Triangle
By GLENN HOWELLS
In Swindon, UK
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Triangle (main)
Details   Views:  377
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Data Info
Author GLENN HOWELLS
City Swindon
Country UK
Year 2011
Program Residential neighbourhood
Technical Info
Site area 8000 sqm
Gfa 0 sqm
Density 0 far
Population density 0 inh/ha
Home Units: 48
Jobs 0
Streetsroad: 0 %
Buildup: 0 %
NonBuild-up: 0 %
Residential 0 %
Business 0 %
Commercial 0 %
Civic 0 %
Description

    Housing Details

     

  • 42 Townhouses, 6 Apartments (16 two-bed houses, 13 three-bed houses, 7 four-bed houses, 4 one-bed apartments, and 2 two-bed apartments).
  • Gross Internal Floor Area:
  • Two-bedroom house: 46 m²
  • Four-bedroom house: 115 m²
  •  

    Project Development

     

  • Developed for Haboakus – a joint venture between Kevin McCloud’s HAB company and the Green Square housing group.
  • Timber-frame structures and Hempcrete external walls finished in traditional lime render to comply with Code 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and Lifetime Homes standards, achieving a Building for Life Gold Standard.
  •  

    Sustainable Features

     

  • Gabion walls enclose bin stores.
  • Porch bicycle storage included.
  • The project aimed to make well-built eco-houses affordable and introduced novel design features such as ventilation chimneys.
  • Use of new materials (hempcrete) grown locally for external walls.
  •  

    Design and Community Spaces

     

  • Houses are small with an open plan layout and large communal space.
  • Higher ceilings in rooms allow more light to flood small areas, making them feel larger.
  • Individual gardens are small, but a large communal garden is put into community trust ownership to encourage collective food growing.
  • Overall, 50% of land is designated for sharing.
  • One of four paint colors inspired by neighboring houses differentiates each house.
  •  

    Environmental Infrastructure

     

  • Granite kerbs frame permeable paving in front gardens.
  • Espaliered fruit trees, some grown to maturity on McCloud’s own property, and separate front gardens.
  • A bed below each kitchen window is available for residents to plant, although limited space near gabion bin stores.
  • The central landscaped area is planned to absorb rainwater run-off at source.
  • A casual array of logs straddling a swale doubles as a children’s playground.
  •  

    Community and Social Cohesion

     

  • The project promotes social cohesion and healthier living.
  • Named after a triangular open space at the site’s heart, which is overlooked by kitchen windows of surrounding homes.
  • Open spaces at each corner of the triangle serve as collective outdoor areas: two community gardens and a car park.
  • Supplemented by two kitchen gardens, one with poly-tunnels irrigated by harvested roof water.
  •  

    Community Engagement

     

  • An Edible Landscape Manual offered to residents includes seeds and guidance on food growing and recipes, enhancing community self-sufficiency.
  • A community trust gives every resident an ownership stake in the public realm, significantly increasing the project's value.
  •  

    House Specifications and Innovations

     

  • Houses have a 2.6-meter ground-floor ceiling height, above-standard door heads, and larger-than-usual windows for a spacious feel within tight floor plans.
  • Use of natural materials and neutral finishes throughout, including 350 mm-thick hempcrete walls, wool carpets, and cork floors.
  • To minimize overheating, a full-height, lockable louvred panel at the back enables natural ventilation when unoccupied.
  • Motorised loft hatch opens into a ventilation cowl disguised as a chimney.
  • Houses achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, with potential to meet Level 5 through photovoltaic panels.
  •  

    Transportation and Parking

     

  • Features a community-wide intranet and a touch-screen near the kitchen serving as a virtual notice board (e.g., local bus arrivals, neighbour requests).
  • Reduced average parking provision from 2 to 1.5 per unit due to a car club, good cycle storage, and a bus stop at the entrance.
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