BedZed

BedZed relates well to buildings surrounding the scheme, which are mostly 2-3 storeys, and sits easily within the local context. Built of brown-red brick with timber cladding and window frames, the scheme features windows in brick end walls similar in proportion and subdivision to those in adjacent buildings. Vertical subdivisions and balcony structures also relate closely to the rhythms of bays on nearby buildings, as do the horizontal subdivisions immediately below the top floor levels. Galvanised and external drainage fittings provide a durable alternative to the standard UPVC versions. Around 90% of ground surfaces are impermeable, maximising opportunities for re-use and recycling of rainwater, and re-use and on-site filtering of household water and runoff further enhances the impact of the scheme in terms of re-charging of groundwater as well as reducing the impact of localised flooding and runoff.

Most ground floor units have flat access, raised front gardens in some offer privacy and encourage sitting out, and the few units occupied at the time of survey (Spring 2002) display evidence of personalisation and planting. Full glazing allows personal displays within the buildings to link internal layouts and activities to the streets, and thereby contribute to the street-scene. Subtle illumination, including bollard level lighting, washes across brick walls creating a well-lit environment, which minimises extremes of light or dark areas and at night creates a safe effect, free of extreme shadows.

Although located in a busy area, the scheme is set back from the main road and is relatively quiet, with car access to pedestrian streets restricted to deliveries. Its 'pedestrian first' policy includes pedestrian level lighting and a road layout limiting vehicles to walking speed with some shared surfaces, and reinforces BedZed's restrictions on car use. Cycle parking is given priority over car parking on site, with generous covered storage at 1 space per flat, 2 spaces per maisonette and 3 spaces per house giving a total of 117 cycle spaces. The scheme is well connected to the wider area with buses running directly past the site, Hackbridge Railway station (to Victoria and King's Cross) 7 minutes walk away, and the new tram line to Wimbledon and Croydon (10 minutes) and Mitcham Junction station (15 minutes walk). Local services within walking distance include 2 churches, 5 cafes/restaurants, 5 shops plus pharmacy, hairdresser and drycleaner, and industrial and office premises offering work opportunities, and BedZed's medical centre, nursery (offering day-care and after school club), café/bar with internet access and organic food delivery service further enhance the services available.

Mostly clear fronts onto streets and secure and clear backs make a legible layout, and public/private boundaries are generally marked by building fronts and sides, but in urban design terms some opportunities have been missed. BedZed's relationship with adjoining sites lacks definition, with public space defined on one side by blank fences forming the backs of neighbouring properties. In ensuring all dwellings receive maximum sun, the streets themselves are often overshadowed, and in one mews street's vitality is further compromised by placing bedrooms at the fronts of the houses at ground level and thereby reducing the natural overlooking which would occur with living rooms, dining rooms or kitchens.

Some units have internal rooms lit only by skylights which may limit their future usefulness, but the sky gardens are a positive way of giving every unit an outside space larger than a balcony and their 300 mm of topsoil, allowing the option of raised beds, coupled with allotments in the proposed eco-park, show a simple, practical but effective approach to increasing community activities and home-grown food as part of the overall lifestyle package which BedZed clearly promotes. Bridges over the streets link housing units to their sky gardens in adjacent blocks.

According to sales staff, BedZed's lively image gives an appropriate landmark quality to the development's pioneering sustainability agenda, and is a major reason for purchasers buying into the scheme. Its splendid mix of residential, workspace, integrated ecological systems and social provisions demonstrates that such richness in new build schemes can be achieved quickly and can also be economically viable.