More's Meadow wins LABC Award
Great Shelford Almshouses: Award-Winning Design that Redefines Affordable Living
The Great Shelford almshouse development, recently honored with the Regional award for Best Small Social Housing Development at the LABC Building Excellence Awards East Anglia 2024, stands as an example of design excellence, sustainability, and community-centric planning. This prestigious recognition further underscores the project's commitment to providing affordable, energy-efficient, and socially connected homes and I was delighted to play my part in it, working with lead architect Rowan Haysom, to understand the project and take the ground based and aerial photography.
One of the most striking features of this award-winning development is its commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for residents. By positioning vehicles in bays on the periphery, the design prioritises pedestrian movement and fosters a sense of community within the central green. Children play freely, neighbors interact wihtout traffic noise and pollution, and the entire space holds a sense of tranquility.
The architectural language of the project is elegant and functional. The open triangular layout creates a dynamic flow, offering various loops and entrance points that encourage exploration and engagement. The gently sloping roofs not only create interesting interior spaces but also visually integrate the buildings into the surrounding countryside, further enhanced by the green roofs.
Sustainability is woven into the fabric of the design. Equipped with air source heat pumps, heat recovery systems, triple glazing, and high levels of insulation, these homes are designed to minimize energy consumption and reduce running costs for residents.
This award-winning project is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the entire team: Haysom Ward Miller Architects, E.N Suiter & Sons, ANDREW FIREBRACE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED, Emily Haysom Landscape Architect, and TSA Riley. Their combined expertise and dedication have resulted in a development that sets a new standard for affordable housing.
Having had the privilege of photographing this project, I was taken by its thoughtful design and the positive impact it has on the community there. The interplay of light and shadow on the curved terraces, the well-used shared spaces, and the integration with the landscape and the allotments, meadow space and countryside beyond all help tell this compelling story.
Architects, landscape designers, engineers, and more – Let's talk about your project! I'd be pleased to talk through it with no obligation to commit to work, but if you have something with an interesting story to tell like this one, I may have the skills to help you share it with the attention it deserves.
Whether your project is a residential development, a commercial building, a public space, or a landscape transformation, we can explore how to work together to capture its unique character and tell its story through powerful imagery.
