St Mary’s
Liz Lake Associates were appointed to prepare a Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment (TVIA) and a full set of planning drawings for student residential accommodation in the centre of Bristol. The site, situated in Clifton, is set at an old hospital within a Conservation Area with close links to the nearby Brandon Hill. With a large change in level from the existing hillock to the south through to the entrance level to the north, the site came with its challenges. It has previously been taken to planning a number of times with strong opposition.
Working alongside CSJ Planning, Susan Stephen Architects and Hillside Trees, we undertook research into the surrounding Conservation Areas and locality through desktop studies and fieldwork in order to produce a robust TVIA with strong design recommendations. Following a design review with Bristol’s Urban Design Panel, our scheme looked at creating formal terraces and parterre gardens to the west of the main building to bring pedestrians into the site, and a series of courtyards to reflect the existing retained historic private gardens associated with large listed houses in the Clifton area.
Our proposal also takes into account the sensitive existing residential edges to the site as well as the and Conservation Area status to allow the scheme to positively contribute to the site and its surroundings. The development has been granted full permission by Bristol City Council.
