Oakwood Gardens

Type/size: 13 residential bungalows including 10 supported living units

Location: Wombourne, South Staffordshire

Status: Completed 2018

Contract Value: £1.7 Million

Construction Type: MMC- OSM Timber panelised system (Eco 200 by Local Homes)

Client: Accord Housing Association (In-house scheme)

Awards:  

Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development – West Midlands LABC Awards (Winner)

Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development– Grand Final LABC Awards (Finalist)

Scheme Overview:

Oakwood Gardens is a hybrid scheme with a mixture of supported living and private residential dwellings within a secluded cul-de-sac and tree lined setting in Wombourne, South Staffordshire. Accord worked in association with Stafford County Council in order to develop the criteria for the supported living element of the scheme which would house people with both physical and mental impairments.

The site was previously occupied by the Brookside Hostel which had been vacant for a number of years and is immediately adjacent to the Cherry Trees School. There were a number of site constraints to consider which included a significant belt of mature trees to the north & west boundaries to the site, a steep slope at the point of entry off Brook Road and the proximity to the school. The enclosed nature of the scheme with tree lined views did however provide a secluded, quiet and secure setting which was perfect for a supported living scheme.

There were also issues regarding existing parking at Brook Road and access for construction traffic to enter the site via a network of tight streets. The main concern was that our development would exacerbate these existing issues and we undertook extensive consultation with the school, local residents and councillors to find appropriate solutions. These included additional off street parking bays for existing residents and a specialised construction traffic management plan with temporary access via the school grounds to access our development during the build stages.

Other constraints included buried services to avoid, areas of made ground and the proximity to the Wom Brook watercourse which is home to Water Voles which are a protected species. The above constraints have influenced the placement of the units on the site and influenced the highway, levels and drainage strategies. The vehicular access is predefined and the site naturally screened from its surroundings. The space required to reroute the existing sewers has provided the opportunity to create a communal courtyard garden for the supported living element whilst the tree lined boundaries create a green backdrop for the development.

The brief was to provide a hybrid scheme comprising of 1) a self-contained supported living bungalow scheme of 10 units and 2) 3x general needs bungalows. There is also an integrated resource unit for one single care provider to utilise and we worked closely with the country council to design a scheme which could meet the needs of a variety of end users whilst providing flexibility to future proof the scheme for different uses. This included looking at alternative room/unit layouts for the resource unit and larger 2 bed bungalows to provide the option of live in carers, independent living (with separate front doors) and wheelchair accessibility.

The site layout has been split into two sections:

1) The public areas & general needs housing- This is the shared ownership part of the site with 3x bungalows with private driveways and rear gardens, all accessible from the new highway and hammerhead.

2) The supported living scheme- This is the supported living aspect consisting of 10 units built around a communal garden. The 9 bungalows & resource unit will be securely enclosed from the public highway with gated pedestrian access to the gardens/courtyard. Visitor parking & bin storage is provided off the new hammerhead and a public entrance to the resource centre for visitors is accessible from the public realm. The majority of units are accessed through the gated courtyard but three bungalows to the front of the development (plots 4-6) have the option of independent entrances and access to adjacent disabled parking bays. This is to provide as much flexibility as possible to meet the needs of a range of different end users with different levels of care & independence.

The bungalows are configured in a series of terraces and semi-detached units which are all single storey ranging from 57-63 Sqm in size. The bungalows will all be constructed using a timber frame panelised system made at the LoCaL Homes factory and built to Lifetime Homes and Building Regulation Part M4(2) standards for accessibility/adaptability.

In terms of appearance the facades are simple with a domestic/suburban feel to provide a homely and relaxed environment. The supported living units are proposed to be fully clad with NorClad timber laid horizontally and vertically with pitched roofs with gable features. Large full height windows are provided to bring as much light into the properties to avoid dark rooms from the surrounding trees. Large timber pergola style porches are proposed to mark entrances and provide shelter for residents to use. Gable features are placed to help absorb any level changes at party wall with eaves and ridges lines running through where possible to avoid steps at the roof line. The shared ownership units are of a similar aesthetic but with sections of brickwork to distinguish them from the supported living aspect.

The communal courtyard garden has been planted with low maintenance shrub planting in areas of bark chippings. Footpaths and private patio areas have been finished with Tegula block paving with tactile paving at entrances. Gradients across gardens/footpaths meet Lifetime Homes standards with level thresholds and access platforms into units. Areas under root protection zones have been planted with wild flower meadow grass mix and box hedgerows around private patios have been planted to provide defensible space and reinforce the boundary between public and private space. Species such as Lonicera Box hedging provide an evergreen frontage which is low maintenance and of immediate visual impact. Narrow shrub beds also provide a mix of ornamental shrubs & perennial planting.

Despite the small scale of the site this was a challenging scheme with a number of constraints to overcome which provided opportunities to look at different ways to arrange the dwellings with the tree lined aspect enhancing our proposals for the better.