Architect Mikhail Riches’ scheme of two- and three-storey terraced homes, built to Passivhaus standards, ignored standard design advice to achieve a low-rise dense traditional street pattern modelled on Norwich’s popular "Golden Triangle" of Victorian terraces. Judges hailed a "modest masterpiece" in which the pitch of roofs were specifically calculated to allow the sun to warm all buildings in the development, even throughout the winter.
105
Number of homes available for social rent in the Goldsmith Street scheme
22m
Usual minimum distance between opposing house fronts in design guidance, according to Mikhail Riches
14m
Distance between opposing house fronts in Goldsmith Street, to achieve intimate feel and higher density
83
Dwellings per hectare density achieved on the scheme
27
Extra number of homes allowed by negotiating reduced gap between terraces
501
Number of council homes sold under Right to Buy in Norwich in the three years it took to build Goldsmith Street
Sources: RIBA, Norwich City Council, Mikhail Riches Architects
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