such

Environmental Impact Assessment was required.

little opposition today?

A contemporary nod to Cambridge’s vernacular, Glenn Howells Architects have successfully managed to combine three key materials: buff-coloured, reconstituted stone cladding, complemented by large expanses of glazing with bronze anodised aluminium frames. CAg spoke to architect and director Glenn Howells to find out more about what makes this development aspirational.

Can you provide an outline of the scheme?

Located on the site of Cambridge’s Parkside Fire Station, this development includes four residential buildings, housing ninety-nine luxury apartments centered around a raised, private courtyard; redevelopment of the existing fire station and a retail unit. Two of the larger buildings, Parkside House and Parkside Terrace, the latter now one of the tallest in Cambridge, look southwards across the 24-acre playing field site of Parker’s Piece. The third building, Petersfield House looks eastward over Petersfield Park. The main entrance to the development is accessed from East Road, via a grand staircase rising between Parkside Terrace and Petersfield House.

Parkside Terrace’s curved structure houses the community facilities of the new fire station including meeting and lecture rooms at ground level with private residential units including a 2,000sq.ft penthouse on top and further two and three bedroom units on the floors between. The curved nature of the design maximises views out from the prime location whilst providing a landmark building to mark the corner of parkers piece. Designed to meet code for Sustainable Homes level 4, all internal ventilation is integrated within the window soffits throughout the entire development.

What were the design challenges involved?

The combination of Cambridge’s historical context and the design brief to create a fully operational fire station with luxury apartments above was a unique opportunity with several challenges.. The Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service was consulted throughout the design process, ensuring all fire station standards were met. The service was relaxed in not dictating the form of the architecture and consequently through the consistent use of materials, the buildings sit in harmony. The biggest challenge was controlling the acoustics - negating noise from the fire station during operation. The fire station is acoustically isolated from the apartments above.

Managing the traffic was a considerable challenge too as both the engines and domestic cars share the same entrance into the development. All vehicles enter via the main gate, separating into their designated areas once through. In an emergency the engines exit via dedicated shutters at the front of the building.

What was the design rationale for the corner tower block and how challenging was it to agree on a height that was acceptable to the planners?

The building’s massing relates to the particular context of each individual building, for example, Parkside House responds to and takes on board the smaller, domestic scale buildings, whereas Petersfield House responds to the more commercial and larger scale buildings along East Road. Both building masses are broken down further and articulated through the creation of three equal bays, with deep recessed windows and balconies.

An opportunity for a ‘landmark’ building to mark the corner of Parker’s Piece was highlighted with a taller, slimmer building form. The tower helps to articulate the transition from Parkside to East Road and acts as a beacon for the site. Agreeing on the height was a challenge, which we substantiated by referencing several other key tall buildings in the vicinity.

What is the unit density achieved and how does this compare with other developments in Cambridge?

204 units / hectare.

Parkside Place provides 60% private housing and 40% affordable, including shared ownership and rented across four buildings. The only other project that we are aware of a similar scale is the Berkeley Group project, Cambridge Riverside, located between Midsummer Common and the River Cam.

Do you think you could have gone higher to provide even more units in such a sustainable location?

Although this would have been desirable, it would have been a significant challenge from a planning perspective – the final height approved was in itself an achievement in such a prime setting.

Are there any sustainable / low energy features incorporated into the scheme?

The buildings are designed to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. There are no specific ’green’ technologies deployed but all of the mechanical and electrical installations are of a very energy efficient nature. Furthermore, the glazing, thermal performance, and air tightness are of a higher than standard level.

Are the windows sealed and if so, is it not unfortunate that the residents will not be able to leave their windows open, especially at night?

Grosvenor

Parkside Terrace’s curved structure ensures ‘a strong termination to the junction’ (Planning Inspector’s comments, May 2007).

Not at all. We have provided large floor-to-ceiling windows throughout to maximise the stunning park views on offer. The architectural approach adopted was to have glazed sliding panels or doors (to access balconies / terraces) to all living room spaces.

Bedroom windows are also full height and have been integrated with elegant bronzed aluminium panels, which are openable to provide comfort ventilation. All apartments therefore have openable windows.

Daniela Muscat interviewed Chris McConnell, Acoustic Consultant at 24Acoustics Ltd who explained the acoustic design challenges and how these were dealt with.

What were the challenges for this project from an acoustic engineer’s perspective?

Town centre schemes located near to busy transportation sources present the challenge of achieving acceptable internal noise levels within the new dwellings, For the Parkside development, it was also necessary to consider noise from the fire station located directly below the apartments.

Was traffic noise considered to be a primary noise source?

Road traffic noise, from East Road and Parkside, was a significant noise source affecting the site.

Prior to construction, we undertook detailed surveys of existing noise levels at the site, during daytime and night time periods. This data was used to inform the design and specification of the external building fabric.

Are all the apartments at Parkside affected in a similar way?

The apartments facing into the courtyard area are less affected by external noise. The block facing Parkside was considered to be the most affected by noise from fire engine vehicle movements.

What design enhancements / modifications were implemented to achieve the recommended acoustic ratings required?

All the apartments were designed with mechanical ventilation, which avoided the need for acoustic trickle ventilation through the façade.

Acoustically rated glazing was required to the façades facing Parkside and East Road, and the glazing specifications took into account road traffic noise and noise from fire engines (including sirens). The project design team engaged in discussions with Cambridge Fire Service in order to understand their management policies for the use of sirens, and the expected frequency of emergency call-outs.

The design of the concrete floor slabs above the Th fire station was taken into account, to reduce the transfer of noise from fire fire station activities to the apartments above. A deeper concrete transfer slab was required above the e appliance appliance bay for ap structural reasons and this iss provided pro pr ovvided ovi vi vd ded de ed an enhanced ed level of sound insulation. insulatio tio on. The Th he control ccont on ont o ntrol r of flanking sound transmission, transmission on n, via via a the external exter ex xter terna na nal al façade, f çade, also fa required special specia al consideration. ccons ons nsside id rat id ra ion on n.

How does ess the he e ventilation vent ve ntillat nti ation on strategy sttrat rategy egy tie tie in in with with the acoustic acoust sttic design? des de e ign gn? gn ?

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For re res esid ide d nti ntial al schemes scheme sch emess affected eme affe f ccte tte ed by by noise nois ois ise from from om m road rro o oad residential ttraffi tra ra affic o aiillway ail a wayys, s itt iss com s, ommon m nly mo mon lyy accepted acc acc ac c eptte ed d that th ha h at orr rrailways, commonly rre res essiden ide id ide dents should shoul sh oul uld d have have ve the tth he choice he choi choi hoice ce to ce o open ope op o pen their the hei heir eii e residents win indo do dow d ow o ws,, but utt will willll be exposed exxxp e pose sed d to to higher high high ig gh he err noise n se no noi e windows, levvels ells ls when when wh n windows win indow do d dow ows are are re open. open. n levels Has Has a acoustic a oustic testing been ac bee ee en carried ca arr rried out ou o ut on on completion? co c com omple pletion? pl Internal Int nter errnal a sound sound insulation sou insula ins ula u latitiio on testing test esting ing g (party (pa (p arty walls art wall allss and and nd flflo o ors) w or as undertaken undert und ertake ert ak n and ake and the results resul re sults su ts s achieved ach chiev ch ievved e oors) was en nhanc nh n ed ratings nc rat ating ngss required req equire equ ired d by by the the Code Cod od de for forr enhanced S Sus u us stai ainab ainab nable le e Homes.

Ho Hom o es. e The es The h assessment assess ass essmen men e t of o internal inte nte errna al Sustainable no noi se e levels lev evels at completion co ompl mpleti etion on (from (from external extern ext ern rnal a noise al noi no o se e noise so sou o rce rcc s such such as traffi traffi ffic) c) is no nott norm n ormall allyy required require equ uir ire red sources normally an hence and h nce he ce e was was not not o undertaken undert und ertake aken n for for this this project. proj proj oject ject ct. ct

11

Affordable rent, but not at any cost As Head of Strategic Housing in Cambridge, Alan Carter takes a longer-term view to overcome short-term knee jerk reactions to issues affecting housing policy. One thing is clear from the interview with him is that he’s passionate about housing. “Good housing is a launch pad for everything else that is good in peoples’ lives”, he explains. He knows his team has a job on their hands if they want to be seen to demonstrate to the market that a public body can deliver and lead. The aspiration and policy, endorsed through the Council’s return to house building, will be clear for all to see at Clay Farm in 2015. They’ve selected local firm Hill Residential as developer partner to provide delivery experience and as someone they think they can work with to deliver the exemplar.

Alan Carter has worked in housing for over 25 years in management, development and research, both in the local authority and housing association sectors. As Head of Strategic Housing for Cambridge City Council (CCC), Alan has a wide remit covering strategic research and planning; Affordable Housing delivery including the Council’s own new build programme; managing the housing register; housing and homelessness advice; community safety; and general business support for the Council’s housing services.

He is currently Chair of the Cambridge Sub-regional Housing Board. CAA Editor, Mark Richards caught up with him to find out what he is planning for the future of Cambridge City’s affordable homes.

The design and performance of new homes we’ll see being built in Cambridge in the short term has been based upon the 2006 Local Plan policies and 2010 Building Regulations. What does the affordable rented home of 2014-15 aspire to be?

AC - Despite the current standards requiring housing developers to build to the equivalent of Level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), the Council has been encouraging affordable housing providers to achieve Code 4 for several years.

MR – The Government’s target is for housing to be carbon neutral by 2016. There are some good exemplars, such as Passivhaus and research by the Zero Carbon Hub on FEEs (Fabric Energy Efficiency solutions). Do you aspire to be ahead of the curve?

AC – The aspiration of CCC is projects like Clay Farm, where the Council is being seen as community leader.

With the right economic environment, the Council would like to push for higher standards. The Southern fringe area development is about encouraging the wider market and a demonstration to that market that the Council’s policy strategy and aspirations can be achieved and afforded. The Council worked with a range of external experts, including the BRE (Building Research Establishment), to evaluate and select bids from developers for the Clay Farm site, won by Hill Residential.

AC – It’s not just about saving energy and energy efficiency, but also the health of residents. I’m very interested in the qualitative issues contained in the recent RIBA Homewise study report ‘The case for space’, the detrimental impact poor space standards have on educational attainment, the special planning considerations of homes, and the appropriate use of space.

MR – How are you considering balancing the costs of providing more space - bigger volumes to heat, cool and light?

AC – In the Council’s new Local Plan review we’re looking to London’s ‘Housing Design Guide’ example as minimum space standards. CCC is looking to benchmark against identified better space standards.

Clay Farm will be an example of that aspiration, looking at crossover benefits from new build to existing stock.

For example, increasing daylight by just 2%, can have a positive associative benefit on the mental health of residents.

A RIBA design ideas competition on privately rented typologies and future neighbourhood arrangements included considerations like the changing demographics of households, an ageing population, multiple and flexible occupancy. What design changes to affordable homes in Cambridge are being considered?

AC - CCC have recently published, with input from neighbouring local district Councils, demographic projections up to 2031. The study will help determine the number of homes and household sizes. It will also inform future mixes of household sizes. There is little change in the demographic projections since 2008,

The importance of energy conservation, built performance and reducing carbon before and after completion of homes, is increasing. What strategies are you developing to assist lowincome Cambridge households become part of the solution, reduce energy demands and minimise their carbon footprint?

Aerial view of Clay Farm planned proposal

12

Streets around the quad building forms proposed at Clay Farm

indicating a future mix of new housing of not more than 10% 1 bed, 40% 2 bed, 30% 3 bed and not more than 20% 4 bed.

AC – The numbers of older people in Cambridge are increasing more slowly than other regions in the UK, but an increasing number are frail. Generally we follow guidance from the HAPPI report to provide a spectrum of housing. The approach is to build flexibility into housing stock, using Lifetime Homes as a benchmark.

MR – What about the needs and impacts of children staying longer in households?

AC – The missing ingredient in UK affordable housing is investment in a supportive community. People need different types of support at different times in their lives. If we can understand how the individual can control the support they need: community, society, and place – the state might be able to perform differently.

We’re getting more sophisticated with built forms of housing, but still not as advanced as parts of Europe.

An aspiration would be to label housing through quality, space, design, daylight, energy efficiency, comfort and function rather than numbers of beds.

MR – Not just bedrooms, but better living space?

AC – Housing at its most basic is about four walls and a roof with consideration for privacy, functional and practical needs. The interior design of homes should be the focus of design development to achieve good quality homes. Design house types with the furniture supply chain in mind. House builders using their supply chain are well placed to facilitate better living arrangements and better use of space.

MR – What about the typologies of housing, like multioccupation?

AC – Current welfare reforms are putting pressures on people, but strategically I’m cautious about temporary

Joanna Thorndike, Planning Manager Hill Residential describes their design team’s proposals for Clay Farm at interview with Alan Carter

View inside a typical quad

Clay Farm will be the biggest volume market development of its type at Code 5 CfSH when it’s complete in 2015.

Alan Carter highlights ‘What’s unique is that it will have been done without huge up-front resources at our disposal’..

policy drivers. My view is that independent owner space is provided, rather than shared living space that create management and tenancy issues.

MR – What about RTB (Right to Buy)?

AC - RTB is currently being promoted again by central government. We [CCC] have seen the results through an increase in applications. Our policy is still a minimum of 40% Affordable Housing on new developments and 60% Affordable Housing on regeneration schemes of existing sites. The new Local Plan, currently out for consultation, minimises ‘green belt’ sites and is in favour of city centre locations, but it is a balance between cost of sites and provision of homes. 14,000 new homes are needed by 2031. We’re working closely with South Cambridgeshire District Council as they have as great a need for affordable housing than the City.

Feed-In Tariffs Scheme (FITs), The Green Deal & ECO funding, HCA Self-Build finance package, Renewable Heat Premium Payments – Communities Scheme (RHPP2) etc, have introduced funding that enable private households attain better living standards and sustainable home improvements. What financial incentives are available or being considered to assist existing affordable rent households?

AC – We have none. Our focus is on fabric of the existing buildings and retrofit through planned maintenance such as replacing boilers, improved insulation, roofs, windows and photovoltaic installations. We are some way off incentivising occupiers, but I wouldn’t rule it out for the future. The next move on existing stock could be improvements to space standards.

MR – Tell us about the plans for Clay Farm?

AC – Clay Farm will be the Council’s first experience of the soft landings methodology and this experience will inform how best the Council can better support residents in future. It will include relocation and the process of informing residents on improvements in energy saving and energy saving behaviour.

MR– What’s the aspiration at Clay Farm?

AC – The Council owned 7 acres of land in the southern fringe development area in a central location. Members fantastically set the aspiration for a high standard for energy efficiency and 50% affordable housing on the site, balanced against a capital receipt [return] and low risk. It demonstrates that a public body can deliver and lead. Through Hill Residential we’ve now got the experience of delivery, but more importantly, someone to work with to create the exemplar.

Joanna Thorndike (JT) – The Hill Residential design team worked with the Council’s design Level brief, the aspiration, and density and achieve Level 5 Code CfSH with elements of Level 6 Code. It’s an apartment/flatted scheme with dual aspect dwellings.

The development is ‘tenure blind’.

AC – It’s a Fabric First approach. Good orientation for day lit spaces, naturally vented. It’s got to be the template for the future!

MR – Is the aim for it to be self-financing?

AC – Our financial model is a 30-year payback for the affordable housing, which is the industry standard.

The Fabric First approach should produce less maintenance over the long term. It will have a 60year general design life, but this may shift and inform future thinking, but at the moment there have been no assumptions beyond the 30-year cycle.

MR – Are the design team from the Cambridge area too?

JT – Pollard Thomas Edwards architects’ are the designers. They were also one of the authors of the HAPPI report. Sam Archer from AECOM is providing the Code for Sustainable Homes advice.

AC – As a department we’ve been running quite quickly to get up to speed with building again. We are being careful that ambition doesn’t out-strip resource.

Where we go next, will be informed by our experience on Clay Farm.

Hill Residential’s design team has embraced the Council’s vision for this site. Our masterplan and proposals develop the outline planning parameters and Clay Farm Design Codes to provide an exemplary scheme which will establish a sense of place and community and embraces the council’s aspiration for an exemplar design that stands out as a signature for the new community - for inspiring architecture that creates an attractive place to live and work with the use of sustainable materials and homes that function for the users and their visitors both now and in the future.

The Council’s Brief calls for all the new homes to be a minimum of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 and towards Code 6. This has an influence on layout, in terms of optimisation of aspect, daylighting and natural ventilation. In response, Pollard Thomas Edwards architects has developed a thoughtful, well considered building typology which addresses this to create exemplar new homes, appropriate for 21st century living and beyond.

The essence of the proposal is the formation and placing of different versatile modular living arrangements that make delightful homes. The modules can be grouped in different ways to create a variety of dwelling types and sizes - a bit like Lego. Dwellings are organised to create a square or ‘Quad’.

At the heart of each Quad is a shared garden.

Each of these will be individually designed and will accommodate water features which link to the Sustainable Urban Drainage network for the whole site.

A range of dwelling types and sizes is provided, from one-bedroom flats, two and three bedroom duplexes to four-bedroom houses. All dwellings are dual aspect and have a shallow footprint to maximise daylight, sunlight and natural ventilation and all have their own private outdoor space as well as access to the communal Quad gardens and a larger central open space at the heart of the scheme.

Access to above ground dwellings in the Quads are via entrance areas (vestibules) which accommodate stairs and cyle parking to each dwelling and access through to the Quad gardens.

These areas provide delightful glimpses through to the gardens from surrounding new streets.

Through the design of a well-considered framework of streets and open spaces of various different characters, the development will develop a unique richness and delight, to form a convincing new neighbourhood for Cambridge.

The landscape design features an extensive area of public green space, private garden squares, urban swales, green roofs, ponds and street trees to help reduce the heat island effect.

Images courtesy of Pollard Thomas Edwards architects

13

Retrofit - a community challenge The age of the dwelling stock in Cambridge seems to be unique in the UK in that it differs from the national average with higher proportions of pre 1919 and 1945-1964 dwellings. There is also the added complication presented by extensive Conservation areas. How do we go about retrofitting an ageing City and how big is the challenge? Dr Doug Crawford-Brown, Director of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research in the Department of Land Economy, and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina US, provides detailed insight of the work being undertaken by Cambridge Retrofit.

We collectively emit in the neighbourhood of 1.5 tons

If one runs the numbers on Cambridge Retrofit, do they make sense as an investment?

per person per year from residential buildings. The

Research carried out by the University of Cambridge

percentages of our buildings that sit in conservation

Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research shows

areas or that are listed is higher than average, but

the entire process will cost on the order of £1B over 30

the barriers there are not insurmountable and local

years. This investment will lead to a reduction in the

Three years of collecting data and a year of

architects are leading the way in showing how

city’s carbon footprint of about 25%.

organising the community to act has led to the formal

such buildings can be retrofit. We are in many ways

Not all of this expenditure will be clawed back

launch of Cambridge Retrofit, an ambitious and iconic

quite an average town, even if we don’t always see

through savings on energy bills; hence the need to

programme of energy efficiency retrofits to essentially

ourselves that way.

also tie retrofits to improved quality and comfort of

“Retrofitting housing isn’t just about meeting targets, it’s about a better, more sustainable quality of life for all.”

Zoe Jankel, Associate, Arup, author of Delivering and Funding Housing Retrofit: A Review of Community Models, Arup, 2013

leads to between 4 and 5 tons of carbon dioxide per year per person, again right at the national average.

every building in Cambridge. The efforts include

Organising the community to act, however,

buildings, and increased asset value. In fact, the same

improved thermal envelopes, but also boiler upgrades,

is where Cambridge is taking the lead. From the

research shows that these added benefits may be

low energy lighting and reduced plug load. Through

beginning, Cambridge Retrofit has been a demand-

more important drivers of behaviour than reduction in

these changes, the average commercial property will

led activity. It makes no sense to create the capacity

energy use.

reduce heating bills by 30% and power by 50%, with

to provide retrofits when no one wants that service

The target of Cambridge City Council is a carbon

the energy bills of the average home cut in half. The

(a challenge facing the Green Deal). It is a largely

reduction of 80-90%, and so the remainder of the

choice to show the numbers in this way, as reduction

private-sector activity, since it is the private sector

reduction will come from other programmes on low

in bills rather than improved energy efficiency, is

that owns most of the buildings, carries out most of

carbon energy supply (much of it at the national level

deliberate. Research carried out in collaboration with

the work and provides the majority of finance. It is

by decarbonising the grid) and low carbon transport.

the YouGov-Cambridge polling group suggests that

a leisurely schedule of retrofits, recognising that we

These figures take into account the projected growth

building tenants respond to a language of energy

needn’t accomplish everything in a few years but

of the city, under the assumption new buildings will be

costs but not one of energy efficiency.

can wait while buildings are ready to go through

much less carbon intensive than existing ones, and

While the programme springs from the need of

their usual renovation cycles of several decades.

the effects of a changing climate. More than half of

the nation to combat the risks of climate change

And it is based on a truly community-wide process of

the reduction in carbon will come from improving the

through carbon reduction – made concrete in the

mobilising resources and the will to act, coordinating

carbon intensity of our energy systems, but Cambridge

2008 Climate Change Act – the retrofit effort places

a network of building owners/managers, occupants,

Retrofit makes this feasible by ensuring that this low

no requirements on why people or organisations

delivery groups, planners, suppliers, innovators and

carbon energy doesn’t come into our buildings and

participate. A building owner may want to reduce their

educators so all are rowing in the same direction. This

right back out through walls, doors, roofs and windows.

carbon footprint; an organisation may want to reduce

mobilisation is provided through the innovative Open

their energy bills; a supplier may have a service

Debate system of Consense, found on the Cambridge

Mobilising the Community

to sell; an innovator may have a new low carbon

Retrofit website (www.cambridgeretrofit.org).

Finally, there is the issue of organising and mobilising the community. The costs of retrofits will be too high

invention ready for the market; a homeowner may

14

want a more comfortable home; an asset manager

Why Cambridge?

if we tackle the problem one building at a time. The

may want a higher value property. All of these are

It seems on the surface a complex place to begin, with

Programme Management Unit of Cambridge Retrofit

valid reasons to participate. What matters in the end

an ancient university at the heart of a market town

is therefore charged with three tasks: aggregation,

is what is being accomplished in reducing energy and

that is also home to cutting-edge technology firms

aggregation and aggregation. We must aggregate

carbon in the building sector, not why.

and a sight-seeing destination for tens of thousands

finance to reach the £1B target and bring the best

of tourists each day. But it is also a town with a

finance packages to building owners. We must

The Challenge

City Council leading the way on climate strategies

aggregate delivery so there is competition to drive

The challenge of Cambridge Retrofit is not one of

nationally; with world class universities and colleges

down costs while also ensuring there are enough

technology or planning. It is one of finance, complex

that have their own ambitious carbon reduction

materials and labour to carry out community-scale

ownership chains, behaviour and preserving the

strategies backed by the requirements of the Higher

projects. And we must aggregate demand to drive

historical character of Cambridge. Research over

Education Funding Council of England; with the

down the per-building costs for property owners.

the past three years, producing a map of the carbon

technological and intellectual skills to overcome almost

The challenge is to aggregate finance, delivery and

emissions throughout the city, shows that we are very

any design and planning barriers; and with citizens

demand so swathes of buildings located next to each

much at the national average by most measures.

who are informed on the need for national and global

other are being retrofit at the same time. With such a

Apart from transport, where our emissions are lower

action on energy and climate. Its buildings – many of

community-scale approach, targets will be hit, costs

than comparable cities due to our use of bikes, our

which are part of the national architectural heritage -

will be kept reasonable and the local economy will

buildings consume about the same power and natural

are knit together by an unusual degree of thoughtful

prosper.

gas as elsewhere in England. We have similar rates

commitment from the public and private sectors. And

of loft insulation. Our buildings are no larger or smaller

so Cambridge is an ideal place to test the process of

than the national average. Energy use in our buildings

community mobilisation for retrofits.

If you would like to join Cambridge Retrofit as a building owner, manager or tenant, as a delivery agent, as a supplier of materials or labour, as an innovator or educator or planner, visit the website at www.cambridgeretrofit.org and sign onto the system.

The Programme Management Unit will take it from there, plugging you into the schedule of retrofits to make Cambridge the first city to reach the national targets for carbon, energy and improved quality of buildings.

Daniela Muscat interviewed Sam Griggs, Energy Officer at Cambridge City Council to find out more about the Council’s plans to retrofit the Council Housing stock in Cambridge.

What is the role of Cambridge City Council in tackling climate change?

Cambridge City Council has a clear vision for the future of our city - a city in the forefront of low carbon living and minimising its impact on the environment from waste and pollution. We can obviously only have limited influence/impact over most things, but we have retained a managed housing stock of approximately 7200 properties (along with another 400 leasehold properties). This stock can be improved much more easily and we can have direct influence over the energy efficiency.

detached: Energy Use (kWh/year)

semi detached: Energy Use (kWh/year)

31 Byron Square is one of 7600 council homes which underwent a ‘whole house’ retrofit recently. What are the plans for the other 7599 homes?

The project was one of only 100 exemplar properties that were part of the government’s Technology Strategy Board Retrofit for the Future project. With the remainder of our housing stock we have a rolling programme of energy efficiency improvements. This includes spending in excess of £1 million a year on heating improvements (mainly replacing old back boilers with modern ‘A’ rated condensing combi boilers) and more than £200,000 a year on insulation improvements (some loft and cavity wall insulation, although most of this is completed now and some external wall insulation). We also regularly test new heating and insulation measures.

The cost to retrofit 31 Byron Square was £100k. How feasible is it to roll out this model across the rest of the council housing stock? Does it make more economic and financial sense to demolish and build new energyefficient homes?

The Byron Square retrofit project was fully funded by the government otherwise this wouldn’t have been a sum we would have spent on one property! It is currently not financially feasible to roll this exact model out to the rest of the council stock, nor would it be practically feasible to carry out this 8 week project to this number of houses whilst tenanted.

Cambridge City Council is currently demolishing some older housing stock and replacing with more energy-efficient new homes, but this is a fairly new practice and we have only very recently started looking seriously at new build again as a result of the housing self-finance system.

What has the Council learnt from this project that could benefit future council house retrofits in the city?

We have rolled out the external wall insulation to other similar properties in that area and this has proven successful (both technically and aesthetically).

The Council has also built good relationships with suppliers. New lessons have been learnt on LED lighting, whcih is now being integrated into some of our communal lighting schemes where possible.

mid terrace: Energy Use (kWh/year)

purpose built flat: Energy Use (kWh/year) Graphs & Figures: Typical house units and their energy Use - Our buildings consume about the same power and natural gas as elsewhere in England.

Note: Electricity use is high, and gas use low, in flats because they are commonly heated using electricity rather than gas.

Fuel poverty data for 2010 compiled by DECC indicates that 16.2% of households in Cambridge are ‘fuel poor’. Do you think similar retrofits will help address fuel poverty in the City?

Although CCC housing is well ahead of the national and local average for private sector housing in terms of energy efficiency - our current SAP 2009 rating is around 70 - there is still much work to be done. We have filled the vast majority of cavity walls that can be insulated and most of the loft spaces have at least 150mm of insulation. We have only recently started to look more seriously at external wall insulation and some of our hard to treat stock and this will form the main area of our work over the next few years. There will also be some further work on renewable energy and other forms of heating , lighting and controls.

What are the Council’s ‘green’ goals and aspirations for new council housing schemes?

Up until recently we haven’t really had any new council housing schemes.

However, this is now starting to change and we have some exciting new developments at Clay Farm (in Trumpington) and also some other replacement work at Campkin Road. The Clay Farm development will be around 100 council owned houses and should all be Level 5 Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH).

Graphs: Energy modelling: Cambridge Architectural Research using the Cambridge Housing Model Illustrations: Siglint Kessler Cambridge Architectural Research

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