Compact living, big impact: Dovehouse Court’s lesson in sustainability and community

The UK’s housing crisis often makes headlines, but less attention is paid to the inefficiencies in how existing housing stock is used.

Some experts argue that the issue is not an outright shortage of homes, but rather the inefficient use of housing stock, with larger family homes often occupied by older residents whose children have left home. With few attractive downsizing options, many choose to stay put, exacerbating housing shortages and inefficiencies.

Addressing this bottleneck – encouraging older residents to move into appropriately sized homes – could be a sustainable solution to the crisis. It would free up family homes for families and reduce the environmental costs of continually building large houses.

Dovehouse Court, a recent almshouse development on the edge of Cambridge, does not directly aim to address these issues. However, it does offer a potential solution by blending lessons from history with contemporary thinking on housing for older people, as well as more compact, dense and community-focused ways of living.

Almshouses, long associated with providing housing for the most vulnerable, also have potential as a model for downsizing. “We are quite unusual in that all of our almshouses are modern,” explains Ann Bonnett, chair of the Girton Town Charity trustees.

The charity, founded in 1521 to provide alms to local people, is recorded as having almshouses since at least the early nineteenth century, with 28 now spread across Girton. Dovehouse Court replaces six bungalows that were either structurally unsound or built cheaply in the 1930s and 1960s.

The redevelopment has more than doubled the number of homes on-site, providing 15 energy-efficient houses clustered around a landscaped courtyard. The scheme also includes a new office for the charity, ensuring its operations are better supported alongside the housing provision.

Designed by Mole Architects and commissioned by the Girton Town Charity, the scheme provides an understated yet thoughtful example of later-life living. Officially opened last year by the Duke of Gloucester, who is vice-royal patron of the Almshouse Association, Dovehouse Court reflects how modern almshouses can be reimagined to address today’s pressing housing and sustainability challenges.

Appointment

The project was conceived following a small competition held by the charity in 2017, with Mole Architects shortlisted by the project manager, Northmores. The project was led by Ian Bramwell, a director at Mole, who was closely involved in every detail of the design and construction.

Living in central Cambridge and with relatives in Girton, Bramwell has a personal connection to the area that deepened his investment in creating a development tailored to the community’s needs.

Bonnett emphasises that quality was a priority for the charity from the start: “The one thing we said right from the outset, apart from wanting energy-efficient and sustainable homes, was that we wanted it to be award-winning. That was important to us in a village where there has been some pretty dire building.

“We wanted to show that you can make beautiful homes – social housing doesn’t have to be low grade. People are entitled to live in lovely homes.”

The context

Girton, a village north-west of Cambridge, has its own distinct character despite its proximity to the city. Although separated from Cambridge by the busy A14, the village maintains a strong sense of community. “There’s a lot that goes on here,” Bramwell notes, adding that Girton is “very much a place in its own right, reliant maybe on the city but with its own strong identity.”

The charity ensures that its housing benefits local people, with applicants required to have a close connection to Girton – whether through living, working or having family ties in the area – and to meet financial need criteria.

Dovehouse Court’s primary focus is on providing housing for residents over 55, but the charity also offers family homes elsewhere in the village for younger households struggling to access the housing market. Bonnett highlights that Girton has a higher-than-average proportion of older residents, partly due to the presence of multiple care homes and social care centres.

While Dovehouse Court was not specifically designed to free up family housing, it indirectly contributes to this goal. Older residents moving from larger council homes often make these properties available for families in need. “It’s one of the benefits,” Bonnett acknowledges.

The scheme’s success lies in its ability to address multiple challenges simultaneously: providing high-quality housing for older residents, supporting the local community, and contributing to broader sustainability goals. As Bramwell observes, “Girton suffers from all the same problems as Cambridge – it’s a very unequal city.”

Dovehouse Court is not just a response to the housing crisis – it’s a blueprint for how communities might reimagine later-life living to benefit everyone.

Maximising the site’s potential

In formal terms, Dovehouse Court mirrors traditional almshouses, with homes grouped around a central garden designed to foster community. In this case, three blocks, or “houses” containing bungalows, and apartments form a three-sided courtyard. Communal gardens and raised beds encourage social interaction and give residents the chance to garden.

“The overlooking ensures the space is actively observed at all times and brings residents into regular contact,” says Bramwell. The architecture is unassuming yet carefully detailed, echoing the charity’s ethos of creating sustainable, practical and welcoming homes.

There were six houses on the site previously, one of which served as the charity’s office. It was in poor condition, suffering from subsidence and structural issues. The redevelopment reimagined the site entirely, turning it inside out by moving the parking from its central location to the edge. A substation was also relocated, freeing up valuable space at the heart of the scheme.

“The thinking was that we would move all the cars out of the centre, to the edge,” explains Ian Bramwell. “And that freed up the centre to be for people.”

The reduced parking provision, however, was a point of contention with South Cambridgeshire council, as it fell significantly below the council’s standards. “The town planners have a minimum one-to-one for a house,” says Bramwell. “But this is really close to Cambridge, and there the maximum is one-to-one, and we’ve got 0.5-to-one here, plus provision for visitors.”

The UK’s first Passivhaus-certified almshouses

The scheme achieves impressive sustainability credentials, with all the homes certified to the Passivhaus standard. Achieving this certification was a complex process. “We discussed the possibility of achieving Passivhaus certification from an early stage,” says Bramwell, “but it only really came into play just before planning permission.”

“It was a challenge,” he acknowledges. “Bungalows are not easy to get past Passivhaus certification because they have got lots of external envelope compared to the floor area. The apartments were easier, but the bungalows were quite difficult. These were the first bungalows the assessor had certified.”

All the buildings are timber frame, insulated with wood fibre, and finished in a Baumit lime render. The decision to use render was partly due to space constraints. “It looks like quite a big site, but it’s actually quite tight,” Bramwell explains. “To have had brick cladding on the outside would have added another few inches and squeezed everything a little more all round.”

The render also responds to the surrounding context. Opposite the site is The Woodlands, a 1930s estate that is similarly rendered. The understated design choices tie the project to its local setting while ensuring that it meets the highest standards of energy efficiency.

The timber frame, nearly 300mm deep across the site, accommodates significant insulation, with an additional 100mm added for the bungalows. “The timber frame is a softwood Larsen truss, with minimal timber bridging from inside to out to avoid cold bridging,” Bramwell explains. 

The lime render is fully breathable, and the timber frame is filled with Warmcel, a sustainable insulation made from recycled newspaper, which is blown into the cavities. “They are the only Passivhaus-certified almshouses,” points out Bonnett, “which is why we got the royal visit.”

As a Passivhaus-certified development, the technical specification is equally impressive. “Being Passivhaus, there’s no central heating system,” Bramwell explains. “There are direct electric radiators in the living room and the bedroom. Hot water is provided by an air source heat pump on top of the water cylinder. And then there is a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, providing fresh air within the house because they are so well sealed.”

This energy-efficient set-up requires careful integration. “There’s quite a bit of kit,” Bramwell acknowledges. The ducts connecting to the external air require insulation as if they were part of the envelope. Meanwhile, the vents form chimneys on each bungalow, articulating the roofline and giving the homes a distinctive character.

Inside, the 15 units are notably spacious, ranging from 61.9m² for the bungalows to 65.4m² for the largest apartments – larger than the typical 50-square-metre one-bedroom apartment seen elsewhere.

The upstairs apartments at Dovehouse Court feature deck access, designed to be slightly wider than standard requirements. This thoughtful decision allows the decks to double as social spaces or terraces, giving residents the opportunity to personalise and enjoy them.

While innovative waste solutions, such as iceberg bins seen at nearby Eddington, were considered, they were not feasible for this site. Instead, four shared wheeled bins were buried to reduce the space required for individual waste and recycling facilities.

The roofs, clad in clay tiles, lend the scheme a warm aesthetic that has drawn comparisons to Mediterranean or seaside architecture. Bonnett notes that some visitors describe it as “south of France,” summoning holiday-like imagery. Bramwell remarks, “Not a bad thing.”

Supporting an intergenerational community and flexible living environment

Although the development caters primarily to couples and single people, there is a subtle intergenerational dimension to how it works. Bramwell describes how one resident recently moved into Dovehouse Court to be closer to their family, enabling her to help by looking after her grandchildren, collecting them from school, and bringing them back to her home.

While all the units are officially one-bedroom, they are designed with generous flexibility. “There’s a small second space, a bedroom/study, that kids can play in, whereas in most one-bed flats that would be quite difficult,” explains Bramwell. “So, even though it’s a relatively homogeneous demographic here at Dovehouse Court, it does help. People are closer to their families.”

Three of the previous residents returned to the site following the redevelopment, with 12 new residents moving in. All the units feature this secondary space, offering significant adaptability. “We can’t call it a bedroom in terms of the national space standards,” Bramwell explains, “but it’s a study/craft room, an ‘occasional bedroom’, if you like, for either maybe a carer to come and stay, or grandchildren to visit.”

Although national space standards only apply to social housing, many councils now incorporate these standards into their local plans. “Lots of housebuilders now use the national space standards,” Bramwell notes.

The extra room has already proven its versatility. “It is being used as a painting studio by one of the residents, or a study by others,” he says. This flexibility was a direct response to the client’s brief. However, Bonnett mentions that the additional space has led the local council to push for the bungalows to be placed in a higher council tax band, an issue the charity is still negotiating.

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The flats are designed with efficient layouts to maximise liveable space. Each features a through living-room, dining-kitchen area, avoiding the inclusion of small, non-functional corridors. “It’s so we maximise the amount of liveable space,” Bramwell explains.

“And every house has a small terrace outside, facing into the courtyard. A small defensible space for people to do what they want – plant up or place some garden furniture. And then there’s the communal gardens.”

The homes at Dovehouse Court are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of older residents, with accessibility and practicality at the forefront. Bathrooms in all units are fully accessible, featuring showers, while first-floor units have shower trays. Bungalows benefit from sun tubes for natural lighting.

Ann Bonnett explains that wetrooms are now widely considered safer for older residents: “We are thinking all the time about the residents managing when they’re older.”

The age of residents ranges widely, from those just over the 55-year threshold to some in their late 70s or 80s. Unlike council homes, there is no right for residents to buy an almshouse. Instead, residents live under licence agreements, paying a weekly maintenance contribution of approximately £116, rather than rent.

As Bonnett notes, the arrangement does not fall under a landlord and tenant legal framework, and residents’ circumstances are reviewed every three years to assess any significant changes. While these are permanent homes, a change in financial circumstances could lead to a review of residency.

An inclusive community

Inside the tightly sealed and insulated homes, the noise from the A14 is completely inaudible, thanks to triple glazing. There are also no issues with hearing neighbours through the walls, ensuring privacy and comfort for all residents.

Bramwell highlights the importance of small details, such as the brightly coloured doors, which are unique to each home. “The colours of the doors are all quite important,” he explains. “They’re bright because one of the last things to remain as people develop dementia is colour. It helps people navigate to their front door.”

The layout of the homes is designed with simplicity and functionality in mind. All bungalows share the same layout, while apartments offer more variation, such as kitchens facing into the courtyard rather than outwards as in the bungalows. However, both types of housing adhere to similar principles, with through living spaces to maximise natural light and a sense of connection. “Corten has been used to denote the corner buildings and the locations of the lifts – an additional form of wayfinding,” Bramwell adds.

Landscaping plays a crucial role in creating a welcoming communal environment. Designed by local landscape architect Jamie Buchanan, the courtyard garden features raised beds that some residents have embraced enthusiastically. “There’s a mix,” Bonnett acknowledges, “but the opportunity is there.”

Despite the community-focused design, privacy is maintained through small terraces for each home, allowing residents to personalise their outdoor space with plants or furniture.

Technical challenges

Technically, the development overcame several challenges. The entire site had to be piled due to a 3m level change and the proximity of large trees. “With the clay soil, there’s huge expansion and contraction as the trees draw the moisture out,” Bramwell explains. “Although the large trees only impacted one side of the site, it was deemed cheaper to pile the entire scheme rather than have two separate construction methods.”

While no material from the six pre-existing houses was reused, the new buildings are durable and sustainable, with carefully chosen materials like breathable lime render and clay tile roofs.

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On the accessibility front, Bramwell and the design team drew on best practices, including advice from the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN). “There’s some really good advice out there,” says Bramwell. Housing LIN provides comprehensive guidance on accessibility for older adults, ensuring the homes are both functional and future-proofed.

While nearly all units meet M4(2) accessibility standards, there are two upstairs apartments on one side of the courtyard at the back of the site that are the only exceptions, as they don’t have lift access, due to cost.

Design development and planning

The final layout of the three buildings around a three-sided courtyard was the result of extensive dialogue, including an earlier scheme that placed the office at the front, coupled with a larger two-storey building stretching the length of the site. Despite receiving initial approval from planners, this design was abandoned due to concerns over overlooking an adjacent garden.

The redesign led to the loss of one unit, but the chosen layout broke up the massing and reduced the building’s scale to address privacy concerns. Along the main road, the design steps back, articulated through the roofline, while the bungalows and apartments respond to the site’s topography and the rhythm of the 1930s semis opposite.

“The stepping reflects the site’s nuances,” Bramwell explained, “and helps to integrate the scheme within its context.”

During the planning stages, the perceived size of the front building became a sticking point with local residents and planners, who labelled it a “big building”. However, Bramwell notes, “Now it’s here, I think the local community have accepted it.”

Landscaping along the High Street, including wildflower meadow planting, has helped to integrate the building into its surroundings.

Construction

Planning permission was secured at the end of 2019, and construction began in 2021, amid the challenges of the pandemic. “We had a really brilliant contractor, Barnes Construction,” says Bramwell.

“They’re a small family business that has built quite a lot in Cambridge, developing a very good reputation. They also worked on the WongAvery Gallery by Niall McLaughlin Architects at Trinity College and the River Wing at Clare College by Witherford Watson Mann.”

Achieving Passivhaus certification added to the cost, but Bonnett insists it was worth the investment: “There was a big uplift in cost in terms of getting Passivhaus, and I don’t think we particularly scrimped. It was a £5m build.”

The timing of procurement brought additional challenges. “It was also procured at a very difficult time,” Bramwell recalls, “through covid. Timber prices were going through the roof, and there were brick shortages. We had to change the tiles because they were no longer imported – that was a Brexit issue. The white bricks – shortly after we placed that order, the manufacturer closed down that brickworks, and we needed more.”

Despite these hurdles, the contractors adapted to the constraints of the site. Bonnett describes the difficulties: “It was a very difficult site for the contractors to build on. They used the front of the site for the construction compound. There’s so much material that goes into a massive house, they were having to crane it over the bungalows.”

“They do well with difficult sites,” Bramwell adds.

Self-contained but open

A communal room was not included in the development, a deliberate choice by the charity. “These people are living in the community, but how do they engage with the rest of the village?” Bonnett asked.

To support broader social integration, the charity established a modern community centre elsewhere in the village, hosting various activities. “We also fund grants for schemes like Age UK’s warden and coordinator,” Bonnett added. “Her role is to bring people together, from here and the other residential care homes.

“So, there is no café or communal area here,” Bonnett concluded, “but we provide those opportunities elsewhere in the village.”

“We’re pleased that within a year it has become established and looks like it’s been here quite a long time,” Bonnett concludes. Bramwell highlights how the design subtly fosters community interaction: “It’s designed in such a way as to gently encourage engagement between neighbours, with safe and defensible space for each unit, but also plenty of opportunities for chance meetings.”

The decision not to make Dovehouse Court a gated community also contributes to its openness. “It feels distinct and separated as a place,” says Bramwell, “but a decision to not make it gated also makes it accessible and open to visitors.”

Bonnett explains that this choice extends to practicalities: “Without the need to be buzzed in through a gate, the postman and couriers come to each individual door, rather than dropping off at the office.” This approach enhances the sense of independence for residents while reinforcing the community ethos.

Bramwell draws parallels with Mole’s earlier project, Marmalade Lane, a co-housing development in Cambridge: “It’s similar to Marmalade Lane in that it’s open, but it also feels a little bit different, a little bit separate.” The overlooked courtyard space benefits residents, fostering a sense of security and community.

A tranquil and welcoming environment that will serve its community for decades to come

In a recent public open gardens event, Dovehouse Court welcomed more than 70 visitors as part of the charity’s efforts to connect with the wider community. Bonnett says many visitors remarked on the garden’s tranquillity despite the audible hum of the nearby M11 and A14.

“There’s something about courtyards, even when they’re only contained on three sides,” Bramwell notes, “that make them feel secure, calm, and comfortable.”

Bonnett agrees. “Our residents do say that they feel very safe here.”

Dovehouse Court demonstrates that historic precedents can retain enduring relevance in addressing today’s housing challenges. It shows that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to meet urgent needs – thoughtful, understated architecture has the power to create special places that are not only fit for purpose but also resonate with their context.

With its careful attention to detail, community-focused design and commitment to sustainability, Dovehouse Court is a model of how such developments can serve their residents and the wider community for many decades to come.

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