the avenue saffron walden, essex

This development, on part of The Friends’ School site in Saffron Walden, is for 76 new homes ranging from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom detached houses. It includes 25% affordable housing and 18 flats and small houses specifically designed for the over-55 market. The school selected Hill Residential and PTEa through a competitive process in 2008 to deliver a viable residential development to fund a new junior school and improvements to the existing main school building. The proposed scheme responds sensitively to its mature landscaped context, within a Conservation Area and adjacent to a listed water tower. It creates a series of character areas which reflect the pattern and character of the neighbouring townscape and also maintains and enhances the intrinsic qualities of the site.

The heart of the scheme is a retained avenue of mature lime trees, The Avenue. The homes here are arranged around courtyards behind a new garden wall, or are set back beyond grassed and planted verges. The new landscaping will include relocated native hedgerows, planted fruit trees from existing rootstock on the site, and retention of most of the mature trees.

Awards: Housing Design project Award 2011