Project Information:

Located on the south side of Cannon Street entering Little Downham from the east along Townsend, the project has carefully considered the potential visual impact from and towards the Grade I listed Cathedral of Ely.

PiP were commissioned to design a sensitive refurbishment of the property to the front of the site. The rear units have been designed to sit low into the landscape and are below the horizon when viewed between the existing houses along Cannon Street, maintaining the sense of openness of the site. When exploring the layout of the rear units, one of our key objectives was to maintain the existing views, which informed the layout and spacing of the units on the site to retain and enhance existing views. Thermal comfort is imbedded into the conceptual design of the units by providing living areas to the south of the building and sleeping areas to the north. The dwellings are lifetime homes compliant making this unit of high value to its proposed village location.

By utilizing materials of surrounding barns and outbuildings in the area of red brick plinth, timber boarding and clay pan tiles, it sets itself into the landscape, reducing the scale of the buildings and the visual impact on its settings. Sustainability is achieved in the development, making use of Central Energy System incorporating renewable and Low Carbon techniques to meet the Local Authority’s desire for carbon emission reduction using LZC Technology. The energy strategy is based around the reduction of energy consumption by use of passive construction measures, active energy efficient equipment, low carbon technology and the potential for connection to district heating systems as it may become viable in the future.