Shelley Close

Shelley Close is a new-build, landscape-led infill development in Chipping Ongar for Epping Forest District Council. The scheme replaces deteriorating garage courts and fragmented open space with twenty-six Passivhaus-certified affordable homes and three commercial units, supported by a carefully considered landscape and parking strategy. The housing mix includes one- and two-bedroom apartments alongside family houses, providing much-needed affordable accommodation for the community.

The project is driven by placemaking and the belief that well-designed outdoor spaces foster stronger communities. Working in close collaboration with OHLA Landscape Architects, the design creates a new tree-lined street along an east–west axis that connects Shelley Close directly into Shelley Park. This spine stitches the neighbourhood together and is punctuated with a series of characterful breakout spaces: a central green for informal play, meadowland planting that supports biodiversity, and outdoor community areas designed for gathering and events. These distinct pockets provide variety and identity while encouraging face-to-face interaction and improving natural surveillance.

The masterplan carefully balances density with quality of space. Building massing has been placed around the new public areas to animate them and increase safety, while landscaped boundaries and surface treatments soften the overall scale. Parking, a key concern raised during consultation, is fully integrated within the landscape strategy to ensure it does not dominate or undermine the character of the place. The result is an environment that feels safe, welcoming and connected.

The design of the buildings themselves has been guided by context, proportion and materiality. Apartment blocks A and B rise to three storeys, reflecting the scale of existing estate buildings, while a terrace of two-storey houses replaces former garages to blend with surrounding dwellings. Rooflines, footprints and separation distances have been carefully considered to respect rights to light and privacy. Material choices strengthen the architectural character: robust red mixed brick provides continuity with neighbouring homes, complemented by brown standing-seam cladding that echoes local roof vernacular. Powder-coated metal details unify windows, doors and balconies, and perforated mesh panels with printed tree motifs provide shading and privacy while referencing the landscape of Epping Forest.

ECD Architects acted as lead consultant, coordinating the multidisciplinary team and developing the scheme through early RIBA stages using BIM workflows. Alongside the landscape-led approach, sustainability is embedded through Passivhaus design, cutting carbon emissions by 84% compared with Building Regulations. By uniting architecture, landscape and sustainability, Shelley Close transforms a neglected estate corner into a vibrant, resilient and socially connected neighbourhood that sets a benchmark for estate regeneration.