Street Planning

Street and Architecture Planning

Assets Required

Housing Complex

Market place

House for one person

Positive outdoor space

Connected Buildings

South Facing Outdoors

Government Amenities

Cobbled streets

Elaborate

Housing Complex 

• Houses will metaphorically represent the town’s children or the people.
• Houses will have south facing outdoor backyards (not to be seen, gives sense of orientation)
• Some houses will be connected, depending on the shot.
• The houses will have at least 1-2 stories could be more if required.
• The houses will include dormers and bay windows.
• The houses will be warped to such a degree they almost seem uprooted due to the magnitude of the piper’s tune.
• The town is of a lower middle class/working class background.
• The aftermath is such that, most of the houses are weathered, window reinforcements are in place indicating the town’s people are afraid of another event.
• Colors and shapes of the building represent the nature of the children (Fat, Slim, Large, Small, Witty, Handicapped, Fiery, Cheerful)
• Roofing of the houses could speak about the different faces worn by the children
• Dormers will have dented railing and rusted railings.
• Middle class people also reside in this district. 

Market Place

• Every town needs a Market place from basic amenities, to everyday goods and services.
• A butcher shop or fish market similar to the shambles.
• A dairy or grocery store, with milk bottles outside.
• Clothes store if necessary (may or may not be required)
• Liquor Store
• Religious Building
• Lock Smith, Cobbler
• Guard post/Post office
• A market Square – Thursday Market (People buy their meat, poultry, eggs and other provisions and utensils.

Positive Outdoor Space

• Fork division from the main street district.

Connected Buildings

• Houses will be connected to save space.
• Houses connected across will serve as archways between two buildings and add to the urban environment.
• During the Victorian era, working class folks lived in really tight quarters, buildings were slim and hygiene was poor.
• The town has a huge underground system that runs through the entire city. Large drainage systems on buildings if possible but most notable on streets. Could serve as dungeons where rats could possibly abide.
• The short-cuts that people took to and from the market square or main district became alleyways and streets.

 South Facing Outdoors

• The backyard of building’s will not be seen, just serves as sense of direction.
• Compass on rooftops, direction signboards on houses.

Government Amenities

• Water Hydrant, fire hydrant on the pavement.
• A Guard Post or a post office.
• Navigation posts and street signs
• Power – Electricity lines
• Government Water pipeline
• Drug Store or a Clinic (The Indian Doctor)
• Town is based on a certain occupational job (Mining, Textiles, Dairy)

Cobbled Street

• Creating Flags, Kerb, Setts, Cobbles.
• Cobbled street will have puddles of rain water, indicating a wet/rainy climate. (Cobbled streets of York)
• Irregular cobbled streets or irregular tiling system, randomness in pattern work.
• The cobbled street will be similar to the Victorian and Edwardian styled streets and pavements.

Detailed Description

Types of Housing Complex

Family House or Buildings:

• Not more than 3 story high, 3rd floor would end up being the attic or storage space.
• The width of the homes would be not more than 700sq. feet (total living area) for the poorer homes.
• 1600sq. feet for the richer peasants and higher authority.
• Houses will be shared with flags to serve as a path for foot walkers, the main road will be laid out with cobbles.
• The houses may or may not have a backyard, interconnected houses of the working class people will have a common area for laundry.
• All houses will don a chimney and a weather vane. 
• Electrical wires will run through the district is this messy cramped environment.
• Further detailed description of house, government buildings and street measurements will be provided later on.
• Religion is key and will be supported by either a church, shrine or a chapel.
• Protruding shapes will sprout out of certain buildings like meat shops and houses that have been renovated (cause of poor houses planning).
• The street showcased will not have more than 15 architectural structures at most (Working within my limit and shot constraints).
• A few houses will have railings be it on windows, entrance to doors etc.
• Colors and shapes on houses will vary depending on the magnitude of the piper mystical force. Characteristics of houses are metaphorical identities directly on in-directly related to the town’s children or the families residing there. The more warped or skewed a particular structure is, the more that family or person has committed a false act directly related to the crime or in this instant refusal to pay the Piper.
• My initial thought was of creating one house which has been totally unscathed by the pipers tune, thereby creating a contrast to this otherwise gloomy environment. Reading certain renditions of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, it does say the piper lived in Hamelin for a short duration and did fall in love with a person. The person was murdered by the cruel act of the peasants thereby causing the piper to go on a rampage.
• The houses could also be affected by a certain epidemic like a plague or small pox causing mass casualties and thereby creating a ghost town affected by nature and deformed and deteriorated over time.
• The houses will be mostly constructed of bricks and slates will be used for roofing. 
• Two most basic categories of brick are fired and non-fired brick. Fired brick are one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials sometimes referred to as artificial stone and have been used since circa 5000 BC. Air dried bricks have a history older than fired bricks, are known by the synonyms mud brick and adobe, and have an additional ingredient of a mechanical binder such as straw.
• Most Buildings will be based on Italianate style constructions with bay windows.
• Panel Molding
• Then followed by Brackets (Gingerbread Brackets/Scroll-work/Eave Brackets)
• The upper windows will include a window hood
• Then a window shield
• Segmented Windows, depicting a certain style or will probably stick to traditional old French windows. Double hung window with two panes in each sash could also be an option (Italianate Architecture). Windows with forced re-enforcement's will be in place to depict fear from the aftermath 
• Quoins will be around corners of the buildings
• The top end of the building will be outlined with the main cornice, then followed by the Upper Cornice
• The upper part of the lower floor will start off with a belt cornice
• Instead of the portico balustrade (Balconies during the Victorian & Edwardian era) I will be using metal railed balconies similar to ones is Europe (Barcelona, Porto, Stockholm etc.)
• Most windows will have a columned portico as a base, like most olden buildings.
• Columns may or may not be constructed.
• If columns are constructed, they will include a capital structure of sorts.
• Some houses will have a short stairway or a few steps leading to the entrance or doorway
• Some houses will have gabled wall dormers and Parapet gable
• Lintels will be constructed on small or short length windows or intrusions on walls
• Entrance doors will include a stoop or steps
• Areaway or gutter system will serve as sewage system
• Buildings will have a base water table extrusion
• Chimney’s or Clustered flues will be constructed at the top from which chimney pots arise
• Door’s will have a rectangular transom at the very top of the structure – to be used as ventilation to circulate air from the upper story and get cooler air in, also serves as an extra source of light intake into the house. Nowadays used mostly as ornamental décor
• The roof will be of Mansard style architecture with fish scale shingles as roof décor type. Ceramic slates will also be used on certain houses.
• Some building roofs will have roof cresting in form of metal railings that have been damaged by the piper’s tune or power.
• Quoins will be irregular in placement to help give an organic look to the structure and also add imperfection
• Poster’s will be hung on walls to add character to the houses
• Moss growing between bricks also show indication of time gone by since the aftermath
• Pediments will be constructed on top of dormer windows as décor
• Gutter or Pipelines will surface just after the roof just above the main cornice to help during rains
• Some houses will have turret’s sprouting out 

The general structures of the buildings or houses being built will have a certain organic look to them, will be an artistic style that is reminiscent to Tim Burton’s animation or Laika studio’s films.

• The organic style to the buildings will tell a story of the aftermath that occurred due the event and its consequences over a time period. No mention of how long or when the event took place but erosion and general deterioration of structures should more or less give a time period. Window panes will be broken in certain buildings showing wane.
• Strings will be tied across a few houses where laundry will be hung.
• Flower pots hanging from the walls on every house or building unit. Flower pots will also appear on the portico.
• Stains on walls dues to leaks, or cracks on walls will be clearly visible on most of the buildings.
• The organic nature of buildings speak a lot about the characteristics of the town’s people.
• Most of the buildings are really crammed up together but the richer folks enjoy much freedom (Similar to towns in wales) (Reference the Indian doctor TV series)
• Some buildings will include a makeshift bar or drinking area for the working class people.
• Lanterns or street lights may or may not be on buildings depending on government amenities if they would be attached to electric poles. The wealthier houses will have individual lanterns.

Market Place/Market Square/Main District Center

Definition - Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city. A town may be correctly described as a "market town" or as having "market rights", even if it no longer holds a market, provided the legal right to do so still exists. (WIKIPEDIA)

• Will hold a Market cross or anything resembling a religious act, Markets back in the day served as place of sharing after worship. The cross was also a reminder "not to defraud by cheapening" (Usually after Sunday service)
• Will be situated in the main district. The scene I am constructed will solely be based on the main street where the market district or square can be seen at a distance. Market districts will have to be wide in order to accommodate transportation and installation of stalls.
• Will include small shops and stalls (may not include) within buildings or beside buildings.
• Will be a place where the purchase and sale of the provisions, livestock and other goods and services are possible.
• There will be a locksmith available. Even before the event took place robbery was on high alert and protection of cash and portable property of valuable kind were of top priority. Reference will be taken from the Black Country of the 19th century (Wolverhampton) 
• Livestock such as meat, fish or general poultry will be seen rotting on the street. Remember this is a ghost town with nothing but buildings and the idea is metaphorical description of the identity of the aftermath that took place maybe several years after the event.
• Cobbler/Cordwainer stalls or shop will be seen, now I do not want to mention the era, but on reading my description so far you seen I have a preference for a Victorian/Edwardian/Medieval style of construction. I would have liked to go for a more steam-punk look, but would like to stick to a more original style at the same time incorporating my own touch to it. Store similar to the Original boot and shoe during the Victorian and Edwardian era.
• Liquor Store - The people of the town enjoyed to drink, and as water was often unclean, it was a necessity. The poor drank ale, mead or cider and the rich were able to drink many different types of wines. 
• Beer is not only one of the oldest fermenting beverages used by man, but it is also the one which was most in vogue in the Middle Ages.
• Wine was consumed by the rich folks and rich peasants.
• Hair Dresser/Hair saloon will probably be available. Fancy repository stores alike maybe just one will be available.
• A bakery and confectioner were in place, cakes and desserts and the chocolate industry was huge. Hot dinner and soups, pork chops, sausages & steaks. Tea & coffee was also available.
• Provision merchants who sell poultry, cheese, butter shops will be seen. Food will be rotting away and glass panes from these shops will probably be broken or shattered. Meat will be hung up on hooks with flies devouring it.
• An Iron Monger or a Hardware store that has all the other goods will be constructed.
• Availability of buckets, spades for gardening purposes, Fertilizers, utensils for cooking, basic kitchenware, Lights, glasses, hay baskets, ropes. Everything of basic necessity will be seen. Every town how little or small kit is requires one common general store. This is a tiny town we are talking about, not more than 300 people or so including children. 
• Everyone walked on foot, vehicles were uncommon so market districts were not too far away from homes.
• There will also be a Garment store included similar to a Hosier & Draper store where all the clothes wear, and other garment related product can be bought or traded. 
• The town of Hamelin loved fishing and fishermen were in abundance, hence opening a naturalist & fishing tackle maker was a must. Every port back in the day always had a store similar to this to help with food consumption.
• A jewelry store is still open for discussion but since there were people of middle or slightly upper class status having one store would make practical sense. Not one too flashy but probably the most valuable store, in the market district. That being said the store is in absolute annihilation. The most affected in the Aftermath.
• A bookshop would also make sense, but maybe since there was no reference of the town’s children going to school, the book store may be surplus to requirements. I have to keep things simple here, less is more. But leaving things out are difficult to do.

Government Amenities


Water hydrants on the street will add a good touch to the city. It is a prime essential in cities dating back a long time ago. Damaged water hydrants will also be seen, with almost no water sprouting out.