Benjamin Risby Architecture Portfolio 13-14 by Benjamin Risby

Benjamin Risby

Architecture Portfolio

Placed, Displaced

Living on the Edge

Civic Centred

Crossover

Additional Coursework

ARC2001

Placed, Displaced

I was initially quite excited about this project due to the strict brief. However, as time progressed and more attention was paid to the layout and detail of the building it became evident that the constraints were severe. I had several ideas that I felt were interesting, but implementing them in to such a small space made them impractical, impossible or withdrew from the impact they were supposed to have. It became evident that the real space consuming part of the design was going to be the staircase, and so this became the focus of my design. I experimented with several stair layouts to find one that took up as little floor area as possible and had some architectural interest. Because of this exercise came a practical stair and another concept â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to use the space created by the stair as a core. This core would run through all levels, branching out as it grew from a versatile bottom section into kitchen counters and a desk. The living and sleeping arrangements were swapped to create an upstairs living space and a bedroom that would open in to a garden with folding doors. During tutorials, I put forward the idea of a roof terrace and moving the study space in to the attic, to make the staircase work I was told to I could slightly raise the corner of the roof. Upon reflection, this space could be squeezed in to the given volume for the building. New additional work = *

Sunset Terrace House - A_Collective

Casa Juncal and Rodney - Pepe Gascon Arquitectura

Bondi House - Fearns Studio

Farmyard - Hilberink Bosch Architects

AH House - Studio Guilherme Torres

G/1st/2nd Floor Plan

Section

South Elevation/Materiality*

Model Elevation/Model Section

Silhouette Model Perspectives

Silhouette Model Section

ARC2001

Living on the Edge

This project began by estimating the best sizes for the rooms based off the given floor areas. I then played with the positioning and layout of the workshop and bedrooms to begin figuring out the most practical layout for the building. After doing this, I began to look at the site in more detail and using the edges of the site as guides it became clear that the rooms should be orientated differently, but instead of twisting the whole rectangle, I decided to be more experimental and slant the rooms in to parallelograms. The space left by these two blocks became the logical living space and so the bedrooms opened off from this central hub area to draw the troubled youth in to a space where they could begin to rehabilitate themselves and each other. I decided that I wanted the building to be very bunker-like so it felt like a safe place to get back on track. The main living area, the first set of bedrooms and the workshop were dug in to the hill down to the river to create a bunker and I decided that the dominant material would be concrete. Digging in left two stories to sit at street level, maintaining the norm in the area. It also created the perfect space for an outside workshop area that would be covered by the tutorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flat above and access for pedestrians in to the showroom where furniture created downstairs could be sold. The working half of the building and the living half were divided in to two halves and to make this more evident I pulled tall, solid, concrete slabs up from the lowest level right through to the roof. These are visible through every level of the building and clearly in plan, they come forward out on to the street to create thresholds and to tie the building down. Throughout the building hangs greenery, as well as many outside areas in an attempt to use nature as an aid to rehabilitation. I was extremely pleased with the result; I feel that there is a real connection to the site and the buildings surroundings, the layout is logical and practical, the spaces work well and each has their own architectural merit. Circulation is efficient, there is a strong sense of materiality and solidity in the design, awkward unusable spaces were avoided despite the unusual form and there is a unique series of thresholds in to the bunker. New additional work = *

Green8 - Agnieszka Preibisz and Peter Sandhaus

Church of the Holy Trinity in Austria - Fritz Wotruba

Vendsyssel Theater and Experience Center Schmidt Hammer Lassen

Composite Building at Sai Yee Street - Aedas

Social Housing in Palma - Ripolltizon

Reconstruction of the SzatmĂĄry Palace - MARP

Tecumseh Senior Public School in Toronto - Fairfield and Dubois

Trades Workshops in SĂ¨vres Candilis, Josic and Woods

Official Proteccion Housing in Ibiza - Castell Pons Arquitectes

Calgary Board of Education building - Calvelli

Second Basement Plan

First Basement Plan

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Roof Plan

Section A-A

North Elevation

Section B-B

South Elevation

On Site Model Photos*

Detail Model Photos*

ARC2001

Civic Centred

This was actually the last project that I completed and so none of it has been seen by tutors because of personal extenuating circumstances. I really struggled to get in to this project. My initial problem came when I realised the sheer scale of the site I had chosen, all my estimations of size were blown out the water after placing a scale mock up on site. I felt that because the site was so open it needed something quite formalistic, monumental and sculptural but this is the opposite of how I tend to start a project, I normally take a very functionalist approach to design. This left me stumped and instead of tackling it head on, I stopped paying attention. I eventually overcame this by just sticking to something and making it work via the same method used in the previous project. I had an idea of where I wanted the building to sit on the site due to site conditions and I had decided the best way to divide the building was by function and in to thirds. After planning the layout in a way I felt worked I could see potential for a functionalist building that still had some formalistic and monumental qualities, and so after some tweaking I ended up with a symmetrical elevation with heavy modernist blocks of material at the ends and centre. The final step was to landscape the surrounding site, I made it a comfortable area with seating and grass for pedestrians to sit on. Two large but shallow pools reflect the monumental blocks and connect the site to the sea. You enter into a reception area with a lower ceiling; it feels more confined to reinforce that monumental entrance. This space then suddenly opens in to a double height waiting space with an expansive area of glazing that looks out to sea, creating a tranquil feeling. Turning left takes you to the leisure side of the building where a three storey climbing wall is clearly visible from outside and receives south light, showing off the activities that take place inside. Continuing through this space, you come to the diving pool with glazing on the north face connecting this space to the sea. Turning around and walking back through you’ll see the staircase; climbing up and standing on the walkway you can look down to the climbing area, across to the right to see the crèche, and turning and walking left will take you to a retail area and gym. Opting to walk to the right will take you through the upper half of the double height waiting area and past a large classroom that can be used to give talks or teach diving students. As you reach the end of this walkway, you can look down in to the double height library space that features two private study/meeting rooms and computer facilities. To your left is a preschool and to your right is another set of stairs taking you up to a versatile café/restaurant/hall/gallery space. As you enter this space, looking to the left presents a folding wall. Behind this wall is a gallery space used to display work of local artists, this wall can also be opened up to extend seating capacity for the café/restaurant or to make an open plan hall space to host events. Looking to the right you can see the café/restaurant space and a vast view out to a terrace and the sea via folding glazed doors. I also decided to experiment more with digital renderings and modelling for this project and I think this invaluable going in to Stage Three. New additional work = *

SFR Headquarters in France - Jean-Paul Viguier and Associates

New Art Museum in New York - SANAA

Chapel of the Holy Cross in Arizona - Richard Hein

Former Northwestern National Life Insurance Building - Minoru Yamasaki

The Collider Centre in Bulgaria - Index Architecure

Basement Plan*

Ground Floor Plan*

First Floor Plan*

Second Floor Plan*

Roof Plan*

Section A-A*

Section B-B*

Section C-C*

South Elevation*

Waiting Area*

Interior Climbing Area*

ARC2001 Crossover

The Crossover project did not go very well. The group dynamic was extremely lacking due to several reasons and so the project made very little progress until the last week before Easter when myself and one other member of the group worked together as the other two had gone home. Over this week, we made significantly more progress than we had done in previous weeks. We started knowing that we wanted to create a journey through the building as opposed to just a drop off point, and so we linked the two ends of the path with a new route. After looking at the site and specifically the tree line at the back we had an idea for the form of the building, we then twisted this form slightly to take advantage of southern light and views from the top of the hill down to the city below. We had some idea as to where we were going with a design and then the Easter break came. Over Easter there was very little communication between the two halves of our group, upon returning after Easter we found out that the other two members of the group had decided to work together without alerting us and so we had very little time to go from the concept stage to the final design and presentation stage. In the end, the final presentation stage suffered dramatically. Despite this, I am proud of what we managed to achieve in such a short span of time and conceptually the building is very interesting. Because of the dependence on timber, we naturally came to the concept of a forest with a large canopy that hung down to the floor protecting and hiding the occupants. This was reflected in the use of large trunk like structures in rib form that protruded from the ground and rose up through the levels of the building. Looking back over this project there are obvious problems with time management and communication that need to be addressed come the next group project. New additional work = *

Zmianatematu in Poland - xm3

Cave Restaurant in Sydney - Koichi Takada Architects

Don CafĂŠ House in Kosovo - Innarch

National Assembly for Wales - Richard Rogers Architects

BANQ Restaurant in Boston - Office dA

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

G/1st/2nd Floor Plan

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

East Elevation

West Elevation

South Elevation

3D Render*

External Corridor*

Interior Top Floor*

This academic year has been extremely difficult as a result of health concerns and other personal issues. It has affected my motivation severely and therefore my time management and willingness to participate in tutorials and group work. As of May things got a lot better and I was recommended to put in for PEC by my lead tutor so my issues could be taken in to consideration come assessment of this final Stage 2 portfolio. Looking through what I have managed to achieve despite the problems I have had, I am quite proud and pleased with what I have still managed to achieve. Although not attending many tutorials is to my detriment I feel like it was somewhat helpful in that it forced me to really consider my own design work much more, hopefully making me a better and more independent designer. Next year I am looking forward to a fresh start and a chance to get back on track and to grow more using the facilities available to me. I would like to thank family, friends and the tutor team for their patience and help over the past 12 months. Thank you.

ARC2009/ARC2010/ARC2023 Additional Coursework

“Perhaps our homes of adulthood are an unconscious search for the lost home of childhood” (Pallasmaa). Discuss how the interrelationship between people and their homes develops through time.

To most, the home is the place we are planted and grow from. A place you have a connection to, a place you leave from but always eventually return to, and a place you feel comfortable and safe. This emotional connection binds person to place, thus turning a shelter in to a home. You spend the two most impressionable stages of your life living there: infancy and adolescence (Kipke, 1999). It is where you develop as a person, where you develop physical and sexually and where you develop ‘increasingly more complex analytical capabilities with the emergence of abstract thought processes’ (Christie & Viner, 2005; Kroger, 2007; Thornburg, 1983). Some have little experience with this concept of home because they are orphaned, adopted, fostered or forced to move often; can this have a detrimental effect on the way they develop without that relationship between home and person? I am going to explore how this relationship develops over time and how the uprooting and disturbing of this process can have a detrimental effect upon us. I will establish how this relationship develops and I shall then explore this further by tying various elements to different stages of our development in to adults, whilst supporting my claims with statistical information. The relationship between person and home develops both mentally and physically over time. “Home is best conceived of as a kind of relationship between people and their environment. It is an emotionally based and meaningful relationship between dwellers and their dwellings” (Dovey, 1985). A significant amount of this relationship develops by creating memories associated with that place. The majority of interaction between a family takes place inside the home, and through this interaction memories are created. “These remembrances, often fixed in a place, have to do with the family as a unit” (Cooper-Marcus, 1995). These memories connect the person to the place and develop the relationship between dweller and dwelling. Another way that this relationship develops over time is through routines cycles of experience and behaviour. We spend

the majority of our time at home during our youth when we are most impressionable (Kipke, 1999). It is during this time that we learn whom we are, what we believe and how we should behave, as said by Saunders “…home is a site and situation where social relations, including class, status and gender, are composed and contextualised” (Saunders, 1990). The final way this relationship develops over time that I wish to discuss is far more physical. As time progresses we collect more and more personal items, be these objects with a sentimental value that re-invoke these happy memories of place via autobiographical memory recall; or items of taste. These objects of taste allow people to “mould it to their own needs of comfort and security, style and personal morality” (Chapman & Hockey, 1999). These personal touches act as “symbols of self” (Cooper-Marcus, 1995) and establish the home as a way of showing who we are to ourselves and to others. “Furnishings and mementos play a major role in communication of identity and status. They help take possession of space and reflect people’s lives - travels, experiences, places lived, family ties. These mementos ‘turn a house into a home.’” (Rapoport, 1985). We start out as a seed in the womb, the womb is our first home and this home is bound to our mother. The relationship that develops here continues after birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. When you are born and taken home, your first experiences of the home are completely reliant on the mother and father and so this is what you come to expect. They bring that initial comfort to the home before you grow old enough to put your own touch on the place and create memories. Then something happens and suddenly all of that is gone. Before I said that the interaction between the family at home is key to how the relationship with place develops, as well as that it is key to how the child itself develops. “The developing child has a propensity to form attachments; the nature of these attachments and their dynamics will depend on the parental environment to which he or she is exposed”

(Holmes, 1993). Children are very vulnerable at this stage of development and evidence shows that disruption of this ideal situation by an increased residential mobility can bring an increased risk of poor health in adolescence and adulthood (Brown, et al, 2012). Another study found that there is an increased risk of early drug use and subsequent progression to drug related problems in children affected by “frequent childhood geographic relocation” (DeWit, 1998). Fostered children are more likely to have special education needs than adopted children, or children from the general population: 12% of the general population, 23% of adopted children, and 48% of fostered children (Sinclair, Baker, Lee & Gibbs, 2007). In adopted children, it is argued that having stability within a family provides “a greater sense of belonging” (Biehal, Ellison & Sinclair, 2009; Selwyn & Quinton, 2004; Sinclair, Baker, Lee & Gibbs, 2007), so to not have this leaves the child feeling lost, confused and vulnerable during a pivotal moment of their development.

as this, “fostered young people had the worst educational outcomes and were doing worse than the disadvantaged” (Wijedasa & Selwyn, 2011). Without that home, you have nowhere to learn from and no reference point, you have been uprooted and are struggling to regain that footing.

As adolescents we are particular vulnerable, we are impressionable and have a lot to deal with. As an adolescent you feel invulnerable, it is a time to explore and experiment and as a result of this we are more susceptible to engaging in risky behaviours (Christie & Viner, 2005). These risky behaviours put the person at risk of injury and upset because they do not yet have a proper understanding of the world. Again, because they do not have that solid foundation to grow and learn from, they are left struggling to establish a sense of belonging and where they stand within society. This relationship between them and their home never develops properly leaving them feeling somewhat lost. Negotiating from childhood in to adulthood can be particularly difficult when there has been a case of maltreatment (Nanni, et al, 2011), and many cases of maltreatment lead to adoption, fostering and moving home. “Adopted young people experienced more bullying and engaged in more internalising as well as externalising risky behaviours” according to a study by the University of Bristol. As well

It is evident that not having that relationship with the home can have a detrimental effect upon us as we develop and so it is ever more crucial to try to understand what really makes that connection to the home so important. As human beings, we can wander and we can search but without that solid place, that brings security, warmth and comfort we are lost. Pallasmaa said “perhaps our homes of adulthood are an unconscious search for the lost home of childhood”, for those that have experienced disturbance during their younger years this is perhaps more true than it is to others. However, for those of us that had solid and reliable soil to grow from I think our ideas of home are already heavily influenced by our childhood homes and so there is not much searching to be done. Think of the home as a flowerpot and us the seed, we are planted and we begin to grow, some are uprooted and replanted elsewhere whilst others continue to grow. Those that are uprooted and replanted are not going to grow as big and tall as us, it will take them longer.

Finally, we reach adulthood. We are shaped by what has happened to us and what we have experienced, and those that have been uprooted and planted time after time will not be quite as well grown and developed as those that have always had a solid place to grow from. Most have “profound memories of a special childhood home and unconsciously reproduce aspects… in a house of adulthood” (Cooper-Marcus, 1995), but those that do not have this are going to struggle to establish this idea of home. They are likely to be detached from their own dwelling until something comes along to help begin establishing that relationship through physical objects and mental ties, perhaps children of their own.

References: Chapman, T. & Hockey, J. (1999). Ideal homes? Social change and domestic life. London: Routledge, pp. 134 Christie, D., & Viner, R. (2005). Adolescent development. BMJ. Cooper-Marcus, C. (1995). House as a mirror of self: Exploring the deeper meaning of home. Berkeley, CA: Conari Press. Dovey K (1985) Home and homelessness. In I Altman and CM Werner (Eds.), Home environments. New York: Plenum Press, pp. 33-61 Holmes, J. (1993). John Bowlby and attachment theory. London: Routledge, pp. 65 Kipke, M. D. (Ed.). (1999). Adolescent development and the biology of puberty: Summary of a workshop on new research. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Kroger, J. (2007). Identity development: adolescence through adulthood. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. Nanni, V., Uher, R., & Danese, A. (2011). Childhood maltreatment predicts unfavourable course of illness and treatment outcome in depression: A meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. Rapoport, A. (1985). Thinking about home environments: A conceptual framework. In I. Altman, and C. M. Werner (Eds.) Home environments (Vol. 8 of Human behaviour and environment). New York: Plenum, pp. 255-286 Saunders, P. (1990). A nation of home owners. London: Unwin Hyman. Sinclair, I., Baker, C., Lee, J., & Gibbs, I. (2007). The pursuit of permanence. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Thornburg, H. D. (1983). Is early adolescence really a stage of development? Theory into practice, 22 (2), 79-84. Word count: 1399 ARC2023: Place of Houses Benjamin Risby Student No. 120548309

ARC2010 - Enviromental Design and Services

Benjamin Risby 120548309 Stage 2

Before After

DER/TER (%)

Credits

SAP

-27 14

76 84

CO2 Emissions (kgCO2/year) 2654.4 1705.3

Total Energy Cost (£)

Solar Gains (Watts)

436.70 285.52

583.1 503.0

Total Internal Gains (Watts) 563.9 563.9

The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. It is a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes with a view to encourage continuous improvement in sustainable home building. The Code covers the following: Energy and CO2 Emissions, Water, Materials, Surface Water Run-off, Waste, Pollution, Heath and Wellbeing, Management, and Ecology. A score is awarded to the individual building based on how well it performs in these categories. The higher the score the better. My initial design scored a DER/TER of -27% earning 0 credits and therefore being unsuitable for building. After replacing the key components (walls, floors, roof, door and windows) with the more efficient alternatives detailed below, this figure rose to 9% earning it 1 credit. I managed to raise this figure to +14%, scoring 3 credits. I made a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and decreased the total energy cost from £436.70 to £285.52, an annual saving of £151.18. To raise the initial figure higher I had to make further changes that effected the design of the building itself. These will also be detailed. Structural Changes ROOF: After looking at several brands and alternatives, Kingspan’s Optim-R Roofing System appears to have the best insulative properties that I can find when combined with Kingspan’s Thermaroof overlay. Reducing the reference value of 0.16W/m2.K to a value of 0.09W/m2.K. I have based this on a timber decked version as I believe this is more relevant to my design. I would need 40 + 40mm of the Optim-R, plus a further 25mm of the Thermaroof overlay to achieve this value. It comprises of rigid vacuum insulation panels with a micro-porous core which is evacuated, encased and sealed in a thin, gas- tight envelope. WALLS: Kingspan again, came out on top in terms of insulative performance for their walls but this time with the Kooltherm K12 framing board. Using a combination of 140mm deep studs and a 70 + 70mm setup of Kooltherm K12 insulation, values as low as 0.14W/m2.K can be met. A huge reduction from the reference figure of 0.35W/m2.K. This form of wall construction also allows for ventilated cladding and the finish of the tutor’s flat in my design to be timber.

ARC2010 - Enviromental Design and Services an efficient product. I went with the insulated frame version of Ecocontract ULTRA windows. These are certified by the Passive House Institute. They are tripled glaze with a 52mm argon fill. They have a U-value of 0.68W/m2.K. A large reduction from the reference figure of 2W/ m2.K. They also do a door in the range with a U-value of 0.48W/m2.K, and so I have opted to use this too.

FLOOR: With a floor area of 74.76m2 and a perimeter wall measurement of 45.7m the ration equals 0.61. For the sake of this I assumed the worst and assumed that it is 0.7. With this ratio, Kingspan Thermafloor TF70 gives a U value of 0.10W/m2.K. A reduction from the reference value of 0.25W/ m2.K. Achieving this value means using 90 + 100mm of insulation, the thickest section on the exterior. This setup is also very accommodating for underfloor heating and the concrete slab will absorb some of this heat, re-radiating it back in to the space over time. This particular product in the Kingspan range is made from polyisocyanurate (PIT) which is more environmentally friendly. OPENINGS: A huge portion of heat loss is via the glazing and so it was incredibly important to find

As well as changing these constructional elements I tried to change the amount and location of the glazing to make the most of solar gains, but maintain views and efficiency. These are logged below. -27% - Reference materials. +9% - Replaced materials with those shown. +13% - Reduced N facing glazing from 11.125m2 to 3.75m2. +12% - Removed roof-light, area 6.8616m2. +13% - Undid previous change. +12% - Reduced S facing glazing from 11.125m2 to 3.75m2. +13% - Undid previous change. +14% - Further reduced N facing glazing from 3.75m2 to 2.225m2. +10% - Reduced E facing windows from 5m2 to 2.5m2. +14% - Undid previous change. +13% - Added 2m2 roof-light to kitchen area to increase solar gain. +14% Undid previous change.

Dialux Study Project 1

BEFORE: Operator Telephone Fax e-Mail

The next stage was to analyse the light levels in the living space of my tutorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flat. In my design this living space is situated at the front, facing directly south with a large glazed wall to maximise solar gains. In the settings for Dialux I have set the location, and I have set it up to emulate Summer time light levels to compensate for a worst case scenario. In both the before and after scenario, glass is already assumed as triple glazing and so the transparency has been adjusted to 70%. I have also modelled the furniture to give some idea of how the space is used and how the light levels could impact on the particular functions of the space.

The lux levels before making any changes to the design were extremely high. In terms of solar gains this room is very beneficial to the overall buildings energy consumption, but in terms of practical use the level of glare would be extreme. This space may also become extremely hot. Min. lux level = 242. Max. lux level = 2573. Av. lux level = 1088.

Room 1 / Light scene 1 /

AFTER:

The initial design change that I made was to reduce the size of the south facing glazed area from 4.5m x 2.5m to 4.5m x 1m, reducing the south facing glazing from 11.125m2 to 4.5m2. However, this still left average levels of 715 lux, with a max. lux level of 1540. The next step I took was to add some external solar shading (see above), this had a huge impact and dramatically reduced lux levels. Min. lux level = 119. Max. lux level = 781. Av. lux level = 415. This could be reduced further still for less glazing.

Energy Sources

SOLAR PANELS: The roof of my tutor’s flat is very even and flat, with nothing blocking the sun from hitting it. Therefore the roof is the ideal place to fix solar panels. Solar panels generate electricity, and they do not need direct sunlight to do so. They are a very effective way to generate your own electricity and they are more environmentally friendly than many alternative forms of energy production. If you generate more electricity than you use, you can be paid for this energy by the government, subsidising other bills like gas and water. The initial installation cost varies from around £6000 to £9000 for an average domestic cell. A 4kWp cell can generate around 3700 kilowatt hours of energy a year, enough to run a typical household. You can save up to £770 a year in energy bills and prevent the production of around 1.8 tonnes of CO2. As a result they pay for themselves in at most, 12 years time.

WOOD-FUELLED HEATING: Having an attached furniture workshop means there will be an excess of scrap wood available. This would can be made use of in a wood burner to heat the tutor’s flat and power central heating and hot water boilers. A wood-fuelled boiler could save you up to £650 a year in energy bills. An individual pellet stove will cost around £4,300 including installation. For boilers, an automatically fed pellet boiler for an average home costs between £14,000 and £19,000 including installation, flue, fuel store and VAT at 5%, and log boilers between £11,000 and £23,000. Wood-fuelled heating is more environmentally friendly as the CO2 from the wood balances out naturally.

SOLAR WATER HEATING: Again, with plenty of space on the roof there is plenty of options in terms of energy saving measures. Solar water heating uses the heat from the sun to heat water, if there is sufficient heat then water can be heated to a hot enough temperature for use. A conventional boiler or other system can be used to boost the temperature if need be. It is a far more environmentally friendly means of heating water, and can save on energy consumption and therefore bills. The cost of installing a typical system varies from around £3000 to £5000, but the savings are moderate as they are very weather dependant. The system could provide all of your hot water in the summer, and very little in the winter. Depending on which system you compare to, savings vary from £60 to £130 a year.

AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS: Air source heat pumps heat the building with energy absorbed from the air around you. This heat can be used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems and hot water. They can draw heat from air, even in temperatures as low as - 15 degrees Celsius. They do however have some impact on the environment because they require electricity to run, but in a solar setup this can be nullified. The cost of a typical system varies from around £7000 to £14,000. This is dependant on the size of the building and the temperatures you are trying to achieve. Depending on what system you compare them to, you could save anywhere from £290 up to £1845. You can also claim an income back of around £1000 via the Renewable Heat Incentive, set up and funded via the UK government.

ARC2009 - Architectural Technology - SITE B

Benjamin Risby 120548309 Stage 2

The structure of my building is predominantly a concrete structure because two levels are below ground and need to be able to retain the weight of the soil surrounding them. The concrete structure is depicted in blue and this is my primary structure. The green elements are timber walls that are also load bearing and so these are primary too. The yellow is my interior walls, these are the secondary structure. Finally, pink depicts the tertiary structure which in this scenario is the roof. Primary (timber)

Primary (concrete)

Secondary

Tertiary

1:10 Ground Floor and Foundation - S Facing Concrete Basement Wall

Concrete retaining wall

Waterproof layer

Interior wall finish

Vapour control

Sand screed Drainage mat, insulating drainage board or granular backfill High performance insulation

100mm wide drainage pipe

Concrete foundation

1:10 Wall to Immediate Floor - E Tutor Flat Wall - Wall = 0.14W/m2.k

Wooden cladding

Internal wall finish

Vapour control

140mm timber struts

Timber batons

Base plate Breathable sarking membrane Plywood sheet

70mm Kingspan Optim-R insulation Plywood sheet

Breathable sarking membrane

1:5 Wall Openings (Sill and Head) - E Tutor Flat Wall - Glazing = 0.68W/m2.k

Breathable sarking membrane

Triple glazing with argon fill 70mm Kingspan Optim-R insulation

Window frame

Wooden cladding

Drip feature

Breathable sarking membrane Timber batons 70mm Kingspan Optim-R insulation

140mm timber struts Vapour control

Triple glazing with argon fill

1:10 Wall to Roof - E Tutor Flat Wall - Roof 0.09W/m2.k

Parapett clip Wooden cladding

Waterproof membrane

Kingspan Thermaroof TR27 insulation upstand

Roof fillet Timber batons 40mm Kingspan Optim-R insulation Breathable sarking membrane Kingspan Thermaroof TR27 70mm Kingspan Optim-R insulation

Breathable sarking membrane

Plywood sheet

Vapour control

Interior wall finish

Sustainability and Tectonic Intent Because the building is dug in to the ground by two levels I had to use a predominantly concrete structure to support the load of the soil. Once above soil level I dramatically decreased the use of concrete to try and counteract the heavy use in the lower levels. There are design elements of the building that are supposed to appear as concrete, specifically the large slabs of wall that cut through the building. These on the lower levels will be concrete and on the higher levels timber that has had a concrete finish applied to it. Because of the heavy use of concrete in the lower levels the sustainability rating of the building is effected. I would have to explore further to try and decipher whether there would be a more efficient and sustainable method to still achieve the design I proposed. For areas with lesser spans I tried to use a lot more timber solutions to try and recuperate some of the losses in sustainability made elsewhere. It would also make the over all load of the building less and therefore decrease the depth of foundation needed and therefore amount of concrete used.

Benjamin Risby 120548309 Stage 2

Access for All

Means of Escape

Again to clarify, the design and plans used in this coursework are done by Cristina Perez-Diaz. All additions to the plans and the rest of the coursework is the work of myself (Benjamin Risby). DISABLED PARKING:a • The front entrance is directly connected to two disabled parking spaces in the car park, both are adequately marked. The spaces are positioned as closely to the entrance as possible to minimise travel distance for the disabled. There is a 1.2m wide space around the right hand side and bottom side of the car to allow adequate room for a wheelchair user to access the vehicle. This space is directly linked to the path leading to the building and there is a gradient of less than 1:20 from the car park to the path. The surface of the parking space is durable, firm and slip resistant1. ACCESS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS TO MAIN ENTRANCE, DISTANCE OF TRAVEL: • The surface width is more than 1.5m with plenty of space to pass, there are no obstructions and nothing above the head. The path is flat and the surface is durable, firm and slip resistant. All joints are flush, minimising the risk of tripping and the route is lit via lighting along the outer edge of the path. The path is separate from the vehicular access, this is well defined by material. There is no chance of somebody accidentally wandering into traffic2. ACCESS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS WITHIN THE BUILDING: • The columns throughout the building have visually contrasting guard rails to distinguish them. There width is uniform from bottom to top. There is adequate room between columns for wheelchair users to pass through, and other areas that they can pass one another. The floor is level throughout the building except on the upper floor, here there is only wheelchair access to the lower terrace area. None of the single doors open out in to the foyer and open plan areas, this lessens the chance of an accident or blocking people leaving the building in a fire. The floor surfaces are slip resistant3. • The main double doors in and out of the building are power assisted. The button to operate the doors is at 1m, at this height both wheelchair users and others can make use of this. There are guard rails to indicate the door swings and there are rails at 1 2 3

Part M, p.20, 1.18 Part M, p.19, 1.13 Part M, p.35, 3.14

LEVEL

a lower heigh to indicate to the visually impaired. They have an automatic function to detect if somebody is walking through as they are shutting to avoid trapping4. VERTICAL CIRCULATION: • The lift is accessible from all levels. The dimensions of the lift far exceed the minimum dimensions of 1.1m wide and 1.4m deep. The doors open horizontally and are far wider than the minimum requirement of 0.8m. The doors allow adequate time for people to enter and leave the lift. The controls for the car are located at 1m, allowing for wheelchair users to reach them. The lift has a metallic finish, separating it from the finish of the walls and distinguishing it5. • A level landing is provided at the top and bottom and the unobstructed area is greater than 1.2m. There is a ‘corduroy’ hazard warning surface at the top and bottom. No doors swing out on to the stairs and the stairs are 1.2m wide with handrails either side. The rises do not sit to far over the previous step and they are not open. The stairs inside contain 16 risers, pushing the limit to the ideal number. The rise is 170mm which is within the boundary of 150mm to 170mm. The going is greater than the minimum of 250mm. The area below the stair is protected to protect the visually impaired and others6. FACILITIES IN BUILDING: • There is a cafe on the ground floor of the building. All users have access to this facility. A part of the working surface is permanently accessible to a wheelchair user by being at a level no more than 850mm above the floor. There is space below the tables and worktops to allow a wheelchair to fit underneath7. • A clearly audible public address system is supplemented by visual information of wall mounted screens around the building. At the main entrance reception space and the reception space in the library there are signs indicating the presence of an induction loop system. In areas where people are speaking (such as the council chamber) the artificial lighting is directed on to the face of the speaker, helping the hard of hearing to lip read. Taking these measures should greatly help the disabled8. 4 5 6 7 8

Part M. p.30, 2.21 Part M, p.38, 3.34 Part M, p.41, 3.51 Part M, p.45, 4.16 Part M, p.51, 4.36

1st

2nd

ROOM Mayoral suite Waiting area Interview rooms Boiler room Cleaner’s room Kitchen Toilets Preschool Creche Cafe Foyer Admin office Admin storage Classroom Library Foyer Terrace Foyer Council chamber

AREA (m2) 33.41 44.20 50.11 13.93 6.37 27.72 30.01 36.44 55.77 130.49 153.61 60.41 19.59 48.10 359.42 64.56 202.36 44.65 150.03

MINIMUM ESCAPE ROUTE CORRIDOR AND DOOR OPENING WIDTH:1 G - Occupant cap. = 425 Min. width = 2125mm 1st - Occupant cap. = 174 Min. width = 850mm 2nd - Occupant cap. = 598 Min. width = 2990mm MINIMUM STAIR WIDTH FOR EACH STAIR:2 P = 598/2 = 299 n = 1 598 = 200w + 50(w - 0.3)(n - 1) 598 = 200w + 50(w - 0.3)(1 - 1) 598 = 200w w = 598/200 = 2990mm 2nd to 1st - Occupant cap. = 598 Min. width = 2990mm P = 772/2 = 386 n = 2 386 = 200w + 50(w - 0.3)(n - 1) 386 = 200w + 50(w - 0.3)(2 - 1) 386 = 250w - 15 401 = 250w w = 401/250 = 1604mm 2nd and 1st combined to G = 772 Min. width = 1604mm MINIMUM WIDTH FOR EACH FINAL EXIT3: G south entrance width = 2493mm W = ( (258/2.5) + (1.604 x 60) ) / 80 W = (103.2 + 96.24) / 80 W = 199.44 / 80 W = 2493mm G east exit width = 750mm 1 2 3

Part B, p.37, Table 4 Part B, p.48, 4.25 Part B. p.38

FLOOR SPACE FACTOR 6 1 1 30 30 7 5 7 2 1 1 6 30 1 7 1 0.5 1 1 TOTAL:

OCCUPANT CAPACITY 5 44 50 1 1 3 6 5 27 130 153 10 1 48 51 64 404 44 150 1197

G north exit width = 750mm G north-east exit width = 1050mm GENERAL STRATEGY: • Smoke detectors, heat detectors, fire alarms and sprinklers throughout. Direct access to the building for the emergency services. A standby emergency power sauce is read to light guides in case of power failure and the central open space is protected by FD30 fire doors with a glazed panel as this is the main evacuation route through the building. WHAT I WOULD CHANGE: • I think that the key problem in terms of Means of Escape for this building is it’s single staircase from floor to floor. An important improvement would be to add another staircase at the back half of the building that would allow for two exit routes from the upper floors. This would mean that people exiting the building would be able to do so much quicker and safer, and it would spread the number of people leaving out between the ground floor exits. • There is also no means of getting a wheelchair user from the upper floors because lifts cannot be used in emergency situations.

Benjamin Risby ARC2009 Civic Centred 12/05/2014

a1 - Disabled parking a2 - Power assisted doors, low height button, guardrail with cane detection a3 - Low section to reception counter a4 - Elevator a5 - Power assisted doors, low height button, guardrail with cane detection Civilian access route Vehicle access route b1 b2 b3a b3b b3c b4 b5 b6 b7 b8 b9 b10 b11 -

Mayoral suite to closest exit = 17.53m Waiting area to closest exit = 13.95m Interview room to closest exit = 15.61m Interview room to closest exit = 15m Interview room to closest exit = 17.35m Boiler room to closest exit = 18.11m Cleanerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room to closest exit = 17.41m Kitchen to closest exit = 3.32m Cafe space to closest exit = 6.72m Reception to closest exit = 6.02m Toilets to closest exit = 16.15m Preschool to closest exit = 7.10m Creche to closest exit = 3.33m Fire exit routes

a5 b6

b3c

b5 FD b10

b3b

b3a

b11

b2 b9

b8 a3

Benjamin Risby ARC2009 Civic Centred 12/05/2014 1:200

a1 - Elevator a2 - Low section to reception counter a3 - Desk at height useable by wheelchairs b1 b2 b3 b4 b5a b5b b5c b5d b6a b6b -

Admin oﬃce to closest exit = 17.53m Admin ﬁle store to closest exit = 13.95m Classroom to closest exit = 15.61m Foyer to closest exit = 15m Library to closest exit = 17.35m Library to closest exit = 18.11m Library to closest exit = 17.41m Library to closest exit = 3.32m Computers to closest exit = 6.72m Computers to closest exit = 6.02m Fire exit routes

b5a

b5c

b3 FD

b5b

a3 b2

b5d b1

a1 FD b6a b4 a2

b6b

Benjamin Risby ARC2009 Civic Centred 12/05/2014 1:100

a1 - Elevator b1 b2 b3 b4a b4b b4c b4d b4e -

Lower terrace to closest exit = 8.77m Higher terrace to closest exit = 22.82m Foyer to closest exit = 3.18m Council seats to closest exit = 15.89m Council seats to closest exit = 21.70m Council seats to closest exit = 24.55m Council seats to closest exit = 28.77m Council seats to closest exit = 26.11m Fire exit routes

b4 b1

a1 FD

Benjamin Risby ARC2009 Civic Centred 12/05/2014 1:100