272-276 Highbury New Park, London Design + Access Statement in Support of Full Planning Application, August 2012 C O N T E N T S
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pH+ 272-276 Highbury New Park, London design + access statement in support of full planning application, August 2012 C O N T E N T S Introduction Site Location Site Context - Wider site context - Immediate site context The Site - From Catherall Road - From Highbury New Park - Existing buildings The Proposals - Proposed massing - Ground floor - Upper floors - Proposed materials - Perimeter treatment - Terraced gardens - Summary of design approach - Visualisations - Transport - Accessibility - Amenity Space - Sustainability - Schedule of Approximate Areas Summary Appendix - Schedule of Planning Drawings contents 272-276 Highbury New Park, London I N T R O D U C T I O N This design and access report has been produced by pH+ architects in support of a Full Planning Application to London Borough of Islington, in relation to the proposed redevelop- ment of 272-276 Highbury New Park. The proposals include the demolition of 3 no. existing two storey (+pitched roof) mixed- use, terraced properties. These properties have no significant architectural merit and col- lectively provide 3 residential dwellings, each with it’s own garden, and also 3 small retail units (approximately 81m2 of retail space in total). In their place the application proposes the erection of a new, high quality mixed-use devel- opment that will provide an additional 7 new residential units (10 in total) along with the re- provision and increase in retail space on the site. This will be re-provided as 2 no. ground floor retail units with a combined floor area of 141m2. The proposals outlined in this application aim to take on board feedback from the local planning authority and residents, in response to an earlier application (P120285) that was submitted in February 2012. This document sets out the aims and intentions of the design that has emerged through the development of the client brief and aims to convey how the opportunities presented by the site have been identified and maximised to produce a high quality, site specific design that will contribute positively to the character of the area and meets all aspects of the client brief whilst complying with the Borough’s planning policy. This Design and Access Statement is to be read in conjunction with the planning drawings submitted, a schedule of which is included as an appendix. introduction 272-276 Highbury New Park, London manor house/ harringay S I T E L O C A T I O N finsbury park The site is located in a primarily residential area in the north of the London Borough of Islington. It is situated between main roads of Highbury New Park to the west and Green Lanes to the east. The site sits outside and some distance away from several conservation areas to the south. clissold park The area is served by local amenities on Blackstock Road and Stoke Newington Church Street, with Upper Street and Highbury & Islington tube accessible on foot to the south- west. In closer proximity is Arsenal tube station on the Piccadilly line to the east or Can- nonbury on the Overground to the south. The site is also served by numerous bus routes which link the area to the rest of London. LONDON BOROUGH OF HACKNEY The application site, no.272 - 276 Highbury New Park currently includes the provision of gardens whilst also being surrounded by open green spaces and is in close to proximity to arsenal nearby Clissold Park and it’s associated amenities. sotheby road conservation area clissold park highbury new park emirates conservation area stadium green lanes SITE aberdeen park highbury conservation newington catherall road fields area green conservation conservation highbury new park area area canonbury whistler rail street conservation area canonbury/ islington conservation area site location 272-276 Highbury New Park, London Birchmore Community Hall, low-level. WIDER SITE CONTEXT The site is located within the Highbury Quadrant Estate. Built after the Second World War, as part of a large-scale rebuilding programme in Highbury to replace bombed buildings and provided new municipal housing, the Quadrant estate was the largest area to be rebuilt in the area. The London County Council built the estate between Collins Road and Green Lanes, and between the two arms of Highbury Quadrant. It opened in 1954 providing 611 dwellings in 40 four and five storeyed blocks, and developed the use of meduim-rise blocks in conjunc- tion with terraced housing This page and the following pages analyse the general layout of the existing estate, in particular the 5 storey residential blocks which primarily define it’s character and surround the application site. 2 storey (+pitched roof), low-level residential All aspects to windows indicated show a 19m zone. block to north of site (TYPE 2a) 2 storey (+pitched roof), low-level, mixed-use terraced properties on the site (TYPE 2b) 3 storey (+ pitched roof) on periphery of estate 5 storey, vertical residential blocks that surround the site and extend across the wider estate (TYPE 1) LAYOUT / BUILDING TYPES The estate is dominated by a series of identical 5 storey residential blocks (TYPE 1) set apart, with grassed landscaping in between. TYPE 2b In two instances smaller low level buildings sit amongst these taller blocks. These include the single storey Birchmore Community Hall, located in the ‘central island’ of the estate, and the application site itself with it’s 3 no. 2 storey + pitched roof, mixed-use properties (TYPE 2b) and the adjacent 2 storey + pitched roof residential block (TYPE 2a) to the imme- diate north. site context On the periphery of the estate a third typology, 3 storey (+pitched roof) terraces mediate between the large 5 storey blocks and the traditional terraces housing stock to the south, which survived the war. 272-276 Highbury New Park, London PRIMARY ASPECT (FROM HABITABLE ROOMS) The identical 5 storey residential blocks (TYPE 1) each follow the same pattern with their primary aspects facing either southeast or southwest. These serve living rooms or bedrooms, with the former being expressed through external balco- nies set off the primary living spaces. No primary aspects face northeast or northwest. The principle outlined above prevents the primary aspect of any two blocks looking back at one another (apart from the 3 storey + pitched roof blocks on the periphery, which are set a greater distance apart). site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London SECONDARY ASPECT (FROM HABITABLE ROOMS) Secondary aspects to the surrounding 5 storey blocks, serving living rooms and secondary bedrooms, face either north- east, northwest or southwest and occur on limited parts of the elevations. site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London TERTIARY ASPECT (FROM NON-HABITABLE ROOMS) The surrounding blocks all have aspects from their non-habitable rooms (kitchens and bathrooms) facing either north- east or northwest. site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London COLLECTIVE ASPECTS The diagram above shows the collective impact of all the aspects of the surrounding buildings overlaid. This further illus- trates how the repetition of the identical blocks, with their primary aspects in only two directions, ensures that the primary aspects of units in neighbouring blocks always looks away from, and never directly towards, each other. site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London H I G H B U R Y Q U A D R A NT H I G H B U R Y N E W P AR K VIEWS BETWEEN BLOCKS The spacing and alignment of the 5 storey residential blocks, allows views between and beyond them, whether circu- lating along Highbury Quadrant or Highbury New Park itself. This generates an important characteristic of the estate. Rather than walking along streets enclosed by terraced properties, the principle of locating detached blocks within open landscaping, and the way they are arranged, give residents and the general public a series of views and vistas past the immediate building, to the greenery and buildings beyond. As such the estate benefits from a balance between a sense of supervision and community, with a sense of openness. The mature trees that line the roads and intersperse the blocks further create an attractive environment. site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London 2 storey (+pitched roof), low-level, mixed-use terraced properties on the site (TYPE 2b) EXISTING CONDITION The layout above overlays all the information analysed on the previous pages, in relation to the application site. site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London I M M E D I A T E S I T E C O N T E X T Looking in more detail at the application site and it’s immediate context, we can see as discussed, that it plays host to the following building types: 1 1 TYPE 1: 5 storey, vertical residential blocks - surrounding the site 2a TYPE 2a: 2 storey (+ pitched roof) horizontal residential block - to the north TYPE 2b: 2 storey (+ pitched roof) mixed-use terraced properties - on the site 1 These are assessed in more detail on the following pages. 2b 1 Clissold Park to the east 1 1 1 KEY TYPE 1 : 5 storey vertical residential block 1 TYPE 2a : 2 storey (+pitched roof) horizontal residential block TYPE 2b : 2 storey (+pitched roof) mixed-use, terraced properties EXISTING BUILDING TYPES TYPE 1 TYPE 2a TYPE 2b 5 storey vertical residential block 2 storey (+pitched roof) horizontal residential block 2 storey (+pitched roof) mixed-use, terraced properties site context 272-276 Highbury New Park, London TYPE 1 - (5 storey, vertical residential blocks) The immediate surrounding context is dominated by building TYPE 1, the repetitive 5 sto- rey, vertical residential blocks. These are all orientated, designed and detailed in the same way, incorporating the following: - repetitive floor plans stacked vertically, with multiple units on each floor - floor plans are split into two distinct parts (or wings) - principle ‘wings’ constructed in a pale buff toned brickwork (primary material) - communal circulation expressed as a distinct connecting element between the two ‘wings’.