Six of Guernsey’s architectural practices are setting aside competitive instincts to work on a collaborative project that could change how the island delivers plans for large housing sites.
The 12-acre La Vrangue site is the test case. Backed by private landowner George Wilkinson and the States of Guernsey, the initiative brings together local architectural expertise to develop a masterplan for mixed housing – including apartments, sheltered housing, and affordable homes – built around green spaces and integrated with active travel networks.
Rather than appointing off-island consultants, this project keeps the expertise local, drawing on practices that understand Guernsey’s landscape, infrastructure, and community needs. This is a blueprint that could be replicated for future land development across the island.
Working from the same brief, each practice produced an outline indicative scheme, some drawing on precedents from award-winning UK developments, all responding to the site’s specific topography and infrastructure constraints.
Last month each practice presented their scheme to developers and representatives from the States Property Unit. Following their feedback, the strongest elements will be combined, a design direction established and a masterplan for the development of the La Vrangue site produced.
“This is the beginning of a conversation about how we work together differently,” said André Rolfe-Bisson, founder of A7 Architecture, who proposed the collaborative model and brought the practices together.
“It’s about setting egos aside and using our collective experience to remove the barriers that have held this site back. We live and work here – we know the land, we understand the constraints, and we see the opportunities. If this model works at La Vrangue, it could be applied to other stalled housing sites that require master planning”
