'Ghost buildings' to help public envisage impact of developments

[M II A II R II K]

'Ghost buildings' to help public envisage impact of developments


22 January 2014

By Oliver Wainwright



Read More: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...ltation-oxford

Clusters of spindly antennae poke up from rooftops and strange boxy frames project from walls. In the distance, a line of balloons hangs improbably in the air, describing a perfect square. This surreal panorama of rods and wires, which form the ghostly apparition of an alternative skyline, is a common sight in any Swiss city, where planning policy requires the erection of the profile of a building before it is granted permission to be built. And such ghost buildings may soon be coming to a street near you, if Oxford city councillor James Fry has his way.

- "Our current planning system makes it very difficult for the public to actually see what is going to be built," says Fry, who represents the city's North ward. "You've got to navigate the website, track down the application and find the architects' drawings, which can often be hard to understand in context." --- The difficulty of understanding architects' drawings, even for council planning officers, was all too evident in Oxford last year, when the disastrous Castle Mill student housing scheme was erected next to Port Meadow, plonking five-storey blocks right on the edge of the ancient protected landscape, blocking long-cherished views of the city's dreaming spires. An independent review criticised the council for inadequate consultation and said that the assessment of the visual impact of developments should be improved.

- Constructed from metal rods or wooden poles, fixed in place by wire guy ropes, the Swiss baugespanne or bauprofile are usually erected for a month, outlining the full height of the proposed development, with protruding markers to indicate the angle of the roof and direction of the walls. For taller buildings, tethered balloons can be used, and helicopters have even been employed to hover at a specified height for the tallest towers. Underground structures are not let off the hook either, usually having to be marked with wooden stakes at their corners. --- The initiative will be trialled in the UK for the first time in Oxford next week, on a car park site in the north of the city, where the council is planning to build 17 units of affordable housing in three-storey blocks. Eight telescopic metal poles will be put in place at Elsfield Hall and public comments will be recorded to feed into the planning decision.

- Elsewhere in Europe, augmented reality software is being tested to give the public a better idea of proposed developments, with a smartphone app developed in Finland that allows people to superimpose models of new buildings on to their sites and walk around them in real time. Such apps can also provide the means to send feedback directly. --- "Whether it's house extensions or tower blocks, many residents are shocked when they see the actual scale of developments that have been approved on the basis of drawings," says Fry. "Anything that makes it easier to understand the reality of the proposal should only be encouraged."

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[photoLith]

I dont get it.

[M II A II R II K]

They put a life size mock up for people to see what impact a proposal on the books would have on it's surrounding areas.

[Coldrsx]

That is ridiculous...

[plinko]

It's almost a standard requirement in many jurisdictions near me...even for single family homes. They are known locally as 'story poles'.

[photoLith]

That's a little excessive.

[M II A II R II K]

If this were to be done with skyscrapers, you could have temporary fantasy skylines.