Crest Nicholson Regeneration Bath Riverside

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE How Crest Nicholson Regeneration created a new community in Bath on a stretch of wasteland

The Bath Magazine

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Crest Nicholson Regeneration

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE

THE VISION

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he idea of living by the river is an enchanting, idyllic prospect. Being able to look at the river frees you, so you can see beyond your immediate frame of reference. It allows you to drift, to dream, to be recharged by the movement of the water, the shifting reflections, the ever-changing light, and the constant activity on and around the water.

The vision of living by the river in Bath was created with the identification of a derelict site on the banks of the River Avon.

This had once been the site of Stothert & Pitt Founders and Engineers, then a thriving ironmongers and crane-making business, but the company closed in Bath in the late 1980s and the site had not been used since.

The concept for the residential development was to take this underutilised location and come up with an inventive plan to revitalise it. A collection of property types was conceived – ranging from studios and penthouses to townhouses and villas – that would give Bath over 2,000 new homes. Those properties would offer spectacular views across the city, taking in the Royal Crescent and Royal Victoria Park, as well as the surrounding countryside and along the River Avon. Those living there would have direct access to the riverside and a short, flat walk to the city centre.

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Bath Riverside is regarded by the industry as one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in the UK – Scott Black, Managing Director, Crest Nicholson –

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There would be pocket parks, wild meadows and riverside pubs within easy distance to enjoy for a day out, an afternoon stroll or a summer picnic. Just across the river would be the Royal Victoria Park, with a landscape of greenery including botanical gardens, a children’s play area and tennis courts.

How to make this vision a reality? Moving from an abandoned site with potential to a bustling residential development is a lengthy journey. Such an ambitious inner-city regeneration involves courage, determination, energy, investment and passion. It also involves endless research, discussion and collaboration, written assessments and a mountain of planning.

Work on the Bath Riverside project started in 2011, but planning started in 2004.

This is the story of the creation of a vibrant and sustainable community space designed to bring people together and meet the needs of modern living. Here you can read about the latest part of the journey, focusing on the development of Royal View and Sovereign Point, two striking residential buildings that have already transformed Bath’s city skyline. You will be introduced to the key players in this riverside story – the stone suppliers, the architects, the landscape architects and the building site manager.

Then you will follow the evolution of the design and build and, finally, get an idea of what the future holds for Bath Riverside. 

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | PLANNING & COMMUNITY

PLANNING & COMMUNITY Transforming land that has been left derelict for over 25 years poses certain challenges. Scott Black of Crest Nicholson talks about some of the strategies that were planned as part of the big vision

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n example of inner city regeneration, the Riverside project has shown what can be achieved with planning, commitment and passion. The longterm aim was to create more than 2,000 new homes in the city. The project would also provide public spaces to enhance the experience of Bath for residents and visitors.

The scheme included the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Victoria Bridge, providing pedestrians and cyclists access to the Upper Bristol Road. A new Destructor Bridge has also been installed, providing a vital link for motor vehicles across the river.

Revitalising the river towpath was crucial – this now provides a car-free, level walk into the city centre. The future plan encompasses a new school, an energy centre, acres of public space including a large riverside park and commercial spaces consisting of restaurants, cafés, shops and community areas.

this way. Working with Bath College, courses are delivered through industry training groups.

Another community measure is the Art Strategy. Led by art consultant Peter Dickinson, the idea was to create visual points of interest across the whole development. Local community artists, craftsmen and organisations were encouraged to submit a selection of quirky and eccentric ideas. The results have now been incorporated into the stone carving, bins, lampposts and artwork, original pieces that add to the experience of the space.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability has always been a high priority in the planning and construction of Bath Riverside and has been led by the Bath Riverside Sustainable Development Strategy. The construction stage included the use of a ‘soil hospital’, which has moved, cleaned and reused 45,000 tons of soil. The Bath stone was from the local Limpley Stoke quarry, reducing the environmental impact of transporting materials and investing in a local business.

Green roofs have been incorporated within many buildings, including more than 20 plant species native to the area. The seeds were collected back in 2001 and stored in preparation.

To date, more than 18,500 trees and shrubs have been planted, a mixture of mature and semi-mature plants and seedlings.

Inside the new homes, each property has a new smart meter and the site has partnered with Eon to deliver a combined heat and power energy centre using woodchip fuel, reducing carbon emissions by 66 percent and producing 14 percent renewable energy. Homes are also fitted with appliances that use less water, and have energy-saving lighting. n

COMMUNITY

It was always important to involve the local community in the design and implementation of Bath Riverside, because the project had to fit with its needs.

The overriding design concept was about making connections.

The idea was to connect people to a community, and then connect the community back to open space, back to the water and back to the city. This vision has been the anchor that brings the Riverside story to life.

Apprenticeships have always been seen as the future of the business, and local apprentices have been employed on site – indeed many of Crest’s current managers started their career in

GOING TO PLAN: THE BUILDING STAGES

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1. Stothert Avenue - 2011 2. Palladian, Imperial and Highgate at Victoria Bridge Road - 2012 3. Albert Crescent - 2014 4. Longmead Terrace - 2015 5. Leopold House - 2015 6. Beatrice House - 2015 7. Elizabeth Parade - Late 2015 8. Alexandra House - Late 2015 9. Percy Terrace - 2016 10. Frederick House – 2016 11. Royal View – 2017 12. Sovereign Point – 2018

Left: The overview architectural plan, detailing the building stages of each of the property developments

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE PEOPLE

THE PEOPLE THE HOUSING DEVELOPER Scott Black, Managing Director, Crest Nicholson Regeneration “There is no arrogance about the success of this development. The achievements have been the result of real hard work and continuous collaboration. Proving this continues to be the modus operandi now as it will be in the future. Bath Riverside is set to be an iconic piece of architecture, and a positive legacy in this beautiful city for many generations to come.”

THE STONE SUPPLIER Matthew Hawker, Director, The Bath Stone Group “Having quality material for Bath Riverside is of paramount importance.

Our rich reserves of stone and our stateof-the art equipment enable 6,000 cubic metres of mineral to be mined annually.

We are conscious to ensure the high grade stone constantly meets the exacting standards of builder and discerning house buyer.”

THE ARCHITECT Christopher Egret, Partner, Studio Egret West “Conservation bodies can be formidable opponents to new development, and yet our experience in Bath proved otherwise; the city wanted to embrace a truly contemporary approach. Designed using a figure of eight to create depth and maximise views, the Royal View building has no beginning or end. This creates a sense of fluidity across all eight floors.”

THE PROJECT MANAGER Jamie Hurren, Crest Nicholson Regeneration

THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Claire Hobart, Senior Associate, Grant Associates “Our approach and inspiration towards the design was how could we better connect with nature. Place-making is all about making connections. Connecting to nature, connecting the site back to the city, connecting people back to the river, connecting the river back to the land.”

“When the scaffolding gets dropped, landscaping gets finished, roads are tarmacked and finished and paved and cars are starting to park on drives or in spaces, then it starts to become a community. To see that happen is brilliant and that’s why we all enjoy working in this industry.”

THE SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR Marcus Evans, Crest Nicholson Regeneration

THE MATERIALS CONTOLLER Sheldon Payne, Crest Nicholson Regeneration “I started at Bath Riverside three years ago as an apprentice materials controller. Crest put faith in my hard work and ambition to do well and have given me the tools I need to move forward in my career. I am now working on the final stages of Royal View as a trainee site manager.”

“The early days of Bath Riverside saw many challenges, Some local residents felt our scheme was not appropriate for the city’s heritage status, but many of those who originally opposed the development now live there. It’s clear the mood has changed, demonstrated by the sales success.”

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE STONE

THE STONE

The location is secured. Now it’s time to start building. Bath stone might be an obvious choice for a new development in the city, but any building project needs to assess the innate qualities of the stone and evaluate its qualities as a contemporary building material

WHY BATH STONE? Bath stone has been used within Bath’s architecture since Roman times. It has a surface uniformity that lends itself to grand architectural statements and can also be worked finely to create impressive architectural detailing. It has been extensively used in new-build and restoration projects nationally and internationally and is regularly specified by English Heritage, The National Trust and The Royal Household.

Bath stone was an obvious choice for the Bath Riverside development, being strong, easy to carve, local to the site and fitting sensitively with the city’s existing architectural landscape.

On a practical level, Bath stone is a freestone and so can be sawn or squared up in any direction. While the stone gives the impression of softness, it is in fact highly durable, as the examples of Roman and Georgian architecture in the city demonstrate.

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability – in particular the use of local materials – was a decisive factor in the choice of stone supplier. Matthew Hawker, Director of The Bath Stone Group in Limpley Stoke who have supplied all the stone for the Riverside project, says, “There was a conscious desire to use local materials. As our stone is mined just down the road from the Riverside site, the project has fully embraced all sustainability issues.” With The Bath Stone Group having an annual stone tonnage level of over 12,000 tonnes, Matthew and his team have been able to satisfy the needs of the 40-acre development and to provide stone of the highest quality.

As Matthew explains, “Bath Riverside is in a premier location so having quality material is of paramount importance, and we are conscious to ensure the high-grade stone constantly meets the exacting standards of builder and discerning house buyer alike.”

MINING THE STONE The Stoke Hill Mine owned by The Bath Stone Group lies on the outskirts of Bath. The rich reserves of stone and the state-of-theart equipment used by the company enables 6,000 cubic meters of consistent and uniform mineral to be mined annually. Stoke Hill Mine is the only producer of Stoke Ground Top Bed and

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Base Bed Bath stone and is the only mine able to call on the use of four electrically remote-controlled saws to extract the seam.

The saw blades are tipped with tungsten and these are cut into the Bath Stone faces some 35 metres under the ground. Highly trained mining operatives carefully manoeuvre the saws and cut the face to specific dimensions and separate the two types of Stoke Ground Bath Stone within the seam. The resulting blocks are removed by inserting hydraulic water bags into the cuts and with the application of gentle pressure the stone blocks detach from the back of the cut.

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The Top Bed stone is finely grained with a pale cream colour that mellows to the quintessential honey colour that is the hallmark of quality Bath stone

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ur story starts in the earth, 30 metres under the Bath countryside, with the mining of the Bath Stone used to build the development at Riverside. In fact it goes back further than this because the Stoke Ground Bath Stone is a light, honey-coloured oolitic limestone that was formed in the middle Jurassic period some 195 to 135million years ago. In the Jurassic period, the region around Bath (as we now know it) was under shallow seawater. Fragments of calcium carbonate rolled about on the sea bed and picked up coatings of lime, gradually growing in size and compacting together. With sustained pressure from ever-growing layers of sediment above them, these grains became the limestone that now defines the city of Bath.

TYPES OF STONE The two types or beds of stone are unique to Stoke Hill, the result of a very stable deposition during the middle Jurassic period. The Top Bed is finely grained with a pale cream or buff colour that mellows to the quintessential honey colour that is the hallmark of quality Bath Stone. It is used for ashlar, cladding, fireplaces and sculpture as its natural bed height can reach 1.6 metres high. The Base Bed is the ideal stone for exposed areas such as cornices, coping and string courses (the horizontal bands on a building). The stone is a light buff/grey colour with a slightly open grain and small intermittent shell inclusions and is therefore a popular choice for flooring, cladding and fireplaces.

BATH STONE AT RIVERSIDE Top Bed and Base Bed Bath stone have been used at Riverside.

Architects and designers worked with the mine and the masonry contractors to ensure the best use of the two stone types.

Forklift trucks remove each block and each one is checked for quality. The stone is then marked with the face number or area it was mined from, its bed type and most importantly the natural bed direction or grain. This information is used by the masonry team when cutting the stone – it also confirms the provenance and quality of each individual section.

Once the miners are satisfied, the blocks are loaded onto a trailer and are hauled approximately two kilometres by a specially adapted tractor that can fit through the narrow historic tunnels of the old mine. As the load reaches the surface, or ‘daylights’, it is unloaded, checked again and then weighed. The allocation for the Riverside project is then placed, awaiting collection for cutting and the final formation of the high-grade ashlar and masonry that the project demands. 

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE STONE

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Iimage 1 The Bath Stone Company; images 2, 5 and 6 Grant Associates; image 3 courtesy of Shona Cutt; image 4 shutterstock.com;

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THE BUILDING BLOCKS 1. The remote-controlled saw at work – the saw blades cut into the Bath stone face 35 metres underground 2. The freshly hewn blocks of stone leave the quarry and are assigned to the project 3. The Bath stone interior of Bath Abbey 4. Many of the buildings of the Royal Household use Bath Stone, including the west face of Buckingham Palace 5. A metal sculpture adds detail to a Bath stone wall at Riverside 6. A stone inscription in a new building in the Victoria Bridge Road development

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE ARCHITECTURE

THE ARCHITECTURE The design of Royal View is based on a language of curves. Other key themes are the central atrium and a strong connection with the landscape from all aspects, explains architect Christophe Egret of Studio Egret West

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ath is the most complete and best-preserved Georgian city in Britain and is on UNESCO’s world heritage list of 30 sites in the UK, considered to be of outstanding international importance.

Conservation bodies can be formidable opponents to new developments, and yet our experience in Bath proved otherwise; the city wanted to embrace a truly contemporary approach for this riverside site.

Our response was to introduce a language of curves to soften the form and help reduce the visual impact. A dash of orange tiles in the recesses of the balconies helps to break the solemnity of the stone cladding and is a reference to the rusty stains of ferruginous water found in the city’s Roman Baths.

The building development acts as a marker from afar and as a ‘gatehouse’ to the masterplan at the crossing point over the River Avon. The historical significance of water in Bath – as a natural spa location – was also considered. The garden plant space on the roof of the building forms a ‘green crown’ that can be seen from afar, while vertical walls at ground-floor level soften the experience of passing between interior and exterior.

We wanted the building to be deliberately distinct from the more rectilinear and formal elements of the surrounding masterplan, creating a sense of contrast between the street pattern of the masterplan to the south and the landscape of the riverside park in which the buildings will sit. The building’s formal language developed from our research of natural Bath stone, landscape formations and ideas of water and erosion.

The curved form of the building as it steps backwards creates terrace spaces from which to view the landscape (the riverside park and the Royal Crescent, the Circus, and hills beyond). The curves are reminiscent of examples of Georgian buildings which use curved forms – often semi-circular in plan – to view specific pieces of landscape such as pleasure gardens.

INTERNAL DESIGN On entering at ground floor level, the atrium gives the building an immediate feeling of both light and space, drawing residents into the lobby and providing a direct link with the sky above.

From here the lifts and stairwell serve as access to the residential floors, where apartments at the upper levels are arranged around the central atrium space.

The logic of the central atrium was to draw natural light in from above at the same time as using this space to create internal balconies and walkways that provide the access into apartments.

Each apartment has a recessed entrance, giving the sense of an individual private entrance.

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between levels internally, which increases the potential for chance encounters with neighbours and natural surveillance over the residential entrances.

Each apartment has been arranged to maximise views out and achieve solar orientation, allowing sunlight in but avoiding overheating and glare. The majority benefit from a corner or curved aspect.

ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE The building has been conceived as a pavilion within the landscape, inspired by and nestling within the landscape rather than sitting above it. Landscape is used as an architectural material, growing up the façade of the building as well as framing the top. The distinction between landscape and building is blurred so that the building is truly rooted in the riverside park setting.

The building utilises and enhances the topography of the site by sitting on raised plateaux above the riverside park. This sitting also responds to the flood plain of the River Avon and helps to reduce the risk of flooding to a minimal amount.

There has been careful consideration given to local wildlife, particularly through the use of green wall landscape features to aid to the riverside biodiversity. Lighting on the riverside façade has also been designed to minimise the impact on the river bat corridor.

This building has no ‘back’ so it has been sited so that it connects equally well to each of the four elevations. Each elevation is shaped and formed to respond to the the various surroundings – the park, the river, the square and the other buildings on the site.

The metalwork balconies in the façade design perform the same role as those you find on the classical architecture of Bath.

While these primarily serve as protection from falling, they also give the building a contrasting detail and elegance against the solidity of the stone. The design of the balustrades is inspired by the adjacent Victoria Bridge. This bridge has an unusual construction where the suspension cables are diagonal rather than straight; once these diagonals are viewed in perspective they create the woven language upon which Royal View draws.

CONSULTATION A significant amount of consultation has been undertaken throughout the design process, including local individuals, residents’ groups and statutory and non-statutory consultees.

We have done this through community and stakeholder events, workshops, a public exhibition and via social media and the local press.

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE ARCHITECTURE

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We wanted the building to be deliberately distinct from the more rectilinear and formal elements of the surrounding masterplan, creating a sense of contrast between the street pattern and the landscape of the riverside – Christophe Egret, Architect, Studio Egret West –

SUSTAINABILITY The residential brief set high sustainability and energy targets and requirements, including the provision of a central energy centre to supply both heat and electrical power through the use of a central heat and power plant (CHP).

A proportion of the CHP plant – sized to supply the yearly average hot water and heating demand – is intended to be fuelled by biomass (timber and other plant material), which will generate around 10 percent of the residential energy requirements from renewable energy sources. 

Images courtesy of Hundven Clements

❝ These consultations have been critical in helping us to develop our design. The input from these various groups and meetings has been far-ranging – some of the suggestions have included a desire for sculptural forms, the use of Georgian detailing, and the idea of thinking about the roofs as the ‘fifth elevations’.

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE LANDSCAPE

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THE MAKING OF A LANDSCAPE 1. The waterside landscape from Royal View to Sovereign Point 2. Many new trees have been planted to knit the site into its broader landscape 3. Green vertical installations in the central atrium bring drama to the open space 4. Planted borders provide softness and colour and delineate the public walkways 5. Planted beds and avian topiary in one of the communal garden areas

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE LANDSCAPE

THE LANDSCAPE Making connections with nature has been a key inspiration for the landscape design team, Grant Associates, who started work on the project at Bath Riverside in 2006. Claire Hobart explains the design rationale behind their plans

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rant Associates worked closely with masterplanners Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects and Crest Nicholson Regeneration to develop the principles that influenced the relationship between new built form and open spaces. The approach was collaborative, design-led and inspired by the context of the world heritage city of Bath.

The conceptual basis for the landscape design masterplan hinged around creating a clear hierarchy of spaces. Each space and the major linking corridors were given clear identities and boundaries, establishing a sequence of views and other sensory experiences. The design sought to set out highly functional plans for spaces that best suited their purpose and setting.

CONTEXT The urban fabric of Bath is fundamentally shaped by the interrelationship between landscape and buildings. Each era of Bath’s development has created a legacy of important public streets, spaces, parks and playgrounds, each representative of the needs and concerns of the age they were built. At Bath Western Riverside the intention has been to create a landscape and public realm for the 21st century.

A feature of Bath’s public space through the ages has been the emphasis on creating grand walkways, circuits and other opportunities to promenade and meet people. These have always responded to the topography, aspect and the spirit of the setting.

The spaces have been associated with fun and leisure activities and typically incorporate feature buildings or structures. Bath Western Riverside follows this model, but enriches it with contemporary ideas for the environment and its features. The holistic vision addressed the multiple aspects of a sustainable development, such as lifestyle, mixed use, flooding, ecology, energy, water, recreation, education, value and context.

The River Avon provides a natural focus, with a new riverside experience lined by a sequence of new public spaces and routes including the new and refurbished river crossings of Victoria Bridge and the Destructor Bridge. Public open spaces are overlooked by distinctive new riverside residential buildings.

PLANTING New planting includes a significant number and variety of trees to enhance the overall character and knit the site into its broader landscape. Most importantly the scheme provides space for trees along the riverside to form informal belts and clumps to enhance riverside potential for nature conservation.

A hierarchy of street trees ranges from large trees along the strategic routes to smaller trees in residential streets and gardens.

Landmark trees and clumps are proposed at key locations in the site to break up the visual mass of buildings and to act as local features of the site.

This green character is reinforced by a framework of planting to streets, front gardens, communal gardens, living walls, roof gardens, green roofs and garden balconies. This multi-layered approach reflects the nature of the Georgian city, with planting from basement to roof level.

OPEN SPACES The proposals represent significant additions to the public realm and riverside of Bath. The area of the new riverside parks and associated links and landscapes are comparable to many of the major public parks and spaces in the city, such as Parade Gardens and Green Park, providing a refuge and peaceful space for both people and wildlife. With a clear emphasis on ecology, art and general recreation, these new spaces offer contemporary and distinctive new additions to the fabric of the city. Incidental play and landscape features are incorporated into the public areas and residents’ gardens along with improved links to the formal play and recreation facilities in Victoria Park.

Bath Western Riverside occupies an important piece of Bath’s river corridor. Grant Associates recognised the need for the landscape framework to ensure the project was fully integrated into the world heritage setting, at the same time possessing its own sense of neighbourhood. The riverside areas of central Bath, such as Parade Gardens, demonstrate how the urban form has responded to the specific geometry and levels of the river to create a variety of conditions and character.

The key landscape components included the treatment of the river corridor; the extensive use of large trees in streets, parks and squares; the clear delineation of open spaces with terraces and object buildings. The landscape design reinterpreted the use and detailing of the traditional Bath landscape and public realm to create an area of the city with a clearly contemporary, but complementary character through expressive ramps, steps, walls, railings and embankments.

VIEWS AND LANDMARKS From Bath Western Riverside, attractive and distinctive views are afforded to a number of Bath’s landmarks and surrounding countryside. These views offer the most distinctive sense of being in Bath and are typical of the pattern of views experienced throughout the city centre out to the surrounding hillsides. The site layout and landscape masterplan have been designed to allow multiple opportunities for views out from the development to local landmarks such as St Stephens’s Church Tower, Beckford’s Tower, the steeple of Locksbrook Cemetery Chapel, Beechen Cliff, Twerton Round Hill and Kelston Hill.

Enhancement of the river corridor includes the planting of strategic trees to frame views, line the river and to contribute to general habitat enhancements. New local views have been created within the development using built form to frame views to the river corridor and promote a continual sense of connection to green and open spaces.

PUBLIC ART A trail of public art is laid out for discovery and delight, woven into the fabric of the buildings and landscape. Sculptural pieces in prominent positions in the public areas are complemented by smaller incidental interventions in public and communal spaces.

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE BUILD

THE BUILD Coordinating a building development on a large site and not inconveniencing people already living there can be a challenge.

Jamie Hurren, the overall project manager at Bath Riverside, explains how the overall plan is masterminded

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n a project of this size and scale, there are a huge number of elements which need to be considered and co-ordinated. This is no mean feat when you are covering a 40-acre site where dangerous construction work is taking place, and striving to provide a serene living space for those already residing at Bath Riverside. There needs to be a continuous fine balance.

This is achieved by having a project manager who oversees the entire site, supported by a full team from all disciplines: surveyors, technical managers, architects, accountants to name but a few, all working in project offices on site with weekly meetings to enable efficient communication between all parties.

PHASES OF WORK To accommodate the large scale of the site at Bath Riverside, the work is divided up into individual phases with separate management teams for each phase. This allows each team to take ownership of their piece of this iconic development. Rather than working independently, however, it is essential that all the teams for all the phases co-ordinate their work, especially when phases are being built simultaneously.

COMMUNICATION There are site logistics to consider – such as traffic management, moving-in strategies, and the separation of construction and residential areas – so awareness and communication are key.

In a bid to ensure residents are kept abreast of the changes and progress of the development, there is a monthly newsletter circulated to all residents detailing the work that is taking place

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at that time on the development. Residents are always encouraged to feed back any queries, questions or concerns to the site team who always try their best to help.

ASPIRING HIGH One of the greatest challenges of Bath Riverside for the construction team has been the installation of Victoria Bridge, which took more than 30 people in excess of 15 months. The bridge is remarkable in that it was built without ever spanning the river. Constructed and imported from Italy on articulated lorries, there was an extremely detailed and carefully managed delivery schedule which involved the bridge being escorted through the finished areas of the development. Using hydraulic jacks, the bridge was effectively pushed across the river into its final position.

The construction team are exceptionally proud of their achievements at Bath Riverside. Of great note is the Royal View apartment building, the first of two iconic, curved buildings on the banks of the river. The building was of such a complex and unusual nature that it was recognised for the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Pride in the Job Awards, winning the best in the region and was entered into the national final.

The build of Bath Riverside is a complex, challenging, but ultimately rewarding juggling act. Knowing all the incredibly hard work that has gone on behind the scenes makes the construction team responsible incredibly proud, and brings a remarkable sense of satisfaction. There aren’t many jobs where you get to see a disused waste ground evolve to transform into a collection of award-winning buildings and, ultimately, a place to call home. 

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | THE STYLING

INTERIORS GALLERY The Riverside project has consulted with a number of interior designers who were responsible for different phases – the most recent three to be finished were designed by Rasalo. Each one had an individual brief: Alexandra House – ‘Fashionable and different’; Royal View –‘Fresh and contemporary’; and the Penthouse in Royal View –‘A classical look’.

So how do you style a one-million-pound penthouse showhome? Here’s a peek inside Royal View

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A MODERN CLASSIC 1. The spiral staircase in Royal View leads up to the roof terrace 2. A contemporary look in the lounge of the penthouse suite 3. Clean lines in the open-plan kitchen with breakfast bar 4. Intimate, elegant dining and a dramatic view of the spiral staircase 5. A Buddah figure brings a sense of spirituality to a balcony seat 6. Statement wallpaper on a bedroom wall in the Royal View penthouse gives texture and focus to the sleeping area

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | LOOKING AHEAD

LOOKING AHEAD

By Scott Black, Managing Director of Crest Nicholson Regeneration

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he future of Bath Riverside is bright. As the development continues to evolve and mature, it is certain to become home to many more Bath residents and form a special place in the heart of this beautiful city.

It’s true that the project has not been without its challenges, not least in the form of strong local opposition from many resistant to the contemporary look and feel of the development in such a resolutely Georgian setting. This sentiment has however subsided as Bath Riverside has grown. Indeed many of those originally opposing the development are now residents of this new city landmark.

The way ahead will include commercial buildings such as a café and restaurant, together with a four-and-a-half acre park. Growing a real community and capitalising on the almost forgotten riverside element of the city, the area will go from strength to strength.

The development has even challenged the notion that there is no crossover between Bristol and Bath property markets. This was highlighted recently on Channel 4’s Location Location Location where a Bristol couple was featured purchasing at Bath Riverside, drawn by the dramatic riverside site and the proximity between the cities.

The future won’t be without its challenges.

Overcoming local opposition is an ongoing process, along with the fact that the market has become tougher. Marcus Evans, Sales and Marketing Director at Crest Nicholson, believes that there is a need to work with local partners to educate the marketplace about Bath Riverside. It is also important to stimulate a slower market – processes need to be made as easy as possible for potential purchasers, using tools such as part exchange. Maintaining the sales momentum at the development is essential to ensuring the riverside area evolves and establishes itself as the hugely desirable destination that it has always promised to be.

There is no arrogance about the success of this development. The achievements have been the result of real hard work and continuous collaboration. Providing this continues to be the modus operandi now as it will be in the future. Bath Riverside is set to be an iconic piece of architecture, and a positive legacy in this beautiful city for many generations to come. 

XIV TheBATHMagazine

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june 2018

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iSSue 189

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TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE | LOOKING AHEAD

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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JUNE 2018

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XV

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Any city with a river running though it is a special place.

Bath’s River Avon has defined the city from Roman times when baths and a temple were built in the valley of the River Avon. The river – running in Bath from Locksbrook to Pulteney Weir – has followed the city’s fortunes ever since.

The city has many other assets. Its size means that everything is walkable; it is blessed with beautifully proportioned architecture crafted from a stone that flatters in any light; and at every turn there are leafy parks and green spaces to find quiet moments of recreation and peace. There are also two high-profile universities, high-achieving schools, a good business infrastructure, as well as a desire to promote the arts, culture and diversity. Yes, Bath is a city that attracts worldwide interest, but – like so many smaller cities – its ability to accommodate has fallen short of demand.

In this special edition we follow the story of the Crest Nicholson Riverside urban regeneration project in Bath, from its status as an unloved wasteland 10 years ago to the creation of a purposeful, contemporary community offering an array of state-of-the-art homes. We speak to people who have worked across this major landmark project, identifying their commitment to build, the sense of community they have created and their investment in the long-term success and wellbeing of the city.

The Bath Magazine

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Crest Nicholson Regeneration