Nansledan wins award for affordable housing design

Nansledan is the Duchy of Cornwall’s follow-up to the world-renowned Poundbury, a mixed-use, walkable community that’s an urban extension of Newquay, a historic port. It was planned and launched under leadership of Prince Charles (now King Charles), who owned the Duchy before being crowned King. (The Duchy now belongs to Prince William). 

The 504-acre project is almost a quarter built, including 30 percent affordable housing mixed with market-rate housing in such a way that makes it hard to tell the difference between the two.

“This innovative development seamlessly integrates much-needed affordable housing alongside market-rate residences in the familiar form of a remarkable traditional town,” explains Eric Osth, Board Member of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), based in New York City. ICAA recognized Nansledan with its fourth annual Gindroz Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing. It honors long-time urbanist and affordable housing architect Ray Gindroz. Nansledan was selected by the panel for its “deep commitment to providing affordable housing while placing people and environmental impact at the center of the design process.”

The award focuses on design, and the affordable housing in Nansledan gets the same level of design attention as the non-subsidized units, Osth explains. Hugh Petter, a design director for ADAM Architecture, is master planner for the community.

Notably, Newquay is a seaside resort dubbed the British capital of surfing. Nansledan initially attracted the nickname Surfbury, a combination of surfing and Poundbury. Building affordable housing in a resort setting is particularly challenging. 

This is the first year that the award was given to a community outside of the US. The mechanisms to build affordable housing are far different in the UK, Osth explains, nevertheless the jury believes that the Cornwall development represents a model for the US due to its integration of types of housing and the overall excellence of design. Nansledan is not nearly as well-known in the US as Poundbury, but maybe the Cornwall project should be better known, especially among urbanists and architects.  

In January, the Duchy reported that 827 dwellings had been built out of 3,700. “The fast-growing community includes around 40 businesses, a primary school, nursery school, skate track, playing fields and almost 300 acres of green outdoor space to promote health, wellbeing and biodiversity.” A supermarket is in the works.

Nansledan’s affordable homes range from apartments to family houses, spread throughout the development, reflecting local vernacular, according to Sam Kirkness, development manager for the Duchy of Cornwall. The vernacular is that of a 19th Century seaport town, and the first resort hotels also date from the latter part of the 1800s.

ICAA will host a symposium on affordable housing featuring the Gindroz Award winners to date, including Nanseldan.