Gap House
- Location
- Bristol, UK
- Client
- Bristol City Council
- Expertise
- Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
Factory constructed, contemporary and cost-effective eco-homes designed to fit into small urban spaces, such as garage plots, to address housing shortages.
Our multidisciplinary team has developed a stylish and sustainable prototype home which offers a compact living space manufactured from timber, reusing foundations of existing garage structures where possible, to offer low carbon living with no combustion sources.
The stylish, contemporary house is made up of an open-plan kitchen-living area and bathroom on the ground floor, with a bedroom and storage on the first floor. Large windows allow for maximum natural light. The houses generously meet national space standards for a one bedroom unit.
Its flexible design means it can be adapted for different uses, including temporary accommodation and downsized living, using shared communal facilities.
Using the latest digital engineering techniques, the homes will be constructed in hi-tech factory conditions and assembled on site. Using smart design to make the best possible use of space, the homes incorporate maximum light and height and sophisticated design and storage solutions to give a sense of space, along with low energy services for modern living. The homes’ layouts and windows have been carefully considered to avoid overlooking and protect privacy in order to slot into existing neighbourhoods and communities.
It offers the opportunity for mass customisation through standardisation of the chassis (using cross laminated timber or structural insulated panel systems) and personalisation of internal and external finishes/layout. A digital twin can be made in advance and then manufactured with economies of scale. This also allows the capture of data through pre and post occupancy evaluation.
Bristol alone has 2,000 garages on 300 different council housing estates which have the potential to be transformed to offer new homes and neighbourhoods.
