Another high-rise building scheme could be developed close to Bristol city centre as part of a project to transform a corner of Castle Park into a sustainable housing development.
Goram Homes, Bristol City Council’s housing company, has teamed up with Bristol Housing Festival to investigate at how the site can be re-used once work on the pioneering Castle Park Energy Centre is finished. 
The organisations have called for “big and bold ideas” for a low carbon development to sit on top of what will be England’s largest water source heat pump when it is finished.
The pump will power Bristol’s innovative heat network by drawing water from the Floating Harbour.
Goram Homes and Bristol Housing Festival have released details of the five shortlisted creative designs to be taken forward to the next round of their Castle Park Design competition – with all showing tall buildings, including one with 19 storeys, for a site that neighbours a number of existing high-rise developments or where they are planned.
The Energy Centre is a stone’s throw away from Castle Park View, the soon-to-be-completed 26-storey, 375-apartment tower that has become Bristol’s tallest residential building, the 14-storey Assembly scheme now under development on Temple Way and the site of a planned 11-storey One Passage Street. 
The five designs – from Barton Willmore, pictured above; BDP architects; Clifton Emery Design, pictured right; Farrells London and Arup; Groupwork and McGregor Coxalls, pictured below – were chosen by a panel of judges from 37 high-calibre proposals from across the country.
Bristol City Council cabinet member for housing delivery and homes, Cllr Tom Renhard, said: “It is fantastic to see these designs for new homes at Castle Park.
“Not only will the development include our water source heat pump, but this competition has shown just how much opportunity we have with brownfield sites like the one at Castle Park to build creative, sustainable developments that provide much needed affordable homes for Bristol.” 
Goram Homes managing director Stephen Baker added: “One of the reasons we chose a design competition for this site was that it opens up the opportunity to a much wider pool of talent and creativity.
“Our shortlist of entries includes global companies and studios based in the South West – all innovative designs with the potential to create a truly sustainable development above the energy centre at Castle Park.”
Bristol Housing Festival deputy project director Jessie Wilde said: “We were delighted to have so much interest in this competition and inspired by so many creative ideas. I look forward to seeing them developed.”
This shortlisted group will now be commissioned to develop their ideas further and this will include an element of community engagement and feedback from City Design Group at the council.
The aim is to select a finalist from the shortlist in early spring.
Barton Willmore, the national planning and design practice that has had an office in Bristol for more than 30 years, said it believed its proposal would create a catalyst for transformation, addressing the climate, housing and skills crisis and placing Bristol front and centre as a beacon for positive change.
Matthew Mayes, architect director in BDP’s Bristol studio, said its scheme, pictured above, was a rethinking of the design and delivery of housing for the future, while London-based architects Groupwork, which has teamed up with Bristol-based landscape architects McGregor Coxalls, said its design, which includes landscaped gardens from roof to waterside, would “continue Bristol’s legacy of innovation”.
The design from architects Farrells London and global design and engineering group Arup, called Park Life, “brings homes, nature and communities together to celebrate the history and promote the future of Bristol and showcase the synergy between technology nature and sustainable living”.
Clifton Emery Design has offices in Bristol, London, Plymouth and Exeter.
