Signal Box Yard, Bath
Commercial & Residential
The challenges of high-density residential development in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Project Description
The project comprises the redevelopment of a previous car showrooms to provide a mixed use development of 316 homes, 335 bed Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and associated external and public realm. The Site is on a key route into the city centre and is visible from the surrounding hillside around Bath. The development proposals include buildings varying between 5-7 storeys.
The Site forms a key part of the Bath Western Riverside (BWR) urban regeneration area which is transforming a large area of brownfield land west of the city centre.
Details of Our Involvement
We have had considerable input into and experience of development projects in Bath, including on a number of the sites within BWR, and have also worked on a number of projects with Watkin Jones. We were engaged in part due to our expertise in providing Verified Views that accompany Townscape or Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (TVIA and LVIA) and heritage impact assessments (HIA).
The project requirements were for a high-quality mixed-use development which was in accordance with the planning policy context including in terms of the sensitive environment of Bath, a twice designated UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). The brownfield Site demanded an efficient redevelopment which maximised the number of dwellings.
The design proposals were subject to a design review panel and pre-application consultations. The effects on key views, including along the Lower Bristol Road, and especially from surrounding hills, needed to be carefully considered with a range of visualisation material prepared during the pre-application process.
In a collaborative effort, we worked closely with the architects Brock Carmichael to create both the Verified Views and a number of other Computer Generated Images (CGI) to illustrate the proposals.
The Verified View Montages (VVM) helped steer the design process and assisted the planning authority in reach an informed and positive planning decision.
Location
- Lower Bristol Road, Bath
Client
- Watkins Jones Group PLC
Collaborators
Brock Carmichael
Nicholas Pearson Associates
Watkins Jones Group PLC
Pegasus Group
Signal Box Yard, Bath Courtyard CGI
Project Highlights
The project highlights included integrating the proposed development into the local streetscape context and, in the preparation of ‘future baseline montages’ showing how the project would fit with other consented developments across BWR.
Conclusion
A planning application was submitted in 2020 and consent was granted in August 2021.
This development project and the Verified Views prepared reflect the design and planning challenges involved in the development of high-density residential scheme within a historic environment, and the need for high quality visualisations to support the planning process.
The experience gained from this project can be beneficial for architects seeking to design high density schemes within a historical context and emphasises the importance of collaboration and thorough assessments in the planning process.
