The current prolonged downturn has seen a tranche of mothballed sites around many city and town centres, leaving gaping holes within streetscapes. Whilst some sites sit entirely empty, with mounds of topsoil gradually being overgrown with weeds, others contain whole derelict buildings derided by locals as an eyesore, a constant reminder of the cash strapped times we now find ourselves in. Right leaning think tank The Policy Exchange has put forward the idea of transforming our redundant high streets into housing (another gem from the ‘greenest government’), conflicting directly with the forming of sustainable communities with a range of mixed used developments. Combined with a drop in petrol prices, this would indeed be the final nail in the coffin of the high street as we know it, as householders jump into their cars to do their weekly shop at the nearest out-of-town shopping centre. This in turn would also lead to the further erosion of any local services and social cohesion associated with popping down the shops and bumping into a few people that you know – and all done without planning permission no less... and yet I feel they have hit upon something.
SUSTAINABLE_SOLUTION
There is definitely scope for regenerating derelict areas, providing that it is done to reinvigorate and not further deteriorate. Shortcomings within areas (i.e. housing, shops, workplaces, public buildings) should be identified and developments geared towards this, with the goal of strengthening communities and reducing travel distances. We should be making better use of run-down building in prime locations rather than leaving them to rot or knocking them down. There advantages to this are pretty obvious – reduced planning costs, reduced construction costs, and a reduction of pressure on resources involved with new building. All of which could be carried on to the end user as low cost housing. The main obstacle would be in persuading local opinion that monstrous decrepit buildings could still have a part to play in their area. However this in turn represents a chance for architects to once again gain the trust and respect of communities following their recent public batterings. It would also represent an excellent opportunity to create exemplars of green building technologies.
SHRUBHILL_
HOUSE
I pass one such potential site on a daily basis. The Shrubhill area of Leith Walk in Edinburgh was until the last decade home to local council offices (Shrubhill House) and a bus depot. To go even further back reveals the area’s history as one of the original sites of the botanical gardens within Edinburgh – eventually moved to Inverleith due to increased traffic levels on Leith Walk affecting the growth of plants. The red-brick bus depot buildings have been almost entirely been demolished spare a couple of buildings to the west boundary and a tall chimney which all formed part of the old power station which provided power to the old tram network that once ran through Edinburgh. Although these buildings are run-down, their Victorian/Edwardian industrial era architectural merits are easy for all to see. To the north of the site lies several typical Edinburgh colony flats (all Grade B listed and part of a conservation area, including Middlefield House) and to the south traditional tenement blocks adjacent to an existing railway track serving nearby waste incineration works. Still standing on the south boundary of the site is an existing masonic lodge constructed of 1970’s style steel frame and metal cladding. On the sites west boundary stands a section of the now derelict Shrubhill House, a 1960’s concrete clad box which served as offices for council staff. To say it is ugly would be an understatement, and the local community would surely be content at seeing the building raised to the ground. Local council planning statements also encourage this. However it is in this unsightly building that I see some potential for sustainable development and a starting block for the site as a whole.
Planning permission has already been granted for the demolition of Shrubhill House and construction of multi-storey student housing by Unite in association with Acanthus Architects. The existing master plan for the site includes further low density housing to the rear of this, with underground car parking provided, and a scattering of landscaping (mostly hard landscaping) throughout. The old bus depot buildings and chimneys have been sensibly retained and provide a good lure to increase permeability through the site. However once people realise these buildings are converted housing, that appeal may be short lived.
ALTERNATIVE_PROPOSAL
Having obtained existing plans from the local planning portal, I have decided, beginning with Shrubhill House, to develop an alternative scheme, one that makes perhaps better use of the site for the area as a whole, supplying not only housing but commercial and public service opportunities, whilst providing more green space and attempt to encourage a more sustainable transport network – all at a scale suitable to the site. I will also use any designs as a springboard for learning more about the green technologies that are available and their suitability. So far I have broken down the site and surrounding area to represent existing building uses, permeability and green spaces, as shown below:
I’ve also began working on a scheme to convert Shrubhill House into medium density housing, with commercial units on the ground floor. This is very much a work in progress at the moment, but the intention may be to have some kind of solar buffer within each apartment and either attempt to have natural ventilation or go with a Passivhaus Standard (u-values not exceeding 0.15 W/m2/K for building envelope, 0.8 W/m2/K for glazing) which would mean incorporating mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. I’ll update more as I work through ideas, but here are a few sketches that I’m working on.
The danger is that the longer a site is allowed to deteriorate, the lower the expectations are for any development that would be eventually constructed – something is better than nothing. But this in turn leads to a cycle of unsuitable unsustainable building resulting in more demolition and redesign in another generation. This is a cycle we cannot afford, financially and environmentally.
