16 high quality riverfront homes and a café on the site of a disused boatyard in a Conservation Area

The Development

The scheme consists of eight houses, with two blocks of apartments at either end. The introduction of a café alongside the apartments is intended to create a hub for the new residents and provide a much-needed amenity for the wider area to create a sense of community.

Site Constraints

The site is tightly constrained by the river and the bridges over it, the historic bridge which is a scheduled monument, and the former A14 bridge. The limitations of the site were considered from the outset of the design process to ensure the development works as efficiently as possible within the space. The development has been set above the flood plain levels with an undercroft to offset potential flood risk and provide useful flood storage capacity as it sits close to the River Great Ouse.

A Respect for Place

The buildings are orientated so that residents can take advantage of the views across the adjacent river, with a stepped façade and large glazed gable ends to the houses facing the waterfront.  The building’s form and cladding materials are a contemporary interpretation of the historic marine use of the site so that the new building is sympathetic to the sites historic function as a boat yard.

Project Details

Client

Aragon Homes

Current Status

Our designs have recently been granted planning permission and building works should begin soon.