5 CONSTRAINTS, CONCEPTS & BIG MOVES

“The Authority will seek the highest quality design for development proposals in line with the first purpose of the National Park. This includes truly outstanding or innovative design and contemporary design which reinforce local distinctiveness, taking reference and visual cues from the landscape and local settlement identity and character.” on the Phoenix site in the warehousing new

Human Nature

Prior sections of this DAS have covered the vision for the Phoenix, its purpose, policy drivers and what we called new imperatives. We have also described the multi-disciplinary design process (with a timeline), used here to help ensure professional rigour, critical reasoning and deliberation, and the landscape-context and philosophy which both embraces and is embraced by the new neighbourhood. This section seeks to explain what the principal constraints acting on this site and plan are and how these have had a profound impact on the connectivity and structure of this new place. It also, in the tradition of a DAS, identifies the key design principles and concepts that, for us, flow from, among other things: the vision, purposes and imperatives; our precedent studies and Blueprint; the strategy to provide a broad choice and affordability of housing; to integrate community and employment uses; and our commitment to quality and bioregional and ecosystems thinking.

These constraints and design principles and concepts were then combined with the evidence of the land(scape) and of need and ambition and then, in the hands of a skilled and experienced team of built environment professionals and with the input of local people through hundreds of consultations, a series of ‘Big Moves’ emerged.

These Big Moves and the myriad smaller engineering, ecological, movement and architectural and landscapedesign decisions that accompany them gradually formed into a Framework Masterplan for the Phoenix, as described in subsequent sections of this DAS.

5.1 PRINCIPAL CONSTRAINTS

All sites have constraints, brownfield sites more than most. The Phoenix site has been derelict and blighted for many years. It sits on the tidal river Ouse that floods – catastrophically so in 2000 – on low-lying land that accumulates water causing periodic pluvial flooding, and is situated close to the centre of a very fine historical town but is separated from it by a significant level change and a raised and busy main arterial road.

The site also sits at the edge of a conservation area, by a beautiful Victorian ornamental lake and park and at the boundary between town and country to the north. It is also of course in a National Park with fine views of the surrounding hills of the South Downs and of a Norman castle to the west.

The site’s history is of significant interest having been the industrial and employment hub of a thriving town. It accommodates many buildings of varying pedigree and condition but some have resilient and notable structures. Extensive demolition and land remediation is required.

Architects of its genius loci

These and other constraints were studied and considered iteratively during the framework and masterplanning processes. Wherever possible, the team has sought to turn these constraints to the advantage of the scheme, accepting and incorporating them and adapting accordingly where we could not. Collectively, they now and in some significant ways going forward represent the immediate and future landscape of this place, architects of its genius loci.

Mind, Body & Spirit: Health & Wellbeing

Raw + Craft

House

Common Wealth

Making Spaces

The Fire Station

Golden Threads Fire Station

Shared Living

Employment & Community