Taking a Wall for a Walk by Ban Edilbi

TAKING A WALL FOR A WALK Ban Edilbi Design Studio 4.2 - 2016

walk

- Paul Klee

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“ Drawing is like taking a line for a

This project is my final year submission for Bath Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BSc programme in Architecture. It demonstrates the results of five months work. Although in principle the work of an individual, in reality the scheme has been developed in collaboration with the following, to all of whom I extend my thanks:

Mark Watkins

Studio Tutor

Martin Gledhill

Head of Year

Tim Osborn

Landscape Consultant

John Griffiths

Tectonic Consultant

Tapani Henrik Saarinen

Structural Consultant

Diana Ng

Environmental Consultant

I would also like to extend my thanks to my parents for the encouragement and support which has helped me in completion of this submission.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“ And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again.

- Robert Frost, “Mending Wall”

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We keep the wall between us as we go.

This report is a story of the whole scheme. For a story to be compelling, it needs to have several elements that work together and develop a carefully thought plot, compelling the readers to continue reading the book. Chapter 1 Genre, Setting and Character 6

The genre of the story, the setting, how it develops and impacts the characters

Chapter 2 Themes 54

Themes running across the plot, how they are reflected and developed throughout

Chapter 3 Plot 78 The story of the scheme Chapter 4 Conflict and Resolution 128 The tectonics behind the building and how it resolved Chapter 5 Dialogue 162 A personal and critical reflection of the project

TABLE OF CONTENTS

“Blessed are the weird people: poets, misfits, writers, mystics, painters, troubadours for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.” - Jacob Nordby, Pearls of Wisdom

01. GENRE, SETTING AND CHARACTER

has always been the source of human existence, where mankind was never just a dweller, but a transformer. In modern times, “ Nature mankind is always in search of control, pleasure, and other materialistic goals. To obtain these goals, man had to exploit nature for food,

medicine, clothing and shelter to survive. The world is urbanizing gradually; approximately 54% of the world population are living in cities, and 66% are estimated to be living in cities in 2050. Without actually realising it, we are living a in a universe shaped by mankind. As a result, personal connection with nature is ought to terminate. Our parks and gardens are but a mere attempt to establish the ideal vision of a perfect landscape, emphasizing man’s longing to rural areas, and the missing relationship with greenery. This conflict between man and nature has been a topic of interest personally, where I am fascinated by the concept of urban planning and use of public space. Green spaces have always been used as an escape from the busy city life, allowing people to interact and socialize. In terms of language, nature is considered to be the root and the branch our culture stems from. Language has evolved from the wild; we use metaphors from nature to try to explain and deliver our feelings. It has become a way for us to explore our thoughts with reference to nature. We “sing like birds, blossom like flowers, stand like oaks”. Language here becomes a powerful tool to re-engage with nature, a response to our observations.

“

- Extract from history and theory essay

INTRODUCTION

“ Despite our science and our humanism, our whole culture is infused with myths and symbols of landscape and nature, emblems of the seasons, of decay and rebirth, of the boundaries between the wild and the tame, myths of migration and transmigration, of invisible monsters and lands of lost content.

- William Blake, “Letter to Rev Dr. Trusler”

- Richard Mabey, “Nature Cure”

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“ Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

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“ The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.

- John Muir, “The Mountains of California”

perspective on nature is inevitably influenced by our different backgrounds and by our education. Individuals within “ Our the same societies also have different perspectives on nature. Utilitarians generally believe that all resources, are available

in abundance. They are exploiters; they consider nature as a resource explicitly created for humans that can be utilized for economic material goals. Arcadians believe we lack ecological knowledge and understanding that is often interfered with our interest in nature as a human resource. Writers and artists, however, are romantics. Romantics often exhibit an emotional response to nature, rather than scientific or economic. Nature triggers emotions and gives them a sense of delight and joy. Many artists have portrayed their response to nature through painting. JMW Turner has expressed his delight by the scenery through several paintings. His painting with Tintern Abbey as a subject has showed his interest in the ruins that reflect a juxtaposition between man and nature, where wilderness is obviously in power over man. The painting has become a popular muse for many romantics who paid more visits to Tintern Abbey.

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- Extract from history and theory essay

JMW Turner’s painting of Tintern Abbey

NATURE AND THE INDIVIDUAL

6 11

5 9 8 7 10

3 8

2 4

Art:

Writing

1) Whitehouse Studio Painting Holidays: 3 and 5 day residential courses that mix locations and studio based sessions. Talks and discussions with occasional musical evening. Art materials are supplied

8) Arvon Foundation: Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenwriting and radio drama. Offers five day residential retreats. Morning workshop sessions with tutors to provide the chance to learn and practice, while the afternoon offers free time for writing, reading or walks in the countryside. New centre is being developed at the Hurst.

2) Brambles Art Retreat:17th century cottage near Dartmoor National Park. Holidays for beginners, improvers and experienced artists. Watercolour, oil, acrylic, drawing, life drawing or mixed media and tailor breaks. Small groups for one-to-one tuition. Offers a 5 day course or a weekender. Also runs in Greece, Morocco, Italy, France and India. “Our ambition was to set up a retreat for those who love to paint” 3) Norfolk Painting School: Working studio and gallery that specializes in oil painting and traditional skills. Established by Martin and Jane Kinnear in North Creake, 3 miles away from Burnham Market. 2,3 and 5 day courses. Materials are supplied and groups are only 10 people. 4) St Ives School of Painting: Cornwall has long bewitched UK’s leading artists: atmospheric light and beautiful surroundings. Grade II listed property and offer courses for new and experienced artists in oil, mixed media, water, drawing and printmaking. 5) Dermot Cavanagh: Led by Dermot Cavanagh, includes one day courses and excursions to France and Croatia. Colour mixing, perspective and washes for artists of all levels. 6) The Original Creative Retreat: Led by Bryan and Carla Angus, offers retreats and residencies. Own room for 6 days. Offers studios for activities (7 x 6.5m) that could be rented by artists. 7) Creative Arts Retreat: Informally tutored sessions in the retreat, followed by excursions to local beaches and woodland. “Aim to strengthen and develop our ability to observe, interpret and express ourselves whatever the perceived ability in art.”

9) Creative Thursday: Specifically for crime writing, this one day course at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate hones writers’ skills. Also hosts three-day crime writing festival. 10) Ty Newydd Writing Centre: Offers a mix of taught residential courses as well as retreats without tutors, where the focus is solely on writing. Courses to suit all levels and group sizes, but not larger than 16. Focus on poetry, with courses on novel writing, women’s popular fiction and nature/wildlife/health writing. 11) Moniack Mhor: Storytelling tradition in Scotland, driven by Community Garden Project. Contains a giant alpine rockery, stone patio, herb garden and dry stone storytelling circle for the sharing of words under a moonlit sky. Week long or three night stays with high-profile writers and guest speakers. Offers fiction, non-fiction, poetry, playwriting and travel writing courses. 12) Urban Writer’s Retreat: 3 and 6 day retreats to a country house in the wilds of Devon. Own rooms to work in peace and quiet without any seminars and tutorials. Also one-day London retreats available for 10-20 people.

THE GENRE

This artist centre in Norway acts as a host for resident artists. It allows you to isolate yourself from the normal cacophony of everyday life and focus simply on work. The programme aims to encourage international contacts for artists and focuses on visual culture including design and architecture. The centre consists of 8 buildings, which include accommodation spaces, workshop and studio spaces, an exhibition space and accommodation for guest visitors. The arrangement of the buildings follow the topography of the site, while separating workshop spaces from accommodation. The spaces immediately surrounding the artists as they work are the simplest, the most abstracted, with the least number of choices already made - leaving the artists free to get on with their own work. All spaces provide a plywood finish to them, relating them back to the surrounding.

NORDIC ARTISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CENTRE, NORWAY

Largest provider of studio space in Bath, offering artists an environment to work, teach and develop their creative practice. An artist can rent out a space on a monthly basis, ranging from 5m2 to 37m2, and can also provide classes and workshops for the public. It has 54 studios with 62 artists, including specialization in ceramics, drawing, illustration, installation, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and textile. Studio spaces are open to the public; current users include artists and university students. All studios are currently booked, and the charity receives about 5 to 10 inquiries for studios monthly.The studios also offer a classroom for the public and an exhibition space. The gallery and a project space is a flexible 8x10m2 space. It is lit from the north and from the top using rooflights. The space can be rented out by artists to display their exhibition, both from the community and from the outside.

BATH ARTIST STUDIOS

WHITEHOUSE STUDIOS

URBAN WRITERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RETREAT

The Wye Valley is considered a notable area in the United Kingdom due to its geographical location; it acts as a border between England and Wales. The valley has several layers of history embedded into it, including archaelogical and industrial importance. It was the region’s hub for transport, trade and communication. Nearby woodlands used mature trees for shipbuilding in Chepstow and for ironworks in Tintern. This however, all declined gradually around the 19th century due to poor management of the woodlands, leading to a lower demand on products. Archaelogically, Symonds Yat and Little Doward add important value to the area to the artifacts from the Bronze age and Iron age. It also has native woodlands and important wildlife, where parts of the valley are considered an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is celebrated through the various walks available throughout the Valley, including Offa’s Dyke; it runs for 177 miles along the river from Chepstow towards Prestatyn and dates back to 8th century. “If you have never navigated the Wye, you have seen nothing.” William Gilpin, 1782

THE SETTING

Interview with John Haymer What are the demographics of Tintern like? Are residents from older or younger generations? If you asked me this question 10-15 years ago, I would have told you that it was mostly older people, around 50 years and older. More recently, families are starting to move into the area. Do the residents work in Tintern or do they commute to nearby towns? Currently, there are no jobs in the city. There is a forestry which attracted many people, but it is unfortunately dying. Most of the residents commute to Monmouth, Chepstow and Newport. Some even commute to Bristol. Is the sense of community in Tintern strong? Are there any community events? There is a strong sense of community in the town; we have many events and activities that intend to bring people together based on their interests. There is a monthly film club, yoga club, dance and even taekwando. There is even a garden club, and we also have a football and cricket club. We even have a monthly newspaper online; the Tintern News. The area is being revived greatly by all these events.

Tintern, 7 miles north of Chepstow and to the west bank of the River Wye Valley is set in a most picturesque landscape of national importance. The plan above shows Tintern Conservation Area and the development of buildings around the precinct.

TINTERN

1150

1131 Walter of Clare (Anglo-Norman lord of Chepstow) founds Tintern Abbey

1245

The first stone church and abbey buildings at Tintern Abbey are complete

William Marshal dies and the Patronage passes to the Bigod family

1250 Tintern community completes the extensive remodelling of the Abbeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main cloister buildings

Work begins on the new Gothic church at Tintern, during the time of Abbot John

The Act of Supremacy establishes King Henry VIII as supreme head of the Church in his realm

1301 The new abbey church at Tintern is consecrated, probably in the presence of Roger Bigod

Almost all major building works at Tintern are complete, including a new abbotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence

1395

1350

1330 An elaborate pulpitum had been installed within the abbey church at Tintern, and a porch added outside the west door

Fifteen monks (including the abbot) are recorded at Tintern

Cistercian monastic life at Tintern ends on 3 September, when the abbey is surrendered to the kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visitors during the first round of suppressions

1566

1534

1536

1269

Iron wire production begins at Tintern, and is to continue for two centuries.

1984 Responsibility for the care of Tintern is transferred to Cadw.

1792

1782 Publication of William Gilpin’s “Observation on the River Wye”, establishing Tintern as a key tourist destination.

J.M.W. Turner’s first visit to Tintern. He revisited the abbey again in later years.

A more pleasing retreat could not easily be found. The woods, and glades intermixed; the winding of the river; the variety of the ground; the splendid ruin, contrasted with the objects of nature; and the elegant line formed by the summits of the hills, which include the whole; make all together a very inchanting piece of scenery. Every thing around breathes an air so calm, and tranquil; so sequestered from the commerce of life, that it is easy to conceive, a man of warm imagination, in monkish times, might have been allured by such a scene to become an inhabitant of it. - William Gilpin

1914 The Office of Works programme of conservation at Tintern is set in hand.

1901 The Crown purchases Tintern Abbey on behalf of the nation, and conservation begins.

1798 William Wordsworth produces his “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”

“These beauteous forms, Through a long absence, have not been to me As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye: But oft, in lonely rooms, and ‘mid the din Of towns and cities, I have owed to them, In hours of weariness, sensations sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; And passing even into my purer mind” - William Wordsworth

HISTORY: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Ross-on-Wye

Goodrich Castle

In the late 18th, early 19th century, the Wye Valley was a miniature scenic extravaganza for the middle class that couldn’t afford to travel. It was considered to be fashionable to take a boat tour down the river Wye to view the romantic sites and what was considered to be a “picturesque” landscape - “an artistic concept characterized by a preoccupation with pictorial values of architecture and landscape in combination with each other”. The river Wye was the birthplace of British Tourism, as it was equivalent to the European Grand Tour. The tour normally started at Ross-on-Wye and ended at Chepstow Castle.

Yat Rock Monmouth The Kymin

“Observations on the River Wye” by William Gilpin was considered to be the first guide book to the area, where it helped travellers locate the most “picturesque” locations along the river. Travellers came flocking to the area with a Claude glass, maps, sketchbooks, drawing pads and pencils, along with a copy of Gilpin’s guide book. “Instead of judging a picture by its truth to nature, the traveller was to judge nature by whether or not it was true to Gilpin’s idea of what made a good landscape painting” * - Definition from Encyclopedia Brittanica

Whitestone

* From “The Wye Tour and its Artists”

Tintern Abbey

Devil’s Pulpit

Eagle’s Nest Piercefield

Chepstow Castle

THE PICTURESQUE

All images and paintings from National Library of Wales

The arrival of the railway in 1876 made the valley more accessible to the Picturesque Wye Tour. In 1900s, train companies began highly advertising the tour using posterized images of the sites to invite more people to visit the river Wye. It was noted that crowds of up to 1300 would travel on the train daily. Tintern was the most eagerly awaited stop. The Abbey’s remoteness had protected it somewhat from the usual depredations of stone robber. Gilpin’s description of the Abbey is distinguished from his other writings by the complex integration of landscape, self-reflection and sheer philosophical ambition, while Wordsworth’s description implies a sense of unity in the picturesque. He employes several connectives as a means to enfuse the mind and nature in a living whole. Many tourists carried the “Claude glasses”, convex dark mirros which minimized and framed the view for amateur artist, giving depth and contrast which would have been flattened out in bright sunlight. The tourists wanted to deal with the present and the future, discarding the past. All publications discounted the presence of the monks in the past and the residents of Tintern. In one of Gilpin’s chapters, he writes of a beggar in the Abbey, which symbolizes the remains of the picturesque, or what the picturesque doesn’t show you.

PICTURESQUE ABBEY

All images and paintings from National Library of Wales

The concept of the picturesque came out initially as a need to label the area between the beautiful on the sublime; to please the senses in some way (beautiful) and to evoke and overwhelm loftiness or vastness (sublime). Ruins were fascinating for the picturesque tourists because it raised so many questions about the relationship between man and nature. According to Aikin, “the regular lines of art but ill harmonize with the free strokes of nature”. Ruins represent the surrender of art to nature, and perfectly epitomize nature taking over from man. This makes man ponder about life and its shortness, melancholy, and mortality. Tintern Abbey was a specific attraction because of the ivy that crept along the arches. Wordsworth “felt a presence that disturbs” him with the “joy of elevated thoughts’ a sense sublime of something far more deeply interfused”. “ The passion caused by the great and sublime in nature, when those causes operate most powerfully, is astonishment; and astonishment is that state of the soul, in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror. 1 In this case the mind is so entirely filled with its object, that it cannot entertain any other, nor by consequence reason on that object which employs it. Hence arises the great power of the sublime, that, far from being produced by them, it anticipates our reasonings, and hurries us on by an irresistible force. Astonishment, as I have said, is the effect of the sublime in its highest degree; the inferior effects are admiration, reverence, and respect.” - Edmund Burke, “A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful”

THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE SUBLIME

Interview with David Williams, currently working at Tintern Abbey Visitor Centre I have noticed in this visit that there are more people during the month of February than in January and December. Which months have the most number of visitors? I would say July and August. Visitors start to increase after Easter holidays, which then increases gradually until July and August. Around September and October, numbers start to decrease. Are the visitors just from the United Kingdom or do you get people from other countries? We have been getting a lot of groups from the United Kingdom and elsewhere. We have had visitors from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Israelis and even Chinese. 2 years ago we had visitors from South America to visit.

Do these visitors tell you why they come to visit the Abbey? Many people stay that they studied Wordsworth in school, or seen Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings in museums and publications, so they come to see what inspired Turner and Wordsworth. Many people visit it as part of a European or British tour. Some even see it while being on the road to another destination; they then stop to visit it. Are there any events that happen in the Abbey? A lot of events occur in the Abbey during the year. We have a stargazing event next month, carol services in December, and other social events that take place in the Abbey. You can check Cadw website to learn more about these events. I know that the Abbey was hugely celebrated during the 1800s as part of the river Wye tour. Are efforts being made to celebrate the Abbey now? 2 years ago, we had a festival called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wye Valley River Festivalâ&#x20AC;?. This event was a huge success that celebrate nature, cultural landscape and life along the river. This year, they decided to repeat the same event, which is happening in April and May.

THE ABBEY NOW

Mid 12th Century: Oratory (small chapel), Refectory (communal meals), a dormitory, a guest chamber and a porterâ&#x20AC;şs lodge or gatehouse. Buildings were made from timber (temporary) then cloisters were built in stone (permanence). Dormitories were placed on first floor for privacy. Late 12th to Mid 13th Century: Buildings extended northwards by 12m, increasing the size of dormitories. Warming house added: large fire burned here during the day from 1 Nov. till Good Friday. used for: warming monks and ink for scribes. The room above is normally a muniment room. Late 13th Century: Chapter house was added: meeting room were large meetings are held. Monks used it for readings and talks.Infirmary was added: hospital, or care of those who are ill. It was located in an isolated place from noise of inner and outer courts. Porch was created

Late 13th to Early 14th Century: New work started in 1269, where a new church was constructed slightly to the south of the older church; it grew as a shell around its smaller and humbler predecessor. Windows were given detail and became one of the most prominent features of the Abbey. 14th to Early 16th Century: A new porch was lost at the west front. The new church was completed, marking the end of the development of the complex. Minor alterations to abbey buildings, with works on the abbotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence. Private rooms for senior monks became commonplace, and apartments are likely to have been provided.

ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT

The site chosen for the scheme sits next to the remains of Tintern Abbey. This is due to several reasons: 1. Proximity to the ruins by using the boundary wall as a site boundary 2. Access to the site through existing carpark. This means the site is a short walk from the carpark, emphasizing the threshold. 3. Views across towards the river The site is sloping towards the river, where the total height difference is around 3.5m.

THE SITE

The site can be seen from A466

Current path adjacent to visitor centre leading to site

Path leading to site

Approach

APPROACH

Site as seen from the path

Nearby stream marking the end of the site

View from Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pulpit

Overall Views of the site

APPROACH

Why Tintern? The Cistercians placed an uncompromising insistence upon poverty, rejecting all sources of luxury and wealth. To ensure the seclusion essential for true contemplation, abbeys were to be sited in isolation away from towns and vaillages, far from the concourse of men. The heavy wooded slopes bordering the river Wye would certainly have met the criteria for the foundation of a Cistercian abbey. The Wye Valley was totally without a native population in the early twelfth century, which allowed the landhungry monks to extend and improve their estates. The site was used as an orchard for the monks, enabling them to reconnect with nature by planting trees. The precinct comprised a series of walled enclosures and courts, with a precinct wall that stood up to 3 meters high. This distinct feature acts as an important border in the site I have chosen, as it provides a clear distinction between the old and new. All recent buildings near the Abbey were built against this wall, with no attempt to break it. The secondary borders for the site are the stream of water running towards the river, which acts as the end of the site, and the low shrubs north of the existing residential properties, which also creates a limitation from the southern side.

The wall

The shrubs

The stream

BOUNDARIES

The Abbey - Massing

Circulation - the cloisters and the circulation around

Grids - less orthogonal as they get closer to the river

Site Access

Site Boundary

Guiding Geometry

ANALYSIS

The building acts as a retreat; a place for artists and writers to escape from the chaotic city life into a serene and intimate surround where they can work closely with other artists and writers to form a small community and interact with neighboring surroundings. It aspires to reconnect man to the landscape and allows man to develop his skills. The community of artists and writers formed will also be integrated into the town of Tintern and its tourists by the public aspects of the scheme which aim to support the community and provide revenue for the artists. The combination of artists and writers was selected due to the different yet complimentary methods of expression. Both artists and writers might sometimes find inspiration through other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work; an artist might find inspiration from a poem written about the landscape, and a writer can be inspired by a painting or image that depicts the landscape. They will also be able to provide support of each other. An artist will find it necessary at certain points to be able to express his own work through writing, and a writer might sometimes need to express his works through visuals to help deliver them to the reader. This collaboration between them will allow both parties to develop their own skills and strengthen what they find lacking. The scheme aims to serve Wales by providing a new platform to share and explore their thoughts and develop their skills. It will acknowledge Walesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; historical importance and aims on placing Wales as a tourist historical destination. It will particularly revive the town of Tintern and reconnect with the forgotten history that once made Tintern a place for the sophisticated to visit.

In order to strengthen the connection with history and the picturesque movement, the studios are equipped to support painting and drawing. However, as media is developing, other mediums are accepted such as photography, performance, and graphics. An artist or writer is able to rent out a bedroom along with a studio to produce work, and can stay for a duration of up to 6 months. He/she would use that studio to develop his own work, which would be inspired by the Abbey and the surrounding landscape. Studios can be either booked individually or to be shared with other residents. As part of giving back to the scheme, an artist can offer workshops and classes for the rest of the community and members of the public as a means to strengthen the connections in the community and allow artists to learn from each other. A writer would be able to do the same; he/she would provide other writers from the community with workshops and classes, as well as present his work through public readings. To be able to provide the artists and writers with support, a library is needed for research of the site and the history of the area. Their work will also be exhibited in an exhibition to allow the public and visitors of the Abbey to be able to see the landscape through other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art. Some of the works developed in the building can also be displayed in the shop in order to support the artists and provide income.

THE CHARACTER

North facing, no direct sunlight.

View of Abbey and River

Storage

Toilets

Kitchen

In contact with residents

Communal Kitchen North facing, no direct sunlight.

Exhibition

Shop

Guest Accommodation

Cafe

Toilets

Reading Quiet, diffused lights

Lobby

Common Room

Director’s Office

Director’s House

Library

Reading North facing, open to courtyard, views to Abbey and river essential. Heart of the scheme

Workshop Storage Workshop

Artist Residence

Storage

Meeting Room

Quiet, combination of both studios and residence. Views landscape with east - west orientation

Communal Kitchen

Quiet, close to communal space, view of landscape, east-west orientation

Writer’s Studios + Residence

Views abbey, open to courtyard, north lights or east-west orientation, no direct sunlight, requires good ventilation - to allow paint to dry and odours to diminish

Artist Studios

Aspect

Public

Space Entry & Reception Shop Café Exhibition Public Reading Room

Library Reading Room Communal Workshop Common Area

Individual

Services

Circulation Total Area

Area

For lectures, readings and seminars

Adjacent to Library Breakout spaces distributed between residences. Includes communal kitchens

Artist Studios Artist Residences Director's Residence Writer's Studios Writer's Residences Guest Accommodation

Kitchen Office Toilets Storage Plant Room

Includes Dry Store, Cold Store, Toilet and Bin Storage Includes Meeting Area Adjacent to Café and Exhibition Spaces Adjacent to Shop and Workshops

15% of total area

Repetition Total Area 50 50 150 250 60

1 1 1 1 1

50 50 150 250 60

65 30 300 50

1 1 1 5

65 30 300 250

30 25 30 10 25 30

7 9 1 5 5 2

210 225 30 50 125 60

70 30 30 15 70

1 1 2 3 2

70 30 60 45 140 337.5 2587.5

PROGRAMME

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CADW IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A CALL FOR THREE ARTISTS FOR ITS FOURTH 2015 RESIDENCY PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE AT THE EXCEPTIONAL SITE OF TINTERN ABBEY, GWENT.

Cadw has teamed up with the Arts Council of Wales to create a series of artists’ residencies across Wales over three years. This strategic partnership aims are to: - Enable artists to immerse themselves in sites and create new work that responds to the context of a monument, historically and within the community - Develop and deliver, in partnership, an innovative programme of art in the public realm projects which place quality at the core of the delivery and outcomes. - Promote excellence and innovation within art in the public realm through sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst arts and non-arts professionals. - Ensure public engagement is central to the development of art in the public realm and provides the catalyst for public creative imagining of collective spaces. - Create links between the ways people typically interact with Cadw’s historic monuments and contemporary art practice.

Helen Clifford leading a drawing workshop in the abbey

Roger Lougher’s work

“

- Provide a model, which promotes sustainability, both in the delivery and development of the public art sector.

CLIENT

DIRECTOR PROFILE

Since the scheme mimics the idealogy of the current artist residency program, both Cadw and the Arts Council of Wales could be potential clients, where they would require a building to implement their program. The scheme then allows the program to become a more permanent one that runs all year long, and could also become a prototype that could be later on adapted on to the rest of the historic monuments around Monmouthshire.

Roger Lougher is a landscape artist and works in community art. He is fascinated by language and how that frames the landscape that we see in the theories like the sublime and the picturesque. He is interested in the language we use day to day, and the relationship between the English and Welsh language. He has said “I’m interested in working with artists and organisations to develop community networks and promote social engagement and interaction.” Roger Lougher’s work is made in response to: landscape; how this is mediated, how we negotiate our relationship between the urban environment and the countryside, between nationality and provinciality, the centre and the periphery; language; the invention of nationhood, the idea of Wales, of a country layered by the sediment of language, of boundaries and the crossing of borders. He also stated in a video that “Tintern is one of the most important places for William Gilpin, and devies in the Picturesque. It’s almost the epicentre of the Picturesque. When he visited here in the 1770s, he met some people who were living in the ruins of the monastery, and they’re the inspiration for the work that I’ve done... The sculptures I’ve made, are hoping, would conjure up traces of the habitation that was ongoing after the dissolution of the monastery, traces which have been erased from the archaelogy we are currently presented.”

from: http://cadw.gov.wales/learning/projects/artistinresidence/?lang=en and Tintern Abbey’s official Twitter Account

CLIENT & DIRECTOR

“Blessed are the weird people: poets, misfits, writers, mystics, painters, troubadours for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.” - Jacob Nordby, Pearls of Wisdom

02.THEMES

Individual - Communal - Public The scheme allows individuals to connect with different individuals to form a community. The community members meet and share ideas, delivering them to the public. The public interacts with these individuals, allowing more individuals to join the community and support it.

Man and Nature The scheme seeks to approach the man vs. nature conflict by introducing art. The individual interacts with nature, which becomes the main source of inspiration. This attempts to reinforce the lost connection between man and nature.

Old and New With a close proximity to Tintern Abbey, the scheme seeks to reinforce the disappearing connection to the picturesque movement that was initiated in the area. It focuses on the idea that one should not dwell on the past, but should extract certain aspects and strengthen the connection.

Individual - Communal - Public Conceptual model illustrating the connections offered by the scheme between an individual, community and the public

Man and Nature Image of the Claude Glass which was used in the Picturesque. The glass, just like art, becomes a filter between man and nature

Old and New Collage to illustrate the different communities occupying Tintern; from a group of monks to a community of artists.

CONCEPT

Extending the existing Wall Due to the strong site geometry, a new wall was added which is controlled by the existing farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shrubs and the nearby stream. The opens up the building towards the river and allows the creation of a courtyard scheme

Circulation mimicking the wall It was apparent that the circulation should be a strong element that links the different spaces and allows interaction between them.

A roof that unites the different elements Due to the different spaces in the scheme and their different size requirements, a continuous roof element was essential to give the different elements a sense of unity.

DESIGN MOVES

The scheme was treated initially as a journey through the site along a wall. To aid in design decisions, several key areas were defined to create a clear image of the spatial requirements. One important element that determind the geometry of the courtyard walls was views. The buildings break to offer visitors a view back to the Abbey in order to navigate themselves. Views to Offa Dykeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path were also an essential element that determined the end of the building. The end of the chapel was also an important guiding factor, where the southern couryard walls followed the same line.

The strong geometry of the building was determined by the existing Abbey wall and the stream leading towards the river. The wall was then formed in order to give the scheme a sense of enclosure and protection. This allows the scheme to adopt a courtyard typology in order to open up towards the river and the landscape opposite.

The creation of the wall allowed the spaces to be formed against it, where the circulation would run on the opposite site. This aided navigation in the scheme and created a sense of rhythm in organising the spaces. It also allowed the circulation to be linear and create a journey throughout the building.

All nearby buildings have respected the existing wall and built against it. As the building sits on the wall, it was apparent that the building should at some points break the walls, or metaphorically break the existing norms. This allows the spaces to be intertwined with the Abbey on a different level than the rest of building while also playing around with the circulation through the scheme.

The existing wall ranges between 1.2 to 2.5m in height throughout the building, while the spaces sitting on the wall require a higher ceiling. This brought up the issue of how the building meets the wall and whether it should sit right against it or pushing the building away from the wall.

THE WALL

A farmhouse that uses the existing stone walls and the interior cellars and mimics it with a modern touch. The use of off-white concrete gives a clear bold distinction between what is old and what is new, what is found and what is made, making a powerful statement. Scale is also apparent in this distinction, where windows are smaller and traditional in the stone, and single larger windows occupy the newer addition.

The shadow gap between the old and the new is a distinct detail in this scheme that provides clarity in architecture, where the new feels as a separate entity from the old.

SAMI Arquitectos has slotted modern concrete house behind the crumbling stone walls of a ruined building. The aim of the house was to respect the ruin and add value by inserting the house inside the ruin. The same contrast is apparent here through the use of materials, where a different material was used as a distinction between the found and the made

THE WALL: PRECEDENTS

The wall wrapping around the site allows an ease of navigation throughout the scheme, where it became apparent that the circulation should follow that. This also generated different situations where the circulation sits outside the building or is in the middle of the building, depending on the different spaces. The circulation was also developed to allow the different level changes in the scheme to be incorporated. The scheme uses ramps for level changes, and each building component is formed of 2 levels serving the users of the building. It also incorporated the landscaping, taking into consideration the end of the route through the building and into the landscape.

Circulation serving the studios and the bedrooms helps in the separation between the private and semi private spaces.

Taking the different views of nature into account

The same was applied in section

Circulation allows the interaction between the different spaces and generates gathering points for people to socialize.

The spacesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationships towards each other

Relationships in section

THE CIRCULATION

Alcacer do Sal Residences by Aires Mateus is designed as a path that meanders over the site and rises from the current topography of the site. The geometry of the path provides the central space with enclosure, which could act as a courtyard for the whole scheme. It intends to reinterpret the combination between the social and the private, answering both aspectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. As you walk along the circulation route, the path is interrupted by the bedrooms, which are located on the inside of the building.. Each bedroom has its own terrace that is also connected to the circulation, allowing light to enter the space.

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is composed of a serious of buildings that were built over different periods of time by Jorden Bo and Wilhlem Wohlert in the mid-50s. The whole experience comes across as a route through the landscape, where the interplay between the buildings, the park and landscape is apparent. A visitor can feel that the building belongs in the landscape, and the landscape belongs in the building. The internal corridors are all glazed, diminishing the border between inside and outside, manmade and natural.

THE CIRCULATION: PRECEDENTS

The development of the roof was generated by the desire to generate the different elements of the scheme. This meant that the roof should allow for the height changes without having a series of flat roofs. Each building element was then split according to the structural and spatial requirements of the interior. Each roof piece was then explored in terms of pitch and direction to create a series of different roof formations.

The roof was related back to the scheme and topographical characteristics of the Tintern. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slope was drawn and compared to the spatial requirements of each space and the skyline of Tintern, which led to the current roof layout, a middle ground between the different requirements.

THE ROOF

Roof Exploration Model 01

Roof Exploration Model 02

Roof Exploration Model 03

Roof Exploration Model 01

Roof Exploration Model 02

Roof Exploration Model 03

FORM EXPLORATION

The IMO (Instituto Microcirugia Ocular) in Barcelona by Josep Llinas uses a roofscape that acts as a canopy to the whole scheme and unites everything together. The was derived from the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographical location and topography, where it is located between the city and the mountains. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program includes several operating theatres, area of studying, consultation and operating rooms, along with waiting areas and private working areas. This has led to a wide range of lighting requirements, where some spaces need to be naturally lit and others should be darker. Since the building is dedicated for eye care, different covers and sunscreens were used to act as transitional spaces that lead you from outside the building into the darkest spaces of the building. The building also has large outdoor covered spaces which allow patients to look out towards the nearby gardens and allow a sensory experience.

Atlantida theatre by Josep Llinas is interesting in terms of the roofscape. The scheme houses a theatre, auditorium, services, music school and a restaurant, which all have different sizes and scales. To consolidate this difference, the roofscape is used as a way to resolve that issue, where the roof acts as one consistent element the unites the different spaces and functions together, and rises as the scale of the spaces increase. This also relates to the geometry of the sites and the urban fabric of the city, where it can be seen that the building offers several courtyards that attempt to allow the public into the space and reconnect the building to the urban fabric of the area. This scheme is more dramatic than the previous precedent, which is due to the auditorium and theatre.

THE ROOF: PRECEDENTS

As the relationship of the building to the site and surrounding landscape was an important feature that had to be maintained, the scheme was developed to include the different levels of the landscape into the scheme. The schemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main feature is the courtyard, which, derived from the cloister in the Abbey, is the basis of the circulation of the scheme. This meant that all spaces were to pour out onto the courtyard. To do that, the circulation was placed outside the building, using ramps for the different level changes. In the central area, terraces are added to allow each studio to use each space as its own outdoor studio. This then enlivens the drop town to the river and makes it become more playful. The last terrace then leads to a series of steps that act as an amphitheatre.

As the building is determined by two key water sources, the stream and the river, a stream is added to the scheme to develop an interaction with water. This water feature also aids navigation throughout the scheme, as it marks the end of the building and the beginning of the landscape. The stream then leads to another water source, which is an extension of the existing northern Abbey wall, which then helps in navigating towards the return to the entrance.

THE LANDSCAPE

“ Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

03. PLOT

Typology

Geometry

Levels

Circulation

Privacy

Materiality

SYNOPSIS

ROOF PLAN

01. Entry and Reception 02. Shop 03. Storage 04. Office and Meeting Room 05. Kitchen 06. Serving Area 07. Eatery 08. Plant 09. Exhibition 10. Public Reading Room 11. Library 12. Workshop 13. Common Area 14. Outdoor courtyard 15. Bedroom 16. Writer’s Studio 17. Artist’s Studio

2 3

4 5

Level 01 Plan

[Academic use only]

13 9

10 11

9 16

17 17 17

12 13

15 16

12 14

16 15

Level 02 Plan

16 0

[Academic use only]

Level 03 Plan

[Academic use only]

Overall image of the scheme

As the visitor approaches the remains of Tintern Abbey, he can get a glimpse of the building through the trees along the main road. He then needs to take the first exit after the Abbey into the Abbeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carpark, in order to park. This means that as he approaches the building, he is able to see the Abbey throughout, and the Abbey becomes the anchor to the site.

Building as seen from the main road

After parking the car, he has to walk along the small pathway sandwiched between the Abbey and the river leading to the building. The visitor is overwhelmed by the dramatic landscape around, where the nearby hills give the area a sense of protection. He also gets a glimpse of the concrete flooring; the start of the circulation path that will take him throughout the scheme.

Pathway leading to building

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

Entry and Reception Shop Storage Office and Meeting Room Kitchen

LEVEL 01 PLAN

1 0.0

-0.6 2

0.0

5 0

03. Storage 06. Serving Area 07. Eatery

LEVEL 02 PLAN

+3.5

6 0

After entering the building, the visitor is greeted by a receptionist that will help him navigate through the scheme. The space from the inside feels very light and spacious due to the large opening on the courtyard side. This allows him to absorb the scenery while staying inside. He also noticed a small stream of water running beyond the windows, and wonders why it is placed there.

Visual taken from Reception looking outwards

While navigating the space, he notices the continuation of the concrete floor towards the outside. He also notices how the floors in the shop area are timber, while the corridor is concrete. One also wonders why. He decides to go up the stairs to get a better view of the area, and see where he is in relation to the Abbey.

View from across the river towards the first building

As the visitor gets to the second floor, he looks to his right and sees the Abbey through the windows. He looks to his left and sees the River Wye. He feels immersed in the landscape. As if he belongs there. He orders a glass of wine before continuing his journey.

Eatery

As he goes down the stairs, he sees a man leaving through a door towards the courtyard. He follows him and notices a ramp that takes you to another building. As he walks towards it, he is able to see the Abbey again on his right. He also notices a series of terraces with people sitting on them. He finds a door leading towards the second building, and decides to enter.

View from the ramp across

03. Storage 08. Plant 09. Exhibition Entrance 10. Public Reading Room 11. Library 12. Reading Area 13. Workshop

LEVEL 02 PLAN

8 +0.75 12

+0.75

9 +2.15

10 11

+2.15

+2.86

3 3

100

SECTION A-A

PAGE TITLE

03. Storage 14. Exhibition

102

LEVEL 03 PLAN

3 +5.65 14

As he enters the second building, he notices a large double height space in the middle with stairs sitting on the existing stone wall. He sees the concrete flooring which is extended from the ramp outside, and decides to take the stairs towards the exhibition space. The space feels very light and airy as it has windows on both ends, allowing the user to see nature and history at once

Exhibition

104

As he goes down the stairs and out into the courtyard, the ramp continues towards another area. He sees another entrance to the right, which is the library. The library is one of two spaces that breaks the existing wall to anchor the writers to be in direct contact with the Abbey.

Library

106

SECTION B-B

PAGE TITLE

2 glazed facades used in the workshop space allows visitors to easily access and view the workshop spaces, considering they are at the heart of the scheme. One allows users to work with nature as the inspiration, and the other breaks into the Abbey for inspiration. Workshops bring the public, the communal and the individual together.

View from courtyard to workshop spaces

108

PAGE TITLE

03. Storage 08. Plant 13. Workshop 14. Common Area 15. Outdoor Common Area 16. Artist’s Studio 17. Bedroom 18. Writer’s Studio 19. Common Kitchen

110

LEVEL 02 PLAN

3 3

+2.86

14 16

18 17

17 18

18 17

17 18

Leaving the workshop back into the courtyard, he finds a double door leading towards another building. The entrance feels spacious due to the double height space, and the whole corridor extends towards the outside of the building, where you can see the nearby fields. As he enters the building, he ends up at a crossroads to either go right of left; seeing that right is a dead end, he decides to go left.

Entrance to studios and residences

112

PAGE TITLE

On his left, he finds sets of double height studios occupied by artists working on interesting projects. All doors are open, allowing people passing to look through and see the process. All studios have full height glazings that open up to the courtyard. Some artists were even working outside in the courtyard among other community members.

Studios

114

On his right, he sees a set of doors leading to what looked like a studio. The doors are all fully glazed to let light into the corridor, and to also let people passing to look through and see the process. With full height windows opening up to the landscape, it was guaranteed that writers will be inspired.

Writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio

Residences as seen from across the sream

116

As he entered a studio, he noticed that the floor changed in finish; the flooring of the writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio is timber not concrete. Another door in the space leads to the bedroom, which is ensuite and contains a double bed.

14. Common Area 17. Bedroom 19. Common Kitchen 20. Guest Accommodation

118

LEVEL 03 PLAN

20 19

20 +6.36

As he goes back into the corridor, he finds stairs that lead to another floor. He goes upstairs to find another corridor leading to another set of rooms. On the left are the double height studios. Some have doors on the second floor to take you down through the studio.

Bedroom View

120

Each bedroom is designed to take into consideration the guiding geometry that led to the form of the building. This was done by the addition of a small covered terrace for each room to maximize the openings in a playful manner. The terrace is also linked to the main corridor space through a small glazed opening that lets light to enter the corridor space.

Going back down the stairs, he finds a large open common area with several seating areas. The space opens up to the landscape from all sides, allowing the resident to be completely immersed into the landscape. As the building is raised above the ground at this level in order for the building to feel like it is continuing straight through the landscape, he must take the stairs to reach the courtyard level.

View from first floor towards the river

122

As he leaves the building into the landscape, he finds an outdoor workshop space sitting right below the building. It offers great views towards the whole area, and has a stream running through the space. The stream here feels like it was set there to navigate the user to some place. He decides to follow it and see where it goes.

End of the journey

The stream continues down to the river, which makes him stop and look back. The building has this magnificent backdrop of history and nature intertwined together to create this picturesque beauty. He finds the small stream again, which now he realises is the marking of the end of the journey, and heads back to his car.

End of the journey

124

Outdoor workshop space

Aerial View

126

Overall aerial view

128

“... and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?” - Vincent van Gogh

04. CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION

Concrete

Oak Cladding

Zinc Standing Seam Sheets

Stone used in Tintern was readily available around the site and came in different sizes. Concrete matches stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s durability, but has a longer process to produce, transport, and use on site. It is not only used as a way to extend the wall, but also to emphasize on the contrast between the old and the new. It will be used in both precast and insitu form; the piles, columns and slabs will all be produced on site, and concrete sandwich panels will be transported to the site as cladding material for the walls.

Oak is chosen for the cladding of the exterior walls located on the inside of the building (around the courtyard). This is to emphasize the materiality contrast the building offers; the areas around the courtyard should feel lighter. Some areas cannot be glazed, which is where oak cladding comes into place. The use of oak is symbolic in terms of history and geographical location; the oak tree is native to the Wye Valley area, and older areas of the Abbey were built using oak.

Rheinzink standing seam sheets will be used for this scheme as a roof cladding material. Zinc is durable and requires minimum maintenance after installation. It acts as a roof cover for the entire scheme, uniting the different elements. It also is versatile, allowing the roof to have the form it has without complications. Dark grey has been chosen to emphasize the contrast between the new and the old.

130

Double Glazing with timber frames Double glazed windows are used around the scheme for glazing due to high thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Just like oak, glazing is used on walls around the courtyard, to increase transparency and diminish the contrast between inside and outside. Timber frames are used to match the oak and give warmth to the threshold.

MATERIALITY

As part of the conceptual basis of the scheme, the building employs a frame structure derived from a primary 6m grid. This is due to the contrast between heavy and light in the building facades, where the walls around the courtyard have maximised openings while the walls along the existing wall use regular openings. Another important aspect taken into consideration was the roof; due to its shape, the roof had to sit on the columns to minimize beam depths. On the ground floor, 250x250 concrete columns sit on the concrete slab. However, in the area of the accommodation, where the building is raised off the ground, the slab is supported by columns which are an extension of the existing grid. These columns are used when there is another concrete slab above, i.e. there is a second storey above. Universal steel columns are used in situations where the space is double height or there is no second storey. Shear walls are added in areas for lateral stability. On the first floor, universal steel columns are used with a size of 225x225. This is to allow easier connections with the beams supporting the roof. The columns are cross braced for lateral stability. Each building contains a lift shaft, which provides further lateral stability.

132

The roof â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form is determined by the structural columnsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; location. Each roof piece sits on 4 columns, with beams running across the longer end. The beams are around 450mm deep due to the longer spans in some areas; the roof extends over the ramp to provide a canopy, which creates a cantilever of around 2000m.

Standing Seam Zinc

Steel Secondary Beams - 225mm deep Steel Primary Beams - 450mm deep

To provide further support, the beams are supported by secondary beams of 225mm depth every 2500mm.

Universal Steel Columns - 225 x 225mm

Concrete Slabs - 200mm deep

Concrete Columns - 250 x 250 mm

Concrete Slab - 200mm deep

Shear Walls - 150mm

Pile foundations

STRUCTURAL STRATEGY

1. Preparation and Foundations

2. Columns and Ground Floor Slab

3. First Floor Slab

Existing sheds on site demolished / Site is prepared and excavated / some shrubs will be removed to make way for equipment / Material is delivered to site / Structural survey is carried out on old existing Abbey Wall; wall is underpinned if necessary

Ground floor slabs are cast / Columns are also cast into place / shear walls added / Lift Shafts are added for stability

First floor slabs are cast and prepared for steel columns to be added into place

Foundations are placed

134

4. Steel Columns

5. Steel Beams and Roof Construction

6. Prefabricated panels and finishing

Steel columns are placed onto the concrete slabs and connected securely / Cross bracing of some columns for lateral loads

Steel beams are place above the steel columns to support the roof / Beams are connected to the steel columns securely / Secondary beams are added for secondary support

External concrete walls are put into place using prefabricated concrete sandwich panels / curtain walling is fixed into place / Internal Walls are constructed using metsec system / floor finishes / landscaping of courtyard / courtyard paved / Furniture fitted

Roof is constructed and standing seam zinc is added as a finish / Timber walls are constructed using metsec system with timber rainscreen cladding

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

Section 3

136

Section 2

Section 1

Typical Wall Build up 25mm plasterboard with plaster finish Techcrete precast concrete sandwich panels with wall ties between each panel 200mm inner leaf vapour barrier 75mm insulation 25mm air cavity 80mm outer leaf wall ties to connect all layers *Sandwich panel by stone wall to not include outerleaf.

Typical Floor Build up 150mm hardcore 50mm blinding 200mm concrete slab Vapour barrier 100mm insulation 75mm air cavity 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring

Typical Foundation Build up 800 x 1200 pile foundations Concrete infill 75mm insulation Concrete foundation under existing stone wall - Underpinning

SECTION 1 - FLOOR/WALL

Typical Window Detail

Double Glazed fixed windows 100x100mm timber frame built-in concrete lintel and sill with 2% slope

SECTION 1 - WALL/GLAZING

Typical Roof Build up Standard Seam Zinc sheets with zinc clips 25mm air cavity Breather membrane 100mm insulation Vapour barrier Structural Decking 450mm universal steel beam as primary structure 225 universal steel beam as secondary structure 25mm Suspended ceiling with plaster finish Zinc flashing wrapping aroud the depth of the roof

Typical Gutter/Rooflight Detail Double glazed roof light with timber frame Channel below rooflight for support Triangular support below channel Zinc flashing Gutter LED light for indirect illumination Thermal break below light

Typical Wall Build up

25mm plasterboard with plaster finish Techcrete precast concrete sandwich panels with wall ties between each panel 200mm inner leaf vapour barrier 75mm insulation 25mm air cavity 80mm outer leaf wall ties to connect all layers

SECTION 1 - ROOF/WALL

Typical Window Detail Double Glazed fixed windows 100x100mm timber frame Aluminum sill with 2% slope Damp proof membrane Thermal break below

Typical Floor Build up 150mm hardcore 50mm blinding 200mm concrete slab Vapour barrier 100mm insulation 75mm air cavity 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring

SECTION 2 - FLOOR/GLAZING

Typical Floor Build up Suspended ceiling 75mm air cavity for services 200mm concrete slab 275mm concrete downstand 100mm insulation breather membrane 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring Zinc flashing running across depth of floor with insulation behind

SECTION 2 - FLOOR/WALL

Typical Wall Detail

25mm plasterboard with plaster finish 75mm metsec channel system with insulation running along 25mm sheathing board Breather membrane 50mm air cavity 30mm timber battens at 400mm centres 30mm oak cladding

SECTION 2 - WALL/ROOF

Typical Floor Build up 30mm timber planks 20mm timber battens 200mm concrete slab 100mm insulation Vapour barrier 20mm board 75mm screed with underfloor heating pipes 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring

Typical Wall Build up

SECTION 3 - FLOOR/WALL

Typical Wall Build up 25mm plasterboard with plaster finish Techcrete precast concrete sandwich panels with wall ties between each panel 200mm inner leaf vapour barrier 75mm insulation 25mm air cavity 80mm outer leaf wall ties to connect all layers built-in concrete lintel and sill with 2% slope Double Glazed windows 100x100mm timber frame

Typical Floor Build up Suspended ceiling 75mm air cavity for services 200mm concrete slab 275mm concrete downstand 100mm insulation breather membrane 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring

SECTION 3 - WALL/FLOOR

Typical Floor Build up Suspended ceiling 75mm air cavity for services 200mm concrete slab 275mm concrete downstand 100mm insulation breather membrane 20mm timber battens 30mm oak flooring

SECTION 3 - WALL/ROOF

The scheme aims to reduce energy consumption while providing a stable atmosphere for the residencts during changes in temperatures in the following ways: As the scheme employs a courtyard typology, openings are maximised in an effort to allow natural lighting and reduce artificial lighting. To prevent heating gains, however, studio spaces use louvres, while the spaces on the eastern side of the scheme utilise timber screens that can be folded to completely cover the openings. Natural ventilation is used throughout the accommodation spaces and common areas, as well as the eatery and exhibition. Due to the nature of activities taking place in studios, mechanical ventilation is used to allow paint to dry faster and the scent of paint to be reduced. Underfloor heating is used in studios and residences, as these spaces will be used the most. Radiant panels built into the ceiling will be used in the more public spaces of the building. 2 plant rooms for greater efficiency due to the size of the scheme

146

Level 0

Level 1

Level 2

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

Bedrooms are orientated on the eastern side and studios are orientated on the west side. photovoltaic cells are placed on roofs with an acceptable slope to generate electricity Louvres prevent studios from overheating Underfloor heating is used to heat up the spaces Natural ventilation used to ventilate the bedrooms. A windcatcher system is used in workshop spaces to allow natural ventilation to be used throughout the space. This is due to the fact that the workshop space will be the busiest space in the scheme in terms of activity Rainwater is collected through concealed gutters Rainwater is collected in a storage tank in the plant room Toilets are mechanically ventilated and stacked vertically

148

Section through workshop space

Section through studios and bedrooms

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

Water Source Heat Pump

An Open Water Heat Pump system will be used to support the underfloor heating system in the building. Solar energy stored naturally in the river water will be recovered through passing water through heat pumps to yield its low grade heat then returned to the river. River water will be warmer than the air temperatures on cold winter days and thus provide a more attractive input temperature to a heat pump. .

Rainwater Collection

Due to the different pitches of the roof, rainwater will be able to fall down naturally and collected at several points. Concealed Gutters are set mainly along one end of each panel, taking into consideration the slope. Areas where several roof panels slope towards have rainwater pipes that are hidden within the depth of the walls, which lead to a storage tank located underneath the plant room (next to the studios, accommodation spaces and workshops) for rainwater harvesting.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Locally sourced Timber: Oak used in the scheme will be sourced from a local sustainable forestry around the WyeValley Area to reduce costs on transportation. Timber also has a low embodied energy and can be recycled in other buildings or also used for energy generation.

152

Prefabricated Concrete Sandwich Panels: Using prefabricated concrete sandwich panel reduces the energy consumed during production and waste on site. Even though concrete normally has a high embodied energy level, it is a durable material that has a long design life. It also has a high thermal mass, retaining heat during the morning hours and releasing them at night.

Photovoltaic Cells:

Rainwater Harvesting:

Photovoltaic Cells will be mounted on appropriate areas of the rooftop where the slope is of acceptable degree; this means only 3 roof panels allow solar panels to be mounted on. The electricity generated from the cells will not be efficient enough to provide for the whole scheme, but will be able to heat water and power electricals.

Rainwater collected in the pipes will be filtered and stored in a storage tank underneath the plant room near the residences, allowing the water to be used as grey water for toilets. It can also be used for irrigation.

Water Source Heat Pump: The Energy Secretary has described water source heat pumps as “game changing” in relation to Britain’s need for renewable energy. Heat pumps are likely to become more common as the UK attempts to decarbonise its heating systems.

SUSTAINABILITY + RENEWABLES

Access The provision of easy access to and within the building was an essential factor determined by maintaining the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level difference. The scheme aims to integrate the building into the landscape and the circulation moves from outside the building to the inside.

Approach Access to main entrance enhanced to become paved and well lit Main entrance allows ease of access through 1000 double automatic doors Landscaping steps are a series of short flights with resting areas Parking and access via Tintern Abbey Car Park

Vertical and Horizontal Circulation Ramped circulation at 1.12 gradient through landscaped courtyard Circulation corridors are well in excess of 1600mm Differentiation in floor surface of circulation areas to aid navigation Vertical lift located in each area; giving a total of 3

Sanitary Provisions Disabled WCs located in the two public areas

Navigation Reception provides initial form of orientation from which visitors can gain information Circulation has different floor surface aiding navigation through the buildings

154

Level 0

Level 1

PART M - ACCESS STRATEGY

B1 - Warning and Escape Automatic heat and smoke detection and alarm system fitted in accordance with BS5839-1 All areas are within 45m in two directions, or 18m in a single direction All exits and routes greater than 1000mm width All doors in communal areas to be fitted with automatic release mechanism Level Access on all ground floor to external refuge Escape routes are signed and lit to BS5266 with low level lighting indicating route of escape and fire stairs clearly marked with backlit exit signs Refuge provided in protected stairway Handheld fire extinguishers found in each communal area and corridor

B2 - Internal Fire Spread (Linings) All interior finishes and fixtures to be fire retardant Minimum 60min fire resistant rating on all vertical cores and circulation corridors Double height space in exhibition space and common areas to be compartmentalised via automated smoke curtain system with 30 minute fire rating Additional hand-held extinguishers provided in higher risk areas such as kitchens

B3 - Internal Fire Spread (Structure) Primary concrete frame structure inherently fire resistant Thin film intumescent coatings will be applied to steel structure with 60 min fire rating requirement

156

Travel Distance and direction of travel Compartmentalisation Fire Curtains Fire doors to be kept open all times, but shut in case of fire

Egress windows

Egress windows Egress windows

Egress windows

PART B - FIRE STRATEGY

B4 - External Fire Spread Minimum 60 min party wall fire separation External Wall cladded with concrete which is inherently fire resistant, preventing spread of fire External timber cladding inherently fire resistant Southern facade adjacent to farm in excess of 6m, meaning limited risk of fire spread

B5 - Access & Facilities for fire service Primary fire vehicular access from Tintern Abbey Carpark; the small path will be enhanced and redeveloped The path allows the vehicle to access more than 15% of the perimeter Path is wider than 7m, allowing the vehicle to turn in the path without having to reverse more than 20m Fire mains are installed in the building in each area of the building for the fire and rescue services No floors above 11m therefore no provision is made for firefighting shafts

158

Travel Distance and direction of travel Compartmentalisation Fire Curtains Fire doors to be kept open all times, but shut in case of fire

Fire Curtain

Fire Curtain Fire Curtain

PART B - FIRE STRATEGY

Pre - Construction A CDM Consultant to be employed within the design team early on in the project to ensure CDM regulations are achieved throughout the design and construction process and all members are aware of their responsibilities. All reasonable attempts are to be made to identify site risks before commencing construction

Construction Facilities provided on site for workings, including WCs, food prep, changing and meeting spaces

160

Boardings will be erected around the site to ensure maximum site security. As the site is located next to Tintern Abbey, a popular tourist destination, it must be ensured that noe tourists are affected by any work. Temporary stability to be provided to the structure, especially before and after underpinning the existing Abbey wall. Scaffolding will be implemented across the site and stairs will be erected as soon as possible to reduce the risk of falling Pre-fabricated concrete panels will be craned in place to reduce risk of falling and excessive lifting

All workers onsite to be appropriately trained in health and safety and personal protective equipment (PPE) to be worn at all times

Building Use

First Aid kits clearly marked around construction area

All balustrades to be a minimum of 1000mm high to avoid risk of falling

Primary entrance to the site located in close proximity to site office to ensure security and establish a clear point of control

External paving to be treated with a non-slip coating to reduce the potential for slipping

CONSTRUCTION DESIGN MANAGEMENT

Gross Floor Area 2587 sqm Typical Unit Rate

3000

£/sqm

Construction Estimate: Unit Rate x GFA

7,761,000

Landscaping Costs

7.5%

582,075

Site Complexity

5 %

388,050

Total A

8,731,125

Contractor Preliminaries + Profit

12 %

1,047,735

Total B

9,778,860

Design + Construction Contingencies

10%

977,886

Total C

10,756,746

1,613,511

Consultant + Statutory Fees

15%

Total Project Cost Estimate 12,370,257 £

BUDGET CALCULATION

162

“ The mountains are calling and I must go” - John Muir

05. DIALOGUE

February

164

March

April

The final crit saw the emergence of 3D printed models to show the development, along with fully rendered views and details. I believe I was able to show my understanding of the scheme and the internal spaces, as well as how they relate to each other. The critics said that it does in fact read as a journey and show great progression throughout. The scheme was well received by the critics with comments mainly on using graphics and diagrams to clearly represent the building and design moves. They suggested to combine the two workshop spaces together and letting light into the building in between the ridges of the roof. Overall, it was enjoyable and very positive, and the critics were seeking to give constructive comments to refine the scheme and represent it properly

May

CRIT FEEDBACK

166

Throughout the journey of the last five months, I have been through both enjoyable and stressful times. This project allowed me to understand several issues I am interested in; I find the relationship of man and nature very intriguing from an urban planning point of view. I am very interested in the study of urban contexts and how cities have developed and expanded over time. Even though I had a rural site, it allowed me to get an understanding of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with nature, which many urban planner have been trying to reinforce by placing parks in cities. The scheme has developed greatly over the past five months and I believe that strongly benefited me by allowing me to delve deeper into the whole scheme and developing it to fit the concept. It also pushed me out of my comfort zone as most of the designs I always produce in other projects are normally orthogonal and simple. There were certain occasions where I did not have the confidence in the scheme and had a complete change of the plan to make it more structured and organised, which definetely made me lose time developing the scheme as a whole. If I were to have more time, I would develop the roof more to include glazing, green roof, and maybe even become accessible. I would also develop the workshop spaces more, and perhaps even making it one large workshop space to anchor the scheme. I would also develop the internal spaces in terms of the feel of it and the materiality.

A PERSONAL REFLECTION

Composition of photos taken by me in Tanzania and Jordan, showing a continuous horizon through a series of different landscapes

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