Attributes and Constraints and the Pre-Planning Process
Dr. William Hogan-O'Neill - Author, Chartered Architect, and Coach
Architect Knowhow, July 27, 2022
When I confirm my appointment with a client for a project, one of the first items on my agenda is to visit the site so I can assess what it has to offer. I approach this by examining the site itself in terms of the physical entities that exist within the site, but I also examine what else exists beyond the actual boundaries of the site which may or may not impact the potential development of the site. In other words, I am interested to establish the physical entities that might have an influence in the design solution. Attributes and constraints will become apparent when undertaking your Site Survey, Site Analysis and Concept Design Development.
I always seek to incorporate any site attributes that may exist into the concept design development, and I highlight the features that have the potential to add value to the final design solution. At the same time, with any site constraints that exist, I will seek to manage these differently by designing them out as a first priority or designing a solution which mitigates against them as much as possible and to a point where it makes economic sense to do so. Sometimes a particular constraint or set of constraints are so impactful by their negative influence on the intended development project they bring into question the actual viability of the project, where the financial return envisaged cannot be easily realised or there is a significant risk attached to the enterprise from the very beginning.
I refer to these types of features as attributes and constraints, as they can either assist or impede your design solution. Whilst attributes might allow you to capitalise on their presence, constraints, on the other hand, can become problematic in terms of satisfying a planning issue for others to employ as a weapon and can become a cost item for the construction process. In this article, I want to highlight and introduce to you how attributes and constraints can influence on your project.
Being aware of potential objections before they happen means you can mitigate against them at an appropriate time during your pre-planning process. (Image by martinvickery)
You have often heard mention of ‘pros and cons’ or ‘dos and don’ts’, but this terminology does not really transfer well in an architectural design sense in a meaningful way. So, when I identify the features and factors which make up a site or a property consisting of land and building(s), I refer to the site factors, features, and characteristics as attributes and constraints
Attributes are positive features which can be worked with by the architect in a positive way, as they help to create additional added value to the final design solution and the client’s potential for additional added value.
Conversely, constraints are the opposite in that they require the architect to minimise their impact on the development of the site and the overall project. Even better, where the architect can design out their impact entirely, this is always the better option and usually the most economical solution for the client also.
Attributes or constraints connected with your land or property can assist or impede the concept design development during the pre-planning stage, and they will influence how the architect’s final design solution not only in relation to aspects of planning but also in relation to influencing the construction stage.
Attributes Definition
An attribute may be a feature of your land or building or both, as the case may be, which helps to facilitate your intended planning application. It might be an obvious valuable empty space or gap within your property, an obvious location for a new extension which does not impact any adjoining property because it might be totally or partially out of sight, let’s say. The same set of circumstances might be seen as an opportunity for completing the architectural story to the building by filling the gap with additional building.
In other words, it truly lends itself to be built upon or filled in, and by doing so this adds additional space to the existing house or building in a most natural, obvious, sensible way and architecturally, that is correct. You might even say that space is crying out to be used for an extension, as it will enhance the original property building in an unobtrusive and clear way. It will look like it was always meant to be part of the original property or building and not look like a stuck-on extension, per se.
Therefore, you have an opportunity to create additional space and at the same time create an architectural design solution which is in context and aesthetically correct, the whole of which makes for an excellent narrative for your design and access statement.
Another example of an attribute might be if you are intending to build a new building on a vacant site and locating your new building at a particular spot on the site that is clearly the most obvious and natural position for the new structure. This particular position works perfectly and in an obvious way because of the spectacular view it provides, let’s say, which makes the best use of the site for the occupants in a very natural way.
Your client may even be considering the actual purchase of the site specifically for this unique view in question. Moreover, what you have in mind is a good fit because it would not cause any material impact by the way adjoining properties are used by their owners.
Perhaps the adjoining properties already enjoy the same spectacular view, and in a way, similar to what you intend, which would suggest the local planning authority might have little, if anything, to be concerned about either. All of this would have to be verified, of course, by way of a planning submission. Notwithstanding the formalities of making a planning submission, they would be minded to grant planning permission as a principle, but the actual building design (reserve matters) is another matter for the planners, as they usually tend to scrutinise the design details as part of their remit.
In another situation, perhaps there is an opportunity to locate your intended building on a site which will not impact on any trees that might have a tree preservation order attached. This might suggest the visual impact of your finished building will provide real added value not only to your final design solution as a building for the specific parcel of land in question but also to the adjoining properties by the way your building will fit into the existing landscape, or streetscape, and complete the architectural story.
Another scenario might be in relation to an urban or suburban environment. Perhaps your new building would add real value to the adjoining properties because it would actually fill in a gap in the streetscape which has existed for many years and is less attractive or visually exciting than it could be. It might even be an ugly eyesore. As an infill site about to be built upon, your design solution will enhance the overall appearance of the streetscape as opposed to the lot being left open and vacant or a dump for unwanted cars or a location for bonfires. In other words, your infill project will complete the architectural story for the street, and aesthetically it would fill that gap like a prosthetic tooth, thereby generating enhancement.
Equally, your infill development proposal will have a function of its own. In the example shown here, it will provide an opportunity for creating new apartment accommodations, which fits in with the neighbourhood plan’s aspiration and requirements.
How the architectural design is managed for your infill site will be dictated by the strength of the character of the existing street and whether you, the architect, can justify a radical alternative design to what already exists, which is possible too.
I had a project similar to this in that whilst not an infill site as such, it was a vacant corner site at the end of a street with architectural character of a historical nature. The local planning authority preferred to retain the openness of the place, as did that inevitable army of interested parties.
My client sought to achieve a design which reflected a more contemporary architectural style rather than follow the existing style. In fairness, the neighbourhood plan and design guides made it reasonably clear as to what would be deemed appropriate, and anything outside of that expectation was not acceptable for this area.
A development opportunity where existing commercial use activities within a residential context could be changed to residential use with bulk and massing, (Image by Author)
The client and I decided to prepare two design solutions: one depicting a modern architectural treatment and another elevational treatment to reflect the tradition feel of the street, which was Plan B. Given the site was on a corner, we felt we could refer to what was happening architecturally on the other street with our preferred design solution, which was a mixture of architectural styles and not a repeat of the more historic reference. However, the case officer's report stated the land addressed the street with the strong architectural character and the style of the existing street with the historic reference. It had to be maintained as a prerequisite for that particular corner, as it would form a natural architectural conclusion to the street. The report did not present a very strong case for maintaining an open site and, indeed, that would have been somewhat difficult due to the fact that similar developments were happening elsewhere in this vicinity and there was no provision in the neighbourhood plan for this parcel of land to remain as open land.
The client, however, was wedded to his aspiration of a modern-style house and opted to make a planning submission on that basis. The planning strategy, then, was this: If the application was refused, he would take the next step with a planning appeal. In essence, the planning submission was made and refused, followed by an appeal. The appeal for the modern house design was refused also, but the inspector made a point of stating that a three-storey house on that corner was reasonable and thereby established the planning principle for the site to be developed, which was a huge win for the client. This meant that by the client presenting a design solution for a more traditional approach, it should be approved. I was able to pull our plan B out of the bag immediately and within eight weeks the local planning authority issued planning permission without any fuss or shouting from objectors.
I have outlined some simple examples of what attributes might mean for your project, but in essence, any feature that can be capitalised on in terms of architectural merit for achieving planning permission is deemed to be an attribute. As part of your pre-planning research make sure you set about identifying what attributes are clearly obvious and worthwhile for you to investigate further as part of your own evaluation process.
Constraints, then, are the opposite of attributes. An example might be, let’s say, the location of an adjoining owner’s tree that is a prized possession and very dear to them. However, said the tree will impede your construction process because where you would like to position your new building or extension conflicts with the roots. The root structure of that tree must not be interfered with, lest you cause damage to the tree. Designing out that problem can be a challenge and have a cost impact, I admit, but it is not insurmountable.
Other constraints that impact or impede what you would like to do might be the geometry of your existing roof being so complex that interfering with it would be too costly for the new extension you are considering. In other words, the actual cost of connecting into the existing roof the way the local planning authority might insist on would prove to be so expensive that it might not warrant the cost of the new extension in the first place.
Similarly, there might be issues with the location of your existing drainage system, whereby the footprint of your new building will cover existing manholes, and those will have to be moved with their associated costs. There is nothing very unusual about this, but a project cost will result as a consequence. Therefore, your concept design development should be seeking to find a design solution where the best value for money option will result for your client.
I have never had a project without some matter to be dealt with, managed, and, where possible, designed out as part of the final design solution. These factors are aspects you are better off identifying at the front end of the pre-planning process so they can be included into the overall project costs before you commence with any building on-site. It behooves you as the architect for your client to be alert to potential risk, as risk of any nature that is connected to a construction project means additional money has to be found to cover that risk.
Being faced with expensive project costs later can be a shattering experience and, in some cases, can bring the project to a swift end, potentially leaving your client with an incomplete building. Your client might question why he/she finds themselves in this position and will usually look to their architect for satisfactory answers. Making sure you keep your client informed, and in writing, at all times during each stage of the process is a prerequisite for an architect in practice. Making sure also you obtain your written client instruction to proceed from one stage to the next is also important for an architect in practice. When I was working with my client who was wedded to a modern house style on that corner site I mentioned earlier, I made sure he was aware of his options in writing first, as I assessed them. I followed this up with asking for his instructions as to which option he would prefer to proceed with.
I discuss attributes and constraints in far more detail in Book Three of this series and provide much more attention to the possible constraints you should be aware of. There are so many potential pitfalls and bear traps associated with constraints, especially that I have created a separate book just focusing on these alone.
Attributes and constraints, therefore, will relate to your property in two distinct ways, influencing your project in both a visual capacity and a functional capacity.