Site Context
The area around the site was originally developed in the early 1920s, as part of a large estate of council houses. Uniform, low-density, semi-detached dwellings characterise the surrounding streets.
The small site was formerly used for garages, but has been empty for many years; it is currently neglected and overgrown, and often used for fly-tipping. 
The potential of the site for the construction of council housing was investigated by the B&HCC City Regeneration Unit some years ago. Outline design proposals were prepared, but it was ultimately decided that the site was not viable for this type of development. 
It has therefore been agreed by the B&HCC Housing Committee that the site may be developed by a housing co-operative represented by Co-operative Housing in Brighton & Hove (CHIBAH). 

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Design Approach 
The proposals are designed to redevelop this small neglected site into sustainable family homes that form an integral part of the local community.
To facilitate this, the houses are designed with locally-sourced materials and incorporate sustainable technologies. Lifetime Homes standards have been incorporated to ensure that the houses remain suitable for the future needs of the families; and large areas of the site have been set aside for an open garden, designed to enhance communal life between the two families and amongst the surrounding community.
The two, three-bed houses that are proposed for the site have been designed to minimise their visual impact on the neighbouring properties.  For this reason, each house is predominantly single storey with small ‘pop-ups’ at first floor level.  The small first-floor spaces maximise the space available on site for large open green spaces that incorporate suitable landscaping and planting. 
Careful consideration has been given to the layout of the development to minimise overshadowing of adjacent gardens and overlooking. The proposed building is therefore situated in the south-east part of the site to minimise overshadowing of neighbours’ rear gardens. Its L-shape faces onto the large shared garden to the north, with small private terraces located discreetly to the south.  The two ‘pop-up‘ first-floor structures are located in the south-east and south-west corners of the building to minimise their overshadowing effect.