w Design Review in Wales The experience of the Design Commission for Wales’ Design Review Panel 03 – 05 DCFW Written by Professor John Punter, DCFW Published by Design Commission for Wales (DCFW Ltd) © Design Commission for Wales Ltd, 2006 ISBN: 0-9552657-0-3 978-0-9552657-0-9 DCFW Design Review Isle of Angelsey List of Schemes Reviewed 122 58 123 Flintshire Bangor 62 89 110 73 90 97 Conwy 124 77 Case Studies 51 Brymbo Steelworks, Wrexham 104 Student Accommodation, Bangor 34 91 52 Eagles Meadow, Wrexham 105 Neuadd Deiniol, Bangor 16 67 Denbighshire 01 Newport Unlimited Masterplan p.26 53 Cardiff Castle Visitor Centre 106 The Exchange Building, Mount Stuart Square 118 Wrexham 02 Bargoed Masterplan p.27 127 54 Mountain Ash Cross Valley Link 107 A40, Canaston 51 03 Roath Basin South, Cardiff p.28 117 55 Bryngwyn Road, Newport 108 Primary Care Centre, Port Talbot 52 04 Barry Waterfront p.38 56 Willowtown School, Ebbw Vale 109 Gunner Club, Newport 05 Penallta Colliery, Caerphilly p.39 57 Brackla Centre, Bridgend 110 Victoria Hotel, Llanrwst 06 Penarth Heights, Penarth p.40 58 Rhyl South East 111 Hanbury Garage, Newport 07 Wood Street, Cardiff p.44 Gwynedd 59 Ivy Cottage, Pembrokeshire 112 Local Housing Scheme, Crickhowell 125 08 Celestia, Junction lock cardiff bay p.45 60 Usk Footbridge, Newport 113 Black Clawson, Newport 09 Ferrara Quay, Swansea p.46 61 Adam Street, Cardiff 114 School of Creative & Cultural 10 Ridgeway Park Road, Newport p.51 62 Drift Park, Rhyl Industries,Cardiff 11 Former Lanes Garage, Abergavenny p.52 63 Travelodge Stow Hill, Newport 115 Glamorgan County Cricket Club 12 St David’s 2, Cardiff p.60 64 Tesco, Bangor 116 Monmouth Visitor Centre 94 13 Menai Shopping Centre, Bangor p.62 65 Ely Bridge Masterplan, Cardiff 117 Wrexham Erddig Estate Residential, NT 14 Abergavenny Cattle Market p.67 66 Parc Erin Tonyrefail 118 Public Realm, Y Maes Caernarfon 15 Callaghan Square, Cardiff p.71 Merthyr Tydfil 67 Slate Quay, Caernarfon 119 Merthyr Tydfil Leisure/retail 16 Victoria Dock, Caernarfon p.72 68 Entrepreneurship Centre, Barry 120 New Hospital, Ebbw Vale 17 CCW Headquarters, Bangor p.76 Powys 69 Carmarthen, Town Centre 121 Brewery Yard, Abergavenny 18 Central Library, Cardiff p.84 70 Pwllhai, Cardigan 122 WAG New Building, Llandudno Junction Other Schemes Reviewed 71 Discovery Quay, SA1, Swansea 123 The Former 70 Degree Hotel, Old Colwyn 72 Central Hotel, Cardiff 124 Bethesda Primary Care Centre 19 St Catherine’s, Pontypridd Ceredigion 73 New Street, Mold 125 White House Hotel, Abersoch 20 Angharad Walk, Pontypridd 74 Cwmbran Town Centre Study 126 Retirement Village, Cardiff 21 Lamby Way Landfill site, Cardiff 75 International Sports Village, Cardiff 127 Snowdon Summit Visitors Centre 22 Childrens Hospital, Cardiff 76 Princess Way, Swansea 80 Blaenau Gwent 23 Porth and Lower Rhondda Relief Road 70 77 Downing, Flintshire 24 Monmouth Joint Health and Social Care Torfaen Facility 78 Comfort House, Merthyr 25 Bangor Police Station 79 Newport City Centre Retail 102 Carmarthenshire 26 St Catherine’s Corner, Pontypridd 80 Tesco, Llandrindod 27 Junction Lock, Cardiff 81 George Street, Newport Pembrokeshire 83 28 Torfaen 82 Cardiff Bay Masterplan. 29 69 29 Tesco Carmarthen 83 Eco Housing Bethlehem 59 85 112 14 30 WAG Debating Chamber 84 Sherman Theatre, Cardiff 107 78 56 100 121 119 33 32 11 31 Glamorgan Record Office 85 Dan Yr Ogof Show Caves 39 45 24 120 116 32 Brynmawr Rubber Factory 86 Old Town Dock, Newport Rhondda 40 Neath Port Talbot 54 33 Ebbw Vale Learning Campus Masterplan 87 Kingsway, Newport 98 Cynon Taff 02 28 Monmouthshire 94 20 88 34 St Helens Road, Caernafon 88 Blackwood Bus Station 76 26 74 103 19 Caerphilly 35 Hamilton Street, Pontcanna, Cardiff 89 Altbridge care village 7109 93 66 Swansea 23 99 36 Dragon Studios, Llanharan Bridgend 101 90 Hawarden Farm Shop 108 9505 Newport 37 GM2 House Penarth 91 Criminal Justice Centre, Caernarfon 36 57 Cardiff 38 Meridian Gate, Cardiff 92 Debut housing Bridgend 92 39 MSCP Ebbw Vale, Car Park 93 Coed Darcy Vale of Glamorgan 37 40 Torfaen Eco-Building 06 94 Morfa Village 68 96 43 41 Duffryn School, Newport 95 WISP Nantgarw 42 04 42 Holton Reach Barry 96 Student Accommodation, Atlantic College Cardiff Newport Bangor 43 Sully Hospital, Sully Llantwit Major 63 44 Schooner Way, Bute East Dock, Cardiff 97 Holywell, Flintshire 25 64 45 Emag Site, Brynmawr 98 Waterside Masterplan, Llanelli 126 41 50 105 22 84 01 81 46 47 46 Env. Centre for Wales, Univ Bangor 99 Hospital, Caerphilly 03 10 86 109 104 17 53 111 65 60 79 87 49 13 47 Foodstore, Bangor 100 Debut Housing Scheme, 35 48 07 Ebbw Vale 12 55 48 AWE site and Ty Glas Road 114 72 21 101 Cynon Valley Hospital 61 27 113 Llanishen, Cardiff 15 18 30 115 82 49 Cambrian Centre, Newport 102 Lower Chapel, Powys 31 08 75 106 50 The Spires, Newport 103 Quadrant Bus Station, Swansea 44 DCFW Foreword When the Welsh Assembly Government established the Design Commission for Wales in 2002 as the nation’s champion for the built environment, we hoped that as well as acting as a critical friend to the industry and the Assembly, the new body would also find ways to support change, encourage best practice and disseminate the lessons of its experience. It has made great strides through its core work in training and development, education and advocacy and, through its Design Review service, the Commission has worked its way under the skin of regeneration and development issues in Wales to the heart of the problems facing a small but ambitious nation. The Design Review Service, which provides the main interface with planning authorities in Wales, has been in operation for three years. This report is a timely assessment of that service and identifies lessons to be learnt from the projects reviewed by the Commission’s panel of expert advisors. I know that there is tremendous interest in delivering development which is not only more sustainable but also secures a better quality built environment, for the people of Wales. I believe that this input is a timely contribution to this process. Carwyn Jones AM, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside Welsh Assembly Government DCFW’s Design Review in Wales Contents DCFW Contents List and Map of schemes reviewed Foreword List of illustrations List of case studies 1.0 Introduction to the Design Commission 6 for Wales 2.0 DCFW’s Design Review service 10 2.1 The value of design review to the Commission 12 2.2 Developing design criteria for reviews: 13 What is good design? 2.3 Developing the design review process 14 2.4 Refreshing Panel expertise 15 2.5 Managing conflicts of interest 15 2.6 Evaluating reviews and disseminating 17 the lessons 3.0 The Projects Reviewed 18 3.1 Urban design strategies, design frameworks 21 and masterplans 3.2 Large scale residential development 29 3.3 High-rise residential 41 3.4 Minor residential infill development and 47 intensification 3.5 Major town centre retail schemes 53 3.6 Supermarkets 63 3.7 Town centre commercial schemes 68 3.8 Business parks and B1 buildings 73 3.9 Major leisure developments 77 3.10 Roads, bridges and public realm 79 The Design Commission for Wales (DCFW) was 3.11 Institutional buildings 82 3.12 Visitor centres 85 established in 2002 by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) as the nation’s champion for architecture, 4.0 Conclusions 86 landscape and urban design. Its establishment and aims 5.0 Appendices 94 5.1 List of Panellists and affiliation 96 resulted from a wide Assembly consultation on how best 5.2 References and further reading 97 to promote good design in Wales and was supported by 5.3 List of Abbreviations 99 environmental bodies, local government and business. Acknowledgements 100 DCFW’s Design Review in Wales DCFW’s Design Review in Wales 5 DCFW List of Illustrations DCFW List of Case Studies Fig. 1 Slate Quay Strategy, Fig. 29 St Catherine’s Corner, Case Study 1 Caernarfon Pontypridd Newport 2020 Central Fig. 2 Cwmbran Town centre Fig. 30 Dragon Studios, Llanharan Area Masterplan Fig. 3 Ebbw Vale steelworks Fig. 31 Educational Facility, Torfaen Case Study 2 Bargoed Masterplan masterplan Fig. 32 Discovery Quay, Fig. 4 Barry Waterfront masterplan SA1, Swansea Case Study 3 Roath Basin Masterplan, Cardiff Bay Fig. 5 EMAG redevelopment, Fig. 33 Cardiff International Case Study 4 Brynmawr Sports Village Barry Waterfront, Vale of Glamorgan Fig. 6 South East Rhyl residential Fig. 34 Porth and Lower Rhondda Case Study 5 bypass, Rhondda Cynon Taff Fig. 7 Residential developments, Penallta Colliery, Ystrad Llanishen, Cardiff Fig. 35 West Promenade, Rhyl Mynach, Caerphilly Fig. 8 Parc Eirin, Tonyrefail Fig. 36 Usk pedestrian bridge, Case Study 6 Fig. 9 Ely Bridge urban village, Newport Penarth Heights, Penarth Cardiff Fig. 37 Willowtown School, Ebbw Vale Case Study 7 Fig. 10 Eco-home rating mechanism Fig. 38 Bangor University Environment Wood Street apartments, Cardiff Fig. 11 Meridian Gate, Bute Centre for Wales, Bangor Case Study 8 Terrace, Cardiff Fig. 39 Bangor Police Station, Bangor Celestia, Junction Lock, Cardiff Bay Fig. 12 Brackla Centre, Bridgend Fig. 40 Snowdon Visitor Centre Case Study 9 Ferrara Quay, Swansea Fig. 13 Residential tower, Station Fig. 41 Cardiff Castle Visitor Centre Case Study 10 Road, Penarth Ridgway Park Road, Newport Fig. 14 Residential infill, Pontypool Case Study 11 Fig. 15 Residential infill, Bryngwyn Former Lanes Garage, Abergavenny Road, Newport Case Study 12 Fig. 16 Bethlehem, near Llandeilo, St. David’s 2 Shopping Brecon Beacons National Park Centre, Cardiff Fig.