For the Goldsmith Street international competition for 100 socially rented homes for Norwich City Council, Riches Hawley Mikhail applied passive solar principles at a higher density than Clay Field. We faced 14m wide streets east/west and modelled roofscapes to the winter sun angle. We created a high-density scheme with family sized houses and flats. Norwich City Council challenged us to target full Passivhaus Certification; being a solar design, we achieved this with only minor changes. People sometimes think Passivhaus is expensive and limiting on design. Our layout of terraces with their excellent ‘form factor’ and southerly orientation, enabled us to deliver the scheme affordably, (£1825/m2 GIA) create attractive pedestrian friendly streets and provide generous windows throughout. Every home has car-free access to play.
Peter Osborne, Goldsmith Street Resident
The Guardian (December 2022)