ACME’s Post

Towns and cities can be transformed one building at a time by redeveloping modest sites like this with gentle density. In its simplest form, ‘gentle density’ is an urban development model that focuses on creating streets with houses and low-rise apartment buildings. The redevelopment of this site in Haarlem, in the Netherlands, certainly fits the description. The non-descript two-story building has been replaced with an attractive five-story building housing seven new apartments and a general practice on the ground floor. More homes and density have been delivered on the same site, while the ground-floor commercial use has been retained, swapping a shop for a doctor’s surgery. The building addresses the street and corner very well and has been sensitively designed to fit in effortlessly with its two- and three-story neighbours. It might not win any architecture awards, but it represents good urban design and is a much more efficient use of the site than its predecessor. Build developments like these all over on poorly utilised sites in urban neighbourhoods to deliver more homes, increase populations in highly sustainable locations, and make much more efficient use of brownfield land. This project is another great find from the New Traditional Architecture blog.

Thanks Brian Waters for inviting Adam Fothergill and I to give our thoughts on the topic of Permitted Development and Designing for Future Re-use at the London Planning & Development Forum last week! It was a fantastic panel and super interesting hearing the conversations around design codes from Colin Wilson, Ben Derbyshire PPRIBA FRSA HonAIA and Andy von Bradsky (summary: codes and AAPs should be high level, strategic and capture urban design aspirations) and the new City Plan from Gudrun Andrews (making the City a destination 7 days of the week, as well as development plans and how views of landmarks have shaped the tall building policy). Look out for more detail in the next edition of Planning in London!! Short synopsis of our thoughts on PD / future of conversion 👇 We talked about how turning unused office spaces into residential buildings is reshaping our urban landscapes, boosted by revised permitted development rules removing space and vacancy limits. This trend aligns with sustainable development goals and addresses high vacancy rates in high streets and low office occupancy in London. While navigating these rules can be complex, PD may offer quicker planning and construction processes and lower embodied energy. This led us to the conclusion that designing future buildings to be more adaptable from the outset would help increase reuse potential, creating environmentally, socially, and economically responsible urban environments for the future. #architecture #future #livingsectors #retrofitfirst #permitteddevelopment #PD #conversion #coliving #laterliving #residential

BPTW has been appointed to design Phases 4 & 5 of the award-winning Rochester Riverside regeneration, with the reserved matters planning application recently submitted for approval. This appointment underscores our continued involvement in transforming this significant waterfront site, in collaboration with Vistry Group and The Hyde Group. This project is a lasting legacy to Chris Bath, who sadly passed away last month. He worked on this major regeneration project from its inception. His passion and enthusiasm for creating great places to live is evident and will continue with his talented team led by Caroline Dommett and Peter Sofoluke. Medway Council's flagship masterplan will provide over 1,400 new homes alongside commercial and community spaces in a landscaped public space network that connects the biodiverse riverside to the historic centre. Central to this vision is the commitment to placemaking which strengthens the local identity and creates a vibrant, cohesive community. The latest phases will introduce 353 new homes, comprising 115 houses and 238 apartments, built by Vistry under its Countryside Homes brand. 79 of the apartments will be provided as affordable homes. In addition, there will be ample car and cycle parking, and innovative public spaces, including an extension to the new river walk and green spaces that enhance connectivity with the historic Rochester High Street. Building upon the scheme’s established design principles, Phases 4 & 5 will further develop distinct designs that respond to the area’s industrial heritage. Phases 4 & 5 will utilise Vistry’s off-site manufactured timber frame structure for the houses, developed by BPTW, featuring standardised components that improve production efficiency and reduce carbon emissions during construction. A striking new entrance gateway at Eventide Park will feature strong frontage with a number of commercial spaces providing valuable amenities for residents. Public realm improvements are central to the scheme enhancing the river walk as a safe and inviting space for community interaction, while also supporting biodiversity. A temporary dock at Limehouse Wharf has been proposed by Medway Council offering the opportunity for river boat access including the Waverley Steamer, the world's last sea going paddle steamer. The project is set to progress through public consultation in the autumn, with a determination by Medway Council expected by winter. If approved, construction on Phases 4 and 5 is anticipated to commence in spring of 2025. Looking ahead, the masterplan will continue to evolve with the subsequent Phase 6, which will complete the regeneration of Rochester Riverside. CGI by Dean Wells #planningsubmission #architecture #regeneration #medway

UPDATE: Teamwork makes the Dream Work! “The evolution of Britomart has been nothing short of remarkable. A blend of transport, infrastructure, heritage, and urban renewal, ..." #planning #urbandesign #architecture #transport #transportation #infrastructure #heritage #restoration #adaptivereuse #landscapearchitecture #publicart

Known as the 'Wooden Wonder' the Mosquito could fly at 400mph & withstand huge g-forces. Its strength to weight ratio is an indication of why timber is an ideal material for building on top of existing city centre buildings, see https://lnkd.in/eqX5H9us According to Skyroom research on vertical extension, joint research by engineering firm WSP and UCL suggest that there is capacity to build 630,000 new homes on top of London’s municipal buildings. Knight Frank suggests there is scope to build 41,000 rooftop homes in central London alone; and the architecture firm HTA Design has identified capacity for precisely 179,126 new homes. https://lnkd.in/eytG4Z7N In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ research on Optoppen estimated that around 100,000 additional homes could be added by 2030: “Two-thirds of the potential can be realised by topping up multifamily housing built in 1965 or later, because these houses are structurally suitable for this and because in many cases they are owned by housing corporations.” https://lnkd.in/e7hRD437 In Spain, research from The Open Construction and Building Technology journal focused on the Eixample area of Barcelona shows that approximately 2,500 in Eixample are capable of accommodating vertical extensions. These buildings provide approximately 800,000m2 of buildable space. At average dimensions for the city centre, this represents approximately 90,000 to 130,000 new homes. https://lnkd.in/etrRSBFf Building on top is covered ‘Timber! How we can save the world from climate breakdown’ to be published 27th June 2024 https://lnkd.in/e-ByGbcA https://lnkd.in/egPJr6Hw

My piece on the controversial new planning application for No. 1 Undershaft in the City of London is published this morning in Building Magazine. Heritage significance is very heavily impacted by setting. Think of cities as theatre, so that if we destroy the mise en scène of a historic asset, its meaning drains away. In just this way, oversailed by a huge cantilever, the medieval tower St Andrew Undershaft no longer reaches for the heavens, becomes critically diminished, and the Grade I listed church loses the status it has enjoyed for half a millennium. The City’s primary concern in deferring judgement on the new scheme appears to be anxiety about the loss of accessible amenity space for city workers. I’d add that a new ‘public open space’ ten floors up is no substitute when the public have the right to access all areas at ground level with their feet firmly to the pavement. Viewing platforms are frequently offered as compensation for harm caused by development but how many such vantage points does the City actually need? Just as importantly, heritage adds value. It is an asset, not an obstacle in the creation of wealth and wellbeing. The extraordinary catalogue of listed buildings with provenance spanning 500 years to be enjoyed at St Helen’s piazza is a prime example. I hope the City of London planners will now weigh this civic value appropriately against the worth of extra square feet of lettable floorspace in development that threatens to consume public open space at ground level and block out the sky above.

Big News! 🎉⁠ ⁠ We’ve won Capital & Centric’s competition for St Georges Wolverhampton!⁠ ⁠ Working with our friends Mikhail Riches we’re excited to be co-masterplanning the repair of this historic city district. We’ll also be looking after the design of a glorious new city park, a network of new public spaces and the remaking of several historic streets. While we’re doing that Mikhail Riches will be busy adapting the former Sainsburys building into high performance new homes while other parts of the site will host family housing at a variety of scales. The eponymous church will be re-proposed into community and work spaces surrounded by independent businesses at the heart of the scheme. ⁠ ⁠ Active travel focussed, super green (and blue) infrastructure, extremely high performance, low embodied energy buildings, places to work and play…..you want to see regenerative urban planning at a scale up from our work on The Phoenix, this is it. Watch this space (and our channels)! Roll on pre-app!⁠ ⁠ Capital & Centric (C&C) are a Social Impact developer who retain and operate their sites for the long term. In 2017 C&C co-founded the @regenbrainery, a mentoring programme designed to inspire young people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds, so the places we create are better, richer and more reflective of the society we live in. ⁠ ⁠ Find out more, link in bio.⁠ ⁠ Capital&Centric RIBA Architects’ Journal ⁠ #periscope_uk⁠ #urbandesign #urbanenvironment #builtenvironment #urbanplanning #placemaking #urbanism #housing #architecture #density #scale #landscapearchitecture #citiesforpeople⁠ #urbanspaces #greenspaces #greeninfrastructure #blueinfrastructure #ecology #biodiversity #water #flood #suds #infrastructure #culturallandscape #citynature #natureinthecity #landscape ⁠#wolverhampton⁠

🏗️ Showcasing Innovation in Urban Development within the Bowen Hills PDA In the heart of Bowen Hills Priority Development Area, Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) is spearheading transformative efforts to redefine urban space. Our Development Assessment team is leading the charge, driving forward new housing typologies that exemplify the future of inner-city living in Brisbane. Brewers Terraces, a JGL Properties Pty Ltd concept, architecturally crafted by Blight Rayner Architecture, stands as a beacon of innovation. This groundbreaking project is a market-leading example of high-quality “gentle density” development with six freehold terrace homes that are a contemporary nod to the iconic terraces of Sydney and Melbourne, a first for Brisbane. The terraces offer efficient land use at a human scale, blending private residences with adaptable commercial spaces - all equipped with EV charging facilities. "The approval of the Brewers Terraces project is a testament to the collaborative synergy between EDQ and housing providers," remarked Ben Lyons, Director at Urbis. "EDQ's adaptable policy framework and outcomes-driven approach during the development assessment phase were pivotal in bringing this visionary project to fruition." This partnership underscores EDQ's unparalleled ability to expedite priority developments while delivering meticulously crafted environments that cater to the evolving needs of urban dwellers. By striking a delicate balance between density and amenity on compact inner-city sites, EDQ continues to shape the urban landscape with ingenuity and foresight. Image credits: Blight Rayner Architecture and Visualiii. #UrbanDevelopment #InnovationLeadership #GentleDensity

🌆 Exciting news in the world of architecture – the decision on a skyscraper as tall as The Shard has been delayed! It appears that public square concerns have caused a pause in the process. What are your thoughts on this development? Do skyscrapers add to the grandeur of a city, or do public spaces and community needs take precedence? Share your thoughts in the comments below! #Skyscraper #UrbanPlanning #CityDevelopment https://ift.tt/98nIwtR

Was interviewed last week by Cloe L. for a Canada's National Observer piece on the climate mitigating benefits of point access blocks/single stair buildings. 'Most of the world builds multi-family housing with what are called “point access blocks,” explains Michael Eliason, founder of Seattle-based #architecture think tank Larch Lab. Instead of building #apartments around two staircases (which is the norm in .Canada and the United States), compact buildings are constructed with just one staircase. He points to walk-up buildings, rife with character and community, in places like Berlin, Mexico City and Tokyo. “The way we build housing in the U.S. and in Canada as well, where we typically have at least two stairs, a corridor separating them, and then units on either side...is a little bit of an anomaly,” he explained.' Great to see Ravi Kahlon and Conrad Speckert discuss their leadership on the subject in Canada. The movement for more livable, climate adaptive, and family-friendly #multifamilyhousing continues to grow. I believe this is also the first publication to reference my forthcoming Island Press book, 'Building for People.' 💪 #citiesforpeople #climateurbanism #betterbuildings #multifamily #stadtplanung #livablecities https://lnkd.in/gmmhUC9T