BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE KOHTLA-JÄRVE SEMINAR 2007 Lilian Hansar

PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS HISTORY End of 19th century – preservation of antiquities deals with historic villages, open-air museums, architectural ensembles. Before only separate objects – architectural monuments - were under protection. Beginning of the 20 th century – J.G. Granö, E.Kant – founders of urban geography in Estonia. Science of urban development as an environmental science. 1960s – H. Üprus – complex research and preservation of old towns 1976 – UNESCO declaration – Not only separate buildings but their surrounding should preserve as a whole. End of the 20 th century – special ambience areas in Tallinn, valuable landscapes in Estonia 2000 – European Landscape Convention. City areas and ordinary landscapes are in the focus of attention in addition to natural areas – special ambience areas in Estonian Planning Law

SITUATION IN ESTONIA Rapid changes in today’s Estonia are seen in our life environment Construction is focused on innovation of the existing building environment without knowing and considering its specific characteristics of urban planning and architecture OUR CITIES ARE BECOMING IDENTICAL –THEIR ORIGINALITY, AUTHENTICITY AND URBAN PLANNING IDENTITY ARE DISAPPEARING

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE GOAL TO PROTECT THE VALUABLE ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS AS A CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY  THE ENVIRONMENT OF BUILDINGS, SIMILARLY TO NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, IS AN UNRENEWABLE ASSET

MEANING OF AMBIENCE In Latin – ambientem, from amb- ‘around’ and ire ‘go’ In French – ambience ‘surroundings, environment, atmosphere’ In English – environment, atmosphere AMBIENCE IS BOTH MATERIAL AS WELL AS PERCEPTIONAL ENVIRONMENT BUILDING AREA OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE is connected with the buildings environment and its perception by people

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE METHODOLOGY VALUABLE OBJECTS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT CITY LANDMARKS VALUABLE BUILDING AREAS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT CITY PATTERNS According to the Danish SAVE system

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE METHODOLOGY VALUABLE OBJECTS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT CITY LANDMARKS dominant buildings monuments ensembles squares parks places of social activity Important is their domination in the city view and their significance for city’s people

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE METHODOLOGY VALUABLE BUILDING AREAS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT CITY PATTERNS original city areas preserved as a whole buildings’ blocks, ensembles, streets parks, landscape elements and the like which have their own structure of plan and space, construction rules and architecture BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE CREATE THE GENERAL LOOK OF THE CITY

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE 1. PLAN STRUCTURE PLAN – urban-developmental formation, structure of city’s plan – its originality, individuality or accordance with the plan, city’s topographical peculiarities STREETS’ STRUCTURE – character of streets’ course, width, views, accordance with the plan PLACEMENT OF BUILDINGS – on the lot and in relation to the street GREENERY AND FENCES – characteristic greenery, its location on the street or the lot, presence of fences, their placement and appearance.

BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF CHOICE 2. SPATIAL STRUCTURE ARCHITECTURE – typical architecture of the area and its originality, scale of buildings, their bulk and rhythm UNITY AND HOMOGENEITY OF BUILDINGS – compatibility of buildings with each other in the street, block, city area, which does not necessarily mean their similarity Special ambience areas are chosen so as to show different construction periods, characteristic of the city.

SUMMARY BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE Have certain structure of plan and space, rules and types of construction Importance of established integrity – plan’s accordance with the spatial structure Significance of constructions’ unity - compatibility with each other in the street, block, city area, which does not necessarily mean their similarity

KOHTLA-JÄRVE SPECIAL AMBIENCE AREAS

PROPOSAL: SPECIAL AMBIENCE AREAS IN KOHTLA-JÄRVE 1.DWELLING HOUSES IN PIONEERI STREET – 1920s 2.DWELLING HOUSES IN KARL LUTSU STREET – IDA DISTRICT – end of 1940s 4.INSENERI DISTRICT – end of 1940s 5.CITY PARK – founded in 1950s 6.CITY CENTRE – s 7.LÕUNA DISTRICT

LEGISLATION BASIS BUILDING AREAS OF SPECIAL AMBIENCE GENERAL PLAN General plan determines building areas of special ambience and conditions of their protection and usage Planning Law § 8 clause (3) point 6 To specify and complement the existing general plan it is possible to draft a THEME PLAN in order to set the protection and usage conditions of special ambience building areas Similarly to the general plan, the theme plan is made public

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE (1) Building area of special ambience is: an original city area, block, street, buildings’ensemble, park and the like with a complete plan and spatial structure of urban development (2)The aim of a special ambience building area is: to preserve the established integrity of the urban development and its plan and space structure, architectural and building traditions and original atmosphere

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE (3) When planning a building area of special ambience, constructing new buildings, doing extentions, repairements or rebuildings of the existing constructions, the following is considered: 1) established structure of urban development – structure of street network and buildings, building-up percentage of the lot, construction customs, location of houses, their building lines, scale of constructions and the like. 2) established architectural and building traditions, typical building materials, cover materials and shape of the roof, design details and finishing of the façade and the like. 3) fences and greenery customs, characteristic of the area and compatible with the buildings

EXAMPLES FROM BUILDING REGULATIONS OF KURESSAARE (4) Construction and design of buildings, unsuitable for the urban development customs and architecture of special ambience building areas, is prohibited (5) Avoid putting up temporary buildings as well as constructions, unfitting for building areas of special ambience (street lighting posts, billboards, above-ground elements of technical networks etc.). Detailed conditions, demands and regulations are set by the THEME PLAN.

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Necessary to coordinate with city administration: Reconstructions and extensions of houses and changes of façades Construction of new buildings Taking down primeval trees and planting new ones Building of streetward fences Appendices: references to legislation acts A DETAILED PLAN SHOULD BE DRAWN UP BEFORE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING IN A SPECIAL AMBIENCE AREA.

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN REPAIRS AND BUILDING EXTENSIONS ARE MADE Following original design principles of the buildings Preserving or restoring characteristic details of house design - form of doors and windows, their placement on the façade and wall, division of their frames, jamb boarding - design of porch canopies - finishing material of walls and the way of its installation - size and design of dormers - roof pitches, its form and eaves’ design Using natural building materials, similar to the existing ones - repair wooden windows and weather boarding or replace their materials with the same ones - installation of plastic windows and use of synthetic materials is not allowed in a wooden house - flat sheet metal is recommended as the roof cover material - paint using natural tones characteristic of the area Building houses’ extensions so that the bulk of the existing construction would dominate -build the new constructional part yardward or as a lower extension of the existing building

BUILDING RULES IN THEME PLAN CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUILDINGS Analyse the plan structure and draw a detailed plan of the area before choosing the place for a new building Demolition of existing buildings is allowed only in case of their poor technical condition Build new constructions on the existing building line New buildings should have (in the floor plan as well as in bulk) the size and roof shape similar to those of already existing Use traditional materials for outer finishing of new buildings; usage of imitation materials is not allowed Preserve the established average building-up percentage of the lot Avoid random and unplanned building of auxiliary constructions; auxiliary buildings and their outer finishing should suit that of the main buildings Build streetward fences and gates according to the example of the original ones; the streetward fences should have similar height