- Architecture
- Masterplanning
- Urban Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Interior Design
- Town Planning
- Project Management
- Environmental Services
Manor Farm
Date: 2004
Masterplanning
Client: St James Homes Ltd
Increasing housing density without damaging the balance or character of a neighbourhood; conducting detailed optimisation work to ensure schemes are financially viable; designing new neighbourhoods that, from an architectural identity point of view, sit attractively and comfortably with the existing and well-established community and landscape; Manor Farm is a prime example of PRP’s holistic approach to regeneration.
Covering 28 hectares, Manor Farm is situated on the former water works site south of Reading, with easy links into the centre of Reading. In 2004, PRP was asked to carry out an optimisation appraisal on the scheme to increase the proportion of houses, compared with apartments, and develop a new community that would meet the aspirations of the local planning authority and the client’s desire to create a well designed and popular neighbourhood.
Building on the original framework, which is based on a regular grid of interlocking streets around a central square, our masterplan made relatively subtle minor changes to the controlling dimensions in order to suit the requirements for houses. The exercise enabled us to substantially increase the overall numbers of dwellings and accommodate a greater proportion of houses. The architecture has a fresh contemporary quality; in some ways a reflection of Reading’s highly regarded high tech status, where it is home to some of the world’s largest global technology companies and their multi-cultural workers.
The result is a design which successfully manages to increase housing density, where a strong social fabric can be built within the community, in an attractive and exciting area. Planning approval for our proposals has been granted recently.