St. Vincent's Concept Statement - Essay Example

Architecture Introduction In the architectural field there are various things that come into play when the designing of buildings or any particular piece of construction is being considered. The thing that is of primary importance in this case is to do with the design of that will be set forth in this same regard. With this basic knowledge in mind it should be understood that there are various pieces or writings that may be used to illustrate and demonstrate the concepts and principles that will be applied in the development of a proposed piece of construction. In this respect the meaning of the term ‘design’. In this case the term is used to mean also the visual impact which the particular project will have on its surrounding. In this case it is important to recognize the fact that there are a lot of issues that come into play when looking at the whole aspect of architecture. In this case it is important to examine every detail that is of essence. In this particular case it should be in relation to the area of St. Vincent’s. Development of The Plan of Action Before embarking on this particular project it will be of great importance to develop a plan of action. It is this plan of action that will govern all the undertakings henceforth and may play a significant role in determining whether the entire project will actually be a success or a failure in the longrun. Before embarking on the plan of action it will be important to first get a brief understanding of the region in question. (Robert & Greed, 2001) St. Vincent’s in this case is one of the quarters of Sheffield. The region has a superb landscape and topography. Most of the developments that are realized in the town in relation to the buildings among others are greatly influenced by the Irish and Catholic communities which to be dominant in the region. Importance of the Plan of Action in St. Vincent’ The first major importance of the plan of action is that it will lead to the securing of business sites which will go a long way in ensuring the economic sustainability of this particular region. At the same time the Plan of Action will provide a clear guideline that will be used to the benefit of the region and this will be in line with the present demands when it come to restructuring for the purpose of development. The plan will also aid in the establishment of environmental projects and space for the public which will eventually lead to the regeneration of the area hence prove to be a driving force for change. The plan is also aimed at designing a good strategy that will be implemented with the intention of curbing certain phenomena such as insecurity, public safety, parking space among various others. On the other hand the action plan will serve to create a balanced mix of residents occupying the area. Again the plan will also serve to protect the area’s heritage and historic culture. This will especially be achieved through the use of conservation areas. The above stated points are used to bring to light some of the importance that is attached with the plan of action in relation to the St. Vincent’s area. It should be noted that the plan of action is not just a document that will serve the role of promotion but will at the same time will be used as an instrument that will serve to bring economic development of the stated region. The investment in the area is also something that will be focused on. With this intention the council of St. Vincent’s seeks to pool together resources that will bring about local community building and improve on private investment in the area. These will constitute the following proposed developments in the area: 1. Improvements on the entry points and routes in and out of the area 2. The inception and support of forums and debates where representatives of the local groups and in this case the businessmen, the farmers, the landlords and also the various citizens of the region can be represented. The purpose of these forums is to act as the channels through which the individuals whose lives are affected by the developments carried out in the area can be able to channel their views and contributions that will bring about acceptable development in the area. 3. Seeking and provision of assistance to the businesses in the area which seek to relocate for the purpose of boosting their productivity and performance. 4. Support imaginative new uses for the church buildings and this can be done with the owners in collaboration with the local inhabitants. One such use is that of using the buildings as tourist sites where visitors can come and get a brief history f their development. 5. There is also the intention of developing a public area near the St. Vincent’s church. This well very much take advantage of its lush environment and the fantastic topography and view that it provides. On this area there may be the development of real estate in terms of residential houses or buildings where business can be conducted. The plans for development that are there in relation to St. Vincent’s are immense. In this same connection there has been some policies that have been developed or adapted for the purpose of overseeing the implementation of these plans. It is also worth noting that these policies have also been incorporated into the plan of action relating to the area. It is to be noted that there is basically a lot of land in the region which can be put to good use both commercially and for the purpose of settling the population that is there at the moment and that which would want to settle there say in the future. The Policy Framework There are some policy areas that have been proposed in addition to the Plan of Action relating to the area. These policies will also be used as a source of information in the in Sheffield Development Framework. The policies include the following: 1. Housing Opportunity Areas These areas are to be set aside for the provision of flexibility in relation to the changes that are associated with the housing trends. At the same time it has been recognized that there are some places in the area where industries have been allocated. It is of importance to define these so that they do not come into conflict with the housing needs that may be there. In this particular regard it is seen that there is a rationale as to why such a policy is implemented. In the area there is a population that is rather diverse when it comes to the age groups. The council has deemed it necessary to have this varying community for the purpose of having a population that is seasonal. This is so because there is the presence of a university in the area and if the population is not controlled there may be cases of the population in the area comprising of majorly university students who are usually there for short periods and not on a permanent basis. 2. New Business Area This policies allows the industries in the area to grow but to control their expansion within the location. This policy, however, allows these businesses to grow only in the event that they are providing reasonable office space for the population and in the process bringing about development in the area. The Central Business District is seen to be a path for the realization of this. Its nearness to the Cathedral is seen to bring about a mixed-use neighborhood and in the same course go a long way in ensuring that there is viable office development in the area. 3. Housing Area and Proposed Housing Site This policy aims at encouraging reasonable housing in the area for now and in the future. In this case the development of non-housing area is completely discouraged as it will be seen to harm the development of the mixed communities which in this case is being encouraged to take root in the area. 4. Open Spaces The open spaces that are there in the region will have to be maintained under all circumstances. These are the Edward Streets Flats and the Upper Allen Street. If there are to be any changes made in these areas it should be with the intention of enhancing the ones that are in existence through other means for example carrying out reparations. 5. Conservation Areas There are two designate conservation areas in St. Vincent’s and these are very well documented in the Plan of Action that has been developed for the area. Even though the plan calls for the development and improvements in the area, it also recognizes that there are some areas that are supposed to be protected. This proposal states that the face of some areas must remain the same even though there may be other newer buildings that may be coming up in the area. Indicative Design There are five themes which drive the urban designs that are to be carried out in designing the layout of a given place. In this case the themes will be examined one by one and their relation and application to St. Vincent’s brought out. 1. Users of the land and Activities There should be a greater variety in terms of the mix of activities in the area in order to bring out the true state of a city quarter. Despite these, however, the identity of St. Vincent’s as a business center should not be lost under any circumstance. This is not forgetting the fact that the area is also a residential place for quite a number of individuals. These activities should be carried out on the streets and also on the buildings. For this reason, some key cities therein should be developed as corridors of activities. Example of the streets in this case will include Meadow Street, Upper Allen Street And Hollis Croft just to mention a few. this is majorly theoretical an in actual sense it may not always be possible. However, the front windows and doors to the street are of importance and should always be there in new and the buildings that are already in existence. The implementation of this plan should be in such a way that it should accommodate the diverse activities of the inhabitants of St. Vincent’s. This is actually something that is of paramount importance if these various individuals are to live in peace and harmony despite their various activities. The land allocated for business should be in such a way that it does not interfere with the areas that are to be inhabited by people. 2. Connectivity of the streets The alignments that are there in the streets and also their sizes should be maintained in all cases for the purpose of ensuring that they remain sustainable even as notable developments continue to be carried out at present and in the future. New and better improved linkages will be of importance on the hillside for the purpose of bettering the linkage that is there between the levels that are high in the area and those that are low. Broad Lane and Tenter Streets require rather stronger links for the purpose of bettering the relationship between this area and the Cathedral Quarter and other areas that are beyond the city. There are also some areas that will necessitate greater pedestrian priority and an example of such an area is the Conservation Area and the public places where people always tend to be many. It has also been established that the areas at the edge of St. Vincent’s have great affinity to vehicle traffic. This is something that should be addressed for the purpose of improving the experience of the pedestrians plying the areas around and of particular concern in this case is the edge around Brooklyn/Tenter Street. For the purpose of saving space further or using the available space for other purposes, the development of basement parking lots has been proposed. (Bobic, 2004) The placement of streets in the areas should be done strategically. This is rather important for the purpose of ensuring that there are no cases of unnecessary congestion in the urban area. (Lynch, 1984) 3. Landscaping It is of paramount importance to maintain the landscape that is in the region despite the many proposed changes that have been set in motion by the plan of action. This is because the landscape of the area has been one key feature in its existence. Public spaces are developed in the region for the purpose of providing amenities and ecological value to the existing population. There are some spaces that have been identified for this purpose. It is of importance to make use of these spaces in such a way that there will be a lot of free space and the issue of clutter will be avoided. At the same time the sitting areas in these public places will be catered for. For the purpose of maintaining boundaries, the public spaces regardless of whether they are public or private should be enclosed or defined by buildings or any other structure in this regard for example a fence. The provision of street lights will also be very important for the purpose of ensuring that the evening and night environment is safe and conducive for the people who will still be outside and for the buildings and establishments that are there in the area. At the same time these spaces should be made in such a way that they will be attractive to the public. One thing that usually happens is that the public spaces are at times not taken care of and for this reason are not fit for use. What happens in this case is that other private developers take advantage of the situation and develop their own spaces which will offer better services. Whatever the case is St. Vincent’s the important thing is to provide the best services to the people. 4. The Scale The heights of the buildings in the area should serve to exhibit the characteristics that are there in the region and in this particular regard the topography. For this reason, the tallest building should be located along upper parts of Solly Street. This is along the crest escarpments. It is also important to develop these tall buildings in such a way that they will not act as a barrier or obscure the Tower of St. Vincent’s. Other areas that may serve as strategic areas for the development of tall buildings include Hoyle Street/Shalemoor Junction and West bar Green/ Tenter Street just but to mention a few. If it happens that the scale is not in sync with the topography of the land there are chances that there may be a mismatch between these two factors. The positions of these buildings should also be put into consideration. This is something that will be rather important also when it comes to the design of the area’s landscape. (Ching, 2006) 5. The Buildings The industrial heritage of the town is something which should be protected and upheld even in the midst of the developments that are very much called for. The historic nature of the town and its buildings should also be put into consideration. The developments to be carried out should majorly be done in areas where the quality if rather poor or where the fabric of the buildings nad structures is seen to be wearing off. The particular areas where developments are very much called for include Gibraltar Street, Tenter Street, Shaleemoor among others. Since most of the structures and their associated elements are rather old, the inclusion of modern architecture is highly encouraged. A particular area where this is stressed is in the buildings for the purpose of improving the environment that is exhibited in the evenings. With regards to St. Vincent’s it is seen that then town is trying to come from the age where traditional buildings and structures are in existence slowly shifting the focus to the more modern way of planning. This is particularly important for the town for the purpose of improving its image to the outside world and also for the purpose of bettering the lives of the people in the town. At the same time the shift to the modern day architecture and planning of the town will go a long way in improving the businesses and financial ability that the area portrays. It is seen that a majority of the planning changes that are to be carried out in the town will affect quite a considerable area. For this reason, this planning should be restructuring should be conducted in such a way that the already existing structure is not distorted whatsoever. This is so because amidst the changes that are proposed for the region, the original identity of the region will have to be maintained in one way or the other. This will be particularly important for the purpose of maintaining the authenticity of the area. References Arup and Volterra (2010), Economic Structure of Sheffield City Region Bobic M, (2004) Between the Edges: Street- building transition as urbanity interface, Bussum, Thoth publishers Ching F, (2006), Architectural Graphics, Architectural Press Ching, Francis D K. , (1996) Architecture, Form, Space and Order, Van Nostrand Reinhold Ching, Francis D K, (1995), A Visual Dictionary of Architecture, John Wiley and Sons Gillespies and Sheffield City Council, (2004), Sheffield City Centre: Urban Design Compendium, Sheffield City Council and Sheffieldone Lynch, K (1984), Good City Form. MIT Press. Moughtin, C (1999), Urban Design: Street & Square, Oxford, Architectural Press Roberts, M. & Greed, C. (2001), Approaching Urban Design: The Design Process, Harlow Read More