Gorse Ride

Working in close collaboration with Wokingham Borough Council, residents and the local community, we have designed a deliverable masterplan for the Gorse Ride Estate. Plans include the replacement of 178 dwellings that have fallen into disrepair and cannot be suitably retrofitted, to create 249 high-quality homes. The phased regeneration will take place over a number of years, transforming the estate into a place local people can be proud of.

The design is focused around a large village green that acts as the ‘heart’ of the new community. Green corridors and pocket parks provide open and safe spaces where the community can come together. All homes – whether social rent, shared ownership or market sale – are designed as tenure blind and with a fabric first approach. One and two-storey houses are located around the site’s perimeter, with three and four-storey apartment buildings positioned at the centre to provide passive surveillance.

Material selection is a response to the local context. The widespread use of red brickwork is for robustness but also a reference to the area’s industrial past while the reinterpretation of chimneys as ventilation stacks (serving the MVHR units) offer an additional sense of domesticity. All homes feature high levels of airtightness and thermal performance to reduce operational energy and improve indoor air quality and comfort.

Following careful consideration of the energy hierarchy, anticipated reduction in energy demand is 17% through energy efficient fabric and building services. An 8.3% reduction in regulated CO² is achieved through incorporation of renewable energy technologies and regulated CO² emissions are anticipated to be reduced by 40% compared to a baseline Building Regulations compliant scheme.