Chatham Interface, Medway

We provided advice and project support for the master planning of a mixed-use development site on behalf of a developer. The site is located next to Chatham Historic Dockyard and Chatham Maritime, an area with a rich history as a naval base for over 400 years. This dockyard is the world’s most complete historic site from the age of sail. The closure of the dockyard in 1984 left behind a largely vacant area of buildings, land and water.
The heritage of the site is defined by the River Medway and includes listed slip buildings, several Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Brunel’s Sawmill, all within the area’s boundaries. The goal of the master planning process was to create a balance between new commercial and residential spaces while respecting important constraints, such as building height limitations, archaeological considerations and the preservation of listed buildings.
The master plan also took into account the site’s key townscape features, historic context and the creation and preservation of views and vistas, as well as the quality of boundary treatments and the maintenance of public spaces. Ultimately, the master plan was adopted by Medway University.