Upton, Northampton

Along the western side of Northampton, lies a fairly new and intricate housing development. Upton extends over 6 hectares, and comprises more than 1000 homes within it.

Some of our class when on an exploring trip to this site, in the means of establishing a design code that we think best describes this area.

What is evident right from the start is the spirit of development that surrounds the place. There is a definite boundary between the city and Upton. There is no functional central area of the site, and everything looks as if it is a residential village from Germany: all one can see is houses in both directions, and all of them are of different architectural styles.

We arrived to a circular park that seem to determine one of Upton’s landmarks. Even though it was intended for children to use, the area was actually quite dull, with not much action going on.

The SUDS running through the site were obvious at this point, and they seemed to mingle in the landscape in a very natural sequence.

Moving along, we came to the passive-house area of the site. The visibility range and allowance of the southern facades were a bit strange to perceive, especially when you had the owners looking back from them at you. Apparently, there are a number of complaints that have been raised about the technology comprised in these homes as well, so the practicality of the system seems to have a few gaps here and there.

Moving further away on the time axis, we arrived to one of the newest built homes, on one of the margins of the development area. The mixture in materials is something to make note of. The way the architects have combined classical building materials, such as brick and timber, with some of the fairly new ones, like concrete and glass is especially attractive.

One of the most positive aspects about the side is the allocation of proper parking space, and driving and walking areas. In some areas, the pavement creates a seamless carpet that bind the routed of pedestrians and vehicles together. In this way, attention is maximised, and traffic is under control.

The natural boundaries to the side are a pleasure to look upon, and some of the houses really take that advantage, and further maximise it to its full potential.

I must say, for a development as large as Upton, I would have expected a better handling of the affordable housing departments, which seems to look and function the same as any other housing as such in Northampton itself. The obvious step forward in design is not met in this aspect, in this situation.

All in all, it was a pleasure, and a place that I would like to return to in a number of years, to be further surprised by the evident passing of time.