Location:
Portsmouth, UK
Status:
Planning Feasibility Study
Scale:
circa 2,500 Homes
Constraints:
Flood Zones 2 and 3
Esturine Site
Brownfield Site
Waterside Masterplan
WATERSIDE MASTERPLAN
Baca Architects have implemented the LifE (Long-term Initiatives for Flood Risk Environments) planning process, originally developed for the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to explore possibilities for a large mixed-use development at Lakeside in Portsmouth. By embracing the LifE Planning Principles, the proposed Lakeside scheme takes a holistic approach to sustainability and well-being.
Lakeside encompasses a 50-hectare site situated at the northern part of the Portsmouth Peninsula. Initially developed as IBM's headquarters Business Park in the 1980s, Lakeside is a self-contained land parcel well-connected by roads, approximately 5 km from Portsmouth City Centre. Recent additions to the site include The Porsche Centre and the 4-star Village Hotel Portsmouth. Notably, the site lies within The Solent, constituting the largest estuarine system on the south coast of the UK, positioned within the floodplain.
Baca's mandate was to create a large residential-led flood-resilient community on the former IBM headquarters site. Central to this medium-density proposal was the concept of place-making, designed to anticipate sea level rise and climate change. The feasibility study determined that approximately 1500 homes, alongside new park avenues, smaller parks, and civic squares, could be safely accommodated on the site.
In our masterplan, the repurposed IBM Building 1000 assumes a central role, becoming the heart of the neighborhood. Following retrofitting, recladding, and the addition of penthouses, the refreshed building transforms into a new landmark that now faces its lakeside setting, departing from its previous orientation. The neglected lake emerges as a focal point, hosting various water-based leisure activities, including sailing, kayaking, and canoeing, facilitated by the new lakeside clubhouse. The shoreline will also feature a range of high-quality static and floating homes.
The housing strategy minimizes flood risk by allocating housing typologies based on flood risk levels. Floating homes, for instance, are positioned within the river course (flood zone 3b), amphibious homes in flood zones 3a and flood zone 2, flood-resilient homes in Flood zone 2, and traditional homes (designable for retrofitting) in flood zones 1. The layout adheres to best practice urban principles, including active street frontages, appropriate densities as outlined in local plans, provision of public and private amenities, and considerations for overlooking.
Once housing typologies are established, green infrastructure is integrated into the development, and hard infrastructure is minimized. Elevated primary roads ensure safe access and egress during heavy storms, maintaining continuity of daily life.
MAKING SPACE FOR WATER: Three 'swales corridors' extend from the lake, dividing the site into four quarters—one dedicated to business, one for Building 1000 and new housing, and the others for mixed use. Swales serve both as landscaping features and Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) features, surrounded by a green buffer of new trees. This design ensures the development is set back from the perimeter and shielded from the road.
Swales, typically relegated to the edge of developments, transform into 'swale corridors'—landscape parks at the heart of the development. Planned tangentially to the water's edge, they gather water from higher ground and the river, directing it into potential flood storage areas. By allocating landscape elements as flood storage areas, a larger proportion of the site is less flood-prone, allowing for development. The swales complement the site's grading, acting as wayfinding markers from the perimeter to the water's edge and providing green space for leisure and play during low flood risk.
FLOOD MITIGATION: This non-defensive planning strategy places architectural housing types based on flood risk—floating within the lake, amphibious, elevated, resilient (dry and wet proof), and even traditional, corresponding to diminishing flood risk. The goal is to connect these types with minimal road and servicing infrastructure to maximize space for natural landscaping. Dwellings will be low carbon and organized around multifunctional landscapes to control surface water flooding or serve as large flood storage areas. The aim is to design communities that function normally, ensuring continuity of daily life during both droughts and floods.
This pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood will benefit from sustainable transportation options, including a shuttle service, cycle lanes, and electric charging points, alongside traditional vehicular mobility.
DENSITY TYPE 1
UNIFAMILIAR HOUSE WITH GARDEN
DENSITY TYPE 2
COURTYARD APARTMENT BLOCK WITH PODIUM CARPARK
DENSITY TYPES 1 & 2 COMBINED
WITH SWALE
DENSITY TYPES 1, 2 & 3 COMBINED
WITH WATERFRONT
Baca Architects have implemented the LifE (Long-term Initiatives for Flood Risk Environments) planning process, originally developed for the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to explore possibilities for a large mixed-use development at Lakeside in Portsmouth. By embracing the LifE Planning Principles, the proposed Lakeside scheme takes a holistic approach to sustainability and well-being.
Lakeside encompasses a 50-hectare site situated at the northern part of the Portsmouth Peninsula. Initially developed as IBM's headquarters Business Park in the 1980s, Lakeside is a self-contained land parcel well-connected by roads, approximately 5 km from Portsmouth City Centre. Recent additions to the site include The Porsche Centre and the 4-star Village Hotel Portsmouth. Notably, the site lies within The Solent, constituting the largest estuarine system on the south coast of the UK, positioned within the floodplain.
Baca's mandate was to create a large residential-led flood-resilient community on the former IBM headquarters site. Central to this medium-density proposal was the concept of place-making, designed to anticipate sea level rise and climate change. The feasibility study determined that approximately 1500 homes, alongside new park avenues, smaller parks, and civic squares, could be safely accommodated on the site.
In our masterplan, the repurposed IBM Building 1000 assumes a central role, becoming the heart of the neighborhood. Following retrofitting, recladding, and the addition of penthouses, the refreshed building transforms into a new landmark that now faces its lakeside setting, departing from its previous orientation. The neglected lake emerges as a focal point, hosting various water-based leisure activities, including sailing, kayaking, and canoeing, facilitated by the new lakeside clubhouse. The shoreline will also feature a range of high-quality static and floating homes.
The housing strategy minimizes flood risk by allocating housing typologies based on flood risk levels. Floating homes, for instance, are positioned within the river course (flood zone 3b), amphibious homes in flood zones 3a and flood zone 2, flood-resilient homes in Flood zone 2, and traditional homes (designable for retrofitting) in flood zones 1. The layout adheres to best practice urban principles, including active street frontages, appropriate densities as outlined in local plans, provision of public and private amenities, and considerations for overlooking.
Once housing typologies are established, green infrastructure is integrated into the development, and hard infrastructure is minimized. Elevated primary roads ensure safe access and egress during heavy storms, maintaining continuity of daily life.
MAKING SPACE FOR WATER: Three 'swales corridors' extend from the lake, dividing the site into four quarters—one dedicated to business, one for Building 1000 and new housing, and the others for mixed use. Swales serve both as landscaping features and Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) features, surrounded by a green buffer of new trees. This design ensures the development is set back from the perimeter and shielded from the road.
Swales, typically relegated to the edge of developments, transform into 'swale corridors'—landscape parks at the heart of the development. Planned tangentially to the water's edge, they gather water from higher ground and the river, directing it into potential flood storage areas. By allocating landscape elements as flood storage areas, a larger proportion of the site is less flood-prone, allowing for development. The swales complement the site's grading, acting as wayfinding markers from the perimeter to the water's edge and providing green space for leisure and play during low flood risk.
FLOOD MITIGATION: This non-defensive planning strategy places architectural housing types based on flood risk—floating within the lake, amphibious, elevated, resilient (dry and wet proof), and even traditional, corresponding to diminishing flood risk. The goal is to connect these types with minimal road and servicing infrastructure to maximize space for natural landscaping. Dwellings will be low carbon and organized around multifunctional landscapes to control surface water flooding or serve as large flood storage areas. The aim is to design communities that function normally, ensuring continuity of daily life during both droughts and floods.
This pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood will benefit from sustainable transportation options, including a shuttle service, cycle lanes, and electric charging points, alongside traditional vehicular mobility.
SITE COMING SOON
