Downlands Park

The redevelopment of Downlands Park will create a new later living campus on the six-acre site in Haywards Heath, Sussex. The site currently accommodates a Victorian care home facility set within parkland grounds. The original Victorian villa was built in 1876 and converted into a school in the early 1900s with a number of additions to the building before and during its use as a care home from 1985.

The scheme proposes the demolition of the care home, which is no longer fit for purpose. The building will be replaced with a campus of new residences and community facilities for later living.

The proposed development includes 15 cottages and 70 apartments, all designed with later living in mind. The dwellings are arranged to maintain the open parkland setting and enhance the site with a number of cascading planted terraces.

At the centre of the scheme is a community hub building which will provide health and wellbeing facilities including a pool, spa, fitness suite and wellbeing rooms. These facilities will be accessible to residents as well as providing age exclusive memberships for local residents in the wider community. Residents and members will also have access to the lounge, bistro and dining room.

The development takes a fabric first approach with high levels of insulation to walls, roofs and terraces. Orientation of the apartments has been designed to reduce excessive solar gain alongside overhanging roofs and brise soleils to south facing glazing. The scheme is designed to improve on part L by 20% with the use of PV panels and air source heat pump renewable technologies.