Building Critique Project_Design & Building code Module

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Table of contents 1. ABSRTACT ……………………………………………………………………..…..PAGE-2 2. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………….…….……....…3 3. URBAN DESIGN COMPENDIUM OVERVIEW ………………………………………4 4. AN OVERVIEW OF ACCORDIA …………………………………………………..…5 

Appendix density facility form …………………………………………..5

11. APPENDIX ………………………………………………………..….19-24 

Appendixes brook -Land Avenue planning brief …..…19 -21

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Ordinance survey map 1250 & 25000 …………….…22-23

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accordia tour –map ……………………….……..…….24

5. CREATING THE URBAN STRCUTURE …………………………………………………6-7 

appendix 2.1 – movement framework and grid type …………..….7

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appendix 2.2 - movement assessment ……………………..……….7

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appendix 2.3 – density and space ……………………………..….....8

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appendix 2.4 – density and form ………………………………..….…8

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appendix 2.5 - Energy resource and efficiency ……………......8-9

6. MAKING THE CONNECTIONS ……………………………………………………10 

appendix 3.1 - Public transport catchment …………………….… 11

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appendix 3.2 - parking and servicing………………………………...11

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Appendix 3.3- Traffic calming and pedestrian crossing …..……….11

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appendix 3.4- street as a social place ………………………………....11

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appendix 3.5 -Pedestrian and cycling environment………………11

7. MAKING THE CONNECTIONS – ANALYIS ………………………………..........12 8. DETAILING THE PLACES AND SPACES ………………………………………...13-14 

Appendix 4.1 -building size and scale ……………………..………14

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Appendix 4.2 - building depth ………………………………………..14

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Appendix 4.3-negative space ……………………………………….15

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Appendix 4.4 positive space ………………………………………….15

9. CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………………..….16 10. REFERENCE ………………………………………..…………………………..…17-18

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ABSTRACT

Abstract

This is Critique is to appraise and Investigate one of Britain‟s contemporary residential urban development-Accordia. Accordia, also known as Accordia living is a housing development in Cambridge, England. This significant residential quarter is widely regarded as setting a new benchmark for large scale housing in the UK and was the first housing project to be awarded the RIBA‟s Stirling prize, in 2008. It is the result of an unusual collaboration between three (3) of the UK‟s most highly regarded architects: they and their developer client have taken full advantage of a site that has much to offer.

Brook Land Avenue is in a high-value and traditionally secure part of Cambridge and this offered possibilities for the creation of a public realm that can safely break some of the rules about defensible space and secured by design that so often stifle innovation in UK housing.

Hence, the above piece of works is not a concise history of the development but a Graphical and report based document to investigate the subject using core themes and concepts: following CABE design code compendium research links and reports as a model I have chosen the Accordia scheme because it is very complete in a Sociable Design point of view. Plays a vital role in my dissertation and design project achievement. It is a very good example of vertical and horizontal Mixed used scheme. What informed the Architect‟s choice of space and concept will be discussed: the analysis of enclosures and openness, negative and positive space, building set back, planning constraints will be highlighted in the Accordia context.

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INTRODUCTION The Accordia site is bordered by Brook lands Avenue, including Brook lands House, to the north(the seat if the English Heritage), Shaftesbury Road, including East brook, to the east, the Cold War nuclear bunker to the south and Hobson's Brook to the west (Fig. 3). At 9.6 hectares, the brownfield development includes 378 dwellings, of which 166 are flats and 212 are houses); of these 30% are "affordable housing". Out of the 378 dwellings, there are 70 1-bed properties, 121 2-bed properties, 92 3-bed properties, 77 4-bed properties and 26 5-bed properties.

Site was formerly occupied by low rise government offices built in the 1940s. The scheme was master planned by feilden clegg Bradley studios with landscape design by grant associates. Fieldenclegg Bradley designed 65%, Maccreanor Lavington designed 25% and Alison brooks Architects designed 10% respectively. Under the watchful eyes of the planner, the Accordia master plan was designed to take into account the geographical and historical features of Cambridge .this strict control by the planner reflects the importance of the site to the people of Cambridge. (See Planning brief attached).

Images illustrate a walk tour map around the site and awards achieve by the Accordia project.

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Urban design compendium overview Urban Design Compendium was first published in 2000. It stated quality of design is a standard to determine whether a project should be eligible for public funding. The Compendium was developed following the work of the urban task Force, which was established by the Government to regenerate towns and cities. In its 1999 final report: Towards an Urban Renaissance – the task force called for design-led regeneration. This led to wider support for improving design quality, particularly through the planning process.

The Compendium developed to complement the Department for environment and transport Region (DETR)/ Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment(CABE) design guide „By Design: Urban Design in the Planning System: Towards better practice. This document was published to promote higher standards in urban design and provide sound, practical advice to help implement the Government‟s commitment to good design, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (2000)

The material within the Compendium reflects good practice both in the UK and overseas. The purpose of the Urban Design Compendium is to help equip all those involved in the delivery of places with guidance on achieving and assessing the quality of urban design in developing and restoring urban areas.

“CABE champions the creation of great buildings and public spaces. It is a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)”.

Recognising Design Quality, as celebrated as the Accordia site was the planning process through which it developed. It received strong support from the local planning authority, residents of the area and CABE– the government‟s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. The project also received the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize in 2008, the first housing Project to do so and scored the BUILDING FOR LIFE Gold.

Building for life is led by CABE. It provides a frame work for measuring strengths of new development either at the preplanning stage or when it’s completed post construction. Using building for life in the planning process gives an officer the chance to look at the scheme and judge whether it means spirited. It contains the fundamental question every developer should be asking from the onset of the scheme.

See Building For Life-Evaluating Housing proposals step by Step Pg. 11.

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An Overview of accordia The entire layout of the Accordia site is informed by the existing landscape and its location.

Accordia tackles many preconceptions about family life in an urban area. The whole scheme is about relationships: between architect and developer/contractor/client; between three UK most highly regarded firms of architects and between private and public external spaces, on a brownfield site in Cambridge – formerly owned by the military (fig. 2&4).

Appendix 1.2. - Density, facility and form: the buildings are arranged in three dense groups of up to 65 dwellings per hectare, separated by established landscape, with apartments, affordable dwellings in mixed tenure, integrated in design and materials with private housing. The gridded street design is almost naturally defined by it corridors of matured trees.

The scheme adopted no definite design code as a development brief was proposed in the 1990s. This site was split according to the practice and suitability of the house type to the architect (see Fig. 3 &4).

On The Enormous advantage the site had naturally was having matured landscape in the eastern boundary, western boundary and central.

These created three (3) strong corridors of trees which provide framing& privacy screen for the environment to give it a calm feel.

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R e c t I l I n e a r I t y I n g r I d o f A C C O R D I A s I t e.

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1. Beauty and Richness.

2. Open Spaces and Landscape Design.

3. Street Network – Landmark buildings.

4. Public Access to Private Space.

5. Wild Life and Ecology 6. Enclosures and Openness

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urban-structure Page 6

Creating the urban structure Appendix 2.1 - Movement Framework and Grid Type: Accordia a good demonstration of careful thought relating to how garden features would play an important part in this community. The architect‟s idea was that these houses would face out on these green spaces: References taken from the Cambridge college garden courts.

Appendix 2.2-Movement Assessments: the Hierarchy of space defines how the occupant would live on the site ranging from the personal inside to the outside and to the public. The compact and dense arrangement of the houses was a deliberate effect. The 7meters wide mews lane, On-Plot car parking was again to make the use of cars uneasy: this suggests using a bike or walking on foot.

It is evident that, The Gridded nature of the street, the right angled corners, the tight site lines were all negotiated through by the architect‟s concept.

The development was motivated by a high visual and very effective concept. Stating the architects thought were as follows: 

The principle concept is about living in a large garden alongside was a great togetherness around an ambition to make the project extraordinary as it was a fantastic site that needed to be paid tribute to.

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It was important time in terms of making domestic architecture on very important restricted sites like Cambridge (National importance).

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More so, they assumed that it was high-time Cambridge had a revival of good domestic architecture to really set alongside some of the best architecture the college has been doing over the years. The colleges and universities have been responsible for the best modern architecture in recent times not just nationally Izu Cyprian ____ 11428692 but internationally.

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Appendix 2.3-Density and Space: Fig. 10. The mixture of private open spaces in the form of courtyards (3), roof terraces (1) and patios/large balconies (2) are designed as an integral part of the architecture, and generous communal gardens designed by Grant Associates. Rooms within the dwelling all connects to range of different outdoor spaces. and respond to its tree-lined frontages. The public space is integral to the success of the

Appendix 2.4 - Density and form: The form of building is not only determined by the relationship and scale of the open space and urban frontage but also by solar orientation (fig. 16). The larger scale apartment buildings and terraces are associated with larger scale open spaces (fig. 12) and are typically on an east orientation to minimize overshadowing adjacent homes the lower terraces and courts are arranged around the more intimate landscape spaces with south-facing terraced gardens.

Each building was conceived as a very specific response to its location, a simple but elegantly proportioned home, a means to provide a variety of flat and building types across the site, and as

scheme and underpins the overall design concept of „A city in a Garden. Outdoor spaces shared and maintained by people living in the adjacent homes. This introduces a modernist and classical -European style of living.

Accordia is highly successful in creating a strong and consistent sense of character in

an opportunity to explore new models for contemporary housing and domestic space.

spite of the broad range of properties that it

Appendix 2.5 ENERGY RESOURCE AND EFFICIENCY

includes. Quiet classical in appearance and

Accordia is quite ecological too since additional planting has been added on site and the scheme provides a far higher level of green space as compared with other local housing developments.

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modernist approach to the refinement of the detail

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Appendix - ENERGY RESOURCE AND EFFICIENCY

See Appendix 2.5. A full hierarchy of dense urban structure set within a strong landscape framework.

The way the homes relate to the landscape space is typically Cambridge. Additionally, there are lot of non-green spaces available on site for children to play, people to meet. Etc.

Natural and sustainable materials such as: like lead, copper and Brass where adopted for its finishes.

Sustainable Urban Drainage – SUDS are located near the west boundary of the site (fig. 20) – this arrest the

The housing is designed using sustainable principles

way surface water is to run off the site, reed bed treatment pond - cleaned by micro-organism living in the

with concrete precast floors (providing high future

litter or the roof system. Keith Bradley (FCB studios) suggested homes could be retrofitted to have solar

thermal mass to reduce temperature fluctuations).

panels in future. At the moment, the development isn‟t doing too badly on the sustainability front.

And light steel frame infill and moveable partitions (to provide future flexibility in the layout).Flat green roofs (sedum-planted) are also installed to provide

Although the buildings weren‟t design to meet today‟s building code in that area, they do have a number of environmentally-friendly features. The homes are positioned with a sturdily aspect were possible and taller building don‟t overshadow lower ones to ensure good day lightening (Fig. 16&19), Prefabricated insulated panels are faced with either brick or rain-screen copper cladding to provide high-levels of

a high level of insulation and reduce rainwater run-

thermal insulation. The hard surfaces outside have been created with permeable materials were possible

off. Other features in place to reduce rainwater run

to reduce storm water run-off and irrigate the landscape areas.

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MakIng the connectIons Utilities and Infrastructure

Street as a social Place

Equipment Boxes

Enclosure and Openness

Streets and Traffic.

Traffic routes Illustrated in black

Parking and Traffic Calming

Street - Types

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Public transport catchment - fcbs

Repetition and Variation

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Making the connections - Analysis Appendix 3.1-Public transport catchments: The site is very well linked. The development is located 1.3miles from the centre of Cambridge and is well connected via public transport (fig. 22). The railway station is also half a mile away. This encourages use of public transport for those living there. More so, there is also particular focus towards a pedestrian and cycle friendly neighborhood at the scheme, which has reduced the prominence of the car, creating a safe and friendly environment.

Appendix 3.2-Parking and Servicing: the route network within the site is well planned and works efficiently for all users, including

pedestrians and cyclists, there is no need for defensible space on the street-entrance side of the terrace and courtyard houses and this gives the street mews like quality. Reminiscent of much new urban housing in the Netherlands.

Appendix 3.3 - Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Crossing Wide pavements, narrow roads and no road markings help to reduce

traffic speed; as do the right - angled junctions and tight sightlines where drivers‟ views are deliberately impeded. Streets are left relatively free of cars due to large garages. If residents park in the narrow street, the 6-7m wide spaces become dysfunctional. The street parking is therefore self-policed. This forces residents to rethink owning numerous cars, and reinforces the city‟s positive attitude towards cycling.

Appendix 3.4 - Street as a social Place: This street design was integral to the Accordia master plan and was one of the Grande breaking aspects of the sites. Each dwelling is accessed from an urban shared surface street side and opens out at the rear on to communal landscape that includes amenities for passive and active recreation. Parking spaces are supressed allowing the street to offer more.

Places for children play, people to meet and cycling is a lot more friendlily.

Appendix 3.5 - The pedestrian and Cycling Environment: The master plan was designed for pedestrian and cycle demands, with landscaped pedestrian „streets‟, mews streets with shared surfaces, discreet car parking and integrated cycle parking for all dwellings. The formal grid-like structure of the site is fitting for its urban setting and results in the site being legible and easily navigable by car or on foot. Long runs of terraced houses assist in the legible separation of public and private space (fig.23).

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Making the connections - Analysis The gridded street design provided a central spine and access to the site parallel to the mews lane creating a rectilinear road layout. Only one entrance and exit to site also slows traffic. The architects wanted to create a more pedestrian and cycle dominated environment and to blur the boundaries between vehicular and pedestrian Priority: Site Data: Overall site – 9.5hectares Public Gardens Landscape – 100, 00 Plants

Plan of Accordia by feilden clegg Bradley studios, Alison brooks architect and maccreanor lavington architect showing the extent of communal grounds.

“An urban rug on a carpet of landscape”

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DetaIlIng the place

and spaces

1. Beauty and Richness.

2. Building Size and Scale 3. Building Heights and Depth 4. Animating the Edge.

5. Positive and Negative space.

6.

Detailing the Space

7. Enclosures ,Openness, Repetition

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Detailing the places and spaces Appendix 4.1-Building size and scale: The homes were built with natural, traditional materials but these were used in a highly modern way. Stock bricks, copper and timber gave texture and warmth to the homes, while large expanses of glazing flood the homes with light (fig. 31&32). Terraces, balconies and courtyard (fig. 32, 33, 36 &37) gardens were provided at varying levels throughout the homes, blurring the conventional boundaries between outside and inside.

Through repetition and variation, spaces have uniqueness and definition. Fig. 35 Communal spaces are provided in the form of courtyards and internal avenues. Within these spaces, raised beds, orchards have been planted with the intention that the space should also allow food production. Quintessentially Cambridge is the Glorious Yellow brick used by all three of the Architect firms; the simple use of the brick recognizes the local Cambridge and enables within and the allowed them do things recognizes the Cambridge character andcharacter enables flexibility withinflexibility the designers architects and allowed them do things in a different way. (Fig. 35& 38) differently Appendix 4.2-Building Depth: Houses and flats have good-sized, well-proportioned rooms with views out ranging from urban to rural pasture. There is plenty of variety in the house-plans too (Fig. 41 & 42). Variety and interest is created with the juxtaposition of precast concrete paving with other materials such as resin bonded gravel, coloured macadam and general planting.

Variety and interest is created with the juxtaposition of precast concrete paving with other materials such as resin bonded gravel, coloured macadam and general planting.

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The socially sustainable aspect of the development is that it is not easily obvious which units are affordable and which are market tenure. This means both units acquired high quality detailing .The scheme was designed to a high level of environmental performance and embraces the requirements of Eco Homes, BREEAM and the code for sustainable homes.

It achieved a "very good" BREEAM rating, and all houses and apartments provide flexible and spacious living space to meet a range of user requirements.

Appendix 4.3 - Negative Space: The distinct lack of renewable energy resources is as a result of lack of sustainability

policy1966 local plan which detected requirements for Accordia. FCB studio designed the homes to accommodate this in later future anyway. In the meantime, good quality construction that supports a low carbon lifestyle as it makes it promotes a green-travelling system. More so, certain property in the scheme lacks privacy.

“The Gabion wall (caged stone walls -fig. 43) used for the base of the blocks of flats around the North-south corner off the Hobson‟s brook was so pushy” – peter carter (Planning officer Cambridgeshire council) said. I feel, it allows a certain amount of light into the car park/semi-basement parking as a result of its staggered structure and this helps the users of site. But, visually they don‟t work with some other successive materials employed.

Appendix 4.4 -Positive Aspects: Certain Positive aspect of the Accordia Living

includes: 

High quality architecture, generous openings and use of superior materials courtyards (fig. 32 & 37).

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Creation of innovative outdoor spaces such as gardens and courtyards (fig.

27, 32 & 36).

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Use of consistent palette of colors and materials

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Use of individual landscape elements and high quality public spaces.

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Creates variety whilst ensuring a coherent whole is retained Fig. 41.

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CONCLUSION Accordia living development has been showered with praise and awards for its quality of the architecture and its success as a high density housing scheme that doesnâ€&#x;t fill crowded. The 2008 RIBA Stirling prize was awarded to the scheme, this is the first time a housing development received the UKs top architectural award and reflects the impact of this new housing scheme which is widely regarded as setting a new benchmark for housing in the UK. So why the controversy? You could see from first glance that the buildings are not red bricks apiece Victoriana like so many of Britain Home, but not Just the clean modern design or its quality material that set accordion apart, the development was driven by a high usual and very effective concepts. Based on the idea that the external space could and should be included in the internal. It is an example of architects being able to do what they know how to do best. Without a lot of compromise, which has paid-up for both the developer and the council .positively, it has a legacy beyond Cambridge and informs all future housing developments in the UK and set a new standard pace to future architecture. What makes Accordia works so well is the mixture of so many different elements partly to do with its location and the partly to do with the scheme itself:1. Firstly unlike standard housing development, Accordia building all use the entire plot dept. In other words everything, including traditionally external features such as garden is contained internally within d buildingâ€&#x;s cartilages.

2. Secondly, the materials used by the three architects are the same adding a strong coherence to the site. Given the attention to detail, the Accordia project gave the opportunity to show how all this elements can be done in a unique and special site.

The scheme is a stunning and extremely successful example of cutting edge architectural innovation and the development. It attracted visits not just from English architects but developers from other disciplines and worldwide; it has been visited by Holland where weâ€&#x;ve been learning from the past.

It places Cambridge on the Map internationally and adds to its grandeurs.

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REFERENCE 1. Redeham Homes. (2009). ACCORDIA LIVING. Available: http://www.redehamhomes.co.uk/developments/gallery.cfm_. Last accessed 8th Dec 2013.

2. http://www.metek.co.uk/studies/accordia/METeK 3. Paulvonplace. (2012). Et in Accordia ego: On a Twenty-First Century Housing Development. Available: http://paulvonplace.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/et-in-accordia-ego-on-a-twenty-first-century-housing-development/. Last accessed 8th Dec 2013.

4. Alison Brooks. (2013). Shared space as cultural infrastructure. Available: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/more-homes-better-homes/shared-space-as-culturalinfrastructure/8644192.article. Last accessed 8th Dec 2013.

5. Accordia. 2013. Accordia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAStirlingPrize/RIBAStirlingPrize2008/Accordia/Accordia.aspx#.UnTM2nC-06Z. [Accessed 5th December 2013 6. [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Accordia, Cambridge | Case studies | CABE. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/accordia. [Accessed 5th December 2013].

7. Manage tout, Rodney, manage tout. (2012). Open Eco Garden. Available: http://cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/blog/open-ecogardens-14-july/. Last accessed 8th Dec 2013 8. avid Levitt Levitt Bernstein (2009). The housing Design Handbook - A guide to good practice. England: Rout ledge. 56-60.

9.

http://inkandcompass.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/accordia/

10. http://archidose.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/half-dose-46-accordia-cambridge.html 11. http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAStirlingPrize/RIBAStirlingPrize2008/Accordia/Accordia.aspx#.UnTM2nC-06Z 12. http://www.shape-east.org.uk/tours/Accordia_Podcast.html 13. http://www.dezeen.com/2008/10/11/accordia-wins-stirling-prize/ 14. http://www.alisonbrooksarchitects.com/projects/accordia/93/ 15. http://www.maccreanorlavington.com/website/en/project_907.html 16. http://alexwarrenarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2011_03_01_archive.html 17. http://www.fcbstudios.com/projects.asp?s=7&ss=4 18. http://www.easier.com/43883-accordia-living-is-streets-ahead.html Izu Cyprian ____ 11428692

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Dhttp://www.bustler.net/index.php/article/accordia_wins_the_riba_stirling_prize_2008/ http://www.nodeurbandesign.com/journal/urban-design-2/visit-to-accordia/ http://arquitectures234.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/dwelling-accordia-residencial-i.html http://www.bdonline.co.uk/can-the-accordia-housing-model-be-repeated-elsewhere?/3148068.article http://www.grant-associates.uk.com/accordia.aspx http://www.bdonline.co.uk/cambridge-blues/3147886.article http://www.countryside-properties-corporate.com/case-studies-imaginative-design/accordia-cambridge/10449 http://www.flickr.com/photos/countryside-properties/3760899885/in/photostream/ http://www.cyclestreets.net/location/15277/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldracott/6842251535/in/photostream/

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APPENDIX: 5.1 – brook land avenue planning brief

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APPENDIX: 5.2

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APPENDIX: 5.3

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APPENDIX: 6.1

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APPENDIX: 6.2

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APPENDIX: 6.3

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