There seems to be continued debate everywhere about CGI images. If you like what you get from us you might like to share this story with your colleagues.
About 18 months ago we were asked by FPD Savills to look at Chester HQ, on the old Police Headquarters site... you probably know it very well. Unluckily for us Liberty appointed a marketing company in Chester, who then commissioned a local company to visualise it. The work that they did was good! However the planners weren't convinced they said it looked 'too real', and the planning application was submitted with watercolour images instead of the computer modeled images. We handled all the VIA for that job and produced all the montages, but the modelling was supplied to us by this other company, and to be truthful it did look 'plastic' in some views. Anyway that was a bit of a downer for us, but as we handn't done the modeling we didn't feel it was our fault.
But on seeing the revised application with sketches, the council still kicked it out!
About 3 weeks ago, we were asked by Liberty to try to work some magic on the scheme. This was a major risk for the client because the council had explicitly requested a cardboard model and more watercolours. We collectively agreed that both of those things would not represent the development fairly, and would probably put an end to the application permanently. We produced a virtual model of everything from The Heritage Centre to Grosvenor Bridge, and took in Castle Square, Nicholas Street, Nuns Road, Castle Street, parts of the racecourse and some of the river. It was a substantial job, but we used a very robust methodology, we took accurate surveys, satellite data, and hundreds of photographs to texture map the main routes. We finally produced an 8 minute dvd flying around the site, and journeying through the main streets.
So, after 2 years of passionate debate and rejection we presented again to council yesterday with what we considered to be a risk, but a calculated one. Our dvd ran for 2 hours on a continuous loop while the scheme was discussed and finally the council overwhelmingly approved demolition of the former Police HQ (there has been lobbying to preserve it), and also overwhelmingly accepted the new scheme. They said that (despite their earlier reservations) 'the dvd was instrumental in the success of the application.' This is from a council that had previously rejected CGI and specifically requested sketches and cardboard! Happy client, very happy!
PRESS RELEASES:
PLANNERS have given the go-ahead to Liberty Properties' plans for a £50m office and housing development on the site of the ugly and unloved former Cheshire Constabulary headquarters in Chester. Chester city council's planning board has approved Liberty's plans for the mixed-use development in the Roodee area of the city.
The leisure, office and residential development will consist of a large office complex, a luxury hotel complete with restaurants, and a range of apartments and penthouses. At the heart of the development is a large central piazza which will provide the area with a much-needed public space.
The planning board's approval follows a two-year consultation exercise which saw Liberty Properties working closely with Chester city council and English Heritage on the proposals. The scheme will be called HQ, in honour of ite previous incumbents.
Development director of Liberty Properties, Paul Norman, said: "HQ represents a massive investment for Chester and its mix of use will benefit the whole community. We believe HQ has the potential to become a building and space that is synonymous with the city, projecting a positive image to visitors and becoming a real focal point for people who live, shop and work in the city.
"We also believe it will act as the all-important catalyst to encourage further new development activity over the next few years."
The demolition of the police HQ is likely to be welcomed by Cestrians who have long regarded the site as an eyesore.
Liberty Properties has a current development programme valued in excess of £150m, and has considerable experience of developing within Chester, having already developed over 150,000sq ft of commercial accommodation and 50,000sq ft of retail floor space in the city.
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Chester City Council has given the go-ahead on planning for a 23,225 m2 (250,000 ft2) mixed-use scheme within its historic City walls. The application was approved by council members following the production of a state-of-the-art DVD that enabled committee members to virtually travel around the proposed site and main streets affected by the development. South Manchester based, interactive virtual environment company, Virtual Planit was commissioned to produce the DVD by Liberty Properties following two years of lobbying, to demonstrate the impact of the scheme.
Virtual Planit were brought on board to survey the surrounding area of the proposed development, to produce a digital model of the southern half of the city, and incorporate the new model of the HQ development. The company mapped over 300 photographs onto the new city model and made a detailed on-site survey using satellite data. The result was the production of a photo-realistic model of the area. The final 8 minute DVD was played continuously to the Council as the development was discussed at the planning meeting.
The approval of Liberty’s plans for the mixed-use development on the site of the former Cheshire Constabulary headquarters in the Roodee area of the city follows a two-year consultation exercise which saw Liberty Properties working closely with Chester City Council and English Heritage on the proposals. The scheme will be called HQ, in honour of its previous occupants.
Chris Bamford, director at Virtual Planit comments: “With this rare and pioneering technique that combines ‘visual impact’ and ‘animation’, we demonstrated the wider implications on the City’s urban fabric, whilst at the same time provided a ground based impression. This is impossible to achieve with traditional, and even photomontage methodologies. Virtual modelling is forever going through change, but I believe that planners will increasingly seek animation to help justify sensitive schemes in the future.”
Ends.
For further information please contact Rachel McMaster at Roland Dransfield PR on 0161 236 1122 or rachel.mcmaster@rdpr.co.uk
