Section 3: Place Making and Design Principles [PDF] - South Norfolk ...

3.6.3 Legibility
Variations in character
Distinctive character also contributes
to helping people find their way around
(assessed in Section 3.5.1 Distinctive
character). The elements identified
above also contribute towards creating
distinctive character generators within a
new development.
Variations in character between different
character areas or between different
street types in the hierarchy also
contribute towards legibility.
Building heights
The heights of buildings should generally
relate to those found in the surrounding
context and should reflect their position
in relation to the street hierarchy and the
importance of a place in the layout.
Building heights should also be designed
to respond to:
• key views and vistas;
• landmark and gateway locations and
focal points; and to
• the size of spaces, to create a sense
of enclosure.
Key views and vistas
Views into and out of a scheme or
between different parts of a scheme can
also help people orientate themselves.
At the focus of key views, buildings
should be designed to act as landmarks
or marker buildings.
For a development that is principally
new housing, formal vistas should be
set up with care and only where there is
confidence that the buildings proposed
to terminate them will be of sufficient
quality to match up to the view. A group
of buildings, for instance town houses,
is more likely to be capable of being
designed to fulfil such a role than an
individual dwelling.
Where there is a view from the site
towards a local landmark such as a
church tower, it may be appropriate
to incorporate it into the layout of
development.
Landmarks, gateways and focal
points
At key points in the proposals, well
related to the street hierarchy, special
elements should be included to aid
navigation, for instance:
• landmark buildings, of particular
quality (assessed under Section 3.8.2:
Architectural quality), which may
also be taller than the surrounding
buildings but not necessarily so;
• gateways, where the street space
narrows down or the massing of
buildings appears to make it do so, to
mark a threshold between one area
and another; and
• focal points or meeting places, such
as a public square or local park,
where taller buildings may denote
their importance as well as enclosing
larger spaces.
Main Contents
Section 3 Start
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Uses and
activities
3.3 Accessibility
3.4 Site assets
3.5 Character
3.6 Development
form
3.7 Public realm
3.8 Design
quality
3.9 Performance
3.10 Worked
example
3.5.1 Distinctive
character
3.8.2
Architectural
quality
A pavilion marks an important junction
and provides a focal point for views in
Saxlingham Nethergate.
157