Type/size: 112 residential dwellings
Location: Wolverhampton
Status: Completed 2018
Contract Value: £11.5 Million
Construction Type: MMC- OSM Timber panelised system (Eco 200 by Local Homes) & traditonal masonry
Client: Accord Housing Association (In-house scheme)
Awards:
Offsite Project of the Year Award- Celebrating Construction Awards 2019 (Finalist)
Best Social/ Affordable Housing – Built in Quality Awards 2018 (Winner)
Development of the Year- UK Housing Awards 2018 (Finalist)
Scheme Overview:
Woden Road is a 100% affordable housing scheme located in the City of Wolverhampton. The scheme has been developed, designed and constructed using Accord’s in-house regeneration, architecture and construction teams which are a unique capability based within the framework of a social landlord. The houses are built in Accord’s timber frame factory (Local Homes) which produces low carbon homes designed using fabric first principles.
The proposal for 112 new dwellings is sited on a ex-industrial site located in the suburb of Heath Town which is a mixture of light industry and residential. The site has a single point of access and is naturally enclosed with trees/hedgerow providing a safe, secure and sheltered environment.
The site layout is based on a hierarchy of routes to encourage the shared use of space by both pedestrians and vehicles creating an informal street scene with its own distinct character. The main avenue is broken up by two tree lined public squares to encourage shared use between pedestrian and road users with routes subtly demarcated with flush kerbs and edging. Secondary cul-de-sacs run off this main circulation route and are linked together in places by shared zones and private parking courtyards.
This network of streets consists of a non-standard configuration with footpaths separated from the highways with street parking & landscaping. This is to provide a clear distinction between vehicle and pedestrian areas and to create an environment which is not dominated by the cars, where pedestrians have equal use of the street. By moving away from a formal highway the intention is to encourage motorists to drive at a slower speed and more cautiously and to provide a comfortable environment for pedestrians where they do not feel intimidated by traffic. This approach has been supported by the local authority and we have worked with their highway department to obtain adoption of not only the highway and pavement but all parking, street trees and landscaping.
The houses are configured in a series of terraces and semi-detached units alongside 3 storey apartments that serve as a landmark building to address both the site and the adjacent bowling green. Gable ends are fenestrated with either corner windows or front doors to create a strong dual frontage which marks prominent corners and windows are full height and elongated to give the impression of a taller facade to replicate the Victorian proportions of existing adjacent properties.
The material palette consists of a fusion of traditional and modern textures with a mixture of brick, fibre cement cladding and slate tiles. Panels of projecting brickwork sit within the buff, red and black tones of the facing materials which are lifted with the introduction of terracotta and stone green slate roof tiles. The placement of brick versus fully clad units has been considered so they are placed in particular parts of the site to help reinforce different identities.
In summary Woden Road has been a ambitious scheme for the team and a opportunity for us to test out a new layout design, palette of materials and landscaping strategy.