Modernising Mount Pleasant by Catherine Chao

Mount Pleasant site Group 5 Masterplan Proposal 11.12.2017

CONTENTS

Scheme Two

The Site • Site context

• Design development

• Historical context

• Masterplan

• Site analysis

• Diagrams

• Site accessibility

• Strengths and weaknesses

• Site character

Final Scheme

• Strengths and weaknesses

• Design development

• Masterplan

Overall Strategy • Vision

• 3d and street views

• Principles

• Diagrams

• Typology, land use and street network

Scheme One • Design development

• Street network

• Masterplan

• Typical typology layout

• Diagrams

• Shadow Study

• Strengths and weaknesses

• Evaluation

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THE SITE: CONTEXT

UCL

The Brunswick Centre

The British Museum St James Church Smithfield Market

Smithfield Market

Barbican

Myddelton Square Gardens

Granville Square

Wilmington Square Brunswick Square Gardens Russell Square

Bloomsbury Square Garden

Lincoln's Inn Fields

River Thames

St Pancras & King's Cross

Euston

Russell Square

Tottenham Court Road

Holborn Farringdon Chancery Lane

Barbican

STATIONS

The City London Eye

GREEN & BLUE SPACE

LANDMARKS & KEY PLACES

Mount Pleasant

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THE SITE: HISTORY

Historic Map 1870s (1-5000)

Historic Map 1910s (1-5000)

Historic Map 1950s (1-5000)

The Mount Pleasant site is embedded in the historical facets of its surroundings, affecting the future of the site and the course of its change and development. It is located just North of what was historically the cold baths, called the Coldbath Fields (1697).

Proposal One: Mount Pleasant Association The community group, the Mount Pleasant Association (MPA), made up of local residents, have submitted plans for an alternative scheme together with the social enterprise Create Streets (Architects Journal 2017). This opposing scheme proposes a less dense and community-led scheme, which takes the local community into consideration.

The site, formerly a dumping ground - hence the term Mount Pleasant, adjacent to what was the meandering Fleet River, is positioned on a rising topography. The mound was later flattened to make way for Clerkenwell Gaol, the Coldbath Fields prison (1794). Mount pleasant has undergone various changes and developments ensuing the closure of the prison (1877), including the input of the Metropolitan Line. The Post Office bought the former prison site in 1880 and redeveloped it as its main sorting office (Temple, P. 2008). The site is currently being used sorting office, service areas and parking grounds by the Royal Mail Group (RMG) (Borough of Islington 2012). In the context of the reorganisation of its services and facilities, the RMG has released a large area of the site for the redevelopment “into a residential-led, mixed-use development” (Amwell 2017). The future of the Mount Pleasant site is controversial, due to the dichotomous views for its redevelopment. The RMG, have proposed a highly-dense scheme, in contrast to the ideas proposed by the Mount Pleasant association of a less dense and more community-led scheme. These two proposals will be compared and contrasted in the following section. The site for proposed development has evidently been subject to major change throughout its recent historical existence. Its success in the change of functions indicates the site’s susceptibility to change. The proposal presented later in this report will take its unique, historical assets into consideration.

Historic 1827 River Fleet

Proposal Two: RMG Proposal The postal service and courier company, the Royal Mail Group, currently owns the Mount Pleasant site and has sold 2.5ha of the site for £193.5 million to Taylor Wimpey a house building company (Architects Journal 2017). Consequently, there have been plans for the redevelopment of this space into a “residential-led, mixed-use” development.

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THE SITE: ANALYSIS 1

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Tower Plot COV: 13% FAR: 1.74 Dwelling/unit density: 181p/h

Row Plot COV: 40% FAR: 1.8 Dwelling/unit densit

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Tower Plot COV: 24% FAR: 4.32 Dwelling/unit density: 233p/h

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Tower Plot COV: 24% FAR: 4.32 Dwelling/unit density: 233p/h

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Ph t an as

Hybrid Plot COV: 49% FAR: 2.59 Dwelling/unit density: 245p/h

Tower Plot COV:24% FAR: 2.2 Dwelling/unit densit

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Single-use Plot COV: 79% FAR: 6.7 Dwelling/unit density: 4p/h

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Tower Plot COV: 13% FAR: 1.74 Dwelling/unit density: 181p/h

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Private open space

Green space

7 - 9 storeys

Semi-private open space Public open space

≥ 10 storeys 4 - 6 storeys 160

1 - 3 storeys

Existing Land Use

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Hybrid Plot COV: 49% FAR: 2.59 Dwelling/unit density: 245p/h

Existing Building Height 4

Single-use Plot COV: 79% FAR: 6.7 Dwelling/unit density: 4p/h

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Row Plot COV: 40% FAR: 1.8 Dwelling/unit density: 177p/h

Tower Plot COV: 13% FAR: 1.74 Dwelling/unit density: 181p/h

Courtyard Plot COV: 46% FAR: 2.18 Dwelling/unit densit

Tower Plot COV:24% FAR: 2.2 Dwelling/unit density: 257p/h

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Row Plot COV: 42% FAR: 1.2 Dwelling/unit density: 81p/h

Hybrid Plot COV: 49% FAR: 2.59 Dwelling/unit density: 245p/h

Perimeter Plot COV: 74% FAR: 4.37 Dwelling/unit density: 393p/h

11 9

Courtyard Plot COV: 46% FAR: 2.18 Dwelling/unit density: 399p/h

Aven

Perimeter Plot COV: 81% FAR: 1.74 Dwelling/unit densit

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bery

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Single-use Plot COV: 79% FAR: 6.7 Dwelling/unit density: 4p/h

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Residential Commercial Shop / food and drink establishment Mix (residential + shop + food and drink establishment) Non-residential institution

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Hotel 80

Car park

Perimeter Plot COV: 74% FAR: 4.37 Dwelling/unit densit

Tower Plot COV: 24% FAR: 4.32 Dwelling/unit density: 233p/h

Student accommodation

Row Plot COV: 42% FAR: 1.2 Dwelling/unit density: 81p/h

Perimeter Plot COV: 47% FAR: 2.34 Dwelling/unit density: 185p/h

2 Kin

Perimeter Plot COV: 47% FAR: 2.34 Dwelling/unit density: 185p/h

Row Plot COV: 42% FAR: 1.2 Dwelling/unit density: 81p/h

Perimeter Plot COV: 47% FAR: 2.34 Dwelling/unit density: 185p/h

Perimeter Plot COV: 81%

12 FAR: 1.74

Dwelling/unit density: 153p/h

Perimeter Plot COV: 85% FAR: 4.51 Dwelling/unit densit

160

Perimeter Plot COV: 85% FAR: 4.51 Dwelling/unit density: 358p/h

Existing Building Uses

Existing Green Spaces

Existing Typology

The Mount Pleasant site is surrounded by a wide range of land uses, including residential, retail and commercial. The area Bloomsbury area, which is North of the site, is predominantly residential, with a relatively low density ranging from one to three and four to six-storey buildings.

This area has a high amount of public and green spaces. The There is less open space than the Northern side of the site. The surrounding area of the analysed site is Finsbury and Hatton Gardens area, which is East and South made up of various distinct typologies some of which: perimeter blocks, tower blocks, terraced housing, of the site, is made up of predominantly commercial and and hybrid forms. The diversity of typologies gives reason to consider a variety of types for the final proposal retail uses and some residential and is of a higher density, for the site. ranging from four to six and 10 or more storeys.

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THE SITE: ACCESSIBILITY 10 mi nu te sw Angel al k St Pancras International

King’s Cross

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Russell Square

Farringdon Barbican

Chancery Lane Holborn

Tottenham Court Road

Walking distances to train and underground stations around the site.

Transport Nodes

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Tertiary road

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Secondary road

Primary road

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The primary route along Farringdon Road connecting these two nodes is fronted on all sides by built form and hard street edges. A gap in this continuous link is only found at the Mount Pleasant site where the existing service yard provides an absence of frontage. Development proposals can seek to reinstate this frontage along this primary route filling in the absence of the building line.

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Major road connections in the form of Farringdon Road and Grays Inn Road bisect the site in a north-south on either side providing strong barriers on either side. Within the centre of the site passes the main cycle link linking King’s Cross and the City of London.

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The site is very well located in central London, equidistant between the major transport nodes of King’s Cross and Farringdon stations. Six tube station is within a 10-minute walk of the site with further two stations slightly over a 10-minute walk.

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Existing road hierarchy showing routes around the site connecting to central London.

Cycle connection

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Cycle routes around and through the site.

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THE SITE: CHARACTER Margery New River House Street Estate

Postal Museum Charles The Dickens Museum

The Mount Pleasant site is located in the centre of various important character areas including Bloomsbury, Finsbury, Clerkenwell 1 and Hatton Gardens. The context of the surrounding character areas is fundamental for the considerations of the new 3 site 2 proposal, its designated uses and most importantly its character. The physical character of a place, indirectly has an effect on one’s sense of place and well-being (Barton 2017).

The encompassing areas are of mixed-use and cannot be assigned to one sole function. Some of the residential characters include Georgian terraced houses as well as traditional Estate buildings such as the Bourne Estate for example. Other architectural characters in the contextual area include the more modernist Finsbury Health Centre (1938) (C20Society, 2017). Various religious and cultural buildings were also identified, including churches and museums. Another prime feature of the The Postal Museum Charles Dickens Museum Bourne Estate surrounding character area is the Exmouth Market, which generates movement onto Farringdon Road. 4 3 2

House Our MostBloomsbury Holy Redeemer

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Margery Street Estate River House ExmouthNew Market

7 6

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Bloomsbury House OurPeter Most&Holy Redeemer Church St. St. Paul

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Lloyd Baker Estate Charles Dickens Museum Bourne Estate

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Georgian Residential Houses Our Most Holy Church St. Peter &Redeemer St. Paul

Finsbury Health NewCentre River House Exmouth Market

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The Postal Museum

Lloyd Baker Estate Margery Street EstateEstate Bourne

St. Andrew’s Gardens Georgian Residential Church St. Peter & Houses St. Paul

Bloomsbury House Finsbury Health Centre Exmouth Market

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The Postal Museum Charles Dickens Museum

Lloyd Street Baker Estate Margery Estate New River House

Finsbury Health HouseCentre Our MostBloomsbury Holy Redeemer

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St.Georgian Andrew’s Gardens Houses Wilmington Square Residential

14 13

Charles Museum The Dickens Postal Museum Bourne Estate

River House Margery Street Estate Exmouth New Market

Our Most Redeemer Bloomsbury House Church St. Peter & Holy St. Paul

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Wilmington Square St. Andrew’s Gardens

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THE SITE: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Opportunities map

Constraints map

Cycle lane connection

Movement barrier

Pedestrianised square

Noise pollution

Royal Mail sorting office

Protected vista

Low density residential area

King’s Cross 10min

Angel 10min

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Farringdon Road frontage

Proximity to stations & key areas

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Angel 10min

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Main access route

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Russell Square 10min

Farringdon Holborn 10min

10min Chancery Lane 10min

Opportunities

Constraints

1. Mixed height, density, typology, and uses - A varied mix of land uses, heights and densities exist around the site providing precedent for a mixture throughout the site 2. Cycle lane connections through site - Major cycle connection linking King’s Cross and the City of London provides a strategic opportunity to integrate within the site 3. Pedestrianised squares to North and South of site - Creating public spaces throughout the site provides for the lack of open space in the surrounding area and along the main connection route from north to south 4. Main access routes: North-South; Southwest – Northeast; Northwest – Southeast - The site can provide for traffic-free connections in all routes better integrating the site into its local surroundings 5. Open site up to public uses - Being cut off from public access at present, ensuring the scheme is permeable will help to make the site an accessible space for residents and visitors 6. Reinstate frontage along Farringdon Road - A lack of frontage along Farringdon Road can be reinstated and provide a barrier to the remaining site from the noise and pollution of this main vehicular route to the City 7. Proximity to major stations and key areas of London - A well-connected place already, permeability towards the main transport nodes in the form of pedestrian and cycle connections will help ensure sustainable travel 8. Views to City of London to the South - Due to the topography the northern end of the site can enjoy views of the City from taller builders 9. Link to local green spaces and existing tree-lined streets - Linking the existing squares and green spaces helps to provide a pleasant environment to link pedestrianised movement

1. Major roads as barriers to movement - The major roads of Farringdon Road and Grays Inn Road on a northsouth orientation and Rosebery Avenue on an east-west orientation below the site provide barriers to movement 2. Major roads noise pollution (particularly along Farringdon Road) - Noise spill into the site needs to be controlled and minimised to ensure a pleasant environment for residents 3. Location, scale and mass of Royal Mail sorting office - The retention of this building and its dominant scale and mass provides an obstacle to integration into the site proposals 4. Protected vista to St Paul’s Cathedral - View of St Paul’s dome from both Parliament Hill and Kenwood House cross the site preventing the inclusion of taller buildings that may interrupt these views 5. Low density existing residential buildings to the North - existing low-density housing on the north-west corner of the site will require lower height and density units to be placed here to respond to this 6. Site located in the centre of where multiple character areas meet - The influence of the surrounding plethora of character areas means the site has a multitude of characters and typologies to consider in its response. 7. Access to and use of retained Royal Mail sorting office - The ongoing use of the Royal Mail sorting office with an increased number of employees on a more concentrated site will provide constraints in the types of surrounding uses and hours of operation.

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OVERALL STRATEGY: VISION Mount Pleasant is one of the most important and high profiles inner London regeneration opportunities. It has a long and significant history and its strategical location on the convergence of multiple distinct character areas meaning that careful design and planning are required to ensure its success. Development must be completed sensitively, with an understanding of its place in both the local and wider London context to enable delivery of a new neighbourhood that is integrated and representative of its surrounding community. Our vision for the development proposals at Mount Pleasant is to create a new neighbourhood destination within inner London that reflects its surroundings and history whilst delivering new homes, quality open space and opportunities for the future. A place that distinctive yet integrates into the fabric of London. To deliver this strategy the development proposals shall deliver the objectives on the following page.

Open green space towards the north of the site for use by both residents and visitors.

Approaching the site from the north this corner of the site is very prominent, this should be articulated with a distinctive building of significant scale to hold this busy corner of the site.

Reinstate building frontage along Farringdon Road to shield the site and provide a strong built form along this primary route. Predominantly residential uses with small areas of retail use. Providing mixes houses and flats.

Lower and less dense units closer to adjacent housing.

Focal heart of the scheme where all main pedestrian routes cross. An open and active space to join all surrounding spaces. Higher and denser buildings in linear formation positioned on the western edge of the site to respond to adjacent typologies.

Maintain pedestrian link to Farringdon road and access directly into the heart of the scheme.

Integrate the historic sorting office into the scheme by fronting the retained building onto the main pedestrian space.

Connect and promote cycle link through the centre of the site.

Progression into more non-residential uses at southern end to link to surrounding uses.

Open space within the southern portion of the site responding to the lack of green space to the south and act to draw in pedestrians from surrounding areas.

The prominent building at the southern end of the site, making use of its location outside of the protected views and fronting onto the square to the south.

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OVERALL STRATEGY: PRINCIPLES

CONNECTIVITY

• Join the surround local areas to the development by providing logical, safe and welcoming access points at the boundary • Enhance activity along the north elevation of the sorting office connecting it to the new development • Promote pedestrian and cycle connections through the scheme and links to established routes • Open the site’s accessibility making it permeable to movements in all directions • Create a destination along the connection between the major transport nodes of Kings Cross and Farringdon stations • Reinforce local frontages and typologies to integrate the development into the locality.

ACTIVITIES

USES

• Create active and lively street frontages and • Deliver residential homes, providing a open spaces neighbourhood of a range of homes to suit • ‘Reinvent’ the space behind the sorting office different people’s needs, from small homes to giving it an activity and purpose through new family homes uses • Provide mid to high-density homes to deliver • Position buildings to overlook open spaces to both more homes and more open space within create safe and inviting areas proposals • Give buildings clear frontages and provide • Create genuinely affordable homes for accesses clearly on street frontages Londoners • Ensure a range and mix of uses to provide opportunities and activity throughout different times of the day and week • Create high quality, relaxing green open spaces for the benefit of both residents and the general public

SUSTAINABILITY

• Create SUDs that are visible and connect to the history of the site • Deliver public and private green spaces • Provide low carbon, low energy homes and mixed-use development • Create opportunities for a range of smaller scale business and employment within the scheme • Increase the biodiversity of the development through new varied landscaped spaces • Maintain effective operation of the sorting office employment and connection to the site’s past

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SCHEME 1: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Early concepts

Green access throughout central space linking the north and south courtyards to integrate a cycleway and public open space.

Key building to the northeast corner and views south across the site

Key north-south route to link two squares to the north and south with smaller link across sorting office front

Central east-west space providing retail uses at ground floor and residential space above. Limited to vehicle use at specific times only.

Potential access points for vehicles from secondary streets that avoid coming off Farringdon Road

Early sketch schemes being developed for scheme 1. 1. Ideas to link the two external squares through a third central square surrounded by built form.

2. Option with the east-west link being placed further towards the northern end, more similar to RMG scheme. 3. Option moving the east-west link further south and distorting the north-south route throughout the central area of the site. 4. Early developed sketch showing major north-south route and central east-west linkage surrounded by predominantly perimeter blocks.

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SCHEME 1: MASTERPLAN Proposal The first proposal tested a traditional mixed-use city structure comprising of 90% residential space. The North and North-Eastern corners of the site are residential perimeter blocks of eight storeys.

The blocks adjacent to the sorting office are retail spaces and progressing to the West of the site, the building blocks are commercial spaces of higher densities between eight and ten storeys.

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on Northeast View

Land-use and Density: The land-use proposed for scheme one mirrors that of its surrounding area. The area of the site bordering Calthorpe Street has been defined as residential, ranging between 8 to 14 storeys. The built form below the residential has been defined as mixed-use of 8 storeys. The commercial use on the Western strip of scheme two ranges between 8 to 10 storeys. Go un

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Southeast View

Southwest View

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SCHEME 1: DIAGRAMS Connectivity

Vehicular Access

Cycling Access

Pedestrian Access

Section Key

Proposed Green Space

Section 1 Access Routes: Scheme one is characterised by two vehicular loop roads of six metres and of singular access. The non-vehicular route runs from North to South of our site and links Calthorpe Road and Mount Pleasant Road, as well as East to West, linking road Farringdon Road to Phoenix Place and to Gough Street; The 15 metres wide space is both a pedestrian and cyclist route. This non-motorised link allows for a more amicable inner space of the site. The secondary pedestrian routes are smaller 10-metre roads, that permeate through the inner blocks of the site. The smaller roads encourage human movement through the site.

Section 2

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SCHEME 1: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Strengths

Weaknesses

Traffic free connection

Overshadowed private space

Open space integrates sorting office

Exposure towards Farringdon Road

Northeast corner building

Groundfloor retail active frontage

Linear open space

Perimeter blocks active frontage

Tall buildings

Overlooked public amenity space

Connectivity 1. Clear distinct traffic free connection from North to South boundaries 2. Open space in front of sorting office integrates retained building into the scheme 3. Vehicular access does not go through the site, discouraging cut through and maintaining a quieter calmer streetscape 4. Building form on the Northeast corner helps to enclose the corner well Activity 5. Mix of retail unit along ground floor of main East-West connection creates lively active frontage 6. Perimeter blocks create active frontage on all sides and overlooked streets 7. Major public amenity spaces overlooked by multiple buildings Uses 8. Delivers a large number of homes 9. Fairly low plot coverage giving lots of space over to public use Sustainability 10. Option to create a linear SUDs features in the centre zone at the lowest point of the scheme 11. Promotes the history of the site with feature along the old River Fleet 12. Wide range of business could utilise different areas within the scheme

Connectivity 1. Possible conflict between usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; due to multifunctional linear space 2. Smaller private spaces could suffer from a lack of daylight from surrounding tall buildings 3. Careful consideration of how to integrate scale, heights and mass of sorting office to match scheme proposals 4. Broken form could lack legibility for movement across the scheme 5. Connection to Farringdon Road was not favoured in RMG scheme and could expose the site to noise 6. Perimeter block on the Northeast corner doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t define the corner particularly well Activity 7. Potential for disturbance from retail uses with residential accommodation above 8. Defensible spaces will need to be included where residential means public open space at ground floor Uses 9. Need to explore opportunities to create a greater diversity of mix of homes 10. Open space remains fairly linear without defining uses 11. Larger central space could provide greater diversity of uses Sustainability 12. Further areas of green space could be increased to promote more green private and public open space 13. Taller buildings on the southern side of the scheme could cast shade across the scheme 14. Certain buildings create North facing units, which should be avoided if possible

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SCHEME 2: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Early concepts

Creation of two distinct circus forms in the north and south of the site. Replicate the circus feature proposed by the Mount Pleasant Residents Association but two features to create multiple uses linked by a green corridor.

Strong east-west connection linking Farringdon Road and the nearby Exmouth Market. Acts as a predominant access point to serve the scheme. Minor access points can link in from around the site.

Strong built and active forms around the circus features and along the main eastwest route provide mixed-use activity with residential accommodation above to provide surveillance and active uses throughout the day and night.

Early sketch ideas schemes being developed for scheme 2. 1. Early concept of possible main movements into the scheme along the east-west access with a minor link to the south. 2. More developed access to the site showing the first integration of the circus features at changes of direction within the scheme. 3. Introduction of suggested built form and reorientation of the movement within the scheme to a north-south direction linking the corners of the site.

Wide main street frontage will incorporate mixed uses at ground floor providing a space for various activities and movements to take place within a shared space. As well as providing the access to the development, this area has synergies with Exmouth market and the ability to stretch this successful land use into this area.

Circus features are uncommon in modern buildings, however, precedents do exist in this area of London. The above shows Percy Circus, which is less than half a mile from the site. Whilst this building form provides an open, overlooked central space that can perform multiple functions, the building forms around the circus become more irregular.

4. Possible option of moving the central circus feature further within the scheme. 5. Alternative option showing the flattening of the circus features to reinforce the northsouth link and provide links into the centre of the site. 6. Refined option showing the development of the circus feature on a north-south axis leading into the prominent building on the northeast corner on the busy corner of Farringdon Road.

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SCHEME 2: MASTERPLAN Proposal The proposal for scheme two investigates the crescent structure including two main open spaces surrounded by circus-shaped perimeter blocks. These open spaces are linked by a main pedestrian access route.

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The site was transformed into an inner-city village in which residents, as well as visitors, would be able to walk freely, in a safe, enclosed neighborhood, characterised by much green space and pedestrian walkways (Barton 2017).

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3D Views View Northeast

Land-use and Density: In response to the surrounding character areas, the perimeter blocks on the North Eastern section of the site, adjacent to Calthorpe Street, have been appointed as residential blocks of relatively low densities, made up of 4 to 5 storeys.

3D Views View Southeast

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The blocks bordering the shared space are mixed-use typologies, with retail space with active frontages on the bottom, and residential on the floors above. These mixed-use typologies are of slightly higher densities and are made up of 5 to 6 storeys. The Western strip of buildings is predominantly commercial and of higher densities of around 6 to seven storeys.

3D Views View Southwest

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SCHEME 2: DIAGRAMS Connectivity

Vehicular Access

Cycling Access

Pedestrian Access

Section Key

Proposed Green Space

Section 1 Access Routes: The proposal for scheme two investigates the “crescent” or “circus” design. A fundamental feature of the scheme is the pedestrianised route, stretching from North to South, linking Farringdon Road to Phoenix Place and to Mount Pleasant. The circuses act as primary open spaces, linking the North side of the site to the Southern side through this pedestrianised and cyclist route. In addition to the North and South entrances, a secondary vehicular access road of 10 meters has been introduced, spanning on the East to West axis of the site, which is made up of a shared surface of 24 meters. This scheme is characterised by a high degree of permeability through the implementation of smaller, tertiary streets of 8m that run in between the other, larger roads.

Section 2

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SCHEME 2: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Strengths

Weaknesses

New East-West connection

High traffic flow

Active frontage

Irregular street form

Green space connection

Irregular built form

Circus core & green space

Divide into two smaller sites

Northeast corner building

Similar typology

Small open space

Connectivity 1. Scheme promotes a dominant East-West connection with a new access to Farringdon Road 2. Strong frontage to the sorting office by creation of new street 3. Quiet streets connect prominent green spaces in the two corners of the scheme 4. Feature circus green space elements replicate local features e.g. Percy Circus, Clerkenwell & Arnold Circus, Shoreditch 5. Prominent standalone building in Northeast corner holds this corner well, acting as a landmark Activity 6. Clustering the commercial uses to the southern portion of the site aligns with surrounding land use pattern 7. Circus feature creates core focus on activity in a specific area Uses 8. Scheme would deliver specific increase of non-residential uses along central street and in the south-west corner 9. Clearly defined zones for different activities Sustainability 10. Central tree lined street and landscapes courtyards provide high-quality green spaces 11. Provision of smaller spaces allows for varied treatments and therefore a different nature for each space 12. Keeping buildings lower results in reduced overshadowing

Connectivity 1. Connection onto Farringdon Road could increase traffic flow within the new scheme 2. Irregular form of streets could be confusing and may benefit from key buildings or view lines being more prominent 3. Circus elements create distorted and irregular surrounding building forms 4. Central route bisects the site into two smaller sites Activity 5. Potentially zoning could create times when little activity is present 6. Potential for disturbance to residential accommodation above ground floor in circus 7. Concentrating specific areas of segregated activity could result in a lack of activity on streets outside these areas Uses 8. Separating residential uses from the non-residential uses may create an unbalanced neighbourhood 9. Lower density would deliver limited amounts of residential homes 10. Similar typologies and mixes will result in a lack of family homes Sustainability 11. A lack of biodiversity and SUDs options could be explored further 12. Larger amount of hard areas with the main street taking up larger land area

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FINAL SCHEME: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Integration of SUDs features within the central north-south access provides visual interest as well as a connection to their function. Central hard landscaped areas with integrated trees provide a calm, welcoming area that people can use for multiple activities.

Scheme 1 selected attributes

Scheme 2 selected attributes

Back to back houses maintain local typology and density.

Maintain strong Reduce extent of shared built form on this space to outside sorting corner. office to help integrate it into the scheme.

Loop roads provide low order traffic access to the site avoiding the ability to cut through.

Formal frontages to the street frontages provide a regular and ordered frontage to complement surrounding London typologies. Defensible frontages in front of houses provide privacy for residents whilst allowing the built form to be hard to the street.

Pedestrianised central green spine overlooked by blocks to the west provides a calm landscaped backdrop to residential accommodation and increased the permeability of the scheme.

Strong building forms surround hard landscaped semi-private spaces that are overlooked by residential accommodation, making them secure and inviting. Mixed-use buildings with residential above front onto landscaped public open spaces.

Maintain separate green areas together with their link as per scheme 2 but amend their shape to avoid awkward geometries.

Sketch ideas for final proposal.

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FINAL SCHEME: MASTERPLAN

Final scheme • Units 900 • Storeys (Max) 14 • Site area 3.48ha • Built area 90,742 m2 • Built area ground 13,822 m2 • Plot coverage 40% • FAR 2.61 • Dwellings 259 dph m2 sq-ft Residential area 81,965 882,263 Non-residentialarea 8,777 94,475

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FINAL SCHEME: 3D AND STREET VIEWS

Southeast 3D View

Northeast 3D View

Southwest 3D View

Street View 1

2 3

Street View 2

Southwest 3D View

Street View 3

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FINAL SCHEME: DIAGRAMS

The final proposal has incorporated two vehicular roads that loop buildings on the North and West area of the site. The main roads are 15 metres in width and have two-way access. The Northern road has an additional shared space of 8 metres, with limited access. This additional extension of the road, provides timed vehicular access mainly for delivery purposes, thereby attributing to the flexibility of the site. The two green, open spaces are connected by a network of roads, which provide a logical route from one space to the other. The two open spaces are located in the centre of the perimeter blocks, creating a semi-public space with good accessibility. The proposal is characterised by the pronounced pedestrianised and cycle route cutting through the site from North to South, and thereby joining Calthorpe Street to Mount Pleasant Street. This route gives the site character by reviving the historical Fleet River. This route permeates through the site, and can be overlooked from the buildings bordering it.

Pedestrianised/ Cyclist Green & Blue Route (20m)

The site has smaller, secondary roads 5 metres wide, to ensure a high level of permeability for pedestrian access.

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FINAL SCHEME: TYPOLOGY, LAND USE & STREET NETWORKS Proposed Typologies

Sections Plan

MIXED

3.2m

10m Building

30m Open space

10m Building

Pavement

1.5m

Proposed Building Uses 2m

8m Road

Pavement

D’

Pavement

Defensible space

OFFICES

Cross-section A - A’ FLATS

Flat

HOUSES

Houses Office

The site is a mixed-use scheme, made up of residential in the area bordering Calthorpe Street. These typologies mirror the Georgian style terraced housing, adjacent to the site with private courtyards. The corner of the site where Calthorpe Street meets Farringdon Road is closed off by a tower block, defining the corner with a strong presence. The built form in the centre of the site is a combination of retail and residential of low to medium density around 5 storeys. The strip on the West-side of Phoenix Place is predominantly commercial and of a higher density ranging from 6 to 14 storeys, also responding to the adjacent context.

2.7m

Pavement

16m Building

Pavement Defensible space

5.5m Road

2.5m 2m

1.5m

Retail 1.5m

14.5m Building Building

18.6m Open space

3m Cycle lane

27m Royal Mail Sorting Office

C’

Pavement Parking bay

Defensible space

Cross-section B - B’

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Pavement

5.5m Road

Pavement

2.5m 2m

15m Building

2.5m

6m Open space

3m Cycle lane

7.3m Open space

10m Building

21.5m Back gardens

1.5m

20m Building

1.5m

B 2.5m

1.5m

FINAL SCHEME: STREET NETWORKS

10m Building

Pavement Parking bay

Defensible space

B’

Pavement

Defensible space

Pavement Defensible space

Parking bay

23m Open space

Pavement Defensible space

10m Building

2m 2.5m

Pavement Defensible space

Defensible space

Parking bay

5.5m Road

18m Building

1.5m

10m Building

1.5m

5.5m Road

1.5m

2m 2.5m

1.5m

17m Building

1.5m

3.8m

1.5m

Cross-section C -8 C’ 0 4

18.5m Open space

20m Royal Mail Sorting Office

A’

Pavement Defensible space

Defensible space

Cross-section D - D’

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FINAL SCHEME: TYPICAL TYPOLOGY LAYOUTS

Splitting the activities into the ground floor fronts retail uses onto the main public area whilst maintaining active frontages to both sides of the building.

Balconies are cut out from building mass to define the building form and free up the corners of the building.

Residential unit entrance Residential core entrance Retail entrance Residential uses Residential bins/bikes use

Increasing the ground floor height to 4m gives greater street presence for the pedestrian experience.

Residential accommodation stacked on top of retail at ground floor providing height and street presence.

Residential accommodation on the first floor arranges around two cores that are accessed from street level giving the building two frontages.

Overall building gave height and massing appropriate to its function as a mixed unit building and position on the Masterplan.

Final building gave articulation and fenestration to provide greater definition to the prominent faรงades that face onto the main public space. The building provides a key mixed-use function in the heart of the scheme with active frontage surrounding the building whilst providing further residential accommodation above retail.

Retail uses

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FINAL SCHEME: SHADOW ANALYSIS

Analysing the sunlight and shadow movements around the site shows the majority of the site receives good levels of daylight throughout the day. The main area of open space, opposite the old sorting office, receives sunlight throughout the vast majority of the day with the area to the north-west corner of the sorting office receiving sunlight right through from 08:00 to 16:00. The smaller pockets of public green spaces in the southern end of the site and within the central perimeter block, whilst not in sunlight throughout the day, do receive good levels of light making them pleasant environments for people to use. The tallest tower to the southern extremity of the site does cast a shadow over the new development but this is limited to the area immediately to the north. Dwellings to the south-east of Rosebery Avenue are only cast in part shade from 16:00, therefore the impact of the tower on these properties is deemed not to be significant.

21st June 12:00

21st June 08:00

21st June 10:00

21st June 14:00

21st June 16:00

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FINAL SCHEME: EVALUATION The main north-south route is only open to pedestrians and cyclists and is situated on the strategic link between Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cross and Farringdon stations. This space takes a meandering route through a green landscaped zone interspersed with rills that for the sites SUDs feature.

Situated on the northeast corner of the site the taller building articulates this prominent corner announcing the site to visitors from the north. Creating a strong building line along Farringdon Road provides presence along this route whilst shielding the inside of the site form noise and traffic.

Masterplan Proposal The final proposal is an amalgamation of the two tested schemes, bringing together a sense of locality and, simultaneously meeting the density needs of the London Plan and stakeholders. People are brought together through the presence of two primary open spaces, located both North and South of the site. The loop roads provide vehicular access into the site but prevent the scheme from being dominated by traffic. These areas incorporate limited parking interspersed with trees to maintain a softer feel and more friendly for pedestrian use.

The site is further characterised by the pronounced green and blue pedestrianised and cyclist routes, which cut through the site vertically and give prominence to the old Fleet River. The sense of place in the final proposal is reiterated by the limited vehicular access, leaving the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core as entirely pedestrianised. On the basis of the long-term ambition to achieve 50% of affordable homes in London, the proposals for this site seeks to provide the required 35% on site and fully integrates this into the design of the master plan. This proposal for Mount Pleasant provides 900 homes of which 318 shall be allocated for affordable housing. Recognising the strategic nature of this site and level of infrastructure work required, the proposed tenure split for the affordable allocation would be 30% lowcost affordable rent, 30% intermediate rent (London Living rent) and the remaining 40% being a mix of both shared ownership and discounted market. The heights of the buildings adjacent to the low-density housing in the North West corner of the site and throughout the centre of the northern half of the site have been kept at low heights. This will ensure that sunlight penetrates the centre of the area in the final proposal for the site.

The green spaces to the north and south are semi-private and provide quiet calm green spaces that enable users to relax away from the more movement orientated centre of the site.

The central zone addresses the sorting office on one site and the mixeduse retail typology on the other creating an active street that is planned with more formal landscaping. Smaller shops suited for different sizes of businesses enable a variety of sustainable uses throughout the day and evenings.

Heights are also moderate alongside the East to West open space relating to the sorting office in order to maintain high levels of sunlight in this important public space. Around the perimeter of the Northern extent of the site, heights increase to shield the scheme from Farringdon Road whilst providing views over the scheme South to London. Building heights increase to the South and West of the site to relate to the adjacent building heights and in the zone not affected by the protected viewing corridor.

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APPENDIX

Barton, H. (2017). ‘Planning for mental and social well-being’. In H. Barton (Ed.). City of well-being. Abingdon: Routledge, Ch. 7, pp. 95–109. C20society.org.uk (2017). 1938: Finsbury health centre, London - The Twentieth Century Society [online]. Available at: https://c20society.org.uk/100buildings/1938-finsbury-health-centre-london/ [accessed 10 Dec.] British-history.ac.uk (2017). West of Farringdon Road | British History Online [online]. Available at: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol47/ pp22-51#h2-0022 [accessed 10 Dec.] Create Streets (2017). Mount Pleasant Association Community Right to Build Order. Heritage Statement. London, pp. 1-32. Available at: https:// www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=3520479& [accessed 12 Nov. 2017]. Borough of Islington & Camden (2017). Mount Pleasant Supplementary Planning Document. London, pp. 1-56. Create Streets (2014). Mount Pleasant Circus and Fleet River Valley Gardens. [Online], London, pp. 1-64. Available at: https://lif.blob.core.windows.net/ lif/docs/default-source/publications/mount-pleasant-web.pdf?sfvrsn=0 [accessed 1 Dec. 2017]. Braidwood, E., Waite, R. and Hurst, W. (2014). London Mayor approves Mount Pleasant development. [Online] Architects Journal. Available at: https:// www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/london-mayor-approves-mount-pleasantdevelopment/8670532.article [accessed 10 Dec. 2017].

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