Northern Bureau for Architecture has secured planning approval to revive a derelict brownfield site on the edge of Medomsley in County Durham.

The proposals consist of 5 stone-built detached executive homes on a former nursing home site that has stood vacant and in an increasing state of dereliction for over 10 years. The proposals present four, 4-bedroom properties and a 5-bedroom property with associated parking, access, landscaping and residential amenity spaces.

The new dwellings propose a re-interpretation of local country houses with strong stone facades, intended to suit the large plot sizes and create an impression befitting the executive nature of the intended dwellings.

As well as developing the architectural designs, Northern Bureau for Architecture handled the planning approach and application whilst working with local councillors and the Durham Safer Communities team to find a viable route to developing the site and alleviating the risks of the existing dangerous structures.

Demolition of the remaining unsafe structures on site is due to start in Spring 2024, with work on new construction anticipated for Autumn 2024.

About Northern Bureau for Architecture

Northern Bureau for Architecture is a design and research led architecture practice rooted in the cultural, social and environmental character of the North of England. Based in Chester-le-Street, they are ARB registered and an RIBA Chartered Practice.

Their collaborative approach considers the social potential of architecture to enhance individual wellbeing and collective belonging through projects that are generously public facing and civic in manner.

Their style is to craft contemporary spaces by combining keen design thought with rigorous technical detailing, employing architectonic approaches that draw constructional poetics from environmental sensitivity to climate and material.

About Pretoria Court, Medomsley

The layout of the houses is framed by the development of a formal, paved cour d’honneur at the centre of the site, bringing coherence to the buildings and a collective grandeur beyond their presentation. Arrayed around this courtyard, bordered by sharp, formally crafted stone elevations, the five dwellings derive their designs from a close reading of local country houses.

Benefitting from open, panoramic views across the Derwent River valley to the south and west, the orientation of the properties and their internal layout was carefully considered by Northern Bureau for Architecture to maximise the enjoyment of these vistas throughout the day and to enhance solar gain in the form of heat and light in the main living spaces.

Though framed by the defining square courtyard geometry in plan, and the site entrance aligned to its central axis, the individual homes will vary in height in relation to the sloping site topography to enhance the visual openness of the development and ensure that broader views are made available from the centre of the site as one arrives and moves through the development.

The distinction of the dwellings carries through to a high-quality material palette, including natural sandstone of varied textures, highlighted moments of handmade red-brick, natural slate roof tiles and zinc rainwater goods. Paired with crisp, minimal detailing, the effect will be one of excellence, from the wider site impression to the individual building detail.