Designing buildings in a historic context - an EbD approach

Ben Bolgar, Senior Director

15th September 2015

Aims of Presentation

• Enquiry by Design approach • Placemaking principles • Design principles for working with historic buildings

Enquiry by Design workshop methodology

• A planning tool that brings together key stakeholders to collaborate on a vision for a new or revived community. This is developed through a workshop process which brings key stakeholders together, to assess a complex range of design requirements for the development site.

• Interactive rather than sequentially reactive as the conventional design planning process.

• Encourages innovative and dynamic solutions to key issues • Is place-based and an intensive design enquiry; every issue is tested by being drawn.

Who we Engage

EbD: The Programme

– Exploring Key Issues• Technical briefings• Site Tour• Initial Structure Plans

– Testing of Initial Concepts• Multiple Masterplans• Point of maximum confusion

– Agreement and Development of Vision• Sign-off of Vision• Consolidation of plan• Specialist strategies worked up along

with detailed studies– Production and Final Presentation

• Resolution of any outstanding political, delivery and funding issues

• Production of final plans and drawings • Communication to general public

LISTEN - Local consultation - key stakeholder workshop to establish hierarchy of local opinion and essential qualities of place

EXAMINE - Map regression studying land form, geology, movement networks and development phases of place DIAGNOSE - Assess how building/s or site fits into context - hierarchy, symmetry, materials, languageREMEDY - Create solution which responds to diagnosis and builds on positives and heals negatives to create harmonious whole

Good consultation - the GP analogy

1 LISTENING

2 EXAMINATION

2 EXAMINATION

2 EXAMINATION

Engender Social Interaction Make Places Allow Movement Logically and Legibly Sustain Land Value Design Using Natural Harmonics Build Beautifully

Design Principles for Placemaking

3 DIAGNOSIS

3 DIAGNOSIS

3 DIAGNOSIS

THEN?

NOW?

1900's ATHENS & VENICE Charters introduce idea of all new work 'bearing a contemporary (modernist) stamp'

BY 2000's modernism becomes a historical style and the age of architectural 'pluralism' replaces it Idea of new contrasting with old still pervades in many circles

Should a proper analysis inform the language any new addition should take?

Languages of architecture in an age of pluralism

Hierarchy/Legibility

Symmetry/Balance

Adaptability/Simplicity

Materials/Weathering

Language/Proportion

Scale/Decoration

Design Principles for working with Historic Buildings

Design Principles at the Building Scale

Design Principles at the Building Scale

Design Principles at the Building Scale

Kings Cross

New Concourse

New Public Space

St Martin in the Fields

St Martin in the Fields

Kensington Palace

British School, Rome

THANK YOU

Burslem Town Hall

Then and Now

Hierarchy/Legibility

Symmetry/Balance

Adaptability/Simplicity

Materials/Weathering

Language/Proportion

Scale/Decoration

Design Principles for working with Historic Buildings