CONTENTS DIARY OF EVENTS - The Urban Design Group

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CASE STUDY Castleford Regeneration ‘Streets’ Ahead Ian Tod describes two community-driven design schemes for Channel 4 The former pit town of Castleford in West Yorkshire is regaining its confidence with a high profile regeneration project involving Channel 4 and some of the UK’s top architects. Community regeneration specialist Allen Tod Architecture is among those whose designs have been taken on by the community. Fronted by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, the production team is looking at the effect of regeneration on the town of Castleford following the loss of coal - its main industry. Of the 11 community improvement projects, Allen Tod won two projects and both involve community groups as the client. The design brief was to create an ‘object of enchantment’ as a symbol of change and regeneration for their neighbourhoods. This high-profile project being filmed by Talkback TV for Channel 4 has a limited budget, but could take any form. With ideas closely scrutinised by community groups who then decided who they wanted to work with. CHILD’S PLAY The Cutsyke Community Group selected designs for a play forest, which will feature a forest of steel poles. Nets, ropes, ladders and slides will be attached to the structure, leading to a viewing platform at the highest point. Allen Tod has developed the designs with Estell Warren Landscape Architecture of Leeds, whose dramatic computer generated images and models won the support of the children, who voted for the designs. Further community engagement has involved the youngsters in visits to the best playgrounds in the area, as well as workshops with the local manufacturer, Sutcliffe Play and building a half-size mock up. Planning permission has been granted for the scheme, which is due for completion in April 2005. Simon Gedye of Allen Tod describes the scheme as “too many play areas consist of an apparently random layout of manufacturers’ equipment. This design has a strong formal quality and the grid creates a series of spaces and experiences within its structure, analogous to a city.” Steve Warren of Estell Warren Landscape Architecture said, “The Play Forest is not so much a playground as a 3-D puzzle, there is no way in, and no way out - you make your own choices and pick your 38 | Urban Design | Spring 2005 | Issue 94 Left Taking Castleford to new heights: the cargo net challenge. Image: Warren Landscape Architecture Above New gateway to Wilson Street, Allen Tod image of model own challenges. It is also a ‘one off’. The kids chose it, and the Cutsyke Community Group and Wakefield Council has backed them all the way.” IN STEP WITH PEDESTRIAN ZONES In the scheme for the Wilson Street Triangle, the challenge has been to reconcile the local community group’s desires and the wider aspiration for an enchanting object that would signal a ‘step-change’ in the quality of an area. The triangle is a popular and densely-populated urban area, close to the town centre, with a mix of owner-occupied and rented Edwardian terraced houses. None of the initial design ideas gained the wholehearted support of the group, which had recently formed and needed time to formulate its ideas. Allen Tod suggested an interactive community process study to analyse problems and issues raised by group members. The outcome suggested an overall strategy for the area with a specific priority scheme to improve the streets, and to start a scheme for safe pedestrian zones around the residents’ homes. However, agreeing the detail of this initial traffic-calming scheme has proven more challenging. Allen Tod developed a set of modern street furniture, which would narrow the street, bring interest and identify, and form places for people to meet and dwell. These elements have been designed to be prefabricated, and installed on top of existing paving to bring swift changes to the street scene and minimise the costs of below ground works. Fearing that these objects would attract vandalism, and because they were modern in design, the residents group comprehensively rejected the scheme and was in favour of more modest proposals similar to other areas of the town. It will now remain to be seen if using reclaimed street furniture from the town centre rather than promote a special product unique to Wilson Street will live up to the promise of the earlier scheme. The Cutsyke play forest is due for completion by the end of March 2005 and the Wilson Street improvements are due to start on site. All the projects are expected to be completed by Spring 2006, ready for broadcast in a five part series. Ian Tod, director of Allen Tod, is also founder of the annual 4x4 Making Places Urban Regeneration Forum.
FRONT TO BACK – A DESIGN AGENDA FOR URBAN HOUSING SALLY LEWIS, ELSEVIER, 2005, £24.99 ISBN 0 7506 5179 2 DESIGNING AMERICA’S WASTE LANDSCAPE MIRA ENGLER, THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2004, £33.50 ISBN 0 801 87803 9 We would much rather take the garbage out than think about where its going. Yet it is a key element in the way we shape our landscape, and we have overwhelming negative perceptions of the places where we tip. The subject is marginalised within the public debate, which limits our ability to respond creatively to the growing problem of waste disposal. This is an important book at a time when higher densities are being encouraged and housing programmes are critical to proposals for expansion in the south east. It is a design guide arranged in two parts, the first describing the background to housing issues and the second outlining the design agenda and providing a detailed analysis of five case studies. It is not laid out like a normal book but as a design primer with consistent headings of key points and in that respect will be an invaluable guide to students involved in this type of project. The first part contains four chapters covering urban design, sustainability, community and social agendas addressing the key principles that should be followed, although the social chapter is perhaps less specific than it might have been. The second part includes an excellent summary of a design agenda This book is one of a series on contemporary American landscape design, providing a workman-like account of the issues. The author is a landscape architect with concerns about waste management which were aroused by a desire to reuse wasted neighbourhood open spaces, such as back alleys and small parks. She finds the subject seemingly hideous and prosiac, but she sets free their contradictory powers, and immersed herself in research about waste landscapes and societal issues. The five chapters start with theories and constructs, definitions, and the language of waste - valued and valueless, smell, taboos, marginalia and cultural discourse. She sets out a detailed history with eight distinct periods of residential landscapes each lasting 30-50 years, starting in the 18th century, including the history of the bathroom, the yard, and alleys. All are illustrated by poorly reproduced period advertisements and campaign notices, through to the City Beautiful Movement (1890s-1910), when gentility, convenience, health, and aesthetics prevailed; this is when the subject of waste was first taken seriously at higher levels of government. There listing 14 key principles followed by five case studies. Parc de Bercy, Bo01 Malmo, Century Court Cheltenham, Coin Street and a Barcelona infill which are significant examples to analyse and compare although only one of these, from Paris, is an example of mixed tenures designed together in one scheme. This is clearly an area in which more good examples need to be identified. It is an unusual form of book but its format and analysis make it interesting reading, invaluable for the student and practitioner alike and it will hopefully assist more architects and planners to see housing as it should be – as an urban issue rather than an architectural one. The author’s final words are that ‘the projects are not only about the dancers but the choreography. No wonder they perform so well’. Valuable lessons for all. John Billingham is a second tranche of photographs, of the schemes of plants for the 1980s-90s, which show the influences that have prevailed on planning at all levels, until we reach the present day and the green ethic. This is followed by private and public landscapes of waste and dumps, and covers centres of waste treatment, which were designed to transform the dumps. The now valued, beautiful and high rental areas of the Tulleries, Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Paris, and New York’s Central Park, (Olmstead) were in the 1860s each metropolitan city’s northern wasteland of slaughter houses and other noxious establishments. The book continues with research and education, from waste recycling and institutions, places of material transactions and resource parks, sewage treatment plants and waste-water gardens, to the utilisation of grey water. The author concludes with the challenges for thought and action because America is now facing more daunting toxic landscapes that pose serious radioactive dangers. The problems are stated, but there are no solutions put forward here. Peter Eley Urban Design | Spring 2005 | Issue 94 | 39 BOOK REVIEWS
Page 1 and 2: DIARY OF EVENTS Unless otherwise in
Page 3 and 4: How Can Urban Designers Save the Pl
Page 5 and 6: Thorp and Dick Longdin made a stron
Page 7 and 8: Do Codes = Quality + Delivery? PAUL
Page 9 and 10: Nelson - Enquiry by Design JAMES HU
Page 11 and 12: The new central business district s
Page 13 and 14: Manchester when his work with Jonat
Page 15 and 16: Such a code could be used to underp
Page 17 and 18: A further difference relates to the
Page 19 and 20: Crescent as it jutted above its Pal
Page 21 and 22: • obtain an understanding of how
Page 23 and 24: QUALITY HOUSING: THE CRUCIAL ROLE O
Page 25 and 26: multiple challenge - higher densiti
Page 27 and 28: its more recent renaissance enabled
Page 29 and 30: additional layer of quality control
Page 31 and 32: the on-looking major landowners tha
Page 33 and 34: a couple of trees’ to relieve the
Page 35 and 36: VISIONS... As the modernist dream o
Page 37: SHARING THE MAIN STREET Local and i
Page 41 and 42: MEASURING PLANNING QUALITY MATTHEW
Page 43 and 44: BROADWAY MALYAN ARCHITECTS 3 Weybri
Page 45 and 46: HALPERN PARTNERSHIP LTD The Royle S
Page 47 and 48: PRP ARCHITECTS 1 Lindsey Street, Sm
Page 49: EDUCATION INDEX EDINBURGH COLLEGE O

CONTENTS DIARY OF EVENTS - The Urban Design Group

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?