The dramatic hillside of Cifton Wood in Bristol, marked by its colourful houses, looks accross the ‘Floating Harbour’ to Brunel’s SS Great Britain on Spike Island. The harbour is so named because dams at each end prevent the loss of water at low tide. This allows ships to remain afloat in the harbour. Its completion in 1809 was a major innovation for a city where water levels can change by 12 metres between tides. Half way up the hill is Old School Lane, a residential development of the mid 2000′s. It picks up the colour and plot width of the terrace above while being boldly of its own time. It is a very successful insertion into a sensitive context.