St James Innovation Village is a neighbourhood of 40 homes, utilising a mix of traditional and modular building techniques with renewable energy and smart technology the driving force. A two year project, knowledge gained from this sustainable method of zero carbon, off-site prefabricated buildings will be rolled out nationally allowing more high quality homes to be built in the UK to meet the present housing need.

An exciting project, the first of its kind in the North East, ONE Environments were delighted to work on the redevelopment of this brownfield site where the landscape fully integrates into the overall architectural so

The village is adjacent to an area susceptible to flooding, so the latest in sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) technologies was integral to the design of the site. The community was designed with a site wide SuDS system linking in to a landscaped grass basin, with wildflower mixes and marginal planting around it’s perimeter making it a wildlife habitat as well as a natural feature to be enjoyed by residents.

Rain gardens planted adjacent to homes allow rainwater runoff from hard surfaces after downpours to link to the SuDS basin as well as providing attractive, low maintenance, wildlife-friendly doorstep spaces. Native tree and shrub planting across the site emphasise the importance of ecology and biodiversity on this project.

The arrangement and form of the buildings and associated landscape has been designed to create shared streetscapes for pedestrians and vehicles, where cars are encouraged to drive slowly giving priority for children to play and residents to socialise.

With it’s location close to both Gateshead and Newcastle city centres, attractive and safe connections to the surrounding area were essential and our design provided easy access to an existing shared pedestrian and cycle route as well as pedestrian friendly green links to existing communities, metro station, shops and schools.

CLIENT: Home Group
LOCATION: Gateshead
PARTNERS: Engie
SERVICES: Landscape Architecture Landscape Architecture S1-S6
PROGRAMME: October 2017 to December 2019