PORTFOLIO urban design + planning

christopher hall2014

CHRIS HALLURBAN PLANNER // URBAN DESIGNER // GRAPHIC DESIGNER

EDUCATION:

2012 / BA(HONS) Urban Planning. Department of Town and Regional Planning, Sheffield University

2013 / MPlan Urban Planning. Department of Town and Regional Planning, Sheffield University

2014 / MA Urban Design. School of Architecture, Sheffield University

SKILLS:

Planning Knowledge / Teamwork / Working to Deadlines / Presentations / Graphic Design / Mac OS X / Microsoft Windows / Adobe Creative Suite / Trimble Sketch Up / Trimble Layout / AutoCAD / Microsoft Office / Report Layout / Photography / Model Making / Research / Learning Software / Urban Exploration

EXPERIENCE:

2011 / Urban Planning Internship. Januarys Consultants, Cambridge

2012 / Urban Planning Internship. Januarys Consultants, Cambridge

2011 onwards / Freelance Graphic Designer

CONTACT:

chris.hall47@googlemail.com

07540997299

linkedin.com/in/chrishall47

@chrishall471

WELCOME...Urban Design Thesis Project

Facilitating Resilience Studio Project

Castlegate Urban Analysis

1900 Modelling

Urban Animations

Attercliffe Area Action Plan

Graphic Design Projects

URBAN DESIGN THESIS PROJECT

My MA Urban Design thesis project allowed me to explore a topic close to my heart which is also one of national significance. The project explored the issues around housing affordability in Cambridge, critiquing current green belt development, before proposing an alternative housing model. The project proposes using green infrastructure as a mechanism to provide new housing extensions on current settlements beyond the green belt through developing strong sustainable transport routes into the parent city. Since completion of this project, the URBED’s Wolfson Prize project has proved the viability of this project, by sharing a similar concept and delivery.

The full project can be viewed here: issuu.com/chrishall12/docs/maud_thesis_2014_chris_hall

The project re-imagined Bar Hill on the edge of Cambridge’s green belt as a new viable housing location through a new sustainable route into Cambridge, a new local centre, new movement pattern, sustainable architecture and social infrastructure.

BAR HILL

CURRENT PROPOSED

COMMUNAL GARDEN

SHARED SPACE MEWS

FENCING REMOVED

Left: The project built on Cambridge’s unique history of new settlements as a means to provide new housing for the City Council, in order to meet the housing demands driven by tight urban containment and the Cambridge Phenomenon

Below: A key strategy in the re-imagining of Bar Hill was a new movement pattern, reducing car dominance through shared space. In some cases, this proposed the re-orientation of housing to address the street and encourage active uses

Below: Bar Hill only supported 1 access from the settlement, which linked to the already overburdened A14. A current widening programme for this road was used to propose a new sustainable route into Cambridge which included a walk/cycle way and an extension of Cambridge’s Guided Busway

Right: The 6 strategies proposed to re-imagine Bar Hill as a viable location for new housing were collated and shown in a strategy masterplan

Prop

osed

Cyc

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Path

way

Prop

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Guid

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uswa

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Prop

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Gre

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A14

Car

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(in

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A14

Car

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PROPOSED CURRENT

Left: The project built on Cambridge’s new settlement proposal of Northstowe, and the guided busway which was developed to link Northstowe to the city centre. A new arm of the guided busway was proposed to link Bar Hill to the city and beyond

Below: An integral element of the project was the development of a communal housing typology which incorporated sustainable architectures, communal benefits and a reduced car dominant environment

FACILITATING RESILIENCE STUDIO PROJECT

My Urban Design studio project was based on the theme of Facilitating Resilience. The project began with a community growing project, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, in East London. This project was being threatened with development following the revival of London’s East End through the success of the 2012 Olympic Games. The project proposes a scenario based on the local community having lost their voice concerning the rapid change of their neighbourhood, and therefore fights back through growing projects which flirt with permitted development rights. These projects, named prototypes, are an example of bottom-up community regeneration, and are each documented in manuals for implementation in new locations.

For the full project, visit: issuu.com/chrishall12

PROTOTYPE #01(FRONT) GARDEN GROWING

PROTOTYPE #02ROOF TERRACE GROWING

DALSTON JUNCTION DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN

KINGSLAND ROAD N

URBAN GROWERS MARKET

PROTOTYPE #03COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS

PROTOTYPE #01

PROTOTYPE #02

PROTOTYPE #03

KINGSLANDDEVELOPMENT

The project incorporated all elements of Dalston, from the social housing in the east, to the new development in the centre and the relatively affluent housing to the west

DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN

DALSTON JUNCTION

PROTOTYPE #02

PROTOTYPE #01

KINGSLAND ROAD

DALSTON SQUARE

PROTOTYPE #03

PROTOTYPE #01

COMMUNAL GROWING SPACE

Party wall agreements alongside informal easements between landlords and tenants allow a communal growing space to emerge between gardens. Large planters could be shared and gardened communally in this new space. A communal space for conservations is needed to allow self-governance to occur,

alongside shared tool sheds and composting facilities.

PROTOTYPE #01

PUBLIC GROWING SPACE

This prototype could be extended into the public realm through the removal of the front wall, opening up the available gardening space to challenge our ideas about private land. Planning permission would be needed, however more people could then benefit from this proposal. This idea could not be managed in the same way as communal growing space, as planters could be added anywhere, testing the communities right to take control of their area.

Left: An urban analysis exercise was carried out in an attempt to understand how the prototypes could facilitate an improved movement pattern around the site to aid communal activity

Below: Prototype 01 is shown below. This consisted of party wall agreements to allow communal growing projects in front garden space. In all prototypes, a series of stages were developed showing the growth of the project. In each case, these stages ended with a radical element, shown below with the public growing space, where the space has protruded into the street

Residential Access

conservation area

Governance between flats

terrace ownership

Controls the external alterations to properties in the area. This includes the right to remove trees. Alterations concerning gardening are not considered however.

It is important that any alterations are agreed between all users of the building to ensure community cohesion.

In law, the owner of a roof terrace is solely placed into the owner (or renter) of the use below it. Therefore the commerical unit will always need to be consulted for gardening to occur on ‘their’ roof terrace.

a1, a3 or a5

Access to the residential units is secured via a separate door to the rest of the building. If this is the only access up to the terrace, an easement would need to be granted by the landlord to anyone who doesn’t currently have access in.

Below: Each prototype explored one policy strand to exploit in order to develop a growing project. In the case of prototype 02, this was easements as a means to access terraces for growing

Right: Prototype 02 shows the amount of dead space which exists within our cities. Terrace growing opens up these spaces as unique environments which adds new depth to an area as well as greening the urban environment

WATCH DALSTON GROW

PROTOTYPE #01

FRONT GARDEN GROWING

PROTOTYPE #02

(ROOF) TERRACE GROWING

KINGSLAND ROAD

DALSTON EASTERN CURVE GARDEN

PROTOTYPE #03

COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS

N

Left: Prototype 03 explored the community right-to-build orders as a means to turn under-utilised green spaces which are so common in social housing, into communal allotment plots around a ‘single shed’ to encourage communal growing

Below: The radical elements of the prototypes were visualised along the main artery through Dalston, to show just how powerful the community could be, if a project such as this was initiated and self-governed efficiently by the residents

Below: For each prototype, a manual was produced to document all the aspects of a communal growing project. The manuals were designed as a generic tool for implementation elsewhere, and therefore were seen as a way to facilitate knowledge sharing

Right: The entire Watch Dalston Grow project was also contained in another book, as a record of the project from start to finish, to act as a precedent

CASTLEGATE URBAN ANALYSIS

This project involved a number of different means to analyse the Castlegate area of Sheffield, in order to propose a strategy for redevelopment of the empty site. Within the analysis included a design charrette activity, analysis according to particular urban design theorists and public participation activities.

This group design charrette introduced concept strategies through the collation of a number of different opinions and analysis techniques of the site

ENCLOSURE FREESTANDING SCULPTURAL MASS

SHAPE MONUMENTS

Castlegate through the eyes of CAMILLo SITTEUsing ‘City Planning According to Artistic Principles’ (1898)

Chris Hall130110309

The 19th century Viennese architect and planner Camillo Sitte argued against the modernist movement in favour of designs in the human scale, along historic organic principles1. His principles are a direct response against the loss of public life in ‘bland environments’ through the standardisation of designs and lack of detail in the urban environment2. Sitte attributed technology to the lack of life, stating newspapers prevent the discussion of news as in the forums of ancient Rome3. Despite this argument being well over a hundred years old, it still remains entirely relevant today, and arguably more true as the rapid pace of urbanisation and technology has led to a lack of quality in the urban environment across the globe alongside an increasingly privatised lifestyle. The New Urbanism movement attributes Sitte as one of their key references4.

Sitte focussed on the idea of an ‘artistic renaissance’ of our cities, in an attempt to create drama by organising spaces in a picturesque way5 6. This was achieved by ordering the urban form according to a number of principles described below. These principles created a sense of order, however in an organic form, with the irregularity allowing this drama to be created7.

Sitte’s artistic principles:

• Enclosure - Argued public spaces should be enclosed and “it should not be possible to see out of the square along more than one street at a time”8

• Freestanding Sculptural Mass - Buildings should not exist on their own, instead should be joined to form a continual facade which should be visible from within the square. This joined facade allows the sense of enclosure also9.

• Shape - The square and its buildings should be in proportion to the major building. The depth should be sufficient to appreciate the building fully. He favoured an irregular shape which helps create a sense of place seen in historic layouts10.

• Monuments - Sitte generally believed the centre of the square should remain free from clutter to allow public life and an appreciation for the key building to take place. He does however suggest monuments can exist off natural routes through the site which is both logical and aesthetically pleasing11.

The sketch of Castlegate has considered these principles to understand how the area could be designed according to Sitte. New blocks have been placed to carve a square within the middle of the site which is the location of the historic castle ruins. These ruins have been considered as the key building of the site. The blocks would be a number of joined buildings, forming a combined facade which allows a sense of enclosure within the square. The shape of the square is approximately twice the size of the key building, allowing space to appreciate the ruins. The surrounding buildings create an irregular square which increases the interest within, and the height of these blocks will need to be controlled, to not overpower the key ruins. A monument could be placed to the south of the square, off the key routes through the site and away from the centre of the square. These principles lack however information regarding relationship to the river. Due to the need of enclosure, this relationship has unfortunately been lost.

1Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (Ed), 2010. The Urban Design Reader. London: Routledge. pp. 352Ibid3Sitte, C., 1898. City Planning According to Artistic Principles. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (Ed), 2010. The Urban Design Reader. London: Routledge. pp. 394Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 355Ibid6Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T. and Tiesdell, S., 2003. Public Spaces Urban Places. London: Architectural Press. pp. 1427Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 358Carmona, M., et.al., 2003: 1429Ibid10Ibid11Carmona, M., et.al., 2003: 143

Castle Ruins

Long combined

facade Instead of small freestanding

blocks, larger blocks created

from joining buildings together

Relationship between ruins and

surrounding spaces and

buildings key

A monument could be placed

away from main paths and

centre of the square

The project also required analysis through the eyes of key urban design theorists. Here, the work of Camillo Sitte has been used to analyse a concept of a new square at the site

Castlegate through the eyes of Kevin Lynch

Lynch introduces the idea of imageability when attempting to understand cities1. Recognising physical elements is a way we understand our surroundings, and Lynch attempts to visualise these elements, as a way to improve its legibility (i.e. how we read the city)2. He argues elements invoke an image within an individual, which often translates into a generalised public image, despite everyone reading and experiencing places individually3. Social meaning in terms of its function and history can also affect its imageability4. The 5 key elements are:

• Paths - Channels of movement. Potentially the most predominant element as people observe as they move through the city5

• Edges - Boundaries or seams, whether physical or social, act as an organisational feature of areas6

• Districts - An area which holds a common distinguishable character and can be entered inside of7

• Nodes - Focus area where paths converge and activity thrives8

• Landmarks - Reference points of any scale. Can be local within the site or beyond to act as a ‘constant direction’. Within the site they may act as a draw in which paths flow towards9

Castlegate lacks legibility through its confused tapestry of elements. Nodes and landmarks draw people into the site from the city centre, however barriers and lack of paths prevent permeation through towards Victoria Quays.

Retail district

Victoria Quays

New office development

Tram path

River frontage

Retail landmarks

Transport ‘hubs’

Permeability reduced by large blocks and lack of pathways

Lynch suggests that by addressing the weak points, the legibility of a place can be improved so long as the design form is used to reinforce the meaning of the area10.

The interventions left show a simple principle to increase permeability through the site by removing the barriers that exist into the site, and through the back of the site to link Victoria Quays. Landmarks and nodes can be used to draw people through the site, and new development opportunities can be created in Victoria Quays due to new access, as well as the Castlegate site and a new river frontage. This type of holistic development has an opportunity to create a new public identity for the area, building on the sites historic past.

This form of analysis can be described as too simplistic and removed from reality. Development is often not this flexible and therefore unable to holistically redesign the pathways, nodes and landmarks in a site. As a concept however, the area would become more legible and permeable through an intervention such as this, by making coherent links between elements, allowing development both of site and the neighbouring Victoria Quays.

Using ‘The City Image and its Elements (1960)’

Improved pathways increases permeability and creates a direct route from Fargate to Victoria Quays through a series of nodes

Potential for landmark building within the new development area

1 way road and closure of Castlegate opens up the river frontage and creates potential

for a new node

This allows the barrier of the road to be

reduced, creating a path that links across

to the Quays

Potential for new landmark to

be created in a reinvigorated Victoria

Quays

New riverside district created

1Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (Ed), 2010. The Urban Design Reader. London: Routledge. pp. 1532Lynch, K., 1960. The Image of the City. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (Ed), 2010. The Urban Design Reader. London: Routledge. pp. 1553Lynch, K. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 1604Ibid5Ibid6Lynch, K. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 160-1617Lynch, K. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 1618Ibid9Ibid10Lynch, K. In: Larice, M. and Macdonald, E., 2010: 160

Chris Hall130110309

KEY:

Kevin Lynch’s paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks was also used to understand the function and legibility of the site. This understanding leads to proposed changes to improve the area

Left: Sketching was a key tool used to propose new massing and new routes through the site

Below: All of the ideas were then collated into a proposal plan, for which a basic masterplan is shown below

1900 MODELLING

Another project I have been involved in is a 1900 model of Sheffield. The project was carried out as part of a small group, where we were given a 200m2 section of Sheffield, and we were asked to build a 1:500 model of it, as it existed in 1900. The model not only needed to be accurate to the date and scale, but also needed to be typologically and factually accurate in order to fit alongside the neighbouring completed squares, and the under-construction squares, to form a much larger model. As team leader, I took great pride in our model being described as “the most beautiful and accurate model” stemming from our “harmonious cooperation”.

Our square, known as Z7, along the river Don at the heart of Kelham Island in Sheffield. Building the model required a huge amount of research to determine what existed there at the time. The image shows how we successfully matched our square to the research, and also the completed squares around it

Left: Marked on the model are the sections researched and built by myself. This was primarily back-to-back housing. Alongside the model, we also produced a report which details the research used to decipher the form of the area in 1900. I was also responsible for working out the contours of the site from historic spot heights

Below: The process of modelling is shown below. The map of the site showed building footprints and spot heights for contours. Historic photographs and fire maps gave building heights, while historic accounts and academic texts helped bring facades to life

URBAN ANIMATIONS

A module reflecting on instances of co-production allowed me to re-explore my studio project in a new graphic way. The following drawings are a selection of stills from GIF files I produced to show how the Watch Dalston Grow project for my Facilitating Resilience studio project, evolved into co-produced growing projects. A GIF was produced for each of the 3 prototype projects, based around the original drawings from the studio project.

Stills from Prototype 01, front garden growing shows how the project is co-produced from neighbours joining adjacent garden space, up to the radical side of the project spilling out into the public environment

Left: The co-production of Prototype 02 from empty terraces up to fully gardened terraces with growing space protruding over the carriageway of the road

Below: Prototype 03 co-produced through the community right-to-build orders as part of the localism act

ATTERCLIFFE AREA ACTION PLAN

This project was produced as part of my Urban Planning degree, and therefore existed a long time before the previous projects. I have included it not only to show the difference in work between then and now, but also to introduce my planning knowledge into this portfolio. In all of these projects, I have approached them with a consideration of the planning system. That is to say I have been realistic with policy, economics and social aspects of the projects. This Area Action Plan for the Attercliffe area of Sheffield showed particularly the planning aspect to my design well.

The masterplan for change in Attercliffe needed to be sensitive to the existing community, current land uses, local economics and planning policy to produce a strategy which could be implemented in the real world

GRAPHICDESIGNPROJECTS...

Left: Logo and branding designed for Laughing Gecko, a Perth based Cafe

Left: Logo and branding including business cards designed for Washington based Image Bearer Pictures

Right: Movie poster designed for independent film direct Sylvia Johnson

Left: Logo, branding and creative direction for independent clothing company Colab Clothes

The Candice Colley Foundation BallSaturday 13th October 2012

Thornton Hall Hotel

Champagne Reception at 6.45pmDinner at 7.15pm

3 Course meal with wine, raffles, auction,live music and dancing

Compere for the evening - Willie Miller

Theme - ‘a touch of pink or purple’

Ticket price £55

Available here!

Left: Promotion material produced for the Candice Colley Foundation

Right: Charity T-Shirt produced for the children’s charity, Plan UK

Far Left: Trademarked logo designed and produced for HIST, a subsidiary of non-league Histon Football Club

Left: Logo, branding and promotion material produced for Sheffield University Planning Society

Right: Alongside commissioned work, I also have produced a plethora of independent work

Produced by Chris Hall

September 2014

issuu.com/chrishall12