Juniperus communis Malus pumila Prunus avium Prunus cerasifera

Acer platanoides Acer rubrum Ginkgo Biloba Gleditsia triacanthos

Carpinus betulus Sorbus aria Tilia mongolica

Acer campestre Alnus x spaethii Robinea pseudoacacea

As a starting point the trees (approx. 2000) are planted to form the overall framework of the new development - dictating the future de-velopment and layout of the productive landscape. A mix of trees are used responding to di� erent uses

Liquidambar styracifl ua

URN_C_A1 sheet 01

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The Close ConnectionIn the spirit of the original Garden City our proposed masterplan hopes to plant the seed for the social interaction that creates a healthy and socially sustainable community where people care for one another and for the landscape. The vision is to create a fra-mework which incentivises future residents towards an environmental and social way of life.

A neighbourhood or village should o� er room for diversity, where the individual can live life in safety and in close connection with the landscape. We do not propose a neighbourhood which closes in on itself and becomes introverted, but a place which na-turally fi ts into the environment and context in which it is situated, participating in and contributing to the life that already exists in the area and inviting it in.

The proposed framework will create an in-clusive neighbourhood, which consists of a wide range of housing types and activi-ties and programs for residents of all ages, incomes and states of health. The scheme aspires to a holistic living arrangement, whe-re residents can stay and be the co-creator of a rich social life for all, coming together to create a binding, pleasurable and incenti-ve driven community.

Recognising the human needs for commu-nity and sense of belonging, the masterplan is developed from the inside out; from the smallest residential scale to the larger ham-let scale, ensuring that local unity is always achieved.

Landscape as the CatalystLandscape is a key catalyst for the master-plan and has informed all strategic design decisions. The vision is to create a fra-mework based on the landscape (existing & new) which will allow a strong community to grow together over time.

Each hamlet has an individual identity un-derlined by the strong character of the local landscape. At the centre of each hamlet is a communal garden (common) based on an agroforestry system with a focus on urban food production. This acknowledges the im-portance - for children especially - of access to high-quality open and green space – for exploring, play, physical activity and con-tact with nature.

A wild landscape surrounds the masterplan, providing shelter from noise and wind whilst enhancing the sense of enclosure and biodi-versity. The new parkway takes advantage of the existing hedgerows and connects the site to Letchworth Garden City, providing di� erent activities along the way.

Growing a neighbourhood Structure & Delivery modelPlot based MasterplanningWe are intrigued by the word ‘plot’, that can refer to an allotment or to a site to build a house. The dual meaning of the word goes back to the very origins of villages and towns as structures of agricultural plots incorpo-rated into the structure of a settlement. Our masterplan seeks to replicate this process. The idea is to create a plot structure across the whole site and to allow the neighbour-hood to grow within this frame. The struc-ture of the masterplan is based on a series of hamlets laid out along an avenue with densities rising towards the avenue and de-creasing towards the edge of the site. Each hamlet will have a di� erent character, both in terms of its materials and design and also the form and species of planting. Each ham-let is made up of three fi elds and these are further divided into plots that will initially be used for food production. The paths be-tween the fi elds will be lined with fruit trees and will eventually become streets.

A grid is based on multiples of 6m with the standard plot dimension as 12m wide by 24m deep. Fields will be two to four plots deep and three fi elds will form a hamlet. As the development advances it will do so at four di� erent densities:

• Detached (25 units/ha)• Semi-detached (35 units/ha)• Terraced (50 units/ha)• Apartments (100 units/ha)

Each plot within a hamlet would be subject to a simple plot passport. This will set out what can be built on the plot and what it can be used for. It will include the position and height of the home, parking arrange-ments and future use.

Delivery ModelThis plot-based approach is not predicated on self-build, but is appropriate for all forms of housing development such that some plots would be developed by individuals, via custom build. Others would involve small scale developers and housing associations and yet more could involve a volume house builder. This would include 40% of the plots that would be delivered as social housing. All plots would be required to work within the plot structure and follow the plot pass-port rules.

The development will be coordinated by a master builder. This could be the Letch-worth Trust or a private master developer. The master developer would be responsible for laying-out the initial grid, for putting in services and roads, planting the trees and managing the agricultural use. The cost of this would be recouped from plot sales. The freehold would be retained and passed on to a community trust which would become responsible for the long term management of the area and the control of future devel-opment.

The Framework - The New Trees

Growing together_a productive FrameworkERe-Imagining The Garden City

The Framework - Elements

The Social Connection

Siteplan

The Social Connection As humans we are concerned with our im-mediate surroundings – that our children are thriving, that we feel safe and that we have a sense of belonging. These key con-siderations were addressed by Unwin and Parker in the development of the original vi-sion for the Garden City and are expressed in the idea of the hamlet.

The modern take on the hamlet is developed with short walking and cycling distances in mind. Human scale informs the building volumes, with a focus on the edge zones and well defi ned private and public spac-es, which are arranged to give the hamlet a distinct neighbourhood character whilst maintaining immediate contact with the landscape and the wider community. This permeability also allows life to take place in the zones between the hamlets, whilst remaining close to both the landscape and the community.

The hamlets are grouped together to cre-ate clear connections with multiple over-lapping zones for interaction in the public space. The masterplan consists of several of these areas, which knit together the neigh-bourhoods and encourage a strong sense of community, with each one forming a po-tential social cluster. It is the careful devel-opment of these spaces that provides the basis for a strong sense of ownership, se-curity and initiative and thus vibrant neigh-bourhoods.

500 100 200 m

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MEADOW

PONDS

CAR-FREE MEWS

SHARED PARKING

COMMUNITY FARM / AGROFORESTRY

AVENUE

RAIN GARDENS

HEDGEROWS

PARKWAY

ORCHARDS

WILD BUFFER

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SCHOOL

CARE CENTRE/ SENSORY GARDENS

SELF-BUILD

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A community for the whole lifeLandscape & town intertwined

3m 1.5m 7m 2.5m Varies

ParkwayCarriagewayGarden PathPath Cycle

12

Community House

Dwelling Units Community Units Production Units

Transport Hub

Community centre

Detached(25 units/ha)

Semi-detached(35 units/ha)

Terraced(50 units/ha)

Apartments(100 units/ha)

Nusery

Flexible Structures

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Parking Trees

Mews Trees

Street Trees

Orchard

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Streetsection Greenway

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24StructureMasterplan layout created with tree planting

CommunityResidents and producers

DevelopmentHousing and growing spaces

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Phase 1

FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES(PARKING)

Step 01 - The Greenway and existing hedgerows defi ne the overall structure.

Step 02 - Site is divided up in rational development plots based on around 90-100 dwellings per Hamlet.

Step 03 - The development plots are rotated to give each Hamlet an individual character, creating a varied experience along the main Avenue.

Step 04 - Each development plot is subdivided into standard plots of 12m wide by 24m deep.

Step 05 - The central productive landscape in each Hamlet creates view corridors ensuring close connection with the surrounding landscape for local residents and the wider community along the Greenway.

Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood bourhoods.

Growing a neighbourhood curity and initiative and thus vibrant neigh-

Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood opment of these spaces that provides the

Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood Growing a neighbourhood

Step 03 The Development Grows within the set framework

Detached Semi - Detached Terraced Apartments Avenue Apartments Square

Step 01 The overall framework of trees & SuDS is established.

Step 02 The infrastructure is established within the framework

Parking Fire access Refuse access

The Avenue

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URN_C_A1 sheet 02

The Common

The Wild Bu� er

ParkingThe Mews

The Square

VOID

VOID

VOID

VOID

The Wild Bu� er - Detached The Mews - TerracedThe Common - Semi- Detached

The Square - Apartments / Community

The Avenue - Apartments

Growing together_a productive FrameworkERe-Imagining The Garden City

Ground Floor

Ground Floor 1. Floor

2. Floor 3. Floor

Ground Floor

Ground Floor

Timber Timber Timber Timber

Timber

Metal Metal Metal Metal Brick Brick Brick Brick Brick Brick Brick Brick

MetalTiles

Ground Floor

Typical Floor

1st Floor

1st Floor

1st Floor

4th Floor

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The SquareThe SquareThe SquareThe Square

Detached: (25 units/ha) with a single family home on a 12x24m plot.

Semi-Detached: (35 units/ha) Semi-detached family homes on a 12x24m plot.

Apartments: (100 units/ha) The Avenue plots will be combined to create building sites for small apartment schemes. These will be 3 and 4 storeys and may contain commercial uses on the ground fl oor.

Terraced: (50 units/ha) along the Mews the plots will be sub-divided to create 6x24m plots that can be developed for ter-raced housing to achieve the form of a village street at greater densities.

Apartments: (100 units/ha) The Square plots will be combined to create building sites for small apartment schemes. These will be 3 and 4 storeys and may contain commercial uses on the ground fl oor.

Size 3 & 4 BedroomParking 2 SpacesLandscape Front & Rear GardenFood production Kitchen Garden & Greenhouse

Size 2 & 3 BedroomParking 2 SpacesLandscape Front & Rear Garden + TerraceFood production Garden & Greenhouse

Size 2 BedroomParking 1 Space / 1 SharedLandscape Front & Rear Garden + TerraceFood production Kitchen Garden & Community Allotment

Size 1, 2 & 3 BedroomParking 1/2 SharedLandscape Rear Garden + Balconies & Roofgarden Food production Garden & Community Allotment

Size 1 & 2 BedroomParking 1/2 SharedLandscape Balconies & Roofgarden Food production Community Allotment

FAIRFIELD

Raw & Craftnatural, adaptable, resilient, a� ordable. Raw & Craft is a house-making philosophy and applied practical methodology. The aim is to pro-duce typologies of comparatively simple, adapt-able buildings that are excellent value for money, will stand the test of time and can be customised to suit the needs and tastes of di� erent households. The foundations, elemental structure and roof are strong and built to last. The aim is to produce ty-pologies of comparatively simple, adaptable build-ings that are excellent value for money, will stand the test of time and can be customised to suit the needs and tastes of di� erent households.RawThe ‘raw’ materials should aim to be of a high enough quality to leave in a raw condition; owners/occupiers can fi nish them if they wish. Craft‘Craft’ refers to the hand-made or particularly art-ful fabrication and fi nishes of areas … a fl oor, the front door, a key window or a hearth and chimney.

Resilience and adaptabilityThe focus for the proposed housing typologies has been to design in the capacity for change, for ease of maintenance and for durability - simple and strong. Entrance halls are generous and double height with a view of the garden to the rear. The internal layouts are simple and broken plan; bedrooms are small; all with good storage options. The typologies come supplied with options for changing and even grow-ing over time. In-built garages can be converted to an additional bedroom or study. Winter gardens and roof terraces can likewise be converted or add-ed over time.

Growing a Hamlet Typologies & Agroforestry

The Close Connection

Dwelling Sizes (overall)40% Family Houses (3+)60% Smaller Units (1&2)

18% 1Bed 169 Dwellings 43% 2Bed 397 Dwellings34% 3Bed 297 Dwellings5% 4Bed 47 Dwellings

Tenure (overall)60% Private 546 Dwellings40% A� ordable 364 Dwellings

Dwelling Types (overall)5% Detached 47 Dwellings15% Semi Detached 128 Dwellings25% Terrace Housing 228 Dwellings45% Avenue Apart. 423 Dwellings10% Square Apart. 84 Dwellings

Total number of Dwellings 910 Dwellings

Community FacilitiesCommunity facilities Approx. 2000m2

Transport Hub Approx. 1500m2

Civic Centre (Retail Space) Approx. 1800m2

School (Primary) 2Ha

Parking numbersResidential (Private) 350 spacesResidential (Shared) 1300 spacesPublic (civic centre) 60 spaces

Total number of Parking 1710 SpacesGrowing a Hamlet

Close ConnectionExperience the landscape - winter in the Hamlet.

1.2m

PathShared Surface

4.8m

Garden Garden

3m3m >9m 2m 3m

Agro-ForestSuDSCycleBackgarden/Private Allotment Front Garden

9m

Front Garden

9m

Playground

Varies

Front Garden

9m

Front Garden

9m

Path

3m

1st layer of trees 2nd layer of crops 3rd layer of shrubery

Tree alignmentProtection from the wind Taking advantage of sunlight

Crop rotation

Root management

Canopy management

Streetsection in Mews (Playground) Streetsection in Mews (Typical)Streetsection in HamletStreetsection in Hamlet

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A Natural Home

1. Qualities of natural fi nishes enhanced for a healthy atmosphere.

2. Generous fl oor to ceiling and large windows for ample daylight throughout the home including a double height entrance hall.

An E� cient home

3. A 'fabric fi rst' approach to minimize energy in use.

4. Solar gain and thermal mass used to regulate temperatures throughout the year.

5. Passive heating through winter gardens.

6. Provision for fuel cell technologies and ground source heat to provide decentralized heat and power.

A Practical Home

7. Layout and circulation which enables rooms to be converted and new rooms added.

8. Provision to built-in storage throughout the home.

A Smart Home

9. Central hub for control from smartphone at home or away. Motion sensors to trigger lighting and heating.

AgroforestryAgroforestry is the practice of growing trees and crops and/or livestock on the same land area for greater productivity, biodiversity and landscape value. By integrating trees with crops, livestock production and amenity areas, the tree cover can be expanded considerably with the major advantage that the trees themselves provide resilient food, materials and carbon-neutral energy while helping to increase agricultural productivity and landscape value.Besides the productive and environmental value, the trees also act as a community generator, bringing people of all ages together.At the same time the trees are also used as a framework element in setting out the premise of the new development.Rotating crops like hops, barley, potatoes, wheat, peas, brassicas with livestock as chicken, sheep and goat along the nine hamlets will provide a variety of products along the year whilst balancing soil nutrients.

+ =

Material Palette

Activities Palette

Terrace

Glass Food Hall

Timber Panels

Clay Tiles

Cargo bike rental

Bike workshop

E-bike charging point

E-car station

Hard Landscape Meadows

Pedestrian pathShared Surface

The community center building is a simple & elegant structure functioning as a composite between the urban dwellings and the the agricultural farming structures. A material palette of glass and timber. The structure opens up on all sides inviting in and allowing people to fi ltre through.

Through-out the masterplan these fl exible structures can be used for a multible of activities from community growing, nuseries & sport activities. These structures can be completely open or more closed.

Workshop Turning Earth

Skatepark

Tree top walk

EventsEducation

Training

Community factory

CO2

ORGANIC MATTER

NUTRIENTSNUTRIENTS

CROPS

NATIVEFLORA

HUMANS

DECOMPOSITION

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

RESPIRATION

BIRDS AND MAMMALS

LIVESTOCK

URN_C_A1 sheet 03

Celebrating local food

MULTI-BASIN CHAIN

AVENUE-HEDGEROWS

HAMLET-HEDGEROWS

fi lter strip

fi lter strip

fi lter strip swaleswale

swale

long term storage

pond

detention basin

detention basin

detention basin

existing hedgerow

existing hedgerow

source control basin

avenue raingarden

avenue raingarden

The Transport hub would sit at the heart of the scheme and function as the main hub for the public transport. Car and bike sharing and charging points for electrical cars. It will also be here you can rent your bike or get it fi xed.

SURPLUS

TASKS

EVENTS

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Standalone Farm

Hitchin Lavender

Thornes Garden Nursery

Meredith Har-dy Farms

Radwell Bury Farm

Stotfold mill preservation trust

Bickerdikes Garden Centre

Radwell Meadows Country Park

31

existing site

our proposal biodiversityunits

45 hectares

farmland

3.2 hectares

farmland

2.3 hectares

hedgerows

2.3 hectares

hedgerows34 hectares

build up area

2.8 hectares

woodland

6.7 hectares

woodland

biodiversityunits

171

31

existing site

our proposal biodiversityunits

45 hectares

farmland

3.2 hectares

farmland

2.3 hectares

hedgerows

2.3 hectares

hedgerows34 hectares

build up area

2.8 hectares

woodland

6.7 hectares

woodland

biodiversityunits

171

30

24

24

12

Kids learn about food production in school.

Growing together_a productive FrameworkERe-Imagining The Garden City

The Flexible Structures

The Community Centre

Spaces to GrowIn the past, land has either been used for ag-riculture or for development. Our proposal is to use it for both. The masterplan is therefore organised into a series of neighborhoods each of which incorporates a hierarchy of productive growing spaces.

The Community Food HubThe community food hub would sit at the heart of the scheme and function as the centre for every food growing space in the hierarchy shown in the diagrams above. Residents could use the centre to share and exchange surplus crops, cook and prepare food together and host events to share learning.

Learning / Research / SchoolThe new school is positioned next to the food hub and the vision is that food production should be more integrated into the school cur-riculum - reconnecting children with the land-scape and the food they eat. The compactness of the civic centre aims to create a synergy be-tween the food production, the elderly people at the care home and the children in the school.

Growing a Community Sustainability & Stewardship

Supporting the communityOrganising the community- App

The hub and community farmer could be supported by an app - letting residents know what surplus crops are available, coordinating tasks in the communal growing spaces, and promoting learning events and socials. This app could likewise be used for other com-munity-based activities such as the compost collection and waste management. The app would also be used as a management tool for a carsharing scheme with electric vehicles (cars and bikes). Charging points and park-ing will be provided for these vehicles in each hamlet as well as in the central car hub.

Supporting the Community / Neighbourhood FarmerAt the start of the new development a neighbor-hood farmer would be appointed to coordinate the management of the collective agriculture and to involve the local residents as much as possible in the day-to-day work and the organ-isation of the crop rotation. Involving the resi-dents could be through a green box scheme in which people receive vegetables in return for a few hours of work a month.

A Sustainable Community

The Transport Hub / Connectivity

Local Food Production sold to and used in School

Elderly and kids help in food production

Community Food Hub The heart of the community

The Meadows park

The Transport Hub School

Agricultural Land and Producers

Communal Land

Private Gardens

Shared Surface

5m

Carpark

1.5m

Carriageway

7m

PathCycle

2.5m1.5m

Garden

3m

Agro-forestry

3m

Footpath

5.5m

Carriageway

7m

SUDs

3.5m

Garden

3m

Path Cycle

2.5mFootball Pitch Path

2m

Swale

5m

Football Pitch

Current Condition

PROPOSED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INCORPORATING EXISTING HEDGEROWS

THE AVENUE IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF POLLUTION

PROPOSED SUDS STRUCTURE

WATER MANAGEMENT TRAINSProposed Condition (Net-gain 140 Units)

Streetsection in Avenue Streetsection in Avenue Section in Grange Fields

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The Community Hub The Hedgerows connections

Social SustainabilityThe food production will involve everyone from school children to elderly in the care home, so growing becomes the medium that unites the community. Each hamlet contains a mix of typologies and tenures resulting in a range of people of all ages, health and income. The community is an expression of a circular living arrangement, where residents can stay and be the co-creators of the good social life as a whole.Economic SustainabilitySuch a neighbourhood could provide for much of its fresh food needs. People could grow for themselves, grow communally with their neighbours and grow for sale in local markets. This would start to develop a circular economy in the neighbourhood where food waste is recycled and turned into productive output. It would also be self-supporting fi nancially with the income from the production and processing of food being used to pay for the neighbourhood. The aim is by making it as easy as possible in regard to local food production, waste management, walking and cycling to create an everyday culture of living within our environmental means. Environmental SustainabilityConverting regular farming into a door step productive landscape will massively reduce carbon emissions and, together with SuDS, preserve soil and water quality. This will benefi t many generations to come and guarantee the health and well-being of people at present.The landscape is hereby a vibrant and potential environmental troubleshooter solving climate challenges, whilst creating recreational variety and hotspots for social activities.

Bio-Diversity After decades under intensive farming, the level of nutrients in UK soils is in sharp decline with direct impact on biodiversity and food quality. Agroforestry, as a complex system combining trees, crops and livestock, can contribute to achieve economic and ecological value – whilst restoring soil health.

Our vision is to design a neighbourhood transforming the monotonous farmland in a more complex landscape which integrates housing, woodland, hedgerows and agro-forestry, resulting in an expressive biodiversity net gain.By incorporating trees in agriculture we can increase the amount of carbon sequestration in the soil, triggering a food chain that starts with the decomposition of organic matter and results in an overall biodiversity increase, from which we ultimately benefi t.A robust green infrastructure, articulating the existing hedgerows and spots of woodland with street trees, parkways, wild bu� er and sustainable farming will increase the connectivity of the landscape, with great benefi ts for new species to thrive.

SuDSOur SuDS proposal begins with the site itself - its topography, soils and slope - but feeds in and complements the existing green infrastructure, which not only provides shelter for biodiversity but works already as a sustainable drainage framework. We are bringing the benefi ts of SuDS not only to the control of runo� and water quality but also to the benefi t of biodiversity and, ultimately, for the creation of better places for people.