architecture urbanism environmental issues • in the Cambridge city region
BUCKINGHAM HOUSE NEW HALL
Following the expansion of the College with Kaetsu and Austin Sm ith-Lord in the 1990's (see CAg 3 7, 32 and 28) attention is now being focused on the original 1960 's buildings listed grade II * and R H Partnership are engaged with other consultants on a £6m major refurbishment programme to include the Dining Hall, dome and Kitchens This programme and some difficulties with existing conference provisions has led to consideration of the Buckingham House site just beyond the new entrance rotunda and forecourt made by Austin Smith-Lord Removal of a fairly undistinguished Edwardian building has made room for a purpose des i gned Conference Centre adjacent to the ma in College buildings with an additional 35 undergraduate rooms on three floors above
The scale of the surrounding buildings notably David Roberts e xtension to Blackfriars to the south and the expansive off ice building on Mount Pleasant behind to the east has enabled a substantial new building to be inserted in this 'back land' preserving mature trees and established vistas in a careful and sensitive site analysis The main part of the site comfortably takes four storeys with a neat step down to three for the frontage to the New Hall forecourt. This also continues the scale of the adjoining Doctors Surgery and of Huntingdon Road itself Here the architects have made the most formal statement using vertical bands of window and wall to the student rooms and some layering of the detailing to follow the distinctive aesthetic of New Hall 's main buildings. At street level this frontage is glazed to heighten the sense of accessibility to the building and its conference uses This works well from the Huntingdon Road approach and from the quadrant forecourt to New Hall 's main buildings , although the entrance itself has an oddly restricted feel. There is now a nice informal grouping of buildings around the forecourt with the low scaled New Hall buildings and the Arts and crafts rectory The other faces of Buckingham House have more bu lk and modelling expressing stair elements and other variations in t he buildings funct i on and organisation in an informal composition of parts On the north face there is greater solidity whereas the southern frontages open out to the sun and views around a court incorporating brise soleil and small paved terraces.
There is a change in cladding material for this latest building from white calcium silicate bricks (now finally discontinued) to white rendered blockwork and natural terracotta panels in horizontal bands acting as a rainscreen. Windows and smaller scale areas of cladding are framed in aluminium. Careful detailing gives the building a sophisticated appearance and its own clear identity and purpose It is not exactly akin to its sur roundings especially as the terracotta is rather pale , chosen in preference to a redder brick-coloured option , which might have been too obvious There is already quite a diversity of character in the surrounding buildings Overall the building is we ll mannered and fits in Its scale
"' is part icularl y successful tending to pul l its nei ghbours together into a more urban group.
Internally the ground floor has a generous lin ear foye r space leading to the main auditorium and opening out to the south to a timber decked area and mature wooded boundary Flexible seminar space and admin offices , a kitchen and lavatories flank the foyer The auditorium seating 140 is dug into the ground with tanked concrete structure Above is a composite steel transfer structure to achieve the three clean floors of bedrooms The Conference floo r is linked directly to the bedrooms. There is also a separate student entrance from the street , acco rding to use The three floo rs of bedrooms including doubles and disabled facilities , all have ensuite showers Of particular note is a generous central common room on first and second floor levels which has kitchen , locker and trunk areas off this. This is a useful sized room which gives a welcome feeling of space and communality to the bedroom floors , a nd doubles up as additional seminar space , during conference times. The tall windows in both the communal areas and the bedrooms contribute to the general feeling of light and space in what is essentially a corridor plan and together with paved terraces (for emergency use) enhance the feeling of connection with the outside The alternate glazed and solid panels to th e Bedrooms also wo rk equ ally well in achieving privacy and enclosure
Striking the right balance between a place for students within a Colleg iate structure and the kind of atmosphere appropriate to conference use is perhaps the most difficult challenge The carefully planned and spacious bedrooms seem to have ach ieved this Some attempts have been made in the corridor planning and use of colour to personalise the different bedroom floors not entirely convincingly. The main foyer space on the ground floor with its simplicity and clean lines sets just the right tone for the many and varied uses likely to occur here
David Raven
Architects : R H Partnership
Project Manager & Quantity Surveyor: Davis Langdon & Everest
Structural Engineer: Harris & Su therland
Services : Roger Parker Associates
Landscape : Cambridge Landscape Architects
Contractor Design Bu ild : Llewellyn Construction
Architects Design Bu ild : Whinaker Prestidge
Left: foyer with g arden deck on right
Below: b lock p lan
KING'S COLLEGE GARDEN HOSTEL
Nicholas Ray Associates ' new building for King ' s College is an extension to the Garden Hostel , built by architect Geddes Hyslop in the late 1940s between the Fellows' Garden and the University Library The recent history of this site is a chequered one ; MacCormac designed a new college library for it in the late 1980s , following that David Lea designed a large residential block , but both were deemed over-ambitious ; the first for reasons of cost and the second because the planners were anxious to preserve the 'green finger ' which runs along the north side of West Road The site remained under-developed, with just the 42 rooms of the original building through the 1990s Eventually the pressure to increase accommodation and the proximity of the site to the main college buildings meant it could be overlooked no longer. After a limited competition in 1997 Nicholas Ray Associates were appointed
The brief was to provide a further 33 undergraduate rooms with en-suite bathrooms suitable for vacation conference use A further extension on top of the original build ing is planned which will connect with the third floor of the new building , hence its del iberately lightweight nature in contrast with the heavier br ickwork of the lower storeys. As well as this vertical layering there is also a transition in section between the heavy brick fa i;: ade of the west elevation , with c a ntilevered balconies and sun screens to the lighter eastern face which is composed of render , glass block s and vertical oak slats These materials break up th e mass of the building in deference to the gladey world of the Fellows ' Garden and its curved form avoids th e roots and canopies of two large plane trees
Internally the building has a simple plan e xtending the 'L' pattern ci rculat ion of the Hyslop bu il d ing Here , though , the co r ridor spaces have mo re interest with views into the garden and glass and glass-block walls alternating between c lear and translucent to regulate v iews and express lines of st ructure. The de ci sion to make one staircase the subservient 'esc a pe ' stair is questionable ; transparent yet inaccessible , it is annoyingly tantalising The fully glazed main stair leads up to a wonderful roof terrace atop the oak clad bulge Here a spectacular v iew back to th e college chapel is revealed over the tree tops making a spiritual as well as visual connection with the mother site.
Th is really qu ite simple extension has an extremely co mpl ic at ed skin Bric k, steel , render , several different types of glass block , oak , alumin ium and stainless steel
all go together t o make a rich palett e; and it i s interesting to contrast this with the stripped brick and stone of the original bloc k built in the austerity years of the 1940s. We nee d look no further than this build ing and RHPs ' Bu c kingham House to real i se how much more we expect of our buildings , especially Cambridge college build ings , in the early 21st century
Jeremy Lander
CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS
Architects : Nicholas Ray Assoicates Structural Engineer & Plann ing Supervisors: And rew
Above : section through gatehouse and library
ga te house-point of entry
low : Library with phased pavilions behind
Client: University of Camb ridge (EMBS )
Project Manager: Da vis Langdon & Everest
Architect : Ed ward Cullinan Architects , Wen Ouek, Kristina Rosz yaski
Structure : Buro Happold
Services : Roger Preston & Partners
Landscape : Livingstone Eyre
Contractor : Sir Robert McAlpine
MOORE LIBRARY
Centre for Mathematical Studies
The Library and Gatehouse are now complete on the ne w Mathematics site and a f urth er phase of the pavilion bui ldings is in pr ogress along the C larkson Road fr ontage (see CAg 45)
The new Library , named after its benefactors Betty a n d Gordon Moore , is positioned to ac t as a 'compositional counterbalance' to the (existing) Isaac Newton I nstitute on Clarkson Road The Fau l kes Gatehouse (funded by Dill Faulkes) is si ted between these two buildings on the axis of the site deve lopment. Th is is in tended to provide a formal entrance and additional conference accommodation for the INI. A large area of Yorkstone paving stretches between the buildings and a covered way is planned across this on the main axis linking the Gatehouse with the 'Core Pav ilion ' At this end of the site the new bui ldings stand in space in a slightly bleak environment. Some unity is achieved wi th materials and presumably more planting is planned
Th e new Department al Librar y for Phy sica l Sciences and T ech nology , part of the UL , is a lending library and a lso has reference f ac ilities wi th 24 hour access There are 300 reader spaces and shelving for 15 years growth The c ircul ar plan of the building provides a central lift wit h radiating stacks and reader desks around the perimeter affording natural light and views. The building embodies similar energy principles to the ear li er buildings - heavy construction w ith natural ventilation at high and low levels , perimeter solar shading and a ce ntral (ex haust ) lantern Architectura ll y the building has rather more clari t y and simplicity than the main bui ldings on the si te and sits well in its paved setting By compar ison th e adjoining Gatehouse seems rather overplayed for its modes t size and purpose
Da vid Raven
2 Herbert Street Cambridge C B41AQ
T e l: 0 1223 301511
Fax: 01223 30 1466
E -m ai l: e nquiri es @ rpa - cam brid ge.co .u k www .rpa-cambridge .co. uk
Roger Parker Associates Engineering services and energy consultants for the Buckingham House project
PEMBROKE LIBRARY
Could Alfred Waterhouse have foreseen in 1878 that the library he designed for Pembroke College wou ld gain an extension and also extend below ground?
At a time when one in two households in the UK have an internet co nnection , librari es are under increasing pressure to better protect and present their collections Whilst books are being published on the internet, with 100 ,000 books published each year there is a long way to go w ith this process The internet is a vital source of information for students , but the study of books is still fundamental and the library wanted to provide a structure to allow for both these facilities. There was a need for more space to wo rk in and better storage of rare books , some of which the college has owned for 500 years or more , to ensure their protection for another 200 years Essentially , the role of the library is seen as protecting the past.
In 1998 Freeland Rees Roberts was asked by the Master and Fellows of Pembroke college to reclaim the whole of the original Waterhouse Building for the und ergrad uate library , restore it and increase its capacity for the storage of rare books and the number of study spaces The original Victorian building, now listed Grade II * , housed lecture rooms on the ground floor , while the library itself was entered at first floor via a spiral stair in a grand clock tower. In the 1930s a mezzanine floor was inserted and further alterations were made in the 1960s and in 1990 when two off ices were partitioned on the first floor
Visiting the library now , one can appreciate as if with new eyes the delicate stained glass windows and heavy hammer beam timber roof trusses Deep cornices and windows on the ground floor have again been revealed to view. After some eighteen months on site , the revitalized library includes a new basement with a controlled environment for archive material. Storage of rare books has increased to 40 , 500 on mobile shelving. The extension accommodates a seminar room and law library , built in sympathy with the Waterhouse library in brick, clipsham stone and leadwork. These new rooms are linked by a fully glazed stairwell which connects to the remarkable east gable wall of the original library. This also forms the main entrance and houses a lift and cloakroom facilities The entire ground floor was replaced by a suspended floor structure suitable for full library load ing.
Main contractor Sindalls (no w Bluestone) undertook the te chn ically and physically demanding work of excavating the new basement with th e help of mini excavators which were dismantled and reassembled inside the building. The spoil was removed on narrow e levators through existing ventilation shafts in the courtyard far;:ade. We all know 2000/2001 was a wet winter and many homes were flooded ; on site there was co ntinuous pumping to drain the excavation. During the formation of the basement , the original building was monitored with laser te ch nology for any subsidence and was found to have moved by 0.02mm.
A serv ices strategy was developed to reopen and reuse Victorian ven tilation systems in the wall and roof and the radiator system in the original library has been retained. Of note in the interior , new furniture is purpose made in oak Exquisite stained glass windows by German artist Hans von Stockhausen use contemporary designs referring to three former graduates ; Ted Hughes , poet laureate and Turner and Grew , eminent biologists. The artwork is a tonic to the soul and memorable to the spectator. The n ew Pembroke College Library opened on 10th December 2001
Sarah Morrison
Structural Engineers
Kings College Garden Hostel Extension and Pembroke College Library
Architects: Bl and Brown & Cole
St ru cture: Ha nnah Reed & Associates
Mech an ical: Max Ford ham
Landsca pe : Cambridge Lan dscap e Archit ec ts
Mai n Contractor : Cockse dg e Buildin g Co nstruction Ltd
Carefully tucked away in the northeast corner of the Downing College site is the Singer Building , the 28 bedroom graduate building completed in January 2000
Bland Brown & Cole won a competition and were commissioned to carry out the first phase of a 3-phase scheme. The building sits ingeniously in this rather densely built over corner of Downing , behind Regent Street and Lensfield Road , creating spac ious courtyards
The project included the refurbishment of two of the college owned buildings on Lensfield Road. Ensuites were added to each bedroom , and services , kitchens and decorations upgraded The new building and refurbished houses share 2 courtyards , which also serve as an access route from Lensfield Road through to the main college.
The new building is 'T' shape in plan The wings of the building house the generous study/ bedrooms each with a compact shower room The centre of the building has 2 kitchens , one for every six bedrooms , opening onto the courtyards or , at first floor , onto balconies These spaces are simply and cleanly fitted out.
The top floor has four study / bedrooms , a shared shower room and separate bathroom , as well as a more generous kitchen , and lounge This floor can be used by a family , but presently accommodates 4 lucky students These study/bedrooms have large dormers , which make the spaces bright and airy The main drawbacks , according to one occupant, are the early morning church bells , cross-ventilation rattling the doors when more than one room has the windows open , and the lack of curtains on the triangular windows - surely housekeepers of Cambridge colleges should have solved that last problem by now.
The basement houses a fully air-conditioned fitness room with fabulous polished concrete columns set against mirrored walls Generally the building uses very good quality materials where exposed to the elements , or the public Welsh slates on the roof , Williamson & Cliff bricks , stone sills on the main fa9ade and a lot of gorgeous green English oak whose sections are almost the size of small trees and which visitors and occupants can touch as they enter or move around the building. Elsewhere purposemade softwood windows , plasterboard and Vitral roof lights finish the spaces with under-stated simplicity
The only downside to what is obviously a very successful student home is the rather weighty central staircase - a substantial structure hung from the roofsurely something which should be lightweight.
The building 's success will be greater when phases 2 and 3 are built. The competition scheme was envisioned as a series of pavilions forming a garden wall to Downing. The completion of the full scheme will provide an impressive border to the main garden.
Katie Thomburrow
SUSTAINABLE SETTLEMENT
5th Studio have been working on a proposal to expand Cambridge to the north-eastern edge of the city , behind the village of Fen D i tton Commissioned by Laing Strategic Land the project includes 2 , 300 dwellings , schools and workplaces This , like a number of proposals around the city , follows regional planning guidance proposing 22 ,000 new dwellings in the region by 2016 The options for this growth have been much debated but as architects we are most concerned with the urban conditions created by such change and how to provide a benchmark for a sustainable settlement , as well as a robust place that can grow and adapt.
Sustainable development seems to be an issue monopolised by disciplines that have quantifiable factorsin particular , the measurement and amelioration of direct energy use These concerns are now in the mainstream , yet relatively unaddressed are the broader concerns that lie in the domain of urban design , and in attitudes to landscape
A key lesson to emerge from local planning of the last fifty years has been how attempts to protect the city have actually led to suburbanisation of the outlying villages and a sclerosis of the centre by traffic generated by the separation between where people work and live Cambridge has demographics reminiscent of a city like Venice , where the city 's key workers are often excluded by the huge cost of property. Much of the housing stock is small scale and lim ited in adaptability with few of the dwellings of cities like Brighton or Bristol , where houses can be converted to flats and back again as economics demand.
Following the 1950 Holford report Cambridge became encircled by green bel t , preventing expansion , with densification ins i de the city also resisted by planning policy Now the RPG has identified an order of preference for development , starting with densification of the existing city fabric , followed by an extension of the urban area into the green belt , then satellite developments and development of land along transport corridors. Our site lies in green belt , intensively farmed , low-grade agricultural land , stretch ing to the A14. Clearly , the loss of green belt , whatever its quality , needs justification and a responsibility to use the released land to its full potential.
The structure of the urban extension in this Masterplan is established by overlaying a constructed order onto the site The plan draws on traditional East Anglian topographies , where the organisational fabric is expressed through the relationship between water and land Here the fenlands come closest to Cambridge ; a marginal location , set between the highly managed landscape of the fens and the urban order of the city.
Traces of occupation of the land (key topographic features such as Fleam Dyke run through the site) , historic field boundaries , allotment gardens and pathways are used to maintain a connection to a continuity of land use The grain of field enclosures is used to establish a network of dykes accompanied by footpaths and cycle routes The dykes provide a robust structure and an environmental balance , reflecting the tradition of controlled water in both the fens and the City
Banked reed beds recycle the 'grey water' produced by the development , form a landscape edge to the A 14 and balance storm water, defining areas of public space and the edges of the development. Open space runs through fairly densely developed blocks carefully defined in terms of its ownership and possible use.
With the Georgian terrace as an exemplar in terms of adaptability , a range of housing types was produced , from apartments to 5 bedroom houses Each allows some degree of integration between work and home life with a separate office or workspace in the terrace or adjacent mews accommodation H i gh - density apartments are treated as landscape elements , promoting views across to Cambridge and the adjacent flat landscape of the fens.
The site lies in a key strategic location between the
Cambridge Northern Fringe and the Marshall Works and Airport. Major development is already taking place here and further substantial growth is planned , including a new transport interchange at Chesterton Sidings , allowing close proximity between new dwellings and key employment areas. A key provision of our scheme is a new orbital public transport link which would complement future development at the airport and create a compact Strategic Growth Area within cycling distance of the City Centre
No proposal to expand the margins of the city can avoid contention and , as the closest village to the city , Fen Ditton is both enriched and threatened by the proximity of the urban edge While there is an understandable desire to protect the village , a full understanding of its relationship to our site shows coalescence can be avoided. Stourbridge Common , the river corridor and the village core would not be affected.
Tom Holbrook
5th Studio 's studies of the village , and the relationship with its topography are brought together in a film , produced with Cambridge University Moving Image Studio (CUMIS)
CAM VALLEY FORl)M
I let the slow flow carry me gently along through shadow and light , between long weedy strands that slimi/y embrace me as I drift by , between the bobbing white and gold cups , and the slippery juicy stems, beneath banks massed high with may, smelling sharp and sweet above the musky fragrance of the tall cowpars/ey Buttercup fields shine beyond those white banks; the chestnuts lift their candles high against the morning sky.
Rose Macauley in Personal Pleasures is recalling an early morning swim somewhere upstream from Cambridge I co uld have chosen to begin with Byron or Brooke , Forster or Raverat , for the Cam and its riverside landscapes are rich in literary and historic associations Macaulay's lines celebrate the joy of river swimming - a frowned-upon pleasure now - and capture the gentle beauty of the rive r Cam , a beauty that needs to be conserved for us all to enjoy
Last Year the Cam Valley Forum was established to protect the valleys of the Cam and its tributaries. The forum wants to ensure that , in responding to the pressures for housing and jobs any development respects the character of the riversside landscape. But, we need more than protection Recently wildlife hab itats have suffered from intensive farming , often hard-up to the river margins The river brings a green wedge into the heart of the city. One can walk along tow paths as far as Ely , but upstream of Grantchester, there is li ttle public access Some parishes have little opportunity to enjoy the river
The Forum wants to help create better conditions for wildlife to flourish , better water quality and river flows , and more opportunities for people to enjoy the river and its environs It hopes to extend its influence over the whole area from the county boundary in the south to the historic lodes in the north - the same area that forms the basis of the Environment Agency ' s Local Action Plan. It will work in a variety of ways As a pressure group , i t will seek to influence local government and other groups and raise funds to carry out improvements or support bodies with similar aims. It will encourage sympathetic riverside farmers , to take advantage of grants to improve conditions for wildlife and public access.
It is vital that local people are engaged in this work. We are seeking funds to survey the riverside areas within their parish , record features they value, identify desired improvements , and seek funds to carry out projects Our partners could be an environmental group , a local history society , the Womens Institute , the village school or just enthusiastic individuals Those taking part would gain in understanding and appreciation of the Cam environment , and the forum would benefit from their local knowledge and build upon their aspirations We plan to start with a pilot in two villages to help us assess the approach and consider whether to embark on a more widespread programme
The forum is keen to hear from anyone wishing to help in its work.
J~an Perraton
Key open space within the scheme Network of dykes & reed beds
Axonometric of water tower, aqueduct
Axonometric of a sample block (with school) , reed bed within the scheme
Sketch model of a sample block Terraced house formed between garden walls
Growth diagram of Cambridge
TOLAND BACK
The new Part L of the Building Regulations, which comes into force on 1 April, aims to significantly improve energy efficiency in buildings. The regulations affect significant alterations to existing buildings, as well as new construction Applying "new build" requirements for windows or walls could have caused problems for historic buildings. Instead, the new Part L makes special provision for historic buildings , aiming "to improve energy efficiency where and to the extent that it is practically possible , always provided that the work does not prejudice the character of the historic building, or increase the risk of longterm deterioration to the building fabric or fittings. "
" Historic buildings " for the purposes of Part L include: a) listed buildings; b) buildings situated in conservation areas; c) buildings of local architectural and historical interest identified in a local authority's development plan ; d) buildings within national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, and world heritage sites This very wide definition is very significant in the extent to which the new regulations make special provision for the historic environment.
English Heritage are preparing guidance for owners on appropriate ways of improving energy efficiency in historic buildings , and for local authorities on applying the new Part L. The new Part L Approved Documents are available on-line at http://www. safety .dtl r. gov. uk/bregs/ brad12.htm.
LOFTY IDEALS
The City Environment and Planning Department are now marketing a new leaflet on Loft Conversions "The Cambridge Roof Extension Design Guide" adopted April 2001. Many rear roof extensions , including the familiar box dormers do not need planning permission (if they are below the ridge, away from public areas , within permitted volume rules and not in a conservation area) so the design principles put forward can only be enforced for those which do
The guide is rather basic and disappointing. In undertaking a loft conversion people usually want as much light and space as possible and yet all the illustrations are of rather small traditional dormers of various types. The new guide does not deal adequately with all the design issues and yet it suggests that applications will be judged on the advice in the leaflet. So in spite of the reference to innovative design being acceptable on occasions there is the worry that planning officers will apply simplistic rules without understanding of the design issues in an individual case , thus discouraging imaginative or interesting solutions. Nowhere does it advise applicants, to seek professional help; which must surely be the cause of so much difficulty and wasted effort.
HOUSES OF THE HUMBLER SORT
How many readers know the significance of the round brown plaques to be seen on many cottages, and some new houses, in villages around Cambridgeshire? The plaques read "Cambs Cottage Improvement Soc", short for "Cambridgeshire Cottage Improvement Society" , and over 50 buildings have them. "Houses of the Humbler Sort'', by Peter Soar for what is now the Cambridgeshire Cottage Housing Society Ltd, tells the story of the Society's first 50 years (1938-1998) , and it is fascinating on several levels. I have to declare an interest, as during my time as a conservation officer for the County Council I was a nominated board member of the Society - but I wish I had had Peter Soar's book to hand then. It is only on reading it that I have come to realise quite how special the "Cottimps " was , and is.
Soar shows how the Society's foundation followed the setting up of a local panel of architects to give advice on the renovation of cottages under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act 1926. The Society's founder was W P Baker, a tutor for the Cambridge University Board of Extra-Mural Studies, and secretary of the Cambridgeshire Rural Community Council. He defined its role: " the architectural issue, the housing question, and the human problem. The cottages had to be old and well built, they had to be capable of being renovated at a cost which would bring in a small return without very much rise in rent, and in a way which would not change their character; the circumstances, habits and wishes of tenants must be respected". One of the architects involved was HC Hughes (Hughes and Bicknell) who was instrumental in saving Wright's Row in Grantchester, and the cottages in Silver St, Ely which he bought and then gave to the Society He was also one of the first secretaries of the Cambridge Preservation Society. The book highlights his contributions to the locality and the community, as a concerned local architect , in both new work and saving old buildings.
Cottimps was a local initiative , funded by a small number of dedicated people, and one of the features of the book is the vivid pen portraits of the key players. It was unique at the time in that it was not just a campaigning group, but set out to "get its hands dirty", to own property and, in so doing, to combine conservation and social aims. In the course of time Cottimps came under the wing of the Housing Corporation, and by the time of my involvement in the 1980s , it seemed increasingly anomalous in the context of regulations drawn up with large housing associations in mind. Securing the conservation of wall paintings uncovered in the Ely cottages, during a Housing Corporation funded refurbishment, was an interesting exercise!. The book concludes with the construction of Cottimps' first new build project, Larke Cottages at Wilburton (not Fen Drayton as stated).
For me , the greatest fascination of the book is the way it brings to life the founders ' aims and how they put them into effect. There are very strong resonances with current ideas in conservation in terms of social inclusion and local involvement. I just wish that current Government initiatives showed as much joined-up thinking!
John Preston
GWYDIR STREET IMPROVEMENTS
A long-running project to improve the area around the Bath House and Gwydir Street car park is finally under way. The City Council's Mill Road and St Matthews Conservation Area Appraisal highlighted the poor environmental quality of the car park and the recycling area; the local community (traders and residents) were concerned about a range of issues, including lighting, public safety , street drinkers, and drug-dealing. Interdepartmental efforts to promote a Council scheme failed because no outside funders could be found; the Council made unsuccessful bids to English Heritage for a Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme , and to the Home Office for CCTV (although the street environment was improved by provision of new lighting along Mill Road). The Council agreed to offer £20 ,000 provided that the local community was involved in working out ideas Planning workshops in early 2000 set a series of priorities which won local community support , but, even with a further £40 ,000 from the Council ' s environmental improvements budget, the funds were inadequate to allow the project to go ahead A proposal to redevelop the adjacent former Carpet Mill might have provided a way forward , but generated strong local opposition , resulting in the formation of the Mill Road Community Improvements Group (MRCIG)
Ideas were developed in close consultation with the MRCIG. The site is fraught with difficulties. The community did not want to lose any spaces from the car park, which was not laid out to modern standardswhich any improvement would have to meet , so inevitably losing spaces! The traders wanted the frontage to be opened up , to make the car park more visible. The play area, too small by current standards, is frequently colonised by drinkers, deterring the intended users, and also clashing with clients of Lifecraft within the Bath House. The toilets (used by drug takers and dealers) and recycling area (including "sharps" bin for disused needles) had to be reinstated in ways which would avoid the current misuse. All were agreed that it would not be worthwhile to spend money on landscaping without replacing the toilets
Further efforts were made to draw in external funding ; none was forthcoming locally, and the most promising potential source , landfill tax funding for improvements to the play area, failed when this was made conditional on provision of CCTV, and the Home Office rejected a further bid. A more radical approach to the site was explored through the Architecture Faculty project "Drama of Urban Dreams and Reality", which took replacement of the car park as its starting point. It was fascinating to see the students ' ideas , but back in the real world the project was stalled for lack of funding.
All involved were beginning to give up hope, until a potential rescuer appeared on the horizon in the form of the new City-wide toilets strategy introduced in June 2001: replacement of the Mill Road toilets was given top priority. With funding for the toilets secured, there was enough environmental improvements money to improve the area between the Bath House and Mill Road. The scheme, (plan and sketch facing page) agreed following public consultation , has been designed to a brief agreed with the MRCIG and the Bath House users. The Bath House entrance from Gwydir Street is being improved to provide wheelchair access. The former Carpet Mill is also being refurbished by its new owners to become a snooker club.
These improvements will give a lift to the area , but much remains to be done: there is no money at present for improvements to the car park, or to the play area Making the area a safer and more pleasant place will depend on local efforts, including liaison between the local community , the police, and the Council through the Community Safety Partnership
John Preston
The City's proposal in plan
TOWARDS A BATH HOUSE SQUARE
In the Guardian 's Wonders and Blunders Piers Gough ' s wonder is the Barbican He loves it and concludes: "For me the Barbican was one of the last great flourishes of civic pride It showed a public confidence that has now disappeared ."
I too love it , especially its public spaces, which are of a quality that inspires my imagination The spacious square outside the Arts Centre, for example , has many dramatic elements ; the lake , with its fountains and rather quirky sitting places , the buildings of monumental scale that surround it, the walkways , the giant supporting columns. People relaxing , eating and drinking outside the Centre are transformed into the happy and noble characters that inhabit the paintings of Claude or Watteau
The Bath House on the corner of Gwydir Street and Mill Road was built in 1927. Such buildings were given prominence at the time because of the prevalent diseases and the need for hygiene , the majority of houses in the area having no bathroom. Having outlived its original purpose , it is now a community centre. The toilet block , added shortly after the Second World War , also has outlived the time when there was a need to give a high profile to such low order activities. Now the toilet block is to be replaced and the forecourt (the space between the Bath House and Mill Road) is to be redesigned
The new toilet block will have echoes of the social context of the old one ; although smaller and set further back. Its curved south-east corner will make the space which gives access to it part of the forecourt making it one of the primary elements. Its inverted fan roof enhances this effect. Next to the toilet block there is to be a widened access way to the carpark at the back of the Bath House and a repositioned recycling centre. If the space is to come nearer to a quality that reflects the present social ethos , these elements need to be seen as secondary and separated from the forecourt. But there is a functional conflict here ; for security reasons these elements need to be observable from the forecourt. However a balance can be achieved between the
practical need for security and the aesthetic need for separation. The curve on the wall of the toilet block needs to be replaced by a right angle junction and the fan roof eliminated Having done this there are several ways of balancing visibility and separation ; by paving the space to the toilet block and the access way with a material that contrasts sharply with that of the forecourt , with a perforated screen , a row of archways, or a long beam on columns.
The paved forecourt has great potential for many different social activities. It is a unique space in Mill Road , fully accessible at all times. It has two tall , mature trees. At the moment it is too cluttered with bicycle racks , misplaced benches and dwarf walls That the redesign increases the area of the forecourt is to be welcomed , but the number of bicycle racks needs to be further reduced and new planting kept to a minimum.
There is one other problem that militates against the proper use of the forecourt: the very heavy traffic in Mill Road and the pollution that it causes How can this be resolved? Pedestrianise Mill Road? Block Mill Road bridge to motor vehicles? Here is an alternative suggestion. Raise , to the level of the pavements on either side , the Mill Road carriageway where it passes between the Bath House forecourt and the terrace of shops on the south side. Paving of a uniform material would link the north and south sides forming a new square ; Bath House Square A row of short bollards would define the 'carriageway ' with ramps at either end acting as traffic calmers. The space could be enhanced by replacing the tall street lamps with more intimate lighting.
If such a square were created it would surely signal the beginning of a new era of civic pride and public confidence!
John Youngman 's plan for Mill Road
John Youngman
NEW ARCHITECTURE CENTRE
Following completion of a Feasibility S t udy in October 2001 , the Cambridge Architecture Centre Steering Group (comprising representatives from City and County Councils , the University , Cambridge Association of Architects, Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry , Cambridge Urban Forum et al) submitted a bid for grant funding for an architecture centre for Cambridge through the CABE Regional Programme Funding 2002 - 2004.
The CABE grant would form part of the core funding of the Centre , with additional core and programme funding raised through grants from local organisations and more open fundraising. This would cover the establishment of three core activities of the Centre , the appointment of a Director and the procurement and occupation of a ' real ' Centre.
CAC is to be a formally constituted organisation, independent of any one interest or funding group , and to provide a public forum for exhibition, review and discussion of the substantial issues that face the environment of the city and its region through its development in the coming century. As such CAC is to be form ally establi shed as a Trust - a company limited by guarantee with charitable status - hopefully adopting the dormant Building Experiences Trust structure.
The three major programme areas are:
Website - national /regional scope.
The development of a web resource for CAC will be the starting point of the outreach programme. The site will be developed primarily as a regional resource for information, communication and outreach. The target is to have the vir tual architecture centre on -line by Autumn 2002.
Education Package regional/sub-regional scope
The development and piloting of an education programme for schools will continue the good work of the BET and build upon the ir expertise in this area.
Future City subregional/local scope
A se ries of activities (seminars , exhibitions) ex ploring a range of specific sub-regional and local iss ues , (the pressures on growing sub-regional centres , the role of mixed u se a nd high d e nsity development in non-metropolitan areas , sustainable design and construction techniques , the rel ationship between her i tage and co nt e mporary design etc) The Future City programme will co mbine CAC activities with external events to explore what is meant by design excellence and how i t ca n be achieved in real local situations
Oliver Smith
BROOKLANDS
In thinking about the future of Cambridge and its surrounding region it is obvious of the need to focus on where we are going , and what we should or can do in the face of the dominant commercial pressure to carve the city up and separate it into laager s and privatised public spaces Local Plan methodology fosters the approach to the built environment as that which is created by developmental packages driven by commercial and institutional mores This kind of planning lacks any consciousness of substantial productive means for a socio-culturally constructed public realm , of the aspirations and values of the wider community reflected in the form of the city ; of respect for and continuity with its tradition of permeabl e and connected matrices of streets and places ; or of the fabric and variety of the building typologies and building stock of all ages that support and underpin its form and character
The scale and monocultural practices of institutional and commercially driven development , whether housing estate , business estate , science park , medical centre, university campus , shopping mall , all militate against current wisdom and , now , albeit paradoxically , governmental guidance. A return to mi xed development and mixed ownership is the only way to sustain a healthy civic community , and the respect and continuing affection for the urban environment , and the qualitative lifestyle that goes with it. What is needed is a vision-led approach that leads us to the future we want for ourselves Why is this comfortable link between the city planners and the developers so ineffectively questioned and so readily acceeded to by elected members chosen to represent the broader interests? How far does such development have to go , ignoring human and historical experience , before the realisation dawns that Cambridge itself, whilst rapidly expanding , is undergoing a deconstruction , a transformation of the city into an assemblage of private and semi private ghettoes ; its crowning moment as the old unive rsity decants to the west - the cocooning of the historic centre as a cultural theme park. What institutions do we have against such pervasive and private vested interests so insouciantly enabled by the present practices of governance? How can solidarity for a civic power base under-pinning the production of the built environment in the interest of society as a whole, be assembled?
Looking at the colleges , what is new you say? Well , for a start , the scale and ubiquitousness - and , one might add , have a mind for what is in store. And for this you need look no further than the government offices at Brooklands Avenue , a paradigmatic site ii there was one of the dysfunction of the polis in addressing the substantive issues of the regeneration of Cambridge. A conspiracy of failure reaching from the heart of central government through its non governmental outposts to its local counterparts, all neatly symbolised in the ownership
of the site and the mode and machinery of its disposal. The government offices are now to be concentrated in four-storied development adjacent to Shaftesbury Avenue and the Cambridge University Press , leaving the remainder of the site for medium density housing Planning permission for offices , corralled behind a security fence , was granted in December. No urban design contribution is made either to the street frontage on Shaftesbury Avenue , to the streetscape of the proposed housing , or to the connections and permeability with the general grain of the city By allowing the separation of the office development from the housing in the Planning Committee ' s deliberations , the absence of an urbanistic 'argument ' for development , and of options and models fo r discussion , illustrates the casual approach taken t o the f o rm of the city - the incredible lightness of planning , t o paraphrase Kundera
Given that this is a government site for g ov ernment offices , an administration that is behind a s pate o f publications from "Urban Renaissance" to " Better Places to Live: by design " etc , etc , it is a matter of s ome consequence that New Labour disassociates the establishment itself from delivering on its own message. Where in a democratic society are civic gestures to be made if not through its public buildings? It is obvious from this that government buildings are not meant to be read as part of the res publica Far from the question of removing the nuclear bunker for the decentralised housing of government during the cold war , which invisibly ornaments the south western corner of the site , the proposed edifice presents an iconography of departments under siege from the concerns of its own public , and worse Some democracy And another wasted opportunity for the City and its architecture; but at least we now know what the establishment means when it talks of "design quality" Some design!
The monotony and low regard for how people experience and use buildings evident in the office development , carries over into the design proposals for the housing. Although specifically excluded from the outline approval , it is apparent that the pending application for full permission for the housing is forging ahead on the basis established earlier with the planners Sceptical of the assurances given in committee , some of the design issues were opened up at a public meeting in December organised by Cambridge Urban Forum , attempting to broaden the possibilities through demonstration of options by local architectural practices. Whilst the contributions and commitment of local architects to this kind of action were , in the event , an under-representation (local residents hotfooting a nimby agenda were certainly underwhelmed) certain notions surfaced that attracted consensural response
Of concern is the interface between the housing and the green space that carries Hobson's Brook To many this is rather special , an inseparable segment of the green finger that extends from the heart of the city through Coe Fen outwards to Ninewells and the Gog Magog downland. An importance only heightened by the current shift in reception of the green belt concept. The developer ' s approach towards the proper conceptual resolution of this pinch point landscape issue revea ls a general inadequacy
A second issue is the whole life-defeating approach taken to the provision of compact dwelling. If an argument was needed to counter the single-minded, commercially-driven , monotonous and reductive form of housing that this method of procurement delivers , on the evidence of the outline application , then Countrys i de Properties and their architects are set to provide the illustration Compact housing requires compensating features over and above the benefit of location; private outdoor space for those living above the ground , for instance There is a strong case for intensification of appropriate central city sites , and no doubt that this is one of them. Anyone with exposure to the endeavour attaching to the design of modern dwellings in other places , say , in Denmark , the Nether l ands , will be saddened to the quick by the low level of interest taken in this country in experiment , in new ideas in trying to catch
the lifestyle , the variety of ways people actually live ; compared with the preoccupat ion with forced standardisation , stale mimicry and false status bolstered by the practices of unmediated speculative development ; the absence of a genuine community input informing the scheme. It is not as if in Cambridge there is a risk posed by demand , or sophistication.
And so on which brings it back to why weren 't a competition or other even modestly enlightened measures considered for this key city site? A place , an ownership , a stakeholding community , and a point in time when the heightened awareness that concentrated and varied design attention could have benchmarked future development , amid the accelerated expansion of the city region. Will we ever foreseeably have the same concentration of circumstances? It is never too late to question, to retrace an erroneous path.
Herman Ewticks
WIND ANALYSIS
Cattle Market Site
Block model showing buildings and trees. 'f
Cambridge Architectural Research were invited by CMG Architects to take their plans and advise on the outside 'Micro Climate '. The site , adding to the 'Junction ' music venue, is to have a leisure complex with a bowling alley , shops and restaurants and a hotel , all surrounding an open 'Piazza '.
It is crucial to ensure that the promised quiet conditions are realized in practice. Air is moved by subtle pressure and temperature differences and once moving is disturbed by the impossibly complex action of turbulence. Until recently , the application of common sense and optimism was the only tool available.
To study the Cattle Market site , we constructed a
model that incorporated the site and a layer of surrounding buildings. To allow for the rest of Cambridge the wind speed at several levels above the ground is adjusted to give a typical wind speed profile for urban areas. The model extended to just over 4 hectares and involved almost half a million cells. This is not a trivial computing task, so an analysis of the Cambridge weather allows us to pick a limited selection of wind speeds and directions , allowing for the seasonal variations The selection included the South Westerly wind , the prevailing wind in the summer and the direction of the open side of the piazza, leading to Hills Road , potentially the most problematic wind direction. The study confirmed the sensitivity to wind from the South West and indicated a problem with funneling between the Leisure Building and the Junction on the opposite side of an open square. Omitting planting and low level obstruction is not an option.
The largest building is the leisure complex to the east. The west wind becomes the biggest nuisance. Although the piazza is sheltered by a hotel building to the west , the faster airflow above the hotel is intercepted by the leisure building and turned down into the area. The influence of the open South West side of the site also turns the low level flow into the piazza
When unhindered , a horizontal vortex or rotation forms across the piazza causing uncomfortable south easterly gusts. The model showed that with planting in the piazza , the rotation is significantly damped With less room , the vortex is unable to establish and the energy of the flow is adsorbed by the planting. Modeling the effect of the air through the trees was one of the main consumers of computing time , even though they were reduced to simple Archimedean solids. Also problematic was the wind from the North East. As the prevailing wind in the winter , it was not seen as an influence on the amenity of the piazza , which is unlikely to be heavily used due to temperature. The model showed that North Easterlies do not funnel through the gap between the leisure building and the Junction as you might expect , but turn West around the site It is hoped that the clear skies that often accompany these will allow the solar radiation to warm the visitors.
Micro climate analysis , conducted with validated tools like CFO modeling , allow good intentions to be turned in to reliable designs Our analysis was incorporated in to the Env i ronmental Impact Statement for the planning application and reassured planners and developers that there would be a pleasant piazza and not a wind swept desert.
Andy Brown
RISING TO T HE CH A LL E NGE
Peter Studdert's article in CAg 44 , written by invitation of the editors and perhaps deliberately provocative , nevertheless deserves a response from the architectural profession. Yes, the quality of design in house building in Cambridge is depressingly unimaginative. Most commonly this is because architects are not employed to design the houses and we no longer have those pattern books of house and building component design which designers and builders could draw on in Georgian and Victorian times. Architects have almost no influence over the mass of housing in Britain Housing here , perhaps uniquely , is in the hands of developers where the primary motivation is commercial and with occasional exceptions there is little appreciation of standards and housing quality The evidence speaks for itself. Our housing compares very badly in both quality and cost with the rest of Europe
We continue to hope for new att i tudes when opportunities arise The new village of Cambourne started off well wi th experienced consultants and an imaginative Master Plan But even with a design consultant retained by SCDC , we are still in the end getting the same kind of developer led housing which we get everywhere. All the initial design principles established in the Master Plan and Des ig n Guide and accepted by South Cambridgeshire DC seem to have gone out of the window.
Planning Authorities are in a unique position to raise standards. First they can demand good design and stand up for it at Appeal when necessary Second they can issue design guidance as part of a general brief for good housing and stand by this. Third they can advise applicants to employ professional architects in all schemes large and small The recently published draft Housing Design Guide for Cambridge is to be welcomed but why has it been so long in coming? The current legislative framework does not prevent Loca l Authorities from doing any of these things It would surely be time and staff well invested? Architects cannot do much as a profession locally unless we are consulted and the wealth of talent here is tapped.
Architects like challenges , they like a detailed brief with exacting requirements. It is all the nitty-gritty which makes it easier to design well and to produce a good result. Yes , building at a higher density probably requires greater design skill and ingenuity than building in green fields , or maybe different kinds of skills Urban design and community consultation is not new and architects are used to talking to people endlessly about all aspects of a pro je ct; the more co nsultat ion the better the scheme usually. Planning for Real is a way of getting people more closely involved and helping designers to get closer to the brief But local authorities have to take the lead and set the framework to harness commercial interests , involve communities , engage professionals locally
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STOP PRESS . . . Word has is that Countryside Properties have responded to opinions expressed at the Cambridge Urban Forum 's open meeting on Brooklands Avenue last December The encouraging news is th at the y are appointing architects Feilden Clegg Bradley of Bath and London fo r the housing development on the go vernment offices site with two other practi c es for smaller secti o ns of the site
ERR ATUM
The architects for the Celltech - Chiro science building featured in CAg 46 are TCC Architects The editors also regret the mispelling of the Hutchison / MRC Building in the captions
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A quarterl y re v iew produced by the Cambridge Association of Architects
The views in this gazette are those of the individual contributors and not of the Association Copy deadline for CAg 48 is 31 May 2002
ISSN 1361-3375
Ed it o ri al Board : David Raven co-editor CAg 47
Colen Lumley co-editor
Jeremy Lander co-editor CAg 47
Katie Thornburrow
John Preston
Carl Rowland
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