Designs taking their inspiration from the longhouses and farmsteads of the past are the winners in an architecture competition for affordable homes which encourage young people to stay in the Lakes and Dales.
McMullan Studios has been chosen to design homes for Horton-in-Ribblesdale in Craven and Outpost as winners for the Burneside site in the South Lakes.
A panel of experts in design and planning, including local authorities and landowners, chose the best from the shortlists of three for each of the two sites. The competition was run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Great Place: Lakes and Dales (GPLD), the Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Funded programme to encourage more under 35s to live and work in the area.
McMullan Studios (Horton-in-Ribblesdale winner) proposed ‘The Flexstead’ – a farmstead-style design with use of space giving a nod to both ancient Dales farmsteads and loft-style living.
Outpost (Burneside winner) came up with a series of longhouses for the location, offering a modern interpretation of the Cumbrian vernacular of the past.
The judges were particularly impressed with the way each winner appealed to younger people, especially with the flexibility of the homes for live/work purposes and affordability. Important factors were also the attention given to environmentally friendly construction and, in the case of the Burneside site, the inclusion of a community building.
Richard Dowson, consultant with GPLD, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of our RIBA competition. We asked for cutting edge designs for flexible, affordable housing which would appeal to the under 35s and that is exactly what we got. It was about housing that will appeal to returners and young people already living in the area.
“Our winners both gave really impressive presentations, explaining their ideas with passion and understanding of the issues faced.
“The standard of entries in the competition – which was open to all architects whether they were local, national or international – was exceptional. It was very tough to choose our shortlist of three, and from there to pick our winners.”
The judges also took into account feedback from the public via the RIBA website and from locally-held exhibitions. Consultations with planning officers and authorities as well as feedback from GPLD’s Creative Champions* was also considered.
David Roberts of Igloo Regeneration, development managers for the Burneside site said: “We have seen this competition provide a good opportunity to explore ideas that could be of interest to Burneside and generate discussions about what kind of homes work best for the future of the village.”
Both sites will now be subject to further consultation between the architects, site developers and local residents to see how they can be progressed, as each would require planning permission before they could be built.
David Smurthwaite, strategic manager of Craven District Council and chairman of GPLD, said: “This competition aimed to see how architects, when given the time and space, can address the issue of providing housing for young people that is exciting, flexible and carbon efficient. We are very pleased that two young practices have won with designs that meet the aspiration of the Great Place programme and fit with their particular sensitive locations.”
The judging panel is made up of local authority officers from Craven District Council and South Lakeland District Council, design experts, a RIBA agent and landowners. Its members include Wayne Hemingway (Hemingway Design), Nathan Cornish (Urban Splash), Mark Cropper (James Cropper), David Roberts (igloo), David Smurthwaite (CDC), Ian Hassall (SLDC) and Sasha Bhavan (RIBA).
The other finalists, who were all commended by the judges, were: Horton-in-Ribblesdale – McGinlay Bell Architects and Patalab; Burneside – Hawkins Brown and Weston Williamson.
