Dudhope Roundabout Gateway: Appreciating the Context Introduction...
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...
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Gateways to the city centre build impressions of a city Important to tourism , business and retaining talent Servicing it’s Perthshire and West Angus hinterlands is the Dudhope roundabout and its surrounding area (figure 1). ♦ Historically a site of industry (figures 2 and 3) ♦ A real gateway to the city particularly for rural farming towns ♦ Exodus of Industry has left a shell ♦ Design is key to rejuvenation
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Figure 5 show examples of good , bad and ugly buildings that all occupy this gateway , immediately noticeable is the lack of continuity in style and size of the buildings New structures do nothing to appreciate scales and materials present in the area Many historical works buildings are vacant or in disrepair and seek reuse and development Some of these good potential buildings should be subject to redesign to enhance their use and improve the imagability of the spaces Buildings of poor form/design should be subject to complete regeneration or facade treatments
A Photographic Overview : Key Buildings... Figure 6
LEGEND Town House — Lochee Rd
Small Town House—Lochee Rd
Magnet Kitchens– Lochee Rd
Dudhope Castle—Lochee Rd
Poundstretcher—Lochee Rd
Rear of Poundstretcher—Lochee Rd
Abertay Residences –North M/G
Flatted Town Houses –North M/G
Episcopal Church—North M/G
Flats and Bar—North M/G
Church—North M/G
Multi Storey Car Park—North M/G
Police Mortuary—North M/G
Police HQ Annex—Roundabout
Police HQ Annex—West M/G
Mill Works—Roundabout
Figure 1 : Current Edina Digimap Mastermap annotated to show the Dudhope site area and a highlighted area seen as in need of design intervention.
1874
Figure 5 : Photographs showing examples of: well designed , pleasing buildings in the area (outlined in green ) , examples of buildings fallen into disrepair , but with potential (outlined in orange) and examples of poor design , which has been done with complete disregard to the context of the area (outlined in red) .
Photographic Context... Figure 2 : 1854 Edina Digimap Ordnance Survey map of the Dudhope area . Note that it is a highly industrial area including mills , a forge and a foundry. Residential area is at the north‐east side next to Dudhope crescent. Interestingly there is also a cattle market showing its closeness as an agricultural market place for the rural hinterlands.
1953
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• Figure 3: 1953 Ordnance Survey Map of the Dudhope Area. Notable land use changes include the cattle market substituted with an electricity substation. Still a large industry presence and the residential area has slightly increased in density
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Figure 6 details a photographic site map highlighting some of the key buildings in the gateway ♦ Photographs are matched by coloured tiles Highlighted, is the full range of styles that are visible upon entry to the gateway ♦ Surface level shows confused design and lack of appropriate surfaces and textures ♦ When comparing the Abertay student residences with Tay works it is possible to see the lack of conformity within the site that exists ♦ Rhythm of site is completely missing , particularly in the North Marketgait (see “creating the urban structure” ‐ page 2)
Tay Works Annex—West M/G
Tay Works—West M/G
Police HQ—West M/G
Excellent examples of build quality and aesthetics are exhibited by Tay works ♦ Tay Works Annex— prime example of building use without destroying what makes it uniquely attractive.
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Dudhope Roundabout Gateway: Creating the Urban Structure Traffic Flows...
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Figures 11.1 and 11.2 show the traffic flows at peak times ♦ 7.30 to 9.00 am ♦ 3.30 to 5.00pm ♦ Although is notably busy throughout the day Traffic was observed over a number of days High intensity traffic was seen to come inbound through the gate‐ way in the morning rush hour ♦ Traffic heading in both directions via the ring road The opposite was seen with the evening rush hour ♦ However outbound traffic much more intense going towards Lochee ‐ outbound (sometimes gridlocked ♦ Less traffic was seen driving towards the North Marketgait At this peak time it is safest to cross at controlled crossing on the North Marketgait An improvement in traffic control measures is suggested within the redesign of the gateway
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Building Heights... Building heights are inconsistent
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Ranging from one storey to nine (figure 12.1) Although storeys not always indicative of true height ♦ Figures 12.2 and 12.3 show two different one storey buildings A pattern is reflected in the map ♦ One to two storey buildings bias towards the west of the site ♦ Multi storey buildings become more regular around the roundabout ♦ Three storey buildings more frequent to‐ wards city centre along North Marketgait ♦ Nine Storey Abertay residences out scale neighbours Designing in this environment must take heed of these factors.
Figure 12.2
Figure 12.1
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Figure 12.3
Land use...
7.30 to 9.00 am
Figure 13.0
Figure 11.1
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3.30 to 6.00 pm
Vacant Structures and Gaps...
Figure 11.2
Figure 14.0
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Range of land uses in the area (figure 13.0) Mainly industrial buildings to the west ♦ Workshops and storage facilities Very little commercial activity ♦ Focussed around the residential area close to North and West Marketgaits ♦ Connections and area don't support retailing outlets ♦ ∴Specification to avoid small scale ‘shopper’ retailing Industrial or large scale (furniture etc) retail shops would be considered Industrial interest must conform to tidy and attractive building design and layout
Figure 14.0 shows the locations of areas where vacant Buildings or spaces are located Also shown is the location of gaps with development potential Areas Identified that should be protected within the design of the area these include the mill buildings, churches and green space It is obvious from the map that little space is available for new building ♦ Unless land re‐allocation can be negotiated However a significant level of buildings are available for regeneration or re‐use
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Dudhope Roundabout Gateway: Making the Connections Catchment... • • •
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Connections to the City...
Dundee's catchment comes from a number of commuting towns and vil‐ lages in Perthshire and Angus . Figure 7 shows how the roundabout acts as a gateway for these areas ♦ Including commuters to workplaces south of Dundee During summer months Dundee has the potential of gaining visitors via this gateway from areas further north of the sites identified ♦ Popular tourist spots • Pitlochry • Dunkeld • Braemar • Going to visit popular attractions in Dundee (Figure 10.0) Emphasising the importance of a welcoming space to greet visitors to the city Figure 7.0
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The gateway is part of a larger road network that circles the city centre
Figure 9.0 shows the different locations car or bus users might reach upon travelling to Dundee ♦ Site is well connected for both outdoor and multi‐ storey car parks ♦ Bus routes for external towns very linear • Poor connectivity to whole city only city centre
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In the Dudhope site there are only two controlled cross‐ ings where it is safe to cross dual lane traffic ♦ Improvement should be made to facilitate more pedestrian friendly infrastructure • Might include bridge crossings ‐ Dual lane • Designated crossing location—Single lane
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Strangely, no provisions for cyclists ♦ Heavy traffic ‐ dangerous environment • It is proposed that cycle route integration should be part of the overall design • Important with high student presence
Figure 9.0
Where Will Visitors go ? Visitor Destinations • • •
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Streets... Three Main Streets ♦ Lochee Road (Picture 1)
West Marketgait (Picture 2) North Marketgait (Picture 3) Noticeably different densities on each Lochee Road is a low density , almost Scenic, road ♦ Improvements however are necessary West Marketgait becomes more dense ♦ Bound by mill buildings and finished by the new Abertay Residence North Marketgait is bound by large scale Buildings—car park etc ♦ Scale is becoming much greater moving west to east ♦ ♦
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Overgate Shopping Centre Source : http:// www.angusanddundee.co.uk/
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The Dundee Rep Theatre
2 Figure 8.0 Figure 10.0
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The Discovery Point‐ Source: http:// www.rrsdiscovery.com/ index.php?pageID=129
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Dudhope Roundabout Gateway: Detailing the Place Identity...
The Problem: An Overview...
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Dudhope Castle is a key feature of Dundee's heritage at the mouth of the gate‐ way At present this is masked by a dense high tree line at the rise of the hill (figure 15.1) Tree line at the south elevation to be lowered to highlight castle Figure (15.2) depicts how this might be seen on approach to the Dudhope roundabout
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Landmarks are important for legibility (Borough of Pool, 2001)
Facade...
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Dudhope is a true gateway to the city centre The gateway doesn’t inspire a ‘city of discovery’ at any level Lack of identity , what makes Dundee special? An important factor to inspire visitors Many buildings vacant or demolished leaving gaps Hostile spaces and unkempt surfaces, textures and boundaries Area is downtrodden and undesirable for investment Poor facade quality exists which must be corrected
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Poor facades need to be regenerated E.g. Pound stretcher (figure 18.0) is a blot on the area Goal: Make people want to use the space Not frighten them away The quality of this must be improved An imperative to the new image
Boundaries...
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Area Plagued with unsightly , tacky boarding ♦ Masking voids and gaps along the street edges (figure 17.1) An option suggested to treat this is to use boundary options such as replace‐ ment of boards for good quality fencing and planting of medium sized trees (so not to tarnish views from and of the castle) along these edges. An example of how this might be treated is in figure 17.2
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Textures and Surfaces...
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Tacky unkempt surfaces tarnish area (Figure 16.1) Traditional textures can add character and heritage to the area (figure 16.2 and 16.4) • Strip tacky harling back to stonework • Cobble like paving to replace patchy asphalt(figure 16.3) • Clean defined pavements ♦ Encourage activity ♦ Aesthetically pleasing
Figure 17.1
Figure 16.2
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Figure 18.1
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• Figure 16.4
Building Guidelines...
• Developments must respect the scale and mass of their
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Figure 16.3
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Figure 17.2
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Figure 19.0
Figure 15.2
Figure 15.1
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neighbours No future development to exceed 3 storeys next to a sin‐ gle storey building (figure 18.2) ♦ Particularly on the west side Streets must retain a sense of rhythm (figure 18.1) No building will impede or reduce legibility of existing street and road structure Source : Borough of Pool (2001) “A design code” , Supplementary planning guidance Industrial developments must take note of the above and produce tidy well kept areas , including landscaping and boundary treatment where appropriate As development space is minimal , care must be given to location choice to maximise any benefits anticipated from activities Strict pattern book design coding will not be used , to avoid ‘cut and paste’ streets and buildings Encourage new developments to achieve good sustainability ratings via Figure 18.2 use of combined heat and power and renewable energy sources.
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Phasing... It is suggested that improvements are phased in terms of their completion into 3 sections over 20 years Phase 1 :‐ Creating the Place (0‐3 years) ♦ Implementation of surface and boundary treatments • Potential to make the area more appealing to investment ♦ Installation of new paving surfaces ♦ Redesign of poor facades Phase 2 :‐ Building the Foundry (years 4‐6) ♦ Stage 2 regeneration of poorly designed buildings • Police Headquarters and Annex • Encouraging investment ♦ Begin installation of new infrastructure Phase 3 :‐ The New Era ( years 6‐20) ♦ Full implementation of infrastructure improvements ♦ Development of gaps in respect to building form require‐ ments ♦ Decisions on a full regeneration scheme
Conclusions ... The suggestions here are only indicative of some of the areas that need to be addressed in the area Phasing gives priority to the physicality of the site over building and development works ♦ Ensuring that inviting spaces can encourage investors and users into the area starting from the bottom up Form based design intended to allow creativity with design and function ♦ Maintaining a dynamic area The water front development only meets the needs of one gate‐ way of the city ♦ It is imperative that this gateway is adapted to continue the regeneration phase of Dundee and its improving image locally and nationally Specific examples of building treatment have been implied throughout
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