Building of prototype homes at £400m development to begin

Property development firm CEG is to begin building two prototype homes at its £400m flagship Kirkstall Forge development in Leeds this week.

Construction on the two prototype houses will complete in the summer, when members of the design team will stay in the fully furnished three and five-bed homes. Following feedback, improvements will be made before construction begins on the first phase of 112 contemporary homes.

Aisling Ramshaw, head of sales and marketing – Kirkstall Forge, said: “These prototypes are important as they will help to ensure every detail of the design has been considered and tested. How many times do you walk into a home and think why has the architect put that there? Often what looks great on plan can be very different in terms of the practical use of a space. By living in these homes our team will put all aspects of the design thinking to the test.”

CEG has developed the 110,000 sq ft office development on the site already, which is the oldest continually industrialised site in the UK. At 57-acres, it is one of the largest brownfield sites under development in the north.

Its 800-year industrial heritage is paving the way for a thriving mixed-use community set in a wooded riverside valley. Ultimately the site will deliver 1,050 new homes, 300,000 sq ft of offices and 100,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and community space.

James Shimwell, head of residential development at Kirkstall Forge, said: “This innovative way of delivering prototype housing follows the attention to detail we paid to the new railway station and the award-winning first office development.  Kirkstall Forge is designed to bring to life a connected community for business, residents and visitors. FCBStudios has captured that with an inspiring design that maximises the acres of green space and waterfront opportunity.”

Keith Bradley, Partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, said: “We are delivering a whole new neighbourhood with reference to the likes of Saltaire, which historically provided a place to live, work and enjoy. This reference to the best of the past is combined with a contemporary vision for a 21st century neighbourhood making this new settlement both authentic and progressive.”