Plans for UK's largest Passivhaus programme revealed
Stirling prize-winning practice Mikhail Riches has unveiled plans for a multi site housing programme in York, set to be the UK's largest Passivhaus and net-zero carbon scheme.
The project for City of York Council will build new developments on seven sites across the city, ranging from 30 to 165 homes and co-designed with local communities.
The programme sets out to reflect both the 'human experience' and the 'global shift in work and life patterns' following the pandemic, as well as meeting the council's ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.
It will encourage 'genuine low-carbon lifestyles' by integrating sustainable modes of transport, biodiverse landscapes, spaces for growing fruit and vegetables, and sustainable drainage systems. The scheme has been inspired by York's own design manual.
The homes will be arranged in a series of low-rise and high-density terraces with access to private outdoor spaces. Generous landscaping will be integral to community use through open play schemes, outdoor areas and green planting space.
At one of the sites, Duncombe Barracks, Mikhail Riches' proposal – developed with neighbourhood planner Angela Koch at Imagine Places – includes an outdoor gathering space for a popular local church, a play-space for children from the wider area, as well as much needed intergenerational homes.
Practice founding director David Mikhail said: "[We] were hired to work across multiple sites and, as a result, we hadn't been asked to prepare, and subsequently defend, designs as part of a competitive procurement process. It's completely different to the usual shoe-horning of homes onto a site against the will of most local people."
He added: "As well as genuine engagement and co-design strategies, York have shared their ambitions with people using their own self-published York Housing Supply Programme Design Manual, and local people appear genuinely excited about the programme.
"Also, in spite of everything, we've also had real success working with local people through Covid-19, and weirdly the conversations have been even more engaging, with workshops on tackling loneliness and intergenerational living that have been incredibly powerful for people."
The announcement of further project details comes almost a year after the practice beat 50 other entries to win the job. The competition required applicants to detail their approach to inclusive design, creating healthy places, overcoming physical constraints, local context, environmental sustainability, and post-occupancy evaluation.
Applicants were also asked to detail three residential schemes of at least 50 homes from the previous five years where they provided equivalent services.
Mikhail Riches, working with Cathy Hawley, won last year's RIBA Stirling Prize for its pioneering Goldsmith Street project, which delivered a series of 100 new Passivhaus homes for Norwich City Council on a complex urban infill site.
The latest project is part of plans by City of York Council to deliver 600 new market sale, social rent and low-cost ownership homes across several sites over the next five years.
The project's £33 million first phase will deliver up to 220 residential units on three plots, including the former Burnholme College site, former Askham Bar park and ride and the disused Duncombe Barracks. Future phases include the former Clifton Without School, the former Manor School, the former Woolnough House old people's home and Hospital Fields Road.
Dwelling types for the remaining projects will be agreed on a site-by-site basis.
Article source: Architects' Journal
Author: Merlin Fulcher
Image source: Mikhail Riches