Horsted Park is a large mixed use, mixed tenure housing scheme in Chatham, Kent. The project, on a 20-acre brownfield site previously occupied by Mid Kent College, comprises 337 residential units alongside commercial and community space. 41 of the homes have been designated as Extra Care affordable housing for elderly people. The project, which is being developed for Countryside Properties, demonstrates exceptionally high quality not only in terms of its overall urban design but also in the design of individual units within the scheme.
Spatially, Horsted Park has been conceived as a series of ‘farmsteads’, taking their cue from the rural vernacular of traditional Kent farmsteads to produce a series of squares and courtyards with dwellings around them. This provides shelter, open spaces for residents, and a comfortable, domestic environment. Most importantly, in creating a new residential quarter for Chatham, Proctor and Matthews have sought to produce a scheme that has its own character and a clear sense of place. High quality landscaping and public realm is central to the scheme.
The ‘farmstead’ layout was developed in response to the brief from Countryside Properties that called for vibrant spaces and high quality, sustainable and innovative design. The design was informed by a detailed public consultation exercise, and the urban design sought to address concern from local residents about increased density on the site. The design response not only seeks to achieve variation, intimacy and animated spaces that create a sense of security and community, but also incorporates 6.5 acres of open space – representing approximately 30% of the total site area.
Horsted Park provides an excellent range of housing suitable both for its suburban context and the needs of the local population. Dwelling sizes range from 1-2 bedroom flats through to 2-4 bedroom family homes. A proportion of units will provide valuable Extra Care units for elderly people. New community and retail facilities have also been incorporated into the project alongside high quality public spaces.
Both Countryside Properties and Proctor and Matthews were keen for the houses at Horsted Park to demonstrate character and individuality. The design response therefore uses vernacular references, a carefully selected palette of high quality materials, and innovative surface treatments to achieve this objective. The end result is a scheme that is full of visual interest and variety, setting Horsted Park apart from many other volume housing schemes being built today.
Proctor and Matthews’ design references local historic architecture, giving character, individuality and context to the houses and apartments across the development. A key feature at Horsted Park is the use of brick – one of the most commonly used materials in local vernacular architecture. The brick bonding patterns found in the old quarter of nearby Rochester are mirrored here on the facades of the town houses, where projecting rhythms of brickwork patterning are set against simple brick facades and window openings at first storey level. The bricks protrude in a chequerboard pattern, giving each property a visual emphasis and a sense of character. As the motif is repeated along each row of houses, in turn it creates an additional attractive rhythm across the development. Other notable design features include steep pitched roofs on the townhouses – again referencing local building typologies through strong roof forms.
The streetscape has been designed in adherence to the concept of shared space – learning from successful shared surface precedents such as Proctor and Matthews’ own Abode at Newhall project in Harlow, Essex. This not only creates a safe, inclusive environment where pedestrians and vehicles can co-exist but also opportunities for large amounts of planting within the street elements of the scheme. Horsted Park contains a variety of streetscapes as part of its “village” feel, each with different characters and avoiding the drab uniformity of many contemporary housing schemes. To maintain the continuity of “street”, “lane” and “court” frontages, and to avoid the fragmented feel of many new housing layouts of plot by plot executive homes, the design at Horsted Park incorporates linking courtyard brick walls which integrate housing frontages and garage roofs.
Particular care was taken to adopt a landscape design approach that establishes connections between Horsted Park and its surrounding open countryside, while creating a distinctive and pleasant living environment for residents. A sequence of landscaped spaces runs through the development, connecting with the wider landscape beyond. Landscaping, planting and public realm spaces have been considered together to knit Horsted Park into its surroundings and give character to the development.
Horsted Park is an important enabling development for Chatham and the regeneration of the wider Medway area. Proctor and Matthews’ project has not only produced a high quality new residential quarter for Chatham, but the proceeds of the sale of the former Mid Kent College were also used to fund the construction of a new Medway Further Education campus in nearby Gillingham.
Horsted Park is being built in two phases. Phase 1, where homes sold extremely quickly, is now completed and a sense of community has already begun to emerge. At Horsted Park, Proctor and Matthews have demonstrated how a holistic approach to urban design can produce attractive and successful new communities.
