Old Maltings Site, Prospect Row, Cambridge:Design and Development Briefing

Client team: Maureen Donnelly, 1a Prospect Row, Cambridge

Prof. G.E. Lloyd, 2 Prospect Row, Cambridge

Team of advisors:

Angela Koch & Fabiana Panetta

Date: February 2010

ImaginePlaces Ltd.66 Bartholomew Rd.London NW5 2alangela@imagineplaces.co.ukfabiana.panetta@gmail.com www.imagineplaces.co.uk

We’d like to thank Tristan Rees Roberts of Freeland Rees Roberts Architects for his contribution to this study, particularly for Option 1.

Please note this is an e-document and not optimised for printing.

Contents: A) Site & scope B) DNA of the neighbourhood area

C) DNA of the Old Maltings ‘island’

E) Applying the emerging principles D) Emerging design and development principles

F) Next steps

A) Site & scope

Old Maltings site:

- 0.05ha of land, located in The Kite area. - former Maltings, now underused/unused. - Note: Exterior wall of main building is potentially of structural relevance for adjacent properties.

What you asked as to do:

Inject new thinking/ideas for a residential-led redevelopment of the site. Our ambition:

A fresh look at design and development principles and broad-brush options that will facilitate a renewed discussion between members of the local community, the landowner/developer team and the Council.

Methodology:

- Review of National& Local Planning Policies

- Review of The Kite Conservation Area Appraisal, CCC, (1996)

- Review of main Area Committee Report (28 July 2010)

- Review of submitted Planning Applications for the site (2009&2010)

- Meeting & discussions with local residents

- Site visit

- Internal Design Workshop & Conversations with Tristan Rees Roberts

Goal: The development makes a positive contribution to the character of the neighbourhood.

Approach:Use the DNA of the ‘island site’ & neighbourhood as building blocks for a confident 21st century addition to the Kite.

Characteristics of the development:

Respectful Sunny

Surprising!

Accommodating “Confident

21st century”

Age well

Great metabolism

Smart

Flexible

B) DNA of the neighbourhood area

800m

01

02

03

04

05

Site

01 City Centre02 Grafton Centre 03 East Road04 Parker’s Pieces

05 Christ’s Pieces

Destinations: Shopping/Parks/Leisure/Services/Education

01

02

04

03

Site

01+02 Community College 03 East Road facilities 04 Grafton Centre 05 Parker’s Pieces

05

Destinations: Shopping/Park/Leisure/Services/Education

‘Car-free’ lanes/links (see plan on next page)

02

01 03

04

Site

02

01

03

04

Urban Structure: North-South and East-West links&’car-free’ lanes (01-04)

Highest buildings in the neighbourhood

01

02

03

01

0302

03

Confluence of different building heights&lines, materials, historic fabric

Plot division, building lines, boundary treatments, parking solution

0201 03

01

0203

Plot division, building lines, building orientation, built form

Street by street

Residential market: TOP 12 - most expensive streets in CB1 in 2011 (data from January 1995 as recorded by HM Land Registry,highlighted in green streets adjacent to Old Maltings site)

1 Station Road £1,803,2002 Lyndewode Road £937,9803 Templemore Close £903,4714 Warkworth Terrace £760,117 5 Willis Road £745,4636 Warkworth Street £741,6287 Tenison Avenue £703,7418 Glisson Road £703,2279 Worts Causeway £691,29510 Melbourne Place £666,18511 Prospect Row £628,90012 Church Road £613,694

Prospect Row/Melbourne Place node

- Focal point for local neighbourhood (3 pubs, hairdresser) - Route Grafton Centre to Parker’s Pieces - Juxtaposition of one/two/three storeys buildings with tall chimneys - Distinct corner buildings (1 storey)- Attractive vista from Eden Street- Mixture of rendered (light colours) and yellow/red brickwork

Site

Prospect Row – West, pre 1900, Residential - Terraces - Narrow street- Variance in width of the plots (4 to 12 m) - Building heights (2 to 3 storeys) + some basements- Continuity created by:- Stock bricks painted white throughout - Strong building line - Alignment and same shape of the windows - Repetition of a 2-bays module.- Vertical emphasis of fenestration & chimneys stacks- Gauge flat arches, lintels and reveals- Slate roofs

Prospect Row – East, post WWIIResidential- Fragmented building line of the new Brandon Development- Trees in the back gardens of Warkworth street enclose vista- Lack of enclosure on southern side

Warkworth Street, pre 1900Residential - large Terraces:

- large plots/ same rhythm - Strong character- one typology with repeating roofscape (normal side gable) - 3 ½ storeys + chimneys (approx. 12 metres tall) - Small front gardens with external staircase leading to entrance - With basements- Back gardens fronting onto Prospect Row (West) - Gault bricks- Orange concrete tiled roofs and decorative elements

Melbourne Place - Residential properties along pedestrian lane - Variance in the width of the plots- Strong building line with basements- Verdant character with mature trees - Residential properties: 2 storeys + extensions- Normal side gable with strong vertical character created by chimneys- Gault brick + various light coloured renderings- Slate roofs- Sash windows

Parkside Community College- Courtyard development - 2 and 3 storeys with higher bell tower along Melbourne Place - Set back from the lane; landscaped and hardscape areas- Metal fencing allows for visual permeability - Hipped and cross gable roofs (varied)- Exploits difference in level of courtyard to gain floorspace- Approximately same height of the Warkworth Terraces- Red brickwork

Gable & roofscape Flat roof Normal gable

Local solutions for more natural daylight in buildings.

Rooflights/skylights are characteristic of the area, providing daylight without encroaching on privacy.

Site

View from back of Prospect Row to Eden Street.

C) DNA of the Old Maltings ‘island’

Old Maltings Site:

- 0.05ha of land, located in The Kite area. - former Maltings, now underused/unused. - Exterior wall of main building is potentially of structural relevance for adjacent properties.

Orientation

N

S

Edge condition: Lack of edge definition but open&green along southern side of Prospect Row (narrow street).

Historic uses & edge treatment: 1888

Site

- Corner Prospect Row/ Warkworth Street shows row of trees as a strong edge treatment & no buildings.

- Cricketer’s pub is the only building (1 storey) facing the southern side of Prospect Row (still the case today).

Opportunity to strengthen the link between local focal points along key neighbourhood route.

Site

Opportunity for social interaction: meeting/resting/playing/parking

02

02 Possible link between site

& beergarden?

01 Space for resting/meeting/

playing/parking? ... 01Site

DNA of ‘island ensemble’:Character through brick walled courtyards: Daylight flooded spaces

(sunny spots, garden, conservatory )

Prevailing typology:‘long house with courtyard’

D) Emerging design & development principles

Local Plan Policy: Key ‘saved policies’

3/3 Safeguarding Environmental Character3/4 Responding to Context 3/7 Creating Successful Places 3/11 The Design of External Spaces3/12 The Design of New Buildings will be permitted where it can be demonstrated that they:

a. have a positive impact on their setting in terms of location on the site, height, scale and form, materials, detailing, wider townscape and landscape impacts and available views;

b. are convenient, safe, and accessible for all users and visitors; c. are constructed in a sustainable manner, easily adaptable and which successfully integrate

refuse and recycling facilities, cycle parking, and plant and other services into the design.

4/11 Conservation Areas6/8 Convenience Shopping8/2 Transport Impact8/4 Walking and Cycling Accessibility8/10 Off-Street Car Parking8/18 Water, sewerage and drainage infrastructure 10/1 Infrastructure improvements

7.01 THE CITY COUNCIL WILL SEEK TO RETAIN TRADITIONAL BOUNDARY TREATMENTS AND ENCOURAGE THEIR PROPER REPAIR AND REINSTATEMENT WHERE PREVIOUSLY REMOVED.

7.02 WHERE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES ARE INCAPABLE OF REINSTATEMENT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ENCOURAGE A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO THE DESIGN, MATERIALS AND ALIGNMENT OF NEW BOUNDARIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY RESPECT THE CHARACTER OF THE SURROUNDING AREA.

7.08 NEW BUILDINGS MUST RESPECT THE CHARACTER, CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE SITE AND SURROUNDING AREA. WHILST NEW BUILDING DESIGN WILL BE GUIDED BY SUCH FACTORS AS THE HEIGHT, BUILDING LINE, PLOT WIDTH, BUILDING MATERIALS AND ARCHITECTURAL DETAILING OF SURROUNDING BUILDINGS, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE MODERN DESIGN IN APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS.

7.10 THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ENCOURAGE THE RETENTION OF THE AREA’S PREDOMINANTLY RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER WHILST RECOGNISING THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL SCALE MIXED USES TO THE COMMUNITY AND CHARACTER OF THE AREA.

7.101 The Kite is clearly a residential area with a strong community identity which sustains and is sustained by the small pubs, shops and other mixed uses which are a vital part of the area.

Key Policies from Kite Area Character Appraisal

7.081 (…) if a new building is to blend with its neighbours, there must be a consistency particularly of scale between new and old. Some variations in roof heights, window and door design and even building materials may be possible within the range and proportions of the features of the surrounding traditional buildings. For example on City Road, a number of properties have painted walls and so a new building might have a similar treatment.

7.111 The Kite is an important historic area, and local residents have rightly identified the impact which parked cars have on its character. Although in exceptional cases, the City Council’s Parking Standards might be reduced, a zero requirement is unlikely because of the potential knock-on effects onto already heavily-parked streets. Therefore unless parking can be provided in a way which preserves or improves the character of the area, and meets technical criteria for safe operation (eg. size of parking spaces, room for manoeuvring), then the application will be refused.

7.15 THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ENCOURAGE THE HIGHWAY AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF FOOTWAYS AND FOOTPATHS IN THE AREA, AND PROMOTE THE USE OF SURFACING MATERIALS WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE AREA.

Key Policies from Kite Area Character Appraisal

- Cambridge City Council (2007) – Sustainable Design and Construction - Applicants need to provide a sustainability checklist and statement giving evidence of how essential design consideration set in the local plan are met: urban design, transport, movement and accessibility, energy, recycling, waste facilities, biodiversity and pollution.- Cambridge Landscape Character Assessment Cambridge City Council (2003)- Conservation Area Appraisal The Kite (1996)- Cambridge City Council (2010) – Planning Obligation Strategy- Cambridgeshire Design Guide For Streets and Public Realm (2007)

- Design Quality Indicators Construction Industry Council (2002)- Lifetime Home Standard Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2000)- Meeting Part M and Designing Lifetime Homes Joseph Rowntree Foundation (1999)- English Partnerships Design and Quality Standards (2005)- Code for Sustainable Homes DCLG (2006)

List of Supplementary Planning Documents:

Suggested documents to acknowledge are:

Goal: The development makes a positive contribution to the character of the neighbourhood.

Approach:Use the DNA of the island site & neighbourhood as building blocks for a confident 21st century addition to the Kite.

Characteristics of the development:

Respectful Sunny

Surprising!

Accommodating “Confident

21st century”

Age well

Great metabolism

Smart

Flexible

01 Buildings shall demonstrate ‘Long Life - Loose fit’ > Planned for adaptability and different uses in the future. 02 Buildings shall comply with English Partnerships Space Standards.

03 Buildings shall be built for people of all abilities > Access for all.

Design and development principles for a 21st century development.

04 Buildings shall have an outstanding energy efficiency rating/e.g. PassivHaus standard and built the low carbon way. 05 The development shall maximise access to daylight supporting the quality of living&working experiences e.g. through public/semi- private/private amenity spaces.

06 The development shall increase public amenity space in the area.

Design and Development Principles - Local DNA:

07 The ‘island site’ constitutes a space where different character areas converge responding by a distinct typology: the ‘long house with courtyard’ flanking the perimeter of the site. The existing building typologies within the ‘island site‘ shall inform the built form of the new development.

08 The maximum building height shall be 3 storeys. A building of 1 to 2 storeys could be located parallel to the rear of 43 Warkworth street, possibly with a flat roof to reflect the pattern of corner buildings at Prospect Row/Melbourne Place junction.

09 Orientation of the new buildings shall maximise daylight exposure and minimise possible privacy constraints.

Design and Development Principles - Local DNA:

10 Courtyards, rooflights and skylights are a character forming aspect of the area, providing daylight without encroaching on privacy. The new development shall explore the use of these features.

11 Openness of the north-eastern corner (Warkworth Street/Prospect Row) shall be maintained and the opportunity to accommodate a neighbourhood space, for informal social interaction, explored. The opportunity to establish a visual link with the existing beergarden, through openings in the existing wall, should also be investigated.

Design and Development Principles - Local DNA:

12 The majority of the existing perimeter wall of the main building shall be retained. It’ll add character, provide historic reference and may provide structural support to adjacent properties.

13 The development shall use ‘gable’ and ‘flat’ roofs, decked in grey slate in character with other buildings on the island site. 14 The development shall use brick as the main building material, painted in light colours, particularly on north-facing walls. This is in harmony with Prospect Row terraces and other buildings within the ‘island site’.

E) Applying the emerging principles

Option 01

Buildings Atrium/Conservatory Garden/CourtyardPublic Space Shared Courtyard

Option 01

Option 01

Option 01

Option 01

Option 01

Option 01

Private courtyard with retractable skylight.

- Public space (approx. 100m2)

- Semi-Private courtyard (approx. 35 m2)

- Buildings with private atriums /courtyards

- 4 Buildings (1.5/2 storeys) Approx. 360 m2 Gross Floor Area Building 1: 100m2 Building 2: 80m2Building 3: 100m2Building 4: 80m2

> Range of RESIDENTIAL/LIVE-WORK occupier models accommodated

Option 01

Option 02 Buildings Atrium/Conservatory GardenPublic Space Shared Courtyard

Option 02

Option 02

Option 02

Option 02

Option 02

Option 02

Atrium-House Typology (10.5mx6.8m) + with rooftop terrace +

N

S S

N

N N

Option 02

‘Steep gable’ provides space with rooflights.

Full ‘gable’ rooflights, partially retractable.

Option 02

- Public space (approx. 100m2)- Semi-Private courtyard (approx. 65m2) - Buildings with private atrium, double height (building 1 to 3)

4 Buildings (2.5/2 storeys) Approx. 570m2 Gross Floor Area Building 1: 150m2 + 25m2 Building 2: 150m2Building 3: 160m2Building 4: 80m2 (flat roofed)

> Range of RESIDENTIAL&OFFICE/STUDIO occupier models possible; Length of building footprint 1 to 3 can be shortened to increase distance from southern perimeter wall and provide private outdoor amenity space.

Initial Assessment of Options 1 & 2

THE DEVELOPMENT is... OPTION 01 OPTION 02

ACCOMMODATING

RESPECTFUL

FLEXIBLE

SUNNY

GREAT METABOLISM

SURPRISING!

AGE WELL

SMART

Age well

Goal: The development makes a positive contribution to the character of the Kite.

F) Next steps

Working together: - Presentation & discussions between other members of local community, the Landowner/developer and the Local Authority with the aim to produce a plan of action.

Technical tasks:- Cost & Viability assessment of broad-brush options.- Filling gaps in current analysis/option appraisal.- Using broad-brush options to develop preferred detailed option.

END ...