Houses on the Edge of Extraordinary Landscapes
James Edwards w15028854 BE0995
Foreword This workbook is presented as the culmination of my work and research for the DP3 module undertaken during the first semester of my M.Arch degree final year at Northumbria University. This, supplemented by a series of drawings, photographs, sketches and models will form the basis for designing an architectural scheme to be presented as part of the subsequent DP4 module.
Contents 0.0 Provocation 1.0 Landhaus 1.1 1.2 1.3
The Picturesque Romische Bader Hohe Warte
2.0 Territory 2.1 Bastard Countryside 2.2 Monuments of Passaic 2.3 Edgelands 2.4 Urban Parks 3.0 City 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
Urban Parks of Newcastle Park Boundaries Enclosure of the Parks Picturesque of Urban Parks
4.0 Park 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
Ornaments of the Ouseburn Heritage of Jesmond Dene Architects of the Dene Recent Regeneration Preserving the Picturesque
5.0 Site 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5
Edge of the Dene Current Developments Jesmond Dene Old Nurseries Current Site Condition Racquet Court Site Access
6.0 Building 6.1 Garden Cities 6.2 Care in the Community 6.3 Shared Space 6.4 Three Lives of SAFFAhaus 6.5 Care for the Community 6.6 Care in the Home 7.0 Room 7.1 7.2
Arts & Crafts Studio with a View
8.0 Detail 8.1 Holzbausystem 9.0
Initial Proposal
9.1 9.2 9.3
Existing Site Shaw Country Houses Site Areas & Adjacancies
10.0 Bibliography 10.1 Images 11.0 Appendix 11.1
SAFFAhaus model
“Here, building and land enter into a ceaseless and reciprocally conditional dialogue with one another.� Young, 2016, Landhaus Provocation
Provocation
This study surveys a very particular series of landscape conditions in a territory characterised by town peripheries on the fragmented edge of countryside, a landscape which is in transition. The territory is surveyed indiscriminately, through photography, drawing, and making models to reveal themes of land husbandry, care, connection, improvement, reflection, time, decay, accident, variety, and intricacy. The reappropriation of these themes to a specific site in this territory concieves meaningful building propositions which relate directly to the natural or unnatural landscape. The notion of the picturesque is updated to consider how mass, form, space, material, displacement of rooms, and decoration can form a relationship with the landscape.
Bologna (Ghirri, 1987)
01
“Houses in this way are anticipatory works; future memories.� Young, 2016, Landhaus Provocation
Landhaus
To begin this enquiry, a group of especial Landhaus buildings are examined assiduously and from new perspectives to develop a collection of innovative drawings which draw together a range of relationships between the building and the land. Each reference is a reconsideration of the relationship between the house and the home which reveal the sometimes subtle commonalities between detail, room, building and land, whilst also anticipating some of the landscape conditions which may appear in the proposed territory.
1.1
The Picturesque
Derived from the Italian pittoresco, “from a picture,” William Gilpin wrote that picturesque sights “please from some quality capable of being illustrated in painting.” A picturesque landscape would have characteristics of roughness with no regular or linear elements, and “consists in uniting in one whole a variety of parts....”, such as distance, light, variety, and perspective. The picturesque is an aesthetic of effect; one that does not exist independently in nature, but only in its perception. Much of the picturesque imagery is derived from the paintings of Claude Lorrain and Nicholas Poussin. (Gilpin, 1768)
Landscape with a Calm (Poussin, 1651) evokes a mood rather than illustrating a story. Poussin expresses a sense of utter tranquility and benevolent nature. Poussin’s sketching of the Roman countryside with fellow landscape painter Claude Lorrain account for his observations of majestic country villas in rolling terrain. Their works often depict “Pastoral Landscapes” and notions of land husbandry alongside imagery of people embracing the natural landscape.
Poussin and Lorrain’s works depicted a melancholy, untamed nature with sentimental images of classical architecture. Throughout the mid-eighteenth Century, tourists traveled to untamed areas of the British Isles in pursuit of visual ideal of the picturesque, which can be viewed today as an emerging sensibility rather than an antiquated series of treatises from the eighteenth Century which provide an ideal when proposing new Landhauser.
The Mill (Lorrain, 1648) is a generalised Arcadian scene depicting the biblical story of Isaac and Rebecca and the celebrations which accompanied their marriage. Claude illustrates joyful and fulfilling occasions which evoke a sense of care for the picturesque landscape which the characters inhabit accompanied by further images of land husbandry, a suggestion that these scenes are not purely dictated by the natural terrain, but also by their man-made qualities.
1.2
Romische Bader
Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Lucius Persius designed the Roman baths in 1829-39 for Frederick William IV as his private summer residence. The complex is characterised by the asymmetrical arrangement of buildings and the resulting series of small, interstitial spaces between them. These semi-open spaces were designed as gardens or resting areas, most noteable of which is the pergola which links all the buildings. Schinkel’s themes of semi-open spaces and strong connections with the surrounding landscape were rediscovered in the early 20th century and his ability to juxtapose a collection of buildings with each other and the surrounding natural landscape has since informed modern architecture.
Sketches of the Romische Bader Connections between the building and the landscape (Fobert, 1990)
Assemblage in Landscape: Composite of Built & Intended Collection of buildings around semi-enclosed outdoor spaces (Hewitt, 2016)
Picturesque scene of the marriage of the Romische Bader into the landscape (Schinkel, 1862)
1.3
Hohe Warte
Josef Hoffmann’s Villenkolonie is a Kunstler-Kolonie (colony for artists) going back to an initiative of a group of Secessionist artists who founded a live-work community in a new suburb of Vienna. Hohe Warte has taken on the aura of a Viennese Acropolis: home of monumental artists, situated on a hill overlooking a great city. Hoffmann was provided the freedom to realize houses that corresponded to the successionist ideals of the gesamtkunstwerk; to create a unity between house and institution. Hoffmann viewed the four villas as individual components of an overall composition. “It is no abstract or decorative surface geometry, which surrounds these people, but a three-dimensional, straightforward clarity.� (Hofmann, 1965) Each villa is visually related to one another in their external design, incorporating common architectural features as well as shared external spaces, courtyards, and gardens between them.
Hohe Warte A painting by Carl Moll (1903), the resident of Villa Moll, illustrating the connection between the building and the landscape.
The collection of Landhauser forming the Villenkolonie on the edge of a pictursque natural landscape (Gallagher, 2016)
02
“What matters is to rediscover a truly dialectic image, one that might stimulate new thoughts.� Ghirri, 1988, Through the Villages
Territory
The territory surveyed in this study is loosely structured by the railway between Newcastle and Morpeth. Numerous journeys and encouters through this territory are described through a series of photographic essays, seeking a general and eclectic view of the entire landscape. Considering the work of other artists and photographers who have indiscriminately viewed these places offer methods for recording such landscapes in an otherwise unfamiliar context. These recordings must do more than simply illustrate what exists but also suggest the intrinsic character of the landscape.
2.1
Bastard Countryside
The ‘edgelands’ are a complex and debatable landscape where city
Farley and Roberts evoke the theory of the picturesque when re-
and countryside merge into an “interfacial interzone” which is con-
cording their ecounters of the edgelands, noting the integral pres-
stantly adapting to the cycle of economic and social growth and
ence of waste and surplus in ornamental nature. Exploring the
decay over time. “They are the residue of a site of prior industry in
territory between Newcastle and Morpeth reveals a multitude of
the process of a slow reversion to nature, or the conversion of the
picturesque moments within these forgotten landscapes, with which
natural to a post-industrial purpose.” (Dwyer, 2011) Victor Hugo
similarities can be drawn with the melancholy scenes illustrated by
referred to the ignored landscapes where the manmade, industrial
Poussin and Claude. These in-between spaces play an important
world and the natural world collide, presenting an image of ugli-
role in biodiversity conservation which is currently declining due to
ness in which all manner of interest and beauty thrive.
industrial farming in rural areas. It falls under the duty of care for architects to preserve the inherent beauty of these spaces.
Landscape with Cowherd (Lorrain, 17th C) illustrates the picturesque imagery of decaying grand architecture and land husbandry
City Mill Lock (Mann, 2003) Parallels can be drawn between the 18th century picturesque paintings and the imagery of the bastard countryside
2.2
Monuments of Passaic
Robert Smithson was enamoured by the ‘huge lost backlands’ of
Smithson travelled to his homeland with specific themes in mind
industrial New Jersey, considering this ‘edgeland’ every bit as fas-
when exploring the landscape, being well acquainted with Passaic
cinating as the New York art scene. In 1967, Smithson explored
and therefore able to plan and predict his experiences and thoughts.
his childhood homeland of Passaic, re-imagining various industrial
The territory of this study is unfamiliar and numerous journeys
relics as ‘monuments’ from a different time, considering the themes
through this landscape are required in order to indiscriminantly
of time and entropy in post-industrial suburbia. The accompyaning
record its character. Smithson’s process of a combination of pho-
written essay is an account of his encounters as he moves through
tography and prospective sketching provides a truthful expression
the industrial landscape, recording everything from bus timetables
of the territory which can be applied to this new territory.
to overheard conversations.
A Surd View for an Afternoon A sketch recording of a territory (Smithson, 1970)
Monuments of Passaic An indiscriminant recording of the territory, extracting the picturesque moments (Smithson, 1967)
2.3
Edgelands
The railway line between Newcastle and Morpeth forms a section
To gain an overall understanding of the entire territory, whilst at-
of the east coast line between London and Edinburgh, spanning
tempting to discover the Landhauser which currently exists in the
the counties of Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. The territory
territory, I firstly recorded the train journey from Newcastle to
begins at the city centre Newcastle Central railway station, moving
Morpeth through a photographic essay. Learning from the work
from dense, classical, public buildings through large scale student
and process of Smithson, I set a strict criteria for taking the pho-
accomodation, rows of suburban terraced housing, industrial es-
tographs, which are supported by a series of sketches to record my
tates, urban parks, and eventually to modern residential develop-
encounters with this new landscape.
ments on the urban edgelands. This sequence reoccurs and is rearranged as the landscape ebbs and flows between urban and rural.
2.4
Houses of Urban Parks
Having become acquainted with the general territory, a fascina-
The second recording of the territory focuses on the ‘Landhauser’
tion emerged in the indistinct transition from dense urban to open
which occupy the perifery of these extraordinary urban landscapes
natural landscapes, specifically when moving through the diverse
and considers the diverse relationships between the home and the
urban and suburban areas of central Newcastle. The urban-ru-
various natural and unnatural settings they look upon in relation
ral boundary becomes obscured by the presence of several pub-
to the more ‘traditional’ beauty of the settings for the Landhauser
lic parks, industrial hard-standings, gardens, and nature reserves
studied in Section 1.0. Walking through this condensed section of
which perforate the urban slab, each containing moments of the
the territory provided ample opportunity to consider each scene
modern picturesque, where classic, natural beauty and man-made
and draw out the picturesque qualitites which may be otherwise
intrusions unify to provide a rationalised manifestation of the 18th
disguised to a fleeting glance.
century paintings of Claude and Poussin.
An initial sketch recording of the territory
03
A city is a language, a repository of possibilities, and walking is the act of speaking that language, of selecting from those possibilities.� Solnit, 2002, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
City
The planning and design of cities throughout history has been concerned with the conservation of open space which exists within urban areas. Recent developments have offered challenging opportunities to those responsible for the design and management of these spaces. The creators of the urban environment must maintain a duty of care to protect these spaces which hold such significance and heritage against the pressures of urban development. The physical characters of these open spaces are diverse and contrasting, but through indiscriminant observations their often unconventional beauty can be observed and retained.
3.1
Urban Parks of Newcastle
Of the estimated 974,000 new homes required in the UK between
Many of the new housing estates near Newcastle are within the ur-
2011 and 2014, less than half were constructed (National Housing
ban boundary and are threatening the urban parks which provide
Federation, 2015). The North East is currently suffering the largest
such character and beauty. Future housing developments have a
shortage of new homes with an average of 39% fewer new homes
duty of care to retain the character and beauty of the landscapes
being started than the rest of the UK (National Housing Federa-
which they distrupt. Developments of this scale can be considered
tion, 2016). This shortage frequently leads to large scale develop-
by learning from the planning of the Garden Cities at the start of
ments of low quality housing which lack character or care for the
the 20th century and the relationship between buildings and the
landscape.
qualities of the open spaces created , both public and private.
View Over Norton Common
City Edge Housing Development, Newcastle
Houses with private gardens around a shared park in Letchworth
Limited relationship between houses or with the landscape
(Unknown, 1905)
(Unknown, 2016)
3.2
Park Boundaries
The territory within Newcastle reveals several enclosed public spaces, or ‘parks’, which could be under threat by large scale developments. Each park has its own individuality which reveal picturesque moments, from secluded pockets of preserved wildlife amidst industrial housing to a solitary, decaying tree at the centre of a concrete car park. Beauty can be uncovered in each of these landscapes from which architecture must be drawn out of, not covered over. The physical boundaries of these parks reveal the diverse relationships which connect, or disconnect, houses with the landscape. Some parks are nestled amongst dense terraced housing, whilst others have fragmented edges which bleed out into industry, creating a microcosm of the edgelands which occur on the boundary of cities. Some houses shy away from the land they inhabit, whist others embrace it, whether it be a floral garden or a field of concrete.
3.3
Enclosure of the Parks
By studying the history and urban growth of this territory, it is ap-
Almost all the ‘parks’ were still rural countryside or quarries at the
parent that the urban voids which these parks now occupy have
start of the 20th century, yet by the 1940s the parks had become al-
been preserved against the pressures of urban expansion. As New-
most fully enclosed by boundaries of housing which have sustained
castle grew in prosperity, a huge demand for new housing followed.
against urbanisation and still exisit today. Although the functions of
The smoke-free suburbs to the west of the city provided opportu-
these urban voids may have altered throughout history, the reluc-
nities to develop quality and spatious housing. Improvements to the
tance to build on these sites speaks of their importance to the com-
transport networks connecting these suburbs to the city encouraged
munity and city as a whole, as well as a desire to preserve natural
the development of these areas as popular commuter suburbs.
space in an urban context.
3.4
Picturesque of Urban Parks
Each of these urban parks are enhanced by the natural landscape, whether organic or man-made. These ‘parks’ range from public gardens to car parks, from nature reserves to cemeteries, from golf courses to industrial wilderness. They all provide public space which offer diverse characters but all create moments of the picturesque. This photographic essay extracts these beautiful scenes from the array of landscapes found within Newcastle’s urban parks.
04
“I will not cease from mental strife. Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, till we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land.” Blake, 1808, Jerusalem
Park
Throughout history, parks located within urban landscapes have provided a tranquil and picturesque relief from the intensity of urban life. As urbanisation is currently attracting millions of people to cities, the parks located within these cities are undergoing a revitalisation. These green oases help address nearly every requirement of urban life; from health to housing, to education and environmentalism, and countering sprawl to combating crime. The preservation of these landscapes must play a vital role in the planning of urban developments, and their designs must be drawn out of the inherent picturesque moments of the surrounding context which they inhabit in order to embrace and enhance the natural landscape.
4.1
Ornaments of the Ouseburn
There are five parks in the Ouseburn Valley that make up the Ouseburn Parks, forming a narrow wooded valley that stretches along the river Ouseburn and provides a unique haven of tranquility and recreation right into the centre of Newcastle. This natural corridor has a variety of wildlife and mature trees, as well as a rich history with industrial archaeology. By 1884 all 5 parks was open to the public and remain in use as public parks today. A number of houses, public and industrial buildings were built within the parks which stand as monuments celebrating the strong local heritage.
Armstrong Bridge
Armstrong Bridge was designed and built by Sir W.G. Armstrong & Co., the compay of renowned industrialist William Armstrong, to overcome subsidence problems arising from local mining in the Ouseburn Valley and Jesmond Dene. Armstrong donated it to the people of Newcastle alongside the Ouseburn Parks which he owned. In 1963, the bridge was pedestrianised and has been the location for a Sunday market since.
Banqueting Hall
William Armstrong’s formal location for entertaining distingushed customers and guests. It was developed in two phases; the main hall designed by John Dobson and the gatehouse and reception rooms designed by Richard Norman Shaw. During the 1970’s it fell into disrepair. The roof of the Banqueting Hall was removed and the ancillary buildings were demolished. Since 1985, the complex has been occupied as artist’s workshops.
St. Mary’s Chapel
St. Mary’s Chapel was an important place of pilgrimage during the medieval period. The Grade II* Listed chapel ruins, which formed part of a larger complex including a hospital, include the chancel, chantry chapel and nave, constructed of coarse grained sandstone blocks. The chancel arch was built in the 12th century, the chancel was enlarged twice during 14th century, and a chantry chapel was added in the 15th century.
Houses on the Edge of Extraordinary Landscapes
Jesmond Dene Mill
Watermills existed in the Dene from at least the 13th Century. The current building dates to the early 19th Century. The mill was used to produce a variety of things at different times, including corn, pollards (bran feed) for pig feed from spoilt grain, and flint which was used as glaze in the pottery factories at the mouth of the Ouseburn. Although still lived in until the 1920’s, milling ceased sometime between the 1860’s and 1890’s.
4.2
Heritage of Jesmond Dene
Industry and land husbandry has been present in the Ouseburn Valley for centuries. In the 18th century the Ouseburn was exploited by water mills which supplied the coal pits and arable fields alongside the river which now form the Ouseburn Parks. With the coming of 19th Century industrial development these rural mills were joined by larger industries, including Heaton Main Colliery, one of the most advanced collieries in the world at the time, attracting visitors from as far as America. This industry and relationship with the natural landscape provides a strong heritage of land ethics.
1860’s
Lord William George Armstrong acquired large areas of the industrial valley and transformed it into a private parkland between 1850 and 1860, enclosing the land, constructing paths and bridges, and planting exotic vegetation. The park was formally opened to the public in 1884 when Lord Armstrong presented Jesmond Dene to the Corporation of Newcastle upon Tyne as a gift for the benefit of its citizens. The land included in the deed and the buildings within the land are protected from any major developments in an aim to
1920’s
retain the Dene as a popular resort for the citizens of Newcastle.
1940’s
1970’s Present
Jesmond Dene Old Mill (Unknown, ca. 1890)
Hoppings (Couzens, 1920)
4.3
Architects of the Dene
The design of the landscape and many of the buildings in Jesmond Dene are due to the work of three highly influencial people; Lord Armstrong, John Dobson, and Richard Norman Shaw. The beauty and grandeur of these buildings, as well as the consistency of style throughout the Dene which results from the presence of a limited group of designers, enhances the picturesque of Jesmond Dene.
Lord William George Armstrong
John Dobson
Richard Norman Shaw
(1810 – 1900)
(1787 – 1865)
(1831 – 1912)
One of the most notable industrialists of the 19th
Dobson was responsible for designing much of New-
Shaw was first employed at Jesmond Dene by Lord
century. Armstrong purchased and landscaped the
castle during the 19th century, including Central
Armstrong to design the gatehouse, reception rooms
land which now makes up Jesmond Dene and Arm-
Station, Grainger Market and Eldon Square. In Jes-
and galleries for the existing Banqueting Hall (1869-
strong Park, which he gifted to the people of New-
mond Dene, Dobson designed the original building
70). In 1871 Shaw was employed by Sir Andrew
castle. He is responsible for much of the design in
for Jesmond Dene House (1822), Jesmond Tower ex-
Noble to extend Jesmond Dene House to include a
Jesmond Dene, including the Armstrong Bridge and
tensions (1823-27) and the original Banqueting Hall
Great Hall, west wing, billiard room, Gothic porch,
the Banqueting Hall.
(1860-62)
and several bedrooms.
Design for new gallery and additions to Banqueting Hall (Shaw, 1869)
4.4
Recent Regeneration
Although Lord Armstrong’s deed prevents large-scale development within Jesmond Dene, refurbishments to the buildings protected by the deed have recently been neccessary. These improvements are intended to enhance the park and the surrounding community and were implemented to attract visitors to the park and generate income which can be used to protect the park in the future.
(Unknown, 2010) Jesmond Dene Visitor Centre - Millfield House The refurbishment and extension of the 19th century Millfield House provide a new visitor centre with education facilities exhibiting the history and wildlife of the parks, as well as archives and a café. The extension features several sustainable technologies which create a positive environment for local nature. The Visitor Centre also houses Council staff working to protect and preserve the Ouseburn Parks, including the Park Manager and Rangers.
(Miller Partnership, 2015) Banqueting Hall - Refurbishment and extension The Banqueting Hall is currently a controlled ruin and current plans for a £3m regeneration aims to safeguard the future of the hall complex. The proposal revolves around restoration of the roofless Hall and the redevelopment of the ruined ancillary buildings with the provision of additional mixed-use floor space which respects the historical functions of the complex to provide artists studio’s, educational spaces, and holiday accommodation.
(Miller Partnership, 2015)
4.5
Preserving the Picturesque
Newcastle Council was forced to reduce the number of people working in the Decent Neighbourhoods department from 347 to 138 by 2016 in an aim to reduce spending by £7.5m. These cuts included redundancies to all 10 park keepers, leading to a rise in littering, dog fouling and vandalism, and potentially surrendering the city’s parks to alcoholism, drug use and crime. It has since become the responsibility of charities, community groups, and volunteers to ensure parks such as Jesmond Dene are maintained. However, budget cuts could actually see the numbers of volunteers suffer due to the increased pressure and workload.
Green Water Pool, Jesmond Dene (Unknown, 1903)
(O’Donoghue, 2016)
The themes of care for the landscape and land husbandry which appear in the 18th century picturesque paintings exisit in the Ouseburn Parks today. Several public allotments provide the local community with the opportunity to grow their own produce whilst simultaneously protecting and maintaining the natural environment which they inhabit. Many of these allotments are located in Armstrong Park and Heaton Park, whilst an opportunity currently exisits in Jesmond Dene for a facility which promotes care for the Dene, particularly following the demolition of the plant nursery at the northern edge of the Dene.
05
“The design of buildings in natural settings, whether urban or rural, must be responsive to the earth out of which they arise and the sky against which they are seen.�
Polshek, 2005, Polshek Partnership
Site
The selection of a site in a landscape with a history and heritage such as Jesmond Dene must be respectful of its natural setting and embracing of the local context. The inherent character of any site, be it picturesque or unremarkable, must be preserved, not simply covered over. With the current pressure on developers to build quickly and cheaply comes a lack of consideration for the identity of the landscapes on which they build over. The result is a blanket of unexceptional and predictable housing communities. It is from these mundane settings that the negative connotations of the bastard countryside are conceived. Through an observance of the potentially abnormal yet picturesque qualities of a site, the design of future architecture may enhance the proverbial beauty of natural landscapes such as Jesmond Dene.
5.1
Edge of the Dene
The north-western edge of Jesmond Dene has become fragmented following the demolition of several sites which at one time provided a service of care for the local community. This broken edge of the landscape has caused the character of the Dene to become blurred as it transitions from nature to suburban housing. The perception of living on the perifery of a beautiful and extraordinary landscape and the sense of connection to nature has been lost, obstructed by the impertinence of developers. The intervention of an architecture which promotes care and service for the landscape and the local community through a consideration of context wil counteract this trend of development.
5.2
Current Developments
Jesmond Dene and the surrounding areas have been under pressure from developers for many years. Its location on the edge of the city with good transport links and the proximity of the Ouseburn Parks make it an ideal suburb for weathly commuters. Although much of the Dene is protected by the Deed of 1884, developers are determined to build on any available and permissible land, often resulting in ‘luxurious’ yet generic and uninspiring architecture which lacks the character of the surroundings or a connection with the natural landscape.
Jesmond Towers (1809) Conversion to private residence (2016)
Extended several times throughout the 19th century, the building was a private residence until 1912 when it was sold and became La Sagesse school. The school closed in 2009 and the building was bought and converted into a private luxury home. Although much of the exterior has been preserved, the character of the historic interior has been somewhat lost. Jesmond Towers exterior (McGuire, 1988)
Jesmond Towers interior (Lemere, 1886)
Refurbished Jesmond Towers interior (Graham, 2016)
La Sagesse (1912) Conversion to luxury residences (ongoing)
The site of the school extended to the west of Jesmond Tower to a total of 10 acres, including several new buildings and playing fields. Following the sale of the site in 2009, many of the existing buildings were demolished to be replaced by 48 luxury residences, although some of the original buildings have been retained and converted.
La Sagesse School exterior (Newcastle Libraries, 1964)
La Sagesse School ancillary buildings (Unknown, 2012)
New development on former La Sagesse School site (Unknown, 2016)
5.3
Jesmond Dene Old Nurseries
The former plant nursery on Matthew Bank situated within the natural boundary at the north-western edge of Jesmond Dene acts as a gateway leading into the picturesque landscape of the Dene. It is a scarred concrete hardstanding currently intended for auction, opening 20th March 2017. Starting at ÂŁ4 million and located in a prime residential location, intense competition from developers is expected with the intention of developing luxury residences similar to those on the adjacent site at La Sagesse. The 6.7 acre auction site which is mostly level includes the Grade II Listed Real Tennis court and former police stables, as well as 2 houses.
5.4
Current Site Condition
The nursery was formerly used by Newcastle City Council to grow
The former site contained several greenhouses, sheds, and planta-
flowers and vegetation which decorate the streets of Newcastle and
tions of flowers displaying vibrant colours which enhanced the pic-
are sold to landscape gardeners. It was demolished in 2013 follow-
turesque image of the area and the sense of care for the landscape,
ing budget cuts which rendered the facility untenable.. The demo-
as well as providing a source of income to the council and local
lition caused controvery amongst the Council and local community
area. The local community were disappointed to lose the character
based around claims that plans for its demolition were ‘buried’ in
and scenery of the nursery and therefore a recreation if this image-
order to facilitate its sale to the highest bidder, accompanied by
ry and function must be considered when creating an architecture
reservations regarding the alledged hazards the site currently poses.
to suit both the site and surrounding landscape.
(Newcastle Photos, 2008)
Existing site condition and access
Existing site condition aerial perspective
5.5
Racquet Court
The building was constructed in 1894 by F.W. Rich as a private
The design of the building is enriched by the application of but-
Real Tennis court for the Noble family who resided in the nearby
tresses in the main hall which are bathed in light from the large
Jesmond Dene House and was considered to be one of the best in
round south facing windows and skylights in the slate tiled roof.
the country. The court acted as an adjunct of the Armstrong Whit-
The exterior is dominated by tall octagonal turrets and bright red
worth Company’s war effort in 1914, providing an ideal space for
Flemish garden wall bonded bricks, features which are characteris-
making the balloons or gas bags for airships. The court is still in use
tic of the surrounding context and which should inform the design
today by the Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club, whose lease expires
of proposed interventions on the site.
in November 2018, and is included in the site up for auction.
Racquet court south elevation
Racquet court section
5.6
Site Access
The site provides a pertinent location for commuting into the city due to its public transport links, whilst also providing a tranquil attraction away from the busy city centre. Ilford Road metro station is 5 minutes walk away, making Newcastle city centre accessible in approximately 15 minutes, whilst a bus stop directly adjacent to the site makes Newcastle city centre accessible in approximately 8 minutes. Bus stops to the east of the Dene provide travel to the east an west periferies of the city. Access is currently located at the north west and south east corners of the site. Additional vehicle access is currently restricted by the change in ground level parallel to Matthew Bank. Pedestrian access could be introduced directly from the Dene along the eastern boundary but is currently restricted by fencing and steep topography at several locations.
The site of the old nursery is easily accessible via public transport links to the city centre
Pedestrian access from the Dene is currently restricted to site entrances at the north and south edges
06
“All work is artistic. All work is inherently creative.�
Comer, 2015, Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human
Building
The analysis of several Landhaus precedents at the beginning of this study provide references when considering how mass, form, space, material, displacement of rooms, and decoration can form a relationship with the landscape. Following a reading of the territory and the selection of a suitable site, the application of themes must be reassessed to incorporate the notions of land husbandry, care, community, shared space, reflection, variety, and intricacy which proved to be appropriate to the territory. Through a study of several pertinent precedents which relate to the defining architecture of Jesmond Dene, a library of space, material, detail, arrangement, orientation and aspect can be formed which will inform the creation of new architecture which is suitable for the character of the site.
6.1
Garden Cities
The Garden Cities of the early 20th century were concieved in response to the overcrowded living conditions of industrial Victorian cities. Their design aimed to incorporate the benefits of both urban and rural living, providing the entertainment and opportunity of the city combined with the space and tranquility of the countryside. The picturesque qualities of the Garden Cities can be likened to the imagery of Jesmond Dene, where spatious and grand Arts and Crafts architecture is set within beautiful natural landscapes. The creation of housing on the edge of the Dene can learn from the dialogue formed between the house and the landscape in the Garden Cities.
Poster advertising the merits of Letchworth Garden City (1925)
The arrangement of housing in the Garden Cities aimed to provide more space per dwelling than the industrial terraced by-law housing of cities at the time. Arranging the houses around a central shared public park replaced roads with a with a clean and enjoyable recreation space. Each house also benefits from larger private gardens which face out over the central park, creating a positive amosphere of community between residents and a greater connection with the natural landscape.
Unwin’s comparison of terraced housing with the Garden City model (Unwin, 1912)
6.2
Care in the Community
Ebenezer Howard, the creator of the Garden City theory, employed Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker as architects to design the first Garden City of Letchworth in 1903. One of the key principles of the Garden City theory was the provision of adequate space for each resident to grow their own food and care for the natural landscape. The creation of various public and private allotments enhanced the sense of care and community between residents and formed a stronger relationship between the house and nature, a common design feature of the Arts and Crafts architecture produced. Often private land became semi public as residents opened their gardens to neighbours, blurring the division between neighbouring plots and creating a unity between house and institution, treating each house as individual components of an overall composition.
Rows of back-to-back terraced houses in Leeds, West Yorkshire (Hedges, 1970)
Semi-public garden outside a house in Letchworth (Hampstead Garden Suburb Archives Trust)
6.3
Shared Space
Josef Hoffman’s aspiration when designing the Hohe Warte Villenkolonie was to create a community of dwellings which sat together as a single composition. The spaces between these Landhauser flow continuously between private and shared space, establishing the built interventions as a single articulated ornament in the natural landscape. Although each house is especial, they all incorporate similar design features which facilitates their interpretation as a single entity. The creation of shared space and the arrangement of buildings around these spaces creates intricate moments of the picturesque which are unique to the specific site.
Villa Ast (Hoffmann
n, 1912)
Villa Spitzer (Hoffmann, 1901)
Villa Moser-Moll (Hoffmann, 1901)
Garden Rooms Around a Shared Garden (Gallagher, 2016)
6.4
Three Lives of SAFFAhaus
The SAFFAhaus was designed by Lux Guyer for the SAFFA exhibition in Bern, 1928. It provided an innovative, affordable, and flexible solution for the modern middle-class family lifestyle of the era and was intended to be replicated and adapted to suit each owner.
“The simple practicality that we want to put in place is a bloodless romance, has its own blissful beauty, is unresponsive for no one, and somehow participates in the healthy and creative instincts of the zeitgeist.� - Guyer
Guyer was also responisble for the overall architectural concept of the SAFFA exhibition, for which she strictly arranged the composition of temporary exhibition hall buildings axially to suit the natural topography and provided space for landscaped gardens.
View from the tower over the entire exhibition towards the Alps Exhibition halls are arranged to create enclosed garden spaces (1928, Archiv Institut gta)
Aarau, 1928 Reconstruction
Following the SAFFA exhibition, Fritz Kunath purchased the exhibition SAFFAhaus and reconstructed it in Aarau using the same plan, section and façades. The garden design was initially similar to Guyer’s original proposal, fragmented and divided into various areas, set amongst a largely rural landscape.
View of SAFFAhaus at the exhibition, 1928 (Archiv Institut gta)
Aarau, 1937 Extension
The original SAFFAhaus was extended in 1937 to contain seven rooms, utility rooms and cellars. The aim was to rebuild the rational and affordable house into a grand villa. The formal construction and design elements of Guyer’s original design were referred to and interpreted, with the flexible nature of the SAFFAhaus facilitating the coherent extension.
Extended SAFFAhaus, Aarau (Archiv Ortsgemeindegemeindeinde Aarau)
Stäfa, 2003 Reconstruction
The extended SAFFA house gradually fell into disrepair and was deconstructed in 2003. The 1937 extension was demolished but the original Guyer building was preserved and moved to Stäfa, where it was rebuilt to represent the original building as closely as possible. It is currently a parent-child centre which supports families in their everyday education.
SAFFAhaus in Stäfa (Henz)
The SAFFAhaus posesses a unique relationship with the landscape
Although the wider context of the SAFFAhaus has altered signifi-
and provides an especial reference when considering the character
cantly, the immediate relationship between the house and the land
of a Landhaus. Due to its flexible construction and various loca-
has proved vital in the retention of the fundamental qualities of
tions, the SAFFAhaus does not belong to a specific landscape typ-
Guyer’s design. The SAFFAhaus has stubbornly challenged the
lology similar to the other Landhaus references. Instead it belongs
trend of urbanisation which has transformed the landscape around
to the concept of a landscape in transition, much like the edgelands
it throughout history and retained a private garden which creates
which define much of the territory between Newcastle and Mor-
an oasis of the picturesque set amongst the toil of industry which
peth. As the context has evolved and densified, growing from a ru-
surrounds it. The perpetual character of the SAFFAhaus and the
ral poultry farm on the perifery of a city into and industrial suburb,
retention of a connection to nature is influential when considering
the essence of the original SAFFAhaus has sustained.
the creation of new architecture in existing parkland.
Development of Aarau Aarau developed around the SAFFAhaus from rural countryside to industrial suburb (Cartographic Collection ETHZ)
Aarau, 1928 Poultry Farm
Aarau, 1937 Poultry Feed Factory & Farm
6.5
Care for the Community
Alongside the theme of caring for the landscape, Jesmond Dene
The recommended walking distance for wheelchair users and those
and the surrounding area contains a wealth of educational and
with visual impairment is 150 metres before stopping to rest. This
health care facilities. There is an opportunity to create a space
is only 100 metres for those with impaired mobility and 50 metres
which acts as a community focal point for these facilities, bringing
for those requiring a walking stick. Therefore the site is feasibly
together a range of people to embrace the natural landscape and
walkable for Craghall and Abbeyfield care homes. The statuatory
give new life to this broken edge of the Dene. As well as being
walking distance for children under 8 years old is 2 miles (approx.
accessible via public transport, several of these facilites are within
3000 metres). Safety and accessiblity must be strictly considered for
walking distance of the site or via vehicle if neccessary, suggesting
children of such ages, especially when supervisors are responsible
the justification for the provision of a day care facility accomodat-
for large groups such as nursery and primary school classes.
ing multiple age groups and abilities.
6.6
Care in the Home
The design of the Windlesham care home by Sergison Bates rejects
The influence of the arts and crafts style is taken from the sur-
traditional healthcare models that mirror hospital environments by
rounding context which is familiar to the residents and is achieved
proposing a community of smaller buildings that create a ambience
through common materiality and form, such as red brick facades
of domesticity. The care services are provided though a cluster of
and chimneys. The buildings are married with the natural land-
‘households’ formed by 8 people with similar care needs living to-
scape and direct connections between the house and the land ben-
gether with the staff and sharing a number of spaces and facilities,
efit each household in the form of colonnades on the ground floor
creating a therapeutic living environment. Flexible interiors can be
and loggias or balconies on the upper floors which form thresholds.
adapted to meet increasing needs over time as residents’ physical and cognitive requirements progress.
Windlesham Care Home Site Plan Buildings are arranged asymetrically to create pockets of semi enclosed space which provide gardens
Windlesham care home (Sergison Bates, 2016) The design is influenced by the Arts and Crafts style and focuses on the application of materials
07
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned”
Angelou, 1986, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes
Room
A Landhaus must retain a consistent relationship with the surrouding landscape. This is often achieved through the creation of landrooms which embrace the outside throughgenerous openings and various thresholds which blur the division between the built and the natural. The unique arrangements of buildings in a landscape studied in the previous Landhauser references can also be applied to the arrangement of rooms within a building. The creation of interstitial spaces between rooms adds character and intrigue to the natural precession through a buildings and distinct views out into the surrounding landscape can be captured and framed to enhance the natural qualities of a landroom.
7.2
Arts & Crafts
The architecture of the Arts & Crafts movement embraced the buildings relationship with nature, forming an internal connection with the landscape through intricate detail and generous openings offering grand views out into picturesque gardens. One of the most prominent architects who embraced this style was Richard Norman Shaw, who has become so prominent in the architecture of Jesmond Dene. His use of irregular room adjacancies and shifting
Adcote, Shaw
forms create an internal journey through the external landscape via the series of unique landrooms.
Key to Plans B Bedroom
bp
Butler’s Pantry
Bal Ballroom
bu
Butler’s Room
Bf
Breakfast Room
c Cupboard
Bil
Billiard Room
ck
Bou Boudoir
cl Cloakroom
Bs
Business Room
d
Dressing Room
D
Dining Room
dr
Drying Room
Dr
Drawing Room
dy Dairy
Dre
Dressing Room
g
Gun Room
G Gallery
h Hoist
H Hall
hk
L Library
k Kitchen
M
l Larder
Morning Room
Housekeeper’s Room
S Studio
li Lift
Sal Saloon
ms
Sch Schoolroom
ord Organ
Sit
Sitting Room
p Pantry
Sm
Smoking Room
s Store
Grim’s Dyke, Shaw
Men Servant’s Rooms
St Study
sc Scullery
T
sh
Servant’s Hall
To Tower
si
Silver Room
a Area
sr
Strong Room or Safe
b Bathroom
sy
Servery
bo Boots
ws
Women Servant’s Rooms
Tea Room
Greenham Lodge, Shaw
Cook’s Room
Merrist Wood, Shaw
Adcote, entrance front
Adcote, the hall
Greenham Lodge, entrance front
Greenham Lodge, the hall
Grims Dyke, entrance front
Grims Dyke, view of the studio
Merrist Wood, entrance front
Merrist Wood, windows on garden side
7.3
Studio With a View
A recurring feature of the Landhaus is a visible connection with the outside, via the threshold of grand windows or balconies. The spaces created which frame these views inspire creation and thus have become popular with artists, much like Hoffman’s Kunstler-Kolonie at Hohe Warte. The mass of these rooms replicates the sense of space which is gained from the view to nature, whilst their form and use of surface represents the playfulness and creativity of the work which is produced in these studios
Studio on the first floor SAFFAhaus
Studio floor 39, Frognal
Studio on the upper floor, view to the east (Archiv Institut gta) SAFFAhaus, Bern, Switzerland Lux Guyer, 1928
The Studio, 39, Frognal (Spielmann, 1905) Hampstead, London Norman Shaw, 1885
08
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.�
Ruskin
Detail
The quality of detail in a building transforms the funtional into the beautiful. A common theme of the Arts & Crafts movement was the attention to detail in both the ornamental and structural features. The construction of a building encourages its seamless marriage into the landscape and could also facilitate the economic and efficient development of quality architecture which stands in stark contrast against the frivolous construction of modern residential developments.
8.1
Holzbausystem
Lux Guyer created the prefabricated timber construction system to facilitate the quick construction of the SAFFAhaus and provide the flexibility of the internal spaces. The ‘patent walls’ are storey-high solid panels consisting of standing timber covered on either side by rebated pushed-lying boards which are then cladded. The rationl modular panel construction of the building allowed for the SAFFAhaus to be deconstructed, extended and moved at various times throughout its history, and the freedom of design which is provided by incorporating modern systems influenced by the Holzbausystem could create a diverse but uniform collection of buildings.
09
Initial Proposal
9.1
Existing Site Condition
9.2
Four Shaw Country Houses Placed in the Landscape
Approximate Ground Floor Areas of Four Shaw Country Houses
9.3
Initial Programme and Schedule of Accomodation
09
References
10.1
Images
Couzens, E. (1920) Hoppings [Online]. Available at: https://heatonhistorygroup.org/2013/06/13/when-the-hoppings-came-to-the-ouseburn/ Fobert, J. (1990) Two sketches of the baths [Online]. Available at: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/jamie-fobert-visits-karl-friedrich-schinkels-roman-baths-at-potsdam-germany/3137647.article Gallagher, L. (2016) Garden Rooms Around a Shared Garden [Drawing]. Gallagher, L. (2016) Villas Looking Over Heiligenstadter Forest [Drawing]. Ghirri, L. (1987) Bologna [Photograph]. Graham, H. (2016) Jesmond Towers [Online]. Available at: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/property-news/gallery/jesmond-towers-12074437 Hedges, N. (1970) Rows of back-to-back terraced houses in Leeds [Photograph]. National Media Museum, Bradford. Henz, H. (1928) View of SAFFAhaus in Stäfa [Photograph]. Hewitt, T. (2016) Assemblage in Landscape: Composite of Built & Intended [Drawing]. Hoffmann, J (1901) Villa Moser-Moll [Photograph]. Hoffmann, J (1901) Villa Spitzer [Photograph]. Hoffmann, J (1912) Villa Ast [Photograph]. Lemere, H.B. (1886) Interior of the drawing room at Jemsond Towers [Photograph]. English Heritage NMR Lorrain, C. (1648) The Mill [Oil on canvas]. The National Gallery, London Lorrain, C. (17C) Landscape with Cowherd [Oil on canvas]. Mann, W. (2003) City Mill Lock [Photograph]. McGuire, D.F. (1988) Jesmond Towers, showing extension built in 1869 [Photograph]. Miller Partnership (2015) Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall [Online]. Available at: http://www.millerpartnershiparchitects.co.uk/jesmond-dene-banqueting-hall/ Moll, C. (1903) Hohe Warte [Drawing]. Albertina, Vienna O’Donoghue, D. (2016) Litter in Jesmond Dene [Online]. Available at: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/calls-newcastle-city-councilmore-11319207 Poster advertising the merits of Letchworth Garden City (1925) [Poster]. Poussin, N. (1651) Landscape With a Calm [Oil on canvas]. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
Schinkel, K.F. (Unknown) Charlottenhoff [Online]. Available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrpI_AQqalA/UXFQIoZroCI/AAAAAAAAFoc/EGjesPSYBzc/s1600/ Schinkel+Charlottenhof.jpg Sergison Bates (2016) Windlesham care home [Online]. Available at: http://sergisonbates.com/en/news/application-submitted-for-innovative-care-facility-at-windlesham-for-all-of-us Shaw, N. (1869) Design for new gallery and additions to Banqueting Hall [Drawing]. Smithson, R. (1967) Monuments of Passaic [Photographic Essay]. Smithson, R. (1970) A Surd View for an Afternoon [Drawing]. Spielmann, M. H. (1905) The Studio, 39, Frognal, Hampstead [Photograph] Unknown (ca. 1890)) Jesmond Dene Old Mill [Photomechanical print]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Unknown (1903) Green Water Pool, Jesmond Dene [Postcard]. Newcastle Libraries Unknown (1905) View Over Norton Common [Postcard]. Cheap Cottages Exhibition. Unknown (1928) Extended SAFFAhaus, Aarau [Photograph]. Archiv Ortsgemeinde Gemeindeinde Aarau Unknown (1928) View from the tower over the entire exhibition towards the Alps [Photograph]. Archiv Institut gta Unknown (1928) View of SAFFAhaus at the exhibition [Photograph]. Archiv Institut gta Unknown (1928) Studio on the upper floor, view to the east [Photograph]. Archiv Institut gta Unknown (1964) La Sagesse Convent School. [Photograph]. Newcastle Libraries Unknown (2008) Jesmond Dene Nurseries [Online]. Available at: http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/jesmond-dene-nurseries.html Unknown (2010) Millfield House Regeneration [Online]. Available at: http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/pets-corner-regeneration.html Unknown (2012) Jesmond Towers [Online]. Available at: http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/jesmond-towers.html Unknown (2016) City Edge [Online]. Available at: https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/tyne---wear/H690401-City-Edge/ Unknown (2016) The Blanchard [Online]. Available at: https://www.dwh.co.uk/new-homes/tyne-and-wear/H650401-La-Sagesse/ Unknown (Unknown) Untitled [Photograph]. Hampstead Garden Suburb Archives Trust Unknown (Unknown) ‘Aarau Development’ Cartographic Collection ETHZ. [Online]. Available at: http://www.saffahaus.ch/geschichte/aarau/aarau_02.html Unwin, R. (1912) Nothing Gained by Overcrowding!. Westminster: P. S. King & Son, pp. 4, illus.
Appendix
11.1
SAFFAhaus Model