The barbican

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INTRODUCTION Estate of flats, maisonettes and terraced houses, hostel, girls’ school, school of music and drama, and arts centre (with concert hall, theatre, studio theatre, cinemas, library, art gallery, conservatory, restaurants and offices), with underground car parking, pedestrian walks and canal. Designed 195559, arts centre element redesigned 1964-8; built with modifications in 1962-82 to the designs of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon (subsequently Chamberlin, Powell and Bon (Barbican)) for the Corporation of the City of London; engineers, Ove Arup and Partners.

The map of the site, with the nearest tube stations:


Here are some plants of the Barbican Arts Centre:








AIR Ventilation The density of development means that the external walls of the building must be reserved for living accomodation and kitchens and bathrooms are all planned internally to be mechanically ventilated. In he kitchen ther is an ample hood over the cooker and grill to collect cooking fumes and heat and a subsidiary extract over the cupboards near the ceiling. Bathrooms, showers and WC's also have forced extract ventilation. Because bathrooms and kitchens are situated in the interior of the residental blocks, mechanicalventilation is installed. There are two separete system, one for bathrooms and lavatories, with standby plant which can be manually switched over in the evnt of failure, and one for the kitchens. The kitchen ventilation system is designed to provide a steady rate of extraction throughout the day, with an increased rate governed by a time switch during periods when cooking is most likely to take place. In the garages and covered roads mechanical ventilation is provided to prevent the build-up of petrol vapour and exhaust fumes to a dangerous level; stanby alternator sets are provided which cut is aumatically to supply the exhaust fans in the event of power failure.




An example of mechanical extract ventilation which is used in the Barbican LIGHT Natural Daylighting Much work has been done in recent years to make better conditions of daylighting more easily obtainable. New forms of control of building heigts and spaces about buildings have been envolved and were incorporated in the Holden-Holford plan for the City. It has been proved that there is not


necessarily any conflict between hight density development and good daylighting , provided that a careful study is made of the various shapes and arragments which mak elow-angle light possible. This has been achieved in the BArbican layout by heigt and distance apart of the blocks arranged round the open spaces and by the introduction of the three-tower blocks which have uninterrupted views all round. A further aspect of daylighting concerns the design of the windows themselves so that quantity of light which has been achieved by site planning is translated into the right quality for a pleasent interior. Estate lighting outdoor and 'public-area' lighting includes general lighting of the podium levels, walkways and main entrance ; car park lighting; inside corridor and staircase lighting ; and 'effects' lighting . the general outdoor lighting is controlled by photo elettric cells which switch all lights on at dusk and off in the in the morning ; a time switch reduces the lighting at midnight to one fitting in approximately every 23 m of pedestrian route and one fiting over each main entrance or in other areas that would otherwise be in shadow . This reduced level is maintenined until 08.00h, when full lighting is restored , if needed, until the amount of daylighting is sufficient to activate the photo-cells. In the car park approximately one sixth of the total lighting is continuosly on; thi low -level lighting is mainteined by emergency supplies in the event of power failure. Full lighting is borought into use by time-switch controls between 08.00h and 10.00h , and again from 17.00h to midnight. Internal corridor lighting is provided by fluorescent fittings over the doorway of each flat, which are on between 08.00 h and 22.00 h, with central incandescent lights to provide low-level lighting during the night and nearly morning. Contol of staircase lighting is similar, expect that the reduced lighting will be effected by switching off the fittings on the half landings. the effects lighting for the lake, fountains and waer gardens, landscape lighting and floodlighting of parts of the buildings is controleld by solar dial timme switches which bring the lighting into play at dusk and switch off at midnight.







GROUND Maintenance, Material and Equipment The maintenace of buildings requires a large labour force when viewed nationally; of the total cost of maintenance the labour charges form a hight propotion. Because of its nature, maintenance work is not subject to overall improvement in productivity by increasing mechanisation. The effect of this is not to make it extremely difficult to assess accurately the cumulative total expenditure likely to be needed for maintenance over the years. Maintenance costs are incurred to resist the progressive deterioration of materials by weathering and staining or through wear and demage in use . The City's smokeless zone is an importantcontribution to a cleaner atmosphere which, as the Metropolitan Boroughs follow suit, will result in cleaner buildings qand much reduced maintenance.Amongst the factors which add to the cost of maintenance is access for cleaning or replacement; it is not uncommon to find a small maintenance job costing far more in scaffolding to provide access. The reduction of likely maintenace costs has been approached in three ways. Firstly, by choosing good quality self-finished materials such as natural stone, terracotta, and polished spar aggregate concrete.Secondly by the use of self-finished plastic covered window frames, fibreglass kitchenfittings, etc., so that the need for painted finishes is reduced. (Painting accounts for a hight propotion- often 40 per cent.- of typical maintenance costs in large housing schemes.) Thirdly, by the use of services and fittings which reduce pipework and mechanical plant to minimum. The use of floor heating by elettric cables of a type which are virtually indestructible eliminates pipes, radiators, equipment, boilers and mechanical plant. The Garchey refuse disposal system is very simple in operation and experience has shown that maintenance costs are low. All services are disigned to run vertically where possible in large ducts which are easily accesible. The Subsoil Information on subsoil conditions has been obtained from the Geological Survey, from well borings and from the Discrit SurveYors of the City of London and Finsbury. The City Engineer has also provided information from borings for the new Route 11. Professor A.W. Skempton, the expert on soil mechanics, has provided valuable data and advice on the nature of the ground and the design of foundations in this area. Normally, buildings up to 15 storeys hight could be supported on cast in situ piles in the London Clay. The high tower blocks are too heavy for ordinary piled foundations and will have to be supported on cylindrical caissons wiyh enlarged bases or on deep 'floating' rafts sunk into the London Clay, or on combined raft and caissons foundations. Where buildings are sited over existing sewers pilegroups will be arrenged on bothe sides of the sewer at a safe distance from it and the ately surrounding the sewer. Between the pilecaps heavy reinforced concrete beams will span and carry any load from above so that no preassure is exerted on the sewers. Should it ever necessary to be rebuilt these sewers at some future date, this may be done by tunnelling. Foundation: the ground under the site consists of made ground on a layer of ballast 3 m thick, overlaying some 18m of London clay. Most of the building are carried on under-reamed bored piles varying in diameter from 915 to 220 mm and reaching depths of up to 18m. As columns are often widely spaced, loads are up to 1,800 tonnes.


The basic above ground is of in situ reinforced concrete throughout, expect in certain areas where vertical prestregressing was required. Two grades of structural concrete have been used, with 28day cube strenghts of 34N/mm^2 and 42N/mm^2. Except in speciual circumstances all batching and mixing has been carried out on site.

Natural stone

Polished concrete

Terracotta

WATER Cold Water Supply


The approximate head of water availableon the site is 100ft., local storage of water will be needed in each block of flats calculated on the basis of 50 gallons per flat. The Tower Blocks Storage of 10,000 gallons will be sited in the basement of these blocks with a subsidiary storage tank on intermediate floor which can be served by water at mains pressure within a hundred feet of ground level. This subsidiary storage will serve the baths, basins, sink, wastewater preventors nd tank-type electric water heaters on the lower floors. All water draw-off points on upper floors can be supplied by pumo from the 10,000 gallon tanks in the basement; drinking water for the upper floors will have to be supplied from 'boosted' mains. The Long Blocks The storage required will be located on the roof with down services pipes to the usual draw -off points; the drinking water will be taken from the rising mains. Hot Water Supply In common with space heatingsystem the choice lies between a centrally provivded hot water service for which the cost is recovered from the tenant in the form of a flat rate, or local service controlled by the tenant for which he is charged directly. In general the latter system is preferable since the tenantonly pays for what he uses and is not committed to a fixed charge irrespective of use, in particular when he is away from home. The choice of a water heating system is related to that of the space heating system as the adoption of a common fuel or methos can avoid duplication and so limit expense. Since the recommended space heating system involves the connection of electic power to all flats it is technically convenient and also economical in cost to use this source of power for water heating. Because of these considerations the recommanded means of providing hot water consists of an electrical storage type containing two immersion heaters of different output; both are thermostatically controlled and can be switched independently by the tenant. This arrangement allows a full or reduced services according to the needs of the tenant and under his control. Drainage The ‘one pipe’ system is used for soil and waste water; with this system it is essential to ensure that the traps of fixtures retain their water seal under all conditions and this is effected by the provision of 75mm deep seal traps to all fixtures and a complete system of main and branch ventilation and antisyphonage pipes. Rain water form the roofs is drained by way of the Garchy refuse disposal system, which incorporates trapped overflows; rainwaterfrom the balconies and podium is taken independently through traps to drain, with provision for colection silt. Drainage from the garages is collected through a series of gullies with silt buckets and petrol interceptors. Drainage generally discharges into the sewers by gravity, but in the Arts Center, part of which extends below the level of the sewers, a proportion of the soil and waste drainage will require pumping from receivers.


Here above an example of water system used in the Barbican appartments.



ENERGY the total eletrical load for the barbican , when fully occupied, willl be of the order of 55MW, comprising some 30MWrestricted offpeak load for heating and an assumed unrestricted load, stimated in conjunction with the LEB 33kV substation below podium level north-west of residental block v, are buttons was solved by mounting in the 'touvh-button' controls on a concrete pedestal in the centre of each lobby. This pedestal also incorporetes heating cables to warm the lobby. Call buttons for the 740.75 m/s lifts serving the terrace blocks are mounted alongside the lift door. For security reasons the means of call at lower levels which can be approached without passing a porter or car park attendant is by means of the tenant's key. Standby alternators with a 50k VA rating are provided for each tower block; in the vent of power failure these provide enough power to supply lift lobby lights throughout the block and power one lift, enabling each lift to be brought to podium level and allowing ne lift to remain in continued use until normal mains supplies are restored. Heating system the priciple of eletrical under-floor-heating consists of warming the surface of the floor by embeddded cables resulting in a gentle and generalised radiation. the system recommended comibines under-floor heating supplemented by conventional eletrical fires or radiators. In this arragment the under-floor heating provides a background warmth while the eletrical fires, being under the tenant’s control, allow him to adjust the conditions to his own personalliking. Consideration has been given to th ebest method of passing the cost of the service to the tenant. In Central heating systems, it is usual for the cost to be recovered at a flat rate included within the rent. The background heatextends throughout the building, no part of which will become cold. The system is relatively cheap in installation and requires no permanent staff for its maintenance.



this is an example of how controlling the transmission of radiant energy throught windows: a reversable ventilated glazing system, which is adopted in the Barbican.

RECYCLE Refuse disposal Refuse disposal in the residential blocks is closely related to the drainage system, since the disposal, of most household waste is through the Garchy system in which solid and liquid refuse, except for larger dry non-putrescible itemes, is water-borne through large-diameter stack pipes to receiver pits and central collection stations. Refuse is discarded through a special sink, under which is a receiver in which waste water from the sink accomulates. A simple flushing operation carries food wastes, small and medium sized bottles, tins, small cartons and the like through the stack pipe to a concrete reciver at the foot of the stack. Each receiver pit has a separate over flow system for excess water, which is discharged direct to drains. Valved suction pipes draw the refuse to a central Garchey station from which it is collected by special tankers equipped with a hydraulic system enabling the water content to be discharged to the dranis, leaving the solid refuse to be disposed of in the usual way. The buildup of obnoxiousfumes in the Garchey system is prevented by a system of mechanical ventilation into which ozone is injected.




SYNTHESIS & CONCLUSION The Barbican has been been desinged by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, in the 1982. We have seen that the builng has a mechanichal extract ventilation and regarding the light, we have seen that the windows have been designed for an optimal natural lighting. The materials used for the Barbican are: natural stone, terracotta, polished spar aggregate concrete. The water infrastructure disposes of good sewers system which has been rennovated during the years. About the heating, each flats dispose of an under-floor heating, and the windows also have a reversable ventilated glazing system. The Barbican centre has adopted the Garchey waste -disposal system, it aslo have a drainage system. The recycle is practised in the arts center, and you can find recycle bins all around the building and inside it. SOURCES: Book: “BARBICAN *** CEMENT & CONCRETE ASSOC.” Book: “ Barbican Redevelopment 1959” Web site: www.barbican.org.uk


Web site: http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1352667 Web site: http://www.meteoblue.com/fr_FR/meteo/charts/airsmall/barbican_jm_225


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