Built form

General principles

Goal: Respect the local context whilst striving for excellence in architectural quality and sustainability.

^p77. South and Vale have a beautiful landscape character and a mix of towns and villages with locally distinctive buildings. However, many recent developments do not reflect that local distinctiveness and they could be anywhere in the UK. New development must create a positive character, with an identity that relates to the specific characteristics of the district.

^p78. The building forms used along a street should create rhythm and interest. Subtle variations in the height and width of buildings can add visual interest to the street, making it more attractive and interesting.

^p79. The scale of new development should be appropriate and sensitive to its context. Heights of buildings should be informed by contextual analysis. A variety of building heights along street frontages can also help to achieve this.

^p80. The form and massing of development can make a significant contribution to the character of a neighbourhood. The majority of traditional buildings in South and Vale, in both urban and rural areas, adopt a very consistent, simple form, with rectangular floor plans and pitched roofs. New development should adopt a simple form - but good contemporary design that respects context will be welcomed. Note that articulation of massing and roof line can help to present variety along the building frontage.

^p81. Note that in order to design a building to be as energy efficient (as close to zero-carbon) as possible this may result in conflict with other design principles in this Design Guide. When this occurs, be prepared to explain why this happens and explain why your solution is better.

Nodal point/core development

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

A residential area should be structured around a nodal point or a series of nodal points. These are emphasised by key buildings or groups of buildings. For larger development proposals a range of densities, building types and forms will be required. Residential densities may be higher in the vicinity of such nodal points with lower density areas between one cluster and the next. If there is a sufficient concentration of non-residential uses and community facilities in the associated core area, it may be appropriate to locate other community facilities. Apartments with a good amount of fenestration and balconies can be located in these areas, above shops or community facilities. Human activity will be higher in these nodal points.

The scale of new buildings should relate to their context (rural or urban), their location within the hierarchy of routes and whether they act as a focal point, landmark or corner building. New development should generally reflect the scale of the existing settlement unless a strong justification is provided. For example, the location of a landmark building to terminate a key view. Landmarks are distinctive buildings, structures, landscape elements or sculptures that provide visual cues within a development and aid legibility. Landmark buildings may have additional height than the surrounding context, be architectural distinctive either in terms of their form or design. Landmarks should be located in or adjacent to important spaces, centres, nodal points or landscapes to aid the understanding of a place and enhance identity. The location and justification for potential landmarks should be developed in discussions with the Council to ensure they are proposed in areas where they will contribute to the wider legibility of the settlement.

In terms of form and massing, in some locations, such as in nodal points, more complex forms, such as L-shaped corner buildings may be appropriate. They should be composed of a hierarchy of simple rectangular elements each with its own pitched roof. Corner buildings should be designed so that they ‘turn the corner’ providing frontage to both streets. Corner locations are particularly suitable for flatted blocks and ‘L’ shaped buildings maintaining continuity of built frontage and incorporating corner windows and entrances. Applicants should demonstrate how the design of corner buildings will aid legibility. Exposed, blank gable ends with no windows fronting the public realm should be avoided.

Scale, density, form and massing

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

In terms of scale, subtle variations in height should here be used to add visual interest, particularly for key buildings. This can be achieved with differing ridge and eaves heights, as commonly found in traditional streets. Similarly, variations in frontage widths and plan forms can add further interest to the street scene. Bear in mind that the proportions of buildings, their fenestration and detailing are important to the character of the context.

The form and massing of development can have a significant contribution to the character of a neighbourhood. New development should adopt this simple form but good contemporary design that respects context will also be welcomed. Keep it simple! In most instances new development should adopt a simple form, with a rectangular floorplan and pitched roof unless a strong justification can be provided. In terms of enclosure, a simple way of evaluating enclosure is to calculate the ratio of the height of the buildings to the width of the street or space. As a rough guideline, a ratio of between 1:1.5 to 1:3 (height:width) is likely to be appropriate depending on the hierarchy of street or public space.

Development should be designed to ensure that urban streets and public spaces have good levels of natural surveillance from buildings. This can be achieved by ensuring that in urban areas, streets and spaces are overlooked by ground floor habitable rooms and upper floor windows. Make sure there is a clear distinction between public and private space.

The development edge

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

The edge of a development and its external appearance are critical aspects for urban extensions and new development on the edge of existing settlements. All too often the edge is poorly defined by wooden fences abutting the countryside.

Development should instead provide a positive edge which has a clear and well-defined external image. The nature of this edge will depend on the location but could be achieved through:

Providing strong building frontage;
Combining structural planting, boundary treatments (such as stone walls) and building frontage; and the use of planting to soften the mass of built form.
Proposals should therefore avoid back fences abutting the countryside. Applicants (where applicable) will be required to demonstrate how their proposals provide a positive edge which has a clear and well-defined external image. In addition the edge of development should:
Clearly define entrances to the development through the use of pinch points, corners or feature buildings;
Use structural planting to frame views or as screening to hide existing unsightly views;
Maintain views to important landmarks and/or key buildings; and
Provide a varied skyline and roofscape.
Grouping dwellings with different scales can add significant interest in rural or residential areas.

Figure 35: Establishing built form, character and identity (major example)

Nodal point/core development

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

A residential area should be structured around a nodal point or a series of nodal points. These are emphasised by key buildings or groups of buildings. For larger development proposals a range of densities, building types and forms will be required. Residential densities may be higher in the vicinity of such nodal points with lower density areas between one cluster and the next. If there is a sufficient concentration of non-residential uses and community facilities in the associated core area, it may be appropriate to locate other community facilities. Apartments with a good amount of fenestration and balconies can be located in these areas, above shops or community facilities. Human activity will be higher in these nodal points.

The scale of new buildings should relate to their context (rural or urban), their location within the hierarchy of routes and whether they act as a focal point, landmark or corner building. New development should generally reflect the scale of the existing settlement unless a strong justification is provided. For example, the location of a landmark building to terminate a key view. Landmarks are distinctive buildings, structures, landscape elements or sculptures that provide visual cues within a development and aid legibility. Landmark buildings may have additional height than the surrounding context, be architectural distinctive either in terms of their form or design. Landmarks should be located in or adjacent to important spaces, centres, nodal points or landscapes to aid the understanding of a place and enhance identity. The location and justification for potential landmarks should be developed in discussions with the Council to ensure they are proposed in areas where they will contribute to the wider legibility of the settlement.

In terms of enclosure, a simple way of evaluating enclosure is to calculate the ratio of the height of the buildings to the width of the street or space. As a rough guideline, a ratio of between 1:1.5 to 1:3 (height:width) is likely to be appropriate depending on the hierarchy of street or public space. Landscaping can help to create a sense of enclosure – e.g. specimen trees framing the street.

In terms of form and massing, in some locations, such as in nodal points, more complex forms, such as L-shaped corner buildings may be appropriate. They should be composed of a hierarchy of simple rectangular elements each with its own pitched roof. Corner buildings should be designed so that they ‘turn the corner’ providing frontage to both streets. Corner locations are particularly suitable for flatted blocks and ‘L’ shaped buildings maintaining continuity of built frontage and incorporating corner windows and entrances. Applicants should demonstrate how the design of corner buildings will aid legibility. Exposed, blank gable ends with no windows fronting the public realm should be avoided.

Local streets

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

In terms of scale, subtle variations in height should here be used to add visual interest. This can be achieved with differing ridge and eaves heights, as commonly found in traditional streets. Similarly, variations in frontage widths and plan forms can add further interest to the street scene.

The form and massing of development can have a significant contribution to the character of a neighbourhood. New development should adopt this simple form but good contemporary design that respects context will also be welcomed. Keep it simple! In most instances new development should adopt a simple form, with a rectangular floorplan and pitched roof unless a strong justification can be provided.

In terms of enclosure, a simple way of evaluating enclosure is to calculate the ratio of the height of the buildings to the width of the street or space. As a rough guideline, a ratio of between 1:1.5 to 1:3 (height:width) is likely to be appropriate depending on the hierarchy of street or public space.

Development should be designed to ensure that urban streets and public spaces have good levels of natural surveillance from buildings. This can be achieved by ensuring that in urban areas, streets and spaces are overlooked by ground floor habitable rooms and upper floor windows. Make sure there is a clear distinction between public and private space.

The development edge

Goal: Use an appropriate scale and density to create a place of a human scale

The edge of a development and its external appearance are critical aspects for urban extensions and new development on the edge of existing settlements. All too often the edge is poorly defined by wooden fences abutting the countryside.

Development should instead provide a positive edge which has a clear and well-defined external image. The nature of this edge will depend on the location but could be achieved through:

Providing strong building frontage;
Combining structural planting, boundary treatments (such as stone walls) and building frontage; and
The use of planting to soften the mass of built form.

Proposals should therefore avoid back fences abutting the countryside. Applicants (where applicable) will be required to demonstrate how their proposals provide a positive edge which has a clear and well-defined external image. In addition the edge of development should:

Clearly define entrances to the development through the use of pinch points, corners or feature buildings;
Use structural planting to frame views or as screening to hide existing unsightly views;
Maintain views to important landmarks and/or key buildings; and
Provide a varied skyline and roofscape.

Grouping dwellings with different scales can add significant interest in rural or residential areas.

Figure 35a: Establishing built form, character and identity (minor example)

Town centre

Figure 36: General character and built form of town centres

Urban built form

Figure 37: General character and built form of urban areas

Suburban

Figure 38: General character and built form of suburban areas

Lower density

Figure 39: General character and built form of lower density areas

Ensure the scheme:

complements/responds positively to the character and local vernacular (architectural style) identified as part of the character assessment of the area. This includes wider character such as streets rhythm, walls, railing, gardens, trees, etc.;
is sensitive to its context regarding scale, massing and height. In most instances new development should adopt a simple form. An uplift in scale, massing or height may be appropriate for landmark buildings in a key location, or more complex forms, when responding to a specific character area;
works with and responds positively to the existing landscape, topography and settlement pattern, including recognising glimpsed views in and out the development and important views across the site;
breaks down larger footprint buildings to comprise a number of simple, geometric forms to reduce their apparent bulk. Floor plans that necessitate flat roof sections should be avoided;
maintains established building lines and predominant plot patterns;
has a landmark or feature building with high quality materials and good use of detailing to stand out when in prominent locations, such as gateways, key vistas, and corner plots;
avoids long, blank (windowless or without material detail) elevations when visible from an adjacent street / public realm, parking area or public space;
provides dual aspect, such as on corner plots, return materials details, fenestration and landscaping to maintain a consistent façade. Blank elevations or gable ends will not be acceptable;
has entrances to buildings (including houses, ground floor or communal entrances for flats and non-residential uses) which directly face onto the street and are clearly visible and identifiable from the public realm;
has a built form designed to ensure good and direct natural passive surveillance over streets, public spaces and parking to design out and prevent crime;
has articulated ground floors of buildings with windows and doors and interesting detail (through the use of materials, datum line or façade detail) to create a development with a more human scale;
uses materials that are sustainable and have been informed by the character and appearance of the surrounding area;
has balconies (where provided) that are able to accommodate a table and chairs and space for planting/kitchen gardening;
mitigates the impact of signage (by using an appropriate scale) onto the public realm;
incorporates green and/or brown roofs/roof gardens on flat roof buildings and vertical gardens. Building design should seek to integrate biodiversity enhancements wherever possible. These could be through the provision of green walls/roofs, or faunal features (bird/bat boxes). They can be discretely incorporated into structures, or made into focal points, and will contribute to the need for development to deliver biodiversity net gain.

Note: All design principles are applicable to all scales of development unless otherwise specified; *minor applications, **major applications

Built form

General principles

Goal: Respect the local context whilst striving for excellence in architectural quality and sustainability.

Figure 35: Establishing built form, character and identity (major example)

Figure 35a: Establishing built form, character and identity (minor example)

Figure 36: General character and built form of town centres

Figure 37: General character and built form of urban areas

Figure 38: General character and built form of suburban areas

Figure 39: General character and built form of lower density areas

Steps

Inform your design:

Communicate your design:

Support your design:

Design principles - General built form