Waunarlwydd
Blank paper stage to a complex hybrid application
Project information
Client
Barratt David Wilson / Redrow
Location
Swansea
The Challenge
Securing planning permission for a 35.7-hectare strategic extension meant taking a project from a blank paper stage to a complex hybrid application for Barratt David Wilson / Redrow. The primary hurdle was navigating an initial concept masterplan set by the Local Authority. We needed to rigorously challenge and adapt this baseline to accommodate unforeseen site constraints while maintaining a green infrastructure-led, placemaking approach that satisfied our client’s viability requirements.
Overcoming these obstacles required continuous, transparent collaboration with council planners to successfully agree on a departure from their original concept design. The resulting proposal balances a diverse development mix with complex spatial and environmental demands.
The Role
Acting as urban designers, landscape architects, and architects, we provided comprehensive design services from candidate site representation all the way to a full planning application. We developed a bespoke range of contemporary housetypes engineered for 21st-century living, ensuring the architecture met both modern lifestyle needs and local context.
Our multidisciplinary approach seamlessly integrated the masterplan’s physical structures with its surrounding landscape. By directing both the macro-level Urban Design and the micro-level architectural details, we ensured the multi-use vision remained cohesive and sustainable throughout every stage of design.
The Outcome
The resulting proposal delivers a vision for a vibrant, resilient community deeply integrated with its surroundings and the River Llan corridor. By embedding active travel routes, robust green infrastructure, and high-quality public spaces directly into the design, the masterplan enhances the natural environment while providing essential community assets, including a primary school and local centre.
The final hybrid application sets the benchmark for a self-sustaining ecosystem where residents can live, work, and play. The scheme maximizes the site’s existing natural assets to deliver an attractive, productive, and enduring place to live - establishing a high standard for strategic growth that will serve the community for generations.
