mae

mæ is shortlisted for an English Partnerships site at Severall’s Hospital, Colchester. Our inspiration for this 1500 unit housing scheme on the semi-derelict Severall’s Hospital site is the model of the garden suburb or garden village combined with the striking urban form and beautiful landscape of the hospital itself.

Our starting point for the design was to build on the inherent qualities of the site. The bank of existing mature trees through the site will act as a buffer to the proposed road, the fall in the land toward the south of the site is a water runoff pool and the existing earth mound adjacent to Mill Road entrance is landscaped as public space.

Our proposal creates an urban square in the centre enclosed by perimeter blocks of three storey town houses creating a strong streetscape. Continuously enclosed streets create two bubbles of space to either side. To the north and west edge of the site two storey village style closes of housing create a loose fit edge with houses and gables looking onto the public rights of way and homezone streets. This also avoids the ‘hemmed’ in character of many new developments along their edges.