2010 HAPPI WINNING SCHEMES > Project Winner

 

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Kidbrooke Extra Care is the cornerstone of the second of five phases in the £1bn redevelopment of Greenwich’s Ferrier Estate delivering London 4000 new homes.

With 170 apartments, the scheme might have followed the design orthodoxy of large extra care schemes whose long double-banked corridors and oversized communal areas make them feel institutional. Not here. The layout will foster discrete communities of neighbours who will more easily know each other and the route to their homes. Apartments cluster round five access cores which are naturally lit and offer a quiet lounge and a large communal balcony at each level. The arrangement also maximises the number of apartments with more than one aspect, and this is enhanced by staggers in the external walls to create more windows.

Apartments at 70-84 m2 trounce expectations. A majority have three habitable rooms with the flexible third for use as bedroom (for carer or visitor), study or dining space thanks to a sliding partition. All have a balcony or terrace big enough to accommodate a table and chairs and plants, helping to maximise exposure to direct sunlight and its benefits to ageing minds and bodies.

This appealing mix of extra space, flexible accommodation, generous day lighting and access to sunshine were key recommendations in the 2009 HAPPI report, a prescription based on practice from across Europe on how to house an ageing population in comfort. It’s no coincidence. Senior management from both client and architect were part of an expert panel reporting to researchers. The influence of ideas borrowed from the best schemes on the Continent is evident in the scheme’s dramatic foyer. This double height space has a hotel-like concierge’s desk with the meeting area styled as a library and café. The entrance hall envelops the village hall, for use by the wider community, as well as a cinema and fitness centre.

The arrangement is intended to act as an interface between the extra care residents and the wider community. A first floor access deck serves additional facilities for residents who become passers by in the broader community as they move within their secure accommodation. The space is designed to become the village hub, allowing residents a securely managed space where they can mingle with the wider community.

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