Ritchie Gillies

Form and Function Analysis 1

2

3

4

Socio-Economic

5

Key Factors 

Dundee is a major employer within the area



Population of Dundee expected to rise until 2037



A high percentage of dependants compared to the rest of Scotland



Average pay and property prices are lower than the average in Scotland.



The employment pool demonstrates diversity within the economy.



Unemployment decreasing at fastest rate in Scotland



Higher percentage of young adults compared to Scottish average

Figure 1 (Left to Right): Magnum House, 1934; Seagate House, 1970; Customs House, 1843; Bonded Warehouses

2

4

Location: Located in Eastern City Centre. Surrounded by major roads. Four lane roads located Car and Vehicle Access on East and South Marketgait, with Seagate and Trades Lane encompassing the rest of the site Pedestrian access Historical Context: Historically a heavy industrial Bus Stops site with a variety of uses previously found on site; Stables. Saw Mills and Trade Lane Calendar Architecture location 1 Works and Coronation Stables. Grid like pattern dominates the urban form of the site both historically and today.

(Figure 4) Figure 3: Surrounding Land Use Architecture and Age of Buildings: Varied architectural styles surround the site. Converted industrial Car parking buildings, 60’s office blocks. Site has listed buildings Leisure close by. Sandstone is main construction material, Figure 4: Traditional original street layout although red brick used in some of the industrial buildings (Figure 1).

Offices Building Heights: 4 to 6 storeys surrounding the site. The Olympia opposite reaches 18 meResidential ters high, the highest building in close proximity to the site Retail Access: Site is accessible from the roadside on all four sides. Car parking is found opposite the site at the Olympia. Despite this, pedestrian access is curtailed by high density roads of Retail/ Residential East and South Marketgait, hindering high pedestrian footfall on the site being achieved Microclimate: Dundee possesses a microclimate that benefits from high sunshine levels

Figure 2: Layout and Accessibility

1

5

3

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5: Population Estimates Figure 8: Employment by Sector

Figure 6: Population Projection

Figure 5: Form of site, grid iron traditional form

Figure 9: Mean Property Prices

Figure 7: Median Gross Annual Pay

SWOT Analysis

Challenges and Design

Constraint and Opportunities

Key Qualities of a Successful Place

Below is a SWOT analysis to evaluate the main constraints and challenges that face the development of the site. This method also highlights potential opportunities that are associated with these challenges.

Design Solutions

Issues

Take into consideration surrounding architecture and scale Does not complement surrounding scale or architecture

Distinctiveness

Open the site to allow visual ques to be created Create a focal point on the site

No visible landmarks from the site to aid orientation

4

Surrounded by high capacity roads curtailing pedestrian movement

Distinctiveness?

Create a bright safe environment to encourage the night time economy

Street lighting lacking throughout site

Safe and Pleasant

No active frontages

Welcoming?

Create facades that create natural security

No natural surveillance

Encourage mixed use, high activity developments

Doesn’t feel safe due to lack of activity

Ease of Movement

Prioritisation of the motor car

Move priority from the car to pedestrians

Pedestrian crossings prioritise the car

Upgrade the public transport networks within the city

Bus station does not link with other modes

Provide more pedestrian crossings

Routes do not connect with this site Safe and Pleasant?

Welcoming

Pedestrian access is poor

Incorporate temporary uses to ensure constant diversity

Adaptable?

Fails to encourage positive interaction due to lack of activity

Not mixed use site with a variety of uses

Adaptable

Resource Efficient Figure 10: SWOT analysis table

Use the roofs to provide power through turbines or solar panels

Ease of Movement?

University of Dundee

Ritchie Gillies (120011234)

Create a district heating system for the site

No measures taken to ensure the efficiency of the site is achieved

Resource Efficient?

Figure 11: Demonstrating the lack of the six key qualities of a successful place

Design Proposal A: “Mary Ann Lane”

Versatility is not facilitated in the current layout

Design Proposal B: “Baxter Square” TP31003: Planning Law & Practice

Figure 7: Improved Pedestrian permeability

Figure 12: Land Use

Figure13: Improved pedestrian Colour coded legend showing use

permeability Car and Vehicle Access

Residential Space

Pro’s

Con’s



High Density mixed use





Two tiered site around roof gardens 

Pedestrian access



Pros 

Offices

Active Frontages

Equal distribution of open space to buildings

Matches urban form of surrounding area 

Lack of open space at ground level Reliant on its own success



Prioritising the pedestrian

Level of enclosure might be a deterrence to some Tram track takes away too much pavement



Use of multi-levelled green infrastructure



Diversity and distinct site with  focal point



Consistent with areas urban form



Major attraction to site



Mixed use



Traditional urban form Improved pedestrian permeability

Open Green Space

Use Dedicated Floor space

Cons

Green Energy Production



No major pull factor on site



Site constrained by current road layout



Lack of connectivity to bus station



Does not fully assist maximum pedestrian permeability

Car and Vehicle Access

Pedestrian access

Residential 18399 m2 Offices 7761 m2 Active Frontages 7161 m2 Leisure Facilities 8909 m2 Figure 14: Land Use Breakdown

Residential Space

Leisure Facilities

Visitor Accommodation

Open Green Space 6505 m2 Green Energy Production 4097 m2

Offices

Open Green Space

Use Dedicated Floor space Residential 18243.5 m2 Offices 8679 m2 Mixed Classes Units 8679 m2

Ritchie Gillies (120011234)

Active Frontages

University of Dundee

Visitor Accommodation 1254 m2

Green Energy Production

TP31001: Planning Law & Practice

The Masterplan Six key qualities of a successful place

Distinctiveness: Change of material to highlight the original Mary Ann Lane, adds a sense of place within the past and a distinctive features within the site. In addition to this, the architecture has been designed to indicate its historic industrial use, whilst incorporating the new.

Welcoming: A balance between traditional building materials and glass provides a contrast to historic buildings in the area. The glass also acts as a tool to encourage

Design Strategy Building Styles and Materials The design of buildings must be of high quality.

Traditional urban form on site, development must be sympathetic to historic elements. Brick work, masonry, glass and green walls is to be the primary building materials used on the site. Historic elements should be incorporated into the design, whilst also allowing it to feed into modern aspects of the design of the buildingSecondary level developments should enhance the attractiveness of the site, and not have a negative impact on ground level activities

Safe and Pleasant: The use of large windows at the entrance points to the sites allows a sense of transparency to the site, enticing people to visit. As well as this, large windows looking onto the site provides natural surveillance, thus making the site a more pleasant and safe place to be.

Adaptable: Active frontages with high mixed uses surround the newly created “Baxter Square”. The size and design of the units provide opportunities for allocating small scale start-up businesses on a permanent or temporary basis. Adding to the adaptability and dynamism of the site.

Ease of Movement & Resource Efficient: A redeveloped bus station can serve as a link with transportation across the rest of the city. In addition, safe proofing the site for the implementation of a tramway. This design facilitates the possible redevelopment and realignment of Seagate bus station at a later phase. Prioritisation has also been given to pedestrians, with the ease of movement around the site due to the development of a tradiaitional grid iron urban form. In addition to this, the roof tops are designed to be used to collect green energy from either wind or solar, with the possibility of this development becoming a green “campus”

Pavement and public spaces The public realm provides opportunity to extend the existing green infrastructure, either at ground or secondary level. Streets should be enhanced to high quality public realm areas. Active frontages and the use of natural surveillance to create security enhanced the attractiveness of the public realm.

Taking inspiration from architectural features and street layouts of the past allows a positive open space to be developed.

Baxter Square is to the be focus of activity within the site. The streetscape funnels pedestrians into the square itself, and as such, should be a centre of high quality design and using placemaking toolskits to ensure high quality design is delivered.

Height of buildings sympathetic to the scale of surrounding buildings, creating connectivity between the old and new through the traditional form and sympathetic architecture (Figure 10, 12). The heights of the buildings are designed to fit in with the surrounding streetscape and reflect surrounding density (Figure 13) .

The Proposal includes new pedestrian access to the site, centred along the redeveloped road layout.

Passenger movement towards the site assisted by an improved public transport network through the redevelopment of the bus station, while also future proofing the site for implementation of a region wide tramway. Movement around the site has been improved by following the traditional urban form to create a grid like pattern, facilitating movement both north and south as well as east and west.

Case study influences: St Andrews Bus station, Edinburgh (1) and Glasgow Central Station (2)

40 m

25m

(1) (2) Ritchie Gillies (120011234)

University of Dundee

TP31001: Planning Law & Practice