I went on a road trip to the East of England last week to take a look at some housing schemes I’d wanted to see for some time. Spending downtime wandering around schemes outside of London felt as much a luxury as a busman’s holiday. I learnt a lot.

In Southwold we went to see Ash Sakula’s scheme at Tibby’s Triangle. It was a hot, sunny day and the town was full of tourists but the scheme, on the former Adnam’s Brewery site was a little oasis of calm and beauty. It’s been completed for a while now and there’s plenty to read online about the qualities of this award-winning scheme, but it was the first time I had seen it and I was charmed.

Arriving through the busy Adnam’s restaurant and retail courtyard, the entrance to the scheme is through a narrow street gateposted by a very pretty shop and someone’s front yard. It opens on to a winding pattern of courtyards, lanes and rows, each of which has its own distinct character delivered by a complex individual treatment to each block. It’s only a small scheme of 34 homes, but every one is different – an extraordinary achievement in such a small project.

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