Windmill Court, Mortimer A Project By: iB Architects Location:  Mortimer, Berkshire Client:  Sovereign Network Group (SNG) Status:  Planning Windmill Court is a partly occupied 1970s retirement home, consisting of 35 self-contained flats and bedsits within poor-standard, single-storey accommodation.  Sovereign Network Group have little demand for this aging accommodation and commissioned iB Architects to undertake a feasibility study and prepare a planning application, for the redevelopment of the site into a modern family residential scheme for 24 new homes. The Stratfield Mortimer Neighbourhood Plan refers to the provision of high-quality developments in the Parish, and that all developments within the settlement boundary should be subject to the preparation of a Site Design Brief.  Sovereign’s site design brief for this project was to specifically create a high-quality housing scheme that adhered to the principles of their own recently adopted Homes and Place Standards.  These principles required the scheme meets the identified need for family homes, achieve Nationally Described Space Standards, be well insulated, energy efficient and comfortable to live in, as well as respond to the semi-rural character in this edge of settlement location. The brief also required us to retain as many of the existing trees within the site boundary and … Continue reading Planning For A Greener Community