Housing • West Malling

Character-led later living development achieves double the density of extant approval under delegated powers

This innovative retirement development in the Kent market town of West Malling—part of RVG’s Thrive Living Collection—comprises 140 extra care units alongside a variety of communal facilities. It unlocks the rich ecological value of its site through careful arrangement of villa blocks, informed by nearby Georgian buildings, in a landscaped sanctuary.

The development has a strong sense of place, designed to encourage neighbourliness, active lifestyles, and strong connections with the wider town.

Thrive Living at West Malling offers an exemplar for retirement living with a focus on higher design standards for space, quality, wellbeing, sustainability and placemaking.

Wellbeing and Placemaking

RCKa was appointed by Retirement Villages Group to re-examine the site, where an existing outline consent for a 76-unit retirement living complex had been granted at appeal in the face of strong local opposition. We worked to secure support for a more considered design that almost doubles the number of homes, and was informed by four key drivers:

Visual connections: creating a strong entrance sequence encouraging long views and visual permeability
Landscape setting: protecting and enhancing the site’s green edges, with more curated green spaces in and around buildings
Placemaking and wellbeing: connected public spaces at the heart of the development, providing amenities to residents and the wider community
Character: informed by local history, architectural vernacular and the rich ecological setting

Homes England exemplar in Housing Design Awards 2024

77% increase in density compared to extant scheme

140 homes for later living on former green belt

Informed by Local Character

Inspired by conservation areas in the town, we introduced four villa blocks carefully arranged across the site to frame important views to enhance the rich ecological edge by bringing the landscape into the site. This allowed us to form moments of open space for group gatherings and to encourage incidental social interaction.

The villa block arrangement maximises the number of dwellings around a single core without compromising a sense of neighbourliness and gives each apartment dual aspect views into the landscape.

A series of cottages in a cloister-style arrangement adds architectural variety, and together the positioning of villas and cottages assists wayfinding for residents. The contemporary and simple architectural language is informed by Georgian buildings nearby, primarily using brick with careful detailing and craftsmanship to create buildings with an elegant presence.

Communal facilities—from lounges to a restaurant and wellness suite—are scattered across the development, meeting residents’ needs in a way that also facilitates informal encounters and encourages active lifestyles. Proximity to West Malling’s high street allows residents to access local services and facilities easily, and to sustain connections with their local community.