Lime Tree Square
by FCB STUDIOS in Street Somerset, UK
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Data Info
Author FCB STUDIOS
City Street Somerset
Country UK
Year 2009
Program Residential neighbourhood
Technical Info
Site area 107000 sqm
Gfa 0 sqm
Density 0 far
Population density 0 inh/ha
Home Units: 400
Jobs 0
Streetsroad: 0 %
Buildup: 0 %
NonBuild-up: 0 %
Residential 0 %
Business 0 %
Commercial 0 %
Civic 0 %
Description

    Design and Layout

     

  • 138 homes offered at Lime Tree Square, with 30 homes for social rent.
  • “Arrivals Square” is the welcoming entrance space from the south, leading to the principal spine route through the site to the north.
  • The square is landscaped with lime trees and bordered by apartments on the south and east sides and terraced houses on the north and west sides.
  • Rectilinear grid design to maximize permeability and legibility.
  • Features semi-private garden streets, mews, and courtyards.
  •  

    Safe

     

  • The central square serves as a space for meeting, playing, sitting, and picnicking, creating a vital social hub.
  • Housing overlooks public spaces, allowing children to play safely outdoors.
  • The scheme follows shared space and home zone principles, prioritizing pedestrians over cars.
  • Concerns like visibility were addressed through the design development process and mitigation measures.
  •  

    Green Infrastructure

     

  • A strong landscaping strategy reinforced the concept of shared space.
  • A management company, supported by Clarks, took on responsibility for maintaining planting and street furniture to a higher standard under license.
  • A central 600m sustainable reed bed drainage system.
  • Includes formal avenues, wild habitat area, landscape zones, and a village green.
  • Large linear park and pocket parks throughout the area.
  • Ponds and reed beds designed to reflect the local Somerset levels.
  • Attractive and productive orchards and herb gardens.
  •  

    Shared streets

     

  • Equal rights for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists in a calm environment.
  • The site avoids long, straight roads to prevent rat running by creating a contorted route through the site.
  • Plenty of car parking is provided on streets, in garages, carports, and along the central spine route.
  • The highway authority collaborated with the development team through monthly workshops to resolve all aspects of highway design.
  • The street grid pattern with strong frontage of terraced units was tested for pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle use.
  •  

    Art and Streetscape

     

  • Incorporation of street art including a shoe tree, sculptures, and topiary.
  • Doorstop detailing for an integrated streetscape.
  •  

    Sustainability Features

     

  • The project achieved the highest score ever awarded by CABE’s Building for Life with 19 points out of 20, achieving a Gold Standard.
  • Won a Building for Life Award in 2009 and selected by CABE as a case study in a new design guide for the public realm of housing developments.
  • Shared space road design is utilized as an alternative to conventional traffic-calming methods.
  • Houses constructed from Structural Insulated Panel System (SIPS).
  • Solar panels on roofs of 47 phase-1 houses provide hot water.
  • Mechanical heat recovery system pre-warms incoming fresh air.
  • The design uses a mix of natural materials with high-quality landscaping, including gabion walls with locally sourced stones, brick and rendered walls, and timber screening for elevated deck areas.
  •  

    Details

     

  • Path Widths__ 2m 
  • Road Widths and home zones__ 5m 
  • Building Offsets from other buildings__ 8-12m 
  • Arrivals Courtyard__ 50x20m=1,000m² 
  • Park Dimensions__ 60x30m=1,800m² 
  • Open space provision (public and shared use: 60% 
  • Link widths between buildings__ 9m
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