YEAMAN SHORE DEVELOPEMENT
INTRODUCTION
PROPOSAL 1
The purpose of this is to come up with a suitable development for a site at Yeaman Shore, Dundee. First, the historic, geographical and socio-economic profile of the site will be looked at, as well as issues around the site and design solutions aimed at resolving them. Following this, two proposals will be looked before looking at one of them in greater detail through a masterplan and design strategy.
SITE PROFILE MOST BUILDINGS ARE IN RECTANGULAR FORM
DENSE AREA NORTH OF SITE
FORMERLY A TRAIN STATION, POSSIBLE LAND CONTAMINATION
PROPOSAL 2
Six storeys per building, each storey approximately four metres high Grand entrance at each building
Retail and office use prioritised due to shortage of properties in area. Economic growth predicted over the coming years. Public from the bottom floor (shops), becomes private towards the top (offices)
SOME CURVED FORMS
SITE
Glass area – space for walking and sun gain
SPACIOUS SOUTH OF SITE
Six storeys per building, each storey approximately four metres high Mixture of retail and commercial use, in an ascending order similar to proposal 1 Façade consists of less glass windows than proposal 1 (Figure 20) More floor space than proposal 1 (Figure 21), however less open space
Figure 18: The scale of each building
Figure 14: The scale of each building SITE
Two buildings instead of three
Sheltered semi-private open space for food and drink consumption Distinct corners of buildings for legibility, gives people a sense of direction (Figure 16) Glass south-facing façades for maximum sun gain
Public from the bottom floor (shops), becomes private towards the top (offices) Semi-private open space for food and drink consumption
Figure 15: Aerial view of proposed development Figure 1: Map showing shapes of surrounding buildings
Figure 2: Historic map of site showing former land use
Figure 3: Density of the area around the site
Mostly retail and office land use surrounding site
Figure 19: Aerial view of the development
Claustrophobic enclosure between each building, heights of building to street width ratio, 2:1 Both enclosures are south-facing and widen diagonally, gaining more sun light consequently Pedestrianised spaces away from traffic, feeling of a safe environment for people to move around
BUILDING 1: Storeys 1-2: 446m² Storeys 3-6: 296m²
Figure 20: Space between each building
BUILDING 2: Floor space per storey: 595m²
VENTILATED STORAGE AREA: To shelter substation and waste: 429m²
BUILDING 3: Floor space per storey: 452m²
Figure 5: Location of site in the centre of Dundee
FLOOR SPACE BUILDING 1: Storeys 1-2: 714m² Storey 3: 459m² Storeys 4-6: 765m²
Figure 6: Spatial map of land uses surrounding the site OPEN SPACE: For food premises: 150m²
Very few vacant premises in area, need for more with demand to increase over the coming years
FLOOR SPACE BUILDING 2: Storeys 1-2: 622m² Storeys 3-6: 679m²
OPEN SPACE: For food premises: 203m²
Figure 16: Space between each building
Figure 4: Pedestrian and traffic flows around the site
Buildings in the area have a large
VENTILATED STORAGE AREA: To shelter substation and waste: 259m²
Figure 17: Land use and floor space within the proposed development
number of windows respectively
MASTERPLAN DISCOVERY POINT
Strong sense of enclosure between the buildings (Figure 16), height of buildings similar to street width, ratio 1:1 Enclosure is more or less parallel, south-facing to gain maximum sun light
Figure 21: Land use and floor space within the proposed development
Figure 22: Looking south through enclosure, positioned in line with Discovery Point (landmark) for legibility
Figure 23: Northfacing facades of the development
LESS WINDOWS NORTH-FACING TO RETAIN HEAT
Building materials in the Many of the buildings in the area Current use of the site is a
are symmetric, mainly those with
car park
Georgian architecture
Figure 7: Vacant commercial properties around the
site area are mainly grey or brown sandstone CUT IN TO ALLOW NEARBY BUILDINGS TO GAIN SUN
Figure 8: Present day view of site from the Marketgait
Dundee’s population was 147,200 in 2012 (Figure 9).
Dundee’s population is expected to increase to approximately
BUILDING 1
2013, p4)
The largest age group, those aged between 16 and 29, make up
2013, p1).
TAY HOTEL
As of 2013, 5.9% of Dundee’s population were unemployed, higher
BUILDING 2
In terms of spending power, the median gross weekly earnings of full
95,892 people in Dundee are of working age, nearly two-thirds of the
time employees in Dundee was just over £480, lower than the
city’s population (Dundee City Council, 2013, p4)
Scottish median of £497.60 (Dundee City Council, 2013, p6).
TREES
Figure 9: Projected demographic trends for Dundee (National Records of Scotland, 2013, p6)
Figure 25: Masterplan of the proposed development
be distinct, accessible, welcoming, sustainable and feel safe to move around (Scottish Executive, 2001, p9).
TAYplan wants new developments to be resilient to climate change by avoiding risks such as flooding and to integrate well with existing infrastructure and transport, to reduce the need to travel (TAYplan, 2012, p11) Dundee Local Plan Review discourages the development of housing where it may conflict with City Centre uses, such as bars and nightclubs (Dundee City Council, 2005, p23), with the site not designated for housing development (Dundee City Council, 2005, p155 A sequential approach for retail and commercial developments is to be carried out, with National Planning Policy prioritising urban centres in order to enhance their vitality and viability (Dundee City Council, 2005, pp. 83-84)
The Dundee Urban Design Guide wants new developments to be distinct by applying certain design principles (Dundee City Council, n.d., p11)
AESTHETICS:
Roads surrounding the open space, pedestrians feel unsafe
Stephen C. MacLeod
For instance, uniquely designed corners to help people find their way around
Lack of greenery, small amount present at Yeaman Shore (Figure 10) Ugly materials within the site, mainly tarmac and concrete (Figure 13)
TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES:
ONE WAY SYSTEM:
Many buildings in area similar in design, such as row of buildings at Union Street (Figure 11), need for distinctness
POOR AESTHETICS:
Small proportion of pedestrian space on eastern edge of site (Figure 11)
Noise pollution from traffic
Lack of landmarks in the area
LEGIBILITY:
LIMITED OPEN SPACE:
DESIGN STRATEGY
Figure 10: Plants at Yeaman Shore
POOR LEGIBILITY:
One direction of traffic makes it safer for pedestrians to cross Yeaman Shore to get to the City Centre Allows one lane to be used for parking, provided to compensate the loss of parking within the site
Provision of traffic lights and zebra crossing at points of conflict between pedestrian and traffic flows Aimed at making it a safe environment that is more accessible Pedestrian island in middle of dual carriageway (Marketgait)
LANDSCAPING:
Figure 11: Unitary row of buildings at Union Street
Dundee Local Development Plan encourages new developments to include planting where possible (Dundee City Council, 2005, p13)
The use of high quality materials, such as Sutherland Stone (Figure 25), will improve the appearance of streets around the site The inclusion of greenery and street art will also enhance the quality of the area (Figure 26)
CONCLUSION
Dundee Local Plan encourages proposed developments to include open space (Dundee City Council, 2005, p13) Provides opportunities for recreation and active travel Environmental benefits, such as clean air
Figure 12: Map of the site and its surroundings
Figure 28: Sutherland Figure 29: Trees and street art Stone
Figure 13: Concrete surface at the site 1
MORE WINDOWS SOUTH-FACING FOR MAX SUN GAIN
Figure 27: South-facing facades of the development
PERMEABILITY:
Figure 26: Aerial view of the site looking north-west
Figure 24: Looking east through Yeaman Shore
ISSUES AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS POLICY CONTEXT: Designing Places wants new developments need to
COMPLEMENTS THE GENERAL HEIGHT OF SURROUNDING BUILDINGS
BUILDING 3
than the Scottish average of 4.1% (Dundee City Council, 2013, p4)
nearly 25% of the city’s population (National Records of Scotland,
OPEN SPACE
is lower than the Scottish average of 76.9% (Dundee City Council,
153,700 by 2035 (Figure 9)
72.5% of Dundee’s working age group is economically active, which
Figure 30: Design Strategy Map for the development area
To conclude, the profile of the site and issues within it have been explored, before looking at possible design solutions. After examining two proposals, looking at the chosen one in detail with a design strategy, it is hoped that this will recommend a suitable development for the site that is sustainable, welcoming and blends in well with its surroundings in terms of design. TP31002: Planning Law and Practice