Eudaemonia: Towards a vision for urban peripheries, Brentford re-imagined by AA School

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Post-Periphery: Brentford Re-Imagined ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE GRADUATE PROGRAM Housing and Urbanism 2019-2020 Tutors: Lawrence Barth + Anna Shapiro Published in London 2020 Design Workshop Group 2

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PATCHWORK L O N D O N

London is a global city for its opportunity, diversity, and mobility; it is an urban patchwork developed over time as an assemblage of collective forms, primarily organized along the Thames from Heathrow by its regional mobility infrastructures. The Thames is intersected by special tributary systems like the Fleet and the Lee which, connected by a series of canals, have evolved in character over time and currently define some of the most desirable urban structures in the city. London is fractal in nature which demands morphological and typological reading across scales. Every scale tells a different story and reveals new opportunities for potential change.

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NATURAL CLUSTERING

London’s regional natural system layers desirable north-south trajectories of development; large clusters of green space cluster residential neighbourhoods away from the busy central core. Thus London should be considered monocentric yet multi-nodal and thus not defined by a singular framework.”Peripheral” London is therefore expanding and exposing a new condition: the “post-periphery”. This is the milieu in which the group’s study is situated. The driver of health and wellbeing provided the lens through which to perceive potential change. The explorations worked twofold: an investigation of typologies and strategies that directly or implicitly used wellness as a conceptual basis; but, more generally, to consider the deeper meaning of urban regeneration and how to requalify the term in meaningful ways; thus an experimental attitude was made possible in an eccentric condition.By providing vision and concept, the set of propositions reveal potential for rich intervention, long-term change, and social sustainability. The current pandemic is rapidly accelerating the crucial need for urban systems to support wellbeing and resiliency across scales.

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ECCENTRIC BRENTFORD The group’s study area of Brentford reveals an intense convergence of all these systems. Its eccentric West London location has resulted in severance and sequestering of anti-urban formations; the area treated as merely a threshold to move through. It has ultimately lacked vision to embrace the phenomenal assets in its grasp. The River Brent and its intersection with the Thames immediately reveals itself as a truly unique feature in the landscape, and yet strangely has been underutilized despite its original importance as an industrial hub. Adjacent green systems of Kew, Osterly, and Gunnersby are begging to be better integrated as functional mobility and recreation networks. A youthful population and a rising football club show future promise. The apparent complexity of the current landscape allowed for each individual to make remarkable discoveries as a level of abstraction was required to unearth the potentials of the urban system: a “post-peripheral” condition that is demanding requalification. The strategy of mongrel assemblage defined by multiplicity of thought, form, and strategy - emerged in all the investigations and allowed each line of research to find novel relationships between the individual and the collective in physical and social terms. 9

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DRAW

AS WE THINK

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Venturi, Robert. “Learning from Las Vegas”. Massachusetts, MIT Press, 1993. Koolhaas, Rem., Office for Metropolitan Architecture., Mau, Bruce. “S, M, L, XL: small, medium, large, extra-large”. Koln, Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH, 1997. Rowe, Colin. “Collage City”. London , MIT Press, 1978. Hauck, Thomas., Keller, Regine., Kleinekort, Volker. “Infrastructural urbanism: addressing the in-between”. Berlin: DOM Publishers, 2011. Montgomery, C. “Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design”. Vancouver: Penguin Books, 2013. Feddersen, Eckhard., Lüdtke, Insa. “Living for the elderly: a design manual”. Basel, Birkhäuser, London: Springer, 2009, 92-98.

Team 1

Visual Reference

•Fig. 1, p.10: “Brentford, London”. Accessed February-March 2020. http://www.bhsproject.co.uk/ photo_M4viaductEast_py.shtml. •Fig. 2, p.12: “GSK headquarters”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ glaxosmithkline/7561596718 •Fig. 3, p.12: “University of West London”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.paragonlets.com/student •Fig. 4, p.12: “BSKYB headquarters”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://bridgingandcommercial.co.uk/article-desc-12791_octopus-provides-%C2%A3313m-facility-for-acquisition-of-former-sky-hq •Fig. 5, p.12: Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 6, p.12: “Brentford, London”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.alamy.com/ stock-photo/brentford-m4.html •Fig. 7, p.22: Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 8-10, p.23: Ibid. •Fig. 11, p.24: “Russel Square Station, London”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Square_tube_station •Fig. 12, p.24: “Hackney Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/ blog/2018/05/21/hackney-wicks-brutalist-new-london-overground-station-opens/ •Fig. 13, p.24: “Park Royal Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://mapio.net/wiki/ Q1663773-en/ •Fig. 14, p.24: “Stratford Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.hawkinsbrown.com/ projects/stratford-regional-station •Fig. 15, p.24: “Victoria Underground Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/21747/victoria-tube-station-upgrade/ •Fig. 16, p.24: “Canary Wharf station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.gillespies.

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co.uk/projects/crossrail-place-roof-garden •Fig. 17-19, p.25: “111 Lincoln Road Parking Structure”. Accessed February-March 2020. https:// www.dezeen.com/2010/04/19/1111-lincoln-road-by-herzon-de-meuron/ •Fig. 20-21, p.25: “Peckham Levels”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://turner.works/works/ view/peckham-levels-2/ •Fig. 22, p.38: “Astra Zeneca”. Accessed February-March 2020. http://www.bdp.com/en/projects/ a-e/astrazeneca-headquarters/ •Fig. 23, p.38: “Star Singapore”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.architectmagazine. com/design/buildings/the-star-designed-by-andrew-bromberg-for-aedas_o •Fig. 24, p.38: “Battersea Power Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://arstechnica.com/ information-technology/2016/09/apple-battersea-power-station-hq-details-photos/ •Fig. 25, p.38: “Battersea Power Station”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://arstechnica.com/ information-technology/2016/09/apple-battersea-power-station-hq-details-photos/ •Fig. 26, p.38: “Google Headquarter UK”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/01/google-submits-plans-million-sq-ft-london-hq-construction-kingscross •Fig. 27-30, p.40: “Yellow Building”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.ahmm.co.uk/ projectDetails/8/The-Yellow-Building •Fig. 31-33, p.40: “Researcher’s Residence”. Accessed February-March 2020. http://dromanelli. blogspot.com/2019/04/bruther-residence-for-researchers.html •Fig. 34-35, p.41: “Tallinn’s new City Hall”. Accessed February-March 2020. https://www.dezeen. com/2009/06/23/tallinn-city-hall-by-bjarke-ingels-group/ •Fig. 36, p.58: Pocock, Steven, “Being Human Gallery”, Wellcome Collection. Accessed March 2020. https://wellcomecollection.org/ •Fig. 37, p.59: Reading Room, Ibid. •Fig. 38, p.59: Gillbert, Benjamin, “School study day at Wellcome Collection”, Wellcome Col-lection. Accessed March 2020. https://wellcomecollection.org/ •Fig. 39. Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 40. Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 41, p.75: Mehr Als Wohnen. Accessed February 2020, https://www.mehralswohnen.ch/ •Fig. 42, p.75: Mehr Als Wohnen. Accessed February 2020, https://www.mehralswohnen.ch/ •Fig. 43, p. 88: Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 44, p. 92-93: Ibid. •Fig. 45, p. 94 (top): Gombeen. “Parents Distraught As Dromore Teen Not Interested In Growing A Beard” Tyrone Tribulations, Accessed March 2020. https://tyronetribulations.com/2015/07/05/parents-distraught-as-dromore-teen-not-interested-ingrowing-a-beard/ •Fig.46, p. 94 (bottom): YOUCAR. “Nissan ‘Scoot Quad’ Mobility Concept” YouTube, Accessed March 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg_BHZUOx_w •Fig.47, p. 95: Laker, Laura. “Welcome, watch or ban: how should cities deal with electric scooters?” The Guardian, Accessed March 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/18/welcome-watch-or-ban-how-should-cities-deal-withelectric-scooters •Fig. 48, 49, p. 96: Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 50, p. 98: Schd, Christian. “Unilever House Marco Polo Tower Hamburg Germany” Wikipedia Commons, Accessed March 2020.

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Team 3 •Fig.1, p.2-3: “A look inside Nike’s Sport Research Lab” Nike News, Accessed 8th September 2014. https://news.nike.com/news/a-look-inside-nike-s-sport-research-lab •Fig.2, p.4: Ken, Pe-Ru. “A tour of Nike’s state-of-the-art Sport Research Lab in Portland” Wallpaper*, Accessed 19th July 2013. https://www.wallpaper.com/fashion/a-tour-of-nikes-state-of-the-artsport-research-lab-in-portland •Fig.3, p.4: “A look inside Nike’s Sport Research Lab” Nike News, Accessed 8th September 2014. https://news.nike.com/news/a-look-inside-nike-s-sport-research-lab •Fig.4，p.4: Ibid •Fig.5, p.4: Ibid •Fig.6, p.10-11: “A Brief Look at Crossfit Shapesmiths” Crossfit Shapesmiths, Accessed July 28, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DPlSKqYt_w •Fig.7, p.10-11: “A look inside Nike’s Sport Research Lab” Nike News, Accessed 8th September 2014. https://news.nike.com/news/a-look-inside-nike-s-sport-research-lab •Fig.8, p.10-11: Ibid •Fig.9, p.10-11: Ibid •Fig.10, p.10-11: “ The Best Places to Workout in London: Crossfit Shapesmiths” neat, Accessed n.d. https://www.neat-nutrition.com/blogs/news/the-best-places-to-workout-in-london-crossfit-shapesmiths •Fig.11, p.14-15:“Cultural and Sports Center” Architizer, Accessed 2014. https://architizer.com/projects/cultural-and-sports-center/ •Fig.12, p14,15: “The running track on the roof of Adobe’s new office just opened” BUSINESS IN-

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unilever_House_Marco_Polo_Tower_Hamburg_Germany. jpg •Fig. 51, p. 100 (right): “Marco Polo Tower” BEHNISCH ARCHITEKTEN, Accessed March 2020. https://behnisch.com/work/projects/0349 •Fig. 52, p. 102 (top): “Westminster College” Google Earth, Accessed March 2020. •Fig. 53, p. 102 (bottom-left): “Westminster College” City of Westminster College, Accessed March 2020. https://www.cwc.ac.uk/about-us/our-campuses/paddington-green-campus •Fig. 54, p. 102 (bottom-right): Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 55, p. 103 (bottom): “New Flagship Campus for City of Westminster College | Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects” Arch2o, Accessed March 2020. https://www.arch2o.com/campus-westminster-college-schmidt-hammer-lassen-architects/ •Fig. 56, p. 104: Shapiro, Anna. London. February 2020. •Fig. 57, p. 108: Kuşcu, Hilâl. London. February 2020. •Fig. 58, p. 108 (left): “Gleisdreieck Westpark, Berlin” atelier-loidl, Accessed February 2020. https://atelier-loidl.de/en/gleisdreieck-westpark-berlin •Fig. 59, p. 108 (right): Astor, Patricia. “Das sind die beliebtesten Biergärten in Deutschland” falstaff, Accessed February 2020. https://www.falstaff.de/nd/das-sind-die-beliebtesten-biergaerten-in-deutschland/ •Fig. 60, p. 109: “Kuşcu, Hilâl. London. February 2020. •Fig. 61, p. 109 (left): “The Burgess Park” Merseyside Civic Society, Accessed February 2020. http://www.merseysidecivicsociety.org/about/news-archive •Fig. 62, p. 109 (right): “Projects and Events” Art in the Park, Accessed February 2020. http://artinthepark.co.uk/category/news/projects-and-events/ •Fig. 63, p. 124: “The 23 Marvel movies of the MCU Infinity Saga, ranked” Polygon, Accessed May 2020. https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/5/18526278/marvel-cinematic-universe-mcu-movies-avengers-infinity-saga-ranked-list •Fig. 64, p. 125: “Here’s why Thanos is the best Marvel villain yet” cnet, Accessed May 2020. https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-why-thanos-is-the-best-marvel-villain-yet/

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•Fig.37, p28-29: Sulung, Putra, “Home Design”, Medium, August 11,2018. https://medium.com/@ putrasulung2108/michael-maltzan-architecture-a99eac4f2f86 •Fig.38, p28-29: Ibid •Fig.39, p32: O’Brien Sean, “Not Yet Brentford delay move to Lionel Road Stadium until summer of 2020”, August 28th, 2018. https://talksport.com/football/efl/416146/brentford-delay-lionel-road-stadium-griffin-park/ •Fig.40, p32: “UVA Sol De Oriente/EDU”, ArchDaily, Accessed 2016. https://www.archdaily. com/792402/uva-sol-de-oriente-edu •Fig.41, p32: “A New Stadium for Milan and Inter and The Beginning of A New Era”, SBNATION, September 27, 2019. https://acmilan.theoffside.com/2019/9/27/20884894/a-new-stadium-for-milanand-inter-as-well-as-the-beginning-of-a-new-era-san-siro-scaroni-antonello •Fig.42, p34: Brentford Football club https://www.brentfordfc.com/ •Fig.43, p34: Ibid •Fig.44, p34: Ibid •Fig.45, p34: Ibid •Fig.46, p34: Ibid

Team 4 •Fig. 1, p.14: Shapiro, Anna. London. •Fig. 2, p.14: Ibid. •Fig. 3, p.14: Ibid. •Fig. 4, p.14: Ibid. •Fig. 5, p.18: Mora, Fabricio. “Elderly Housing“ Tumblr. Accessed June 2020. https://fabriciomora. tumblr.com/post/109008293494/elderly-housing-mouslecoomb-brighton-uk •Fig. 6, p.18: Ibid. •Fig. 7, p.18: Ibid. •Fig. 8, p.19: Ibid. •Fig. 9, p.19: Ibid. •Fig. 10, p.19: Ibid. •Fig. 11, p.24: Winkler, Sandra. “Zehn Einrichtungs-Tipps für effizienteres Arbeiten‘‘ Welt, Accessed June 2020. https://www.welt.de/icon/design/article161845291/Zehn-Einrichtungs-Tipps-fuer-effizienteres-Arbeiten.html •Fig. 12, p.24: Economic Times. ‘‘Why does WeWork run an $18 billion rent bill?‘‘ Economic Indian Times, Accessed June 1, 2020. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/ this-startup-runs-an-18-billion-rent-bill/wework-a-success-story/slideshow/63924277.cms •Fig. 13, p.24: Marinova, Elissaveta. ‘‘Should more offices swap stairs for slides?‘‘ RE:public, Accessed June 2020. https://www.re-publicspace.com/tag/workplace-trends/ •Fig. 14, p.25: EdCity. ‘‘ARK Educational Hub‘‘ Accessed June 2020. https://www.edcity.org.uk/ •Fig. 15, p.26: Brandstaetter, Christian. ‘‘Geriatric Centre Donaustadt Vienna / Delugan Meissl Associated Architects‘‘ Archdaily, Accessed June 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/781339/geriatriccentre-donaustadt-vienna-delugan-meissl-associated-architects?ad_medium=gallery •Fig. 16, p.26: Nesvadba, Lydie. ‘‘Padre Rubinos‘‘ Squarespace. Accessed June 2020. http://lydienesvadba.squarespace.com/padre-rubinos-architecture-for-charity •Fig. 17, p.27: Grazia, Sergio, Delangle, Frédéric, and Waquier, Marianne. ‘‘Monts Et Merveilles / BFV ARCHITECTES‘‘ Archdaily, Accessed June 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/788627/monts-etmerveilles-jean-bocabeille-architecte •Fig. 18, p.27: Ott, Paul and Pierer, Helmut. ‘‘Residential Care Home Andritz / Dietger Wissounig

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SIDER AUSTRALIA, Accessed 6th September, 2017. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/runningtrack-roof-adobe-london-office-opened-city-2017-9 •Fig.13, p14-15: Hall, P.B “WOHA DESIGN OASIA HOTEL DOWNTOWN”, Divisare, Accessed 15th March 2017. https://divisare.com/projects/339875-woha-design-patrick-bingham-hall-k-kopteroasia-hotel-downtown •Fig.14, p14-15: Ibid •Fig.15, p14-15: “The Sainsbury Laboratory”,HUFTON+CROW, Accessed n.d. https://www.huftonandcrow.com/projects/gallery/the-sainsbury-laboratory/ •Fig.16, p14-15: Ibid •Fig.17, p14-15: “UVA Sol De Oriente/EDU”, ArchDaily, Accessed 2016. https://www.archdaily. com/792402/uva-sol-de-oriente-edu •Fig.18, p14-15: “BIG group revises design for the Oakland A’s new ballpark”, Designboom, Accessed 27th February 2019. https://www.designboom.com/architecture/bjarke-ingels-group-bigoakland-ballpark-revised-design-02-27-2019/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bjarke+ingels+group •Fig.19, p18-19: DeathPosture, “Superkilen, Mimersgadekvarteret,Copenhagen, Denmark”,Accessed 2015. https://www.reddit.com/r/AerialPorn/comments/2wvhgh/superkilen_mimersgadekvarteret_copenhagen_denmark/ •Fig.20, p18-19: Harty Brooke, “Copenhagen’s Architecture of the past and present”, Creative Industries Forum, Accessed 30th November 2014. https://creativeindustriesforum.wordpress.com/ category/industry-segments/architecture/ •Fig.21, p.18-19: “Cultural and Sports Center” Architizer, Accessed 2014. https://architizer.com/ projects/cultural-and-sports-center/ •Fig.22, p.18-19: Jessel Ella,” Work starts on Featherstone Young’s gym for boxing club destroyed in Grenfell Tower fire” Architects’ Journal, Accessed 3rd May 2018. https://www.architectsjournal. co.uk/news/work-starts-on-featherstone-youngs-gym-for-boxing-club-destroyed-in-grenfell-towerfire/10030681.article •Fig.23, p.18-19: Ibid •Fig.24, p.18-19: “Yountcille Town Center” Andy Wojnoonski, Accessed n.d. https://awojnoonski. com/ytc •Fig.25, p.18-19: Ibid •Fig.26, p.22-23: “The Bicycle Snake-Denmark”, Paulaonicala, Accessed September 11,2016. https://paulaonicala.com/the-bicycle-snake-denmark/ •Fig.27, p.22-23: Ibid •Fig.28, p22-23: Hall Steve. “Jeanne Gang named winner of the 2017 Marcus Prize for Architecture”, Archinect News, 18th September 2017. https://archinect.com/news/bustler/5957/jeanne-gangnamed-winner-of-the-2017-marcus-prize-for-architecture •Fig.29, p22-23: Ibid •Fig.30, p22-23:” Derfor rejser flere og flere danskere til Hamborg”, B.T., Accessed May 07, 2018. https://www.bt.dk/annonce/derfor-rejser-flere-og-flere-danskere-til-hamborg •Fig.31, p22-23: “ Olympic Radical Park Rio 2016/ Vigliecca & Associados”, Archdaily, Accessed 2016. https://www.archdaily.com/792521/radical-park-rio-2016-vigliecca-and-associados •Fig.32, p22-23: Ibid •Fig.33, p26-27: Brunier, Hiepler, “ROBERTNEUN, ATELIER LOIDL AM LOKDEPOT”, Divisare, Accessed July 01, 2016. https://divisare.com/projects/321338-robertneun-atelier-loidl-hiepler-brunier-am-lokdepot •Fig.34, p26-27: Ibid •Fig.35, p26-27: Ibid •Fig.36, p26-27: Ibid

EUDAEMONIA BRENTFROD

Architekten‘‘ Archdaily, Accessed June 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/787044/residential-carehome-andritz-dietger-wissounig-architekten •Fig. 19, pp.28-29: Google Earth. Accessed 25th May 2020. •Fig. 20, p.42: Ott, Paul and Pierer, Helmut. ‘‘Residential Care Home Andritz / Dietger Wissounig Architekten‘‘ Archdaily, Accessed June 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/787044/residential-carehome-andritz-dietger-wissounig-architekten •Fig. 21, p.42: Ibid. •Fig. 22, p.43: Weebly. ‘‘Steinacker Residential Complex‘‘ Pinterest. Accessed June 1, 2020. https://www.pinterest.de/pin/702280135612947726/ •Fig. 23, p.43: Ibid. •Fig. 24, p.52: Google Earth. Accessed 25th May 2020. •Fig. 25, p.52: Ibid. •Fig. 26, p.52: Shapiro, Anna. London. •Fig. 27, p.68: Harrouk, Christele. ‘‘New Iconic Museum for Turkey by Kengo Kuma and Associates‘‘ Archdaily, Accessed June 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/924568/new-iconic-museum-forturkey-by-kengo-kuma-and-associates •Fig. 28, p.68: OmVed. ‘‘Events‘‘ OmVed Website, Accessed June 2020. https://www.omvedgardens.com/events/ •Fig. 28, p.68: Nightingale, Sam. ‘‘Ms. Carrie Stacks performance in the Orozco garden, 2019.‘‘ South London Gallery, Accessed June 2020. https://www.southlondongallery.org/support-us/members/ •Fig. 29, p.68: 100Architects. ‘‘Red Planet‘‘ 100Architects Website, Accessed June 2020. https://100architects.com/project/the-red-planet/

To readers and to your persistent guidance, L & A.

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BRENTFORD AVENGERS AGAINST MR.M4

Post-Periphery: Brentford Re-Imagined Yuuki Noguchi Qiaoyi Wu Zhou Yu May 2020 Housing and Urbanism Architectural Association 36 Bedford Square London WC1B 3ES

轰！

I AM MR. M4!! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT POWER!!!

EAT THIS!!!

BOOM!!!

咣！ WE’RE GONNA RE-QUALIFY YOU!!!!!!

re-qualification of A4/M4

ドゴォン！！

WE MUST PREVENT HIM FROM BECOMING AN BARRIER!

WHO IS OUR BIGGEST “ENEMY“? HOW WOULD WE DEFEAT HIM?

10 URBAN CONDITION Brentford 20 ENSEMBLE OF TYPOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE Long Term Shed with Short Term Interior

'Architecture is the fiction of the real world' 56 RETHINKING SCIENCE AS CULTURE with Integrated Biomedical Clusters 86 COLLECTIVE HIGH Collective Living in Towers for Different Operators

Instead of a typical architectural monograph, this kind of graphic novel, using a narrative method, allows us to illustrate the conversational quality of life and process. It is the bridge between dreams and the concrete world. It hopes to stimulate the imagination and innovative thinking of what an architectural model could be and how it might transform the way in which the discipline approaches traffic infrastructure. Rather than an indifferent logistics line, the stance here transforms infrastructure into an armature working with the urban area complementarily to each other. Here, architecture is no longer a mere container with high standards, instead, it is a way of questioning for thinking together.

REQUALIFY THE LARGE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE FROM A LINE OF MOVEMENT INTO A THICKENED ARMATURE WITH HIGH QUALITY NEIGHBOURHOOD, BASED ON THE NOTION OF CLUSTER.

BRENTFORD A4/M4 CONNECTOR OR BARRIER?

CONNECTION WITH THE CENTRAL LONDON AND HEATHROW AIRPORT

GREY(TRAFFIC), GREEN(PARKS), BLUE(WATER) SYSTEM.

DIVERSITY OF THE POTENTIALS BUT COMPROMISED TOWARDS THE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE.

DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS HEADQUARTERS, UNIVERSITY, HOUSING, HAVE ALREADY SITUATED THEIR INVESTMENTS

WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE

MICRO-MOBILITY ESPECIALLY FOR N-S DIRECTION, IS “KILLED” BY THE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE 12

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” The exploration is the requalification of the A4/M4, the main artery in Brentford. Project-driven strategy, defined by the notion of an urban cluster, is the argument being made to unleash the potential of developing the large infrastructure in novel ways. Brentford is well connected by the A4/M4 Highways and the railway, all the way from the central London to the Heathrow Airport. Three major green areas and the crossing Thames artery are interwoven with transportation networks, providing great access to the tremendous natural resource. If we look at the urban fabric in Brentford, one thing we could find is that most of the current residential fabric adjacent to the A4/M4 is just compromising to the infrastructures. Micro mobilities, especially to the north-south direction, are segregated by the infrastructures and do not take advantage of the condition. Some of the distinctive development sites are mostly concentrated along the strip, where is called “Great West Corridor” between the A4/M4 and the railway. The southern and northern part of it is mostly dominated by subtle and loose grids, and the left-over Victorian housing type which we can argue that it could provide cheaper land cost to the future investments. We can also see that some companies, institutions, and colleges have been attracted by the potentials it currently has and begin to situate their investments here. Also, the growing housing development indicates a lifestyle which is entangled with the nature.

REQULIFICATION OF A4/M4

THE IDEA IS FOR CLUSTERED DEVELOPMENT FOR CORPORATIVE HEADQUARTERS, THE NEW RESEARCH BUILDINGS, AND COLLECTIVE LIVING INTEGRATED BY A GREEN LANDSCAPE ALONG THE INFRASTRUCTURE 18

“SURRENDER! M4! EAT THIS! INTELLIGENT ASSEMBLAGE!”

ENSEMBLE OF TYPOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE Long Term Shed with Short Term interior

“ W H AT A N E M I N E N T AREA WITH AN UNUSUAL URBAN CONTEXT!!!” “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

A MEANINGFUL TRIANGULAR SITE IN TERMS OF ITS LOCALITY AND CONTEXT. IT LIES BETWEEN THE A4/M4 AND THE RAILWAY LINE

BRENTFORD STATION IS INCREASINGLY DISAPPEARING IN THE URBAN FABRIC WITH NO LEGIBILITY TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL MOVEMENT 22

UPGRADED BICYCLE LANE HAS FILLED THE GAP OF MOVING SPEEDS TO SOME EXTENT, BUT WE NEED MORE IMPROVEMENTS

Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old stations are dissolving in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s street face, while the new ones are conceived as containers and integrated within a commercial environment.

New roles of infrastructures: parking structures are being reconsidered in terms of accessibility and adaptability. They are now being conceived as civic centres.

26 Guys I am up here! I am parking my car, I will be down there in 5min!! OR there is a café shop and excellent talk show, would you like to come up and check out ?

NO! We just get off the train, I want basket ball first!!

Honey, harry up, we have to catch up with the talk show, even though it is gonna take us 5min walk to the “station HALL”, still we are running late.

“I AM A NEW ONE!!! LET US HAND IN HAND!!!”

A SCENARIO OF DYNAMIC ASSEMBLAGE. ELABORATING MULTI-ORIENTATIONAL AND MULTI-LAYERED MOBILITY. “HMMMM, INTERESTING! A STATION BUILDING COULD BEGIN TO MAKE CROSSOVERS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA AND THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT WHICH HAS BEEN SEGREGATED BY THE RAILWAY THICKENED GROUND BECOMES A STRATEGY FOR CONNECTION.” 27

PARKING SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWING INTENSITY OF THE FUTURE ACTORS

EVENT-LED APPROACH ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTENT 28

AN ADAPTABLE SPACE FOR THE SURROUNDING STAKEHOLDERS.

CAN YOU IMAGINE WE CAN DO SPORTS, ARTS, SHOWS, SO MANY THINGS IN A STATION? IT IS A NEW STATION, AND IT IS NO LONGER A PLACE FOR “GO”, BUT A PLACE FOR “STAY“!!!

MULTI-LAYERED LANDSCAPE

AS A MULTI- LAYERED LANDSCAPE, NOT ONLY IT WOULD WORK WITHIN THE BUILDING, BUT ALSO TO THE LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURROUNDING ACTORS, WHICH IT WOULD START THE DISCUSSION TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDER URBAN AREA. 30

UNUSUAL CONDITION Along with those information and questions, we look at an eminent area with an unusual urban context. When we zoom into the urban fabric, we can find a meaningful triangular site in terms of its locality and context. It lies between the A4/M4 and the railway line and it is isolated by them. Even though we notice that an upgraded bicycle lane has filled the gap of moving speeds to some extent, but still the micro mobility underneath the M4 is under-performing because of the segregation made by the infrastructures. Only when coming closer we can find the existence of the Brentford station, which is situated in the condition of disappearing in the urban fabric with no legibility to encourage local-scale movements. STATION BUILDINGS AND ? A set of typical station buildings in London shows different problems; the old ones are dissolving in the city’s street face and they have been a single type since so long ago, doing nothing to enhance urban civic value. However, the new ones show differences. Some of them work as containers, integrated within commercial environment. According to the observation, one of our explorations is trying to start to question on and challenge what and how the station buildings are doing currently to see whether we can add them a wider influence on the local one’s everyday life. RECONSIDERATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE Instead of being a functional container of a waiting room and shopping space, is there other choice? Some exemplars tell about the new roles of infrastructures; a parking structure which has been reconsidered in terms of the accessibility and adaptability is one of them.

“SCENARIOS” 32

NEW TYPE OF STATION BUILDING Those practices can be typological starting points that A station building could begin to make crossovers within the study area and the coexisting context which were segregated by the railway line as a connector by being a thicken ground. Not only could it provide the parking space to accommodate the growing intensity of the future actors, but also it will accommodate the spaces for sports, arts, shows, retails, and so forth, to provide an adaptable space for the surrounding stakeholders. What is more, as a multi-layered landscape, it would work not only within the building, but also to the levels that associated with the surrounding actors, Which it would start the discussion towards the development of wider urban areas. There is a rich set of possibilities in terms of programmatic scenarios, so the following question would be ‘whether can we use a typological starting point to conceive more possibilities?’. 33

A CERTAIN QUANTUM WOULD BE ENGAGED TO TAKE THE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY. ONE WAY TO IMAGINE IS THAT THIS LOCATION IS AN ATTRACTIVE SITE FOR A NEW HQ FOR BIG COMPANIES. IF SO, WHAT WOULD IT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW WOULD WE IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD WORKING NOT ONLY FOR A SINGLE OCCUPIER, BUT IT MIGHT BECOME INTEGRATOR THAT WOULD INSPIRE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS

Companies have been trying to push the boundaries to deal with the future uncertainty. If we look at their HQs, We could find different stakeholders like working, researching, retail, cultural space, even residential are juxtaposing with each other, establishing a more diverse, talent based synergies among the HQ community.

45M

55M

30M

22M

17M

15M

What kind of certain type can be more adaptable to deal with uncertainty? A set of diagrammatic interpretations are inspiring us to think about their flexibility to accommodate different kinds of occupiers, like office, research facilities, housing. When it comes to the question of a home for companies, we can imagine that a number of individual units, as a kind of prototype, begin to connect with each other in a certain way, to allow us to think about its typological opportunities, to be adaptable to the transformation of the inner content. How to connect them? One way to imagine is the Talling Town Centre project, which allows us to think about what if we take those intelligent units as component, then connect them side by side, by doing which, we can get a set of the grouping and regrouping potentials to accommodate the unexpected collaboration demands.

A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL UNITS, AS A KIND OF PROTOTYPE, BEGIN TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER IN A CERTAIN WAY TO ALLOW US TO THINK ABOUT ITS TYPOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ADAPTABLE TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE INNER CONTENT. 42

DIFFERENT PROGRAMMATIC SCENARIOS IN DIFFERENT UNITS!! COLLABORATION AND AUTONOMIES WITHIN OR ACROSS THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS!! VARIOUS TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS!!

A NEW ‘HOME‘ COULD BE SUITABLE FOR USERS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UNKNOWN AND EVEN WITHOUT ANY FINAL DECISION ON BOARD!! 44

QUANTUM ENGAGEMENT AND SYNERGIES Development around the event-led infrastructure, a certain urban quantum would be engaged to take advantage of opportunities. One way to imagine is that this location is an attractive site for a new headquarters for big companies. If so, what would it look like and how would we imagine that it would work not only for a single occupier but for new partnerships of plural occupiers? In recent decades, some companies have been trying to transcend the boundaries to deal with the future uncertainty. When we look at their headquarters, we could notice that different stakeholders such as working, researching, retails, cultural space, and even residences are juxtaposing with each other, establishing a more diverse and talentbased type of synergies in the headquarters community. NEW HOME WITH TYPOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES What kind of type can be more adaptable to deal with uncertainty? A set of the diagrammatic interpretation is inspiring us to think about their adaptability to accommodate different kinds of occupiers such as offices, laboratories, residences, and so forth. When it comes to the question of ‘a home for companies’, we can imagine that a number of individual units, with typological intelligence, as a kind of prototype, begin to connect with each other in a certain way to allow us to think about its typological opportunities to be adaptable to the transformation of the inner content. One way to do is like what Talling Town Hall Project is doing. It allows us to think about what if we take those intelligent units as component and connect them side by side, so we can obtain a set of grouping and regrouping potentials to deal with unexpected collaboration demands. Through this speculative design experiment, you can argue that this new ‘home‘ could be suitable for users which is currently unknown and even without any final decision on board. Therefore, the project can be a diagram, providing different programmatic scenarios in different units. It allows us to think about the collaboration and autonomies within or across the individual components, which can accommodate various types of partnerships.

IMPROVED TRANSPARENCY AND PERMEABILITY WOULD BEGIN TO PROVIDE ATTRACTION AND EVENT SPACES AND ACTIVATE THE MOBILITY THROUGH NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION.

THE CITY FRONTAGE UNDERSIDE THE M4 WOULD ALSO BE CHANGED.

48 49

I CYCLED HERE ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTHERN “HIGH STREET” JUST WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW THEY PLACE “EUDAEMONIA” UNDERSIDE THIS BIG MONSTER!!

WOW!! IS THIS “BRENTFORD” THAT I USED TO KNOW??

TRAVEL ALONG THE M4 FROM THE HEATHROW AIRPORT, THIS AREA IS THE FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH LONDON FROM THE WEST. WE CAN ALSO REGARD THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK OF CREATING A WELCOMING AND HIGH-QUALITY FRONTAGE TO PROVIDE BRENTFORD WITH A DISTINCT IDENTITY AND AN IMAGE BOTH BENEFITS FOR THE LOCALITY AND LEGIBILITY.

IMPROVED ATTRACTION AND SPATIAL SEQUENCE. FURTHER ENCOURAGING TRANSITION OF THE MOVEMENT FROM ‘A HIGHER SPEED OF THE M4’ TO ‘A LOWER SPEED INTO THE URBAN FABRIC’. 52

THAT WAS CLOSE! WHAT AN ”INTELLIGENT ASSEMBLAGE”! YOU’RE STRONG, BUT WHEN I SNAP MY FINGERS, YOU’RE ALL GONE!

RETHINKING SCIENCE AS CULTURE with Integrated Biomedical Clusters

“I NEED A BREAK.”

“WHAT ABOUT A TYPICAL URBAN CONDITION?”

WE’RE NOT DONE YET. WE HAVE A SECOND OFFENSIVE!!!

SCIENCE

AS CULTURE

We could notice that there is a trend about the emphasis of biomedical economy, aiming to enhance public understanding of health and well-being. New types of cultural buildings based on the notion of the synergy between science and art are emerging, such as the Wellcome Collection, which facilitates the interdisciplinary dialogue between scientific researchers, artists, and local communities in a ground-breaking way. The crossover between science and art generates new ways of thinking and practice to our everyday life and changes the way in which we are working, living, and learning.

BIOMEDICAL CLUSTER

WHAT IF WE WERE TO IMAGINE THAT THE INVESTMENT OF BIO-ECONOMY WILL DRIVE THE TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN AREA, THEN WHAT KINDS OF FACILITY AND ORGANIZATION WILL BE BROUGHT INTO THIS AREA?

ALTHOUGH LABORATORY BUILDINGS ARE NORMALLY CONCEIVED AS A PART OF AN ISOLATED UNIVERSITY C A M P U S , W H AT I F I T W A S I N PROXIMIT Y TO THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURHOOD? 60

I AM STILL HERE!!! TASTE THE SEVERANCE!!

NO MATTER WE WALK ALONG OR ACROSS THE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN FEEL THAT “SEVERANCE” IN THE AIR!!

BECAUSE OF THE SEVERANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE LARGE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURES, THESE DEEP BLOCKS MIGHT GIVE US SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO RETHINK THE BLOCK AS A UNITY.

COULD WE USE THE NOTION OF CLUSTER AS A WAY TO BUILD UP THE SENSE OF INTEGRITY AND THE SYNERGY BETWEEN RESEARCH AND DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT?

“CAN URBAN FRONTAGE BE AN INTEGRATOR?”

GOOD JOB!!! THE CULTURAL INSTITUTION GENERATES A VIBRANT INTERFACE BETWEEN THE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL FABRIC AND RESEARCH BUILDINGS, WHICH IS MORE THAN A LEISURE AND RECREATION ENVIRONMENT BUT ALSO LEARNING AND PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT.

HOW COULD WE DEFINE A CENTRAL ELEMENT WITHIN A CLUSTER? IT COULD BE MULTI-SIDED IN ORDER TO ORGANIZE THE LIFE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE BLOCK AND ALSO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO A GOOD PATTERN OF NEIGHBORLINESS TO THE CONDITION. 70

DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICE WILL ENCOURAGE MICRO MOBILITY TOWARDS THE DEPTH OF BLOCKS, WHICH COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE OVERALL MOBILITY STRUCTURE TO A WIDER URBAN AREA. 72

What might the residential building types associated with certain intensification be in order to transform the way in which the peripheral area currently works? What is the future form of living within this biomedical cluster? It might have an emphasis on collective living for a more participatory neighbourhood.

DUALITY OF FRONTAGE

MULTI-ORIENTATIONAL INTEGRATION

RESEARCH BUILDINGS GENERATE A LINEAR CONDITION TOWARDS THE M4 HIGHWAY WHICH ACTS AS A BUFFER FOR THE RESIDENTIAL AREA BEHIND, AND SUGGESTS A CONSISTENT RESPONSE TO THE NEW URBAN PARK AND CONTINUITY TO THE EXISTING URBAN FABRIC. 76

REGROUPING OPPORTUNITIES

WITH A SCENARIO OF PROGRAMMATIC OFFERS, THE RESEARCH BUILDING IS NO LONGER STANDING ALONE. INSTEAD, IT COULD BE OPENED AND INTEGRATED TO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE AS A FORM OF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION AND SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR THE WIDER AREA. COLLABORATION AND OPEN DIALOGUE BETWEEN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES IS WHAT NOW VALUED. 78

REQULIFICATION OF URBAN FRONTAGE

I RESPECT YOUR EFFORTS, BUT I STILL HOLD MY NORTH!!! NOTHING HAPPENED ACROSS THE INFRASTRUCTURE!!! YET!!

THE QUESTION IS TO RETHINK THE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE GOING TO BUILD ALONG THE LARGE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURES. INSTEAD OF T WO-STOREY HOUSING AT THE MOMENT, WHAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IS THE NOTION OF INTENSIFICATION. 80

SCIENCE AS CULTURE We could notice that there is a trend about the emphasis of biomedical economy, aiming to enhance public understanding of health and well-being. New types of cultural buildings based on the notion of the synergy between science and art are emerging, such as Wellcome Collection, which facilitates the interdisciplinary dialogue between scientific researchers, artists, and local communities in a ground-breaking way. The crossover between science and art generates new ways of thinking and practice to our everyday life and changes the way in which we are working, living, and learning.

DEPTH OF BLOCK In addition, not only the question about street life, what we need to think about is how to cultivate new ways of life towards the depth of block. How could a central element within a cluster scheme be multi-sided in order to organise the life of the interior of the block and also could contribute to prompt a good pattern of neighbourliness? Therefore, the cultural institution generates a vibrant interface between the existing residential fabric and research buildings, which is more than a leisure and recreation environment but also learning and production environment.

BIOMEDICAL CLUSTER What if we imagine that the investment of bio-economy will drive the transformation of an urban area? What kinds of facility and organisation will be brought into this area? Although laboratory buildings are normally conceived as a part of a university campus, what if it is in proximity to the immediate neighbourhood?

SPATIAL ORGANISATION The organization of the block in terms of their orientation, frontage, and distribution of service will encourage micro mobility towards the depth of blocks, which could have a significant effect on the overall mobility structure to a wider urban area.

NOTION OF CLUSTER The crossover between residential fabric and research facilities not only is based on spatial composition but also needs thinking through a question how to distribute knowledge to our everyday life. This indicates that the idea of cluster starts to use smaller and interrelated elements in order to create a sense of integration among these elements but also a sense of variation to each element. Underlying the notion of cluster, what matters is the relationship between the parts and the whole, which allows us to think about not only how each element could work in relation to others but also the way in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Therefore, the cultural institution associated with research and outreach activities in the middle of the cluster, mediating as transitional buildings between the existing residential fabric and research buildings, contributes to the synergy between civic life and research environment.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT What might the residential building types associated with certain intensification be in order to transform the way in which the peripheral area currently works? What is the future form of living within this biomedical cluster? It might have an emphasis on collective living towards a participative neighbourhood. DUALITY OF FRONTAGE When we look at the frontality to the surrounding, the research buildings generate a linear condition towards the M4 highway which acts as a buffer for the residential area behind, and also creating a consistent response to the new urban park and continuity to the existing urban fabric. By the contrast, the dispersal of residential block creates a soft edge to the railway line and establishes a sequence of open space, which is organised based on nodes of activity to allow the possibility of defining a slow cityscape.

RESTRUCTURE BLOCK SYSTEM Because of the severance associated with these large traffic infrastructures, these deep blocks might give us some opportunities to rethink the block in a unity. Could we use the notion of cluster as a way to build up the sense of integrity and the synergy between researching and living environment?

KNOWLEDGE BUILDING When we zoom into one of the research buildings along the infrastructure, with a scenario of programmatic offers, it is no longer standing alone, instead, as a way of knowledge production, it could be integrated to our everyday life. The laboratory building is no longer conceived as a separated building trying to protect their privacy and intelligence property, however, they begin to promote collaboration and open dialogue between different disciplines.

URBAN FRONTAGE If we were going to restructure the whole block, one way to look at it is to rethink the edges along the highway, the notion of frontage towards infrastructure is what we are going to consider at first. In the way of multiplication of a ground plane, the thickened ground and roof terrace could deliver the extension of public realm and continuity of the urban fabric. In this sense, the building is not standing alone, but could be seen as a continuity of activities in the city.

CONCLUSION The knowledge cluster could act as a redefinition of an armature not only for the intimate scale to the immediate neighbours but also for the next generation of knowledge production and distribution of learning facilities on a regional scale. In this way, this knowledge neighbourhood becomes an integrator of the urban tissue and a catalyst for regeneration of the peripheral area.

WE’LL SEE!!!

COLLECTIVE HIGH Collective Living in Towers for Different Operators

“WHAT IS GOING TO BE ON THE OPPSITE SIDE OF THE A4?”

SURRENDER,YOU CAN NOT WIN US!!! I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR NORTH PART!!

MEOW!!!

CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCVNT

‘SMALL THINGS FLOURISH BY CONCORD‘ THE FABRIC WAS WIDELY SEVERED AND LAID ON DOWN ON THE GROUND WITH SILENCE GETTING CLOSE TO IT, I NOTICED THAT IT WAS COVERED WITH A QUESTION: ‘WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I RESPOND TO ONCE BROUGHT DISMEMBERMENT UPON MY BODY?’

IT VISUALISES THE POSSIBILITY OF RECOMPOSITION OF THE URBAN FABRICâ&#x20AC;¦

ACCORDING TO THE PROXIMITY OF INFRASTRUCTURES AND THE EXISTING MORPHOLOGICAL CONSISTENCY 90

AS FOR MOBILITY SYSTEM, THE GREY SHOWS THE EXISTING PERMEATION VECTORS AND THE BLUE SHOWS POSSIBLE MICRO-MOBILITIES BASED ON THE CURRENT PERMEATION.

WHAT IS THE TRUE POTENTIAL OF THE MOBILITY SYSTEM? THE SHARING OF SERVICES WHICH ARE RATHER LOCALLY-ORIENTED CAN BE COMPLEMENTARY TO WHAT THE EXISTING GREEN PARKS CONTRIBUTE TO THE AREA. THE ILLUSTRATION OF PERMEATION SHOWS AN EXTRACTION OF NORTH TO SOUTH DIRECTION AND REVEALS AN IRREGULARLY PARCELISED URBAN FABRIC.

THE QUESTION IS THEN, HOW COULD THE NORTH-SOUTH PERMEATION BE RECOVERED BEYOND THE INFRASTRUCTURES? ONE POSSIBLE ANSWER IS THE ENHANCEMENT OF MICRO-MOBILITIES WITHIN THE AREA TO COMPLEMENT TO THE LARGE-SCALE INFRASTRUCTURES PENETRATING HER AND CONNECTING TO THE GREATER AREAS. 92

THIS ENABLES US TO THINK OF REDEFINING THE FABRIC AS SUCCESSIVE REPETITIONS IN PERTURBATION ALONG THE INFRASTRUCTURES. 93

A LINEAR GEOMETRY JUST ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE M4 FLYOVER BETWEEN TWO MAJOR GREEN AREAS IS ONE OF THE STUDY AREAS... IT COULD BE USED TO NEUTRALISE THE DETERIORATED LIVING QUALITY AND FORM CONTINUITY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TO ACCOMMODATE SERVICES AND NEW PERMEATION.

ALSO, THE STUDY AREA AND THE NEW PERMEATION ENCOURAGE THE REPLACEMENT OF CARS WITH BICYCLES AND OTHER LASTMILE TRANSPORTATION MEASURES, SO THE EMERGING NEW WAYS OF MOBILITY SYSTEMS ARE ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF CHANGE. SMALL GREEN AREAS COULD BE AN EXTENSION OF LARGE ONES TO PROVIDE WELL-SERVICED ENVIRONMENTS AS COMPENSATION TO THE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL CONDITION. 94

THE AREA OF STUDY IS ONE OF THE PARCELS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK.

WE CAN HYPOTHESISE A POSITIVE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT OF A COMBINATION OF TOWERS AND A PARK WITH AN INTERMEDIATE PLINTH.

IF THE MINIMUM URBAN GRAIN PRODUCES THE MAXIMUM EFFECT, AN ACUPUNCTURAL APPROACH WOULD BE THE MOST EFFICIENT MODEL FOR THE REQUALIFICATION OF THE RESIDENTIAL FABRIC AND THE INFRASTRUCTURES ALONG IT.

THE PARK AND THE PLINTH ARE COMPOSED IN A FORM OF PERMEABLE LANDSCAPE IN RELATION TO ITS CONTEXT. 96

Marco Polo Tower (Germany, 2010)

How can we establish collective living in towers? Could it be based on a trajectory which has pursued the intersection of economic efficiency and richness of diversity and orientation? Marco Polo Tower is one of the starting points to struggle with the matter of this intersection by increasing area of floorplates, elaboration of unique terraces and room composition, and maximised views. 98

For a New Collective Living in Towers

Not only are different functions conjoined in one form but also different operators such as PRS (Private Rented Sector) and key worker accommodations including short-term rental come together in different towers on the same plinth. The peripheral condition as opposed to Central London allows us to design buildings not only by the typical understanding of economic efficiency but by a strategy which prompts different operators to work together, providing diverse layouts of collective living. 99

IF COLLECTIVE LIVING IS ORGANISED IN A TOWER, HOW WILL IT BE VALUABLE FOR ACTORS, OPERATORS, INFRASTRUCTURES, AND URBANITY?

THE PLAN MAKES MUCH OF DIVERSITY IN EACH FLOOR TO ENCOURAGE NEW COLLECTIVE LIVING TO EMERGE, WHICH IS ORGANISED BY DIFFERENT OPERATORS.

THINKING TYPICALLY, HIGHER FLOORS ARE A COMMERCIAL AND LUXURIOUS ENDEAVOUR ALLOCATED TO THE WEALTHY AND THUS RELIES ON CONVENTIONAL DESIGN THINKING. ELABORATION ON DIFFERENCES IN FLOORPLANS IS REGARDED AS GOING AGAINST ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY IN GENERAL. THIS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED IN THE PERIPHERY. 100

IT IS A NEW FORM OF DOMESTICITY WHICH DIVERSIFIES THE MEANING OF COMMUNITY AND CO-LIVING, KEEPING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD RELATIONSHIP FLEXIBLE. 101

Westminster College (UK, 2011)

The campus of Westminster College is referred as the case study for the plinth of the towers to be shared by occupiers of the tower residences and the locals. The diagram shows the plinth which can provide different kinds of services of various dimensions through the entanglement of movement lines.

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THE PLINTH IS A CONTINUUM OF THE PERVASIVE LANDSCAPE AS A THICKENED GROUND, IT FORMS AN UNEVEN SURFACE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURES.

IT ENCOURAGES NORTH-SOUTH PERMEATION BY THE SERVICES WHICH CAN BE SHARED WITH THE WIDER URBAN AREA. 104

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SERVICES IN THE PLINTH AND GREEN ENVIRONMENT ARE PROVIDED NOT ONLY FOR THE TOWER BUT FOR THE AREA TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH. TO THE SOUTH, THEY ENHANCE INTERCONNECTION ACROSS THE FLYOVER AND THE MOTORWAY. TO THE NORTH, THEYÂ CREATE A NEW FRONTALITY WITH EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AREA.

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Park am Gleisdreieck (Germany, 2013)

Burgess Park (UK, 2012)

Learning from precedents, it can be said that urban parks have become more and more polysemic.

Burgess Park is an exemplar to build service facilities within a park, showing a shifting attitude from regarding parks as intact green space.

In terms of scale, Park am Gleisdreieck situates itself in a conjunction of infrastructures and utilises them to hold inter-city scale events and activities in it as well as local services by entangled with the infrastructures. This project is not only for the redevelopment of the area but requalification of the infrastructure.

In recent years, urban parks have become places to positively activate production of differences rather than unifying differences in homogeneity. The park and the plinth in the proposition also work as a reactor of differences with services shared by the residents of the towers and various neighbourhoods.

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WHEN AN URBAN CORRIDOR ALONG THE A4/M4 BECOMES A SCENE OF EXPLORATION OF NEW DOMESTICITY, IT WOULD ALSO TRIGGER CORRESPONDENT URBAN TRANSFORMATION AROUND IT. 112

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Starting from a concern about the severance of the urban fabric in Brentford caused by the infrastructures, visualisation of the proximity of infrastructures and the existing morphological consistency shows the possibility of recomposition of the urban fabric. The question is then, how could the north-south permeation be recovered beyond the infrastructures? In the place like Brentford, what is the true potential of the mobility system? One possible answer is the enhancement of micro-mobilities within the area to complement to the large-scale infrastructures penetrating her and connecting to the greater areas. The sharing of services which are rather locally-oriented can be complementary to what the existing green parks contribute to the area. An extraction of north to south direction reveals an irregularly parcelised urban fabric. It enables us to think of redefining the fabric as successive repetitions in perturbation along the infrastructures. A linear geometry just along the north side of the M4 flyover between two major green areas is one of the study areas. It could be used to neutralise the deteriorated living quality and form continuity from north to south to accommodate services and new permeation. Also, the study area and the new permeation encourage the replacement of cars with bicycles and other last-mile transportation measures, so the emerging new ways of mobility systems are one of the drivers of change. Small green areas could be an extension of large ones to provide well-serviced environments as compensation to the existing residential condition. The area of study is one of the parcels within the framework. If the minimum urban grain produces the maximum effect, an acupunctural approach would be the most efficient model for the requalification of the residential fabric and the infrastructures along it.

to see the relatively new morphologies have already appeared along the infrastructures but it can hardly contribute to north-south permeation in the area or provision of services for the surrounding fabric. We can hypothesise an updated residential environment which lies in a combination of towers and a park with an intermediate plinth, so the park and the plinth are composed in a form of permeable landscape as one. So, how can we establish collective living in towers? Could it be based on a trajectory which has pursued the intersection of economic efficiency and richness of diversity and orientation? Marco polo tower is one of the starting points to struggle with the matter of this intersection. In the tower, there seems to be a clear hierarchy of room sizes but it also makes much of diversity of rooms. The free room composition by minimising fixed load-bearing structure fits different types of households. The floorplates increase the size upwards for commercial price/area high coefficient and each balcony on a floor has a unique form and creates a buffer in response to the industrial building adjacent to it, at the same time, it maximises the views. Not only are different functions conjoined in one form but also different operators such as prs (private rented sector) and key worker accommodations including short-term rental come together in different towers on the same plinth. The peripheral condition as opposed to central london allows us to design buildings not only by the typical understanding of economic efficiency but by a strategy which prompts different operators to work together, providing diverse layouts of collective living. If collective living is organised in a tower, how will it be valuable for actors, operators, infrastructures, and urbanity?

In comparison, we can recognise a completely different morphology at the centre from the surroundings. Firstly, it allows us to manage and integrate adjacent differences in one consistent landscape.

Thinking typically, higher floors are a commercial and luxurious endeavour allocated to the wealthy and thus relies on conventional design thinking. Elaboration on differences in floorplans is regarded as going against economic efficiency in general. This can only be achieved in the periphery.

Secondly, the contrast of the speeds and the severed permeation which the adjacent infrastructures have brought about on the residential fabric are mitigated by the micro mobilities which the morphology in the study area helps to emerge. Thirdly, as an interface to the infrastructures, it is not simple alignment along them but waving so it can hold green space and small pavilions in various ways in the gap as a buffer zone. Compared to the surroundings, it is possible

The plan makes much of diversity in each floor to encourage new collective living to emerge, which is organised by different operators. It is a new form of domesticity which diversifies the meaning of community and co-living, keeping the neighbourhood relationship flexible. New relationships in neighbourhood require new services and it will be endless ignitions of generating new values and collaboration as long as the difference of occupiers is fluid and eminent, just as recent urban parks do.

The campus of Westminster College is referred as the case study for the plinth of the towers to be shared by occupiers of the tower residences and the locals. Different kinds of services of various dimensions are provided through the entanglement of movement lines. The plinth is a continuum of the pervasive landscape as a thickened ground, it forms an uneven surface to the infrastructures. It encourages north-south permeation by the services which can be shared with the wider urban area. Services in the plinth and green environment are provided not only for the towers but for the immediate and extended area to the north and south. To the south, they enhance interconnection across the motorway; to the north they create a new frontality to the existing residential area. Its surface area is increased and extroverted to activate the interface of this side. Learning from precedents, it can be said that urban parks have become more and more polysemic. In terms of scale, Park am Gleisdreieck situates itself in a conjunction of infrastructures and utilises them to hold inter-city scale events and activities in it as well as local services by entangled with the infrastructures. This project is not only for the redevelopment of the area but requalification of the infrastructure. Burgess Park is an exemplar to build service facilities within a park, showing a shifting attitude from regarding parks as intact green space. In recent years, urban parks have become places to positively activate production of differences rather than unifying differences in homogeneity. The park and the plinth in the proposition also work as a reactor of differences with services shared by the residents of the towers and various neighbourhoods. In conclusion, the road and motorway infrastructures obtained increased interralation with more permeable crossways. We do it by a partial emphasis on the more opened ground through a pervasive landscape strategy. The role which landscape plays here is enhancement in the system of circulation, micro mobility, and permeability across the A4/M4. When an urban corridor along the A4 in Brentford becomes a scene of exploration of new domesticity, it would trigger correspondent urban transformation as the sharing and collaboration go further and exteriorise itself as new buildings for working or researching.

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SMALL PARTS OF THE FABRIC WERE SEWN TOGETHER AND RETRIEVED ITS INTERNAL HARMONY AS IF IT WERE AN ORGANISM, EVEN WITH PATCHED TO A LARGER PICTURE. ‘ONE OF THE ANSWERS WAS HAPPILY GIVEN. WHAT ONCE SEVERED ME TURNED TO WHAT CONTINUES TO ENTANGLE ME WITH THE BROADER WORLD...’

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Few existing typological patterns are meaningful to be associated with the infrastructure. However, the notion of cluster based on the synergy of business and living/researching environment could generate stronger continuity than the existing terraced housing or clusters of sheds. We can imagine that the three projects based on the notion of cluster drive the transformation of the urban area, especially starting to requalify the infrastructures. In conclusion of the studies, we start to requalify the road and motorway infrastructures into more permeable crossways. We do it by a partial emphasis on the more opened ground through a pervasive landscape strategy. The role which landscape plays here is enhancement in the system of circulation, micro mobility and

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permeability across the A4/M4. There are a new set of cooperative laboratory buildings, instead of being confined boxes standing alone where companies only regard their privacy as the central quality. Instead, they start to prioritise their outdoor orientation as being central to their business success and prompt synergies between living and working to emerge. If this is the new vision, that is permeable and recreational, with environmental quality. Business are partners in the new environment, then the residential life of the area provided by different operators is supported and integrated into the success of the business community, towards a wider and eudaemonic neighbourhood.

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FINALLY!! MR.M4 WAS REBORN!!

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AND BEGIN TO BENEFIT THE CIVIC LIFE!!

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KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

CONTENTS

Post-Periphery: Brentford Re-Imagined Aayushi Rathi Rigo Ruta Xinrui Shirley Zhou May 2020 Housing and Urbanism Architectural Association 36 Bedford Square London WC1B 3ES

POST-PERIPHERAL REGENERATION

VOIDS AND VECTORS

COLLECTIVE OBJECT

XL CONTAINERS

Knowledge Production

Re-thinking Knowledge Space Building New Complexities

Assembling Collective Productivity

UNIVERSITIES

SCALE-UPS

ANCHOR CORPORATES

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

START-UPS

WORKSHOPS

INVESTORS

POST-PERIPHERAL REGENERATION: KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

EVENT SPACE

RESEARCH INSTITUTES

Knowledge-based industries desire urban values: co-location, diversity, accessibility to name a few. Anchor actors like hospitals, research institutes, and universities seek a ‘campus effect’. These anchors require the juxtaposition of a spectrum of smaller yet essential industries and individuals. This spectrum spurs opportunity, innovation, collaboration, talent retention, collective resources, and social capital. This trend of clustering proliferates multiplicity in knowledge-based workspace. Thus, there is a shift to flexible and adaptable working environments which are accessible and vibrant. Economic sustain-

LSE Centre, RSHP

HOSPITALS

ability and continuity is ensured by allowing use to shift over time. Dynamic and innovative cities like London are highly competitive. Knowledge industries are looking for competitive edge and identifiable environments. There is the need to both react to context but also create context. Brentford is a prime example of a post-peripheral environment which can produce urban values while providing the strategic qualities of a geography outside of the centre. The ‘Knowledge Campus’ concept is not a singular vision but as assemblage of propositional schemes which will demand further change in the post-peripheral environment. 5

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

The health and life sciences industry is worth ÂŁ70bn to the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. The country already possesses a world-leading pool of scientific talent and is one of the most productive globally. In order to continue growth, the industry not only needs space within cities to innovate at scale, but also increase the scope of knowledge production and innovation as the driver of urban prosperity in the age of greater automation, disruptive technologies, and global communication. Universities, medical centres, and research institutions are adjusting and adapting to new technologies, changing trends in working and methods of learning, and, most importantly, the increasing need for colocation of functions and people.

Sainsbury Laboratory, Stanton Williams

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

…LETS PARTICIPATE IN LONDON’S NEXT KNOWLEDGE CORRIDOR

GEOMETRY G R I D S G R A I N S

The urban analysis revealed the point at which the urban abruptly shifts into that of the peripheral. There is a stark contrast in size and strategy of highly differentiated block typologies: business parks, storage facilities, industrial clusters, and suburban tract housing are the primary formations. Each block type tends to work in its own interest with a logistical bias and do little to inform each other in productive ways. There seems to be a disregard for meaningful relationships to the River Brent and surrounding natural clusters. This is largely due to the intensity of the convergence of infrastructural vectors. Thus, morphologies have increasingly severed themselves over time The intersection of the River Brent with the A4 motorway becomes a crucial site of investigation to produce new approaches to the post-peripheral condition. 10

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

GEOGRAPHY

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

There is clear conflict in the urban form between the rigid isolated object and the natural condition. How can there be a more consistent attitude toward geography, geometry, grids, and grain? How can vision and framework guide a set of strategies to define the post-periphery? Ultimately, how does the peripheral become urban?

V O I D S R H Y T H M VARIATIONS This intersection reveals two primary conditions. The first is a relatively consistent set of parcels between the A4/M4 and the railway. It is currently inhabited by low-value storage facilities, office buildings, car dealerships, and big-box stores all designed around vehicular accessibility. There is potential to establish a consistent strategy which defines and shifts these difficult infrastructures with an urban attitude. The second condition is defined by the curves of the River Brent and a defunct linear railroad on a northwest trajectory. This condition has been appropriated over time by different forms of industrial production. From this general condition, two more patterns emerge between the lines. One is the compressed sections which form irregular sites and the other are expansive rhythmic sections of geography. The three conditions identified offer potential for three distinct spatial strategies which maintain similar values. All three address the current condition of isolated use in large morphologies by injecting considered collective strategy while maintaining the productive ethos of the region. This new economy is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Knowledge Productionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; where both economic and social capital are equally important in the post-peripheral condition. 14

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

CONTINUITY

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

20m

30m 65m

30m

55m

VOIDS AND

70m

40m

VECTORS: RE-THINKING KNOWLEDGE SPACE

60m 30m

30m 80m

50m

80m

30m

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

1 3

2 4

1. LSE Centre, RSHP 2. Wohnprojekt, Einszueins Architektur 3.Researcher's Residential, Bruther 4. Yellow Building, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris 5. Donnelly CCBR, Behnisch Architekten

Knowledge buildings nowadays are exhibiting various typological similarities with collective living environment, as both are appreciated by a positive attitude towards cross-disciplinary collaborations, an idea of sharing and learning. It is more permeable throughout space, adapting the spatial strategies which engaging the city from the interior. The floorplan dimensions have the potential to accommodate different types of tenants. The flexibility of the size makes it easily adaptable

with life science, academia, or business characteristics under one envelope through different layouts. The section diagrams and imager y describe the potential to offer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unprogrammedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spaces, the voids inside the building, which is characterized by its publicity in a way unlimited itself to its own inhabitants or user groups. Implanted voids create a series of urban interfaces such as auditoriums, re a d i n g e n v i ro n m e n t s , c o ff e e spaces that blur the distinction between building and context.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

How does long-term vision engage with short term development? What attitude is needed to address flexibility and adaptability into the future? An integration of living, working, and learning environments is conceivable through the emergence of the new types of knowledge building. As the starting point of transforming Brentford along the A4, the proposition perceives long-term vision from day one while taking a critical attitude during the early stage of development.

S i t u a t e d o n a c u r re n t l y s e v e re d site, the building is built beyond its envelope, claiming a dynamic interior which is able to interweave with city. The voids within the building also belongs to the exterior cityscape as continuity of urban vectors. Instead of being defined by the A4 and the railway, the voids enable the building to re-qualify its architectural role as a larger polyvalent mobility system.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

The sequential development ensures a certain build quality from day one. Typological innovations will be assembled as a campus and will diversify the urban performance of the condition between the railway and the A4.

The strategy diminishes the dominance of the intensity of its condition and instead w i l l e m p h a s i z e a n i n n e rcity environment defined by complex inter faces where the city benefits from its g r o u n d f l o o r. T h e p r o j e c t driven attitude allows for the accumulation of urban benefit over time and will re-qualify the extremely difficult condition into one that is highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

COLLECTIVE OBJECT BUILDING NEW COMPLEXITIES In contemporary times, the collective and co-located way of life is valued for creation of integrated urban environments. This shift provides wider urban benefits as they promote density, intensification, and supports mobility systems and services. Thinking of colocating working and living environments, this collective way of life has to be thought of at all scales of development, from individual dwellings to buildings assemblages

Interior Sketch, BEIC Competition, Bolles+Wilson

to urban neighbourhoods. If architecture defines the spatial reality of collective society, a design-led strategy is required. Can we re-think large building as a collective object that acts as an integrator of isolated morphological zones and landscapes of urban peripheries through size? Bigness brings together complex partnerships and synergies, different actors and users, and supports new models of association.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

1 2

LEFT: 1. Transitlager, BIG 2. Titan Integrity Campus, Mindspace 3-6. BLOX, OMA TOP: 1. Transitlager, BIG 2. BLOX, OMA 3. Titan Integrity Campus, Mindspace

The periphery is marked by consistent morphological settings of mono-functional industrial blocks, isolated housing estates and natural landscapes. These all exist in close proximity, yet do not interact productively. To envision large peripheral yet integrated environments, extending morphologies doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, something new has to be introduced that integrates the territory. Rather than looking at horizontal, zonal integration, what if we look at them as a vertical whole? The large building is a clear

reaction against the existing post-industrial morphology. Instead of existing in emptiness and isolation, building strategy demands new partnerships and generates complexity and richness that acknowledges the greater area. Instead of following a masterplan approach, novel and unique typologies allow small structures to stand alongside the large. The intent is to regenerate the industrial fabric with novel distinctiveness in both typology and substance, creating a more dynamic urbanity.

“...a series of ambigous and composite buildings, urban megastructures if need be, that oscillates between active and passive behaviour, buildings that collaborate and strenuously assert, and are capable of every possible local accommodation.’’ - Colin Rowe

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

…LETS TRANSFORM THE POSTPERIPHERAL THROUGH LARGE ELEMENTS WHILE EXPRESSING EXISTING MORPHOLOGY

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

In peripheral geography, the intersection of natural infrastructure with the urban grid creates remarkable irregular sites. Clustered behind the transport infrastructure and less used waterways, these irregularly shaped sites are large and connect to nature on one face and to the city blocks on the others. Can we think ambitiously of these sites as carrying the potential to integrate these highly severed peripheries? Precedents like Blox, Copenhagen, 30

and Titan Township depict how the large building interacts with different infrastructural severances on site and by virtue of its size, the building responds to the context in ways where it acts as an integrator. In case of Deptford, the introduction of housing over a railway viaduct requalifies the infrastructure as marketplace. This led to a positive regeneration that allowed for the presence of private domestic life close to the public realm. 31

BIGNESS A

COMPLEXITY

Size matters. The size of the building allows the creation of interiorized urbanity. Permeability through strategic atrium-like central spaces of a building establishes a multi-layered ground which can serve the wider community. The deeper floorplate juxtaposes living, working, and learning with different spatial qualities. It allows various attitudes on elevations toward landscape and artificial infrastructure, with a diverse response to its immediate surroundings. In Brentford, by locating a large building at the key site, it anchors the dominant vectors in the area. The building connects to nature on one side and to the city blocks on the other. This creates an unique environment that integrates and situates the research and housing facilities with landscape and urban grid.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead of enforcing coexistence, Bigness depends on regimes of freedoms, the assembly of maximum differenceâ&#x20AC;? -Rem Koolhaas

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

“...rather than hoping and waiting for the withering away of the object, it might be judicious, in most cases, to allow and encourage the object to become digested in a prevalent texture or matrix.’’ - Colin Rowe

BY INTRODUCING NETWORKS OF TARGETED UNIQUE PROJECTS INTERVENTIONS ON STRATEGIC SITES OF MORPHOLOGICAL TRANSITIONS, THESE INTERVENTIONS WILL CREATE NUCLEI FOR THE INTEGRATION OF PERIPHERAL TERRITORY AND CREATING NEIGHBOURHOODS SUPPORTING SHARED AND COLLECTIVE WAYS OF LIFE

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

XL CONTAINERS: ASSEMBLING COLLECTIVE PRODUCTIVITY

The vision is to reinstate Brentford's employment lands along the river as a positively dominant feature in the landscape. It proposes a reimagination of the extended sections of the Riparian system by condensing diversity into linear elements while freeing up the canalside for civically-driven event structures. Despite the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special canalside location, it has been scarred by various forms of industry over its history, creating severance in the urban fabric. The intent is to establish a feeling of belonging in the periphery, in that which has been severed. Diversity will be treated as a single decision making process and acts as

Interior View, LocHal Library, CIVIC Architects

the new order. With this, consolidation of diversity into containers and onto platforms becomes the strategy. The perspective is that wellness is prescribed by a productive and enriching way of life defined by multiplicity. Different ways of life must be admitted in this new urbanity. The development scheme uses three mechanisms in cohesion to drive significant change: mega-structure as primary element, shed as event structure, and collective living as pioneer community. This are the three tools to create the cultural shift required in such a landscape. It demands a collective effort across scales.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

2 3

5 1. Here East, Hawkins/Brown 2. EntrepĂ´t Macdonald, OMA 3. MFO Park, Raderschall 4. LocHal Library, CIVIC architects 5. Together! Exhibition, Vitra Design Museum

The role of mega-structures and big sheds are returning as potential strategies to address post-peripheral environments in order to achieve intensification, co-location of diverse actors, and the creation of new ways of life. Recent achievements like Here East and EntrepĂ´t Macdonald show that mega-structure through mega-assemblage can be an achievable developmental scheme. The results are robust and diverse collective ecosystems. Trends in adaptive re-

use inject civic function into existing frames to allow individuals to engage in personal improvement and wellbeing through event-based urbanism. The concepts from all the exemplars are spatial and developmental strategies that can be applied to form new wholes. Thus, the strategy is multifaceted and flexible, allowing structures and sites to maximize potential when demanded. Novel partnerships are invited to engage in assembling the post-peripheral condition. 39

L E N G T H A

LANDSCAPE

The proposed block concept learns from the existing morphologies - remnants of various industrial patterns - and stratifies the post-industrial context into sets of floorplates which are distinct yet linked. The intent is thus to invite progressive industries who desire co-existence within a single envelope to partake in the development scheme early on. Floorplate flexibility will allow future change to occur. This assemblage imagines collective living typologies to take place on top of the plinth to provide novel ways of living alongside progressive workplace strategies. The overall size and intensity will demand shifts in the mobility structure. The length and linearity of the block intervention re-orients the region alongside the River Brent to engage not only its immediate surroundings but also to direct future development beyond the boundaries of Brentford. By condensing the new economy of ‘Knowledge Production’ into a singular strategy, positive urban change will be able to occur across the landscape.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

“The rigid, isolated object … is of no use whatsoever. It must be inserted into the context of living social relations.” - Walter Benjamin

The overall strategy works to requalify natural and speculative vectors as productive and civically driven mobility systems which attempt to drive a shift in the local economy from the production, storage, and distribution of goods to the production of knowledge, experience, and social relations. Previously severed sites will now inform each other to assemble a new collectivized whole.

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

â&#x20AC;¦ LETS RE-IMAGINE THE LIFE OF THE POST-PERIPHERY

THE VISON FOR BRENTFORD IS TO BECOME A DISTRICT FOR INNOVATION, INVENTION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 44

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

ACTIVE LIVING Re-qualifying Brentford through Active Lifestyle

Post-Periphery: Brentford Re-Imagined Lu Dai Maitrey Kute May 2020 Housing and Urbanism Architectural Association 36 Bedford Square London WC1B 3ES

ACTIVE LIFE

Understanding what an active lifestyle means

UNDERSTANDING BRENTFORD 12

RE-QUALIFYING THE PENINSULA 20

Re-imagining the peninsula and introduction of sports activities

A NEW GRIFFIN PARK

Re-imagining how Griffin park turns into an active neighbourhood

PREFACE The way we are living is changing the world, we are paying more attention to the things we eat, how we commute and how fit we are physically. Physical health has been proven to have a huge benefit to mental health too. The growing trend of active lifestyle and healthy living suggests there is the need to fundamentally change the spaces we live in. This study aims to understand the way we are transitioning to a new understanding of healthy and active living environments. With stress levels increasing in the urban city, paying attention to the way we live, eat and travel plays an important role in shaping the physical and mental health of a person. Design makes the city, and has the power to address these issues. Brentford, currently neglected is being rethought for integration and offers an exciting opportunities of change through mobility, housing and sports infrastructures.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

CONTENTS

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

BIGGER. STRONGER. FASTER.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Active living is a way of life that integrates physical activity into your everyday routines, such as walking to the store or biking to work. Active living brings together urban planners, architects, transportation engineers, public health professionals, activists and other professionals to build places that encourage active living and physical activity.â&#x20AC;? -Alexis Welch

an athlete practicing at the NIKE training center 6

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

ACTIVE LIFE

What about active lifestyle? Active lifestyle is everywhere. It has become a part of our routine, we are more conscious about our health, and particular about eating healthy, exercise and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. We see this around us every day, Exercise and fitness is not confined to the gyms and professional training centres anymore, we travel to work on bikes, walk a lot more, pay attention to recreational sports, and even exercise at home. It has come right into our living rooms. We see this rapid shift with workplaces providing for bike parking and even incentivises the use of bicycles. We have witnessed this shift even more prominently during the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, as sports helps us in an allround development and also plays a major part in our mental health. 8

We see companies like Nike, working on the sports research labs, but have not limited sports medicine and research to the professional world, but expanded to the social sporting activities. We start to see synergies between the universities and the laboratory environments that try to blur the boundaries and provide equipment, health benefits, and fitness to everyone where Professional training and diet plans are now accessible at our fingertips and press of a button though the apps and our fitness gadgets keep a track of how our body is performing. Major reforms are needed in Brentford, in terms of mobility and infrastructure and its relative availability of space provides the potential to incorporate the active living into its urbanity.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;age is only a number. keep an active lifeâ&#x20AC;?

-Lailah Akita

CrossFit at clapham junction, London

CrossFit training at Clapham Junction, London 10

Running during COVID-19, London

Athlete testing at the Nike sports research lab, USA 11

Unique to Brentford is a concentration of significant voids, with relatively consistent block dimensions of around 130x100 meters. The voids like public parks and riverfronts provide consistent breather spaces. With respect to sports, the voids offer reorganization of the block structure from within. Each offers complementary differences with different programmatic starting points like education, sports research, professional water sporting, and recreational sporting/exercise. Due to its history with sports and with five schools with dedicated playgrounds, a 130-year-old football club, many public parks, waterside location along the Thames, and immediate proximity of Kew gardens, Brentford offers the perfect place for integration of sporting and sport research activities.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

BRENTFORD

DRIVERS OF CHANGE

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle 15 14

NEW CENETERS OF ACTIVITY Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

Small infill projects associated within the existing fabric start to shape the face of the neighbourhood. From micro level, the small entrepreneurial, collective formations within each neighbourhood begin to show interest in putting and developing a new business in relation to sport infrastructure. This drawing shows how Brentford has the perfect potential for such interventions that act as a typological upgrade.

CASES AROUND THE WORLD Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

Superkilen Park, Copenhaegan

Sports and Culture Centre, Paris

Superkilen park in Copenhagen built inside the urban fabric, it enriches the activities of the surrounding residents with a landscape of sports elements, and using sports to active urban void space.

Built inside the middle of linear residential blocks. It integrates sports facilities and attracts residents from all sides, and creates a more interactive playgorund and basketball court.

Boxing Gym, Grenfell Tower Club It re-jeuvinates the circulation spaces, where the under pass is turned into a boxing hotspot, that attracts the enthusiasts and it also caters to the social life where it becomes a part of the social fabric.

Youtville Community, An interesting space where two interlaced large exercise spaces and playgrounds, creating a space for collective movement for the surrounding residents.

Symmetry but no Symmetry, the two sides of the peninsula offer striking differences with highly urbanized site and the green Kew gardens. Resting in-between the Thames and Brent, it offers exciting new challenges and enforces new ideas that tackle with the connection towards Brentford. Both sides of the peninsula offer contrasting but extremely rich collaborative offers that mitigate the challenges this area provides. Following are some unique drivers of change around the world that deal with the context of water fronts.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

IMAGINING THE THAMES AND BRENT

illustrative image for peninsula 20

CASES AROUND THE WORLD Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

Snake Bridge, Copenhaegan The bridge makes you feel rewarded to be using a bicycle and pedestrian-only bridge as promotes the use of micro-mobility solutions and also provides for better connectivity through to the other side of the river. 22

WMS Boathouse, USA Providing with a simulator in the facility, the boathouse offers great opportunities for the development of water sports and rowing.-

Waterfront development, Hafencity, Hamburg HafenCity Hamburg, provides for an exceptional riverfront infrastructure that cleverly uses raised foundation for protection from floods and through levels mitigates the riverfront landscape to provide for a wider and more accessible pedestrian front.

Olympic Radical Park, Rio Olympic Radical Park in Rio is a professional canoeing venue. After the Olympic Games, in addition to the function of competition, it can also become a swimming pool for residents in summer with different identities and roles. 23

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

INTEGRATION OF ACTIVE FACILITES

The exemplars unlock new potentials of the peninsula to offer water sport activities with the integration of active housing. The location and structure of the peninsula offers a natural suggestion to go with a liner block to accommodate optimum space and also capture the breath-taking views around the area. These liner blocks need to be studies to be integrated in the peninsula to create new synergies with the integrated sports in the fabric of the neighbourhood and offer a typological upgrade. requalification of the peninsula 24

The AM Lockdepot provides an interesting solution towards the way liner typology of housing is addressed, which provides complex volumes and various types of family units. The alternating balconies and use of the service corridor provides it with a distinct elevation from both sides. The floor plan appeals to families and is a complete residential complex.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

AM LOCKDEPOT

One Santa Fe, on the other hand, is a mixed-use structure with dynamic development in the old industrial arts district. It provides for a complex programmatic amalgamation of residential, retail, commercial and open spaces. Â Idiosyncratic formal and structural nodes within the building create unique layouts and window placement that vary by unit throughout the building. Their forms allow for improvisations in housing with dynamic use of space and adaptability to its surroundings by blending into it.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

ONE SANTA-FE

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

basketball field

introduction of sports complex

water sports arena

boat house

PENINSULA requalification of the peninsula 30

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

STADIUMS AS URBAN CATALYST Stadiums around the world have become sensitive to their neighbourhoods. the large investment in the development in the cities have forced designers and sport franchises to think of the larger picture and integrate the stadium complex into the urban fabric. Stadium developments are increasingly multi-purpose to demand regular footfall to its surroundings on a regular basis. Strategic circulation strategies are required to integrate housing and commercial use. we also see examples like BIGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposition for 32

the new Oakland waterside stadium, where the stadium is designed to be multi-purpose and the stadium itself provides an urban context around which the neighbourhood is formed. Sports brings people together and are an integral part of the lives of the locals, hence need to blend into the urban fabric and cater to the needs for the same.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

GRIFFIN PARK Home to the Brentford FC for over 130 years, Griffin park holds a special place in the heart of the locals. With the new stadium being built on a new site, the existing stadium offers a great opportunity to deal with the nei ghbour hood w hi l s t al s o gi v i ng homage to the home of the club for over a century. Taking the opportunity of the large investment in the sporting world and research, Griffin park would be home to a new integration of residential and sporting facility that respects the nature of the existing football ground but offers a new co-existence of the types

of structures and allow the public thoroughfare on the old ground and play with levels allowing synergies to be created between recreational sports and professional world. Griffin park provides a 100mx130m block with access to main driveways on all four sides. When working in the area, not disrupting the current fabric is the goal, where the old stadium provides an exciting starting point where the former ground can be mad accessible to the public for the collaboration and integration of multiresidential complexes, with diversity in the typologies.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

even level re-imagining griffin park

mitigating levels for better living

odd level re-imagining housing

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

The residential arrangement creates a hierarchy of open spaces and steers away from the mundane commercial aspect of double loaded corridors as seen at the Arsenal stadium, where the old pitch is only a visual connector with limited and private circulation but instead provides a significant typological upgrade where the development is not devoid of its commercial gain. The assemblage provides multi-story residences, where the hierarchy of open spaces and use of levels in the apartments creates new avenues for high density integration. The laboratory space on the north east provides an edge to the block and defines the old football pitch whilst allowing public thoroughfare from all directions. The staggered floor plates allows for proximity of the buildings without compromising on privacy. We need to look at these synergies which will unlock new potentials in the way we perceive active lifestyle and explore them deeply.

re-imagining housing 38

Brentford has shown to have strong potential for the intervention of the active lifestyle. The interventions as mentioned range from S, M, L and XL typologies, where t h e s m a l l e r i n t erven ti on s sta rt to reform the neighbourhood with minimal disruptions that act as experimental starting points pave way for larger and more integrated interventions in Brentford which is achievable as defined by the existing morphologies. We are moving towards a new standard of healthy living. Re-thinking the way we integrate housing is the most crucial for the active lifestyle. Brentfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing condition offers exciting promise for the integration of multi-scalar interventions which start to build interest, value, and culture in the exemplar urbanity of activity for the rest of London.

Requalifying Housing Through Active Lifestyle

FRAMEWORK

POLYRHYTHMIC EXPLORATIONS AN INVITATION TO DRAW THE FUTURE

Post-Periphery: Brentford Re-Imagined Hilâl Kușcu Yu Guo May 2020 Housing and Urbanism Architectural Association 36 Bedford Square London WC1B 3ES

CONTENT 6

THE VISION OF FUTURE CARE ENVIRONMENTS A Collective Consciousness

BRENTFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INFRASTRUCTURE 32

Gems of Brentford

HAPPINESS ON THE PERIPHERY

A Change of Perception in City Building

PREFACE What is the next generation of development models cultivating healthier living? Some of the most significant developments in Urban history followed in response to public health crises. Especially, experiencing COVID-19 today, we begin to notice a rise in collective consciousness with a pursuit for well-being in our neighbourhoods. With this the question of cultivating healthier living environments is raised and forces us to push the development of care environments further.

A POST-PANDEMIC THOUGHT We, as Architects and Urbanists, At the same time peripheral areas share the responsibility of securing have a completely different character urban well-being, but what are the from areas we are used to work key aspects to this approach? in and look at predominantly. The drivers of change lie in the detail of the building, the block, and finally expand, while different kinds of collective, intimate spaces are filling the gap between the isolated individual and the anonymity of the city. The anonymity varies among cities, since some urban patterns are more open to drivers of change than others: If we, for example, look at Brentford, we can see a possible constitution around the idea of elements that give a punctuation to neighbourliness and events - supporting the idea of wellness as an urban project ...a project You are about to draw with this book.

We start to ask ourselves what can be done to re-generate these spaces, and take advantage of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urge to undergo transformation, since the development models point towards polycentric cities, in which Eudaemonia can be experienced daily. This episode is an invitation for You to draw and explore while doing so. It is an interactive version to experiment further on the Design Workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s results, giving insight into care and culture environments being a driver of change for our future neighbourhoods. Through investigations led by the notion of interfaces and typology, we invite You to imagine a new kind of city.

A COL LECTI VECON SCIOU SNESS 7

WHAT IS THE NEXT GENERATIO 8

ON OF CARE ENVIRONMENTS? 9

“FILL IN THE GAPS”

Let us imagine what a new development model would look like: What is the ideal neighbourhood in your mind?

“ADD YOUR OWN ACTORS”

An upgraded version of a care environment can be imagined as a hub, where care takers, as well as care givers are being integrated into residential neighbourhoods, allowing for more efficient forms of therapy and collaborations between education, culture, and health. Can Brentford transform into a predominantly residential center for pursuit of wellbeing and culture within a larger framework of care environments?

THE INVERSION OF LONDONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TERRACE HOUSING The care hub could initiate a reorganization of the neighborhood as a transformation of the civic life itself. If we, for example, look at London, we can easily notice a vast territory is occupied by the terrace housing with privatized gardens - a way of living in isolation.

What would happen, if we keep the dimensions of these blocks, but invert its logic of the gardens to become collectivized courtyards? Following this, the new model has potential to contribute to a conceivable emergence of different kinds of urban patterns, and accommodate continuous learning, and engagement. As a critique of commercial models, the serviced housing is becoming just one point to the next generation of care: it is shaped by arranged encounters in a wider framework of care and culture, which can articulate the interest of diverse stakeholders. 15

1 bedroom 1 living room 1 kitchen 1 bathroom

A - Key Worker Housing 2 bedroom 1 living room 0 kitchen 1 bathroom

B - Self Sufficient Care Home

1 bedroom 0 living room 0 kitchen 1 bedroom

C - Care Home with Nurses

PLATFORM

FOR

UNITY

EXIST

DIFFERENCE

“IMAGINE YOUR NEW DAILY LIFE”

9AM BREAKFAST GREETING NEIGHBOURS

4PM A NAP IN THE PARK

11AM INSPIRATION TIME IN GALLERY

7PM TIME FOR A DINNER DATE

Now we invite you to imagine, encountering a painting class as therapy, or a yoga session, right in the garden of your own neighbourhood.

A transformation towards this can allow everyone to commit to the mutual success of the neighborhood.

10PM EARLY SLEEP = = EUDAEMONIA!

1PM TEA AND PLAY

So a collective wellbeing now becomes something we do consciously: it aims for the individual to remain in a community and simultaneously flourish on his own.

“INTEGRATE INTERACTION AND EVE

ENTS INTO YOUR NEIGHBOURHOODâ&#x20AC;? The integration of specific elements, for example, education, art therapy, and temporary workshops, can encourage creating nodes of intensification in the city to attract participants from across generations and genres. Thinking in a bigger scale, it can unlock further nodes, towards moving to a polycentric London.

WILKES ROAD

NURSERY

KEY WORKER HOUSING 22

CO-WORKING

SERVICES

JAZZ CAFÃ&#x2030;

GALLERY

CARE HOME

RESTAURANT RESTAURANT

ART && WORK WORK ART

EALINGROAD ROAD EALING

YOGASTUDIO STUDIO YOGA

HOUSING ALONG ALONG HIGHSTREET HIGHSTREET HOUSING 23

INNOVATION

CARE

ENVIRONMENTS What can encourage innovation in the nature of the care environment? One can think about laying the foundations for this by emphasizing care and service as a core of residential life. Contemporary care hubs are mainly focusing on bringing together residents with only one kind of service, such as integrating a care home or a nursery, and expecting this to be a driver of change. Whereas the future is going towards a city that contains a differentiation of spaces, accumulated into an overall whole and integrated through a conceptual logic. The process of integration can change our perception of creating nodes of intensification to attract participants from across different generations and genres. To be specific, a network can be imagined as certain new type of care hubs sharing the spaces among nursery, care homes, key worker and artist housing, as well as art therapy facilities.

PADRE RUBINOS

ARK EDUCATIONAL HUB

NURSING HOME BATIGNOLLES

NEW CARE HUB

CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES

GERIATRIC CENTRE DONAUSTADT 2015, Vienna, Austria Architect: Delugan Meissl Associated Retirement Home, Healthcare Center 6,117 mÂ˛

CARE HOME PADRE RUBIINOS 2014, A Coruna, Spain Architect: Elsa Urquijo Arquitectos Chapel, Retirement Home 15,882 mÂ˛

Following the values of health and wellbeing, research already shows that new drivers of change demand serviced housing with nursing not only in form of retirement homes, but rather constituted by new ways of more efficient therapy, or separation of acute help and non acute help.

Moreover it is essential to support benefit from exchange of knowledge and greater resources. But who are the key actors that might deliver health and wellbeing in the city? Are these only healthcare institutions or can, for example Art, play an important role?

What is driving a care hub should not necessarily be the idea of how care receivers will be looked after, but also what the landscape of care givers looks like and how they work together with employees from associations, institutions, charities or regulatory authorities.

Here, we begin to see an integration of different types of care requiring renewal in the nature of a care environment.

If we look at contemporary care environments, we can quickly notice, that most of them are located on suburban areas, far from central

NURSING HOME IN BATIGNOLLES 2015, Paris, France Architect: Atelier du Pont Mixed Use, Church, Apartment 6,117 mÂ˛

RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME ANDRITZ 2015, Graz, Austria Architect: Dietger Wissounig Architekten Retirement Home 6,950 mÂ˛

institutions. The main reason for this is high land value in inner city and given green infrastructure. However, districts advocating this kind of integration, show governance models that are networked across high collaboration, hierarchies and sectors. These are frequently responding to specific needs held by a coalition of stakeholders, who need value reasons to settle in a particular area.

higher education facilities or healthcare. There is an opportunity to develop a public-private partnership between the leaders of the art community and health interests of the government on the same territorial footprint.

This can draw funds through mechanisms like mental health care facilities established in the interest of the government, residental or care environments for these people, visitors The governance of these environments arriving for cultural events and activities, is divided into two main actors, and people working in research and representing local community groups, educational institutions. business or artists, as well as institutions enforced by government, such as 27

IF WE CONSIDER BRENTFOR CARE, WE CAN ALREADY S BEAUTIFUL INFRASTRUCTU THAMES, THE KEW GARDEN 28

RD BECOMING A CENTER OF START MAKING USE OF ITS URE SURROUNDED BY THE NS, AND SEVERAL PARKS... 29

A HANDFUL OF NATURE We can gain additional value by making best use of Brentfords existent beautiful infrastrucure, which we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find easily in the inner city. Since access to green promotes the physical and mental health benefits, and the land value is higher in central districts, it is reasonable to cluster a care environment in this high quality surrounding.

*Draw! Add Your own insertions of culture and care - like we did for You on the next page. Is it a Theatre? A museum? Additional Gardens? Or an endless field of lavender? 30

//////// GEMS OF BRENT F O R D //////// 34

/ F T

Brentford doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only offer beautiful infrastructure. Moreover it provides a set of established structural elements, which we can turn into an equipment to re-think this area, and similiar areas located on the periphery. What makes an area like Brentford a promising starting point for this approach?

Looking at the logic of parcels and extension of the street and pathways, Brentford provides a regular system of blocks having possibilities to become a new form of a flexible urban pattern and still, break down into morphological diversity allowing to walk on a block basis. 39

“

WHAT’S

YOUR

TYPE?

”

By moving on a block basis it becomes possible to re-think in types. In contrast to the existing linear slabs of terraced housing found in London, the type of L-shape has capacity of urban frontage to create enclosure for private space and design hard edges. Nevertheless, going further and interlocking the L into U shape, it can be inviting.

For example, the case of Residential Care Home Andritz translates the L-type into an agglomeration of units surrounding a protected center with an adaptability to shift, so we can see different layouts of the same dimension.

35cm

28.5cm

80cm

70cm

RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME ANDRITZ

STEINACKER RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX

TRA NSL AT I ON*

GROUND FLOOR

UNIT WITH CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;S NURSERY

4TH FLOOR

UNIT WITH RESIDENTIAL CARE GROUP 43

Using this adaptability and the capacity of type is also demonstrating how we can combine multi-scalar programs, and integrate existing buildings into an efficient, unified scheme with a typological repetition rather than a block repetition. Looking at current concepts of neighbourliness in a critical light, it is reflecting on the possibility of culture and care environments as the foundation for a completely different set of elements that make notion of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbourhood.

“FIND SIMILARITIES”

If we imagine inseparable volumes with a spatial sequence of interlocked exterior spaces, we can already sense the potential of conveying feelings of intimacy and distance at the same time.

Let us now look at the existing block structure in Brentford. With its dimensions, it already demonstrates huge potential to accommodate deeper blocks and integrations, which can unlock synergies. Focusing on the parcels, we can notice a consistent floorplate and raise the question:

Can this be a platform to explore different scenarios within one framework?

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE THINKING GOING ON INSIDE THE BOX?

“ GET YOUR TRACING PAPER AND DRAW YOUR STRIPS LIKE REM DOES ”

The consistency allows for variation of block sequences being able to respond to the given conditions, such as the waterfront, and the green, and therefore, add up to a bigger network. For example, a waterfront environment can use the U-Type to include the nature and still give a protected edge to the highstreet on the opposing side... 54

...while the highstreetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character is more likely to support a highly serviced living with integration of care and art therapy in between... 56

...even going right into the park, where a protected family housing in point blocks surrounded by nature becomes possible.... 58

...and finishing with the development on Green Dragon lane, which is facing the M4 and thus, has the capacity to act as a commercial alignment. 60

“

NOW

ARCHITECTURE 62

DRAW

THE

YOUR

NATURE

STRIPS

HUMAN

REM

RELATIONSHIPS,

DOES,

SINCE

THE

AGAIN.

ELEMENTS

”

ARE

EMPLOYED

FIRST

DIVIDE

AND

THEN

SELECTIVELY

RE-UNITE

INHABITED

SPACE. 63

“ PLAY A POLYRHYTHMIC SYMPHONY ”

Adding up to continuous strips the whole area becomes stronger, without restricting the blocks freedom to still work on its own. This helps to build the idea block by block, while still giving proliferation of diversity resulting in rich neighbourhoods from day one.

“ ADD YOUR VANILLA SKY, MORE STREETS OR YOUR HIGH-RISE ”

With creating deeper blocks, and thus introducing micro-mobility, the number of streets can be reduced to alleys, courtyards, squares and plazas within an easily accessible network. For example this can add to the idea of creating a town centre that is more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists.

“ INSERT YOUR CULTURE HERE ” The homes we are building as Architects, Urban Planners and Designers are a scene of autonomy with an end-goal of self-development.

ODUNPAZARI MUSEUM, ESKISEHIR

OMVED GARDENS, LONDON

SOUTH LONDON GALLERY, LONDON

RED PLANET, SHANGHAI 68

This raises the question, whether the cultivation of the next generation of people is brought up by homes as scenes of interactions, warmth, memory, or the cultivation of art only within the household. Isn’t it rather located outside the home but in immediate reach? Couldn’t we now imagine walking through the neighborhood and encountering surprises just like a pop-up workshop, or a small gallery right in our courtyards ? There is already a shift of big art institutions to a more targeted vision, happening. For example, the Cabinet Gallery in London, is a fragment of a museum, which includes art and living, being built on a single footprint of just 10x15m!

CABINET GALLERY, LONDON 70

AND A TRANSLATION OF IT. 71

MINIMAL INSERTIONS WITH MAXIMUM EFFECT 73

“ INSERT A NEW HOME INTO THE GALLERY ”

A Change of Heart Can areas on the periphery help us to I s L o n d o n g o i n g t o w a r d s a transform ourselves, our home, our transformation of becoming polycentric blocks and finally, the city? in a post-pandemic world? What if beginning from today we Can its organization around the change our understanding and develop Thames and beautiful infrastructure cities starting from the periphery? help creating nodes of intensification; growing into centres? Can the natural ressources influence the happiness index of our cities? What Are we going to establish more and if we were living in spaces through more frameworks serving as a platform which we drive nomadically...all of us for a singularity to exist in difference? flourishing? 76

CONSTR UCTING HAPPIN ESS ON THE PER IPHERY 77

ORGANIZATION

Considering the building phase, the existing natural resources can also act as support of investment from the first day on. Looking at the London Map, we can see that the city is already organized around beautiful green infrastructure and the Thames.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Additionally, there is a convenient mobility system: for example, the highway M4/A4 and the underground and train station in Brentford centre, by which itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30 mins to arrive to city center. Furthermore, the Hounslow Council has already welcomed a new orbital rail line, which gives chance to up to 29,300 additional homes. By reducing travel times this will open up travel-to-work options, broadening employment pools: 81

TALENT POOLS

We can also see foundations of talent, which wants to invest in Brentford within the framework of a private-public partnership of stakeholders, such as the government providing health care on a public level and private companies and individual artists on the private level. This changes our attitude about peripheral environment becoming multinodal, because it can have an influence on a bigger scale and already interact with these present care facilities. This kind of diversity at a doorstep, can make living in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s situation healthier and establish continuous well-being. 82

“ COLOUR ME IN “