A development of 45 houses on the edge of the village of Alresford to the east of Colchester in Essex. The site is adjacent to the village recreation ground and hall, making it ideal for new development.

There was little character to draw on in the immediate vicinity of the site. The urban design strategy was to create a strong sense of place within the development including different areas with clearly identifiable character. These areas are defined as the village green, which spills onto the recreation ground, linking the new part of town to the old; the village square, a hard landscaped space well contained by buildings; the village street, a traditional street with houses set back in landscaped gardens; and the lane, a wandering shared surface street with irregularly aligned dwellings containing and opening up views.

There was another potential development site in the village. Proposing a well thought out solution, our proposal won local support by offering a more appealing solution to expansion of the village than the alternative site.