Blanchard, Aaron by Architecture@LJMU

AARON BLANCHARD R C H I T E C T U PORTFOLIO E

CONTENT

MAKING THE CITY WORK The Liverpool Culture Centre

WEATHER OR NOT

The Cloud

A R C H I T E C T U R E OF I M P E R M A N E N C E

A place to reflect

URBAN DESIGN PROJECT

Green escape

A PLACE FOR CRAFTING

Honey factory

Aaron Blanchard 2020 Portfolio

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

01 MAKING THE CITY WORK

The Liverpool Culture Centre Site: Ten Streets, Liverpool, England Building Area: 5499m²

Over 10 years ago, Liverpool stood firmly on a world-renowned stage and embraced its well-earned title of European Capital of Culture. Liverpool city of culture transformed the way the world perceived the modern metropolis of art, culture and sport and propelled Liverpool into an instantly recognisable destination. Today, the Liverpool city of culture presents itself as a beacon of excellence amongst major cities competing for recognition of the same calibre – recognised as a top spot for overseas investment, tourism, and overall economic growth. With more and more events taking place in Liverpool, the project aims to create a place for visiting and residential contributors to work. The brief for this project is to make the city work. A culture centre for the city would be a fantastic new addition and create new opportunities for the city and its residents.

Concept sketches 01

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

The concept for this project was to reconnect the city to the Ten Streets area in Liverpool. To begin I felt it was important to focus on something that was important to the city. The Liverpool Liverbirds are a symbol of the city and have been for over 800 years now. Local legend holds that the birds face away from each other, for if they were to fly away, the city would cease to exist, they were designed to watch the city (our people) and the sea (our prosperity). Site model of Ten Streets

Dublin Street Elevation

Aaron Blanchard 2020 Portfolio

First floor plan

Third floor plan

Firth floor plan

The programme for the Liverpool Culture Centre consists of a theatre on the ground floor that can be also used for a lecture room. The first floor will be a gallery space that can be used for other functions, both floors are in the first block, the reasoning for this is that it is the most public part of the building, meaning the public will not have to travel up the building to see a show or exhibition. Above are the study suites, library and room for community led workshops, which can also be used for educational purposes. The third floor will be a performing arts level with space for dance, music and theatrical performances, which could be changed for rehearsal space, before entering the theatre to perform. With these functions being on the same floor it acts as a social space for the different subjects. The top levels of the building are more private as they will be working spaces for artists and office workers. This spatial hierarchy indicated that as a person moves up the structure the building becomes more private.

Context with ground floor plan

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Second floor plan

Forth floor plan

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

East to west section Showing how the building cantilevers towards the River Mersey

North elevation Showing how the building cantilevers towards the city

North to south section Illustrating the vertical circulation 07

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

BRIGE TO NOWHERE

02 WEATHER OR NOT

The Cloud Site: Riverside Promenade, Liverpool, England Building Area: 3500m²

Climate change is a large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns or average temperatures. This change in global or regional climate patterns, particularly apparent from the mid to the late 20th century onwards, is mainly attributed to the increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide produced using fossil fuels at power plants, in cars and in industry. Nowadays, talking about climate change means discussing the implications of an increase in global temperature. The increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases has long been expected to cause rising extreme weather events, due to the fact the gases trap extra energy in the atmosphere. To address climate change, extreme weather phenomena and the dramatic shifts in water levels, this project asks to imagine an observation centre of climate change; a weather station. The building or set of buildings should stimulate a diversified and reactive response to weather manifestations, but, beyond that, the possibility of architecture to generate energy, in the same way that energy is generated by the weather.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

The concept for my project is based upon the site. The site has two buildings a Water Works which is thought to be a main water pump for the near by residential estate and further, and a methane pump station, which pumps the gas out of the ground and stores it. I created a diagram which allowed me to use key words that eventually gave me the concept. Water works mainly consist of water, and methane is a type of gas. When both mixed water vapor is produced, which is how clouds are created.

The parti diagram shows how the form of the building was created, starting off with a simplistic circle shape, then creating another circle within allowed space for the existing trees on the site to fit into. Noticing that one level would not been enough room another circle was extruded creating another level. Once this was created, I decided to push the upper level out allowing both levels to sit slightly on top of each other.

A. Sycamore, Beech, Birch trees B. Water Works Station C. Path D. Methane Pump Station Our planet is created by humans for humans, there is nothing left for the living world. Architecture often comes with having to demolish most of the site, resulting in cutting down trees and removing wildlife, however, as the brief was to think about climate change and the implications of it. This project will endeavor to preserve all existing flora and take full advantage of its surroundings. At the heart of the site pink outline is a group of trees and plants, either-side of that a Methane Pump Station to the right, and a Water Works to the left. Both will be used in my design project, once filtered the gas can be reused to provide heat to the structure, and the water works will provide water and cooling to the structure.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

The Cloud Master Plan From the proposal to design an observation Centre of climate change; a weather station. 3 sites were allocated for the project, and I chose site 3. If I was to have chosen site 1 or 2 that would mean I would have to many trees to clear the space for the building. As site 3 has a small area of trees and plants it will be easier to preserve them. This was important for me as I wanted to preserve as many as I could. The space is lacking in infrastructure , possibly due to the land being a landfill site, which is still buried under the site today, current laws state the waste cannot be moved off the site. The site has good access to urban areas. A residential estate just a 10-minute walk away and Liverpool's city center less then a 40-minute walk, this can be reached by train or bus, which are both close to the site. The current site is characterized by irregular occupants a dark and problematic, meanly because of the site being scarped.

The area is very close to the River Mersey, resulting in a large part of the site being susceptible to floods in the future. Either side of the site are two other buildings, a water works and a methane pump station, both will be used in the project as an energy source. Finally, most of the area is covered in flora, which will inhabit wildlife, as deforestation and destroying nature is a large part of climate change , my aim is to conserve as much as possible. The Cloud has the intention of uniting the community and will aim to teach people about the impact society is having on the climate. This will be done through a space that provides people to educated and observe nature and the surrounding climate. The lower level has its own microclimate, a green roof which can be walked on, allows occupants to touch and smell the flora, the tress can grow through the inner circle of the building.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Upper Level

Lower Level

1. Entrance / Reception 2. Maintenance room 3. Achieve 4. Storage room 5. Lecture room 6. Public WC 7. Balcony 8. Office 9. Private corridor 10. Private WC 11. Laboratory

1. Café / Sitting area 2. Library 3. Observation Area 4. Education room(s) 5. Maintenance room 6. Public WC 7. Kitchen

Section AA

East elevation

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Upper floor axonometric

Lower floor axonometric

South elevation

Section BB

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Upper floor visual

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Lower floor visual

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Pile foundations have been used because of the poor ground conditions; this type of foundation will allow loads from the structure to be transferred to competent ground. Steel bearing piles would be driven into the ground to a suitable depth. To achieve the floating effect and to stick to the environmental strategy of not removing much existing flora. The building is completely supported by columns. The columns are placed inside and outside of the walls a mix or RHS and CHS columns have been used. The buildings envelop is polycarbonate and has a suitable u-value, However during the winter the building would be cold, to increase the structures thermal mass, the floor would be concrete.

KEY

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

35mm Polycarbonate LED strip 150mm Polished Concrete Steel Deck Secondary Beam 400 I beam Wool Insulation 5mm Galvanized sheet CHS Column 400 x 300 Concrete Pad Ground soil Double Glazing Aluminum Frame

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

0 3 A R C H I T E C T U R E OF I M P E R M A N E N C E

A Place to Reflect Site: 161 Duke St, Liverpool, L1 4JS, England Building Area: 192m²

Through the struggles of todays modern society - keeping up with typical stereotypes can be hard. People forget to think about themselves and tend to look more and think about others. The purpose of this pavilion is to create a place where people can reflect, stop and think, for themselves. The pavilion creates a journey - a mix of obstacles and peacefulness, while testing with phenomenology, the use of different materials, light, textures and sounds awaken the concept of thinking. The architecture of impermanence is a project that will question and explore the challenges that are facing the city as it continues to grapple with and adapt to the conditions of the 21st century. The project asks to create a series of temporary structures. A combination of urban think tank, a public forum of events, and community center, which address the challenges facing the urban realm. For my concept I wanted to create a place where people can think for themselves and have removed them from their average day and technology. The pavilion will act as a retreat where people can have fun, relax and reflect. The 4 series of pavilions each have their own meaning and function. This pavilion acts as a setting for many different scenarios and atmospheres, it also has links to other places in Liverpool where one can be relaxed and ‘think.’ Site Residential Commercial Retail Educational Site Infrastructure Residential Carpark Commercial Nature Retail Spiritual Educational Infrastructure Carpark Nature Spiritual

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

1 2 3 4

Albert Docs Liverpool Cathedral St Lukes Metropolitan Cathedral

The design stems from these four areas of solitude; Metropolitan Cathedral, Bombed out Church, Anglican Cathedral and Albert Docs. All these places allow people to think and reflect. The four areas cross through the site, creating four abstract pavilions.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Ground level plan

Roof plan

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Axonometric view

Isometric view

Street Elevation

Cross-path Elevation

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Courtyard Area Section 1. 200x200mm Siberian larch beams 2. Nail plate fixing the larch beams

Water Room Detail Section 1. 200x200 reinforced concrete with steal plate 2. 150x150mm timber beam 3. 22m larch decking, 60x150mm joist, breathing membrane 4. 22m larch boarding, screwed to 19x38mm battens, breathing membrane, 60x150 timber stud frame, vapor barrier and 22mm black ply 5. 60x150mm supporting beam 6. Non-structural timber noggin 7. 22mm treated black ply, 60x150mm timber rafters 22mm black treated ply boarding 8. rocks, window screening, 22m larch decking, water 9. Water tank 10. Water pump with hose running through tank along the side to the sloped roof , creating a continues water flow

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Reflection Room Detail Section 1. 200x200 reinforced concrete with steal plate 2.150x150mm timber beam 3. 22m larch decking, vapor barrier, 60x150 joist with 150mm insulation, breathing membrane 4. 22m larch boarding, screwed to 19x38mm battens, breathing membrane, 150mm thermal insulation with 60x150 timber stud frame, vapor barrier and 22mm black ply boarding 5. 3-meter-high mirrors 6..22mm treated black ply, 180 thermal insulation with 60x150mm timber rafters

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

04 URBAN DESIGN PROJECT

Urban Development Project Site: Fabric District, Liverpool, L3 8HL, England

In this project the aim is to rejuvenate and improve the fabric district by implementing a series of natural amenities, such as parks, gardens and green walls, which the space lacks. These instances of green spaces will be linked to the wider context of the area, benefiting the surrounding buildings and people, aiming to act as a getaway from the business of the city and provide a space where people’s mental and physical health can improve. In addition to this, I planned to reuse many of the existing buildings in order to create social gathering spaces which can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Master Plan 1. Indian stone paving 2. Concrete sitting area 3. Canopy / Events area 4. Pocket park 5. Artificial green wall 6. Courtyard under canopy 7. Deciduous trees 8. Evergreen tress 9. Extensive green roof 10. Intensive green roof 11. Moss garden 12. Permeable paving

Section AA

Section BB

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

05 A PLACE FOR CRAFT

Honey Factory Site: Grove St, Edge Hill, Liverpool, L7 7AF, England Building Area: 384m²

The aim of this project was to introduce the nature of architectural assembly relative to the vital lines of significance within your proposal and a renewed development of the site in view of your fresh research into current thinking in construction and sustainability. Balancing the considerations of the place, the requirements of your craft and dwelling space with options of materials and structure is a dramatic journey to achieve harmony, expressive content and meaning. I chose to study the craft of agriculture, due to the low levels of beekeeping in nowadays - thirty percent of all bee colonies have disappeared over 30 years. I wanted to make people aware of the effects this is having and will have on are future. The honey factory will explore architecture in an interactive sense, being an educational and

Concept collage

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Passersby will be able to get a glimpse at the beehives in the courtyard through the small windows on the street façade.

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Second Floor Plan Key: 1. Living/kitchen area 2. Bedroom 4. Bathroom 5. Rooftop Garden

1 2

North Section AA

C 8

First Floor Key: 1. Social area/Cafe 2. Office 3. Packaging room 4. Balcony 5. Toilets 6. Elevator

D 3

7 1 6 2 5 A

Ground Floor Key: 1. Private stir-way 2. Crafting room 3. Toilet 4. Storage 5. Public Entrance & Viewing area 6. Craft Shop 7. Courtyard & apiary 8. Elevator

South Section BB

A C

East Section CC

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

Left Section DD

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

North Elevation

South Elevation

East Elevation

Aaron Blanchard 2021 Portfolio

West Elevation

Aaron Blanchard BA(Hons) Architecture

Liverpool School of Art and Design Contact Email: aaronblanchard@hotmail.co.uk Mobile (UK): 07842832558