Sep 12 2005
The winners of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's competition to design and build inspiring suburban homes for the 21st century were today named as architects Cole Thompson Anders.
Their innovative designs for a cluster of six new homes to be built on a small site in the 'garden village' of New Earswick, York, were praised by an expert panel of judges for combining strong, visual appeal with an impressive degree of attention to environmental standards and sustainability.
The competition sought practical designs for a mix of affordable houses and flats suitable for sale or rent. The rules insisted that the tenure of each property should not be apparent from the design and that the properties should all be of a consistently high quality.
The Foundation, which administers the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, hopes that the six homes in New Earswick will gain planning consent and be ready for their first occupants by autumn 2006. It also intends that these prototypes will provide inspiration and ideas for 'Derwenthorpe', a planned mixed-tenure development of 540 homes on the east side of York. Lord Richard Best, the JRF Director, pointed out that the suburban homes competition had been launched to coincide with the 100th anniversary of an influential 'Cheap Cottages Exhibition' held in Letchworth Garden City, planned by Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker, the same architects responsible for Joseph Rowntree's 'model' village at New Earswick.
He said: "A century on, we were looking for stylish but affordable new homes that were identifiably of the 21st century. We were particularly keen that the latest thinking in environmental standards should be incorporated within each home, and we wanted a design which would appeal to those purchasing as well as renting. We also hoped there might be echoes of the Arts and Crafts style in sympathy with the existing buildings in New Earswick, to reflect our origins a century ago."
"We were not sure if our demanding criteria could be met, so we were delighted that Cole Thompson Anders have designed a building complex that seems destined to fulfil all our ambitions for the site. The development reflects the distinctive architecture of the neighbouring 'Folk Hall' community centre and complements the houses around it. The appearance should add appeal for purchasers, yet the actual building costs should ensure affordability for tenants and part-purchasers. It also contains impressive, state-of-the-art eco-features to take forward the sustainability agenda."
Craig Anders, for the architects, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on this project. We firmly believe that sustainable architecture can be affordable whilst delivering many additional benefits to the occupiers, and that contemporary design solutions can sit happily next to historic listed buildings."
"All of our projects are very 'site specific', and our previous work at Letchworth Garden City gave us a solid foundation for understanding many of the issues at New Earswick."