WALCOT ST ENHANCEMENT STUDY

H. OLD ORCHARD

'It is healthy,non-polluting,versatile and reliable,encourages local movement and hence supports local community facilities.'

Encouraging walking: advice to Local Authorities Old Orchard at present lacks any visible identity from Walcot Street.
The entrance to Old Orchard flanked by St Michael's Church House on one side and the Thai restaurant on the other gives no indication of the fine specialist workshops and pretty cottages tucked behind Cadillacs wheelie bins. The new Beehive Yard development will change the existing layout to the bottom of Old Orchard as there will be a pedestrian entrance to the new development from this point and an Emergency Exit double gate.
This new gated entrance to Beehive Yard will be very visible from Walcot Street and needs to be as attractive as possible especially as the Emergency Exit gate will be closed 99% of the time and this could dissuade people from walking down Old Orchard.

1. ARCHWAY A decorative wrought iron archway,reflecting Bath tradition should be placed at the Old Orchard junction on Walcot Street. The archway would be a mixed media piece using glass and/or ceramic with metalwork to highlight disciplines available in the street,similar in feel to the Beehive Yard archway feature.
The archway should be light in feel,eyecatching and of sufficient height to accomodate delivery vehicles. It should incorporate the name,Old Orchard and incorporate low level low energy lighting to highlight Old Orchard in the winter months and in the evenings. Planning permission would have to be sought re siteing the archway on to listed buildings.

a). It would be a fine addition to the street:

b). Profile local artists and promote sales

c). Attract visitors and shoppers into Old Orchard

d). Lighting would deter people from misusing Old Orchard after dark.

e). Create a safe environment for pedestrian access to Beehive Yard and Old Orchard after dark.

ARTIST: IRON ART OF BATH/AQUA GLASS/BRONWEN WILLIAMS ELLIS OTHER ARTISTS OF OLD ORCHARD/BRETT GREATOREX/WHITBY & BIRD + LEAD ARTIST PRODUCTION:Group to work on design solution with detailed costings. Walcot Street Design Forum to OK design. Planning permission to be sought.

INSTALLATION: Archway to be fabricated locally and installed on site by Iron Art of Bath.

FUNDING: Funding to be sought from relevant traders and fundraised by Lead Artist from other sources.

COST: Estimated cost Design/Fabricate/Installation £ 4.000.00 - 5.000.00 + VAT 2.SIGNAGE a). Hanging Signage Traders on Old Orchard should be encouraged to work with the Lead Artist to design hanging signs which would be individual,artistic and may incorporate trade symbols.
They will protrude down the right hand side of the street and will be attractive and clearly seen from the junction with Walcot Street encouraging shoppers to come down Old Orchard.
If the archway is not commissioned,a hanging sign at the junction of Old Orchard protruding into Walcot Street must be designed to carry details of all the Old Orchard traders.

COST & INSTALLATION: As signage details for Walcot Street b). Street sign Old Orchard should be clearly signed,at the junction with Walcot Street in the traditional carved font style of Bath.Either carved into the stonework of St Michael¹s House or the Thai Restaurant.

COST & INSTALLATION: As signage details for Walcot Street.c). Gate Signage The wide gate at the bottom of Old Orchard containing a pedestrian entrance gate to Beehive Yard and a permanently closed Emergency Exit gate must contain signage for the Beehive Yard and contain a flexible sign system to advertise all the businesses in the studio and workshop units in Beehive Yard.
The Beehive Yard signage should be large enough to be viewed from Walcot Street to attract people down Old Orchard.( to be dealt with later) d). Riverside signage The existing carved lettering block of Bath stone ,commissioned by B&NES and carved by Simon Verity,should be found and sited at the bottom of Old Orchard on the Riverside Walk area.

3. EMERGENCY EXIT AND PEDESTRIAN GATE

The new double gate on Old Orchard for Beehive Yard and the pedestrian gate with it should be specifically designed to create a very attractive feature to be visible from Walcot Street. This is a very important feature as it must act as a magnet drawing people down the street,past the existing studios and workshops and in to the new development.

ARTIST: Advertise in BANA/ VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFT NEWSLETTER/ARTISTS NEWSLETTER/ALL BATH & BRISTOL ARTISTS STUDIOS AND GALLERIES.INVITE ARTISTS OF OLD ORCHARD TO COLLABORATE. SELECTION: Shortlist 3 artists/artist groups to design gates and signage (as above) + design fee.

PRODUCTION: Create a display of designs in one of the shop windows in Walcot Street near Old Orchard.Comments encouraged. Walcot Street Design Team select design . Artist contracted to Future Heritage. Gates to be constructed within QS budget for building programme

INSTALLATION: In collaboration with contractors on Beehive Yard development

FUNDING: Future Heritage and B&NES COST: Design Fees £ 1.500.00 MAINTENANCE: Artist to produce 5 year maintenance schedule for gates.

4. GROUNDSURFACE

a). The pedestrian pennant footway must cross the entrance of Old Orchard at the junction with Walcot Street.This will give pedestrians priority and slow down any vehicles entering Old Orchard.

b). The City Trail will be siteing a pennant paviour with Old Orchard carved lettering and a directional indicator in the footway at the junction on Walcot Street pointing down Old Orchard.

c). Pedestrians must be given priority in Old Orchard and pennants should be introduced to form a footway down one side of Old Orchard, if there is sufficient width or sets used throughout.

5. LIGHTING

Alter the lighting in Old Orchard to make the public realm more user friendly and introduce low energy downlighters rather than sodium luminaires.

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