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Code 5 Housing Development Carryduff

Exploring sustainable approaches for social housing.

REQA undertake design competitions and feasibility projects as useful methods to enhance creativity and expand our knowledge base. The competition brief asked entries to blend a multi-housing strategy with build approaches and solutions that have widespread environmental benefits. The proposed site is located in the East Belfast suburb of Carryduff.

The original village of Carryduff formed where six roads and a river crossed and is in the site of the ancient Queens Fort Rath. A rath, or Ringfort, is essentially a fortified settlement, and in its purest form is a circular space surrounded by a bank, often constructed in stone. There are several theories on how the raths were utilised, from having defensive significance to containing simple dwellings, to protecting livestock from predators.

In principle, the notion of the rath as a focal point around which roads, pedestrian and on cycle paths converged while providing a secure area for the community formed the basic concept of this proposal.

Learning the history or context of the site creates a basis for the concept to evolve from.

The rath was to be considered an area of open space easily accessible from within site boundaries as well as the surrounding housing areas. Public space is sited at the heart of the proposal around which the dwellings and infrastructure would simply be orientated.

To successfully integrate a proposal into the local community it was decided to make the layout as open and accessible as possible by linking into existing paths and creating direct routes, links and views from all areas inside to the heart of the site.

This concept is further developed, taking into account further considerations ascertained from site analysis and feasibility studies. It is necessary to ensure that all the dwellings had a South-East to South-West aspect to maximise solar gains for heating and solar panel orientation.

Design of multi-residential projects are scrutinised as the driving ambition is to create quality living environments. Finding a solution to meet this ambition is a worthwhile exercise as the lessons learned during the conceptual process stick in the minds of designers to carry forward on future projects.

REQA

The concept weaves various threads of design into a cohesive and well-considered proposal. Each house type meets the brief of high-quality living spaces internally while responding to the outside environment achieved through careful arrangement around the public open space areas.

The benefits of the innovative installations, construction typologies and building materials exceed current building practices and challenge what is possible in social housing developments.

Our submission was not successful, yet the exercise was beneficial to the team members involved. Research into relevant environmental ideas expanded the knowledge base and provides solutions to suggest on other projects.