Bradwell Common Housing

This proposal for a housing complex aims to re-urbanise and revitalize the suburban environment of Milton Keynes with three moves:

First, a diagonal public route is created through the site that offers a short cut for pedestrians crossing the bridge across the motorway. to reach the city centre. This route activates the ground floor, which hosts a cafe, a small supermarket and a fitness centre.

Secondly, the communal public space contained within a typical MK housing development is put to the edge of the site and reconnected to the surrounding public sphere. At the same time the newly generated squares strengthen the newly catalysed public route, each enhancing the other.

Thirdly, density is doubled by stacking, creating three storeys, the upper two forming maisonettes. Yet to keep MK’s attraction as a “garden city”, roof gardens are created for the maisonettes so that each unit retains the same amount of private open space as in the typical MK housing development.

The introduction of a building plinth centralises the parking and creates vibrant housing directly on the site boundaries. The public spaces are additionally activated from public services and/or businesses in the live/work units in the plinths.