New Oxford Affordable Housing Collins Street

The Collins Street development forms part of Oxford City Council’s East Oxford Community Sites programme delivered through its housing company, OX Place. Located within the Cowley Road area, the scheme provides 14 new shared ownership apartments designed to help address the demand for affordable housing within the city. Oxford Architects were appointed as Delivery Architects from RIBA Stage 4 onwards.

The development occupies a compact urban site with frontages to both Collins Street and Avenue Lane. The building ranges from four storeys along Collins Street to three storeys at the Avenue Lane elevation, stepping down in scale to respond to the finer-grain residential character of the surrounding streets. The scheme provides a mix of eight one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments, all designed to meet Building Regulations M4(2) accessible and adaptable standards.

Externally, the building adopts a clear and contemporary architectural form with a simple and durable material palette that contributes positively to the existing streetscape. Pitched roof forms are used on the Avenue Lane elevation to reflect the surrounding residential character, while also enabling the installation of photovoltaic panels across the roofscape.

As with the neighbouring Princes Street development, the scheme has been designed with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, contributing to Oxford City Council’s wider ambition to deliver low-carbon homes.