Set within the established fabric of a coastal town in Kent, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, and to the north-east of Dover, the site is set within a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked to the anchorage in the Downs. This 60-home residential development demonstrates how commercially successful housing can also create lasting social and environmental value. From the outset, the project was driven by a clear ambition: to design a neighbourhood that people genuinely want to live in - one that responds sensitively to its context while delivering strong commercial outcomes for the developer client. 

Working collaboratively with our housebuilder client, we developed a masterplan that balances density, efficiency and placemaking with precision. The scheme combines a carefully considered mix of private and affordable homes, arranged around a highly legible street network and generous landscaped spaces. The design creates variation utilising the house builders standard housetypes, while responding to the local character and prioritising a strong sense of identity throughout the development. 

Our approach focused on designing with people, place and planet at the forefront. Streets were shaped to encourage walkability and neighbourly interaction, while green infrastructure and tree planting were integrated to enhance biodiversity, improve wellbeing and soften the overall character of the site. The orientation and arrangement of homes maximises passive surveillance, natural light and creates attractive outlooks, helping to improve both liveability and long-term market appeal.

Crucially, these placemaking principles were delivered without compromising commercial performance. By carefully coordinating housing mix, parking strategy, infrastructure and planning requirements, the scheme achieves an efficient density and highly deliverable layout that supports sales value and planning confidence simultaneously.

For the client, the value extended beyond architecture alone. Through early-stage strategic thinking and integrated design coordination, we helped unlock a development that is commercially robust, planning-sensitive and environmentally responsible - demonstrating how thoughtful design can become a genuine competitive advantage for modern housebuilders.