Improving the Lives of those who Serve Design Studio 4, MArch 2 Abstract Machines Ben Lillywhite C7138009 15th May 2017
Contents
Content Chapter Introduction Principles Key Areas Precedence - Macro Precedence - Meso York Evolution Principles Precedence - Micro Paths & Courtyards Concept Roofscape Concept Chapter Conclusion
Page 7 8-9 10 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 18 - 19 20 - 21 22 - 23 24 - 25 26 - 35 37
Design Development - Externals
Design Development - Internals
Chapter Introduction Building Layout Sub Chapter Building Layout Introduction Building Layout Sketches Initial Proposal Typologies Typology Models Initial Design Circulation Circulation Development Proposal Design Development Environmental Strategies
Internal Layout Sub Chapter Internal Layout Introduction Building Areas Environmental Conditions Internal Layout Sketches Internal Layout Bedroom Pod Precedence Bedroom Pod Concepts Bedroom Pod Design Bedroom Pod Model Bedroom Pod Iterations
Page 39 41 42 43 - 48 49 50 - 52 53 - 55 56 - 59 60 - 61 62 - 63 64 - 65 66 - 67 68 - 69
This portfolio is a continuation of the work I carried out in Design Studio 3 (DS3). Throughout this book, I shall refer back to my work in DS3 in order to analyse the work and develop upon it.
71 72 73 74 - 75 76 - 77 78 - 79 80 - 81 82 - 83 84 - 85 86 - 87 88 - 89
Contents
Design Development - Boundary Boundary Wall Sub Chapter Boundary Wall Introduction Concept Models Concept Designs Design Development Proposal
91 92 93 - 97 98 - 99 100 - 101 102 - 103
Design Development - Landscaping Landscaping Sub Chapter Landscaping Introduction Precedence - Landscaping Landscaping Concept Design Development Residents’ Circulation Public Circulation Proposal Design Renders Site Model Chapter Conclusion
105 106 107 - 108 109 - 113 114 - 117 118 - 119 120 - 121 122 - 123 124 -125 126 - 127 129
Final Drawings Chapter Introduction The Story Site Plan Building Perspective Building Plan Furniture Plan Building & Site Sections Environmental Strategies Public Views Resident Views Internal Spaces Site Model Residents’ Centre Model Chapter Conclusion
131 132 - 133 134 135 136 137 138 - 139 140 - 143 144 - 145 146 - 147 148 - 149 150 - 151 152 - 153 154 - 155
“We live in uncertain times, war is brutal and those who serve risk all on our behalf; we owe them an enormous debt. However, the counter to the horrors and despair of war is seen in the shining good that we have seen delivered by Help for Heroes extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters... Together we have and will continue to rebuild lives.” Bryn Parry, Founder of Help for Heroes Charity
Proposition
Proposition
Studio Philosophy
Throughout history, the world has been plagued by conflicts and wars taking millions of lives and injuring infinitely more. The aim of this project is to recognise these brave soldiers and victims of war and assist in rehabilitating the injured; giving them a sense of being and celebrating their success.
The project will be explored through the Abstract Machines studio; a design studio within Leeds Beckett Masters of Architecture course; focusing on the use of computational analysis and processes to further architectural design. By utilising modern computational technology, the studio believes that increasingly complex designs can be derived based on a number of parameters.
Injured service personnel have a chequered history and were often the forgotten members of the Armed Forces. Returning soldiers were at the forefront of victory parades basking in the glory of their country’s triumph. We remember those who were taken too early, with the price of success coming at too high a cost for millions of families. After the Falklands War victory, the wounded soldiers attended the celebrations in Civilian clothing, cast aside and unconsidered following their extraordinary efforts.
Analyse > model > test > analyse > model is the mantra of the studio and will be a key influence throughout the project. By utilising computational analysis, a number of parameters will be able to influence the design of the project to best serve it’s occupants.
Proposition
DS3 Review During the DS3 studies, a large portion of work was developed, analysing past precedents and concept schemes, culminating in an early design proposal. The proposal was heavily influenced by the HESCO technology previously researched and appeared quite barracks - like.
new secure boundary required by the barracks, to ensure that it remains a secure facility. In a similar fashion, I believe more work is needed in order to differentiate between the public and private areas, especially as I further develop the landscaping proposals, with a residents’ garden a main priority.
Whilst I believe that this is a good starting point, further research and development is required in order to produce the scheme I envisage being deserved by the residents and their experiences.
Despite the HESCO being a key driver for the previous scheme, I believe that the actual module had limitations and was forcing the design in a strict and rigid way. Therefore, I am going to maintain the design principles of keeping a heavyweight, dense structure to offer security and privacy; whilst also providing thermal mass to help self regulate the internal spaces. However, I am going to move away from the module and instead aim to develop a series of building typologies, therefore further differentiating between the various uses of the buildings and increasing the ease with which residents and visitors can navigate around the site.
The DS3 work very much focussed on the buildings themselves, however in order to better relate to it’s context and surrounding area, further research and design will be required in order to blend the scheme in with the adjacent barracks and housing estates, as well as the large expanse of grass and open area to the east of the site. Furthermore, careful consideration will be conducted in order to understand the
Concept Chapter Introduction
Many of us will never understand the horrors that service personnel witness, with even fewer of us suffering the life changing injuries inflicted on those who protect us. The aim of this chapter is to recap my DS3 work and describe the route in which this module’s work will progress. I will investigate the key principles for the design, analyse further precedence and develop concept designs. The design will consist of four key principles: the buildings, the internals, landscaping and the boundary treatment. Within this chapter I will describe why each of these areas are vital with the following chapter developing each aspect further. A key aspect of the whole design will be the master planning of the scheme. Due to the project consisting of several smaller buildings, the arrangement of these buildings is essential for a number of reasons - ensuring privacy and security for the residents; creating green spaces for rehabilitation; ensuring the buildings can still be environmentally sustained. For these reasons, I have investigated large town planning schemes, namely Washington DC. I hope that by understanding the key principles and design considerations of these schemes, that they can influence my proposal. In concluding this chapter, I hope to be in a position whereby I can begin the design development portion of my scheme. I aim to have a basis from which I can build upon, in terms of the building arrangement, the key principles, with the following chapter looking to develop a building language.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 7
Principles
Accessibility One of the defining design principles of the scheme is to ensure that is accessible to everyone. This lends itself to the Abstract Machines’ mantra of “hacking.� Therefore, as opposed to adding a ramp in just for the benefit of moving between floors, why not use it to add a sense of drama and excitement into the building?
Bedrooms Overlooking Private Courtyards Privacy and security are some of the main issues that the residents will be concerned with. Therefore a principle design aim is to ensure that all of the bedroom accommodation overlooks a private, landscaped courtyard, whereby there will be no other people to overlook.
Separate Courtyards In conjunction with the courtyard aim above, an advancement on this proposal is to ensure that the family accommodation have their own private courtyards. This will allow for children to play in a secure environment, out of view of any potential visitors, and allowing families to have their own time together; whilst also ensuring that other residents are not being hassled by children.
Page 8
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Principles
Materiality Through using a variety of materials, it is hoped that a material palette will be established that will help to differentiate between the public and the private spaces.
Canopy As a high proportion of the circulation is to be outside, I shall use canopies that are controlled by external parameters (such as rain / hot sun) in order to shelter the residents as they move around the site.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Public / Private Spaces It is essential that there is a clear difference between the public and private spaces. I discussed previously that this could be carried out through a variety of materials; however, I also plan to use different construction methods. The HESCO technology discussed in the previous workbook shall be used in the private spaces, to give a sense of security and privacy, whilst timber panelling may be used in the public areas.
Flexibility After visiting a similar scheme to the one proposed, one of the key findings was to ensure that the spaces were flexible. This means that they could be used for a multitude of activities, and one a principle that I need to ensure is catered for.
Page 9
Principles Key Areas
Buildings
Internals
Like many projects, I believe that this scheme has four key, distinct areas of design that need to be considered in order to produce a succinct and beautiful design. Shown on this page and explored in greater detail than the previous chapter, are these four areas.
The success of this scheme will not be solely down to how the exterior of the buildings look, but perhaps more vitally, how the internal layouts can be utilised and how the residents interact with the building.
The factor shown above is the buildings themselves; how the public and private are differentiated, how they are approached, how they interact with each other and how they are arranged. In the previous chapter, the rough layout shown above came to fruition. The task now is to develop on from this plan, by investigating how these buildings interact with each other. By this I mean, how are the courtyards developed, how does the roof of one building, effect another, what materials and technologies are used. A portion of this investigation, i.e. how the buildings are sized, will need to be explored with the internal layouts, as discussed opposite.
Page 10
When I first met with the centre manager and FM manager of Phoenix House, Catterick, they both described the need and desire for flexible, internal space. One week, they could be putting on a fashion shown, and the next the same space may be needed for several seminar sessions. Being able to incorporate this flexibility into the space will be vital, especially in the residents centre and IT / seminar spaces. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, is how the spaces “feel,� and the atmosphere that is created. In upcoming pages, there are a number of concept images of how I visualise individual areas, to help show the character I am hoping to create.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Principles Key Areas
Landscaping
Boundary
Having an external space has long been noted to help improve a persons well being and state of mind, this is no more important than in a rehabilitation and recovery centre, such as my proposal.
An important factor for all buildings is how it relates to it’s wider context and benefits the landscape, as opposed to detracting from.
In the previous chapter, I reviewed the Barcelona Botanical Garden and I aim to take use of some of their devices. Developing on from this, I am using the Washington master plan, whereby several small courtyards naturally develop to create gathering spaces. Furthermore, through the use of gardening and horticulture, another discipline of rehabilitation is being added to the scheme, that is not really catered for in the current, existing buildings.
To two sides of the site, is the Imphal Barracks, a secure military site where the buildings are very linear and uniform. To the south, is a housing estate which is again very uniform, with the majority of buildings of a similar height. To ensure the security of the barracks and the privacy of the adjacent houses, I am going to investigate boundary treatments, such as a wall, that helps to tie the surrounding buildings, in with the scheme itself. It is with this boundary treatment where this chapter begins, helping to inform the building design as the factors then begin to develop alongside each other.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 11
Precedence Macro
The United States of America’s capital city, Washington DC owes much of its city layout to Frenchman, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who arrived in America during the Revolutionary War. Commissioned by President Washington to develop the plan, L’Enfant began in earnest in 1791 following a full survey of the existing landscape. L’Enfant used the principles of European cities and translated them into “American ideals,” whereby each resident was considered to be equal. Therefore, rather than placing the house of the President, The White House, in the centre of the city, as was common place in Europe, Capitol Hill was given centre stage with many of the diagonal avenues radiating from the centre. The wide, diagonal avenues cut along the grid, allow for easy transportation, a place for the public to congregate, and clear, unobstructed views to important public buildings. Public parks are distributed throughout the city to give smaller meeting spaces. The National Mall has been considered to be a huge success and has become a focal point for the American public to congregate in times of celebration, protest and mourning. This is the aim for the project, that the open spaces will be as fulfilling and Page 12
Improving the health of those who Serve
Precedence Macro
welcoming as that of the buildings themselves. As you can see from the images opposite, the buildings are designed to fit around the intersections, no matter the angle. Furthermore, the city was designed around the natural landscape, with buildings of importance located on elevated ground to give it a sense of power and views over the local area. With this concept in mind, I aim to design the buildings to fit around the landscape, paths and vistas where allowed; all of which will be designed to radiate out from the centre.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 13
Precedence Macro
Developing on from the notion of dividing cities into a grid of north / south & east / west streets, is the idea of giving streets various widths to evoke a sense of hierarchy. A great example of this is the National Mall in Washington DC. As mentioned on the previous page, the National Mall has become symbolic of the Washington DC skyline, due to two main characteristics. The first is that the street is aligned so as to give views between two major monuments of power, Capitol Hill and Washington Monument, on to the Lincoln Memorial. This is characteristic of the overall city plan, with symbols of power given prominence over homes of the powerful. The second is the width of the street itself. Aligned with museums and tourist locations on either side, the large expanse of grass running through the centre allows for thousands of people to meet and congregate. When compared with other streets of significance in the city, the National Mall is far wider, giving a sense of importance and power. This is a concept that is explored further on the opposite page and one that I wish to use in my design. Page 14
Improving the health of those who Serve
Precedence Macro
In the diagrams shown above, I explore that difference in varying the width of the streets between the buildings, so that I can evoke significance. By having narrow, corridor like, streets, people are generally forced in a singular direction. This may be useful where I don’t want people to linger. However, where I would like people to congregate more, I could use the diagram on the right. This diagram depicts streets either side of a “green� area. This gives the open feel to encourage people to stop and meet, also giving them a point in which they can stop, whilst not disrupting the flow of traffic either side. In the concept designs shown in DS 3, a generic width of 2m, was used in order to divide up the circulation spaces and ensure adequate wheel chair passing spaces. However, by using a variety of widths, a hierarchy of streets are available to help distinguish more important routes. The diagrams in the following pages look at how I could divide the site up based on lessons learnt so far Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 15
Precedence Meso
Moving down in scale from the city plan of Washington DC to the JardĂn BotĂĄnico (Botanical Garden) in Barcelona, designed by architect Carlos Ferrater and Josep LluĂs Canosa, the landscape architect Bet Figueras, the horticulturist Artur Bossy and the biologist Joan Pedrola. The Barcelona Botanical Garden was designed to showcase the Mediterranean landscape. Divided into the five Mediterranean regions, the plants are then subdivided again so as to be grouped as they would appear naturally in the wild. This was a very important consideration of the designers, with the natural topography further determining the proposed scheme. As you can see from the above images, the paths create a mosaic of gardens. The paths follow the contours of the existing site, reducing the need to carve apart the site. The majority of the buildings are found throughout the site, whilst the main building is split into two volumes and placed according to the buildings orientation requirements. Page 16
Improving the health of those who Serve
Precedence Meso
The landscape architect began by triangulating the site, ensuring that two points of the triangles are at the same elevation. This then allows any paths to be at a moderately shallow angle in order to be fully accessible, a key consideration of my scheme.
Once the site had been divided into triangle sections, the next step was to arrange the planting to mirror the natural environment. Therefore, planting that would naturally occur together, were placed together, in order to create distinct, different Mediterranean regions.
To allow the development of the site, a triangular grid was imposed to help define the site paths and buildings. This grid is allowed to grow and reduce in size to ensure that two corners of each segment are on the same level, reducing the slope. Using computational techniques to analyse each facet of the grid, the corners and edges are manipulated slightly to allow each facet to be individual and unique. It is with this type of concept that I hope to develop my proposal - to create a unique proposal whereby computer analysis has been utilised to ensure a unique and fascinating design. Furthermore, as I propose to use origami and HESCO technology as the starting points for my design, it is fascinating to see a landscaping proposal that utilises and expresses itself in terms of angles and polygons, as opposed to fluid curves. This can help to form the basis of my landscaping proposal. On the following pages I begin to investigate the master planning aspects of my scheme based on the lessons I have learnt. Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 17
Precedence York
Romans
Medieval
In previous pages I have been investigating on a large scale, how city plans have developed over the years. Washington was influenced by the buildings of power, with a linear grid system being used to define the paths, with the paths then deciding where the buildings could be positioned. Whilst in Barcelona, the Jardín Botánico, had a more fluid grid that was generated by the site’s topography and elevation. I therefore decided to look at how York has expanded throughout it’s history and the urban grain that has developed.
Saxons came to settle in the area, before being invaded by the Vikings. This then began a series of clashes between the local Northumbrians and the Vikings. It wasn’t until the Norman times, when William The Conqueror invaded and took back the city, that York began to develop.
As discussed in my DS3 portfolio, York has had a long and interesting history with many political, economical and military changes. This page is solely focused on researching how the city itself has evolved. You can see that in it’s early Roman history, York had a very linear grid, similar to that of Washington DC and synonymous of the Roman style. The site was also chosen because it was flanked by rivers on two sides, offering greater protection. Over the subsequent years and after the Roman Empire lost it’s strength, York was considered to be relatively unused and untouched. This was up until the AngloPage 18
Having been ransacked many times, William The Conqueror decided to build two castles within the city walls to evoke power over the city, either side of the river. The city therefore started to evolve around these two buildings and the main roads through the city. As you can see in the above images, there are significant differences between the Roman and Medieval city plans, however there is very little difference after that, with the city walls remaining in place. During Medieval times, York required significant reconstruction. As well as the two castles constructed, further military infrastructure was a focal point of construction, as well as resurrecting many religious buildings. To further aid the military protection, a dam was constructed to block the river Foss, creating a large reservoir that aided with protection. Improving the lives of those who Serve
Precedence York
Georgian
20th Century
As York began to gain more power and become a “Capital of the North,” the city prospered. For years it became a prominent visiting point for kings and queens, especially as it was a main stronghold from the Scottish border. This meant that many new houses and businesses were being built, predominantly along the royal routes into the city.
As York progressed into the 20th century, the city continued to develop it’s financial and tourism centre, subsidised by the railway and confectionery industry. Little has changed throughout recent centuries, and the city has now recognised that it’s greatest asset, is it’s history.
In Georgian times, York ‘s prosperity was based on money rather than manufacture. This meant an influx of large stately homes were being built, as opposed to factories and machinery. As well as the strong military and religious presence, noble people became the back bone of the city. Therefore, during the Georgian era, although there were many new buildings constructed, they had very limited impact on the city plan. It wasn’t until the railway revolution that York began to develop again and bring industrialisation to the city. Trains regularly ran through the city, with York also becoming a focal point of carriage and wagon construction. Alongside this new industry, tourism greatly expanded, with even greater numbers of noble people coming for day trips and theatre visits. Improving the lives of those who Serve
The city has developed along two main routes through the city and it is with this notion that I plan to develop my scheme. The main routes for the residents will be different to that of the visitors, but they will both be considered of equal importance. Surrounded by it’s city walls and with two main rivers, I propose for my scheme to resemble York’s urban grain - a boundary wall offering protection to it’s residents with the water ways offering a calming and relaxing atmosphere. In the following pages, I will outline the schemes key principles and the driving forces behind the proposal.
Page 19
Principles
Access & Division of Public / Private In DS3 I gave consideration of how the site was likely to be accessed by both the residents and the general public by foot and by car. It was determined that the residents would likely enter the site through the Imphal Barracks located to the north west. This would provide a secure and private entrance, away from any of the public, leading me to the decision that the private accommodation should be focused around this area. The public access is likely to come from Walmgate Stray, to the east, and vehicular access if from the south west.
Public / Private Spaces As discussed previously, the above diagram shows how the site could be divided based on the paths generated by how the occupants are likely to use the site. Referencing back to the divide between public and private, it is possible to see how this split may work. However, the concept show above will need further development, as in it’s present configuration, it would be possible to see through the entire site, reducing the privacy factor of the residents, as well as creating tunnels for the wind to flow through.
Page 20
Site Paths Developing on the notion of how to divide the site to generate form, I wanted to look at how both the residents and public may actually use the site and navigate around it. Based on the concept plans from DS3, the above footpaths were developed. These path ways will be used in order to locate various buildings and give the site a much more natural flow, as opposed to having a strict grid forced onto it as discussed towards the end of DS3.
Accommodation Having now decided on high level areas for the accommodation to be situated, the above diagram helps to show how the programme may work, based on the concept plans developed in DS3. On the opposite page, I begin to analyse how the buildings may be arranged, taking into account the building positions discussed on this page, as well as the need to create more privacy.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Principles
Throughout the diagrams on this page, the background shows the spaces given to the public / private split based on the footpath discussions opposite. Using the dashed lines, possible building outlines develop. With the above iteration, the general split between public and private space appears to be 50/50; however I believe that more accommodation will be required for the private side of the scheme and so the boundary lines may need to be altered and blended.
The above iteration addresses the issues regarding privacy in the top right of the plan by increasing the length of the public building. One of the aspects of this design that I really like is the central public courtyard, naturally created simply by the layout of the buildings. I think this provides a hidden respite, and an area in which the residents can naturally meet with the members of the public should they so wish.
The above proposal generates additional accommodation in the private side of the scheme, whilst also producing a larger amount of open space in the public side. However, as the public building in top right of the image doesn’t cover the adjacent private building, a sense of security and privacy is diminished. Whilst the layouts shown on this page don’t take into account any area requirements, their general positioning is useful to begin to understand how the arrangements can work and how people can begin to move around the site.
Above is my preferred basic master plan of the buildings. This is because I think that there is a nice blend between views of site through the site, whilst not creating site long wind tunnels; natural courtyards are created simply by the building layout, a good mix of both public and private courtyards, and I think the buildings are beginning to relate to each other. On the upcoming pages, I review a precedent where the building is divided into two, to create a courtyard much in the same way as I am proposing, before further investigating courtyard design.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 21
Precedence Micro
The Edgeland House, Texas is a scheme I have admired since I first saw it. Designed on a brownfield site following the excavation of a pipeline, the house is designed to fit within the remaining “scar.” Inspired by the traditional Native Americans “pit house,” the Edgeland House was designed to minimise disturbance to the landscape. The architect’s concept behind the two green roof wings, with wild flowers and trees in abundance, is an attempt to heal the landscape and restore it’s former beauty. Sustainability is a key feature of this scheme, as it is in my proposal. The green roof and earth covered walls help to regulate the internal temperatures, whilst the internal courtyard dividing the two spaces allows for fresh air to be ventilated through the scheme. Furthermore, whilst the pool allows for light to be reflected back into the building, increasing the natural daylight; it is also utilised within the geothermal heating and cooling system. The principles instilled within this design are similar to those I am aiming for within Page 22
Improving the health of those who Serve
Precedence Micro
The large over hangs of the roofs allow the Edge House to operate different winter and summer strategies. When the sun is higher in the sky during summer, the direct light can’t pass through to the buildings until late evening, when it is less intense, reducing solar gain. In winter with a lower sun, the direct sunlight can pass into the building, inducing solar gain.
All of the habitable spaces within the Edge House are covered by earth, offering a huge amount of thermal mass. This means that the building helps to self regulate itself to ensure a comfortable internal environment. In the courtyards where the buildings are further apart from each other, plenty of direct light is able to spread into the buildings to naturally light and heat the environments.
my scheme. The external circulation space, between the two accommodation buildings is another feature of my proposal. As you can see in the plans opposite, the width between the spaces differs the entire length of the buildings. This is a concept I would like to experiment with further, as shown in the diagrams above. Previously, I had considered having an equal width along the facing walls, as if the buildings had been sliced apart. However, by increasing and decreasing the gap, gathering points and mini internal courtyards will naturally occur, in which the landscaping can be exploited. The diagrams shown above look at how the roof and building positioning can effect the internal environment. The Edgeland House utilises natural heating and lighting methods and this is something that I aim to take forward, having recognised in my DSIT A work, the requirements of differing summer and winter strategies. In upcoming pages I will begin to investigate how the roofs can effect the internal environments.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 23
Concept Paths & Courtyards
Subdividing the site based on paths
Points of convergence
Path Hierarchy
The overall site (light blue) has been subdivided by the pedestrian footfall, in order to determine where best to position the buildings. As shown in the Washington DC master plan, the area was divided into a north / south, east / west grid, before being divided again with diagonal paths.
Where a number of paths meet and intersect, a focal point should be positioned in order to draw and entice the public, to that point. By then opening the space around this point, a natural gathering point emerges in an ideal location.
A further lesson learnt from Washington DC, is that by varying the widths of the streets and paths, you can begin to evoke a sense of hierarchy. In the diagrams shown above, the paths around the notional private area (shown in grey) are closer together, whereas the public spaces have wide paths, with some made even wider to show that these are important and to entice people through.
Page 24
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Paths & Courtyards
Path Hierarchy
Courtyards
Lessons Learnt
By increasing the widths of the paths, you can also start to introduce green spaces through the centre, providing the opportunity for people to stop and congregate - one of the main principles behind the scheme, to ensure that the residents and public can interact.
To create further internal, hidden courtyards, facing walls can be angled away from each other in order to open up the space. These courtyards can be more hidden than others, but their importance is just as great - further creating gathering and meeting points.
Putting the lessons learnt into practice, the above concept plan is one iteration of how the site could begin to develop. Further development is now required.
The diagrams shown above help to portray the lessons that I have learnt over the previous pages, and display some of the design concepts that I shall take forward when developing my scheme. Having now outlined ways in which the site plan layout can be divided up, I am going to explore the elevational treatment and 3D massing possible to the scheme - taking into account sustainability issues such as natural daylighting and ventilation. Once these principles have been established, alongside those shown above for the plan, I hope to be in a position where I can begin to formalise the scheme.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 25
Concept Roofscape
In my DS3 proposal, I discussed how important the roof scape will be in the project, with the design competition for the new town hall in Tallinn, Estonia a case study analysed. The models shown on this page are experimenting with various forms or roof styles based on the concept plans developed earlier in this chapter. The key aim of this series of models is to investigate the play of shadows on the adjacent buildings and how the roof scape can affect this. Following this, the models depict the increasing and decreasing facing walls as developed previously. In DS 3 I looked into how the spacing between buildings affects the shadows cast on adjacent building. On the following pages, I have created a series of models which investigate how the roof scape could further affect these shadows, concluding with a series of diagrams depicting the results.
Page 26
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Roofscape
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 27
Concept Roofscape
Page 28
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Roofscape
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 29
Concept Roofscape
In the DS 3 module, I discussed how the positioning between the buildings could have a similar affect on the shadows. In the above left diagram, taken from my DS 3 work, you can see the difference in shadow created by varying the buildings’ heights, as well as position towards each other. In the remaining diagrams, I expand on this concept by investigating the roof pitch principles and how by varying the angle, direct sunlight can be controlled in adjacent buildings. One of the driving principles of this scheme is that of sustainability. I believe that through better design, we can greatly improve our buildings’ energy usage, purely by designing to the elements, as opposed to relying on third party “add-ons” such as PV’s. In the above centre diagrams, I investigate how using a defined pitch on all buildings would appear, and then varying both the buildings’ heights, and the distance between them. By having a single pitch, the buildings may appear better related to Page 30
each other, although this would need to be further explored. The right hand images again show varying heights and distances, but also various pitches. As you can see, by increasing the pitch, the overcasting shadow is reduced. However, to ensure that the necessary head height is achieved, the front elevation may become quite high. Each style has it’s positives and negatives, and they will need to be explored further in context. The diagrams opposite give a site wide concept idea. The top two diagrams show the buildings increasing in size as you pass through the site, allowing an increase in top light. The variation in pitch angle shows how natural daylight would be received by the adjacent building. The lower two diagrams show the buildings decreasing in height passing through the site, and again how the overcasting shadow is effected. These diagrams are portrayed in 3D on the following pages, to give a better understanding. The initial thoughts of the concept, is to have steeper pitch buildings towards the “front” of the site, so as to reduce the shadows cast on adjacent buildings.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Roofscape
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 31
Concept Roofscape
October
Developing on from the diagrams on the previous page, I thought it would be beneficial in order to test the concepts of roof pitch and height, on the concept plans developed earlier in the chapter. The diagrams on this page display the results of shadows when the buildings get progressively taller the further towards the public area you come, increasing in pitch as well (see diagram opposite). Taken over several months, the diagrams depict the shadows on the first of March, June and October. As you can see, from autumn through to spring, the long shadows are cast onto a number of the adjacent buildings, especially the buildings behind the museum. Interestingly however, little shadow is cast on the support hub buildings and adjacent bedroom blocks, despite being relatively “short� when compared to the other buildings. This could be because they are relatively far away from any adjacent buildings.
Page 32
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Roofscape
June
March
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 33
Concept Roofscape
October
When compared to the diagrams on the previous page, the ones shown on this page differ greatly. The diagrams on this page are the opposite to previously - “shorter” buildings towards the more public face, with the pitch increasing towards the more private sections. The results shown are not what I would have expected. Whilst a lot less shadow is cast on to the more public areas, as would have been expected, the taller buildings towards the rear of the site, despite having a greater pitch on the roofs, are casting more shadow on to the support hub buildings, than compared to the previous page. This is likely to be because, despite the pitch being greater, the buildings are too close for the shadow to be cast onto the ground. Therefore, it appears that the height of the buildings is more important than pitch of the roofs in terms of shadow. This means that the roof pitch could be an elaborate design. Developing on from this design, careful consideration will need to be given as to the cill height and size of the windows, to ensure that the buildings don’t over heat. Page 34
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Roofscape
June
March
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 35
Concept Chapter Conclusion
I believe that this chapter has been useful in providing a foundational knowledge of building forms and landscaping / courtyard techniques, from which I can begin to develop the proposal in the following chapter. From understanding the Washington DC master planning, whereby buildings of power as opposed to the homes of those in power, were given a greater location within the city, to it’s use of green space within circulation space, I have learnt the importance of the routes through my scheme. I have investigated a series of concept layout proposals, based on how I imagine people will use the site, which has determined a rough guide as to where individual buildings will be positioned. When I develop this in the following chapter incorporating my previous research into required areas, the scheme will begin to evolve into a series of usable spaces for both the residents and the public. The concept models developed towards the end of the chapter were a useful visual exercise to determine how building heights and roof scapes are related to one another, and the impact that they can visually create. In the following chapter, I begin to develop these lessons and work towards my final proposal.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 37
Design Development Chapter Introduction
Following my DS 3 studies and the body of work from the previous chapter, I feel I am now in a position where I can begin to fully develop my proposal. Based on four key areas - the externals, the internals, landscaping and boundary treatment - I will begin to develop each piece in turn, evaluating all decisions and begin to collate all ideas. I will begin by investigating the building externals, as this is where I feel I have most research and can begin the design. I will look into how the buildings can be arranged, before looking to develop a building language(s) and how this can affect the rest of the design. I will look into the landscaping designs and how the externals of the building influence the landscape. Key considerations will be how the residents arrive at the site and how they are welcomed; how the visitors will arrive and what they will experience - I believe that it needs to be more than a pathway where they arrive at the site, but a journey in which they take to gain a better understanding of what the soldiers have been through. Internally, I believe that there will be differences between how I treat the public and private spaces. Following discussions with the centre manager at Help for Heroes facilities, the important factor was flexibility. This could mean creating large open plan layouts, that can be subdivided by a series of folding / rotating walls, or spaces that open out into the courtyards. Finally, I will also look at the boundary treatment and how my scheme can relate back into the urban context upon which it is adjacent to. However, I also need to be mindful that the site sits adjacent to the Walmgate stray, and so any landscaping needs to marry the urban with the rural setting.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 39
Design Development
The following pages will investigate the building layouts and typology. I will experiment with a variety of forms, analysing each individually in order to determine the best outcome, based on the parameters listed at the beginning of this workbook.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 41
Externals Building Layouts
Over the next few pages I am going to investigate through a series of hand drawn sketches possible site layouts to determine their location. As shown in the diagrams above and from the previous chapter, the building layout and landscaping will have to be influenced by these decisions. Following these sketch designs, I will produce a proposed initial idea of how I believe that the scheme can work. This will then assist me in establishing a building language / languages for the proposal, that can help better define the public / private aspects.
Page 42
Improving the health of those who Serve
Externals Building Sketches
In previous pages, I described how I planned to divide the site based on how people would use the site, and the natural path lines generated from this. In the sketch opposite, I have taken this a step further and marked out the private (red) and public (green) zones, and roughly marked out the required spaces and where I’d like to position them. Although I have decided to break the buildings up by using the natural paths on the site, I am going to use these as a rough guide. I am therefore going to overlap some of the buildings, over these lines. This is because otherwise, clear lines of site will be visible throughout the scheme, diminishing any privacy the residents require. Furthermore, by having these long “tunnels,” wind will be funnelled through them creating an unpleasant atmosphere. Over the following page and below I analyse various layouts.
The plan opposite is a good starting point, in that it helps to get across the idea of buildings over lapping the path lines, however, I believe it requires vast improvement. I believe that the Support Hub building’s don’t encourage people to stop and wait there, rather with a continuous width, act as a tunnel towards the residents’ centre, as opposed to it’s own building. Furthermore, the exhibition, art room and work shop are buildings that are intrinsically linked, and I don’t feel that in this plan, that concept comes across. However, I do like the shapes created by the gym and museum. I believe that their form creates an almost internal courtyard and generates a welcoming atmosphere.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 43
Externals Building Sketches
In the plan opposite, I believe privacy becomes an issue due to the bedrooms overlooking the landscaping, and this significantly reduces the security offered to the residents. I therefore believe that the previous layout with the gym occupying this space being the better option. In the current layout, I believe that the art room and exhibition space have a better relationship with each other. If the workshop could have a similar relationship this would be better for the building layouts.
In the plan opposite, I tried to divide the buildings up further, however I believe that by having too many buildings takes too much away from the scheme - it doesn’t allow for the natural courtyard spaces to develop something that is key in rehabilitation. I therefore will not be progressing with this concept.
Page 44
Improving the health of those who Serve
Technologies Building Sketches
Although requiring further development, this plan is one of my favoured layouts. I have therefore decided to experiment with how the buildings could be covered, any potential roofs that could be joined, and general circulation routes. As you can see, I have looked to provide a covered walkway to the accommodation buildings from the residents’ centre, to provide shelter for the residents. This may however, be seen as going against the village like typology - a key design concept of my project. I have also looked to join the workshop, art room and exhibition space under one roof. In it’s current configuration this doesn’t work very successfully, something I develop further below.
Developing from the plan above, I have tried to experiment with how the buildings could relate better and how the roofs could be joined. As you can see, I have looked to change the shape of the workshop, creating a better form of the whole building and a better relationship with the adjacent museum. This gives a better overall feel for the scheme and is my preferred option. I have also experimented with looking to split the offices building. This is to provide a better link through from the private to the public element. I envisage it may also give a grander entrance to the public element, walking down the tunnel as if in a sporting arena. However, it may also create a more daunting experience, and this is something I therefore need to consider further.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 45
Externals Building Sketches
Further developing on from the previous page, I have began to allow the scheme to evolve in order to include natural courtyard spaces - places where the buildings naturally part in order to form these courtyards and meeting places - as seen in the Washington precedence. I believe that the buildings are beginning to look more natural with each other, and have a better understanding. I have also shown a potential roof plan. However, I don’t believe that the accommodation buildings should be joined to anything - I prefer that they all have their own building and their own identity.
Also shown on these pages are few concept ideas on how I might envisage the scheme appearing, with a sharp contrast between them all. In the plan to the left, there is not clear distinction between the public and private buildings. This is something I am aiming to achieve so that it acts as a visual cue to members of the public that these buildings are used differently, and therefore aren’t to be entered. I feel that this is a concept achieved in the opposite two sketches. Whilst the upper sketch is constructed from many panels in a hexagonal shape, the lower is derived in a much more fluid and, I believe, more organic manner. There are clear contrasts between public and private buildings, with the roofs being pitched towards the surrounding housing estates, hopefully drawing the residents out towards them. As you can also see, in the upper sketch I have introduced a roof walkway, to allow the residents to gain greater views of the city. On the following page, I discuss my preferred option.
Page 46
Improving the health of those who Serve
Technologies Building Sketches
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 47
Externals Building Sketches
This is my favoured building layout - all of the buildings appear to relate to one another, and the designs allow for natural courtyard spaces to be created. Another aspect I hope to include is a point at which the residents and visitors can meet. By devising a garden area, I hope to make everyone feel welcome, and allow stories to be told from both sides; providing that next level of rehabilitation for the soldiers. The sketch also helps to portray how influential the Washington precedence has been for the scheme. A concept achieved in Washington was to allow for a focal point to be generated in place of a building. This is something further I need to develop in to my scheme, to act as a locator for the occupants. Another facet of Washington was the hierarchy of paths, determined by their width. Again, this is something I need to introduce into my scheme as I begin to develop my proposals.
The diagram opposite depicts the initial proposal of how I envisage the scheme will work. As has long been the case, the public buildings surround the private accommodation and offer a sense of security and privacy. Some of the larger buildings such as the gym, have internal courtyards to help assist with the sustainability aspects - allowing plenty of natural daylight and ventilation deeper into the plan. I believe that they also help to break up the space, and when they’re landscaped, will offer a pleasant view. As you can see, the buildings are arranged to create a main route through the site which is further described and developed in future pages. The use of path width has been used to generate a hierarchy of routes, namely the main route through the site and the public routes.
museum and gym, giving a place for the visitors to stop and relax. I believe that the buildings relate well with each other, however these will be further developed as I progress with the design. In terms of the internal partitions displayed on this page, they are an initial sketch and were used in order to analyse the areas required and if the space was adequate. These are likely to change when I further investigate the internal layouts. I will now begin to investigate the elevations of the building and develop a building language and typology.
Each bedroom block is given their own private outdoor spaces, with other courtyards also located within the residents centre and the support hub. When I begin to develop the roof scape, further courtyard / patio spaces will be created in front of the Page 48
Improving the health of those who Serve
Initial Proposal Building Layout
Shop 54 m²
Bedroom 36 m²
Bedroom 35 m²
Bedroom 35 m²
Bedroom 36 m²
Reception & Office 64 m²
Family Bedroom 50 m²
Family Bedroom 48 m²
Family Bedroom
Family Bedroom
47 m²
47 m²
Museum 498 m²
Bedroom 39 m²
Bedroom 38 m²
IT Suite
IT Suite
30 m²
50 m²
Bedroom 36 m²
IT Suite 37 m²
Dining Space 101 m²
Bedroom 35 m²
Staff Bedroom 35 m²
Bedroom 33 m²
IT Suite 38 m²
IT Suite 41 m²
IT Suite 41 m²
Dining Space Bedroom
98 m²
Kitchen
29 m²
28 m²
Kitchen 53 m²
Resident's Kitchen
Bedroom
14 m²
29 m²
Bedroom 38 m²
Bedroom 38 m²
Bedroom
Bedroom
38 m²
37 m²
Bedroom 30 m²
Workshop 100 m²
Bedroom 34 m²
Bedroom 34 m²
Bedroom 34 m²
Bedroom
Meeting Room
34 m²
54 m²
Office 25 m²
IT Suite
Office
40 m²
27 m²
IT Suite 41 m²
Studio 41 m²
Studio
Reception
41 m²
29 m²
Office 19 m²
Pool
130 m²
Office 22 m²
Exhibition
Gym
285 m²
342 m²
Change
Change
30 m²
Office 30 m²
Improving the health of those who Serve
Art Room
30 m²
98 m²
Office 23 m²
Page 49
Building Language Typologies
Having now determined the building layouts, I am going to investigate their appearance. The buildings’ appearances are designed to reflect the journey which the residents are undertaking as shown in the images opposite.
the Support Hub, where you can see the language is replicated. The roof scape is designed as to offer protection from the elements in the centre courtyards, whilst creating a striking visual.
When they first arrive at the site, the buildings will appear fractured, non-uniform and random. This is to reflect their state of mind and/or their bodies having being injured in service. As they travel through the site, the buildings become more regular and structured, in a similar manner to their rehabilitation process, where they learn to reintegrate into society.
As you then pass through the site, the accommodation buildings (depicted in lighter grey), will be slightly more formal. This is because as the residents will be calming down to sleep, I want them to feel more relaxed in a slightly more familiar surrounding.
This journey is depicted in the diagram opposite. The dark grey buildings above, the Support Hub and Resident’s Centre, will be these fractured buildings, with sharp angles and faceted walls, as shown in the upper diagrams opposite. In the following pages, there are a number of various concept layouts followed by images of a Resident’s Centre concept model with the buildings appear to wrap around one another with walls being extremely irregular. There are then images of Page 50
Finally shown in blue are the public buildings. Not only will these buildings be in a different material to the private buildings to help in differentiating between the two, they will also be constructed in a more formal style. When the residents wish they can pass through to the public side of the scheme and towards the end of their rehabilitation - when they will be leaving hopefully in a better state of mind and more familiar with public society, as depicted in the formality of the surrounding buildings.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Building Language Typologies
The central buildings such as the Support Hub and the Residents’ Centre will be highly faceted buildings, to represent the starting point which many of the residents will have faced - a disjointed and lost feeling where their world has been turned upside down. These buildings are designed in such a way as to remind the residents just how far they have come along their journey.
The accommodation buildings will be a blend of the faceted, central buildings, and the more traditional public, rectilinear buildings. These buildings represent the next stage in the residents’ recovery, where they are ready to start reintegrating into society, and often the point at which the residents will come to the centre for treatment and support.
The public buildings will be clad with warm timber and are designed in a more traditional manner. After passing through the Gate House, the residents will recognise these buildings as being the public domain and represent their different use.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 51
Building Language Typologies
The different iterations of the private buildings shown on this page, portray the different between the faceted and the accommodation buildings. The above faceted buildings, I believe are “too faceted� - by this I mean that they will be difficult to construct with many difficult junctions.
At the top of this iteration is the Support Hub, and I really like how the buildings appear to wrap around and embrace each other, representing the activities taking place within the buildings. However, the sharp point jutting out towards the adjacent barracks could be construed as aggressive.
As seen in previous studies, the proximity of the buildings and their roof lines play an important factor in the internal environments of the adjacent buildings. In future pages, and as part of the DSIT C studies, I analyse the buildings and their over shadowing on one another.
As can be seen opposite and on upcoming pages, a number of models were produced in order to physically test and analyse the appearance of the various building typologies. Models were created for the Support Hub, Residents’ Centre and Gym, with it possible to see the various styles being employed.
Page 52
Improving the health of those who Serve
Building Language Typologies
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 53
Building Language Typologies
Page 54
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Building Language Typologies
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 55
Initial Design 3D Views
Portrayed over the next couple of pages is the initial design for the scheme. In the images shown on this page you can begin to see the material differences between the public and private spaces and the general appearance of the buildings. It is possible to see the different building typologies and how they become more formal as you progress away from the Support Hub.
This gives me a great basis from which I can further develop my proposal and further the design, however I feel that further development is required to ensure that the buildings better relate with one another. This is further developed in the following pages in terms of the main circulation route.
I’ve added in large expanses of glass, with the bedroom accommodations having glass roofs, to allow plenty of natural light in, as well as providing additional privacy as anybody walking by won’t be able to peer in. However, this could potentially produce extreme internal temperatures during the seasons, and so is not very advantageous. Shown on the opposite pages are three sections through the buildings - due to the buildings’ form I think they produce a fascinating section with some really unique spaces. There are also three basic concept visuals depicting the residents entrance at the support hub, the museum entrance and the gym entrance. Page 56
Improving the health of those who Serve
Initial Design 3D Views
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 57
Initial Design Sections
Page 58
Improving the health of those who Serve
Initial Design Sections
---
---
---
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 59
Circulation Main Route
The two diagrams above portray the possible main circulation routes through the buildings. The route on the left shows a lot more direct route, entering the public realm at the corner of the gym. The diagram on the right has the residents entering in the centre of the public side, with easy access to all of the amenities. This is my preferred option as it brings the resident into a more central location. However, at present the route doesn’t appear to “flow” as well, as there is a sharp turn to walk along the face of a building before turning in. Therefore, over leaf are a series of diagrams depicting possible alternative routes through the site. Furthermore, the building that the residents will pass through has previously been set as an office / meeting space. I propose to change this use to more of a “guard house.” This is a concept that past soldiers will be more familiar with and gives the residents a reception point at which they can get further information about the activities in the adjacent building.
Page 60
Improving the health of those who Serve
Circulation Main Route
Encroaching
With the tops of the buildings hanging over one another, the effect may have negative connotations on the residents as it could appear claustrophobic. However, the overhangs would offer plenty of over shading, something explored previously. I think that the above diagram is unsuitable for certain situations.
Narrowing
With the buildings encroaching less on each other, whilst still allowing for a slight over hang; the buildings offer protection from the elements, and can wrap around each other as shown in the previous images, as if the buildings are supporting one another, reflecting the atmosphere and aims of the scheme.
Opening
In contrast to the adjacent options, the opening up style of the buildings as shown above, will naturally draw the residents’ eyes up to the sky. By angling the walls towards the sun, plenty of natural daylight will be able to penetrate the buildings, almost acting as giant sky lights which will benefit the natural lighting and heating strategies. However, I don’t believe that the above looks as aesthetically pleasing as the narrowing option, whilst the buildings don’t offer the “support” to one another as the adjacent option.
Due to the nature of the facade design, the angle at which the adjacent buildings face each other is vitally important, as depicted above. As you can see in the left hand image, by having the buildings leaning in towards each other, the amount of head room available is greatly reduced and could potentially cause the residents to feel claustrophobic. This tool may be useful where I don’t want people to be walking, but where I do want people to pass, the centre or right hand image are much more appropriate. As seen in the right hand image, by having the buildings opening up the higher they go, the space becomes a lot more open. This design technique will be employed where I have the courtyards as they can help to invite even more daylight in. These quick diagrams are useful when I am furthering the path designs on the following page and further design development.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 61
Main Route Alternatives
In the above iteration, I have increased the spacing between the two accommodation buildings, allowing for a greater view from the resident centre courtyard to the gatehouse. I think that this works well as it gives a clear destination point for where the residents can get to.
By increasing the size of the gatehouse building, the intention was for the residents to have a smoother path into the public area. The adjacent accommodation building was reduced in size, allowing for the left hand sleeping block to be increased to offset the decreased area.
However, I there is still a need for quite a sharp right angle to be taken and this is something that needs to be address as I doesn’t help with the overall flow of the passage.
Overall, I think that the plan still requires further development as the buildings don’t appear to relate to each other in a succinct manner.
Page 62
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Main Route Alternatives
By dividing the gate house into two separate buildings, the intention is to create another path through to the public arena. Whilst I think this is a good principle as it allows the two buildings to carry out various functions; in reality I don’t think the result is as good.
The above plan appears to work the best when compared with the other plans on this page. I believe this is the best because there is a clear, flowing route through the site, bringing the residents out into the centre of the public area. This will then allow the residents easy access to the workshop and art room.
The path becomes even more restricted and the amount of courtyard, open space afforded to the adjacent accommodation building is greatly reduced.
I think there is a further benefit to moving the workshop, art room and exhibition centre further away from the new gate house, as it will give the residents a bit of breathing space as they enter the public area and allow them to compose themselves if necessary. Furthermore, it will allow for the area to be landscaped and ease the residents into the public area, faced with soft landscaping, as opposed to confronted by buildings. I will now explore this developed master plan in the upcoming pages.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 63
Proposal Design Development
Shop 54 m²
Bedroom 236 m²
Reception & Office 64 m²
Family Bedroom 290 m²
Museum 498 m²
IT Suite
IT Suite
30 m²
50 m²
IT Suite 37 m²
Dining Space 101 m²
Bedroom 223 m²
Staff Bedroom 68 m²
IT Suite 37 m²
IT Suite 41 m²
IT Suite 41 m²
Dining Space 100 m²
Kitchen
Redundant Room
Kitchen 53 m²
Resident's Kitchen 14 m²
Bedroom 201 m²
Bedroom 202 m²
Bedroom 207 m²
Workshop 100 m²
Meeting Room 50 m²
Office 25 m²
Office 27 m²
Change 41 m²
Reception 29 m²
Change 41 m²
Office 19 m²
Pool
130 m²
Office 22 m²
Gym
304 m²
Exhibition 285 m²
Studio
Studio
30 m²
30 m²
Art Room 98 m²
Office 18 m²
Office 23 m²
Page 64
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Proposal Design Development
The plan and 3D shown on this page help to show how the scheme is developing following the investigations into the main circulation route through the scheme and the facade review as described earlier. The Exhibition space, Art Room and Workshops have been moved towards the lower right hand of the site creating a large, open plan space immediately as the residents leave the private side and come into the public side. I believe this will be of greater benefit to the residents as they are not immediately bombarded with large buildings. I have also begun to show the surrounding boundary wall. This is to begin to show the building within it’s surrounding context as the level of detail begins to develop. Over the following pages, I will investigate various window styles for the public buildings and analyse each option. Following this, I will begin to develop the internal layouts.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 65
Proposal Design Development
Page 66
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Proposal Design Development
Day Time
During the day, direct sunlight is allowed to pour through the large pieces of curtain walling, increasing the amount of solar gain within the spaces. The sunlight also heats up the concrete , to store the heat for cooler temperatures.
Night Time
During the evening and cooler periods, the heat stored within the thermal mass of the concrete, will begin to warm the internal temperatures, supplemented by a static heating system. This will produce a more efficient and passive heating system. Furthermore, blinds installed to the curtain walling will be closed to avoid heat being conducted away to the externals.
Typically, windows are placed within a vertical wall, at a set distance from floor level, to allow the required amount of natural light and ventilation in. However, the design of my proposal isn’t that of a typical building, therefore the windows have to be atypical. Therefore, I have devised two propositions, each with separate variations. The first is to have walls of glass - where entire portions of a facade are covered in curtain walling. This will allow for plenty of natural light, however may cause extreme solar gain and therefore create unbearable internal environments. The second is to use a traditional rectangular window and position it within the irregular walls. I have experimented with having the windows in both the vertical walls and roof segments - this is to experiment with having either views out to the courtyard; or alternatively, increasing the privacy to the residents and only allowing views to the sky.
the scheme appear prison like. These concepts could be analysed further, however I believe that the curtain walling approach appears more aesthetically pleasing, allows for easier environmental integration and is the better option. Of the two curtain wall proposals, I prefer the top right option. This is because by having such large expanses of glass on the roof, I believe that the solar gain would be too extreme and a large amount of direct sunlight could cause an unpleasant environment. However, by having the walls made from glass, views towards the private courtyards are emphasised, whilst privacy is not diminished by overlooking from nearby buildings. In conjunction with the diagrams above, the following pages detail the environmental strategies employed within the scheme
In reviewing all options, I believe that both of the “traditional� window options make Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 67
Proposal Environmental Strategies
Day Time
The public buildings operate differently, as a lot of the buildings will contain heat generating machinery. They operate a winter / summer strategy as discussed later. During the day, as heat is generated, the high ceilings will allow for the heat to rise above head height, creating a more comfortable environment. During summer, the overhanging roofs protect from solar gain.
Night Time
In an evening when the buildings are unoccupied, they require minimal heating and therefore the under floor heating will be used to ensure the internal temperature doesn’t top too low, and take a long time to heat up during the day.
Developing natural environmental strategies is an extremely important element of the design, as it will help to ensure a successful, sustainable project, that is maintainable by the charity owners. In my DS3 studies I researched the environmental requirements of the various spaces and recognised that the public and private buildings would be used and occupied differently, and therefore have decided to employ different strategies for the different spaces. As can be seen on the previous page, the private buildings will be constructed in concrete - this is to utilise the materials high thermal mass, allowing the buildings to self regulate their temperatures. The descriptions under the diagrams help to explain this process. In conjunction with their heating being regulated by it’s structure, the private buildings are predominately naturally lit through the large curtain walling panels, with integral blinds that can be closed - to either prevent high levels of solar gain, or during the evening to prevent excessive heat loss. Page 68
Heating, Cooling & Ventilation
With large open plan areas in the public buildings, the heat generated from the kitchens, machinery, people, etc. Should be dissipated throughout the buildings, creating a comfortable environment. Large over hanging roofs will prevent direct sunlight entering the building during the summer months, reducing solar gain. Furthermore, by opening windows in the courtyards and external walls, cross winds are created, assisting in ventilating the buildings.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Proposal Environmental Strategies
61.9°
15.1°
Summer Lighting
In the summer months when the sun is on a high trajectory, the direct sunlight hitting the building is at a relatively steep angle, and is prevented from entering the building due to the overhanging roofs. This creates a diffused light in the internal environments, that can be supplemented by the more accurate artificial lighting as required, whilst also reducing solar gain.
Winter Lighting
During winter when the external light isn’t as bright as the summer months and the sun is lower in the sky, the overhanging roofs still allow for plenty of natural daylight to pour directly into the buildings. This is then supplemented by artificial lighting when required and also helps to heat the internal spaces reducing energy requirements.
The DS3 research led me to understand that the public buildings will only be occupied during the day, with a lot of heat being generated by machines and the occupants. Therefore, heating during the evening became less of an issue and I instead focussed on the day time strategies. In addition to the day time strategies, the public buildings operate different summer and winter strategies. This is achieved by the large overhanging roofs, that prevent intense summer sun passing through the curtain walling and creating too much solar gain. These buildings will generate a lot of heat by the machinery within, therefore minimal additional heating is required.
Artificial Lighting
All of the building benefit from having large expanses of glass to maximise the efficiency of the buildings and take advantage of the natural daylight. However, there are specific tasks that will require additional lighting and this will be supplemented by desk lamps. There will also be spotlights around the buildings to create light during the evenings.
Improving the health of those who Serve
During the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky, but less intense, the direct light can pass through and into the buildings, helping to naturally light the internal environment. These strategies are described in further detail throughout this workbook. I will now begin to investigate e the internal layouts.
Page 69
Design Development
The following pages will investigate the possible internal layouts of the buildings. In my DS3 module, I analysed and reviewed the areas required based on my research and discussions at Phoenix House. I will use my previous research in order to determine the optimum layouts to work for the residents and visitors.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 71
Internals Building Layout
There’s an old age design question of whether to design the externals of a building first, or the internals. I would usually advocate designing the internals of a building first, and having the externals being whatever they become. However, due to the nature of the design, I believe that in my scheme it is better to design the externals first, before being amended to ensure that the internals function as required. I have provided the programme and it’s space requirements opposite as a visual reminder to ensure that the internal spaces are fit for purpose. I will also need to refer to my DS 3 work, which looked into the environmental requirements of the given spaces and their necessary adjacencies. On the following page I show the internal layouts of the buildings based on previous research of the required areas. Following this, I will investigate how the “bedroom pods” could work, which will be further explained.
Page 72
Improving the health of those who Serve
Internals Building Areas
Museum : 180m2
Art Room : 60m2
Workshop : 100m2
IT Suite : 65m2
Kitchen : 60m2
Gym : 350m2 Meeting Space : 65m2
Bedroom : 19.5m2 En-Suite : 5.3m2
Support Hub : 200m2
Improving the health of those who Serve
Resident’s Kitchen : 55m2
Exhibition Space : 150m2
Staff Offices : 200m2
Dining Space : 180m2
Page 73
Building Layouts Environmental Conditions
In conjunction with ensuring that the internal layouts have the correct area required, it is vitally important to provide the spaces with the rooms with the necessary lighting and ventilation requirements - doing so naturally where ever possible to create a sustainable scheme. Shown on the opposite page are diagrams taken from my DS3 work. They help to show the various requirements in terms of daylighting and ventilation; as well as the served and servant spaces, to better explain the internal relationships. Understanding the properties of each space will help me develop the internal layouts.
On the following pages are layout sketches, helping to show the various possible arrangements of the scheme, before I detail the chosen layout on the next pages. The various layouts are all variations based on a common thread, that being taking the information opposite and on the previous page, and arranging the buildings to best maximise their requirements.
In the above diagram, I have depicted the areas of the scheme that are likely to benefit from the most natural daylight and ventilation. Whilst the scheme has been designed for all areas to receive natural daylight and ventilation, the areas highlighted will benefit the most. As you can see, many of the buildings will benefit from plenty of natural daylight and have the possibility of utilising natural ventilation. When reviewing the above diagram with those opposite, the building layouts begin to develop themselves. Page 74
Improving the health of those who Serve
Building Layouts Environmental Conditions Servant
Ventilation
Lighting
Served
Accommodation
Gym
Museum
Exhibition Centre
Break Out Spaces
Art Room / Workshop
Support Hub
IT Suites
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 75
Internals Building Layout
The private buildings in the scheme create some quite unusual shapes and spaces, therefore when trying to layout the internals of these buildings can be quite a challenge. I tried to achieve this by introducing an irregular dual grid system, in a similar style to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Berger House. By adopting this style, I believe the above options are fantastic solutions in all but the accommodation buildings. There is a clear progression, where the links between the buildings are considered, and the interior layouts are amended to suit this. However, as mentioned previously, I don’t believe that the bedrooms work particularly well. I like some of the forms that are generated, and the fact that they orientate your views away from neighbouring rooms. However, in angular buildings such as these, I don’t believe long, linear rooms like this offer the best solution - I also believe that there is a better solution that benefits their rehabilitation further and this is discussed in upcoming pages.
Page 76
Improving the health of those who Serve
Internals Building Layout
I like the layout of these Support Hub buildings as they create informal meeting spaces / waiting areas, whilst also allowing for the private one to one rooms required.
By imposing the dual grid system on the scheme’s various buildings, some unusual shapes begin to form. In the above left plan on the opposite page, it appears quite obvious that the “zig-zag” walls won’t be very functional, and also appear very sharp not the atmosphere being sought. In the plan to the upper right, I have addressed these unusable walls by squaring them off, created angled rooms that will accommodate furniture in a better manner. Improving the health of those who Serve
I have focused on the accommodation buildings in the left hand plan, looking at how best to use their space. By stepping each of the rooms, each “flat” is given their own identity and space, something that I feel is very important. It also allows some flexibility in the corridors for meeting points. However, through research I found that soldiers often struggle with isolation when leaving the army - they’re used to being around other soldiers 24/7; eating, living and sleeping next to others. Therefore, when you leave and are given your own space and own room, this is something a soldier can often struggle with. In upcoming pages, this issue is addressed. Above, I have focused on how the residents will circulate through the buildings. Easy access from all of the accommodation buildings is required, therefore by arranging the rooms within the centre in a certain manner created better circulation patterns. On the following page I give my proposed internal layout. Page 77
Internals Building Layout
1 -
Page 78
Improving the health of those who Serve Stone
Garbutt
Internals Building Layout Support Hub The Support Hub will provide a calming environment for either residents, or members of the forces who require a one to one support session. The main requirements of this space will be easy chairs, and a welcoming atmosphere, giving the soldiers the security and possibility to open up regarding their fears. In the opposite building the majority of the office spaces will be housed, relieving the staff of the requirement to pass through the site on a regular basis unless required to do so. Residents’ Centre As seen in the precedence research for other rehabilitation centres, the day space is an area of great importance, with residents encouraged to spend leisure time here, rather than alone in their rooms. Whilst in my proposal the residents are grouped together in bedroom accommodation, the Residents’ Centre will still remain a focal point. It is here where residents will come for their meals, either cooking for themselves or having the meals prepared. There will also be opportunity for the residents to enjoy playing on various games, including pool / table tennis and computer games. Accommodation Having listened to some of the stories of veterans, it became clearer that they miss the camaraderie of being in the forces. Part of this is sleeping in the barracks as part of a large group. The other rehabilitation centres offer their residents their own individual room; however I believe it would be more beneficial to group the residents in small clusters of 4, allowing strong social bonds to be created. To be developed further over the upcoming pages, are ways in which within this large “barrack” small private spaces can be generated allowing the residents the opportunity to retreat if they wish. Gate House The Gate House is the boundary between the public and private elements of the scheme. Past this threshold, residents will understand that there is the potential for them to come across members of the public, who could engage in conversation with them. Within the Gate House itself, will be an office and large meeting room. I also imagine this to become a gathering point, where residents meet before entering the public spaces and going to the gym / work shop / art room. Therefore, there is plenty of seating and a reception giving a welcoming atmosphere. Museum One of the focal points for the public part of the scheme, the Museum will be one of the starting points as the visitors embark on their journey through the buildings. The Museum is to house the main reception, dining room and shop for the centre and as such will require a large kitchen and office. As well as a variety of displays and story boards depicting the experiences of the residents, the Museum will play host to two large IT rooms. This gives the visitors the opportunity to immediately further research the stories of the residents, as well as being the centre of the digital hub. Exhibition / Art Room / Workshop The Exhibition space is to be used to display the pieces of work created by the residents in the Art Room and Workshop. Having visited Phoenix House, the work that was on display, including paintings and wood carvings, was incredible and worthy of displaying in galleries. Therefore, the Exhibition area will require large display boards, and shelving, with a path through the building being naturally formed through the use of these displays. Within the Art Room and Workshop, there will be all the necessary equipment in order to produce these works, including an art sink and easels in the Art Room, and wood working equipment in the Workshop. Gym One of the major points of the existing facilities, even the custom built rehabilitation centres, is the requirement for even larger physical rehabilitation gyms. Therefore, the gym is divided into different zones based on the recommendations by Sport England. As well as weights areas and cardio spaces, there are studios for private one to one sessions, yoga sessions, etc. There is also a pool which is a vital requirement for physical rehabilitation. Further to this internal environment, elsewhere on the site will be an outdoor sports area, with 5-aside pitches available to accommodate a further array of sports.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 79
Precedence Bedroom Pods
From my initial research, one of the main aspects I found was that the residents miss sleeping in large dorms, and struggle to go back to having their own room. Because of this, I have decided for the residents to share one large, barrack like space; each with their own “sleeping pod.” This sleeping pod has the potential to be moved around by the residents within the barracks. It can then be opened when the residents want to, or closed off when they’re looking for some more privacy, or to go to sleep. As can be seen by the types of structures on this page, I intend for the pods to be influenced by the origami aspect again - having the ability to fold out and close off the space. The pods will need to accommodate not only a bed, but also storage for the residents’ clothes and possessions. The pods could also provide a seat for reading, shelves for ornaments and a desk for writing. On upcoming pages, this concept is explored in greater detail.
Page 80
Improving the health of those who Serve
Precedence Bedroom Pods
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 81
Bedroom Pods Concepts
As discussed on the previous page, I wanted to develop a bedroom pod that the residents could move around their accommodation and these concepts are shown on this page. The designs look to incorporate the origami techniques that have been intrinsic to the scheme’s design, whilst being functional and offering everything that the residents may require. The above design offers an inbuilt seat where residents can sit and read, with wardrobe space and shelves running alongside. The bed will pull out from underneath. A canopy will then pull out from the top, offering the privacy the residents may require. This design however, doesn’t allow for much space when closed. The design opposite comprises of two walls that will open up, with a bed folding down from one wall. Offering similar amenities as the above, by having the bed in a separate pod, there is additional space given over to wardrobe and shelving space. I believe that this design is too large, and doesn’t offer the stand alone qualities of the concept. Page 82
Improving the health of those who Serve
Bedroom Pods Design A large amount of wardrobe space is given to the residents within the bedroom, allowing the residents easy access to their possessions whilst changing.
By using the origami canopy structure, the pod has the ability to open and close, whilst giving full privacy to the residents whilst it is open. The door opens as a separate piece, that the residents can pull along and close as they wish.
Despite the bed being off centre, when the pod is fully closed, it still allows for 900mm to the side of the bed, greater than the 750mm required by AD Part M. This allows for access from either direction for a wheelchair user.
On one side, a chair will be hung from the wall, that when taken from the wall, unfolds into shape. The chair can then be taken around accommodation and used as the residents wish. The table and it’s support will also fold out from the wall, offering a writing & reading surface.
The design shown on this page is my preferred option. It incorporates the origami folding out canopy to offer privacy, offers plenty of wardrobe space, as well as a desk and pull out chair that can be taken and used around the room. However, I believe that a comfortable chair in which to sit and read is needed, and this is something I will look to include elsewhere in the scheme. A description of the elements of the pod is given on this page. On the following page are more detail descriptions of the various elements of the bedroom pods. Following this page, are images of a scale model produced in order to fully understand the workings of the pod. These images also help to better display the various different layouts of the pod. By having many different configurations, the internal layouts of the accommodation blocks have the ability to take on many different forms. These layouts are further shown in upcoming pages, before I begin to look at the boundary wall treatment.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 83
Bedroom Pods Design Development
The above set of diagrams help to show the various configurations of the bedroom pods. As you can see, it can take on a number of different appearances, with the chair being able to be used in the TV area or at the desk. In it’s fully closed position, the pods can be wheeled away to the corners and provide plentiful amount of space. When the pods are open, they take on a tent like atmosphere, something the residents have experienced many times before in their previous careers.
The diagrams above help to provide additional information on how the pods operate. As the pods are opened up, the beds, hinged in the centre and at the edges will unfold, as will the bracing for the bed. The images of the physical model on the following page give further evidence of this process. To provide space for the resident’s family, the pods will be adapted to either provide a double bed - making the pod wider; or introducing a bunk bed arrangement.
Page 84
Improving the health of those who Serve
Bedroom Pods Design Development
To allow residents to charge laptops, etc. Whilst sat at the their desk, power sockets will be provided underneath the able to offer this facility. Furthermore, sockets provided internally will allow the residents to charge phones and other personal equipment.
To allow the residents maximum flexibility with their bedroom pod, floor sockets will be provided around the buildings. The residents can then plug their pods into these sockets in what ever position they wish.
Giving the residents the opportunity to have complete solitude if they desired was a key point of developing the bedroom pod. Providing lamps at either end of the pods allows the residents to lie at either end, with light providing chance for reading, etc.
Manoeuvrability is very important to ensure that the pod concept is successful. Therefore, by allowing this wheels to be able to spin 360° gives ultimate flexibility. These wheels will sit just below the bottom edge of the side panel, and can be locked off. In contrast, the “back” set of wheels can only move forward and backwards. This means that when the front 360° wheels are locked off, the pod can be opened up in an easy manner, simply pulling the pod apart.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 85
Bedroom Pods Model
Page 86
Improving the health of those who Serve
Bedroom Pods Model
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 87
Bedroom Pods Layout Iterations
Page 88
Improving the health of those who Serve
Bedroom Pods Layout Iterations
As has been seen on previous pages, the bedroom pods can take a variety of guises, with different iterations being shown on this page, in one of the bedroom accommodation pages. I believe that the bedroom pod is a fantastic concept, that gives the residents the camaraderie atmosphere that they miss in civilian life. Furthermore, it offers the flexibility craved by the Phoenix House centre manager. Constructed from lightweight MDF, the pods can be manoeuvred into any position desired by the resident. Finally, as described previously, the pod has the ability to be adapted in the family accommodation buildings, to offer a bunk bed like arrangement, or a wider version to accommodate a double bed; allowing family members to join the residents during their stay in the centre. I will now investigate how to blend the scheme into it’s surrounding context.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 89
Design Development
The following pages will look at how the boundaries can blend the existing, surrounding residential estates, with the abstract nature of the buildings. The boundary wall is therefore an important aspect of the scheme and as such needs to be carefully designed. The surrounding housing estates has an undulating roof line, with a multitude of different housing styles. Therefore, the roof line of the wall needs to reflect this, especially with the roof lines of the scheme’s buildings.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 91
Concept Boundary Treatment
The surrounding context of the site is either a large barracks, or residential. Therefore, the blending between these existing formal buildings, and my proposed faceted scheme is crucial. I therefore intend to create a “boundary wall,� akin to the likes of York’s city walls. This will help to act as a mediator between the formal landscape, and the angled buildings of my proposal.
the opportunity to get up onto the roof tops and experience amazing views of York and the scheme. Following images of the physical model, a page is dedicated to the digital models, shown in their context to give greater realisation. I will give a conclusion of the design before showing renders of the wall.
The design is based around the origami structures that has helped to inspire this project, as can be seen in the images opposite. The design should reflect the neighbouring housing estates and I believe this is shown in the forthcoming digital concepts on future pages. Over the upcoming pages are physical models, of the type of style that I am proposing. The models vary between a tunnel and a vertical wall. I believe the ideal scenario would be somewhere in the middle - a wall like canopy This would then allow for a fully accessible ramp to be integrated and installed, allowing the residents Page 92
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Boundary Treatment
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 93
Concept Models Boundary Treatment
Page 94
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Models Boundary Treatment
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 95
Concept Models Boundary Treatment
Page 96
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Models Boundary Treatment
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 97
Development Boundary Iterations
Page 98
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Development Boundary Iterations
Shown on previous pages have been physical models that were constructed to experiment with various origami forms for the boundary wall. A common theme throughout the models was that of providing some shelter to one side of the wall - it was proposed that this would provide cover for the user, or to house a ramp to allow for access onto the roof tops. Various origami techniques were used to construct the models. On this page are digital images showing a variety of options for the boundary wall. The lower three images are based on a module, inspired by the origami models created previously, being repeated. However, I believed that these three options gave very little to it’s surrounding context. The upper two images are designed so that the floor plate is representative of the surrounding houses, with lots of protruding sections and very linear walls. The roof is designed to reflect the project’s building design and replicate the various roof pitches of the surrounding houses. The image above is the preferred option. This is because the wall changes material in a similar manner to that of the buildings, as it comes round to the public side. The concrete wall therefore reflects the concrete buildings and is connected to the Support Hub buildings, appearing to flow off and helping to anchor the buildings into its context, giving the impression that the Support Hub is offered even more security. As the wall then enters the public area, the wall becomes engrained within the landscaping and appears to flow away.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 99
Development Boundary Design
The above two diagrams, and those on the opposite page, help to explain the main premise behind the boundary wall. The private buildings of the scheme are faceted, angular buildings, sitting within a residential, linear area. The use of the wall is not only to provide security and privacy to the residents, but also to help blend the housing estates and scheme together. In the top diagram, you can see the progression from the housing estates, to the wall and onto the support hub buildings, through the accommodation and onto the public buildings. The wall therefore shields the faceted walls of the support hub buildings from the public view; allowing views only of the roof. The roof has been designed to match the faceted buildings, but also to reflect the varied roof scape of the surrounding housing estates. The above building section shows the housing estate to the left and the road through to Imphal Barracks. The scheme then begins with a section through the wall, which is of a similar height to the surrounding houses. This is a purposeful decision so as not to detract from either the houses or the scheme. The section then cuts through one of the accommodation buildings, with the support hub in the background. As you can see, by using similar levels and a similar language, the boundary wall helps to break up the long façade and shield the faceted walls from public view.
Although designed to offer privacy and security for the residents, the boundary wall offers many other functions. One of these is to act as a backdrop with seating and shelter in the residents’ gardens from their accommodation buildings. This then gives the opportunity for residents to come outside briefly for a breath of fresh air, or simply get some space. The boundary roof will offer shelter from the elements, allowing the residents to still experience the outdoors in all weathers.
Page 100
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Development Boundary Design
On the previous page I described how in the public areas, the boundary wall will begin to blend away and diminish into the landscaping, as if the whole site has been created from the ground. There is also a secondary reason for lowering the boundary wall to this southern side, and that is to allow plenty of natural daylight to pass into the public buildings. This natural strategy is very important for the design and sustainability of the building, therefore the boundary wall can not implicate this.
As described previously, the building plan of the boundary wall is heavily influenced by the floor plans of the surrounding housing estates, as the walls step in and out. This was a conscious decision to further blend the scheme into it’s context, using the local language. The diagrams above depict a typical house along the street, and the building form of the wall. As is the case with the housing estates, the recesses within the wall vary along the length of the wall, breaking up the pattern and offering variety.
The boundary wall is a very important part of the scheme and helps to link the project into it’s surrounding area and context. The images and diagrams on this page help to show the design thoughts behind the wall. Primarily based on the forms found in the surrounding housing estates, the wall utilises similar levels of the houses so as not to detract from either the houses or the scheme, and helps give the site a human scale. Furthermore, the wall offers shelter to the residents when they are in the courtyard spaces and provides seating. Additionally, as can be seen in future pages, the boundary wall will act as a circulation means, to help the residents travel around the site. On the following pages are various views and elevations of the wall, helping to give a better understanding of it’s appearance and materiality. I will then begin to look into the landscaping of the scheme.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 101
Proposal Design Development
Residents’ Entrance through the Support Hub
Western View
Page 102
Gym Entrance
Western Elevation
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Proposal Design Development
Aerial View from Support Hub
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 103
Design Development
The following sub chapter will investigate the landscaping of the scheme. The landscaping will be a large proportion of the scheme and needs to tie into the building typology, in order to create the scheme’s language. By analysing a variety of precedents, I aim to develop a succinct proposal that blends in with the buildings, and helps to tie the scheme to it’s surrounding context.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 105
Concept Landscaping
In conjunction with looking into the boundary treatment, the landscaping of the scheme will be extremely important. In the previous workbook I began to look into various landscaping techniques and possibilities and this will be furthered explored over subsequent pages. As you can see opposite, a variety of materials and planting will be required, to help integrate both the scheme into the landscape, as well as assisting in the rehabilitation of the residents. Whilst the landscaping will need to offer accessible features, I want these to feel an integral part of the design, as opposed to an add on and after thought. Shown on this page are a series of images that show the type of landscaping I am looking for As you can see, water will play a key part, with water being well known to help calm people and create a tranquil environment. The use of materials will also be key, as well as ensuring that there are no lips between changing materials, as this can create a tripping hazard. On the following page, there are further examples of my landscaping proposal, as well as the initial proposals. Page 106
Improving the health of those who Serve
Concept Landscaping
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 107
Concept Landscaping
The plan opposite helps to show the general concept and locations of the various zones of the landscaping. As the residents pass through the site along the main circulation route, the residents will travel from courtyard to courtyard (signified in the grey ovals) with a focal point in the main courtyards, to give an easily identifiable gathering point. With each accommodation building, there will be a green outdoor space, to allow the residents a private space where they can relax and contemplate. Within this more private area, the landscaping will be used to soften the solidity of the concrete. Therefore the paths will be created from timber, slightly raised above the ground, to allow for water to drain through - this will be to prevent the path ways becoming slippery, an important consideration for disabled residents. Water will be used to signify the boundary between the private and public accommodation. The only crossing point will be the gate house, giving the residents their sense of privacy and security. Page 108
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Landscaping Public Courtyard Area Private Garden Area
Tennis Courts
Private Courtyard Area Water Public Focal Point
10 12 13
15
13
11
1
18
-
16
-
Stone
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Garbutt House
D OA YR A R B
Page 109
Landscaping Focal Points
As well as considering the materials around the landscape, I also propose to include a number of key spaces in order to allow individuals to reflect and contemplate. These spaces are described on this page and detailed in subsequent pages and chapters. One of my favourite spaces will be the reflection building, a similar building to that which houses the Skypsace exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It is a large, bare room with concrete seats and a large opening in the ceiling, open to the elements. Individuals are invited to reflect on the portion of sky they can see passing by. Another key element of the landscaping will be the war memorial. As you can see in the image above, names of those who have died while in service will be engraved on the wall.
space is not designed to scare the visitors, but merely to help them understand the types of environment that these soldiers work in. Finally there will be a space, leading to the war memorial, where as people are walking, footprints will appear in the sand next to them in order to replicate the soldiers that have been lost, and how soldiers consider themselves to be all as one group... On the following page is the landscaping proposition detailing in greater detail each space, based on the initial strategy shown on the previous page.
I wanted to help the visitors truly understand the landscape in which the residents have possibly lived and fought in. Therefore, a destroyed building will be displayed within the site in order to allow the visitors to truly experience the war zone. This Page 110
Improving the health of those who Serve
Landscaping Focal Points
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 111
Concept Landscaping
-
Page 112
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Concept Landscaping
War zone - This area is designed to replicate a town in a war struck region, such as Syria or Iraq. It is hidden behind high HESCO walls to prevent the residents from being able to see the area and to create a sense of horror and shock to the visitors as they enter the scheme. Brick cobble landscaping
Reflection Pool - Following the war zone area, the reflection pool is an area in which the visitors can sit and reflect on what they’ve just seen, and try to imagine the real world war zone. Water is a very tranquil environment and will help to calm the visitors. War Pool - To mirror the reflection pool and the war zone, the war pool is to represent a fountain in a war zone.
Shale
Timber footpath
Brick Cobble footpath
Grass and soft landscaping
Memorial Wall - At the entrance to the site is the memorial wall. Down a slope, the wall will be covered with the names of soldiers having fallen in the local regiments, and who are from the local area. Fallen Brothers - As the visitors walk up to the memorial wall, the visitors will walk along the path, and on each step a sensor will be triggered, that activate a “ghost” footprint to be taken in the sand alongside the visitor, to represent those fallen soldiers. Contemplation Room - This building is designed to allow the visitors to relax and contemplate. With a large opening in the roof to the sky, this will be the only view the inhabitants have. Residents Garden - In the residents garden, specialist planters will allow the residents to have wheelchair accessible gardens where they can learn a new skill, grow their own fruit and veg and relax. Opposite is the initial concept landscaping plan for the proposal, with a brief description of the key spaces above. I like the features that are in place at the minute and I believe that the visitor’s will get a sense of what the soldiers’ have been through as they wander through the landscaping. However, at the minute I don’t feel as though there is much correlation between the buildings and landscaping. They appear as though they have been developed in isolation, with little thought for one another. Whilst the buildings are angular and fairly irregular, the landscaping is very linear and flat. In order to develop the landscaping proposal, I believe I need to adopt a layered approach to privacy, similar to that of the buildings. Furthermore, by expanding the landscaping out into Walmgate Stray further, the scheme, I believe, will fit better into it’s context. Finally, the paths through the landscaping need to reflect that of those between the buildings, not at right angles but rather a fluid motion of small angles, that open to reveal courtyards. These concepts are detailed further in upcoming pages.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 113
Design Development Landscaping
As mentioned on the previous page, I needed to take a step back from the landscaping in order to produce a scheme that is more in keeping with the building proposal. Similar to how the buildings are arranged, I am proposing to use layers of privacy, to match the building scheme. In a similar manner to the building design, the spaces will begin with a high level of privacy - spaces where visitors will individually experience these landscaped spaces. As visitors enter these areas, I want them to wander around as individuals, taking the time to view the exhibits on their own to really understand the adventures and experiences that the soldiers have gone through.
become the spaces where the visitors have the opportunity to meet the residents and have a much greater understanding and respect for the challenges that the soldiers’ have faced. It is in these public buildings where I envisage all involved to open up about their thoughts and experiences.
The second layer (indicated in the darker blue) is then where the visitors come back together and rejoin their partners in a courtyard area and reflection areas. These are likely to be courtyard type spaces, reminiscent of the use of the courtyards throughout the building plans. Laying the landscaping out as in the above diagram, the public buildings then Page 114
Improving the health of those who Serve
Design Development Landscaping Residents’ Garden This private outdoor space is an extension of the courtyards spaces each bedroom block receives. Here, there will be plenty of seating and decking areas, to allow the resident’s the opportunity to barbecue in summer, chat and meet with other residents and enjoy the outdoors in the woodland area. Physical therapy is also a key part of the scheme, therefore there will be large multi use sports pitch, to allow the resident’s to participate in any number of sports, throughout the year. Finally, this space will also allow for a path to be created, which links to the roofs of the public buildings, giving another layer of openness to the scheme, and allowing the residents to view York from another focal point. War Zone As described on the previous page, the War Zone is designed as a replica of a war torn village, such as Aleppo in Syria. So as not to cause flashbacks for the residents, this area will be protected from boundary walls, helping to shield the area away from people, unless they choose to enter. However, so as not to be the focal point as visitors approach the site, the area will be sunk into the ground, with the boundary walls rising a metre above ground level. I want this to be an area where people enter almost individually; a space where people are given the chance to breathe and take in the magnitude of their surroundings, in order to fully understand just how it is to live in areas like this. Memorial Wall At the main entrance point for the visitors, the Memorial Wall is going to be one of the main focal points and as such, needs to set the scene for the visitors. It is from here that the visitors’ journey begins, where the paths branch out from. As with the War Zone, I want this space to be experienced by individuals, truly reflecting on the names in front of them and the experiences they must have had. It is from here that the visitors then have a choice, of whether to go to the War Zone or the Contemplation Room.
Contemplation Room As mentioned on the previous page, this building is designed to allow the visitors to relax and contemplate on the names they have just seen on the Memorial Wall, and to prepare them for what is to come. Similar to the two previous spaces, I want people to experience this space as an individual, before coming together in the next “layer” and discussing what they’ve found.
Reflection Space These two spaces highlighted in the darker blue, represent the next “layer” on the visitors’ approach to the buildings. Having experienced the previous spaces as individuals, this is where people come together in order to reflect on what they’ve just witnessed, before entering the scheme and viewing the stories and the artefacts of the residents. These are likely to be courtyard areas, with seating and shelter available. I am also proposing to include a water feature through the site and these courtyards will look out onto this water feature, creating a calmer and contemplative atmosphere.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 115
Design Development Landscaping
Following on from the landscaping strategy outlined on the previous page, using the angular path forms, will help to tie the landscaping and building forms in more greatly. In the grey dotted line above, it is possible to see the main route through the site for the residents. With slight deviations from the linear path, this is the main circulation route through the site, and as such enjoys wide open paths, with smaller, secondary paths coming from here. It is this concept that is to be transferred into the landscaping design.
Key Main Public Entrance Public Point of Entry to Buildings Public Paths Private Path to Residents’ Garden Private Path through Buildings
The thicker blue dashed line indicates the direction that the visitors will approach the buildings. As you can see, the there are two main routes into the building complex and they both follow the lines of the buildings, emphasising how the paths define the buildings, as opposed to the other way round. From the main public entrance off Walmgate Stray, the paths meander through the various segments of the landscaping to these two main routes into the buildings. The Page 116
Improving the health of those who Serve
Design Development Landscaping
paths will carve out the positions of the various spaces of the public landscaping, and will raise and fall along the new contours of the land, as the paths do in the Botanical Garden in Barcelona. In the above diagram, I have experimented with how the paths can follow the various shapes of the key landscaping spaces. The intention is to have a series of paths that become wider and narrower, in the same manner as the paths within the buildings. On the following pages are a series of renders depicting various views of the landscaping and buildings. The landscaping plays a very prominent roll within the scheme, with plenty of trees and shrubbery being used to break up the expanse of grass. The plants have been chosen to resemble the different areas of war zones. Further details have been provided on the following page of the final landscaping proposals.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 117
Residents’ Circulation Landscaping
Constructed from timbers to contrast the concrete buildings, the residents’ path network will be designed to have subtle ramps and slopes - this is to add a sense of fun and excitement into the scheme for wheelchair users - effectively creating a mini skate park for wheelchair users.
The boundary wall houses an external ramp, designed to Part M standards. This ramp allows the residents access to the rooftop garden from their private garden area.
Fitted with a sedam roof, the roofs of the public buildings create a secondary private garden for the residents, offering views over the scheme and York itself.
The bridge provides access from the museum building, over to the art room / workshop / exhibition centre. Constructed from a metal grate floor and thin steel railings, the bridge is designed to be as minimalistic as possible so as not to detract from the buildings.
In following pages I give a detailed view of the landscaping proposal; however, prior to this I wanted to show the circulation routes through the scheme, following on from the previous page. In the above diagram I display the residents’ circulation routes through the scheme. Although they are welcome to walk around the public gardens as they wish, the above paths are the predominant paths they’ll utilise. As described in the previous sub-chapter, the boundary wall it used to house a ramp, which allows the residents access from their private garden, up onto the top of the museum, and workshop / art room / exhibition building. Residents then ave the opportunity for fantastic vistas over York and the public gardens. The roof access has also furthered the design of the scheme and the appearance of the public buildings. To avoid having unsightly railings around the perimeter of the public roofs, a secondary roof has been installed. This creates an uninterrupted line of site when viewed from ground level, whilst also providing the necessary safety precautions for the residents. As an extension of the landscaping, the public building Page 118
roofs are fitted with a grass roof system. There are further reasons for adding a green roof to the public buildings - it provides a pleasant finish for the residents when they are on the roof; additional insulation for the buildings as well as increasing the sustainability of the scheme by utilising rain water; and finally it gives fantastic views fore the residents of the nearby housing estates. Whilst the external perimeter of the roof is designed to look like an extension of the roof, the internal railing are to be fitted with a glass balustrade. This is because the balustrade will be providing protection from the inner courtyard, a feature designed to allow direct sunlight into the deeper parts of the plan. By using a glass balustrade, the direct sunlight isn’t affected. Shown opposite are various diagrams depicting this information. On the following page, I examine the public circulation routes, before moving onto the final landscape proposal.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Residents’ Circulation Landscaping
To provide the residents with further privacy whilst on the roof garden, and to avoid having clumsy railings around the perimeter of the buildings, I have included a “secondary” roof to the public buildings. From ground level, the roofs appear to be pitched, however, they conceal the roof garden. The additional roof also acts as a balustrade, in order to comply with Building Regulations, for the residents, and appear as a key design consideration, as opposed to a “clagged on” after thought.
To create a sustainable building, and to allow natural daylight into deeper parts of the plan, the inner courtyards were created. To prevent light flowing in through these courtyards, glass balustrades will be used around the perimeter, to offer protection to the residents when up on the roof.
The boundary wall will act as the ramp and mechanism to allow the residents to get up onto the public building’s roof. The ramp will begin within the residents’ garden and gently ramp up, in a manner compliant with current Building Regulations, to the roof level. A break in the roof will then allow residents to step from ramp to roof. garden. Covered in sedam, the roof promises to be a welcoming and warm environment.
To allow further access, the museum and workshop / art room / exhibition centre will be linked by a lightweight, stainless steel bridge. Again, the roof will break apart to allow the residents to step from one element to another. I decided against joining the art room roof with the gym roof, completing a loop, because the ramp down would have brought the residents down behind a bedroom accommodation; something I felt wasn’t approporiate.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 119
Public Circulation Landscaping The site currently is quite flat. However, with a large proportion of land being cleared for the buildings’ foundations, the stream through the site and the War Zone excavations, I propose to reuse the land to create artificial contours, increasing the sustainability of the site as this earth is reused as opposed to being taken to landfill.
Designed to be carved out of the ground, the War Zone area will sit 2m below ground level, with the perimeter wall rising 1m above ground level, to shield the view from the residents. The path leading to this area is similarly engraved into the landscaping, building the atmosphere for the visitors as they approach.
The visitors’ entrance to the scheme is designed to look as though it is created from the ground and simply emerges, before falling away in to the memorial wall and waterfall.
Although the majority of paths are designed to follow the contours of the site, as the visitors leave the Contemplation Room and head towards the buildings, they will go through an underground tunnel. This is to designed to create a sense of ”wow” as they emerge from the tunnel and look up to see the array of buildings.
Highlighted in the blue above, are the paths to be predominantly used by the members of the public visiting the scheme. These paths are designed to reflect the buildings fractured nature, being heavily influenced by the Barcelona Botanical Garden, where the paths followed the contours of the site. Although the land is currently quite flat, I intend to create a contoured landscape using the earth dug out for the foundations of the buildings, furthering the sustainability of the scheme. Although the majority of paths will follow the contours, there are some instances where the paths differ. One such instance is the path down to the War Zone replica area. This area has specifically been sunk into the ground, so as not to provide an eye sore on the scheme. The paths therefore are carved into the ground, preparing the visitors for what they are about to see.
The stepping stones and landscaped water gardens will add an extra layer for families visiting the scheme.
under the ground in a tunnel, hidden underneath the boundary wall. The change in levels are designed to give the visitors a better understanding of the eye line of a wheelchair user. As the visitors walk along the path, they will be at a wheel chair users eye level as they travel along the boundary wall and past the nearby houses garden fences. The public paths will be constructed from a blue square brick finish, again to contrast the buildings and to signify a change in area to the residents once they enter the public domain. On the following page are a plan and 3D view of the landscaping proposal.
The other place where the path differs to the ground level, is when the visitors leave the Contemplation Room, heading towards the buildings. Here the path goes Page 120
Improving the health of those who Serve
Public Circulation Landscaping The War Zone is designed to be as subtle as possible from the exterior, in stark contrast to it’s interior. With an entrance at either end, the perimeter walls step up as you progress through the area, so as to provide maximum privacy from the residents’ garden and views. It is also possible to see the change in levels when looking at the entrance to the east of the plan.
The stepping stones lead you to a little island within the water area, or to a separate circular path. The stepping stones and water park are designed to be an attraction for the young kids, allowing the scheme to be experienced by all families.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Another area carved into the landscape is the Contemplation room. As the building is lower in the landscape, is doesn’t pose as an eye sore over the scheme, and becomes a subtle attraction. Furthermore, you can see in the above image how the boundary wall is blending into the landscape, and is at the point where it “emerges” from the ground.
Page 121
Proposal Landscaping
Page 122
Improving the health of those who Serve
Proposal Landscaping
Using the concept ideas on previous pages, and the designs developed during the building layout proposals, the landscaping plan shown on this page was generated. The main entrance point for the visitors is from the Memorial Wall, which is entered underneath a waterfall, further images of which can be seen on the following page. As it is possible to see, there are a number of paths which meander around the site, taking the visitors to each of the various key spaces. As well as the main paths of cobbled blue stones, there will be smaller, secondary paths outlined in gravel, the same material as many of the planting zones. In the above images, and subsequent images on the following pages, you can see how these paths rise and fall, with the one from the Reflection Space going under ground. This concept is to reflect the terrain that some of these soldiers encounter, but there is a secondary reason. As some visitors are at the lower path, they will be walking at hip height of visitors in other areas. This is to recreate the height of a wheelchair user, helping people to understand the view of the world from in a wheelchair.
Improving the health of those who Serve
The landscape will be adorned in trees from around the globe, clustered together so that each area appears as it would naturally. The large amount of trees and water running through the scheme is to help create a relaxing, rehabilitating environment, adding to the existing Walmgate Stray and increasing the ecology of he local area, as opposed to diminishing away from it. Finally, the use of stones and boulders is a reference to the concrete private buildings, a way of showing how the stone has crumbled away to leave the remnants. On the following pages, are a series of images of different views of the landscaping to help give further detail. Following this are images of the 1:500 site plan model in progress, with final images being shown in the final chapter.
Page 123
Landscaping Views
View of Residents’ Garden
View from Workshop across public landscaping
Page 124
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Landscaping Views
View from Walmgate Stray Entrance
View from Public Gardens towards Scheme
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 125
Site Model Landscaping
Page 126
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Site Model Landscaping
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 127
Design Development Chapter Conclusion
A lot of work has been discussed within this chapter, and I believe that the whole scheme has now come together in a succinct manner that I am both pleased and proud of. I set out to design a series of buildings that depicted the journey that the residents have been on, and having developed a range of building typologies, I believe this has been achieved. I initially began by investigating how best to arrange the buildings on the site, with this further developing as the façades developed. Following this I developed the internal layouts. Having carefully analysed and evaluated the required areas in my DS3 work following precedent research, I had a good starting platform. I understood where in the buildings would benefit from natural daylighting and ventilation means and used the early analyse of my DS3 work, began to arrange the internal layouts to best suit their required criteria. After reading how ex service personnel struggle being individuals again, and living and sleeping on their own, I decided to reintroduce a barracks type arrangement into the bedroom accommodation. This led to the development of the “bedroom pod.” The pod offers a space that the residents can move around the accommodation building, providing flexibility to either open up the space to allow for various activities, or giving the residents the opportunity to move their pod to a quiet location, close the pod up and gain some privacy. One of the main points following discussions with the Phoenix Centre Manager was flexibility, and I believe this pod offers just that. With such a unique design in a residential area, the boundary between the scheme and it’s context became highly important. Having walked around the site and surrounding area, I noticed how varied the roof lines were, and the different styles of the houses. Therefore, the boundary wall was designed so as to appear relatively regular at ground level, reminiscent of the footprints of the surrounding buildings, before having an undulating roof line reflecting the roof pitches of the scheme’s buildings, at heights common with the surrounding houses to tie the buildings together. The final sub chapter was concerned with the landscaping of the scheme. The landscaping is a large portion of the scheme, as it also helps to tie the buildings into the Walmgate Stray. Designed in such a way as to reflect the buildings, the landscaping takes the visitors on a journey to help give them an understanding of what the residents have been through. I believe I have worked hard on developing the proposal and I am pleased with the overall outcome. In the following chapter I will begin to develop the final drawings and renders of the scheme, to be used in my final year presentation.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 129
Final Drawings Chapter Introduction
Within this chapter, I aim to portray the final drawings and images to be displayed within my presentation. Having developed the design in previous chapters and my DS3 work, the drawings produced in this chapter will be developed in order to show off the scheme to it’s best abilities. I will use the chapter in order to conclude the scheme as a whole, looking to tell the story of how the residents have come to use the project and why they require it; and how this story is told in the building typologies. The chapter begins with looking at the story of how these residents came to use the centre and why it is considered to be so important to so many. The chapter will then move on to look at the final drawings.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 131
The Story
The story begins with the soldiers often travelling and exploring the world, helping and protecting strangers to them, but never the less, doing it to protect their country. They often feel invincible and have their whole futures ahead of them. The soldiers have a strong bond with their immediate regiment and the wider forces and can rely on one another. It is this camaraderie and togetherness that they often find difficult to be without once they leave the army.
One day, the soldier’s whole life can be turned upside down - whether this be in training, on the battle field, or completely unrelated to the forces. Physical injuries are often more easily treatable, although no less devastating, than the unseen mental health issues that can be undetected for years. Both physical and mental injuries have the ability to completely ruin the soldiers’ careers and can take many years to recover from, forcing the servicemen and women to reintegrate back into society.
The ex service personnel then face the gruelling challenge of rehabilitation. For physical injuries this involves many hours in the gym, gaining strength in the injured muscles and joints; or learning how to adapt to their new bodies if they’ve lost limbs or the function of limbs. For mental health issues, the rehabilitation process can often take a lot longer - there is the potential that their mental health can destroy their relationships and is one of the main reasons for ex soldiers ending up being homeless or struggling to cope with life itself.
Page 132
Improving the health of those who Serve
The Story
Although Help for Heroes is there to provide support for the service personnel throughout their recovery, it is often at the point where the ex soldiers are physically able to look after themselves and self medicate, where the centres begin to accept them onto a Help for Heroes course. With special military and civilian trained rehabilitation staff, the centres offer a range of physical rehabilitation courses to help the residents adapt back to civilian life, and gain back some of their adventurous and competitive lifestyle they had become accustomed to within the forces.
In conjunction with the physical rehabilitation, the Help for Heroes centres also offer a range of workshops to help the residents reintegrate into society and gain employment. Courses range from CV writing and interview preparation, to IT skills and wood working methods. The centres can also help residents gain qualifications, such as A-levels, further enhancing their education and allowing the residents to gain the employment they want. Furthermore, many of the centres offer a Support Hub. This is a safe place, a place where current and ex service personnel can call into or make an appointment, to gain any support they may require - from help with their rehabilitation, reintegration with society, advice and many other things. The service personnel can often feel daunted by the whole centre, therefore the Support Hub is there to offer them the first stepping point along the process in a quiet and discreet manner. Furthermore, the Support Hub is the place where a number of charities have a space and desks where they can come together, in order to be more productive and forge closer ties to work together, ultimately benefiting everyone.
I believe it is important at this point to take a step back away from the design and review the story of how the residents came to use the centre. This page aims to summarise this process, from the beginning where the forces are out on patrol, through their injury, to leaving the centre. This process has helped to form the concept of my building layouts and typologies - understanding this story has allowed me to design the buildings to reflect the monumental challenge that the residents have been on, and to celebrate their success and achievements to date, and express the joy with which they have to look forward to in the future. I believe that my proposals compliment this story and over the upcoming pages, I hope that my final drawings and images can do justice to the success stories of the residents. The drawings will vary in scale, with a range of plans, sections, renders, models and perspectives available.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 133
Final Drawings Site Plan
Page 134
Site Plan 1:500
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Building Perspective
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 135
Final Drawings Building Plan
Bedroom
Bedroom Support Hub
Museum Bedroom
Support Hub Residents’ Centre
Bedroom
Residents’ Centre Bedroom
Bedroom Workshop Gate House
Exhibition Centre Gym
Art Room
Page 136
Site Plan 1:500
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Furniture Plan
Improving the health of those who Serve
Site Plan 1:500
Page 137
Final Drawings Site & Building Sections
A
B
D C
D
C
B
A
Page 138
Site Plan 1:500
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Site & Building Sections
Section A-A 1:500
Section B-B 1:500
Section C-C 1:150
Section D-D 1:150
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 139
Final Drawings Environmental Strategies
Summer Heating, Cooling and Ventilation Strategy
The public buildings have the large overhanging roofs, that help to reduce the amount of direct sunlight entering the building, increasing the solar gain within the buildings. However, to assist in naturally lighting the deeper parts of the plan, have an inner courtyard. The private buildings also operate with different summer and winter strategies, although adopt a different approach. The public buildings rely on solar gain to assist heat their spaces, the private buildings utilises the thermal mass of the concrete. This helps to reduce the heating costs, as the thermal mass will regulate the temperature. It does this by absorbing the suns heat, keeping the internal space cool, before slowly radiating that heat during cooler periods, such as at night. If additional daytime cooling is required in these spaces, the Building Management System (BMS) will open top lights in the curtain walling, allowing warm air to be exhausted.
Page 140
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Environmental Strategies
Winter Heating, Cooling and Ventilation Strategy
In the winter months when the sun is at a lower angle, the overhangs of the public buildings are redundant as the direct sunlight penetrates the building and helps to both naturally heat (via solar gain) and light the internal environments. Additional heating may be require, being supplemented by the underfloor heating. The private buildings adopt a different approach to their heating and ventilation strategies. The public buildings rely on solar gain to assist heat their spaces, the private buildings utilises the thermal mass of the concrete as well as solar gain. This helps to reduce the heating costs, as the thermal mass will regulate the temperature. It does this by absorbing the suns heat, keeping the internal space cool, before slowly radiating that heat during cooler periods, such as at night. During the winter months when the sun is at a lower intensity, the buildings will require additional heating from the underfloor heating. Additionally, the ground vents will be closed, to avoid air leakage, and the blinds will be closed a lot earlier, to assist in keeping the heat in.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 141
Final Drawings Environmental Strategies
Summer Environmental Strategy
During the summer months with the sun at a higher angle in the sky, the two different types of buildings work in different ways. In the private, concrete buildings, they use the day time as an almost recharging process - restoring their thermal mass and absorbing the sun’s heat. This helps to keep the internal environment cooler with the assistance of the ground floor vents. If additional cooling is required, opening lights in the curtain wall will allow the rising hot air to be extinguished at high level. With the sun at a higher level, the buildings will cast little shadow upon one another as seen in previous pages, although the integral blinds can be lowered, to further reduce solar gain. In the public buildings, with heat generating machinery, the overhanging roofs help to combat unwanted solar gain. With the buildings being unoccupied during the evening, it is more important to regulate the temperature during day time hours, as opposed to 24 hours. Therefore, during summer, if any additional heating is required, this is supplemented by the underfloor heating. Although the overhangs prevent direct daylight entering the front of the buildings, the inner courtyards help to get light deeper into the plan, reducing the need for general artificial lighting. However, task specific artificial lighting is still required.
Page 142
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Environmental Strategies
Winter Environmental Strategy
In Winter, there is a greater reliance upon artificial lighting and heating, due to the shorter daylight hours and the less intense sun. The concrete buildings therefore are heated by the underfloor heating, with any excess heat to be absorbed by the thermal mass of the concrete which can then be released during the evening hours. Additionally, with a higher amount of rainfall, the concrete roofs are used to collect rain water, which is then stored within the tanks as indicated previously. There is a steady amount of rainfall throughout the year, however as seen in DSIT A, there is generally more rain during the winter months. With the sun being lower in the sky, the overhanging roofs no longer prevent direct daylight from entering the public buildings. This therefore helps to heat the internal spaces, although as the sun is less intense, the solar gain may be minimal. The boundary wall surrounding the site will help to disturb the wind, designed to lift the wind up and over head height.
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 143
Final Drawings Public Views
View of Museum from Visitor Gardens
View of Visitor Gardens from Workshop
Page 144
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Pubic Views
View of Workshop from Visitor Gardens
View of Gym from Housing Estates
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 145
Final Drawings Resident Views
View of Support Hub from main entrance
Page 146
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Resident Views
View of Gym and Art Room from the Gate House
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 147
Final Drawings Internal Spaces
Bedroom Accommodation
Gym
Page 148
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Internal Spaces
Workshop
Residents’ Centre
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 149
Final Drawings Site Model
Page 150
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Site Model
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 151
Final Drawings Residents’ Centre Model
Page 152
Improving the health of those who Serve
Final Drawings Residents’ Centre Model
Improving the health of those who Serve
Page 153
Final Drawings Chapter Conclusion
With this being the end of my the DS4 workbook, and ultimately my MArch Design Studies, the below will act as a conclusion to my portfolio of work. I am extremely proud of the work I have produced - I believe it to be a realistic and urgently required scheme, that has the potential to benefit many people and their families. I hope that the various building typologies comes across as telling the story that the residents have been on and how much they have achieved. I designed the buildings such that they would be a celebration of the residents’ achievements and reminder of the journey they have been on. By welcoming the residents into the faceted Support Hub, that appears to embrace itself, the buildings are designed to mirror the welcoming internal atmosphere created by the staff. As the residents pass through the site, the buildings are designed to become more familiar and traditional, reminiscent of their journey back into civilian life. Although the building plans and angles of the walls are slightly irregular, I don’t believe that this has a negative impact on the usability of the buildings. Instead they offer intrigue and fun into the buildings. The landscaping has become a huge portion of the scheme and I believe that it really helps to tie the site in with the surrounding Walmgate Stray. With the private buildings being quite distinctive shapes, the public buildings that face out onto the stray are slightly more familiar, and being clad in wood offer a more natural appearance. Whilst they are slightly larger in scale than the surrounding houses, they are not too dissimilar in size to the adjacent Imphal Barracks. In a similar fashion to the buildings, the landscaping has been divided up into public and private areas. The journey that the public gardens takes the residents on, I believe, is fantastic. I hope that it helps to give the visitors an imagination of just what the residents have been through. And as the residents arrive, often individually at the centre before coming together and forging bonds, the public gardens aim to take the visitors on a similar journey. Therefore, when the residents and the visitors come together in the Exhibition Space, they share a mutual respect and can open up and talk about their experiences. Having studied for the course part time, I have thoroughly enjoyed having the creative design outlet in my university studies. I thoroughly enjoy having the “real world” limitations in my work in practice and having to design buildings in such a way as to the Clients’ specifications,; however, by having a “limitless” resource in my university design, I have enjoyed testing materials and concepts to their fullest, something that Structural Engineers are often reluctant to do! I look forward to progressing my studies and working towards attaining my Part 3 accreditation in years to come, and continue to work for the practice who have supported me so brilliantly through my studies. We have some fascinating projects lined up and I am very excited to continue to work on them. I will also aim to further assist the Help for Heroes charity where ever possible, and give my time to help ensure that these centres continue to grow and prosper around the country, as they are so vitally required.
Improving the lives of those who Serve
Page 155
References
Moveable / Flexible walls
Noli Plan
https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/08/viz_05.gif
https://www.google.co.uk/h?q=nolli+plan&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=580&sou rce=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBtsas5PjQAhUDNiYKHSbVBe4Q_ AUIBigB#imgrc=Q3ClAFsYSAT0bM%3A
http://design-milk.com/cuningham-group-architecture-designs-their-own-la-office/
Ruthin Visitor Centre https://www.google.co.uk/h?q=ruthin+craft+centre&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=58 0&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9oLqWgIHRAhUlBMAKHRpWB2 QQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=_
Frank Lloyd Wright
Edgeland House Precedence
https://books.google.co.uk/s?id=FTWMCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA47&lpg =PA47&dq=frank+lloyd+wright+dual+grid&source=bl&ots=9RKI FyPKrI&sig=FPU7jDKDtdEgNKOfLeQZa4cOsIc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm3OPD0M3PAhUlD8AKHfbpChAQ6AEINzAH#v=onepage&q=frank%20 lloyd%20wright%20dual%20grid&f=false
http://www.archdaily.com/331677/edgeland-house-bercy-chenstudio/571ca727e58ece282300013b-edgeland-house-bercy-chen-studio-seasondiagram
https://www.google.co.uk/h?q=non+rectilinear+construction+grids&espv=2&biw=1 366&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3q6bI8tDPAhWDJ8AK Hfh6DcwQ_AUIBigB&dpr=1#imgdii=EhJGH7p-TkChMM%3A%3BEhJGH7p-TkChMM% 3A%3Bskst5XxbMHbSgM%3A&imgrc=EhJGH7p-TkChMM%3A
Page 156
http://inhabitat.com/bercy-chen-studios-earth-bermed-edgeland-house-transformsa-former-brownfield-site-in-texas/
Improving the health of those who Serve
References
Carlos Ferrater Precedence
Washington
http://landscapeurbanism.aaschool.ac.uk/aalu-jose-alfredo-ramirez-clara-oloriz-inconversation-with-kerb-journal-and-pierre-belanger/
http://dc.curbed.com/2014/8/5/10064752/tracing-washington-dcs-design-roots-inversailles
http://wp.ferrater.com/?oab_proyecto=benidorm&idioma=_en#
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-brief-history-of-pierre-lenfant-andwashington-dc-39487784/
http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2009/08/jbb-jardin-botanico-barcelona/
Improving the health of those who Serve
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/a7/ c5/9ea7c5199b8c13a32ad0387cb51f426b.jpg
Page 157