FBM were appointed by Network Homes to develop proposals for a site occupied by a two storied former supported housing building, which had long been abandoned and had fallen into a state of disrepair.

The proposal would create two residential blocks that cluster around a new residents’ garden; a large villa block that relates to the scale and grain of the adjacent surgery building and a terrace block that creates an edge to a shared surface mews with views towards the River Beane. The upper-level apartments would be accessed via a small gallery which creates a liminal space for socialising, with views to and from the new garden.

We have taken design references from buildings in Hertford and the surrounding area. There are a range of styles and materials used that reflect different periods of population and growth in the town – from small market town, to the industries that were established around the river. The ground floor would establish a plinth  which acts as a garden wall, with the tone and detail reflecting the existing boundary and flint walls in the locality. Gable end roof profiles would create a rhythm and scale to the new buildings.