Stantonbury 6 Housing, Milton Keynes (Gillespie, Kidd and Coia)

Job files, images and drawings related to project.

The development consisted of three elements of residential accommodation: Phase 1 - family housing for rent; Phase 2 - housing for single persons & young marrieds; and Phase 3 - sheltered housing for the elderly.

This housing mix suggested a division between the larger houses with private gardens and flats with communally maintained open space. The resulting arrangement was of the family houses in the form of a double 'U' round the edge fo the site (enclosing between them & hidden from public view, private gardens, toddlers' play areas & parking) with the space determined by the curve of the terraces enclosing a large communal open space into which the two blocks of flats for Phases 2 & 3 are set.

Stantonbury 6 was intended to promote a clear sense of place & this was strengthened by the use of the pitched roof, the traditional symbol of shelter, unifying the whole development. The relative isolation of the back areas from public view was intended to permit a high degree of individuality in the utilisation of private gardens. Toddlers' play spaces were provided along the pathways between the back gardens & private car parks doubled as daytime hard surface play areas.

Phases 2 & 3 were basically similar & shared the two-storey height, materials & pitched roof with Phase 1. These were arranged in an intentionally more formal pattern suggesting a single building. This suggestion was reinforced by the use of a courtyard from which all dwellings had access. The whole development, built in 2 stages was of rationalised traditional construction.

The material has been arranged using original Gillespie Kidd and Coia project reference codes.

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Catalogued by Tracy Wilkinson, GKC Project Archivist

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