Bins, bikes and cars

Any communal bin storage must be sited and designed to minimise odour and noise, both in terms of residents dropping off waste and local-authority collection. Large bin stores are incorporated into the curtilage of the buildings at ground floor, offering easy access to the street. Bins for refuse and recycling are concealed in ventilated spaces that comply with council standards. Bins and bikes are collected under the continuous canopy that edges the courtyard perimeter to create a series of semiprivate entrance thresholds. In general, occupants who live on the upper floors of a development are steered towards using communal cycle stores. However, owners can be loath to leave their bikes unattended, preferring to keep them within the home. The organisation of bins, bikes and cars was considered from the outset, making certain that the landscape took priority and that the elements were inconspicuous but efficient and easy to use.