Gml Architects 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE
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7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE January 2018 Design and Access Statement gml architects 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE CONTENTS 1.0 PROJECT PARTICULARS 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Design Team 2.0 SITE ANALYSIS 2.1 Site Location & Surroundings 2.2 Land Use & Building Heights 2.3 Surrounding Context 2.4 Conservation Area 2.5 Historic Context 2.6 Existing Building 2.7 Consented Scheme 3.0 PROPOSED DESIGN 3.1 Design Principles 3.2 Design Development 3.3 Proposed Design 3.4 Commercial - Use, Amount, Scale & Layout 3.5 Residential - Use, Amount, Scale & Layout 3.6 Appearance - City Road Block 3.7 Appearance - Wakley Street Block 3.8 Appearance - Central Block 3.9 Landscape & Amenity 3.10 Daylight & Lighting 3.11 Waste Storage 3.12 Energy 3.13 Comparison to Previously Approved Development 3.14 Business Centre Precedent Study and Article 4.0 ACCESS 4.1 Inclusive Access - Residential 4.2 Inclusive Access - Commercial 4.3 Transport Provision 5.0 CGIs 5.1 CGIs of Proposed Scheme 6.0 APPENDICES 6.1 Pre Application Presentation 6.2 DRP Presentation Design and Access Statement gml architects 2 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE 1.1 INTRODUCTION GML Architects have been invited by MUSCO (Wakley St) Ltd to make a full planning application to the London Borough of Islington in relation to the re-development of the site at 8 Wakley Street and 328 City road, Islington, EC1V 7QE. This document includes details of the proposal comprising frontage buildings on City Road and Wakley Street and the building behind that links the two. The scheme was discussed at a pre-application meeting on the 25th of August 2017, at a second pre-application meeting on the 17th of October 2017 and a Design Review Panel presentation on 14th November 2017. The feedback was incorporated as outlined in further detail in Section 3.2 Design Development. The application comprises the demolition of the existing unused and inefficient office buildings on the site and construction of a mixed use scheme providing office and residential accommodation. This scheme is led by an emphasis on employment and office accommodation over residential use, in contrast to the previously consented scheme on the site, ref P2014/3572/FUL. This document should be read in conjunction with all accompanying documents including: - Existing and proposed drawings by GML Architects - Planning Statement by Rolfe Judd - Daylight and sunlight assessment by GIA - Heritage – KM Heritage - Air Quality and Noise – Entran - Arboricultural report by Greengage - Archaeological – MOLA - Env Assessment/Soil – AP Geotechnics - Site Waste Management Plan – RSK - Sustainability/Energy/Arboricultural - Greengage - Transport – Phil Jones Associates - Viability – Argent Blighton Associates 1.Aerial view of site looking South-East - Site 2. Aerial view of site looking North-West 3. Aerial view of site looking South-West Design and Access Statement gml architects 3 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE 1.2 DESIGN TEAM - APPLICANT & LEAD CONSULTANTS The applicant MUSCO (Wakley St) Ltd is a subsidiary of GML Architects is based in central London and was established Rolfe Judd Planning is a specialist planning consultancy, Roca Investments, who run and operate serviced business in 1993. GML works with developers, land owners and local forming part of the Rolfe Judd Group, an architectural, planning, centres for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The authorities to identify and design positive opportunities for and interior design company. Our main area of expertise commercial space in this scheme is proposed to be used in urban regeneration. lies in urban development management, including leading this manner. This will include the following; planning, listed building and conservation area negotiations GML’s approach is based around finding solutions that are in sensitive environmental locations. The company also takes - Serviced office/business centre appropriate to the local environment to achieve site-specific instructions in respect of local development framework policy - Accommodation including meeting rooms, break out areas buildings and spaces. The practice has advised the GLA representations, assisting with Section 106 negotiations as and executive suites as well as a range of office sizes on achieving lifetime homes standards within high density well as undertaking planning appeals, public enquiries and - Fully furnished with broadband and telephones developments. providing expert witness evidence. One of their business centres is the M25 Business Centre in Waltham Abbey. The centre has been chosen as one of the commercial partners of INVEST Essex, a department of Essex Council which aims to boost business in the county. The success of the M25 Business Centre and Roca’s management of it have been highly praised by INVEST Essex and featured as part of an article in BQ Magazine (Business Quarterly). Corinne Hearne of INVEST Essex has praised the M25 centre: “The support and the community within the Centre makes for a personal approach which is not generally seen at the more generic big brands.” “There is a flexibility in contract terms, with the ability to grow into bigger space or downsize to suit, and it is hard to find any office space with the same level of on-site facilities” The full article can be found in Section 3.14 of this document and online here: BQ ARTICLE Design and Access Statement gml architects 4 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE 2.1 SITE LOCATION & SURROUNDINGS SITE LOCATION LOCAL ROAD NETWORK The site is located in the southern part of the London The site is located at the junction of City Road and Wakley Borough of Islington, it lies between City Road and Goswell Street. City Road connects Angel Town Centre with the Old Road. The site occupies an area of approximately 0.16ha. Street roundabout and the City of London. Wakley Street It is currently occupied by the National Children’s Bureau. connects onto Goswell Road, which provides access to The site is within use Class B1(a) offices. The existing Finsbury to the north and City of London to the south. commercial area is circa 2058m2. PUBLIC TRANSPORT The site is extremely constrained with existing buildings bounding the site on all sides and presents two narrow street The site has a PTAL rating of 6a as it benefits from excellent frontages; one to the north at 328 City Road and the other transport links. Angel Underground Station and Old Street at 8 Wakley Street. These are the only two access points Underground Station provide access to the Northern line. that allow pedestrian access to the site. The main pedestrian There are many bus stops along both City Road and Goswell entrance into the building is provided from Wakley Street Road. with a separate entrance from City Road, rarely utilised due to significant level changes. No car parking is provided within the site and a very constrained drop off bay is located to the City Road frontage The City Road frontage lies within the Duncan Terrace/ which has complex level changes. Colebrook Row Conservation Area and extends to six storeys. The Wakley Street frontage extends to three LOCAL FACILITIES storeys. The remainder of the building ranges between one and two storeys situated within the urban block. There is a The site is well located within walking distance of Angel Town small courtyard space on the southern end of the site and a Centre, which offers a variety of shops, banks, restaurants, narrow alley along the eastern boundary. recreational facilities, etc. The existing buildings surrounding the site are a varied Shops are also located along City Road and Goswell Road. combination of Victorian and Georgian 3-4-storey terraces, larger post-war estates and recent commercial PUBLIC OPEN SPACE developments. One of the tallest buildings in the area is Peregrine House; a 27-storey residential block south east The site is close to the Regent’s Canal Towpath. It is well of the site. Compact squares and gardens provide public located near to many small public gardens, including Duncan outdoor space. Terrace Garden, King Square Garden and Graham Street Garden. Angel tube station is just a 7 minute walk away and local buses stop along City Road and Goswell Road; these can provide transport to other public open space. Design and Access Statement gml architects 5 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE 2.2 LAND USE & BUILDING HEIGHTS LAND USE The dominant use in the area is commercial. Some of the adjacent buildings are mixed use; residential and commercial. However, the wider area to the east of Hall Street and the west is populated with a large number of residential buildings. BUILDING HEIGHTS The immediately surrounding buildings are predominantly 3-4 storeys with some 5-6 storeys. The tallest building near the site is Peregrine House; a 27-storey residential block south east of the site. The student housing on the corner of Wakley Street and Goswell Road is another example of a taller building in the area. Design and Access Statement gml architects 6 7-8 Wakley Street & 328 City Road, Islington, EC1V 7QE Rawstorne St 263 Goswell Rd 335 Goswell Rd 2.3 SURROUNDING CONTEXT The surrounding context provides a mixture of architectural styles, densities and scales. Victorian and Georgian 3-4-storey terraces have a dominant presence along City Road to the north, for example 352 City Road. 352 A501 The majority of the buildings have brick façades. 330 A501 Wakley St More recent developments in the area include the student accommodation at 263 Goswell Road. The facade of the 1. 263 Goswell Road 2. 310 Goswell Road 3. 335 Goswell Road Image capture: Oct 2016 © 2017 Google building appears as a composition of ‘boxes’ which give the Image capture: Oct 2016 © 2017 Google London, England facade rhythm and depth.