Landscape Architecture
VISUAL ASSESSMENT
Client: WSP (on behalf of Land Securities plc)
Background: Land Securities plc wanted to achieve outline planning consent for its redevelopment of Corby town centre that would allow maximum flexibility for future detailed applications. The key issue was agreeing with Corby Borough Council the height, scale and massing of the buildings in relation to surrounding housing areas. Landmark was commissioned to prepare a townscape visual assessment of the parameters plan as part of an Environmental Statement. Consultation determined that this should be presented as a series of photomontages.
Description: A parameters plan was prepared by the architects, Chapman Taylor, which set maximum and minimum block heights. Viewpoints were agreed with Corby Borough Council and photomontages for the range of options were prepared using a 3-D computer model that was built by Landmark.
To avoid committing the client to architectural detail at the outline stage, the blocks were shown as semi-transparent grey objects. Although this format was accurate and gave the council the certainty that it required, Landmark advised that measures were needed to avoid misinterpretation of the starkness of the block by members of the public. Water colour impressions were prepared for each viewpoint to give an indication of the warmth, texture and possible architectural character of the development. These were clearly labelled as illustrative for the benefit of the public only, and were not assessed as part of the EIA.
Client Benefits: The technique gave Corby Borough Council sufficient information and fixed parameters to determine the application, conveyed the character of the development to the public and most importantly maintained design and marketing flexibility for the client.