Managed Homes - Truro

Lemon Gardens is a miniature estate in the heart of Truro, built by Blue Cedar Homes. It is managed accommodation, for residents over a certain age, and is designed with comfort and adaptability in mind. Blue Cedar asked us to create a place with a community feel and a communal garden area, maximising the number of dwellings without feeling crowded. The result has the feeling of a mews, with seven houses and a bungalow.

Designing properties for the retired market is an interesting challenge, in that futureproofing needs to be central to the design, but the potential residents will not wish to be confronted with the paraphernalia of adapted living at first sight. Therefore all the properties have wider doorways, and stronger ceiling joists than standard, to allow for wheelchair access and hoists in the future. The possibility to create walk-in bathrooms and downstairs bedrooms is also built in, but not explicitly laid out initially.

The site itself was hard to access, down a hidden lane, and surrounded by trees, so construction was a challenge, and we worked hard to retain good relations with neighbours. CSA worked with a team including a landscape architect to achieve the finished result, and Blue Cedar is delighted with this secluded community development in the heart of Truro, perfect for their target market.