urban design - achieving high quality place making

Urban design is the art of making places. The visual and sensory relationship between people, and the built and natural environment. The owner of Abode Projects Ltd, has implemented the principles of urban design for the last 15 years whilst working in the built environment. The following examples detail these relationships.

The Former Rowhedge Wharf A designed inclusive public open space, with integrated retained PRoW, including landscaped urban spaces, with places to sit, and a viewing platform to also accommodate art, and maximise views. Focal buildings providing legibility, with a variety in materials.

Former Rowhedge Wharf Retained natural habitats to the edge of the Wharf with maintained natural path. Uban path within open grassed edge with margin mix. Variety of roof scapes, and building heights, and a variety of materials both natural, and contemporary man made products. Walled edges providing a continuety of form. New planting providing feathered canopies retaining views towards the estuary.

Former Rowhedge Wharf Views looking into the development from the public right of way, retaining existing trees and brambled edges. Muted coloures encouraged in the use of materials for the street scene to match the muddy estuary.

The Former Rowhedge Wharf Private frontages with space to encourage, and enable individual personalisation, with pots and benches to enable people to take ownership.

The Former Rowhedge Wharf The continuous building frontage mirrors the existing building form opposite the estuary, retaining the existing trees. Each street of termination includes a building treated with a different material and style.

The Former Rowhedge Wharf The Urban Space materials designed by A.Garnham include block paved shared spaces, some with formal railings to define public and private spaces, and some frontages defined by the use of pots and private seating. Focal buildings include balconies, with a sunny position. Changes in roof configurations and heights, with a blend of traditional and contemporary styling adds a palette of visual variety. A variety of window styles, and surround detailing with pentice boards, and horns.

The Former Severalls Hospital Character areas of similar materials helps people identify with where they are within larger developments. The use of different coloured paving blocks, boundary treatments of post and rail to define public open spaces, and estate railings with the inclusion of planting adds variety and interest. This project included walls to all public frontages, including parking areas. The use of bollards help to define where cars may not go, if the project includes the use of cycle and pedestrian ways as these can easily be mistaken for car use. You will note the use of inbuilt bat boxes at height within the gables of some dwellings. This project retained existing trees, which has helped to provide some planting maturity to the scheme,. Parking between properties without garages included the provision of pergolas.

The Former Severalls Hospital This development proposed the use of rough cast render, a chosen finish by Colchester Borough Council with a prominance of red brick to depict the former hospital built in red brick. Planting larger stock sizes of landscaping, helping the development feel more established alongside the existing trees of the grounds that surrounded the former hospital.

The variety in building materials, hardscaping, and well defined landscape is an essential part of the environment, providing a visual need of people with planting softening the hard edges of the built form.
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