Case Study House Re-Imagined: Malator House

Case Study Houses Re-imagined

Malator House

This project focused on cri cally interpre ng an exis ng building to provide new data through analysing and studying the building. The project brief focuses on two different elements to cri cally analyse the case study: research and simula ons.

Overview

TheMalatorHouseisa holiday homebuiltintothecliffs of thePembrokeshirecoastlinefor Bob Marshall-Andrews, and his wife Gill Marshall-Andrews. It was built in 1998 by the Architects Jan Kaplicky and Amanda Levete of Future Systems and is locally referred to as the “Teletubby house”. The building is built in the Earth house style, blending in with the natural landscape to have a minimal visual impact on the area. The home contains large bespoke glass panels facing Druidston Haven and looks out over St Brides Bay, the design captures the landscape beau fully from the building orienta on, form and materials to the interior space. The design was actually based on Bob Marshal-Andrews son, from a sketch he drew which was a circular or oblong home set into the topography, which the Architects took over and brought to life.

Situated in the Na onal Park in Pembrokeshire, the land on Druidston cliff overlooks St Bride’s Bay, which is owned by the Clients. The site is only one hundred and fi y metres from the sea and sits on the coastline of the Na onal Park. The Park covers almost 300 km of coastline, characterised by high cliffs, long and open beaches, protected bays, marshes and dunes. On the site, prior to the Malator House, an old army barrack stood on it. This barrack was used as a holiday shelter for the owners and their two children.

As the site is located in Na onal Park, building anything in the loca on would be prohibited and difficult to do. Even with those condi ons, the owners wanted to rebuild the barrack therefore they approached Jan Kaplicky and Amanda Levete, the founding architects of Future Systems, for their new holiday house. It was an essen al requirement in the project for the design to achieve approval from the local authority and follow the legal requirements.

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2:

Design Analysis I

Design Analysis II

Sunlight Hours Simula on

Wind Rose Simula on

Radia on Simula on

Internal Sunlight Simula on

Conclusion

11: Rhino Model

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Part I: Research 3-5

The first sec on is an analysis through research, focusing on the climate, historical context and design. It explores the design aspect and user influence of the building.

Part II: Rhino Analysis 6-9

The second sec on is an analysis using a series of simula ons to test the exis ng building and reflect on how it responds to today’s architectural, social and environmental context.

The Building

The house is built to have a minimal visual impact on the natural environment around it, blending in with the landscape. From afar, the building is not visible as the house adopts a so and organic shape, mimicking the form of a hill, with the roof and sides of the house turfed with local vegeta on. The surrounding landscape remains untouched with no visible boundary lines or designated garden areas. The Architect stated; “being ecologically friendly was the star ng point of the design, meant to be an “eye” in the landscape looking out to the sea. However, the main reason for the design to blend in with the landscape was to allow the project to be built rather than for ecological reasons. It was a way of preven ng the risk of receiving an unfavourable decision from the local authori es on the grounds that it impinged on the landscape.

The building took a year to complete and is based on the underside of an aircra wing. The structure consists of steel beams that support the roof thus elimina ng the need for internal columns and keeping the floor plan open. A concrete slab and retaining wall are used for the overlapping layers of soil with a stressed-skin plywood aerofoil roof laid on top, completed with membrane and turf plan ng. The building consists of steel and glass, with large bespoke glazed panels to accentuate the views of the cliffs. The curved plywood underbelly creates a so ness to the interior, complemen ng the organic form of the structure. The simple open floor plan reflects the lifestyle of the clients, focusing on the living room space. A big central sofa is built fixed in the living room arranged around an open log fireplace, which the design centres upon. The inten on of the interior space is for it to be a single space of organic curves to act as a con nua on of the surrounding nature into the interior. The open plan is separated through two freestanding mber pods. They are brightly coloured, prefabricated pods that house the bathroom and kitchen spaces which are built to not reach the roof in order to emphasise the light and open space.

Images from Loweswatercam, AL_A, Gill Marshall-Andrews and Mike Graham/Crea ve Commons

Does the loca on and design of the Malator House benefit the health and wellbeing of the users?

TheMalator House is an organic-shaped building, which follows the styleof the Architectswith their use of curved monocoque shell aspects in the design. The emphasis on fluid forms with minimal geometric surfaces provides a balance between the interior and exterior, especially in this aspect where the natural landscape is adjacent to the building. The round exterior shape is most likely a result of blending the building into the landscape as it would be easier to blend in a curved shape than a geometric shape. The choice of the shape I believe is a good choice, whether it was to get approval to be built or for ecological reasons, organic-shaped buildings always catch the eyes of people due to the form being more curved and less geometric. The use of glass exterior panels con nues the balance between the environment and the building. The orienta on of the building ed with the glass panels provide the users with a clear view of nature; with the sea, the land and the sky all in one view. The buildings provide that view from the inside and outside of the home.

The colour choice for the interior pods provides a bright and op mis c ambience to the space. The psychological aspects of the colour provide posi ve benefits to the users with the colour yellow being associated with posi vity and happiness, in terms of physical health the colour yellow can have a posi ve impact on the nervous and diges ve systems. The open floor plan provides a bigger sense of the space, with the spaces not enclosed except the bathrooms but instead screened by the bathroom pods. The choice of free-standing pods rather than it going to the ceiling to emphasise the light and open space is also another aspect that focuses on providing open, bright and spacious space. I believe that the design focuses a lot on the user’s health and wellbeing which works incredibly well on the site. Nature has always been a posi ve impact on a person and combining nature with architecture con nues that balance that people need. The interior layout, the colour choices, the focus on a central space to allow people to be together and the connec on to nature all suggests that the architect focused on designing a building that benefits the user’s health and wellbeing.

Through analysing aspects of the home that affects the user’s health and well-being we can see if the building benefits the user’s health and wellbeing.

Visual Comfort, Dayligh ng and Ar ficial Ligh ng

Visual comfort encompasses a variety of aspects, such as aesthe c quality, ligh ng ambience and view. The building’s exterior glass panelsallow agreat amount of daylight into the building.

Natural sunlight lights up the interior space as the glass panels cover a large part of the west wall and the floor plan is open. The glass panels allow views of the outdoor space to keep the connec on between nature with the interior space. Ligh ng fixtures are placed in the kitchen part of the pod, while fluorescent lights are placed by the entrance. There are minimal ar ficial ligh ng fixtures placed in the building as most of the light comes from daylight. In terms of controlling the light, there is minimal control currently in the home, there are no blinds or curtains to prevent the sun from coming in if need be and minimal ligh ng fixtures on the ceiling in case more light is needed during the night.

Connec ons to Nature

The design encompasses nature in the building well, from the design form and integra on into the land, to the glass panels allowing views and a connec on to the outdoor space or the organic forms of the walls and pods. The design does well in connec ng itself to nature, partly due to the nature of the site. Nature has always brought posi ve effects on a person’s health and well-being and integra ng nature into the built environment benefits the user.

Noise and Acous cs

In terms of the site, the noise would be lower as it is in a rural area compared to a metropolitan or urban se ng. The majority of noises would come from natural factors like the wind and sea as it is nearby the cliffs. There are minimal cars and people that pass through the site that create noise, therefore the loca on is a good site for those who want it to be quiet. The plywood underbelly curved ceiling provides be er acous cs than a normal flat ceiling, and the curved shape of the building diffuses soundwaves be er than a flat wall. The organic shape of the walls, the two pods and the interior wall separa ng one of the bedrooms, all provide be er acous cs due to the curved nature.

Storage and Mul func onal Space

The design incorporates most of the storage spaces in the two pods, there are a lot of shelving units in the bedrooms and the wall where the front entrance is, however, the fixed storage spaces are mainly placed on the two pods. There is the opportunity to add storage space as you please in the bedrooms, but the main aspect of the floor plan is to keep the space open and light. In terms of mul func onal space, the space allows flexibility in the bedrooms and some flexibility in the central space as the fireplace and central sea ng area are fixed, but the sea ng area can be moved if necessary.

Thermal Comfort, Temperature and Humidity

The climate sta s cs state that it is an oceanic climate, meaning the loca on tends to feature cloudy condi ons with precipita on and cool temperatures with infrequent extremes of temperature. The average temperature during the ho est month is 12°c to 15°c with the average temperature during the coolest month being 3°c to 6°c, therefore the climate temperature in the site is usually low with the humidity being average. In terms of thermal comfort, it depends on several factors; air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, clothing insula on and metabolic heat. The building itself is well insulated from the use of overlapping layers of soil on the retaining walls and there is a fireplace in the central space to provide heat. As the site is usually in cool temperatures the users may need to wear thicker clothes to keep warm during the colder months.

Indoor Air Quality and Ven la on

The site sits in a rural area, right by the coast with no buildings immediately nearby. There is a lot of vegeta on and landscape around the site which benefits the air quality. The annual air quality in Druidston where the site sits is classed as fair to excellent with carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide being excellent. Therefore the quality outdoors is, according to the air quality sta s cs, good. In terms of the design of the building, the open floor plan,freestanding pods and 16 circular windows intheglass panels allow great ven la on throughout the interior and exterior of the house. The ven la on allows the air quality to not deteriorate as there are a lot of ways to ven late the home.

What aspects from a home affects the health and wellbeing of users? Design Analysis II

Rhino Analysis

Sunlight Hours Simula on

The simula ons calculate how much sunlight is present at the site loca on during each season. The graph on the right of the model shows the level of sunlight during the different hours of that period. The blue colour signifies minimal sunlight while the yellow represents the highest amount of sunlight during these hours.

During the autumn period, the sunlight is more present towards the south of the site, the building itself is high with sunlight and as it goes towards the north it gets less.

During the spring period, the building gets minimal sunlight with the surroundings ge ng a lot of sunlight.

During the summer period, the amount of sunlight present is highest, with some areas receiving minimal sunlight which is due to the topography of the site.

During the winter period, sunlight is minimal with the south side ge ng the most amount of sunlight.

Thesunlighthoursanalysiswillhelpinthedesignprocessasitpresents the areas that will receive the most sunlight, you can then use this informa on to take advantage of these areas for solar energy gain or change the orienta on of the building to receive more sunlight.

For this case study, it is clear that the Architects wanted the building to be west facing to take advantage of the natural views rather than an orienta on that would u lise the natural sunlight.

Sunlight Hours Analysis (Autumn Period)

Sunlight Hours Analysis (Spring Period)

Sunlight Hours Analysis (Summer Period)

Sunlight Hours Analysis (Winter Period)

Rhino Analysis

Wind Rose Simula on

The wind-rose simula on graph shows the speed, direc on and frequency of the wind in the site loca on. The radial lines represent thewinddirec onwiththerespec venorth,east,southandwest.The colour-coded bars represent the wind speed, therefore the analysis shows the drec on and wind speed of the wind. You can use this informa on to orient the building to maximise passive ven la on, as well as help, decide the posi on and size of any opening in a building.

During the autumn period, the prevalent direc on is southwest to west with a speed reaching 15.9 m/s in the west direc on, there is minimal wind towards the northeast direc on. The wind is calm for 0.29% of the me which is 7 hours within the period.

During the spring period, north is the prevailing direc on with the speed reaching 11.12 m/s. The wind is the slowest in the west and east direc on. The wind is calm for 0.32% of the me which is 7 hours of the period

During the summer period, the north is the prevalent direc on with thespeedreaching12.05m/s.Thewindisslowestintheeastdirec on than then west. The wind is calm for 0.45% of the me which is 10 hours of the period.

During the winter period, the west is the prevailing direc on with the speed reaching 22.10 m/s. The wind is slowest in the east direc on. The wind is calm for 1.84% of the me which is 40 hours.

Overall during the year, the west is the prevalent wind direc on while the east direc on is the opposite. The winter period has the fastest wind speed as well as the longest me for the wind being calm. As the building is west facing, the house receives a lot of wind during the autumn and winter period, while the summer and spring periods s ll receive wind but not as much. Annually, the building would be wellven lated and most likely colder due to the climate of the loca on and orienta on.

Wind-Rose Analysis (Autumn Period)Wind-Rose Analysis (Spring Period)

Wind-Rose Analysis (Summer Period)

Wind-Rose Analysis (Winter Period)

Rhino Analysis

Radia on Simula on

This simula on calculates the amount of energy per metre square present in the site during the seasonal periods. This radia on study allows insight into which surfaces have the highest solar heat gain to which the design can absorb or reflect the solar heat gain. This analysis will help in finding out which areas of the site gain the most radia on or the least.

During the autumn period, the highest amount of radia on is present on the south side, the majority of the site is covered with 131-169 kWh/m2, with various spots around the building reaching 0-18.79 kWh/m2.

During the spring period, radia on is high with the majority of the site reaching 366.54 and above kWh/m2. As it goes towards the building it becomes less becoming around 244 kWh/m2 with the actual roof of the building ge ng a lot- 407 kWh/m2.

During the summer period, radia on is at its highest reaching 404.29 kWh/m2, with the building and the majority of the site reaching those levels.

During the winter period, radia on is at its lowest but s ll reaches 117.66 kWh/m2. The building gets 117.66 kWh/m2 levels with some spots going to the minimal amounts.

Radia on is at its highest during the spring and summer periods being red on and around the building. During the autumn and winter periods, it is mainly at an orange level with blue spots around the building, during this period the south side has a mix of the highest and lowest radia on, which would be due to the topography of the site.

Radia on Analysis (Autumn Period)

Radia on Analysis (Spring Period)

Radia on Analysis (Summer Period)

Radia on Analysis (Winter Period)

Rhino Analysis

Internal Sunlight Simula on

The simula on portrays the internal sunlight that gets in the building. It calculates how much sunlight passes through the glass panels of the building with how much itreachesthe differentspaces of thebuilding. This model simplifies the building into a more geometric shape for the simula on. Blue represents a minimal amount of sunlight with 63% while dark red is the highest with 100%. The east and west side gets the most sunlight as it is the areas with the exterior glass panels. The west has the darkest colour due to having the largest glass panels: floor to ceiling and end to end.

This analysis aids the design to understand which spaces gets a lot of sunlight and which spaces do not. From the results you can design the interior spaces to take advantage of the sunlight or to reduce it, spaces can be chosen for different reasons depending on the amount of sunlight needed.

Internal Sunlight Analysis (Annual Period)

Conclusion

Part I: Research

Overall, from analysing the Malator House, through the several aspects stated and with the loca on and design, the building takes into considera on the user a lot. Although the design is stated to be based on ecological reasons and planning reasons, the analysis shows that a lot of considera on was put into the health and well-being of the users. The colour choices, shape and form of the walls and pods with the layout of the interior spaces integrate to help posi vely impact the users. The basis of a central space with the design resolving around it brings together a pleasant symmetry which works well with the design of the pods. The site loca on plays an important role with the natural scenery around as its the integra on of the site and design that makes the whole building successful.

For the fact that this building was designed in the late 90s, the design s ll looks aesthe cally pleasing and modern, even a er 20 years. The interior gives a colourful balance to the modern central space and the two pods give a retro feel with the bright colours and curved nature of the design. The building is successful in the sense of site considera on, user considera on and balancing nature with the built environment.

Part II: Rhino Analysis

Based on the research and simula ons, the malator house is stated to be designed focusing on being ecologically friendly with minimal visual impact on the environment which it does well. The organic form and materials blend with the design brief well and the interior provides a natural and light visual, however, it seems to be just that. The several simula ons point to the building being west facing to u lise the natural views and scenery rather than for u lising the sunlight. Circular windows are placed on the west panels to provide ven la on which shows considera on based on the prevailing winds or it could be coincidental as it would be more logical to add windows to those panels.

Though it does not primarily have to u lise these aspects, the design brief follows specific criterias which have influenced how it was designed. It does well in considering the user but does not necessarily have incorporated aspects such as daylight, radia on or wind. Built in 1998, the Architects may not have had the necessary tools and skills to incorporate these details or they were not available.

Rhino Model

A model of the case study house was created to be able to test it with the simula ons. The model allows us to explore it in 3D and run different simula ons.

Review:

Crea ng the model had some difficul es in trying to get accurate dimensions, the topography itself could be different to the actual topography of thesite which could alter the simula onresults. While being an interes ng case study, the model provided more difficul es in making it as accurate as possible and the topography with the hills surrounding the building. The interior of the building was fairly easy.

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