REINVENTING OXFORD’S WEST END Group C Urban Design Studio 1 (P32072)
Module Leader: Dr Alan Reeve Oxford Brookes University
Jing Huang, Lydia José, Stravroula Kadditi, Jack Rigby, Syafiqa Sharuddin, Mikel Spooner
1.0 Introduction and Contents
Oxford’s West End is an area which has been singled out as a place that has great potential but currently isn’t being used to its full capacity. The West Gate shopping development will bring a much needed commercial hub to the city which our site can maximise on however there is nothing in our site which would appeal to the shopping centres customers and encourage them to stay. There is a small community in this area which careful planning on our site could help strengthen and by providing more residential units, amenities and pleasant green spaces throughout the site, we aim to change this area from a thoroughfare to a destination. This will also be achieved by making the edges of the site more active as currently the site edges seem particularly inactive and sparse. This site could also be used for cultural activity and incorporate a multi-use leisure facility, providing sports facilities to the college on site, residents and visitors alike. Cultural activities which could be incorporated into the site could be a square to hold markets, exhibitions and events, a museum and gallery space. By making the West End of Oxford as mixed use as possible, whilst still maintaining a community we aim to revitalise the streets of the West End and manifest an area thriving on street culture.
1.0 Introduction and Contents
1
2.0 Existing Site Area 2.1 Site Analysis 2.2 SWOT Analysis
2
3.0 Vision and Design Objectives 3.1 Vision Statement 3.2 Design Objectives
5
4.0 Design Evolution 4.1 Street Network and Leisure Centre 4.2 Sites Along the Waterway
7
5.0 Overall Masterplan
9
6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5
Design Actions Design Action 1 | Green and Blue Networks Design Action 2 | Connectivity Design Action 3 | Neighbourhood and Communities Design Action 4 | Innovation, Education and Culture Design Action 5 | Active Street Culture
10
7.0 Sunlight and Townscape Analysis
15
8.0 Density and Financial Analysis
16
9.0 Conclusion
17
10.0 Bibliography
18
11.0 Appendix
19 Page 1
2.0 Existing Site Area
2.1 Site Analysis
A34
Midlands Islip
Hanborough A44
A40
A40
OXFORD
A420
Site
A34
London
Radley
Culham
Appleford
Img.2.1 UK and Site Connections
Img.2.2 Oxford and Site Connections
Img.2.3 Green and Blue Networks
Our site is situated on the south west side of Oxford, 59 miles east of London. The site has good links to the train station, being at the north of our site and the A34 can be accessed, easily providing easy routes to the rest of the UK. We must consider this in our design as it means that, if the scheme is set out correctly we will be able to have a large catchment area for our proposed cultural amenities.
When walking our site you notice there is a lack of connectivity which hinders the way in which you travel throughout the site. At the moment the buildings in the site are grand and domineering, making the pedestrian feel alienated. This, the lack of legibility and the large block sizes give us the opportunity to create a new area in the site, which will be vibrant and be at a more human scale. At the moment the buildings in the site are grand and domineering, making the pedestrian feel alienated.
This site of West Oxford is interesting due to the way in which it is bounded by water however this isn’t utilised, or in fact seen in most of the site. With this in mind, we have decided to look at the ways in which we can introduce the blue network into our site. We found that there is a lot of green space at the bottom of the site by the ice rink however, again this is no being fully utilised. There are also small pockets of green space within the site but these are sparse and few and far between. Page 2
Img.2.4 Figure Ground Walking through the site it is clear that there is a lot of empty space which is not being made use of. As you can see from the figure ground map there is density clusters in the site, such as the area in which the college is situated and te large block on park end road, but the rest of the site is predominately vacant.
Img.2.5 Land Uses
Img.2.6 Building Heights
residential
ice rink
cultural
education
0-5 meters
10-20 meters
industrial
retail
hotel
city council
5-10 meters
20-30 meters
Most of the buildings on site are of one use which means that they are only active during particular times of the day. Residential areas are all clustured in one area of the site meaning that we have a great opportunity to create many more neighbourhoods in the vast amount of vacant land.
>30 meters
To stay in keeping with the historical context of Oxford, buildings are rarely allowed to go higher than 4 storeys, as illustated in the map above. As such this is something that we must keep in mind and adhere to when designing our site so it is not alienated from the rest of Oxford. Page 3
2.2 SWOT Analysis
Img.2.7 Strenghths
Img.2.8 Weeknessess
Img.2.9 Opportunities
Train Station
Movement Routes
Railway Noise
College Views
Green Network Blue Network
River Inactive Edge Low Footfall Car Parks Playing Field Inactive Edge
•The playing fields adjacent to the ice rink would make a great area for activity if managed correctly •College brings a younger demographic to the site •The waterways through and surrounding the site can bring an element of nature and consistency to the site •The waterfront alongside the college is a great active edge where, education, shops and leisure facilities come together •Mixed usage and building height tends to increase, the closer you get to the city centre and station
Inactive Area
•Cycle paths do not connect to one another through the site, making it difficult to navigate •Business park very isolated, could this area be used more effectively •Very little mixed use units currently on site •Lacking in terms of amenities for residents •Large block sizes with no roads or paths dissecting them meaning pedestrians have to take long routes •No areas for rest and gathering – the site seems to be a thoroughfare •With such vast spaces and buildings there is no sense of human scale
Img.2.10 Threats
Warerway Connections Development Areas Regeneration Areas
Unsafe for Pedestrians Potential Connections
•Car parks could be moved to make way for development •Enough space on the roads for a cycle path but they have not been laid out •Using the waterways to connect all areas of the site as a sustainable form of transport •Potential to build large architectural statements to showcase the site and enhance Oxford’s iconic skyline •Residential opportunity alongside the south end of the playing fields •Expand ice rink to include multiple leisure activities
Congestion Issues
Traffic Areas Risk Flooding Westgate Centre
•Large risk of flooding at the bottom of our site in the playing fields, this must be considered •Building on site with current connectivity and little pedestrian access will keep the area inactive •West gate shopping centre - once opened may make the oxpen road very busy and difficult/ dangerous for pedestrians to navigate
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3.0 Vision and Design Objectives
3.1 Vision
By uncovering the waterways of Oxford, we want to increase connectivity of the old and new. As a result of enhancing green spaces and providing new neighbourhoods we hope to grow communities. We aim to create a new West End of Oxford that will inspire innovation, education and street culture.
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3.2 Design Objectives
Morphological Layers
Design Objectives
Design Actions
Green and Blue Networks
Integrating the current blue and green networks through our plans for the site and enhancing these spaces to connect them to the public.
DA1.1 Playing Fields| Connecting this site better to its surroundings and incorporating a beacon into this area. DA1.2 Waterfront Promenade|Opening up the waterfront to make an area which will bring people out from the city. DA1.3 Worcester Car Park| Turning this area into a pedestrian zone which will act as an exhibition space.
Connectivity
Create better connectivity between the site and the rest of Oxford. Also ensuring that the site has continuity of connectivity throughout.
DA2.1 Throughout the Site | Providing easy to read roads, paths and cycle routes throughout the site. DA2.2 City Centre and Site | Ensuring that the site is bridged into the city centre. DA2.3 Train and Bus Station | Creating a clear connection between the bus station and the train station.
Active Street Culture
Ensuring that we promote street culture by making active street edges and a feeling of safety throughout the site.
DA3.1 Pedestrian Zones |Creating areas which have pedestrian only access so that people can walk and cycle safely DA3.2 Mixed use Buildings | Meaning that areas will be populated throughout the day, not only during working hours DA3.3 Passive Surveillance | To make users feel safe when travelling through the site at all hours of the day.
Neighbourhood and Communities
Providing housing in multiple capacities to create communities throughout the site which engages with its surroundings.
DA4.1 Leisure Zone | More leisure facilities on the existing ice rink site, providing more activities for a broader audience DA4.2 Cultural Hub | Using the riverbank to anchor a cultural hub on the East side of the site. DA4.3 Creating a Square | Providing a space which can be used for a multitude of activities.
Innovation, Education and Culture
To create a cultural hub for Oxford which will encourage participation in the arts and education. Inspiring graduates to stay within Oxford and draw innovation into the city.
DA5.1 New College | Amenities for families with children and teens to move to the site. DA5.2 Museum | Adding a cultural destination to the site which will draw people into the area from near and far. DA5.3 Workshops, studios and work/live units | Providing spaces for new business and creative arts to thrive. Page 6
4.0 Design Evolution
4.1 Street Network and Leisure Centre
Img.4.4
Img.4.5
Img.4.1 Early plan of site showing proposed routes
Img.4.2 Routes developed. Blocks first considered
Img.4.3 Final blocks and route developement
Leisure Centre Img.4.4 Initial sketch of the leisure centre and green space Img.4.5 Developed to incorperate eco housing Img.4.6 Centre design refined, outdoor activity areas added Img.4.6 Page 7
4.2 Sites Along the Waterway
Img.4.10
Img.4.7
Img.4.11
Img.4.14 Img.4.8
Img.4.12 Worcester car park Img.4.7 Original design with a floating performance area and a pedestrian footbridge Img.4.8 Design developed to sleeve side of pub and create studio space for artists Img.4.9 Connections to surrounding buildings made. Live-work units created around perimeter of the site Img.4.10 Section through Square Cultural Square Img.4.11 Original design showing routes and landscaping Img.4.12 Developed in more detail Img.4.13 Design intigrated into site Img.4.14 Route along cultural square and river promenade
Img.4.9
Img.4.13 Page 8
5.0 Overall Masterplan The scheme creates a more active street culture, by making the site more permeable and increasing a feeling of safety. With as much passive surveillance throughout the site as possible, we hope to encourage people to wonder the site and feel at home. This, and the inclusion of housing aimed at families, we will help to evolve neighbourhoods and a sense of community. By creating an area which is fully devoted to the promotion of education and innovation while also adding space for start up business and workshops in this area, we feel that this will have a great impact, not only on the immediate area but also will become a landmark for the whole of Oxford as a place to go to be inspired. By putting this in the South-East corner of our site, right next to the West Gate Shopping centre, it will get the added bonus of people casually passing the site who may be encouraged to explore the area further. We wanted to address the connectivity through the site by ensuring that we have legible road networks where the focus is no longer on the vehicular but towards the pedestrian and enabling cyclist access. By incorporating clear cycle paths throughout the main roads of the site and making many areas pedestrian only, we hope that people would find it much more pleasant and safe to walk these streets; while vehicles can still access key areas of the site and move through the city seamlessly. Although we have removed the main parking areas in our site, we have provided permenant parking spaces on oxpen road and the market will also be available for parking during certain times of the day. Also, we have set the houses back from the street by a further 2 meters so that residents can have parking if they wish. Probably the hardest challenge of this site was connecting the area back to the green, and especially blue network which was so hidden on the site. Key areas have been used to highlight the blue and green networks which also have a significant historical meaning to the city of Oxford. By bringing more water into the site in the playing fields and the Worcester car park area, and creating a waterfront promenade by the cultural hub of our site, we have used an existing resource to bring not only beauty but also nature to our site. This will create areas of calm and reflection throughout a bustling city.
N Page 9
6.0 Design Actions What? Integrating the current blue and green networks through our plans for the site and enhancing these spaces to connect them to the public.
6.1 Design Action 1 | Green and Blue Networks
How? Playingfields Connecting this area of the site better to its surroundings. Using landscaping to make the area more appealing for visitors and creating a beacon on site to attract more visitors - a leisure centre. Waterfront promenade By opening up the waterfront on the current college site to the public we hope to make an area which will bring people out from the city centre and the new shopping centre, to come and explore the cultural hub we propose along the river front. Adding restaurants and bars to activate the area at all times of the day. This will also inject some much needed blue space into the site which it is currently lacking, even though the site is surrounded by waterways. Worcester car park Turning this area into a pedestrian zone by adding more water into the site and an island that can be used as an exhibition or performance space. This will make the most of its central location and connection to the waters edge.
Img.6.1 Worcester Square | 3
3
2 Img.6.3 Area 1
Img.6.4 Area 2
Img.6.5 Area 3
1
Img.6.2 Playingfields | 2
Img.6.6 Perspective View of Warerfront Promenade | 1
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6.2 Design Action 2 | Connectivity
What? Create better connectivity between the site and the rest of Oxford. Also ensuring that the site has continuity of connectivity throughout.
Market
Plaza
Leisure Hub
Img.6.7 Key Areas diagram
How? Throughout the site Providing easy to read roads, paths and cycle routes throughout the site so that everywhere is easily accessible no matter what form of transport you choose. Using the new leisure centre as a visual landmark to entice pedestrians down into our site. City centre and Site Ensuring that the site is bridged into the city centre, west gate shopping centre and the New Osney residential development to maximise possible footfall throughout the site, while making it easier to navigate for all. Train and bus station Creating a broad walk to connect the top of the site to the station, continuing this down to a bus station which is then easily connected to the rest of the site. Emphasising the importance of ease of movement for pedestrian and cyclist on these main routes. Train Station
LANDMARK Leisure Centre
Bus Station
Church
Cultural Hub City Centre Leisure Centre
Existing Train Station
Img.6.8 Visibility diagram
Westgate Shopping Centre
Img.6.9 Connectivity diagram
Boat Journey Pedestrian Street (p+b) Secondary Road (p+b+c)
Img.6.10 Bus Station Section
Primary Road (p+b+c)
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6.3 Design Action 3 | Active Street Culture
What? Ensuring that we promote street culture by making active street edges and a feeling of safety throughout the site.
Img.6.11 Oxpens Road
Img.6.12 Pedestrian street at Cultural Area
How? Pedestrian zones Creating areas which have pedestrian only access so that people can walk and cycle safely. This also encourages people to stop and engage in these areas helping to achieve a better sense of community. Mixed used buildings Where possible, we introduced mixed use buildings on site and this means that areas will be populated throughout the day and not only during working hours. By incorporating more mixed use buildings on site, we also help to diversify the way in which the space is used and the communities that manifest in the area. Passive Surveillance By putting all the previously mentioned actions in place, we aim to make no area a complete ‘dead zone’ so that it becomes neglected and the lines of ownership are blurred. We want users to feel safe when travelling through the site at all hours of the day whether this is by foot or by bicycle.
8
2
3.5
4
1.5
Outside Shop Area Pedestrian Walkway
Parking Area
RETAIL
Bicycle Lane
Vehicular Lanes
Bicycle Lane
OFFICES
2
Pedestrian Walkway
FLATS
4
Outside Shop Area
FLATS
1.5
FLATS FLATS FLATS RETAIL Pedestrian Area (pedestrians+bicycles) Shared Surface (pedestrians+bicycles+cars)
Img.6.13 Residential Blocks
Img.6.14 Oxpens Road Section
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6.4 Design Action 4 | Neighbourhood and Communities
What? Providing housing in multiple capacities to create community throughout the site which engages with it’s surroundings.
Img.6.15 Market Square
3
85m
95m
85m
m
110 m
90
m 85
2
0m
10
coffee gym ice rink retail pool reception changing rooms administration
How? Leisure zone Making a leisure landmark on site and to cater for the whole of Oxford. Trying to maintain the young populous which use this area of the site and attracting users of a broader age range. Cultural hub Using the riverbank to anchor a cultural hub on the East side of the site. This will house a new college, museum, break out space, residential units and workshop space, bringing an interesting dynamic to this part of the site and really emphasising the historical context of Oxford. Creating a Square By creating a square at the top of the site opposite the church we will provide a space which can be used for a multitude of activities such as markets, exhibitions and events. This will also help to reduce the use of the car in site and create an area specifically for pedestrians to gather and interact.
m
80 m
50
0m
12
1 Img.6.16 Leisure Centre diagram
Img.6.17 Leisure Centre Section
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6.5 Design Action 5 | Innovation, Education and Culture
What? We want to create a cultural hub for Oxford which will encourage participation in the arts, education, inspire graduates to stay within Oxford and draw innovation into the city.
Landmark History
MUSEUM
Education
Sharing Ideas
COLLEGE
Culture
Art Tourist Attraction
How? Provide a new college By making the college site more condensed we will be able to free up space for other cultural uses. Introducing a museum into the site With the addition of a museum on site we will be adding a cultural destination to the site which will draw people into the area from near and far. This will create our cultural beacon on site. Adding workshops, studio and work/live units Providing spaces for new business, creative arts and start up businesses to thrive. Helping Oxford to maintain its reputation as a place which is leading the way for innovation by giving more opportunity for recent graduates to stay and work in the area.
2min
2min
Research
Networking Enterpreunership
CREATIVE WORK SPACES
Skills
Innovation
Science
2min
Job Opportunities
Img.6.18 Cultural Hub Diagram
Img.6.20 Museum Section
Img.6.19 College Courtyard
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7.0 Sunlight and Townscape Analysis
March - 9am
March - 12pm
March - 3pm
Landmark
By increasing density as you get closer to the Oxpens road, we have enabled our homes to be best situated for sunlight throughout the year as the images show. The college’s second block which is closer to the museum may have some issues with sunlight in the later months of the year but this we doubt would affect the use in this building.
Deflection
Sunlight Analysis
Vista Enclosure
Open Space (hereness)
Img.7.1 View Along Market Square Townscape Analysis
June - 9am
June - 12pm
June - 3pm
Once we had finalised our design, we thought that it would be a good idea to do a townscape analysis and use it as a tool to see whether we have successfully designed a site with interesting streets and building arrangements that create experiences. As you can see from the images to the right, we have many types of townscape throughout the site, which will make it an engaging and pleasant space to walk, stop and stay.
Projection Recession
Deflection Thereness
Hereness
Img.7.2 View from Becket Street
Recession
Deflection
Anticipation
Hereness
December - 9am
December - 12pm
December - 3pm
Img.7.3 View from Oxpens Road Page 15
8.0 Density and Financial Analysis
DWELLING TYPE
NUMBER OF UNITS
SQM PER DWELLING
TOTAL SQM
2 BEDROOM HOUSES 3 BEDROOM HOUSES 4 BEDROOM HOUSES 5 BEDROOM HOUSES
39 51 16 6
79 91 123 167
3081 4641 1968 1002
1 BED FLAT 2 BED FLAT 3 BED FLAT
128 224 57
50 72 95
6400 16128 5415
ECO HOUSES (5 BED)
10
167
1670
TOTAL
531
MARKET PRICE
265
SOCIAL FOR SALE
53
SOCIAL FOR RENT
213
40,305
OFFICES
2620
RETAIL
7510
s house Town ories 2 st
Flats s ie 3 stor
Flats s ie 2 stor
s road
Img.8.1 Density diagram
en s Oxp d r a ow
4,642,414.00
62.32 dph
From our financial analysis we can say that our development would have a land bid budget of £77,064,067 or £4,642,414 per hectare which is just slightly over the Oxford Council’s estimate of £4,500,000. It is important to note that this feasibility does not include the college and bus station as they are already part of the scheme, nor does it include the museum and the leisure centre as these would require separate funding. As per the councils directions, we would deliver 50% of our housing as social housing, 80% of which would be rented and the rest in the home buy scheme. Currently this scheme would deliver a housing density of 62.32 dwellings per hectare which is slightly over the governments suggestion of 55 dwellings but this would mean our scheme would be more sustainable for business and local amenities. Img.8.2 Ground Floor Uses offices hotels
college residential
mixed retail/offices leisure
cultural retail
Use Mixed ries o 4 st
ased Incre sity den
sity t
den ased
Incre
ns Oxped Mixed a o R Use s ie r o t 4s
77,064,067.00
Img.8.3 First Floor Uses
Img.8.4 Second Floor Uses
Img.8.5 Third Floor Uses
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9.0 Conclusion Overall, our interpretation of the brief for this site, we feel, has delivered many of the key objectives outlined by the council’s Area Action Plan. When setting out to complete this project we wanted to create a scheme which would turn the site from a thoroughfare to a destination. We wanted to make a place that connected the old and new, built new communities and neighbourhoods, and inspired people to be innovative and creative. We think that we have achieved that by creating a place which will grow and develop with its community and become a place with many neighbourhoods, communities and multiple uses. Not only to satisfy its residence or the people of Oxford city, but hopefully become a gateway to some of the 7 million visitors to Oxford each year and encourage them to walk, sit and stay in the West End.
Areas we would like to develop further: Jam factory In the West End Action Plan, it mentions that they would like to add a hotel to the site. We think that the Jam Factory would be a great place to house this. It would also help to maintain this heritage site and bring it to the attention of many. We would suggest keeping the frontage of the area put perhaps incorporating some of the other buildings in the area to make the building bigger. It could then still house the restaurant which is currently on site. Block between the station and Worcester car park We proposed that in order to make the block on Park End street more walkable that we would introduce an arcade through the block. This would mean that it would be easier for people to pass from one street to the other and also make an area of interest in this area which is currently extremely dull and inactive. Eco housing development In the south-west corner of our site we have outlined an area in which we propose a small settlement of 10 houses which would be more economically viable. This is something which we have proposed but not addressed fully, however would make a great area of the site which someone could take on in studio II.
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10.0 Bibliography Barton, H, Grant, M. and Guise, R. (2010) Shaping Neighbourhoods, second edition, Routledge London. Bentley, I et al. (1986), Responsive Environments: A Manual for Designers, The Architectural Press. Carmona M, and Tiesdell S (2007) The Urban Design Reader, The Architectural Press. Department for Transport, Manual for Streets, Thomas Telford Publishing, London. Gehl, J. (2001) Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space, Danish Architectural Press, Copenhagen. Gehl, J. (2010) Cities for People, Danish Architectural Press, Copenhagen. Hayward, R. and McGlynn, S, Making Better Places: Urban Design Now, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Kasprisin, R. (2011) Urban Design, The Composition of Complexity, Routledge, London. Llewellyn Davies. (2000) Urban Design Compendium, English Partnerships and The Housing Corporation. LaGro, James A. (2008) Site Analysis: a Contextual Approach to Sustainable Land Planning and Site Design, second edition, Wiley, New Jersey. Oxford City Council (2008) West End Area Action Plan; 2007-2016, Volume 1 of 2 (online) Oxford City Council (2008) West End Area Action Plan; 2007-2016, Volume 2 of 2 Appendices(online) Oxford City Council (2008) Balance of Dwellings: Supplementary Planning Document (online) Samuels, et al. (2004) Urban Forms: the Death and Life of the Social Block, Routledge, London. Wall, E. and Waterman, T. (2010) Urban Design, AVA Academia, Lausanne. Whyte, W (1980) The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, Conservation Foundation, Washington D.C.
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11.0 Appendix Masterplan (A1 size) Leisure Centre Detail (A1 size) Museum and River Plaza (A1 size) Market and Bus Station (A1 size) Feasibility Study (A3 size)
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