SOUTHALL a master plan for the community
report
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER MA Urban Design | AURD704.2 Master Planning | Simone Gobber
SOUTHALL a master plan for the community
report
Contents: 3 Southall: a master plan for the community Aims and motivations that drive the project
4 Built elements, planned actions Main formal considerations
5 Building as much as we can, not as much as they want Capacity statement
7 A viable and feasible scheme, thus sustainable Sustainability strategy
9 Reclaiming, retrofitting, reinventing Key theories that have influenced the design
10 Precedents
19 Academic jargon and graphic gimmicks Design research
21 So far so good Reflective statement
22 References
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER MA Urban Design | AURD704.2 Master Planning | Simone Gobber
Southall: a master plan for the community Aims and motivations that drive the project The proposed master plan for Southall addresses in three different ways the issue of outlining what can be a possible future for the area. Developing a formal master plan for the regeneration of a big brownfield site, by referring to what developers are currently delivering in similar contexts in the local market. Suggesting ways of interaction between areas that are radically different from the functional, formal and institutional perspectives, exploring how a diverse set of interventions can promote a cohesive development. Last but not least, investigating how the process of redevelopment of such a site can evolve in time, translating the temporality into a structural component of the project.
Southall in 2020, 2025, 2030 The decision of presenting the master plan as a sequence of actions in time was taken in order to highlight the incremental nature of the proposed set of interventions.
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Built elements, planned actions Main formal considerations Rather than indulging in the design of sinuously curved streets and buildings with dramatic sharp edges, the present scheme is made out of modular, even repetitive elements. The rationale behind this decision is that it is the interaction of the different components of the project that makes its quality, rather than the uniqueness of the single elements. This reflects the overall strategy of the master plan, of being a sequence of interrelated actions, rather than a finished formal design. The strive for a viable and feasible master plan has led to the reduction of each component to its basic characteristics - for the gasworks site, a west to east main connection, one distributive principle for the units, a set of public spaces. Yet, the diversity of the functions and activities promoted, and the interaction with the actions suggested in the surrounding areas, would guarantee the diversity and richness of the outcome.
3D study model of the main residential area The apparently monotonous outline of the new development is due to the will to define the capacity and the overall urban quality for the area, allowing at the same time the maximum formal flexibility to the developers.
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Building as much as we can, not as much as they want Capacity statement When setting the target values for the density that the new development would achieve, several consideration were made. Overall, it was taken into account the constant cry for new houses in the city of London pushing for maximizing the capacity of the site, especially considering the strategic connection that Crossrail will guarantee to the city, and the euphoric moment that the housing market is experiencing. Nevertheless, thinking more at a long term scale, it was decided to reduce the number of potential new residents, by dedicating a part of the site to a new business park. Two are the reasons for this decision. First of all, to maintain the legacy of the site with industry and production, interacting with the surroundings similar areas and providing not only houses, but also work to the residents. Secondly, but by no means less important, to mitigate the impact that such a big transformation would have on the existing community living in the area. 44
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One of the studies to define the optimal size of the new blocks, with the best ratio between exploited area, green spaces and amount of streets.
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Capacity check 32 ha 411,000 sqm 5120 160 415
Development Site area [SA] Total Floor Area [TFA] Number of units [assuming all housing=TFA/80] Density in Dwellings/Ha [=units /SA] Density in people/Ha [=units x 2.6]
55,000 Open space [local parks, squares] 95,000 Circulation 150,000 Total non building land [NBL] 170,000 Total Developable Area TD 53 % Percentage developed [=TD/SA] 1.3 Plot ratio (gross) [=TFA/SA] Actual mix of uses 308,000 sqm 3850 11,000 sqm 40,000 sqm 34,000 sqm 12,000 sqm 6,000 sqm 411,000 sqm
Residential Number residential units Employment [office] Employment [other] Retail Community Leisure Total floor area
74.5 % 2.5% 10.0 % 8.5 % 3.0 % 1.5 %
Population 10000 Total population residential [=Units x2.6] 2100 Total population non residential
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A viable and feasible scheme, thus sustainable Sustainability strategy Sustainability has not been the driving principle for the master plan, but it comes as a consequence of a series of decisions taken in order to guarantee the feasibility and viability of the proposed transformation.
GREEN
BLUE
GREY
RED
Ecological characteristics and continuity of landscape
Flood protection
Passive and energy efficient design
Planning policies
Amount of green landscaping; ecological assessment for the area count of biodiversity
In particular, a special attention was given to these Rainwater and storm Local restrictions water management Energy production, on pollution waste, measures that by improving the environmenincluding renewable landfill use, etc Water consumption energy sources tal quality of the place, would at the same time Amenities available Water quality for District evergy achieveSocial other goals such as minimizing the costs watercourses; water networks integration pollution of the Community intervention, increasing the value of the Waste management involvement and recycling
development and providing a more beautiful and efficiently managed public realm.
Landuse Air, soil pollution
This is the case for instance of the proposed soil remediation embankment alongside the railroad: by reducing the cost and the impact of the remeEcomasterplanning Assessment Tool (EmAT)Š diation of the site, it provides a visual filter to the residential units by the rail tracks, and becomes a Eco Business Park | Royal Docks | Newham linear park providing an alternative route to the Flood protection Passive and energy Planning policies station. efficient design
BLUE
GREY
Rainwater and storm water management Energy production, including renewable Water consumption energy sources Water quality for watercourses; water pollution
RED
Local restrictions on pollution waste, landfill use, etc
Amenities available
District evergy networks
Social integration
Waste management and recycling
Community involvement
Ecomasterplanning Assessment Tool (EmAT)Š
nning Assessment Tool (EmAT)Š
s | Newham
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Sustainability assessment
GREEN Ecological characteristics and continuity of landscape
Enhancing of the Country Park and the Grand Union Canal
Amount of green landscaping and biodiversity
New parks and new wildlife habitats
√ √
Air, soil pollution
Remediation of a heavily polluted site
√
BLUE Rainwater and storm water management
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems green roofs
Water consumption
Naturally filtered swimming pool reducing the need of fresh water
Water quality for watercourses
Regeneration of the Grand Union Canal
GREY Passive and energy efficient design
North-south orientation and wide streets maximizing sunlight provision
District energy networks
District heating system
Waste management and recycling
In-situ bio remediation of polluted soil
RED Planning policies
Cooperation between different councils
Amenities available
New parks and marina, a renovated Country Park
Social integration
New development blending with the existing
Community involvement
New community pocket parks
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
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Reclaiming, retrofitting, reinventing Key theories that have influenced the design The design has been influenced by several theories, starting from the classics of modernism such as Le Corbusier’s rationalistic plans or Sitte’s attention to the urban landscape, going to the more contemporary ideas represented by the New Urbanism movement, and transit oriented development (and constantly referring, of course, to the milestone represented in the UK by Towards an Urban Renaissance). In particular, three approaches have been particularly important in integrating and defining the overall approach. For the gasworks site, but also for the actual neighbourhood, the ideas and principles on how to give new value to the existing collected in the book Reclaim, edited by Aurora Fernandez Per and Javier Mozas. For the business park, and the revaluation of suburban landscapes, the studies carried on in the US by June Williamson. Finally, the Made in Tokyo research for the relevance of unconventional, exceptional interstitial elements to complete the urban fabric.
Reclaim Remediate Reuse Recycle Aurora Fernandez Per and Javier Mozas Designing Suburban Futures June Williamson Made in Tokyo Kaijima, Kuroda and Tsukamoto
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Precedents retrofitting the business park
Industrial and business parks are often perceived as incompatible with other functions. By promoting a set of intervention of infill, as well as retrofitting of the existing urban fabric, it is possible to achieve a mix of functions that would ensure the improvement of the urban quality of the area. Particularly significant in this sense are small projects like the terrace houses created in Baden Powell Close by Peter Barber, screening the site behind and radically redefining the image of the area, as well as the idea of using the big roofs of the warehouses as suggested by BIG in Basel, and promoting small infill interventions allowing new businesses to activate the open space in the area.
Baden Powell Close, London | Peter Barber Architects Transitlager Warehouse Redevelopment, Basel | BIG Container Store in Tukwila Industrial Area, Washington | Starbucks
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Precedents enhanced permeability and pocket parks
The character, the legibility and the permeability of an area, as well as its environmental and cultural quality, can be radically transformed not only by massive and disruptive transformation, but also by a set of small acupunctural operations. Transforming empty lots in urban pocket parks, for instance, even if only on a temporary base, is an effective way to promote community cohesion. Reinforcing the quality of existing networks - as suggested by the landscape architect Walter Hood for Richmond, is a viable and cost-effective way to promote walkability in the city. Finally, designing - even with little interventions - and managing back alleys is a way to increase the sense of safety, as well as allowing the extension of the existing network of public spaces.
Union Street Orchard, London | Wayward North Richmond Master Plan, USA | Walter Hood Gibbon’s Rent, London | Team London Bridge
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Precedents station redevelopment and new access
Train stations are a key element for urban regeneration, not only for their functional and iconic value, but also as an opportunity to become the focal point of new urban hubs. The Crossrail project will not only mean faster connection through the city of London, but it will also be the occasion to redesign many stations (like the one in Hayes, the next stop from Southall), with improved functionality and an enhanced public realm. At the same time, they attract investments that can generate complex development schemes, combining transport to business and residences, as is happening in Guildford. Not only train stops then, but efficient transport interchange hub integrated with the city, at the same time landmarks and places to live.
Hayes and Harlington new Crossrail Station | Bennetts Associates Guildford Station regeneration | Solum Bijlmer Station, Amsterdam | Grimshaw Architects
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Precedents new uses and activities
The progressive de-industrialization of the city that effected most European countries in the last decades, has left an heritage of huge redundant structures in what is often a very strategic location. Rather than being replaced by new housing, these sites can be transformed by reinventing the relationship with the structure and rethinking the kind of activities that they host. This is the case of the creative village hosted in the former NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam, the university laboratories designed by Malcolm Fraser in Greenwich, or the Technological Park in Merida, all samples of different ways to retrofit existing factories, turning them into laboratories for urban regeneration.
NDSM, Amsterdam | Eva de Klerk Royal Greenwich UTC, London | Malcolm Fraser Architects PCITAL Gardeny Agro-foods Scientific Technological Park, Lleida | Equip Arquitectura Pich-Aguilera
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Precedents redevelopment of the edges
The process of reclamation of a site such the gasworks in Southall requires as lot of time and resources, due to the technical problems related to the decommissioning of the site and the pollution of the area. The process can be tackled and facilitated by a series of interventions on the edges, the easiest to reclaim. While starting to transform the place, these can act as a seam between the existing fabric and the new development, and contribute to generate the economical resources for supporting the reclamation costs. Particularly interesting as precedents for a bordure to the new development have been samples of contemporary terrace houses schemes, dialoguing with the existing ones but introducing new forms and character to the area.
Donnybrook Quarter, London | Peter Barber Architects Newhall | Allison Brooks Architects Beveridge Mews, London | Peter Barber
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Precedents soil remediation and new landscaping
The major issue with reclaiming a gasworks site is dealing with the high level of pollution of the soil, that makes the site unfit to host permanent uses. The fastest way of solving the problem is to relocate the soil. Doing it off-site has a huge operational and financial impact on the project. A better way is to deal with it in situ, by establishing some remediation zones where the polluted soil is allowed to regenerate slowly with bio-remediation systems. While not allowing the establishing of permanent and constant uses, these areas can become the chance to create new landscape features, turning a problem - the polluted soil - into an opportunity for creating a better and more attractive environment.
Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam | Studio Parker Ballast Point, Sydney | Mc Gregor Coxall Olympic Parc Wetlands, London | Susdrain
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Precedents landmark facilities for the community
A romantic approach - increasingly to be found among developers - is to consider the elements of the industrial as a key component of the urban character (and adding value to the development). More pragmatically, in a decommissioning process what is retained as a memory is what cannot be used elsewhere, because of being unfit to modern standards or hard to move. If it is likely to think that the existing blue gasholder will find its way to China, it will be necessary to deal with the others. The circular gasholders sites can become the footprint for new community activities, giving shape and life to a new gasworks park celebrating the new life that is brought into the area. As part of the park, interesting precedents are cases of public structures that enable the use of the roof as an extension of the public realm.
Music Park, Sevilla | Costa Fierros Arquitectos Fuji Kindergarten | Tezuka Architects Gasworks Plaza, Brisbane | Mirvac Design
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Precedents a diverse new neighbourhood
As said before, the block type for the residential part of the scheme reproduces in shape and size what is currently being delivered by the market, allowing flexibility in the subdivision of the area and a provision of different typologies, from urban flats to maisonettes with direct access from the street and terrace houses. The perimetral block typology has not only been chosen for its popularity among the developers, but also for its positive effect of increasing the streetscape legibility, as well as providing an active look over the open space both inside and outside the block. The diversity in height and typologies presented guarantees diversity, allowing niches of intimacy in a dynamic metropolitan context.
Thames View East, London | Pollard Thomas Mill Hill East | PRP Marine Wharf | Grid Architects
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Precedents a hub for business
Industrial zones and business park are not necessarily grim areas to be kept separated from the rest of the city. On the contrary, if well designed can become an integrated component of the urban fabric, providing good quality open space to the workers and visitors of the local businesses, as well as offering space and activities to the neighbouring residents. In the design of the business district, a special attention was given to the environmental infrastructures, with green corridors allowing permeability, walkability as well as hosting sustainable drainage systems.
Royal Docks Ecobusiness Park | Llevelyn Davies Yeang Campus Palmas Altas, Seville | Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Lingfield Point | FAT
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Academic jargon and graphic gimmicks Design research Part of the challenge undertaken with the present work has been not only to outline a program that would comprehend and integrate all the differences, complexities and idiosyncrasies of the site, but also to deliver it in a way that would potentially be understood by someone not accustomed to academic jargon and graphic gimmicks. Even though technical drawing could not be avoided to represent particular formal relationships, as well as to codify and measure certain ideas, in general it was attempted to delegate the message to clear drawing and text lines that would extract the main essence of what suggested by the master plan. Significant in this sense the work undertaken with the three dimensional views, generated by a computer program, but then reprocessed by hand in order to bring them to life, adding little details that allows a more intuitive comprehension of the scheme.
Southall, preparatory sketch
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So far so good Reflective statement The initial personal aim of this master planning project was to demonstrate to me and to a potential client/ employer my design and graphic skills, as well as my overall comprehension of what sort of process and dynamic stand behind such a work. As I proceeded in my research, I realised that a lot of the knowledge gathered in past and recent work about the decommissioning of industrial sites, soil remediation, as well as community planning, could play a significant role in defining the strategy of the intervention. This allowed the project to become something more complex and complete than a mere blank paper design exercise, but due to time restriction it had to come to an end way before it could be considered a mature product. In particular, the communicative aspects of the project have been tackled only superficially, as well as it would be necessary to have a broader and more sophisticated comprehension of the total area and its surroundings, without focusing only on the gasworks site - as attempted, but only partially satisfying. Nevertheless, it has been a greatly useful exercise on how to process quickly and efficiently a complex task, and to deal with such a site without being overwhelmed by its size and complexity, but on the contrary taking advantage from it to create a rich and engaging master plan.
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References: Junzo Kuroda, J., Kaijima, M. (2001). Made in Tokyo: Guide Book. Tokyo: Kajima Institute Publishing Co. Kirkwood, N. (2001). Manufactured Sites: Rethinking the Post-Industrial Landscape. London: Spon Press. Marot, S. (1999). The Reclaiming of sites. In Corner, J. (ed) Recovering Landscape. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Mozas, J. (2012). Reclaim Remediate Reuse Recycle. A+T. 39-40. 16-24. MJP (2010), Sustainable Suburbia: A Walkable Garden Suburb. London: Homes and Communities Agency. Homes and Communities Agency. Urban Task Force (1999). Towards an Urban Renaissance. London: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Venus Group (2011). Royal Docks Ecobusoness Park. London: Venus Group. Venus Group. Williamson, J. (2013). Designing Suburban Futures. Washington: Island Press.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER MA Urban Design | AURD704.2 Master Planning | Simone Gobber