The Gables is a high quality, contemporary and sustainably designed housing scheme with each of the 97 stylish homes designed with a range of customers in mind and to provide flexible, open plan living spaces that are light and airy. The development offers an attractive, affordable alternative to town centre apartment living. The scheme was developed from a winning competition entry that maintained the existing urban grain of the neighbouring streets with desire lines along which public routes were created. Within this framework, houses are arranged in an interlocking pattern with courtyard gardens to either the side or rear of properties. This creates a strong pattern of ‘solid and void’ on plan and elevation with a more interactive relationship between private and public space.

The elevations are designed with familiar domestic forms such as gables presented in a contemporary way through the use of projecting bay windows, contrasting brickwork and recessed render. Three storey properties are positioned at key points to act as bookends or markers. Three contrasting bricks have been used; the red brick is used predominantly on Chequer Road to complement the existing terraced houses with buff brick used on College Road adjacent to the concrete civic buildings. The pattern of bricks is more varied within the development where the plan is less regimented and the blue brick can act as an accent to the more traditional brick colours. The architecture is complimented by a high quality landscaping scheme. A simple palette of materials has been used, that is robust, easy to maintain and is informed by the first phase of the Civic and Cultural Quarter development.