Europan 8: Oldham

Runners up

Oldham Zipper

Team members

• Sabine Engelhardt, architect
• Heidi Sokolowsky, architect
• Dirk Bonnkirch, Architect

The project

Oldham Zipper is an interpretation of the masterplan prepared by URBED, introducing a series of building clusters grouped around a new square and a linear park. A network of green spaces connects the competition area with Werneth Park to the north east and Hartford Mill to the north west. The new public spaces are located at the ‘seam’ between the existing and proposed communities. The project proposes a new square and a linear park at the seam of the two areas, which stitches, or ‘zips’, the community together.

The architecture is typified by courtyard houses with each offering a variety of types of private space, from sheltered gardens, through louvered terraces to semi-public yards shared by a number of homes. The yards offer safe places for children to play or women to gather, while the needs of large families and Islamic customs are considered by having a combined kitchen/dining area and separate living rooms which allows two groups to socialise separately. Flexible and adaptable layouts are suggested, which respond to changing needs and can be split into independent units or offer space for home businesses.

Jury comments

The jury applauded how this scheme linked the site with the surroundings, both on the scale of the urban block and wider planning context. It felt that the design of the block should be singled out for praise, as it proved to be very inventive in creating a dense development that sensitively handled public and private space with many houses arranged around a courtyard.

The references to Islamic/Middle Eastern architecture continue with the house layouts and are nicely composed, separating living and dining spaces to allow different activities to be carried out within the household.