INTRODUCTIONSPEAR AND BENGAL STREET

.co.uk

The proposed residential developments at Bengal Street and Spear Street will provide high quality private rented sector accommodation, managed to a high standard by Northerngroup. Both schemes will include a mix of apartment sizes, with all apartments guided by the Manchester Residential Quality Guidance.

The key design principles are:• a clear sense of community living• activate the surrounding streetscape where possible• • promotion of mixed residential apartment types and

sizes• family living• high quality interiors • promotion of sustainable transportation• building facades to emulate the principles of its historic

precedents• support the prevailing pattern of roofscape• variety of height promotes the townscape character of

the Conservation Areas

ICE PLANT82 refurbished & new build apartments (2012)

FLINT GLASS WHARF 135 new build apartment (2009)

WHO ARE NORTHERNGROUP ?Northerngroup is a prominent Manchester-based owner and developer of property. As well as managing and renting a wide stock of homes,

- and the wider north west - and have been at the fore of the city’s build to rent sector. All of our schemes are designed and built to top

JACTIN HOUSE

BENGAL STREET .co.uk

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BENGAL STREET

Key Views:

DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PLANNING CONTEXT

The design team tested options for the site with the following design principles, site constraints and planning matters in mind:

• heritage: the site lies within a conservation area and thus the proposal responds to the scale, materiality, form and rhythm of the surrounding context

• height and massing: reinforce the characteristic variation in scale, massing and form seen in Ancoats conservation area

• cohesive urban environment and improved legibility: reference to the existing historical grid, development to the pavement edge and clear entrances

• sustainable communities: diverse apartment mix and types, shared communal space

• activate streets: improve the condition of surrounding streets to create a safe environment.

• ground related residential use: designed to establish appropriate privacy levels in relation to

• car parking & cycle parking: provide secure car & cycle parking where possible and promote the use of public transport

The proposal | option 04

private outdoor residential terraces and a double height entrance lobby. The mass has then been stacked on top, set back from the buildings perimeter and tapering back to 10 storeys. This is the proposed option as it improves the streetscape condition,

with the strong forms of buildings in the surrounding context.

option 1: perimeter mass.

option 2: lowering street perimeter and stacking.

option 3: terracing towards radium street

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2

3

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cons

erva

tion

area

Anc

oats

Waulk Mill

Royal Mills

Flint Glass Wharf

Jactin House

A

AB

D

C

E

F

G

G

I

A

B

C

D

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H

1848

1908

present day

proposal

Typical Ancoats back street (1899) Junction of Bengal Street and Jersey Street (1962) Victoria Square (1984) Silk Street (1962)Mustard Tree (1961) The Shamrock Inn (1962)

BENGAL STREET .co.uk

Manchester metropolitan transport system in close proximity

terrace creates spacious outside spaces

richness through controlled variation in building height; the framework master-plan for the Ancoats and New Islington Neighbourhoods encourages a variety in height to compliment objectives to deliver a mixed land use structure; this will echo the historic composition, where buildings heights were lower, but more varied away from the mills

floor to ceiling openings provide natural ventilation for all rooms and maximizes views and daylight penetration

Typical elevation part of the east side of the Victoria Square building. Small openings are without direct ventilation and have limited affect on activation of the surrounding street scape.

Victoria Square building orientation is towards the inner courtyard

Small openings have limited affect on streetscape activation

city center by bike within 5 minutes

materials used are responsibly sourced

prefabricated elementsthus short constructiontime + energy reduction

facade openingoptimization of ratio betweendaylighting and heat transmission

floor to ceiling windows provide lots of daylight for a fresh and light interior

stimulating cycleand public transport

Raised plinth increases the privacy for the apartments on the ground floor

16m

compact shapeoptimal proportionof floor and facade surface

as development opportunitiesexpand, a ubiquitous height profile would risk sterilising the street grid

height variations will enliven the grid and support objectives to create a rich,diverse but historically responsiveenvironment

community focused: two coreswhich each serve a maximum of 7 apartments per floor; communal space on the ground floor

every room has a manual openable window; fresh outside air reduces the use of mechanical ventilation and improves living qualities

spacious and diverse apartment arrangements offer a unique living quality and can attract a wide range of possible tenants

activating the street scapearound the building

winter

summer

crown3 stories

body6 stories

plinth1 storey

communal space and double high entrance space evokes interaction and a sense of community

recessed windows:- no direct sunlight in summer- warmth in winter

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+

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set back of the facade on the ground floor creates outside space for the adjacent apartments and activates the surrounding streetscape

recharging spotfor electric vehicles

PROPOSAL

raised plinth:• enhances privacy• enables a natural ventilated parking

garage

communal entrance• inviting entrance at silk street• double heigh improves daylight penetration• recess accommodates weather protection

double height space• communal space activates Primrose street• encouraging a sense of community and neighbourliness.• aids natural surveillance and overlooking

individual front doors at corners• street activation• private entrance

edge greenery• enhancing and improving the connection

with landscape and nature.• welcoming environment

• terrace as an extension of the living room•

The tight site, the location of the car park and resident privacy

in developing the layout of the building. The car park has been submerged by half a level in order to minimise dead street

level and can be accessed from the street, creating defensible yet active space.

The ambition for the residential entrance is to create one shared entrance space that creates visual connection from Silk Street to Primrose Street and breaks up the length of the massing. Two cores are then located off this main entrance space, with

long, uninviting and unlit corridors and promotes a sense of community in each core. Residential developments should offer the opportunity to bring neighbours together, while respecting privacy and personal territory and avoiding loitering. The layout of the building, positions of front doors and creation of communal and semi-private residential space promotes the opportunities for chance meetings between residents and thus aims to promote a strong community.

From the design development, exploration of use, height, form, massing and materiality, the design proposed is arranged as follows:

Residential Cycle Storage:• 110 secure cycle parking spaces;• Controlled access from Radium Street;• Designated cyclist entrance and route;

Residential:There are a total of 109 build to rent apartments comprising;• 42 x 1-bed;• 63 x 2-bed;• 4 x 3-bed apartments

Plin

th

Entrance/ Lobby

Body

Crow

n

BENGAL STREET

SILK STREET

PRIMROSE STREET

existing site - corner with the Shamrock Inn proposal - corner with the Shamrock Inn

proposal - distinct building volumes

BENGAL STREET .co.uk

Building voume articulationAncoats’ new developments and renovations or

are set back from the body to facilitate outdoor spaces and therby enhancing the diversity in heights and experience within Ancoats.

Regular facade grid

regular facade grid.

Individual framed windowsThe window articulation follows this regular grid and creates a uniform facade for the entire building.

Exterior | Corner articulation

most historic buildings in Manchester city centre are the cut back of the corners. Giving an effect of monumentality and gravitas.

Interior | Triple aspectThe corner accentuation creates the opportunity to provide triple aspect living quarters

Communal entranceDouble height entrance space with a strong industrial appearance refers back to the entrances of the Ancoats’ mills. It creates a generous, recognisable entrance and building identity for the residents.

FACADE

CROWN

BODY

PLINTH

Victoria Square

Murray Mills

Kennedy Building

BENGAL STREET

Plin

th

Entrance/ Lobby

Body

Crow

n

Contemporary brickwork:• contemporary reference to contextual

history• horizontal lining

Car-park ventilation:• perforated masonry• planter zone with low green plants to

separate private terrace from street.

Moments of interest:• special brickwork edges• planter zones incorporated in the

• generous family terraces on the

Grand Scale• double height entrance• reference to Ancoats industrial

history

Windows:• detailing around windows• deep expressed reveal.

Strong Corners:• Articulated corners reference to

contextual history

Royal Mills Ice Plant Communal entrance

Corner articulation

Regular grid windows

Distinct building volumes

SPEAR STREET .co.uk

stephenson square conservation area

smithfield conservation area

conservation area Ancoats

+partners

ouse

Building

elopments

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J

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J

DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PLANNING CONTEXT

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Hodders+partners

Griffin House

Express Building

New developments

Site

block, located in the Northern Quarter of the city centre of Manchester. The site fronts on to Spear Street only, with Oldham Street to the rear (northwest) of the block, Warwick Street to the south-west, and Houldsworth Street to the north-east. The Site lies within the Ancoats and Clayton ward, a short distance to the south-west of Great Ancoats Street (A665), which forms a key arterial route along the north-western boundary of Manchester City Centre.

The massing of the site has been analysed in the context of the city block bounded by Hilton Street, Stevenson Square, Lever Street and Oldham Street. Within this city block there

developments. The typologies within the block range from a

height along Spear Street elevation ranging from 2 storeys

Ancoats Street.

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Current site

great ancoats streetwarwick street

great ancoats streetwarwick street

koffee pot(rear elevation)

the express building

application site

application site

oldham streetnew development

car park lever streetoldham street

koffee pot

newdevelopment

application site

application site

lever streetoldham street

griffin house

griffin house

listed cottages

listed cottages

View towards current site

Existing section

Proposed section

Existing section

Proposed section

SPEAR STREET .co.uk

development by providing a clear plinth as an entrance area,

is set back from the Spear Street to balance the massing in the environment. The height variations will enliven the grid and

responsibe environment. Eleven build to rent apartments are to be realised on this land.

richness through controlled variation in building height

stimulating cycleand public transport

future development

generous interiors thanks to the

apartments height

winter

summer

recessed windows:- no direct sunlight in summer- warmth in winter

corner windows +

+

+

PROPOSAL

Manchester metropolitan transport system in close proximity

city center by bike within 5 minutes

materials used are responsibly sourced

prefabricated elementsthus short constructiontime + energy reduction

facade openingoptimization of ratio betweendaylighting and heat transmission

floor to ceiling windows provide lots of daylight for a fresh and light interior

compact shapeoptimal proportionof floor and facade surface

as development opportunitiesexpand, a ubiquitous height profile would risk sterilising the street grid

height variations will enliven the grid and support objectives to create a rich,diverse but historically responsiveenvironment

every room has a manual openable window; fresh outside air reduces the use of mechanical ventilation and improves living qualities

spacious and diverse apartment arrangements offer a unique living quality and can attract a wide range of possible tenants

activating the street scapearound the building

16 m²

00.02plant room

16 m²

00.03refuse store21 m²

00.04bike store

water tank

waterbooster

33 m²

00.01lobby

spear street

13220

9615

5 m²

00.05plant room

righ

t of

acc

ess

generatorposition

12x bike storage, stacked

exact door positionadjacent property tbd

40 m²01.01

42 m²01.02

13220

9615

76 m²05.01

8950

665

2380

36 m²06.01

38 m²06.02

13220

8950

45 m²06.01

43 m²06.02

13220

8950

13220

8950

Plin

th

Entrance/ Lobby

Body

Crow

n

proposal - distinct building volumes

proposed roofscapeproposed south elevation along Spear Street

00 Ground Floor0+AOD

01 1st Floor3300+AOD

02 2nd Floor6600+AOD

1 3

03 3rd Floor9900+AOD

04 4th Floor13200+AOD

05 5th Floor16500+AOD

06 6th Floor19800+AOD

07 7th Floor23100+AOD

08 Roof26400+AOD

2B

open brickwork open brickwork

Former Crosby and Walker warehouse

proposed entrance