PROJECT REPORT: RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS 37
In terms of the buildings in Phase 1 themselves, an optimised microclimate, generous sunlight/ daylight penetration and wind mitigation improve outdoor comfort. This enables greater social and community activities outdoors, leading to a higher degree of social inclusion, and healthier, more active lifestyles. Gardens and playgrounds unite the new residents with old to encourage a sense of belonging. The ‘climate resilience’ theory integral to the Phase 1 design is based on resilience and strategic water and energy use, through incorporation of “ecosystem services,” SuDS strategies and reducing heat loads through green roofs and gardens. The required target carbon reduction of 40.2% beyond Building Regulations has “strongly influenced the architectural design,” says White Arkitekter, which includes high performance fabric, and PV arrays. Phase 2 similarly brings sustainability to the fore. The buildings are designed to plug into a wider energy and district heating network for Barking Town Centre and to achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to Building Regulations for energy efficiency alone. The buildings’ energy consumption has been minimised using their geometry and orientation, and the towers have green roofs plus solar PV arrays.
The scheme provides secure indoor cycle parking for all residents, as well as spaces for visitors to lock up their bikes, and an underground refuse system. Flexible cycle storage units are placed on main routes with access onto the street – to allow them to be used for small business and residents’ activities in the interim, until they are in full use for approximately 1,000 bicycles. Along with promoting urban nature and biodiversity, the landscape is designed for resilience and integration into the green infrastructure.
A new future
This is an incredibly important scheme for demonstrating how good quality affordable housing can be quickly delivered in one of the most deprived and challenged estates in the UK. White Arkitekter deserves huge congratulation for simply delivering it, notwithstanding the subtle qualities the design has brought to a formal composition of high density blocks. These have not been seen in this scheme previously, or many others which could benefit from such a carefully considered approach.
ADF MARCH 2023 © White Arkitekter
Thiel admits the project was “hard
work,” and at times “a bit of a struggle,” including to identify where UK and Scandinavian housing design principles could merge. However, she says that there was “already a very good working relationship” with the BeFirst team, and it was a case of building up that same relationship of trust with Wates. She pays tribute to the contractor’s high levels of workmanship, exemplified by the air-tightness levels measured in the finished buildings: “They had a super dedicated team, they've really set their stall out with this scheme.”
Phase 1 is now occupied with a diverse range of tenants and buyers from different strands of society, living together in a tenure-blind, tree-enhanced setting that contains all the elements you’d hope would foster community cohesion. The scheme shows the power of architecture to deliver a no-nonsense, efficient but ultimately empathetic contribution to society. g
SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS (PHASE 1)
Target form factor (heat loss area/usable internal floor area): 0.8 - 1.5 Target operational energy use intensity: 35-60 kWh/m2
GIA/yr
Target space heating demand: <15 kWh/m2
GIA/yr)
Onsite % carbon reduction (compared to Part L 2013): 40%
A1-A5) Water use: 125 l/person/day Cycle parking spaces: 373 Urban greening (UGF): 0.26 Target biodiversity net gain: > 10%
Percentage of roof covered by solar panels/PVs: 20% Target ‘upfront’ embodied carbon: <500 kg CO2
e/m2 GIA) (Modules
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