Our brief

There is a shortfall of essential housing in village settings, critical to enable the village infrastructure to thrive. Generally, individuals and families must move away from their existing community networks when either moving to a larger family home or downsizing. Our design provides a solution to a national problem to develop in a highly constrained and challenging open landscape.We are designing our houses to be eco-friendly and sustainable, while focusing on a harmonious integration within nature.

Our Site - A Rural Exception Sites

• Location:

  They are located on the periphery of villages and towns, bordering the countryside. 

• Purpose:

  To provide affordable housing to meet the specific needs of the local community, helping to sustain rural communities. 

• Planning Policy:

  They are outside the usual development plans and do not set precedents for expanding village boundaries. 

• Housing Types:

  Any form of affordable housing can be delivered, such as affordable rent, social rent, or intermediate options like first-time buyer homes. 

• Land Value:

  The intention is to provide the land at a lower cost, allowing the affordable housing to be built

Our solution

These buildings are affordable housing.  Dandelion Seeds recognised the need to build affordable housing which allows young people to get on the property ladder, and for the elderly to stay in neighbourhoods near their families. As well as supporting the younger generation, Intergenerational housing has been shown to improve the health of older adults. The objective was to build a neighbourhood where individuals could live throughout their whole lives and would suit their needs at every stage

Why They Are Important 

• Addressing Housing Need:

  They offer a way to build essential housing for people with local ties who can't otherwise afford to live in the community.

• Community Sustainability:

  By keeping younger people and families in rural areas, they help to support the long-term viability of rural communities.

• Land Use Flexibility:

  They unlock land that would typically be constrained by local planning policies, allowing for a flexible approach to affordable housing delivery.

Our designs are Net Zero and generate more energy than they use.

Our aim is to build high quality affordable housing which integrates technology and contemporary designs and, crucially, de-carbonises construction. In order to build houses – homes of the future – we adopt modern methods of off-site construction. Our designs are Net Zero and generate more energy than they use.

For more information about our project contact us at info@dseeds.co.uk.