Development Design Guide 2.

CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

Chapter 2

Character and Context

2.1 The site and context

2.2 Design character

‘Always design a thing by

considering its larger
context - a chair in a room,
a room in a house, a
house in an environ-
ment, an environment in a
city plan’.
ELLIEL SAARINEN

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

Medium area or
small scale infill
Extensions and

tall height *

Large area †
TABLE 2.1 SITE AND CONTEXT APPRAISAL INVENTORY.

Alterations
Subject How does the development deal with the following:-

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Topography Wind analysis (of effect of proposal).

Aspect Potential for benefitting from solar design.
Geology and Suitability for building foundations, quality of soil. Any risk of
soil conditions contamination or salinity.
Hydrology Levels of water table, risk of flooding.

Microclimate Potential for passive solar design, shadowing analysis, need to

ameliorate exposure to wind.

Natural or semi- Retention of habitat, including waterways,

natural habitat. trailways margins, native planting.

Pollution Air quality, noise pollution.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Archaeological and Local archaeological site and monument records, conservation

architectural constraints areas, listed buildings, local vernacular.

Existing buildings and Layout and form, scale and grain, rhythm and pattern of buildings
spaces in relation and spaces. Façade treatments and roofscape. Age, condition and prevalent
to proposal
materials, colours and textures. Street patterns and subdivisions. Effect on
views.
Transport network Movement and accessibility e.g. frequency of public
transport services, pedestrian and cycle links.

Planted elements Green spaces, trees, hedges and other cultivated elements.

Existing service Capacity of existing networks, including Combined

infrastructure Heat and Power location.

USAGE AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS

Facilities Access to schools, parks etc.

Building and Types of existing activity and effect of loss

space uses or potential for continuity of site and
neighbouring uses.

Legal issues Ownership, tenure, covenants, rights of way,

easements. ‡

Local history Local traditions and cultural patterns, memories and

associations.

* Sites of 5 or more units of > 500m2 Commercial buildings, or buildings greater = This aspect
than 6 storeys or 18m. needs to be
† Sites of 30 or more residential units or > 3000m2 Commercial buildings addressed.
‡ Development Control will not take account of these considerations.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

2.0 CHARACTER AND CONTEXT required by Policy SDP 6 of the Local Plan. Refer to
Appendix 1 for the criteria that will determine when a
2.1 The site and context Design Statement will be required.

Objectives
Developments should integrate carefully with the Design Principle 2.i: Designers should carry out a
existing townscape. They should address the thorough site and context appraisal, which should
indigenous character of the ‘place’, reinforce local be submitted as part of a Design Statement where
communities and be sustainable. necessary ( see Appendix 1).

2.1.1 Addressing the context

2.1.2 Does the vision stand up to analysis of site
and context?
Local Plan policies SDP 1 and 7 underline the
importance of protecting the existing character
The site and contextual analysis should yield
and setting of development. The area within which
answers to a series of questions. Is the initial
the proposed scheme will sit should be thoroughly
development concept still pertinent? The survey
appraised. Developers should use the analysis in
may reveal that only part of the site is economic to
the City Centre Urban Design Strategy to help
develop. Or perhaps the embodied energy of the
relate proposals to the regional and local identity
existing buildings is significant in relation to in-use
of Southampton. Refer also to section 2.2 ‘De-
energy needs and therefore refurbishment be-
sign Character’ and Chapter 9 - ‘Design Develop-
comes a more sustainable option. Are the origi-
ment’ in this guide. The primary considerations of
nally proposed uses still appropriate and how can
the appraisal are listed in Table 2.1.
the proposed buildings integrate with the sur-
rounding urban structure?

Waveform roof shape in acknowledgement of the

Thameside location.

As well as considering the existing nature of site and

context the analysis will involve assessing the
sustainability credentials of the proposals. If
Dundee Wharf, Limehouse, London. The independant
proposals rate poorly in terms of one or more steel tower is a reference to the dockside travelling
considerations listed in Table 2.1, mitigation crane and this theme is further extended to the
measures should be submitted to overcome the balconies in general; the pronounced ‘V’ shape being a
problems. Analysis of site and context should be reference to ships’ loading booms (CZWG).

in proportion to the size and importance of the

site. It should form part of the Design Statement

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

2.2 Design character Despite commonality within some of the character

areas there is no dominant Southampton style, for
Objectives example as in Bath. Much of the traditional
To ensure that in general architectural and building in the centre was destroyed during World
landscape design reinforce and enhance local
War II. Rebuilding of the 1950’s to the 1990’s is
distinctiveness whilst delivering development in a
contemporary style. of variable quality but little is of outstanding value.

2.2.1 Southampton style

Reinforcing individual character is a key theme of

the City Centre Urban Design Strategy (CCUDS)
and development should reinforce the existing
positive detailed characteristics of the City, some
of which are described below. Some English
cities are becoming more like each other. De-
signs that reinforce this trend, including off-the-
peg solutions will be discouraged. Designers
should create locally distinct designs that respond
to the past history and existing townscape of
Southampton without resorting to pastiche archi- 1950’s redevelopment of the shopping core.
tecture. Achieving this will help applications meet
Local Plan policies SDP1 and 7. The CCUDS Despite this, composition and proportion of
includes an historical analysis of the development building elements and the range of frontage
of the City Centre (pp 16-17). widths often forms a pattern which helps define
townscape character. For example, Bugle Street
residential properties in the Old Town are charac-
terised by regular plot divisions with a variety of
contrasting façade treatments (see photograph
below). The housing development to the east of
Ocean Village Marina (Cadland, Moorhead and
Calshot Courts) successfully adopts this
townscape type.

The Portland Stone Civic Centre survived wartime

bombing and set the tone for much of the postwar
reconstruction.

Chapter 5 of the CCUDS identifies a series of

character areas, the particular strengths of which
should be enhanced by new development.
CCUDS describes the key design issues and
townscape objectives for each area. Characteris- This view of Bugle Street illustrates the attractive and
tics of each area are summarised in Table 2.2. varied incrementally developed townscape of the Old
Town.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

The rendered Georgian terraces in the Oxford Street

area have a light coloured, airy and formal character.

A different but equally distinct townscape is evident in

Oxford Street where regular plot widths, uniform
façade heights and façades in white or cream
painted stucco determine the character. Where
Some buildings in the waterfront area have Portland
development is located in townscape with a distinc- Stone or modern artificial equivalent horizontal bands
tive and highly valued style, building form should set in red brick.
acknowledge and reinforce local character. The
above and other large-scale positive elements of the
City Centre’s distinctiveness are summarised below:

• Substantial parts of Northern, Central

Parks, Eastern and Old Town character
areas (refer to 2.1 Character Areas Map) of
uniform white or cream render or stone
• Several areas within Northern, Old Town,
Eastern and Waterfront areas comprised of
plots of equal frontage, either with uniform
façade style (Oxford Street and Carlton
(Crescent) or varied façade style (Bugle
Red brick over a cream painted plinth with pronounced
Street, Bedford Place and Cadland,
stonework is a common façade style in the waterfront
Moorhead and Calshot Courts area.
• The medieval Town Walls (Old Town)
• Predominant NS/EW street orientation (all
areas except Weston)
• Underlying peninsular nature of topography,
with the high ground flowing from Northern
to Central Parks to Central and Old Town
(see Section 3.2)
• Consistent fine grain 3-4 storey develop-
ment in most areas which escaped bomb-
ing
• Rich in historical associations (all areas
Occasional use of the cupola is made, especially
except Western and particularly Old Town
amongst pre-war buildings near the waterfront.
and Waterfront).

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

Plan 2.1 CHARACTER AREAS MAP

Northern

North Western

Central Parks

Central
Eastern

Western

Old Town

Development Design Guide

Boundary
Waterfront

Based on the Ordnance Survey’s 2003 map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Staionery Office, Crown Copyright reserved.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Southampton City Council Licence No. 100019679, 2004.

16 Southampton City Council: City Development and Economy

Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

TABLE 2.2 CHARACTER AREA DESCRIPTIONS

North Western (CCUDS pages 50-52) Old Town (CCUDS pages 59-61)

• Centred around Central Railway station • Historic quarter of city with clear character
• Commercial, cultural and residential role • Much high quality townscape and heritage above and
• Mixed quality, but with substantial poor post war below ground
development • Typically fine grained two and three storey buildings,
• Several high rise residential and office buildings especially on western side, breaking down in bomb
clustered near station damaged east
• Major sections of medieval walls remain notably on
western boundary of area
• Specialist retail in north east, elsewhere mainly
residential and commercial
• St Michael’s Church spire is an important landmark
• Refer also to the Old Town Development Strategy, and
the Old Town Conservation Area Appraisal

Northern (excluded from CCUDS) Western (CCUDS pages 62-64)

• Gateway on North South Spine through centre • All reclaimed land, with coarse grain development
• Mixed commercial, residential and leisure role with • Industrial, commercial, retail and hotel uses
Bedford Place providing specialised and district centre • Melange of mostly poor quality larger scale buildings
type retail create a disjointed, confused and illegible urban fabric
• Northern half of the area high quality pre-war buildings, • Primary western gateway to the City characterised by
southern half average quality poor visual quality
• Refer also to the West Quay Phase 3 Development
Strategy

Central Parks (CCUDS pages 53-55) Eastern (CCUDS pages 65-67)

• Key vehicular gateways on eastern side at Charlotte • Eastern gateway formed by Itchen Bridge
Place and Six Dials • Mix of fine grain (centred on Oxford Street) and coarse
• Victorian Central Parks cover two thirds of area grain elsewhere
• West side dominated by fine Civic Centre complex • Oxford Street area highly mixed use, other parts single
with prominent clock tower, east side by Southampton use, residential, warehousing, commercial and retail
Institute • Holyrood housing estate in west is of poor architecture
• Refer also to the Northern Above Bar Development with townscape lacking cohesion
• Much recent development for key-worker, student and
Brief
social accomodation, mostly of high quality

Central (CCUDS pages 56-58) Waterfront (CCUDS pages 68-70)

• Defined by retail core • Severed from rest of centre by the busy A3057
• Majority of frontages to north south spine date from • Diverse collection of urban forms from large scale along
1950’s and although reasonable in quality are northern edge to fine scale of Ocean Village housing
excessively uniform • Some mixture of uses around Ocean Village although
• Poor quality facades fronting parks grain of usage could be finer
• Bargate at south end is significant landmark marking • Series of high quality pre-war buildings remain along
the historic entrance to Old Town northern edge with much redevelopment around
• Mostly medium scale building except West Quay Ocean Village of mixed quality
shopping centre which is significantly larger in mass • Refer also to the Royal Pier Development Brief
• Fragments of high quality pre-war townscape remain
• Refer also to the Northern Above Bar Development
Brief

Text in blue indicates documents published by the City Council.

CCUDS: City Centre Urban Design Strategy. Pages 49 - 70 of this document provide development frameworks for the character
areas.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

The City has a relatively sunny climate compared Below is a visual survey of the range of distinc-
to the rest of the country. Combined with the tive or higher quality buildings in the city centre:-
relatively open spatial quality of the city’s streets
and public spaces this creates a bright and airy
atmosphere. A predominance of light coloured Old Town Character Area:
(white, cream or buff) buildings reinforces this.
Many of these buildings also appear ‘light’ in
terms of weight. This quality of lightness/
heaviness is related to the surface texture and
form of materials. Smooth renders and small
scale, refined forms in the detailing create a much
lighter feel than heavily textured and bold
detailing.

Together with the above there are also a number of

smaller scale details and materials that recur with
regularity throughout the City Centre. Designers
should utilise or interpret these as a way of reinforc-
ing local distinctiveness. The details include:

• buildings that appear light or neutral in terms of

‘weight’
• use of cream painted render as a façade finish
• use of Portland Stone, or other darker, warm grey
stone similar to that from the Isle of Wight used
for the Town Walls
• warehouse style architecture (waterfront only)
• buff coloured materials (stone, brick or painted
Woollen Hall and St Michael’s Church - Old Town.
render)
• polychromatic banding (red and cream)
• bow windows
• keystone in window lintel emphasised
• use of a bluish green colour as a facade highlight
(see Section 9.3, Colour)
• copper clad roofs and roof details
• occasional use of the cupola amongst surviving
pre-war waterfront buildings

Design Principle 2.ii: Where an established,

approprate character exists new buildings and
landscape should complement and enhance this
character in a high quality and contemporary
manner.
The Bargate - Old Town.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

© Alan Brindle

58, French Street - Old Town. Barclays Bank - Old Town.

West Gate - Old Town.

Building detail - Old Town.

Dolphin Hotel - Old Town. High Street - Old Town.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

Western Character Area:

High Street - Old Town.

Grand Harbour Hotel - Western.

The Quays
(Eddie Read
Swimming
and Diving
Centre) -
Western.
High Street - Old Town.

Building Detail -
Old Town.

Additional photographs illustrating the Western

Character Area can be found on pages: 34, 98, 99,
100 and 120.

Additional photographs illustrating the Old Town

can be found on pages: 14, 60, 61, 100, 101, 106,
129, 132 and 145.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

Eastern Character Area:

Canute Hotel - Eastern.

Briton House - Eastern.

The London Hotel - Eastern.

South Western House - Eastern.

Dukes Keep - Eastern. Additional photographs illustrating the Eastern

Character Area can be found on pages: 15, 129 and
132.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

Waterfront Character Area: Central Character Area:

Portland Street - Central.

Harbour Lights cinema - Waterfront.

Harbour
House -
Waterfront. Additional photographs illustrating the Central
Character Area can be found on pages 14, 102.

Central Parks Character Area:

© Alan Brindle

Southampton Institute - Central Parks.

Admirals Quay, Ocean Village - Waterfront. Photograph

by courtesy of Wilson Bowden Development.

Additional photographs illustrating the Waterfront Additional photograph illustrating the Central
Character Area can be found on pages: 120, 123 and Parks Character Area can be found on pages 14, 132.
129.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

© Alan Brindle
Other visual influences include:

Liner docked at the P&O passenger terminal.

Note the crane which is one of several that move
The Sail training vessel Prince William, built at along the Western Docks on rails. Together with
Southampton in 2001. the ships the cranes create a continually
changing skyline.

The Oriana, one of the P&O liners for which Southampton is

the ‘home port’.
© Alan Brindle

Maritime infuences promote local distinctiveness:

Cochrane Square, Glasgow.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

2.2.2 Contemporary architecture

The local plan seeks high quality contemporary

design to assist in projecting the image of a modern,
forward looking, leading International city (SDP1 8iii
and M 10). Creative, innovative and bespoke archi-
tecture using high quality, durable materials and
thoughtful detailing is encouraged.

Design Principle 2.iii: Where existing character is

weak, development sould seek to create a charac-
ter identity. This should be high quality and contem-
Contemporary residential development, London:
porary. cream and buff colours typify the character of
Southampton’s City Centre.

Civic and public buildings should be easily recognisable with clearly identifiable
entrances - European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg; architect Richard Rogers
Partnership. Photograph by courtesy of Richard Rogers Partnership.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

Above and left: urban chic at Lowford’s Wharf in

London. Subtle and sophisticated referencing of
contextual form, shape, colour and rhythm.
Copyright John Thompson and Partners and
Benedict Luxmore.

Southampton’s waterfront would be significantly

enhanced by an iconic public building: Melbourne
Exhibition Centre.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

Proposal for The Point, Wapping Wharf, Bristol by Feilden Clegg Bradley.

Proposal for Brighton Goods Yard by Chetwood Bankside Lofts, Southwark - London (CZWG).
Associates - the light colours, mast feature and prow
shaped roofscape evoke maritime images.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

White stucco or the cream of Portland Stone are the

Wave form silhouette on a commercial building adjacent to most common façade finishes in Southampton.
Parc de la Villette, Paris. Contemporary architecture with white facade colour
will help reinforce this characteristic: Parc de la Villette
- Paris.

Innovative use of
materials and
styles which evoke
maritime images:
left the Lowry
Centre - Salford;
right the Harbour
Lights cinema -
Southampton.

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

© Richard Rogers Partnership

The high quality of architecture required must be
carried through to the details - housing, Berlin.

The mass and scale of large buildings can be successfully

articulated by the emphatic detailing of the balconies and
the varied skyline. Montevetro, London - architect, Richard
Rogers Partnership

With its sunny climate Southampton

provides the ideal environment for
interesting effects of light and shade.

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

Plan 2.2 CONSERVATION DESIGNATIONS

Based on the Ordnance Survey’s 2003 map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown Copyright reserved.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Southampton City Council License No. 100019679, 2004.

Southampton City Council: City Development and Economy 29

2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

2.2.3 Built heritage ings. The quality of the new building’s design is more
important than the specific architectural genre. In
The local plan chapter on the historic environment sites adjacent to or in protected areas or structures
includes policies on the protection of conservation the quality of design will be especially important. The
areas, listed buildings, archaeology and listed existing character must be reflected in the mass,
parks (policies HE 1-6). Plan 2.2 shows where all form and rythmn of the development so that the result
the protected areas / buildings are. The local plan is contemporary in style, but complementary to its
dictates that development must ‘not detract from townscape context.
the character and appearance’ of conservation
areas’ and not ‘adversely affect the character or In conservation areas, developments will be judged
setting of a listed building’. against Conservation Area Character Appraisals.
These and other useful reference documents are
This does not mean that new buildings must be of listed below:
the same architectural style as for example a neigh-
bouring listed building. Imitation of historic styles or • Old Town Conservation Area Character Appraisal
features will normally be unacceptable, since this (2001)
tends to devalue the merit of existing genuine build- • Old Town Development Strategy (2001)
• Carlton Crescent Conservation Area(1989)
• Oxford Street Conservation Area(1982)
• What listing means, a guide to owners and
occupiers (1994)
Contemporary architecture is welcomed adjacent to • Schedule of Streets in Conservation Areas
historic buildings providing the new development is of
(1995)
the highest quality. In this example the Bordeaux Law
Courts, designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, • Conservation Areas in Southampton (leaflet).
enhances its historic setting by virtue of its quality.
However despite the contrast in style with the existing All the above are available from the Heritage Conser-
tower there is a subtle referencing between the two
vation Manager, SCC, except the Old Town Develop-
buildings that creates a synergy. The rhythm of the
structural bays reflects the form of the tower, and the ment Strategy which is available from the City Design
shape of the courtroom pods reflect the tower’s shape. Team.

© Richard Rogers
Partnership

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Development Design Guide 2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT

New red sandstone in the façades complement the One of a series of panels interpreting the history of
existing red brick building - Manchester. this site on the façade of a new building - ‘Back of
Walls’, Old Town, Southampton.

The angle and colour of the roof to

the Montevetro building in London
by the Richard Rogers Partnership
takes its cue from that of the church
in the foreground. The vertical
emphasis of the balcony stacks echo
the tower and the spire. The tree belt
is also important in this view; it
provides a neutral, buffering mass
that softens the view of the new
development.

© Richard Rogers Partnership

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2. CHARACTER AND CONTEXT Development Design Guide

32 Southampton City Council: City Development and Economy