Brownley Road

As architects on this project, we worked closely with specialist learning disability teams to create an innovative scheme of supported living bungalows and flats to integrate with the surrounding community.

In a predominantly residential area, Brownley Road is on a main route through the locality providing essential transport links and easy access to public services. This feature of the site was important as it was essential for the residents to feel part of the wider community. The principal of the scheme was that it retained a residential scale and appearance to fit within the site's existing context.

Manchester Social Services defined a need for two four-bedroomed ground floor dwellings which are staffed 24 hours a day. Associated to each dwelling are two first floor flats for single people with learning difficulties (not wheelchair users) who will benefit from an element of support from the staff. The users of the ground floor are wheelchair users with learning difficulties. The philosophy of BTP's design was to ensure that the needs of people with impairments were considered as an integral part of the development process.