Atmos Totnes is the first project to be led by Totnes Community Development Society (TCDS), a Charitable Community Benefit Society committed to pioneering community led development in a way rooted in local economies. Atmos is led by an exemplary and highly innovative community consultation process, which seeks to develop the old Diary Crest Site in Totnes.
AK Architects worked alongside the Community of Totnes, under the innovative leadership and management of TCDS, to develop a 3.2 Hectare masterplan for the Atmos Totnes brownfield site as a highly sustainable, exemplar, vibrant mixed use development to form ‘the heart of a new economy’ for Totnes. These designs now form part of the Made Community Right to Build Order held by the Society – one of the first successful planning applications of this kind in England.
The resulting masterplan is for mixed use community facilities, workspaces, 99 residential units, and a community owned hotel. The whole site will be powered by a community owned energy centre, which ties in with an existing Hydro (Archimedes screw) Electric turbine in the adjacent river Dart. A pedestrian priority landscaping scheme binds the uses together with communal spaces and nodes around the site connecting the users to the site, and wider natural riverside and urban context. The progressive travel plan involves connection to public transport and a 50 car, electric car share plan.
All buildings are to meet exemplar standards of energy efficiency resulting in very low heat demand to run the buildings, all of which will be met by renewable technologies generated on site.
The name Atmos Totnes comes from Brunel’s Atmospheric railway and the Grade 2 listed Pumping Station heritage building, which forms part of the scheme, as well as the communities desire for a low (atmospheric) carbon development.
The relevant consultants information, Design and Access Statement and Sustainability and Energy Strategy, ultimately sets out a series of Design and Sustainability Codes and exemplars for the development of the site to include the following buildings and uses:
- Community Linked Housing. i.e.; Affordable housing through self build procurement opportunities. 62 Units across 4 ‘House types’.
- Community Hub / Flexible Community Function Space
- Hotel / hostel
- Business Incubation / Cottage Industry Workshops
- Live / Work
- Local Store / Grocery
- Health and Wellbeing Centre
- Sustainable Transport Plan
- Local Food Initiatives / School for Food Entrepreneurs / Local Brewery
- Cafes / Bar / Restaurant Spaces and opportunities
- Youth Activity Building and Associated Spaces
- Retirement Housing. 37 Units
- Flexible Public Space / meanwhile use.