Creating Quality Places

Collaboration and good design are key to creating quality places, and this remains at the very heart of what we do

Stephen Stone, Chief Executive

Our mission is to enhance people's quality of life by providing better places to live. Quality of life is in part determined by the space in which we live, work and play. The physical fabric of our environment can have a big influence, and well designed buildings and the spaces around them help to support and inspire healthy and happy lives.

This year One Brighton, our One Planet Living joint venture with BioRegional Quintain, welcomed its first residents, and was named winner of the 2009 Sustainable Communities Award by the Royal Town Planning Institute.

We were also delighted to achieve two further 'Building for Life' (BfL) Gold Standard and awards from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) for our schemes at ICON and Admiralty Quarter. Crest Nicholson has now achieved a total of six developments worthy of this coveted gold standard, and we will continue to ensure that high aspirations encapsulated in the BfL criteria remain part of our core planning and design processes.

What does a sustainable community mean to us?

There is much debate around what makes a sustainable community. Many complex and sometimes conflicting issues must be carefully balanced in order to create a truly sustainable community. At Crest Nicholson we believe it must be focussed around the following core elements:

• Design – developing a shared vision which engenders pride, with long-term value creation at its heart.
• Tenure – balancing the right mix of housing tenure to create cohesive neighbourhoods
• Quality of delivery – efficient and quality construction which positively impacts on the local area
• Access to jobs and services – providing local employment during the construction phase and creating long-term opportunities through integration of commercial space.
• Long-term stewardship – putting appropriate management structures in place

There will always be tensions between cost and value but these five elements remain core to our vision. At each stage of development our teams work with expert partners, constantly challenging and innovating to create viable and sustainable solutions.

With a rapidly changing regulatory landscape and a myriad of standards to meet we must be clear on our goal and remain focussed on good quality design and delivery. To help shape our approach, we are working in partnership with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and their Building for Life standard to optimise our design process, building upon our existing skills to develop leading practices in urban design and public space.

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Community consultation

Design and innovation

Responsible Procurement

Sustainable construction

Long-term Stewardship