BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE KOHTLA-JÄRVE SEMINAR 2007Lilian Hansar

PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS HISTORY

End of 19th century – preservation of antiquities deals with historic villages, open-air museums, architectural ensembles. Before only separate objects – architectural monuments - were under protection.

Beginning of the 20th century – J.G. Granö, E.Kant – founders of urban geography in Estonia. Science of urban development as an environmental science.

1960s – H. Üprus – complex research and preservation of old towns 1976 – UNESCO declaration – Not only separate buildings but their

surrounding should preserve as a whole. End of the 20th century – special ambience areas in Tallinn, valuable

landscapes in Estonia 2000 – European Landscape Convention. City areas and ordinary

landscapes are in the focus of attention in addition to natural areas. 2002 – special ambience areas in Estonian Planning Law

SITUATION IN ESTONIA

Rapid changes in today’s Estonia are seen in our life environment

Construction is focused on innovation of the existing building environment without knowing and considering its specific characteristics of urban planning and architecture

OUR CITIES ARE BECOMING IDENTICAL –THEIR ORIGINALITY, AUTHENTICITY AND URBAN PLANNING IDENTITY ARE DISAPPEARING

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCEGOAL

TO PROTECT

THE VALUABLE ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS

AS A CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY

THE ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS, SIMILARLY

TO NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, IS AN UNRENEWABLE ASSET

MEANING OF AMBIENCE

In Latin – ambientem, from amb- ‘around’ and ire ‘go’In French – ambience ‘surroundings, environment, atmosphere’In English – environment, atmosphere

AMBIENCE IS BOTH MATERIAL AS WELL AS PERCEPTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

BUILDING AREA OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

is connected with the buildings environment and its perception by people

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

METHODOLOGY

VALUABLE OBJECTS OF URBAN

DEVELOPMENT

CITY LANDMARKS

VALUABLE BUILDING AREAS OF URBAN

DEVELOPMENT

CITY PATTERNS

According to the Danish SAVE system

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

METHODOLOGYVALUABLE OBJECTS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

CITY LANDMARKS

dominant buildings monuments ensembles squares parks places of social activity

Important is their domination in the city view and their significance

for city’s people

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

METHODOLOGYVALUABLE BUILDING AREAS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

CITY PATTERNS original city areas preserved as a whole buildings’ blocks, ensembles, streets parks, landscape elements and the like

which have their own structure of plan and space, construction

rules and architecture

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE CREATE THE

GENERAL LOOK OF THE CITY

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE1. PLAN STRUCTURE PLAN – urban-developmental formation, structure of

city’s plan – its originality, individuality or accordance with the plan, city’s topographical peculiarities

STREETS’ STRUCTURE – character of streets’ course, width, views, accordance with the plan

PLACEMENT OF BUILDINGS – on the lot and in relation to the street

GREENERY AND FENCES – characteristic greenery, its location on the street or the lot, presence of fences, their placement and appearance.

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE2. SPATIAL STRUCTURE

ARCHITECTURE – typical architecture of the area and its originality, scale of buildings, their bulk and rhythm

UNITY AND HOMOGENEITY OF BUILDINGS – compatibility of buildings with each other in the street, block, city area, which does not necessarily mean their similarity

Special ambience areas are chosen so as to show different

construction periods, characteristic of the city.

SUMMARY

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

Have certain structure of plan and space, rules and types of construction

Importance of established integrity – plan’s accordance with the spatial structure

Significance of constructions’ unity - compatibility with each other in the street, block, city area, which does not necessarily mean their similarity

KOHTLA-JÄRVESPECIAL AMBIENCE AREAS

PROPOSAL: SPECIAL AMBIENCE AREAS IN KOHTLA-JÄRVE

1.DWELLING HOUSES IN PIONEERI STREET – 1920s

2.DWELLING HOUSES IN KARL LUTSU STREET – 1922-1938

3.IDA DISTRICT – end of 1940s

4.INSENERI DISTRICT – end of 1940s

5.CITY PARK – founded in 1950s

6.CITY CENTRE – 1940-50s

7.LÕUNA DISTRICT 1972-1978

LEGISLATION BASISBUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE

GENERAL PLAN

General plan determines

building areas of special ambience and conditions

of their protection and usage

Planning Law § 8 clause (3) point 6

To specify and complement the existing general plan it is possible to draft a THEME PLAN in order to set the protection and usage conditions of special ambience building areas

Similarly to the general plan, the theme plan is made public

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE

(1) Building area of special ambience is: an original city

area, block, street, buildings’ensemble, park and the like

with a complete plan and spatial structure of urban

development

(2)The aim of a special ambience building area is:

to preserve the established integrity of the urban

development and its plan and space structure,

architectural and building traditions and original

atmosphere

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE

(3) When planning a building area of special ambience, constructing new buildings, doing extentions, repairements or rebuildings of the existing constructions, the following is considered:

1) established structure of urban development – structure of street network and buildings, building-up percentage of the lot, construction customs, location of houses, their building lines, scale of constructions and the like.

2) established architectural and building traditions, typical building materials, cover materials and shape of the roof, design details and finishing of the façade and the like.

3) fences and greenery customs, characteristic of the area and compatible with the buildings

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE

(4) Construction and design of buildings, unsuitable for the urban development customs and architecture of special ambience building areas, is prohibited

(5) Avoid putting up temporary buildings as well as constructions, unfitting for building areas of special ambience (street lighting posts, billboards, above-ground elements of technical networks etc.).

Detailed conditions, demands and regulations are set by the THEME PLAN.

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Necessary to coordinate with city administration:

Reconstructions and extensions of houses and changes of façades

Construction of new buildings Taking down primeval trees and planting new ones Building of streetward fences

Appendices: references to legislation acts

A DETAILED PLAN SHOULD BE DRAWN UP BEFORE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING IN A SPECIAL AMBIENCE AREA.

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN

REPAIRS AND BUILDING EXTENSIONS ARE MADE Following original design principles of the buildings Preserving or restoring characteristic details of house design- form of doors and windows, their placement on the façade and wall, division of

their frames, jamb boarding- design of porch canopies- finishing material of walls and the way of its installation- size and design of dormers- roof pitches, its form and eaves’ design

Using natural building materials, similar to the existing ones- repair wooden windows and weather boarding or replace their materials with the

same ones- installation of plastic windows and use of synthetic materials is not allowed in a

wooden house- flat sheet metal is recommended as the roof cover material- paint using natural tones characteristic of the area

Building houses’ extensions so that the bulk of the existing construction would dominate

-build the new constructional part yardward or as a lower extension of the existing building

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUILDINGS Analyse the plan structure and draw a detailed plan of the area before

choosing the place for a new building Demolition of existing buildings is allowed only in case of their poor

technical condition Build new constructions on the existing building line New buildings should have (in the floor plan as well as in bulk) the

size and roof shape similar to those of already existing Use traditional materials for outer finishing of new buildings; usage of

imitation materials is not allowed Preserve the established average building-up percentage of the lot Avoid random and unplanned building of auxiliary constructions;

auxiliary buildings and their outer finishing should suit that of the main buildings

Build streetward fences and gates according to the example of the original ones; the streetward fences should have similar height