CDC Studio

The masterplan for Wintringham, just outside St Neots aims to create a thriving suburban district which includes 2,800 houses, 2 new schools as well as retail and office spaces for the newly formed community.

A district centre which will be located prominently at the north west entrance to Wintringham. The site borders with the new housing development on the east, and overlooks green spaces to the south.

Key considerations of the district centre site include the close relationship with the primary school and the entrance to the site. The location seeks to provide a highly visible sight of interest to draw in visitors and residents, and to provide a place for the community to make its own.

Site constraints include the crossing of a high pressure gas line and designing to mitigate future flood risk. A primary vehicular route into the site borders the district centre site creating the requirement for safe pedestrian connection between the public spaces, the school and the neighbouring residences.

The masterplan assumes a series of linear streets that sweep from north to south, with some accessible by vehicle and some dedicated to pedestrians. A landscaped and water-lined route cuts through the site, linking primary squares and providing a characterful focal point for pedestrian movement through the site. A soft green edge and gradient of building density allows for a seamless transition from urban to rural landscape.

We explored three ideas for the buildings around the central heart space.

Cluster

Concentrating buildings in a cluster around a landscaped and pedestrianised area to create a smaller space for informal interactions between inhabitants.

Edge

Locating anchor uses along the eastern edge of the district centre helps define the edge of the new road and the civic space in front of the school. The new buildings would be highly visible within the new development and provide an attractive gateway to the district centre

Square

New heart space is created between three anchor uses placed in separate buildings which define the edges of the square and provide a sense of enclosure. The square becomes a key element of the district centre immediately announcing the intention of the masterplan.

Pitched-roofed buildings define the streets, with their roofs also running north-south to provide a unified character between the commercial area and the district centre with large distinctive gables. A variety of fenestration, pitches and storey heights add interest across the site and allow some buildings to act as ‘markers’.

A datum has been struck above ground floor which unifies all of the public-facing elevations which look out onto the square, creating a human scale frontage with mixed uses above. From a distance this brings a strong visual identity and ties together a mix of height and building form into a cohesive and characterising design vernacular.