The Bridge

450 new homes  for Dartford’s Eco Village Bridge Development.

 

Grafik Architecture made two new reserved matters applications within The Bridge Development at Dartford by Taylor Wimpey South.

The Bridge Development created a new concept in urban lifestyle – a social living development that connects, integrates and restores communities.

The design team, led by Grafik Architecture, evolved high quality and sustainable proposals that responded to the existing Design Code and the unique site constraints of one of the major regeneration schemes for the Thames Gateway . 

Over 450 new sustainable homes and 4000 sq ft of commercial space in the village are connected through landscaped piazza’s, mature gardens, allotments, Fast Track transport links and Green Highways.

The smaller application, for Phase 3 of Tranche 2, was for the development of 56 new residential dwellings and 4000 sq ft of commercial use.

The redesign of the existing outline proposals focused on creating a link from the existing Fast-track transport route through to a new landscaped piazza which includes a water rill, tree planting and seating areas. The piazza is overlooked by a 4 to 5 storey mixed use building with residential streets of 2 and 3 storey dwellings radiating from this hub. The centre of the site is a landscaped open space containing play areas with established mature trees and gardens.

The larger of the reserved matters applications, Tranche 4 & 5 of The Bridge, was for 398 new residential dwellings.

A mixture of 2-bed flats, 2, 3 and 4-bed houses are arranged as a unique response to the ecological areas, that contain a wide variety of mature trees and landscaping which includes swales and footpath and cycleways known as the ‘Green Highways’.

The houses reflect the ‘village nature’ of the proposal and the semi-private pocket parks to the rear of dwellings allow families with children to play safely. The proposed Eco-Village to the South of Tranche 5 proposes allotments, solar PVs, improved building fabric and lifetime homes to all dwellings. The entrance from the Fast-track bus route is promoted through a boulevard of trees leading to a large landscaped square.