Managing Contemporary and Historic Design and Development – Oxford
September 2017 The View from the Street
Louise Thomas HTVF Director & Urban Designer Oxford: Town & Gown
Inaccessible ‘private’ realm • Oxford’s other major employers: publishing, local government, healthcare, charities, manufacturing, other education • View from the public realm – majority view Four Key Conservation Areas
• Wide range of North Oxford Victoria Suburb (1968) characteristics Walton • Different design Manor approaches (1973)
• Redevelopment and Jericho infill schemes (2011)
Central (1971) Contemporary or Carbuncle?
HRH Prince Charles’ A Vision of Britain, A Personal View of Architecture (1989). Ten Principles:
1. Respect - for place/ land 7. Decoration – repetition 2. Hierarchy - public and character importance 8. Art – Adding richness 3. Scale – of human and 9. Signs and Lights – designed buildings for the context 4. Harmony – fitting in 10. Community – 5. Enclosure – making spaces empowerment and 6. Materials – context and engagement character What makes ‘good’ design?
• Recognising the role of the Special and Ordinary • Active frontages • Places, not just Spaces • Logical Scale and Massing • Contrast or Empathy • Revealing Patterns/ Articulation • Texture The Special and The Ordinary Active Frontages The Sainsbury Library, Said Business School, 2001 The New Bodleian Library, 1930s The Weston Library, 2015 Bonn Square, 2008 Places, not just Spaces Blavatnik School of Government, 2016 Logical Scale and Massing
Oxford University Press, 1830 Contrast or Empathy
Middle East Centre, St Anthony’ s College, 2015 Rewley House, Dept for Continuing Studies, 1986 Griffiths ‘Green’ Building, Linacre College, 1997 Revealing Patterns/ Articulation
Kendrew Quad, St John’s College, 2011 St Cross College, 2017 Texture/ Quality/ Materials
Somerville College, 2013 ARCO and Sloane Robinson Buildings, Keble College, 1995