Number 20 May 1992
ARCHITEGTURE
A review of current Architectural and Environmental Issues and events in the Cambridge area produced by theCambrfdge Association ofArchftects. The views in his newsletter are those of the individual contributors and not of the Association. Newsletter co-edited by David Raven and Colen Lumley. ’Cambridge Architecture Trumpington Mews, Trumpington, Cambridge. CB2 2LS
RIVER FARM Christopher FlemingJones River Farm comprises some 10Ha (25acres) of land to the east of the River Cam and North West ofTrumpington Road. Currently under cultivation the site enjoys some long distance views to thesouth and west towards Trumpington and Grantchester. A mature screen of trees form thenorthern boundary, beyond which areplaying fields for the Leys School accessed from Latham Road,a road which is lined bya belt of mature trees, some of which aresubject toa T.P.O. The surrounding area to the north and east is predominantly residential. There is evidence in this area of archaeological antiquity. When Latham Road was being cr' structed artifacts were unearthed and further ice of Roman settlement came tolight in IN.o when pottery was found during road construction. Any further development may be subject to intensive screening. The site was originally acquired by the Pemberton family when it was part of the parish of Trumpington which was bought in 1675 for 500 guineas. The present farm was built in the 1830’s and is located at the end of Latham Road. The farm lies within the Green Belt round thecity and is the closest agricultural land to the centre of Cambridge (1 mile as the crow flies from Great St. Mary's). This isa significant factor in the determination of its future, and it is currently scheduled in the Local Draft Plan as suitable for recreational facilities which areinkeeping and compatible with the Green Belt. Most citizens of Cambridge arewell aware of thevalue of its open spaces. These primarily take two forms. There aretheprotected and often private pockets of ‘manicured green’ in the College Courts and formal gardens and parks, and there are the green wedges of wilderness or common land which penetrate into the heart of the city. The former spaces are preserved in aspic but the latter may come under increasing pressure because their boundaries are less well defined and their ownership is more inthepublic sector. River
Farm is located within and forms part of the most precious wedge; that which fringes the river Cam on its course from Grantchester to the Backs and which terminates temporarily at St. John's college where it adopts an urban guise, to reappear atJesus Green and then Midsummer Common. The land was acquired by Cambridge City Council after the Second World War and was intended to be used forprivate recreational purposes, plans were shelved at the time due to lack of finance and the farm has continued to be used foragricultural purposes. The City Council has recently obtained full planning approval fora football pitch and pavilion on part of the site and outline approval fora mini golf course (9 hole pitch and putt). This application, which is for part of the site to the rear of no. 17 to 27 Trumpington Road would notunduly violate the integrity of the green wedge, but other factors, particularly the introduction ofa new entrance onto the busy Trumpington Road andthepotential loss of amenity tothe local residents did raise considerable objection to the proposals. Tenders arecurrently being invited by the Council.
River Farmfrom Granchester Meadows
CFJ the first ofa series planned as supplements to theLocal Plan. Although not qualified as such in theDesign booklet, or its accompanying press releases, City Planner Peter Studdert explained that its status (as far as the Council is concerned) is that ofa consultation document which will be gradually introduced to inform future assessment of planning applications. The intention is to establish principles at the conceptual stage ofa scheme, so that the details may be more readily accommodated atthe approved document M stage under theBuilding Regulations. In due course it is intended it will becomea consultative document for compliance with planning requirements. The Guide attempts to bring together current legislation and provision to providea comprehensive summary forthedesign
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ACCESS DESIGN Atthe 5 May press launch of theAccess Design Guide Judith Crosby, the City Council's Policy Officer, herself wheelchair bound, gavea graphic description of the difficulties encountered by those with mobility, or sensory handicaps in moving about and using the city. Nine classes of disability or handicap where outlined with their own specific problems. The visuals accompanying herpresentation examined conflicts between different disabled classes (the problems of dropped kerbs for the blind) the inadequacies of some ofthepresent provision (it is not enough toprovide reserved parking for disabled, space has also to be provided forgetting in and out of the vehicle) and valuable feedback was given on the performance of current provision for dealing with this aspect of design.The Design Guide is
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professionals. Much good effort and intentions have gone towards producinga document that breaks new ground ina number ofdirections. It takes designers beyond theconventional concerns to include all those considered to be ata disadvantage in their encounters with the environment (parents with pushchairs, small children) toa holistic view embracing thetotal experience of interior and exterior environments. The City council is to be praised for its sensitivit to the special needs. Through this initiative Its politicians have proved themselves the enablers that society expects them tobe. More is the pity that in the haste to communicate this to the electors they should once again neglect to consult the body of opinion that it is most meant toinfluence. In his introduction to the Design Guide, Counsellor Rick Leggat, former Chairman of theEnvironment Committee, criticised architectural education and the profession for its limp attitude to the issues of access for disabled persons; blissfully unaware of Selwyn Goldsmith's classic book on display at the same presentation, representing thirty years of documentation and research on behalf of the profession. In so doing he seta strategy for confrontation, for imposition of doubtful legislation; In contrast, it must be said, to the attitude of the officers of the Council, who advocatea process of seminars and discussion, to refine the document and toinvolve the design professions in its promotion asa continuing and developing process. We must hope that the latter prevails and that architects are vigilant in monitoring the progress of this document asa legislative instrument. In its present simplistic form, with many ofits premises based on half truths, it is unsatisfactory and unsuitable as an enforcement document forprofessional purposes. As a guide and stimulus for greater awareness of the issues it contains, it should be warmly welcomed by designers, representing as it does valuable insight and feedback froma section of the community with special need of our attention. As a design guide setting the pace forothers of the same ilk, and remembering those whom it is aimed toinfluence, it would gratly benefit in later printing if some reconsideration were given to its determinedly naff graphic design. C.L.
Colen Lumley Kings Parade, the singularly most important William Wilkin’s magnificent screen and public space in Cambridge, is the de facto gateway toKings. The space thus formed centre of the University, represented by James enclosed lawns and pavements, isa hybrid,. Gibbs’ Senate House and theOld Schools street frozen in its halfway transition to building, administrative centre of the becominga piazza. Hawksmoor's unrealized University. Cambridge is perhaps the C 18 plans for monumentalising the centre of archetypal university in the city; indelibly Cambridge focused on the ultimate integrated with theurban fabric through reorganisation of space to do just this. centuries of continuing encroachment. Many of The parade is the natural collecting point for thenearly4 million annual visitors to tourists and visitors and the low wall to King's Cambridge areata loss to comprehend the forecourt acts as the longest outdoor seat in subtleties of its autonomous colleges and their Cambridge. It isa promenade forall kinds of relationship to the physical presence of the visitors, including conferees to the regular university as an institution. It is only on this conference use made ofthecolleges. The spot in Kings Parade that the distinctions are Parade isa stage of the ceremonial processions manifest in symbolic and built form. Kings surrounding the presentation of degrees to Parade is in the heart of the City; the University graduants, including the conferment of church of St. Mary's theGreat and its flanking honorary degrees to distinguished recipients, passage and St Mary's Street joining the Parade and for ceremonial connected with VIP visits, to Market Hill, the site of the Guildhall and and more informally to the annual market place, which form thecivic centre of undergraduate rag and festival events. Cambridge. It isa special and unique place, rich in history, This union of the locus of town and gown is atmosphere, associations with celebrated lives symbolic and is reflected in the parade itself by and connections with present city and yr the architectural confrontation of the Kings university life, and represented in the numb College frontage with the row of mediaeval and and quality of monumental and historic eighteenth and nineteenth century townhouses buildings of which it is informally composed. and shops opposite. A confrontation in which It is foremosta place where theprivilege and there is no actual contest since the colleges status of the scholastic institution of the have long since absorbed these properties and University is made visible to the citizens of converted them tostudent lodgings and lettable Cambridge asa ritual of territorial enactment, units, their facades blandly projectinga fixed through the style and scale of its properties and historic countenance. through its ceremonials in public. The The space formed by these enclosing buildings vibrancy of the place derives from thetensions tapers toward theentry into the city from and richness of this dynamic blend of interests, Trumpington Road at the south end. The lawns from theliveliness of the dails street scene and and trees at the north and west sides expand the periodic events, and from magnificent spatial experience of the street. Narrow assemblage of architectural set pieces. Its pedestrian passages to the market square and visual charm derives substantially from theplay the Arts Theatre, and the gateway from Kings of towers and pinnacled buildings against the connecting to the Backs, providea permeability range of townbuildings. The intricate detail and to the Parade which contributes to its activity modelling of the stonework of the college and and sequential connectivity to the rich system university buildings contrasted with the more of public open space in the city centre. The humble brickwork and domestic scale and vista at the north end is closed by Waterhouse's aviety of the buildings on the eastern side. Its eclectic tower and range forGonville and Caius north/south orientation ensures the glow of College, with only the narrow entry of Trinity creamy white stonework of the Kings screen Street. The irregular space thus enclosed still and chapel in the morning sun and inthe bears the footprint of its former status asa evening the romantic pinnacled skyline is street. Now partially closed to vehicular traffic, silhouetted against the dramatic fenland skies. the obsolete carriageway is witness to the At such moments thescenic background erupts existence of town buildings most lately into an architectural fantasy to delight the eyes removed form thewestern side of the parade, to of even theleast receptive observer of the urban make way inthe C 19fortheerection of scene.
Photograph by Tim Rawle In the museum ethos of contemporary culture the historical process of change has been arrested. It is most unlikely that the outward form of Kings Parade will undergo any ificant alteration in the foreseeable future. ” c pressures from tourism have highlighted some inadequacies of the city, its shortage of cafes and bars in the central area appropriate to the needs of an indigenous and frustrated cafe society and to those of its visitors. The Parade offersa prospect of conversion toa piazza supporting more outdoor cafe life, but before that the pavings, floorscape and territorial boundaries will need tobe redefined and redesigned, along with full pedestrianisation.
Coldhams Lane Pits - the story so far David Yandell y
Quarrying of Cambridgeshire Marl,a naturally irring mixture of chalk and clay, started in date 19th century. It was baked toform Portland Cement. Off Coldhams Lane, in about 120 acres, deep pits were dug, on either side of the path from Romsey toCherry Hinton. Some ofthese, as big as lakes, filled with water. From 1962 fortwenty years, others, of equal volume, were filled with domestic rubbish. The lanscape of enormous artificial hollows, hazardously filled, is complicated by the railway that angles across it,a gas pipe line passing round it and the airport whose runway stops just short of it. This is by far the biggest of Cambridge's few industrial waste-lands and it lies abouta mile anda half from thecity centre, to some extent defying development. The lakes are deep, steep sided and dangerous. Little grows easily on the exhausted ground. Methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide seep and toxic leachates drain from thelandfill. Structurally the fill is dangerously weak - thousands of laminas of detritus gradually settling are not exactly loadbearing. Understandably what has been built along the fringes of this area, mostly modest housing, of various periods, has chosen to ignore it. Only thesky could be enjoyed and then only when notobscured by smoke ordust.
PhotograJ›lih›' Tim Soar
The City Council has largely playeda reactive role in controlling the ideas for re-use. It has not issueda planning brief. It has formulated views about needs. The Romsey Town Local Plan vaguely and diagrammatically allowed for leisure, recreational and business uses ina large piece jigsaw, dictated by whether theold holes were full of water or trash or just empty. The council has said that any development must be linked toa Cherry Hinton by-pass along the south side of the airport. It has also identified the potential fora green chain of spaces linking this site with Coldhams and Stourbirdge Commons, with green routes making these connections and enhancing theold path to Mill Road. The Director of Leisure Services has identified which activities are making genuine demands. These range form an American brewery who want tobuilda baseball stadium to the ‘aboriginal’ Cherry Hinton Angling Club who would like to be left alone. Blue Circle, the owners, have had RMJM preparea neat brochure foran outline application for most of theland. This proposes 300,000 sq.ft. of commercial building mostly in the unfilled hollows and informal recreational uses on the water or on the crust of the fill. Morrisons,a leisure company, who have an option on the southernmost 27 acres have putforwarda more specific scheme. This identifies, in block form,a multi-screen cinema, ten pin bowling (back again!)a night club, two restaurants and a lakeside hotel, together witha 900 space surface car park - the whole reminiscent of Las Vegas? Possibly asa reaction to the ad hoc nature of these proposals the City Council have subsequently made their approach more formal. A full blown Environmental Appraisal is called for. This is being carried out by Aspinwalls, whose job specification is to consider 'the likely effects of development on human beings, traffic
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generation, flora, fauna, soil, water, air, climate and landscape and their various interactions'. This has to be presented in ‘non technical language’. It will be interesting to read and to see by how much it causes proposals to be modified. We seem tohave here ‘a sins of our fathers’ situation. Can it be redeemed by piecemeal, speculative development. Are these 120 acres of urban landa potential community asset? If so, what is their best use? Are the hazards really being recognised? What ofthedirective that recommends no development within 100 metres of landfill sites? Would it be better to leave this dramatically abused landscape until its gases have burnt away, thecity has grown around it and its full potential asa giant adventure playground can be fulfilled?
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MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND TALK Ulla Wilke's talk on her joint entry with Stirling, Milford& Associates for the competition (which won second prize) and her submission for the Wakefield Grammar School competition (short-listed to the last four) engages theaudience ina lively discussion at the Architecture Centre on the 5th March. Wilke and Stirling's bold approach tobuilding ona restricted and sensitive site next to the Chambers Street Royal Scottish Museum is illustrated by their decision to give the public piazza, aligning the dramatic staircase and circulation space behinda 3-storey glazed wall with the axis of the Victorian Atrium of the existing museum. A harp-shaped glazed sloping corner tower, houses the 19th Century Boulton and Watt steam engine and effects the transition from the glazed Chambers Street elevation to the gabled front, in traditional sandstone which'1ook towards Edinburgh Castle across George IV Bridge. It would have been thefirst project to use structural glazing on such a large scale in the city. The dominance of glass on Chambers Street was perhaps too much fortheselectors. Wakefield Grammar School hasa cross-shaped plan which artfully links the Victorian villas of the existing school buildings.
Viewfrom George IV Bridge. from Building Design 6.5.91
New housing, the other component repeats the villa theme intheraised ground floor with an external flight of steps beloved of classical architects. The rear elevations with decks covering car-parking bays and planted pergolas are effective and ingenious. Ulla Wilke, worked at the Stirling Wilford& Associates office before setting up her own practice,B W Architects. She also teaches at the Mackintosh School.
G. Milstein and J Forrest
APPOINTMENTS Professor Ivor Richards is the new CAA representative on the city listed buildings panel in succession to Ken Buffery. Richard Brinblecombe has been nominated to represent the CAA on the Market Square Working Group.
CITIES UNREELED TheFrench Cultural Delegation in association with the University Department of Architecture are currently presentinga series of films based in Paris-Berlin-New- York with urban or architectural themes attheArts Cinema until 24 May, details tel: 352001 (Box Office).
Harris U Sutherland Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers London
Cambridge
Chelmsford
Swindon
Engineers who contribute to design Harris& Sutherland is an established firm with a reputation for creative design, innovation, and cost conscious decision making. The scope of our experience includes roads and bridgework, harbours, offshore structures, land-reclamation, and drainage. Our structural work includes industrial, commercial, educational, domestic, medical, and recreational sectors. Harris & Sutherland 15 Sturton Street Cambridge CB1 2QG TEL: 0223-65731 FAX: 0223-61332
PLANNING APPEAL An important general decision in defining the limits to content of conditions imposed by planning authorities, and the extent and nature of reserved matters, has been obtained by taking South Cambridgeshire Planning Department to appeal overa recent outline planning stage which imposed onerous detailed conditions. The proposals for eight houses ona 1.25 acre farmland site near the green belt is in accordance with Local Policy H17 and was designed in consultation with the planning department. Conditions limited the size of the dwellings to 93 sq m and called for design information on the internal layout of the houses. The appeal wasallowed on both counts as there are detail matters for resolution at full planning approval
The July issue of Cambridge Architecture is being Guest Edited by the Woman in Architecture Group.
$§$ CAA
EVENTS
27°Jun'e (Venüe and Time tobe confirmed) Tim Soar ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGTAPIIY 'MASTERGLÄSS Tickéfs, Aichitectüre Boökshöp, tel 35ô953
St° e
38 June 10 a.m. &.2 p.m.
Gordon Millar
worn DAYOFARCI-iITECTURE TOUR OF GONTEMPARY HOUSES Tickets, Architecture Bookshop 1 JULY 6. p.m. Kings Collège: WORLD'DAY OF ARCHITECTURE REGIONA'L AWARDS 91CEREMONY & STRAWBERRIES & WNE Tickets, Architecture Bookshop 6 July, 6.30 p.m. Architecture Centre OSLO ARCHITECTURE OleWiig President of Norwegian Society of Architects. Cambridge hJ gr2phtc p ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY PANEL DISCUSSION Date tobe announced Eric Parry with Philip Meadowcroft PHILOS€1PHY OFA PRACTICE
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