From a distance, the differences are relatively subtle. Located at the heart of the Orchard Park housing estate near the northern boundary of Cambridge, in the UK, Marmalade Lane meets the scale and texture of its context with three- and four-storey brick buildings. But up close, another kind of experience emerges. While the surrounding neighbourhood unfolds in a suburban web of cul-de-sacs and surface parking, Marmalade Lane is organized in a clear and permeable network of pedestrian-only passages, met by a pleasantly varied and fine-grained interplay of frontages that underscore a sense of place. Inside, an entirely different model of community stands apart from its surroundings.

Designed by local firm Mole Architects for...