Park Hill Phase 2

Park Hill Phase 2

Completed

Winner

Planning Application Link View map Video

Number/street name:
Park Hill Flats

Address line 2:
Duke Street

City:
Sheffield

Postcode:
S2 5RQ

Architect:
Mikhail Riches

Architect contact number:
2076081505


Developer:
JV of Places for People and Urban Splash.

Planning Authority:
Sheffield City Council

Planning Reference:
17/03486/REM

Date of Completion:
10/2024

Schedule of Accommodation:
41 X 2-beds, 135 X 2-beds, 19 X 3-beds

Tenure Mix:
100% Private Ownership (shared ownership and affordable are provided in other Phases).

Total number of homes:


Site size (hectares):
1.58

Net Density (homes per hectare):
124

Size of principal unit (sq m):
64

Smallest Unit (sq m):
43

Largest unit (sq m):
93

No of parking spaces:
73

Scheme PDF Download



Planning History

Completed in 1961 by Sheffield City Council, Park Hill was initially hailed a success, but a number of factors lead to its decline. It was saved from demolition by its listing in 1998, making it Europe’s largest listed structure.
The Outline Planning Application for the regeneration of the estate was approved in August 2006. Phase 1 received Reserved Matters approval in October 2007. Construction work started on Phase 1 in 2007, completing in 2016. Phase 2 received Reserved Matters approval in December 2017, first completed homes were handed over in December 2021 and construction works were completed in March 2022.

The Design Process

As a rule, we wanted to work with the existing building and retain as much as possible. The challenge has been achieving this whilst working within the constraints of a very specific design, and the size and layout of the existing flats, which do not meet modern standards and ways of living. We found that eliminating ‘problem’ bedsit flats allowed us to reconfigure the remaining flats and unlocked a new knock-through flat type, with fantastic double width balconies. As a result, all flats now have generous open plan living spaces, orientated to take advantage of the best views. The result is 195 new homes with varying floor plates and a mixed tenure offering that caters to a broad range of residents, giving more people a place in which they can live, work and play.
Park Hill’s Grade II* listed status means that overcladding the concrete, which acts as a massive cold bridge, is not an option; we needed to insulate both sides of the concrete in each room. Thermal imaging of the Phase 1 façade showed that the concrete frame on the balcony cheeks was the most thermally leaky element. This informed our response to insulate the exterior reveals of the building, expressed as coloured render panels.
The streets in the sky are perhaps the most celebrated, but at the same time the most problematic aspect of the original Park Hill design. The streets aimed to facilitate a neighbourliness that exists in a street on the ground, where there is room to stand and chat, and space for children to play. We have brought new life to the streets. Residents feel safe with windows overlooking the street. Each front door matches the balcony colour. Patterned doormats extend onto the street. The combination of colour and pattern make every door unique.

Key Features

Park Hill is a Grade 2* Listed brutalist housing scheme in Sheffield. It’s exposed concrete frame: a significant aspect of its listing; is also a cold bridge. Our approach was to retain as much of the existing fabric as possible and upgrade it to the highest achievable standards. Low floor-to-ceiling heights present another challenge to its retrofit. Each room has an insulated floor and ceiling to achieve the best thermal performance. Thermal modelling informed us where to add insulation most effectively. Externally coloured, insulated render panels cover concrete elements. Bricks have been cleaned, mortar retained, and party walls upgraded acoustically.

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Scheme Information

Type

  • Multi-Aspect Apartments
  • Innovative House Types
  • Maisonettes
  • Town house

Size

  • High density

Cost/ownership

  • Private Ownership
  • Mixed Use

Planning

  • Large New Settlements
  • Estate Regeneration
  • Community Consultation
  • Urban Regeneration

Construction/Design

  • Brickwork
  • Contemporary Design
  • Apartment remodelling

Sustainability

  • Low embodied carbon construction
  • Low Energy in Use

Outdoor areas

  • Private Terraces
  • Outside Terrace
  • Garden

Surrounding Area

  • Healthy Streets
  • Landscape
  • Communal Spaces
  • Play Spaces
  • Public open space

Sustainability

The building has been thermally modelled to test where insulation is best placed and which thicknesses will optimise its performance. The brickwork has been cleaned externally and insulated internally. We have undertaken hygrothermal risk analysis of the external wall to determine the optimal thermal improvement whilst mitigating moisture risk. New windows are pushed back to the thermal line with pressed aluminium reveals creating depth to the façade, providing solar shading while allowing the brick to have equivalent treatment to the brightly coloured panels of Phase 1. The development pre-retrofit was connected to the Bernard Road Sheffield Heat and Power energy from waste facility for domestic hot water and space heating. Phase 2 is now fully electric powered. The increased fabric efficiency has enabled electric heating to be economically feasible which allows the development to benefit from green energy as the grid continues to decarbonise. The predicted annual operational emissions for the existing pre-retrofit building is 151 kgCO2/m2 and for the post-retrofit building are 20 kgCO2/m2, an 87% improvement. The principal improvements arise from the significant fabric upgrades to mitigate the thermal bridging present in the original building. The whole life embodied carbon for the post retrofit build is predicted as 360 kgCO2e/m2, compared to a new build equivalent of 800 kgCO2e/m2, representing a 55% improvement in whole life embodied carbon compared to a good practice new build. Considering upfront embodied carbon emissions only (A1-A5), the post retrofit is predicted to emit 191 kgCO2e/m2, compared to a new build equivalent of 500 kgCO2e/m2, representing a 61% improvement in upfront embodied carbon. The principal improvements arise from the re-use of the structural frame and existing brickwork, with targeted repairs to improve longevity. Building fabric upgrades utilise lower carbon insulation products, and align to ‘good practice’ embodied carbon standards for new buildings.
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