These 15 flats are designed for Brighter Places, an ambitious new housing association, who aim to achieve both Passivhaus and Zero Carbon in operation with this new development. On a tight suburban plot in Fishponds (Bristol), the 3 blocks of apartments are orientated due south to maximise solar gains. The resulting pockets of external space provide both public and private amenity space for residents. After acquiring the site with planning approval, Brighter Places (formerly United Communities and Solon) approached us to reassess the scheme to ensure it maximised the potential of the site and aligned with the quality and sustainability aspects of their Employer’s Requirements. We developed an alternative scheme that reassessed orientation, ensuring all flats maximised solar heat gains and minimised losses. The staggered layout of the blocks echoes the urban grain of nearby flats, and the resulting external spaces mean all the flats have access to private gardens at ground floor level and balconies above. The flats are arranged towards the front of the site, with parking towards the rear. This minimises overshadowing and overlooking of neighbouring properties and gives the development a strong presence on the street frontage.