Melfield Gardens

Lewisham

Specialism

Residential

Services

Employer's Agent, Cost Consultant, Clerks of Works & CDM Principal Designer

Client

Phoenix Community Housing

Project Summary

Melfield Gardens, located in Lewisham, is the UK’s first fully affordable intergenerational housing development. This Passivhaus project created 30 affordable homes for residents aged 55+ and 2 four-bedroom homes for 8 students.

Phoenix Community Housing has brought together the same successful team, Potter Raper and Levitt Bernstein Architects, to deliver their next generation of Low Energy Social Housing in the form of Melfield Gardens.

Developed by Phoenix Community Housing, a not-for-profit, resident-led housing association, Melfield Gardens addresses social isolation, loneliness and housing shortages by combining homes for older residents and students. The development comprises 30 one-bedroom-plus flats for residents aged 55 and over, alongside two four-bedroom flats accommodating eight postgraduate students from Goldsmiths, University of London. In exchange for reduced rent, students take part in voluntary cultural and recreational activities that support older residents, helping to combat loneliness and strengthen community connections.

Our team ensured health and safety compliance, oversaw construction quality, managed budgets, and maintained effective communication between stakeholders throughout delivery. Key contributions included MEP Stakeholder Engagement, Resident Engagement & Site Logistics, Network Rail Liaison, Network Rail Design Response, Rights of Light and Electricity Network Upgrade Changes.

Through careful management, we added significant value by creating a collaborative and time-effective relationship between the client and design team, helping ensure the delivery of a high-quality Passivhaus development.

Melfield Gardens exemplifies sustainable design, built to Passivhaus Classic standards to maximise energy efficiency while reducing resident bills. Homes feature dual-aspect layouts, triple-glazed windows, solar shading, mechanical ventilation, green roofs, and communal gardens. The blocks were carefully angled to maximise solar gain and optimise the volume-to-surface area ratio, while a fabric-first design approach allowed the use of direct electrical heating and hot water to minimise fuel poverty and future-proof the scheme as the grid decarbonises.

A detailed analysis of the energy strategy options for heating and hot water, taking into account CO² reduction, SAP ratings, capital costs, lifecycle and maintenance costs, and occupant fuel costs, have established that the fabric-first design approach, allows direct electrical heating and hot water, to be the clear preferred option to reduce fuel poverty and ensures a future-proof scheme as use of gas reduces and the grid is decarbonised.