ecoterrace.co.uk

The summary of the previous posts explaining the design concept can also be viewed as a slide show:

At the time of submitting our bid, our client (Staffordshire Housing Association) had already purchased two specific properties it hoped to use for the project; giving us the opportunity to apply our design proposals to a real example:

The solution for a particular property: 4 + 6, Victoria Street, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffs

• South-east frontage and north-west facing rear elevation - requires solar space to be angled towards westerly, afternoon sun.
• Direct off street access and tunnel back service entries.
• Front doors onto street to have draught lobby for privacy and security
• Rear gardens filled in by extensions to suit previous commercial usage.
• Removal of all rear outbuildings and extensions to open aspect and recreate usable garden area
• Thermal upgrading of walls by internal insulated lining and blockwork/acoustic stud skins to party walls.
• Existing roof stripped and insulated using warm roof 40mm over and 80mm between and/or cold roof 50mm between and 80mm under rafters all to U value of 0.2.
• Windows all to S by D, PAS 24 and high performance thermally U value 1.8
• Internal windows single glazed for useful gain
• Passive solar spaces glazed full height with upper level vents to outside and into attic zone.
• Existing rear brick walls used as thermal store and new concrete slab tiled to increase thermal lag.
• Rear Bedroom to open onto sun space, balcony to improve aspect to garden and provide galleried living potential.
• Sunspaces able to work at 45/45 and 60/30 degree configurations to suit orientation and adjacent boundaries.
• No 4 has boundary wall to walkway and features end of terrace option.
• Option to site boiler at high level, minimise flue runs, site close to solar thermal panel pre-heating and remove from kitchen food prep areas.
• Existing shop front windows and door openings remodelled to recreate street integrity.
• Ground floor toilet to part M accessibility with option for shower outlet
• Upper floor part and full ensuite options available
• Rear gardens to take shed, patio, lawn, bins and water butts

The summary of the proposals discussed here are available as a slide show in the following blog entry: the slideshow.

Beyond the generic principles of the design, we examined the integration of the ideas into a typical street scene:

Solutions for the typical street context

Around Stoke and Newcastle 19th century, byelaw terraced housing is typically floorplates of 4200 x 8900 with outriggers varying in size up to 5500 x 2500, arranged along narrow byelaw streets. The rear yards are almost exclusively hard landscaped and very narrow and overshadowed by neighbouring properties. Our generic solution is predicated upon the removal of all rear extensions beyond the main shell and the introduction of a sunspace extension angled to maximise solar gain and aspect for the householders.

Freeing up the rear yard,which in some cases can be 10m long allows for the provision of a patio, clothes drying lawned area and a shed for tool and cycle storage. However of much greater significance is the opportunity to provide 100% in curtilage parking, secure behind a gated alleyway or rear boundary wall. It is our view that terraced housing which does not seize this opportunity where it arises will remain unattractive to young buyers.

The layout above shows a variety of methods to accommodate such parking, but most rely upon the agreement of neighbouring householders and an investment in wider regeneration measures. In addition the narrow streets can often, as illustrated, provide parallel bay parking in conjunction with street traffic-calming and local pinch points. However terraced housing at 4200 frontages can never deliver more than 75% parking,and in some cases of two way traffic flows, it is less than 50%. Terraced housing varies in the extent to which it offers a frontage buffer zone, either as a walled garden, hard surfaced standing,bay windows, extended steps or in the worst cases straight in off the street. Our proposals provide for an option of a frontage internal lobby with double door separation to suit the worst case. Bay windows, raised steps, projecting porches and walled front gardens can be readily accommodated.

The long term success of the refurbishment initiative in Newcastle-Under-Lyme - beyond the 6 properties dealt with in this project - depends upon design proposals that rely on a number of generic solutions that could be adopted regardless of the location. Our initial concept explored this theme:

Solutions for the generic terrace floor plan

• Applicable to house floor plates circa 4.2m wide and 8.0m deep
• Capable of generating alternative floor plans to suit lifestyle options and preferences for Kitchen/dining, living/dining, open plan to enclosed.
• Zoned treatment to the floor plans with central serviced zone and principle vertical access.
• Designed to suit varying orientations, improved garden aspect, less shadowing and more passive solar opportunities
• Able to improve privacy and acoustic insulation across party walls and to the roadside
• Plans which avoid walk through living spaces or direct off the street room entrances.
• Sections which allow for more readily using the attic space
• Proposals which can leave the frontage integrity and street scene in tact.
• Generally furnished to suit couples, single parent families, and families with young children.
• Proposals which do not rely on long thin outriggers and accompanying limited rear garden aspect and access.
• Options for habitable rooms to the front where privacy buffer zone available