Abode at Great Kneighton has been included as one of six housing projects setting a benchmark for quality in Cambridge in a new report by Stephen Platt from Cambridgeshire Architectural Research funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Cambridgeshire County Council.  

Built on the site of the former Country Show Ground on the southern fringe of Cambridge and in close proximity to Addenbrookes Medi-park, Abode is the gateway quarter to the Great Kneighton neighbourhood. Consisting of 444 homes, Abode is arranged as a sequence of spaces and houses that suit the transition from urban to rural edge.

‘New Housing in Cambridge’ evaluates successful housing schemes, the role of the Cambridge Quality Panel and how the Cambridge model could be applied to other areas in the UK to improve housing quality and meet growth targets. An example of this is our latest project Wilkinsons Brook in Fingal, Northern Ireland, which builds on our approach at Abode and is also included in the report. 

“Abode at Great Kneighton is exceptionally good. Not only is it high density (65 dph) relative to traditional housing estates built at the edge of towns (typically at 25-30 dph) but it is low-rise, the neighbourhood is intimate, generously landscaped with all local services and amenities provided.”