Southdown View
The prestigious redevelopment of a prominent Portsmouth location with historic status to create a 56 dwelling residential building sympathetic to its residents and the surrounding environment.
Vivid
Feasibility Study, Concept Development, Detailed Planning Drawings, Public Consultation, Construction Drawings, Technical Support
01 Background
Occupying a prominent location on one of the gateways onto Portsea Island, this former bus depot site represented a complex redevelopment scheme with a number of constraints to be overcome to unlock its full development potential. This included the site falling in an identified flood risk zone precluding the use of the ground floor as residential accommodation, and the former bus depot having been constructed on the historic ‘Hilsea Lines’ Napoleonic fortification and now benefitting from ‘Scheduled Ancient Monument’ status. To achieve the necessary land values, First Wessex required a 56-unit 6 storey residential scheme to be realised on the site.
02 The story
To protect and enhance the visual enjoyment of the Hilsea Lines, our proposal needed to provide these with sufficient relief whilst opening up new vistas. This dictated the general massing of the scheme and focused the development along the front edge of the site. The design itself is a reflection of the former ‘Art Deco’ bus depot, adding a sense of drama and visual interest to the London Road street scene. With the limitations on the developable area, a 56-unit 6 storey residential scheme (subject to the Portsmouth City Council Tall Building Planning Policy) needed to be realised.
To address concerns raised by the local authority and neighbouring residents, we used 3D visualisation, detailed site cross sections, oversharing studies and photomontages which demonstrated the limited effect the scheme would have on the wider community. Through careful design, the overall mass of the proposal was broken into smaller elements to further reduce its visual scale. After considerable negotiation with the Local Planning Authority, the £6.6 million scheme was granted full planning consent in 2013 and was completed in 2016.
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People are at the centre of everything we do, we foster and nurture a creative and innovative environment in which all excel.
03 The outcome for Southdown View
Southdown View was completed in 2016 with residents moving in in September of that year. The development has proved extremely popular with both owner occupiers and tenants with the floorplans, levels of appointment and airy communal facilities creating a comfortable and affluent feel. The development has proved equally popular with the Hilsea community, with its echoing of the former bus depot welcomed by many.
KSA revived a Commendation at the 24Housing Awards 2016 for Best Green Scheme, welcome recognition for this piece of public sector Placemaking.
“Fantastic opportunity to enhance this visually sensitive area while providing much needed affordable housing in the City”
Daniel Knight, Design Director, KSA
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