Setting a new benchmark for city living.
The Whaddons is a new residential development in Huntingdon that delivers 92 homes for the Luminus Group. The scheme brings together a mix of single, two and three-storey houses arranged within a masterplan of streets and public open spaces. From the outset, the ambition was to create a place that feels safe, welcoming and well connected to the wider community.
We worked closely with Huntingdon District Council’s Planning and Urban Design Team to shape the masterplan. Together, we developed a Development Framework that covered not only the core site but several peripheral areas that influenced its character and connectivity. This framework formed the basis of a comprehensive public consultation, where emphasis was placed on creating “self-policing” public spaces and active frontages that help foster natural surveillance and encourage positive use.
The masterplan embeds the new development into the existing urban grain, strengthening links with neighbouring streets and creating a layout that feels intuitive to navigate. Streets are well proportioned, easy to understand and designed to be naturally overlooked, helping to promote a sense of safety and community ownership. Building forms respond to the changing context from north to south and from the site’s edges into its centre, ensuring the development feels integrated and grounded in its surroundings.
Public spaces play an important role in the overall design. They are shaped to support everyday use, reinforce movement routes and introduce pockets of greenery that soften the urban environment. These spaces help the scheme feel balanced and give residents places to meet, relax and socialise.
A key strength of the project was the early and fully integrated consultation process. By involving the local community from the beginning, we were able to address concerns, build trust and ensure the development reflects local priorities. This collaborative approach has helped the Whaddons become a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood — one that respects its context while offering high quality homes and thoughtfully designed public spaces.
