Working alongside TP Bennett Architects and Balfour Beatty, our landscape masterplan for a student village at the University of Sussex, has been approved. The site which extends to 8.18 hectares is located at the Falmer Campus, Brighton. The East Slope sits within a strong natural landscape created by the dry valley floor, wooded slopes and the whale back humps of the South Downs.

Opening up the views in this location is the central element to the design, bringing natural beauty into the heart of the village, whilst keeping a strong sense of place and identity that the site currently holds. Inspired by Spence’s original design principles, the plan deals with the challenges of the sloping site by retaining the orientation and forms of the East Slope, to create a series of contours and north/south terraces.

The proposed landscape uses natural elements such as sweeping belts of trees, open areas of grass lawns and mounds. Also included is a new student union, resident hubs within the terraced student housing, car parking and open space areas.

Image 1, 3 and background image courtesy of TP Bennett.