The Good Life and the Grounded City : Inhabiting the Commons in Barking and Beyond by AA School

THE GOOD LIFE! AND THE GROUNDED CITY

BARKING AND BEYOND: INHABITING THE COMMONS

CONTRIBUTORS

Nella Abi Khalil Constanza Carrillo Marlene Ortiz Rivas Yi Jiang Xi Yang Daisuke Yoshida Jingyi Xu Yaozhong Zhang Lingxi Zhou

TUTORS

Jorge Fiori Elena Pascolo Giorgio Talocci

Special Thank you

Julian Siravo of commonwealth. org and autonomy. com

Inhabiting the Commons:

The Good Life in the Grounded Ci ty 1.1

The Good Life

1. 2

The Good Life Core Aspects

Urban Peripheries

The Thames Estuary and Barking 2.1

Thames Estuary

2. 4 Gaps and Hinges

2. 2

Ci ty Ribbon: Barking

2. 5

2. 3 Mobili ty

CONTENT

3 4 5

2. 6 Civic Facili ties

Urban Transformation

Current Approaches to Barking Riverside

Procurement Model Inhabiting the Commons

Three Spatial Strategies 5.1

Epicentres

5. 2 Corridors

Post-industrial Area

5. 3 Void

Conclusion: Barking and Beyond

Urban peripheries are becoming attractive sites for development as a result of their carrying capacity for experimental or unconventional processes that look to address social, political, economic and environmental issues. The role of design becomes relevant in dealing with these edge conditions as it can answer questions on how growth can be structured, and under which terms and values adverse conditions can be foreseen. In the context of the economic, environmental and health crisis we are presently immersed in, it is crucial to rethink the institutional and governance arrangement in order to achieve a decentralised system of production and service provision. Thinking on inhabiting the commons as a driver of change, we explore how the Good Life can be implemented through the Grounded City by means of an architectural approach as an area based response in peripheral urban environments. We propose an alternative set of strategies that challenges and re-engages urban peripheries in forms of production, reimagining the civic commons and promoting a locally based economy that can carry longer lasting social values and legacies.  Barking, characterised as an urban periphery in East London, will serve as a test site for three urban transformation strategies that deliver architectural, social, economic and political approaches to generate change towards inhabiting the commons. The procurement, spatial and architectural approaches that are presented will focus on rethinking how development frameworks could nurture and enable a foundational economy based on the provision of local needs, services and employment; the emergence of models of participation across stakeholders; the creation of inter-generational affordable working and living spaces. Together these form a dynamic process that is responsive and adaptive to emerging challenges, in whatever scale or form. In this sense, The Good Life is a design-led approach that questions and rethinks the potential of peripheral areas to generate change- both spatial and institutional) in Barking and beyond.

1. Inhabi ti ng the Commons: The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

The good life term is one that has been researched by many and has opened up

Introduction

a lot of questions about its meaning. For the purpose of this investigation, it builds upon the theory of the good life according to Aristotle and Hanna Arendt. For Aristotle, the good life is the happy life, meaning that a person is in a positive way of life while taking in account Socrates and Epicurus’ thoughts of virtue and pleasure. Also, Aristotle exposed that it is not only a matter of how a person feels inside but with their surrounding context. While Aristotle starts talking about the individual and how it engages with what surrounds him, it can be argued that the philosopher saw the good life as an end and not as a means so his theory lacks of the cohesion of the individual and the polis – Greek’s name for a community structure.

Urbanism must increasingly attend to new variables in order to make cities more resilient, be it economically, climate driven or new threats as the Covid-19 pandemic. The unprecedented times we are now facing have unveiled the fragility of the current system and how necessary it is to reimagine the way we live. In this context of an economic, environmental and health crisis, we argue that the only possible way to respond to what is yet to come is through a new vision with a procurement model that is autonomous, local and resistant to shocks at its centre. Therefore, our vision of the Good Life in the grounded city, seeks to explore newurban strategies that can cope with the current challenges and those to come. For this, it is necessary to aimfor a supportive and redistributive economy, a foundational economy in a grounded city while also exploring new institutions and models of governance.

For Hannah Arendt, the understanding of the good life is portrayed by her theory of ‘active life’. The active life, as in activity, is one of the fundamental the human conditions. The philosopher argues that the active life is formed by three main elements, work (the shaping of the world), labour (to obtain the basic needs and action (organising human existence). Each of them is represented by different spheres, the public, the private and the social. While recognising that Arendt acknowledges that one of the fundamentals of the human condition is the co-existence of the public, the private and the social as a way to create new possibilities, it could be argued that she leaves the doors wide open for interpretation as of how this co-existence work and the links between each of them. Inhabiting the commons: The Good Life and The Grounded City searches through drawing new possibilities to bring together these open questions.

Urban peripheries are key areas to innovate and test new ways of inhabiting cities, as they present a set of opportunities that enable forms of autonomy. Barking, with its post-industrial status and its strategic geographical position, presents the appropriate morphological and typological characteristics to accommodate a transformative strategy for urban peripheries. Our vision for Barking Riverside is of a series of neighbourhoods with a balanced performance between urban developments and its natural resources and a strong community engaged in the process of change, all governed through new ways of procurement that would generate a locally conscious economy.

For this design research, the good life is the balanced combination of natural and urban environments, a re-imagination of the civic commons and a foundational economy. More into depth, the reconfiguration of the private, the public and the social – the commons – as infrastructures of change to generate economic and climate resilience. It seeks for spatial transformations that generate new possibilities for architectural projects as drivers of an urban transformation though a participatory and multi-generational dynamic. The good life and the grounded city seek equality and accessible environments to all the actors involved in Barking and beyond in order to have more progressive models of growth and development to design urban imaginaries for an unforeseeable future. Moreover, the Good Life research attempts to invent new institutional and governance arrangements through these urban imaginaries aiming a decentralization of decision making.

Therefore, the aimof the project is to foster the collective way of life through spatial transformations. We believe that an area based circular economy and the inhabitation of the commons accompanied by an awareness of local resources —both economic and social —would lead urban peripheries to thrive. Resilience, the redistribution of services and public goods, food and health, and decent employment, all at local scale, are fundamental elements to ensure the good life. Through diverse urban propositions, we explore ways in which urban strategies seek for a more conscious development in the Thames Estuary Corridor, focusing on the good life in the grounded city. In addition, procurement models are redefined to generate the structures needed to sustain a long-termambition of delivering public goods and services with a more inclusive arrangement. In turn, we examine the morphological and typological responses to support the development of our vision for Barking Riverside, but also as an exemplar of systemic measures of urban, economic and environmental qualities for other peripheries to flourish.

Sources: Arendt H. (1987) Labor, Work, Action. In: Bernauer S.J.J.W.(eds) Amor Mundi. Boston College Studies in Philosophy, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht https://reasonandmeaning.com/2013/12/19/aristotle-on-the-good-and-meaningful-life/ https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-good-life-4038226 10

FromArea of Opportunity, to Good Life

Figure 4

Office Building â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Foster + Partnershttps://www.archdaily.com/904184/ foster-plus-partners-design-open-office-building-in-luxembourg

Figure 1

Source: City &Guilds of London Art School https://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/ phase-1/

Figure 2

Source:https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/houses/essex/barking/

The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 5

Figure 3

Source:https://www.atlasofplaces.com/academia/Cosmonostro-space-is-ours-Arnaud-Jouanchicot?/filter/Academic/Cosmonostro-space-is-ours-Arnaud-Jouanchicot

Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/zh/image-vector/word-cloudwords-related-politics-government-258599867 12

Figure 6

Source: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/654218283359779776/

The Good Life: Core Aspects In order to achieve the Good Life in Barking and beyond, core components were established to drive key principles and inform the design-led research investigation.

THE GROUNDED CITY

is one that is both local in focus and international in ambition as it incorporates a balance between accelerator and stabiliser sectors of the economy. In addition, it aims to achieve a balance between the provision of local services alongside access to the productive sectors of the economy while guaranteeing increasingly egalitarian and accessible conditions to all new and existing actors engaging in the urban fabric. Hence, the city becomes more resilient to shocks whether economic, climate driven, or health pandemics and able to offer both local employment and locally defined public goods and services.

ASTABILIZER is an economic activity or sector that offers local goods and services that are then able to include small scale and low entry levels opportunities such as local and lower skilled employment types. As stabilizers, they are more resilient to global economic shocks.

Figure 7

Source: Campus Puebla, Sasaki, https://www.sasaki.com/projects/campus-puebla/

ANACCELERATOR is an economic sector that is able to reach scale and access global markets, such as the creatives industries or biotechnology which are mostly private sector driven and require high level entry employment. In the context of the urban peripheries of Barking, we seek to explore adequate typologies for accelerator industries such that they can reach out to local participants and extend the benefits and values it brings to a local area.

Figure 9

Source: Campus Puebla, Sasaki, https://www.sasaki.com/projects/campus-puebla/

THECOMMONS represent a de-commodified mode of urban living and development where goods and services are made and offered between and beyond the processes and procedures of the state and market. In turn, this brings individual and collective benefits for residents, communities, and groups. Based on use value and maintenance costs rather than market-driven value, the commons manifest themselves spatially, territorially, and socially through different forms of procurement models.

Figure 8

Source: Envisioning the Campus of the Future, Sasaki,https://www.sasaki.com/voices/envisioning-the-campus-of-tomorrow/

Source: Mass Development TDI, Utile architets, https://www.utiledesign.com/work/massdevelopment-tdi/

The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 9

2. Urban Peri pheri es:

Source:Giorgio Talocci

The Thames Estuary and Barki ng

The Thames Estuary and Urban Peripheries Urban peripheries, in general and in Barking specifically, allow for both spatial and institutional experimentation. The importance of Barking’s peripheries in order to achieve a Good Life in a Grounded City manifests itself in the context of the Thames Estuary’s regional importance. In fact, the Thames Estuary runs fromthe city of London and crosses through areas of production and vast natural territories before it reaches the eastern coast of the United Kingdom. Undeniably, It has significant economic power and contribution to the UK economy as it is part of the two important corridors in the region: the coast to capital corridor that goes North-South, connecting Brighton to Cambridge and the East-West corridor than connects Oxford, London and the Thames Estuary itself to each other. Its vision, set for 2050, is fuelled by its current inability to meet its growth potential, despite the success of some of its areas such as Canary Warf or Thames Estuary’s ports. In fact, they have left a large unbalance and inconsistency in wealth and opportunity.

Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commision, 2050 Vision, June 2018 https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment-data/file/718805/2050-Vision.pdf

As a result, The Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission was formed, bringing in a change in thinking: the estuary should not be assessed as a single functional economic territory, place or people but rather as a collection of interwoven but distinctive economies, places and communities with different levels of performance. Hence, a new structure has been put in place that divides the Thames Estuary into five productive places that are established based on current areas and their advantages: City Ribbon, Inner Estuary, South Essex Foreshore, North Kent Foreshore and The River Thames. Together, and by 2050, these five strategic places will create 1.3 million jobs and generate £190 billion additional growth value with 1 million new homes to sustain this growth.

Figure 11: The Productive Corridors

City Ribbon: Barking

The City Ribbon comprises the east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich and the London Legacy Development Corporation. The peripheries of Barking, the subject of our design-lead exploration, is part of the commission’s priority areas of change, with Barking Riverside as a major area of development.

Within both the North-South and EastWest development corridors, there is sort of a polycentric model working across a wider territory, acting as an important driver of development in urban peripheries. Barking, being one of these strategic points is well connected and accessible to other developments, and services and cultural provision across the region.

Source: Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission, 2050 Vision, June 2018 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment-data/file/718805/2050-Vision.pdf

“The Thames Estuary is an edgeland- not quite river, not quite the open sea. It is an in-between place, a place of transition, a welcoming gateway, a corridor of trade, the front line for the defence of the realm and a gradual opening into the rest of the world.” Colette Bailey, Artist Director of Metal The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 12: The Polycentric Model 18

Thames Corridor Major Developments

Figure 13: Development on Thames Corridor

With projects mainly looking at accelerator led approaches and the delivery of high numbers of housing and employment, we seek to ensure the presence of a foundational economy that would provide local service provision along with establishing new forms of partnerships between local authorities and developers.

At the City-wide Scale

TFL (transport for London) is planning to add Barking Riverside Station as part of its 4.5km of new track extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line on the London Overground network in ordertoservethemajordevelopmentsontheBarkingRiverside. LinesincludingHammersmith&City, Metropolitan Line and Piccadilly, will extend to the new station connecting Central London to Barking and beyond. Barking Riverside Station is expected to open in December 2021. Previously, the mobility â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;corridorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; solely focused on East to West circulation and connection. The new Barking Riverside Station disrupts this one directional pattern and reinforces the need to link all nodal points to a wider surrounding matrix of development.

Figure 14: Mobility in Barking at the scale of London The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Four Major Armatures

Barkingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morphology is defined by the two types of land use that dominate its urban fabric, which are the residential and the industrial. The post-industrial areas have larger plot distribution compared to the residential areas that have a more fragmented and chaotic distribution. Both areas are monofunctional in formand as is, cannot absorb a diverse range of functions and networks of micro-mobility, resulting in lowdensity neighbourhoods. In addition, at a larger morphological scale, four armatures are identified, here in grey, as potential zones for new design strategies, and would in turn work as hinges, connecting these zones across.

Figure 15: Mobility at the scale of Barking

At the Scale of Barking

Currently, both North-South and East-West mobility networks in the Barking area offer room for improvement in order to absorb the incoming numbers of residents. With the delivery of 10800 news homes and 65 000 sqm od commercial floor space for shopping, restaurants and cafes, the Barking Riverside station is crucial in ensuring the success of the mega-development, with Thames Road acting as an armature to the various communities.

Figure 17: Four Armatures

These armatures, acting as hinges, would connect fragmented and monofunctional urban fabrics together through our proposed spatial strategies of corridors, epicentres, voids, and new forms of governance and procurement models.

Figure 16: FromBarking Station to Barking Riverside Station The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Hinge

Figure 18: Four Armature as Hinges 22

The Urban Fabric

Barking Riverside, located in the south-east of Barking town centre, is mainly occupied by rudimentary and dispersed industrial plots, alongside ongoing development of housing, transport and civic facilities. We have identified two main types of grain, the industrial and the residential, one with larger plots and separate big building typologies and, the other with a tight fabric and considerably smaller typologies. Currently, this situation leads to a strong fragmentation that affects considerably the way people live. Compared with the town centre that accommodates basic conditions from learning, living, to working and recreation, for a good life to thrive, Barking riverside where low density is manifested through the disconnected urban fabric, is urging for a holistic transformation which could enable a new type of neighbourhood with variety, sustainability and common benefits. The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 19 Barkingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Urban Fabric 24

Figure 20

Barking Town Centre

Figure 24

Figure 21

Figure 22

Source:Allford Hall Monaghan Hall Service, Barking Center Information pack

Figure 25

Figure 23

Source: Barking Station, 2014, Flicker, Diamond Geezer

Barking Riverside- Industry Zone

Source: Modern Architecture London, September 2012

Figure 26

Figure 27

Barking Riverside- Housing Zone

The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 28

Figure 26 29

Figure 30

Figure 31

Figure 32:

Figure 34:

Figure 33:

Figure 36:

Figure 35:

Currently, two areasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Barking Riverside and Rippleside, along the highway and Renwick Road â&#x20AC;&#x201D;are undergoing the transition into post-industrial zones, where new types of productivity and spatial arrangement are anchored progressively to grow the local economy and to improve the living conditions in the city periphery. Accordingly, our proposals will respond to this transformation through both strategic and spatial approaches to reclaim a post-industrial riverside by creating new neighbourhoods centred around housing, light industry, nature, civic facilities, and creativity that tap into the physical potential of the site and that capitalise on the local culture to invent new patterns of urban living.

Figure 37: Source: Riverside Campus http://www.riversidecampus. com/secondary/ Figure 38: Source: The London Sustainable Industries Park, DagenhamDocks, Sergison Bates Figure 39: Source: Barking Riverside London, New East London Neighbourhood Figure 40: Source: Barking Riverside London, New East London Neighbourhood Figure 41: Source: Barking Riverside London, New East London Neighbourhood Figure 42 Source: Riverside Campus http://www.riversidecampus. com/secondary/

Figure 43: Areas of Transformation

Figure 37:

Figure 38:

Figure 39:

Figure 40:

Figure 41:

Figure 42:

The Civic

Participatory City is a cooperative currently working in Barking and Dagenham area. Its aim is to build fully inclusive participatory networks of people through practical projects that involve every day activities. With the presence of such local cooperatives in Barking and specifically Thames Road, the civic commons is slowly but surely becoming visible. It is with these types of civic facilities that the more formal one could start developing networks of civic service providers and transform Barkingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dependency on other surrounding regions and the existing model of provision. The goal of the urban transformation is to have a more participatory and accessible model for civic life that caters not only for Barking but beyond.

While Barking is still a peripheral area, it could be argued that its civic facility structure is still dependant on the surrounding areas and is not supporting Barking by itself. Moreover, civic facilities are clustered near the Barking Centre hinge leaving a lack of diversity in what it is offered around Barking and Barking Riverside. Hence, giving the existing conditions, the latter area could benefit fromintensifying its civic facility infrastructure. Figure 43: Thames View Junior School

Figure 44: Riverside Campus

Source: Riverside Campus http://www.riversidecampus.com/secondary/

Figure 44: Civic Facilities Network

Figure 47: Civic Facilities Network Figure 43 Source: Thames View Junior School https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/news/barking-schools-and-childrens-centre-left-with-no-gas-supply-1-1980980

The Good Li f e i n the Grounded Ci ty

Figure 45: Oasis Banquet

Source: https://www.barkinganddagenhampost. co.uk/news/http-www-barkinganddagenhampost-co-uk-news-party-over-for-late-night-barking-venue-after-police-complain-about-violence-1-4530084-1-4530084

Figure 46: Orchard Health Centre

Source: https://www.accessable.co.uk/venues/ orchards-health-centre

Figure 48 : Activities offered by Participatory City 30

Source: Participatory City http://www.participatorycity.org/

3. Urban Transf ormati ons

Source: Barking Riverside Article, Homes and Property https://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/buying/barking-riversidelondon-overground-where-to-buy-london-house-flat-a136646.html

Current Approaches to Barki ng Ri versi de

Barking Riverside London Partnership

Figure 49: The London Partnership announcement

Source Mayor of London https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/may-

The Borough and BeFirst

In order to ensure Barking Riverside London will play a key role in the larger Thames Gateway redevelopment zone, the Mayor of London approved the masterplan in September 2016, nine years after the outline planning permission was permitted to build 10,800 homes in Barking, on the site of the former power station in 2007. Consequently, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and L&Q, one of the UK’s leading housing associations and developers, have formed a partnership – Barking Riverside Limited – to deliver the masterplan’s scheme of thousands of new homes in addition to securing:

Figure 52: BeFirst Source http://befirst.london/

- 11 000 much needed homes, half of it which will be available.

Figure 53: BeFirst site on Thames Road

Barking Riverside masterplan

- Barking River Side Overground Station connecting the development to Central London in 22mins

stage 2,3,4 Thames RoadGateways

- Land for 7 schools including primaries, secondary and special needs education Figure 50: Barking Riverside website

Source Barking Riverside Limitedhttps://barkingriverside.london/

- 65 000 sqmof commercial, retail, and leisure space - A 2 km riverside walkway, an ecology centre and new country park space

stage 1 completed

- A combined health care and leisure facility - Two local retail and dining hubs Employment, skills and training that will ensure locals benefit from the opportunities created by the scheme.

Figure 51: Barking Riverside add on L&Qwebsite

Source: L&QBarking Riverside https://lqhomes.com/barkingriverside/

Figure 54: Phasing of Barking Riverside Current Approaches to Barki ng Ri versi de

BeFirst, a company owned by the Borough of Barking and Dagenham was created to ensure the mission to accelerate regeneration in the borough, hence 50,000 new homes built and and 20,000 new jobs created in the next 20 years. Their long term ambition is to improve the environment and access to Barking Riverside and to connect the new developments and communities to the north of Barking, hence Thames Road and Barking Town Centre. Through Befirst, the council is managing development, land acquisition and site assembly and masterplanning and designing briefs.

Stage 1 of Barking Riverside

Figure 55: View on Buzzword Mouth Source Giorgio Talocci

Figure 56: Frontage, pedestrian pathway and carpark Source Giorgio Talocci

In 2016, Sheppard Robson delivered 1400 of the 10800 homes on a site located below Thames Road. This low-rise, low density development extends on 45 hectares of the Barking Riverside and is divided in two character areas - Buzzards Mouth and Ripple Gardens. Morphologically, linear blocks of either terraced town houses or low rise housing wrapping around a natural landscape with water features, and space for children to play. Some houses have back gardens leading directly into courtyards while others open onto home-zone streets where ample parking space in available. Despite being ecological and carbon efficient and nature friendly and delivering a variety of housing typologies the new development acts as a rupture from the industrial area around it terms of nesting of blocks and mobility. With housing solely, the lack of services and mobility renders life in the Barking peripheries rather suburban than urban.

C D

E Figure 59: Stage 2 Masterplan- Morphology and Zoning

Source: GLA Planning Report, Barking Riverside https://www.london.gov. uk/sites/default/files/public%3A//public%3A//PAWS/media-i-314010/// barking-riverside-report.pdf

Stage 2 of Barking Riverside

Figure 57: Agarden with a water feature

The phase two of Barking Riverside- Gateways Housing- masterplaned by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands is divided into different phases over fifteen years, based on the typology of the blocks and the morphology of certain zones: 1- The Suburbs; 2- The Ramparts and Hill Town; 3- The Riverside; 4- The Port Quarter 5- The Civic Quarter (the District Centre) Hence, the masterplan sets out distinctive districts, each serving a different function, and major routes. The Port quarter, a Marina district and waterfront square, will provide an area of high density and focus at the proximity of Barking Riverside Station.

Source: Sheppard Robson https://www. sheppardrobson.com/architecture/view/bark-

Industry zone Housing zone

Figure 58: Stage 1 -completed Current Approaches to Barki ng Ri versi de

Another zone of higher density will be created inland in a tightly knit area with the character of an historic walled town, Hill town, and will be enclosed by a ring of taller buildings, the Ramparts, which give onto a suburb of low rise linear housing blocks, which constitutes phase 1. A 100m x 100m grid layout ties the different zones together to give consistency and maximise legibility. However, its morphological and typological repetition within each zone, flexibility and the possibility to absorb different types of actors or forms of partnerships into the built fabric seems dull. This can be justified through the already single use districts, where the the residential, the commercial and the civic each have their assigned area within the masterplan and do not interweave within the same zone.

Shared Ownership

Figure 60: Parkland Suburban Block Type Source: Barking Riverisde Limited Parkland Brochure https://barkingriverside.london/

Parklands is the first phase of new homes in The Suburbs up for sale through L&Q. A low rise, low density area, these linear blocks organized on a grid are exclusively residential and make up 27%of Riversideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing. A significant number of properties here, and later across Barking Riverside will be available to acquire through Shared Ownership where future residents will have to possibility to buy between 25 to 75% of the property at the outset, with subsidised rent payable on the rest.

Figure 63: Thames Road Development Plan

Thames Road Masterplan

With Thames Road still hosting industrial activities and considered as physical and perceptual barrier between Barking Riverside and the Barking Town Centre, Befirst, has commissioned MICA to design a masterplan that could deliver up to 3000 additional homes with new types of workspaces. This site is nowknown as Barking Riverside Gateways and has been given housing zone status by the GLA, as the council and Befirst are currently looking for investors. The plan is composed of a series of U-shaped podium buildings all oriented towards the south, with no clear transitional or phasing strategy set. An effort to connect Thames road North-South is expressed through the creation streets and squares in between and within each block, in addition to the two green corridors. However, the podium type here does not respond to the already existing streets nor the present urban fabric. In addition, a one dimensional typological approach is taken: The U blocks and the podiums are repeated at the same scale and dimensions and do not interact with each other, potentially failing to accommodate a variety of spaces or a diversity in functions.

Mobility

The Barking Riverside masterplan would add to the already existing congestion caused by the traffic scheme of the area. The future mixed use zone needs toconnect tothe original roadwhich would forman intersection where three different roads meet, destroying the original U-shaped road. The transportation hub that will be located near the future Barking Riverside station will also bring new challenges to the present mobility network. The nodes in figure 62 highlight the points where traffic congestion may occur.

Figure 61: Barking Riverside Mobility Network

Figure 62: Major Networks and Traffic Jams Current Approaches to Barki ng Ri versi de

Figure 64: Nesting and connectivity

Figure 65: U-blocks Nesting and Internal

Source Figure 63-66: Gateway Housing Zone Brochure, MICA Architects and BeFirst http://befirst.london/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/636-RMA-170309-Mipim-Brochure-low-res.pdf

Figure 66: Section Through the Podium Typol39

4. Procurement Model

Introduction

Over time, notion of urban growth has been changing, along with its meaning, process, and achievement, whether that is in population, surface area, income-per-person, etc. Today, especially in global cities like London, growth closely relates with a capacity to support based vision of its economy. While Thames Estuary 2050 growth commission heavily focuses on nourishing the city’s competitiveness, the vision obviously lacks its effort for maintaining local employment sources for low-end microenterprises. Aligning with the 2050 goal, Barking Riverside Development aims to deliver substantial amount of affordable homes for Londoners. In modern cities, property development is an increasingly important accelerator which shapes what is built and where. At the same time, the foundational economy, which meets the everyday needs of citizens for housing, utilities, food and mobility, is a stabilizer providing large scale employment. [1] Like many other London’s peripheral territories, highly residential-lead devolvement coming forward poses a threat to existing local industrial land that accommodate foundational activities. What is often referred to Strategic Industrial Land provides space for the manufacturing, production, storage and distribution networks, etc., which are not only infrastructures of everyday life but necessary to the welfare of commons. The focus on competitiveness has encouraged a preoccupation with what is tradeable on a regional and international scale and a neglect of these foundational activities which are both local and mundane. [2] Most certainly, a collective strength of accelerators, like creative industries, definitely becomes a driving force for offspring of new businesses, spurring innovation, and attracting talents and investments, as the sector itself is mostly private sector driven. Still, foundational activities are important in themselves because the welfare of the city population depends on reasonably priced access to goods and services, like decent housing and utility supply. They also act as an important buffer and stabilizer of the city economy because the foundational is a significant and steady element in many kinds of city. Our team proposes three spatial approaches to achieve a good life through rethinking a balance between accelerators and stabilizer sectors. To support our spatial approach, we investigated a procurement model that ensures a shift in industrial and employment policy and from creating competitive cities approach (with an over emphasis on accelerator sectors) to well-grounded cities approach (with a rebalancing through stabilizer activities and services), augmenting the good life. The new procurement tool supports new stakeholder scenario / model curating existing community-based initiatives and nurturing the emergence of new ones, through a systemic transformation that includes foundational sectors and commons into decision-making and problem-solving process with local stakeholders. The institutional shift enables new capacity for forming adaptable and inclusive peripheral area, which drives new typological transformation forward. s approach, augmenting our ways of good life.

Procurement

[1] Ewald Engelen & Julie Froud & Sukhdev Johal & Angelo Salento & Karel Williams, 2017. “The grounded city: from competitivity to the foundational economy,” Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 10(3), pages 407423. [2] Hall, Stephan, and Alex Schafran. “From Foundational Economics and the Grounded City to Foundational Urban Systems.” Classic Grounded Theory: Applications With Qualitative and Quantitative Data, 2017, pp. 28–45., https:// foundationaleconomycom.files. wordpress.com/2017/01/2foundational-urban-systems-for-mundane-economy-3-0213.pdf. 42

Context Figure top, image courtesy by Arup, https://www.arup. com/projects/thames-estuary-2050-growth-commission: Priority projects by sector identified within the Thames Estuary Growth Vision Figure middle, sourced by GLA, Planning for London’s Growth: graph showing rate of growth for jobs, population, and housing stocks, from1997 to 2017 [3] Planning for London’s Growth. 2018, www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/plan_on_grow.pdf. 43

The housing crisis is the greatest threat to London’s growth and prosperity, like many other metropolises around the globe. The government and local authorities share a common vision to support continuous growth of London and its peripheries through redeveloping Thames Estuary, which has a long history of previous efforts to drive economic growth and productivity. Although the Thames Estuary 2050 growth commission aims to generate an additional £190 billion Gross Value Added and 1.3 million new jobs, and at least 1 million new homes by 2050, to achieve the transformative economic growth envisaged, the Commission states that some of significant challenges need to be overcome are delivering homes and maintaining fine environment for future work to not only the center of London but its surrounding, like Barking Riverside, in order to ensure the projected growth. [3] The Commission recently revealed their plan to turn the estuary into a hub of creative production corridors. ThecreativeindustriesaretheUK’sbiggest growthsector, with1.3millionpeopleworking in the creative economy across London and South East. The UKCommission for Employment and Skills predicts 1.2 million newworkers are needed in the sector over the next decade. However, -

- rising land values, rents, business rates, the lack of large scale, cutting-edge production space and artists’ studios and a skills shortage threaten the sector’s future growth and competitiveness. As such, the GLA’s proposal stresses the importance of extending creative production hub, along with creation of new homes, fromthe heart of London to its peripheral territories, building on the manufacturing legacy of East London. For decades, while London has successfully created new jobs for its growing population, it has failed to build enough homes, particularly those for social rent and other genuinely affordable tenures. Aligning with the Commission, since 2016, the GLA has taken a range of steps to increase the number of social rented and other genuinely affordable homes built in London. City Hall has agreed a target with Government to start 116,000 new affordable homes by March 2022, and 2018/19 saw more affordable homes started than in any other year since the devolution of affordable housing funding to City Hall. [4] To go even further, the GLA envisions to support affordable housing providers of all types and sizes to play their role in building more homes. Their London Housing Strategy stresses the importance of diversifying who builds our new homes, and the GLAis clear that to increase the numbers of new genuinely affordable homes, more supply must come fromdiverse sized housing associations fromsmall to large. Especially the smaller and medium-sized housing association sector are important to the GLA, as coming in a variety of shapes and sizes and often based in specific sub-regions of London, many of these SMHAs have an ambition to build newaffordable homes. While many SMHAs share the GLA’s vision of contributing to London’s new affordable housing supply, they face various barriers that prevent themfromdoing so. Naturally, SMHAs have smaller balance sheets than larger housing association, and more limited balance sheet capacity means that holding even a few large development sites for a sustained period without financial return can be prohibitively risky for SMHAs. Moreover, SMHAs frequently cite price competition with private developers as a barrier to acquiring sites. As housing associations typically deliver higher levels of affordable housing on a site than their private counterparts, they are often unable to offer landowners the same amount upfront. [5]

Figure bottom, sourced from Digimap: highlighting ongoing development in blue during phase 1 and 2, and provisioned development area highlighted in red during phase 3 for Barking Riverside Development [4] London’s Growth Opportunity, 2018. “London’s Growth Opportunity Barking and Daganham. https:// www.lbbd.gov.uk/sites/ default/files/attachments/ Londons-growth-opportunity-brochure.pdf, The Council of Barking and Daganham

[6] Be First, “Accelerating Growth in Barking and Dagenham.” Befirst London, befirst.london/ . [7] Bridger, Jessica. “The Kalkbreite Co-Op Complex & Zurich’s Cooperative Renaissance.” Metropolis, 6 Sept. 2017, www.metropolismag. com/cities/housing/kalkbreite-co-op-zurich-cooperative-renaissance/.

[5] Planning for London’s Growth. 2018, www.london. gov.uk/sites/default/files/

Inorder towelcome different sizedhousing providers onboardthe GLAoffereddifferent solutions through a diverse range of funding and tools to reduce their risks of acquiring newsites fromsmaller sites to even large sites. The GLA’s draft Plan includes a newrequirement for boroughs to take a proactive approach to boosting housing delivery on small sites using a range of planning tools, including: (1) identifying and allocating appropriate sites for residential development (2) granting planning permission-in-principle on specific sites (3) preparing area-wide design codes to promote good design and show how additional houing provision can be accommodated in different locations On top of this, the GLA offered strategic partnership to housing associations. Strategic partners must commit to bringing forward at least 600 affordable homes, within a wider delivery program consisting of at least 60 per cent affordable housing. In exchange, the GLA provides flexible funding conditions, enabling associations to draw down grant funding before start on site.

Strategic Partnership between Public and Private, and its Current Trend

The GLA and L&Q, one of London’s largest housing associations, are together investing £180m into a ground-breaking small sites initiative, ‘The Build London Partnership’. This initiative seeks to unlock small sites across the capital courtesy of a dedicated team within L&Q, and it is targeting starts of at least 1,000 new affordable homes by March 2022. The origin of the Partnership has initiated from their joint venture partnership for Barking Riverside. The development will see the creation of a newtown the size of Windsor, around a third of which will be affordable, along with a provision for new education, healthcare facilities, newdistrict center with commercial and leisure facilities, and lastly a brand-newtransit station. For housing associations, augmenting and procuring such scale of development, like Barking Riverside, becomes very challenging, unless partnering with the GLAand the local authority. As such, the council of Barking and Dagenhamtook a rather pioneering approach, and that is to establish urban regeneration company called Be First, wholly owned by the city council but operated independently, to accelerate the borough’s growth through place-making. Be First utilizes both the council and commercial investment resources for acquisition of the land to build out newaffordable residential and commercial development within Barking Riverside. As they hold an ethos of the public sector, their delivery model aims for a financial return which is reinvested into public service [6]. Looking at the trend around the world, in Zurich, where housing co-operatives date back to the 19th century, the city’s strong tradition of local community self-help has granted and supported its citizen with protection from the market. In Zurich, land is leased by the city council with affordability and favorable condition, ensuring easy entry for small-mediumsized co-ops, which become a driver for its typological transformation. Kalkbreite, the building as large as a city block over a tram depot, holding affordable housing units, commercial space including movie theater, and public courtyard – all built at a human scale, is offspring of design-led thinking of how to make co-ops viable adapting to spatial and economic environment in 21st century [6]. Despite its multi-usage, the complexity of its mixed program uniquely produced a harmony between existing infrastructure, commerce, and living. Astaggered inside circulation supports distinctiveness of each housing and working units, accommodating a diverse demography.

Procurement

Case Study - ‘Places that Work’

Thames Esturary. Employment, and Peripheries

Going back to one of the challenge Thames Estuary 2050 growth commission faces, which is securing competitive working environment for future work. Aligning with the growth provision, while Barking Riverside Development aims to deliver substantial amount of affordable homes for Londoners, the development lacks effort for maintaining local employment sources for low-end microenterprises, which plays a vital role in stabilizing local economy. The productive activity area or industrial land provides an important source of employment as well as space for the manufacturing, production, storage and distribution networks which support our lifestyles. Car repairers, brewers, dairy, specialist trade suppliers for plumbers and electricians, steel fabricators and other manufacturers – many are leaving the capital and pushed away to the periphery because the land they occupy is wanted for housing. - Barking Riverside is no different. In recent cases, predominantly housing-lead development tends to replace existing strategic industrial land. As the figure on pg.23 displays, the existing area for productivity heavily lies on Thames Rd and the western edge, and most of its productive area are planned to be replaced with residentially lead development in Barking Riverside Partnership’s masterplan. Within Barking itself, as well as beyond Barking especially the peripheries, it has become a big issue of mainlining fine balanced stock of housings and workplaces. Beyond balance between housing and work, considering howcurrent COVID-19 situation forcefully drives a structural change in public health security, establishing food and supply chains that are locally rooted becomes imperative to support projected growth, rather than focusing only on nourishment of larger-scaled and wider networked creative industries. Procurement

Figure top, photo courtesy by Christian Brunner: Looking at Kalkbreite from main street adjacent to site Figure bottom, photo courtesy by Christian Brunner: looking a public yard-cumcourtyard, surrounded by apartment units, built three stories above tramdepot

Figure top, Image courtesy by Architecture 00, Dan Hill, and GVA https://drive.google.com/ file/d/1H95vDs20wRoRaxa68SbKVFML-ZwVLZFd/ view: identifies five propositions for changing the ecosystem, anchored by trailblazing projects, which revealed their challenges when implementing this model. [8] Stabler, Joanna. “Launch of Places That Work Report.” Architecture 00, Architecture 00, 11 July 2018, www. architecture00.net/news/ xdwz8dc6akgypa33hmgjsyajd9m5yc. 47

Clearly, the Mayor’s development vision proposes tightening protections for designated strategic sites as well as certain creative industries, but smaller scale workspaces are still vulnerable to being squeezed out by residential redevelopment. In order to overcome the issue, in 2018, GVA, Dan Hill, Architecture 00 andtheir collaborative researchteamhadpublisheda report ‘Places-that-Work’ onhowLondoncanmeet its growth challenges by mixing a wide range of employment spaces with residential and other uses. The team identifies such spatial opportunity as “New London Mix,” in order to expand its capacity for small business/light industrial employment by additional 20%, alongside new homes in London. According to the proposal, “the ‘New London Mix’ is focused on the significant delivery potential of mixing a wide range of commercial space with residential and other uses, which should complement simply protecting or intensifying industrial land for solely employment use. This approach can create significant local benefits by retaining and growing existing and new businesses, allowing for additional much-needed homes to be delivered and underpinning an inclusive and sustainable model for urban growth.” [8] The report outlines different sets of urban condition, fromindustrial areas, town centers, to high streets, that are actually viable to deliver this ‘New London Mix’ under current market conditions. The preferable location, according to the report, for this mix is most likely to happen where there’s sufficient appetite from both residential developers and light industrial space occupiers. In areas of high or gradually increasing demand, like Barking Riverside, “employment space occupiers are more prepared to compromise on what they see as ‘optimal’ space solutions in order to be in the location they need –

– making themmore willing to consider mixed-use provision.” [9] While viability for the model are potentially observed within many parts of London, there are a number of remaining structural barriers preventing more widespread adaptation and scaling up. The report continues by proposing different initiative that potentially changes the existing economic and institutional ecosystemto tackling the barriers and encourage large scale private sector engagement backed up by a supportive public sector policy framework, which includes supporting policy making and co-investment.

Learning from‘Places that Work’

Hypothetically, if this mixed sector is to growsignificantly as an investment opportunity in a similar to the Build-to-Rent sector, which plays a major part of the development landscape in current market, a similar degree of public sector support will naturally be required. To ensure the support, one of the initiatives proposes creating of a co-investment fund which works with the councils and the private sector to ‘derisk’ projects through pioneering shared investment. The public funding role focuses on unlocking the first wave of projects that capable of demonstrating investment potential, with repayments providing an opportunity for reinvestment over the long term. Another initiative recommended is to establishing Local Economic Growth Companies (LEGCos) within the areas of change, again led by powerful local authorities like GLA and local councils, to work with housing associations, landowners, existing workspace owners, operators, etc. LEGCos works as an intermediary institution with sufficient capital, capacity, business models, experience and know-how for institutional investors. And their main purposes are to purchase, hold, and manage employment space where there is viability for the model to be implemented. Through precise letting and curating of activities both within buildings and the public realm, this intermediary holds a potential to steer economic activity taking place, thus reassuring and creating value for developers, residents as well as occupiers. Additionally, the institution can engage in creating more diverse and affordable environment in line with local conditions and policy priorities, targeting a long-termyield across their portfolio. [10] Lastly, through placing the catalyzer like LEGCos, which bridges public and private sectors, the entire development and its local stakeholder can share its longer lasting value which will trickle back into wider public benefit. -as the creation of new profit cycle supports generating new public wealth and services. Acknowledging ‘Places-that-Work’ report effectively works as a crucial pillar in London’s growth provision, in order achieve adaptable and resilient employment space alongside with housing provision to ensure continuous steadiness during the times of economic uncertainty, the spatial approach like ‘NewLondon Mix’ requires way to scaling up. To overcoming such persistent institutional barriers across London preventing such solution from progressing, we require a systemic transformation and its tools that support versatile collaboration between private, public, housing association, and the co-operative sectors. Additionally, constructing procurement model that activates new way for role of municipality allows to guide long-lasting urban regeneration which ensures civic outcome, as forming a de-risked structure supports other stakeholders to take on risk for longer termreturn on investment projects. Thus, we continue further through looking at a success case by the city of Preston, knowas ‘Preston Model,’ as well as its predecessor ‘Cleveland Model’ to investigate how their municipal role enabled locally-driven economic revitalization which could be applicable to Barking Riverside.

Procurement

Case Study - ‘Preston Model’ and ‘Cleveland Model’

[9] Beunderman, Joost, et al. “Places That Work.” July 2018, https://drive.google. com/file/d/1H95vDs20wRoRaxa68SbKVFML-ZwVLZFd/ view. [10] Beunderman, Joost, et al. “Places That Work.” July 2018, https://drive.google. com/file/d/1H95vDs20wRoRaxa68SbKVFML-ZwVLZFd/ view.

Figure bottom, Photo courtesy by Christopher Thomond/The Guardian https://www.theguardi an.com/ci ti es/2017/ apr/11/preston-cleveland-model-lessons-recovery-rust-belt: Cityscape of Preston. Overtime, Preston has struggled with austerity and entrenched inequality. [11] Hanna, Thomas M., et al. “The ‘Preston Model’ and the Modern Politics of Municipal Socialism.” New Thinking for the British Economy, 11 Sept. 2018, neweconomics. opendemocracy.net/preston-model-modern-politics-municipal-socialism/.

As Barking riverside inherits a legacy of deindustrialization and face with mounting socio-economic obstacle, the city of Preston, one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution, shares similar challenge. Municipal officials in Preston in the UK have been exploring new ways to create a more inclusive and democratic local economy as the foundation for systemic transformation. They have been able to draw upon long-standing regional traditions dating back to the founding of the modern cooperative movement in nearby Rochdale in 1844, but have also looked to promising examples overseas – including the ‘Cleveland Model’ in Ohio – for inspiration. Traditional city growth models, based on attracting inward investment for big infrastructure projects, could no longer be relied upon. Nor, under conditions of recession and austerity, could conventional tax-and-spend redistribution. Instead Preston, a small city with a population of 140,000 in England’s northwest Lancashire region, embarked on a remarkable community wealth building program, which aimed to ensure that the large amounts of money leaking out of the local economy were instead invested in local businesses and, in particular, cooperatives. In 2011, Preston’s incoming leaderships referred to the innovative success of Evergreen project in Cleveland, Ohio, that involved setting up worker cooperatives to provide goods and services to the area’s major quasi-public, nonprofit (or “anchor”) institutions. Both Cleveland and Preston had experienced unemployment and urban decay following waves of ‘de-industrialization.’ In the 18th and 19th centuries, technological innovation helped Preston become a powerhouse of cotton textile production, until the industry collapsed after the First World War. During the mid-20th century, Preston became a center of electronics and engineering, but this declined in the 1970s. Since then, poverty and inequality remained high. [11]

Procurement Strategy and Community Wealth Building

In 2012, Ted Howard, the leading actor for Evergreen project, was invited to Preston to present his ideas on community wealth building. Howard’s visit had been coordinated by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), a Manchester-based think tank with considerable experience of working collaboratively with local authorities and other institutions to boost local economies. Preston and CLES formed a partnership, and the city’s community wealth building strategy got underway in 2013. The project’s first phase comprised three aspects: [12] (1) to engage anchor institutions and understand their spending. (2) to identify ways to change procurement practice at the anchor institutions. (3) to discover the local economy’s capacity to supply good and services to anchor institutions. Six institutions signed up: two councils (Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council), a police force (Lancashire Constabulary), Preston’s largest social housing association (Community Gateway), and two further education colleges (Preston’s College and Cardinal Newman College). The members of this community wealth team were careful to engage the top leadership of each anchor institution at an early stage. CLES was keen to get a clearer picture of procurement spending by the six anchors, both to understand the potential for improvement and to provide a baseline against which progress could be measured. The anchors were asked to provide details of purchases from their top 300 suppliers during the financial year 2012/13, which was analyzed to understand: (1) how much was spent with suppliers based in Preston and Lancashire, and how much leaked out. (2) how much was spent with suppliers in particular sectors – and which sectors had key leakage. (3) how much was spent with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Procurement

Figure top, image courtesy by Common-Wealth.org, h t t p s : / / c o mmu n i ty-wealth.org/content/ cleveland-model-how-ever gr een- cooper atives-are-building-community-wealth: infographic illustrating structure of Cleveland Model, showing ecosystem how worker’s co-opstakes community wealth by partnering with municipal government

Figure top, image courtesy by The Next System, https://thenextsystem.org/ learn/stories/infographic-preston-model: [13] “Infographic: The Preston Model.” TheNextSystem. org, 5 Feb. 2018, thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/ infographic-preston-model.

[12] Hanna, Thomas M., et al. “The ‘Preston Model’ and the Modern Politics of Municipal Socialism.” New Thinking for the British Economy, 11 Sept. 2018, neweconomics. opendemocracy.net/preston-model-modern-politics-municipal-socialism/.

The result showed that some £458 million was leaking out of the Lancashire economy. At Preston City Council, just 14%of procurement spending went back into the Preston economy, compared with a local authority average of 31%for local spending. At a further workshop, the six anchors agreed a statement of intent, and defined their mission as “a long-termcollaborative commitment to community wealth building in Lancashire for influenceable spend.” CLES worked with Preston City Council to create a database of local businesses that could now be approached with procurement opportunities at an early stage. The council subsequently reanalyzed its spending, and found a marked increase in local economy spend. As a result, at its early progress, an estimated £4 million had been directed back into the Preston economy. The community wealth project also gained growing interest from other local anchor institutions. And several of Preston’s neighboring councils are set to sign up, which in turn will bring in their own place-based institutions, including additional housing associations and further educational institutions. Combined with the existing anchors, they have an estimated total spending power of more than £1.2 billion a year. As well as directing spending into the local economy, the anchor institutions are developing “progressive procurement” strategies, which take into account social value alongside conventional criteria of cost and quality. For instance, Lancashire County Council established a Social Value Procurement Framework in early 2016, whose objectives include promoting local training and employment opportunities to tackle unemployment, raising local residents’ living standards (e.g. through paying the living wage and supporting employees with childcare), supporting voluntary and community groups, reducing inequality and poverty, and promoting environmental sustainability (e.g. by cutting energy use and using materials fromsustainable sources). [13]

On the other hand, while acknowledging Cleveland and Preston Model’s success in forming Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), two models lack provisions which restructure local ownership and governance that are more effectively and easily scale upgradable. As mentioned earlier, the augmentation of the Preston Model requires a strong municipal led collaboration with private sectors, anchoring institutions. Would this imply that if one area has no major anchoring institution, the know-how learnt from both cases are untransferable? Through observation of an existing condition of Barking Riverside, there is no initial candidate for anchoring institution which meets its characteristic to function as mentioned above. In terms of anchoring institution, its size directly corresponds to its financial capacity and moreover its influence over certain areas, and Barking Riverside unfortunately lacks of existing large organizations like universities, hospitals, housing associations, etc.

Anchoring Institutions

The partnership between Preston and CLES’s first step involved with identifying anchoring institutions and its relationship with the existing local economy within the territory. - this step allows the model to discover the local economy’s capacity. When considering the characteristics of anchoring institution, with the proper incentives and motivation – they have the economic potential to leverage their assets and revenues to promote local private sector development through such means as: [14] (1) Directing a greater percentage of their purchasing power toward local vendors based in the community. (2) Hiring a greater percentage of their workforce locally. (3) Providing workforce training for people needing assistance in the community. (4) Incubating the development of new businesses, including social enterprise among non profits. (5) Leveraging real estate development to promote local retail, employer-assisted housing, and community land trusts. (6) Using pension and endowment funds to invest in local job creation strategies and to provide community venture capital for nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and employee-owned

Learning fromTwo Models and their Limits

In summary, the city of Preston’s ambitious strategy to utilize local economic assets to revitalize their local economy, catalyzed by local government action, has led to securing opportunities for local industry to not only sustain but creating vibrant and cooperative foundation for small businesses. “Today, the “Preston Model” is helping inspire a new conversation about the role of local government in catalyzing locally-driven economic revitalization and transforming patterns of ownership towards democratic alternatives.” [14] Successfully, in combination with utilization of anchoring institution, the community wealth building approach helped to create the ecosystemthat enabled a local circular money cycle, making it difficult for local financial resources to leak out. The council has successfully taken its initiative through careful observation finding any deficit for service and supply within local economy, and advocated for the creation of community-owned cooperatives, filling the gaps. Unlike Cleveland model, the Preston was able to bring not only local economic stability but achieving wider-scaled community wealth, vast-interdisciplinarity network, and the city’s key environmental goal, including decreasing carbon emission. We observed that this is due to a difference in a role of municipality between two models. Because the local authority of Preston seized more stronger initiative than Cleveland to progress its approach, it aided minimizing any risk but ensuring long-lasting profit through participation from different sectors. As mentioned in relation to ‘Places-that-Work,’ overcoming structural barriers requires a demonstration of intermediacy by public sectors, and the city of Preston proactively proved its argument. Procurement

Public-Common-Partnership (PPPs) Figure top, image courtesy by Common-Wealth.org: illustrating local circular money cycle, left before and right after

Figure top, image courtesy by Common-Wealth.org: illustrating local circular money cycle, left before and right after

[14][15] “Infographic: The Preston Model.” TheNextSystem.org, 5 Feb. 2018, thenextsystem.org/learn/ stories/infographic-pres-

[13] “Infographic: The Preston Model.” TheNextSystem. org, 5 Feb. 2018, thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/ infographic-preston-model.

Urban think tank, Common Wealth’s new proposal on Public-Common Partnership (PCPs), building on the existing idea of the PPPs, highlights a key solution to bridge a missing link between Preston and Barking Riverside. The PCPis “a joint enterprise structure that involves unions, social movements, and local government offers an incredibly useful institutional framework.” At the center of a PCPis the Common Association made up of local citizen-owners. The Common Association would govern the PCPjointly with state government of the appropriate level, in partnership with a third group – a project-specific coalition of experts and stakeholders, from unions to experts in the field, such as infrastructure companies. Like the procurement strategy in Preston, this new PCPs also reinvest gains back into the community taking a substantial proportion of the surplus generated for its own growth, while the rest goes to capitalize other collective ownership schemes. – creating newformof a local circular money cycle within the area.

Figure top,, illustrating two potential anchoring institutions for Barking Riverside top grey armature presents newly established Public-Common-Partnership on Thames Rd, and dark grey represents already existing Private-Public-Partnership between GLAand L&Q

Anchoring Institution in Barking Riverside

So, going back to our original question, what could potentially become anchoring institutions for Barking Riverside? We observe that there could be two large institution which fulfill requirements and motivations to become drivers of enhancing and stabilizing its circular economy within Barking and even its peripheries. One potential candidate could be the already established, powerful Private-Public-Partnership, such as Barking Riverside Partnership by GLAand L&Q. Without any doubts, the partnership holds a substantial financial power and fair motivation to bring financial prosperity to Barking, as financial stability aids securing the land value high.

Figure top, illustrating current arrangement of stakeholders in Barking Riverside, each stakeholders from macro scale to micro scale, macro stakeholders are becoming decision and process makers within existing arrangement, profits from outcome are mainly consumed by outside private sectors

Fiture bottom, illustrates two ways for LEGCos to ratain land ownership of Thames Rd parcel. Above way presents parcial ownership within different parcels and below presents owning entire block, both resulting to hold equal amount of land, in order to maintain affordability and availability of land for certain business/initiative that anchors its foundational economy

Another potential candidate can be augmented through newly formation of Thames Rd Public-Common-Partnership, between Be First, development company set up by Barking and DagenhamCouncil, as a role of public, and locals citizens/business owners surrounding Thames Rd representing the common association. Additionally, establishing Local Economic Growth Companies, led by Be First and the local council (or GLA), becomes essential as this LEGCos potentially function as mission-driven social enterprise, to join the PCPas a third-party place-making institution. While they would mainly orchestrate and steer economic activity, generating value for the local community, their role has potential to maintain affordability and availability to diverse service the local community might require. Hypothetically, if 20% of land on Thames Rd are owned by the LEGCos, this measure would guarantee its affordability at its minimumcost for needed commercial spaces, giving different range of incentives to support growth of their business. For instance, some of this early- stage business space could be exempt from business rates to help grow SMEactivity that would underpin long- termbusiness rates growth.

Procurement

Role of the PCPs

It is recommended for the LEGCos to actively engage in multiple roles such as business support, training and skill learning, and platform for community venture, etc. By leveraging mixed funding sources rather than relying solely on real estate income, they would have more chance to become key parts of Barking Riversideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure. Moreover, formation of Thames Rd LEGCos as crucial part of the PCP gives merits beyond achieving economic and place-making outcomes but helps to ensure survivability of already existing small businesses on Thames Rd, which play substantial role as stabilizer within the local economy. As the figure next page displays, Thames Rd already consists a very rich diversity of small business which some of themcould potentially hold important role in revitalizing locally-driven economy. As the PCP is catalyzed by the council of Barking and Dagenham, the presence of municipality ensures proper collaborative manner with another anchoring institutions. As a result, the PCP fulfills necessary characteristics to become anchoring institution, which creates local money cycle that captures profit back into public service, future local development, and initiatives.

Figure top, illustrates existing placement and availability for local industries. Each color represents different types of industry ranging from wholesaler to manufacture. Fiture bottom, augments new arrangement of stakeholders for Barking Riverside after implementation of PCP/PPP model. The Commons association now becomes a core part of decision/process making, enableing them to establish new initiatives like worker’s co-ops, supporting future growth further.

Procurement

Co-ops, and Future Scenario

Appearance of two anchoring institutions, one catalyzed by large scale development and the other by partnership between commons and public, rearranges existing stakeholder structure from a very topdown structure into more linear lateral structure, as shown in a figure bottom left. By forming the PCP, the Commons Association which consists of ordinary citizens and occupants for local business now becomes a key part of both decision and place making process. – restructuring ownership model both in land and decisions. To augment further, the PCPholds potential to establish worker’s collective which works through subscription-based membership to any locals, and the co-op creates another locally rooted money cycle that invests back its profit into either social infrastructure, local business nourishment, or new initiatives coming forward. In context of economic, environmental, and health crisis shock, like we’re currently experiencing in 2020, this rearrangement of governance and procurement model provides more autonomous, local, and resilient structure. The model redefines participation process fromdifferent sectors not only to “de-risk” and minimize risk but to share and sustain long-termambition and its return, as a result delivering back into public interest. As our vision of Good Life in the peripheral areas seeks to explore new urban condition that is adaptable and supportive to provisioned economic growth, its spatial quality must accompany elements of flexibility and elasticity.

5. Inhabi ti ng the Commons: Three Spati al Strategi es

4. 4.21Epi Ti tlcentres e

Areas of Opportunities

IntroductionThe world is currently facing not

a polycentric form of development must be implemented, through a series of epicentres across Barking Riverside only an environmental crisis, but also an economic and area to create a more robust development strategy. health crisis. This has shown that the way of living and the existing institutional arrangements are vulnerable; hence, With the Epicentres strategy, and through two different arnew ways of development and living must be generated. chitectural approaches, we want to assess how epicentres Furthermore, as the population increases urban environcan support the inhabitation of commons and enable a ments are gradually taking over landscape environments. more re-localised economy. We strongly believe that localGiven the characteristics of the peripheral areas, they are ismis a response that will lead us to a more equitable and the perfect scenario to test new ways of urbanity that are more resilient formof development. more resilient to these challenges and shocks. The Epicentresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach to the Good Life model is an incremental strategy that works as a driver of change for an integral regenerative development of a periphery area like Barking Riverside. This approach seeks the coexistence of natural and artificial environments through new collaborative arrangements that are truly aware of local resources. We argue that in order to deal with the current scenario,

With these huge underdeveloped plots, Barking Riverside is currently not working as an integrated neighbourhood, especially when it comes to its connectivity and support for new developments. However, this former industrial legacy generates flexibility and spaces to accommodate new transformations.

Figure 1 Barking Riverside

Through spatial transformations, the reconfiguration of large plots from the inside-out and shifts in architectural typologies, we claim that a consistent and sustainable transformation can be achieved. More importantly, we aim to prove how a punctual intervention can maximise the available land with new procurement arrangements that involve a significant number of actors to produce a collective imaginary of the Good Life.

An Interiorised Urbani ty for the Good Life

Inhabi ting Nature

EPICENTRES

Barking Riversideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grain is illustrative of a low-density, monofunctional area. The morphology is characterised by two predominant grains, a small grain that is mainly residential with tight fabric and typologies, and a big grain that constitutes the industrial part of the city with larger plots and isolated typologies.

FIgure 2 Thames river - Roding river. Photo by Giorgio Talocci

Figure 3 Industrial area. Photo by Giorgio Talocci

Figure 4 Residential area. Photo by Giorgio Talocci

Figure 5 Industrial area. Photo by Giorgio Talocci

Urban Strategy A rearrangement of plots and an intensification in the mobility network is essential to allow further urban transformation provoked by the Good Life in a Grounded City model. In addition, there is a need of attracting more actors into the area to provide more possibilities of service provision and enhance the civic commons, therefore the plot subdivision allows for this spectrumof development opportunities. The different range of plot sizes offer a wider range of development models according to the needs of the area. Furthermore, the epicentres are located in large underdeveloped plots; in turn, whether immersed in an area with lack of services or where existing conditions could work together with the new development.

H G

The strategy is composed of two ranges of epicentres depending on their size. There are five epicentres that measure between four and six hectares, while the other three epicentres measure one to three hectares. The eight epicentres work together as key drivers of a polycentric model within Barking Riverside district. Each one holds different vocations in order to detonate different regenerative strategies in the area. These vocations do not imply a monofunctional programmatic focus but instead more of a disposition which attracts related synergies like housing and other services that might cluster around each of them. Moreover, they are thought as such answering to the needs of what surrounds themand to take advantage of the existing facilities such as schools, working light industry, natural resources and upcoming developments as the over ground station and newresidential areas to have a wider impact.

C A

A Food Production &Provision vocation

B Wellbeing vocation

E F

C Light Industry vocation D Creative +Skills vocation E Health vocation F Community &Institutional vocation G Caring vocation H Education vocation

Figure 6 Epicentres / Grids / Plots EPICENTRES

Epicentres Epicentres, as a concept of urban development, are drivers of change that enable a wider area transformation through punctual interventions that correlate. The development is structured incrementally, allowing a more economically viable model that involves a variety of stakeholders. They are designed to developed new scenarios and concepts of growth, both planned and unforeseen. As â&#x20AC;&#x153;cities within citiesâ&#x20AC;?, the epicentres are moments of intensification with a range of spatial arrangements. This approach allows different spatial relationships not only between blocks, plots and context but also between public, collective, and private spaces that can be multi-layered and diverse in terms of functions and users. When intensifying a site, quantity and quality matter. They are designed to maximise the carrying capacity of a plot and host different types of development and stakeholders to accommodate a more dense and intense collective way of living the good life in the grounded city.

Figure 7 Epicentres

EPICENTRES

Morphological Assembly: Clusters Along with the parcellation strategy, there is a need to bring accelerators and stabilisers to the area. The aim is for the epicentres to host either accelerators, stabilisers or both depending on the preferred vocation for each site. Building upon Makiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project Hillside Terrace Complex and ARK educational hub by Sheppard Robson, the spatial strategy that determines the epicentresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; block configuration is the cluster. The cluster is anextrovertedensemblethat enables an expansion of services and of spaces of quality to the surrounding area while enriching the grounded city by creating micro mobility networks and spaces for further interaction between people at a ground floor level. In addition, the cluster configuration enables the ensemble to grow organically and incrementally without comprising the range and quality of the urban environments. Furthermore, this configuration gives the possibility of bringing different actors to participate within the same plot, divide the investment and development risks. Case study 1: ARKeducational hub - Sheppard Robson A cluster that works with a boulevard as the spine of the project. This not only creates a micro-mobility network but also links the buildings in ground floor so they form an ensemble. The voids derive from the boulevard and work as courtyards with diverse characteristics according to the building typology. Case study 2: Hillside Terrace Complex - Maki Acluster that uses the voids as elements that bring the buidlings together and that work as transitions through the plot creating a micro-mobility network. Each void has different spatial qualities giving them attributes to work as either thresholds, courtyards, plazas or service patios. EPICENTRES

Area: 5.1 ha

Figure 8 Case study 1: ARK educational hub - Sheppard Robson

Area: 9.1 ha

Area: 4 ha

Figure 9 Case study 2: Hillside Terrace Complex - Maki

Figure 10 Epicentres as clusters

Procurement model Urban Village project by Space 10 and Effekt (2018) rethinks how we design, build, finance and share our future homes, neighbourhoods and cities. The aim is to allow for affordable homes to enter the market, make it easier to live sustainably, and ensure more fulfilling ways of living together. The vision of a Circular Buiksloterhamis one of a neighbourhood with exemplary performance on a set of systemic measures of urban and environmental quality. It is a neighbourhood with a tight-knit local community, strong civic engagement, and a resilient local economy (Metabolic, Studioninedots &DELVALandscape Architects 2014). Building upon these development models, the epicentres’ approach seeks to challenge the peripheries’-built environment and institutional arrangements through new spatial configurations in order to provide more affordable and liveable solutions. Its procurement model is initially funded through partnerships among several actors that look for long terminvestments in the private sector and local community land trust or local cooperatives. Later, the reinvestment of the revenues and user subscriptions becomes part of a land value-capture model that can be used to ensure the provision of foundational services and further development. The user subscription model consists on a monthly rate paid by the residents that aims to make everyday life activities more affordable by lowering costs and maximising resources. Furthermore, the epicentres seek to detonate change in the area through accelerators and stabilisers. The former to reach a larger scale and have access to regional or international markets, while the latter offer smaller scale services and have more access to the local level. Due to the presence of accelerators and stabilisers, the block typologies matter as they enable a stakeholder arrangement through a spatial adaptability and flexibility to make a more complex scenario of interaction to support the civic commons. By using certain block typologies, the accelerators, stabilisers and their stakeholder arrangement are potentiated by spatial organisations, for instance, the location of entrances, cores, lobbies and frontages arrangements. We argue that in order to have an incremental development and a more diversified investment risk, each epicentre will be developed in phases where different actors are going to intervene as each phase takes place. By dividing into phases, each one is independent from the other. This allows the project to be resilient and leads to possible changes throughout the implementation. For instance, the typologies can be accommodated according to future needs or the project can be changed through the phases. The incremental strategy within the plot ensures its ability to accommodate economic, political, and environmental or heath related shocks. Most importantly, what differentiates this incremental strategy from other tried and tested de-risked approaches is that it ensures that the local municipality retains an active role and stake in the development process as part of the PPCP (public-private-commons partnership) model as the agent of the commons. EPICENTRES

The Urban Village - Space 10 &Effekt. https://www.effekt.dk/urbanvillageproject (accessed 1st May 2020)

The epicentres present options of market-driven and non-market driven spaces that come together in shared facilities. The market-driven areas are going to be owned and managed by the private sector. While the non-market driven areas are going to be owned and managed by local cooperatives (like the Warehouse, OrganicLea), the local council and local associations to provide affordable and liveable housing, workspace, workshops and goods. By involving local cooperatives and local community land trusts in the procurement model, new residents can have access to own the property by buying shares of it according to their possibilities, following a crowdfunding model.

The proposals offer flexible and shared facilities to lower costs and simultaneously create a tight community that enhances the civic commons. Through participatory dynamics as the subscription model –a novel variation to the collective/association model -, the community will be able to share resources, make every day needs affordable and optimize processes and costs of production. The users’ subscriptions are meant to give them access to these shared facilities and the monthly-paid fees will guarantee its correct functioning. Furthermore, the procurement model has at its base a multi-generational community that ensures a diversity of economic activities, maker-based economy and service provision.

Metabolic, Studioninedots &DELVA Landscape Architects (2014) Circular Buiksloterham: Transitioning Amsterdamto a Circular City

Figure 11 Procurement model The Warehouse - Participatory City http://www.participatorycity.org/ the-warehouse-2 (accessed 1st May 2020)

OrganicLea https://www.organiclea.org.uk/ (accessed 1st May 2020)

Figure 12 Accelerators and Stabilisers model: An interiorised Urbanity For the Good Life 70

Figure 13 Accelerators and Stabilisers model: Inhabiting Nature

Spatial Strategies The epicentres are linked and work together as part of an integral polycentric strategy which is strongly related with their surroundings. With a deep study fromtheir wider context they enable a series of conditions that shape the spatial transformations; for instance, both have the necessity to create a micro-mobility system within the plot, due to its current mono-linear movement systems adjacent to the plot. In addition, both are in the edge of a natural environment such as the river and the natural reserve, they need to seek for transformations that cope with the conditions that they carry in order to preserve these natural environments and ensure their coexistence with the new developments.

lenge the chain of provision by adding more local stakeholders. Working in parallel with the three upcoming markets to the test site, the urban farm functions as the main focus of the proposal in order to enhance local food supply and local food security.

Looking at site B, it is focused on a wellbeing provision with a strong understanding of the natural environments but, at the same time, it pushes non-market driven developments to attract different stakeholders and involve a major number of citizens. It looks for newways of health provision that seek for a prevention strategy with a strong involvement with the environment, and greener ways of transportation. Taking adBased on the Good Life model, which seeks new forms of vantage of the proximity to the river to incorporate it into the production and the promotion of a locally based economy; transport systemand the leisure centre. in site A, for instance, food production and provision becomes of mayor importance in the civic commons. Being a Both epicentres are driving spatial transformations that will basic necessity, it is essential to remove some aspects of the trigger a more inclusive way of life that will ensure the good food production from the market-driven system and chal- life in the grounded city. Figure 14 Situating the spatial strategies

Figure 16 Site A: An interiorised Urbanity For the Good Life Area: 4.86 HA The site is located at the east side of Barking Riverside in between the Ripple natural reserve and the new urban development brought by MICA. Also, it sits in between Riverside Bridge School and the new over ground station that is coming in 2021.

Figure 15 Site B: Inhabiting Nature Area: 8.56 HA The site is located at the west end of the Thames Road and in direct relation with both the residential and the industrial area. It is also situated at the point of convergence between the Mayes Brook, the Roding River and the wetlands.

EPICENTRES

An Interi ori sed Urbani ty f or the Good Li f e

This epicentre is part of a polycentric model that seeks to achieve the Good Life, which envisions new forms of activities within a local economy. As the recent health and environmental crisis has demonstrated, food production and distribution are seen by many as critical infrastructure. Given its strategic importance in daily life, this proposal aims to diversify parts of the food supply chain away fromthe market driven economy by involving local stakeholders such as cooperatives and the community. The project also proposes a waste management plant, multi-generational and multi-scheme housing, conventional and collaborative workspace, as well as retail spaces.

Current Conditions

of interiorised urbanity is understood as complex spatial arrangements that allow different configurations through multi-layered spaces. This spatial arrangements give the possibility of visual and physical connections and work as operational surfaces.

The spatial proposal is a cluster organised by an armature that – through the public realm– brings together the living, working and learning in non-conventional spaces giving a sense of community to everyday life activities. Through an architectural approach, the proposal reconfigures the traditional conceptualisation of the block typologies to foster synergies among the stakeholders. As a consequence, the Aiming to create an interiorised urbanity this approach tests proposition creates flexible and adaptable spaces, which the armature as an organisational element within the plot can afford change and multi-generational dynamics. and reconfigures different block typologies. The concept

The site presents a series of possibilities, but inevitably at the same time some limitations. The proposal uses the advantages that allow an urban transformation, while also seeks to address and exploit its weaknesses. For instance, since the plot is surrounded by the natural reserve, the site has the possibility of using all its sides to create a visual connection to its surroundings and open spaces to be in close contact with the natural environment. On the other hand, the natural reserve dictates a series of spatial conditions like pulled-back volumes and lack of physical connection with it.

The plot is located in between different conditions like the natural reserve, the urban environment, and diverse typological and scalar situations. One could argue that the plot has the potential to work as a smooth transition between them- an ecotone. The proposal locates the food market and urbanfarminthe centre of the plot since the Riverside Bridge School is located in front of the site. This gesture creates a link within the plot and enhances the relationship between the newand existing civic facilities. To take advantage of the natural reserve conditions, the residential area is located at the west of the plot. Likewise, the location of this area allows Currently, the plot holds large shed buildings fromthe former a smooth transition in scale between the existing residential power station and is barely linked with its surrounding con- conditions –across the natural reserve –andthe larger scale text. The mobility systemthat surrounds the plot is limited to buildings of the proposal. Finally, the workspace, workshops a single road along the site (Figure 28). and waste management plant are situated adjacent to the urban condition. Overall, the proposal works in a typological and scalar way to function as an ecotone.

Housing Waste Management Plant

Figure 17 Diagram: Cluster +Armature Housing Workspace

Figure 19 Plot analysis: possibilities and limitations

Figure 18 Axonometric: An Interiorised Urbanity for the Good Life EPICENTRES

Figure 20 Plot exploration: Potential layout

Food Market & Urban Farm

Armature as an organisational element within the plot Based on two different projects, the armature is explored as an organisational element within the plot to challenge the idea that this concept only works at an urban scale. The first case study is the Oasis Terraces project by Serie Architects that works as a perimeter block that frames an open space overlooking a river. The polyclinic, retail and community centre are connected through a corridor delimited by landscape that works as an armature. The building works as a plot, while the armature as a form of interior/exterior urbanity. The nodes become thresholds that connect the interior with the exterior, modulating the flowof people moving along the project. Likewise, the second case study, Bajes Kwartier by OMA is a project formed by four clusters of different block typologies connected by an armature. Its layout simulates a spine from which diverse voids attach seamlessly. In this case, the armature has a two-fold function. On one hand, it links the project to the context. On the other, when juxtaposed with the voids, the armature establishes a hierarchy inside the project and created a micro-mobility network.

Reconfiguring Block Typologies

Case study 1: Serie Architects - Oasis Terraces

This project tests the atrium, the shed and the linear block in order to create an interiorised urbanity that generates multi-layered spaces either in horizontal or vertical direction. Based on two case studies, it could be argued that modifying typical block typologies through the layout of the slab, voids and circulations can generate an interiorised urbanity and articulate spaces with different dimensions, functions and morphology. The use of a circulation systemas an interiorised urbanity is portrayed by case study three, the Commons by Department of Architecture - an atrium building. Held by a void, this vertical circulation connects different environments and creates meanwhile spaces. In addition, it allows a layered visual connection within the project. The circulation system is working as a physical and as a visual

Figure 21-22 Organisational diagrams

Case study 3: Department of Architecture The Commons

linkage giving it the possibility of becoming a more complex built environment. The fourth case study, Le Serre by MVRDV, is a large built mass treated with internal layered and staggered volumes, as well as stepped datumthat creates multi-layered environments and an interiorised urbanity. Working as a linking element, the void allows visual and physical connections and - at the same time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gives space so that the environments develop independently. Meanwhile, the staggered volumesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategy gives the possibility to have shared spaces of different scales that allow diverse situations within the block.

Case study 4: MVRDV- Le Serre

Figure 23 Aerial view. Oasis Terraces-Series Architects https:// www.dezeen.com/2019/01/22/ocean-terraces-singapore-serie-architects-multiply/

Case study 2: OMA- Bajes Kwartier Figure 26 Section diagram

Figure 24 Plan: organisational diagram

EPICENTRES

Figure 27 Interior view. The Commons-Deparment of Architecture https://www.archdaily.com/800497/the-commons-department-of-architecture

Figure 25 Aerial view. Bajes Kwartier-OMAhttps://oma.eu/projects/bajes-kwartier 76

Figure 28 Section diagram

Figure 29 Interior view. La Serre-MVRDV https://www.mvrdv.nl/projects/304/la-serred%E2%80%99issy

Procurement model An Interiorised Urbanity for the Good Life proposal aims to create new partnership models that generates an inclusive development that offer a range of non-market and market driven options of basic necessities like food production and provision, housing and workspaces. By including existing stakeholder - L+Q,GLA, Barking and Dagenhamcouncil, The Warehouse (Participatory City), Barking Reach Residents Association, among others- with new stakeholders – food producers, Billingsgate Market, Spitafields Market, Smithfields Market, housing cooperatives among others – the proposition creates new chains of service provision (Figure 30). In addition, it proposes a private-public-commons-partnership (PPCP) model to retain the local stakeholders –such as the local government and community – at the developments base. As part of the Good Life concept, the proposal seeks to balance the service and needs provision in terms of market and non-market driven alternatives in order to create an accessible and more equitable distribution of goods and services.

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

NEW SPITAFIELDS MARKET (B)

These non-market and market driven spaces come together in operational surfaces or circulatory systems that hold shared facilities like laundry rooms, kitchens, storage space, collaborative workspaces or shared living rooms. Which minimise costs while maximising resources and creating community-based dynamics. To make the proposal plausible and resilient to external shocks, a three-phased scenario of development is envisioned. This scenario showcases the spectrum of stakeholders, spatial arrangements and environments that are possible through an armature of clusters. Additionally, the incremental strategy gives the possibility of having different stakeholders intervening at different moments enriching the project and guaranteeing better partnerships. Each phase has distinctive vocations and – through diverse block typologies – explores new PPCP models driven by key actors (Figure 31). Moreover, each phase has an accelerator as an investment attractor and stabilisers that will ensure the civic commons in Barking Riverside area. By having an incremental strategy, it is possible to have meanwhile facilities to provide necessary services in the plot while each strategy is being developed.

CITY OF LONDON COORPORTION (O/D)

BILLINGSGATE MAKET (B)

BARKING AND DAGENHAM’S PARKS AND COUNTRYSIDE RANGER SERVICE (M) VISITORS (U)

PARTNERSHIP LEARNING (U)

SMITHFIELD MARKET (B)

GLA + L&Q (A)

THE RIPPLE PARTNERSHIP INVESTORS (D)

LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING AND DAGENHAM (A) RETAILERS (U)

MULTI SERVICES KENT (B)

DESIGNERS (OA) NEW RESIDENTS (U)

HOUSING COOPERATIVES (O/M)

High impact Low impact

THE WAREHOUSE (M)

BARKING REACH RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (OA)

LEASEHOLDERS (O)

Figure 30 Stakeholders Arrengement

Public sector

Funded

Private sector

Strongly connected

Public &Private sector

Weakly connected

(A) Authority (B) Buisnedd associations / Retailers (D) Developer (U) Users (M) Management (OA) Other Associations (O) Owner

Market-Driven Provision Not Market-Driven Provision New stakeholders to the area Existing stakeholders in the area

EPICENTRES

Waste Management plant + Multi-generational housing Key Driver: Waste Management plant

PHASE 3

PPCP: The Warehouse + Multi Services Kent + Housing Cooperatives + Leasholders + City of London Corporation Typological driver: Shed

Food provision + Multi-generational housing Key Driver: Market / Urban Farm

PHASE 1

PPCP: The Warehouse + City of London Corporation + Housing Cooperatives + Food Producers Typological driver: Atrium Workspace + Multi-generational housing

PHASE 2

Key Driver: Workspace PPCP: The Warehouse + Leaseholders + Housing Cooperatives + City of London Corporation Typological driver: Atrium

Figure 31 Incremental Strategy

Phase 1 comprises food production and Phase 2 has the workspace and retail space as the accelerator and provision supported by multi-generational housing. The food market and the urban farm will work as the key drivers and accelerators meanwhile the multi-generational housing, workshops and shared facilities work as the stabilisers. The partnership arrangement is going to be mainly conformed by The Warehouse cooperative, City of London Corporation – three upcoming food markets -, housing cooperatives and food producers. While City of London Corporation and the upcoming food markets are bringing the initial investment, The Warehouse cooperative and the housing cooperatives are going to buy part of the housing, the workshops and the urban farm to make them non-market driven facilities. The food producers – local residents or volunteers play an important role in the urban farm as they intervene in the food production chain. 79

the multi-generational housing and shared facilities as the stabilisers. City of London Corporation, The Warehouse, and the housing cooperatives formthe partnership arrangement as owners of the buildings. Both, housing and workspace offer the possibility of market and non-market driven spaces. Specifically, the market driven workspace is meant for large corporations that seek to move their headquarters to the upcoming area while the non-market driven spaces aimto attract young entrepreneurs or local businesses.

Phase 3 brings the waste management plant to the project comple-

mented by multi-generational housing, workshops and retail spaces. The waste management plant is envisioned as the accelerator because by recycling or processing organic waste that comes from the food market, urban farm and households of the area, it will be able to generate clean energy and therefore add the affordable energy provision to the model. As for the stabilisers, the multi-generational housing, the workshops and the retail spaces will contribute to the basic needs’ coverage in the area. In this phase, the main stakeholders that are going to intervene are The Warehouse cooperative, City of London Corporation, Multi Services Kent and the housing cooperatives.

LEASEHOLDERS (B)

THE WAREHOUSE (M)

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

LEASEHOLDERS (B)

HOUSING COOPERATIVES (O/M)

PARTNERSHIP LEARNING (OA)

SMITHFIELD MARKET (B)

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

USERS (U)

USERS (B)

BILLINGSGATE MAKET (B)

NEW RESIDENTS (U) NEW RESIDENTS (U) NEW RESIDENTS (U)

VISITORS (U)

MULTI SERVICES KENT (B)

VISITORS (U)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

Strongly connected

Public &Private sector

Weakly connected

RETAILERS (B)

RESIDENTS (U)

LEASEHOLDERS (B)

HOUSING COOPERATIVES (O/M)

NEW SPITAFIELDS MARKET (B)

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

Market-Driven Provision

Private sector

(A) Authority (B) Buisnedd associations / Retailers (D) Developer (U) Users (M) Management (OA) Other Associations (O) Owner

PARTNERSHIP LEARNING (OA)

PH AS

Funded

BILLINGSGATE MAKET (B)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

SMITHFIELD MARKET (B)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

Public sector

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

Not Market-Driven Provision New stakeholders to the area Existing stakeholders in the area

EPICENTRES

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

THE WAREHOUSE (M)

Low impact

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

THE WAREHOUSE (M)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

High impact

HOUSING COOPERATIVES (O/M)

PH AS

HOUSING COOPERATIVES (O/M)

USERS (B)

PH AS

FOOD PRODUCERS (B)

RESIDENTS (U)

NEW RESIDENTS (U)

NEW SPITAFIELDS MARKET (B)

RESIDENTS (U)

THE WAREHOUSE (M)

RETAILERS (B)

Figure 32 Procurement model and incremental diagram

Architectural Strategy Development The armature and block typologies are tested as elements to create an interiorised urbanity. It could be argued that it is possible to bring different stakeholders together and generate a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;commonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; procurement model through an interiorised urbanity either as using the armature as an organisational element within a plot or by reconfiguring a block typology. The cluster of buildings is organised by an armature and a staggered grid that brings together living, working and learning in non- conventional spaces that give a sense of community through everyday life activities.

tertiary routes and gives more variety of scales and environments to the open spaces that associates the clusters (Figure 35).

The building distribution within the plot work as different typologies arranged by an inner circulation. This is formed by a series of corridors and nodes that work either as spaces to gather or as thresholds which generate permeable multi-dimensional voids that bring the functions together (Figure 36). The project not only responds to the urban fabric but also transforms it using different block typologies and open The layout is based on a cluster arrangement with an ar- spaces as crossovers to intensify the area. mature as a corridor running along the plot with a series of nodes that work as points of encounter between differ- The project is composed by different block typologies in ent typologies or as thresholds (Figure 33). It generates a order to accommodate different programmes that through micro-mobility system that modulates the flow intensity slight architectural changes create an interiorised urbanity. through spaces of different scale and dimensions (Figure 34). Additionally, the staggered grid creates secondary and

Figure 33 Typological organisation: Corridors +Nodes

Figure 34 Armature as an organisational element

Figure 35 Staggered grid

Figure 36 Multi-dimensional voids

Figure 37 Functional section EPICENTRES

The housing buildings are formed by stacked modules that either form clusters or linear buildings. The modules generate a variety of staggered surfaces that host different domestic and shared spaces. This strategy fosters flexible and adaptable spaces that allow changes to accommodate evolving ways of life. The circulations within the linear blocks are meant to work as distribution lines and as common spaces for shared facilities (Figure 37). The shed typology responds to the waste management plant. This typology gives the possibility of having flexible surfaces to accommodate the waste management plant needs. Furthermore, the shed morphology and structure allows high ceilings and better access to natural light to improve work conditions (Figure 37).

The food market and the urban farmtests the atriumtypology in a different way by using the interior void as the circulation system and as part of the food production system. The urban farm is working as a multi-layered space through the use of diagonal circulations that work as a three-dimensional growth system. Just as the workspace block, the stacked and staggered volumes within the market atriumgenerate operational surfaces that offer a more diverse range of spaces for retail area, workshops, collaborative kitchen space and storage. The roof slab resembles an umbrella that brings all the programme together. It is also used as an operational surface for the urban farmin order to increase food production. The open ground floor gives the possibility of creating an auditorium staircase as a shared space to enhance community dynamics and as a stage for visual interaction.

Figure 39 AtriumReconfiguration Diagrm: Fragmenting the floor plate

Figure 40 AtriumReconfiguration Diagrm: Tansformation of the void and hierarchy Figure 38 Interior view: Market / Urban Farm

The workspace is held in an atrium block with staggered and rotated volumes. The proposal tests the deep block or atrium typology by fragmenting the floor plate and rotating them in different angles in order to reconfigure the workspace as a more flexible and adaptable block typology and to create more complex relationships between the volumes. At the same time, the rotated volumes in the ground floor allow for a more permeable atriumthat supports the overall void and micro-mobility system. By pushing the fragmented floor plate back from the envelope that holds the atrium typology together it generates a threshold or winter garden (Figure 39). EPICENTRES

The rotated deep floor plate creates a series of minor atria that complement themainvoid, as well as articulations along the frontage of the block. In addition, the rotating elements give different hierarchies to the voids and create different environments within one single open space (Figure 40). By staggering, rotating and pushing back the slabs, the atrium typology is modified to create operational surfaces in a multi-layered way to hold dynamic configurations that allow private and collaborative areas. Which, in turn, generate an interiorised urbanity both within the block and to the exterior of the block (Figure 41). 84

Ground floor

Figure 41 AtriumReconfiguration Diagrm

1st floor

Roof floor

Collaborative surfaces

Operational surfaces

Circulatory area

Shared spaces

Wintergarden

An interiorised urbanity can be achieved through the armature as an organisational element within the plot or through the reconfiguration of different block typologies. The question regarding the limits of how far can you take this while conceiving a spatial arrangement remains. Figure 42 Interior view: Workspace

EPICENTRES

Inhabi tati ng nature

Within a cooperation scheme of epicentres that work together to achieve the Good Life in the grounded city, the aim of this epicentre is to ensure the wellbeing of the community by providing non market-driven forms of mobility and health as key elements, but understanding the necessary programmatic synergies to ensure our vision for Barking. Therefore, test the spatial arrangements to work in strong cooperation with the housing, workspaces, shared facilities and retail that challenge the conventional provision, leading by inventiveness and innovation, seeking inclusiveness in the design and delivery. In the context of climate, public health and economical crisis; the proposition wants to assess and address also the politics of a transition to a more sustainable way of living that wants to transformthe market-driven and profitable-focused developments into an inclusive urbanism. The strategy is the involvement of a variety of stakeholders that look for long-term visions and commitment. For instance, taking advantage of the new developments that are coming for-

ward in Barking Riverside to engage investors with the existing actors to deliver a mobility hub and a leisure centre working in cooperation with the local authority. By doing so, these scenarios of change are supported by new ways of governance and procurement arrangements that can work in an interdependence model in order to achieve more, but ensuring a community-focused development. It is about caring, not only about the people but also about the environment. The key challenge of this site is how to develop and inhabit working with â&#x20AC;&#x201D; rather than against â&#x20AC;&#x201D; nature, considering the natural conditions in which this epicentre is located. Therefore, it is working as an ecotone, the entire site is considered an interface and link between city and nature. It is transforming the landscape into operative spaces that can work with flooding, but also involving more ambitious plans as spaces for seedlings in a plan of re-wilding the natural reserve. The aimis to assess spatial transformations that can accommodate and re-think the necessary elements for the Good Life concept.

Drivers of Good Life

Current Conditions

The epicentres are working as core drivers for delivering those fundamental elements of the GoodLife. When it comes to the uses, the main idea is to rethink the mono function and set the combination of key elements and synergies that will drive the vision. The connection with Thames Road brings up the necessity of a mobility hub as an element that can drive new ways of securing services in a locally based manner and contribute with alternative and conscious ways of mobilising. In turn, the idea of promotinga healthier life as a way of preventionis another important decision to guarantee the vision for Barking. It rethinks the conventional sports arena by blending the activities into the natural landscape. In combination with workspaces that can respond to a variety of demands from private spaces to affordable workspaces and workshops to engage the existing community-based associations. In the same way, rethink also the housing typology incorporating more flexible types that can cope with the changes over time and ensuring the market and non market-driven options for the local community.

The site measures 6 ha and it is currently holding huge warehouses with a considerable amount of open spaces. In turn, despite the direct relation with the hydrological resources, typologies are not linked with them and the city has no access to the river and its wetlands (Figure 45). Looking at its potentialities, its strategic connection with both residential and post-industrial area make the site attractive for new developments that can link the city with its landscape working with main armatures as such the Thames Road and the River Road. Therefore, it can be considered as the starting point of the whole transformation, a detonator. Taking advantage of the existing typologies, these could hold meanwhile uses during the regeneration of the plot, seeking to generate a tight-knit community from the beginning. But most important, its proximity and unique relation with the natural resources could generate a link that is not only visual but also of uses between the river and the city, presenting as a space of transition between the built and natural environments.

Figure 44 Ecotone concept diagram

Figure 46 Flood systemdiagram

Figure 43 Axonometric View EPICENTRES

Figure 45 Current condition and potentialities

Ecotone as an interface The presence of water throughout Barking is imminent; however, the relationship with it is almost null. The Thames, Roding, the creeks and wetlands found in the area are almost inaccessible and go unnoticed frommost points in the city. In addition to the nature reserve that is losing ground as development progressed. The site is situated at a particular point such as the change of direction of the Roding River and its point of convergence with Mayes Brook and the wetlands. The natural conditions in which this epicentre is located make evident the need to incorporate nature as a system within the process rather than as a mere recreational and beautifying aspect of the plan. It argues that natural elements have to be understood as part of a wider context that involves cycles and changes in order to cope with the climate crisis and future scenarios. In addition, acknowledging that the edges between natural and artificial environments are not a hard line, but actually a threshold between both antagonistic worlds; we see this space as an opportunity and propitious scenario to evaluate new ways of inhabiting in harmonious coexistence. Hence, this epicentre presents itself as an ecotone, a link and interface between the urban and the natural environment.

Ecotone is a biological concept used to describe a transition of environments where communities coincide; an area of tension and exchange with highly intensive dynamics but with changing conditions1 (Figure 44). Both communities work in a sort of symbiosis where each benefits from the other’s dissimilar characteristics, but maintaining their own identities. Therefore, ecotones could be seen as spatial opportunities where differences are reinforced and the benefits are augmented fromthis contrasts working in synchronism, where heterogeneous is allowed to happen and evolve in its whole complexity2. The aim is to understand landscape as a system that can trigger different conditions and propitiate a strong engagement and interaction between the city and its natural support, while enabling newways of inhabiting urban peripheries. It challenges the current developments that understand landscape only as recreational scenarios developing productive green areas. It is transforming landscape into operative spaces that can work with flooding, but also involving more ambitious plans as spaces for seedlings in a plan of re-wilding the natural reserve and productive wetlands, designing sustainable territorial transformations.

Figure 47 Possible floods

With the specific geophysical conditions of the site, the proposition identifies the cycles of the river as opportunities for spatial changes that can be designed to cope with new scenarios, both planned and unforeseen. An understanding of the morphology of the river led us to an awareness of the possible ways of flood (Figure 46-47). Therefore, the site is divided into 2 levels, one that can work with water and it cycles and, the other one, that is securing inhabitable areas. Then, the plot layout is structured by the blue and green lines (Figure 48). The green lines are tiding the existing fabric and pooling the city them into the new area and, at the same time, they serve as available land for seedlings that

1 Attrill M.J., Rundle S.D. (2002) Ecotone or Ecoline: Ecological Boundaries in Estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; 55: 929-936 2 Bua, Giovanna, Elisa Cristiana Cattaneo, Politecnico Milano, Chiara Locardi, Politecnico Milano, Maria Chiara Trabacchi, and Ca Foscari. “WEAKCITY. Ecotonal Strategies for Urban Landscape,” 2007, 76–85.

Figure 50 Ecotone Diagram EPICENTRES

Figure 48 Green and Blue Lines

Figure 49 Active Frontages

will re-wild the natural reserve. The blue lines are not only structuring the courtyards and relationships of typologies, but also are working as a system of canals and floodplain parks that can cope with the water that comes fromthe existing wetlands and creeks and avoid over-flooding. There is no longer a boundary between the city and the hydrological resources. Water plays a key role as it is integrated into the public space. The aimis to understand architecture, public space and landscape as one complete integrated system. Through this reconfiguration of the plot, the green and blue lines are driving types and generating ideas for typological shifts and changes.

Exemplary Approaches In order to reinforce the idea and build upon existing exemplars, Wandering Ecologies and New Meadowlands are taking as exemplary approaches to test this idea of working with nature. They explore the possibilities and spatial resolutions to incorporate resilience and work with the unforeseen. But at the same time, both projects are assessing this approach of inhabit a park, an ecotone that blurs the idea of boundary and edge between the nature and the city. In addition, to test the idea of nature as the structural element, City Plot Buiksloterham by StudioNineDots and Simac by Effekt are used as key case studies to understand how specific spatial arrangements can enable a strong engagement with nature as the armature that links the entire proposition and allows different scenarios and atmospheres at the scale of the plot. The Learning Centre and Recreation Centre and The Commons are explored to deploy how specific spatial arrangements can work also as ecotones. Introducing nature into the typology that, in turn, is structuring the inner spaces. For instance, fromthe inside-out through an open plan and multilayered void and from the outside-in working with articulated perimeter and multilayered facades.

Working with -rather than against- nature

Nature as structure

Intermediate Spaces - architecture +nature

New Meadowlands: Productive City - Regional Park MITCAU+ZUS+URBANISTEN

City Plot Buiksloterham Studioninedots

The Commons Department of Architecture

Figure 57 Organisational Diagram

Figure 61 Section diagram

Figure 52 53 Proposed Plan. http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/ourwork/all-proposals/new-meadowlands-productive-city--regional-park

Figure 58 Axonometric view. https://studioninedots.nl/project/cityplot-buiksloterham/

Figure 62 Interior View. https://www.archdaily.com/800497/ the-commons-department-of-architecture

Wandering Ecologies: Toronto Lower Don Lands Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi Architects

SIMAC Effekt

Learning Centre Sou Fujimoto Architects

Figure 51 Flood Systemdiagram

Figure 54 Flood Systemdiagram

Figure 52 View

Figure 54 View

Figure 59 Organisational Diagram

Figure 60 Inner Courtyard view. https://www.effekt.dk/ simac

Figure 55 56 Proposed Plan. http://www.weissmanfredi.com/project/ wandering-ecologies-toronto-lower-don-lands EPICENTRES

Figure 63 Section diagram

Figure 63 External View. Sou Fujimoto Architects, Manal Rachdi OXO Architectes, Nicolas LaisnĂŠ AssociĂŠs

Figure 65 Incremental Strategy

Procurement Model The proposition wants to asses and address the politics of a migration to a more sustainable way of living that wants to transform the market-driven and profitable-focused developments into an inclusive urbanism. The key element is the involvement of a variety of stakeholders that look for long-term visions and commitment. By doing so, these scenarios of change come forward supported by new ways of governance and procurement arrangements. The model is involving existing actors as local authorities as to the Borough, GLA and L+Q; cooperative arrangements as the Residents Association and The Warehouse and other single

actors (Figure 64). Taking advantage of the new developments that have been put forward in Barking Riverside and its variety of investors, the idea is to engage themwith the local actors to ensure that the changes are community-focused and not again the same provision model. For instance, generate new PPCP models to ensure the de-commodification of housing and workspaces, to give a chance to the local start-ups and young population; and adding the plus of shared facilities that split the outcomes and increase the benefits by fomenting the community spirit. In turn, ensuring the private and highly profitable aspects of the proposition to generate value that can

be recycled and captured back into the site to support these stabilisers. In order to ensure the successful completion in a plausible manner, the proposition has been divided into phases that can work independently to make it adaptable for different obstacles that can appear during the development (Figure 65). Thus, acknowledging that this long process and may need to be revised or readapt. This incremental model enables also the involvement of different actors in each phase that does not need to be part fromthe beginning and, in turn, will involve meanwhile uses and actors that can take place in the short term.

Figure 64 Stakeholders Arrengement High impact Low impact

Public sector

Funded

Private sector

Strongly connected

Public &Private sector

Weakly connected

(A) Authority (B) Buisnedd associations / Retailers (D) Developer (U) Users (M) Management (OA) Other Associations (O) Owner

Market-Driven Provision Not Market-Driven Provision New stakeholders to the area Existing stakeholders in the area

EPICENTRES

Phase 1.

The leisure centre is the driver of this stage. In a PPCP framework, a cooperative ran by the residents will manage the building and work closely with the NHS developing a prevention mode. As a facility for the community, members can access by paying a fee or volunteering hours in shared facilities. In turn, big corporations’ headquarters will pay a subscription for their workers, generating value to capture back in the site. Existing sports teams will take part as a way of ensuring its local-based characteristic, as Barking and DagenhamCanoe Club. The leisure centre will attract also users froma wider area. Thus, GLL as the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise in the field will take part in the development to develop the gym and fitness facilities. By attracting a wider scale of users, investors are going to be interested in funding the development due to its potential for profitable housing, workspaces and retail. 95

Phase 2. The workspace provision and retail is the accelerator of this stage

making possible the implementation of stabilisers as multigenerational housing, greenhouse for the re-wilding project and co-working spaces. Big corporations typically seek large spaces but with a quality environment for their headquarters. In addition to the proximity and possible collaborations with the creative environment as startups; will generate a perfect environment for collaborations, growth and innovation. The existing firms as Cornwell and Katella Trading will get involved in the development and buildings are going to be managed by a cooperation between the Warehouse, housing cooperative and Feligrace Ltd that is working in the site as a skill incubator.

Phase 3. As mobility is changing, the mobility hub will be the last accelerator. It

will include a variety of green transports and attract an extension of existing systems as the RiverBus that will connect until Richmond Park Station. The building will be managed by a PPCP between the housing association, The Warehouse, private investors, TfL and the local authority. It will put forward bike and e-bikes stations, car-shared stops and charging stations for electric cars that will be subsidised by TfLand, on the counterpart, there will be parking slot for rent and areas for car showrooms and retail that can be rented to generate money on a monthly basis and reinvest in the maintenance of the building itself. The landscape is going to be manage by a PPCP cooperative created in the first stage. It will include the housing cooperative, the Warehouse, Barking and Dagenham’s Parks and Countryside and Canal and River Trus. Funded by the accelerators’ investments, the maintenance is going to be done with the users’ subscription and volunteering hours of the residents and users in the skills incubator.

High impact Low impact

Public sector

Funded

Private sector

Strongly connected

Public &Private sector

Weakly connected

(A) Authority (B) Buisnedd associations / Retailers (D) Developer (U) Users (M) Management (OA) Other Associations (O) Owner

Market-Driven Provision Not Market-Driven Provision New stakeholders to the area

Figure 66 Procurement model and incremental diagram

Existing stakeholders in the area

EPICENTRES

Spatial Strategy The concept of the cluster is arranging the inner circulation and links between the typologies reinforcing the idea of micro-mobility and layering of courtyards; with variations of scale and differentiation of routes, turning the public realm, more operative and strategic. With this, a series of courtyards, open spaces and urban greenery are working as a continuous landscape that flows across the entire site. In this way, the ground floor comprises a dynamic open landscape of interconnected spaces that invite different ways of living, working and meeting.

The intensification of the plot is achieved through different typologies responding to a necessity of ensuring variation, but most importantly to give an answer to different needs; while challenging the current responses with typological shifts to ensure that each building is working as an ecotone itself. Besides, each typology is designed to secure its flexibility, being able to hold not only the uses that were made for but also to absorb newprogrammes that can occur over time.

Figure 67 Mobility Hub View

Figure 69 Skills Incubator +Multigenerational Housing Section EPICENTRES

Figure 68 Cultural Space Inner Courtyard View

The leisure centre presents itself as a linear slab with an articulated perimeter working with the water network and the green areas to blur the boundaries between the building andnature as it includes a system of water purification that works alongside the longitudinal ax of the typology and serves to a swimming pool and a rowing canal before going back to the river. Aseries of voids within the laminar slab as intermediate spaces are generating different atmospheres and scenarios working with the orientation, natural ventilation

and light, but also generating variation in cover, semi-covered spaces.Â At the same time, these voids make the block typology more permeable and proportionate allowing different spatial arrangements. Likewise, the longitudinal circulation articulates and juxtaposes spaces, transforming the typology into a flexible structure that can hold different sizes of interior spaces (Figure 70). By working with different levels on the ground floor, it can also accommodate new programmes with different requirements.

In addition, the advantages of the longitudinal characteristic that a linear slab offers, give the possibilityÂ of more frontage articulationÂ to work with the water system and nature and blur the limits among both building and nature. By staggering, pushing-back spaces, multidimensional voids and active frontages could enable a more porous and continuos urban ground and allowsocial exchanges not only within the building, but also across the plot. Figure 70 Typology Reconfiguration Diagram

Figure 71 Leisure Centre Section The concept of ecotone is what determines the entire spatial strategy. Typologies are designed based on the idea of generating direct and constant contact with nature. These intermediate spaces are those that ground the services and provision of good for the community. Ecotone as this transition, is generating unexpected and newenvironments that are structuring not only in the external spaces but also the internal ones. They determine the access and the relationship between the congregational spaces and the very intimate, functioning as thresholds and blurring the actual edges of the buildings. Hence, the typologies can work fromthe outside-in.

EPICENTRES

100

101

Conclusion Through the epicentresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategy, this new way of urbanity can be pursued in an incre-

mental and plausible manner, hence the implementation and success of the development can be ensured.

With these propositions, we wanted to assess the spatial arrangements that can enable possible ways of coexistence with nature, that can promote a more locally based economy and propitiate a strong sense of community. In turn, how reconfiguration of plots and the changes in typologies can trigger the inclusive transformation that we want to see in Barking Riverside. And more specifically, the way in which these punctual propositions can intensify a specific plot and accommodate different types of development and stakeholders to work as detonators of change across the city and the region. The epicentres can propose a set of key developments as detonator sites that involves an active local authority in their procurement and delivery model, looking for ways to ensure their resilience, localismand equity. With this, they involve a range of public, civic and commons partners, cutting across the scales of institutions in a national, local and community scale â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the public and private sector â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to drive forward an appropriate area-based development. Through this public wealth model, the circular economy is ensured, taking into consideration that the investment is captured and reinvested into the area. This contributes directly to the construction of the good life and the grounded city, but at the same time, ensures a long-termvision with any feasibility assessments. This polycentric model not only allows greater benefits with joint and supportive work of the epicentres, but also the risks are shared. In turn, these characteristics enable a more equitable redistribution of goods and services across the local area and an adaptable response to possible obstacles. We claim that this form of development gives a viable strategy for urban peripheries across the wider Thames Estuary, especially with the significant challenges ahead in terms of economic, environmental and health.

EPICENTRES

102

103

Insert overall with corridor strategy highlightinsert heredrawing picture or drawing you find relevant edfor instruction) (this box is only

5. 2 Commons Corri dors

104

105

The Commons Corridors proposition

focuses on Thames Road, where it explores strategies for accommodating and supporting the public commons. Located at the industrial heart of the Borough of Barking and Dagenham and sitting at the entrance of the Barking Riverside, BeFirst has been looking into its regeneration with a clear agenda: to improve the environment and access to the new developments along river Thames. As a response to this, we propose an alternative that is founded on the good life principles that are themselves built on a grounded, and locally situated approach to public wealth. Here, a mix of locally focused services and facilities support local employment and needs. In turn, a network of amenities manifest themselves spatially and become social anchors responsive to local needs generating public goods and public services. They form a Public-Commons-Partnership that delivers and curates public wealth to work alongside other public private initiatives. The Commons Corridors could be then understood as seams of resources and spaces that local residents, communities and groups co-manage for individual and collective benefit, all through a dynamic and adaptive process of negotiation and accommodation of emerging needs and responses. Considering the present characteristics of the urban fabric and post-industrial conditions, the North-South axes across the site offer the opportunity to accommodate The Commons Corridors, offering benefits for the wider area through three key programmatic drivers, accompanied by housing: Small and Medium Enterprises, Area Based Education and Post Pandemic Care Provision. Hence, through the Corridors spatial strategy, Thames Road becomes a productive armature for creativity, work, care services and most importantly a model for the good life in an urban periphery.

Small and Medium Entreprises

B Area Based Education

Corridors: ATerritorial Based Approach Thames Estuary Creative Corridors

BeFirst one Thames Road, http:// befirst.london/project/thames-road/

The Thames Estuary productive Corridor is viewed as an opportunity to ensure that the creative industries remain one of the fastest growing part of the UK’s economy. The GLA sees this coming forward through conscious investment and improvement to infrastructure to secure the productive workforce needed. The scheme proposed offers communities in this area the possibility to share in the wealth the creative sector generates.

Figure 2: House for an Artist, making headlines in Barking as a new way of creative living

C Post Covid Care Figure 4: ACME’s 43 artists’ studios

Figure 6: FilmFestival in Dagenham

106

Figure 5: Apprenticeship Training for the creative

Figure 7: Artists fabrication in Silverstown Fig 3-7 Source: The Mayor of London, Thames Estuary Production Corridor, 2017 https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/tepc-vision-2017.pdf

Figure 1: Thames Road CORRIDORS

Figure 3 Thames Estuary Creative Vision

107

Figure 8: Creative Corridors at the Scale of the Borough

Creative Corridors in Barking and Dagenham

The current approaches regarding the assembly and organization of the creative industries along an urban and territorial corridor has its limitation in Barking and Dagenham. Its creative network of point to point trajectories cannot infiltrate or irrigate the benefits of development to the adjacent neighborhoodareas. ThamesRoad, withitslinearmorphologyand1kmlongsizeseemstobetheright armature to challenge the ongoing spatial patterns the creative industries are manifested through.

As a response to these developments in the Thames Estuary production Corridor, and through the proposedkeyprogrammatickeydrivers, ThamesRoadwill affirmitsstatus ascreativecorridor within the territory of Barking and Dagenham, and will be part of a wider network of already existing or up and comming creative centered developments in the borough. Amix of stabiliser and accelerator components of the creative industries sector will seek to build local skills, capacity and in turn employment. CORRIDORS

108

109

Industrial Corridors

Two additional territorial corridor category accompany the developing creative ones. The first is grounded in the already existing industrial activities in Barking and is located along the river Roading and Rippleside. The Second is the leisure based corridor, with two main strips located around Thames Road, one in the adjacent new Barking Riverside Development and the other bordering the Northern side of the Thames Road. Hence, located at the centre of it all, Thames Road could become a territorial corridor within itself , as it holds the potential to connect to the major productive urban strips in barking and beyond.

Figure 9: Morphology

Figure 11: Morphology

The Barking Riverside Morphology

Takinga closer look at theBarkingRiversidezone, underneaththeseproductivecorridors lies a patchworkofwhatappearstobeadysfunctional urbanfabricformedthroughyearsofstrategicindustrial land assignedandgained. It idis alsosuggestiveof alogic of diversity andvariety betweenlarger development parcelsandlarger neighbourhoodareas. Aseriesof threeidentifiablepatchworksdominatehere: the large shed, the linear, and the fractured morphologies with Thames Road itself follows the linear form. At the scale of these neighbourhood patches, typological and programmatic variety lacks. Figure 10: Morphology CORRIDORS

110

111

Thames Road Existing Fabric

Dimensions

Morphology

The linear morphology of Thames Road consequently defines many of its surrounding spatial characteristics such as the plot division fromwithin, in addition to the form of the buildings occupying the plots. The over one kilometre long stretch most accommodates linear plots that are organized in two ways: they are either running in parallel with Thames Road or are perpendicular to it. This then allows for a sequence of frontages that are both narrow and wider.

Figure 17: Corridors and Existing Plot Structure

Frontage

Thames Road Movement Network

Pedestrian Flow

An industrial zone and housing mostly warehouses and wholesalers accompanied by pocket yards, the existing spatial and social conditions along Thames Road is monotonous, underused, sparse, and isolated in terms of pedestrian and traffic flow.

Figure 18: Regeneration of Plot Structure through Corridors

Corridors on Thames Road

Trafic Flow

Pocket Yard CORRIDORS

Hence, as a strategy to connect Thames Road to Barking Riverside, Barking town centre and beyond, we have identified potential corridors that run North-South through Thames road and that are generated by the already existing fabric. With a diverse spatial reconfiguration, these identified primary corridors would be consequently followed with secondary corridors to offer a more varied distribution and spectrum of plot size than the presently proposed MICAplan. It also has the ability to include a range of civic and community centred investors. and separated social\spatial connections in the proposal fromMICA.

Figure 12-17: Thames Road Fabric 112

113

Phasing through Corridors The primary corridors constitute phase 1 of the development of Thames Road Site as an armature. As they are already promoting the North-South connection with the provision of ‘commons’, they could allowfor the presence of accelerators and stabilizers that would benefit fromthis territorial spatial relation. The secondary corridors constitute phase 2. They could boost the extension of the civic facilities that support the productivity of the accelerators and stabilizers through subdivision of the plots into several different spaces with diverse ownerships. These ‘internal common corridors’ are presented as open podiums, internal streets, learning slabs, and leisure yards, which connect the private and public ownerships for mutual benefits.

Figure 19: Primary and Secondary Corridors on Thames Road CORRIDORS

114

115

Stabalizers and Activators

Supported by effective planning and design, these corridors could allowfor productive andflexible spaces with various actors, investors, land ownerships and use to take form. They allow the extension of both the already existing types in the area and the potential transformation solutions into the armature, and beyond, which help to shape a new locally grounded model of development that focuses on shared public affluence and new ways of managing, nurturing and caring for a good life to thrive. The Stabalizer and Activator networks represent economic based value chains. They are spatial and connect to an already existing business ecology of synergetic services.

Figure 20: Stabilizers and Accelerators Networks in Barking CORRIDORS

116

117

â&#x20AC;˘

3 Strategies for Thames Road - and Beyond

it is proposed that a new productive corridor , accommodating flexible and affordable spaces is delivered through three key programmatic drivers: Small and Medium Enterprises, Area Based Education, and Local Care facilities. Here, the role of new forms of urban partnerships is central to delivering a grounded approach in the specificity of local needs and potentials. These then extend and complement existing institutional arrangements and typologies in the area. 1. SME/Low Threshold Entry Production: 240m*150m 2 .Area Based Education/Skills Training:250m*100m 3. Care Provision: 100m* 240m Typologically, each programmatic proposition distinguishes itself. For SMEs, the podiumas a type is reviewed, for the Educational Hinge the canopy and the porous slab are tackled, as for the Care Centre, the building as anatriumblock is explored. All three are looking for ways to absorb a supermix of services and a diversity of partnering arrangements.

Figure 21: Programmatic Networks in Barking CORRIDORS

118

119

Procurement Model - The Public-Commons Partnership

The Public-Commons Partnership Joint Enterprise

Here, the procurement model and stakeholder strategy is based on a newinstitutional framework for a transformative and socially focused governance model: the Public-Common Partnership (PCP). The latter is an alternative model that could strengthen local public ownership, give power back to communities, and eventually help reshape the economy by ensuring that its foundational sectors are acknowledged as being crucial in supporting local areas, given what we have witnessed in the current COVID 19 pandemic. Hence, PCPs are a reply to Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and their subset Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs). Within a carefully curated PCPmode and the local authority occupying a key role, newstakeholders could manifest themselves on Thames road, which becomes a space for grounded and conscious partnerships to take place.

Project Specific Parties: MICA, InnovateUK, Creative Barking & Dagenham, NHS,

1\3nd Board

Bo a

rp lu

Ow ne %

h rs

Child&Elderly Care Institution, Disabled Rehabilitation Institution, Co-coffee Shop

Barking Abbey School, Barking&Dagenham College, The Adult College,

Local Authority

Accelerators

Existing Local Industry Sectors, L&Q Housing Association Co-working + co-making space SME Service Infrastructure

PCP- learning hub The Co-operative schools are anchored as the main model of stakeholder and procurement in the Leaning hub, where closer relationships are built not only within the schools and its local communities, but also across a broader set of art-driving groups, enterprises and institutions. On one hand, such collaboration could kick start an area-based dialogue among local authority, relatively SMEs, and dwellers to enhance the commons corridors; on the other hand, it could promote a shared agenda on both private and public sector mutuals between different partners, hence helping generating a new economic pattern on the site-Thame Road and beyond.

a Bo

Stabilizers

Common Association

1\3

rs hi

Retain & Reinvest 50% Surplus

Key Local Authority: The Council and Be First , GLA,

SMEs

Barking & Dagenham Leaseholder Association,

Assemble, Artsadmin, We Made That,

Innovate UK FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)

Job Supply Center

Art Council England, Department for Education

PCP-SMEs Concerning the SMEs, the foundational services are made possible through the provision of affordable space, financing, logistics, and a procurement model that clearly defines the relationship between all the involved actors. Hence, by bringing in Innovate UK, a governmental funding agency that invests in science and research in the UK, and FSB (the federation for small businesses) a private agency that provides support and advisory services to small businesses, and with the involvement of makers, artists and workers in decision making, SMEs would ground themselves financially and locally, all made possible through the PublicCommons Partnership.

Health & Care Professions Council

PCP- Post Covid19 Care Provision Different fromthe regular care institution, the radical care strategy practiced on Thames Road is made possible through collaborations with various care service groups and communities. The fundamental funding of the maintenance is guaranteed by governmental groups, Health &Care Profession Council and the NHS. Other sources of funding, for instance that of the nursing home, the child care center and the job supply center will come from the local council through regular membership fees paid by the residents of Barking. Additionally, tenants occupying private unit rentals outside Barking would have the possibility to also pay a regular fee and have access to the foundational care services provided.

Figure 22 The PCPModel in the Context of Barking

CORRIDORS

120

121

Figure 23 The PCPStrategy on Thames Road CORRIDORS

122

123

SME Hub

The Case of Barking As part of the City Ribbon regeneration plan for the Thames estuary, Barking is under constant surveillance from investors and developers who foresee great opportunities in its 400 hectors of developable land. The latter has shifted the Borough’s last decade trend of gaining in strategic industrial land (SIL), now joining the majority of London which has been experiencing releases that exceed the set SGPbenchmark for years. Now, River Roading and most importantly Thames Road have been released for housing. Housing

This proposal is a spatial platform where small and medium enterprises, from designers, artists, makers, to light industrial activities, could collectively strive. Here, SMEs are backed by an infrastructure of ‘commons’ space where a public-commons-partnership arrangement enables local groups to own and manage essential services and in turn, contribute to the good life in a grounded city.

Housing Light Housing Industrial + Commercial

Exemplary Approach

Figure 24 SMECentres

Source: Autonomy Think Tank, The Valencia Report

Following that, the concept of constructing a foundation for a flourishing core economy expands to include an infrastructure of services pertinent to employment which includes an open space network, a care work infrastructure, and an SME logistics and e-commerce network. All three act as stabilizers to the local economy and in order to thrive require space, financing, logistics, and a clear understanding of the relationship model between the workers, and the forms of governawwnce and management which are in the Valencia case the employment service, the Ministry for Industrial policy and the Ministry of Social Inclusion. SME HUB

Light Industrial Light Industrial + + Commercial Commercial

The Valencia Model by autonomy.com is used as an exemplary approach to address the foundational economy and service infrastructure of the proposed SME hub. In their report, they assessed the future of the Valencian economy and have diagnosed global trends that can affect citizens now or in the future in order to propose a set of transitional strategies that would respond to the future Carbon Zero economy or a post-pandemic environment . One major hypothesis made is that the future strength of the local economy is close-ly related to the sturdiness of its small and medium businesses.

Housing

Barking and

Figure 26: Industrial Land Gained/released 2015

In many ways, the industrial nature of Barking cannot be ignored, especially when Thames road is at the centre of the discussion. Located at the industrial heart of the borough, it provides services and jobs locally and beyond through large scale warehouses and wholesalers which mostly demonstrate low density employment levels. A foundational transitional approach, similar to the Valencia Model is needed, where social and economic resiliency is backed through an SMEs infrastructure that is locally grounded.

Figure 27

Figure 29

Figure 28

Figure 30

Source: https://www.tbeswindonandwilts.co.uk/business-news/ wiltshire-furniture-makers-craft-deal-with-nandos/

Figure 25: Open Workspace Centre

Source: Autonomy Think Tank, The Valencia Report 124

Dagenham

Source: We Made That, London Industrial Land Supply &Economy Light Industrial Study, 2015 + Commercial

125

Source: https://infodujour.fr/politique/1225-nouvelle-loi-oupas-le-travail-se-reinventera

Source:https://www.opendesk.cc/blog/meet-the-makerswilder-creative-in-london

Source: https://www.opendesk.cc/blog/meet-themakers-wilder-creative-in-london

Learning fromthe MICAMasterplan: The Podium

Learning fromPrecedents

Stacked Workspace/Studios with Housing StackedAbove Workspace/Studios with Housing Above

16 In this series of studies of small and medium industrial precedents- from Industrial Intensification 16 and Co-location Study, it is found that the podiumis used as a separation between what lies under24 neath it and what lies above it: the small and mediumindustrial enterprises accompanied by service 24 yards is ruptured fromthe housing blocks and the privacy of the home. Here, block typology- mainly linear blocks- and assembly, yard distribution, circulation cores and above/below podium relationship and their spatial limits are looked at closely. Such models are too conventional to absorb new procurement models through the podiumtype as the later only acts as a separatory platformrather Stacked Small and Medium IndusthanIndusan interwoven one. Stacked Small and Medium trial with Adjacent Housing

In MICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed plan for Thames Road, the one size, repeated U-blocks all sit on a podium that open up to the south. Here, the potential of the podiumas a type lies underneath its ground surface. Aseries of challenges arise: could a podiumwith high ceiling, large open floor plate and structural grids allowfor flexibility in the transition of activities, forms of employment, changes in stakeholders? Can a podiumbe sequentially or incrementally phased and developed?

trial with Adjacent Housing

Yard

16 16

104 104

22 22

Yard

Industrial Cores Industrial Cores HousingHousing Cores Cores

104 104

HousingHousing Blocks Blocks 2222

HousingHousing Cores Cores PodiumPodium

Figure 33: Medium Industrial with Residential Above/ Linear Blocks 72

Stacked Medium Industrial with Housing Above

16 72

Stacked Medium Industrial with Housing Above

32 16

19 32

Housing 19

Light Industrial 19 Figure 34 : Workshop/ Studios72 with Residential Above/ Deep Block 72 + Linear Block + 72

Stacked Workspace/Studios Stacked Workspace/Studios with Housing Above with Housing Above

Commercial

Housing

Case Study Caxton Works

Stacked Workspace/Studios with Housing Above

Light Industrial 72 + Commercial

Stacked Workspace/Studios with Housing Above

16 24

Case Study Caxton Works

UNIT 13

UN IT

UNIT 11

UNIT 10

UNIT 6

UNIT 12

24 UNIT 9 UNIT 13

UNIT 11

UN IT

UNIT 5

UNIT 7

UNIT 10

UNIT 12

Stacked Small Stacked Smalland andMedium MediumIndusIndustrial with Adjacent Housing trial with Adjacent Housing

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE

UNIT 6

UNIT 5

Figure 31 MICAU-type PodiumVariation

Stacked Small and Medium IndusStacked SmallHousing and Medium Industrial with Adjacent trial with Adjacent Housing

Yard Yard

Yard Figure 32 Flexibility underneath the podium Yard Industrial Cores

Source 31/32: Gateway Housing Zone Brochure, MICAArchitects and BeFirst Industrial Cores Housing Cores http://befirst.london/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/636-RMA-170309-Mipim-Brochure-low-res.pdf Yard Yard

Housing Cores

SME HUB

Industrial Cores Housing BlocksCores 126 Industrial

Housing Blocks

127

UNIT 4 UNIT 3

UNIT 9

UNIT 2

Yard CA

UNIT 7

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE

UNIT 4 UNIT 3 UNIT 2

Industrial Units Industrial Units

Core + Ciculation

Housing Housing Blocks

Core + Ciculation

104

UNIT 1

104 CA

Industrial Units

Floor Figure 35: 22Small Industrial with Adjacent Residential/ Linear Ground Blocks

UNIT 1

22 Housing Blocks

Corridor

22 Podium Podium

104

Ground Floor 104

104

Corridor 22

Linear Block - Housing Precedent

The CRCLRHouse is used here as an exemplar for the linear block and the potential this typology represents in hosting both housing and production. An open experimental space, the circular economy lab , occupies the first two levels of the building hosting collaborative ways of working and circular business. Above, as a vertical extension, lies a series of affordable residential units.

Housing Housing

Housing

Light Industrial + Light Industrial Light Industrial Commercial + + Commercial Figure 36: Caxton W orks Section Commercial

e Study Caxton Works, East London ton Works Case Study se Study xton Works Caxton Works

Source: U+i, Caxton works Brochure https://www.caxtonworks.com/resources/UI-108CaxtonsBrochure-Content-V16-FULL-BROCHURE.pdf

UNIT 13

U N IT

UNIT 11

UNIT 13

UNIT 11

UNIT 10

UNIT 12

U N IT

UNIT 6 UNIT 10

UNIT 10

UNIT 12

UNIT 12 UNIT 6

UNIT 6

UNIT 9

UNIT 5

UNIT 9

UNIT 7

UNIT 5

UNIT 5 RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE UNIT 7

UNIT 3 RESIDENTIAL E U NCI TO M 2 M U N A L SUPNAI C T 4

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE

Yard

UNIT 1

Industrial Units Housing Blocks

O T N

H R TU N I T 9

NO ET

E RE

O T N

Figure 58: CRCLRHouse

Source: Huetten d Palaeste Architects https://www.huettenundpalaeste.de/work/ agora-wohnen-celab/

H ST

Light Industrial ON XT CA + Commercial

The PodiumExploration on Thames Road

Figure 37: GFLevel Yard +Corridor+Perimeter block

Ground Floor

Ground Floor Ground Floor

UNIT 13

UNIT 10 UNIT 12 UNIT 6

UNIT 9

UNIT 13

UNIT 11

UN IT

UNIT 5

UNIT 7

Podium

Podium Yard Yard

UNIT 3 Light Industrial + U N IHousing T 2 Commercial

UNIT 1

T EE

UNIT 11

Corridor

Corridor Podium

T AX

Housing Blocks Corridor

X CA

UN IT

Industrial Units Case Study Housing Blocks Caxton Works

UNIT 1

E RE

UNIT 4

UNIT 3 UNIT 2

Yard

Case Study

Yard Caxton Works Industrial Units

Housing

UNIT 4

UNIT 7

UNIT 10

H ousingBlocks Housing Yard

Core +Ciculation

Corridor Industrial Units

CPodium ore +Ciculation

UNIT 12

UNIT 6 UNIT 4

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE

UNIT 3

UNIT 9

UNIT 2 UNIT 1

Industrial Units Industrial Units

UNIT 7

RESIDENTIAL COMMUNAL SPACE

NO ET

UNIT 5

Ground Floor

UNIT 4 UNIT 3 UNIT 2 UNIT 1

Ground Floor

Housing Blocks

Corridor

Podi um

Podium

Figure 38: First Floor Podium+Housing Blocks

Figure 39: Plot Location in Between two commons corridors on Thames Road

First Floor

The key spatial elements that will drive the transformation of the podiumtype lies in the arrangement, orientation, anddisposition of the service yard, the circulatory systems, andthe definedprimary and secondary corridors of Thames Road. Here, these characteristics are explored along with the potential of the linear block in transforming a podiumfroma mere extruded platformto a staggered linked one, that allows a different range of stakeholders to occupy a space for both production and living.

In Caxton works, two Ushaped blocks with a light industrial high ceiling ground floor acts as a poFirst Floor First Floor diumfor a series of residential blocks. The notion of a corridor emerges, connecting two U -shaped First Floor blocks together and creating a sort of buffer zone between them, opening the space for pedestrian circulation and use. However, the service yards have no direct spatial relationship with the potenFloor tial corridor. One key exploration could tackle howFirst a series of corridors and yards could reshape the podiumtypology. SME HUB

128

129

The PodiumExploration on Thames Road

Figure 42: Podium+Corridors+Linear blocks

Figure 43: Podium + Linear Blocks SME HUB

Figure 40: Yard+ Void+ Nesting

Figure 44: Service Yard +Service Circulation +Corridors

Figure 45: Service Yard + Podium

Figure 41: Nesting + Primary Corridors 130

131

Figure 46: Podium + Circulation Cores + Corridors

Figure 47: Linear Block Divison + Service Yard

The Council and Be First

GLA

CPO power

Small and Medium Entreprises Hub

Housing Zone Partnerships: Governmental: Innovate UK Private: FSB Federation of Small Businesses Internal Menbership

Artists Workers Creatives Entrepreneurs Makers

+ Services Infrastructure

masterplan: MICA ;

External Institutional partners: Educational Hub

New-commers Local Industry sectors

Trimming Shop 007 Banglatown Cash&Carry The Capital Diary Browning Electric Essex Building Supply CNC Building Supply Hair Ornaments

L&Q (Housing Association)

Barking and Dagenham Leaseholders Association

Barking Reach Residents Association

Creative Studios Light Industrial Entreprises Makers Social Entrepreneurs

Future Residents : Artists/ Workers/ Creatives/ Entrepreneurs/ Makers

Local Residents

Business Incubators

Public-Common Partnerships

Figure 49: Stakeholders and the PCP Model

Figure48: Upper Block Accelerators andStabilizers

Procurement Model

Accelerators

With the Valencia Model still in mind, such services include co-working and co-making zones ,logistics and e-services in addition to interface and networking provision. To support the struggles of everyday life, workers and entrepreneurs are also provided with children and youth care amenities and most importantly health services. Hence, these are made possible through the procurement model that is a Public-Common Partnership.

SMEs

Stabilizers

Common Storage and logistics Networking Services: Event space/ exhibition Co- working and making

Stabilizers &Accelerators

Well Being Services Service Yard Corridors

Spaces acting as stabilizers such as shared facilities and services are spread along the commons corridors that run north-south of Thames Road. The inner secondary corridor crosses through the plot from one primary corridor to the other, creating an inter-connected and accessible network of commons and vital facilities for a good life in a grounded city. Small and Medium Enterprises act as accelerators as they are direct participants in the production of good and services; they are distributed on the ground floor and extend up to the podiumlevel and share the latter with the domestic sphere.

SME HUB

132

133

SMEHub Articulating the Productive Ground

Figure 50: The Productive Ground Floor SME HUB

134

135

Small and Medium enterprises with activities ranging from making to research, inhabit a flexible framework of units that accommodates various sizes, with the possibility of growing within the unit. The nesting of linear blocks is arranged around services yards that are surrounded by the primary and secondary corridors of Thames Road. Both open and semi-covered spaces are formed around the edges of the SME block, some acting as workspace or backyards while others serve as in between spaces for gathering.

Flexibility Underneath the Podium: ARange of Activities

Figure 51: Artist Studio

Figure 52: Textile Design

Figure 54: Media and Photography Studio SME HUB

Figure 55: Shared Makers Space 136

137

Figure 53: Shared Storage

Figure 56: Local Brewery

From FromG Ground round to to Podium Podium

Figure57: Upper BlockSection SME HUB

138

139

LEARNING HUB

ALearning Hubat the heart of Thames Roadas both an accelerator andstabilizer couldsupport the already present

educational infrastructure in Barking, and respond to the further territorial transformation regarding creativity and productivity, as new art-driving institutions, projects and partnerships are emerging( such as the East Brook Studios - Made in Dagenham, East London Works, and AHouse for Artists ). Besides, this area based education hub will absorb the growing demand as multi-types of homes, civic facilities will also be offered.

Present Learning Network

Figure 59: ACloser Look

Conclusion

The SME Hub is an articulated ground, defined by Thames Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commons Corridor, that hosts both accelerators as productive activities and stabilizers as foundational services. Within the proposed flexible framework, artists, makers, entrepreneurs and local businesses occupy the units with the potential to grow, and benefit from the available common facilities and services. In turn, this ground becomes a linked and broken podiumthat serves as platformallowing different stakeholders to consciously come together and generate a good life in the Barking peripheries. With the provision of housing and local services alongside acess to the productive sectors of the economy, the SMEhub could be resilient to shocks, such as the covid 19 pandemic and serve as a model for Barking, and beyond.

Figure 60:Existing network of higher education institutions

Currently, Barking has been home to a series of educational institutions mainly serving as primary\secondary\high schools, which form a learning grain across Barking riverside to the town center. However, infrastructures, resources, and spaces for universities\colleges or other higher education are limited and centered only around the Barking center, which breaks the extension of the existing education network and lock the potential of forming a creative hub for advancing the evolving territorial creative corridors and promoting future multi-generational urban transformation.

Figure 61: Existing network of primary\secondary schools

AContinuing Learning Network

Figure 62:A continuing Learning Network SME HUB

140

141

Alocally based learning composite accommodating co-operative schools with multi-partnership is anchored along Thames Road, and provides art-driving learning opportunities for people of varying ages. It could diversify and enhance the existing industry and education corridors, encourage area-crossing collaboration, and deliver further creative strategies for nurturing the regional Production Estuary. LEARNING HUB

Figure 63:Gateway In The Region

Gateway

This learning hub serves as a gateway into the riverside, located on the southeast of Barking Town Center and at the nexus of many key corridors (including Thames Road, River Road, Crossnee Road, and several boulevards) which link the hub to surrounding civic facilities within different housing zones, to nearby industrial clusters and the open waterfront. It could benefit local communities and residents as the hub would allowfor a participatory and resource-sharing neighbourhood to take place, and promotes the riverside as accessible and attractive to present residents and new-comers. LEARNING HUB

142

The hub could work together with other two industrial hinges along the riverside and the main roads. This could intensify and diversify the existing urban fabric by introducing newspatial arrangement and land assembly, that would in turn absorb new evolving strategies, investments and talent partners fromcity centers, accordingly , forming an area-based and polycentric development. 143

Case Study

1. An Inclusive Canopy -- Theatre square ,Antwerp (Belgium), Secchi-Viganò, 2004

Figure 64: An Inclusive Canopy

Covered by a giant but light canopy, the square was renovated and shifted into one of the city’s representative places that function as a focus of cultural activity. The ceiling is suspended froma height of 15meters, and formed of translucent plaques that protects from the rain while allowing light through. It is supported by a reticulated matrix of slender pillars attached with drainpipes for collecting rainwater. With all the architectural barriers eliminated, the square continues to offer spaces for the occasional markets, while also serving as an ideal shelter for un-programmed everyday facet, and a venue accommodating different cultural events, such as open-air concerts or performance.

Figure 65\66: Theatre square

Source:Theatre square, David Bravo, public space, 2018

2. AContinuing Publicness -- Jussieu, Two Libraries, OMA,1992 OMAproposed an elevated and porous structure of diversity elevated fromthe city ground. Here, the public domain merely remains on the ground, but grows vertically along a continuing circulation ramp, accommodating different activities, and forming a boulevard that winds its way fromthe surrounding neighbourhood to the entire building. This long warped boulevard extended in the air gathers and intensifies different public elements by providing a publicly urbanized alternative of circulation instead of point to point movements. Hence, it depicts a collective and cooperative experience within a weaving public topography and an open research domain.

Figure 67: AContinuing Publicness

Figure 68/69: Jussieu, Two Libraries Source:Jussieu – Two Li braries, oma.eu

3.ADynamic Structure -- Inter-Action Centre, London, England. 1972, Cedric Price

Figure 70: ADynamic Structure

The InterAction Centre includes a range of features and concepts of the Fun Palace but on a much smaller scale. Here, Price aims to create an improvisational, impermanent and interactive structure system, that not only remains highly adaptable to changing needs of the users, but that is also capable of responding to the volatile social and economic context of their time to promote urban transformation. The technological and mobile building approach anchored with a stack of flexible floors and modules reveals an endless process of construction and shifting. The InterAction Centre could offer creative outlets, cultural and recreational spaces and civic services for local residents, while defining a pioneering architectural model, not of permanent or larger building entities but as a matrix for nurturing creative, economical, and social Figure 71\72: Inter-Action Centre Source:Cedric Price: From the ‘ Brain Drain’ to the ‘ Knowledge Economy’, Mathews Stanley, Archi tectural Design, 2006 progress. These dynamic and adaptive spatial strategies mentioned above provide an ideal building concept for the Learning Hub in Barking Riverside, where new productive and area-based projects are emerging over time to cater for future development. Different flexible and open spatial components allowinteractive relations, diverse ownership, and programs to take form, as they show a loose assembly of progressive construction for constant changes and activities.

LEARNING HUB

144

145

By identifying the existing educational townscape of The Thames ViewSchools on the north and several secondary\ primary schools on the southeast of Thames Road, the plot at the centre then presents the potential to deliver a new school across the present learning network to meet emerging needs and to promote a higher-quality neighbourhood, as different types of homes and civic infrastructures are built.

Figure 74: MICAMasterplan

Source: Barking Riverside Gateways Housing Zone, BeFirst &RICKMATHERARCHITECTS

Response &Question: The MICAMasterplan

MICA considers the Thames Road industrial area as a strategic location within the London Riverside Opportunity Area. In the context of the above masterplan, institutionally speaking, the single development of a school at the centre of Thames Road does not extract the full potential of the site as an armature for accelerating future transformation in terms of accessibility, affordability, collectivity, and multi-generation. Besides, the introverted U-shape building typology and the traditional types of ownership cannot stimulate the land value and spatial productivity considerably. Comparably, by introducing innovative strategies of porous structure and a democratic procurement model to the central site, a proposal that anchors co-operative schools and creates collective living and working environments could be developed into a creative hub with diverse ownerships, highly public participation and changing activities.

Figure 73: Spatial Elements

Canopy & Slabs & Circulation Three spatial elementsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;canopy, slabs, and circulation, are introduced to

generate an adaptive and phased structure to prepare for future rearrangement. Overhanging spaces of porous structures and multi-height volumes with non-attributed programs are connected with a continuing and elevated circulation systemunderneath the giant transparent canopy that taps on the sunshine to nurture the landscape underneath. They also serve as an ideal shelter for a variety of activities with highly public engagement. A permeable threshold is created by the layering of adaptable open slabs that extends the inner activities to the surrounding neighborhood, and that also interweaves with the primary and the inner secondary corridors to formnetworks of creativity and commons in terms of learning, working, housing and civic amenities. All these flexible circulatory devices are disposed in the middle of the building and function as spaces for public events, such as exhibition and co-making, or are wrapped around the stacks of slabs as inlining porches for daily gathering and encounters. Besides, these routes assemble different locally-based civic facilities, such as logistics, health caring, archives, and galleries that are all dispatched from the private market, and are shared and maintained by the local residents and communities. Accordingly, this composite enables a loose assembly beyond restricted partitions, and allows a progressive rearrangement and redivision according to changing necessities, and the creation of a resilient systemadapted to further extension and evolution. LEARNING HUB

146

Source: Barking Riverside Gateways Housing Zone, https://micaarchitects.com/projects/barking-riverside-gateways-housing 147

Figure 75: Permeable Frontage

Figure 76: Layering Circual tion

Figure 78: Dynamic Configuration

Figure 77: Voids of Diversi ty LEARNING HUB

148

149

Plan &Spatial Configuration

Ahighly collaborative, efficient, and adjustable environment for living, learning, and working is generated by introducing different types of spatial arrangement. Here, living spaces with shared ownerships are embedded either above or within spaces of working or learning. These housing units include collective apartments for present and future residents and artists. They also accommodate affordable â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;micro-cellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with adequate communal spaces for workers, students, or transient.

These innovations can be read as interactive praxis, where architecture, environment, and community are not resulted from a conglomeration of individual dwelling units but as a basic ground in its planning that can be configured through common dialogue and cooperation.

Figure 80:Living Units &Co-working &Shop

Figure 81:Housing for Artist &Gallegy &Sharing Kitchen

Figure 79: Plan LEARNING HUB

Figure 82: Studios &Co-working &Shop 150

151

Figure 83/84: Stakeholder &Accelerator &Stabilizer

Figure 85:PCPs &Co-operative Schools

Procurement Model Identifiedas a creative campus along Thames Road, the Learning Hubis governedandoper-

ACo-operative School Model Unlike free schools that are governed by non-profit charitable trust, state-sup-

ated based on the model of co-operative schools with multi-stakeholders and partnerships. This allows the schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assets to be passed fromthe local authority to the schools, cooperatives, groups, and individual members themselves. Correspondingly, a more flexible and adaptive spatial arrangement is required to accommodate such collaborations.

source: Case study â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AQuiet Revolution: Co-operative schools in the UK, Linda Shaw, Stories.coop

Stabilizers &Accelerators Aiming to generate a grounded and participatory environment for living, learning,

and production, stabilizer spaces (such as schools, learning\training services, housing, and existing industrial sectors) are identified and spread along the north-south commons corridors and the inner secondary ones that are attached to the building frontages with high accessibility to its surroundings. They generate a continuous system of commons and civic facilities for a good life to thrive. On the other hand, accelerator spaces (including new-coming art-driving groups, institutions, enterprises) are adjustable and located on different floors, so that they can be involved in different programs and in turn introduce inspiring alternatives and activities to local Barking.

LEARNING HUB

152

ported schools (It is possible for a Local Authority to sponsor a free school in partnership with other organizations) are mostly independent fromthe local authority, but are subject to the same School Admissions Code as all other state-funded schools. This means that free school are maintained and limited by local authority and the state in regard to foundation, election, decision making, assessment and extension. Comparatively, the co-operative school association has a Foundation Trust that provides powers for the land and the assets to be held by the foundation on behalf of the learning community or schools. This permits such chools to become multi-stakeholder co-operatives that engage a high participation fromthe staff, learners, parents, carers, and local communities, together with external institutions, organizations, and enterprises. They are all independent members or cooperatives in their own right, and support the pedagogy, curriculum design, and structures for accountability and democracy. Within the cooperative model, the existing governing bodies are retained as the supervising and accountable body for school performance, the budget and resourcing decisions for each of the schools within the trust. The trust represents a separate legal entity for strategic shared objectives, which is resourced appropriately by the schools and other partners for the agreed priorities and programs of joint working. Source AQuiet Revolution: Co-operative schools in the UK, Linda Shaw, Stories.coop Free schools (England).Wikipedia\ https://www.gov.uk/types-of-school/free-schools 153

Figure 86: Elevated Learning Landscape A learning topography is generated, elevating the ground surfaces into the sky along with a multifunctional circulation system. Solid walls and enclosures are eliminated and replaced by moveable partitions to liberate the slabs ready to be subdivided and reconfigured over time. LEARNING HUB

154

155

Figure 87:Open Plaza Infi l trat into Urban Surface An open plaza \ a shelter covered by the giant envelope, accommodates different activities and infiltrates the surrounding natural landscape. LEARNING HUB

156

157

Figure 88:Dynamic Assembly This new structure will challenge the existing monotonous and restricted urban fabric by providing a dynamic and improvisational configuration, where the spaces can be rearranged and re-dismantled through negotiation and shared by the occupants.

Conclusion

Interweaving with the identified territorial commons-corridors, as well as cooperating with the adjacent SMEs and Civic Hubs based on the PCPmodel, this campus acts as a stabilizer and reactivates the local productivity by generating a continuous network of commons with diverse land use, ownership and accessibility to local communities and residents. This gives rise to new ways of urban living in a grounded city. Besides, by constantly introducing innovative art-driven groups, start-ups, enterprises, and institutions, such accelerators enrich the dynamic landscape LEARNING HUB

158

of creativity and events. Hence, this learning hub could stimulate new patterns of cooperation for both economic and cultural regeneration in Barking and beyond. Accordingly, an inclusive and associational composite will take formto accommodate shifts and diversity, while aiming to imagine spaces that are detached fromthe present market logic and where different occupants are able to decide how to learn, work and live within themselves.

159

C Current Issue &solutions General case

Radical care reveals that a flexible arrangement of centralizing and decentralizing communities to provide care is efficient and could cater for communities’ foundational needs. Whether in normal times or pandemic scenarios, to flexibly adjust people within the care systemand to allowthemto interact with each other become vital. To put this into practice, it is necessary to reframe the physical space and to reason through a typological approach, on how different types of spaces can support different scenarios depending on people’s needs.

Recreati on & Care Centre Radi cal Care

Existing Care &Recreation in Barking Working class always afraid of lose job Interact with people

Young &elderly, careless &loneliness

Decentralization care

Specified care communities do not always make sense

Momat work care，Child care

e car ion zat rali ent Dec

Dec ent rali zati on car e

Centralization care

Figure 90: Existing care &recreation service distribution in Barking Care radiation

Centralization care

Vulnerable people‘s job supply care

Decentralization care

Recreati on & Care centre

North-western care strip

Nor th-western care strip

there are major areas with recreation &care clusters, they are mostly gathered in the Barking Town Centre. This means that the area around Barking Riverside Development is nearly out of recreation and care facilities.

Elderly care

Hence, from the analysis of Barking’s existing recreation and care clusters, two arteries of recreation and care that link Barking to its periphery areas are determined. However, an existing armature, more specifically Thames Road, interrupts this linkage line. Through the morphological reading of the latter, its potential to act as a hinge that links Barking and its periphery in the context of care has also been identified.

Centralized care Mega sized land for first aid Figure 89: Radical care

North-eastern care strip

The Recreation &Care centre acts as bothanaccelerator anda stabilizer inBarking. Currently, andalthough

Emergency

Pandemic, post covid-19 consideration

Existing care & recreation

160

161

Block Analysis Corridor

Supporting Typology/ Stakeholders Void Decentralized type

Centralized type

Institutions

Intensive life Office &activty

Family unit

Institutions 1

Institutions 2 Communal reading

Kids play space

Morphology

Active frontage Kitchen &leisure

Communal

Communal &Cafe Elderly units Figure 91-94 Plot Analysis The plot is currently sandwiched in between two secondary corridors and one primary corridor. At present, only three individual warehouses formthe whole site, having the shape of a square. The voids are evenly distributed on every frontage of the building. In addition, three activation corners are potential areas of exploration. As recreation and care services lack on Thames Road, it could be worthwhile to explore ways in which leisure and care can spatially manifest themselves and take part in Thames Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local and foundational economy.

Living &activity Sharing facilities

Health care

Concept: Packaging the lands to serve the centralization of care communities Exchange

Figure 96: Supporting typologies &stakeholders

Figure 95: Land Packaging 162

163

Procurement model

Case study I: Collective corridors inner &outer ring

Bikuben Kollegiet Student Residence

Figure 99: section

Figure 98: Plan analysis

Source: https://aart.dk/en/projects/bikuben-kollegiet

Private units

Vertical Void

Sharing facilities

Horizontal Void

Figure 100: private and shared organization

Atrium

Figure 101: Atriumand Void

ACentral circulation as a loop, that differentiates the function of the inner loop and the outer loop in each floor, enhances the creation of a collective living environment. For example, the inner side of the loop is for sharing spaces and the outer side is for private living. Also, due to the atrium, a large long central vertical void pierces through the whole building, linking a collection of horizontal voids. This model of inner void systemcan also be efficient for building ventilation.

Case study II: Multi-layer greenery facade New Hvidovre Hospital

Figure 97: Radical Care Stakeholders

Figure 102 Elevation/facade

Source:https://www.shl.dk/new-hvidovre-hospital/

Upper level green Ground level green ~75m 164

165

Figure 103 Green Frontage

Source:https://www.shl.dk/new-hvidovre-hospital/

Case study III: Mega size in-building greenland &flexible structure

Case study IV: Centralization &decentralization

In both cases II and III, the use of vegetation is an important tool to comfort the patient in the care centre. While case II focuses on the multi-level greenery facade, case III tries to transfer a mega-size in-building space into a green land.

This care centre demonstrates an effective arrangement of space for centralization and space for decentralization.

Flatpack Kindergarten

Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen

What strikes about case study III is that due to its super big size green space, it has branches of walkways, trees and gazebos for rest inside the green space. Also, a variety of stalls, chairs, tables, units just around the mega green land are randomly located in the shared corridor, where users can not only have a good rest by the ‘forest’ but also join some popup activities like homemade ‘street’ barbecues and more.

The four corners in the shape of a ‘cross’ can be regarded as a space for decentralized activities. For example, places to play, eat and sleep require more specificity. In contrast, the corridor in the middle between two ‘crosses’, (as can be seen the dotted line in figure 106) can be regarded as a space for centralized activities such as the dancing room, the classrooms and communal spacse that are shared and flexible.

Finally comes the various kinds of private and semi-public units located around the outer ring of the building in Case III. The project has 4-persons chatting rooms, two round tables communal rooms, 6 square tables rooms and large meeting rooms etc. Based on their own requirements, users choose their preferred room to use. For example, if one has an appointment with a doctor, the doctor, his patient and the patient’s family can simply choose a 4-persons roomto have a discussion. Hence, the variation in unit types increases the richness of life in the care centre.

Figure 105

Source: https://stefanosfilippas.com/flatpack-kindergarte

Meanwhile, this building typology offers safe open spaces for outdoor activities, such as the space on the four corners embraced by two walls and the space adjacent to the corridor. Lastly, this building type offers a central courtyard for plantation where users can enjoy nature inside the building.

Figure 104 Greenland in a flexible structure plan

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/803283/this-copenhagen-diabtes-center-connects-patients-to-nature

Figure 106: Four crosses in plan

Source: https://stefanosfilippas.com/flatpack-kindergarten

166

167

Axonometric

Plan Elderly care

Health care

Kids room Child care centre Court yard Health care centre Job supply centre Communal room Rehabitation centre

Health care

Baby-in-armoffice

Rehabitation

Baby-in-armoffice Podium Health care centre

Knowledge sharing

Child care

See doctor

Green land Health care centre Private units

Shared facilities Private units F2

Strategies

Figure 107: Spacial Organization

Roof top garden RT Figure 109: Plan Proposal Figure 108: Strategies 168

169

Radical Care: Sections and Perspectives

Figure 110: Overall view

Figure 111: Health care centre side

Figure 112: Private units &communal space side

The proposed building typology offers multi-layered and multi-leveled green spaces. Individuals located everywhere in the care centre can benefit from the vegetation. The atrium mega size green land, greenery facade, ground-floor vegetation courtyard, second-floor podium and rooftop garden.

Figure 113: Atriumgreen land

Figure 114: Landscape view frommezzanine

The spaces around (see figure 109) are the mostly flexible and shared for users to exchange knowledge and have a rest. In urgent cases such as the COVID-19 social distancing control, the small units within these spaces can be quickly be unassembled and transferred into accommodation for patients On the health care side of the centre, spaces for both shared and private use are offered. In the shared space, for example the waiting lobby, people can sit by the window and enjoy the outdoor greenery located on the facade; both the ground floor and the rooftop serve as event space and host various On the private units and communal space side, the long ground floor open strip is another space for groups to interact and socialize. On the upper level, more intimate rooms are reserved for painting, reading in addition to the public space where both the in-building green land and the immediate outside greenery can be experienced. 170

Figure 115: Landscape between Care centre &Learning hub

Conclusion

By applying the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;building as blockâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; strategy, the meaning of a corridor has been redefined: it is not only circulation but also a space of collaboration where a variety of activities are hosted. As both an accelerator and a stabilizer, this project is an experimental base for radical care practice with a focus on children and the elderly. It also offers new career opportunities to a variety of communities and groups with local talent as a priority for recruitment. Accordingly, a new way of life is generated in Barking where health and care services are considered foundational to the local economy and placed at the heart of Thames Road, in turn attracting an increasing number of potential residents are small and mediumbusinesses.

171

5. 3 Voi ds

172

173

Introduction Our teamaimto establish a range of development and intensities using the careful deployment of urban voids. Assembling ways of study work and leisure activities in dynamic ways achieve flexibility and adaptability and define vast territories over a long time. Voids then are not only landscape responses but also dynamic and responsive tools to sequence, frame and development, which can incorporate a range of conflicting needs and agendas. We propose a spatial strategy based on a system of voids to frame a series of physical andprogrammatic criteria for a series of integratedurbanneighbourhoods. .

Voi ds

174

175

Case Study

Ci ty Background

Dynamic Void System Design

Central Void Control

Overall Design in Thames Road

Individual Design A

“Minecraft” : a Multi-layered Civic Campus

2 B

“ Tetris” : a Multi-layered Design Process Driven by Linkages

3 C

Ensamble: a Land Assembly Model

Case Study Similarly, The Melun Senalt using band, a relatively negative urban strategy, to adapt to the city development. This Void systemcooperates reverse method to make urban fabric and partnership. The project claims not the positive form of architecture but rather the “surrendered” form of unplanned areas. The project is made of bands of space freed from architecture which run though the master plan haphazardly in what he questionably describes as an “almost Chinese figure” which frame the “islands of chaotic urban growth.” The void bands would typically be the backdrop of projects, but in this case, they become the focus. Void in this case simply means void of architecture – the spaces are open to all other possibilities. They become spaces which enable the “irrigation of territories with potential” and become “enabling fields” for uses outside of the building. This alternative planning method focusing around architecture-free spaces is what Koolhaas describes as “Strategy of the Void I”. In an unlikely twist, the void becomes the star and the architecture becomes the backdrop.

Figure. 1

Magnets And City Sources: The City In The City:Berlin as AMagnetic Archipelago

Case Study in City Scale:The City In The City

Case Study in District Scale: Melun Senalt

Bands of Spaces

Figure. 3

Sources: SMLXL(O.M.A)

Source:https://spacecollector.wordpress.com/category/ melun-senart/.

Since Berlin’s expansion is centered around the inner city and often ends up privatizing public Soil. City in the city suggested a different strategy containing magnetic archipelago in diverse architectural typology, which attract people inside the city to the sub-urban area.

Magnets

Plan of Activities

Figure. 2

Sources: The City In The City:Berlin as AMagnetic Archipelago

Voi ds

Sources: SMLXL(O.M.A)

176

177

Figure. 4

(1)points--point-like activities The points provide a common denominator for all events generated by the program. (2)lines--linear activities Thelinesareasystemof high-density pedestrian movement that makes the site with a cross. (3)surfaces--surface activities The surfaces of the park can contain all activities which require expansions in horizontal surfaces for study, work and have fun. Sources: EVENT-CITIES 2(The MIT Press)

Case Study in District Scale: Parc de la Villetter,1982-98

This program proposes a distinctive and innovative kind of voids, providing potentials for changes in a social context. In this program, a new model was created with program, form, and ideology playing integral roles.

Voi ds

Point,Line and Surface

Sources: EVENT-CITIES2(The MITPress)

178

179

Figure. 5

Ci ty Background

Figure. 7

Cluster SystemAnalysis of Existing Plan Figure. 6

1: VOID In this existing plan, voids are located mostly near Thame River. Then void can just bring convenience to a part of residents in barking and beyond. For the richness of void, it is unitary.

2: SERVICEFACILITY There are many residential buildings without sufficient service facilities leading to an inconvenient living environment.

Figure. 8

Void SystemAnalysis of Existing Plan

Voi ds

180

181

Figure. 9

Figure. 10

Figure. 11

Figure. 12

Figure. 13

Figure. 14

Wildland and Natural Resources

Figure. 15

Figure. 16

Figure. 17

Figure. 20 Figure. 18

Voi ds

Figure. 19

The Seperation Between Development Area

Existing Urban Voids and Terrain Vague

Many high-voltage cables are included in the existing plan, causing many natural resources abandoned. Hence, those undeveloped natural voids are lack of considered by planners and investors, which leads unbalanced of organisation and utilisation. Under this circumstance, isolation and separation among development zones formed. However, such isolation cannot satisfy the requirement for future development and renewal. Additionally, the issues related to density and intensity are significant in London. Since high-voltage cables will be removed or buried underground in the future, we can reuse these lands and reorganise them accordingly. Post-industrial space includes a large number of abandoned factories, industrial plants and lands. These buildings and spaces need to be rebuilt and integrated to strengthen spatial quality and economy.

The dense housing districts can not benefit fromthe underdeveloped natural & artificial voids. The location of different voids (named green spaces and empty plazas and underdeveloped natural voids)are dispersed.

182

183

The underdeveloped natural voids occupy a large part in Barking and Beyondandcanconnect. All of these conditions are useful to develop theminto an overall void systemto benefit the dense housing districts.

Dynamic Void System

Dynamic Void Systemin Barking and Beyond

Figure. 21 184

185

Void Masterplan

Our multi-layered void systemcomprises the following: (1)points The points provide a series of event spaces dispersed through the system. (2)lines The lines comprise a systemof pedestrian movement networks throughout the wider site. The north-south Passage in the left and right links areas surrounding the Thames Road and the riverside in the Barking. The east-west lines join the surfaces of the void system. The lines can encourage access to the most frequented activities in the surfaces (3)surfaces The surfaces articulate parts including the central void, the left void, the right void, and the area surrounding the Thame Road. They receive activities requiring large expanses of horizontal space for different utilization. Each surface is programmatically determined in compositions and activities according to the surrounding block conditions.

Void Form

Figure. 23

Figure. 24

Void Reforming

Vertical Void

Figure. 25 Independent Void

Figure. 22 Existing Different Type of Void

The first step of void explores and organizes different characteristic clusters based on the existing conditions, including the main industrial zone, public facilities, recreation facilities, and the landscape. Under this background, we want to use void to create a new development system that operates reasonably.

Voi ds

The connected void becomes the band and accommodates city fabric. It connects from Thames Road (a main industrial zone) to the Barking riverside. The void becomes a spatial strategy and allows for a new plan, then the land plot can be reorganized. So this area can adapt to future development and climate change.

Different morphogenesis emerged in this land. It divided into diverse thicknesses based on different operational modes. Likewise, the rhythm of the changed thickness reinforces the resilience of the land organization.

186

187

The void system is separated into different characters: facilities, buildings, plazas, and landscapes. Each system cooperates within the whole void system. Different bands have a unique character.Â The bands define different sizes, shapes, locations, and have various relationships to the given architectures and landscapes, which can reduce the isolation between architecture, plot, and sectors. Â Â

Void Masterplan

Figure. 26 Void Masterplan 188

189

Flexible Control Strip

Central facilities

Control Line and Buildings

Figure. 27

Commons Surface Figure. 29

Circulations and Interbands

Fixed-strip and Dynamic-strip

The interband create the circulation and The void separated into a different kind of void system. text From facilities to text the text textcentral text text text text green They text textlandscape. text tetext text textare textlinktext text text text text text ing text eachtextother andtextcooperate. text text Here goes the text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text Here goes the text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text te

Voi ds

Based on this concept, we created two strips, which can be defined as fixed-strip and dynamic-strip respectively. The fixed-strip defines the initial boundary of the void while the dynamic-strip is the benchmark of the maximumconstruction density. There are diverse portfolios within the boundary that aim to make the wider territory more resilient and adaptable to changes brought about by a transition to carbon-neutral development.

Green landscape

Figure. 28 Void Utilization Analysis

190

191

1) the provision of sites is appropriate for high-density housing; 2) the inclusion of operative landscapes (energy and hydrology) respond to challenges of global warming. This proposition aims to achieve the density and intensity of the defined area that makes it flexible and compatible.Â

Within the boundary, based on the consideration of the factors of landscape and the quality of urban space, we have suggested a series of control parameters to frame the scope development within larger development parcels.

Cluster Control: Regional AutonomyÂ

Each of these islands can be developed independently of the others, according to the specific demands of site and program. They can be sponsored by the city, developers, individuals. The will not be homogeneous. Their perimeters will take on programmatic coloring and architectural specificity. The model of the archipelago ensures that each islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maximum autonomy ultimately reinforces the coherence of the whole..

Figure. 30 Autonomous Islands

Voi ds

192

193

Central Void Control

ACommon(s) Surface

Figure. 39

Landscape routes

Figure. 40

Main pedestrian routes

Figure. 31

The central void combines multi-functional and multi-layered land assembly. The main red magnet(building on the surface of the void) surrounding the central space could accommodate services and facilities to support diverse people from different autonomous islands.

Figure. 32 Figure. 41

Control line

Perimeter circulation

Figure. 42

Contour lines

We give this space multiple nature, achieving dynamic clusters. Meanwhile, it adapts to the contributions between symbiotes from different stakeholders, thereby providing architectural typology, which in turn promotes the urban development process to create more sustainable renewable assets and return heritage.

Figure. 33

Existing landform

Figure. 36

Voi ds

Control line

Figure. 34

Figure. 37

We try to use these natural advantages to create a central magnet that integrates landscapes, public service facilities, and civic activity spaces. The whole design is divided into three stages: Existing condition analysis, Circulation and structure control, Build a terrace. In the process, we tried to abstract the existing conditions, including rivers, main street entrances on the building facade, and contour lines. In the second step, the spatial structure of the entire site is controlled by different linear shapes, which guide the different types of urban activities and landscape vision, while leaving the potential for future development. The last step is creating a complex three-dimensional landscape based on the terrain. Considering the central landscape is located at the core position, it needs to undertake complex and diverse functions, as well as multi-level behavior flow lines and accessibility. We are skeptical that the planar spatial planning cannot meet future needs. Therefore, we thickened the land and used the terrain to generate multi-level circulation and activity space, as well as mixed architecture, landscape, and plaza to produce a more integrated system. The newlandscape systemresponds to terrain, rivers, architectural clusters, and traffic at different levels while presenting a dynamic spatial logic to cope with future changes.

Figure. 35

Thickened ground

Figure. 38 194

195

Overall Design in Thames Road

Figure. 43

The Thames Road Design This proposal aims toapply a hierarchical void in Thames Road and to deploy mix-used blocks to achieve mega-void, which contributes to greater mobility and livable environments. Initially, we determined a mobility system and block system based on the existing roads and connections between surrounding residential blocks. In reality, educational, medical, commercial, and civic facilities are regarded as rigid demands for residences.

Figure. 44

Three design approach on The Thames Road The allocation of these facilities has different requirements in several aspects such as transportation, landscape, and relationship with residential districts. Under this circumstance, it is essential to assign specific activities in corresponding locations. Also, we used voids to define the mobility, connection, and boundary of buildings. To achieve spatial diversity at this scale, we have proposed three design methods according to the existing conditions of the site: 1. Ensemble-a land assembly model; 2, “Mine-craft”-a multi-layered civic campus; 3, “Tetris”: a multi-layered design process driven by linkages.

Voi ds

Figure. 45

196

197

Design Projects

“ Mi necraft” : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

Introduction

My proposition can be regarded as a “Minecraft” world with multi-layer voids, which fulfils flexible requirements of peoples’ life. The attributes of voids are beyond empty spaces, it also includes the potential for flexible spaces. Hence, voids can be used to provide the public with various experience based on different levels of openness, such as the public spaces on the ground floor, threshold, continuous vertical multi-level spaces, and roof terrace. In the plan, the different spatial composing relations between solid and void provides various possibilities for the implantation of various activities. Extrusion, stack, shape, shear, hole, incline and nest can be applied to achieve the diversity and complexity of space in section. Therefore, the variety in plan and section is worth exploring to build a dynamic spatial experience.Education attracts more and more attention nowadays. Different stakeholders(e.g. parents,institutions and governments) can own and develop educational facilities collectively.Overall,a civic campus could be regarded as “buildings as blocks”.We establish a void system in different scales,including district scale and architecture.

Figure. 46

The Relationships Between Frontage Of Buildings And Street The relationship between streets and the frontage of buildings is essential. The frontage of buildings can be used as a different formof voids to forma flexible space for future development. Regarding the design of building frontage, using different strategies (e.g., porch, plazas, entrance halls, spaces surrounding by transparency glasses) make livable spaces for future architecture exploration. The frontage is a tool which enables accessibility and transition fromstreet to indoor buildings. In addition, thresholds can be used to connect the inside and the outside environment by presenting the simultaneity of confinement and apparent openness.

“ Mi necraft” : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

198

199

AMulti-Layered Civic Campus

1:The Site

2:The Size Of The Site

5:Entrance Plaza

6:Green Space2

9:Public Space In The Buildings

3:Green Space

7:Entrance+Circulation Center

11:Roof Garden

10:Terrace

200

8:Pillar+Corridor

Figure. 47

12:relatively private spaces in the buildings

There are large green spaces above and below the site. Green space, plaza, circulation centre, entrance and other indoor & outdoor void spaces with different openness, are established to forma multi-layered void systemthat achieves a sight connection in this district.

The site is crucial for connecting blocks in the north-south and east-west direction. Based on the existing road systemof the site, the three newroads can smoothly connect the north-south direction, thus achieving greater mobility.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

4:Green Space

201

Amulti-layered civic campus is created. Voids with different level of openness create different atmospheres for everyday life. Green spaces in the street and in the courtyard can achieve privacy and openness respectively. For the street frontage, different methods can be applied, such as an entrance hall with glass, pillar as a transitional space and plaza. All of these differences can create a multi-layered civic campus with various characteristics of spaces. When the multi-layered void is created, communication and interaction between people from different background are stimulated.

Figure. 48

circulation center

street

entrance

outline of the buildings

entrance plaza

green space

pillar

green space 2

terrace

public space in the buildings

roof garden

relatively private space in the building

corridor

Figure. 49

Frontage, Connection, Permeability and Green Spaces

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

AMA ulti-Layered Civic C Multi-Layered Campus ivic Campus

202

203

Figure. 50

Figure. 52

Section C-C

Section E-E

After a multi-layered void system is created, the boundary of architecture has been formed.

Figure. 51

Figure. 53

Section D-D

Plan

In these six clusters,different morphological and typological buildings are combined to achieve a multi-layed civic campus.Deep blocks which have atrium , courtyard,articulated linear buildings and cutback in the side are combined with perimeters which are constituted with several linear buildings surrounding a green space in the center.The combination of linear and deep blocks with different kinds of void can achieve richness in morphology.In section,stack ,incline,extrusion,hole and nest are applied to achieve the richness in typology.The variety of void in typology and morphology makes this civic campus more interesting and complex.Typically,so many different kinds of deep plan are created in these district.

Figure. 54 Section B-B

Figure. 55 Section A-A

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

204

205

The Relationship Between Solid And Void in Deep Plan With Atrium

Void Surrounding Solid

Void In The Corner

oidSurrounding In The CornerSolid VVoid

Void InIn The Center Void The Corner

Void In The Center

Void Interwining With Solid

Void Surrounding Solid

Void In The Corner

Void In The Center

Void Interwining With Solid

VoidVoid In The Center In The Corner

VoidVIn Corner oidThe In The Center

Void Interwining With Solid

Void InVoid TheInCorner The Corner

Void In The Center

outdoor vertical void rotateRotate units Units

public vertical void

Void In The Center Void In The Corner

semi-public vertical void private space atrium the boundary of clusters

Void In The CU orner Rotate nits

“ Mi necraft” : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

grid(15m*15m) rotate units Void In The Corner 206

207

Void Interwining With Solid

In deep plan,how to combine public,semi-public and private spaces can be worth exploring.Outdoor voids in higher level, public spaces with easy accessibility and private spaces have various relationships,such as one surrounding one,one inter-wiving with other one and side by side.Every kind has its advantages.In the same pattern,even every one can have different distributions. Figure. 56

Case Study: Barnard College Diana Centre Weiss | Manfredi

Case Study: Perry and Marty GranoffCenter for the Creative Arts Diller Scofidio and Renfro

Tunneling void: apparent connections

Sectional Shifts: Diagonal Vector

Section

Figure. 57

Figure. 61

Photo

Figure. 59

Figure. 62

Axo

Indoor Space

Figure. 58

Figure. 60

Plan

Section

“ Mi necraft” : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

208

209

Indoor Space

Figure. 63

Figure. 65

Section perspective

Facade

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/112338/perry-and-marty-granoff-center-for-the-creative-arts-brown-university-diller-scofidio-renfro

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/97256/the-diana-center-at-barnard-college-weiss-manfredi

Figure. 64

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Fourth Floor Plan

Fifth Floor Plan

Sixth Floor Plan

Seventh Floor Plan

Eighth Floor Plan

Ninth Floor Plan

Tenth Floor Plan

Eleventh Floor Plan

twelfth floor plan Figure. 66

indoor public facility outdoor vertical void multi-purpose steps service space stairs in the strium Thirteenth Floor Plan

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

corridor

Fourteenth Floor Plan 210

211

multi-level space without no roofs in this level Different spatial composing relations between public spaces,semi-public spaces and private spaces in different level can make this building more resilient and more inclusive.

West Elevation

Spaticial Quality

Figure. 68 Section West-East

East Elevation

Spaticial Quality

Nouth Elevation

Spaticial Quality

When the combination of solid and void is deployed in the plan, the section is a useful tool to create a complex environment through separate and primary methods, such as extrusion, stack, shear and hole and nest. Combining these methods can make buildings exhibiting a more complex and intricate section. In the deep plan with atrium, the atriumcan be a hole to attract natural light and ventilate to the whole buildings. Different heights of spaces can create diverse spaces for different activities. Sectional shift can stimulate the possibility for visual interaction between people in nearby spaces. Due to the deep plan, extrusion, shear, cut and other architectural design methods can make this building visually beautiful and well connected with neighbourhood. Continuous multi-level spaces can be used as a public corridor to contain activities which require access to the public. All of these strategies in the section can make spaces more complicated and diverse to meet various requirements in the future.

Figure. 69

South Elevation

Spaticial Quality

Section North-South

Figure. 67

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

212

213

The Stakeholder of Educational Facilities Figure. 70

Different facilities can make contribution to the development of this educational facility .The spaces for diverse stakeholders can formdifferent levels of void.For example,the owners of commercial facilities can form public facilities in the ground floor as a kind of void ,which people can easily access.

Recently,educational facilities become more and more joint by diverse stakeholders,such as parents,students union,institutions and so on.So I just analysis these and make educational facilities which can be regarded as spaces as blocks with different stakeholders.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Mi necraftâ&#x20AC;? : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

214

215

“ Tetri s” : a Mul ti -layered Desi gn Process Dri ven by Li nkages

Introduction

In the site on the east side of the Thames road, we try to create a better neighborhood space in a low-density collective form. Inspired by the hillside terrace, we have thought about the important role of linkage in complex urban life. We attempt to provide a link-driven, urban design approach to provide complex and multi-level neighborhood spaces. Thinking of reducing commuting, energy-saving and emission reduction, and increasing the value of urban land use, contemporary urban development tends to be mixeduse and diverse. This result brings new challenges to the public space of multi-functional combination groups. As users become more complex, activities become rich and unpredictable, compared to a single open space, we need a multi-level rich neighborhood Only space can meet such a complicated life scene. At the same time, to fit the behaviors of people, we need to study the daily habits of users and use simple and simple linkage to connect the space between people's lives and buildings to forma tighter embedding rather than filling.

Figure. 71

In the end, we tried to live a complex living system, where each building unit is not isolated, using thickened land, and multi-level building surfaces to make the building interior interact with the street more. Relying on the rational arrangement of landscapes and green spaces to forma good strolling path, as time goes by, the continuous landscape and uniform void will become more adaptable, and there will be a closer connection between citizens and the city.

The Sectional View In conclusion, Exploring void system in section and plan can be another way to design architecture.The creation and combination of void with different levels of openness in diverse typological and morphological buildings can provide potential for various characteristic spaces.

“ Mi necraft” : a Mul ti -layered Ci vi c Campus

216

217

CASESTUDY Maki conducted in-depth research on collective formearly on, and his understanding of linkage and layered as well as the practice in Hillside Terrace are very useful for the design of this venue.

Figure. 73 Source: Hillside Terrace in Tokyo

HILLSIDETERRANCE

5 TYPESOFLINKAGE In Maki’s early acdamic life, He realized the importance of linkage in the collective form. he tried to classify these links into 5 categories: to mediate, to define, to repeat, to make a sequential path and to select. These five methods include almost all the links in the maki system.

“ Tetri s” : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

Hillside terrace in Tokyo is a multi-purpose development project that integrates hotels, shops, catering, and cultural facilities. It started in 1967 and completed the sixth stage in 1992. It has gone through 25 years in total and is the only time in maki’s career that has been so long. Continuous practice. It nowappears that hillside terrace is one of the very successful cases of modern urban design. The harmonious architectural scale, rich spatial levels, and pleasant walking paths created by Maki make it possible for complex and diverse urban life. At the same time, long-termcontinuous practice enabled Maki’s early research on collective forms to be applied and improved. This chapter hopes to analyze in detail the application of maki’s research on linkage in collective formto the hillside terrace to explore the adaptability and limitations of maki’s theory. In Hillside terrace, we can see that the five forms of connectivity proposed by maki recur in place, creating a harmonious, unified spatial environment throughout the region.

Figure. 72 Source: Maki’s Collective Form

218

219

LAYERS INHILLSIDETERRACE If we zoom in perspective and carefully analyze the hierarchy of these links between the building and the street, you will find the reason for the pleasant urban environment in the hillside terrace. When I zoomed in to a specific location on the floor plan and tried to divide the space between the building and the street into different levels, we can found that there are seven levels here, and each level is a basic element used by citizens everyday composition.

Figure. 75

For example barricades, steps, parking lots, porches, stairs, flower beds, etc. These basic elements are used repeatedly every day and are the simplest and most vital part of urban life.

COLLECTIVE NEIGHBOURHOOD The venue is located on the east side of the Themes road and surrounded by residences near the north and south, and the university is about to be built on the east side. We try to find a design process to create a multi-level neighborhood space. Through the analysis of the surrounding environment, we determined the approximate building density and building height. Figure. 74 Source: Maki’s Project

“ Tetri s” : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

220

221

The first step is determining the main axis and approximate building scale according to the surrounding environment and functional requirements. Then, Using the event relationships that may be generated by the ground floor building to establish sequential paths to determine the approximate building entrance and wall.

Adding different urban connection elements to create high-quality voids, and consider the mutual reflection between these elements (the elements here must be the most basic living elements, parking lots, porches, stairs.

DESIGNPROCESS

Figure. 76

“ Tetri s” : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

222

223

Multi-layered space The multi-level space makes the relationship between the buildings closer, the street space becomes a central urban living room, and the buildings form a composite functional group around the urban space. This flexible layout is very suitable for the development trend of contemporary cities----mixed-use and diversity.

Figure. 77

LAYEREDSPACE

Figure. 78

ELEMENTSINDAILYLIFE â&#x20AC;&#x153; Tetri sâ&#x20AC;? : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

224

225

Here we have added several theoretical models adapted to the development of Barking riverside and tried to adapt it with multi-level 3D space. Surprisingly: the multi-level building circulation and flexible space are very beneficial for mixed-use and home office.

SPATIALPOSISIBILITIES

Figure. 81

MAINFUNCTION

Figure. 79 Source:https://www.archdaily. com/112338/perry-and-marty-granoff-

Figure. 82

Figure. 80

“ Tetri s” : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

226

227

ACTORSANDSTAKEHOLDER Figure. 83

“ Tetri s” : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

228

229

CIRCULATIONAND MULTIPLEVOID The cluster is divided into two streams, the first is the main road that runs through the east and west directions, and bears the transportation needs of two industrial buildings. Then there is the complex pedestrian system inside and outside the building. These road networks are connected by a rich variety of voids, whose doors are evenly distributed in the area, supporting the rich civic activities in the neighborhood space.

Figure. 84

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Tetri sâ&#x20AC;? : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

230

231

We divide it into different spaces: lobbies, plazas, open gardens, and other spaces. These spaces provide possibilities for rich activities.

LANDSCAPE In the entire cluster, the landscape is a very important element. It not only assumes the role of separating the space and providing a resting place but more importantly, it has the role of excessive and suggestive. Green belts and plants are a flexible connection. It is different from solid structures such as walls and floors. The division of plants has transparency.

Figure. 84

Figure. 85

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Tetri sâ&#x20AC;? : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

232

233

Also, the tree around the corner provides the pedestrian with a hint of turn. The real landscape forms a continuous strolling path so that the living can have a good walking experience while living.

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Introduction

In the post-industrial zone of Barking, the Thame Road is an urgently developed hub but has unpredictable evolute potential. Specifically this district, a relatively crucial place that is close to the Barking station, lots of residential buildings, some developing zone but it remaining amount of industrial ruins. In consideration of intensity and density issue, a transformation in terms of building and environmental solutions among the Barking and Beyond is instant. Under this circumstance, thinking about how to create a new productive and operative pattern that could allow for more economic save and benefit is what to be concerned. This project is a proposal of co-working and co-living pattern, using the land assembly and floorplate shift method to achieve that goal.

Figure. 86

LAYEREDFACADE The layered surface is an important element of the entire design. Through the organic organization of walls, windows, entrances, and structures, we try to increase the level of the building surface. The formation of this level is not a simple spatial operation but is based on a deep understanding of the site, residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities, and building structure.

By forming a multi-level building surface, the boundary between the interior of the building and the urban space becomes blurred, and the simple and direct division becomes a soft mutual penetration, making the connection between the two closer.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Tetri sâ&#x20AC;? : Mul ti -stacked Nei ghborhood

234

235

Existing Condition Separation&Single Hierachy

This area is a key point for residents, workers and foreiners.A main hub for mobility fromBarking to exteral district, and the Barking station bring people from outside to internal area.

Figure. 87 Existing site Morphology

Unused Land (green part) Figure. 89

Figure. 88

The land plot are separated and isolated, holding by each companies. The wall of each plot Cuting apart the space and remain a big

MICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masterplan

The existing partnership of this area is mainly domained by a few industrial companies, such as automobile maintemance.

The new plan by MICAbrought more affordable housing to this site.

Figure. 90 Existing Utilization Analysis

Source: MICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plan of Thames Road

Conclusion 1. The existing partnership are mainly occupied by instustrial zoon, the newplan by MICAchange

Abig amount of rensidents surrounding this area, the exiting urban fabric In this site limited the new development for the future needs.

it directly to affordable housing, which is not an relatively ideal proposal in terms of international perspective and future development. 2. In order to dealing with the intensity and density issue, as a main hub for linkaging periphery relashionship, this site have more potential and character should be explored. the existing character should be reorganized and regenerated in a better Character. Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Breaking Boundary Reshape New Plot

Void System Void and Edge periphery

Partnerships:5

Partnerships:7

Edge of the void Landowner scale Promote clusters

Using void to shape a good life understanding: making a better relationship for plot and periphery.

River across the land Partnerships Unused Land Figure. 92

With sharespace intersect on the ground

original plot

Figure. 91

Multi Plot

Multi plot happened in this site: Void utilize and spatial hierachy Partition the utilize of the plot combing inside, outside, separating void into 6 different type in order to create spatial variation and adaptation.

reorganize plot and land reassembly

The original plot was not organized in a efficient way .

Readjusting and rearranging the land plot and partnerships. Creating negociate corridor Multi structure of the architecture and corridor, could product more working and other services possibility. Generating multi-layered ground floor organization so that it could devise new possibility in this site.

Figure. 93

ASpatial shift change

Changing the exsiting organization, tring to think of other solution based on void system.

Spatial Hierarchy of void Making new void system: ground floor: 6 different kind of void

The space Character is changing regularly, in same size space, a more productive living fabric---still have interstice for adaptation and variation---is forming.

Figure. 94

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Plan

Efficient Space Organization and distribution

Muti-void The space Character is changing regularly, in same size space, a more productive living fabric---still have interstice for adaptation and variation---is forming.

Figure. 96 Interstice Void Utilization Source:https://www.sasaki.com/projects/tec-21-reinventing-the-21st-century-campus/

Urban Plot Exploration

Figure. 97 Interstice Void Utilization Source: https://www.behance.net/brunomangyoku Figure. 95

Different Possibilities of Plan: different organization of Land

Figure. 98 Interstice Space Utilization Source:https://www.archdaily.com/776527/arkitema-de-

The land assemblagy and collective space created muti-layered void over this ground. In order to solve the intensity and density issue, maximizing the utilization of the plot. The same size of the ground could regenerated more space, more activities, programs and partnerships.

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

signs-municipal-office-building-for-aarhus/56392a26e58ece6e64000159-arkitema-designs-municipal-office-building-for-aarhus-image

Co-workiing and Co-living System Distribution and Cooperation

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

A morphology of urban plot gererating a new adaptive city format, changing the traditional plot partiiton, the space will relatively reduce the limitation of traditional distribution institution.

Principal Circulation and Centre

AInitial Thinking

Void Rhythmand Variation

Under this concept, a rhythmic, Interstitial urban fabric being initially generated.

Figure. 101

Figure. 102

Figure. 99

ACoherence of Landscape, Water, Building and Common Surface

ACoherence of landscape, river, building, common surface

The void, considering as city forming approach, making the space become muti-functional in terms of void division.

Figure. 100

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Figure. 103

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Circulation for living and working The void shape response to the urban, architecture and enviornment. The plot create different type of circulation inside the disctrict. Share space level from public to private, the north linear narrow space become a new corridor which benefit for residents and workers.

Vertical Add hieracy

Vertical Add hieracy Case Study

Initial Exploration about Floorplate Floorplate Organization in Different Level

Add Layer

floorplate reassembly

Figure. 107

Making Multi-layered and Multi-dimensional Threshold Figure. 105

Figure. 104 Source: Junglim.co.kr

Source:Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Project in AAschool

Source: Oliver Thillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study

Lilypad

Figure. 106

Learning from The project from Junglim Architecture and James, Using the layered shift floorplate to create a multi-layered structure which allowed for different user to create a better and flexible spatial circumstance and social conditions.

Figure. 109

Source: www.google.com Figure. 108

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

The initial idea of floorplate , trying to make multi layered floorplate to achieve the goal of co-living and co-working complexity. In architecturual scale, making a multi-layered and multi-dimensional Threshold to create a sense of living scenarios. Aimportant aspect of good life condition.

Architectural Scale

Christian Kerez Different Plan organization

Ground Floor Plan About floorplate and peripheral hierachy

Christian Kerez

Hierachy of Void

Source:https://www.archdaily.com/112338/perry-and-marty-granoff-center-for-thecreative-arts-brown-university-diller-scofidio-renfro

Figure. 124

Plan Space Organization Reconsider Void Mode (8m)

School Building in Leutschenbach

Figure. 125

floorplate stack and shift

Christian Kerez

Figure. 121

Figure. 126

Second Floor Plan ACo-working and Cooperate prototype

Figure. 122

Stage: Atypology utilization breaking and regenaration

Building Block Game

Figure. 120 Source: http://www.kerez.ch/ Figure. 123

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Figure. 128

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Figure. 127

In architectural scale, making a basic void mode(about 8 to 8 meters), making different stage from exteral to interal space. Using layer method to Create multi- layered threshold, blur the boundary between inside and outside. Making more chance for people to have a better life condition. Reassembly the floorplate from urban scale to architectural scale.

Source:

Figure. 129

Space Character Change

AResponse to the Urban Fabric

ABetter Living Condition

Figure. 134

Figure. 135 Figure. 133

Figure. 130

Figure. 136

Figure. 131

Basedonthe existing water area, inheriting this environmental condition, finding a way which people can live, work and do other recreational activities at the same district. Achieving the living complexity.

Figure. 137

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Figure. 132

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

A response to the existing urban fabric, the new city feature combine the traditional building typology, which could accomodate the same partnerships and companies in same size. Meanwhile, developing new companies for working and investment.

Working&Living A complex work and living model based on the void shift and floorplate stacked, which adapting lots of future develope potential.

Conclusion Figure. 139 Source: http://www.kerez.ch/ Figure. 138

In this exploration, an adaptation for complex living and working, achieving better mobility for both residents and foreigners is important in the transformation of Barking. Adiverse building typology in each layer, from urban, architecture to the environment and climate change. This project support a way to deal with these issues. This site is no longer become a single and seperate operate mode, using same type of company(mechinery) and operating single monoply, but, more ideally, a better cooperative pattern for working, producting and living. Ameet for future international development requirement.

Figure. 140

The void stacked floorplate allow for creation and adaptation. Which could support the future transformation of Barking and Thames Road. Figure. 141

Ensambl e: A Land Assembl y Model

Figure. 142

ADynamic Void System

Using void in different scales to achieve the goal of flexibility, adaptability, intensity and density can be another way to design spaces. Void is beyond an empty space: it can be a spatial strategy fromurbanneighborhoodtoarchitectural scale interms of the hierachical urban fabric and plot, land readjustment. A new methodology of urban revolutional thinking.

Voi ds

6. Barki ng and Beyond

Conclusion

Through these spatial propositions, we explore the possibility of urban peripheries in accommodating new ways of design and living that can ensure a Good life in the Grounded City. These three propositions show the potential impacts and pathways to achieve the proposed vision. As key drivers of change, they assess and challenge the morphological and typological arrangements that would, in turn, enable the inhabitation of the commons. They also investigate ways in which an area-based economy can be achieved through a deep study of local resources and community initiatives to provide public goods for all citizens and lead themto thrive. The near future will leave us a in world of deep economic crisis, fragmentation and instability. However, we argue that this scenario will create planning opportunities that seek for a recalibration of the new normal, with a greater autonomy of locality. As we need to move to an economy of non-growth and redistribution of what we have, we believe that the responses are resilience and localismin addition to sustainable and ecological driven development. Whether it is about climate change, the post Covid-19 scenario or other global threats, we have significant challenges ahead and the only way to react to themis through the transformation of the structures of governance and economic models that have been developed for a long time Hence, through our design-led investigation, we were able to grasp the challenges and limits of each architectural approach. This could be an ambitious vision for Barking. Although the scope is broad, it is necessary to maintain its systematization and integration. In addition, as a long-term vision, the only way to achieved it is through incentive structures and a legal framework that will ensure the commitment of all parties that would then generate a growing common interest. Since a development of this scope requires continuous support fromstakeholders, a dynamic governance structure should be generated. In addition, we need to acknowledge that with the post-pandemic scenario, some expectations of the project wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fulfilled for a long time, especially when it comes to the active participation of the local governance, in terms of investment and logics of growth, expansion and property development. Furthermore, this exploration triggers larger questions: to what extent does a spatial and design-led development truly ensure the transformations of typical market-driven models into more inclusive regeneration in cities? Which other variables would be necessary to sustain this change? Could this proposition become a model for other urban peripheries to flourish, for Barking and beyond?

256

257