Re-Format’s Post

Attention #CPTED practitioners! I recently came across a housing project that got me thinking about housing orientation. 🏘️ When designing residential communities, we know that architects, planners, and developers must strike a delicate balance between fostering a sense of community and ensuring safety. One critical decision in this process is the orientation of homes and shared spaces. Should houses face outward with secured back gardens inside, or should they surround a communal green space with back gardens facing externally? The build seems to have created back laneways, and I'm not only curious about home security but also about antisocial behaviour going forward. Have you any views? Option 1️⃣ : Outward-Facing Houses with Secured Back Gardens Inside This design involves a circle of houses oriented outward, with all back gardens enclosed within the community’s interior. Streets are directly overlooked by the front-facing windows of homes, and the internal backyards are shielded from external access. ✅ ADVANTAGES: Enhanced Natural Surveillance: Front-facing windows overlook public streets, deterring criminal behaviour through visibility. Improved Perimeter Security: Secured back gardens inside the circle reduce external access points for intruders. Increased Privacy: Residents enjoy greater privacy in their backyards, free from public view. Controlled Access: Limiting entry to the neighbourhood strengthens security. ❌ CHALLENGES: Reduced Social Interaction: Without a shared central space, opportunities for neighbourly interaction may be limited. Aesthetic Limitations: The lack of communal green space might make the neighbourhood feel less inviting or vibrant. Option 2️⃣: Houses Facing a Common Green with External Back Gardens (as per the attached photo). In this layout, houses surround a shared central green space, with back gardens facing outwards towards the perimeter of the community. This arrangement fosters a sense of communal belonging but comes with unique security considerations. ✅ ADVANTAGES: Stronger Community Bonds: Shared spaces encourage social interaction, fostering a sense of trust and cooperation among neighbours. Aesthetic Appeal: A central green space creates an attractive focal point and encourages outdoor activities. Child-Friendly Design: A safe, shared area for children to play promotes family-friendly living. ❌ CHALLENGES: Back Garden Vulnerability: External-facing backyards are more exposed to potential trespassing or burglary. Reduced Street Surveillance: Without homes directly facing outward streets, blind spots can develop, increasing potential risks. Maintenance Costs: Shared green spaces require upkeep, potentially leading to disputes or added costs for residents.

Creating Functional Outdoor Spaces for Schools 🎓☀️ At Miko Engineering, we believe that outdoor spaces should be just as functional and welcoming as indoor environments - especially in schools, where student well-being and comfort are key. That’s why we were delighted to work with Kepier School and the Eden Learning Trust to create a bespoke dining canopy that enhances their outdoor facilities. ✅ The Challenge: As an oversubscribed school, Kepier wanted to maximise their outdoor space by adding a sheltered area where students could gather, eat, and socialise - regardless of the weather. They needed a durable, stylish, and practical solution that would seamlessly blend with the school’s environment. 🔨 Our Solution: Working closely with the school, we designed and installed a large dining canopy, providing a covered, all-weather space that allows students to enjoy the outdoors all year round. To enhance functionality, the structure includes heating, lighting, data, and power points, making it a fully equipped outdoor solution for various uses. Built with durability in mind, the canopy is not only robust and long-lasting but also seamlessly compliments the school’s modern aesthetics. 🌟 The Impact: Since installation, the new canopy has transformed the way students use the school’s outdoor space. Lunchtimes are more enjoyable, social areas feel less crowded, and the school now has a flexible space for different activities. But don’t just take our word for it - here’s what Kepier School had to say: 💬 “From start to finish, the process was seamless. The team at Miko Engineering really understood what we needed and delivered exactly that. The canopy has made a massive difference to our students, giving them a fantastic outdoor space they can use in all weather conditions.” Mr S. Van-Lindon – Assistant Headteacher, Kepier School At Miko Engineering, we specialise in bespoke outdoor solutions for schools, helping them make the most of their available space. If your school could benefit from a dining canopy or playground shelter, we’d love to help! 📩 Get in touch to discuss your project. 🔗 Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/eWQnMjeE #SchoolCanopies #OutdoorDining #EducationSolutions #BespokeDesign #MikoEngineering #EnhancingSpaces

Plans are set to be approved for more than 100 apartments in the final phase of redevelopment at Sheffield's iconic Park Hill complex. Park Hill, located on a hill above the city's railway station, is one of the Sheffield's best-known landmarks. The property was built in 1961 and was one of the first Brutalist buildings in the UK. It was awarded grade II*-listed status in 1998. The estate has been the subject of several TV documentaries and a musical, Standing at the Sky's Edge. Urban Splash acquired Park Hill in 2004 and, together with joint venture partner Places for People, has brought forward 455 new homes, accommodation for 356 students, more than 50,000 sq ft of workspace, and extensive landscaping and green spaces for residents. Made it Together (MIT), on behalf of Urban Splash and Places for People, is seeking full planning and listed building applications for Phase 5 at Park Hill. Advertisement Planning permission is sought for the refurbishment and alterations to the Talbot Street block for a mixed-use development comprising 105 apartments and commercial space, together with landscaping, car parking and associated works. The proposed development includes 105 apartments and 2,260 sq ft of commercial space. New areas of open space and public realm would be created, including the introduction of an allotment, as well as 142 cycling spaces and 32 car parking spaces. Phase 5 is the final residential block to be refurbished at Park Hill as part of its overall regeneration. In a report to be scrutinised by Sheffield City Council's planning committee, the phase five application has been recommended for approval. The amended proposal is said to represent sustainable development overall, and it is "therefore recommended that planning permission and listed building consent be granted, subject to the suggested conditions". Plans for the fourth phase of development, comprising new homes, workspaces and public realm, were approved in November 2023.

Plans are set to be approved for more than 100 more apartments in the final phase of redevelopment at Sheffield's iconic Park Hill complex. Park Hill, located on a hill above the city's railway station, is one of the Sheffield's best-known landmarks. The property was built in 1961 and was one of the first Brutalist buildings in the UK. It was awarded grade II*-listed status in 1998. The estate has been the subject of several TV documentaries and a musical, Standing at the Sky's Edge. Urban Splash acquired Park Hill in 2004 and, together with joint venture partner Places for People, has brought forward 455 new homes, accommodation for 356 students, more than 50,000 sq ft of workspace, and extensive landscaping and green spaces for residents. Made it Together (MIT), on behalf of Urban Splash and Places for People, is seeking full planning and listed building applications for Phase 5 at Park Hill. Advertisement Planning permission is sought for the refurbishment and alterations to the Talbot Street block for a mixed-use development comprising 105 apartments and commercial space, together with landscaping, car parking and associated works. The proposed development includes 105 apartments and 2,260 sq ft of commercial space. New areas of open space and public realm would be created, including the introduction of an allotment, as well as 142 cycling spaces and 32 car parking spaces. Phase 5 is the final residential block to be refurbished at Park Hill as part of its overall regeneration. In a report to be scrutinised by Sheffield City Council's planning committee, the phase five application has been recommended for approval. The amended proposal is said to represent sustainable development overall, and it is "therefore recommended that planning permission and listed building consent be granted, subject to the suggested conditions". Plans for the fourth phase of development, comprising new homes, workspaces and public realm, were approved in November 2023.

The €8 million facility was entirely funded by Fingal County Council and its opening is the culmination of a ten year project by the Council and the local community to deliver a community hub for the area. The building’s circular design, green brickwork, and grassy roof showcase its innovative features and contemporary infrastructure. The facility is part of the wider development of Lanesborough Park, which will deliver outdoor play and fitness spaces for the community. The Community Centre project was delivered by the Council’s Architect’s Department under the leadership of County Architect Fionnuala May. They brought together a skilled team, which included Henchion Reuter Architects, Roughan & O'Donovan Consulting Engineers, Matt O'Mahony & Associates, and Walsh Associates, with Vision Contracting undertaking construction of the energy-efficient circular building. Situated in the southeastern corner of Lanesborough Park. Meakstown Community Centre is located alongside the new Meakstown Playground and Bloom Community Garden and is part of the wider development of the Dublin 11 park. The new facility features a circular plan with a sports centre at its core and a necklace of amenity spaces under a curved green roof. The strategic design allows the building to create a natural flow through the green space while maintaining views to the park for the existing residential neighbours. The building form has the further advantage of not creating any blank gable conditions, minimising unsupervised spaces, and subsuming the large volume of the sports hall into the contoured roof-scape offering only a modest single storey expression on all sides. It includes a three-court sports hall as well as four large multipurpose rooms for activities such as dance classes, yoga sessions, Pilates, training workshops, and community meetings. There is also a parking provision for 40 bicycles, including electric bikes, cargo bikes, and scooters. Meakstown Community Centre is the first of Fingal’s community facilities to incorporate a Changing Places accessible toilet which includes more space and equipment for people with disabilities who need assistance with personal care. It will now be placed on the national register. The day-to-day operation of the facility will be undertaken on the Council’s behalf by a local voluntary Board of Management who represent many groups in the area and by Apleona Facility Management Company. The Council’s Community Development Office and the Board of Management are currently carrying out consultation with residents of the area regarding the services they would like the new centre to host. #community #fingal #construction #meakstown Department of Rural and Community Development Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

City Park West, by Pollard Thomas Edwards! One of my favourite site tours during my recent visit back to the UK. This is what we should be building! New mixed-use developments with homes, positioned alongside cafes, restaurants, diverse workplaces, community facilities and many different layers of public realm and public transport/active transport. The site is a former university campus, located adjacent to the railway station, and walking distance to the high street. The design (originally a design competition) features five new residential buildings, four new public squares, and three refurbished buildings (one which is heritage listed). The end product acts like a missing link - providing a fantastic activated ground plain that encourages public movement. While the mixed and robust material pallet creates just the right balance of diversity and cohesion between the buildings to reduce any sense of building bulk while limiting the suggestion that they might belong to one single development. I was fortunate to have a tour of a delightful 2 bedroom apartment, that reinforced the high spec and well designed end product. The homes on offer support all manner of end user from family, singles, fist time buyers, through to older citizens, extra care flats etc. The design is pedestrian and cycle oriented, though does allow for car use. Public transport is well supported with fast trains to London. Public art is incorporated everywhere and an obvious part of the original design, not an after thought. Other sustainability matters have been considered too…Lower emissions, reduced water consumption, and the use of a site wide CHP plant. In case you haven’t figured it out…I really like this design! Check it out.

We were called Suters Architects when our architects completed BENTLEIGH SECONDARY COLLEGE sustainable campus in South East Melbourne in 2009. The ARCH team also designed their new Meditation and Indigenous Culture Center (M&ICC) 6 years later. This was a good few years before we developed our formal Reconciliation Action Plan in consultation with Reconciliation Australia and is a demonstration of our longstanding and authentic commitment to listening, understanding and working on country with first nations people. The small building is set in the school’s forest landscape and works as a piece of furniture – something to be used, sat on or around. Exterior steps serve as outdoor seating with views of the landscape and reflection pond. Meanwhile inside the space is open, flexible and smooth and can be used for a variety of activities. The center is used to support the school’s curriculum, which focuses on environmental and indigenous themes. Our sustainability action plan was developed based on research and projects delivered over the last 12 years and we published it during 2023. The research facilities designed by our team in that period included specialist sustainability and environmental research facilities for Western Sydney University. This meditation building in Victoria is a distillation of many of the lessons learned. Wood is a construction material that acts as a carbon sink. The angular exterior is clad in sustainably-harvested silvertop ash, which will age and turn grey over time. Inside, plywood is molded to the curving interior walls to create a soothing, meditative space. The building is also meant to poetically reflect how people age over time, with the exterior turning grey, but the inside remaining young and vibrant. A geothermal heat pump provides energy efficient heating and cooling and passive design and daylighting help to reduce energy use and a wind turbine installed nearby provides 100% of the energy needed for the building. #architecture #reconciliation #meditation #firstnations #design #sustainability #environment #australia #suters #arch https://lnkd.in/gt_JzgJU

Last week, I presented a major application to Planning Committee, which was supported with a large majority by Members. The scheme itself comprises the erection of a 37no. Storey residential tower, sited to the north of Hagley Road and this forms part of the New Garden Square Development, the first phase of which is now almost complete and set for imminent occupation. The tower will feature over 400 new apartments, offering one, two and three bedrooms units for private rent, with ample internal amenity space on offer to residents in the form of an on-site gym, meeting rooms, work spaces, lounges etc. as well as a roof terrace. Externally a network of spaces are to be provided with public access at just over 2,400 sqm. As the case officer, it was important to ensure the highest levels of design were achieved to create an identifiable, key marker building, to sit at this western gateway to the city core. Along with a high quality public realm at ground level for the public to enjoy. A financial contribution of £1.9 million pounds was secured as part of recommendation, to fund off-site affordable housing in a form and setting to be determined by the LPA, which meets the most urgent need of the city. New Garden Square aims to provide over 1,200 new homes within this sustainable location, just outside of the city core, adjacent to the Metro line, with a high quality urban park at its heart. Such approvals no doubt show the city’s resolve in providing much needed housing in all forms, at scale, without comprising on design or place making. I feel this is a truly exciting scheme which will have a transformative impact upon the local area as well as the city sky like. My full report can be found on the BCC website and a number of news outlets have written pieces on the development, one of which is referenced below. https://lnkd.in/epPfUys5

The surprising impact of buildings on our health and happiness... #construction #building #health #builtenvironment #architecture #interiordesign #ventilation #naturallight #airquality #reducestress #FlexibleSpaces #Adaptability #naturalelements #colour

Swindon Borough Council has given the green light to plans for a district center in the expanding Wichelstowe development. Designed by BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd), the Wichelstowe district center will stretch across both sides of the Wilts & Berks Canal, featuring a market square intended to bring the community together for various events. The council submitted plans for the district center in two separate applications, aiming to support the growth of the Wichelstowe neighborhood. Positioned as an urban extension on Swindon's southern periphery, Wichelstowe sits between the town and the M4 motorway. Over the next two decades, Barratt Homes and sister company David Wilson Homes, in collaboration with Swindon Borough Council, plan to construct up to 4,000 homes in the area. Known as Canalside East and Canalside West, the two segments of the development are crafted to infuse vitality into the locale throughout the day and into the evenings, fostering a vibrant atmosphere year-round with versatile spaces for a variety of activities. BDP not only conceptualized the project but also provided landscape architecture and mechanical & electrical services. Nicholas Ellis, associate architect at BDP, emphasized the significance of new neighborhoods in addressing the country's housing requirements. He highlighted the importance of establishing a dynamic center to unify the community and enhance the overall residential experience. The thoughtful design of the district center aims to encourage social interaction, offering ample indoor and outdoor communal areas while maximizing the appeal of the canal and incorporating abundant green spaces. Read more: [https://lnkd.in/ey954xks.]