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New Multipurpose Community Centre, Strang Corner Field, Braddan, Isle of Man
For
The Braddan Parish Commissioners
May 2017 (NOTE: Text as highlighted in red indicates amendments from previously approved application PA16/00601/B)
Kay Associates Ltd Chartered Architects
1.0 General Site Characteristics 2.0 Architects Design Statement 2.1 Amended Planning Application 2.2 Pre-Application Consultations 2.3 Orientation Form \& Massing 2.4 Internal Spaces / Circulation 2.5 External Spaces / Circulation 2.6 Materials / Context
1.1 The application development site covers 21,482.98 square metres (2.15 Hectares), (5.31Acres) and is bounded using a red line on the application drawings, ie Proposed Overall Site Plan (P/10-100) and Location Plan (P/10-200), representing the proposed curtilage of the site known as 'The Strang Corner Field'. 1.2 The proposed development site forms a parcel of land located on the edge of the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care's Noble's Hospital site. The Eastern boundary of the site is predominantly bordered by the Palatine Health Centre along with its' associated car park, in addition a small section of this boundary is bordered by the hospital complex's main vehicular access / circulation road, with the 'Newlands' medical ward block being located on the opposite side of this circulation road.
The North-East boundary is defined by a parcel of land known as the 'Ballamona Farmhouse' complex, and is in the ownership of the Isle of Man Government's Department of Health and Social Care. This complex is currently occupied by a combination of the department's Eastcliffe Resource Industrial Centre (ERIC) facility, (an industrial day centre for adults who have a learning disability), as well as the department's Estates Division, both accommodated within three industrial / warehouse / ancillary type properties.
The site's Northern boundary is marked via the garden boundary wall to a privately owned residential property known as Harold Cottage, whilst the Western boundary of the site is defined predominantly by Braddan Road terminating at the 'Strang Crossroads' roundabout junction with Ballaoates Road forming the site's North-West corner / boundary
The Southern boundary of this site is defined by a property owned and operated by the Department of Health and Social Care, and is used as an accommodation facility for the department's medical personnel / staff. 1.3 A topographical survey has been carried out on the site, and is included in the package of application drawings, (see P/10-101 Existing Site Plan). From this survey it can be seen that the existing site ranges in level from a maximum contour of 69.00 metres at its extreme Eastern boundary to a contour level of 59.00 metres at the extreme North-West corner boundary, immediately adjacent to the Strang roundabout junction, hence resulting in a maximum fall of 10.00 metres over the entire depth of the development site, with the predominant aspect forming a West facing slope. 1.4 It is proposed that vehicular access to the application site will be taken from the adjacent Noble's Hospital complex estate road, as located on the Eastern boundary of the development site, (for detail highway / traffic information please refer to the separate 'Traffic Statement').
It is proposed that the foul water drainage from this proposed development is to discharge via the Nobles Hospital foul water drainage infrastructure, whilst the surface water drainage will be connected to the public surface water system in the 'Strang Crossroads' area adjacent to the site, but with attenuation contained within the site via soakaways to limit out-flow during peak rainfall events.
As a direct result of a detailed cost saving / value engineering exercise carried out after an initial planning application for this project was submitted and subsequently approved in November 2016, (ie PA 16/00601/B), it became clearly apparent to the applicant, as advised by their Design Team, that significant cost savings had to be achieved in order to meet the predetermined budget. These cost savings are now reflected within the scope of the current application, and have been largely achieved via a reduction in overall floor area, with resultant cost savings achieved in quantity of fabric construction, as well as Structural Engineering and Mechanical \& Electrical design. It should be noted that the proposed building fabric specification has not been altered from that of the original application. The reduction in floor area, amounting to 171.59 sqm ., has been achieved via re-organisation and rationalisation of internal spaces as follows:
3.1 Relocation of the Dentist's unit to first floor level; 3.2 Reduction in floor area of Commissioners Offices; 3.3 Addition of dedicated staircase to serve Braddan Commissioner's Offices; 3.4 Integration of Function / Meeting Room at first floor level within 'Rotunda'; 3.5 Reduction in floor area of Opticians and resultant relocation of Therapy / Consulting Suite from first floor to ground floor level; 3.6 Direct access to Sports Hall seating from upper ground floor level removed, ie access to spectator seating from Sports Hall only; 3.7 Increase in internal floor area of Yoga / Pilates Studio achieved via a reduction in the void over café seating area
During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with the following officers:
Mr. C.Balmer - Dept. of Environment Food \& Agriculture - Planning Officer; Mr. E. Riley - Dept. of Environment Food \& Agriculture - Planning Officer; Mr. K. Almond - Dept. of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer; Ms. H. Fletcher - Dept. of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer; Mr lan Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer.
Consultation with officers of Manx Utilities Authority to establish a drainage strategy.
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
The proposals for re-development of this site takes the form of a predominantly two-storey 'mixed use development' of 3023.61 sq.m (as measured externally), which utilises the natural contours of the site via cut and fill excavations conceived to minimise the effective height and visual impact of the proposed sports hall from the immediate surrounding / adjacent properties, while relating to the scale and massing of other areas of the development. The development is orientated in a South-West direction to maximise potential benefits from solar gains to principle public zones while simultaneously affording maximum possible views across the landscaped site forming the 'Community Green'.
The form of this development has been carefully articulated to reduce or minimise it's massing, and is broadly arranged around its various internal functions.
A two-storey rotunda forms a central focal point around which principle internal circulation and reception functions radiate, as well as leading / signalling visitors towards the primary entrance. This flat roof 'Rotunda' punctuates through and breaks the overall mass of a centrally located barrel vaulted roof. This barrel vaulted roof affords a double height space, naturally lit from a South-West orientated, fully glazed curving wall, to the café seating areas / receptions zones. The roof profiles over the Sports Hall and Commissioners Office areas, located either side of this central 'reception / circulation zone', again take the form of barrel vaults, but are orientated at 90 degrees to the 'central' vaulted roof and extend down to single-storey height over the Nursery located to the northwest end of the development.
This arrangement and orientation of three barrel vaulted roofs, together with the curved glazed wall to the South-West elevation (ie from café seating area), together with a deep overhanging roof profile has been carefully conceived in order to provide a 'flowing wave' form to the roof line of the principle South-West 'Community Green' elevation, particularly when viewed across the 'green' from the lower topographical levels of Braddan Road, and generally serves to form an overarching / unifying element to the various forms / functions of the overall development.
The internal layout of this mixed-use development has been conceived around the concept of a central reception / café seating zone around which various functions radiate in an attempt to facilitate the articulation of built form and spaces while minimising 'dead space' circulation zones, such as long empty corridors etc.
The 'wing' to the North of the central reception zone contains a multipurpose community / sports hall which is designed to facilitate county /
national / international standard badminton matches, (ie minimum 9.1 metre clear height at court positions), as well as national standard basketball matches. Flexible spectator seating is provided for sports matches or performances / meetings via permanent fixed seating, accommodating up to a maximum of 120 spectators, (as opposed to 280 spectators seating proposed under the previously approved application). The multi-purpose hall is located 1.8 metres below the primary entrance level, as previously highlighted in order to minimise massing in relation to the other areas of development as well as to the site's surrounding context, (see dwg. no. P/10-10 finished floor levels ie. FFL). Full disabled access to the sports hall, changing rooms, and wc facilities at lower ground level, as well as to first floor levels is facilitated via a lift.
A gym and yoga studio, (along with further wc facilities) are provided at first floor level adjacent to the multipurpose hall and overlook both the hall and the double height café seating spaces.
A single-storey 'Nursery Unit' to be managed and run by a private operator is located at the Northern side of the multi-purpose hall. This element of the development is arranged around a central circulation corridor and has a series of barrel vaulted roofs designed with similar proportions to the roof forms of the other elements of this development, and conceived to 'book end' the adjacent mass of the Sports Hall. This element of the development is in essence linear in form responding to the specific internal functioning / circulation of the nursery. The nursery brief requires a series of discreet activity/classrooms; a 'quiet' room; kitchen; staffroom; staff office; and wc facilities. All these facilities are linked by a secure internal corridor with a clear and unambiguous circulation strategy, and is provided with natural daylight / ventilation via a linear series of roof lights extending along the corridor from the Waiting Area at the entrance. Four of the five classrooms open out onto a secure external play area to facilitate secure external play/teaching activities as well as providing enhanced natural lighting and ventilation.
The 'wing' to the south / southwest of the reception zone at ground floor provides three dedicated units accommodating the following:
The commissioner's office complex is located at first floor level, along with a dental surgery with access being achieved via stairs / lift located in the primary entrance lobby, as well as a dedicated staircase serving the commissioner offices, with direct and protected access to the café's external seating area to the southwest of the development This office complex has views over the reception / café seating areas via windows in the Board Room and General Office, as well as a balcony area accessed from the General Office.
The 'Rotunda', which as previously mentioned, serves as an entrance elevation feature and articulation mechanism, provides accommodation for: 1. 'Soft Play Area' at ground floor level, (note: the diameter of the 'Rotunda'
has been reduced by 2 metres from that proposed under the previously approved application, hence reducing the floor area of the Soft Play Area from 114.98 sqm . to 80.57 sqm .), designed to facilitate children's adventure climbing frames / platforms; and
A link bridge access has been integrated in order to facilitate direct access from the Commissioners' Offices to the Function / Meeting Room, specifically to accommodate the Commissions' own requirements for such a facility. The 'Rotunda' feature additionally accommodates the Braddan Parish Commissioners' main reception desk, hence allowing controlled access to the development around a clearly defined internal circulation/ public service space.
The external spaces associated with this development have been designed as both a response to the developments specific internal functions, as well as the express requirements of the Braddan Parish Commissioners, to integrate a communal external space which would function as a focal point for both the local and wider communities.
The large area of land located to the West and South-West of the proposed built form would be fully landscaped to provide the following amenity;
'Braddan Community Green', and the extensive landscaped green space beyond.
The palette of materials utilised for the development responds to a combination of the desire to relate to the materials of the nearby Noble's Hospital complex, while also reinforcing the articulation of this relatively large development via the use of a varied palette of materials such as: timber cladding; self-coloured renders in various tones; and strategic areas of glazing.
These various materials are used predominantly, though not exclusively, to walls at first floor levels, and broadly relate to the various functions making up this development, examples of this can be demonstrated via the following:
respectively. These render shades have been selected to reflect the Braddan Commissioners corporate colours.
Reference is made to the site's surrounding context specifically, in relation to the existing Noble's Hospital complex, via the integration of the same wall construction materials to lower levels of the proposed developments larger masses, such as the multi-purpose hall and office / surgery wings, and takes the form of 'Forticrete Anstone' re-constituted stone walling block, in a split faced finish, as well as smooth re-constituted stone window and door surrounds.
The series of barrel vaulted roofs are all of coated zinc standing seam construction in a dark/mid grey matt finish, and are conceived with the intension of minimising any visual impact, having been designed to reflect the distant blue / grey rolling hills and landscape forming the site's wider environmental context. A stepped facia, common to all areas of the development, is picked out in the same shade of grey PPC aluminium cladding and expresses / reinforces the 'flowing wave' form to the roof line. These barrel vaulted roofs and associated facia act as unifying features, drawing all the variously articulated forms of the development together under a single overarching roofing element.
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