Holding a key strategic position within the Bristol central area, the Dove Lane site is part of a wider masterplan that was approved in 2012 as an opportunity to regenerate a long term vacant site. Our client’s goal is to revive the area by providing additional housing and an improved public space for residents of the city.
Working within the site’s boundaries led to the building’s dynamic zigzag form, which helps identify the building as a significant piece in the masterplan and allows for a range of open public spaces and private courtyards. The arrangement and stepping volume act functionally and visually, responding to various unique constraints within the plot, including the slope of the ground, a sewer line that runs diagonally across the northern end of the plot, and a neighbouring dual carriageway.
The result is a building form which evokes a sense of movement, its shifting floorplates and rich façade colours create a varying and vibrant focal point to the new neighbourhood. The architectural language of the facade responds directly to the varying character of the surrounding context, allowing each façade a unique identity with its own pallet of colours.
Dove Lane comprises 96 apartments, office space and retail units. Residents benefit from a communal courtyard garden, open play garden and communal roof terrace at level 5. Photovoltaic cells on level 6 and the roof are proposed to generate a minimum of 15% renewable energy. Development in the area has helped create a diverse social community, enhance neighbourhood interactions, and establish homes which reflect the unique values of the St. Paul’s area.