Since the release of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission report, ‘Living with beauty’, the concept of placemaking has been in the limelight for residential developments. Whether it’s tree-lined streets, accessible and well-maintained parks and open spaces, or areas that facilitate safe recreational activities, placemaking transforms a residential development into a community.
Placemaking demands the reimagination and reinvention of public spaces to become the heart of every community. Furthermore, placemaking strategies and projects are understood to be important contributors toward improving a community’s health and wellbeing.
H+H has supported the concept of placemaking for a long time, with developments such as Cameron Close, which was designed to Passivhaus standards while ensuring that no views were obscured by the houses built. Similarly, Derwenthorpe was developed to create a sustainable and vibrant community where nature and community thrive alongside one another.
In fact, we believe that effective placemaking doesn’t just begin at the point of design, it starts in conjunction with materials manufacturing. The whole supply chain involved in developing communities is required to build authentic, impactful, and valuable places.
As exampled in our extensive history in sustainable manufacturing, H+H maintains a commitment to improving the livelihood of our employees and the environmental performance of our products.
Anna Williamson, Sustainability Manager for H+H UK, elaborates on why placemaking is considered to be an important concept by the company: “As a process, placemaking requires the creation of quality homes and places as a building, a location or space that possesses a strong sense of place.
Such places are attractive spaces to inhabit and delivering multiple housing options is central to successful placemaking, to grow communities that are safe, connected, welcoming, accessible and comfortable.
H+H is honored to continue to be a strategic partner in shaping the physical and social character of neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and regions.”
Constructing developments is simply not enough – we need to build sustainable communities that residents can be proud of – with sufficient spaces for recreation, access to amenities and connect with nature.
As a Company, we understand that corporate social responsibility is an essential component of our sustainable goals, and endorsing placemaking principles goes a long way in demonstrating this.