Knight’s Park, a planned community of 240 homes just outside the centre of Cambridge, U.K., represents a cohesive vision of sustainable development for the future. Its combination of apartment blocks and semi-detached villas — which feature Alison Brooks Architects’ trademark buff-brick detailing, sheltered entrance porticos, mansard roofs and flared dormers — are connected by a car-free landscaped thoroughfare that links to cycle paths, pedestrian routes and nearby local amenities.
In addition to facilitating an inclusive and diverse community of residents, the architects prioritized energy efficiency and resource stewardship at every turn, equipping homes with triple-pane windows, operable roof lights for passive cooling, green roofs and solar cells, among many other sustainability-focused features. Additionally, a comprehensive grey water management system collects, stores and filters rainwater (which is famously plentiful in England) before pumping it back into homes to be used for washing clothes and flushing toilets.
Team: Alison Brooks, Michael Mueller and John Lawler (Alison Brooks Architects) with Teresa Borsuk and Alexis Butterfield (Pollard Thomas Edwards); Tom Hill and Ben Stone (Hill Group); Ian Flewitt and Will Rogers-Tizard (Price & Meyers); John Holland (DWP); Robert Myers (RMA); and Melissa Robertshaw (AECOM)
A planned community of 240 homes represents a cohesive vision of sustainable development for the future.