Flood Resilient Homes

Flood resilient homes, garden view from terrace

Flood resilient homes, interior with view of garden

Flood resilient homes, interior kitchen view

Flood resilient homes, interior balcony view

Flood resilient homes, interior bathroom view

Flood resilient homes, street view at night

Flood resilient homes, garden view at night

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Holloway Properties:

Construction is complete on residential project comprising 11 high-quality homes located within a flood plain, designated by the Environment Agency as Flood Zones 2 and 3. Flood zone 3 means it has a greater than 1% annual probability of flooding. The development is set to become the first of its kind in the UK. The scheme has been designed to be resistant to this hazard, but the development has had to navigate key obstacles in the process. This has been challenging.

The seemingly normal domestic setting is carefully designed to suit the context of the existing neighbourhood, yet rests on highly technical know-how. The design integrates engineering, environmental infrastructure, contemporary construction methods, urban planning and landscaping to create beautiful homes in a safe, dry environment.

Stratford upon Avon District Council’s Local Plan requires the construction of new 3,500 homes by 2031 but suffers from a lack of suitable sites and/or willing developers. The proposal regenerates a brownfield site, which was occupied by a derelict three-storey 1970s apartment block at risk of both surface water and fluvial flooding. The Client had an aspiration for a group of quality homes in this attractive location connected to nature and close to the centre of the town.

The design evolved to meet these demanding criteria. A gently ramped road access from the middle of the site to the raised levels of the houses, and an elevated pedestrian and cycle path to the west, provide a through route across the site and a safe haven in flood events. The houses are built on raised piles with a floodable zone below, guarded from debris by louvered screens. The green space remaining is landscaped as rain gardens and swales to help retain and control water run-off.

We have found that these measures alloww new development to continue to be at the heart of existing settlements. Flood risk is increasing and measures, such as the sequential text, aim to move opportunities for development away from these locations where the gains and betterment that result can be designed into proposals. .

The designs are the perfect example of how, as the BRE’s Kelly puts it, “new developments should not only reflect the immediate risk but demonstrate creative solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change”. And with the latter becoming an ever more pressing issue, Coutts believes other flood-prone parts of the UK could use similar techniques to unlock land.

“This is a clear strategy to unlock those brownfield sites located within floodplains or next to rivers to provide homes at the heart of city centres,” he says. “It’s good sustainable development in terms of transport and locating people where the jobs are, but it’s also another way of resisting urban sprawl into the green belt.”

Holloway Properties:

“We approached Baca Architects to help us unlock a brownfield site that was at flood risk on the main road into Stratford upon Avon. Several developers before us had tried and failed and we thought that with Baca’s expertise they could help us find a solution. It was essential that we worked with an architect who had vast experience of working with water and sensitive sites. Baca appealed to us for both their knowledge and innovation. Over a period of many months and patience, the team were able to work with the local authority and Environment Agency to develop proposals for 11 new home high quality flood proof homes.

Baca has been involved from the concept design through to the construction with exceptional commitment and good humour. We look forward to practical completion soon and it’s encouraging how much interest the site has had since the very beginning. Offers are being made even before the new homes have been put on the market.”

Construction is complete on residential project comprising 11 high-quality homes located within a flood plain, designated by the Environment Agency as Flood Zones 2 and 3. Flood zone 3 means it has a greater than 1% annual probability of flooding. The development is set to become the first of its kind in the UK. The scheme has been designed to be resistant to this hazard, but the development has had to navigate key obstacles in the process. This has been challenging.

The seemingly normal domestic setting is carefully designed to suit the context of the existing neighbourhood, yet rests on highly technical know-how. The design integrates engineering, environmental infrastructure, contemporary construction methods, urban planning and landscaping to create beautiful homes in a safe, dry environment.

Stratford upon Avon District Council’s Local Plan requires the construction of new 3,500 homes by 2031 but suffers from a lack of suitable sites and/or willing developers. The proposal regenerates a brownfield site, which was occupied by a derelict three-storey 1970s apartment block at risk of both surface water and fluvial flooding. The Client had an aspiration for a group of quality homes in this attractive location connected to nature and close to the centre of the town.

Building in the flood plain required that homes are raised to a safe level above potential flood waters. However the planning authority queried whether the threshold heights recommended by the Environment Agency could be accepted since they were higher than their own recommendations . Additionally, developments within flood plains should allow space for flood water to flow within the site in a controlled and planned manner, improving conditions of ground water permeability from their current state.

The design evolved to meet these demanding criteria. A gently ramped road access from the middle of the site to the raised levels of the houses, and an elevated pedestrian and cycle path to the west, provide a through route across the site and a safe haven in flood events. The houses are built on raised piles with a floodable zone below, guarded from debris by louvered screens. The green space remaining is landscaped as rain gardens and swales to help retain and control water run-off.

We have found that these measures allow new development to continue to be at the heart of existing settlements. Flood risk is increasing, and measures, such as the sequential test, aim to move opportunities for development away from these locations where the gains and betterment that result can be designed into proposals

The designs are the perfect example of how, as the BRE’s Kelly puts it, “new developments should not only reflect the immediate risk but demonstrate creative solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change”. And with the latter becoming an ever more pressing issue, Coutts believes other flood-prone parts of the UK could use similar techniques to unlock land. “This is a clear strategy to unlock those brownfield sites located within floodplains or next to rivers to provide homes at the heart of city centres,” he says. “It’s good sustainable development in terms of transport and locating people where the jobs are, but it’s also another way of resisting urban sprawl into the green belt.”

Flood Resilient Homes

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Holloway Properties:

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