Elderberry Walk – Residential Projects – Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Elderberry Walk is an exemplar housing development for suburban Bristol, demonstrating how high social, environmental and ecological aspirations can be achieved at low cost. It has been driven by doing simple things well – making streets where front doors face front doors, with a logical easily understood layout, where car parking is integrated and not dominant.

Creating 161 new homes, 79 houses and 82 flats, on the long vacant site of Dunmail Primary School om the Southmead area of the city, the scheme provides a mix of much needed affordable, shared ownership, key worker, ethically rented and private sale homes. The design offers generously spaced homes sat within private gardens, tree-lined avenues and footpaths. Smart design touches include the porches and recess lobbies to create a transition between public and private space with colourful tiles allowing for individuality. Transport has also been carefully considered with integrated bike stores cleverly covered by modern steel trellises for climbing plants. Off street parking is provided at all units with electrical car charging points and a residents’ car-share club offered.

At its heart is the Green Lane, a landscaped street with wildlife swales and incidental play which encourages micro-habitats to enrich the existing biodiversity. Materials are simple, robust and high quality with a palette which responds to the context.

The development meets Bristol City Council’s requirements for on-site renewable energy generation to achieve a further 20% reduction in residual CO2 emissions achieved through solar photovoltaic generation.