Place-making ethos is absolutely central to everything we do at Ashfield Partnership, defining how our new build developments progress – from the very first meeting around the boardroom table, until the final brick is laid.
We believe that our new build developments should slot seamlessly into the surrounding community, so that residents in the area, whether old or new, agree that we have added value to their hometowns and villages.
This means recognising research conducted in recent years that overwhelmingly points to people being happier when ‘connected’ to nature – whether that is through spending lots of time on walks in AONBs (areas of outstanding natural beauty), or just having a beautiful cured garden with lots of birds and flowers.
Lots of people discovered this for themselves during the lockdowns of the last 18 months, with wide open spaces in nature proving the saving grace for many.
The ‘quality’ of nature also has a huge impact – although the gains remain the same whether you are talking about installing trees on a bustling London street, or in more rural areas, actively working with local ecosystems to enable them to flourish.
Read on to find out more about why nature is so important to our place-making process.
Enabling Sustainable Living Practices
Thinking about the future and keeping our sustainable ethos in mind, our new build projects enable our residents to make as much nutritional use of their local surroundings as possible, reducing their overall consumption of packaged and produced goods.
This includes practices such as installing water buts to collect rainwater, and ensuring that composting is accessible and easy – this goes perfectly hand in hand with seeking to empower residents to grow and harvest their own produce.
Engaging in gardening and horticulture is clinically proven to reduce stress, anxiety and boost self-esteem, making it an extremely valuable cause for us. We seek to build the best possible communities for our clients and it further reinforces residential ties with local ecology and wildlife.
Fostering the location
Each build starts with a carefully chosen location that fits with our mission, which is to encompass the local wildlife and ecology as much as possible, as well as being useful to the local community.
Every project is bespoke and carefully designed to ensure minimum impact on the life in and around the site, taking great care and consideration to maintain habitats that could potentially be impacted – and even fostering the local ecology to create a hub for wildlife that attracts more species and allows them to thrive.
For example, we have worked extensively with the RSPB to optimise our developments for the thriving of avian species.
We want our developments to represent the very best of an area, which we show in the building materials used and the architectural design of the buildings – but the wildlife is an equally, if not more important aspect that will ensure residents feel at home from the moment they arrive.
Find out more about our place-making ethos, or enquire about our range of developments and homes.
At Ashfield Partnership, we care deeply about how our developments impact the existing communities and ecology, and we are driven to deepen the connection between nature and happy, sustainable living.
If this appeals to you, why not complete the contact form on our website – a member of our friendly team will get back to you as soon as possible.
