Melfield Gardens, the intergenerational Passivhaus scheme we delivered for Phoenix Community Housing in Lewisham, has been named a winner at the Housing Design Awards 2026.
Designed by Levitt Bernstein, the scheme provides 30 affordable homes for residents aged 55 and over, together with two four-bedroom homes for eight postgraduate students from Goldsmiths, University of London. Under a Good Neighbour Agreement, the students pay a reduced rent in exchange for spending time with older residents and participating in activities within the communal spaces. The shared landscape between the buildings encourages everyday interaction between neighbours, while allowing residents maintain their independence.
Melfield Gardens follows the success of Hazelhurst Court on the same street, with Phoenix Community Housing reappointing the same team, including Potter Raper, Levitt Bernstein and Etude, to deliver its next generation of low energy social housing.
Built to Passivhaus standard using a fabric-first approach, the homes are designed to minimise energy demand while maximising comfort. The buildings are subtly angled to optimise solar gain and daylight from the south, while the carefully designed building envelope and glazing helps reduce heat loss.
We provided Cost Consultancy, Employer’s Agent, CDM – Principal Designer and Clerk of Works services. The site sits at the top of a railway embankment, so we engaged with Network Rail early to agree the necessary asset protection arrangements and made rail experience a key part of the tender assessment. We also specified that windows adjacent to the railway could be cleanable from inside, reducing long-term maintenance costs. With vehicle access through the site restricted for long periods, resident liaison was built into the tender and contract from the outset, and the heating strategy was settled with Phoenix at RIBA 2 so there was no impact on the programme.
The scheme received the GLA Award at the Housing Design Awards in 2021 at design stage, and this latest award celebrates the successful delivery of the completed homes. Farmstead Road, another Passivhaus scheme we delivered for Phoenix Community Housing, was also a winner this year.
Congratulations to Phoenix Community Housing, Levitt Bernstein, Etude, Max Fordham and everyone involved.
