Nansledan

By ADAM Architecture with Purl Design, Yiangou Architects, Francis Roberts Architects and Alan Leather Associates

Client Duchy of Cornwall

Awards RIBA South West Award 2021

Although only partially complete, Nansledan already sits as a coherent and high-quality extension to Newquay’s previous edge of town condition. Where the existing edge began to fray with a mix of residential and commercial settlements of varying quality, this new 4,000 home masterplan has been carefully laid out to create several new neighbourhoods and cross-valley connections.

When complete, the full impact of this new settlement will be easy to assess. As it currently stands with 300 homes completed, a degree of prediction is required based on what currently exists; namely a popular new school, a series of well used high street and commercial squares, a clear three-tier network of primary, secondary and tertiary street types, and the all-important residential courtyard clusters where servicing, parking and ancillary occupied spaces make best use of what might otherwise be back-land areas.

With 30% affordable homes fully integrated in a tenure blind format, there is evidence of a growing and diverse community across a range of ages and outlooks. Anecdotal conversation with the project manager suggests that high levels of interest has been shown in commercial units, signalling an entrepreneurial as well as a residential spirit in this place, with wetsuit and surfboard makers requesting space in which to trade.

The diverse architectural language suggests incremental growth, which in time will give the impression that this place evolved. This has been achieved by a rule that states that no single street has designed by a single design team, resulting in a blurring of boundaries between plots built by each of the three developers.

At a detailed level, painted timber boarding, render – rough and smooth, granite, hanging slate, brickwork and art-deco embellishments all combine to bring architectural variety; but the real achievement here is at the masterplan level, with a new urban settlement that shows great townscape and landscape led placemaking potential.

Contractor Wainhomes

Development engineer Awcock Ward Partnership

Landscape Architects Fabrik

Topographical survey Sumo Services