Designed by Stirling prize award-winning Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, these contemporary homes are of a unique design, designed to resemble the local stone of the old forge building and Kirkstall Abbey.

Kirkstall Forge nestles within a wooded valley of the River Aire, with the river and canal flowing through the site, surrounded by extensive woodland. The homes are unusually spacious, offering twelve foot high ceilings in livings spaces, open staircases, rooflights and open plan living.

The contemporary homes offer a selection of gardens and terraces on different floors, with private roof terraces for the apartments, this maximises the opportunity the sloping site offers for views of the woodland, waterside and across the valley. Some of the larger family homes will also benefit from the historic Mill Race flowing through the end of the garden.

Garages for parking and storage lie beneath the buildings to enable pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined streets which offer seating and play space to encourage neighbourliness and interaction.

The masterplan focuses on the creation of a vibrant new community. The riverside terraces create gently sloping streets and a central riverside boulevard connects the new bridge to the station and south-facing riverside event spaces and proposed public square. Here, shops, cafés and restaurants will spill out onto the paved public realm and large communal courtyard garden.

Andrew Macintosh, associate at FCBStudios, said: “Much of our inspiration has been taken from ‘model villages’ such as Saltaire and the steep terraced streets found in many Yorkshire towns. The communal, pedestrian-friendly areas in front of the homes also benefits from contemporary Scandinavian ideas about co-housing and will help to build a true sense of community amongst those who are lucky enough to be the first to move into this pioneering new neighbourhood. This beautiful urban village creates spaces for a new generation to live, work and explore.”

Comprising a mix of family houses and apartments, subject to planning permission development could commence in 2019.