Baylight Properties
- Oct 10, 2015
- 2 min read
Baylight Properties have been the source of a number of community-orientated developments over the past 30 years. Focused on commercial and mixed used properties in London the company wanted to combine the 'harsh realities of business with good architecture'.
Looking to use their skills to impact the wider community, Baylight Properties set up Groundplan through which they wanted to improve ordinary housing. Research into existing communities helped to inform the developments; in particular how effective communities are planned. The designs of subsequent developments centred around creating a sense of community through the use of shared spaces, forming the 'common ground of the neighbourhood'.
Lambourn - Florian Beigel + ARU
The images below are design drawings for one of Grounplans developments in Lambourn. The scheme for 15 houses, designed by Florian Beigel and the Architecture Research Unit, had the idea of using the development to consolidate part of the town that was lacking coherence and connection to the centre. Located in the bottom of a valley outside of the town and next to the river the scheme hoped to also mitigate flood risks alongside introducing public amenities and improving the biodiversity in the area. The key aim however, was to create a sense of community and place through the use of communal spaces with the proposed buildings organised around these shared spaces. These shared spaces would encourage civility and neighbourly spirit.
Pewsey1 - Tony Fretton
In the backlands of Pewsey, on a sloping site with countryside views, lies a sympathetic housing development of 6 dwellings. Designed by Tony Fretton, the development responds to the village context and scale, helping to reinforce the village community. The long term issues, centralising on the community, were more important to Fretton than the dwelling design. Access and layout of the site responded in relation to the existing trees. All of the dwellings look onto the central shared courtyard space, this along with the private gardens helps to form an important relationship to the landscape, an integral aspect of the development.
Kintbury
Using lessons learnt from previous projects and precedents such as the Bourneville Village built by the Cadbury brothers, and the SPAN developments the Kintbury project was developed. The aim was to show what good architecture should be and can offer its inhabitants. The use of quality materials, manipulation of light and creation of space are ways in which ordinary homes can be made into a place.
References:
Baylight Properties (n.d) About [online] Available from: http://www.ground-plan.co.uk/about/ [Accessed on 9th Ocotber 2015]
Fretton, T (n.d) Pewsey1 [pdf] Available from: http://www.tonyfretton.com/Pewsey/index.html [Accessed 2nd October 2015]
Groundplan (n.d) Projects [online] Available from: http://www.ground-plan.co.uk/about/ [Accessed on: 9th October 2015]
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