The Orwell Project is a stunning two-house sustainable development in the centre of the peaceful and picturesque village of Orwell, in south Cambridgeshire
Originally listed in the Doomsday Book of 1086, the village grew up around an ancient well and takes its name from the Old English words “Ord Wella” which means “spring by a pointed hill”. Situated in a conservation area, the village has a typically historic English rural look.
A sustainable development
In 2023, Paul & Page, a developer with a passion for sustainable design, gained planning permission to redevelop a poorly maintained site on the main High Street, which had once been a butcher’s shop, then a St Bernard’s dog breeding yard.
Several dilapidated extensions and outbuildings were demolished before Paul & Page began converting and extending the remaining main building to create two new luxury homes, with driveway, parking, and landscaped gardens.
“We wanted to create beautiful, high-performing and energy efficient homes, which would have minimal impact on the environment whilst blending in perfectly with the surrounding houses in the conservation area,” said Nathan Page, Site Manager from Paul & Page.
“Our approach, as with all of our developments, was based on quality design, quality materials and an almost obsessive attention to detail!”
Traditional windows
As conservation and planning officers required sympathetic materials including traditional rendering and windows, Paul & Page specified timber casement windows with slim astragal bars from Allan Brothers. These were painted in a Portland Stone colour from Little Greene.
“We were already aware of Allan Brothers through their senior account manager David Scraggs, who we’d worked with in the past,” said Nathan.
“The traditional craftsmanship and thermal efficiency of the wood windows was just what we were looking for and the customer care was exemplary with David showing us product samples, measuring up and guiding us right the way through the ordering process. We were more than happy with the products and service provided.”
The perfect combination
The Orwell project is an excellent example of sympathetic and futureproofed sustainable design which blends into the village environment and almost looks as though it has always been there!