A presentation on the philosophy of Site Responsive Design delivered to planners and members at Winchester City Council as part of their urban design training.

1. URBAN DESIGN TRAINING
SITE RESPONSIVE DESIGN
An approach to delivering contextual design.
by Paul Bulkeley

2. Aims:
1. A better appreciation for the relationship between site analysis and
design process – how a design strategy can be developed in
response to its site.
2. An overview of site analysis techniques – how to interpret a
context.
3. A live experience of site responsive design.

3. SITE RESPONSIVE DESIGN

4. ‘The site of a building is more than a mere ingredient of its conception.
It is its physical and metaphysical foundation. Building transcends
physical and functional requirements by fusing with a place, by
gathering the meaning of a situation. Architecture does not so much
intrude on the landscape as it serves to explain it. Architecture and site
should have an experiential connection, a metaphysical link, a poetic
link.’
Steven Holl, Anchoring, 1988

5. Landscape

6. Local Materials, Local Forms

7. Materials

8. Topography

9. Opportunity

10. Constraints

11. Possibly the worlds most contextual building –
transcending physical and functional requirements
Great Mosque, Dejenne

13. The nostalgia of aesthetic consensus – an age passed

14. What generates great architecture?

15. 1. Patrons
Occupants/users
Client
Future users
Neighbours
Citizens
Context
Architect

16. 2. Balanced Product
DESIGN QUALITY INDICATORS
VITRUVIUS:
FUNCTIONALITY – Utilitas
BUILD QUALITY – Firmitas
IMPACT – Venustas

17. 3. Process
Design is generated through:
External principles and ideology.
Form following function.
The site.

18. a. External Principles
Sacred Geometry
The villa Rotunda by Palladio is an
exercise in geometry with the size
of man as the starting point.
Villa Rotunda, Palladio

20. Thomas Jefferson’s sketch for a city plan

22. b. Form follows function
It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law
Louis Sullivan

23. Seattle Library, OMA

26. c. Design generated from the site
‘The true innermost being of architecture can
be compared to natures seed, and something
of the inevitability of nature’s principle of
growth ought to be a fundamental concept in
architecture. If we think of the seeds that turn
into plants or trees, everything within the
same genus would develop the same way if
the growth potential were not so different and
if each growth possessed within itself the
ability to grow without compromise. On
account of different conditions, similar
seeds turn into widely differing
organisms.’
Jorn Utzon,
The Innermost Being of Architecture

27. How does a building grow naturally and uniquely out of the conditions
of its site?

28. ‘Considerations of design and layout must be informed by the
wider context, having regard not just to any immediate
neighbouring buildings but the townscape and landscape of the
wider locality. The local pattern of streets and spaces, building
traditions, materials and ecology should all help to determine the
character and identity of a development...’
(Department of the Environment 2000)

29. NPPF
7. Requiring good design
56. The Government attaches great importance to the design of the
built environment. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable
development, is indivisible from good planning, and should
contribute positively to making places better for people.
59. Local planning authorities should consider using design codes
where they could help deliver high quality outcomes. However,
design policies should avoid unnecessary prescription or
detail and should concentrate on guiding the overall scale,
density, massing, height, landscape, layout, materials and
access of new development in relation to neighbouring
buildings and the local area more generally.

30. NPPF
60. Planning policies and decisions should not attempt to impose
architectural styles or particular tastes and they should not stifle
innovation, originality or initiative through unsubstantiated
requirements to conform to certain development forms or styles. It
is, however, proper to seek to promote or reinforce local
distinctiveness.
61. Although visual appearance and the architecture of individual
buildings are very important factors, securing high quality and
inclusive design goes beyond aesthetic considerations.
Therefore, planning policies and decisions should address the
connections between people and places and the integration of
new development into the natural, built and historic
environment.

31. NPPF
63. In determining applications, great weight should be given to
outstanding or innovative designs which help raise the
standard of design more generally in the area.
64. Permission should be refused for development of poor design
that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the
character and quality of an area and the way it functions.
65. Local planning authorities should not refuse planning
permission for buildings or infrastructure which promote high
levels of sustainability because of concerns about
incompatibility with an existing townscape, if those concerns
have been mitigated by good design.

32. Context is the character and setting of the area within which a
projected scheme will sit. It is its natural as well as human
history; the forms of the settlements, buildings and spaces; its
ecology and archaeology; its location, and the routes that pass
through it. Context also includes people, the individuals living in
or near an area and how communities are organised so that
citizens become real participants in the projected development.
A thorough appreciation of the overall site context is the
starting point for designing a distinct place.
Urban Design Compendium

33. Why use context in design?
Strengthens local communities
Creates places of distinction and identity
Harnesses intrinsic site assets and resources
Integrates a building with its surroundings
Helps to ensures feasibility
Provides an efficient and relevant basis for design decision making.

34. An approach to contextual design - The notion of RECOGNITION

37. Skylines are sensitive to being
obscured by high buildings in front of
existing buildings or having their
silhouette spoiled by high buildings
behind them. New buildings should
respect their elders!

38. The scale, massing and
height of proposed
development should be
considered in relation to that
of adjoining buildings; the
topography; The general
pattern of heights in the area;
and views, vistas and
landmarks all influence the
form of a development.
House in Corrubedo
Chipperfield

39. What is a valid response to context?
Preserve
Integrate/Respect/Compliment
Re-use
Enhance/Modify/Transform
Repair/Revive/Restore
Critique

40. The battle for Chelsea Barracks

41. Chelsea Barracks Housing, RRP

42. Chelsea Barracks Housing, Quinlan Terry

43. PRESERVE
Paternoster Square, John Simpson Paternoster Square, Eric Parry and MJP

44. INTEGRATE
Brouwersgracht and L.A. Riesthuis, Amsterdam, Pier Arts Centre, Orkney, Reiach and Hall Architects
Mecanoo Architects

45. COMPLIMENT
Eric Parry Holburne Museum

46. REUSE
The Photographers Gallery,
London
O’Donnell and Toumey

47. ENHANCE/MODIFY/TRANSFORM Temple Bar, Dublin

48. DISTINCT PARTS SET WITHIN A COORDINATED
VISION

49. REPAIR/REVIVE/RESTORE
Princesshay, Exeter

50. CRITIQUE
Rafael Moneo, Pilar Joan Miro Foundation, Mallorca

51. The Carbuncle Cup
One New Change, Jean Nouvel

52. Recognise what isn’t contextualism
Building in Context sets out the following broad approaches that lead to
the erosion of local distinctiveness. Development will erode the
context if it pursues either of two extreme philosophical positions:
a) A desire to purely reflect the concerns of our own time and
contrasting with the context.
b) A desire to purely preserve the character by copying the
existing.
The worst results arise when two opinions are forced to compromise
late in the design process. Beware of the following evidence:

53. Fitting in?

54. Building In Context
The right approach is derived from a close examination of the
context so that a new proposal can be well related to its
context. This is set out as:
1. Relate well to geography and history of the place and the lie of the
land
2. Sit happily in the pattern of development
3. Respect important views
4. Respect the scale of neighbouring buildings
5. Use materials and building methods which are as high a quality as
the context
6. Create new views and juxtapositions that add to the variety and
texture of the setting.
7. Show evidence of having being derived, in part, from an analysis of
the place.
8. Repair and improves the place.

55. Contextual Design has:
A physical fit - sitting comfortably within its setting.
A visual fit – sitting beautifully within its setting.
A poetic fit - making a meaningful addition to a places story.
An emotional fit - ensuring occupants feel proud to call it home.
An environmental fit - protecting ecology.
A social fit – useful, welcoming and entertaining.
A spatial fit – connected, flowing and accessible.
An economic fit – deliverable.
Ultimately contextual design has the potential to create a well
mannered building or place that belongs here rather than
somewhere else.

56. 2
SITE ANALYSIS

57. “Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context –a
chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an
environment in a city plan.” – Eliel Saarinen
‘The analysis of public space provides a rational point of departure
for imagining its transformation’ – UDC

58. What are we looking for?
1. Constraints to resolve
2. Opportunities to realise
3. Weaknesses to repair
4. Strengths to reinforce
5. Character to preserve and enhance

59. How do we engage with a place?
How a place:
LOOKS
FEELS
WORKS

60. The theoretical context of contextual decisions:
i. The picturesque - Late eighteenth century contextual theorists held that
landscapes should be designed with a picturesque 'transition' from the works of
man to the works of nature. LOOKS
ii. Genius loci - An early eighteenth century theory, that buildings and planting
should respond to the Genius of the Place, created a still-influential theory of
context. FEELS
iii. Modernism - Modernist architectural theory held that the appearance of
structures should be a consequence of social function and abstract artistic
principles, not physical contexts. WORKS

61. LOOKS - Townscape
– a visual approach
The fundamental theme of townscape
as a means of providing excitement,
drama and emotional response to the
physical environment is most closely
associated to the work of Gordon
Cullen. His seminal work, The
Concise Townscape consistently
emphasizes that the starting point
for design is the individual's
experience of the environment. Ivor
De Wolfe labels townscape as a
visual art of town planning that is a
contemporary extension of the
English picturesque school of
landscape design

62. FEELS – Genius Loci
- an experiential approach
Norberg-Shulz explored the character
of places on the ground, genius loci is
described as representing the sense
people have of a place.
‘The planner’s first approach to his
task is to sum up the personality of
the city which has been put under his
care.... The good plan is that which
will fulfil the struggle of the place to be
itself.’ (Sharp 1946)

63. WORKS - Responsive Environments
– a functional approach.

65. WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PLACE?
The seven qualities that successful streets, spaces, villages,
towns and cities tend to have in common.
Character
Places with their own distinct and successful identity.
Continuity and Enclosure
Places where streets and public spaces are coherently and
attractively defined.
A Quality Public Realm
Public spaces that are safe, comfortable, well maintained,
welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Ease of Movement
Places that are easy to get to and move through.
Legibility
Places that have a clear image and are easy to understand.
Adaptability
Places that can evolve easily and flexibly
Diversity
Varied environments offering a range of uses, opportunities and
experiences.

66. ASPECTS OF FORM
The inter-related elements which work together to define COUNCILLOR’S GUIDE TO URBAN
buildings, groups of buildings and spaces.
DESIGN
Urban Structure
The essential diagram of a place.
8 ASPECTS OF FORM
Urban Grain CABE 2003
The nature and extent of the subdivision of the area into smaller
development parcels.
Density and Mix
The amount of development and the range of uses this
influences.
Height and Massing
The scale of a building.
Building Type
Façade and Interface
The relationship of the building to the street.
Details and Materials
The appearance of the building.
Streetscape and Landscape
The design of route and spaces, their microclimate, ecology and
biodiversity

67. GESTALT
THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN
THE SUM OF THE PARTS

68. We look for both the practical and poetic to inform both the art
and science of design decision making.

69. INSIDE OUTSIDE

70. LAYERS
Break the complex down into its constituent parts

71. Urban Environments can be conceived in terms of four interlocking
components:
i. Terrestrial Environment – the earth, its topography, microclimate and processes
and manmade additions to it.
ii. Animate Environment – the living organisms that occupy it.
iii. Social Environment – the relations between people occurring in these places.
iv. Cultural Environment – behavioural norms, cultural artefacts and perception.
Carmona M, ‘Public Places, Urban Spaces’ Architectural Press. p37

72. PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS
Appreciate the physical context:
i. Understand the Macro, Meso and Micro Climate
ii. Identify existing landscape features both natural and manmade, topography,
trees, water courses etc
iii. Understand the movement patterns. Access, connectivity, linkage and legibility.
iv. Consider the way people use and engage with the place.
v. Establish the physical constraints and opportunities above and below ground,
inside and outside the red line.
vi. Form, Scale, Building lines, Patterns within the streetscape.
vii. Impact on adjoining owners and key views and vistas.

73. LAYERS

75. META-PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS
Appreciate the meta-physical context:
i. Peoples perceptions of the place
ii. Memories
iii. History
iv. Myth and legend

76. Establish a places identity
By the identity of a place, we refer to its “persistent sameness and
unity which allows that place to be differentiated from others”.
Relph describes this persistent identity in terms of three
components:
(1) the place’s physical setting;
(2) its activities, situations, and events; and
(3) the individual and group meanings created through people’s
experiences and intentions in regard to that place.
(Relph 1976, p. 45).

77. Public Engagement – gathering local knowledge can reveal what is
not visible about a place. i.e a Restrictive Covenant

78. Site analysis is a method of
gathering a better
understanding about a
place that must then be
critically interpreted through
an iterative design process
and consultation with
local people.

79. Worked Example

80. National Tyre and Autocare site, St Cross

83. 1895

89. CASE STUDIES
DEVELOPING A DESIGN FROM THE SITE

90. “A proper building grows naturally, logically, and poetically out of all its
conditions.” – Louis Sullivan

91. Prossibly the most contextual house we have ever designed

92. An entry from Snug’s blog
When we design we must have our eyes and our hearts open. We must
listen as well as look. We must smell, feel and remember. All of our
senses must be alive if we are to create designs that bring ongoing life
to the places in which we work. There is no status quo. Places, like the
cells in our own body, are always being renewed. The challenge is to
maintain our identity and character whilst striving towards maturity. For
the buildings we design to succeed in this task we must develop a deep
understanding and respect for site. The result will not however be a
pastiche of past responses. It will be something new, something
befitting our era and the needs of our age, something us and our clients
can be proud of.

93. stealth HOUSE

105. Extension to KINGFISHER COTTAGE

114. 1 Castle Street, Dublin
De Blacam & Meagher

116. i2

121. Access Parking

124. Thank you