Design Brief

Maidstone High Street International Design Competition

Invitation
Maidstone Borough Council invites submissions to a two-stage, International Open Design Competition for a circa GBP £4m (inclusive of VAT and all design fees) public realm improvement project in Maidstone town centre - GBP £2m is confirmed and approval is being sought for a further GBP £2m. The Competition, to re-design the High Street, is open to multi-disciplinary design teams who must be led by a practising, registered architect or landscape architect.  Inter-discipline collaboration is expected and other team members might include the services of a transport planner, highways engineer.  The realised scheme will also need to include a clear public art focus.  On appointment, the winning lead designer will be expected to arrange for Professional Indemnity Insurance cover of GBP £2m (as a minimum), and it is anticipated that this designer will appoint all sub-consultants.  The winning designer will be required to work with an engineering contractor (to be appointed separately) to develop and deliver the scheme.    

Competition Format
The RIBA Competitions Office has been appointed to manage the architectural design competition on behalf of Maidstone Borough Council.  The selection process will follow the format of a two-stage, International Open Design Competition and a Notice has been placed in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).  The anonymous first stage seeks ideas and approaches for public realm improvements to the High Street in Maidstone’s town centre.  Up to five schemes will be short-listed (plus two reserves) by a Judging Panel to go through to the Second Stage of the competition.  Anonymity will then be lifted - the authors of the short-listed schemes will need to satisfy the requirements of Maidstone Borough Council’s Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, prior to being invited to proceed to the second stage of the Competition.  The shortlist will be issued with feedback from the Stage 1 assessment and expected to attend a group site visit/briefing day.  Teams will be invited to develop their design proposals (which will be subject to public display and consultation) and to present their scheme to a Judging Panel at a final interview.  Each short-listed Competitor will receive an honorarium payment of GBP £5,400 + VAT.  The winner’s honorarium will represent an advance on the professional fee for the subsequent commission.

Project Overview

Maidstone is Kent’s County Town and provides the central focus for much of Kent’s commercial and retail activity - offering very high quality commercial, retail and leisure services to residents, workers and visitors.

In 2006 Maidstone achieved Growth Point status - over the next 20 years 10,080 homes with the accompanying employment needs will be built in and around Maidstone.  The town centre must keep pace with this development and as the commercial centre of Kent, and its County Town, continue to offer the quality of commercial, retail and community life that sets it apart from the more predominant growth areas of Thames Gateway and Ashford.  Significant investment is already planned in the form of building a new East Wing to Maidstone’s Museum, together with improvements to Mote Park (360 hectares of parkland which was the venue of the 2008 Radio 1 Big Weekend) and investment in Mote Park Leisure Centre.

Maidstone Borough Council believes that public realm improvements in the town centre can increase the attractiveness of this area to shoppers, visitors and residents, and contribute more broadly to town centre investment levels - particularly when it is competing for investment with other locations. In the current difficult economic conditions ensuring that the town centre offers the most attractive physical trading environment possible to support and retain retailers, restaurants and other town centre businesses is important and will also mean that Maidstone is well placed to attract new private sector investment coming out of the recession. 

Footfall in the town has risen by 39% since the Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre opened in 2005, but not all streets in the town have benefited.  Shopping patterns have altered and the town is still going through a period of readjustment.  Whilst vacancy levels in the High Street, Pudding Lane, and at the north end of Week Street have reduced significantly over the past 3 years, they could still be improved.  Moreover, the recent work in the town by utility companies has left streets scarred and patched.  A number of local initiatives have already been undertaken in and around the Town Centre aimed at providing an enhanced consumer and business environment - a High Street Ward Master-plan was prepared by Urban Initiatives targeting the Medieval area around the Archbishop’s Palace, the project Elemental commissioned contemporary public art works for the riverside, while Art at the Centre provided specialist business advice for the creative community whilst seeking to enhance the public realm within a demarcated area of the town.  These initiatives have all made a positive impact on the town - footfall in the target areas has improved, while business and consumer confidence remains high.  Undertaking a programme of public realm improvements will ensure that the impact of these projects will not be lost. 

Objectives

To create a high quality town centre public realm specific to Maidstone which will:

Competition Zone

The geographic area covered by the initial project is indicated on the red line map (see Supporting Documents) and encompasses High Street and Bank Street.  The upper end of the focus area stops at the entrance to the Mall (Chequers Shopping Centre).  The lower end includes two subways and extends across the road (Fairmeadow/Bishop’s Way) to the Clock and the river.  A plan showing the current traffic flow movement is also available to download from the Supporting Documents section. 

Entrants are required to develop deliverable design proposals for public realm improvements which will meet the objectives outlined above.  The successful design proposal must also incorporate elements that will be capable of acting as a future template (palette of materials, colours, themes etc) for other parts of the town centre.  The intention will be to roll-out a programme of public realm improvements to other streets as and when funds become available.  However, Master-planning the rest of the town centre is the subject of separately commissioned projects.

Design Principles and Considerations

When developing their proposals, Competitors will need to consider:

• Maidstone’s role as Kent’s County Town and the need to design a distinctive scheme which, whilst encompassing the practical considerations below, will leave a lasting positive impression on all those using it.
• The maintenance and enhancement of physical and visual linkages with the historic parts of the town centre.
• The River Medway, which should become more of a focal point so that people become more aware of its presence and access to the river is improved. 
• The function of the High Street by day and night throughout the year.  Design proposals should reflect the 24/7 economy of the town centre.
• Both the street level and higher elevations.  Clarity of design is sought, with the removal of, or disguising of some street clutter such as the British Telecom access chambers at the corner of High Street and Mill Street.
• How the space can be improved to support existing and potential new functions (e.g. café culture, additional space for al fresco dining, performing arts, outdoor trading etc).
• Existing pedestrian and vehicular movement and whether this could be altered to create attractive new public spaces capable of multi-purpose use throughout the year.  The competing demands of pedestrians, vehicles and traffic need to be rebalanced.  Entrants may wish to explore recent developments in highways management - for example the successful implementation of shared surfaces.
• The needs of retailers and other businesses - for example customer access and deliveries.
• The needs and access requirements of pedestrians, cyclists, disabled people and disabled drivers.
• That any colour themes proposed for the High Street must respect those of the buildings within the Conservation Areas and complement the Maidstone corporate blue motif used for signage etc in the town centre.
• Environmental sustainability (material selection, use/conservation of water and energy), which should be an integral part of the design solution.
• A practical design solution with emphasis on manageable life-time costs.  On-going maintenance costs need to minimised for Kent County Council, Maidstone Borough Council, the utility companies and others with equipment and property in the area.
• The performance of all proposed materials - particularly their ability to be easily cleaned (withstand staining, abrasive cleaning etc) and projected lifespan.  This should encompass both the hard- and soft landscaping elements (for example easy restoration of the former after having been taken up, and automated watering of the latter etc).
• The introduction and provision of well designed, robust and DDA compliant public conveniences to cater for both day-time and evening use.
• The inclusion of public art as an integral part of the scheme.  This could take the form of surface finishes/treatments and street furniture, as well as stand alone works of specially commissioned art.

Constraints & Opportunities

• The existing Maidstone Market will remain at Lockmeadow, but there may be scope for the provision of occasional farmers and/or continental style markets in the re-designed High Street.
• Buses must stay in the High Street and the arrangements for bus passengers should be maintained or enhanced.  The location of the taxi rank and disabled parking can be reviewed.  The Highway Authority’s view is that the design must comply with normal safety requirements.
• Since the Competition Zone lies within Maidstone Centre Conservation Area, any proposals which would affect the trees will need to be notified to the Borough Council, which could take up to 6 weeks to determine.  The most important trees are considered to be the 2 Planes at the lower end of the High Street and 2 Planes at the upper end of the High Street.
• The relocation of the Queen’s Monument and the Cannon - within the High Street - will be considered.  It should be noted that any such proposals would require a decision from the Secretary of State, which could take anything between 3 and 6 months to obtain.
• A temporary canopy of lights is erected in the Upper High Street each Christmas.
• There is a potential development opportunity in the form of the readjustment of the EDF electricity sub-station and Council owned public conveniences situated adjacent to the Clock and next to the river.
• An opportunity exists for the improvement and revitalisation of the subway access to the river from the Lower High Street.  Competitors should note that planning permission has recently been granted for two new hotel developments on the opposite side of the River Medway, so this entrance portal to the High Street will take on increased significance in the future.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

PDF version of Design Brief.

Red line site plan (PDF format).

Red line site plan (PDF format) with index to gallery of images.

Red line site plan (PDF format) showing current traffic flow in the High Street area.

Map showing extent of Maidstone Centre Conservation Area.

Instructions for completion of Ordnance Survey Licence Agreement.

Links to sources of potentially useful information

CABE Space

Secured by Design

Competitors should type in ‘ME14 1TF’ into Multimap, Google Maps or similar, to view (relatively recent) aerial photograph of Maidstone High Street.  Please note that both aerial and ‘birds-eye’ views are available via Multimap.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Additional information available following registration

Red line plan (Dwg format).

Maidstone Centre Conservation Area Appraisal (consultation version).

Extract from ‘Maidstone by Night’ study (Bone Wells Associates/University of Westminster) on the night-time economy in Maidstone.

High Street Ward Regeneration Strategy (Urban Initiatives).

Testing proposed delineations to demarcate pedestrian paths in a shared space environment - report of design trials conducted at University College London Pedestrian Accessibility and Movement Environment Laboratory (PAMELA) on behalf of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Plans (PDF format) showing location of underground services.

HOW TO ENTER

Only registered entrants may submit an entry to the Maidstone High Street Competition.  Applicants must sign and complete the Ordnance Survey Contractor Licence form (available on e-mail request to riba.competitions@inst.riba.org) and return it along with their (non-refundable) registration fee of GBP £40.00 (inclusive of VAT) to:

Maidstone High Street Competition
RIBA Competitions Office
6 Melbourne Street
Leeds
LS2 7PS

riba.competitions@inst.riba.org
http://www.architecture.com/competitions

Telephone +44 (0)113 234 1335
Fax +44 (0)113 246 0744

Cheques should be made payable to ‘RIBA’.  Please contact the Competitions Office for alternative payment options.

On receipt of the duly completed O.S. Contractor Licence form and Registration Fee, Competitors will be issued with a Declaration Form (that must be completed and accompany the anonymous design submission), together with the additional supporting information.  Please note that registrations will close at the conclusion of business (17.30 hrs GMT) on Thursday 26 February 2009.

The Competition is open to multi-disciplinary design teams who must be led by a practising, registered architect or landscape architect.  Inter-discipline collaboration is actively expected and other team members might include the services of a transport planner, highways engineer.  The realised scheme will also need to include a clear public art focus.  On appointment, the winning lead designer will be expected to arrange for Professional Indemnity Insurance cover of GBP £2m (as a minimum), and it is anticipated that this designer will appoint all sub-consultants.  The winning designer will be required to work with an engineering contractor (to be appointed separately) to develop and deliver the scheme.

The Competition will follow a two-stage Open Design format.  Each team short-listed to the Second Stage of the competition (up to five) will receive an honorarium payment of £5,400 (+VAT) as a contribution towards the expense of preparing their design submission material and attending a final interview/presentation with the Judging Panel.  The Winner’s honorarium will represent an advance on the professional fee for the subsequent commission.  The Promoter undertakes to pay the honoraria within one calendar month of the conclusion of the competition.  Invoices for the honorarium payments should be submitted to the RIBA Competitions Office. 

No member or employee of the promoting body, nor the assessors, nor any partner, close associate or employee of them shall be eligible to compete or assist a competitor.

The Judging Panel will identify a preferred scheme which will be subject to endorsement by the Cabinet of Maidstone Borough Council.  The winning designer will then be invited to enter into fee negotiations with Maidstone Borough Council.  However, if a fee and scope of services can not be agreed within a reasonable timescale, Maidstone Borough Council reserves the right not to proceed beyond the competition stage or to enter into contract negotiations with the team placed second by the Judging Panel.

A secured funding strategy for the High Street public realm improvement project is in place.  Subject to obtaining planning permission which is acceptable to the Promoter etc, the intention is to commission the winning design team to develop and implement their design proposal.  Where necessary, the Promoter reserves the right to supplement the expertise of the winning design team to ensure deliverability of the project.  However, in the event that no scheme meets the requirements set out in this Competition Brief, the Promoter reserves the right not to proceed beyond the competition stage.

Stage 1 Evaluation criteria

The Stage 1 design proposals will be assessed against the following criteria (in order of importance, with most important listed first):

• Overall design quality.
• Response to overall project objectives, site context, design principles/constraints and consideration of public art elements.
• Palette of materials and long-term maintenance considerations.
• Technical and financial viability.
• Communication of ideas.

Submission Method

Each Stage 1 entry should be submitted in a single package and sent, carriage paid, addressed to:

Maidstone High Street Competition
c/o RIBA Competitions Office
6 Melbourne Street
Leeds
LS2 7PS

• Overseas Competitors should note that for Customs purposes no commercial value should be assigned to the design submission.  If a commercial value is given this may result in your submission being delayed and/or returned to you unopened, as the RIBA will not be liable for any Customs charges otherwise incurred.
• Your submission should arrive no later than 2.00pm on Thursday 5 March 2009.  Late submissions will not be accepted and it will not be possible to submit entries via e-mail.  UK Competitors should note that First Class post does not necessarily guarantee next-day delivery and should plan their submission schedule accordingly.
• Competitors requiring proof of delivery should enclose in their submission package a stamped, sealed envelope bearing the name and address of a nominated Third Party (other than the competition entrant in order to maintain anonymity) to receive the proof of delivery.  Please also refer to the Anonymity section below.
• Competitors are advised to retain copies of all design material submitted.  Whilst the Promoter and the RIBA Competitions Office will exercise all reasonable care, they will not be liable for loss or damage to the submission material that may occur either in transit, during exhibition, storage or packing.

Anonymity

All Stage 1 submissions will be judged anonymously.  Any submission that has identifying marks (including logos, text, insignia, or images that could be used to identify the submission’s author) will be automatically disqualified.  The submission should be accompanied by the duly completed Declaration Form (issued on Registration) and placed in a sealed enveloped marked ‘Declaration Form’.  The RIBA will place an identifying number on each element of the design submission and on the outside of the envelopes containing the Declaration Form and duly completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  The envelopes will only be opened once the Judging Panel has identified the preferred schemes.

Each short-listed Competitor must be able to satisfy the competition organisers that the submitted design is an original piece of work and that he/she is the bona fide author of the design he/she has submitted.

Disqualification

Submissions shall be excluded from the competition:

• If received after the latest time stated under the Submission Method.
• If, in the opinion of the Judging Panel, it does not fulfill the requirements of the Competition Design Brief.
• If a Competitor shall disclose his or her identity, or improperly attempt to influence the decision.
• If any of the requirements of the Competition Brief and Conditions are disregarded.

Stage 2

The Judging Panel will nominate the schemes (up to five, plus two reserves) which they consider to be the most successful initial response to the Brief.  Anonymity will then be lifted, and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaires submitted by the five teams reviewed to ensure that they satisfy the requirements of Maidstone Borough Council’s standing orders.  Subject to the requirements being met, the short-listed teams will then be invited to proceed to the Second Stage of the Competition.  The shortlist will be issued with feedback from the Stage 1 assessment and expected to attend a group site visit/briefing day to assist the development of their design proposals.  Further details of the Stage 2 submission requirements will be issued, but the design material is expected to comprise:

• 2x A1 light-weight foam boards illustrating the developed design proposal.
• Supporting design statement and details of key team members and other proposed consultants.
• Elemental cost breakdown.
• Indicative fee proposal.

Members of the public and interested parties will be invited to comment on the design proposals which will be subject to display.  Themes arising from the exhibition will be collated and made available to the Judging Panel to help inform their decision.

Stage 2 Award Criteria & Selection of Preferred Scheme

The revised schemes submitted by the short-listed teams at Stage 2 will be evaluated using the same methodology as at Stage 1.  The Judging Panel will, in addition, consider the strength of each team and their ability to deliver the scheme in selecting the preferred scheme.   

Selection of the preferred scheme will be made following presentation of the design proposals at final interview.  As well as enabling the Panel to assess the viability of the design proposals, the interviews will provide an opportunity for the designers to demonstrate their team’s ability to deliver a scheme of this nature.  The Judging Panel will identify a preferred scheme which will be subject to endorsement by the Cabinet of Maidstone Borough Council.  It is anticipated that the preferred scheme will be presented to Cabinet in May 2009.  Entrants should note that they will be expected to honour a confidentiality agreement to prevent information on the winning design being leaked to the Press before any official announcement is made.

Copright

The ownership of Copyright will be in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - i.e. Copyright rests with the author of the submitted design.

Notification of Result

The competition results will be published after notification has been given to all participating Competitors.

Publicity

The Promoter and the RIBA reserve the right to publicise the Maidstone High Street Competition, any design submission, and the result in any way or medium they consider fit.  Illustrations of any design - either separately, or together with other designs, with or without explanatory text - may be used without cost.

Once anonymity has been lifted, authors will be credited and recognised in all associated media and publicity.

Neither the Promoters nor members of the Judging Panel should be solicited for information as this may lead to disqualification from the Competition.