The proposed masterplan for The Folds implements the following key design principles:

Movement Hierarchy
The Folds is organised as a framework of interconnected typologies, structured around two central tree lined drives running north-to-south, that connect to a network of smaller mews streets and pedestrian/cycle greenways running east-to-west, all prioritising connectivity and walkability.

Density & Building Heights
Denser. taller apartment blocks are primarily located in the south of the parcel, closer to the proposed local centre and public transport connections. Lower density housing is located in the north of the parcel to give a softer edge and help transition to the countryside/woodland.

Placemaking
Key nodes and vistas are marked by squares or plazas and distinctive building facades.

These design principles are underpinned by a series of Character Areas around which the masterplan is organised: Arrival Plazas and Central Drives, Mews Streets, Woodland Edge, Central Greenway.

The landscape is designed to fully integrate into the Character Areas to provide high-quality public open spaces and a coherent and legible urban realm.

The architecture of The Folds is contemporary yet contextual, employing a robust and restrained material palette that draws from the local vernacular while responding to the semi-rural setting of the site. The design seeks to balance consistency and variety, creating a neighbourhood that feels cohesive, wellcrafted, and rooted in place.

The primary material palette comprises light buff brick with soft green-beige accents, whilst variety in the streetscape is provided by soft red brick and dark vertical boarding.

Apartment blocks utilise a strong rusticated plinth and cantilevered balconies to create a simple, yet attractive and contemporary aesthetic.

Houses employ pitched roofs and accents in striped brick and coloured vertical boarding to provide visual interest at a smaller, domestic scale.

3-storey townhouses provide a transition between the 4-storey apartment blocks and 2-storey houses, whilst bespoke 3-storey maisonette blocks blend the language of the two typologies to provide continuity in the streetscape.