Permission was granted this month for the previously discussed site on a flood plain on the banks of the River Irwell in Salford, Greater Manchester.
The Manchester-based practice’s 33-home proposal features three blocks raised on stilts, each between two and five storeys high, on a 2,000m² plot within meters of the river.
The project includes one and two-bed studio apartments intended for long-term rent with shared kitchens and living space.
Residents will also be able to access shared work and exercise spaces as well as an outdoor area that doubles as a community garden consisting of ‘fruit trees, herb beds and allotments’.
The practice – which describes the scheme as being ‘highly sustainable’ – says the allotment will be able to provide enough food for all residents.
It added: ‘The living model proposed has sustainability at its core and speaks to the sensibilities of younger generations to create a home for people seeking a solution on how to live in better harmony with nature.’
The practice says the building is carbon neutral, passive house accredited and ‘within cycling and walking commuting distance of amenities in Salford and Manchester’.
To reduce energy and water consumption, the scheme will include a heat source pump, rainwater harvesting technology and solar panels that will generate electricity.
Practice director Matt Ollier said: ‘We are a Passive House-accredited practice and have applied these principles to every aspect of this project. Taking a fabric-first approach will reduce the heating requirements to almost zero.
‘When combined with the riverside location and the extensive landscaping on the site it makes this scheme a very unique proposition within the city.’
The Manchester practice has worked on a number of housing schemes and master plans since its founding in 2007, including Egerton Road North – a single home that was shortlisted for the 2014 RIBA North West region.
Rooted Developments, the scheme’s backer, added that they hoped the approval and completion of the scheme would ‘set a new standard for ecological and sustainable living in Salford’.
The developer and architect submitted the plans in July 2021. Construction is scheduled to begin next spring with completion in late 2024.
Ollier Smurthwaite designs for a sustainable co-living scheme in Salford, Greater Manchester
Source: En Aim
ProjectData
Location The Avenue, Salford
local authority Salford City Council
Type of project New Build Residential
client Rooted Developments
Architect Ollier Smurthwaite Architects
Landscape architect Exterior architecture
Planning consultant Paul Butler Associates
structural engineer Bell Munro
M&E consultant Watt Energy & Consulting Engineers
Quantity surveyor B2PM
principal designer JAD Consulting
Lighting consultant_N / A
Main contractor TB
funding TB
tender date Feb 2023 (estimate)
Start on site date June 202 (estimate)
Completion date Dec 2024 (estimate)
Contract duration 18 months
Large internal floor area m² 2,000m²
Form of contract and/or procurement JCT Traditional
Annual CO2 emissions 11,090kg
total cost £3.8million
Ollier Smurthwaite designs for a sustainable co-living scheme in Salford, Greater Manchester
Source: Oliver Smurthwaite