This new neighbourhood, designed with local homes and job creation in mind, will take influence from and complement the existing fabric, culture and economy of Lewes
Once home to John Every’s Ironworks and later a centre of creativity and nightlife, the Phoenix Industrial Estate has played a crucial role in the history of Lewes. But over the last two decades, as the result of flooding, fire and uncertainty over its future, the site has fallen into disrepair, becoming increasingly disconnected from the town.
With this new development we hope to bring life back to the Phoenix. By providing high-quality homes, workspace, performance space, a new health centre and beautiful, green public spaces, we intend to return it to a lively and important part of the town. We have no intention to build an isolated suburb – instead the Phoenix must stitch into and connect to Lewes, taking influence from its existing architecture, economy and its history of independence and freethinking.
A Design Code has been written and submitted with our planning application. It will control the overall character and appearance of the development to deliver consistency and coherence as each ‘parcel’ of the site is brought forward (see how the Phoenix will be built here). This work has been done with the advice of planners and architects from Lewes who know the town better than anyone. It identifies a series of ‘golden threads’, which will create a visual connection to the town – from its famous roofscape to its creative use of materials, patterns and collage – in ways that can be translated to a new kind of neighbourhood fit for the 21st century.
It will do this while bringing much that is new to the town. To make best use of this precious brownfield site, and to build in a way that is viable, environmentally sustainable and promotes shared living, the Phoenix will feature mostly courtyard apartment housing. This means creating new types of homes for the town, taking influence from the most beautiful apartment blocks in UK and Europe, while ensuring they respond to and weave into the surrounding areas.
We’ll be working with some of the best architects in the country to create a place that is not only beautiful, but challenges the current development model in the UK. As we have written here, this way of building will house a wide mix of people in a way that responds to the town’s housing need (including 210 genuinely affordable homes targeted at people from Lewes). The Phoenix has also been designed in a way to ensure that investment leads to local job creation, while providing training and educational opportunities for young people, working with East Sussex College. The economic model for the development is aligned with the District Council’s strategy of Community Wealth Building with the work spaces and jobs being targeted at local businesses, attracting local investment and capturing additional spending of £3.9M per year in the town.
The development is expected to generate 381 jobs, of which 173 will be new jobs in the local economy including 139 new jobs on the Phoenix. It is estimated that 525 people will be employed during the construction phase, of which 173 will be new jobs. Apprentices will be trained on site in modern methods of construction through our emerging partnership with East Sussex College – one of a number of ways the Phoenix will benefit young people. As a Lewes business, Human Nature is embedded in the local community and will seek to collaborate with local people, businesses and regenerative farms providing food for the community canteen on the site. With retail space limited to no more than 750 square metres, the Phoenix will not compete with Lewes High Street – and residents will be just a few minutes’ walk from the top of School Hill.
FInally, the neighbourhood will connect with the rest of Lewes through new pedestrian, wheeling and cycle routes, coming off the Phoenix Causeway, breaking down the barrier presented by the existing road and at the same time minimising traffic. A new river walk will open up the Ouse to Lewes and span the full length of the site, connecting to a raised garden, the Belvedere, in the centre.The river walkway will connect all the way from Willeys Bridge to the Phoenix Causeway, and will ultimately allow a walking connection by the river to the Cliffe.
The Belvedere will lead down to the Foundry Yards, a public square built around two repurposed industrial structures, housing a low-cost community canteen, taproom and creative makers’ workshops and studios, continuing Lewes’ reputation as a brewers’ town and reflecting the site’s creative history. The new Thomas Paine footbridge – built from upcycled steel from the site – will connect the neighbourhood to Malling and the retail park, creating a new connection to and from the town. In these ways, the Phoenix will be a neighbourhood that is fully integrated into the town that everyone can enjoy and benefit from, not just those who live here.
(Credit: Human Nature with Periscope / Carols Penelaver)
This new neighbourhood, designed with local homes and job creation in mind, will take influence from and complement the existing fabric, culture and economy of Lewes
Once home to John Every’s Ironworks and later a centre of creativity and nightlife, the Phoenix Industrial Estate has played a crucial role in the history of Lewes. But over the last two decades, as the result of flooding, fire and uncertainty over its future, the site has fallen into disrepair, becoming increasingly disconnected from the town.
With this new development we hope to bring life back to the Phoenix. By providing high-quality homes, workspace, performance space, a new health centre and beautiful, green public spaces, we intend to return it to a lively and important part of the town. We have no intention to build an isolated suburb – instead the Phoenix must stitch into and connect to Lewes, taking influence from its existing architecture, economy and its history of independence and freethinking.
A Design Code has been written and submitted with our planning application. It will control the overall character and appearance of the development to deliver consistency and coherence as each ‘parcel’ of the site is brought forward (see how the Phoenix will be built here). This work has been done with the advice of planners and architects from Lewes who know the town better than anyone. It identifies a series of ‘golden threads’, which will create a visual connection to the town – from its famous roofscape to its creative use of materials, patterns and collage – in ways that can be translated to a new kind of neighbourhood fit for the 21st century.
It will do this while bringing much that is new to the town. To make best use of this precious brownfield site, and to build in a way that is viable, environmentally sustainable and promotes shared living, the Phoenix will feature mostly courtyard apartment housing. This means creating new types of homes for the town, taking influence from the most beautiful apartment blocks in UK and Europe, while ensuring they respond to and weave into the surrounding areas.
We’ll be working with some of the best architects in the country to create a place that is not only beautiful, but challenges the current development model in the UK. As we have written here, this way of building will house a wide mix of people in a way that responds to the town’s housing need (including 210 genuinely affordable homes targeted at people from Lewes). The Phoenix has also been designed in a way to ensure that investment leads to local job creation, while providing training and educational opportunities for young people, working with East Sussex College. The economic model for the development is aligned with the District Council’s strategy of Community Wealth Building with the work spaces and jobs being targeted at local businesses, attracting local investment and capturing additional spending of £3.9M per year in the town.
The development is expected to generate 381 jobs, of which 173 will be new jobs in the local economy including 139 new jobs on the Phoenix. It is estimated that 525 people will be employed during the construction phase, of which 173 will be new jobs. Apprentices will be trained on site in modern methods of construction through our emerging partnership with East Sussex College – one of a number of ways the Phoenix will benefit young people. As a Lewes business, Human Nature is embedded in the local community and will seek to collaborate with local people, businesses and regenerative farms providing food for the community canteen on the site. With retail space limited to no more than 750 square metres, the Phoenix will not compete with Lewes High Street – and residents will be just a few minutes’ walk from the top of School Hill.
FInally, the neighbourhood will connect with the rest of Lewes through new pedestrian, wheeling and cycle routes, coming off the Phoenix Causeway, breaking down the barrier presented by the existing road and at the same time minimising traffic. A new river walk will open up the Ouse to Lewes and span the full length of the site, connecting to a raised garden, the Belvedere, in the centre.The river walkway will connect all the way from Willeys Bridge to the Phoenix Causeway, and will ultimately allow a walking connection by the river to the Cliffe.
The Belvedere will lead down to the Foundry Yards, a public square built around two repurposed industrial structures, housing a low-cost community canteen, taproom and creative makers’ workshops and studios, continuing Lewes’ reputation as a brewers’ town and reflecting the site’s creative history. The new Thomas Paine footbridge – built from upcycled steel from the site – will connect the neighbourhood to Malling and the retail park, creating a new connection to and from the town. In these ways, the Phoenix will be a neighbourhood that is fully integrated into the town that everyone can enjoy and benefit from, not just those who live here.
(Credit: Human Nature with Periscope / Carols Penelaver)