Construction of an independent living development comprising 80 1-and 2-bed apartments and 24 bungalows available for sale in Oxenholme, 1.5 miles from the Lake District National Park.
Designed to provide fully accessible facilities for both residents and visitors, Castlestead View provides independent living for people over the age of 65.
Our Approach
Portland commenced liaison with the Architect at an early stage when reviewing the layout. The proposed site for Castlestead View posed a few technical challenges which needed to be faced by the design team in a collaborative manner..
The topography of the site fell steeply from the existing road down to the main west coast railway line. After several iterations a level scheme was optimized so the bungalows of the main site were stepped down the slope of the site with retention provided to most plot gables so that the height of the retention was minimised.
Where this solution could not be achieved a portion of the site was levelled and a high crib wall was utilised. The main apartment block was designed with a split ground floor to reduce cut and fill on site and reduce strain on the budget.
The ground conditions posed a challenge with a mixture of sand and limestone rock covering the entire site, with there being a possibility of caves being present within the limestone.
Through close involvement with the Geotechnical Engineer, Portland was involved in preparing site investigations to explore how these prospective caves might impact upon the proposed works
Ultimately no caves were found, however due cognizance of the shallow rock was required and drainage & foundations were designed to be shallow to minimise excavating in the rock.
