Priddy’s Hard

A sensitively designed residential project by John Pardey Architects breathes new life into a former ordnance depot in Hampshire

Photos
Richard Chivers

Designed by John Pardey Architects for developer Elite Homes, Priddy’s Yard is a £2.7m residential development located on a former Royal Navy armaments facility in Gosport, Hampshire. The site, which is set within the Priddy’s Hard Conservation Area, features grade-two listed masonry structures or ‘traverses’ that once formed blast walls to shell filling sheds. Six of the new-build houses are set within the bays of the traverses, with a further three dwellings occupying the site of nearby former sheds. Intended to ‘float’ within the red brick bays, the three-storey houses are raised up on columns to provide car parking spaces and an entrance hall on the ground floor. The first floor is given over to living accommodation and incorporates a terrace facing a nearby lake. Bedrooms are situated on the second floor.

The houses are clad in dark grey profiled metal sheets, hinting at both former sheds and naval architecture. A fabric first approach married with air source heat pumps, waste water purification and onsite sewage treatment ensures high levels of sustainability. Working in conjunction with Natural England, the project team developed the site’s ecology, ensuring plant and wildlife continue to flourish amid the new buildings.

Ground, first and second-floor plans

During construction, much of the work was carried out off-site at nearby factories. This minimised onsite working hours and reduced the need for heavy industrialised machinery. Where possible, locally-sourced materials were specified, with local contractors carrying out the work.

The success of the scheme has provided a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Priddy’s Hard, with phase-one now approved. Comprising 30 new-build houses, the £11m programme will start to transform the derelict naval armaments depot into a thriving residential and tourist hub. Masterplanned by JPA and Elite Homes, the second phase will provide a further 28 houses and 60 apartments in two landmark buildings overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. The refurbishment of six grade-two listed buildings will result in a further 18 residential apartments.