DWELLING ON IMAGINATION 33 FLOODGATE STREET
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
Content Design Context
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Site Analysis
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Site Analysis
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Initial Plan - Light Testing
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Initial Plan - Ventilation
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Improvement Strategy
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Precedent - The Double Duplex
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Conclusion
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Referencing
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Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
Design Context 33 Floodgate Street is situated near the City Centre of Birmingham in the nearing area Digbeth. Digbeth contains many old industrial buildings and factories which are now being converted into apartments, studios, offices, bars and clubs and other social buildings. During the day, the area is fairly quiet and maybe even lonely at time with the lack of public on some streets. The site is however located centrally or near some important and practical places such as the Bullring, The Custard Factory, Birmingham Coach Station, Birmingham City University, South Birmingham College and the area is now going through a redevelopment phase where lots of the unused and old buildings will be converted into apartments and studios for the public and the local art scene. The site will become home to a teen named Katniss Everdeen who is a self-sufficient, brave, loyal and a skilled girl. Katniss is an introvert and does not enjoy any unnecessary conversations and socialising. Even though Digbeth is a developing area with the many bars and clubs, art studios and public spaces, it does feel slightly abandoned during the. This might be a positive for my client.
Proposed Front Facade
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Site Analysis
Sun Path [15 December]
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
Sun Path [15 May]
Sun Path [15 September]
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Site Analysis
Proposed Front Facade
Proposed Plan on map
Due to placement of site, majority of the natural sun light would be available from the rear of the building therefore I’ve decided to include a rear balcony with a conservatory to maximise the entry of natural light into the building from the rear. The building also contains only a couple of windows on the front façade to separate itself from the outside in order to create a sense of privacy for my client and to avoid the unnecessary connection with the public [also not much natural light from the front due to the positioning].
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
Birds Eye View 33 Floodgate Street
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Initial Plan Light Testing
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Ref
Lux
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231
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153
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89
4
65
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11
6
21
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17
8
14
9
29
10
37
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10
9
8
7
3
5 6
4
2
1
10
Before finalising my plans, I took light reading from the sketch model [1:50] of my initial idea. Due to the scale of the model, the recordings were not accurate however they did my an understanding of the distribution of natural sunlight within the property. It also made me realise that there was suitable form of ventilation either due to the lack of windows of openings within my initial plan/idea.
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Initial Plan Ventilation
The initial meant that airflow was at a minimum therefore the building wasn’t well ventilated. A window at the front of the house a window at the rear of the building were the only two which allowed air to enter and exit the building on the ground floor. Due to the nature of the site, having windows on the sides of the building in the ground floor was not possible as there ae buildings either side of the site [air vents through the sides of the wall would however increase air flow and allow cool air to enter the building from the floor and potentially exit through the side vents creating a better flow and a suitable environment within the house rather than the humid, stuffy and sauna like atmosphere] According to the initial plan and section, there would’ve been single sided ventilation at the front of the house as well as at the rear in the kitchen along with a stack ventilation on the first floor window to the roof.
Side Section - Natural Lighting
Side Section - Ventillation
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Improvement Strategy
After carrying out some tests on my sketch models, I made some changes to my plans and sections but also kept my client and the narrative of privacy and minimal public contact in mind. In order to maximize the entry of natural light into the property while keeping the privacy concept, I added a skylight/rooflight on the roof which was followed by a void on the first floor which allowed the natural light to flow all the way down to the ground floor. The rooflight and void also makes way for better cut stack ventilation from the ground floor following up to the first through the void and out from the roof light opening. The conservatory at the rear also increased the entry of the light as the sun path is towards the rear.
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Precedent The Double Duplex by Batay-Csorba Archtects
The Double Duplex by Batay-Csorba Architects in Toronto provides the resident with privacy as well as sufficient amount of natural light to pass through the building with its large scale dynamic faรงade. This precedent would be ideal to improve the design of my building in order to maximise the light entry and also keep to private life that my client requires.
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Conclusion
In conclusion, 33 Floodgate Street is a property that utilises the space to create a safe and private dwelling for my client who is an introvert thus does not enjoy unnecessary public interaction. The property is well situated allowing majority of its light to enter from the rear and roof of the building which again are out of the public eye. In regards to the ventilation, additional air vents [convection current] would be ideal – allow fresh air to enter from the side walls and underfloor and warm air would leave through the roof opening. A dynamic façade would also increase air flow and natural light [not direct sunlight] entry from the front of the property which would illuminate the house and give it a dapple light in the living room.
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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Referencing
Page 3: http://suncalc.net/#/52.4769,-1.8829,18/2018.09.15/19:22 https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=52.4769N+-1.8829E+conditions+next+week https://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php?lang=en
Page 4: https://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php?lang=en
Page 8: https://www.archdaily.com/869886/double-duplex-batay-csorba-architects
Albakar Mukadam S18129816 ARC4011 Environmental Design Strategies
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