Angel Yard
Intergenerational cohousing in central Norwich.
Angel Yard is an intergenerational cohousing community in central Norwich. TOWN is working with Sussex Street CIC future residents to deliver a cohousing community of 34 homes and shared facilities on land owned by the cohousing group. Planning permission for this site was secured in March 2024.
Angel Yard
Intergenerational cohousing in central Norwich.
Angel Yard is an intergenerational cohousing community in central Norwich. TOWN is working with Sussex Street CIC future residents to deliver a cohousing community of 34 homes and shared facilities on land owned by the cohousing group. Planning permission for this site was secured in March 2024.
Angel Yard is shaped by the people who will live there – the design of the homes and the shared spaces has emerged from a collaborative process involving future residents, TOWN and Archio architects.
The intention is to build a neighbourhood where people of different ages have their own homes, but share spaces and resources with others in the community.
Angel Yard is shaped by the people who will live there – the design of the homes and the shared spaces has emerged from a collaborative process involving future residents, TOWN and Archio architects.
The intention is to build a neighbourhood where people of different ages have their own homes, but share spaces and resources with others in the community.
Homes and shared spaces
Angel Yard will offer a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. All homes are dual-aspect, bright and well-ventilated. Many have private outdoor space in the form of balconies or small gardens.
At the heart of Angel Yard is the common house, a shared building with a large dining and meeting room, kitchen, laundry facilities, guest bedrooms and storage. The common house opens out onto a communal garden that brings neighbours together and makes space for play, relaxation and growing food.
There will also be shared cycle and e-bike parking, space for pool cars and a workshop with tools and equipment that residents can use. These shared resources reduce the need for every household to own everything individually, lowering costs and environmental impact.
Homes and shared spaces
Angel Yard will offer a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. All homes are dual-aspect, bright and well-ventilated. Many have private outdoor space in the form of balconies or small gardens.
At the heart of Angel Yard is the common house, a shared building with a large dining and meeting room, kitchen, laundry facilities, guest bedrooms and storage. The common house opens out onto a communal garden that brings neighbours together and makes space for play, relaxation and growing food.
There will also be shared cycle and e-bike parking, space for pool cars and a workshop with tools and equipment that residents can use. These shared resources reduce the need for every household to own everything individually, lowering costs and environmental impact.
Norwich in character
Homes are set out in a perimeter block that respects the scale and character of the surrounding terraced housing in St Augustine’s. The design draws on Norwich’s historic pattern of urban “yards” where activity happens behind the street frontage, and incorporates arched entrances and thoughtful frontage at the corner of Sussex Street and Oak Street.
Angel Yard is located about ten minutes’ walk from Norwich city centre, close to independent shops, cafés, parks, bus routes and cycle routes, with good access to the wider city.
Norwich in character
Homes are set out in a perimeter block that respects the scale and character of the surrounding terraced housing in St Augustine’s. The design draws on Norwich’s historic pattern of urban “yards” where activity happens behind the street frontage, and incorporates arched entrances and thoughtful frontage at the corner of Sussex Street and Oak Street.
Angel Yard is located about ten minutes’ walk from Norwich city centre, close to independent shops, cafés, parks, bus routes and cycle routes, with good access to the wider city.
Living at Angel Yard
Cohousing is a way of living where people know their neighbours and share parts of everyday life without sacrificing privacy. Residents own their own home but also benefit from shared facilities and a community that looks out for one another. At Angel Yard people of all ages will live together – from young adults to families and older people – with a shared interest in living sustainably, sustainably and neighbourly.
Because cohousing is resident-led, members play a role in shaping priorities about how shared spaces are used, from meals and social activities to practical arrangements like guest room bookings or gardening.
For more information about cohousing visit our dedicated website page.
Living at Angel Yard
Cohousing is a way of living where people know their neighbours and share parts of everyday life without sacrificing privacy. Residents own their own home but also benefit from shared facilities and a community that looks out for one another. At Angel Yard people of all ages will live together – from young adults to families and older people – with a shared interest in living sustainably, sustainably and neighbourly.
Because cohousing is resident-led, members play a role in shaping priorities about how shared spaces are used, from meals and social activities to practical arrangements like guest room bookings or gardening.
For more information about cohousing visit our dedicated website page.
Sustainability and energy
Sustainability is central to the project. Angel Yard will be built to high energy performance standards with a focus on reducing running costs and environmental impact. Heating will be provided by air source heat pumps, and homes will be highly insulated, designed to minimise energy use and overheating. Solar photovoltaic panels on roofs will generate renewable electricity, helping to keep energy use and bills low for residents.
“I want to spend time with a community that prioritise people and planet, share stuff, live well and have fun.”
Aria, Angel Yard Cohousing Group
Sustainability and energy
Sustainability is central to the project. Angel Yard will be built to high energy performance standards with a focus on reducing running costs and environmental impact. Heating will be provided by air source heat pumps, and homes will be highly insulated, designed to minimise energy use and overheating. Solar photovoltaic panels on roofs will generate renewable electricity, helping to keep energy use and bills low for residents.
“I want to spend time with a community that prioritise people and planet, share stuff, live well and have fun.”
Aria, Angel Yard Cohousing Group
A resident-led process
The idea for Angel Yard began in 2015 when early members bought the site on Sussex Street and began building a community around it. Since then the group has worked with TOWN and Archio to develop plans that feel viable, sustainable and true to their shared vision. Members now range in age from children to people in their 70s and come from Norwich and further afield.
As a resident-led project, future homeowners are involved in decisions about design, shared policies, community activities and day-to-day life.
A resident-led process
The idea for Angel Yard began in 2015 when early members bought the site on Sussex Street and began building a community around it. Since then the group has worked with TOWN and Archio to develop plans that feel viable, sustainable and true to their shared vision. Members now range in age from children to people in their 70s and come from Norwich and further afield.
As a resident-led project, future homeowners are involved in decisions about design, shared policies, community activities and day-to-day life.
Find out more
More information about Angel Yard – including details of homes, how to join and frequently asked questions – is available on the Angel Yard website.
Find out more
More information about Angel Yard – including details of homes, how to join and frequently asked questions – is available on the Angel Yard website.
What is cohousing really like?
If you’d like a deeper sense of what cohousing is like in practice, you might want to read our post-occupancy study of Marmalade Lane—‘Insights from Marmalade Lane’—which looks at how residents use the shared spaces and the social value that cohousing continues to generate for them and the wider neighbourhood.
What is cohousing really like?
If you’d like a deeper sense of what cohousing is like in practice, you might want to read our post-occupancy study of Marmalade Lane—‘Insights from Marmalade Lane’—which looks at how residents use the shared spaces and the social value that cohousing continues to generate for them and the wider neighbourhood.
Northstowe
Marmalade Lane
Westwick Row
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