DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT - East Sussex · Design & Access Statement – Beacon Community...

DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT Part 1 of 2

Prepared by: PMJ File Ref: 5312 / C01 Date of Issue: Dec 2009 Issue: 1 - Planning

Project Name: Diploma Exemplar Programme – Lead Creative Learning Centre Project Location: Beacon Community College, Crowborough, East Sussex Client: East Sussex County Council (Capital Projects)

MICHAEL COOK ASSOCIATES

Design & Access Statement – Beacon Community College, Crowborough, East Sussex 1

Contents

CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................. 2 Reasoned Justification ................................................................................................................. 2 Clients Brief .................................................................................................................................. 3 Site Location................................................................................................................................. 4 Previous Planning Approvals........................................................................................................ 4 Terrier Plan................................................................................................................................... 5 Application Summary & Documents ............................................................................................. 6

ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................... 7 Site Description and Physical Considerations .............................................................................. 7

EVALUATION..................................................................................................................................... 9 Design Principles and Feasibility Development ............................................................................ 9 Consultations.............................................................................................................................. 10

DESIGN RESPONSE ....................................................................................................................... 11 Design Concepts ........................................................................................................................ 11 Site Layout ................................................................................................................................. 11 Scale .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Appearance................................................................................................................................ 14 Building Layout........................................................................................................................... 15 Sustainability .............................................................................................................................. 16 Parking ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Cycle Parking ............................................................................................................................. 17 Pedestrian Access...................................................................................................................... 17 Accessibility ................................................................................................................................ 17

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 18 Appendix 1 – Site Photographs.................................................................................................. 19 Appendix 2 – Feasibility Schemes.............................................................................................. 21 Appendix 3 – Consultations........................................................................................................ 22 Appendix 4 – Public Consultation Drawings & Feedback Forms................................................ 23 Appendix 5 – Contractors Site Logistics & Off-Site Management Plan....................................... 24



Introduction

Reasoned Justification This Design and Access Statement has been prepared to identify and explain the design process and decisions which have resulted in the submission of this Planning Application. Capital Funding has been secured by East Sussex County Council’s Children’s Services Department on behalf of the “East and Mid Sussex Consortium” to develop a network of Creative Learning Centres (CLCs) to deliver the new Environmental & Land Based Diploma qualification offered to 14 – 19 year olds. The showcase for this Programme is the construction of a lead CLC at Beacon Community College, which will be supported by a number of smaller Outreach CLC’s located across Sussex. Some of these sites require a new building, whilst others require only ICT works. At the heart of the network of Creative Learning Centres (CLCs) will be an Advanced Virtual Learning Environment Technology (AVLET) and interactive 3D Information Technology, to enable pupils across Sussex to remotely access learning. The following passage is taken from the East Sussex 14-19 ‘Showcase’ Exemplar Capital Funding Bid: “The strategic network of CLCs will transform the teaching and learning experiences for learners across Sussex by bringing innovative, world class facilities into local schools, colleges and their communities. Our proposal is based on the delivery of a transformational agenda that entirely reconfigures learning and the way we think about it. Central to this agenda is the belief that ICT has a unique capacity and potential for developing and enlivening all domains of learning” This new stand-alone building at Beacon Community College is a key commitment of this Project, and is supported by three smaller new build projects, subject to separate Planning Applications, located at Claverham Community College, Battle and Ringmer Community College (both in East Sussex) and Oathall Community College, Haywards Heath (West Sussex). Beacon Community College is well placed to site this new showcase building, both in terms of site location but principally as a College driven to enable every student to achieve the very best of which they are capable. The School has specialist Science status, as well as Sports College and Training School status, all of which will also benefit from this new facility. The building is to be highly sustainable, and is designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.



Clients Brief The Design team were provided with an outline brief for the buildings, and the following is an extract from this that notes the key elements and principles that are to be included in the project:

• The CLCs will be landmark buildings with a high quality design. • New buildings should be excellent examples of sustainable construction, incorporating the

principles of both BREEAM and the ‘Living Classroom’ (for more information see the Plumpton College website at http://www.thenetherfieldcentre.co.uk/living_classroom.htm ).

• Each building should be open to all, fully DDA compliant and should provide a safe and healthy environment.

• Wherever possible the construction and finishes should be locally sourced, robust, require minimal maintenance, have low embodied energy and be recyclable.

• The construction process should produce the minimum of waste, use the minimum of energy and water and should not pollute or in other ways damage the local environment.

• The design should minimise energy in use and attain ESCC’s policy of 60% over Building Regulations for carbon reduction.

• Maximum use should be made of natural ventilation and daylight where possible without compromising the environmental conditions or security.

• Consideration should be given to the maximum use of renewable energy sources. • A BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating is to be achieved if possible, otherwise a minimum of ‘Very

Good’. • The design should reflect the location and the need to link to existing facilities as appropriate. • The design solution should be flexible and adaptable to cope with changes in the needs of

the users and staff and technological developments. Internally the new build facilities will include the following equipment:

o Moving wall system o Projectors, screens and compatible computers o Wireless connectivity o Sound system o Web cam

The facilities at each CLC will cater for up to 30 learners each, and the Lead CLC will be able to accommodate in excess of 90 users at any one time.



Site Location The site is located at Beacon Community College, East Beeches Road, Crowborough to the south-east of the town centre and sits within the Local Development Boundary. The site is not within the Crowborough Conservation Area or the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Figure 01 – Aerial view of Crowborough (from Google Maps)

Previous Planning Approvals There have been a number of planning applications and developments at the School, including: Reference: WD/2746/CC Address: Beacon Community College, North Beeches Road, Crowborough. Proposal: Provision of coach parking area, revised car parking, erection of canopies, formation of covered walkways and associated hard and soft landscaping. Status: Granted under Delegated Powers Decision date: 5 January 2009 Reference: WD/2649/CC Address: Beacon Community College, East Beeches Road, Crowborough. Proposal: Proposal for a freestanding canopy to be erected on the side of Cafe Beech, for a sales point cover. Status: Granted under Delegated Powers Decision date: 16 May 2008 Reference: WD/2502/CC Address: Beacon Community College, East Beeches Road, Crowborough Proposal: Two new dance, drama and music studios with store rooms with dedicated entrance and internal link to existing school building. Works also include refurbishing changing rooms. Status: Granted under Delegated Powers Decision date: 7 September 2006



Terrier Plan A copy of the Terrier Plan shows that the site is owned by ESCC.

Figure 02 – East Sussex County Council Terrier Plan (August 2009)



Application Summary & Documents This Planning Application is being made by East Sussex County Council for the development of a new Creative Learning Centre to deliver the new Environmental & Land Based Diploma qualification offered to 14 – 19 year olds. The form will be seen as an arched green roof sailing over a two storey rendered building, dissected by a feature ‘beacon’ that will form the main entrance. The Centre comprises of teaching spaces, an entrance foyer for holding exhibitions, training rooms, informal work areas, staff facilities and WCs. Drawings enclosed with this Planning Application are: 5312 – 001 A Site Location Plan 5312 – 002 Block Plan 5312 – 010 D Proposed Site Plan 5312 – 011 Proposed Demolition Works 5312 – 012 School House Site Area 5312 – 020 G Proposed Floor Plans 5312 – 030 C Proposed Sections 5312 – 040 F Proposed Elevations 5312 – 041 B Street Scene & 3D Visuals Further supporting documents submitted are: • Application Form • Design & Access Statement, which includes the following:

o P1 – Parking Provision o P2 – Photographs o S2 – Statement of Community Involvement

• B1 – LLD264 Phase 1 Habitat Survey Report • B1 – LLD264 Detailed Bat Survey Report • B1 – LLD264 Detailed Dormouse Nut Search • F1 – Drainage Design Statement • F1 – 16420-D-SK001 – Drainage Proposals • L1 – Land Contamination Report (site specific extract from main report) • L3 – LLD264.02 Tree Protection Plan • L3 – LLD264.03 Landscape Masterplan • L3 – LLD264.04 Construction Details – Geo-Grid Paving Construction • L3 – LLD264 Tree Survey & Landscape Strategy • S1 – Site Waste Management Plan • S4 – 5312 / F14 BREEAM Report • S4 – ESCC Checklist • S4 – ESCC SDI’s • T3 – LLD264.01 Tree Constraints Plan



Assessment

Site Description and Physical Considerations The college site is located towards the south-east of Crowborough, approximately 1.5km from the centre and 1.5km from the train station. The college site comprises a large main campus at the Beeches site, with the sixth form centre located to the East at the Green Lane site. There are large areas of playing fields together with residential areas between the two sites.

Figure 03 – Aerial Photo of College campus



The development site is located at the northern corner of the Beeches campus adjacent to the School house, and will replace the existing temporary classroom and green houses. An Astroturf pitch lies to the north of the site, a playing field to the east and the residential properties of East Beeches Road to the south. Directly to the west is the recent addition of the Dance & Drama Hall. Photos of the site are included in the Appendix.

Figure 04 – Campus site plan showing development area

There is a public footpath running along the northern boundary, and a public right of way runs through the School campus, linking the public footpath to North Beeches Road. This public right of way runs directly in front of the building location and will be maintained as part of these proposals.

Figure 05 – Site Plan showing public routes adjacent to site



Evaluation

Design Principles and Feasibility Development

A feasibility study at the early stages of the project identified a number of possible locations for the building, both at the main Beeches campus and also at the Green Lane campus. A copy of this study is included in the Appendix. The Green Lane campus was discounted for a variety of reasons:

• The new building would be detached from the main campus, and is seen as a prominent facility for the School.

• The School’s main ICT department is located on the main campus, and should be close to the new facility that will be rich in ICT equipment

• Scale of the new building does not suit the smaller campus. • Valuable open green space would be lost, including substantial woodland, and the potential

construction site has no vehicle access. • The building is currently used by the first and second years of the school and therefore is not

in line with the new Diploma Lines. • Control of out-of-hours use would be difficult if separate to the main campus.

Another major project has recently been completed on the Beeches site. This completed an earlier masterplan of work at the main campus, and included the provision of a coach parking area, revised car parking, erection of canopies and covered walkways and associated hard and soft landscaping. It has been acknowledged by East Sussex County Council Children’s Services that the new CLC building should be located in order to benefit from these alterations, so one of the Beeches campus options should be selected. After preparing this feasibility study for alternative locations for on the campus, and following further consultations with the School, Option One was selected as it provides a more prominent position on the site within the main School campus, but also allows for easier access, particularly out of School hours when the general public would not be required to enter the main School campus in order to access the building. This location was taken forward and, following consultations with the end users, caretaker, general public and planners, developed into a final feasibility scheme, a copy of which is included in the Appendix.



Consultations

End Users

After being instructed to prepare the initial bid for funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the School were included in the development of the brief and preliminary designs. Further discussions have taken place with the Principal and senior members of staff at the School since the design development of the project, and their comments have been incorporated within the design wherever possible. This has included a number of user group workshops, design consultation meetings and discussions. Planning Department East Sussex County Council Planning Department were also consulted at an early stage of the project, with an initial meeting held on 21 July 2009. No serious issues were raised, but the impact on the adjacent residential properties were noted. This was based on an earlier design, and the building has been relocated further to the north, moving it further away from the residential area. The alternative locations on the campus were also discussed, and it was agreed that the proposed location was most suitable to the new facility. Updated drawings were issued to the Planning Department but no further comments were received. General Public – Statement of Community Involvement An Open Evening took place on 01 October 2009 to give local residents the opportunity to view the proposals for the new development. This included presenting each of the options for the buildings location in order to demonstrate that other sites had been considered. Feedback was very positive for the design and concept of the building, although concerns were raised over the impact of construction traffic during the building stage. Visitors were encouraged to complete questionnaires to provide their views, copies of which are included in the Appendix.

Figure 06 – Public open evening held at Beacon Community College on 1st October 2009

Statutory Consultations Consultations have taken place at an early stage of the design process with a number of statutory bodies, including Sussex Police and ESCC Ecologist. Copies of correspondence are included in the Appendix.



Design Response

Design Concepts The building has been designed with two main concepts which are intended to give the building a strong sense of identity. Firstly it was considered that the building should reflect the principles of the intended environmental and land based studies that will take place within it, and the idea of a curved green roof was developed, giving the impression that the building is growing out of the surrounding landscape. Secondly, in order to add a prominent feature and connect with the identity of the School itself, the notion of a ‘beacon’ was developed, that will provide a focal point for the building and the School. These two concepts were brought together into the proposed form, which adds a dramatic development to the School campus.

Figure 07 – early sketch model showing design concept

Site Layout The building has been positioned in the most suitable location in order to provide a dramatic feature but also to limit its impact on the nearby residential properties. The nearest property is located approximately 65m away, and the height of the new building is such that it will not impact on the properties outlook. Because of the nature and use of the proposed building, and the distance to the residential area, there will be no overlooking issues, and activity within the building will be a sufficient distance away that there will be minimal disturbance. The main entrance to the new building will be at the base of the feature cone, and is approached via the access road from the main entrance zone of the School. The footprint of the building has been positioned in order to retain the existing mature hedgerow and trees on the northern boundary, and to maintain a landscape buffer between the public footpath and the building, details of which are included in the Landscape strategy documents.



At the point where the green wall rises from the ground on the eastern edge, a landscape buffer zone will serve as an area for the plants to grow from and also add a deterrent to access to this area. Pedestrian access is via a dedicated route from the main School buildings, and access is also provided to the side of the building for cyclists. An existing route from the Changing Block to the east of the campus will be maintained along the north of the building, where vehicular access will also be provided for maintenance and emergency access. Part of the existing School House grounds are proposed to be given over to the new building. This comprises an area approximately 9m wide to the north of the house, leaving an area for car parking. The large garden to the south will be retained. There is no additional parking proposed for the new development.

Figure 08 – extract of site plan showing proposed site layout



Scale The main element of the building is to be two storey, and as the ground slopes down to the east by approx. 1.2m the building will be out of the ground at this side, with a maximum height of 8.2m. Generally this height will be a maximum 7.0m The feature cone will rise slightly higher than the main building, and will have a maximum height of 7.9m. The main feature of the design is the curved green roof, which has been designed to appear to rise from the ground when viewed from the main approach to the building. A break between this front section of curve and the main roof creates the access into the cycle store and plant areas, and omits any potential for access onto the main roof. This break will be bridged by the planting as it matures over time to give the appearance of a single curved green wall leading into the roof. The large ‘cone’ appears to dissect the curved roof, and cuts through the shape of the wall below to form the main entrance. Further walls are pulled out from the main line of the main wall to add interest to the elevation. On the east side of the building, large areas of curtain walling will provide natural light to the main teaching space. As the building slopes backwards as it rises, the scale of the building will appear less than with a vertical wall, reducing the appearance of mass at the main elevation along the access road. Any visual impact the building may have will be further softened by the green wall on the west elevation. Whilst this may take some time to mature, it will enhance the natural appearance intended for the building.

Figure 09 – Aerial view of proposed building showing surrounding buildings



Appearance The form and proposed materials are of a contemporary style and are selected from a simple palette of render and splitface blockwork at low level, which has been selected to provide a visual link to existing buildings on the site, to contrast with the clean lines of the render and to provide a solid base on which the building sits.

Figure 10 – Example of splitface blocks and rendered finish

The tall sections of curtain walling provide a vertical appearance to the elevations which is emphasised by the vertical solar shading. High-level windows around the perimeter give the impression that the roof is floating over the main building. The green roof that curves down to the green wall create a fifth elevation that will develop over time into a natural feature, that may also provide opportunities for the development of natural habitats for local wildlife.

Figure 11 – Example of a sedum green roof



Figures 12 & 13 – Examples of green walls

The feature cone is to be finished in render in order to maintain the clean appearance of the rest of the building, and also features a sloped top and recessed entrance doors to provide covered access to the building. Windows, external doors, fascias, soffits and other accessories are to be polyester powder coated aluminium.

Building Layout A large entrance foyer provides an open space upon entering the building under the large ‘cone’, and is intended to be used as an exhibition space, with large areas of glazing at high level enhancing this open feeling. A reception desk is located directly adjacent to the entrance, which is located so that it can be separated from the main building if the exhibition space is used for community functions. Also leading from the foyer is the Information, Advice & Guidance area which will provide a point for students to discuss and plan their careers. Leading from the foyer is circulation space from which ancillary accommodation is accessed, including office space, a small kitchen and toilets. This also leads to the main teaching space and via a staircase to the upper floor. A large open space is created on the first floor that will provide a flexible area for informal tutorials and functions. This space over looks the foyer and main teaching space. Also at first floor level is a teacher training space (CPD Base), that is visually linked to the main teaching space for observing learning. A small staff room is also located at first floor level. The main teaching space provides an area for up to 90 learners, and is intended to be a highly flexible space and IT-rich space that will include moveable elements that will create smaller tutorial spaces. These could also be projected onto with the 3D projectors for panoramic presentations for an interactive experience. Access to plant rooms and external storage spaces is provided separately to the main building, beneath a planted walkway that maintains the lines of the curves roof but discourages access onto the main roof.



Sustainability

A Sustainability Checklist is included in the application documentation. The proposals have been designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. The scheme has been progressed with reference to ESCC’s Corporate Sustainable Buildings Policy, including Sustainable Design Indicators, also included in the application documentation. Given the nature of the teaching to be carried out in the building, the design is to a highly sustainable level, and includes the following features:

• Green roof & walls • Sustainable drainage solution • Connection to Biomass heating ring main • Natural daylighting • Natural ventilation, particularly to the main teaching space • Energy efficient lighting and controls

Figure 14 – Examples of sunpipes



Parking No additional parking is proposed for the new building as the Diploma lines offered do not increase student role or staff numbers. There are expected to be visitors from other Schools, and these would arrive in mini-bus and use the recently completed coach and bus parking areas on the campus.

Cycle Parking Whilst new cycle parking was included in the recently completed external works project, further parking has been included within this design that is both covered and secure, in order to promote cycling to and from the School.

Figure 15 – Site plan extract showing location of existing cycle parking location

Pedestrian Access The existing public right of way that runs through the campus is to be maintained, and with the public footpath running along the northern boundary of the campus the new building is well provided for pedestrian access.

Accessibility The building is approached via a new footpath at the front of the building to the main entrance. The entrance doors are to be recessed into the feature cone to provide shelter. Whilst the main entrance doors are to be manually operated, a push-button at the entrance door will be provided for ease of access. Level access is to be provided throughout the building, and a platform lift will be included for access to the first floor. All doors will be of a suitable width to provide ease of access for wheelchair users. Disabled toilet facilities are provided on each floor.



Conclusion As part of the overall Diploma Exemplar programme, this new Creative Learning Centre is a high quality, sustainable and bespoke building that will create a dramatic and dynamic teaching facility that will benefit not only the College but also the wider community. The IT rich building will be at the forefront of teaching in Sussex and will be an exciting facility for delivering the Diploma Lines to 14-19 year olds. The proposed scheme has been developed from feasibility with significant involvement from ESCC Capital Projects, ESCC Children’s Services, ESCC Planners, Ecological and Landscaping Consultants and end user groups to offer an exciting facility. Materials have been selected to both compliment and contrast with the existing campus buildings, and the building will be a dramatic and contemporary addition to the College.

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