The Oakfield Project was announced as the winner of the 2022 Building with Nature National award on Thursday 24th November at the Landscape Institute 2022 Awards Ceremony at the Troxy, London. The scheme was commended by the panel of Landscape Institute judges for a design that “could become a blueprint for affordable, multi-generational new communities that meet the challenges of climate resilience, nature recovery, and health and wellbeing for all.”
Oakfield’s masterplan, developed by The Landmark Practice and Igloo Regeneration, uses the ‘15-minute neighbourhood’ concept, providing amenities that residents would need close by, without dependency on car usage. The project will deliver 239 intergenerational homes with a mixture of tenures, for people at every stage of their life. The project team placed people and nature at the heart of design decision-making and involved a Building with Nature Assessor to guide the design proposals an early stage, to ensure high-quality green infrastructure was fully integrated into the masterplan.
Building with Nature’s director Dr Gemma Jerome said:
“Green infrastructure plays a critical role in supporting climate resilience, enhancing biodiversity and creating vibrant, healthy communities. The Oakfield Project offers industry a practical placemaking exemplar – how to deliver affordable high-quality green infrastructure solutions that build better communities. With the recent COP27 highlighting the need for robust implementation plans to deliver solutions to the climate crisis, and the COP15 Biodiversity conference coming up in December, urgent action is needed from the built-environment sector to address the climate and ecological emergencies. As the 2022 Award winner Oakfield, along with the other finalists, World of Water, Hampshire and Malls Mire, Glasgow, offer inspiration to developers and send a clear message to industry – placing nature at the heart of design decision-making is affordable, achievable, and can deliver huge benefits for people and wildlife.”
Landscape Institute Judges commented on the scheme:
“A very simple but effective masterplan, guided by the existing landscape features and demonstrating strong design moves for connecting and integrating the new and the existing for the benefit of climate, nature and people. It promises a beautiful development with a strong sense of place. It shows how nature-based solutions can be employed to meet the challenges of both infrastructure and placemaking at a neighbourhood-scale.”
James Sleigh, principal landscape architect, The Landmark Practice, and Building with Nature Assessor for the project commented on winning the award:
“A great achievement for the project, credit to the client and design teams to ensure the design ethos from the very beginning focused on green infrastructure, guiding the arrangement of spaces and the links to the wider neighbourhood. The consideration of inclusivity is evident in the mixture of public realm created in the development, which is enhanced by a thoughtful and varied planting palette that provides for nature and will enhance the wellbeing of residents and the wider community.”
Rachel Smith, senior social investment manager, Nationwide Building Society commented:
“Community, sustainability and the environment go to the very heart of Oakfield, Nationwide’s housing development in Swindon. Collaborating with the community to develop homes and a neighbourhood they wanted, needed and have felt part of has been key. Working with igloo Regeneration, our development manager, the scheme has focussed on some really important environmental and sustainable elements which we’re really proud of, and which we hope will benefit not only the residents and wildlife of Oakfield but the communities around it too. We’re delighted to have received the 2022 Landscape Institute Building with Nature National Award, which demonstrates our continued commitment to helping communities and the wildlife and environment around them to benefit from each other.”
Kym Shaen-Carter, development manager and head of igloo Community Builders commented:
“At igloo we have always believed in the importance of nature within successful place-making. We are thrilled that Oakfield has been recognised as Nationwide and the entire team have taken time to thoughtfully consider the existing green infrastructure and have worked to enhance this for the benefit of wildlife, residents and the wider community. Nature is one of six key dimension to igloo’s Footprint ® Policy – our sustainable investment methodology which guides all projects we are involved with.”
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