Lexden Gardens
Chetwoods
Client: Essex Housing
At the heart of the masterplan is the transformation of the hospital’s principal 19th-century block into contemporary apartments. Its historic façades, ironwork and slate roofing are carefully retained and refurbished, preserving architectural character and cultural continuity. Rather than treating the listed structure as a static artefact, Chetwoods’ approach enables it to evolve, allowing its identity and memory to anchor the new residential quarter. Historic documentation revealed that the building originally stood within a generous lawn; its reinstatement re-establishes the building’s civic presence on Lexden Road and creates a welcoming green threshold for residents and visitors. The geometry and rhythm of the historic building shape the wider neighbourhood. New streets, pedestrian routes and framed views align with its proportions to create a legible, coherent urban structure. New townhouses and apartment buildings are massed to step down towards surrounding residential streets, respecting the established grain of Colchester’s neighbourhoods. Material choices take cues from local brick tones and craft traditions, interpreted with contemporary detailing so that the new architecture feels both rooted in context and distinctly modern. All homes are designed to maximise daylight, spatial efficiency and connection to nature, supported by balconies, terraces and shared gardens that provide meaningful private amenity. Landscape is treated as essential social and environmental infrastructure. A network of gardens, courtyards and tree-lined pedestrian routes unifies old and new, transforming the former institutional campus into a welcoming, walkable neighbourhood. These spaces foster everyday interaction, support biodiversity and recreational use, and reinforce climate resilience. The reinstated front lawn enhances visual permeability and strengthens the site’s relationship with the wider townscape along Lexden Road. Sustainability is embedded throughout. Retaining and upgrading the historic structures significantly reduces embodied carbon, while material reclamation – including the reuse of more than 70 per cent of the original slate – supports circularity. Operational performance is enhanced through high-performance fabric, photovoltaic panels where applicable, sustainable drainage and the availability of EV charging. Local sourcing strengthens regional supply chains and reduces environmental impact. Chetwoods and Essex Housing worked collaboratively through a detailed two-and-a-half-year planning process. Advanced 3D modelling and virtual reality tools were used to communicate massing, daylighting and heritage interventions clearly to officers, Historic England and the local community. This transparent, iterative engagement built confidence in the proposals and culminated in unanimous approval. Lexden Gardens demonstrates how heritage and innovation can be powerful partners. By honouring the architectural legacy of the Essex County Hospital while delivering exemplary contemporary homes within a landscape-led masterplan, the project establishes a distinctive, future-ready neighbourhood that strengthens Colchester’s identity.