The proposed development in Merry Hill will see family houses arranged in pairs and set within planting and open spaces, a statement from the London-based practice said.
Dowen Farmer has created the scheme for client Acre and hopes to build the scheme on a site between Hillmead Nature Park and Hartsbourne Golf Club on the outskirts of the town, approached via Whomsoever Lane from Merry Hill Road.
The designs have been inspired by Myholme, a 1904 Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts house by Charles Voysey, which sits opposite the proposed development.
‘Rather than directly replicating historic forms, the design draws on key principles evident in Voysey’s work, including roof-led massing, deep eaves, horizontal window groupings and restrained detailing,’ the practice said.
‘These references have guided the proportions, roof profiles and material choices across the scheme, ensuring the development responds to the setting of the listed building and the wider suburban grain of Merry Hill Road.’
Existing hedgerows and mature trees will be retained ‘where possible’ on the scheme, supplemented by new planting and sustainable drainage features.
‘Through a combination of landscape structure, contextual massing and a crafted but restrained material language, the project aims to integrate new development into the edge of Bushey while responding carefully to its historic and environmental context,’ the statement added.
Half of the homes are planned to be designated ‘affordable’.
Design sketch of Dowen Farmer’s proposed Merry Hill development in Bushey
Project Data
Project name Merry Hill – Land at Whomsoever Lane
Lead architect Dowen Farmer Architects
Client Acre
Location Bushey, Hertfordshire
Local authority Hertsmere Borough Council
Function Residential
Planning consultant HGH
Transport consultant EAS
Eco consultants Ecology Solutions
Sustainability Two Eighty
Heritage HCUK
Landscape Cornus
Gross site area 2.018 Ha
Dowen Farmer’s proposed Merry Hill development in Bushey