A decade of progress at Mulberry Park

We recently returned to Mulberry Park to view progress of our masterplan to the south of the historic city of Bath, as part of our commitment to post occupancy evaluation and the process of learning from the places we design. It was also a fantastic opportunity to celebrate a decade of work with our client Curo, local residents and the previous Mayor of Bath, Cllr. Rob Appleyard. 

The masterplan was designed through engagement with residents of the nearby Foxhill estate and when complete will deliver some 700 homes within which HTA’s first phase of 278 homes is maturing very nicely indeed. Arrival is by a formal avenue with rows of townhouses built in Bath stone echoing the city’s Georgian heritage. The semi-mature trees were a great investment as they reinforce the sense of timelessness. 

Although it is high density for a suburban setting, at over 50 dwellings per hectare, more than 70% of the homes are family houses. This is achieved through a tight street network, bespoke housetype designs, and the skillful integration of parking for each home. Building materials are generally aging well, and some of the homes are already adapting to meet changing needs of residents with loft extension and PVs added to rooftops. 

Another huge success is the new school and community centre, designed by BDP, which we located at the centre of the masterplan. This provides a true heart to the community and on this sunny weekday afternoon, was bustling with residents reading, drinking coffee and working on laptops, aided by the regular arrival of buses on a newly established route connecting to the city centre. 

Great credit goes to Curo for the faithfully delivery of the masterplan and maintaining high quality standards throughout. We can’t wait to see the park mature at the end of the avenue, and the rest of the masterplan complete.