The proposed development for 144 new homes for East Bergholt is immediately adjacent to the Built Up Area Boundary, and forms a natural extension to the village in line with the historic expansion. The development recognised the need to respond sympathetically to its important location adjacent the Dedham Vale AONB and Conservation Area of the village, resulting in contemporary vernacular house forms, and a layout of low density (17 dwellings per hectare).
The weak urbanist layout that gives East Bergholt its character has been used as the genesis in the layout strategy. Historic field boundaries previously divided the landscape around East Bergholt. Only one remains on the site and is preserved. The remaining site is divided into ‘cells’, not based on straight field boundaries, but organic ‘desire lines’ which bring people into the site from the existing routes. These cells create defined spaces each with a sense of enclosure.
The pathways provide connections with the existing landscape as well as easy access to a central green space within the site. Landscaping will provide a natural setting in which people may interact.
The pathways also help organise the unit densities. Terraced units and smaller house types are located along the main arteries into the site which fragment and lead to a more open layout around the central green space and larger detached units at the edges of the site.
Units are also arranged in a denser fashion along the entrance edge, where a varied roofscape is desired as a welcoming vista.
The principles of sustainability have developed a site layout which responds to existing ecological features and also orients houses to maximise passive energy strategies – solar gain and natural ventilation.
The design of the houses themselves has been driven by ideas of sustainable construction – a ‘fabric first’ approach has been employed to minimise embodied energy cost and maximise thermal efficiency and airtightness. It is proposed that ‘Structurally Insulated Panel’ (SIP) construction will provide the most effective route to achieving low carbon design, and this has been integrated into the house plans.