HEXHAM WORKHOUSE ARC8063 HOUSING ALTERNATIVES SEPTEMBER 2013

A CIVIC UNIVERSITY • Responding to challenges facing civic society • A strong sense of place and embedded in the region • Contribution to societal challenge themes - ageing - social renewal - sustainability • Genuine engagement with public and stakeholder

communities

ARCHITECTURE PLANNING AND LANDSCAPE • MA in Urban Design : A strong social focus • Long standing working relationship with HCS

ARC8063 HOUSING ALTERNATIVES

THE PROJECT • Design a neighbourhood • …on a brownfield well-connected site

• ..with character: existing historic and recent buildings • topography adds complexity

• Write a responsive brief • What demographic? Respond to housing need • Include a co-housing scheme • Define the community

• Design for them - with them : co-production / co-design • What other uses and how much is appropriate in this area?

• Produce a high-quality distinctive place

EXPERTISE URBAN DESIGN Georgia Giannopoulou, DPD MAUD, Newcastle Tim Townshend, Head of Planning and Urban Design, Newcastle

ARCHITECTURE / SUSTAINABILITY Mark Siddall, Architect practitioner, PassivHaus Expert, Lecturer in Construction SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY / COHOUSING Helen Jarvis, Reader in Geography and researcher in alternative housing Support GRAPHICS AND COMMUNICATIONS Christoph Oschatz, Architect practitioner, communication skills support

LOCAL EXPERTISE AND DESIGN Roger Higgins, Urban Designer, Carlisle City Council / Hexham Civic Society

THE SITE

THE SITE

THE SITE - Sustainable location

- Roughly 3 x hectares (minimum capacity 90-100 units @ 30/h)

- A great opportunity to intensify the town centre and support services

- An opportunity to experiment with higher density new typologies and diversify the offer

- A site with character and history

- Good views in and out of the site and proximity to amenities

- A gap in the fabric / repair the urban grain / introduce exciting new contextual architecture and experiment with social paradigms

WHAT DID WE DO? - We visited the site….. - We read literature on cohousing - We analysed the place : physical and socioeconomic - We visited a Cohousing Community – Lancaster - We designed and run a design charrette with an existing

community! - We started forming briefs - We tested options and structured the place through

Design Codes - We developed masterplans for the site….

Proportion of age groups (Hexham & North East)

5%

13%

5%

29%

25%

23%

6%

14%

5%

34%

25%

17%

0-4

5-15

16-19

20-44

45-64

65+

North East Hexham Ward

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

18%

17%

14% 11%

13%

4%

8%

7% 8%

1 Managers &senior officials

2 Professional

3 Associate prof& tech

4 Admin andsecretarial

5 Skilled trades

6 Personalservice

Employment (Hexham & Hexhamshire), 2007

Housing

Site

Key green space

Town centre/historic

core

Historic landmark

Supermarket

Transport

interchange

Leisure centre

Hospital

200m 100m

0-4

5-14

15-2

9

30-4

4

45-5

9

60-7

4

75+

Population Changes in Tynedale: 2009-2029

Top 4 Reasons for Housing Inadequacy in City Region Commuter Area (2012)

38.4% 34.8%

27.8% 22.2%

4.3%

11.4%

28.6%

14.9% 12.1% 12.3%

6.4% 5.0% 5.0%

Annual household income of City Region Commuter Area Residents (2012)

Desired house size for those wishing to move in/within City Region Commuter Area (2012)

251

1186

2031

793

1128

737

145

27

1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4+ bed

Existing households Concealed households

0 500

-700

400

-2300

3300

4900 HOUSING NEED

HISTORICAL CHARACTER ANALYSIS Pre 16th

C 1835 1863 1883 1930 1948 2002 1984

Merging phases Workhouse Masters House

Deterioration

ANALYSIS OF LOCAL CHARACTER Historic Recent

Post-war

PHYSICAL MOVEMENT & LAND USE

Pedestrian Desire Links

Existing pedestrian routes

Existing bus route

Existing vehicular route Building usage

Parking Space

Green Space

VISUAL CONCEPTS View from Hexham Bridge

Views/legibility

Surrounding character

Historic landmark

Potential view

Key gateway views

Ridges/steps

Tree planting

Function-less

greenspace

Poor quality end view

Visual/physical barrier

Key visible frontage

Intimate spaces

10m

20m

10m

20m

CO-HOUSING

WHAT IS CO-HOUSING? • a form of intentional community consisting of private homes

which are then complimented by shared facilities. • a grassroots movement • Responds to dissatisfaction with the more estranged existing

housing choices • …inspired by more connected traditional small towns and an

interest in shared responses • an active participatory model whereby it is planned, run and

owned by the residents • includes a common house with shared spaces and activities • Emerged in Denmark in the 70s – many in the US and now a

number of UK projects

CO-HOUSING

VISIT TO LANCASTER COHOUSING

DESIGN CHARRETTE WITH LOCAL GROUP

PROJECT EXAMPLES

KEY THEMES • Character areas responsive to surroundings • 2-3 bed houses responding to the outcomes of Hexham East

study • Links with the Town Centre with uses and permeability • Meaningful open space in a linear ped-friendly route or series

of courtyards • Retain existing buildings where possible and add-connect • Community gardens / urban agriculture / live-work • Car-free environment • Added permeability • Addressing the A695 and Priestpopple / Dean Street • Retain/capitalise on views from the Station

WHAT NEXT? We will be here next year! We welcome your input…. Look around!