Scandinavian practice White Arkitekter has won the Salford House 4 life competition, organized by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). White’s proposal was chosen as the winning scheme from 59 entries. For more images of their proposal and a succinct description, follow after the jump.
The winning proposal is landscape lead and focuses on the creation of social and green spatial solutions for family living. The proposal combines three house types and three apartment types to accommodate a diverse community of all ages. All accommodation benefits from private garden/recreation or play space and shared amenity space. Accommodation is arranged in blocks varying in height from 2.5 – 5 storeys blocks. The buildings will be brick with glazed balconies/terraces.
The perimeter arrangement of each block creates a walled garden at the center, which is accessible to all Greengate community residents. These gardens are conceived as three very different architypes which refer to familiar landscapes – urban, agricultural and rural – and each have a different character promoting active and passive approaches to healthy living.
1. The Pitch combines parking facilities with an area to play ball sports and raised planting beds for vegetable growing.
2. The Copse combines woodland planting as a habitat for birds and insects with a running track to promote fitness.
3. The Orchard combines blossoming fruit trees for communal harvesting and greenhouses for cultivating flowers and seasonal plants and a grass court for tennis and picnics.
The main ‘Street’ or boulevard which bisects the development is treated as a key public space. It is tree lined and terminates with a simple square and copse of trees. There are no residential units at street level. The street is lined with commercial spaces, live/work units and social spaces.
