Proctor & Matthews Architects has been selected by award-winning regeneration specialist, Urban Splash and Homes England, as a partner to deliver the first houses in the second phase of Northstowe Cambridgeshire’s newest town. The contemporary Fenland village will include a total of 10,000 homes once complete.
As the architects and masterplanners, Proctor & Matthews will oversee the design of a development of 406 homes for Urban Splash. Situated on part of the former RAF Oakington base, the design of the development’s masterplan is inspired by the area’s rich history and previous settlements which were placed on high ground and defined by perimeter edges and boundaries. The proposed plans show a new neighbourhood quarter that is defined by a perimeter of landscapes; country park, sustainable drainage swales, ecological zones and the education campus.
All of the new homes will be manufactured offsite using modern volumetric construction technologies and designed in several typologies to suit a range of 21st Century needs and tenures, creating a diverse intergenerational community. These include a range of townhouses, mansion and mews blocks, later living homes and mixed-use buildings. The Urban Splash modular housing also includes a high-quality design by architects Shedkm, offering a range of layouts.
Car parking, refuse storage and bicycle storage are designed into the fabric of the built form, liberating the public realm to become shared social spaces and giving pedestrians, children’s play and cyclists priority. A range of outdoor spaces also include: communal gardens; podium deck gardens and terraces; courtyards and balconies.
Director Georgina Bignold, said: “The design for the new town quarter of Northstowe will create a unique interpretation of a traditional fenland village inspired by the archaeology and rich history of the area. We are looking forward to working with Urban Splash and Homes England to deliver the new homes using innovative off-site volumetric construction technologies providing homes to suit a range of 21st Century needs and lifestyles and creating a diverse intergenerational community.”
Stephen Kinsella, executive director of Land at Homes England said: “We’re pleased to have Proctor & Matthews and Urban Splash join us at Northstowe and look forward to working with them on the next steps for the development as they seek to secure planning permission.”
Nathan Cornish, director at Urban Splash said: “We are thrilled to be working in Cambridge, a new place for Urban Splash, but one that’s already on the map for interesting and pioneering housing design. Our plans are to make well designed, modular housing more widely available and we are delighted to be working with our long term partners Homes England to make this happen in Cambridge."
