Central Chelmsford, Burgess Springs

The project is delivering a blueprint for a new community in Chelmsford. 507 new homes as well as retail and offices will make up this new development. The site has a number of key buildings once part of Anglia Ruskin University, which are being partly or wholly retained and refurbished. These are the Frederick Chancellor Building of 1905 and the Law Building of 1931. One of the most historic & resonant as well as the earliest buildings on the site is the Grade II listed Anne Knight Building, a former Friends Meeting House from 1824. Named after one of Chelmsford's most distinguished women, Anne Knight 1786 - 1862. Contextual research and on-site interventions are based broadly on the following: 1. The life and times of Anne Knight, which may represent her achievement & legacy. This can be portrayed as a narrative using quotations attributed to her and / or synonyms and metaphors, which may be suggestive of her character & personality. 2. The history of the area bounded by the current site development. 3. Movement through & use of the site as suggested by the current designs, which could explore connectivity, way finding & a triumvirate of new public spaces to explore. 4. Nature, landscape and geography as suggested by the adjacency to Central Park and the vista from the upper levels of the flight of steps from The Place. 5. The building & ‘genesis’ of a new Community on the site. 6. Human traits, conditions and aspirations as described or suggested by metaphors and synonyms for landscape & community, inspired by Job Knight’s notebook. The site has a number of key buildings once part of Anglia Ruskin University, which are being partly or wholly retained and refurbished. These are the Frederick Chancellor Building of 1905 and the Law Building of 1931. One of the most historic & resonant as well as the earliest buildings on the site is the Grade II listed Anne Knight Building, a former Friends Meeting House from 1824 & named after one of Chelmsford's most distinguished women, Anne Knight 1786 - 1862. I have also responded to the contemporary landscape plans and architectural form to explore the flow & rhythm of the site, exploring how the various elements & spaces developed for the project may be navigated and used by residents & pedestrians. I have made interventions on site mainly through text & the detailing of timber and natural stone features. There is a distinct north to south ‘flow’ of text and materials through the site. Water jet cut granite words are inset into the York stone step risers to the south of the site. The intent is for these words to be read from a distance to ‘draw’ in the viewer towards the steps from The Crossing. As one nears the steps, other smaller words reveal their meaning. Timber seats on these bespoke double steps encourage ad hoc & informal sitting. There is subtlety here too. The manufacture of various elements within the physical landscape, such as the timber seats and granite paving, are such that the text-based narrative remains small scale and is there to ‘discover’, rather than ‘shout’ to its audience. Royal Green granite paving is sandblasted with words to similar depths. When wet, the text may quietly disappear, only to come to life when the granite begins to dry out, an interesting nuance to work with as a metaphor for time and memory as well as the our changeable weather. This ‘quiet’ communication is at the heart of the creative response. Client: Genesis Housing Association Main Contractor: Denne Architects: PTE Architects Landscape Architects: AREA Landscape Architects Specialist Contractors: Hardscape, City Squared Ltd, Ashfield Group Ltd, VGL