WHY
HOW
Enhancing the character and identity of the area can create a sense of DA 1.1 belonging and make people feel proud of where they live. Maintain the concept of creating a series of unique journeys throughout the West End area, emphasised by specific materials, Oxford is a place with lots of character; however that doesn’t streets, buildings, views, etc. necessarily include the West End area. The West End area must be brought up to the standard of quality set by Oxford city centre. DA 1.2 The treatment of road, pavement and cycle lane surfaces will act to ‘tie’ the West End area together and provide a sense of homogeneity.
DA 1.4 Drawing from the strong existing elevations and material qualities of the local architecture, particularly that of Frideswide Square and Park End Street. DA 1.5 Forming unique residential blocks with more intimate internal streets and shared gardens.
DA 1.3 Provide features that are absent from central Oxford, i.e. large, open green areas and a better connection with water.
DA 1.5
DA 1.1 - Key journeys
DA 1.2 - Areas with a strong sense of identity created through the use of materials
DA 1.4 - Building elevations along Frideswide Square
WHY
HOW
People are attracted and spontaneously inspired by activity and the presence of other people. To create a neighbourhood which promotes a vibrant local community, you need the traffic to be slow (i.e. walking) and people to stay.
DA 2.1 A mixed-use development creates a diverse neighbourhood with affordable housing, live-work units, student housing, retail, offices and residential.
The construction of a mixed-use development with better permeability attracts a broad spectrum of people with ease of access to the area.
DA 2.2 DA 2.6 Narrow plots increase different types of activities along the streetscape Designing flexible, robust spaces for multipurpose use. i.e. the and promote more interaction between people. auditorium can house lectures, dances, free movie nights, debates and so on, also the gallery space can be used by students, local artists DA 2.3 and for public exhibitions. Creating elevations with a lot of active edges aims to fill the streets with life. DA 2.7 Promoting high levels of activity on the ground floor to enliven the DA 2.4 street experience. For instance, all workshops and the library have Shared garden spaces promote more social interaction, i.e. gardening, been placed on the ground floor in the new college development, playing and communal seating areas. animating the streetscape with views into spaces with a range of activities.
DA 2.1
DA 2.2 - Narrow plots
DA 2.5 Re-landscaping the public park from an unadorned field into a thoughtfully designed grassland area encourages more activities and entices people to explore.
DA 2.3 - Active edges
DA 2.4 - Shared gardens
DA 2.6
DA 2.5
WHY Wetlands prevent flooding by temporarily storing rainwater and reducing surface run-off, providing a permeable surface for water to pass through. They provide a wildlife habitat and support recreational opportunities. Urban beaches surprise and delight city residents, workers and tourists by inserting a new environment and creating variety within the city. HOW DA 3.1 In accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) “Making Space for Water” government strategy, we are providing a wetland area and increasing emphasis on ecological enhancement. The area will have elevated footpaths and decking DA 3.4 - Worcester Square which permeate through the habitat and offer various viewpoints.
DA 3.4 - Rainwater collected from roofs of residential blocks and used to flood the communal square during heavy rainfall
DA 3.2 An urban beach by the Thames will enhance the interaction with water and offer more of a destination in the Oxpens area. DA 3.3 Vegetation throughout the entire site provides permeable surfaces which absorb rainwater, acting as a temporary storage facility, easing strain on drainage system. DA 3.4 Provide flexible public spaces that completely change when it has been raining heavily. For instance, Worcester Square will collect rainwater from local roofs through an integrated drainage system and flood the old river basin, providing a practical use as well as celebrating the square’s rich history. DA 3.1 - “Water Square”, Rotterdam by De Urbanisten
DA 3.1
DA 3.1
DA 3.2 - Cumberland Park / Hargreaves Associates
WHY To encourage life within the city there must be compact, direct and logical routes. There should be a clear visual link to the streets and spaces that are the most important. When choosing street and traffic solutions; it is important to start with the human dimension. By doing so, the street life will become the most important aspect. Fast traffic results in lifeless cities!
HOW
DA 4.2 Consolidate the bus and coach traffic by relocating the bus stops and DA 4.1 providing a transport interchange similar to the one proposed in the Divert all bus routes from Park End Street to Hythe Bridge Road, and masterplan of the station area. divert some bus routes from New Road and Queen Street to Oxpens Road. This will remove the visual clutter caused by the double decker DA 4.3 buses which block views towards the skyline along the gateway into Improve the journey by foot from Oxford train station to the city the city. centre, creating a safer, direct route by completely pedestrianising Park End Street and providing a shared surface along New Road for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.
DA 4.1 + DA 4.2 - Existing Bus routes
DA 4.1 + DA 4.2 - Proposed Bus routes
DA 4.3 - The new pedestrianised route adopts the train station development as proposed in the ‘Oxford Station Masterplan - Masterplan Document’.
HOW DA 4.4 Make the West End area more permeable for pedestrians and cyclists than for cars and buses by offering a variety of routes which are dedicated to them only. DA 4.5 Introduce Homezones which provide small clusters of on-street car parking spaces that are scattered amongst trees and landscaping to improve the streetscape experience. These Homezones will also introduce speed humps and more meandering roads to slow down traffic, making the streets a lot safer. DA 4.6 Introduce a network of dedicated cycle lanes along main roads.
DA 4.5 - Homezone
DA 4.4
DA 4.5 - Pedestrian friendly street design
DA 4.6
WHY Due to common daily activities being replaced by cars, elevators, escalators and other machines, current global health policies advocate that more needs to be done to encourage people to partake in healthy, physical activities, as obesity can not only decrease a person’s quality of life but also shorten their lifespan and cause a dramatic rise in health costs.
HOW DA 5.1 Promote cycling as a mode of transport over the use of vehicles by integrating a bicycle infrastructure network throughout the West End area and Oxford. This ‘Boris Bike’-style system will use the dedicated cycle lanes and car-free routes, offering shorter travel times through the car congested city centre and consequently encourage a healthier lifestyle.
DA 5.2 Establish a green corridor along the Castle Mill Stream which offers open public spaces where people can exercise and wander. DA 5.3 Adding new public leisure facilities located along the riverfront and re-emphasising the ice rink’s position within the West End area by integrating it within a new leisure complex.
DA 5.2 + DA 5.3 - Proposed view from Paradise Street which offers recreational space next to the museum and ice rink
DA 5.1
WHY Poor consideration for environmental design like natural lighting and passive ventilation is responsible for huge levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Another factor is energy consumption by vehicles, cars being a major method of transportation today. Giving higher priority to pedestrian and bicycle traffic will aim to promote more sustainable modes of transport. HOW DA 6.1 Stepping residential blocks to allow better solar access.
DA 6.1
DA 6.2 Maintaining a front-to-front and back-to-back distance of generally 18-20m between units not only omits overlooking issues but to also provides healthier levels of daylight. DA 6.3 Designing units of single-aspect at a depth of no greater than 6m, and 12m for dual-aspect units ensures that the buildings are capable of being naturally ventilated and receiving sufficient daylight without the need for excessive artificial systems. DA 6.3
DA 6.4 Create an area ripe with greenery to allow the trees and plants to absorb pollutions and carbon and to also create oxygen and manage the temperatures. DA 6.5 Create conditions which make it less attractive for vehicle use throughout the West End area by consolidating traffic into fewer roads and providing more alternative pedestrian routes.
DA 6.2