The aim of the design was to create a sustainable and active community with private and public spaces enjoyed by all residents.

Mixed uses included residential, a food superstore, a training centre, A3 uses and a 200 space ‘town centre’ car park. The distribution of these uses in a socially responsive manner was key to achieving the required intensity of development, whilst maintaining the integrity of the master plan. Utilising the existing slope of the site, the food store and associated service area were recessed into the hill, effectively hiding three elevations from the public realm, with carparking located below the store at basement level. Circulation routes and public squares dictated by the masterplan were super imposed and the residential blocks developed both around and above the store.

To achieve the necessary residential density, without compromising the quality of environment in and around the blocks, required careful design consideration to ensure the scheme promoted health and wellbeing and a unique sense of place. A series of community design workshops informed our innovative and sustainable design principles, and explored ways to create a sense of place for this high-density residential scheme. Most of the apartments are dual aspect and the development is mainly car free. A pre-existing basement was re-purposed for supermarket parking.

We produced the initial masterplan and worked up detailed designs through to construction, including the residential fit-out. We also oversaw the supermarket fit-out for Sainsbury’s. The completed project won a Building for Life Gold Standard, a RICS masterplanning award and was featured on CABE’s website as a best practice case study. The development gave a much-needed boost to Brighton’s housing stock at a time of severe local need.