Site Planning & Development

Student Number: 1113835

ROOKWOOD: HOUSING SCHEME

The Rookwood Housing Scheme is an envisioned re-purposing of the current four hectare hospital site in Llandaff. The scheme aims to merge local architectural character with modern design, all within the context of a Historical Park. Land available for development is

constrained due to listed buildings and Tree Preservation Orders. In response, Rookwood Housing Scheme holds an approximate density of forty dwellings per hectare.

Picture 1: Site overview from the west. Picture 2: Mansions and Rookwood House

OVERVIEW:Rookwood House, along with the rest of the site shall become a residential area. The

surrounding Llandaff area is affluent and popular in the property industry. The demand for new homes shall be high. The proposed housing scheme must attempt to maximise housing yield while providing for a selection of different price ranges. Good development encourages against a single social class accommodating one area. A selection of different house designs from lower cost apartments all the way up to expensive mansions will hopefully create a diversity of new home owners. TOTAL DWELLING NUMBERS: 115

Ÿ 31 apartment buildings: each building is to act as two dwellings. Four of these feature a side expansion which could host another residential party. Rookwood House has also been divided into fourteen apartments. These are the cheapest type of accommodation. In total this counts for 78 dwellings.

Ÿ 29 houses: twenty-seven of which are new housing types; a tall square and compact home thatprioritises interior space and a shallower, long, thin house that trades a larger interior for a bigger garden. Rookwood Gatehouse and an existing on-site house are to be renovated. These several housing types are designed for a medium price range.

Ÿ 8 mansions: two less expensive mansions face Fairwater Road. The other six line a new road that opens a view to the front of Rookwood House. Picture 2 demonstrates the aim of accomplishing grandeur in this site proposal. This is the most expensive accommodation type.

Ÿ Parking is provided for all accommodation. There is one space per house. However, all mansions and several houses along Fairwater Road feature sizable driveways and some garages. The implementation of this additional space is a marketing strategy for attractinga wealthy clientele.

Part of Rookwood Hospital is to stay operational. The sizable complex to the north-east requires emergency service access, parking and a gymnasium for patients recovery.

Map 1: Birds-eye view of the proposal.

Rookwood Housing Scheme is designed in accordance with the following key objectives:

HOUSING & PRINCIPLES OF URBAN DESIGN:TOWNSCAPE AND LAYOUT: The Rookwood development has been sectioned to bring out

individualistic character through the integration of different road forms. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 on map 1 identify a square, a crescent and grand straight Romanic entrance road respectively.

CONTINUITY AND ENCLOSURE: The project aims to create the most socially comfortable community feel by its clear definition of public and private space. Picture 3 (site number 4 on map 1) is within the enclosed and more private urban block. As can be seen, the hospital van and pedestrian have access to pleasant public space in terms of building frontage and open space. However, they are somewhat separated from the children playing within the block.

QUALITY OF PUBLIC REALM: With a pleasant amount of open space in the form of a homezoned square, designated play area (5) and woods, Rookwood shall be highly utilized.

Picture 3: Children play in the private space within the urban block.

Picture 8: Front of House Type II Picture 9: Rear of Housing Type II

Ÿ HOUSING TYPE II: This house is of a long thin design, still mimicking the materials of the on-site house, while its design is pulled from the houses in Upton shown in picture 10. However, its roofing is the same as Rookwood Gatehouse.

Picture 10: Houses in Upton. Picture 11: The mansion design.

REFERENCE: Frankling Ellis Architects. 2012. Upton, Northampton [Online]. Available at: http://www.franklinellis.co.uk/portfolio/residential/uptonnorthampton/ [Accessed: 30 January 2014].

Ÿ THE MANSION (Picture 11): Designed to be a large and luxurious home with plentiful interior and exterior space. As they lead up to and compliment the view of Rookwood House (Picture 13). They are made from similar materials from a more modern source. The mansion replicated many design features of Rookwood House, including the balcony and sash style windows. Each mansion also has a garage and full perimeter fence, giving a feel of exclusivity.

UNOBTRUSIVE DEVELOPMENT:DIRECT VIEW DISTANCE: As per design practice, properties which are back to back have

a minimum of 21m between each structure. Buildings at and angle are kept at least 15m from looking diagonally/sideways into another home. Furthermore, overshadowing has been taken into account by keeping garages inline and set back from properties. Through the terrace nature of the development, overshadowing has been reduced to a minimum.

EXPLOITING VIEWS:DWELLING ORIENTATION: The view of Rookwood House is now open to Fairwater Road.

Flats to the east of Rookwood House feature off-ground extensions between each flat. Thereby allowing increased ground-level viewing of Rookwood House.

Picture 12: The new gym Picture 13: Rookwood House.

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SECURITY AND OBSERVATION: The site design creates a welcoming feeling with its open space and close housing frontage. As well as for occupant advantage, a greater amount of windows on all houses helps generate the feeling of safety to residents and travellers by way of observation. Conversely, this feeling of observation may deter criminal activities in the area. Many houses also have fences, increasing security. Most of the houses are either semi-detached or terrace. Having a neighbour in very close proximity again increases the feeling of safety.

CHARACTER: The site is surrounded by a variety of housing types, from modern large houses and flats to 1900's arts & crafts, plus 1920's Edwardian houses. Rookwood Housing Scheme has drawn on these multiple influences to create four distinct housing types:

Picture 4: Flats in Upton. Picture 5: Apartments in Rookwood.

REFERENCE: Zoopla. 2013. 2 Bedroom flat for sale: Bristle Street, Upton, Northampton Nn5 [Online]. Available at: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/31073539 [Accessed: 29 January 2014].

Ÿ APARTMENTS: These two storey high blocks (picture 5) take influence from Utpon development’s eco-modern flats (Picture 4) and the red brick, white paint style of nearby houses (picture 6, and 6 on map 1). The grass on the rooves is designed to be part of a grey water system that slows lag time of the water cycle. In addition, the grass and soil acts as a layer of roof insulation. apartment blocks have a shared green space at the rear. There are more windows on the reverse of the structure, helping to ensure the safety through observation previously mentioned.

Picture 6: On-site house (to be renovated). Picture 7: Housing Type I

SOURCE: Edge, 2013

Ÿ HOUSING TYPE I: This design takes its roof shape from corner-buildings in Upton. The slate roof mimics some newer houses to the south of the site. The style again is similar to picture 6, this provides architectural continuity and is advantageous in terms of construction costs, using the same materials means simpler sourcing from a smaller delivery sphere. Picture 7 shows Type I’s front in the foreground and the reverse in the back.

ECOHOMES: All dwelling types have been designed with thick walls and double glazing. This level of insulation reduces heat loss, heat bills and energy consumption. The houses are designed to use grey water - a water system that recycles sink, shower and bath water into the sewege system - again, reducing bills and resource use. Photovoltaic cells can be installed on the appropriate south facing rooves.

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OPEN SPACE:DEAD SPACE: Rookwood has designed out dead space by developing an area with public

function, where a pedestrianised system encourages outside social interaction. Rookwood hopes to instill high public perception of the area through its community observation.

GREEN SPACE: The majority of unused space on the site is areas of vegetation and green space. Green space is pleasant for recreational purposes. The addition of the north-west woods and a designated children’s play area means that available green space has been planned in such a way that benefits new residents by bringing them close to nature.

TREE PRESERVATION: The area of Rookwood is a history park, as well as listed buildings, it features multiple protected trees. These can help uphold eco-development character of the proposed scheme as they are aesthetically pleasing.

BIODIVERSITY: Furthermore, these trees and other vegetation support a biodiversity larger than the average residential neighbourhood. Efforts can be made to maintain and increase this feature. The implementation of a sustainable urban drainage system (SUD) can bring a new aquatic characteristic to the area, plus the associated wildlife that thrive on a small stream/mini-wetland environment.

Picture 14: An SUD in Upton. Picture 15: The SUD in Rookwood

SOURCE: Harlow Council, 2013.

SUSTAINABILITY:SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM: An SUD has been implemented in the south

east of the site - see picture 15. It follows the gradual south east decline in the area’s typography. The water exits the site at an underground tunnel by Rookwood Gatehouse. The design was based off Upton’s own SUD in picture 14.

Map 2: Access routes through Rookwood.

Legend: Minor access road Homezone Building

Path/cycle route Bus stop BBC car park

EASE OF MOVEMENT:LEGIBILITY: The resident’s ability to ‘read’ their route is key to shifting travel methods away

from privatised methods like a car. Rookwood’s road system is linked and features wide open spaces. Using map 2, it can be observed that from the central square road exits are clearly visible. There are two curving off to the south and one straight east. This road curvature reduces the boredom of a seen path. Corners/curves are designed to be intriguing and able to communicate the route. Aside from these exit roads, the rest of the roads are designed in a circular system, so even if you get lost you never come to a dead end or an irrelevant place. The paths are a little different however, some are shrouded by copses, others cut through houses. Ultimately the urban paths are designed for efficiency and the wooded paths are there for leisure.

PERMEABILITY: Rookwood Housing Scheme maximises permeability by providing multiple route options for both pedestrians and vehicles. If walking or cycling, there are two exits in the north, leading to the BBC car park (shaded pink in map 2). There is one eastern exit and three southern. The path through the urban block takes the traveller straight to a but stop (cyan on map 2), this increases journey efficiency for public transport users. Currently, there is no northern through route for traffic. This is due to BBC ownership of the site and a road that requires barrier access. However, the BBC are vacating the premises. The site may also be developed into a residential area. This is why the space is being left as two car park spaces - see mark 7 on map 1.

TRAFFIC CALMING:ROAD HIERARCHY: Map 2 illustrates the breakdown of road hierarchy. At the three road

access points the road is graded as a minor access route. This includes hospital access, which now has a closer route thanks to the new eastern connection. Further inside Rookwood, the area becomes a homezone. This encourages pedestrianisation and a stronger feel of community.