Exeter Civic Society Questions the Architectural Plans for Clarendon House

Our Chair, Keith Lewis, supported by comments from the 'Strategic Planning & Highways Group', responded to the developer's consultation for revised proposals for purpose-built student accommodation at Clarendon House on the Paris Street roundabout in central Exeter. To sum up our views, we think the plans did not progress well, as what is currently on the table still does not convince in terms of architecture. Whilst you believe reducing height and the number of rooms an improvement, this has done nothing to improve the quality of the architecture - it still seems like a proposal for stacking accommodation to maximise the number of student rooms rather than designing an attractive building.

In our response we said about:

Height: A reduction in height is welcome, but 10 storeys still seems unacceptable. A well￾designed building which knits with and respects adjacent buildings is a more important
factor for the skyline.

Design: We consider the current proposals are wholly unacceptable and a backward step in the developing this site. The facade treatment shows one of the tall blocks with single windows, and the other with double-joined windows. There is an ad-hoc arrangement of windows and limited continuity in the language of the hierarchy of the windows and structure. For exemplary design you would expect a more coherent fenestration. The asymmetry of the two blocks seems particularly incongruous. The new neo-classical design seems a backward step in developing a building that is acceptable on this prominent corner and a busy traffic junction in the centre of Exeter. Paris Street roundabout has an ensemble of different contemporary styles, true to the time they were built. To continue with this theme, a well-designed 21st century building should be proposed, not a neo-classical one.

Landscaping: There are limited opportunities on this urban site for landscaping but we think more can be achieved to ‘green’ this side of the roundabout.

Connectivity: We do not consider that these proposals adequately address the connectivity required for the wider area, for local people, or students who will reside at this new building. We do not think that an additional crossing over Western Way within 50m of the existing crossing will function well. Instead, we suggest relocating the existing crossing further towards Paris Street roundabout. In our experience most people using the existing crossing then walk towards Cheeke Street and presumably the city centre. We attach a suggestion for how a relocated crossing could be positioned which will serve both pedestrian routes from Russell Street.

With the inclusion of the incubator space on the ground floor, which we welcome as a very good idea, this development would benefit from planning as postgraduate student living space as they would be the ones reaching out into business life and benefitting from community and start-up-space. A designation to PGs in the layout not just on the ground floor spaces, would make the building stand out in Exeter and this could become one of its unique selling points. The distance from both campuses and the embedding in city centre life would benefit PG use of the site as they are less likely to go in for lectures and seminars and either spend more time in their own space or work in labs and other dedicated university work spaces. The PG community will be around for more than 40 weeks a year so they will positively contribute to the city life outside term times as well.

For more details read our written response linked to in the side column.