Byker Wall

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Table of Contents
Preface ii
Professor Ulker Copur
History, Culture, Cultural Diversity, Building Configuration 1

Jennifer Sneed & Keith Carlson
Planning and Sustainable Features 11

Jillian Kranz $ Frederick Dickie
Climate, Ecological Landscaping 22

Andrew Moyer & Andrew Vuono
Context, Linkages, Circulation, Land use and Services 36

Brittany Naylor & Erin Blackbird
Social Sustainability, Open Spaces and Green Spaces 49

Cristina DesLoges & Matthew Tyler
Water, Green / Sustainable Infrastructure 60

Peter Bartash & Cintia Hayashi
Sustainable Technologies 67
Matthew Calvey, Andrew Raffin & Hung Le
i
Preface
Byker Wall in New Castle upon Tyne, designed by Ralph Erskine, is one of the worlds leading public
housing projects built in 1970s. During this era many housing developments around the world were
experiencing social, cultural, environmental and economic problems. Working-class residents in
industrial towns were suffering from unhealthy living conditions. To improve their living standards
residents were relocated to settlements where housing conditions were substantially better than what
they used to be. In this context, the industrial town of Newcastle upon Tyne in Great Britain has seen
the prospect of a new settlement, and the city council appointed Ralph Erskine to design Byker Wall
social housing to re-inhabit approximately 9,500 residents. The story of Byker Wall started with
Erskines vision of planning a diverse physical environment integrated with environmental and social
features. The residents of Byker Wall were themselves involved in decision-making and the planning
process of their housing. Ralph Erskine facilitated this participative process and established his office
on the site. Like many other housing projects, through time, Byker Wall had its ups and downs, and
quite recently was off the path that was initially envisioned. The time was ripe for regeneration. This
coincided with the partnership among English Heritage, Newcastle City Council and the residents of
Byker to declare this unique settlement as one of the most significant examples of social housing, and
Byker Wall finally attained Grade II* listed development of Historic and Architectural importance.
Seizing this opportunity, the graduate students enrolled in the Sustainable Paradigms class in School
of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation at Roger Williams University during Fall Semester of
2007, worked out regeneration proposals for this landmark housing development. The whole class
explored and developed detailed schemes to improve the conditions of Byker Wall so that it will embark
on a new and successful life cycle with a set of revamped sustainability goals. To accomplish this task
the class has worked out in groups to determine the potentials of the existing Byker Wall settlement,
assess its current sustainability and make proposals to transform this special place into a more
sustainable community. The objective was to preserve its unique earlier planned characteristics but
also introduce additional sustainability initiatives to improve the quality of life in Byker Wall.
This work could not be completed without the hard work and dedication of the students of this class.
We would also like to thank Howard Davis of University of Oregon, School of Architecture and Fine
Arts, who was very generous to share with us images and information on Byker Wall, and to John
Pendelbury, et. al. from University of Newcastle upon Tyne with their article and initial guidance in the
project setup. We would also like to thank Cintia Hayashi, Graduate Assistant, Program of Architecture,
also a participant of the Byker Wall project, for re-formatting and editing this document.
Ulker Copur, PhD

Professor of Architecture & Project Coordinator
Roger Williams University
School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation
ii
1
An Introduction
Byker wall is a fantastic project located in, New Castle Upon Tyne, Great
Britain. It was constructed during the 1970s, and was successful in solving
many problems architects face on a daily basis. These issues include, the
resettlement of an existing community, low-rise/ high density design,
mixture of old and new, traffic separation, an informal friendly aesthetic,
building with strict cost limits and user participation. 1 Sustainability can
mean many things and Byker Wall incorporates many characteristics of
sustainability effectively. One important example of sustainability includes
maintaining a rich cultural and diverse population. An example of this
includes a thoughtful layout of the buildings, which would facilitate
interactions in green spaces between residents. Byker Wall is a very
successful development which addresses these issues thoroughly while
encompassing both a sustainable community and eco friendly design. Byker
Wall today, despite its success, would benefit from a reassessment of its
sustainability features. This would maximize the efficiency of the community
incorporating the latest sustainable technology and to re-asses any other
aspects of Byker Wall that citizens may not be utilizing to their full potential.
In the 1880s, the land in which Byker Wall currently resides was
developed with two story terraced houses. As a 19th Century
English industrial town, Byker offered homes for the workforce of
shipbuilding and engineering industries. By the 1970s, over 100
years later, a large reconstruction project was underway. With new
construction came the term, Byker for the Byker people, which
hoped to facilitate a community of social unity and continuing
interaction among residents. To accomplish this, a fairly new
concept involving the public in the design process was utilized to
maximize the diversity of elements. By the time this reconstruction
was commenced, a survey of the area showed that 80 percent of
18,000 inhabitants were in favor of redevelopment.2 This allowed for the town
to further pursue their idea of moving away from a grey heavy industrialized
town to a modern administration center for the whole north-eastern area.
The Planning
Many factors influenced the concept of a large wall surrounding the existing
low rise housing. These included a new highway which was proposed to pass
right in front of Byker as addition to a new metro rail had just recently been
1
Global Architecture
2
Global Architecture
2
built nearby. Furthermore, high winds passed through the area off the North Sea and through the town.3 Ralph
Erskine was approached by the planning committee to assist in the development of the Byker area of the city.
He stressed the importance of providing the right physical framework to enable people of Byker to maintain the
reference of their community in the future. Erskine understood the importance for a community to retain the
strong social links of a close-knit, homogenous and traditional community.4 To accomplish this, an open-door
policy was established allowing residents to voice their opinions on issues such as the future of the community,
vandalism, leaking radiators, play facilities, and new houses. Janet Square was the first built section, with 40
dwellings. It was designed entirely with user participation in mind.
The design encourages behavior of its residents by providing unique

elements with specified uses. These include the balconies for meeting,
playgrounds for children, and places to garden. Important to the way of life
for tenants, upkeep of existing landscape is extended to them. The costs of
maintaining the landscape by authorities is offered to the residents, who
have a choice to work the land, themselves. Furthermore, landscape
architects are available for consultation should anybody desire it. 5 This
opportunity affords many positive responses by the residents which maintain
community involvement. By involving the residents in their own place of
living, a sense of pride is developed, and continued care is established. Residents wont let their gardens die
and wither away because they themselves see their landscape as a reflection of themselves.
This also results in a variety of plant life, preventing dull and repetitive design. The residents will purchase their
flowers and plants of their choosing and everyone will have different opinions then anyone else, keeping a
beautiful, colorful environment. These plants enhance the meeting places ensuring continued interaction
between neighbors, because without a friendly neighborhood, residents feel less like they belong. By allowing
for places where people can come together, a sense of community develops, and negative effects such as
vandalism and unkempt gardens can be prevented. Benches and gazebos are spread out throughout the
entire interior pedestrian paths. These are to pull people off the sidewalk where they can sit, and hopefully in
turn bring more people to sit with them. Picnic tables are tucked away more than the benches so that people
sitting and eating are not disturbed by games and activities. However, they can still view these activities as
nothing is completely separated from anything else in Byker.
The Architecture
Visual elements are used to distinguish different meanings, and to

influence behavior. For instance, different sized timber slats are used to
distinguish different functions. Fences and dustbin shelters are placed in
the foreground, while beyond these elements are used for stuck on
accessories to the buildings such as pergolas, window boxes, galleries
and balconies. Furthermore, an even more obvious visual enhancement
is the use of color, a very important element in design. Even when the
plants start to lose their leaves for winter, the color and texture of the
buildings compensate for this natural loss of color. They are specifically
3
Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. (London: Architext,1985)
4
Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. (London: Architext,1985)
5
Byker: The spaces between.
3
used to distinguish spaces such as Raby Cross which contains shops, meeting rooms and doctors offices.6
Play shelters are scattered among the buildings for children. Views out toward the Tyne provide a landmark for
viewer orientation purposes. The building walls create outdoor rooms with old buildings absorbed as focal
elements as with the Grace Lee church. 7 Additional visual stimulants include the seamlessness where
buildings and outdoor spaces, trees and plants have grown together over time.8
Culture and Maintaining Diversity
There are many community learning facilities and services which offer residents
the opportunity to interact with one another. These opportunities allow the
residents to gain experiences to better their own community. These include Home
Delivery Service, Early Years Library Loan Service, lifelong learning Opportunities
and IT Outreach to assist residents with communication and technology
resources. IT training is also provided for those who which to learn themselves.9
Two schools are also within walking distance of all residents which are St.
Lawrence RC Primary and Byker Primary School which also offers nursery
classes for families requiring childcare. Furthermore, Byker residents have access to facilities of the
neighboring South Heaton development which include a pool, library, gym, dance studio among many other
facilities.10
There are many opportunities offered in Byker which retain an active population. Firstly, Byker holds a
Community Forum which meets Bi monthly in which all interested residents can attend and voice concerns and
suggestions of the community of Byker. Additional meetings include the Estate Maintenance Meeting which
brings residents together to voice environmental concerns as well as Byker Community Meeting where
residents can meet face to face, their housing manager, community Beat Officer and Street Wardens.11 These
meetings not only facilitate interactions among neighbors, but bring together a community with similar concerns
over their neighborhood. These meetings are the best way for continuing support and action regarding the
lifestyle at Byker.
Various groups and Clubs exist for residents with similar interests to
come together and share them. The Byker Friendly Club brings together
older people of the community for a variety of activities every two
months. Byker in Bloom is a gardening competition which takes place
every summer open to all residents. These clubs and organizations are
essential in a close knit community such as Byker where the public
spaces are all shared. By interacting with their neighbors, the residents
of Byker feel friendship and respect towards everyone who shares their
environment with them making for an overall better place to live.
6
Byker: The Spaces Between
7
8
9
Newcastle Government. www.newcastle.gov.uk.
10
Newcastle Government
11
4
There are also events held in Byker for residents and tourists who
wish to learn about the areas history. Heritage Open Days, a week
long autumn festivity, invites interested groups to join a guided
walking tour or self guided tour through Byker and Newcastle.
Through this very popular annual event, people can learn about their
history by either listening to a tour guide or reading it themselves
through many local history books. This celebrates the architecture
and culture and offers to the public treasures that are usually hidden
from the public in order to preserve them. Forty-five different activities
are available.12 Additional tours include the Tyneside Cinema tour,
Newcastles most historic cinema which has existed since the 1930s.
Here residents and visitors can tour the building and learn how the process of showing a movie works.
Archives of famous movie posters and brochures are available for viewing which most people find extremely
interesting and fun. This is one of the most popular tours during the Heritage Open Festivities. The most
important tour, the tour of Byker Wall itself, is the most fascinating however for the people that live there.
Though they experience the architecture every day, this historical explanations of what has occurred over the
past several years is interesting to many people.
Building Configuration
The Perimeter Block
The site itself is characterized by

the large, encompassing building
"wall" that is several stories high
and wraps the majority of the
housing block. The primary facade
of the building is mostly south Aerial view of the wall Dunn Terrace, Kendal, the Raby Gate, Carville, Grace Lee
Image from Google Earth
facing, and the housing units are
stacked atop each other with balconies to the south. This type of configuration is designed to keep a large
amount of highway noise out of the site, but is so prominent that the wall was incorporated into the name of the
community.
The wall serves to protect the down-sloping community from the northern winds off of the Great Sea. It is
almost reminiscent of the long housing walls proposed by Le Corbusier. The majority of the residential
neighborhoods within the constraints of the wall are a low rise typology with "link blocks" that bring down the
scale from the tall housing, with over 2300 dwelling units, forming an intimate village for the residents.
The perimeter block comprises of unit plans that are very shallow in depth.
The individual units above ground level are accessed by way of an
exterior street, a balcony that is continuous on the southern faade. The
units support a 1 person flat or a 2 person maisonette, a small unit with
12
5
levels accessed through an interior staircase.13 There are two primary perimeter blocks which range in height
from three to eight stories.14 The Raby Gate is the main entrance in the northern portion of the site, and is
adjacent to the Byker metro link. Here the massive height of the perimeter block can be experienced at one of
its tallest areas.
Perimeter Block Unit Plans
Byker by Erskine. The Architectural Review Dec 1974, pg352
The small windows are evident in the northern face of the wall,
whose vertical scale is broken up only by the differentiation in
the brick patterns. The balconies on the walls interior act like a
raised streetscape for people to access their housing. The
balcony runs periodically along the southern edge of the wall and
provides the residents with a view of the Byker development as
well as a feeling of being encompassed.
The Raby Gate

Dalton Crescent is a tall portion of the perimeter block that
encompasses a public green space. This portion of the wall also
uses periodic balconies for access to each interior maisonette.
Since the units of the perimeter block are multistory, the
balconies occur at periodic levels rather than every level. This
allows for the appearance of a more broken up southern facade
with a greater variety of shadows. The exterior of the Dalton
Crescent portion of the wall shows the occasional penetrating
balcony on a large flat northern faade. This is a portion of the
wall that turns in at the end of the primary perimeter block.
The Link Block and Low Rise Housing
The primary purpose of the link block configuration is to provide a

visual transition in scale from the tall perimeter blocks to the
much lower low-rise housing blocks. These blocks range in height
from 3 to 4 stories.
The 5 person maisonette found in the link block keeps the social
functions, such as the living room and kitchen, on the ground
floor. The bedrooms are kept on the second floor. A 2 person flat
can be found on the top floor, accessed from a raised balcony. The link blocks in
the Kendal area help to reduce the building height from the nearby primary
perimeter block. The balconies that serve the upper level flats can be seen running
along the faade, emulating the larger scale perimeter blocks.
Link blocks in Kendal
13
14
6
The low-rise housing within the Byker Wall district acts as the infill neighborhoods. The housing is designed
with independent gardens and semi-private spaces. The low rise housing consists of two main types; the 4
person house and the five person house. Each housing configuration consists of essential bathrooms, kitchens,
and bedrooms, but also contains large living rooms, study rooms, and outdoor gardens.15
The four person house contains a living room on the upper floor with the bedrooms, connected to an outdoor
balcony. The five person house maintains the living room on the ground floor with the dining room and kitchen,
and keeps three bedrooms on the upper floor.16 The low rise housing is in greater use as the southern portion
of the site is approached. The choice of this typology helps to maintain open views down the slope of the Byker
area. The low rise housing maintains a shallow roof pitch to further enhance the views and open skyline.
This housing type is at the end of the hierarchy in terms of scale, and provides more private spaces and
gardens. The layout has been designed, in recognition of all the peculiarities of the site, as an organic entity,
almost like a colossal building, in which terraces of houses are walls Typical 4 person low rise house to a
Byker by Erskine. The Architectural Review
series of outdoor rooms whose varying sizes and shapes give a Dec 1974, pg353 range
of different characters, so that tenants my u se any of them
according to mood and so suggests, reinforces or hides relationships. Cost restraint has kept the weather-
excluding shell of the building simple. But then this basic shell has been embellished with stuck-on elements
such as galleries and balconies, porches and pergolas, railings and weatherboardings, all designed with
panache, whimsy and studied casualness to provide continuous animation, variety and wit.17
Todays Assessment
Bolam Coyne
The Bolam Coyne area today is one of Byker Walls greatest problem areas. The
area has been boarded up and is in a state of disrepair. In 2001, it was proposed
that the area should be demolished and landscaped, as the negative image that the
area currently has may not fade in the nearby future. The units are abandoned and
boarded up, as people have been moving away in recent years.
Criminal activity has taken a foothold in the area as Bolam Coyne and the adjacent
Wickham Gardens has become a hotspot, involving vandalism and muggings. Bolam Coyne aerial view image
from Google Earth
Overgrowth has taken over much of the area as there are no tenants for the units.
One thought for redevelopment could include artist housing.
15
16
17
Byker: The spaces between, 336
7
Now and Tomorrow
Despite the successful design, over time Byker has suffered numerous problems. People who were involved in
the original Byker Redevelopment have moved away, and the sense of community has moved away with it.
Current residents now live in an area designed by people with completely different values in their living
arrangements and housing types. They also do not know each other as well as original residents therefore the
important community sense has vanished. More specific problems, affecting the quality of life and long term
sustainability, have been identities and need to be addressed.
There is a concern with keeping the buildings occupied as residents move out Bolam Coyne courtyard
and new ones do not move in. This is a key for long term sustainability for the development. Factors keeping
out new residents include juvenile crimes and vandalism. A lack of residents also results in a lack of income for
the owners of Byker, who in turn can not afford upkeep and maintenance costs. Residents have been quoted
as saying:
an estate under siege

Appearance of social stigmas
No longer an attractable community
Fortunately, there are many actions that can be taken to correct these issues. It has been almost thirty years
now since the original redevelopment took place. Today, many new people live there. These new people, who
did not live in original Byker, may not have the same idea of what ideal living conditions are. They may not feel
that social interaction is achieved in the same manner and they may feel that certain places desired by original
residents are not relevant to them.
Furthermore, technologies and social aspects change over time. Over the past 30 years, a lot has changed in
terms of social norms. As a result, it is necessary to talk with the people, who have now either lived there for all
this time, or have only recently moved in, and find out through them what they feel are current up to date
situations that would influence design. It will therefore be essential to talk with current residents again, as they
did during the first stage of redevelopment. One problem that could arise in a situation where citizens can have
input on what they want is that it may become too personalized. If these residents ever move away, new
residents may not find certain features necessary, or find a lack of others.
Byker Wall, though suffering from disrepair, is a model design in its concept. The primary goal of creating a
unique culture and a sustainable environment is an effort that more architects should be aiming for. The key to
maintain this goal, after it is in place, is to allow for continual input as residents move in and out as well as when
residents simply change. In the nearby future, with the aforementioned suggestions in mind, Byker Wall should
become progressively more successful than it ever was.
8
Bibliography
Erskine, Ralph. Byker Redevelopment, Byker area of Newcastle upon Tyne England.Global Architecture.
No. 55 (1980)
Dunster, David. Walled Town. Progressive Architecture.
Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. London: Architext,1985
Byker by Erskine The Architectural Review Dec 1974
Housing at Byker. A+U - Architecture + Urbanism_March 2005
The Byker Way Forward, A Report for Newcastle City Council, 2001
Project North East, Bolam Coyne. 2001
Newcastle Government. www.newcastle.gov.co.uk (12-07-2007)
9
15
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Planning
To understand all great architectural innovations, we must understand what was once there. Byker was
originally a small green village that was surrounded by farms and later became a home to an industrial suburb
that consisted of shipyards, engine works, potteries and glass works. By the year 1911, Byker was home to
some 50,000 people that made up a strong self-sustaining community that anchored the workforce that was
required by shipbuilding and other heavy industries centered on the River Tyne at the foot of its steep banks.
In 1953, Byker had around 1,200 dwellings that were considered unfit for living, mainly because the lack of
bathrooms, yet 80% of its inhabitants wanted to remain in Byker. So, in the mid-1960s, the Newcastle Planning
Committee decided to rebuild this section of their city. Originally, this area of Byker was a Victorian working-
class area that consisted of densely-built two-story row-houses with terraces. Much of the housing was in need
of repair and upgrading, because of this, nearly a quarter of this industrial section of town with 18,000
inhabitants were forced to move out of its accommodations. Another 4000 people made way for a planned
motorway, which was never built, but a bypass was put in the motorways place. The committee heard from
several architects about a new masterplan for Byker, but only one really stood out to redesign this section of
town.
Vacant homes in need of repair and with a new noisy passage way, the Newcastle City Planners recognized
that they would need to rebuild Byker and build a wall that would protect this new Byker from the future bypass.
Because of his adoption of Newcastles idea for the wall and his sensitivity to local needs, Ralph Erskine was
appointed the Architect for Byker in 1969. The existing houses were small and grim: the area was due for
development. Erskine looked at the situation for a month and submitted a plan of intent, which, among other
things, stressed the importance of providing the right physical framework to enable people of Byker to maintain
the reference of their community in the future. (A&U) The Newcastle City Council adopted Erskines Plan of
Intent in 1970.
The early success of Byker was due to the innovative idea from Ralph Erskine of Community Architecture. This
idea was the first of its kind and it would move Erskine from Sweden to Newcastle where he would establish his
office in an old funeral parlor with about 16-20 architects. Erskine moving into Byker would be the key
component to making this idea of Community Architecture work, because it allowed for an open door policy with
its local residents. This policy allowed people from the community to come in and interact with the architects.
This was done from the very beginning when they started the pilot scheme on Janet Square. People that were
going to live in Janet Square, came in and worked with Erskine, letting him know what worked and what did not
12
work in this test guinea pig scheme. From this test scheme, different possibilities and ideas formed the rest of
Byker and this was continued until the projects completion in the early 1980s.
The demolition was catching up with Byker. The countdown on streets and houses and friends began; the
melancholia set in. The wash-house closed down, and many months after the merry celebration and dancing
and singing the women who toiled and gossiped and laughed together in the steam and the noise, sat lost and
lonely in the coin-operated laundrettes beyond the main street, complaining about the price and the inefficiency
of the machines. The pork butcher moved to North Shields to start a new business; the cobbler retired and
headed for Canada to join his daughter. The one point that goes un-noticed, is that when you take a thriving
community that has its roots well planted within an area and move them to change the area, not only has the
area change, but so does the attitude. People that wanted to remain in Byker while it was being redeveloped
were put into a rolling program where they would be moved into a dwelling within Byker and then moved back
into their old community once construction was complete. The only problem is that this wasnt their old
community they were moving into, it was new and different. The walls had changed, doors and the streets
were just a bit different, but different enough to make it matter. This was one of the biggest problems Erskine
encountered, and he tried his best to avoid with this Community Architecture. He and the project leader,
Vernon Gracie, consult with every community before anything was done so that they would keep intact the
communal identity. It worked for most people, but others, mainly some of the residents who had been there
much longer, it did not work. They were attached to what they knew, worn down and falling apart did not
matter, it was what they were use to. Mrs Potter, born, wed and widowed in a street as old as herself kindly
closed her door on the man who came to sell her a wonderful future elsewhere. Thank you, hinny, but I belong
here. Mr and Mrs McCartney sat amongst their packed-up orange boxes in an empty house for a year and a
half waiting to be moved. We'll be sitting here till the day we die. Death and demolition clung together in the
collective consciousness. The reconstruction was done to the old Byker, the old community never really
recovered from this new built environment. But, with a new design, new hopes arouse that a new community
spirit would arise out of the ashes.
Since then, Byker has become the precedent for all mass housing developments, as they all incorporated
Community Architecture into their schemes. Erskine also continued to use this Community Architecture as a
building block for future mass housing, most notably in his final project Greenwich Millennium Village. In this
project, we see the housing layout change due to suggestions from residents that moved into phase one of the
projects. During 2004 a document regarding phase 3, 4 and 5 was prepared with the changes, mainly based
on new planning policy guidelines, new plans for the surrounding developments and lessons learnt through the
earlier phases. The most notable change is the number of units that in the original proposal was 1 377 and now
13
has increase to almost 3 000. The new masterplan has taken advantage of the elements and key strategies
that are the hart of Greenwich Millennium Village and at the same time implemented the new demands from an
increased density and a changing context. (www.tovatt.com) Also in Greenwich Millennium Village, he was
able to apply a similar vernacular details, because of the native land both sites were located. He was able to
take what he learned from the Byker Wall Project and relate them to Greenwich Millennium Village. Ralph
Erskine long championed the application of vernacular detail to buildings to diminish the stark barren quality
typical of much modernist housing. This attitude of decorated facades, perhaps derived from a more general
townscape aesthetic, is expressed as the bricolage application of a combination of functional devices,
balconies, galleries, sun screens and so on, and an assortment of purely decorative elements, colors, and
different materials, textures and patterns. This process results in the distinctive layered, articulated, chiaroscuro
facades of buildings like the Byker Wall. (http://housingprototypes.org)
Social and Environmental Sustainability
Even though Byker Wall was developed during the early seventies, Erskine was working with early forms of
sustainability. With no sustainable technologies available at the time Erskine alternatively worked with social
and environmental sustainability.
Erskine created a sense of community within the development of Byker Wall. The houses are built along the
contours, opposed to across them, to create a visual connection between the houses in each of the individual
neighborhoods. There are green areas and play shelters spread throughout the site. These spaces
increase the chance of spontaneous activities and meetings to occur. The squares are also a place for people
to meet that arent private spaces but rather belong to everyone. Erskine makes the plazas visible from far
away to attract people to the public plazas. The pathways also act as public spaces. The pathways are visibly
blocked off so that it becomes a plaza itself.
14
Because Erskine didnt have sustainable technologies to utilize in Byker Wall he used simple design aspects to
make Byker more sustainable. The community faces towards the south and turns its back on the north side.
The windows in the housing development are operable, this allows for free ventilation. The large wall
contributes to the sustainable aspects of the Byker Wall development. The wall blocks out the prevailing winds
coming from the north as well as blocking out noise pollution that comes from the city.
Newcastle Upon Tyne, since the early 1990s, has been trying to integrate energy considerations into the
overall urban planning. The main problem that they face is the challenge to create new types of economic
opportunities that are sustainable. The energy saving policy is based on three themes
1. Energy conservation.
2. Fuel switching.
3. Small and medium scale co- generation (CHP).
The Newcastle strategy for Energy and the Urban Environment was prepared in three stages:
1. Establishing base year information (the year 1990 as reference point).

2. Preparation of alternative scenarios.
3. Preparation of an action plan. (Energy saving policies)
The proposal that the group came up with consisted of four categories:
1. Combined Heat and Power.

2. Energy Efficiency.
3. Renewable Energy.
4. Traffic and Transport.
The results and impacts of the energy savings was that the City Council saved over 1 million pounds every
year. Energy consumption in municipal buildings was reduced by 50 % and the energy savings resulted in an
annual reduction of 50,000 tons of CO2. Newcastle Upon Tyne is already trying to change the city to be more
sustainable, with these efforts continued through to Byker Wall there is a good promise of a revival of Byker
Wall.
Byker Wall should look to newer, more recent, projects as precedents for redevelopment. These new projects
utilize more communal plans and sustainable technologies.
Kronsberg in Hannover, Germany is a project that is similar to Byker Wall. Byker can take some ideas from the
planning and sustainable aspects of Kronsberg.
There were two planning competitions introduced for the planning of Kronsberg. The end result of the
competition and design stages was a rectangular grid layout for the infrastructure plan. All of the housing
neighborhoods would be layed out along the grid plan. The main idea for the housing was to design compact
structures that ended up being four to five stories tall. They had over forty different architecture firms
design the neighborhoods. Most of the desigers aligned the buildings along the contours to allow for the east
and western sun, for natural lighting.
15
The design of Kronsberg district included a lot of open spaces and designed green spaces. Each architect
working on a development had to meet the standards of high ecological standards set by the municipality. The
streets are lined with trees, gardens and parks for each neighborhood. In some cases the residents helped
plan the squares. In the private and the public spaces rainwater is used as an adaptable design element.
Almost every home has a private outdoor space, and then the central public space for community interaction.
Kronsbergs overall concept was based on three things:
-the development of a commercial strip on the southwestern edge of the site.
-the development of a residential strip on the northwest part of the site.
-build up landscaping on the eastern and northern parts of the site.
The introduction of a commercial strip in Byker Wall could bring in more visitors to the city of Newcastle Upon
Tyne.
With the development of Kronsberg there were two planning competitions, as well as a landscape plan.
Competitions bring publicity to projects, if Byker Wall introduces a competition for the redevelopment of the site
it can bring attention and bring life back to Byker Wall.
A major problem that Byker Wall has is that it closes itself off from the rest of the city with the large wall. There
are no connections to the city, just like Kronsberg does; Byker Wall needs to create a link between the rest of
the city and the community.
With the major advancements in technology Byker Wall can become technologically sustainable. Taking ideas
from new and recent sustainable master planning projects can help Byker with ideas on how to redevelop the
community to be more socially sustainable. Kronsberg will be a very helpful example for Byker Wall to go by for
ideas and proposals. With attention, Byker Wall has the potential to redevelop itself into a flourishing
community once again.
16
Byker Wall Social Sustainability
17
Kronsberg Plan
18
Byker Wall Terraces
The Wall
19
Work Cited
Books:
Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. Great Britian: Granada Publishing, 1985
Egelius, Mats. Global Architecture: Ralph Erskine. Tokyo: A.D.A. EDITA, 1980
England, 1969-82" GA. Japan: A.D.A. EDITA Tokyo Co., 1980.
Kultermann, Udo. Ralph Erskine. "Byker Redevelopment: Byker area of Newcastle upon Tyne. Architecture in
the Seventies. New York: Architectural Book Publishing Company, 1980.
Rumming, Karin. Hannover Kronsberg Handbook: Planning and Realisation. Hannover : Landeshauptstadt
Hannover, Umweltdezernat, Baudezernat, 2004
Magazines
Housing at Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 1969-1981. A + U: architecture and urbanism, pp. 129, Mar 2005
Irace, Fulvio. "L'occhio di ieri, gli occhi di oggi = Yesterday's eye, today's eyes. Abitare, special issue no. 432,
pp. 316-329, Oct 2003
Davey, Peter. Outrage [Byker shame]. Architectural review, vol. 202, no. 1205, pp. 23, July 1997
Dunster, David, Walled town: Byker redevelopment, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; architect: Ralph Erskine
Progressive architecture, vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 68-73, Aug 1979
Emery, Colin. Byker by Erskine : housing, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Architectural review, vol. 156, pp.
346-362, Dec 1974 Ralph Erskine, Vernon Gracie and Assocs., archts.
20
Websites:
A report for Newcastle City Council. A Byker way Forward.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:pIoaEESWJgMJ:www.newcastle.gov.uk/deldec.nsf/0/7965dce890c36a8f
802569fa00546de1/%24FILE/Appendix.doc+byker+way&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us(12-10-07)
Byker. http://www.geocities.com/kaysgeography/byker.htm(12-10-07)
Byker Redevelopment. Great Buildings Online http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Byker_Redevelopment.html(12-
10-07)
Byker Buildings, Ourseburn Valley Supplementary Planning Document September 2005. Development Brief for Byker
Buildings.
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:F0KQlhxfSYkJ:www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/regen/plantrans/bykerbuilding
s/SPD_byker_buildings.doc+byker+wall+redevelopment&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us(12-10-07)
Byker. You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE6vU75f46w&eurl=http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/2005/12/byker.html(12-10-
07)
Byker Photographic Slideshow YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgGkVfz3wME&feature=related(12-10-07)
Byker. Amber Online. http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/byker(12-10-07)
JSTOR.http://www.jstor.org/view/03071243/ap050064/05a00090/13?frame=noframe&userID=c607f366@rwu.edu/01c0a8
0a7400503e313&dpi=3&config=jstor (12-10-07)
Local History. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2007/01/06/byker_redevelopment_feature.shtml (12-10-
07)
Millennium Village. Housing Prototypes. http://housingprototypes.org/project?File_No=GB004(12-10-07)
Newcastle upon Tyne:Environmental planning and energy saving policies. http://www.eaue.de/winuwd/58.htm(12-10-07)
New Wall for Old. Byker. http://www.timarchive.freeuk.com/html/body_byker_wall.htm (12-10-07)
Photographs of Newcastle. http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/2005/12/byker.html(12-10-07)
Timeline. East End Community & Voluntary Sector Forum http://www.umtp.org/html/timeline.html(12-10-07)
21
22
Climate
The climate in Newcastle Upon Tyne is very dry and has an average range throughout the year. The summer
is usually sunny and warm and in the winter it can be cold with sparse snow. The wind velocity on average
during the year is 7.2 m/s, which is just over 16 mph, taken from reading found in 2002.
Newcastle Upon Tyne

climate and weather
Newcastle upon Tyne,

United Kingdom
Climate Statistics
We can see that the number of days with any kind of precipitation is about 50% of each month. Now someone
might say that this does not fit a dry climate but if you look at the amount of precipitation during the months it
equates to about an inch to 2 inches a month. This is the main reason for it being considered a dry climate.
For the total year the average rain fall is about 25 inches, if you compare that to the Bristol, RI area which gets
about 42 inches annually that is a significant drop. To account for this lack of rainfall we suggest looking into
ground coverings and roof coverings that are permeable and allow for water to be absorbed. In these open
green spaces they could add under ground cisterns to collect the water that is on site to either flush the toilets
or to water the vegetation on site, or even both. These cisterns should be sized to allow for any rainstorms that
result in more than the average rainfall found. If not then there will need to be some kind of swale that will help
divert the excess water to other areas of the site or down to the river.
23
A sun diagram showing the sun movement around the site throughout the year has helped us determine what is
the best overall direction that is needed for the PV panels. Also, the sunrise and sunset diagram below shows
the amount of time that the PV panels would be able to be used.
The sun path diagram below shows that on June 21 (which is the green circle on the upper section of the chart)
the highest that the sun is in the sky is roughly 69 degrees at 1 oclock with the sun being out for 17 hours.
And, then on December 21 the sun is roughly 12 degrees at noon with the sun is only out for 7 hours.

United Kingdom
This sunrise and sunset diagram below shows that the longest days with daylight are in June. Again, showing
that the time that is available during the day for PV panels.

United Kingdom
Site Suggestions
24
We are suggesting here for the roofs that are sloped in the best orientation (south being the best) for
photovoltaic panels (PV), that when the life cycle of the roofing material is over that they install PV there
instead. And for the area with a flat roof we are suggesting that they look into placing a green roof there and
raised PV panels facing south.
Looking at the slopes of the roofs we analyzed the site to have adequate amount of roof available for PV to be
significant enough to make a difference in the energy usage. The total roof area is 3,492,000 sq.ft. and the roof
area that is capable of using PV panels is 1,815,840 sq.ft. This is 52% of the total roof area available.
25
Diagrams - Best Roof Orientation
26
Diagrams - Best Roof Orientation (cont.)
27
We looked at the total site area and fond that the total is about 200 acres of permeable and non-permeable
material. We then found the tree canopy area was 39 acres and this equates to 35% of the total site area. This
meets the site requirement of 30% to reduce the Heat Island Effect. So, we suggest that they still plant more
trees so they can decrease the Heat Island Effect even more. Also, when the existing trees on site exceed their
life expectancy that they plant native trees and other vegetation in place of them on the site. The building area
of the site is 40% and covers 3,492,000 sq.ft., while the roads and non-permeable coverings cover 10% of the
site and the open green spaces on site cover 15%.
Live Search Maps
28
This location in Britain has a decent amount of wind, though it averages 7.13 m/s (16 mph) per month, there is
still the ability of introducing wind turbines. Especially with newer technology coming out, there are plenty that
will revolve with a minimum of 5 m/s (11 mph.) If you look at the chart you can see that the lowest average
wind speed is 5.77 m/s (12.9 mph) during June.

United Kingdom
29
ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE PLANNING
Connections with Nature
Newcastle upon Tyne is located in north-eastern England (see picture below). It first began to trade coal in the
13th century and was heavily dependent on mining, distribution, and sale of coal. In 1538, 15,000 tons of coal
was being exported annually from the area. During the 1880s, the future site of Byker Wall (the hillside) was
previously mined and quarried, then developed into 2 story terraced houses to meet the demands of an
expanding shipbuilding and heavy engineering industries. It was an important centre for coal and ship-building
until the 1980s.
The architect of Byker Wall was Ralph Erskine, his overall goal was to prepare a project for planning and
building a complete and integrated environment for low income residents. Certain site features which dictated
the further development were to exploit the physical character of the site (the slope towards the south) its view
and its sunny aspect. Certain aspects of Byker wall and its surroundings follow LEEDs Neighborhood
Development System. Steep slope protection is one of those that was applied by minimize erosion to protect
habitat and reduce stress on natural water systems by preserving steep slopes in a natural, vegetated state.
Byker wall is most known and depicted for its large wall. However, many people do not know that the wall acts
as protection from northern winds, noise pollution from vehicular and railway noise and providing shelter on the
sunny side.
Byker Wall : Site Context

One of Erskines goals was to maintain the valued characteristics and traditions of the historic neighborhood
and it relationship to the surrounding area. He did this by creating a hierarchy from open public space outside
the housing area, through the semi-private space of the housing groups to the privacy of the housing gardens.
Also, the narrowing of pathways seating arrangements, timber pergolas, play structures, and general
landscaping and density of planting are all used to create a more pedestrian friendly landscape. Byker was
30
planned with a series of housing courts laid out on a grid of paths and access roads. Individual courts are given
their own colors and cars are parked in garage courts at the perimeter.
LEEDs Restoration of wildlife and habitat category, is to restore wildlife habitat and
wetlands that have been harmed by previous human activities. It further explains to
use only native plants, restore native habitat or pre-development water bodies or
wetlands on the project site in an area equal to or greater than 10% of the
development footprint and remove any invasive species on the site. Using this as
guidelines, the grounds can improve by simply removing some of the dead trees and
redesigning the landscape with trees and plants native Bloody Cranes-Bill
to the area. There are several trees that can be used:
the alder (pictured on left), aspen, beech, elm, hazel,
juniper, maple, whitebeam, and yew trees. These trees
are regional to the Newcastle Upon Tyne area, they do
not need any maintenance and are a very hardy tree.
Other plant-life that could be included is the following:
Bloody Cranes-bill, Wood Cranes-bill, Spring Gentian,
Monkey-flower (Newcastle Upon Tynes County Flower,
and Harebell (all pictured on right). Also, there are
several types of grass that could be replaced that Wood Cranes-Bill
require less water, are maintenance free, and hold up
Alder Tree to most climate conditions. They are Turf-type tall
fescue, Bahia grass, and Buffalo grass
(pictured on left). These new alternatives will
even create a healthier environment for the
wildlife. Some of the local wildlife that could
be impacted are otters (more visible in spring Spring Gentian
and Autumn) red squirrels, woodpeckers, robins, and seagulls
(see pictures on next page).
Byker wall is situated on a south-western
section that slopes down toward the Tyne
Buffalo Grass River (pictured below) with a panoramic view
of Newcastle City Centre (see first picture above). With this in mind, LEEDs compact
development category is a very informative in evaluating Byker Wall. Compact
Development is primarily to conserve land, promote livability, transportation efficiency, Monkey Flower
and walk-ability throughout the site. Byker Wall has excellent features including
direct access to the metro station (located directly across the street), there are open
public parks and places for people to gather, and is located 1 mile away for the city
center.
Harebell
31
Otter Woodpecker Red Squirrel
Byker Wall: Site slopes towards Tyne River
32
Global Warming
The issue that now exists in the world is global warming. This issue deals with a rise in temperature and
carbon levels. The temperature levels appear to be on a steady slope upward as well as the carbon level. The
temperature level of 2006 was 11.3C, which exceeded that of the peak levels from the past 400 years, which
was 10.5C. The carbon level has far exceeded that of the past levels by 75 parts per million (ppm). If you
look back 350,000 years ago the carbon level peaked at 300 ppm. Today the carbon level is 375 ppm and
rising.
According to the Environmental planning and the energy saving policies of Newcastle Upon Tyne they want to
decrease the emissions of their harmful gases substantially by 2010. The impact of this policy will be
decreasing carbon dioxide 45%, carbon nonoxide 82%, sulphur dioxide 89% and oxides of nitrogen 76%.
Newcastle Upon Tyne has reduced their energy consumption in the municipal buildings by 50% and results in a
reduction of 50,000 tones of CO2.1
In the municipal buildings in Newcastle Upon Tyne there have been actions taken to reduce the emission levels
besides the ones noted above which pertain to all buildings in Newcastle Upon Tyne. They want to see a drop
in carbon dioxide by 5.2% over that which was reported in 1990 and they figure they can have this meet by
2012 at the latest. But, the UK government has set a domestic reduction of 20% by 2010.
The Newcastle City Council has over 500 major buildings and 38,400 domestic properties that they cover. The
results that they found while looking at the energy consumption and the water consumption showed that they
emitted 63,500 tonnes of CO2 into the air. And, also the municipal buildings used 500,000 m3 of water. In
2004 the Newcastle City Council went 100% green or at least was the goal that they set for themselves in 2003.
This would result in a reduction of CO2 by over 22,000 tonnes. The UK government set a goal to produce 10%
of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
Newcastle is in a partnership with Future Forests (who own the trademark Carbon Neutral), also Edinburgh
Centre for Carbon management to start the Carbon Neutral Newcastle. This will make Newcastle hopefully the
first city in the world to cut its emissions to zero.2
1
Newcastle upon Tyne: Environmental planning and energy saving policies
2
Energy Management in Municipal Buildings: Newcastle Upon Tyne
33
Global warming: Tony Blair and other stellar effects
Global warming: Tony Blair and other stellar effects
Global temperature in 2004
Global temperature in 2004
34
Bibliography
Climate Statistics. Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. 2007.

http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX1695 (12-07-07)
Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. Academic Editions, 1994
County Flowers of the United Kingdom 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_flowers_of_the_United_Kingdom (11-16-07)
Energy Management in Municipal Buildings: Newcastle Upon Tyne 2003.
www.display-campaign.org/IMG/pdf/case-study_newcastle_en.pdf (12-05-07)
Erskine, Ralph. GA Global Architecture : Byker Redevelopment NewCastle Upon Tyne,
England 1969-82
Global temperature in 2004 is fourth warmest ever 2004.
http://www.naturalhippie.com/globalwarming.html (12-8-07)
Global warming: Tony Blair and other stellar effects. 2004. Junkscience.
http://www.globalwarming.org/node/690 (12-10-07)
LEED for Neighborhood Development. 2007.
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=148 (11-01-07)
Live Search Maps. 2007. http://maps.live.com/ (12-10-07)
Melrose Town and Tweed River Walk. 2007.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/whereilive/borders/walk/index.shtml?name=borders&place_name=Dumfries&pla
ce_number=0369 (11-13-07)
Newcastle upon Tyne: Environmental planning and energy saving policies. 2001.
European Commission, DG XI and Land of Berlin.
http://www.eaue.de/winuwd/58.htm (12-11-07)
Newcastle Upon Tyne climate and weather. 2007. Globe Media Ltd.
http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/England/Newcastle-Upon-Tyne/Climate (12-05-07)
Science and Nature: Animals. 2007.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/look_around/mammals/1b.shtml (11-13-07)
Tree Species in British Isles. 2007. http://www.leeds.gov.uk/fol/species.html (11-16-07)
Tukiainen, Matti. Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom Sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times. 2007
http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/newcastle-upon-tyne.html (12-10-07)
What is the Best Grass for You : Best for Drought Resistance. 2007. http://www.american-
lawns.com/lawns/best_lawns.html (12-10-07)
35
36
Introduction: Byker Walls Past
Byker Wall, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, is an award winning

development of innovative and visionary proportions. Designed by Ralph
Erskine in the mid 1970s, the development of Byker Wall helped solve a Figure 1
major community dilemma of repetition and monotony (see figures 1 and
2) and in turn created a successful harmony of space, structure, and
community living. The old Byker community was of a very unhealthy and
mundane nature, its architectural formation being extremely repetitive and
consisting of row housing with limited communal space and green area.
While being a logical design and order, the residents complained of the
tightness of the housing layout and lack of open spaces.
The community was in dire need for a healthier environment. The new Figure 2
Byker Wall made history with Erskine and a strong
committed community full of suggestions and
requests. Its result was a situation exemplifying
architectural community design. The following
information is on the topics of context, land use,
services, and connections to context and circulation
in Byker Wall, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Through this
report we wish to conduct an effective analysis of the
past and present situation and advise options for the
overall improvement of the community.
Byker Wall: Context
Present Byker Wall has a very diverse context. Its

location is pivotal being close to the center of the
town. Newcastle upon Tyne is very picturesque with
skylines filled with towers of numerous churches and
cathedrals and its close proximity to the river Tyne.
Like all cities this community is filled with many
historical layers. Historical elements such as
Hadrians Wall, for instance, mark the importance of
its community from as far back as AD 100. Present
day social spaces include the many pubs, Dance
City, China Town, and several museums (see figure
3).
Public Transportation
Public Transportation is critical to the survival of

Byker Wall. Especially since car parking is limited
around the community. Presently, the Metro Station
is located just outside the northern portion of the wall,
shown by the red dot in figure 4. This allows quick
Figure 3
37
sustainable transportation in a relatively close location.
Community transport such as bus usage also connects
the site with the metro and other parts of the community
of Newcastle Upon Tyne. There are many locations for
bus stops along the main roads of Byker, shown in blue
in the same diagram.
We would also like to propose a way to utilize public
transportation in order to help educated the people of
Byker Wall in sustainable technologies. For example,
bus stops could have green roofs, or be made of
photovoltaic panels. This would help the people to Figure 4
better understand the use of these green elements
and encourage them to make better use of the
sustainable resources available to them.
The Public transportation of Newcastle has many
rules to assist mass transportation. The Mobility
Scheme, for instance, is a non-profit organization that
provides mobility solutions for disabled people.
Newcastle Local Authority (LA) is another important
transportation group that provides free transport to a
childs nearest suitable school provided it is beyond
statutory walking distance from the childs home
address. Institutions like these allow a safer and
more suitable environment for the underprivileged.
Neighborhoods and Boundaries of Byker Wall
The Byker Wall development was designed by

Erskine in sections, or neighborhoods. The original Figure 5
plan is made up of twelve different neighborhoods, all distinguished by layout or architectural
design (see figure 5). This helps to break down the site into zones and create smaller scale
areas within the large scale plan. These neighborhoods include:
Dunn Terrace
Kendal
Carville
Grace Lee
Chirton
Gordon
Avondale
Clydesdale
Bolam
Ayton
Janet Croft
Harbottle
Figure 6
38
As for the extents of the site, the Byker Wall development has
three distinct boundaries (figure 6). To the north, the coastal
railway runs to the main metro station previously mentioned, just
outside the masonry wall that gives Byker Wall its name. To the
south, the Tyne River creates a natural boundary, and to the west
the Ouseburn stream runs down to the Tyne, crossed by five
bridges connecting the development to its western side. The
eastern border does not have as strong of a presence, but is
suggested by the main highway that runs north-south almost all Figure 7
the way down to the Tyne River.
Main Vehicular Roads and Entrances
Byker Wall is surrounded by heavy-traffic vehicular roads, but is

only penetrated by one of these, running east-west through the
center of the property (see figure 7 for main roads through Byker).
The neighborhood in the northwestern corner Dunn Terrace is
also separated from the rest of the neighborhoods by a pre-
existing vehicular road. Other secondary roads exist, but
vehicular use is discouraged for anything other than getting to
one of the small inner parking lots. There are several entrances
cutting through the curvilinear Byker Wall (figure 8), but those that
are open to cars do not allow easy passage through the site and
are often met by one of these small lots.
Parking and Traffic Control

Figure 8
Parking is a serious issue at Byker Wall and a constant
complaint from those that live there. Cars are supposed to be kept mostly to the
outskirts of the ward, but small lots can be found scattered through and around the
site (figure 9). These however are not very accommodating in size or location.
Vandalism and theft became a serious issue because cars had to be parked in
remote locations far from the homes of their owners. People began driving on non-
vehicular roads through the site and parking illegally to keep their cars close to their
units and away from vandals and thieves (figure 10). Because there is very limited
access for cars, this results in many people driving over grassy areas and garden
spaces. Figure 9
Present day Byker Wall attempts to deal with the traffic control by providing
temporary barriers. In figure 11, an actual barrier attempts to fix the parking
problem. However, one obvious issue is the lack of differentiation between
the treatment of vehicular roads and pedestrian roads. In some places it
appears they are represented one in the same. This promotes unacceptable
practices of parking in inappropriate locations. A simple differentiation of
materiality and elevation of different functional paths could prove successful.
Figure 10
39
On this note, the roads to the schools share this same function
separation problem. It is important to keep the children of Byker Wall
safely away from the busy vehicular traffic. One idea that may help
controlling the vehicular traffic in and around Byker Wall is
demonstrated in figure 12. This barrier is controlled by a machine
that when a resident waves their pass in front of it, allows the barrier
to shrink down into the ground long enough for the car to pass. This
could control which vehicles are allowed down the roads within the Figure 12
Byker Wall property, while still allowing public and emergency
vehicles through when necessary.
Walking and Cycling
Walking and cycling also coincides with the previous

observations of the pedestrian problems. It is obvious
through observation that it was the main plan to encourage
pedestrian traffic and discourage vehicular traffic through the
design of Byker Wall. However, despite efforts like elevated
walkways over roads and paths paved through the site, it was
Figure 11
not done effectively enough to work to its full potential.
Another important observation is that two main pedestrian routes from the
Byker Estate to the Metro and the popular commercial Shields Road
cross two busy highways. Two examples of this are seen in figures 13
and 14, representing Shields Road bypass and pedestrian bridge and
Raby Walk. If pedestrian roads were elevated and designed with a higher
level of importance it would make a safer more aesthetic environment
Figure 13
then the implemented present roadblocks.
Recycling Routes
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is not the only important circulation.

Newcastle Upon Tyne also has a recycling routes designed and
implemented. Sustainability has always been important to the original
architect, Erskine and the community of Byker. Figure 15 displays a
Figure 14
diagram of all the recycling routes in and around Byker Wall in
blue. The recycling center is actually located just north of the
metro station. This makes Byker Wall a significant member of
the recycling community.
This push for sustainable design and pedestrian friendly

environments coincide with Newcastles future redesign
phases. The region is enacting large scale redevelopment
plans to allow easy pedestrian access to green space.
Figure 15
40
Newcastles goal is to reevaluate the distance of all pedestrian areas
and link them to appropriate size green space. The first plan is to
have over .1 hectares of green space within a five minute walk. The
Second Plan is to create a green space of over 2 hectares within a
ten minute walk. The third plan is to create green space of 6
hectares or more within 15 minutes of a local park. These plans
even suggest woodland of nature area of over 2 hectares with as
little a distance as a half hour walk. Figure 16
Signage
Byker Wall was designed as a pedestrian

friendly environment. However, the paths can
be confusing and it is stated in descriptive texts
that without prior knowledge of the site, Byker
Wall is near impossible to navigate without
assistance. Modern signs and graphic aids like
the one in figure 16 are seriously lacking in the
ward. Signs like the one shown here would be
extremely helpful at a variety of scales and more
frequent locations. Especially since this area Figure 17
has become such a tourist attraction. Through
this analysis we suggest funds be shifted to encourage public tourism.
Land Use
The land use of Byker Wall is

very important to the overall
design an initial success of
the community. Buildings
were thoughtfully laid out
within Byker Wall to create
views, outdoor rooms and
semi-private courtyards
(figure 17). The building wall
was helped to protect the land
and make it more personable
for its residents. The Wall
cuts down traffic noises as
well as stop harsh winds.
When compared to other,
more successful villages like
itself, Byker Walls
architectural layout of its
buildings is one of its Figure 18
41
strongest assets. With a more diverse group of people living there
and changes made to site and environment, Byker Wall could be
rejuvenated. Also, as seen in figure 18, the ward is short in public
spaces such as community centers. While it was a good idea to
cluster public buildings, such as the community centers with the
schools and churches, it would be more beneficial to the people of
Byker Wall if these clusters had occurred more often. Perhaps by
using one building for multiple functions rather than splitting them
into individual buildings, costs could be cut and more public
buildings could be afforded. Figure 19
Handicap Accessibility Issues

The naturally sloped landscape of Byker Wall creates a
very scenic environment with great views, but it also
creates some serious handicap accessibility problems.
There are several locations inside Byker Wall that are
tough to maneuver around because of the extreme
inclines and steps. This is demonstrated in figure 19.
A reevaluation of these problem areas might lead to the
conclusion of ramps, possibly zigzagging through the
site, following the slope. And in general, Byker Wall is
pledged with an overgrowth of plants and shrubs which reduce Figure 20
accessibility and visibility. The plantings were a good idea in the original design scheme, but
were not properly maintained. Either the replanting of some more self-sustaining vegetation or
a better maintenance plan should be implemented.
Elevated Circulation
Vertical elevated community circulation is a unique element to Byker Wall

(figure 20). A successful aspect of the community of Byker Wall is found
through its many ways to circulate. This elevated exterior circulation is
very important to the original design and tight-knit communities.
However, as the area changes and evolves with its people this has
become less safe and family oriented.
Figure 21
Anomalies: Circulation
Effort was clearly made in the design of circulation,

however misguided or eventually ineffective. But had
these efforts been applied in a more practical sense, they
would perhaps have resulted in a higher success. One
specifically artful approach to circulation can be seen in
the zig-zag walking path that runs down between Dunn
Terrace and the rest of the ward (figure 21). While it
might have been a nice park space where playgrounds
Figure 22
could have been placed and families might have spent quality time
42
together, its location is far from ideal. Here, the ground dips down
into a valley and runs below a vehicular highway. It is not very
pedestrian friendly and one would imagine that it does not feel very
safe, especially with the high outer walls on either side, creating a
massively overwhelming scale.
Anomalies: Aesthetic Elements
These anomalies can be seen in other aspects of the site, such as

potentially aesthetic elements placed in public and semi-public
areas. For example, in figure 22, this area needs some connection
to its environment. It may be argued that the lack of connections
have been the cause of many social problems on the site, leading
to the reasons why the security camera was added to this area.
These issues have been noted by Byker residents:
Lester Cowell lived in Byker for 11 happy years and was
delighted that it has at last been given listed status. The
estate has been at a crossroads for a long time. Parts are
in dire need of refurbishment which up to now has been Figure 23
patchy. Hopefully this great place has now a more secure future.
Anomalies: Closed Public Space?
While the Byker Wall development was designed with

several open green spaces, they are not used to their
maximum potential. As seen in figure 23, this field
space is closed off by a fence and locked gate. How
can the community take full advantage of these spaces
if they are kept locked? Communal activities are
discouraged and the space is left unoccupied. These
public spaces are also left inappropriately cared for,
and the people of Byker Wall have been driven to Figure 24
make repairs on their own in the past. According to the
community records from January twenty-first, in 2004,
A damaged fence blocking a footpath was reported to
the Council but because nothing was done, residents
repaired it themselves. Details of a dangerous footpath
were also to be referred to the Council.
Figure 25
43
Lighting Deficiencies
Lighting deficiency has also raised a concern in the area.

Many residents complain that many areas remain in the dark
and promote an unsafe environment for the people. It has
been found that the Raby Street and the Raby Square are two
major areas of concern. Several other areas still need
improvement as well. Like in the courtyard shown in figure
24, only two light locations are shown. This is an extreme
shortage for the large area and will reduce night time activities
for the residents due to safety concerns. Figure 26
Byker Walls Future
A Design Competition has been

presented for the Byker Wall
development. This includes the
rejuvenation of an existing
neighborhood Bolam and the
creation of an expansion
neighborhood, in the southwest Figure 27
corner of the ward. We propose that
this competition include large-scale pedestrian connections in
two places:
a. Where the north wall breaks between Dunn
Terrace and Kendal neighborhoods
b. Where the new development will kitty-corner the
existing Gordon neighborhood (expansion
neighborhood and pedestrian links diagrammed
in figure 25).
We also suggest the study of recent precedents, including

Kronsberg, Germany site of EXPO 2000 (figure 26) and the
Greenwich Millennium Village outside London (figure 27).
Their planning and use of green spaces and pedestrian
connections have proven very successful.
Figure 28
44
After studying these precedents, we propose a
green renovation of Byker Walls landscape.
Several open green spaces already exist on
the site. We propose stronger pedestrian links
between them, as well as a main Village
Green incorporating small- to medium-scale
commercial as well as community spaces. We
also suggest attention be given to the main
vehicular road that passes through the site. This road
Figure 22
should be made more pedestrian friendly through raised
crosswalks and more stoplights to slow traffic and make
it a more pleasant place for people to visit (figure 29).
The commercial from the Village Green can be
continued along this road to tie together the larger scale
commercial zones that lie at the extremities of the site.
This proposal is demonstrated in figure 28, with the
yellow signifying commercial areas, the green signifying
open public greenspace and their corresponding
pedestrian connections, and the red line symbolizing the
main vehicular road.
Figure 30
Also, in addition to the design competition that is already in

place, we propose a further expansion. Due to the
disconnection between the western neighborhoods with the rest
of Byker Wall, we propose further development to the west,
creating a residential neighborhood to tie together Dunn
Terrace and the Design Competition site (figures 30 and 31).
This would help create a better social situation on the western
border, and give those living in eastern neighborhoods more
reason to venture over to the currently disconnected parts of
the site. Rejuvenated commercial space in this area would also
allow for better social situations, as well as provide local jobs to
aid in improving the low employment rate of the area.
Figure 31
Conclusion
All things considered in the areas of context, linkages, circulation, land-use, and services, it
comes down to some basic overall planning themes: reconnection, comfort and safety,
proximity, accessibility, and rejuvenation of both the natural and constructed elements of the
site. These, combined with a more diverse population of inhabitants are the keys to Byker
Walls success.
45
Works Cited
"Accessible Newcastle." Newcastle City Council. 2007. Newcastle City Council.

<http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/regen/phep/Parking_Map_List.pdf>. (13 Dec. 2007)
"Byker Wall." NewCastle. 2005.
<http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:jeOa4Y0y6skJ:online.gateshead.gov.uk/docushare/dsweb/Get/Docume
nt-6850/Item%2B04%2B-
%2BPolice%2Band%2BCommunity%2BForums.doc+Byker+Wall+Parking+Problems&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=
us>. (15 Nov. 2007)
"Digital Bus Stop." 13 Dec. 2007 <http://www.milladigital.es/imagenes/img_sistemas_3.jpg>. (15 Nov. 2007)
"DOT Pledged Ped Safety Fixes by 2006 on Deadly Third Ave." Streetsblog: Covering the New York City Streets
Renaissance. 19 Feb. 2007. 2006 New York City Streets Renaissance.
<http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/02/19/dot-pledged-pedestrian-safety-fixes-for-third-avenue-by-2006/>. (13
Dec. 2007)
"Google Earth." Explore, Search, and Discover. 2007. Google. <http://earth.google.com/>. (13 Dec. 2007)
"Home." Newcastle City Council. 2007. Newcastle City Council. <http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/>. (13 Dec. 2007)
Konttinen, Sirkka-Liisa. "Amber Online." Byker. 2007. Newcastle Upon Tyne. <http://www.amber-
online.com/exhibitions/byker/exhibits/rooftops-of-byker-1975>. (13 Dec. 2007)
"Kronsberg; Hannover." CC Connected Cities. 2007. CC Connected Cities.
<http://connectedcities.eu/guide/kronsberg.html>. (13 Dec. 2007)
Monet, Tim. "New Wall for Old." Byker Wall Sat. 2nd Dec. 2000. 2007. Newcastle Upon Tyne.
<http://home.freeuk.net/timarchive/html/byker_wall.htm>. (13 Dec. 2007)
"Newcastle Online Maps." NewCastle City Council. 2007. NewCastle City Council.
<http://gis.newcastle.gov.uk/mapsonline/map.asp?wid=1280&browsertype=ie>. (13 Dec. 2007)
"Places Gallery: Inside Byker Redevelopment: Image 12." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC
Tyne.<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/byker_redevelopment_gallery.shtml?12>. (13 Dec.
2007)
"Places Gallery; Inside Byker Redevelopment; Image 9." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC Tyne.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/byker_redevelopment_gallery.shtml?9>(13 Dec. 2007)
"Places Gallery; Inside Byker Redevelopment: Image 1." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC Tyne.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/byker_redevelopment_gallery.shtml?4>(13 Dec. 2007).
"Places Gallery; Inside Byker Redevelopment." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC Tyne.
"The Byker Redevelopment." Where I Live. 03 May 07. BBC Tyne.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2007/01/06/byker_redevelopment_feature.shtml>(13 Dec. 2007)
Williams, Kay. "Byker." 2003. <http://www.geocities.com/kaysgeography/byker.htm>.(13 Dec. 2007)
Architecture Week. Erskines Millenium Village. <http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/1128/design_1-2.html>(13 Dec.
2007)
46
Image Cited
Image 1: Monet, Tim. "New Wall for Old." Byker Wall Sat. 2nd Dec. 2000. 2007. Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Image 2: Konttinen, Sirkka-Liisa. "Amber Online." Byker. 2007. Newcastle Upon Tyne. <http://www.amber-
online.com/exhibitions/byker/exhibits/rooftops-of-byker-1975>. (13 Dec. 2007)
Image 3: "Home." Newcastle City Council. 2007. Newcastle City Council. <http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/>. (13 Dec. 2007)
Image 4: "Newcastle Online Maps." NewCastle City Council. 2007. NewCastle City Council.
Image 5: (Photoshop Manipulation)

Image 6-9: (Google Earth and Photoshop Manipulation)
Image 10: Monet, Tim. "New Wall for Old." Byker Wall Sat. 2nd Dec. 2000. 2007. Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Image 11: "Places Gallery; Inside Byker Redevelopment; Image 10." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC Tyne.
Image 12: (photo by Erin Blackbird)

Image 13-14: "Byker Wall." NewCastle. 2005.
<http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:jeOa4Y0y6skJ:online.gateshead.gov.uk/docushare/dsweb/Get/Docume
nt-6850/Item%2B04%2B-
%2BPolice%2Band%2BCommunity%2BForums.doc+Byker+Wall+Parking+Problems&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=
us>. (15 Nov. 2007)
Image 16: "Places Gallery; Inside Byker Redevelopment: Image 1." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC Tyne.
Image 17: (GA)

Image 18: (Google Earth and Photoshop Manipulation)
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/byker_redevelopment_gallery.shtml?4>(13 Dec. 2007).
Image 23: "Places Gallery: Inside Byker Redevelopment: Image 12." BBC Tyne. 2007. BBC
Tyne.<http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/byker_redevelopment_gallery.shtml?12>. (13 Dec.
2007)
47

Image 26: "Kronsberg; Hannover." CC Connected Cities. 2007. CC Connected Cities.
<http://connectedcities.eu/guide/kronsberg.html>. (13 Dec. 2007)
Image 27: (Architecture Week)

Image 29: (Dot)
Image 30-31: (Google Earth and Photoshop Manipulation)
48
49
To be able to discuss the social sustainability of Byker Wall in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, we must first
define what social sustainability is:
Social sustainability can be described as how people make choices that affect other humans. It focuses on the
promotion of social interaction and cultural enrichment. It calls for a diverse population and an importance on
social capitol. Social sustainability also calls for the promotion of the basic human needs of happiness, safety,
freedom, dignity and affection. It promotes an environment for social activity which is connected to nature.
Supporting and sustaining the pattern of life is also an important aspect. One of the best diagrams to explain
the benefits and goals of social sustainability was produced by Greek planner Doxiadis around 50 years ago
(New Landscape). These diagrams express the importance of chance encounters and the allowance of
increased social interaction in a space. As people interact they learn from one another and benefit the society
as a whole.
There are many design aspects and keys to social

sustainability including allowing visible access for social
interaction, making spaces adaptable and flexible for future
change, seeking the improvement of quality of life of the
population, utilizing multiple uses for spaces (day and night,
weekdays, weekends, holidays), allowing people to work and
live in close proximity, and providing shared facilities such as
laundry.
The architect of Byker Wall, Ralph Erskine, had a strong

vision of what the community could be. He dreamt that the
people would join together and form a strong community that
would govern themselves from within. He envisioned them
learning to live together and keeping up and maintaining the
landscapes. Erskine proclaimed in relation to Byker Wall:
We would endeavor to maintain as far as possible,

valued traditions and characteristics of the neighborhood
itself and its relationships with surrounding areas and the
centre of New Castle..The main concern will be those
who are already resident in Byker, and the need to re-
house them without breaking family ties and other value
associations or patterns of life (Interview with Ralph
Erskine)
Erskine had a strong feeling towards architectures ability to

create a community in all his projects. He said,
Instead of housing or working areas, it be important to create places for living which offer varied life
styles, parts of towns where dwelling, work, study and recreation take place in as close contact with
one another as possible. (Interview with Ralph Erskine)
A main component of the social sustainability of the project is the involvement of the community of Byker during
the whole process. Newcastle Upon Tyne was an industrial town so there was a higher working-class
population than typical British cities. The original population was 18,000 people, and the typical family lived in
50
one floor of a two storey row house. The community, similar to most of the neighboring ones in Newcastle
Upon Tyne, was a slum.
http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/byker/exhibits/kendal-street-1969
Housing in the post-war 1960s and 1970s was not planned very well. The solution to many families not being
placed in homes was the need for large-scale housing. This movement was accepted by most people in poor
Victorian housing. As many communities moved into these large housing projects, a problem arose with the
communal spaces. Due to poor planning by management, the communal spaces, such as circulation, became
places of crime and vandalism. Poor management in these housing schemes caused many problems to the
community. Through the 1970s the popularity of council housing declined and public housing became
negatively associated with conditions of management, decay, and deep-rooted social problems.
(Pendlebury)
Supporting Community Interaction
The architecture and the landscaping were meant to work in harmony to only aid the people in living with such
power. The design provides a community involvement and social interaction. The view of the wall along the
terrace in Carville, is a more somber and restrained in color than the rest of the complex. There are different
sized timber slats that make fences and dustbin shelters in the foreground. Whereas, in the background and
beyond the wooden slats are used for the stuck on elements, creating a dynamic inner face of the wall. They
act as pergolas, window boxes on the terraces, and galleries and balconies on the wall, all indicators of planned
social spaces.
Originally designed for about 18,000 (working class) inhabitants and then more in the future, the houses were
allotted to the tenants. They were given ten days to either accept or refuse a house. This allowed the people
to have a better sense of responsibility, giving bureaucracy more responsive to the tenants needs. They could
also align their homes with their friends to create close nit neighborhoods and units. Ralph Erskine insisted that
the people of the community organize themselves together into small communal areas, play spaces, and green
spaces through out the complexes. There were also rentable rooms created in the Byker Wall community.
This allowed for special interest groups or individuals to have their own space within the community walls.
There is a variety of high rise and low rise buildings through out the entire plot. Each building becomes unique
to its neighborhood and has a variety of pop out spaces from the wall (pergolas and balconies), which becomes
the metaphor for human occupation within the structure. These dynamic architectural moves and forms are
meant to improve peoples lives within the Byker Wall Community.
51
The goal to make sustainable communities work in Byker Wall was shown in the design itself. Values in
community development work include social sustainability, which is also, Empowering communities to develop
their independence and autonomy whilst making and maintaining links to the wider society
(www.newcastle.gov). Some of these practice principles include: Promoting the empowerment of individuals
and communities; supporting communities develop their skills to take action; promoting the development of
autonomous and accountable structures; learning from experiences as a basis for chance; promoting effective
collective and collaborative working; and also, using resources with respect for the environment.
Back in the 1970s there were many concerns about the whole idea of community participation. Being Erskines
plan all along, people have challenged this idea in questioning whether or not it would actually work. It is such
a utopian plan, but can it really become true? In the year 1977 Peter Malpass was commissioned by the
Department of the Environment to carry out research on the urban redevelopment project at Byker and this is
what he reported:
In fact, public participation should be seen as a means of discovering and understanding conflicting views and
interest within the community. By offering participation for the public in Byker, the corporation not only gained the
initiative in defining the course that participation would take, but also demonstrated its intention to develop the
area in co-operation with local people. (www.newcastle.gov)
52
He found that the more the upper hand people were involved in this type of living style where the people would
join together in peace and in harmony; he found that it became less of a possibility for it to actually work. It was
a sort of counter resolution, where people dont really want to be told what to do and how to live. He says,
Consensus is the enemy of participationSuccessful participation requires the recognition of the legitimate
and inevitable conflicts of interest which arise during, for example, housing redevelopment in an area, ( ). He
claimed in the end that, Participation is all about power and politics, unless these groups have a special
interest in becoming political in their own community than it might have a possibility of working. Power is
usually a won situation, and these people need to be given some sort of power to start making their own
decisions. With a sense of power within the community the people will start to participate more and manage
the land and their people accordingly. He ends by saying, public participation will continue to be a tool of
management rather than an extension of democracy.
Community Involvement
The main attempts in social sustainable communities of Byker

Wall were to include the community in its creation. There is a
continuous unfolding of varying spaces between the many
buildings and landscaping. In between buildings became
seamlessness where building and outdoor spaces, trees and
plants have grown together over time. The complex was to be
set up like a village, where people could walk around freely while
being aware of their surroundings. There are also unique and
various entry ways, depending on the moods of the tenants.
Clear gradations from public to private life are created by using
fences or low cut shrubbery. The landscaping is to take its cue
from the architecture at all times. These visual accessibilities
are an extremely important variable of social interacting within
the community. If the landscaping is appropriately planned than
this can easily be supported, if not it can hinder the interactions
needed in a social sustainable community.
The faces of the buildings are landscaped as wells with the many
different use wooden protrusions providing a continuous animation
the in the exterior spaces. Plantings encourage care by the tenants
creating a new gardening tradition. Beech hedges were planted to
separate private gardens from private spaces a new kind of fence.
Many benches and gazebos are placed in the public spaces as well.
Continuous and safe playground for children interconnected with
various routes lending themselves new games and interpretations.
The care for each personal garden space was supposed to lead to
care for public domains.
Higher Densitymore open spaces for interaction
Density is an important factor because it calls for leaving more open spaces for inhabitants to engage and enjoy
in the social / public green spaces, landscapes. At the same time these open spaces could and will positively
53
contribute to climate change, reduce carbon emissions, impact heat island effect. Since the location of Byker
Wall is close to center of town, usually urban open spaces are not green and are usually with hard,
impermeable surfaces if not designed appropriately. There must be a green plan designed for these spaces in
order to achieve such goals of sustainability and interaction. There are many plazas that are socially
sustainable but maybe not ecologically. You can achieve both in Byker Wall.
HU GSD booklet (an example of density within Byker Wall)
Location Site Area (Hectares) / (acres) # of Dwelling Units
1. Pilot Scheme at Janet Square. 0.84 / 2.08 46

2. Perimeter Block (Stage 1) 1.82 / 4.50 212
3. Grace Str. (Perimeter Block) 1.81 / 4.47 165
4. Kendal Str. 3.41 / 8.42 214
5. Grace Str. (low-Rise) and Gordon Rd. 4.36 / 10.77 239
6. Dunn Terrace 2.68 / 6.62 264
With future additional development on its way, the total number of units is 2000 dwelling units. The overall
density of the project in the developed area is about 237 people per hectare and about 100 people per acre. In
some instances there are 250 people per hectare is a medium-dense urban settlement which is considered
sustainable (Correa, Charles). This roughly corresponds to a residential density of 30 people per acre. This is a
medium-high or even high under certain living situations. This gives a better idea of how important and
valuable the sizes of open spaces are within an urban environment. Open/green spaces can probably reduce
density issue and also lead to a happier and healthier community.
Diversity.non existent
Another chart from 2001 Census on the population details goes further into what kind of people are living at
Byker Wall. As you can see the majority of the population is white, and the people that live in these units do not
have full family numbers. Also another observation is that more than half of the population does not own a
vehicle for transportation, which can later be a future design scheme for new foot or bike paths in the area.
Byker Today:
Population Details: Figures from the 2001 Census that the profile of the Byker Ward:
Resident population: 8,200

Households: 4,171
Ethnic group population: 95.4% White
People of working age with long term illness: 25%
Average household size: 1.9
Household and Family Types
One person 49.7%
Lone parent and dependent children 9.2%
54
Household Tenure
Local Authority rented 58.3%
Out of a total of 2,433 units 2,027 are in the Byker Redevelopment
Privately Rented 6.9%
Owner Occupied 27.2%
Car Ownership
Households with no car 68.5%
Economic Activity (% of aged 16-74)
Economically Active Male 58.9% Female 46.6%
Qualified Residents (% of all aged 16-74)
Level 4/5 11.7%
No qualifications 47.6%
(Resident Participation: History Repeating Itself?, Colin Dilks, Byker Village Residents Association, Byker
Redevelopment, Newcastle upon Tyne, England)
Problems
There are many problems at Byker Wall today that are both architectural design
problems and social problems. Some of the architectural problems that can be
easily fixed are those related to the landscaping. The vegetation has become
very overwhelming in some of the main public areas, covering up much of the
space. They latticework and timber balconies are falling apart due to mistake in
stress design (also due to the unplanned children jumping) and have become
unsafe for people to walk across or even to walk under in fear of pieces falling
on their heads. The cost restraints set by the government and the community
kept the wall enclosures simple and not so sturdy, which makes it possible for
anyone to break into the location. On a social level, lacks diversity within the
population of the residents living in Byker Wall. Asylum applicants are the
majority of non-white ethnic groups. Unfortunately most of the people are
unemployed because of lack of jobs in the local area. A high number of single
parents means that 43% of Byker children live in a single parent home
(www.popcenter.org), which is also difficult for one parent to work as much as
they need to. Another observation we have made is the lack of handicapped
access. This leads to the population becoming younger and the older
population is forced to move out since they can not maintain living in such a
place. The obvious trash problem covers Byker Wall in mostly all of the public
places, which also does not allow enough access for public waste management
procedures. In some cases they can not even get to the trash they need to pick
up. Since the primary population is out of work, that leads to no money for care
of gardens or public spaces.
55
Crime
www.popcenter.org
Another daunting issue that the Byker Wall community has to

deal with is the high levels of vandalism and crime in the area.
Unfortunately the architecture provides many rat runs and it is
difficult for police to respond to mayhem because it is easy for
gangs of youth to disperse and hide. There is poor night
visibility and it the outdoor spaces are under lit. Because there
are not many vehicle access roads, when police come it is
visible and the gangs disperse quickly. About 12% of Byker
residents felt unsafe as a consequence of observing youths
and gangs hanging around the streets, (www.popcenter.org).
Byker Wall is famous as the home of RatBoy, a juvenile
delinquent who lived and escaped in the heating shafts during
the 1990s. The Usual Suspects were youth gangs who
wrecked havoc on the community. Below is an insert from a
personal poem written by one of the residents at Byker Wall,
discussing the safety issues and crime in the area:
Wall
A long narrative poem about Byker
By Ellen Phethean and Byker people
I often stare out
my bedroom window: I can see
a gang of lads and lasses: they look small
from up here. They hang about, nothing to do
nowhere to go, cannot kick a ball even
so they sit, wait, smoke, swear, laugh and drink
scaring the bairns, the old folks as they call out.
Mam says theyre animals, theyre not, nah.
she says its a jungle, the bushes grow too tall
you might get jumped on by chavas
rapists, smackheads, or what all.
People say its rough. Nah, its not that bad
56
I should kna, I live here, in the Byker Wall
Byker Community Solutions
Some solutions the Byker Wall community has

already started are many social groups focused
directly on the crime in the area. They feel it is one
of the most important issues facing their society and
wish to make it a safer place for the people that life
there currently and hopefully for the people that will
move there in the future. Here are just a few of their
organized social groups: Anti-Social Behavior Order,
Acceptable Behaviour Agreement, Newcastle Graffiti
Forum, Youth Affending Team, and The Usual
Suspects Problem Solving Response
(www.popcenter.org) . Just from these charts
alone you can see that the community has had to
deal with the decline in termination of tenancy
from 1999-2002. Also it is evident in 2003 that the
fight against crime has been successful and the
number of applicants for housing in Byker Wall
has increased significantly. Another step they
have taken is to refurbish most of the original
features and color schemes to clean up the
buildings. They are also switching up the
materials and modernizing them where ever
possible. The community is already involved in tackling the problems facing the area and when more and more
surveys are published there are probably a more consistent positive rise in the living environment.
www.popcenter.org
Recommendations
Our recommendations to re-invigorate the community of Byker Wall include opening up Raby St. and Raby
Cross as a main shopping district with high end retail to increase attraction to the site and attract more people
to live there. This will also provide new jobs in a space that coexists with the residential area. We also
mentioned before the importance in maintaining the open and green spaces within the community and
implementing sustainable design features. By trimming all the trees and maintaining landscape elements to
increase views and decrease overgrown spaces it will get rid of the inappropriate hiding spaces that are used
by criminals at night. Better lit areas would also help solve some of the safety and crime issues in the area.
Lighting can come from all different sources such as lamp posts or a street sign. The lighting can be creative
and mesh with the design of each area to bring light and character to the space. Also, it is important to clean
up the trash in public spaces and green spaces and establish a better trash system.
Instead of only having three smaller community centers, create a new primary, large, centralized, and landmark
community center with rooms that can be rented out and used by all Byker residents. If not able to construct a
57
brand new building, reassess an existing building to figure out which would be more appropriate. Also assess if
there is an underused building which might be preserved and can be transformed into a more sustainable one,
could be even a demonstration project rather than constructing a new one. As an option, if the
preservation/adaptive reuse is not economically feasible then the new community center is a better plan. It is
important however to look at the preservation or reuse of buildings existing in the site, as the people are familiar
with the space, and the buildings can also serve as multiple functioning (example: a church building could be
utilized as a community gathering space during the week). In the summer time, an open space gathering
outside would be pleasant and peaceful for the public. Schools make excellent function areas especially when
schools out in mid afternoon.
From a social sustainability point of view under use is not good, crowding is also a problem but multiple uses as
Hertzberger says is the best (Hertzberger, Herman). And an excellent source of promoting sustainable living
and maintenance is through the children and in the classroom. The groups formed out of the problems
hindering Byker Wall are excellent and should continue to increase the safety within the community. The
diversity issue is a difficult one to tackle. There has to be promotion in diverse living within the community
walls, maybe even forming social interaction groups that teach about other cultures, starting with children or
churches.
With these suggestions and the already possibilities forming in Byker Wall we believe that social sustainability
can be achieved even if it is 50 years later. Sustainability used throughout the open and green spaces is also
important in involving the community and keeping the land intact to ensure future growth.
58
Works Cited
Byker. http://www.geocities.com/kaysgeography/byker.htm (12/13/2007)
Byker: The Spaces Between. Architectural Review. Dec. 1981, pg. 334-343.
Correa, Charles. The New Landscape. A Mimar Book. Concept Media, Ltd. 1989
Dunster, David. Byker Redvelopment, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, Walled Town. Progressive Architecture. Vol 8.
Aug. 1979, pg. 68-73.
Hertzberger, Herman. Space and the Architect : Lessons in Architecture 2. Rotterdam: c.2000.
Interview with Ralph Erskine: Reflections on six decades of design July 2004. Architecture & Urbanism. vol. no. 414,
March 2005.
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle. New York: North Point Press, 2002.
McLeannan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Kansas City, Missouri: Ecotone LLC, 2004.
Neighborhood Services Priority Plan Byker www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/ns/policyresources/bykerpriorityplan.pdf

(12/13/2007)
Pendlebury, John. Social Housing as Cultural Landscape: A Case Study of Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle
University, UK. June 2006
Outrage: A housing scheme that was once the cynosure of the world has lost its sense of community Architectural
Review, vol.7, July 1997, pg. 23.
The Usual Suspect: New Castle Town Council, May 23, 2002. http://www.popcenter.org /Library/Tilley/2002/02-51.pdf.
(12/13/2007)
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60
Through research on Byker Wall we were introduced to the design and development of the two hundred acre
urban housing settlement. Its architect, Ralph Erskine has included features in the design of this community
that are both socially and environmentally responsible. Some of these sustainable features introduced include
the Wall that surrounds the development as a barrier against wind and pollution, the widely varied housing
typology, a layout for pedestrian and vehicular movement, amongst other elements. We would like to assess
the housing development in terms of water, greening infrastructure and sustainable infrastructures by utilizing
precedents and new methods. Recommendations will be made after an in depth analysis and assessment.
Before we begin to assess the potential of the Byker estate, we would like to introduce the idea of identificative
experience. We define this as an interpretation of the
abstract relationship that exists between the
individual/surface and individual/collective surfaces that
surrounds us. We see this as an important concept since
our living environment is something that surrounds us
and our perception of this space is shaped by the
physical elements in existence in the environment. . The
actual realization of this identificative ideology would
require a commonality that might at the interface of
individual/surface collectivize experience while at the
scale of individual/region creating an opportunistic
reification of individuality.
Having this in mind the rest of the paper will refer to this identificative ideology in order to assess the existence
of sustainable infrastructure: green infrastructure and water elements within the walls of the Byker
development.
The inhabitation of a Wall is an idea that has been

present in architecture for centuries now and Ralph
Erskine was a pioneer in introducing this idea in terms of
sustainable housing development. The wall at Byker not
only is a habitable space that speaks for itself as a
protective skin / shelter for the residents but it also
becomes an permanent object that sets the passer-by
with an interface of characterizing experiences. At the
development, the wall is a surface that is a shelter for
the residents as you can observe in the image to the
right. We can also see that these walls become the
hosts for corridors and balconies for the residents. These spaces are upon residents requests colored brightly.
The notion of colors was introduced by residents as a way to personalize this space for their own
characterization. This contrast in colors also highlights the difference that exists between a more ephemeral
structure and permanent structure. Clearly, the idea that the wall becomes an identificative object is one that
exists within the Byker development and it sets a relationship between the passerby and the space.
61
We question how successful this is in terms of sustainable infrastructure since not only is it a space that offers a
very limited amount of privacy to the residents but it is a space that creates a clear separation between the
ground floor and upper floors. This separation in programmatic terms is a correct one, but in terms of
sustainable infrastructure, it is questionable. The greenery
utilized at the moment is a very traditional relationship to
the individual, where the upper floors do not have a direct
relationship other than visual connection with the greening.
We see a clear potential in vertical greening as a way to
invert the traditional relationship between distance from the
ground plane and interactivity with its green space such
that the vegetative fabric could act as a canvas for
reciprocal identification/individualization. The vertical
gardening is applied as an in/ex-terior condition that would
replace the background perspective while enhancing in
contrast the mid-ground social and productive experience.
If we were to analyze the advantages of vertical greening in

terms of the environment, it has been proven that this is a
very efficient way to purify the air in the immediate vicinity, it
has the ability to cool down the temperature of the
surrounding areas and it becomes a visual relief for the
passer by. It was Erskines initial intent to utilize the Wall as
a way to isolate the community or block the residential area
from all the pollution that the motorway produced. The
implementation of vertical gardening on the actual blocking
walls may be an aggressive yet successful way of
completing Erskines initial intentions for the infrastructure.
Examples of successful vertical greening can be observed in various infrastructures of the Expo Aichi 2005. As
seen in the image above, the Wall created through vertical greening better known as the Bio - Lung was
design to visibly raise awareness of issues such as that of global warming, deal with the heat island effect and
above all to create an interface between the passerby and the massive wall (40 ft high x 500 ft long).
Another questionable example of identificative objects in

the development is the way structures are utilized to imply
spaces such as those in the image to the right. Not only
does the portal fail to signify any sort of entry point within
that space but the relationship of the object with the space
and the users is nonexistent. In spaces like these the
presence of interstitial space is implied rather than
rendered within the interactive layer of Byker Wall. This
becomes a missed opportunity where the interstitial spaces
could have a stronger presence having complementary
features present making a statement on its use and
function at all times. For instance, the example below utilizes the same type of object within a given space, but
the clarity of interaction that this object offers is superior to the one that is being utilized on the example at
Bykerwall. Not only does it establish zones within the space but it allows the user to set a relationship with the
object. Implied space for social interaction would through greening be afforded the opportunity to assert itself by
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reciprocally enhancing individual space. This kind of object and space

treatment will also allow individuals to address and provide solutions to some of
the issues within the community.
For instance, the play areas for small children that were created throughout the
estate as part of the redesign but were later removed because they became
night time gathering points for older youths and residents objected or the desire
of children to play football and other ball games, becoming problematic in many
parts of the estate because the green areas are invariably very close to the
housing. By utilizing these portals and setting boundaries that can be controlled
through these infrastructures, these problems can be addressed in terms of
security, practicality and zoning possibilities.
Water elements are features that are missing in the Byker

development. We believe that the integration of watering
infrastructure apparent through its location at the foreground of
this space will not only provide the foundation for a system of
water re-use, whether grey water or rain water but it will also
provide educational opportunities for the residents. The social
sustainability aspect that comes along with the educational value
of residents having direct contact with elements such as water is
of great value for the understanding of its importance. For
instance, we have seen this successfully achieved in Kronsberg
where the water elements are closely related to the building and
community infrastructures. As seen in the image to the right, a re-
establishment of natural water infrastructure as with that of
Kronsberg would allow water concepts to become visually
apparent, at the same time reasoning that reconstitution of the
existing aesthetic is substantiated by its functionality. We, once
again refer back to this idea where people have a greater chance
of comprehending the importance of the concept of water through
their direct relationship with it. The water feature becomes an
identificative object for residents to engage interactively.
There clearly exists a lack in the process of comprehensive management of this system where it is neither
increased nor decreased by redevelopment of the Tyneside locale into Erskines community. The ratio of
natural to artificial manipulation of the site is not re-examined and it is something that should take place in order
to improve the facilities and infrastructure that are present in the estate. The more clear the relationship
between the natural and the artificial is in terms of infrastructure that allows these to coexist and be
interdependent, the more obvious it will be for residents to grasp the concepts of regenerative systems.
For instance we have realized that the regional storm-water management occurs considerably with the
combination of its natural topography and scale at the Byker estate. Its topographical advantage is not utilized
to its potential and there is clearly a disconnective methodology through identitive expression. This becomes a
missed opportunity in not allowing the residents to understand consumption and utilization of water and its
importance. A potential that has been observed is for instance the presence of the Tyne River. In order to
63
emphasize the coexistence and the importance

of nature / water in our lives, the common space
requires that the adjacent Tyne River be re-
incorporated within the social infrastructure. We
have seen this in the infrastructure of Kronsberg
as seen in the image above. By wetting an
otherwise dry environment with these natural
geographic features, there will be allowed to
exist a duality of purpose with this revision as its
implications are eco-socially oriented. While
improving social landscape through water, there
is also the inherent potential to eliminate its
consumptive displacement, as now present
through an ecologically irreverent configuration of space and architecture around the man-made versus the
naturally occurring.
The idea of the wetting the environment becomes a very interesting one not only because it literally brings
water to an environment but because it suggests and introduces concepts of different water sources into
perspective. Storm water, waste water, rain water and black water are all sources of water that can be
introduced to the infrastructure of the developing estate. As a result of these water sources, infrastructures such
as living machines, retention ponds and wetlands can be incorporated within the community inside and outside
the Wall and start playing a very important role in the understanding of the holistic cycle. Not only should this
understanding be part of the people living in the Byker Wall, but it should be one that has an impact on the
whole community.
As mentioned earlier, the idea of integrating the water feature to Byker Wall will not only result in improving the
social landscape but water recycling becomes a purposive exercise when sustaining vertical gardening. Earlier
we spoke on the idea of vertical greening as a vegetative fabric that could act as a canvas for reciprocal
identification/individualization accompanied by all the environmental advantages that this could bring forward.
The more emphasis we put on the idea of water and wetting the environment, the more the idea of vertical
greening brings into perspective the advantages that this system will bring to the flow and quality of water.
Vertical greening can be a source to clean water systems in order to eliminate or reduce some substances.
Water will eventually flow on the surfaces and make its way to the Tyne River. In order to assure that the water
flowing into the river is safe, vertical greening alone will not be sufficient and therefore other infrastructures will
have to be incorporated. Permeable/porous asphalt, planting, wet lands and retention ponds will have to be key
players in the landscape of Byker Wall.
With regard to infrastructure, greening and water elements existing separately are almost an impossible task
when referred to in a development like Byker Wall. We strongly believe that Byker Wall is a place full of
potentials yet as mentioned before, there exists a lack of manipulation of the site, specifically in terms of
artificial and natural elements. Our assessment of the greening, infrastructure, and the incorporation of water
elements will assure an improvement in the facilities that are present in the estate. Not only do we see an
improvement in the infrastructure but an additional heightening of overall awareness amongst residents. The
presence of these elements will be the key for passersby to form an abstract relationship with each allowing
them to understand the connections of what they are seeing, using and possibly reusing every day. We believe
that the idea and the actual realization of identificative ideology is such an important one in order for each
64
individual to not only understand their relationship with an surrounding object, but to become aware of their
identity as a part of a bigger picture, the holistic cycle of nature. And only when we realize this can we coexist
with nature in balance.
65
Bibliography:
"Bio-Lung, a Massive Greening Wall At EXPO Plaza." EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN.
<http://www.expo2005.or.jp/en/eco/bio-lung.html> (13 Dec. 2007)
"HQER Homepage." HQER. European Commission, Centre Scientifique Et Technique Du BTiment.
<http://hq2er.cstb.fr>. (11 Sept. 2007)
"Green Building - Water and Energy Efficiency." PPRC. <http://www.pprc.org/pubs/greencon/h2oener.cfm> (12

Sept. 2007)
"Water Efficiency Introduction." Smart Communities Network

<http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/efficiency/weinfo.shtml> (11 Sept. 2007)
"Rainwater Harvesting." Texas Water Development. <http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/iwt/rainwater.asp>.(12 Sept.

2007)
"Water Conservation." Green Building Encyclopedia. <http://www.whygreenbuildings.com/>(12 Sept. 2007)

"Water Concept Kronsberg." SIBART. 2004. <http://www.sibart.org/pdf/water_kronsberg.pdf>(12 Sept. 2007)
66
67
INTRODUCTION:
United Kingdom is the country that consumes the highest amount of energy (electricity and gas) than the
others in Europe (Fig 1). Particularly, UK often consumes 157.8 tons of oil equivalents. Such huge
consumption has caused global warming by CO2 emission and the fact that resources are running out in
UK. Especially, housing is the main factor reducing lots of CO2 to the air (Fig 2). With such brief
understanding of energy consumption in UK, we have proposed of using renewable energy such as wind or
sun which is free, an infinite resource and not harmful to environment and humans to produce energy for
Byker Wall, the housing project
I. THE POWER OF THE SUN:
The sun, the giver of life, it is the source of energy and power since the beginning of time. Solar energy is
the most abundant source of light and energy that humans have available. The sun provides natural light,
solar power and thermal energy.
From the sun, technologies have been developed to harness the suns energy and converted into energy
which can be used as a power source to power all the electrical needs of the buildings throughout Byker
Wall.
The amount of power available from a PV device is determined by;

The type and area of the material;
The intensity of the sunlight; and
The wavelength of the sunlight.
A single crystal silicon solar cells (Figure #3) cannot

currently convert more than 24% of the solar energy
into electricity, because the radiation in the infrared
region of the electromagnetic spectrum does not
have enough energy to separate the positive and
negative charges in the material. However PV cells
made of multi-junction Gallium Arsenide and other
similar alloys have achieved efficiencies as high as
30%.
Polycrystalline silicon solar cells have an efficiency of

less than 20% at present and amorphous silicon
cells, are currently about 10% efficient, due to higher
internal energy losses than single crystal silicon.
Other thin film cells besides amorphous silicon such
as Cadmium Telluride and Copper Indium Diselenide
have achieved research efficiencies of 16% and
almost 18% respectively. It should be noted that
commercially available PV cells conversion
efficiencies are lower than the above percentages.
68
An important feature of PV cells is that the voltage of the cell does not depend on its size, and remains
fairly constant with changing light intensity. However, the current in a device is almost directly proportional
to light intensity and size. This means that when people want to compare different sized cells, they record
the current density, or amps per square centimeter of cell area.
The power output of a solar cell can be increased quite effectively by using a tracking mechanism to keep
the PV device directly facing the sun, or by concentrating the sunlight using lenses or mirrors. However,
there are limits to this process, due to the complexity and cost of the mechanisms, and the need to cool the
cells. The current output is relatively stable at higher temperatures, but the voltage is reduced, leading to a
drop in power output as the cell temperature is increased. More information on PV concentrators can be
found later in this information file.
The Sun Hours during the summer season average approximately 7.1 hours per day and the Sun Hours
during the winter season average approximately 3.9 hours per day*10. These seasonal averages result in
an average of approximately 5.5 Sun Hours per day (Figure #4)
As the sun angle changes throughout the

year (higher in the sky during summer and
lower in the sky during winter), the
amount of light falling directly on the
module changes, as does the energy
output. (Figure #5)
69
As the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, from the East in the morning to the West in the
afternoon, the compass direction, "orientation", (South, Southwest, East, etc.) of the module affects the
cumulative energy output. (Figure #6)
For this reason, it is optimal to install a South-facing module in order to obtain the maximum amount of
direct light exposure throughout the day. If the module is facing East or West, it will be exposed to less
direct sunlight as the sun moves across the sky. There is no loss factor for south facing modules*8, so the
estimated energy (from one sun hour exposure-1000W/m2 over one hour) for this particular example will
remain at 71 Watt hours AC. 1
As the roofing materials of the Byker Wall buildings degrade and break down over the years, building
integrated photovoltaic panels are suggested for the replacement of the roofing system. The roof will be
protected from the elements and there will also be energy production. The energy gathered by the
photovoltaic panels of the roofs will go towards the energy needs of the community, resulting in less money
spent for purchasing energy from the city grid, as well as contributing to the reduction of green house gases
released into the atmosphere.
The site of Byker Wall is at a location where if photovoltaic cells were used it could optimize energy
production for the entire complex of buildings.
Solar Path of the Sun about the Byker Wall community (figure #7)
1
(Format & original composition courtesy of SolarExpert.com .)
70

The yellow boxes in figure #8 highlight suggested locations for photovoltaic panels for maximum energy
gathering.
Buildings with roofs of a North/South orientation are the optimal. The southern facing facades of the roofs
are the locations were the photovoltaic panels will maximize their production.
Calculations for energy production
The average roof area for the optimal buildings of Byker Wall is around 3000sq.ft.
The southern facing roof facades are the prime locations for the photovoltaic panels which make the
optimal area for photovoltaic panels coverage area 1500sq.ft.
The size of one 100 watt solar modular panel is 4.7ft x 2.1ft
Covering an area of about 10 sq.ft.
If an entire south facing roof faade were to be completely covered, it would require 150 photovoltaic
panels.
71
One covered roof of one building would generate 323 kWh of power in a day; at a rate of 0.391 kWh for 5.5
hours in one day.
Enough to power a dishwasher for 90 loads of dishes
Reducing the amount of carbon emissions by
In one year that one building would generate 117,895 kWh of power or 117.9 MWh of power.
If the south facing facades of 20 buildings were to be equipped with photovoltaic panels the amount of
energy which would be produced would be about 2,357,900 kWh or 2,357.9 MWh.
Prices
For one panel it costs - 237.00

Equipping one building with 150 panels - 35,550.
Equipping twenty buildings with 150 panels - 711,000.
Energy Prices
On average the cost of energy is 5.15pence per kWh per year
Cost Savings
With an annual energy production of one building per year being 117,895 kWh the
The cost savings of one building with 150 photovoltaic panels will be 6072.
In one year the savings total savings for twenty building would be 121,440.
The photovoltaic systems would pay for themselves in six years.
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Carbon Reduction
One building will reduce carbon emissions by 24 tons.

Twenty buildings will reduce carbon emissions by 472 tons.
Number Number of PV Energy CO2 Displacement Price ()

Of buildings panels Production (kWh) (kg)
Per year
1 150 117,895 21772 35,550
20 3000 2,357,900 42889 711,000
Solar Hot Water Panels
Similar to the photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels can be another replacement for roofing materials.
They can be placed on the roof as a building integrated device or they could be set above the roof itself.
There are two basic categories direct, or open

loop, systems and indirect, or closed loop
systems. The most widely used of all system is
the drainback indirect system. It is at the same
time efficient and reliable and requires little
maintenance. Basically, fluid circulates through
the collectors and is heated up by the sun. The
heat from this fluid is then transferred to water
running through the collector via a heat
exchanger: a device placed on a wall inside the
collector, separating the fluid from the water.
You shouldnt rely exclusively on solar heated

water. A well designed system will only
provide 50 to 80% of a homes hot water
needs, depending on the season. On average
you should make sure that you plan 10 to 15
square feet (about 1.5 square meters) of
solar collector area for each person living in
the house. The storage tank should be big
enough to hold 20-30 gallons per person.
73
Everyone has experienced water heated by a passive solar heater, for example a hose that had been lying
in the sun for hoursIn passive water heating systems the house water circulates through a solar collector
before it is stored or sent to the point of use. The simplest of all solar water heating systems is the batch
passive system. It consists of one or more metal water tanks painted black to absorb heat and placed in an
insulating box exposed to direct sunlight. Water moves through the system every time a tap is opened, hot
water leaves and is replaced by incoming cold water.
If you heat water with electricity, have high electric rates, and have an unshaded, south-facing location
(such as a roof) on your property, consider installing a solar water heater. The solar units are
environmentally friendly and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your house.
More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States have invested in solar water heating
systems, and surveys indicate over 94% of these customers consider the systems a good investment.
Solar water heating systems are also good for the environment. Solar water heaters avoid the harmful
greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity production. During a 20-year period, one solar water
heater can avoid over 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.2
Thermal Heating and Cooling
Heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) systems of buildings are closely interrelated. All seek to provide
thermal comfort, acceptable indoor air quality, and reasonable installation, operation, and maintenance
costs. Conventional HVAC systems account for roughly 40 percent of the energy used in the United States
and European Union. Many solar heating, cooling, and ventilation technologies can be used to offset a
portion of this end
Thermal mass materials store solar energy during the day and release this energy during cooler periods.
Common thermal mass materials include stone, cement, and water. The proportion and placement of
thermal mass should consider several factors such as climate, daylighting, and shading conditions. When
properly incorporated, thermal mass can passively maintain comfortable temperatures while reducing
energy consumption. More advanced thermal mass systems can be also be used for ventilation.
A solar chimney (or thermal chimney) is a passive solar ventilation system composed of a hollow thermal
mass connecting the interior and exterior of a building. As the chimney warms, the air inside is heated
causing an updraft that pulls air through the building. These systems have been in use since Roman times
and remain common in the Middle East.
A Trombe wall is a passive solar heating and ventilation system consisting of an air channel sandwiched
between a window and a sun-facing thermal mass. During the ventilation cycle, sunlight stores heat in the
thermal mass and warms the air channel causing circulation through vents at the top and bottom of the
wall. During the heating cycle the Trombe wall radiates stored heat. Solar roof ponds are a unique solar
heating and cooling technology developed by Harold Hay in the 1960s. A basic system consists of a roof
mounted water bladder with a movable insulating cover. This system can control heat exchange between
interior and exterior environments by covering and uncovering the bladder between night and day. When
heating is a concern the bladder is uncovered during the day allowing sunlight to warm the water bladder
and store heat for evening use. When cooling is a concern the covered bladder draws heat from the
2
http://www.off-grid.net/2004/07/13/solar-water-heaters/
74
building's interior during the day and is uncovered at night to radiate heat to the cooler atmosphere. The
Skytherm house in Atascadero, California uses a prototype roof pond for heating and cooling. Active solar
cooling can be achieved via absorption refrigeration cycles, desiccant cycles, and solar mechanical
processes. In 1878, Auguste Mouchout pioneered solar cooling by making ice using a solar steam engine
attached to a refrigeration device. Thermal mass, smart windows and shading methods can also be used to
provide cooling. The leaves of deciduous trees provide natural shade during the summer while the bare
limbs allow light and warmth into a building during the winter. The water content of trees will also help
moderate local temperatures.3
II. WIND ENERGY PROPOSAL:
One of the renewable energy is wind. Wind is unharmful, infinite and less CO2-releasig energy (Fig 9)
which most of countries around the world have been utilizing. So, we can take advantages of wind to
generate electricity for facilities in Byker Wall.
Wind turbines in UK prevent the emission of 2.9 millions tons of CO2 each year. As energy demand
increases, UKs traditional fuels of oil, coal, gas are running out. The wind is a free energy source, widely
available and never run out. The average generation cost is around 3.2 pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh)
onshore and around 5.5p/kWh offshore. The UK's housing sector is responsible for around 28% of the UK's
CO2 emissions
Annual homes equivalent 4:

Over the course of a year, the wind farm would be expected to provide enough electricity to serve this
many households. This calculation is based on a capacity factor of 30% and an average household
consumption of 4,700 kWh /year.
A typical turbine generates 4.7 million units of electricity each year, sufficient to:
- Meet the average annual electricity needs of 1,000 homes
- Make 170 million cups of tea
- Run a computer for 1,620 years
- Prevent the emission of 4,000 tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide equivalent to taking 1,333
cars off the road.
The following is basic requirement of installing wind turbines 5:
1. Get a reliable estimate of the wind speed at the proposed site. Turbine manufacturers should be
prepared to help. The generator must get acceptance for connection to the electricity distribution network.
(if applicable).
2. Mount the turbine on as high a tower as possible and well clear of obstructions, but do not go to
extremes. Easy access will be required for erection, and foundations for the tower may be needed
depending on the size and tower type. It is also important to ensure that the wind turbine can be easily
lowered for inspection and maintenance.
3. Try to have a clear, smooth fetch to the prevailing wind, e.g. over open water, smooth ground or on a
smooth hill.
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
75
4. Use cable of adequate current carrying capacity (check with the turbine supplier. This is particularly
important for low voltage machines). Cable costs can be substantial.
5. Consult your local council as to whether you need planning permission. You should try to minimize the
environmental impact of the turbine, and it will be helpful to inform your neighbors of your plans at an early
stage.
6. For larger machines you may have to pay rates. This can make a big difference to the economics of the
installation; again you should find this out by consulting your local council. Once the machine is under
construction, ask your chosen supply company whether they need you to be accredited for ROCs, LECs, &
REGOs and what type of onsite and/or export metering they require you to have (if applicable).
In addition, basing on the site analysis as well as wind analysis (Fig 11&12), the average wind speed in
Byker Wall is around 5-7m/s (11.2 11.6 mph) and the most of the wind comes from South and the North.
Therefore, when we analyze the site, we see the possibility of installing wind turbines in the area by the
river where there are no any obstacles and areas in surrounding parks. Then, we think about what types of
wind turbines is the most appropriate application in Byker Wall. In fact, Byker Wall is housing project which
is not too big to apply large scale technology. Eventually, we decide to apply small scale wind technologies
for Byker Wall including 3 types of wind turbines (1.5 kW, 2.5 kW, and 5 kW). These types of wind turbines
can reduce a huge amount of CO2 emission, cause a little bit of noise and efficiently meet energy demands
of houses in Byker Wall. The Swift 1.5 kW (Fig 14) is really appropriate to install directly to the roof of the
house because it is not heavy and very efficiently produce electricity for housing type. We realize that the
area along the river is the best location because there are no obstacles and wind turbines easily catch most
of winds from South and North. Therefore, AT5-1 Iskra 5 kW wind turbines (Fig 16) are proposed to put in
this area. In addition, Wes 5 Tulipo 2.5 kW wind turbines (Fig 15) are proposed in surrounding parks.
Methods of Calculation 6:
To determine the cost per kW-hr for electricity generated by a wind turbine, one first estimates the wind
turbines total annual costs and the turbine's annual energy output. Then one can estimate the cost per
kilowatt-hour as:
Cost Per kW-hr = Annual Cost/Annual Energy Output
For illustrative purposes, consider the total initial cost of a 5 kW residential system and a 500 kW
commercial system.
A. Total Annual Cost
The total annual cost will be the initial cost of the turbine spread out over the lifetime of the turbine plus the
annual operating expenses.
Initial costs: The initial cost is inclusive of all expenses to evaluate, buy, install and start-up a wind system.
Residential 5 kW system = $15,000
Commercial 600 kW system = $800,000
Operation and maintenance costs: Annual operating costs are estimated as 2% of initial capital cost. For
the two wind system examples, the annual operating costs are:
Residential 2% x $15,000 = $300
Commercial 2% x $800,000 = $16,000
Total annual costs over expected lifetime: To compute annual cost of the wind turbines.
Annual Cost = (Initial Cost/Expected Life) + Annual Operating Costs
Wind turbine manufacturers estimate a useful life of between 20 and 30 years for their product. Using 30
years as expected lifetime:
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Residential ($15,000/30) + $300 = $800 per year
Commercial ($800,000/30) + $16,000 = $42,667 per year
B. Cost Per Kilowatt Hour
The cost per kilowatt-hour will be:
Cost Per kWh = Annual Cost/Annual Energy Output
Annual energy output. The annual energy output will depend on the windiness of the site as represented
by a capacity factor. Based on the average wind speed in UP, a conservative estimate of the wind turbine
capacity factor will be 0.18 for the residential system and 0.20 for the commercial system. Therefore, the
annual energy outputs of the two systems would be:
Residential 5kw x 0.18 x 24 x 365 = 7,884 kilowatt-hrs
Commercial 600kw x 0.20 x 24 x 365 = 1,051,200 kilowatt-hrs
And, therefore, the cost per kilowatt-hr of the two systems are:
Residential $800/7,884 kWh = $0.10 per kilowatt-hr
Commercial $42,667/1,051,200 kWh = $0.04 per kilowatt-hr
Basing on total energy demands of all apartments in Byker Wall are 2,046,000 kWh. We propose 20 Swift
wind turbines, 10 Wes Tulipo 2.5 kW, and 5 At5-1 Iskra 5 kW. Basing on the methods of calculation, total
energy production of all these wind turbines is 173,950-249,990 kWh
The Swift 1.5 kW Turbines

Generates electricity for your home or business from the wind!
Excellent Green Credentials, saves 1.4 Tonnes CO2 annually
Rooftop or wall mountable
Near Silent operation and anti-vibration mounting systems
Rated power output: 1.5kW
Up to 2000kWh generated annually when well sited
Works in smooth air and makes the most of turbulent air
Simple installation & autonomous operation
Planning-compliant design
Bat and Bird Safe
20 year, maintenance free life
Compliant with UK local and national regulations
Eligible for Grant Funding
Multi-tier mechanical and electronic safety systems
Suitable for installation on domestic, commercial and industrial buildings
Works standalone and off grid. A battery charging model is available.
Wes 5 Tulipo 2.5 kW Wind Turbines

General Specifications:
Supplier / producer WES BV
Lifetime: 15 year
Service: Maintenance once in two years
Power 2.5 kW at 140 rpm 9 - 20 m/s
Cut in wind speed3 m/s (extern power necessary)
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Cut out wind speed20 m/s
Nominal wind speed10 m/s at 140 rpm and 2,5kW power
Survival wind speed 59 m/s (IEC 61400-1 class 2)
Yawing: active yawing by yaw motor
Power regulation: fixed pitch stall
Hub height: 12.25m or 6.25 m
Number of blades: 3
Rotor diameter: 5m
Type of conversion system: asynchronous generator/variable speed IGBT converter
Figure 1:
Energy
Consumption
of Countries
in Europe
78
Figure 2: Charts of CO2 Emission in the UK
Carbon dioxide emissions contribute about 70% of the potential global warming effect of anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and are created when fossil fuels are burned (charts)
Carbon dioxide emissions contribute about 70% of the potential global warming effect of anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and are created when fossil fuels are burned (charts)
Figure 9 : Current and Future Carbon Footprints
79
Figure 10: Energy Consumption in Byker Wall
80
Figure 11: Zones of Wind Speed in UK
Figure 12: Wind Analysis
81
Figure 13: Proposed locations for wind turbines
82
Figure 14: Swift 1.5kW Figure 15: Wes 5 Tulipo 2.5kW Figure 16: AST5-1 Iskra 5kW
Types Numbers Energy Consumption CO2 Displacement Installation Costs ()

(kWh) (tons)
SWIFT 1.5 KW 1 2365 1.4 4,500 6,500
20 47300 28 90,000 130,000

Wes 5 Tulipo 1 6947-11593 1.2 17,200
2.5 kW
10 69,470-115,930 12 172,000
AT5-1 Iskra 5 1 13,140-17,352 11.3 7,400
kW
5 65,700-86,760 56.5 37,000
Total 35 173,950-249,990 96.5 299,000-404,000
Figure 17: Table of energy production of Wind Turbines
Byker Wall Materials Assessment + Implementation
83
The objective of material renovation is to keep the character of the existing buildings, while improving the
energy efficiency. By selecting sustainable materials with similar aesthetic, this goal may be achieved.
Today, the Internet allows for thorough research to be done in consideration to material properties. The
material selection then becomes a matter of existing condition assessment, deriving quantities of materials,
which may be renovated to improve energy efficiency of the building envelopes.
84
The materials of focus would include windows, insulation, brick, wood, and possibly corrugated materials
[to preserve the aesthetic character].
Color is a big part of this aesthetic. AURO 250 Gloss is a sustainable product, which is available in the UK
and has similar bright colors. It can be purchased off the website http://www.greenshop.co.uk/:
85
The goal of sustainable renovation would be to make the existing buildings more energy-efficient. Materials
can make this possible by reducing the energy loss of the buildings. In the United Kingdom, there are a
number of choices available for re-insulating external walls. There are also a couple window manufacturers,
which produce low-energy loss windows. As these products are produced in the United Kingdom, the
distance of transportation is minimal, reducing the impact of transportation energy. Also, the manufacturers
operate under the goal of creating sustainable products. Therefore, recycling and the embodied energy,
which goes into producing these materials, is a consideration of the manufacturers. The website
GreenSpec organizes a list of different material types and categorizes them in respect to their sustainable
features. This makes sustainable material specification easy and convenient. Below is a list of available
insulation and glazing products, which could be used in renovating the existing external walls in Byker Wall.
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A thorough assessment of the material conditions should be performed on site. Analysis of temperatures
around window openings can indicate whether re-insulation or perhaps window replacement is necessary.
Also, if materials need be replaced, it is important to salvaging and reuse or recycle the material. Costs
may be determined as per opportunities available through the construction process. [On-site evaluation
may yield a number of re-salvaging opportunities, which may be sustainable and economic] Quantity take-
offs would allow for data sheets to be generated. Manufacturers lifecycle analyses will illustrate how the
sustainable benefits of energy savings will outweigh any initial cost.
GreenSpec.co.uk, a source that will allow for local purchase of the required materials, provides the
following Information:
Insulation
Key issues
Reducing the amount of energy used from fossil fuels is the most important factor in promoting
sustainability.
Insulation has the greatest potential for reducing CO2 emissions.
Energy conserved through insulation use far outweighs the energy used in its manufacture. Only when a
building achieves a Low Heat standard does insulations embodied energy become significant.
Insulation performance is the key selection criteria.
The durability of insulation affects its performance eg settlement, physical degradation, vapor permeability
and air movement.
Careful detailing is needed to avoid the risk of moisture ingress into the insulation.
Most of the materials below differ in their capacity to reduce heat flow. This means that different materials
require different thicknesses to achieve the same effect. These differences need to be considered when
planning wall cavity widths.
Good insulation performance requires careful site supervision.
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Insulation only provides reduction of heat loss through the building fabric. Equally important is the energy
lost through ventilation and glazing.
List of Sustainable Insulation Manufacturers for External Walls available in the United Kingdom:
L681 Thermal insulation
External walls
product / equipment with climate change reduction potential

product fabricated from sustainable materials
product with recycled content
Manufacturer Product Type

Termex Termex loose cellulose for timber frame
construction
Homatherm flexCL 040 cellulose slab for timber frame and
partial-fill cavity walls
Excel Warmcell 500 loose cellulose for wood frames
British Gypsum Isowool - Cavity Wall glass fibre for full or partial-fill
Isover System cavity walls
Isowool - Hi-Cav glass fibre for full-full cavity walls
Cellulose loose fill Recycled and recyclable if kept dry

Safe to install; non-hazardous fiber
Biodegradable in landfill
Low embodied energy
Possible odor and formaldahyde outgas (small amount) from printing inks and additives (vapour
barriers between the insulation and the living space will prevent this). Mold also appears to be a widely
publicised current issue- though only, it would seem, in exceptional cases
88
Contains additives for fire retardancy, a fungicide, and sometimes a binder to reduce settling.
Borax is recommended over aluminum sulphates
Durability: Performance can be compromised if brought into contact with moisture.
0.038 W/mC - 0.040 W/mC
G Green Guide rating: A
List of Sustainable Window Manufacturers for External Walls available in the United Kingdom:
Window Frames:
First choice: FSC durable temperate hardwood FSC temperate softwood treated with plant based paint
systems
Second choice: FSC temperate softwood clad with recycled Aluminium
If you are compromised: Use a certified softwood painted with low VOC paint
Avoid: PVC Aluminium-only
L413 Windows
all types
Manufacturer Product Type

Green Building Ecoplus high performance timber windows
Store
Consider both heat loss and solar gain.
89
Detailing
The type of high-performance glazing you specify will be useless unless you first ensure that your building
is well-sealed with a minimum of cold bridging. When detailing windows pay particular attention to:
Cold bridging across the frame
Air leakage around the frame within its opening
Edge sealing between the glazing unit and the frame
The proportion of glass to frame makes a difference as the framing is often a worse (higher U value) than
the glass. Warm edge spacer technology is a marginal help but worth considering. The bigger the window
the less significant the spacer bar conductivity is. Some profile makers claim zero air leakage.
U - values
Be aware that the U-value of a glazing unit varies across its face. The centre of the unit will perform best
with the lowest U-value whereas the perimeter will perform less well due to the conductivity of the spacer
units. There is as yet no standard by which U-values are presented within the industry. If there is any doubt,
ask the manufacturer.
Typical available U-values:

Single-glazing 5.0
Double glazing 3.0
Triple-glazing 2.2
Double-glazing with low-e coating 1.7
Double-glazing with low-e coating and Argon filled 1.3
Triple-glazing with multiple low-e coatings and Xenon filled 0.4
Established technologies
Low-E (low-emissivity) coatings
Low-E glazing has special coatings that reduce heat transfer through windows. The coatings are thin,
almost invisible metal oxide or semiconductor films that are placed directly on one or more surfaces of
glass or on plastic films between two or more panes (Heat Mirror Glass). The coatings typically face air
spaces within windows and reduce heat flow between the panes of glass.
When applied inside a double-glazed window, the low-e coating is placed on the outer surface of the inner
pane of glass to reflect long wavelength energy (heat) back into the living space whilst permitting short
wavelength solar energy (light) transmission through from the outside. This same coating will slightly
reduce solar heat gain during the summer season.
There are two types of Low-E (low emissivity) glass available - Pyrolytic (hard coat) is considered to be a
medium performer, and sputtered (vacuum deposition or soft coat) is considered to be the highest
performer. Soft-coat low-e films degrade when exposed to air and moisture, are easily damaged, and have
a limited shelf life, so they are carefully applied by manufacturers in insulated multiple-glazed windows.
Hard low-e coatings, on the other hand, are more durable and can be used in add-on (retrofit) applications.
90
The soft coats (eg Pilkington Optitherm SN) have low U values but because they are so effective they also
stop more short wave radiation. The hard pyrolitic coats (eg Pilkington K Glass) are more transparent to
short wave radiation. The net effect is that the energy equation is about the same for both types.
A new option is to use low iron glass (eg Pilkington Optiwhite) in the outer pane to improve the g value
(total solar heat transmission).
Gas filling
Filling the gap between the glass panes with low conductivity gas such as argon or krypton (as well as the
more expensive xeon) at atmospheric pressure improves the window performance by reducing conductive
and convective heat transfer. They are mostly used in conjunction with low-emissivity coatings. One
drawback though might be the long-term integrity of the fill.
Superwindows
Superwindows combine technologies for solar control and heat loss reduction. They were originally
developed for residential applications in cold climates. Three- or four-pane glazing units with multiple low-e
coatings, gas fills and special frame construction reach U-values of 0,4-0,5 W/m2K for centre-of-glass
values and 0,7-0,9 W/m2K for the total window U-value. Their overall energy performance provides net
energy benefits for any orientation.
Emerging technologies
Vacuum double glazing (Evacuated windows)
Working much in the same way as a Thermos flask, the "fill" strategy with the lowest conductance is the
use of vacuum between low-e coatings. Only a very small distance between the glass panes is necessary,
but the long-term integrity of seals and the structural stability of the unit (due to pressure differences) are
difficult to master in a cost-effective manner.
Switchable glazing technologies ("smart" windows)
These materials have variable solar-optical properties, which can be passively or actively altered. Their
application in architectural glass allows dynamic regulation of solar energy transfer through the fenestration
for visual comfort, thermal comfort, peak load management, the control of glare, privacy and daylight.
There are different types of chromogenic materials under consideration for use in buildings, based on
different physical principles. The most relevant are:
Photochromic coatings: change the solar transmittance as a function of light intensity (like sunglasses). Primary benefit:
improving visual comfort.
Thermochromic materials: change their optical properties as a function of their temperature (like liquid crystal temperature
indicators), from transparent when cool to a white, reflecting/diffusing state when heated. Liquid and gel based materials as well
as thin-film solid state devices are investigated.
Electrochromic materials: are multi layer films whose optical properties can be controlled using an applied voltage (like flat
display panels). These have the greatest versatility since their transmittance can be controlled at any moment actively by
91
occupants. However, they are potentially more complex and difficult to fabricate and more expensive than single layer
chromogenic materials.
Gasochromic glazing: in these a low concentration of hydrogen in a neutral gas such as nitrogen is dissociated by a catalyst
and intercalated into a tungsten oxide layer. This turns deep blue, but does not block visibility. Bleaching is achieved with
oxygen.
Standards
Glass manufacturers are starting to use the new European Standards (EN). Performance figures generated
to the more demanding EN standards are more accurate.
Bricks
Fired bricks are produced using a mixture of clay and water. Units are molded, dried and fired.
Brick kilns use a large amount of energy. The clay used in stocks often requires extra firing.
Flettons use less energy owing to the contribution of burnt impurities inherent in the clay. Mud
bricks require very little generated energy to manufacture, but large amounts of water. The
embodied energy content of mud bricks is potentially the lowest of all building materials but
additives, excessive transport and other mechanical energy use can increase the 'delivered'
embodied energy of all earth construction.
Key issues
For:
Durability
Strength
Thermal mass
Accoustic mass
Against:
High levels of energy used in firing kilns
Energy used in transportation
Non renewable resources
92
Effects of quarrying and extraction
Use of cement in assembly
Green Roofs
Green roof infrastructure promises to become an increasingly important option for building owners
and community planners. Green roofs can address many of the challenges facing urban residents.
Life cycle costing indicates that green roofs cost the same or less than conventional roofing and
they are an investment which provides a significant number of social, environmental and economic
benefits that are both public and private in nature.
Green roofs are not a new phenomenon. They have been standard construction practice in many
countries for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, mainly due to the excellent insulative qualities of
the combined plant and soil layers (sod).In the cold climates of Iceland and Scandinavia sod roofs
93
helped to retain a building 's heat, while in warm countries such as Tanzania, they keep buildings
cool.
Until the mid-20th century, green roofs were viewed mainly as a vernacular building practice.
However in the 1960 's, rising concerns about the degraded quality of the urban environment and
the rapid decline of green space in urban areas, renewed interest in green roofs as a "green
solution" was sparked in Germany and Switzerland .New technical research was carried out,
ranging from studies on root-repelling agents, membranes, drainage, lightweight growing media, to
plant suitability.
The Benefits
High water retention

Run-off attenuation reduces sewer overflows
Improves environment
Creates a beneficial monoclimate by cooling and humidifying the surrounding air.
Absorbs greenhouse gases.
Absorbs air pollution and dust.
Reduces the heat island effect, which is the main cause of ozone production
Habitat for animals and plants
Building fabric
Protects the roof from mechanical damage and ultra violet radiation thus extending the roof
life.
Can provide extra insulation
(See article about the National Research Council Canada research)
Reduces noise levels
Can use recycled materials
Many of the materials used in green roof construction are manufactured from recycled building
materials, plastics and rubber reducing landfill disposal.
Information obtained from: http://www.greenspec.co.uk
The Construction Process
The development of an estimate and schedule would also be heavily reliant on a thorough analysis of the
present condition and quality of the existing materials. Prices will vary drastically in proportion due to the
scope of the project, meaning that if a small percentage of one unit needs to be renovated (e.g. new
94
windows)chances are most will. If energy analysis indicates the existing conditions could improve, we
need to determine the quantity based on this analysis [if its not broken, dont fix it].
Construction is essential to optimizing the renovation process. With a renovation project it is essential to
evaluate the existing conditions in order to determine what may be salvaged, what needs to be purchased
and what may be recycled in order to avoid waste and save energy in the process and production. This
may also present economic benefits for the renovation.
95
References:
British Wind Energy Association. http://www.bwea.com/small/technologies.html (12-10-07)

Case Study of Newcastle Upon Tyne England, Newcastle City Council, The Energy Centre
Matt.dunlopp@newcastle.gov.uk (12-10-07)
Department For Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/ index.html (12-10-07)
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/in-brief/page17222.html (12-10-07)
Green Shop for a Sustainable Future. http://www.greenshop.co.uk/ (12-10-07)
Green Spec. http://www.greenspec.co.uk (12-10-07)
Iskra Wind Turbines Ltd. http://www.iskrawind.com/df (12-10-07)
Renewable Devices Swift Turbines Ltd. http://www.renewabledevices.com/swift/index.htm (12-10-07)
Solar Energy Source For Southern California Since 1974 AMECO. solarexpert.com (12-10-07)
Solar Water Heaters. Off-Grid. http://www.off-grid.net/2004/07/13/solar-water-heaters/ (12-10-07)
Small Wind Technologies. BWEA. http://www.bwea.com/small/technologies.html (12-10-07)
Small Wind Turbine Reviews. Better generation. http://www.bettergeneration.co.uk/wind-turbines/small-wind-turbine-
reviews.html (12-10-07)
The Whole Building Design Approach. http://www.wbdg.org/ (12-10-07)
The Byker RDF Plant and the Contamination of Land in Newcastle upon Tyne with Incinerator Ash
http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/meir.htm (12-10-07)
Whole Building Design Guide - 3. http://www.social.mtu.edu/GORMAN/Economics.htm3. (12-10-07)
Wind Energy Solutions. http://www.windenergysolutions.com/ (12-10-07)
96

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History, Culture, Cultural Diversity, Building Configuration 1

Planning and Sustainable Features 11

Climate, Ecological Landscaping 22

Context, Linkages, Circulation, Land use and Services 36

Social Sustainability, Open Spaces and Green Spaces 49

Water, Green / Sustainable Infrastructure 60

Ulker Copur, PhD

The design encourages behavior of its residents by providing unique

Visual elements are used to distinguish different meanings, and to

Culture and Maintaining Diversity

The Perimeter Block

The site itself is characterized by

The Raby Gate

The Link Block and Low Rise Housing

The primary purpose of the link block configuration is to provide a

an estate under siege

Dunster, David. Walled Town. Progressive Architecture.

Collymore, Peter. The Architecture of Ralph Erskine. London: Architext,1985

Byker by Erskine The Architectural Review Dec 1974

Housing at Byker. A+U - Architecture + Urbanism_March 2005

Newcastle Government. www.newcastle.gov.co.uk (12-07-2007)

Social and Environmental Sustainability

1. Establishing base year information (the year 1990 as reference point).

1. Combined Heat and Power.

Kronsbergs overall concept was based on three things:

-the development of a commercial strip on the southwestern edge of the site.

-the development of a residential strip on the northwest part of the site.

-build up landscaping on the eastern and northern parts of the site.

Byker Wall Social Sustainability

Byker Wall Terraces

A report for Newcastle City Council. A Byker way Forward.

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Live Search Maps

Newcastle upon Tyne,

Byker Wall : Site Context

Global warming: Tony Blair and other stellar effects

Global temperature in 2004

Global temperature in 2004

Climate Statistics. Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. 2007.

Byker Wall, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, is an award winning

Byker Wall: Context

Present Byker Wall has a very diverse context. Its

Public Transportation is critical to the survival of

Neighborhoods and Boundaries of Byker Wall

The Byker Wall development was designed by

Main Vehicular Roads and Entrances

Byker Wall is surrounded by heavy-traffic vehicular roads, but is

Parking and Traffic Control

Walking and Cycling

Walking and cycling also coincides with the previous

Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is not the only important circulation.

This push for sustainable design and pedestrian friendly

Byker Wall was designed as a pedestrian

The land use of Byker Wall is

Handicap Accessibility Issues

Vertical elevated community circulation is a unique element to Byker Wall

Effort was clearly made in the design of circulation,

Anomalies: Aesthetic Elements

These anomalies can be seen in other aspects of the site, such as