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Project background and context

This key site occupies an elevated location in the centre of Torquay adjoining Torre Centre, bounded by three conjoined Conservation Areas. The development, by Barratt Exeter, includes market and affordable housing with employment and local facilities as part of the area’s regeneration strategy. The layout is founded on a design strategy and spatial masterplan prepared by RPS, proposing a high-density development of landmark quality.

Planning permission was granted by Torquay Council in spring 2006. The scale, position and the visual prominence of this scheme on Torquay’s skyline make this a significant urban scheme. The project has been developed with extensive public consultation, contributions from CABE and reviews by Chief Officers.

There are four key objectives informing the approach to this development:

1. Design fit for its context, and sensitivity to local character and traditions
The site was analysed prior to any concept or design work beginning, including liaison with the Highways Authority to assess transportation opportunities. Appropriate studies, for example ecology, archaeology and ground investigations, had all been commissioned and informed the design process where necessary. The design respects existing residents and site features.

2. Provide landmark for site and location
The mews structure guides the built form of the scheme. The traditional mews is generally the product of stable blocks and other service buildings at the rear of much larger town houses; consequently the discrepancies of scale between the main buildings and the mews buildings can be quite dramatic and yet totally acceptable.

3. Optimise site occupation for residential and related uses: stimulate continued investment and regeneration
A tender masterplan was created identifying coverage of housing to the north of the site and a mixed-use development incorporating offices, sheltered housing and retail to the south. The majority of offices occupy a ‘landmark’ building.

Most mews settings have opposing development, and are closer together than most traditional house and garden separation distances. They are mostly two-storey but many achieve three storeys without any appreciable loss of amenity. The mews courts are defined by entrance statements: archways, porticos and other width restrictions to create a sense of privacy and reduce transit speeds. Integral and surface car parking is provided, with shared pedestrian and traffic use achieved through careful design and detailing.

The plan form shows an east-west terracing of houses and flats over garages. Vehicle access is either into the lower mews parking court or across the front of the flats. The latter route is heavily traffic-calmed and is, in effect, a shared surface within public open space featuring seating areas and sculptural playing equipment.

The client originally wanted to use standard housing on site. Volume house builders have a set system of building, and it is a challenge to re-design a standard house type range and carry the client through this important process of change. The turning corner on the perimeter block was achieved with flat typology, creating higher densities on corners. The flat blocks are treated as landmark buildings. The articulation of elevation planes creates recesses and balconies. This coherent design language, with visually prominent buildings in strategic locations, makes the routes, connections, markers and transitions in the urban space legible.

4. Contribute distinctive and active public spaces, with integrated routes and connected public realm
The physical link between the new scheme and the setting in the town will be provided via a succession of key amenity spaces through the centre of the development. The landscape design of The Courtyard, The Garden and The Square, and also the streets that link them, draws on local references. Rain falling on the hills of Devon and the high ground of Dartmoor (visible from the town), runs in rills and streams to the sea. This simple theme is reproduced in paving patterns, with ‘ribbons’ of paving, running as kerb lines, and channels through areas of pedestrian paving.

Occasionally these ‘stream lines’ become other features within the scheme. At the top of the scheme the ‘stream lines’ flow through a hard paved space with a play area and feature fountain pool.

In the lower part of the site near Newton Road, the ‘stream lines’ curve across the paved space, providing interest at ground level and above. Ornamental water is again used here. The sound of aerated bubble jets will counteract the traffic noise. The water effect, designed to do no more than splash over a designed area of paving, will also mark the end of the ‘stream lines’.

The paving materials are carefully selected around the core colours of silver-grey granite and blue-black slate. Concrete blocks containing granite aggregate, and paving slabs with small pieces of blue glass, will compliment the materials in the buildings.

Highways planners indicated a preference for courtyard parking, while CABE preferred on-street parking. Good street function requires a delicate touch: courtyards can create a tight street profile and provide an efficient use of space. Parking spaces within the shared surface are clearly defined by a change in material. Greater use of planting and street furniture is required to animate the courtyards and to define the parking spaces. The courtyards require quality finishing, and should ‘come alive’ when occupants begin to personalise private spaces. The mews courtyards are as important as the main streets, and should be designed and treated as such. There is 100 per cent parking for houses and 75 per cent for flats.

There are many lessons to be learnt when taking a compact urban masterplan on a complex site from concept to delivery. The process yields a key resource base that naturally informs future projects. RPS is dedicated to increasing the quality of housing, building project experience to deliver well-defined streets and architectural quality, whilst remaining realistic about a site’s value and client ability to respond to change.

Successful streets and elevations have been created. Distinctive features are achieved by bespoke detailing on some elements of the scheme; however it would have improved the overall quality of the environment if this approach had been carried throughout the site.
Encourage design review to occur earlier on in the design process, to enable the client to fully appreciate design quality as a planning requirement. Invite CABE to review the scheme once out of the ground.

Lead on reinforcing the design-led approach through the planning process.
The local council’s role, in this case Torbay, is instrumental in delivering a better design standard on schemes.

Adopt a workshop approach to design: the project team included the client, planners and designers, including landscape, architectural and engineering services, to deliver an innovative and viable proposal. This collaboration is critical to the success of the scheme and is used as a model throughout RPS.

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