daisybank road, manchester

posted: 5/03/12

Daisy Bank Road is a new build development consisting of 8no. semi-detached three-storey dwellings. The units are separated into four blocks of two units and are orientated to directly respond to the line of existing terraces, creating a visual termination.

The semi-detached arrangement creates a sense of permeability through the development allowing a visual link to the listed Addison Terrace to the rear. The massing of the development respects its context in both height and footprint.

The individual massing of each house is articulated into three distinct blocks so as to break down the sense of scale and height, and to create a contemporary rhythm, echoing the form of the listed Addison Terrace. The rhythm of the new streetscape is further defined by the spaces between the four blocks allowing views through the scheme, with the low height walls to the front, used to create defensible space around the entrances.

The highest element of the house is set back from the front elevation line to help break up the overall perceived height and mass; projecting elements at lower level assist in visually reducing the perceived height.

The same language is also utilised on the rear elevation; the southern most edge is a lower projecting element appearing to slide out past a taller block, contributing to the break up of the vertical emphasis between the rear of the new development and the taller existing listed terrace.

The stepping of the elevations in this manner helps to reduce the visual scale of the development, creating a sense of depth in both plan and section. The proposed materials are applied to further emphasise the break up of scale and allow the aesthetic to read as a series of blocks sliding past each other, whilst relating to the existing material palette of the surrounding built fabric.