Designed for Community
Peterborough Housing Cooperative will be rebuilt by November 2020. The new pocket neighbourhood has 15 dwellings cluster around a large common courtyard. Plus a common house/education centre, and adjoining section for parking.
It features a variety of house sizes. One 4 bedroom, four 3 bedrooms, five 2 bedrooms, two one bedrooms, two studios, and one tiny house. |
Peterborough Pocket Neighbourhood Site Plan
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Courtyard View (without gardens, playground)
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Central Courtyard
A 600 square metre common courtyard is the neighbourhood's centrepiece. That makes for a big back yard.
The courtyard will include:
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Both Private and Social
The houses are designed to provide privacy, and allow you to choose to be social.
Privacy is kept by placing the living room at the back, plus putting bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. Each house has low plantings to clearly mark their yard boundary to the courtyard. Each house has their own back yard. Social interaction is encouraged by the large glass sliders facing the courtyard so residents can view what's going on. Porches also encourage people out of their house. Residents enter their houses only from the courtyard. This means passing other neighbours on their way home, and checking out the common house. |
Peterborough Row House Ground Floor Plan
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Peterborough Neighbourhood Education Centre
(Architectural Design App's Impression)
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Education Centre / Common House
The neighbourhood will feature an education centre/common house as the social centre of neighbourhood.
The 225 square metre house will have a dining room and kitchen for weekly shared meals. It will expand the dwellings houses by giving them access to a second lounge, upstairs activities room, kids room and office. The centre will provide education and support for developing new pocket neighbourhoods. A guest room will allow people interested in experiencing neighbourhood design to stay. The common house includes a laundrette, as none of the residences will have a laundries. As it is the social hub, we have placed it in the prime spot. |
Townhouses
We consulted Charles Durrett who has designed over 50 co-housing communities, and literally wrote the book on it. He recommended townhouses to increase social interaction, get to a decent size, reduce building costs, and increase the amount of green space. Especially as Peterborough is in the central city. We will have two rows of townhouses around the courtyard.
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Peterborough row townhouses as seen from the street
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Warm houses from solar boosted underfloor heating and high insulation
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Sustainable Homes
Peterborough pocket neighbourhood is being rebuilt with environmental sustainability in mind. It aims for a Homestar 7 rating, and will feature:
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Cars on the Side
Off-street parking is provided from Salisbury Street.
This keeps the cars away from the courtyard, and provides an informal place where you can bump into your neighbours. More important is the large bike shed. |
Impression of view from Salisbury vehicle entrance
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A great place to bring up children
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Designed for ChildrenIt takes a village to raise a child. Peterborough is designed for children as the heart of community.
Children will have a huge back yard, with a playground, that's safely away from cars. They get instant playmates. Parents are better placed to support each other, and know they are not alone. We have found Peterborough children increase their social skills, intelligence and are more articulate than otherwise. This is because they have many other adults besides their parents to talk to, and look out for them. |