MArch Yr1 Final Portfolio - 2021 by Aldrin Estillore

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

DS13

THE HERON CRYPTO CURRENCY EXCHANGE London’s leading Crypto Currency Exchange: Exploring the radical changes of finance and the future of its trajectory towards a digitalised and decentralised monetary blockchain tower

Architectural Productions I Aldrin Estillore w17978532 DS13 : Yr I Tutors: Andrei Martin + Andrew Yau DS13: Studio Portfolio - Vol. 1 : 2021

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DS13

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DS13

TABLE OF CONTENTS SEMESTER II WORKS

SEMESTER I WORKS

Design Thesis & Design Brief 4-5

Site Research & Site Location 34-37

Design Concept 6-8 -

Design Concept 38 -

Site Analysis 9-12

Design Development & Evolution 39-43

Design Development & Evolution 13-21 Effectual Moments 22-25 Section Axonometric 26-27 Technical Studies 30-31 -

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SEMESTER I GROUPWORKS Discrete Assemblies 44-47 Nested Objects 48-51 BIBLIOGRAPHY 52-53 -

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

DS13

DESIGN THESIS

1. Vertical Server Tower The crypto servers are installed within the vertical stacking that produces heat that stacks vertically upwards the building creating a new core lift that views the servers

2. Village Gardens The byproducts of its energy production gives the programme spaces intergration within nature and private rooftop gardens that is accessible for each office space aggregated vertically around the building footprint creating a vertical building within a high-rise tower.

3. Object Circulation The insertion of the objects weaves the moments of full navigation and communication of the village spaces.

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DS 13 | DESIGN BRIEF RADICAL RE-USE Design Introduction & Abstract

Diversly Multicultural and Alive City At DS13 we are fascinated and interested in high-urban cities that define our everyday human interaction, whether that is with work or remotely at home. London has always been a metropolis city that is filled with multi-cultural heritage mixed together in clusters within large districts. We looked at London’s Square Mile, approx. 1.12 miles stretching across the east to west of London as our site locaton. Square Mile is London’s financial district, where the Eastern cluster consists of mostly financial banks and large companies who dominated real-estate space to build their skyscraper empires. A heavy portion of those spaces are empty and rather vacant for future businesses and offices to be filled in. As a studio we take these empty spaces as an opportunity of which we can intervene and question these unihabited spaces to offer an alternative solutio and/ or typology to compensate a rather normative space to something spectacular.

London’s Financial Future London’s Square Mile has a large number of iconic buildings that builds its metropolitan region to what is London’s main financial district eversince the postmodern era. These sites are what gives each plot of future developments an opportunity to enrich both the economical and social vibrancy of the district to compensate over its fast pace activity and multi-complex systems. Square Mile is where iconic buildings like the Bloomberg HQ, Lloyds Bank, 42 Tower, Bank of England, and many more iconic landmarks are all situated in and is an archipelago of cities within cities of which most demand for employment and financial stability is held. One must ask, can we transform these financial powerhouses into something that is unfamiliar but at the same time can be a spectacular space that still performs the same as its original purpose for a modern London worker to inhabit and experience?

The Normative vs The Spectacular The world of finance and exchange became our global economic growth for money trading. Recently bitcoin mining has become increasingly more relevant in today’s digital age. More and more we rely on digital technologies and advanced algorithms to trade in such fast speeds, and new heights. How London Sits within the financial District and how Brexit can really impact financial institutions around the site of Square Mile. News has risen to believe that the Brexit will in fact will deplete a lot of banks and large investment banks mainly because of the lack of distribution of its financial trade. But one industry that is unaffected by Brexit is currency trading. And so I wanted to investigate investment banks and financial institutions within the square mile district. So The Heron CryptoCurrency Exchange challenges the normative typology of a typical crypto currency mining facility and proposes a new vertical botanical garden that facilitates and re-use its energy byproducts.

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Discrete Assemblies Nested Composites The analogy of the “discrete” emphasises its form through the invisible object, it becomes a fractal nature in which the element disappears in form and conceives a notion of augmented fractal patterns. The term Nested Composites derives from Tom Wiscombe’s writing of the “Flat Ontology”, which describes objects as its architectural manifestation of objects within their own unique properties. These methodologies combined together will formulate our questioning of these spaces to be populated and we can start to question what these spaces can bring new meaning in where they are injected and in return we can formulate the synthesis of the programme to a new architectural typology that encapsulates both the transient and steratomic spaces.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

CRYPTOCURRENCY

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY Visualising the New Crypto Currency Ecosystem Cryptocurrencies: a digital currency that is secured and encoded through computer algorithms (cryptography) for security. There are loads of cryptocurrencies now, and being Bitcoin as the most recognisable and popular choice of digital currency. The premise is that as banks became increasingly untrusthworthy, back at the financial crisis occurred, Bitcoin was created to develop a “A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” that doesn’t interfere with a third party like banks or government or organisation to swap that transaction. Blockchain technology is a new type of technology that turned human trust into digital trust. This happens within a server that computes a long list of codes to bypass transactions. That’s why it is decentralised.

Centralised Model vs Decentralised Model: Centralised Model- a centralised model requires a central point to allow the conduction of work or operations. Decentralised Model - a decentralised model requires multiple sources of information and for the operation to work through a “blockchain” stream.

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Design Concept

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Design Concept

CRYPTOCURRENCY MINING FACILITIES

The Future and Evolution for CryptoCurrencies Cryptocurrency is done through a process of mining - In order to mine these cryptocurrencies, you only require a computer, and internet connection to solve really complex algorithms. Back then people use to call it “The Modern Day Gold Rush”. Fast forward to today, cryptocurrency mining facilities started to emerge around the world. These Crypto Mining Facilities are located on the suburbs of cold environment countries in order to keep the servers cooled due to the amount of heat it produces.

1 CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in Texas

2. CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in Venezuela

3. CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in China

4. CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in Iceland

5. CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in Canada

6. CryptoCurrency Mining Facility in Russia

6 3

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all information is taken from the visualcapitalist.com

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Design Concept

THE FUTURE FOR CRYPTOCURRENCIES ARCHITECTURAL POTENTIAL Cryptocurrencies: Redefining the Future of Finance A company called Genesis is one organisation that holds a crypto currency mining facility held in Iceland. These warehouses installed large exhaust ceiling turbines and it is essential to keep the servers at optimal working temperature. But the problem is that its energy consumption is left to be used as it is for the byproduct of making virtual money. So the polamic challenge then becomes, can we re-use the by product of this energy consumption to build a more green place and encompass a vertical botanical garden that is a compelling place to enjoy and even work within a city. CURRENT STATUS...

33.7% 56.2% NEW YORK

LONDON

0.5% 1.6%

PARIS

1.6%

LUXEMBURG

DUBLIN

1.1% 2

1.1%

DUBLIN

LONDON

PARIS

TOKYO

U.A.E

1.6% 21.6% 2.2%

0.5%

HONG KONG

2.1%

SINGAPORE

THE NEXT 5 YEARS...

49.7%

1.6%

FRANKFURT

1.5%

0.5%

LUXEMBURG

TOKYO

NEW YORK

3.2%

5.4%

SINGAPORE

U.A.E

HONG KONG

3.8%

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SHANGHAI

8.7%

“One major City segment unaffected by Brexit is currency trading. While shares and bonds

“The UK has 43% of the global forex market, and this has increased by six percentage

“Developing and regulating new financial products that allow investors to positively

usually trade in the market where they are issued, currency trading takes place globally”

points in three years.”

engage with climate-change finance and cryptocurrencies.”

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Site Analysis

LONDON SQUARE MILE CONTEXTUAL STUDIES London’s Financial Hub for finance and multi corporational businesses

GLOBAL AMENITIES London Square Mile is known as the second largest financial hub of the world, right after Wall Street in NY, it is renowned as one of the world’s leading financial hubs for global multi corporational businesses. The benefit of this is that it proposes a new building typology that includes a good re-use of the building as a social, cultural and environmental agenda. Instead of having these mining facilities within the suburbs, why can’t it not be in a city where it can be put on display and celebrated from its product of producing and making money. Distances from Site: One Bishop Gate Plaza - 150 Bishopgate The Gherkin - 30 St Mary Axe The Walkie Talkie - 20 Fenchurch Street Tower 42 - 25 Old Broad Street The Leadenhall Building - 122 Leadenhall Street The Scalpel - 52 Lime Street Key: City Centre Train Station Underground Hospital GP Surgery Supermarket Shops Library Church and Cathedral Sport and Leisure Centre Play Area Adult Education University and College Secondary School Primary School Hotel Pub Restaurant

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Site Analysis

THE CITY OF LONDON SITE ANALYSIS

SHOREDITCH HIGH STREET

Local Ammenities and Businesses SHOPPING

RESTAURANTS

BUSINESSES

Royal Exchange

The Mercer

Deutsche Bank

Leadenhall Market

Forge

ING

One New Change

SUSHISAMBA

Duck and Waffle

Cazenove

Old Spitalfields Market

1 Lombard Street

Bank of England

Angler

Lloyds Banking Group

Boisdale of Bishopgate

Bank of China

Bread Street Kitchen

Swiss Re

The Alchemist

Darwin Brasserie

Nomura

Vertigo 42

Chiswell Street Dining Rooms

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

The Anthologist

La Dame de Pic

Bloomberg

Mayor of Scarey Town

Mei Ume

UBS

Proud Babaret City

The Ivy City Garden

London Stock Exchange

Demon, Wise & Partners

Oriole Bar

MEMBERS’ CLUB 1

The Ned

Barbican Centre

Museum of London

Guildhall Art Gallery

London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE

MOORGATE 3

Tate Modern

21 17

Neo Barbican

ART & CULTURE

BNP Paribas

Devonshire Row and the Plaza

10 10

BARBICAN

COCKTAIL BARS

LIVERPOOL STREET

4 1

ONE BISHOPGATE PLAZA THE HERON TOWER

3 4 6

4 2

Goldman Sachs

Bank of America

Linklaters LLP

Allianz Global Investors

Ashurst

AXA Investment Managers

ST PAUL’S

Shoreditch House

The Curtain

DLA Pipers UK

Eight

Henderson Global Investors

EDUCATION

QBE

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

SAS

CASS Business School

TP ICASP

London Metropolitan University

City of London School for Girls

1 5

1 2 min

BANK 1 5

ALDGATE

5 8

GHERKIN

4 2

5 min

FENCHURCH STREET 10 min

MANSION HOUSE MONUMENT

6 12

From Liverpool Street Station CROSSRAIL

AIRPORT & EUROSTAR Eurostar

6 min

Canary Wharf

11 min

King’s Cross St. Pancras

27 min

London City

7 min

Bond Street

11 min

Oxford Circus

35 min

Heathrow T1

10 min

Paddington

13 min

Bond Street

47 min

Stansted

33 min

Heathrow Central

13 min

London Bridge

50 min

Gatwick

13 min

Farringdon

DS13: Studio Portfolio - Vol. 1 : 2021

TOWER HILL

LONDON UNDERGROUND

11 min

CANNON STREET

Sources: Google Maps, www.crossrail.co.uk

LONDON BRIDGE

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

THE HERON TOWER SITE LOCATION The SalesForce Tower

Salesforce Tower, 110 Bishopsgate (formerly Heron Tower) is a commercial skyscraper in London. It stands 230 metres (755 ft) tall including its 28-metre (92 ft). Heron Tower as a site has a unique building typology compared to all the other building types in Square Mile. The cluster of banks seems to be focused on the lower rising buildings whilst large investment banks and financial institutions are more present through high-rise or large footprint buildings. The typical floor space all shares a central atrium that creates a vertical stack of each cluster block.

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Site Analysis

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Site Analysis

SITE ANALYSIS

OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS Salesforce Tower Village Tower Concept

2 3

Opportunity and Constraints

Key: Site boundary Land ownership boundary

One Bishopgate Plaza

Outdoor Communal Garden for workers

St. Botolph’s Church

Metro Bank

Liverpool Station Existing trees to retained Vehicular access Pedestrian access Pedestrian Crossing Fire ecapes

NOON

Communal garden Residential Properties St. Botolph’s Church One Bishopgate Plaza Commercial Properties Metro Bank Communal stairs Communal lift

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DISCRETE ASSEMBLIES STEROTOMIC AGGREGATION Aggregation Studies

So when experimenting the injection of the tower, I first did my first iteration with discrete aggregation, I wanted to aggregate the component within the Heron Tower. I found two options I ended up with are either the component are wrapped up like a ribbon or the other option is to have a pixelated intervention with the building envelop.

Original component

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Arrayed

Discrete

Design Development

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Desogm Development

NESTED OBJECTS TRANSIENT SPACES Sterotomic Studies

I did the same design experiment on injecting objects within the floor plates. These subtractions could start to define the atrium spaces and how to apply a vertical botanical garden started to develop between the relationship of each levels overlooking of each other, communicating from level to level.

Two Objects

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Subtracted

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT What If? The design proposal take the same concept of the Heron Tower with it’s “village” within each floor spaces, and convert it within a garden on each intersection giving a more of a ”green village” where the workers can enjoy the sole reason of a vertical garden on each office block. These gardens are maintained and kept through the by product of the server towers in which generates the heat, natural ventilation from the architectural typology and the hydraulic system to keep the gardens hydrated from the rain collection filtering system. Then lastly the zones are allocated to bring in office zones as you progress vertically.

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Design Evolution

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01 THE HERON CRYPTO CURRENCY EXCHANGE

1. Vertical Tower The crypto servers are installed within the vertical stacking that produces heat that stacks vertically upwards the building creating a new core lift that views the servers

3. Object Circulation The insertion of the objects weaves the moments of full navigation and communication of the village spaces.

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Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

02 THE HERON CRYPTO CURRENCY EXCHANGE A

Zone A - Private Realm

Zone C - Public Zone

Restaurant / Canteen

Gallery / Auditorium

Workers, Employees and CEO’s can enjoy a rooftop private restaurant and canteen overlooking the City of London.

This gives the public the opportunity to learn, educated and inform about crypto currencies and the process of bitcoin mining.

Zone A - Private Realm

Zone C - Public Zone

Private and Rental Offices

Library / Atrium

Here lies the private office suite at the top floor of the Heron CryptoCurrency Tower. Giving an open plan layout for the office spaces and private pod cells for business meetings and 360 views of the city.

The evolution of cryptocurrencies, its origins and documentations of crypto mining and virtual investment portfolios are kept within the library space.

C Zone A - Public Realm Village Garden The Village Realm is applied throughout each zone, giving the green space a role that plays within the building. Supplied by the heat from the server stacks and the water filtration system to maintain the growth of the garden

D E

D Zone B - Public Realm Village Garden

E Zone B - Public Realm

Workshops The workshops space gives the monitisation of the servers, quality control checks and maintinance of the servers to be kept at optimal temperature conditions

F Zone C - Public Realm Village Garden

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PROGRAMME SEQUENCE DNA SEQUENCING Functional Programme

The public realm is located on the entrance of the tower, the middle section consists of the trading floors, workshops and IT services. And the top section consists of private office floors and a private restaurant and rooftop garden. The white spaces are left in which the vertical gardens are inserted and applied. These vertical gardens act as a break space where workers can enjoy and facilitate in a green space.

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Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

PROGRAMME SEQUENCE 3D SEQUENCING

Functional Programme of the Building in 3D This diagram translates into a three-dimensional building strategy: Zone A: Atrium on ground floor Listing + Exhibition Conference are combined Zone B: Trading Floor expanded Offices are shifted alongside to the workshops Zone C: Executive offices are shifted alongside for the server room Expanded the canteen and restaurant for the city views Construction: Modular Fashion, then we add the structural columns and floor plates, then we insert the skin intelligence and then the whole building envelope

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DESIGN EVOLUTION ARCHITECTURAL EFFECT Building Itteration and Thought Process Here shows the design evolution, where we take the existing building exoskeleton and then we inject the volumes, then we allocate the circulation. Then we add the servers which creates a stacking effect. Then because of the heat, the gardens are supplemented from the heat stack. Then we add the gardens and green spaces.

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Design Evolution

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BUILDING IN CONTEXT EFFECTUAL ANALYSIS Building Setup

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Design Evolution

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Effectual Moments

OFFICE SPACE

EFFECTUAL MOMENTS ZONE A

An Extraordinary Way of Living & Working

There is no subtitute for businesses and office spaces that are genuinely on demand - The Heron Crytpo Currency Exchange offers the best quality of office spaces in the centre of London. The village concept is designed to occupy the space requirement of 12-36,000 sq ft. The village concept is unique because it allows the spaces to be arranged in an open plan or modular arrangement.

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BREAK-OUT SPACE EFFECTUAL MOMENTS ZONE B

Take an unexpected break! It is a rare opportunity to live in the heart of the City of London. The Heron Crypto Currency Exchange gives you this access to this opportunity and the powerful benefits it brings. The village breakout space allows the workers, public and private roles can use for leisure and comfort. London is a global financial centre and the Square Mile is at its historic heart, populated by the FTSE100 businesses and the HQ of global multicorporational businesses- many within walking distance of the development. -

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Effectual Moments

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

SERVER TOWER

EFFECTUAL MOMENTS ZONE C

Turning the Invisible... Visible

We understand that making money is exciting and making virtual money could be the next big hit, And that is why in the Heron Crypto Currency Exchange has been designed to help you see the bigger picture. From an unparalleled way of creating and mining bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, to learning and be educated about cryptocurrencies, to climbing your way towards the economic top and have position as an executive- so that you can know what it takes to become a global money making machine within this establishement. That could be in turn more time to enjoy the simple things in life, spending time with friends and loved ones, or making the mest of some time to yourself. Life can sometimes be a game of who can win to the top, having a competetive advantage in life financially and economically can have a huge impact in the way we live and work.

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Effectual Moments

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FRONT AND SIDE ELEVATIONS Effectual Moments

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Design Evolution

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Effectual Moments

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Effectual Moments

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Technical Studies

BUILDING ASSEMBLY

APPLIED TECHNICAL STUDIES Context Concrete floor FFC

1. MATERIAL SOURCING : CORTEN (WEATHERING STEEL) Corten Steel is created by combining a mixture of steels and alloys. It is this combination that creates its unique rusting properties as well as its distinctive appearance. As a result, Corten steel is commonly used in outdoor applications or environments where normal steel would be inclined to rust.

Steel Structure Feature

Steel Bracing Corten Panels

Floor finish

Advantages: High Strength Low Alloy Weldable Structural Steel Steel that protects itself 2. MATERIAL TEMPERING: PREFABRICATED CORTEN Cor-ten is a high strength, low alloy, weldable structural steel possessing excellent weathering resistance. It may be used to advantage in painted or unpainted condition. The steel owes its weathering resistance to the formation of a protective oxide coating which seals the surface against further corrosion. The coating is of a dark brown appearance and if chipped or damaged, repairs itself to give continuity of protection and appearance.

Corten Facade, Laser Cut with PPC finish

We can replicate the natural oxidised appearance of corten steel using our polyester powder coating process. The PPC finish can be applied to our Unity rainscreen cladding panels and fire test rated Ultima aluminium insulated panels.

Structural Coloumns

The deep copper and dark brown tones of the powder coated finish layered over a textured surface creates an almost identical resemblance to natural corten.

Modular Frames

Construction Phase

PPC Finish

Weathering Concrete floor FFF

Built State

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BUILDING ASSEMBLY

APPLIED TECHNICAL STUDIES

Technical Studies

Construction Assembly STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALITY

The construction of the building consist of steel bracing, that is connected to the flat modules that is bolted and braced onto the facade.

Steel pipe bracing - primary structure

2 Spider bracket holding the corten panels

The bracing finish is corten and it is reflected across the building skin envelop.

3 Corten panels laser cutted

The large steel cross-facade that the Heron Tower is then supported with this steel bracing that is hung and clipped onto the frame.

MATERIAL TRANSPORTATION As the site is in London Square Mile, the corten cladding panels will be transported by a trailer truck that can fit large 2.5m by 5m wide corten panels. The Steel Bracing is transported the same way as well but then is constructed in site. Cast-in-situ concrete 1

The concrete is deployed through concrete insitu and some of the modules are pre-built within a construction warehouse and then transported through a trailer.

Welded wire reinforcing 2 mesh Steel profiled decking 3

Steel beam 4 Steel bracket fixing 5

A C 1

Tie bars, structural bracing holding steel tie

Glass panel erecting as building facade

Stainless Steel tie 34mm diameter Bolted connection holding the panels in place

D Concrete 1 masonary Waterproofing insulation supporting the windows

Double glazed 3 glass Floor finish 4 Welded wire 5 reinforcing mesh

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PAST ITTERATIONS

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SEMESTER I : GROUP WORKS DS13: Studio Portfolio - Vol. 1 : 2021

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CONTENT // APPENDIX SEMESTER I WORKS Site Research & Site Location 34-37 Design Concept 38 Design Development & Evolution 39-43 SEMESTER I GROUPWORKS Discrete Assemblies 44-47 Nested Objects 48-51 -

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T H E P O U L T R Y CURRENCY EXCHANGE

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London King’s Cross St. Pancras

East London

West London

Site Research & Site Location

Liverpool St. Station

Waterloo Station

London Bridge Station

London Square Mile

Zone 1

513,000

people are employed in the City of London

London & Financial Markets

Location: London, Square Mile

Key Location boundary Location Zones

Liverpool St. Station

London King’s Cross St. Pancras

London Bridge Station

Waterloo Station

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London Square Mile’s rich history of the major trading and finance hub offers this district a rich and vibrant destination for modern workers. It represents the oldest and relevant disctrict of London’s conduction of trade. Being the oldest settllement in London, it has been the keystone for economic destinations for financial trade and stock exachanges. Therefore, the architectural typology is represented with neo-classsical structures, high-rise glass facade towers and an ideal settlement for office building developments. These then reduces the number of small businesses that are looked to be redeveloped and/or demolished. The polamic challenge then becomes, what is the future for London’s financial district within the information and technology age? All infographics are extracted through Google Maps

23,760 businesses are registered in the City of London

For every one resident, there are two businesses that are being monopolized within the Square Mile District

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Site Research & Site Location TOWARDS FARRINGDON TOWARDS FINSBURY /

AND HOLDBORN

SPITALFIELDS

BLOOMBERG HQ

THAMES RIVER

BANK OF ENGLAND GHERKIN

WALKIE TALKIE SHARD

MAIN FINANCIAL DISTRICT OF SQUARE MILE

LONDON BRIDGE STATION LANGOURN DISCRICT

Trading & Digital Trading

Servers & Obsolete Work Environment

Key

Location: London, Square Mile, Bank

Location: London, Square Mile,

Trading and exchanging money has been evolving eversince the 1900’s to the 21’st century. We are heading towards a more digitalised apporach to conduct our modern day trading. With the rise of stock exchanges and crypto currencies to conduct online transactions, it has become the standard for newage trading. The impact this has on development is that these buildings will become monopolised by larger firms and use these spaces to redevelop more headquarters for their businesses. The effect of this means that these spaces then becomes temporarily obselete and majority of these office spaces could become non-occupied. Can we question the challenges these spaces that perhaps it doesn’t require a worker to conduct work? Can it be run by machines and servers that decentralises the programme? If servers works, how can we protect it?

London’s buildings consists with more than a thousand local and private servers around the district, these stretches miles away to archive and collect these servers for preservation. This will mean that the collection is determined if it can store a huge number of data and algorithms to solve or determine the value exchange.

Site boundary Road Directions Server connections Server Locations Financial Transactions

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All infographics are extracted through Google Maps

Server Collection

Server Preservation

Server Protection

When we look at how we preserve these servers, we can assume that this will be archived in ways that the servers needs to be sheltered and protected. This will be the main core focus of the currency exchange as it defines how the programme works for digital exchanges can occur. This then will lead to spatial implications that the servers will be kept within boundaries away from the public realm.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Site Research & Site Location

No.1 Poultry, James Stirling Location: London Sqaure Mile, Bank, No.1 Poultry The No.1 poultry building is an office and retail building which is located at the junction of Poultry and Queen Victoria Street, adjacent to Bank of England and This building was designed by James Stirling.

Ground - Second Floor

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Third - Fifth Floor

There are three ways of entering into the building, Queen Victoria St., One Poultry St. and the corner of the junction, the building is built with both bricklaying and glass facades that very interestingly have been combined together within the front and side elevation. Above is a view of the courtyard( the centre of the building) which surrounded by office spaces.

Roof Top Garden Photos courtesy to Google Images

Photos courtesy to Google Images

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Design Concept

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EXISTING NORMATIVE

WHAT IF?

PROPOSED Design Proposal Architectural Typology Diagramtic Explanation The No.1 Poultry is primarily consisted of its grand entrance (below house) at the entrances of the wings and programmatic spaces are located above (above house) where offices and meeting halls are held. What if we can turn an normative office into a protective currency exchange?

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What if we can re-invent the existing spaces to impliment a serval tower within its core (heart) this will act as our protective zone which the servers are held and archived. This then will be sealed with the above house and below house spaces where it defines the trading halls and meeting rooms are held for conduction of trading. The offices then are located at the back of house where most of administrative work is held and lastly the caferia is located at the front of house for leisure and casual meetings are held. This is where a restuarant and a cafe is also palced.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Design Development & Evolution

Key A

Upper Level Entrance

Foyer

Lower Level Main Entrance

Lower Level Central Atrium

Trading and Exchange Floors

Server Room Level 1

Server Room Level 2

Server Room Level 3

Lobby/ Elevators/ Staircase

Lobby and Reception

Office Spaces

Upper Level Central Atrium

Lobby / Canteen / Restaurant

The Void

The central void offers the archive space for storing the CPU Servers together within one location. This gives the perfect conditions for the Servers to be naturally kept cool and protected from the outside, the conduction of exchanging currencies happens within this zone.

H L

Server Tower

We set out the server towers using this central void, this will act as our core for transitioning from one space to the level above. As you progress upwards the density of the servers increases and the amount of data it stores.

F K

Connections

E K

Overall Section Currency Exchange

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Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Design Development & Evolution

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

G IN D A R TR OO 1 L L F

RI AT

The lower level centre for the Currency Exchange. It contains a central triabloid atrium, lobby, access for circulation and lifts and offices spaces and ancillary spaces.

R VE R R E E - S OW 4 T L

R VE R R E E - S OW 3 T L

R VE R R E E - S OW 2 T L

N ZON AL IO TR AT N L CE CU R CI

Central Work Zone

Level 1- Trading Halls and Trading Floors, Atrium, Canteen, Lobby and Reception

Level 2- Data Server Space, Lobby and Foyer

Level 3- Data Server Space, Lobby and Foyer

Level 4- Data Server Space, Meeting Rooms and Restaurant

We can imagine this Central Work Zone as a new way to archive these serves to keep them sheltered and protected.

Programme Evolution

Key Central Atrium First Level Podium Zone Second Level Server Zone Third Level Server Zone Fourth Level Server Zone Fifth Level Server Zone Core, Lifts, Staircase Public Accessibility Circulation

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Programmatic Conents When looking at the programme of the Currency Exchange, we use the same model as we would look at an ordinary Currency Exchange. Mainly consisting lobbies, office rooms, meetings rooms, reception and a central space for gathering. Here we offer a new alternative typology of a Currency Exchange in which we replace the central zone as a main Server Tower that consist with floors occupied with stacks of powerful CPU servers, these servers are storing a large number of data transactions that is stored and kept archived. We can imagine this Central Work Zone as a new way to archive these serves to keep them sheltered and protected.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Design Development & Evolution

Effectual Moments: Lvl. 1-4 Trading Floor & Server Tower Space View

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Zone I: [TopLevel]

Effectual Moments: Lvl. 1-4 Server Tower Space and Central Atrium Space

Zone II: [Mid Level]

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Design Development & Evolution

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Effectual Moments: Context Construct in Context Axo View

Contextual Summary

At the top level, you can clearly identify how the mass is getting more intensified from above. Where the revolve subtraction is applied. There is a sense of a play with gravity where the top portion has the most mass and as you go further below of the construct it becomes less imminent with mass. 42 DS13: Studio Portfolio - Vol. 1 : 2021

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Design Development & Evolution

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Effectual Moments: Street ConStreet View

Contextual Summary

The geometry transitions into a mixture of curvatures supported with the thickness of the floor plates from above and below, this again supports its sheer mass through the use of its thickness.

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Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Discrete Assemblies Week 1-5 Compiliation Discrete Assemblies comply from the origins of Giles Retin’s writings of the “Discerete” and the mass customisation of components and substructures. From the reading Retsin’s methodology to collate these objects as its own unique component that acts as a form base structure to congrugate more “bundled” like structure super components. Within these parameters, the compiliation of work below shows our experimentation of our component we picked and how we form super components together to make our transient space.

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Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Fig 1: Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: close-up of the curved south corner on Threadneedle Street and the side entrance to Bank London Underground station

Discrete Assemblies

Fig 2: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London the main ground floor corridor

Fig. 3: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: the south front windows and balustrade of Garden Court

Fig. 4: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: Garden Court looking west

Fig. 5: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London

Fig. 6: Clarendon Building, Broad Street, Oxford: framed view of the courtyard facade from the gated entrance to the Bodleian Library

Fig. 7: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: the completed buildings on Bartholomew Lane contained by Soane’s original walls

Fig.8: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: Corinthian columns on the main facade

Fig.9: The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London: detail of the Threadneedle Street facade

Site Photos

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Photos courtesy to Google Images and RIBA Image Catalouge

Fig. 10: The Petal Studded Ceiling

Fig. 11: The Giant To Breathe

Fig. 12: Bio-Mimicry

Fig. 13: The Lancet Window

Fig. 14: The Rose Window

Fig. 15: Ornamental Design

Fig. 16: Greek Revival

Fig. 17: The Wooden Panels

Fig. 18: Gherkin Style

Site Photos

Photos courtesy to Google Images and RIBA Image Catalouge

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Discrete Assemblies

Component Extraction

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Component Extraction

Models/work courtesy to Fatemeh Tajdivand

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Discrete Assemblies

Project Reflection Reflection + Summary

Drawing type and scale

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Through this process, we wanted to encapsulate more clever ways for our objects to interconenct with each other and how that bundles up to a much more transformative space of which the structure of bundled up super components will become seamingly less recognisable but it allows the user to be directed towards that path. This was particularly difficult to translate that idea with the idea that our effectual themes where directed to different matters. But going through the process again, I have learnt how to cohesively device the intent of these structures to come together with one another.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Nested Composites Week 6-9 Compiliation Nested Composites is the effectual unfamiliarisation of objects that in turn becomes the analgomy of what the steratomic space can encapsulate and redefining the spaces as one to be pressumably spectacular. In Tom Wiscombe’s reading of the Object Turn and Flat Ontology, the insights offered a new architectural typology that begins from the unknown primitive object. These objects are in return can be manipulated with boolean and revolving operations to conduct its voids and exagurrated curvatures. These nested objects creates its characteristics of a steratomic space. Here are our take of this tasks which showcases our experimentations and reflections.

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Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Nested Composites

Architectural Line Extractions

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Primitive to Unfamiliar Objects

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Nested Composites

Effectual Moments: Perspective View of the Model

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Nested Object Analysis

We wanted to explore more is this geometry that we found worked best with the combination of both Boolean and Revolve Subtraction Operations. When we observed the geometry itself, it has a lot of qualities that can offer its external mass which was the main compound effect of our construct. First was its extreme curves at the rear of the geometry which creates an over-exaggerated cut and the second one is the sheer thickness of its Poche’.

Ground Level Perspective View

Zone 1: [Bottom Level]

Here we see how these qualities could offer a podium where people can have public meetings and presentations. You can deliberately tell the difference between what is a floor slab and what is the object here identified through the colours assigned.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Nested Composites

Project Reflection Reflection + Summary This task was quite a challenge to conduct as it has to do with it’s intent of being the unknown. Being treated as a “folly” the nested objects becomes a challenge to fit within the construct as a programmatic implications. Whether it is to direct the user from one space to another and ultimatley to a destination, it is the question of what this space can ultimatley offer for the user to change its behaviour and offer a new mode of space to be treated and/or experienced.

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This has allowed me to be much more comprehensive with the operations with more intent to know the projects parameters and scope early on the process.

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

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Bibliography

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

Bibliography

ILLUSTRATIONS SEMESTER II 9x9 IMAGE REFERENCES: Bitmain, n.d. Bitmain fulfills commitment to Rockdale, Texas, with launch of cryptocurrency mining farm to construct 50MW facility [WWW Document]. URL https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/ news-releases/bitmain-fulfills-commitment-to-rockdale-texas-with-launch-of-cryptocurrency-mining-farm-to-construct-50mw-facility-836196022.html (accessed 5.16.21). China Says Bitcoin Is Wasteful. Now It Wants to Ban Mining | WIRED [WWW Document], n.d. URL https://www.wired.com/story/china-says-bitcoin-wasteful-wants-ban-mining/ (accessed 5.16.21). Courtney Ryan, 2019. Crypto Mining & Blockchain with Josh Riddett ‫ ן‬Not Another D*ckhead with a Podcast #8. Inside the Icelandic Facility Where Bitcoin Is Mined | WIRED [WWW Document], n.d. URL https:// www.wired.com/story/iceland-bitcoin-mining-gallery/ (accessed 5.16.21). Why China is banning one of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining hubs, 2021. . ZME Science. URL https:// www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/why-china-is-banning-one-of-the-worlds-largest-bitcoinmining-hubs/ (accessed 5.16.21) SEMESTER I 9x9 IMAGE REFERENCES: Bank of England, C., 2021. Bank Of England, Threadneedle Street, City Of London: Close-Up Of The Curved South Corner On Threadneedle Street And The Side Entrance To Bank London Underground Station | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/ image-information/poster/bank-of-england-threadneedle-street-city-of-london-closeup-of-the-curvedsouth-corner-on-threadneedl/posterid/RIBA25846.html?> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. The Bank of England, C., 2021. The Bank Of England, Threadneedle Street, City Of London | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/ poster/the-bank-of-england-threadneedle-street-city-of-london/posterid/RIBA59999.html> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. The Bank of England, C., 2021. The Bank Of England, Threadneedle Street, City Of London: Corinthian Columns On The Main Facade | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/ image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/the-bank-of-england-threadneedle-street-city-of-london-corinthian-columns-on-the-main-facade/posterid/RIBA45162.html> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. The Bank of England, C., 2021. The Bank Of England, Threadneedle Street, City Of London: The East Loggia Of The Garden Court Looking South | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/the-bank-of-england-threadneedle-streetcity-of-london-the-east-loggia-of-the-garden-court-looking-s/posterid/RIBA60005.html> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. Cibsejournal.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.cibsejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-Bloomberg_LDN_Detail_01_IntegratedCeiling-e1511889195326.jpg> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. Cibsejournal.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.cibsejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-Bloomberg_LDN_Exterior_01_Hero.jpg> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. Depositphotos, I., 2021. Columns At Entrance Of British Museum. [online] Depositphotos. Available at: <https://depositphotos.com/77263100/stock-photo-columns-at-entrance-of-british.html> [Accessed 17

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BIBLIOGRAPHY CRITICAL TEXT: Gannon, T., Harman, G., Ruy, D., & Wiscombe, T. (2015). The Object Turn: A Conversation. Log, (33), 73-94. Retrieved January 17, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43630852 Young, M. (2016), The Affects of Realism: Or the Estrangement of the Background. Archit. Design, 86: 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.2111 Wiscombe, T., 2014. Towards A Flat Ontology. [online] Files.cargocollective.com. Available at: <http:// files.cargocollective.com/598962/Towards_a_Flat_Ontology_Wiscombe.pdf> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. Retsin, G., 2016. Discrete And Digital | Txa 2016. [online] Lthdigital.files.wordpress.com. Available at: <https://lthdigital.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/discrete_and_digital_txa_2016.pdf> [Accessed 17 January 2021]. Kipnis, J., 2001. Perfect Acts Of Architecture Museum Of Modern Art Books. Museum of Modern Art, 2001. Neufeld, D., 2020. Cryptocurrency: Redefining the Future of Finance. Visual Capitalist. URL https:// www.visualcapitalist.com/cryptocurrency-redefining-future-of-finance/ (accessed 5.16.21). Russia’s Largest Bitcoin Mine Turns Water Into Cash, 2019. . Bloomberg.com. Viens, A., 2019. Visualizing the New Cryptocurrency Ecosystem. Visual Capitalist. URL https://www. visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-new-cryptocurrency-ecosystem/ (accessed 5.16.21).

Radical Reuse: Urban Arcadia

DS13

THE HERON CRYPTO CURRENCY EXCHANGE London’s leading Cryptocurrency Exchange: Exploring the radical changes of finance and the future of its trajectory towards a digitalised and decentralised monetary blockchain tower

DS13: Studio Portfolio - Vol. 1 : 2021