Station Mews
Crafting these mews houses and apartments opposite the local train station and adjacent to the train line was a challenge due to the site’s constraints. Through careful crafting of the site and consideration of the historical development the resulting proposal gained the support of the local town and parish council. It was the catalyst of a discussion on the reactivation of the high street.
The high street is facing decline, needing a shift, a new face and architecture and place-making needs to be at the heart of its reactivation. In our proposal, a large and open street frontage on this prominent corner plot and adjacent to the train station seeks to enliven the end of the high street. Providing a space that can draw on the passing trade, it is envisage a cafe might occupy the site providing an active frontage, spilling life onto the street.
Project Info
- Location: New Milton, New Forest
- Cost: £10 million
- Designation: Conservation Area, New Forest National Park
- Collaborators: Ineffable Tale, Bob Hull Planning
- Image Credit: Ineffable Tale
Environmental Data
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Energy Efficiency
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Insulation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Thermal Mass
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Airtightness
1 2 3 4 5 6
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Solar PV
1
- Heating/Hot Water
-
Solar Thermal
Yes No
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Rain Water Harvest
Yes No
- Ventilation
-
Energy Storage
Yes No
With a stronger and taller form the scheme provides a much-needed landmark on the high street. At the council meeting it was discussed how it was important that the scheme was providing a much needed current reflection of architecture in the area whilst not mimicking the historic character.
The form responds to its site and creates a way-finding tool in its prominent position on the high street. Reflecting the character of the area the street frontage responds to the contextual pitched roof forms whilst the scheme provides a rhythm along the train tracks. To the rear of the property the scheme opens up onto a central green space.
Following the lockdown the inclusion of open space within developments is key. Providing natural green space for inhabitants was central to the scheme. Focusing the mew houses onto a new wildlife area and a communal space wrapped in new planting for the apartments on the high street. This green space not only seeks to enhance the sites biodiversity but also nurture wellbeing of its inhabitants.
Working with the established material palette of the area, red brick and clay roof tiles. The retail frontage is defined by a simple change in materials, breaking up the mass of brickwork to invite the public in. The undulation in the mews houses looks at a flat roof and terrace space to provide a dynamic form, and private open space to the inhabitant.
The design became shaped by external factors and local authority desires. Easements of the train-line and the root protection area (RPA) of a large neighbouring tree restrictions reduced the area in which to work, pulling the development in from its boundaries. With a listed Victorian water tower in the vicinity heritage were concerned with preserving views and reducing heights, whilst the urban design officer sought active frontages. This combined with our desire to put a natural open space at the centre meant the layout fell naturally into and 'L-shape'.
The aspiration is to create an exemplary development with homes that push the architectural standards locally, both from a design and sustainability point of view. The proposals explore the idea of the creation of a new ‘street’, or place, from which residents access the apartments and mews housing. Layering private gardens to the mews houses behind the biodiverse rewilded communal area.
“My house is my refuge, an emotional piece of architecture, not a cold piece of convenience.” - Luis Barragan
