MArch Architecture at ESALA | Academic Portfolio 2019-2021 by Caitlin_MacLeod

ACADEMICPORTFOLIOPART2

CAITLINMACLEOD s1440163 ESALA 2019-2021

CONTENTS introduction p. 3 p. 4-5

year 1 p. 6-15 p. 16-22

year 1 p. 23-36 p. 37-42

year 2 p. 43-57 p. 58-67

year 2 p. 68-82 p. 83-85 p. 86-87

Navigation: Page sample ARB Criteria

semester 1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) Architectural Technology Research

semester 2 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

semester 1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) Architectural Management, Practice and Law

semester 2 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) Design Report Part-time employment: Collective Architecture

TITLE OF COURSE HERE | YX | SX

Course title | Year |Semester Semester colour code

NAVIGATION: PAGE SAMPLE

Assignment title

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Assignment Description

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

ARB General Criteria mapping

Page number

CRITERIA

ARB general criteria at part 1 and 2 GC1. Ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements. GC1.1 Prepare and present building design projects of diverse scale, complexity, and type in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and in response to a brief GC1.2 Understand the constructional and structural systems, the environmental strategies and the regulatory requirements that apply to the design and construction of a comprehensive design project GC1.3 Develop a conceptual and critical approach to architectural design that integrates and satisfies the aesthetic aspects of a building and the technical requirements of its construction and the needs of the user GC2. Adequate knowledge of the histories and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences. GC2.1 The cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories and technologies that influence the design of buildings GC2.2 The influence of history and theory on the spatial, social, and technological aspects of architecture GC2.3 The application of appropriate theoretical concepts to studio design projects, demonstrating reflective and critical approach. GC3. Knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design. GC3.1 How the theories, practices and technologies of the arts influence architectural design GC3.2 The creative application of the fine arts and their relevance and impact on architecture GC3.3 The creative application of such work to studio design projects, interms of their conceptualisation and representation GC4. Adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process. GC4.1 Theories of urban design and the planning of communities GC4.2 The influence of the design and development of cities, past and present on the contemporary built environment GC4.3 Current planning policy and development control legislation, including social, environmental and economic aspects, and the relevance of these to design development

GC5. Understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale. GC5.1 The needs and aspirations of building users GC5.2 The impact of buildings on the environment, the precepts of sustainable design GC5.3 The way in which buildings fit in to their local context GC6. Understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors. GC6.1 The nature of professionalism and the duties and responsibilities of architects to clients, building users, constructors, co-professionals and the wider society GC6.2 The role of the architect within the design team and construction industry, recognising the importance of current methods and trends in the construction of the built environment GC6.3 The potential impact of building projects on existing and proposed communities GC7. Understanding of the methods of investigation/preparation of the brief for a design project. GC7.1 The need to critically review precedents relevant to the function, organisation and technological strategy of design proposals GC7.2 The need to appraise and prepare building briefs of diverse scales and types, to define client and user requirements and their appropriateness to site and context GC7.3 The contributions of architects and co-professionals to the formulation of the brief, and the methods of investigation used in its preparation. GC8. Understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with building design. GC8.1 the investigation, critical appraisal and selection of alternative structural, constructional and material systems relevant to architectural design GC8.2 strategies for building construction, and ability to integrate knowledge of structural principles and construction techniques GC8.3 the physical properties and characteristics of building materials, components and systems, and the environmental impact of specification choices

GC9. Adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate. GC9.1 Principles associated with designing optimum visual, thermal and acoustic environments GC9.2 Systems for environmental comfort realised within relevant precepts of sustainable design GC9.3 Strategies for building services, and ability to integrate these in a design project. G10. The necessary design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations. GC10.1 Critically examine the financial factors implied in varying building types, constructional systems, and specification choices, and the impact of these on architectural design GC10.2 Understand the cost control mechanisms which operate during the development of a project GC10.3 Prepare designs that will meet building users’ requirements and comply with UK legislation, appropriate performance standards and health and safety requirements G11. Adequate knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning. GC11.1 The fundamental legal, professional and statutory responsibilities of the architect, and the organisations, regulations and procedures involved in the negotiation and approval of architectural designs, including land law, development control, building regulations and health and safety legislation GC11.2 the professional inter-relationships of individuals and organisations involved in procuring and delivering architectural projects, and how these are defined through contractual and organisational structures GC11.3 the basic management theories and business principles related to running both an architect’s practice and architectural projects, recognising current and emerging trends in the construction industry

CRITERIA

ARB graduate attributes for part 2 GA2 With regard to meeting the eleven General Criteria at Parts 1 and 2, the Part 2 will be awarded to students who have;

GA2.1. Ability to generate complex design proposals showing understanding of current

test new hypotheses and speculations

architectural issues, originality in the application of subject knowledge and, where appropriate, to

GA2.2. Ability to evaluate and apply a comprehensive range of visual, oral and written media to

GA2.3. Ability to evaluate materials, processes and techniques that apply to complex architectural

GA2.4. Critical understanding of how knowledge is advanced through research to produce clear,

GA2.5. Understanding of the context of the architect and the construction industry, including the

GA2.6. Problem solving skills, professional judgment, and ability to take the initiative and make

GA2.7. Ability to identify individual learning needs and understand the personal responsibility

test, analyse, critically appraise and explain design proposals

designs and building construction, and to integrate these into practicable design proposals

logically argued and original written work relating to architectural culture, theory and design

architect’s role in the processes of procurement and building production, and under legislation

appropriate decisions in complex and unpredictable circumstances

required to prepare for qualification as an architect

1.1

YEAR 1 SEMESTER 1 Sep-Dec 2019

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1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) 1.1.2 Architectural Technology Research

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

COURSE SUMMARY The emphasis in this course, which gives students the opportunity to develop a major design project, is upon exploratory and creative work. It seeks to encourage projects that are investigative, poetic, theoretically informed, and that deal in a critical way with issues and questions of contemporary relevance. It looks for a sustained and rigorous process of study in all aspects of the student’s work. LO1 The ability to develop and act upon a productive conceptual framework both individually and in teams for an architectural project or proposition, based on a critical analysis of relevant issues. LO2 The ability to develop an architectural spatial and material language that is carefully considered at an experiential level and that is in clear dialogue with conceptual and contextual concerns. LO3

A critical understanding of the effects of, and the development of skills in using, differing forms of representation (e.g. verbal, drawing, modeling, photography, film, computer and workshop techniques), especially in relation to individual and group work.

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F I R E - S PA C E : L O N D O N |

1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

L i a m Ro ss / To l u O n a b o l u

STUDIO THEMES AND FOCUS | FROM BRIEF ‘Fire produces space. From the nomad’s bonfire to the contemporary HVAC system, fire is our most fundamental technology of environmental control, our hearths synonymous with our homes. Likewise, from brick-kiln to thermoset plastic, fire is perhaps our most important building construction technology, a forge through which almost all of our building products are produced. That is, fire is a productive tool, necessary for both the construction and the maintenance of the built environment. But our buildings and cities are the product of fire in another way, also. Fire is a risk, a destructive element; through arson, accident and acts of war, fire consumes our buildings and cities, wiping out their inertia of investment, and with it the physical and economic resistance to change. Indeed, as Olga Medvedkova reflects above, accidental fire is perhaps the precondition for a utopian urban imagination. Of course, the ‘space’ that fires produce – both accidentally, and by design - is not just physical. Fire produces legal and political opportunities, too. When fires destroy our buildings, its also wipes out debt relationships, re-writes property boundaries, and discredits legal frameworks. The risk of fire and the promise of future safety are powerful concerns around which to build programmes of social as well as architectural change; fires are often the catalyst through which new ‘regulatory spaces’ are built, new legal frameworks that bring with them new kinds of political possibility This M.Arch modular pathway is an investigation into the intentional and accidental productivity of fire for architecture and urban design. It is concerned with the way that technologies of fire control and problems of fire-safety prompt innovation at the intersection between architecture, technology, law and politics. It calls this intersection ‘Fire Space’, and takes the city of London as a case for study.’

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Research into the effects of the 1940 Blitz on the city of London, including LCC bomb maps (top left), photographs of citizens sheltering during bombing, the extent of damage across the city following the event and redevelopment plans for Elephant and Castle in succeeding years (bottom left), and extracts from the London School of Economics report ‘The Billion Pound Drop’ (right).

1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

ARCHEOLOGIES OF FIRE | FSL. 1: EVENT ‘Identify a fire that occurred within the city of London over the defined period. In selecting a fire, you are invited to explore the breadth of different ways that fire might affect the design of the built environment, be that intentional or accidental, constructive or destructive. Your choice of fire might be an accidental fire, an act of arson or war, or a new mode of heating or construction technology, for instance. Nonetheless, you are asked to select a fire that constitutes an ‘event’; something that occurs at a distinct time and place, and that somehow changes the current conditions of possibility, questioning the current state of affairs, or making something new knowable or doable. That is, you are asked to select a fire on the basis of its likely future impact on urban and architectural cultures within the city.’

opportunity

“Everyone called it an ...that’s a difficult word if you suffered from bombing, were made homeless and saw people killed, but it was an opportunity for many”

Response: I chose to consider (and as such set as my brief for the semester) the effect of the 1940 Blitz on density and building height in London. Research at this stage focused heavily on bomb damage maps produced by London City Council, in which the extent of damage on buildings across the city following bombings were colour-coded. The maps were found to explain the unusual disparity between buildings in terms of style, height, typology etc, and led me to become interested in studying the postwar and ongoing redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle area, a major transport hub with a large population which was bombed heavily during the Blitz and which lay mostly in ruins after the war. Further studies into this location would reveal particular long-term economic benefits of bombing, which would become a key focus for work across both semesters: the opportunity of disaster.

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- Peter Larkham, Birmingham School of the Built Environment

Location of bomb

Sites cleared post-blitz

1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

ARCHEOLOGIES OF FIRE | FSL. 2: ARCHIVE ‘In this second exercise, you are asked to develop an extended understanding of the meaning of your selected fire. At stake here is not what those who experienced it thought about it, but the way it was called upon by others, the way it shaped future thought and action. This shaping effect might be discursive in nature; that is, you might consider how this event is talked and written about by others, how it is drawn upon as evidence for a particular argument, or legal requirement, by searching for textual references to the event. However, the effect of the fire might also be material; the buildings that result from a new form of construction technology, that occupy space cleared by intentional or accidental fire, or building technologies designed to mediate against negative effects of fire.’

1895

1:4000

1945

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1:4000 1950

LCC Bomb Damage Map

Location of bomb

Sites cleared post-blitz

Response: The London School of Economics report ‘The Billion Pound Drop’ calls upon the damage caused by the Blitz as key to the removal of ‘planning frictions’ in those sites which saw the most significant damage, drawing connections between this and the increase in building height and density in subsequent years. For this exercise, Elephant and Castle was examined in closer detail to test the validity of this claim; the neighbourhood being the site of both significant bomb damage and subsequent urban redevelopment plans was significant in this regard, and furthermore, the overlaying of bomb damage maps with plans of the area revealed a close relationship between damage and building height and density. (Right) Map layering to show urban development on bomb sites over time

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1967

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1980

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(Left) Sites of bombing in Elephant and Castle were modeled to demonstrate buildings which previously existed, were cleared following destruction in 1940, and replaced in future re-development efforts. This set the basis for exploring how factors of building height and density related to extent of bomb damage.

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1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

ARCHEOLOGIES OF FIRE | FSL. 3: TRACE ‘In this exercise you are asked to use the medium of design – of drawing – to further explore the impact of your selected fire on London. You are asked to devise means to drawing, of tracing out, spatial issues discovered in documentation you have connected to the original fire. That is, you are asked to draw your Archive, as it is built into the city. Again, design skill will be required here to develop means of temporal, spatial and thematic referencing. Your drawings might be made to a common scale, for instance, and/or they might form a sequence that is temporal in order. The conventions of drawing you adopt might be chosen so as to identify thematic connections between traces.’ Response: ‘Tracing’ the post-postwar neighbourhood of Elephant and Castle involved not only physical layering of site sections but also graphic translations of less visible conditions such as density (Floor Area Ratio) indeces of economic productivity according to the LSE. At this stage, the factor of affordability of housing was incorporated into the investigation of Elephant and Castle - could bomb damage during the 1940 Blitz have an effect on not only building heights and densities, but also rent prices of flats in that area? By studying three time periods - Pre-war, Post-war and Contemporary - it was found that, on average, Contemporary builds were the tallest, most dense and least affordable, while Post-war builds were the most affordable with a relatively similar density to Pre-war builds (the latter seeing the lowest-rise buildings at mid-affordability). These studies revealed the negative flip side of the economic productivity as reported by LSE; namely, the demolition of affordable housing units in E&C and the their replacement with inaffordable luxury flats and office spaces.

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In order to represent each time period (Pre-war, Post-war and Contemporary) architecturally, a building from each of these periods was selected for study - the pre-war housing of Gaywood Street, the post-war, affordable Heygate Housing Estate (now demolished) and the towering luxury apartment block the Strata. Each scheme is representative of the levels of affordability, density and height as is typical of buildings built in similar time periods and on sites which saw similar degrees of bomb damage during the 1940s Blitz. (Top) Elephant and Castle ‘historic layering’ (Above) E&C bomb damage, construction time periods, building heights, density (FAR) and rent prices (£k pcm) (Right) Context (time and place) of ‘study buildings’ + Blitz bomb damage extents on their sites

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1.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio C (Modular) | Y1 | S1

SITEAREA (A) CONSTRUCTION COST(c)

LANDVA LUE(v)

DEVELOPMENTCOST(dc)

A BLEPRIC DEVELOPMENTVALUE(dv) MARKETPRICE(p) MAXIM UMAFFO RD E(ap) ‘AFFORDABLE DENSITY’ (x)

‘This final exercise is intended to create a hinge between semester’s 1 and

2, and so between research and speculation. As such it has two overlapping

ambitions. The first ambition is to provide a means to exhibit the research you have conducted over the semester. To this end, you are asked to build a physical

structure that holds together key aspects of the material you have gathered to date. The second ambition is to further explore the emergent ‘architecture of fire’ you have traced out within the city of London. To this end, you are asked to build a structure that articulates the material as well as spatial language of

that architecture, in the way that it is built. You might think about this structure as a site model, as long as ‘site’ is not construed as only geographical. By ‘site’ we mean your selected fire (Event), the way it has shaped how we think about and do building in London (Archive), and the physical marks it has left on the

contemporary city (Trace).’

ARCHEOLOGIES OF FIRE | FSL. 4: APPARATUS

Response: The previous ‘Trace’ exercise revealed a lack of affordability in Elephant and Castle’s new build housing, due to a reduction in ‘planning friction’ on sites of heavy bomb damage during the Blitz. In order to remedy this, a formula was devised which would calculate ‘affordable density,’ the idea being that this could be applied to a new housing scheme to ensure its financially viability for developers whilst still being able to meet the Borough

of Southwark’s target of providing ‘at least 35% affordable housing’ units in the area. The inputs and working for this formula are shown opposite.

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The formula for affordable density (shown previous) was applied to each of the sample study housing developments. This was done in order to determine the necessary increase in Floor Area Ratio (i.e. density) required to allow each scheme to accommodate a minimum of 35% affordable units whilst still being financially viable, according to the rules set out by the formula. The metric chosen to represent this increase in FAR is height increase.

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After applying the formula to the study developments and determining the necessary increase in FAR (and, in turn, height), each study development height was mapped to the London City Council bomb damage map of 1941 as a means of remodelling the area. The new height of the Strata was mapped to the most damaged and completely destroyed builds, the postwar Heygate for less (but still seriously) damaged buildings, and prewar Gaywood Street for the least damaged areas. The result is a redesign of Elephant and Castle where height becomes an index of not only bomb damage, but also so-called ‘affordable density’, synthesising all the findings of the study in one datum model. (Above left) Datum model output (Below left) The new heights determined by the datum model were mapped onto historic images of Elephant and Castle. The image layers therefore show prewar, contemporary and ‘future’ Elephant and Castle, where sitewide height/ FAR increase is substantial

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1.1.2 Architectural Technology Research | Y1 | S1

COURSE SUMMARY Methods of building are continually changing. New materials; new processes; and new design tools create an environment where traditional paradigms may have less validity. Architectural programmes take place in a particular location, creating a new context. This sets up complex relationships situated in the links between methods of building, both contemporary and vernacular; materials; topography; climate; transportation; and industry. This course is intended to accumulate various sets of information that are both contextual and responsive to contemporary technological issues. Students will be involved in the research, collation, presentation and dissemination of a series of technical and environmental topics that are appropriate to the scale of complex design projects. LO1 An ability to appraise the technological and environmental conditions specific to issues in contemporary architecture, eg. sustainable design. LO2 An ability to analyse and synthesise technological and environmental information pertinent to particular context (eg. users, environment). LO3

An ability to organise, assimilate and present technological and environmental information in the broad context of architectural design to peer groups

LO4

An understanding of the potential impact of technological and environmental decisions of architectural design on a broader context.

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01 introduction

01 introduction |

We are in a climate emergency, and the construction industry - as significant contributors to climate breakdown - has an ethical duty to address it. According to NBS and BREEAM Mat 6, ‘the construction industry accounts for approximately 55% [of materials consumption], with buildings (including their operation) contributing 50% of total CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions.’¹ In order to adequately perform our duty, we in the construction industry must consider new technologies and processes which mitigate the negative effects of building on the environment. the circular economy

upcycling vs downcycling

down-cycling

up-cycling

BUILDING MATERIAL

RECYCLING PROCESS

LESS VALUABLE MATERIAL

(e.g. ﬁlling material in road construction)

BUILDING MATERIAL

RECYCLING PROCESS

aim of study

REUSE + REFURB ISHM N FOR ESIG EN T 2. D

With downcycling, the quality of the new product is reduced, as in the example of using construction waste to use as fill under roadbeds (Fig. 1). This means that the material becomes less and less valuable and is ‘downgraded’ with each life cycle. Upcycling, however, retains or improves upon the quality of the product.³ All recycling of building materials embodies the principles of the circular economy, by taking waste from construction and demolition processes (and sometimes elsewhere) and reusing them, and avoiding the consumption of raw materials as far as possible. However, the form of recycling known as upcycling is even more effective, as the process allows a retained or improved value of product to be made from the waste material, thus becoming metabolic in nature.

BUILDING MATERIAL

FOR MATERIAL RECOV ERY ESIGN 1. D

Upcycling and downcycling are both examples of recycling, a process which, it can be fairly assumed, we all understand to be a cornerstone of sustainable practice.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity which promotes ‘the transition to a circular economy,’ defines this phenomenon as ‘gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital.’² (see Fig. 2 overleaf)

02 aim + methodology

the circular economy

SIGN FOR SERVICE 3. DE

FOR LONG ESIGN EVIT 4. D Y

LESS VALUABLE MATERIAL

(e.g. ﬁlling material in road construction)

EQUALLY/MORE VALUABLE MATERIAL (e.g. WasteBasedBricks)

material traceability plan for deconstruction

• •

reuse of components recycling of materials

• •

upgradeable fixtures adaptable space

•

convertible building

• •

low maintenance non toxic/allergen-free

•

promote occupant well-being

• •

durable components systems approach

•

climate resilience

This study aims to examine and compare the processes of making and using various upcycled materials with those of raw materials, as well as comparing the quality of each. In doing this, we will critically evaluate the effectiveness of specifying upcycled materials over raw materials as a means of addressing the current climate emergency. methodology The report will directly compare various factors of each of the material products with regards to both the production process and quality of the final product. This direct comparison will allow us to evaluate the ‘sustainability’ of each material when a variety of relevant factors are taken into consideration. The report looks specifically at bricks in this study: as a modular unit it can be examined in isolation from a fully realised built form, and will be useful in terms of comparing different upcycled and raw material products. The upcycled material products which will be analysed include: 1. WasteBasedBrick by Stonecycling 2. Byfusion Block by Byfusion 3. K-briq by Kenoteq

The Sustainability team at the Brick Development Association have developed a circular economy guide for the built industry specifically, basing their ‘four fundamentals of design’ on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Principles 2 and 3.4

Fig.1 Fig.2

¹ ² ³

• •

These will be analysed alongside a traditional clay-fired extruded brick (made with 100% raw material) as typically produced in the UK according to standard EN771 - 1. 5

4 Stephanie Palmer, “A Circular Economy For the Built Enivronment,” Wienerberger, 2019, https:// www.wienerberger.co.uk/tips-and-advice/sustainable-building/a-circular-economy-for-the-builtenvironment.html.

Jess Sharman, ““Construction Waste And Materials Efficiency,” NBS, 2018, https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/construction-waste-and-materials-efficiency. E-CSR, “Circular Economy – Definition, Principles, Benefits & Barriers,” Accessed October 1, 2019. https://e-csr.net/definitions/circular-economy-meaning-definition-benefits-barriers/. Felix Heisel, Martha H Wisniewska and Dirk E. Hebel, Building From Waste (Berlin: Birkhauser, 2014), 98.

BUILDING MATERIAL

1.1.2 Architectural Technology Research | Y1 | S1

03 production process |

RECYCLING PROCESS

(e.g. WasteBasedBricks)

03 production process |

SOURCE MATERIAL: DEMOLITION WASTE

‘The Generic Study is a research project on an aspect of contemporary technology, in response to a well-defined research question. The research should be linked to the ‘Climate Emergency’ declared by RIBA, the Scottish Government, ESALA and organisations around the world. Outputs will include an illustrated summary document appraising and presenting the key issues of the topic with a clear conclusion (approximately 2000 words) and relevant data and case studies (within the report and/or as appendices). The study should concentrate on recent practice, research and application, making reference to appropriate examples, data and case studies.’ GROUP WORK WITH IONA HOGGARTH ABSTRACT - To evaluate the use of upcycled waste products (as an alternative to widely-used raw material products) in the construction industry as an answer to the climate emergency. INTRODUCTION - We are in a climate emergency, and the construction industry - as significant contributors to climate breakdown - has an ethical duty to address it. According to NBS and BREEAM Mat 6, ‘the construction industry accounts for approximately 55% [of materials consumption], with buildings (including their operation) contributing 50% of total CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions.’¹ In order to adequately perform our duty, we in the construction industry must consider new technologies and processes which mitigate the negative effects of building on the environment.

Materials (including ‘glass, concrete, bricks’ and ‘ceramic washbasins’) are collected and seperated at the demolition site

SHAPING: MIXING, FORMING BRICKS IN A MOULD Stonecycling are rather secretive about their process, thus little is known about the composition of mixed materials, or the mixing + forming process

FINISHING: BAKING AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

FINAL PRODUCT: WASTEBASEDBRICK

Fig.5

Sourced from clay quarries

EXTRACTION + STOCKPILING: WITH HYDRAULIC EXCAVATOR (MOST COMMON)

PREPARATION: CRUSHING + MILLING, WATER ADDITION, MIXING The clay is triple-milled to ensure the material is ﬁnely granulated

FORMING: AIR REMOVAL, EXTRUSION, WIRE CUTTING

FINISHING: DRYING, KILN-FIRING

FINAL PRODUCT: CLAY-FIRED BRICK

k-briq process

Kenoteq’s process for the production of their K-Briq. NB: As a very recently developed material product (2017/18) there is very little information on this.9 Fig.3

SOURCE MATERIAL: DEMOLITION WASTE

byfusion block process

PREPARATION: GRINDING INTO POWDER

Byfusion’s process for the production of their Byfusion Brick. 7

SOURCE MATERIAL: CONSUMER WASTE PLASTIC Does NOT require sorting prior to production process

03 production process |

PREPARATION: SHREDDING, WASHING, DRYING

SHAPING: COMPRESSION IN A BATCH MOLD

FUSION: HEAT + PRESSURE APPLIED IN A CHAMBER

FINISHING: COOLING, DE-LIDDING AND MOULD RECOVERY

FINAL PRODUCT: BYFUSION BRICK Fig.4

water use As a limited sensitive natural resource water supply is under increasing pressure due to climate change and population growth. Water is essential to the to contemporary clay brick manufacturing processes 120l of mains water is used in the production of 1 tonne of clay fired brick.21 Comparably the steam-based process for fusion and water-cooling system means Byfusion Bricks require an even more water intensive process. Approximately 2-3 Litres of water are used per byfusion brick, though the water usage varies between each 10kg brick, 200-300 litres per tonne of byfusion bricks. However the impacts of this can be mitigated to a certain extent through 50% of this water can then be recycled in the fusion process again. 22 energy use UK clay brick manufacturing is an highly energy intensive process, the most demanding stage of the process being the firing in a kiln of temperatures between1000-1300 degrees centigrade. This up 85-90% of the whole processes energy use. Estimated figures within the 2016 Brick sustainability report suggest a usage of 727 KWh/ Tonne of brick. Natural gas and primary electricity from the grid being the most common source of this energy see, ( Fig.. Insert every use diagram.) Emissions from the combustion of these fuels and gaseous emissions driven off as the clay is fired, including sulphur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride.23 Stoncycling’s wastebasedbrick improves on this technique with the ability to bake their wastebasedbricks at a lower temperature within their similar ceramic process ceramic with preliminary calculations showing an energy saving of 25% throughout the process.24 The blocker machinery of Byfusion bricks is also less energy intensive than traditional clay bricks using super heated water and compression within its fusion process rather

21 22 23 24

“BRICK Sustainability Report” Byfusion, “About” “The Environmental Impacts Of Concrete” Smithsonian, “This Dutch Startup Is Making Bricks From Industrial Waste,” 2019, https://www. smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-dutch-startup-making-bricks-from-industrialwaste-180959893/.

than kiln firing. Although Byfusion energy sources currently vary between electricity and a fuel source such as diesel, natural gas or LPG, the increasing potential for use of renewable energy has meant Byfusion predict a current 41% less green house emissions throughout their production process than traditional clay bricks.25 Unlike these other examples K-briq is the only process to not involve intensive heating of any kind throughout the process, instead air-drying and compression are utilised. Kenoteq claim an energy saving of 90% when compared traditional clay brick and 10% of the carbon emissions. 26 Social impacts he localised and established nature of the UK clay brick manufacturing industry means companies such as Ibstock Brick who provide over 2,500 jobs are very much embedded in the local community surrounding each of their 22 locations across the UK supporting community projects and organisations such as, local Infant, primary and junior schools, community colleges, university lecture series (UWE, Bristol), scout groups, community centres, town cricket and social clubs and even brass bands. Ibstock Brick provide opportunity for 34 4 year apprenticeship schemes providing engineering and mechanical qualifications and an average of 3.25 days training per employee. 27

Fig.10

Byfusion, “About” Konect, “Local Lab: Building A Sustainable Future,” 2019, https://www.konect.scot/post/local-labbuilding-a-sustainable-future. 27 “Our People” 28 Byfusion, “About”

Fuel consumption profile of UK Clay brick production in 2015

aesthetics If an upcycled material product has the potential to enhance the aesthetic quality of the project, this will, naturally, improve the chances of architects/construction industry professionals specifying the product. Stonecycling’s WasteBasedBrick range features a variety of ‘beautiful and surprising forms, textures and colours’35 , with some impressive, aesthetically successful projects in their portfolio as a result. One such project - the Colourful Condo in Amsterdam (Fig 16 + 17) - demonstrates five of WasteBasedBricks colour outputs and two finishes ‘raw’ and ‘sliced.’36 With the option of using the bricks internally or externally and the aforementioned wealth of choice in both colour and finishing options, the product offers designers a good deal of customisability and flexibility to suit their specific needs. Byfusion Bricks can be cut as needed,37 and can be moulded to various shapes and sizes,38 allowing a degree of customisation (as with WasteBasedBricks). However, the bricks require painting or covering in plaster and cannot be used as facing - the product itself is rather unsightly in its raw state. (Fig 18) cost (to purchase) Unfortunately, it seems that generally, the costs associated with the specification of upcycled material products (in place of traditional, raw material-based products) are significant. Exact figures are difficult to obtain: Stonecycling state on their website that ‘we are not cheap. Our products are mainly used in projects with a strong focus Stonecycling, “The Beauty of Waste,” https://www.stonecycling.com/beauty-of-waste Stonecycling, “Colourful Condo in Amsterdam,” https://www.stonecycling.com/projects/2018/5/28/ colourful-condo-in-amsterdam 37 Byfusion, “About” 38 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 115 39 Stonecycling, “FAQ” https://www.stonecycling.com/faq 40 Otago Daily Times, “Global Interest in plastics recycling machine,” 2010, https://www.odt.co.nz/

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

K-Briqs do not require kiln drying, reducing emissions considerably

FINAL PRODUCT: K-BRIQ Fig.6

TRANSPORT

ENERGY USE

SOCIAL FACTORS

Water Intensive: 120 litres per tonne of brick produced

Very energy intensive High usage of non renewable 747KWh/ Tonne

Established employment ,training and apprenticeship provider. Financial support within community for social and educational programs.

Lack of information

25% Energy saving compared to traditional brick

Employment base outside of UK 1-10 employees.

Resources located on site, minimal transport until distribution stage. Natural Localised distribution

WASTEBASEDBRICK

60 %+ Recycled material content. Construction demolition waste . Labour and time intensive resource collection and separation required.

150km radius of material content Sourcing via road Production limited to Netherlands Shipping required.

BYFUSION BRICK

100 % Recycled material content. Mixed unsorted plastic waste. No unknown binding additives , mortars or chemicals

Very highly water Intensive: Production localised and utilising 200-300 litres per tonne of bricks existing local recycling centres and produced. 50% water recycled within organisation networks. process

K-BRIQ

90% Recycled material Content. Construction Demolition waste. 0% Raw material use

Lack of information

41% Energy Saving compared to traditional brick. Potential for future shift to renewable.

90% Energy Saving compared to traditional brick.

Localised solution, creation of local jobs and retention of material value within community.

Fig.13

Fig.17

For example, in their FAQ page, Stonecycling answer the question ‘Do your products have any sustainability certification such as Cradle2Cradle?’ with ‘No, not at the moment. In general we use this thing called common sense.’43 Moreover, in terms of warranty, the material product is delivered to standards set by the KNB in the Netherlands - there is no information on the standards set by countries outwith. Dirk E. Hebel and co’s write up of Byfusion Bricks in Building From Waste discloses that with regards to the material product’s fire rating, there is ‘no information:’44 such a lack of vital information would seemingly make the product rather hard for a designer to specify. For a full list of accreditations and certifications of products, please see the table (Fig 19) overleaf.

Fig.18

10 The Brick development Association, “BRICK sustainability Report,” 2016, https://www.brick.org.uk/ admin/resources/brick-sustainability-report-2016-1.pdf. 11 Byfusion Global Inc., “About,” 2019, https://www.byfusion.com/about/. 12 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 114-115 13 Material Lab, “In Conversation with Stone Cyclcing,”2019,https://www.material-lab.co.uk/journal/ stone-cycling/. 14 “In Conversation with StoneCycling” 15 Zero Waste Scotland, “ Manufacturing For The Future: Scotlands’s Innovation Renaissance”, 2019,

deconstructability According to leading experts Zero Waste Scotland the ‘deconstructability’ of a building is key to determining its level of sustainability and adherence to circular economy principles. They promote the adoption of ‘deconstruction methods of working to maintain material value.’29 Similarly the BRE Group defines ‘Designing for Deconstruction’ (DFE) as ‘one of the key parts of the jigsaw to assist the construction industry in achieving higher levels of resource efficiency and embedding circular economy thinking,’ and that this can be achieved by ‘ensuring that components that are specified are fit for purpose and can preferably be reused rather than recycled at the end of their life, maintain[ing] their value.’30

Fig.7 Fig.8

Fig.7

The concept of the Byfusion brick is to create a localised solution, allowing local communities to recapture the value within their own waste. Byfusion create the processing machinery to be installed at existing local recycling centres with existing material collection methods. 20 https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/blog/manufacturing-future-scotland’s-innovation-renaissance. 16 Design Building Wiki, “K-Briq”,2019,https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/K-Briq. 17 The Queen Engineering prize, “KENOTEQ: Breathing Life Into New Buildings - Create The Future,” 2019, https://qeprize.org/createthefuture/kenoteq-breathing-life-new-buildings/. 18 Greenspec, “The Environmental Impacts Of Concrete,” 2019, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/ building-design/environmental-impacts-of-concrete 19 Ibstock Brick, ”Our people,” 2019, https://ibstockbrick.co.uk/our-people/ 20 Byfusion Global Inc., “About,”2019, https://www.byfusion.com/about/.

Fig.9

performance It is important to analyse the thermal performance of a product when used in an inhabited building as this speaks to the lifelong effectiveness of the product in reducing energy demands. It is also relevant to consider how the product contributes to user well-being, in order that it adheres to the circular economy principle ‘Design for Service’ (see: Fig. 2), and this encompasses other properties outwith thermal, such as the acoustic performance. Kenoteq’s K-briq is a particularly successful product in this regard. Though a fairly recently developed product with little information widely available on the upcycling production process, the product has been praised for its performance in building. According to the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the brick is ‘specially designed to reduce a building’s running costs. With a high ‘thermal mass’...this means they are perfect for keeping buildings cool and cutting air conditioning bills in summer, and vice versa in winter.’ Additionally, the bricks regulate humidity and prevent condensation due to their ‘breathability.’32

Using this focus on the importance of deconstructability in whole buildings, we can assess the quality of our case study material products in terms of how they might facilitate this process. For example, the Byfusion Brick utilises a lego-like ‘interlocking system’ which removes the need for mortar or glue in joining the blocks together,31 and making it subsequently easier to pull apart the blocks and reuse the material. In contrast, both upcycled case study bricks - the WasteBasedBrick and K-Briq - and our control, the traditional clay-fired extruded brick, require, at best, some form of recycling, where the material is pulverised and remade into a new product (if not sent to landfill). In eliminating this step in the process, the Byfusion Brick can be seen to be more successful in this regard.

Byfusion bricks also reportedly excel in the performance department. They are lighter than traditional bricks, but have five times the insulating properties.33 They also have high acoustic insulation values, and can ‘withstand high lateral forces of the kind that occur in earthquakes.’34 The drawback of the product is that, due to plastic being unable to withstand the compression of heavy loads, they must be used as wall fillers e.g. in framed buildings and retaining walls, and cannot be used to bear loads as with a traditional clay-fired extruded brick.

29 Nick Ribbons . “Circular Economy In Construction”. (Lecture, University of Edinburgh October, 21, 2019). 30 BRE Group, “Design for Deconstruction – Helping Construction Unlock the Benefits of The circular economy”, 2019, https://www.bregroup.com/buzz/design-for-deconstruction-helping-constructionunlock-the-benefits-of-the-circular-economy/ 31 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 114

32 The Queen Engineering prize, “KENOTEQ: Breathing Life Into New Buildings - Create The Future,” 2019, https://qeprize.org/createthefuture/kenoteq-breathing-life-new-buildings/. 33 Expert Skip Hire, “ Bricks Made from Used Plastic Water Bottles,” 2019, https://www. expertskiphire.co.uk/plastic-bricks 34 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 114

04 quality/output |

comparison

DECONSTRUCTABILITY

PERFORMANCE

AESTHETICS

INDUSTRY STANDARDS

COST (TO PURCHASE)

Fig.14

Requires breaking down before recycling waste material

Reliable, time-tested performance in built environment (high thermal mass, known strength etc.)

Variety of options (colour, texture, size etc)

BS EN 771 - Specification for masonry units (all UK accredited clay-fired extruded bricks)

Industry standard

CLAY-FIRED BRICK

Fig.15

circular economy criteria

1. MATERIAL RECOVERY

2. REUSE + REFURBISHMENT

Suitable for BIM & Brick buildings can be component recovery. adaptable & adjusted in Many uses of recycled material lifetime. Bricks can be widely Traceable material. reclaimed and reused.

3. SERVICE

4. LONGEVITY

Provides thermal comfort , fire resistance for occupant. Maintenance free. Non toxic & allergen free.

Durable, stable system component which can withstand hundreds of years. Climatically resilient

FOR MATERIAL RECOV ERY ESIGN 1. D

N FOR ESIG 2. D

Can be disassembled and re-used in its existing form

Wide range of applications (interior and exterior, walls, roofs and floors) Lack of information on performance

Variety of options (colour, texture, interior/exterior use), customisable by client Attractive finish

DIN EN 13501 (Fireproof, noncombustible) Delivered under T&Cs of KNB Netherlands

‘Not cheap’ (see previous page)

WASTEBASEDBRICK

BYFUSION BRICK

Requires breaking down before recycling waste material

5x Insulating properties of traditional brick Lighter than traditional brick High acoustic insulation value Can’t bear loads

Cannot be used as facing, requires finishing/plastering over Customisable in size

No fire rating No known certifications or accreditations

Lack of information

BYFUSION BRICK

K-BRIQ

Requires breaking down before recycling waste material

High thermal mass Regulate humidity/prevent condensation build-up

Recent product with no realised project applications as yet

Recent product awaiting testing/ certification by third-parties

Lack of information

K-BRIQ

WASTEBASEDBRICK

transport impacts As most clay brick-works are traditionally located close to their open-pit extraction site transportation impacts during production stages are minimal. There is however, an increasing upward trend to import clays and other raw materials -off site into brickworks which, in the past would have relied entirely on raw materials from the ‘captive’ on site pit. This is a trend likely to continue as specification becomes tighter, however these volumes involved are small and haulage distances short.18 The impacts on sustainability through transport mainly occur through the distribution stages to construction sites, which are almost always by road. Ibstock is a leading and largest brick production capacity in the UK with 22 manufacturing plants, and 23 quarries distributed through the nature of the naturally occurring clay seams across the UK from Southampton to Glasgow. 19

New employment base within UK

Fig.16

Stonecycling wastebasedbrick products are made on an individual basis using an adjusted ceramic process, with currently 60%+ recycled source material replacing the processed raw clay mineral content. This primary material of wastebasedbricks varies with 65 construction demolition waste types currently being used including ceramic sinks, glass, bricks and concrete which are pulverised, blended, moulded (often by hand) and baked.13 Their material is sourced within a 150km radius of their production facility, a working partnership is required between the demolition companies in order

In addition to the production process, it is also important to analyse the quality of the final material product - the life of the product after its initial production is highly relevant if the product is to abide by the principles of the circular economy and be able to call itself ‘sustainable.’ We measure this quality through a number of criteria.

WATER USE

100% Raw material content. Cement based mortar. Resource extraction process detrimental to the environment.

CLAY-FIRED BRICK

In comparison the principle (and only) material of Byfusion bricks is recycled plastic waste material, all types of plastic individually or mixed, clean or contaminated with the exception of 100% polystyrene or other ‘foam-based’ plastics.11 As no binding agents or chemicals are required there is no raw material used. Each block containing approximately 20 Plastic bottles.12

to obtain correctly separated materials, it is this sourcing of material that presents the biggest challenge.14 Kenoteq ‘s ‘ K-briq’ is made without raw material and boasts 90% recycled material content of demolition material otherwise destined for landfill, the highest of any product in the UK.15 Most significantly the K-briq does not require any cement as a binding agent - a primary ingredient used in concrete.16 The cement industry being one of the primary producers of Carbon dioxide. 17

04 quality/output

comparison

CLAY-FIRED BRICK

03 quality/output |

news/dunedin/global-interest-plastics-recycling-machine?fbclid=IwAR0zsR8x59Ma9OLXRtG74Efy7if kx61l5GRIWzUTz6NLPf_Sger4cSIfj_o 41 “KENOTEQ: Breahting life into new buildings,” https://qeprize.org/createthefuture/kenoteqbreathing-life-new-buildings/ 42 “Circular Economy – Definition, Principles, Benefits & Barriers 43 Stonecycling, “FAQ” https://www.stonecycling.com/faq 44 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 115

The K-Briqs no heat from fossil fuels or cement to be formed unlike other bricks

Fig.12

on design and sustainability + a budget that matches this.’39 Byfusion bricks have featured in a very small number of realised built projects and there is almost no information on how much it costs to specify the product. In 2010, creator Peter Lewis was looking to create a production version of his brick-producing prototype to sell to investors - which he claimed would cost around 350,000 USD (around 273, 000GBP) - with the hope that this would eventually be mass-produced and sold to recycling centres and local authorities worldwide, however this has yet to be achieved.40 While maintaining that their K-briq reduces the costs associated with waste disposal and the gas costs/carbon taxes usually involved in the production process, there is no information from Kenoteq on the cost of specifying their material in practice.41 industry standards Even if the aesthetic quality is of a high standard and the costs associated with specification are manageable, a material product may not sufficiently comply with industry standards, or have desired certifications, accreditations and ratings to allow for its specification in a project. This is a significant problem: the Ellen MacArthur Foundation lists ‘lack of industry standards for recycled materials’ as one of the ‘key barriers to scaling up the looping of building materials.’42

FINISHING: AIR-DRYING

Fig.11

Byfusion’s aim is to create the processing machinery to be installed at existing local recycling centres, in addition to producing and selling the byfusion bricks themselves as a product.28 This has the potential to create local jobs allowing local communities to recapture the value within their own waste. Each ‘Community blocker’ can be operated by two workers and foreman with a background in basic mechanical systems. Byfusion service engineers train and certify local operators during installation.

25 26

SHAPING: COMPRESSION

“The UK Brick Making Process” Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 114-115 Heisel, Wisniewska and Hebel, Building From Waste, 98-100 Project Scotland, “House Brick Can Become Circular Economy Champ,” 2019, https://projectscot.com/2019/03/house-brick-can-become-circular-economy-champ/.

RESOURCE USE

04 quality/output As ecologically beneficial as upcycled material products undoubtedly are, there are hurdles in place that perhaps prevent these materials from being more widely specified by architects and construction industry professionals in their projects. The following criteria speak to the practicalities of specifying such products.

6 7 8 9

03 production process |

comparison

35 36

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

PREPARATION: GRINDING + CRUSHING INTO POWDER

comparison

resource use The principle material of conventional clay brick is clay and sand, finite but abundant natural resource requiring mechanical extraction and an extensive milling refinement process. Extraction of raw materials such as clay through open pit-mines has consequential detrimental effects on the natural environment, the mains concerns being destruction of habitats and by extension degradation of biodiversity and damage to fragile ecosystems. Water contamination and increased sedimentation levels in streams due to soil erosion, siltation and smothering of stream beds. However, brick manufacturers have an opportunity to mitigate this through biodiversity through good site management and sympathetic restoration to extraction sites. “There are many sites in the UK, providing valuable natural capital a and benefiting biodiversity. These sites also often work in partnership with conservation and wildlife organisations.” 10

StoneCycling’s process for the production of their WasteBasedBrick.

The standard process for the manufacturing of clay-fired extruded brick in the UK according to the Brick Development Association. 6

GENERIC STUDY | UPCYCLED BRICK

03 production process |

outline per product

wastebasedbrick process

The processes involved in manufacturing the case study material products will be outlined, following which they will be directly compared according to a number of factors. These factors have been chosen on the basis that they demonstrate how ‘sustainable’ each product is, such as energy and water usage, type and extraction of source material, transport, cost and human (social) factors such as employment provision.

traditional clay-fired brick process

SOURCE MATERIAL: CLAY

EQUALLY/MORE VALUABLE MATERIAL

outline per product

The key to shifting from a liner to a circular economy begins with the supply chain, manufacturers of building components control the implementation of the circular economy principles at the top of the chain. Sustainable manufacturing must therefore consider ensuring the full potential of the material is realised without compromising its next cycle, in addition to the energy, water and waste impacts within the process.

The Brick Development Association, “The UK Brick Making Process,” 2019, https://www.brick.org.uk/ admin/resources/g-the-uk-clay-brickmaking-process.

Fig.19

Suitable for BIM& component Component product can be Aesthetic benefit to occupant adaptable & adjusted in well-being occupant. Recovery. Can be recycled and reformed lifetime, may be reclaimed and Fire resistance. reused in another building. Maintenance free. once more. Non toxic & allergen free. Traceable material. Difficult to trace material. Recoverability of product material at end of life unknown.

System allows for buildings to be adaptable and adjusted,designed for disassembly and reassembly.

Provides superior thermal and acoustic comfort enhancement. Maintenance free.

Provides thermal comfort and Suitable for BIM & Brick buildings can be component recovery. adaptable & adjusted. Bricks prevents condensation. Material suitable to be recycled can be reclaimed and reused. Maintenance free. Non toxic & allergen free. again. Traceable material..

Durable facade system component. Climatically resilient Longevity Untested

REUSE + REFURB ISHM EN T

SIGN FOR SERVICE 3. DE FOR LONG ESIGN EVIT 4. D Y

Resilient in earthquake zones as construction allows for flexibility. Longevity & Untested

Climatically resilient Longevity Untested

Fig.20

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity which promotes ‘the transition to a circular economy,’ defines this phenomenon as ‘gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital.’ UPCYCLING VS DOWNCYCLING Upcycling and downcycling are both examples of recycling, a process which, it can be fairly assumed, we all understand to be a cornerstone of sustainable practice. With downcycling, the quality of the new product is reduced, as in the example of using construction waste to use as fill under roadbeds. This means that the material becomes less and less valuable and is ‘downgraded’ with each life cycle. Upcycling, however, retains or improves upon the quality of the product. All recycling of building materials embodies the principles of the circular economy, by taking waste from construction and demolition processes (and sometimes elsewhere) and reusing them, and avoiding the consumption of raw materials as far as possible. However, the form of recycling known as upcycling is even more effective, as the process allows a retained or improved value of product to be made from the waste material, thus becoming metabolic in nature. AIM OF STUDY This study aims to examine and compare the processes of making and using various upcycled materials with those of raw materials, as well as comparing the quality of each. In doing this, we will critically evaluate the effectiveness of specifying upcycled materials over raw materials as a means of addressing the current climate emergency. METHODOLOGY The report will directly compare various factors of each of the material products with regards to both the production process and quality of the final product. This direct comparison will allow us to evaluate the ‘sustainability’ of each material when a variety of relevant factors are taken into consideration. The report looks specifically at bricks in this study: as a modular unit it can be examined in isolation from a fully realised built form, and will be useful in terms of comparing different upcycled and raw material products. The upcycled material products which will be analysed include: 1. WasteBasedBrick by Stonecycling 2. Byfusion Block by Byfusion 3. K-briq by Kenoteq These will be analysed alongside a traditional clay-fired extruded brick (made with 100% raw material) as typically produced in the UK according to standard EN771 - 1.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “Bricks Are Durable And Ecologically Responsible”. 2019. Vandersandengroup.Co.Uk. Buddulph, Jim. 2019. “In Conversation With Stone Cycling | Material Lab”. Material-Lab.Co.Uk. “Circular Economy – Definition, Principles, Benefits & Barriers”. 2019. E-CSR.Net. “FAQ”. Byfusion.Com, 2019, https://www.byfusion.com/faq/. Accessed 26 Oct 2019. “FAQ”. Stonecycling.Com, https://www.stonecycling.com/faq. Accessed 25 Oct 2019. Frost, Maisha. 2019. “Green Brick Developer KENOTEQ Wins £500,000 Scottish Enterprise Grant”. Gambino, Megan. 2019. “This Dutch Startup Is Making Bricks From Industrial Waste”. Smithsonian. Gould, Hannah. “The Rotterdam Couple That Will Live In A House Made From Waste”. Guardian, 2016 Gulland, Iain. 2019. “Manufacturing For The Future: Scotland’S Innovation Renaissance”. Zero Waste Scotland. Gumpert, Jennifer. 2019. “Material Insight: Wastebasedbricks By Stonecycling”. Material Connexion. Hebel, Dirk, and Felix Heisel. 2017. Cultivated Building Materials. 1st ed. Berlin: Birkhäuser. Heisel, Felix, Marta H Wisniewska, and Dirk E Hebel. 2014. Building From Waste. Berlin: Birkhäuser. Hire, Expert. 2019. “Plastic Bricks Made From Used Plastic Water Bottles”. Expertskiphire.Co.Uk. CONCLUSION

“House Brick Can Become Circular Economy Champ | Project Scotland”. 2019. Project Scotland.

The reduction and reuse of waste is a vital step in addressing the climate emergency; upcycling waste materials (rather than extracting raw material) to create material products provides a means for the construction industry specifically to significantly reduce its impact on the environment. Using our method of comparing production processes and quality/output of upcycled material products alongside a raw-material-sourced product (traditional clay-fired extruded brick), we have been able to evaluate, using a defined set of criteria, the specific sustainability benefits of specifying these materials in future projects. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the ways in which the use of upcycled material products adheres to principles of the circular economy, which is understood to be key in making the construction industry more sustainable overall.

“K-Briq”. 2019. Designingbuildings.Co.Uk.

However, there is a question of viability to be considered; a number of limitations exist which must be overcome if upcycled material products are to be more widely used by designers in practice. These include financial limitations, wherein the cost of specifying a new, innovative material which is not yet widely used or available are too great; lack of precedent i.e. not enough realised projects which use upcycled materials; lack of industry standards (largely due to lack of precedent) with regards to official accreditation, certification and ratings, which make the specification of such materials risky for construction industry professionals; inaccessibility, i.e. processes, recipes and methods of production being protected by private companies so that reproduction at a local level becomes more difficult. We therefore posit that, in order for upcycling to hold greater value in the context of the construction industry addressing the climate emergency, the UK must embrace these new technologies, processes and products on an industry-wide scale, thus allowing these limitations and barriers to success to be overcome.

Palmer, Stephanie. “A Circular Economy For The Built Environment”. Wienerberger, 2019.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

“KENOTEQ: Breathing Life Into New Buildings - Create The Future”. 2019. Create The Future. Lewis, John. “Global Interest In Plastics Recycling Machine”. Otago Daily Times, 2010. “Local Lab: Building A Sustainable Future”. 2019. Konect.Scot. “Our People | Ibstock Brick”. 2019. Ibstock Brick.

W“Plastic Bricks Made From Used Water Bottles”. Expertskiphire.Co.Uk, 2018. Ribbons, Nick. “Circular Economy In Construction”. 2019. Sharman, Jess. 2018. “Construction Waste And Materials Efficiency”. NBS. The Brick Development Association. 2019. “The UK Brick Making Process”. London: The Brick Development Association.

02 aim + methodology

02 aim + methodology |

shearing layers of change

aim of study

03.1 case study | denby dale house

“

derrie o’sullivan & the green building store

Our basic argument is that there isn’t such a thing as a building . A building properly conceived is several layers of longevity of built components”

This study aims to examine and compare connections in contemporary housing, assessing their value in terms of how easily they facilitate the processes of adaptability and deconstructability, as well as reflecting upon questions of longevity and lifespan. This will link into wider concerns regarding the role of housing construction in addressing and mitigating the twofold emergencies of both climate breakdown and lack of quality housing in the UK.

Denby Dale house was a pioneering and experimental application of the passivhaus methodology to UK construction methods and winner of the 2010 RIBA awards for sustainability, housing, the bronze award and client of the year.6

-Frank Duffy, Architect

How Buildings Learn 1994

Completed in 2010, Denby is known as the first passivhaus to be built using cavity wall construction, with many original junction details developed throughout the project which have subsequently been used in following passivhaus projects.6

short-term

stuff

methodology

space plan

A number of housing case studies will be examined in cross section, with Stewart Brand’s ‘Shearing Layers of Change’ diagram (see Fig. 1 overleaf) used as an evaluation mechanism for each. In using this diagram, the lifespan of elements can be assessed (what is replaceable, and what is permanent?), and the role of connections in the construction can be identified (structure, skin etc). From this, we can consider the potential for adaptability and deconstruction of the build based on the type (screw, bolt, mortar, resin etc), quality and accessibility of connections (in order to adapt, replace etc).

services skin

The shearing layers model was developed with commercial buildings in mind; this case study provides a starting point for grounding our research within the context of UK housing.

Only once this is understood can the idea of stustainability through adaption in construction be tested.

structure

The case studies will be selected based on their approach to connection design and examined in accordance to DfAD practices. The reasoning for this is to create a case for the need to consider structural design in addition to more widely understood methods of sustainable construction, such as material selection and passive heating/cooling mechanisms, in order to improve upon their existing sustainability credentials.

Stewarts Brands diagram explains the concept of a heirarchy that governs the evolution of a building over time, buildings are never in a fixed state of ‘as built’ or ‘demolished’ but a system made up of several layers of differeing longevity.5

site

Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn (New York, 1994).

long-term Fig.2

Fig.1

Fig.3

Green Building Store, “Denby Dale Passivhaus”, 2019, https://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/technical-resource/denby-dale-passivhaus-uk-first-cavity-wallpassive-house/

Fig.4

03.1 case study | denby dale house

1.1.2 Architectural Technology Research | Y1 | S1

nails

The original details - adapting British vernacular and German engineering - for the project are claimed to provide a potential new template for the Uk construction industry.7

nails

Structure:: Concrete block-work with cement mortar, closed cell insulation

Skin: To improve airtightness around the window opening, adhesive-backed

airtightness tape was attached to the plywood box with a fleece wrapped into the wet plaster, making the junction between the plywood and plaster airtight. 6

The roof detail sees plywood board and timber battens nailed to the trusses.

While the sustainability credentials of Denby Dale House are considerable due to its compliance with Passivhaus standard, many of the features which ensure this compliance (for example, airtightness tape) are incompatible with DfAD practice, making the affected areas less easy to perform repairs on and elements less likely to be reused in the event of demolition.

lime render is breathable the absorbent, wicking away moisture minimising damage to the structural layers underneath. The requirement for expansion joins are removed due to the flexible nature. Lime mortar only lasts 3-7 years, however unlike cement based mortars it can be removed without damaging the structure underneath, and recycled. The roof and north and south walls are clad with ship lapped red Cedar boarding and shingles fixed to treated wooden sheathing batons with steel nails. The structural integrity of the timber frame is reliant on the quality of single use staple and bond connections maintaining water tightness.12

bolts

The skin of Clay Field seems to be the shearing layer most compliant with DfAD practices due to the use of lime mortar and more easily removable connections e.g. nails. However, with sprayed-on hempcrete’s inability to be removed intact, the structure’s DfAD complaincy is significantly impeded.

Fig.7

Fig.6 10

7 Green Building Store, “Denby Dale” 8 Green Spec, “Denby Dale Passivhaus: Derrie O’Sullivan,” 2019, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/denby-dale-passivhaus/ 9 Michael Corran, “Can Passivhaus standards be met in the UK using traditional cavity wall construction?” (BSc (Hons) Construction Management, Leeds Metropolitan University, May 2012), 40.

Graham Bizley, “Architecture in Detail II,” (July 3, 2019), https://issuu.com/sebastiannunez09/docs/architecture_in_detail_ii Matylda Krzykowski, “Clay Fields by Riches Hawley Mikhail”, (Dezeen, 2008), https://www.dezeen.com/2008/11/18/clay-fields-by-riches-hawley-mikhail/

Fig.8

staples

Bizley, “Architecture in Detail”

Fig.9

03.3 case study | barretts grove

03.4 case study | ty pren, wales

Amin Taha & Groupwork

fielden fowels architects

Design by Groupwork (formerly Amin Taha Architects), the six story apartment block situated in the London Borough of Hackney was shortlisted for the Stirling prize in 2014. The scheme has been highly praised for its considered use of material and detailing.

Structure: CLT sheets and panels are used for all wall, floor and roof superstructure which sits on a sunken cast concrete and brick basement box. Consisting of perpendicular planks (lamellas) of sawn, glued, and layered wood, the integrity of the material (and longevity of the shearing layer itself)is dependent on the quality of connections maintaining water tightness. Floor and wall panels are screwed together.

Ty Pren is a passive house and modern take on the local vernacular long house in the Brecon Beacons national park.16 A combination of traditional form and connections and modern techniques, the build was completed in 2009 by Fielden Fowles Architects.

Skin: Insulation, a vapour barrier, a protective sheeting and self-supporting double

A departure from the conventional cost plan templates of structure finishes, the architect notably took greater responsibility in coordinating structure and services than traditionally lies with the architect , even taking on the role of quantity surveyor and claiming the build was completed at a cost that housing associations could afford.13

stacked open ‘Half Flemish’ bond brick rain-screen using a raked mortar connection make up the exterior envelope. Within the brick façade, steel metal shims are bolted through to the CLT and wall ties, and lintels connect the skin to the structural layer. This is taped and sealed where it punctures the membrane to maintain water tightness.14

Services + Space Plan: The loadbearing CLT panels span up to 6.0m with

various precisely cut voids for the stair and services. Acoustic layers and boards, insulation and a floating timber floor are built up above the floor superstructure and accommodate underfloor heating, power, data and water services. This use of CLT panels as opposed to a frame limits adaptability of the space plan: not only are there loadbearing internal walls, meaning the free plan is lost, but moving a staircase or creating new voids in the CLT floors would be very difficult. The CLT serves as the internal finish and is left exposed with clear, fire-retardant varnish, removing the need for plaster boarded walls, suspended ceilings, cornices, skirtings and finishes such as paints etc. This eliminates the waste accrued with the changing of décor and increases accessibility to services and structural layers. 15

tape

03.3 case study | barretts grove

Fig.11

nails

nails 9

Fig.10

mortar

Skin: The gable walls are finished with lime render and lime mortar. Strong, flexible and permeable

Services + Space Plan: Tongue and groove wooden particle board joints, timber frame and internal stud walls allow for a degree of reconfiguration and adaptability. However, the nature of the hempcrete insulation filled frames restrict the accessibility between the shearing layers, creating inflexible services layout or additional waste in deconstruction and adaptation.

Fig.5

ABSTRACT - To evaluate the quality of connections, with regards to their potential for facilitating adaptability and deconstruction, in the context of housing construction.

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Held as an exemplar for affordable sustainable housing developments, the 26 homes of Clay Field Housing project were designed with the aim of achieving low levels of embodied energy and low emissions.10

nails, mortar

GROUP WORK WITH IONA HOGGARTH

INTRODUCTION - Our Generic Study demonstrated the importance of adopting circular economy principles in construction as a means of mitigating the effects of climate breakdown. A key factor in the optimisation of this process is the notion of ‘deconstructability and adaptability’ i.e. the ease with which a building can be disassembled and components re-used, effectively skipping over the recycling process undertaken during demolition. A paper from the ESTP defines the goal of Designing for Adaptability and Deconstruction (DfAD) as ‘creating sustainable buildings by maximizing both their flexibility toward space configuration and their environmental efficiency considering their whole life-cycle.’

Riches Hawley Mikhail & Buro Happold Structure: Partially prefabricated timber frames and steel screwed stud walls are fixed to a 5 course brick and lime mortar plinth and concrete blinding. A damp proof membrane is bonded to the blockwork with double sided tape. A breather membrane had been stapled between timber joists following the line of insulation between skin and structural layers. The Hempcrete insulation is sprayed directly into the timber frame onsite drying rigid within the interior stud wall and timber batons of the exterior wall in order to achieve passive airtightness.12 Hempcrete cannot be removed intact, and degree of damage to the structure in doing so is as yet unknown.

This case study represents medium scale residential projects at the forefront of implementing innovative constructions materials and methods, demonstrating how these stand up when examined through the lens of the shearing diagram.

mortar

Space Plan: The timber plates of the first floor are bolted to the wall with washers and epoxy resin. Chipboard flooring is glued and nailed to I-beams and the plasterboard of ceiling underneath is nailed into the beams.9

‘Successful design is closely correlated to a specific understanding of the technological and environmental context of a project. The aim of the Contextual Study is to develop a deep understanding of a topic to support design development within the studio. The research should consider a particular context (eg design studio). Outputs will include an illustrated document critically analysing and synthesising key issues of a technological and/or environmental issue or intervention and considering the impact of it on a context and relevant data and case studies (within the report and/or as appendices).

Riches Hawley Mikhail & Buro Happold

Commissioned in 2006 following an RIBA design competition, the project was pioneering in that it sees the first application of hempcrete; a mixture of hemp and lime which captures carbon from the atmosphere, making it less than zero carbon material.11

and basalt and resin wall tiles, and Yorkshire stone and lime plaster make up the load-bearing walls .8

CONTEXTUAL STUDY | ADAPTABILITY

03.2 case study | clay field housing,suffolk

03.2 case study | clay field housing, suffolk

Derrie O’Sullivan & the green building store

By removing the need for plasterboarding/other internal finishes, the project not only reduces waste and resource use, but makes adaptability + deconstruction far more feasible. Use of non-DfAD compliant (e.g. glue, resin) connections is minimal.

Fig.12

bolts, tape

The use of structurally insulated panels within this project provides the opportunity to test the shearing layers model against non-traditional construction and therefore connection methods, where structure, skin and space plan are not so distinguishable, and all services are embedded into a single wall.17

mortar

tape

screws Fig.15

14 15

Wood For Good, “Barrett’s Grove,” Accessed Jan 2020. https://woodforgood.com/case-studies/barretts-grove Laura Mark, “What Amin Taha specified on Barrett’s Grove,” (Architects Journal, September 2016), https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/what-amin-taha-specified-on-barretts-grove/10012096. article?fbclid=IwAR2DqhovOoXtBOF7mjpkUjiuaIJ3mL7zffSxZd1h1JKvwfGamA5RkkfXD7o

Amin Taha, “Barrett’s Grove,” Architecture Today, Accessed January 2020. http://www.architecturetoday.co.uk/barretts-grove/

Fig.13

Fig.16

Catherine Warrman, “Ty Pren by Fielden Fowles” (Dezeen, February 2011), https://www.dezeen.com/2011/02/14/ty-pren-by-feilden-fowles/ 17 Archdaily, “Ty Pren / Feilden Fowles,” June 2012, https://www.archdaily.com/255206/ty-pren-feilden-fowles

Fig.14

Fig.17

The space

fielden fowels architects Structure: Structurally insulated panels slot together as a tongue and groove spline joint held in place with adhesive foam sealant and joints finished with tapes to create a consistent extruded loadbearing form without eaves. These panels are connected with openings for services and windows at structurally calculated fixed points within the loadbearing walls. Timber frame anchor fixings are screwed into blockwork.18

By examining the types of connections used in the housing case studies, an appraisal of the advantages and disadvantages of each type can be compiled, taking into account a number of factors and considering how successfully each one adheres to the principles of DfAD.

nails

Skin: Recycled welsh slates (from a derelict local building) wrap continually from the

roof down the exposed north wall of the house and are nailed onto wooden batons.18 The remaining east, west and south elevations are clad in untreated larch with a predicted life of 25 years; eight larch trees have been planted on the client’s estate to provide the replacement wood, and the removed cladding will be burnt to heat the house. The larch was sawn into chamfered battens, mounted 10 mm apart and set out on 100 mm vertical studs fixed using steel screws so as to be removable when necessary.19

Services + Space Plan: The space plan is set out to a set out on a 1.2m grid, dictated by

the standard SIP panel and sheet material size to minimise waste. All services and utilities services are embedded within the north wall; Bathrooms, stairs, pantry, storage and solar thermal store. The stair is recessed into the depth of the back wall, emerging onto a viewing gallery created around a cut out void, all of which is key to the passive thermal and stack ventilation strategy. The space plan shearing layer is inseparable from the structure, however the isolation of the services layer to one wall allows for an planned accessibility otherwise restricted within loadbearing walls.21 20

The use of screws, nails and joints throughout makes Ty Pren a far more DfAD compliant: these types of connections can be more easily removed without damaging elements, allowing for repairs and flexibility which therefore increase the building’s lifespan. However, in this model shearing layers are less ‘seperable’, which can pose problems in terms of replaceability.

04 connection appraisal

03.4 case study | ty pren, wales

SEPARATE/REMOVABILITY

sealant, nails

nails, sealant

ADHESIVE

MORTAR

screws

TAPE

nails

. Difficult to impossible to seperate adhered elements (depending on the type of adhesive used).

RE-USABILITY (CONNECTED ELEMENT)

RE-USABILITY (CONNECTOR)

ACCESSIBILITY

. Connected elements likely to be damaged beyond reusability by separation process

. Not easily recycled or re-used

Adhered connections are more difficult to inspect for damage (i.e. need for repair) than other types

LONGEVITY

SCREW Can last a long time, however dependant on environmentl factors such as changes in temperature, humidity etc.

Mortar jointed walls can be can be demolished and rebuilt, and individual joints removed and openings made with lintels inserted.

Mortar can be removed by soaking, chipping and chiseling the mortar off. Reclaimed bricks are common building material.

The mortar its self is not suitable for reuse. It can be recycled in to a raw material for cement clinker.

Access to repair /repoint mortar connections from external skin layer.

Mortar Joint connections have a life span of typically 45 years. Depending on exposure to weather, can last hundreds of years.

Designed to be a permanent sealant against water or wind. Not removable.

The tape can be cut open to reuse the connection elements, membranes etc. Often not re-useable.

Not suitable for reuse. Tape element becomes wasted after use. Non recyclable and non biodegradable.

Often used in inaccessible locations such as over moisture membranes in roof and walls.

Brands such as SIGA Tape guarantee 20+ years lifespan whilst in use and no recorded shelf life.

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

NAIL

JOINTING

18 19

Warrman, “Ty Pren” Feilden Fowles, “Ty Pren Residential Architecture. Brecon Beacons, Powys, Wales”, Accessed Jan 2020. https://www.feildenfowles.co.uk/ty-pren/ 20 Archdaily, “Ty Pren” 21 Feilden Fowles, “Ty Pren”

BOLT

SEPARATE/REMOVABILITY

RE-USABILITY (CONNECTED ELEMENT)

RE-USABILITY (CONNECTOR)

ACCESSIBILITY

LONGEVITY

Screws are easily and cleanly removeable with wither hand or power tools.

Screw holes can be reused a number of times with longer screws or repairing stripped screw holes.

Depending on the grade and previous application, screws can be used many times over .

Due to the requirement of driver tools, human accessibility to connection points is important.

Lifespan is dependant on screw type, application, grade, finish, installation method, etc.

. Nuts and Bolts are easily and cleanly removeable with power tools.

Reuse of connection is common. Holes left can either be reused or trimmed down for reuse . Typically less damage than screws

Reuse of element depends on bolt type, application, grade, finish, installation method, etc.

Nails are common and clean to remove but not as easily as screws.

Holes left can either be reused or material trimmed down for reuse.

Provided no adhesives have been used, joints can be dismantled easily with minimal waste.

Dependant on the type of joint. Joinery is often suitable for dismantling, repairing and replacing.

Due to the requirement of tightening Lifespan is dependant on bolt type, tools, human accessibility to application, grade, finish, installation connection points is important. method, etc.

Nails are easily misshapen during application or removal and often single use & recycled.

Due to the requirement of hand tools, human accessibility to connection points is important.

Lifespan is dependant on nail type, application, grade, finish, installation method, etc.

N/A

Dependant on location of joint and whether adhesives have been used.

The longevity of joinery is reliant on keeping water out and the structural integrity and craftemanship of the joint.

Fig.18

CASESTUDIES THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIONS Connections are extremely important aspects of construction to consider in DfAD, yet are often overlooked in sustainability modeling. The simplicity, quality and accessibility of connections determine whether components are able to be easily disassembled and re-used, or whether they must be demolished for potential future recycling. Mouilek’s paper notes that ‘the design objectives of connections are to allow the removal of the elements without damaging them to minimize the need for specific equipment, and to make this process as simple as possible for the workers.’

DENBYDALEHOUSE| derrie o’sullivan

CLAYFIELDHOUSING| buro happold

BARRETTSGROVE| amin taha &groupwork

TYPREN| fielden fowels architects

THE BUILDING CRISIS AND BUILDING LONGEVITY The housing crisis we are facing in the UK is as urgent and pertinent today as the climate emergency. Shelter released findings last year that revealed a 9% increase in homeless individuals in the UK from two years prior, citing ‘a lack of supply of decent affordable housing,’ among other factors, as the cause. We must build more quality housing, but it is of paramount importance that we do so with the attention to sustainable practices and consideration of life cycle principles which the state of climate emergency demands: improving the quality of connections in housing construction would be one such way to address this dual concern. The quality and robustness of connections, and furthermore how well a structure is assembled, also impacts the lifespan of a building: a key concern for construction industry professionals concerned with tackling the climate emergency. According to the LGA (Local Government Association), we should be upping our current expectations of new-build housing having a life expectancy of 60 to 2,000 years. Serving as inherent reflections of how we live in a given time period, we must simultaneously consider how to extend the lifespan of our homes whilst allowing for appropriate degrees of flexibility in such that they can adapt to our ever-changing ways of life. By designing connections with DfAD in mind, we can do just this. AIM OF STUDY This study aims to examine and compare connections in contemporary housing, assessing their value in terms of how easily they facilitate the processes of adaptability and deconstructability, as well as reflecting upon questions of longevity and lifespan. This will link into wider concerns regarding the role of housing construction in addressing and mitigating the twofold emergencies of both climate breakdown and lack of quality housing in the UK. METHODOLOGY A number of housing case studies will be examined in cross section, with Stewart Brand’s ‘Shearing Layers of Change’ diagram (see Fig. 1 overleaf) used as an evaluation mechanism for each. In using this diagram, the lifespan of elements can be assessed (what is replaceable, and what is permanent?), and the role of connections in the construction can be identified (structure, skin etc). From this, we can consider the potential for adaptability and deconstruction of the build based on the type (screw, bolt, mortar, resin etc), quality and accessibility of connections (in order to adapt, replace etc). The case studies will be selected based on their approach to connection design and examined in accordance to DfAD practices. The reasoning for this is to create a case for the need to consider structural design in addition to more widely understood methods of sustainable construction, such as material selection and passive heating/cooling mechanisms, in order to improve upon their existing sustainability credentials.

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GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “Barrett’s Grove”. Wood For Good. Accessed January 3. “Barretts Grove / GROUPWORK.” 2016. Archdaily. Bizley, Graham. 2019. Architecture In Detail II. Ebook. Brand, Stewart. 1994. How buildings learn. New York, NY: Viking. Corran, Michael. 2012. “Can Passivhaus Standards Be Met In The UK Using Traditional Cavity Wall Construction?”. BSc (Hons), Leeds Metropolitan University. “Denby Dale Passivhaus: Derrie O’sullivan”. 2019. Green Spec “Denby Dale Passivhaus: The UK’s First Cavity Wall Passivhaus”. 2019. Green Building Store. Krzykowski, Matylda. 2008. “Clay Fields By Riches Hawley Mikhail”. Dezeen, 2008. Mairs, Jessica. 2016. “Slender apartment block by Amin Taha Architects features a timber structure and wicker balconies.” Dezeen, 2016. Mansour, Steve. 2017. “How Long Should New Build Homes Last?”. Building Construction Design. Mark, Laura. 2016. “What Amin Taha Specified On Barrett’s Grove”. Architect’s Journal, 2016. Mouilek, Sabrina. 2009. “Design For Adaptability And Deconstruction (Dfad)”. Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics.

CONCLUSION The reduction and reuse of waste is a vital step in addressing the climate emergency; upcycling waste materials (rather than Despite the more widespread adoption of sustainable building practices in contemporary housing development (for example, following. the Passivhaus model), which is undeniably a positive step in addressing the climate emergency, these models often do not lend themselves to deconstructability and adaptability. This is due mainly to the use of adhesives and sealants in connections which, while providing the airtightness needed to reach Passivhaus etc standards, are difficult to remove without damaging the affected elements, rendering them unable to be reused following deconstruction or unable to be replaced in the event of necessary repair work.

Porreco, Anthony. 2016. “Rules For Reusing Bolts - Portland Bolt”. Portland Bolt.

It is therefore necessary to reflect upon how we might achieve these current standards of sustainability whilst also complying with DfAD practice: for example, the use of mechanical connections (screws, bolts and nails) rather than bonded connections (tapes, glues and sealants) in achieving airtightness. In doing so we will be able to adopt a more holistic, long-term approach to sustainable house-building in the UK, one which places deserved and necessary importance on the longevity and adaptability of the build over its lifespan.

“Ty Pren Residential Architecture. Brecon Beacons, Powys, Wales”. 2020. Feilden Fowles. Accessed January 3.

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GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

“SIP Connection Details.” 2020. Sips.org. Shelter. 2018. “Homelessness In Great Britain - The Numbers Behind The Story”. Taha, Amin. 2020. “Barrett’s Grove | Architecture Today”. Architecture Today. Accessed January 3. “Ty Pren / Feilden Fowles”. 2012. Archdaily.

Warmann, Catherine. 2011. “Ty Pren By Feilden Fowles”. Dezeen, 2011.

1.2

YEAR 1 SEMESTER 2 Jan-May 2020

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1.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) 1.2.2 Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

The ability to develop and act upon a productive conceptual framework both individually and in teams for an architectural project or proposition, based on a critical analysis of relevant issues.

LO3

The ability to investigate, appraise and develop clear strategies for technological and environmental decisions in an architectural design project.

LO4

The ability to develop an architectural spatial and material language that is carefully considered at an experiential level and that is in clear dialogue with conceptual and contextual concerns.

1.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) | Y1 | S2

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GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

F I R E - S PA C E : L O N D O N |

L i a m Ro ss / To l u O n a b o l u

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS In March of Semester 2, the escalation of the global Covid-19 pandemic was such that students were forced to suddenly depart the design studios and switch to home-working. This switch was not an easy one to make, personally, and I was thankful that by this point in the year, I had already laid the foundations for a comprehensive design inquiry. This also allowed me to ‘test’ ways of working from home which I took forward into the following, final year of the MArch programme, which was completed entirely under varying degrees of lockdown restriction. As for the design project as a whole across both semesters, I felt a definite shift from my undergraduate studies in terms

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GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

of working practice and design methods; having both semesters to work on a single design thesis, I was given the space required to conduct in depth research work prior to the design proper, resulting in a richer, more rigorously argued design proposal routed in researched data, study of archive material and analysis of both the physical and contextual contexts of Elephant and Castle. I did feel that the design lacked an atmospheric or experiential element, which could have been explored further through internal visualisations or collages. I took this lesson forward into the second year of MArch, where I made sure to foreground experiential qualities of space and prioritise the production of three-dimensional, rendered interior studies.

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GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

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1.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) | Y1 | S2

PYRO-TECHNICS | FSL. 5: ALTERNATIVE HISTORIES ‘In this first exercise you are asked to respond to a really-existing architectural or urban brief, set in London between 1666 and 2017. This brief should be selected to have a close relationship with your analysis in semester 1; it is likely to be a brief that responds directly or indirectly to a challenge of opportunity posed by fire during that period. Through this exercise you should seek to apply the ‘architecture of fire’, outlined in Semester 1, at an urban scale.’ Response: I proposed an alternate solution to the Elephant and Castle Regeneration Programme in Southwark, which has notoriously priced out existing residents with unaffordable housing since the demolition of the Heygate Estate in the early 2010s. The project seeks to rectify this by meeting the council’s target of providing 35% affordable units, and does so by applying a formula of ‘affordable density’ across the area of the site earmarked for redevelopment. This formula notably utilised the London City Council bomb maps of WW2 to determine an ‘affordable density’ and corresponding building height for plots of land based on the degree of damage suffered in the 1940s: severely damaged (purple), moderately damaged (pink) and light damage (yellow). From this, three housing typologies are devised, corresponding with the degree of damage: low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise for light, moderate and severe damage respectively. The new typologies seek to reflect these existing ones - the lowrise proposal mimics the forms of a pre-war Georgian terrace, while the mid-rise proposal utilises bridges between units reminiscent of the late Heygate - while also each representing a unique approach to fire strategy and implementation of outdoor amenity space.

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(Right top) Plot layout (Right mid) Plot boundary (Right low) Site context (Far right) Proposed massing

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The decision to closely align the each of the three housing proposal typologies’ height and density with the degree of bomb damage on the site (little to no damage = low density/ height typology, general and serious damage = mid density/height typology, damaged beyond repair/total destruction = high density/height typology) is rooted in existing site conditions in contemporary London which reveal similar relationships between these factors of damage and density. Each typology also mimics, to some extent, an existing case study present in Elephant and Castle on corresponding sites of damage - the skyscraper Strata, the postwar housing of the Heygate estate and the Georgian terraces of Gaywood Street - in its massing, form and tectonic language.

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1.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) | Y1 | S2

PYRO-TECHNICS | FSL. 6: ACCIDENTAL DESIGN ‘In the second exercise you will be asked to test your design proposal against one or more empirical performance criteria: structural stability, egress, and smoke-control. In that process, you will be supported in developing computational modes of testing your design, supported by specialist consultants. Through this process it is intended that you embrace the accident of fire as an active part of your design method.’ Response: The tectonic composition/application of materials follow a similar logic across the three housing typologies, and contribute to the fire strategy of the design significantly. This works as follows:

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NON-COMBUSTIBLE SHELL (brick) - Represented as coloured solid surfaces, brick is used as a protective, non-combustible ‘shell’ around the units, intended to minimise the spread of flame across units. COMBUSTIBLE RECESS (timber) - Due to the fire strategy of the housing typologies relying on ‘stepping back’ and utilisation of ‘overhanging’ balconies and floors to aid in the pushing away of smoke from units, recesses are an important part of the typologies’ tectonic language, representing private amenity space afforded to individual units. These are nestled within the non-combustible ‘shell’ and are clad in timber. ‘SLOT’ CIRCULATION (concrete) - The vertical circulation ‘cores’ of each typology are distinguishable from the rest of the building in each typology by the use of concrete on the stairs/lifts/walls and floors surrounding these. This highlights in each a key aspect of their design: the means of escape.

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1.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio D (Modular) | Y1 | S2

Response: The final stage of the project involved the detailed resolution of each typology (low, mid and high density) in plan and section, and the propogation of these typologies throughout the site to create a new urban housing scheme which would be ‘affordably dense.’

MID-DENSITY - Intended to evoke the postwar architecture of the Heygate Estate, with an emphasis on horizontality and bridges and stairs connecting both sides of the structure. The ground floor contains street-facing retail units, while parking can be found tucked under the structure on the courtyard side.

LOW-DENSITY - Floors gradually step back from the street in order to transition from the height of of existing Georgian terraces surrounding the site to the taller proposed units within the centre. Where possible, balconies and floors extend over the walls below: these protrusions aid in pushing smoke out and away from the building in the event of a fire. The circulation core is left exposed to the elements and flanked by concrete walls, also as a strategy to disperse smoke and limit fire spread, to aid in a protected evacuation of the building.

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A typical 2 bed duplex (low-density), 2 bed apartment (mid-density) and 1 bed dwelling (high density) for each typology is shown opposite.

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The south facing block presents a vertical facade to the street, while the north facing block staggers back over its floors, gradually stepping back towards the south block as its height increases. Balcony arrangement (depth etc) varies throughout floors. Again, this creates overhangs of floors and balconies, which aid in pushing smoke away from the building in the event of a fire. Escape stairs and lifts are externalised in order to aid with evacuation.

PYRO-TECHNICS | FSL. 6: PYRO-TECTONICS

‘In the final exercise you will resolve the detailed design of a key component of your architectural project. That component will be selected as a means to refine at a more detailed, constructional and material level your developing ‘architecture of fire’. This exercise should be used as a means to further develop design proposal outlined in exercise 5, in light of the finding of exercise 6. In doing, this is an opportunity to bring the structural, constructional, material and environmental aspect of your project to a high degree of resolution, by limiting the scope of your enquiry.’

HIGH-DENSITY - A point block tower, common in the Elephant and Castle neighbourhood alongside the Strata tower and One the Elephant, which utilises roughly the same smoke mitigation strategy as the low and mid-density typologies (overextending balconies and floors) but in a pinwheel - as opposed to stepped back - plan formation. Floors alternate between types A and B throughout the height of the building, with large communal outdoor amenity spaces located on intermittent floors. This is intended to remedy the lack of outdoor amenity space available (within a reasonable walking distance from individual units) to existing high-rise occupants in the Elephant and Castle area, as well as factoring into the fire strategy of the building.

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1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1axonometric 5.1 6.1 (Above) High-density sectional 3.2axonometric 4.2 5.2 6.2 (Right)1.2 Detail2.2 sectional

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Sitewide implementation of typologies

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ELEPHANTANDCASTLE HEIGHTSBYFORMULA/BOMBDAMAGE PROPOSEDDEVELOPMENT

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1.2.2 Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory | Y1 | S2

COURSE SUMMARY The course focuses on reading and discussing contemporary theoretical texts on a range of recent issues and debates within architectural theory and criticism, drawing on historical and inter-disciplinary texts as necessary. The course deepens and diversifies the study of theory, equipping students with a close knowledge of areas of particular interest and concern to them. Structured through a series of thematic options, this course gives students the opportunity for close engagement with key topics in current architectural and cultural theory. Instead of the traditional lecture-based survey course, students work in thematically organised groups, led by staff with special expertise in the material. LO1 LO2

A capacity to research a given theme, comprehend the key texts that constitute the significant positions and debates within it, and contextualise it within a wider historical, cultural, social, urban, intellectual and/or theoretical frame.

LO3

An ability to coherently and creatively communicate the research, comprehension and contextualitization of a given theoretical theme in relation to architecture using textual and visual media.

An understanding of the way theoretical ideas and theories, practices and technologies of architecture and the arts are mobilized through different textual, visual and other media, and to explore their consequences for architecture.

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1.2.2 Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory | Y1 | S2

READING VIRILIO | JOURNALS ‘This seminar option will explore the writings and ideas of the cultural theorist of space, technology and velocity, Paul Virilio. Virilio is unusual in that he is a widely influential critic and theorist whose background lies in architecture. This makes him particularly interesting for us as it allows us to see how a kind of architectural thinking can develop in an expanded way into a broader cultural critique. The course journal records your ongoing critical reflections and responses to the weekly readings and seminar discussions. Each weekly entry should be at least 500 words and it should be illustrated as appropriate.’ JOURNAL OVERVIEW: Wk 02 - The Space of War Wk 03 - An Active Architecture Wk 06 - The Permanent Present Wk 07 - Question your Tea Spoons Wk 09 - What Crops Up / What is Beneath

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THE SPACE OF WAR | Week 2 ‘Bunker Archaeology’

AN ACTIVE ARCHITECTURE | Week 3 ‘Principe: Oblique’

THE PERMANENT PRESENT | Week 6 ‘The City’

In Bunker Archaeology, Paul Virilio explores the ways in which technological developments in modern warfare have shaped and informed a ‘rare modern monolithic’ architecture (exemplified by the typology of the German bunker of the Second World War)1, and reflects upon how, in turn, these structures disclose an evolution in our relationship with atmosphere, terrain and occupation of built space. Not only does the bunker uncover an evolving relationship with the atmosphere, now ‘volatilised’ by the advent of ‘total war’, but also the land in which it is situated. Virilio describes an architecture which is ‘homogeneous’ and ‘monolithic’: independent of the surrounding ground by its absence of a traditional foundational structure, and therefore reliant only on its own ‘centre of gravity’ to achieve autonomy. This concept of a perceived fluidity in relationship between terrain and structure will become a point of fascination for Virilio in later works, particularly in his contributions to the Architecture Principe publication.

The Function of the Oblique explores the work of the Architecture Principe group, particularly with regards to their eponymous theory which concerns the utilisation of the oblique plane in architectural design. The built projects and writings of the group, consisting of both Paul Virilio and architect Claude Parent, are examined in terms of their radicalism: an antidote, as Parent claims, to the ‘overwhelming neutrality’ the pair perceived in contemporary attitudes towards architecture present in the 1960s.

Virilio’s writings on The Overexposed City in 1984 and his 2009 interview with John Armitage, In the Cities of the Beyond, are primarily concerned with contemporary communication technologies and their role in dissolving the physical boundaries of space, perpetuating a phenomenon of ‘placelessness’ and, to some extent, rendering ‘time’ as somewhat meaningless. The ‘screen interface’ is called upon as evidence of this: ‘from here on, people can’t be separated by physical obstacles or by temporal distance. With the interfacing of computer terminals and video monitors, distinctions of here and there no longer mean anything.’ As with his prior writings on dromology (Speed and Politics, Negative Horizon), the author explores the role of speed in superseding physical space, stating that ‘the real time of information and communications technologies surpasses the real space of cities.’ These he terms ‘the cities of the beyond,’ which are shaped ‘in the acceleration of the electromagnetic waves of information and communications technologies’ as opposed to ‘urban concentration… agglomeration, or even in accumulation.’

Virilio is interested also in the active relationship of the user with the bunker. There is no ‘dwelling’: rather, the space serves a specific function, to shield from ballistic onslaught, and thus there is no passivity in the inhabitation of this particular space. This concept of a conscious relationship with space, of an engaged user, is one which Virilio brings to his later theory of the ‘Function of the Oblique’; this, he argues alongside co-collaborator Claude Parent, should be deployed as a remedy to the sins of modern architecture, chief among them a widespread neutrality and indifference to the inhabitation of space by the masses. In his analysis, Virilio has uncovered the threads of several implicit relationships between the built structure and other entities - namely, the atmosphere, the land (or Earth) and the individual. By his own admission, the bunker is a ‘survival machine’ which has outlived its usefulness in now-peaceful - otherwise termed ‘natural’ as opposed to ‘hostile’ - times: however, there are lessons to be learned from this typology which can be applied to contemporary circumstances and solve modern problems, explored in subsequent works. Virilio’s evident and unfettered fascination with the monolithic structures serves as a foundation upon which later philosophies and theories are built, and explains subsequent relationships with figures involved in Neo-plasticism and Geometric Abstraction, and with Claude Parent, whose architectural work demonstrates a dynamism that aligns with Virilio’s own interests and philosophical musings in Bunker Archaeology.

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An interview with Claude Parent gives a sense of the backgrounds, experiences and interests each contributor brings to the partnership; while Parent is the professional to Virilio’s philosopher, both share common interests in movement and dynamism in architecture, ‘fus[ing] two independent approaches to the same theme.’ From this shared interest a ‘new means of appropriating space’ is born, one which rejects the conventional vertical/horizontal approach to form in favour of a continuously sloping plane, termed ‘the oblique.’ With this the pair intends to shock and disturb the user out of a passive approach to inhabiting space, forcing upon them a constant sense of destabilisation, and thus promoting the conscious and active engagement of the user with their surroundings - mobilisation over stasis. In this Virilio’s influence is evident, with his writings on the bunkers - particularly regarding their promotion of an active relationship between user and space - serving as an obvious source of interest. Whilst built examples of the theory of the oblique such as this are in existence, the practicality of such an approach on a larger scale, beyond the scope of a private housing unit or a church, seems questionable at best. Parent concludes his interview by mentioning his shunning from large-scale housing projects, suggesting a controversial theoretical stance on social housing as the reason for this. Alternatively, one could reason that an approach to space which spurns ‘facadism’ and the conventions of euclidean geometry would perhaps be at odds with the practical requirements for mass housing, and draw conclusions from there. Despite this, the writings of Architecture Principe which criticise a profit-based approach to housing are surprisingly grounded and increasingly relevant today. The criticism of ‘reduc[ing] architecture to a sum of its elements’ and a perceived ‘profit notion prevailing in industry’ would become a growing concern for the profession in subsequent decades. This too signals the socialist leanings of Virilio (seemingly absent in Parent), allowing for a political contextualisation of his body of work.

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In these ‘cities of the beyond,’ our ‘traceability’ becomes our ruination. Virilio speaks, with evident contempt, of technologies which record and track our every movement, his focus shifting from the ‘cameras, radars and detectors’ which represented the height of surveillance technology in 1984, when The Lost Dimension was originally penned, to ‘our appropriately named ‘cell’ phones’ of the modern day. The author’s line of argument is recognisable as representative of a wider, growing concern with loss of privacy and surveillance in the contemporary city which is palpable to this day, his warning that ‘each and every one of us is now under [a] controlling gaze’ reminiscent of Orwell’s cultural touchstone Nineteen Eighty-Four. Paradoxically, as we humans become more ‘traceable,’ our society becomes ever more ‘untraceable.’ The nature of contemporary communication technology - intangible, ethereal - necessarily means a lack of physical artefacts to survive us, unlike ‘past societies whose technologies were intimately aligned with the visual transformation of matter.’ As Virilio puts it, ‘the new technological time has no relation to any calendar of events nor to any collective memory,’ the consequence of existing in a ‘permanent present’ seeming to be a lack of consideration for our society’s anthropology, and for the notion of ‘the future’ itself.

QUESTION YOUR TEA SPOONS | Week 7 ‘A Detour through Perec’

WHAT CROPS UP / WHAT IS BENEATH | Week 9 ‘ The Accident’

READINGS AND REFERENCES

Approaches to What?, an essay originally contained within 1989 publication L’infra-ordinaire, sees Georges Perec take a stance against the same perceived state of passivity in which humans supposedly exist as Virilio and Parent did in their manifesto for the Function of the Oblique. However, Perec does not so much consider the effect of this on our relationship to our physical surroundings (as the Architecture Principe group did), but how this shapes our perception of justice, normality and what we consider ‘scandalous.’

In The Original Accident, Paul Virilio calls into question the ‘accidental’ dimension of the accident. He coins the theory of the ‘integral accident’ - in other words, those ‘accidents’ which are caused by, and furthermore intrinsic within, the technological advancements which define the 20th century - and in doing so reveals a kind of predictability or inevitability to non-natural disasters. Furthermore, in a manner similar to Georges Perec (‘how to see the fabric if it is only the rips that make it visible?’), Virilio defines the accident as ‘the appearance of a quality of something that was hidden by another of its qualities,’ or in the words of Aristotle, ‘the accident reveals the substance.’

Perec, Georges. Species Of Spaces And Other Pieces. London.: Penguin Books, 1997.

Normality is unremarkable, so much so as to be unnoticeable, and so much so that the systematic injustices of daily life also go unnoticed, until the system itself is perceived to have ‘failed’ in some way. But it is not the failure of the system, but the system itself that is the true injustice: ‘What is scandalous isn’t the pit explosion, it’s working in coalmines,’ Perec argues. Furthermore, the media perpetuates this warped sense of reality: the daily struggles, concerns and ‘scandals’ faced by the majority of the population are not reflected in our newspapers, these being too banal to remark upon. One example used by Perec of the sensational event which is likely to make headlines - ‘tower blocks that collapse’ - is as relevant to us now in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire as it was then in the late 1980s when the piece was written, mere years after the eventual demolition of the collapsed Ronan Point Tower block in East London. In both cases, the spectacle of the destruction was widely reported, while the underlying scandal of poor construction practices in British high-rise housing went largely unnoticed until the ‘accident’ occurred. Perec poses the question: how do we reflect on a system, and furthermore begin to rectify its shortcomings, which has become so habitual and familiar to us so as to be almost beyond reproach or, even , consideration? The solution, of course, is to ‘question your tea spoons:’ that is to say, interrogate that which ‘seems so much a matter of course that we’ve forgotten its origins.’ Far from being a trivial pursuit which reveals only the inner workings of common household objects, Perec is proposing a fundamental shift in the way we perceive our world. In his writing, he reflects upon how we might rediscover our sense of wonder and curiosity for artefacts of the past, that which has ‘ceased forever to astonish us.’ In the author’s opinion, it is this ‘tak[ing] account of, question[ing] and describ[ing]’ which makes us human, curiosity being our essence.

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However, he argues, we are not adequately attuned to this revelation, that being the ‘suicidal nature’ of our modern machinations. There is suggestion of the media’s complicity in dulling the senses of the masses to scandal, of facilitating ‘a gradual habituation to insensitivity and indifference in the face of the craziest scenes.’ As with Perec and his analogy of the miners and the mine collapse, Virilio stresses that the scandal lies in the substance rather than the accident - ‘the setting up of an atomic power station close to residential zones’ versus the explosion of the reactor, for example - and that the ‘major media outlets’ are to be held accountable for cloaking this truth, that is, by bombarding the public with ‘a museum of horrors that no one seems to realise precedes and accompanies the escalation of even bigger disasters.’

Parent, Claude and Paul Virilio, The Function Of The Oblique. London: AA publications, 1996. Virilio, Paul. Bunker Archaeology. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994. Virilio, Paul. Crepuscular Dawn. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 2002. Virilio, Paul. ‘In the Cities of the Beyond.’ Interview by John Armitage, November 1 2009. Virilio, Paul. The Lost Dimension. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 1991. Virilio, Paul. The Original Accident. Cambridge: Polity, 2007.

While Virilio is focused on the integral accident of modern technical innovations in his writing, there is an argument to be made for casting his theoretical net wider. At this moment in history, the world is suffering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the virus itself falls into the category of the ‘natural’ accident, the variations in economic and political systems, governmental policy and even cultural traditions between affected countries precipitates the extent of damage wrought there, in essence the extent and magnitude of the ‘accident.’ Particularly with regards to the initial response of the UK government in their advocacy for a strategy of ‘herd immunity,’ thought by many to be naive at best and contemptuous at worst, we may very well ask (as Virilio does) where the line can be drawn between ‘the genuine accident’ and the ‘indirect strategy of a malicious act.’ Perhaps the true scandals lie in what is revealed by the ‘accident’ of the pandemic: an attitude of disposability towards the sick and elderly, the criminal underfunding of the National Health Service, the general contempt held for ‘unskilled’ work. Despite these truths being laid bare, there will likely be no repercussions. After all, ‘the most atrocious act is easy when the way leading up to it has been duly cleared.’

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1.2.2 Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory | Y1 | S2

READING VIRILIO | ESSAY ‘An illustrated essay (approximately 3,000 words + abstract + references + captions) that explores an issue of your choice, arising from the seminars and readings. The essay is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis or overview of the material covered in the seminar option, but rather an investigation of a specific topic connected to it that interests you.’ FIRST LOOK, FIRST SHOT, FIRST KILL: VIRILIO AND THE INVASION OF THE INSTANT Abstract: According to Paul Virilio, the progress of human civilisation can be measured by advancements made in the technology of war, and the advancement of this technology can be most accurately appraised by examining the factor of speed. Following the chronology of his writings and examining them in relation to the contemporaneous circumstances under which they were conceived, this study charts a journey through Virilio’s evolving contemplations on the dimension of speed, one which culminates in a thesis on the violence of instantaneity - the ‘invasion of the instant’ - that brings us to the modern day (and perhaps beyond).

‘…if that which is seen is already lost, it is necessary to block at all costs long-range tele-detection, or at the very least, only to reveal one’s presence as late as possible…the central concept of this new war game becomes “first look, first shot, first kill.”’

(Desert Screen, originally published 1991)

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‘BUNKER ARCHAEOLOGY’ | Prior to his explicit interest in writing on the dimension of speed and its significance ‘IN THE CITIES OF THE BEYOND’ | In an interview with John Armitage, it seems Virilio sees in the tracking in the acceleration of human civilisation and the ubiquity of threat, Virilio was developing his theory on ‘Total War;’ the complete volatilisation of atmospheric conditions precipitated by the aerial warfare tactics of the Second World War, to which the monolithic, concrete bunkers along the Atlantic Wall serve as testament. The advent of this mode of warfare signalled a dissolution of the geological boundaries which formerly confined ‘risk’ and ‘danger:’ ‘there was no more protective expanse or distance, all territory was totally accessible, everything was immediately exposed to the gaze and to destruction.’ In Virilio’s words, ‘The bunker is the protohistory of an age in which the power of a single weapon is so great that no distance can protect it from you any longer.’ These early writings disclose an embryonic interest in the strategies of ‘geographic contraction’ and the ‘negation of space’ in warfare, reflections which will subsequently be expanded upon and lead to an eventual acknowledgement the role of speed and time in achieving these tactics.

‘NEGATIVE HORIZON’ | ‘From here on, people can’t be separated by physical obstacles or by temporal distances. With the interfacing of computer monitors and video monitors, distinctions of here and there no longer mean anything.’ Virilio here addresses the speed of electromagnetic waves in our everyday technologies as opposed to the speed of the warhead, yet despite the former lacking the inherent and evident violence of the latter, a warning and distrustful tone is maintained. His description of ‘electronic false-day’ and ‘the false perspective of the machines’ luminous emissions’ suggests that Virilio views this form of technology as a kind of deception which, in addition to space, also contributes to rendering meaningless the dimension of time. This is perhaps an overly cynical viewpoint, where the author fails to acknowledge the potentially positive aspects of removing barriers between physically separated communities and connecting them via ‘monitors’ - this oversight will be explored later in the study in more detail. As a philosopher who has previously made clear his views on the importance of the physical monument, as in Bunker Archaeology, and of charting the progress of past civilisations, this apparent aversion to contemporary communication and infographic technologies makes sense: as he sees it, we are crafting ‘a technical culture whose progress is disguised by the immateriality of its parts and networks,’ setting ourselves apart from ‘past societies whose technologies were intimately aligned with the visible transformation of matter.’ In this post-material society envisioned by Virilio, the city becomes ever more intangible and, to future civilisations, untraceable.

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capabilities of contemporary technologies such as mobile phones and cameras a form of weaponry in which to fight this new kind of war: ‘Each and every one of us is now under the controlling gaze of various detectors, of video cameras, of radars, and of other forms of control and detection, such as the electromagnetic waves carrying the messages of our appropriately named ‘cell’ phones.’ The interview focuses mainly on a staple argument of Virilio’s - the factor of speed, this time in the form of electromagnetic waves and the instantaneity of information transmission, contributing to the disintegration of physical space, this time the urban landscape. But what is also of note is the suggestion that to be detectable, to be ‘traceable,’ is not only a hazard in wartime. If to be exposed to sight is to be vulnerable, then as citizens living under constant surveillance, we have found ourselves in a permanently vulnerable state, regardless of the presence or lack thereof of a perceived ‘enemy.’ We might, then, return to an early quote from Bunker Archaeology, in which he foresaw ‘risk everywhere, instantaneity of danger, the great mix of the military and the civilian, the homogenisation of conflict,’ and assert that it is in this age of the ‘instant city’ that Virilio’s vision of ‘Total War’ has, finally, been realised.

CONCLUSIONS | The works of Paul Virilio are thematically linked across decades of writing, from Bunker Archaeology

to In the Cities of the Beyond, by time, space, speed and threat, and his arguments cover an impressive amount of theoretical ground in this time. In examining these works chronologically and in relation to the time periods in which they were written, this study has attempted to piece together an elaborate thesis on the ‘invasion of the instant’ which has evolved over years of technological advancement in the late 20th and early 21st century. It also allows for a critical reflection on Virilio’s logic and the author himself; in this study, it can be observed that his writings devolve somewhat over time, from considered, informed insights into the technology of war, to overly pessimistic rants on contemporary communication technologies. This preoccupation is at the detriment of acknowledging the powerful potential offered by ‘interactive’ and ‘real-time communication’ technologies to facilitate positive experiences, such as the sharing of ideas, fighting of corruption, linking of marginalised groups across the globe, and democratisation of information. In many ways, the instantaneity offered by virtualisation and the contraction of geological space are not threats or ‘invasions’ to such groups, but assets which can be utilised to amplify the voices of those previously silenced in the peripheries of history. Despite Virilio’s considerable works exploring a breadth of theoretical positions and valuable insights into the nature of threat, the fact that none seem to succeed in acknowledging this capability betrays a critical lack of balance in his work.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Cropsey, Seth. “COVID-19 And The Weapons Of The Future”. The American Interest, 2020. “Pioneer RQ-2A UAV”. Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum. Accessed 24 April 2020. “Russia Deploys First Hypersonic Missiles”. The Guardian, 2019. “Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile System”. BBC News, 2019. Sanger, David E., and William J. Broad. “U.S. Suspends Nuclear Arms Control Treaty With Russia”. The New York Times, 2019. “The Gulf War, 1991”. Office Of The Historian. Accessed 25 April 2020. Virilio, Paul. The Administration Of Fear. Los Angeles: Semiotext(e), 2012. Virilio, Paul. Bunker Archaeology. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994. Virilio, Paul. Desert Screen. London: Continuum, 2002. Virilio, Paul. ‘In the Cities of the Beyond.’ Interview by John Armitage, November 1 2009. Virilio, Paul. The Lost Dimension. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 1991. Virilio, Paul. Negative Horizon. London: Continuum, 2005. Virilio, Paul. Speed And Politics. Los Angeles, CA: Semiotext(e), 2006.

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YEAR 2 SEMESTER 1 Sep-Dec 2020

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) 2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

The ability to investigate, appraise and develop clear strategies for technological and environmental decisions in an architectural design project.

LO4

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AT HOME IN T H E C I T Y |

2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

Suzanne Ewing / Andrew Brooks

STUDIO THEMES AND FOCUS | FROM BRIEF ‘The studio theme builds from recent ESALA studios which Suzanne has led which have explored Edinburgh as a city-site. Civic buildings such as the Royal Exchange/ City Chambers on the High Street, Central Edinburgh Library in the Old Town and approaching the city as unsure ground offer topographic, transcalar microcosms of spatial evidence and material flows and frictions that reveal dynamics of urban power and transformation. 2020 has become a time of significant re-calibration of thinking about architecture and the city. Over the past 60 years, the rise of tourism and festival activity allied with heritage politics has dominated many controversial proposals to ‘fix’, ‘re-vision’, ‘re-mix’, exploit or ‘protect’ the city of Edinburgh and its place in the cultural imagination. Meanwhile, high rents and shareholder demand mean that department stores on Princes Street are succumbing to the experiential economy: a whisky centre, hotels, gyms, a monetised backdrop for digitised spectacle. Now the emptied pandemic city has a changing footfall and rhythm. Homes may be a sanctuary but may also feel imprisoning. The need for more grounded, ethical imaginaries of what the city is and might be has taken on a critical urgency... ...the collective inquiry of this studio aims to explore what does it mean to be ‘at Home’ in the city, to make others feel at home? who is most, or least at home and why? What spatial, environmental, temporal, typological, material models and qualities of being ‘at Home’ individually and with others might enable rich and meaningful contemporary civic life? Through initial immersion in the enigmatic, often secreted condition of the private members’ club - a ‘home away from home’, a world encapsulated within, yet choreographed to be apart from the - the studio city-field Edinburgh 1.1city 2.1 3.1 will 4.1explore 5.1 the6.1 7.1 of 8.1 9.1 through 10.1 the11.1 spatial evidence and material scalings embedded in and calibrated by the New 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 Club and its built and negotiated iterations since the eighteenth century.’

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

BRIEF 01: AT HOME | AT HAND ‘The studio opens with a screening of Margaret Tait’s film-poem, Where I am is Here. This will be the starting point for you to make an individual short 2min film which aims to encapsulate what being ‘at home in the city’ is for you. Through making a ‘housing’ for showing the film, related in some way to the film’s content, you are invited to reflect on where and how you are working at the moment. In assembling these materially and spatially specific housedfilms (film-houses) to watch together in a virtual studio space, we will begin to acquaint ourselves with each other and to start to construct our collective studio working space and practices.’ Response: The video opposite is the 2 minute film I created in response to the first brief, titled ‘Self Isolation.’ I wanted to capture the ways in which I was personally experiencing the city during the Covid-19 pandemic - detached, physically close but with a sense of distance, looking down on rather than truly experiencing the urban space. I structured it around different conditions of being in the city which were familiar to me: at home, with only the sounds of the city to engage with, on the move on public transport, watching construction projects progress day by day, and working in a cafe, in a state of stasis but observing the bustling of people outside its window. I have little experience in working with film as a medium, and as such it was a welcome challenge to open up the semester with the learning of a new skill. Video production became a frequent through-thread of the semester, and the pace of this first exercise allowed me explore and experiment rather well.

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(Left) Film housing drawing (Above, top) Film housing ‘viewing’ (Above, bottom) Film housing context

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

BRIEF 02: APART | AT HOME ‘Working in 8 studio salons (groups of 3), as a studio we will collectively explore how architecture orders, segregates and choreographs space, as manifest in the etiquettes, typologies, arrangements, artefacts and social interactions of the private members’ city club, through the case of the New Club, Edinburgh. Analysing this condition of being apart from, yet a ‘home from home’ in the city, offers a lens to understand lesser-seen or disseminated histories and constituents of a city and its hinterlands. Salons will establish their own codes of working practices, their own approaches to research through design: a rigorous re-drawing of the New Club, the collation of a collective studio archive and construction of a propositional city-field that forms the site(s) for subsequent design moves.’ Response: Myself and Shankar Mall were tasked with studying the library and Castle Room(s) of the New Club, with a focus on examining manualadministrative conditions. Through a series of shared research tasks involving re-drawing and re-modelling spaces and accessing archive data both drawn and written, we began to parse an architectural logic(s) of the spaces. These we termed ‘encasement’ and ‘tethering’ - of particular importance in this was the rosewood bookcase of the Castle Room, with built-in desk space and shelving into its depth giving the appearance of space being ‘carved into’ the wall, forming an ‘encased’ housing of sorts for books and folios and studying club members. This, along with the enfilade formation of the ‘reflective, contemplative’ rooms at the front of the plan, contrasting with the north-south linear, hierarchical ordering of administrative offices towards the back, formed the basis of our drawing and modelling studies shown on subsequent pages.

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Research into the history of the library and Castle Rooms of the New Club on Princes Street, including archive photographs and written histories on the key players in the administrative history of the New Club (club Secretaries, PA’s and so on). Far right layered mapping, detailing movement of administrative figures and businesses throughout the New Club’s history, by Shankar Mall.

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Passage into atrium space and between study/gathering spaces deﬁned by ‘timber thresholds’

‘ENFILADE’ - Business, Card, Smoking Rooms connected along East-West axis CLUB SECRETARY’S OFFICE PA’S OFFICE CLERICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT SECRETARY’S OFFICE

‘ANCHOR’ WALL: Integrated bookshelves/desks/storage

Views out to Edinburgh Castle

(Above) Isometric studies of manual-administrative spatial order (by Caitlin MacLeod) (Right) Bookcase detail (by Caitlin MacLeod)

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City-field study of physical and historic context of Edinburgh’s New Club (collaborative work between Caitlin MacLeod and Shankar Mall)

‘Establish an interpretation of the brief, bringing your approach to the InHabitation of the City|field into focus through the making of a short film (2min) that foregrounds experiential qualities/ conditions. To be uploaded to MIRO in advance of tutorials.’ Response: The above mini-brief acted as a transition between briefs 2 and 3, prompting another video-making exercise as a simultaneous point of reflection and outlining of future areas of exploration - in this, myself and Shankar aimed to document conflicting conditions of experiencing the cityfield, including movement/stasis, overlooking from above/experience from the street, quiet interiors/noisy streetscapes and so on.

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(Left) Map layering to show urban development on bomb sites over time (Above) Hands at Work - working from home during a global pandemic

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

BRIEF 03: CITY | HOUSE(S) ‘Working in 8 studio salons, we have gathered a collective studio archive and constructed propositional city-fields, focused conceptual, thematic, material and spatial constructions of Edinburgh as a site. We will now work into the emerging city fields, towards distinct articulated designs for new city|house(s): inHabitations to be offered to the city. City | house(s) will accommodate: a city poet, a city|house caretaker, an identified city ‘object’, and a discrete, carefully described event for a group of guests that you define and interpret. The propositions may be intensively embedded in or perhaps dispersed through the city-field. They should establish a distinct architectural language drawn from earlier work, and be in clear, critical dialogue with concerns and conditions identified in a thematic field.’ Response: Myself and Shankar opted to work independently from this point forward, as I moved into defining the programme and purpose of my own city|house. I wanted to respond to and subvert the conditions of privacy, exclusivity and opacity that I had perceived in my studying of the New Club, and create a programme that would serve vulnerable rather than elite residents of the city. My design process led me to the designing of a homeless ‘support hub’, occupying the site of a former New Club iteration on St Andrew’s Square. This intervention utilised a common material and spatial language as the New Club, ‘slotting’ structural concrete fins into the facade to be housed within the existing building, as books slotted into the rosewood bookshelf of the New Club library and ‘encased’ within the library wall. (Right) Early sketches testing architectural language of the Support Hub

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(Above) New Club facade studies, exploring conditions of privacy + opacity from the street (Right) Early facade study of Support Hub proposal, exploring conditions of transparency + porosity from the street

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2.1.1 Architectural Design: Studio G (Modular) | Y2 | S1

BRIEF 04: STUDIO PROJECTS | EXHIBITION ‘How you distill and curate your work towards a concluding moment is an important process both of design but also of conceptual distillation. Through presentation of a single piece of work -‘moving drawing’- in relation to your digital folio, you can reflect on and clarify the critical questions, position and representational manifestations of your proposition in relation to the course learning outcomes: what is the conceptual framework? How is it productive and acted upon? What is the distinct architectural, spatial and material language, how is it considered experientially, and how is this in dialogue with conceptual concerns? What are the strategies for technological and environmental decisions? How are you critically exploring and utilising differing forms of representation?. MIRO Board 04 will be the site for presenting your projects as a carefully crafted digital exhibition, concluding Studio G work.’ ABSTRACT - ‘Procuring Permanence is an administrative centre which seeks to cater to the long-term needs of Edinburgh’s homeless population by linking homeless individuals with ‘city caretakers’ and providing access to internet and library facilities for work and study. Caretakers are tasked with administering ‘Proxy Addresses,’ which allow those facing homelessness to access vital services (applying for work, voting, opening a bank account, and so forth). In doing so the caretakers ‘procure permanence’ on the behalf of homeless residents, tethering them to the city in ways previously closed off to them.’ (Right) Virtual end-of-semester exhibition space hosted by Miro, featuring myself and Shankar’s final city|house design project proposals

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The work of the first semester was to act as a ‘test’ of sorts for a for a fully formed design proposal in semester 2, and through this process of testing a number of lessons and insights were gained. For example, I understood from the development of a proposal for a support hub that I wished to tackle a more diverse, mixed-use approach to programme in the second semester, and that I wanted to explore in greater depth the technical, structural and environmental implications of working within an existing structure. The interplay between exposed concrete, timber paneling and existing stone construction was carried forward as a mode of enquiry, also. (Left) Long section through Support Hub proposal

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(Above and right) Ground, upper ground, first and second floor plans of Support Hub proposal, comprising a digital zone, library, administrative offices and interview rooms (Far right) Internal visualisations of Support Hub proposal, exploring material + spatial properties (Overleaf) City-field demonstrating material and spatial connections between New Club and Support Hub

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2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

COURSE SUMMARY This is a lecture and workshop based course whose aims are to develop a student’s understanding of the professional requirements of an architect in practice and being admitted to the title of ‘Architect’. The course is also intended, in part, as being a preparation for fulfilling the requirements of the Part 3 Examination in Professional Practice and Management. It is delivered through a series of previously recorded lectures presented by architects and related professionals involved in the creation of the built environment. The lectures are intended to present the student with a range of knowledge which can then be built on and developed by further reading. Further teaching vehicles include an on-line contract simulation exercise and a regulatory drawing project supported by on-line tutorials. LO1 An understanding of practice management and codes of professional conduct in the context of the construction industry. LO2 An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of individuals and organisations within architectural project procurement and contract administration, including knowledge of how cost control mechanisms operate within an architectural project. LO3

An understanding of the influence of statutory, legal and professional responsibilities as relevant to architectural design projects.

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2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

LO2 | CONTRACT SIMULATION EXERCISE ‘Students will operate in study groups of six in order to complete the exercise. There are a total of 34 contract scenarios. For each scenario the study group should decide on an appropriate course of action which is decided through the selection of an appropriate clause or clauses in the contract. Scenario questions, group responses and correct answers, should be recorded in sequence by each team on a word document to be agreed by all study group members at the completion of the exercise. This document will form part of the LO2 Submission. Study groups may select the computer programme they would prefer to use to facilitate group working and communication amongst themselves. (For instance Zoom, WhatsApp, GoToMeeting, Google-Hangouts).’ Group members: Caitlin MacLeod, Charlotta Chan, Gioia Puddu, Jack Parmar, Jordan Mok, Oliver Song Response/reflection: As noted in the brief, the pandemic forced some changes to the usual structure of the ‘Contract Game,’ and our team opted to work socially distanced in a booked-out ECA room for the duration of the exercise, with one student joining via Microsoft Teams. This challenged our ability to communicate with one another, and the first half of day one was mostly spent working out the logistics of working as a team to respond to Scenarios. After using this time to establish roles and responsibilities for each member, we began to answer scenarios more quickly, and the second day was far more efficient than the first. Personally, I felt the exercise provided a good precedent for working in a multidisciplinary team who are, similar to members of the group, physically distant from one another and must be reached by other means.

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2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

If you still wish to proceed with the replacement of D E Struct Ltd with Pentland Decorators Ltd for this portion of the works please confirm. Yours Group 3 Partnership

sincerely,

BULLGATE HOUSE, CITYBURGH Your latest Certificate No 7 remains unpaid. It is now 17 days since the due date. We have to advise you that we cannot accept such delays and would be obliged if you would have the situation remedied immediately otherwise we shall require to instruct our Solicitors to take the necessary action as detailed in the Conditions of Contract. Yours faithfully D E Struct Ltd.

CONTRACT SIMULATION REPORT | GROUP

Outline what you would do. Response: Letter from the architect to the Contractor: Dear Sirs, Thank you for your correspondence dated 16th March 2021. We apologise for this delay, and we will notify that to the Client, reminding them of their obligations.

‘Each study group to produce a Word document detailing in sequence all attempted scenarios and including for each scenario; the scenario question, the final group answer and the correct answer. This document should contain a cover sheet with the Group number and names of all group members. All students please note- the Group Document will not form part of the assessment. However they will be used by markers to provide ‘background and context’ when assessing the Individual Reports..’

Yours faithfully, Group 3 Partnership Letter from the architect to the client: Dear Sirs,

Answer: Omission of the painterwork from the contract can be by AI under 5.1.1. This will result in the deduction of the painterwork from the Contract Sum, but may bring some additional costs, eg Contractor’s loss of profit (4.2). The QS should agree these costs with Contractor, so Employer can be informed before making final decision. Could use Variation Quotation mechanism (5.3). If new (separate) painter is to be brought in by Client during the contract period, Main Contractor’s permission must be obtained (2.7.2). Alternatively, the painterwork can be carried out after Practical Completion, which avoids the issue. ---SCENARIO 25 LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR TO ARCHITECT

Response/reflection: One of the members of our group, Charlotta Chan, was responsible for inputting information into a shared Google Doc as we went through each scenario, and any separate documents e.g. calculations, mock letters and emails etc were saved in a folder to be input later. This made pulling together the contract simulation group report following the conclusion of the exercise far quicker and easier.

16th March 2021 Dear Sirs

As the Contractor feels our appraisal of the felt roofing was unreasonable, we anticipated that an Architect’s Instruction would have been disputed, and to avoid this we chose to be firmer with our response. ---SCENARIO 28 22nd March 2021

We felt as a group that our report was particularly strong in its inclusion of ‘reflections,’ where perhaps our response varied from the given answer and as such we would work together to reflect on what we learned from this, where we went wrong, and how we would approach the same scenario again should it arise in the future.

During a site inspection you note that a joiner is fitting door ironmongery. The lever handles being fitted look unfamiliar and on checking, you find that they are not the type specified. You consider them to be inferior in both design and quality. On enquiry, you discover that about 50% of the doors have already been fitted with the wrong type. What do you do about this? Response: Upon inspection of the door ironmongery, we have determined that the lever handles are inferior in both design and quality than the specified handle. We would notify the Contractor of the inadequate standard of the implemented materials, which was not in accordance with the Contract and the Bill of Quantities. We would instruct the Contractor to remove the wrong type of handles as per Clause 3.18.1. We would consult with the Contractor, and instruct them to install the handles specified in the Bill of Quantities. No addition shall be made to the Contract Sum and no extension of time shall be given as per Clause 3.18.3. Answer: Instruct the Contractor to cease fitting of these handles while you decide what to do. Either: Instruct removal & rectification under clause 3.18.1, or, With Employer’s consent, notify the Contractor that the goods shall remain, continue fitting these, possibly with an appropriate deduction from the Contract Sum. This would not constitute a Variation. ---SCENARIO 29 MEMO FROM CLERK OF WORKS TO ARCHITECT

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26th March 2021 Building Control visited the site. The fire doorsets aren't fitted with intumescent strips and Building Control requires these for Standards compliance.

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

I notify you of a payment notice received on the 16th of March 2021 by the Contractor “D E Struct Ltd” that refers to the latest Certificate No 7. I remind you that subject to Clause 4.11.4 of the SBCQ, “the final date for payment of each interim payment and the final payment shall be 14 days from its due date.” and therefore that: “if either Party fails to pay a sum, or any part of it, due to the other Party under these Conditions by its final date for payment, he shall, in addition to any unpaid amount that should properly have been paid, pay the other Party simple interest on that amount at the Interest Rate for the period from the final date for payment until payment is made” (4.11.6). Also, please note that according to Clause 8.9.1 of the SBCQ, if you fail to accomplish this payment in time and/or any VAT properly chargeable on that amount, you would receive a notice by the contractor specifying your defaults and this would lead to a termination by the contractor.

Answer: Write to Client, advising them that payment is due within 14 days of the Due Date (4.11). Also warn Client that, if not paid immediately, the Contractor can start to add simple interest to the amount due. Also point out to Client clause 8.9.1, default by Employer, which may result in Contractor suspending the Works or terminating their employment. ---SCENARIO 26 SITE VISIT 19th March 2021 The Clerk of Works draws your attention to an area of bituminous felt roofing on the two storey wing of the Office which is uneven. You are far from satisfied with the workmanship on this part of the roof. The remainder of the roof - although you feel it could be better - you find acceptable. What action do you take? Response: According to clause 2.3.1, all the materials for the works should be to the standard described in the Bills of Quantities unless the Contractor has obtained consent from the Architect/Contract Administrator. The next action is to request the Contractor to provide reasonable proof (clause 2.3.4) that the materials currently used are up to the quality described in the Bills of Quantities. As per clause 3.18 ‘Work not in accordance with the Contract’, we as the Architect/Contract Administrator may issue instructions to retouch the uneven bituminous felt roofing on the site (3.18.1), or, following a consultation with the Contractor and with the Employer’s consent, allow for the bituminous felt roofing to remain if they are deemed appropriate for the works (3.18.2), or, following a consultation with the Contractor, issue a variation instruction (3.18.3). We may also open up for inspection or test the materials to establish non-compliance or otherwise (3.18.4). Answer: Write to Contractor, referring to clause 2.3.2 (workmanship to be as described in the BoQ, usually referring to the appropriate British Standard). Decide if the work is acceptable or not acceptable: Instruct removal & rectification under clause 3.18.1, or, With Employer’s consent, notify the Contractor that the work shall remain, possibly with an appropriate deduction from the Contract Sum. ----

Yours faithfully, Group 3 Partnership

SCENARIO 27 LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR TO ARCHITECT 21st March 2021

The Contractor stated that the doors are installed as Billed and Specified. There is no mention of these intumescent strips. He insists on an A.I. if he is to supply and fit them

D E Struct Ltd.

Please clarify. What do you do? Response: The first step will be to double check the specifications of the fire doorsets previously issued to figure out whether it is our mistake for not having specified the intumescent strips. Assuming that the specifications have not been addressed in the drawings, it is our responsibility for making a faulty specification. However, as the issue revolves around Statutory Requirements, according to clause 2.17.1, the Contractor is responsible for checking that the specifications meet Standards compliance and the issue should have been raised as soon as the problem has been found.

Answer: Check that the doors are as per the BoQ and Specification. Issue a Variation Instruction under 5.1.1, as required by 2.17.2, also requesting a Variation Quotation under 5.3. Confirm acceptance of VQ, confirming the Instruction. Contractor may claim for EoT (Relevant Event 2.29.1) and Loss & Expense due to delay (Relevant Matter 4.21.1).

We feel that the proposed reduction of 50% is acceptable and will contact the Client recommending that he approve the reduction, this is conditional on the Contractor completing the works for the new Relevant Date given, and a Practical Completion Certificate being issued in accordance with this.

SCENARIO 30 LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR TO ARCHITECT

Yours faithfully D E Struct Ltd. Reply to Contractor. How might you enforce action? Response: Dear Sirs, Further to your letter dated 21st March 2021, As it is the opinion of multiple members of the Project Team (Clerk of Works and the Architect) that the work is not up to the standard specified in the Contract as it is deemed that the bituminous felt roofing is not compliant with the Employer’s Requirements 2.3.2. We refer you to the Bill of Quantities Clause Ref 2.3.2 ‘All work to be executed under the contract shall be carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of the appropriate British Standard Code of Practice’. We will instruct the Client to withhold/deduct liquidated damages at the rate stated in the Contract Particulars (2.32.2.2) and will issue a Non-Completion Certificate as per Clause 2.31, if the works are not made good to the standards required as per Clause 2.3.2. Yours faithfully, Group 3 Partnership Answer: Decide if you wish to enforce remedial action: If yes, then issue notice to Contractor requiring compliance with the AI within 7 days. If non-compliance continues thereafter, the Employer may employ others to carry out the remedial work, and the Contractor shall be liable for the additional costs (deducted from the Contract Sum). *REFLECTION:

As the Contractor has been issued an Extension of Time, the Contractor can be relieved from the preagreed rate of Liquidated Damages. However this does not mean the Client cannot claim Liquidated Damages and a revised rate should be considered. Clause 2.37 in the SBCQ states that the ‘rate of liquidated damages stated in the Contract Particulars in respect of the Works or Section containing the Relevant Part shall reduce by the same proportion as the value of the Relevant Part bears to the Contract Sum or to the relevant Section Sum’. A new date reflecting the Extension of Time has been given in order to allow the Contractor sufficient time to complete any works in accordance with the Contract. An appropriate reduction in the rate of Liquidated Damages, taking into account the Extension of Time and any other Relevant Matters.

*REFLECTION: We overlooked the requirement for Variation Quotation and clauses to this.

Further to your letter concerning bituminous felt roofing at the above, our Site Agent, together with a representative of the Roofing Sub-Contractor has now inspected the area in question and feels you are being most unreasonable. There is a slight unevenness in one small area but, in general, the roofing work throughout is up to our usual high standard and complies in all respects with our contractual obligations. We propose to take no further action in this matter.

Reply to Contractor. Response: Dear Sirs,

Then an AI will be issued as a Variation has been made. A request of extension of time and loss/expense will likely be granted as this issue will be both a Relevant Event (2.29) and a Relevant Matter (4.20).

----

Dear Sirs BULLGATE HOUSE, CITYBURGH

We will contact the Client to advise him to approve this. Yours sincerely, Group 3 Partnership

Answer: This is not a matter for the Architect, however, you may write to the Contractor, pointing out: The rate of LDs were set at time of tender and incorporated into the Articles of Agreement, meaning that both parties have agreed to this. Following the Architect certifying Non-Completion, the Employer may apply the LDs under 2.32, either by a notice requiring payment by the Contractor, or by withholding from a payment due. The Employer is at liberty to charge full damages, or charge partial damages, or not charge damages. Any pleading by the Contractor should be directed to the Employer, not the Architect. *REFLECTION: Our group overestimated the role of the architect/CA in advising the client regarding acceptance of reductions to LDs. While we in our answer understood that the decision to accept the Contractor’s request was at the discretion of the Employer, we assumed the Architect might have a more significant role in mediating discussions between the Contractor and Client on this matter.

27th March 2021 Dear Sirs, BULLGATE HOUSE, CITYBURGH As previously discussed, it is apparent that we will not achieve completion of the above by the Date for Completion but we have to inform you that, in our considered opinion, the sum quoted as Liquidated Damages is excessive and, as such, represents unwarranted penalisation entirely beyond the spirit of the contract. We believe that a reduction of 50% would be an equitable figure and assure you that no expense will be spared in getting the building ready for occupation as soon as possible.

---SCENARIO 31 LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR TO ARCHITECT 28th March 2021 Dear Sirs,

Yours faithfully

2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

Bullgate House under JCT DB16 / Design & Build Procurement Caitlin MacLeod s1440163 The Contract Simulation Exercise supposed that a Traditional procurement route (with SBC/Q/Scot 2016) was used in the scenario project. This form of procurement has, in recent years, been somewhat overtaken in popularity by Design and Build, 1 favoured by clients for a multitude of reasons, including the oﬀer of cost certainty, a shorter programme time - including the potential for an earlier start on site - and a reduction of risk on their part, which is absorbed by the main contractor. It is generally accepted, within the profession of architecture in particular, that these advantages are often to the detriment of the project quality, as the main contractor assumes the role of designer in place of a design professional employed directly by the client. Through a re-examination of the ‘Bullgate House’ scenario project under a Design and Build form of procurement and the JCT DB16 contract, this report aims to critically examine these common perceptions of Design and Build procurement. In doing so, it will be determined whether this route would oﬀer enough advantages to be seriously considered over a Traditional form of procurement, considering the particulars of the project and the needs and wishes of the client (henceforth termed ‘the Employer’), Charles Chore Ltd, as evidenced by the project scenarios.

CONTRACT SIMULATION REPORT | INDIVIDUAL ‘Each individual team member is to submit one document for assessment: A 1500 (max) word reflection on how a different form of procurement and contract would have had an impact on the delivery of the Contract Simulation project in relation to time, cost and quality. The report should include an analysis of how particular cost control mechanisms evidenced in the simulation exercise, would operate differently under an alternative form of procurement and contract.’

Time/cost/quality/risk comparisons

development and construction work4, which may be particularly attractive to Charles Chore Ltd.

However, one of the reasons for a shorter programme is the lack of flexibility in allowing for Variations (termed ‘Changes’ under DB) to the Employer’s Requirements, set out at the initial tender stage; specifying Changes will come at a significant cost to the Employer, unlike under a Traditional route,56 and as such the Employer’s Requirements document should be as detailed as possible to avoid this. This brings into some dispute the perception that DB offers a degree of ‘price certainty’ for the client - as Lupton states in her guide to JCT DB16, ‘certainty will depend on a wide variety of factors, in particular how detailed the information is at tender stage and how restrained the employer is in requiring amendments.’7

This could pose a problem particularly for the scenario Employer Charles Chore Ltd.: as evidenced in Scenarios 14 and 21, the Employer is prone to changing their mind regarding design decisions and material specifications during the construction stage. Should this flexibility to request amendments be of particular importance to the Employer, sticking to a Traditional route may be the best course of action. Should they agree to a DB route and continue to make Changes to their Requirements, it could be argued that the cost advantages offered by DB procurement (design and construction work being covered by the contractor for a single contract sum,8 their ‘fixed price commitment’9 at the point of tendering) are somewhat diminished.

TIME/COST

An often-cited advantage oﬀered by Design and Build (DB) procurement is the potential for an earlier start on site, as design work can be carried out in parallel with ongoing construction work.2 This is unlike Traditional procurement, where detailed design information is required for the tender package, prior to commencement on site. Scenario 1 of the CSE highlights an early start is a priority for the Employer3, and as such DB might appeal to them for this reason. Moreover, the programme itself tends to be shorter due to this parallel running of design M. Hackett, and G. Statham, The Aqua Group Guide to Procurement, Tendering and Contract Administration, 2nd ed, Wiley-Blackwell, 2016, p. 99. 1

S. Lupton, Which Contract?: Choosing The Appropriate Building Contract, 6th ed., RIBA Publishing, 2019, p. 17. 2

Response/reflection: I opted to reflect on how the contract scenario would have worked under an alternative JCT DB16 contract, and a Design and Build form of procurement - as someone who has totaled two years experience working in practice as a Part 1 Assistant, and in a firm where D&B is the most common form of procurement in our projects, I wanted to utilise the knowledge I had gained from professional practice to apply to this analysis.

Contract Simulation Exercise, Scenario 1: ‘Your client is keen to commence operations on site as soon as possible.’ 3

S. Lupton, Guide to JCT Design and Build Contract 2016, Zaltbommel-Netherlands, Netherlands, Van Haren Publishing, 2019, p. 1. 4

Lupton, Guide to JCT Design and Build, p. 1.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 146: ‘there is no provision for design input from the employer after completion of the tender documents, except by way of variation of ‘Change’…the employer must bear the full cost of such variation.’ 6

Contract Administrator, an Employer’s Agent is hired in order to administer the contract and ensure the building complies with the Employer’s Requirements under JCT DB16 - this report assumes the QS, Bill Page & Partners, would take on this role.

Fig 1 - Extent of Contractor Design Responsibility by contract 10

QUALITY/RISK

Project quality is less likely to be guaranteed under DB, due in part to the main contractor’s role in design which is usually assumed by an Employer’s consultant team (e.g. an architect) under Traditional procurement.11 Under JCT DB16 however, ‘the contractor assumes responsibility for completing the design, not for the whole design,’12 so that the Employer may employ a design team/architect ‘to develop the brief before handing…over to the contractor through the mechanism of novation.'13 This mitigates, to some extent, the problem of quality uncertainty for which DB is known, but which places greater risk on the Employer than would be the case under another form; for instance, it is the Employer, not the contractor, who is responsible for any errors made in the Employer’s Requirements document under JCT DB16.14 Should the Employer wish to opt for a DB procurement route for primary reasons of risk-aversion, they should perhaps consider an alternative contract. On the other hand, the passing of risk to the contractor necessitates an inﬂation of cost to allow them to absorb this risk, which may be more of a concern for the Employer than the limiting of their own legal liability.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 48.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 147.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 47.

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 99.

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 102.

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 99.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 52.

Following the process of novation, the contractor replaces the Employer in the role of the design team/architect’s client (see Fig 2). The architect, therefore, has no recourse to request alternate speciﬁcations of lacking materials or rectiﬁcation of poor workmanship on the part of the contractor should such issues arise, in their professional opinion. However, while the architect no longer assumes the role of

Lupton, Guide to JCT Design and Build, p. 1.

Fig 2 - Comparison of Contractual relationships

A number of scenarios in the CSE project would indicate that the quality of the project, should the contractor D.E. Struct Ltd. be in charge of completing the design without overlooking from a qualified design professional, could be lacking under DB. Scenarios 10 and 28 outline instances in which the CA/Architect has noted/been informed of a product specified in the Bill of Quantities (the fireclay drainpipes and door lever handles respectively) being substituted by the contractor for cheaper options of ‘inferior…design and quality,’15 while scenarios 23 and 26 describe a perceived lack of quality in workmanship.

I also benefited from having access to a number of relevant resources through our firm’s ‘Part 3 library’ on the shared server, and thus was able to utilise a number of case studies and academic sources to understand how the scenario would work in relation to time, cost and quality, and how cost control mechanisms would operate. I made the decision to lay out the report such that it was visually very minimalist and uncomplicated - I felt this would be the best visual representation to express my ideas and ensure any diagrams, important to my overall analysis, were legible and clear.

Cost control

I would argue that this strongly suggests that the overall project quality under DB, should this particular contractor win the tender, would be less than under the Traditional route. Whether or not this would be a risk worth taking would depend on the priorities of the Employer themselves; both the speciﬁcation of cheaper materials and the omission of rectiﬁcation/removal work for lacking workmanship (as opted for by our group in the CSE) would save on both cost and time, and these factors may be of higher importance to the user Employer than project quality. A radar diagram could be utilised prior to the selection of a procurement route in order to determine these priorities (see Fig.3).

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Contract Simulation Exercise, Scenario 28.

Numerous cost control mechanisms under JCT DB16 are functionally similar to those evidenced in the scenario project conducted under SBC/Q/Scot, with the main diﬀerences lying in the ﬁgures involved in overseeing the main contractor’s actions. The CA’s monitoring of actions by the Contractor, particularly those which had the potential to increase the Contract Sum, was key in controlling cost in the simulation exercise - for example, the attempt made by the contractor in Scenario 17 to increase the Contract Sum by specifying a particular sub-contractor, which was subsequently denied by the CA. Under JCT DB16, the Employer’s Agent (in this case, the QS) would hold this responsibility.

The Contractor is similarly unable to inﬂate the Contract Sum with sub-contracting under JCT DB16, however the responsibility to approve sub-contrating would lie with the Employer rather than the CA.21 Again, it is the level of detail contained within the Employer’s Requirements document which would determine how likely a problem such as this would occur under JCT DB16; at tender stage, the Employer is

Lupton, Which Contract?, pp. 81, 152.

Lupton, Guide to JCT Design and Build, ch. 7.

C. King, ‘A Game of Risk: JCT Design and Build Contracts,’ Fenwick Elliott, 24 Oct. 2017, fenwickelliott.com/research-insight/newsletters/insight/73. 19

Fig 3 - Radar diagram16

Both the SBC/Q/Scot 2016 and JCT DB16 control costs by the outlining of a Contract Sum, which is ‘VAT exclusive…and may only be adjusted as provided for in the Conditions.’ 17 Supplemental Provisions in both contracts allow for costsaving and value-improvement proposals from the contractor;18 in principal, however, the opportunity for the contractor to ‘add value’ is greater under DB procurement, due to their design input which focuses on ‘buildability’ and subsequent cost reduction (although this contribution is arguably less eﬀective under JCT DB16, where the contractor only completes the design).19 Should the scenario project have been conducted under JCT DB16, this cost-saving may have been implemented, for example, in the contractor’s selection of cheaper (albeit lower-quality) lever handles and ﬁreclay drainpipes. 20

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 56 (criteria altered to suit CSE)

Contract Simulation Exercise, Scenario 28 and 10.

The Joint Contracts Tribunal Limited, JCT: Design and Build Contract 2016 (DB), Sweet & Maxwell, 2016, p. 42. 21

permitted to specify Named Sub-contractors in their Requirements, which could have gone some way in avoiding this situation (and, in addition, dealing with the painterwork sub-contracting request made by the Employer in Scenario 24, should their naming of Pentland Decorators Ltd. have been entered into the Employer’s Requirements at tender stage).22

One significant difference which may have an affect on cost is the provision of Quantities under SBC/Q/Scot, which are absent under JCT DB16. The Bill of Quantities is prepared by a cost consultant (which, again, the JCT DB16 makes no provision for) such as a QS, and can aid in cost prediction and control.23 Its absence in JCT DB16 creates the potential for unforeseen cost inflation should Changes to the Employer’s Requirements be made which, as evidenced earlier in the report (with reference made to Scenarios 14 and 21, where alterations were made by the Employer resulting in the need for Variations to be made), the Bullgate Employer is likely to request.

Conclusion The typology of the Bullgate House scenario project (an oﬃce block) would immediately suggest that Design and Build is the most obvious procurement route to take; this type of procurement is, after all, suited to standardised forms of building in which quality of design and detailing are lower in priority than with other project types. However, upon analysing the CSE scenarios, it is evident that Charles Chore Ltd. is interested in involving themselves in the ongoing design development of the project and prone to requesting changes somewhat last-minute during the construction stage; I believe this makes DB a less than suitable choice for this particular Employer. Should the Employer nonetheless wish to make use of the expertise of the Contractor and allow for them to design ‘a deﬁned part…of the project,’24 a good compromise could be to utilise the Contractor Designed Portion (CDP) of the SBC/Q/Scot instead, which would maintain the advantages of a Traditional contract (the provision of a Contract Administrator, for example) whilst still mitigating the Employer’s risk to some degree.25

JCT, Design and Build Contract 2016, p. 80.

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 140: ‘The primary purpose of the bills of quantities is to provide a uniform basis for competitive lump sum tenders and a schedule of rates for pricing variations.’ 23

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 16

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 100

TIME/COST | An often-cited advantage offered by Design and Build (DB) procurement is the potential for an earlier

start on site, as design work can be carried out in parallel with ongoing construction work. This is unlike Traditional procurement, where detailed design information is required for the tender package, prior to commencement on site. Scenario 1 of the CSE highlights an early start is a priority for the Employer, and as such DB might appeal to them for this reason. Moreover, the programme itself tends to be shorter due to this parallel running of design development and construction work, which may be particularly attractive to Charles Chore Ltd.

However, one of the reasons for a shorter programme is the lack of flexibility in allowing for Variations (termed ‘Changes’ under DB) to the Employer’s Requirements, set out at the initial tender stage; specifying Changes will come at a significant cost to the Employer, unlike under a Traditional route, and as such the Employer’s Requirements document should be as detailed as possible to avoid this. This brings into some dispute the perception that DB offers a degree of ‘price certainty’ for the client - as Lupton states in her guide to JCT DB16, ‘certainty will depend on a wide variety of factors, in particular how detailed the information is at tender stage and how restrained the employer is in requiring amendments.’

Fig 1 - Extent of Contractor Design Responsibility by contract 10

QUALITY/RISK

This could pose a problem particularly for the scenario Employer Charles Chore Ltd.: as evidenced in Scenarios 14 and 21, the Employer is prone to changing their mind regarding design decisions and material specifications during the construction stage. Should this flexibility to request amendments be of particular importance to the Employer, sticking to a Traditional route may be the best course of action. Should they agree to a DB route and continue to make Changes to their Requirements, it could be argued that the cost advantages offered by DB procurement (design and construction work being covered by the contractor for a single contract sum, their ‘fixed price commitment’ at the point of tendering) are somewhat diminished.

Project quality is less likely to be guaranteed under DB, due in part to the main

contractor’s role in design which is usually assumed by an Employer’s consultant team (e.g. an architect) under Traditional procurement.11 Under JCT DB16 however, ‘the contractor assumes responsibility for completing the design, not for the whole design,’ 12 so that the Employer may employ a design team/architect ‘to develop the before handing…over to the brief contractor through the mechanism of novation.'13 QUALITY/RISK | Project quality is less likely to be guaranteed under DB, due in part to the main contractor’s role in for which DB is design which is usually assumed by an Employer’s consultant team (e.g. an architect) under Traditional procurement. This mitigates, to some extent, the problem of quality uncertainty

Under JCT DB16 however, ‘the contractor assumes responsibility for completing the design, not for the whole design,’ known, but which places greater risk on the Employer than would be the case under so that the Employer may employ a design team/architect ‘to develop the brief before handing…over to the contractor it is the

another form; for instance, Employer, not the contractor, who is responsible through the mechanism of novation.’ This mitigates, to some extent, the problem of quality uncertainty for which DB is under JCT DB16. 14 made in the Employer’s Requirements document known, but which places greater risk on the Employer than would be the case under another form; for instance, it is the for any errors Employer, not the contractor, who is responsible for any errors made in the Employer’s Requirements document under Should the Employer wish to opt for a DB procurement route for primary reasons of

JCT DB16. risk-aversion, they should perhaps consider an alternative contract. On the other

of cost to allow passing of risk to the contractor necessitates an inﬂation Following the process of novation, the contractor replaces the Employer in the role of the design team/architect’s client hand, the (see Fig 2). The architect, therefore, has no recourse to request alternate specifications of lacking materials or rectification them to absorb this risk, which may be more of a concern for the Employer than the of poor workmanship on the part of the contractor should such issues arise, in their professional opinion. However, while limiting of their own legal liability. Fig 2 - Comparison of Contractual relationships

the architect no longer assumes the role of Contract Administrator, an Employer’s Agent is hired in order to administer

Fig 3 - Radar diagram

the contract and ensure the building complies with the Employer’s Requirements under JCT DB16 - this report assumes COST CONTROL | Numerous cost control mechanisms under JCT DB16 are functionally similar to those evidenced in 16

the scenario project conducted under SBC/Q/Scot, with the main differences lying in the figures involved in overseeing the QS, Bill Page & Partners, would take on this role. A number of scenarios in the CSE project would indicate that the Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 56 (criteria altered to suit CSE) quality of the project, should the contractor D.E. Struct Ltd. be in charge of completing the design without overlooking 6 the main contractor’s actions. The CA’s monitoring of actions by the Contractor, particularly those which had the potential the process of in novation, the contractor replaces the Employer in the role 4 in the simulation exercise - for example, the attempt made by the to increase the Contract Sum, was key controlling cost from a qualified design professional, could be lacking under DB. Scenarios 10 and 28 outline instances in which the CA/ Following the design client Fig 2). The architect, therefore, has no contractor in Scenarioteam/architect’s 17 to increase the Contract Sum(see by specifying a particular sub-contractor, which was subsequently Architect has noted/been informed of a product specified in the Bill of Quantities (the fireclay drainpipes and door lever of denied by theto CA.request Under JCT DB16, the Employer’s Agent (in this case, the QS) would hold this responsibility. handles respectively) being substituted by the contractor for cheaper options of ‘inferior…design and quality,’ while recourse alternate speciﬁcations of lacking materials or rectiﬁcation of scenarios 23 and 26 describe a perceived lack of quality in workmanship. poor workmanship on the contractor should such issues arise, in their The Contractor is similarly unable to part inflate of thethe Contract Sum with sub-contracting under JCT DB16, however the responsibility to approve subcontracting would lie with Employer rather than theassumes CA. Again, itthe is therole levelofof I would argue that this strongly suggests that the overall project quality under DB, should this particular contractor professional opinion. However, while thethearchitect no longer win the tender, would be less than under the Traditional route. Whether or not this would be a risk worth taking would detail contained within the Employer’s Requirements document which would determine how likely a problem such depend on the priorities of the Employer themselves; both the specification of cheaper materials and the omission of as this would occur under JCT DB16; at tender stage, the Employer is permitted to specify Named Sub-contractors in their Requirements, which could havep. gone rectification/removal work for lacking workmanship (as opted for by our group in the CSE) would save on both cost and 10 Lupton, Which Contract?, 48.some way in avoiding this situation (and, in addition, dealing with the time, and these factors may be of higher importance to the user Employer than project quality. A radar diagram could be painterwork sub-contracting request made by the Employer in Scenario 24, should their naming of Pentland Decorators 11 Contract?, p. 147. Ltd.Lupton, have beenWhich entered into the Employer’s Requirements at tender stage). utilised prior to the selection of a procurement route in order to determine these priorities (see Fig.3). 16

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 47.

Hackett, The Aqua Group Guide, p. 102.

Lupton, Which Contract?, p. 52.

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3

CONCLUSION | The typology of the Bullgate House scenario project (an office block)

would immediately suggest that Design and Build is the most obvious procurement route to take; this type of procurement is, after all, suited to standardised forms of building in which quality of design and detailing are lower in priority than with other project types. However, upon analysing the CSE scenarios, it is evident that Charles Chore Ltd. is interested in involving themselves in the ongoing design development of the project and prone to requesting changes somewhat last-minute during the construction stage; I believe this makes DB a less than suitable choice for this particular Employer. Should the Employer nonetheless wish to make use of the expertise of the Contractor and allow for them to design ‘a defined part…of the project,’ a good compromise could be to utilise the Contractor Designed Portion (CDP) of the SBC/Q/Scot instead, which would maintain the advantages of a Traditional contract (the provision of a Contract Administrator, for example) whilst still mitigating the Employer’s risk to some degree.

READINGS AND REFERENCES The Joint Contracts Tribunal Limited. JCT: Design and Build Contract 2016 (DB). Sweet & Maxwell, 2016. Hackett, Mark, and Gary Statham. The Aqua Group Guide to Procurement, Tendering and Contract Administration, 2nd Edition. West Sussex, Wiley-Blackwell, 2016. King, Claire. “A Game of Risk: JCT Design and Build Contracts.” Fenwick Elliott, 24 Oct. 2017. fenwickelliott.com/research-insight/newsletters/insight/73. Lupton, Sarah. Guide to JCT Design and Build Contract 2016. Zaltbommel-Netherlands, Netherlands, Van Haren Publishing, 2019. Lupton, Sarah. Which Contract?: Choosing The Appropriate Building Contract. 6th ed., RIBA Publishing, 2019.

2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

THE CONTEMPORARY COLONY Sarah Alcock | Theo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod

‘Students will co-produce two drawings critically analysing the relationship between a selected precedent project(s) and two from three regulatory frameworks as follows:

Between 2011 and August 2015, Malcolm Fraser Architects (MFA) developed designs for an affordable housing scheme on the historic Leith Fort site in Edinburgh, with both CEC and Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) as joint clients. Due to financial concerns, the practice then announced voluntary liquidation in 2015, and could no longer assume their role as a novated consultant. Collective Architecture (CAL) were approached to take the project forward from its then-current status (planning application approval) to final completion. The scheme was completed in January 2018. The design of the scheme drew deliberately upon the typology of the Edinburgh colony, a popular model of housing built across the city in the late 19th and early 20th century, with the conceptual aim of ‘reinventing the colony’ for contemporary needs. This study aims to examine the evolution of the colony typology from precedent to final scheme, reflecting upon the particular deviations made from the original typology model and examining which contemporary planning guidance regulations these alterations may respond to. ‘The principles presented here are informed by qualities that make Edinburgh special. They seek to achieve new development that draws on and interprets the past; although the emphasis is strongly on interpretation, creativity and innovation rather than prescription...the city must continue to embrace change so that it can adapt to its evolving needs.’ - Edinburgh Design Guidance 2013, page 9-10. 950 840

01 ABBEYHILL vs LEITH FORT

Leith Fort Compliance

By examining one example of an original Edinburgh colony (at Abbeyhill) using later building 300 policy and design guidance, we can clearly see how the design changes that led standards, planning 800 to the contemporary colony typology at Leith Fort were directly informed by the regulation guidances and policies at the time of conception (2013). This has been done using the 2013 Scottish Building Standards (Domestic) and Edinburgh Council 166Design Guidance 2013, with reference made to local planning policies. 280 400

800

Fig 1 External stair Leith Fort Housing

140

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a) Install a better than suggested LD1 early detections system b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper (in accordance with 2.9.4 of the building standards the top floor is higher than 4.5m from the ground and therefore too high to egress from.) c) Inclusion of 30 minute fire wall around the kitchen and bathroom to protect the rest of the stories from the most high risk fire areas.

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Fig 2 External stair Abbeyhill Colony

This was deemed equally effective as the provisions explicity detailed in the regulations in 2016. However, upon interview with Nicola Mclachlan who worked on the project, it became apparent that this design for the colonies was replicated at a site in Coopersknowe in 2019 and was not deemed to be sufficient. Instead, it was necessary to have full height walls around the staircase and a door separating the hall from the living spaces to create a complete enclosure in accordance with 2.9.5. There was no legal change to this area of regulation between 2016 and the present day which has lead to speculation that, in areas under descretion, what is deemed sufficient has been tightened post the Grenfell Tower incident in 2017. This lead to a design more reminicent of the original Abbeyhill colonies being reintroduced. While the enclosed spaces worked well at the Abbeyhill site, offering more privacy to the the bedrooms, it makes the living spaces at Coopwersknowe feel darker and smaller than the more open ones at Leith Fort in Nicola Maclachlans’ opinion.

ABBEYHILL COLONY EXTERNAL STAIR NON-COMPLIANCE

LEITH FORT HOUSING EXTERNAL STAIR COMPLIANCE

4.3.2: The typical rise is 185mm, which is greater than the max of 170mm. 4.3.2: All rises in a flight should be of uniform height. Max rise in ‘any other Plus the bottom step is of a variable height (~90 - 160mm). stair’ is 170mm. 4.3.4: These flights have 18 steps, greater than the 16 max. 4.3.4: A flight of stairs should have not more than 16 rises. 4.3.6: The landings are too small, less than the 1.2m required. There is only 4.3.6: Stair landing to be provided at top and bottom of every flight at min 670mm of space at the bottom before the pavement. And only 1050mm at length of width of stair. On landing to external stairs, where tactile pacing the top landing. used, 1.2m min length. Abbeyhill Colony Non-compliance 4.3.7: As an external route serving more than one dwelling, tactile paving 4.3.7: On external routes serving more than one dwelling, tactile pacing should be, but is not, utilised here. should be used at the head and foot of any flight of external steps, a strip 127 4.3.14: Handrails do not extend beyond top and bottom of the flight.810 800mm deep, positioned 400mm from the first step edge. 4.3.15: Handrail is at 805mm, less than the 840mm min. 4.3.14: Handrails to extend at least 300mm beyond top and bottom of the 4.4.2: Railings have 127mm between them, so a 100mm sphere could flight of stairs. pass through. Barrier is lower than the min height of 900mm on stairs. 4.3.15: A handrail should be fixed at height of at least 840mm. 4.4.2: Design of predestrian protective barriers 100mm sphere cannot 185 670 pass through. Min height of 900mm on stairs.

B) Escape Windows

C) Protected Enclosures / Surpession Sytems

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1m 1m

25o rule

1m 1m

Garden for upstairs

2.3m

Grd flat garden

Grd floor flat

Edinburgh Planning Policy 2.9: aims to preserve privacy from overlooking particularly at the rear of properties. Where ground floor flats back onto Garden for upstairs communal gardens, a private garden of at least 3m is recommended.

HM Government Access to and Use of Buildings (Dwellings) 2.20b: asks that the landing of a private entrance is covered for a minimum width of 900mm and a minimum depth of 600mm. Leith Fort Housing provides canopies to cover landings where Abbeyhill does not.

Transport Scotland 4.1.10: The min width of a footway is to be 2m. In the Abbeyhill colonies above, this width is hardly 1m, which was rectified in Leith Fort to be the compliant 2.4m.

3.3: Abbeyhill conoies have the upper flat garden garden next to a lower flat window. This is amended in Leith Fort to have both gardens on the same side.

Too high for egress and therefore just used for ventialltion and calling for help

5.9m

1.7m 25o rule

25º rule

Garden for upstairs

1.2m

Garden for upstairs

Fig 4 Site Section Leith Fort Housing, 1:250

Footpath

2.4m

4.5m

2.4m

4.5m

1.2m

Grd flat garden

Fig 9a: Axonometric analysis of the extent of the protected enclosure at Leith Fort with the stairwell open to the living spaces but protected from the high risk areas.

3.6m

Fig 8: Axonometric analysis of the three fold fire engineered solution to the surpression system in upper dwellings at Leith Fort

Garden for upstairs Footpath Driveway

Footpath

Footpath Driveway

Grd floor flat

Parking

Driveway

Grd flat garden

Grd floor flat 20cm

Distance between (front doors to dwellings) Distanceopenings between openings (front doorsexceeds to dwellings) exceeds 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using the balcony to egress are at reduced risk from flames contained balcony to egress are at reduced from flames contained within thethe property spreading without fire proofingrisk doors.

20cm

within the property spreading without fire proofing doors.

2.9m

02 MFA vs CAL Between the MFA-designed scheme gaining planning permission and the CAL-designed scheme being taken forward to final completion, a lengthy value engineering exercise, which required all drawings to be revised, took place. All changes made to the original MFA design drawings were such that a new planning application was not required, but rather that they be considered as a series of non-material variations. We may consider to what extent these alterations affect the ‘spirit of the scheme’, i.e. how far the scheme deviates from its original colony precedent and consequentially how well the final CAL proposal is successful in its mission to ‘reinvent the colony’ for contemporary needs.

D Balcony does not accomodate current day minimum landing area requirements outside doors as is only 1m deep

Balcony does not accomodate current day minimum landing area requirements outside doors as is only 1m deep

02 EXTERNAL STAIR REDESIGN

1.58m

Continuous flight of 18 rises without landing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

‘The planning process has an essential role to play in ensuring that the design of new housing reinforces local and Scottish identity.’ - PAN67: Housing Quality, page 8.

A|Removal of dormer windows: The traditional Edinburgh colony almost always includes dormer windows (source: City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Colonies: Conservation Area Character Appraisal), and thus their removal from the MFA design for the purpose of cost-saving does unfortunately significantly affect how sucessfully the Leith Fort Housing scheme invokes the form of the precedent typology.

Fig 6 Forestair

B|Alternative canopy design: Part of the VE exercise was altering the canopy design, which saw the original MFA design being considerably simplified, favouring 8mm mild steel plates fixed back to the cavity walls for the final proposal. Canopies in general are not present in traditional colony typologies, but are included in this scheme to meet the requirements of contemporary building regulations (see Fig 4), a good example of how the typology has been adapted for the 21st century.

Continuous flight of 18 rises without landing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

in certain areas, with unpainted, galvanised steel railings. Boundary walls in original colony examples tended to be constructed in stone, but metal railings were not uncommon on forestairs and boundaries (source: CEC Edinburgh Colonies), so this choice could be seen not to deviate far from the precedent. The materiality of the railings nor its neutral colour pallette have an adverse affect on the scheme being able to comply with local design guidance to ‘Harmonise materials on new development with the materials used on surrounding buildings.’ (EDG 2013 2.4).

D|Alternative materiality of forestair: The concrete forestair specified in the MFA design, which incorporated external storage space, was replaced with a steel stairway which opens up the under-stair space and gives the appearance of the stairway ‘floating.’ This choice certainly seems to break with tradition, where stairs are supported on masonry walls which tend to accomodate external storage in the original design, however, the stair can be seen to comply well with EDG 2013 point 2.4. E|Removal of external terraces: Unlike dormers, external terraces/balcony spaces are not typical of the

Meets minimum stair width according to 4.3.3

Diagram 3a: Original Abbeyhill external access stairs without required space for landings outside the enterance doors.

1.2m

Diagram 3b: Leith Forts larger external staircases that allow for landing space, reduction in flight lengths and doorways to be further apart.

03 FIRE ENGINE SITE ACCESS The Abbeyhill site consists of 5 dead-ended streets, each around 125m long with no turning provisions (defying regulations 2.12.2) which means that although wide enough (6.8m) they are inaccessible to fire engines. The site also has a large central belt of dwellings that are not within 45m of the fire engine accessible roads, making them non compliant with regulation 2.12.1.

Fig 5 Isometric view of Leith Fort Housing (MFA design removals in orange, CAL additions in blue).

This lead to a different site plan at Leith Fort. The site plan, supplied by Collective Architecture, show rows of dwellings are split by engine accessible roads and for any of these roads that is longer than 20m, a turning facility is provided in occordance with 2.12.2. This means that the density of the site is much lower, posssibly having an effect of the affordability that was such a large selling point of the original colonies, but means there’s only a small area in accessible to fire engines and that this area falls over a low fire risk area of garden space.

Fig 7 External terraces (removed post-VE)

Site layout: The layout of units on site remains consistent between schemes. The EDG 2013 (2.3) asks that new development buildings be positioned so as ‘to engage positively with [surrounding] streets and spaces’ and ‘create interesting and attractive streets and spaces:’ a section of MFA’s orignal Design and Access statement (section 3.2) demonstrates in detail how the scheme ‘respond[s] to street edges’ and meets guidance standards on this point.

MATERIAL CONSISTENCIES

Scale and Massing: With very minor variations made to building heights, the

BIBLIOGRAPHY

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

1.2m

Fig 9b: The full protected enclosure that is being suggested for use at Cooperknowes development, more reminiscent of the original Abbeyhill colony design.

2016 (Policy Hou 4) states that development density should regard the ‘characteristics (of the site) and its surroundings’ and ‘the need to create an attractive residential environment,’ which were both key considerations in the development of this scheme. The EDG 2013 (page 32) further states that ‘Where appropriate, higher density low rise building types like colony housing, or terraced housing could be inserted into some low density low rise areas without adverse impact on amenity or character.’

is of particular importance in retaining the ‘spirit’ of the colony: as a traditionally social-housing focused typology, colonies provided a dense mix of housing tenures and encouraged neighbour interaction (source: MFA Design & Access Statement, pg 9). The Edinburgh Local Development Plan

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

1.2m

traditional Edinburgh colony typology, and thus their removal has little to no effect on maintining the ‘spirit’ of the colony precedent. Regarding policy and design guidance, item 3.3 ‘Private open space’ of the EDG 2013 states that terraces should be included in development as a ‘mitigating measure’ where the inclusion of ‘private open space’ is not possible - as the Leith Fort Housing Scheme includes the provision of private gardens, the exclusion of terraces does not seem to affect how well the scheme complies with planning design guidance.

Density: The density of the housing scheme remained as 55 units/hectare. The density of the scheme

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

1.2m

C|Alternative materiality of boundary walls: The originally specified brick boundary walls were replaced,

As outlined in Fig 5 a number of variations were made to MFA’s original design, deemed non-material by the CEC planning authority. However, a number of design decisions made remained consistent between schemes, which would have qualified as material considerations should they have been altered post-planning (source: CAL architect Nicola McLachlan interview).

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

400

185

670

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1.7m

Response/reflection: Our group benefited from working as a trio as opposed to a pair - where otherwise the two drawings might be split between two people and thus have two distinct visual identities, all three of us contributed across both drawings which, I believe, results in a graphic cohesiveness. I was again able to draw upon my experience working in practice for this exercise - we opted to select a scheme completed by my firm, Collective Architecture, and as a result had access to a wealth of resources and insight from the architect that might otherwise be more difficult or time-consuming for us to obtain.

PRINCIPLE DESIGNER: David Adamsons SIZE: 1.7 Hectares, 94 dwellings

2.3m

Building Regulation/Inclusive Design - Detail the strategy for access, circulation and means of escape.

Group Members: Caitlin MacLeod, Sarah Alcock, Theo Shack

One of the key design changes made to the floor plans from the Abbeyhill designs was to move the living spaces to the upper floors to offer better natural lighting, less noise pollution and better views. To ensure that there was a welcoming entrance to these spaces, the designers at Collective detailed half walls for the top of the staircase and no door into the dining room. This however means there isnt a protected enclosure for egress from the upper floors, therefore suppressions systems and early detection is needed. The fire engineered solution created by Astute Fire and detailed in their second issue fire report, was threefold:

ARCHITECT: Collective Architecture.

300

25º rule

Fig 3 Site Section Abbeyhill Colonies 1:250

CDM - Detail and construction technique or sequence of operations for the building or part of the building which considers a contextual difficulty and the requirement for operative safety.’

1) Escape windows on stories below 4.5m from ground level 2) A protected enclosure from all stories to a safe exit OR suppression and early detection system.

CONTRACTOR: CCG Scotland LTD

30 minute fire proof surpression wall

810

127

140

Planning - Represent the relationship of the building to key contextual development control guidance. (Zoning, massing, land-use, conservation etc.)

CLIENTS: City of Edinburgh Council Port of Leith Housing Association

REGULATION |How contemporary fire regulations have influenced a change in colony design.

840

According the regulation 2.9.2 of the Scottish Domestic Building Standards , which supplies framework for the provisions made within dwellings to allow for safe egress, the upper dwellings in this development need;

LEITH FORT FACT FILE

Sarah Alcock | Theo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod 950

PLANNING| Reimagining the typology of the iconic Edinburgh colony for the demands of contemporary planning regulation and design guidance.

LO3 | REGULATORY DRAWINGS

01 COMPONENTS OF SAFE EGRESS

THE CONTEMPORARY COLONY

scheme remains generally the same in the overall scale, form and massing of building. This feature of the scheme is key, particularly when comparing it to the early 1960s public housing block ‘Fort House’ which previously occupied the site. While the EDG 2013 (2.2) requests that schemes ‘harmonise the scale of buildings including their size and form...making them a similar size to those of their neighbours’, the former high-rise block was highly incongruous with its surroundings. In contrast, Leith Fort can be seen to comply well with this guidance, ‘relat[ing] more to the scale and massing of the surrounding residential buildings.’ (source: MFA D&A, pg 9).

45m

Area of

non com

pliance

45m

City of Edinburgh Council, 2013. Item 7.2(a) ‘Edinburgh Design Guidance.’ CEC, 2013. ‘Edinburgh Colonies: Conservation Area Character Appraisal.’ CEC, 2016. Edinburgh Local Development Plan. HM Government. 2010. ‘Access to and Use of Buildings. Volume 1: Dwellings.’ Malcolm Fraser Architects, 2012. Design and Access Statement. Nicola McLachlan, 2015. Experience Based Analysis at Leith Fort. N. McLachlan, 2020. Interview with S. Alcock, C.MacLeod and T. Shack. Scottish Government, 2013. Technical Handbook: Domestic. ScotGovt, 2013. Planning Advice Notice 67: Housing Quality. Transport Scotland, 2013. ‘Roads for All: Good Practice Guide for Roads.’

Fig 10a: Abbeyhill Colonies Site Map with fire engine accessible roads and 45m zones of reach highlighted

Lond on

Road

non com

pliance

BIBLIOGRAPHY

45m 45m

45m

Area of

North Fort Street

Fig 10b: Leith Fort Colonies Site Map with fire engine accessible roads and 45m zones of reach highlighted

1. Scottish Government. 2013. Technical Handbook: Domestic. 2. Scottish Government. 2017. Technical Handbook: Domestic. 3. Nicola McLachlan. 2015. Experience Based Analysis at Leith Fort. 4. Astute Fire. 2016. Leith Fort, Edinburgh - Issue 2 RIBA Stage 3 Fire Strategy Report. 5. Nicola McLachlan. 2020. Interview with S.Alcock, C.MacLeod and T. Shack.

45m

standards, planning policy and design guidance, we can clearly see how the design changes that led 800 to the contemporary colony typology at Leith Fort were directly informed by the regulation guidances and policies at the time of conception (2013). This has been done using the 2013 Scottish Building Standards (Domestic) and Edinburgh Council 166Design Guidance 2013, with reference made to local planning policies. 280

25º rule

400

25o rule 25 rule

Garden for upstairs 25º rule

particularly Edinburgh at the rearPlanning of properties. ground floor flats back onto PolicyWhere 2.9: aims to preserve privacy from overlooking Garden for upstairs communal gardens, a private garden of at least 3m isground recommended. particularly at the rear of properties. Where floor flats back onto

Transport Scotland 4.1.10: a 2.3m The min width of 1m footway is to be 2m. In the Abbeyhill colonies Transport Scotland 4.1.10: The min width of a above,footway this width wascolonies 1m which is toisbehardly 2m. In1m, the Abbeyhill rectified in Leith Fort to be the compliant 2.4m. 2.3m above, this width is hardly 1m, which was Grd flat garden

Garden for upstairs

Grd floor flat

window. This is amended in Leith Fort to have both gardens on the same side.

25º rule

Footpath

1.2m

Garden for upstairs 25 rule o

REGULATORY DRAWING 01 | PLANNING

THE CONTEMPORARY COLONY 02 MFA vs02 CALMFA vs CAL

‘Planning - Represent the relationship of the building to key contextual development control guidance. (Zoning, massing, land-use, conservation etc.)’

Footpath

Fig 4 Site Section Leith Fort Housing, 1:250

2.4m

1.2m

Garden for upstairs

Grd flat garden Footpath Grd flat garden

Footpath

4.5m

2.4m

Garden for upstairs

4.5m

Footpath Driveway 2.4m

Garden for upstairs

4.5mParking

Footpath Driveway

1.7m

Footpath 25º rule

Fig 4 Site Section Housing, 1:250 Fig Leith 4 SiteFort Section Leith Fort Housing, 1:250

Garden for upstairs

Parking

Driveway

1.2m

Garden for upstairs 2.4m

4.5m

Footpath Driveway Footpath DrivewayParking Parking

Grd floorGrd flatfloor flat

Grd flat garden

canopies to cover landings where Abbeyhill does not.

Garden for upstairs

1.7m

1.2m

rectified in Leith Fort to be the compliant 2.4m.

HM Government Access to and Use of Buildings (Dwellings) 2.20b: asks that of a private HM Government Access tothe andlanding Use of Buildings entrance is covered for a minimum width (Dwellings) 2.20b: asks that the landing ofofa 900mm private and a minimum of 600mm. Leith Fort Housing provides entrancedepth is covered for a minimum width of 900mm and a canopies to depth cover of landings does not. minimum 600mm.where Leith Abbeyhill Fort Housing provides

HM Government Access to and Use of Buildings (Dwellings) 2.20b: asks that the landing of a private Transport Scotland 4.1.10: The min width of a entrance is covered for a minimum width of 900mm and a footway is to be 2m. In the Abbeyhill colonies minimum depth of 600mm. Leith Fort Housing provides Garden for upstairs above, this width is hardly 1m, which was canopies to cover landings where Abbeyhill does not. Garden for upstairs 2.4m 4.5m rectified in Leith Fort to be the compliant 2.4m. 2.4m 4.5m

Edinburgh Planning Policy 2.9: aims to preserve privacy from overlooking particularly at the rear of properties.1.7m Where ground floor flats back onto Garden for upstairs communal gardens, a private garden of at least 3m is recommended. 1.7m 1.2m Garden for upstairs 1.2mflat garden garden next to a lower flat 3.3: Abbeyhill conoies have the upper 25o rule Garden forisupstairs window. This amended in Leith Fort to have both gardens on the same side. 1.7m 1.7m

Garden for upstairs

1m 1m

o rule of at least 3m is recommended. communal gardens, a private25garden

25º rule

1m 2.3m

Grd flat garden

Grd floor flat

3.3: Abbeyhill conoies have the upper flat garden garden next to a lower flat Garden upstairs This is Abbeyhill amended in Leithhave Fortthe to have gardens on thenext same 3.3: upperboth flat garden garden to for aside. lower flat Figwindow. 3 Site Section Abbeyhill Coloniesconoies 1:250

2.3m

Grd flat garden

Grd floor flat

Garden for upstairs Fig 3 Site Section Abbeyhill Colonies 1:250Planning Policy 2.9: aims to preserve privacy from overlooking Edinburgh

2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

Fig 3 Site Section Abbeyhill Colonies 1:250

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1m 2.3m

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25º rule

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4.3.15: Handrail is at 805mm, less than the 840mm min. 4.4.2: Railings have 127mm between them, so a 100mm sphere could pass through. Barrier is lower than the min height of 900mm on stairs.

4.3.14: Handrails to extend at least 300mm beyond top and bottom of the flight of stairs. 4.3.15: A handrail should be fixed at height of at least 840mm. 1m 4.4.2: Design of predestrian protective barriers 100mm sphere cannot pass through. Min height of 900mm on stairs. 1m

Footpath Driveway

Grd floor flat

Footpath Driveway

Parking

Driveway Driveway

Driveway

Grd flat Grd flatgarden garden

Driveway

Grd flat garden

Grd floor flat Grd floor flat

Grd floor flat

Site section comparisons (by Theo Shack)

Sarah Alcock | Theo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod

the MFA-designed scheme gainingpermission planning permission and the CAL-designed Between the Between MFA-designed scheme gaining and the CAL-designed scheme scheme 02 MFA vsplanning CAL being taken forward to final completion, a lengthy value engineering which required all being taken forward to final completion, a lengthy value engineering exercise, exercise, which required all be revised, took place.the All changes to the original MFA design drawings were such drawings to bedrawings revised,totook place. All changes made to themade original MFA design drawings were Group Members: Caitlin MacLeod, Sarah Alcock, Theo Shack Between MFA-designed scheme gaining planning permission andsuch the CAL-designed scheme 950 that a new planning was application wasforward not required, but they value be considered asexercise, aofseries of required all being taken to final completion, athat lengthy engineering which that a new planning application not required, but rather thatrather they be considered as a series PLANNING| Reimagining the typology of the iconic Edinburgh colony for the demands non-material variations. We may totook what extent these affect the were such drawings be revised, place. All changes made to the MFA designofdrawings non-material variations. We may consider totoconsider what extent these alterations affect theoriginal ‘spiritthe of ‘spirit the 840 alterations that a new planningfrom application was not required, but rather they be considered scheme’, i.e.scheme how far deviates the scheme deviates its original colony precedent andthat consequentially how as a series of contemporary regulation and design scheme’, i.e. how far the from its original colony precedent and consequentially how Response: ‘Reimaginingofthe typology ofplanning the iconic Edinburgh colonyguidance. for the non-material variations. We may to consider to what extent these alterations affect the ‘spirit of the A well the final CAL proposal isinsuccessful in its mission ‘reinvent the colony’ for contemporary needs. well the final CAL proposal is successful itsi.e.mission to ‘reinvent the colony’ contemporary needs. scheme’, how far the scheme deviates from itsfor original colony precedent and consequentially how

DD D

demands of contemporary planning regulation and Malcolm design guidance.’ Between 2011 and August 2015, Fraser Architects

A 95 810 (MFA) developed designs for an 127 well the final CAL proposal is successful in its mission to ‘reinvent the colony’ for contemporary needs. process has an essential role to play in ensuring that the design of new housing affordable housing scheme on the historic Leith Fort site in Edinburgh, with both CEC and‘The Port planning of ‘The planning process has an essential role to play in ensuring that the design of new housing Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) as joint clients. Due to financial concerns, the practice then local and Scottish reinforces identity.’ - PAN67: Housing Quality, page 8. planning process has an essential reinforces local and Scottish identity.’‘The - PAN67: Quality, page 8.role to play in ensuring that the design of new housing 300Housing announced voluntary liquidation in 2015, and could no longer assume their role as a novated Sample summary: ‘The design of the scheme drew deliberately upon the reinforces local and Scottish identity.’ - PAN67: Housing Quality, page 8. 800 consultant. Collective Architecture (CAL) were approached to take the project forward from its A|Removal of dormer windows: The traditional Edinburgh colony almost always includes dormer typology of the Edinburgh colony,status a popular of housing across The scheme then-current (planningmodel application approval) tobuilt final completion. was completed in windows: The traditional Edinburgh colony almost always includes dormer A|Removal ofwindows dormer of dormer windows: The traditional Edinburgh colony almost always includes dormer (source: City ofA|Removal Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Colonies: Conservation Area Character 2018. 185 windows (source: City ofand Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Colonies: Conservation Area windows (source: Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Colonies: Conservation Area Character the city in the late 19thJanuary and early 20th century, with the conceptual aim of 670 Appraisal), thus their removal fromCity theof MFA design for the purpose ofCharacter cost-saving does and thusdesign their the removal the MFAofdesign forinvokes the purpose of cost-saving does Appraisal), and thus theirsignificantly removal Appraisal), from the MFA forLeith thefrom purpose cost-saving does unfortunately affect how sucessfully Fort Housing scheme the form of 286 166 The design of the scheme drew deliberately upon the typology of the Edinburgh colony, a popular ‘reinventing the colony’ for contemporary needs. affectHousing how sucessfully the Leith Fort the Housing invokes the form of unfortunately significantly affect howunfortunately sucessfullysignificantly the Leith Fort scheme invokes formscheme of the precedent typology. 140 model of housing built across the city in the late 19th and early 20th century, with the conceptual aim the precedent typology. 280 the the precedent 6 Forestair of ‘reinventing the colony’ for contemporary needs. This study aims to examine evolutiontypology. of the Fig 6Fig Forestair 400of the colony typology from precedent to final scheme, reflecting upon the particular deviations made from Fig 6 Forestair B|Alternative canopy design: Part of the VE design: exercise altering the canopy design, thewhich saw the B|Alternative canopy Partwas VE exercise was altering the which canopy saw design, B This study aims to examine the evolution of the colony typology from B Fig 1 External stair Leith Fort Housing Fig 2 External stair Abbeyhill Colony the original typology model and examining which contemporary planning guidance regulations these design: original MFA design being considerably simplified, favouring 8mm mild steelwhich plates fixedsteel back to the original MFA design being considerably simplified, favouring 8mm mild plates fixed back to the B|Alternative canopy Part of the VE exercise was altering the canopy design, saw the E E B alterations mayupon respond to.particular deviations made from cavity walls for the final Canopies in general arefixed not present in colony typologies, precedent to final scheme, reflecting the forconsiderably the final proposal. Canopies in proposal. general are not present in traditional colony typologies, original MFA cavity designwalls being simplified, favouring 8mm mild steel plates back totraditional the E but are included thisrequirements scheme to meet requirements building of contemporary building regulations (see included in this scheme togeneral meetinthe ofinthe contemporary regulations (see cavity walls forbut theare final proposal. Canopies in areof not present traditional colony typologies, 950 the original typology model and examining which contemporary planning ‘The principles presented here are informed by qualities that make Edinburgh special. TheyFig seek to Fig 4), a good example how the typology has been adapted for the 21st century. 4),this a good example of how the typology has of been adapted for the 21st century. ABBEYHILL COLONY EXTERNAL STAIR NON-COMPLIANCE LEITH HOUSING EXTERNAL STAIR COMPLIANCE the typology of the iconic Edinburgh colonyachieve for thenewdemands are included scheme to FORT meet the requirements contemporary building regulations (see development that draws on and interprets the past; although the but emphasis is stronglyinon 840 4.3.2: The rise is 185mm, which is greater than the max of 170mm. 4.3.2: All rises in ahas flight should be of uniform height. Max rise inspecified ‘any other guidance regulations these alterations may respond to. Fig 4), a good example of how the typology been adapted for the 21st century. C|Alternative materiality of boundary walls: The originally brick boundary wallstypical were replaced, interpretation, creativity and innovation rather than prescription...the city must continue to embrace regulation and design guidance. Plus the bottom step is of a variable height (~90 - 160mm). stair’ is 170mm. C|Alternative materiality of boundary walls: The originally specified brick boundary walls were replaced, in certain areas, with unpainted, galvanised steel railings. Boundary walls in original colony examples change so that it can adapt to its evolving needs.’ - Edinburgh Design Guidance 2013, page 9-10. 4.3.4: These flights have 4.3.4: A flight of stairs have not than 16metal rises. in certain with unpainted, galvanised steel railings. Boundary walls in original colony examples tended to beshould constructed inmore stone, but railings were not uncommon on forestairs and18 steps, greater than the 16 max. 95areas, 810 C|Alternative materiality of boundary walls: The originally specified brick boundary walls were replaced, 2015, Malcolm Fraser Architects (MFA) developed designs for an 127 950 4.3.6: landingsfarare too small, less than the 1.2m required. There is only 4.3.6: Stair landing to be provided at top and bottom every at min tended to be constructed in stone, but CEC metal railings were ofnot on be forestairs and boundaries (source: Edinburgh Colonies), so uncommon thisflight choice could seen notThe to deviate from “The principles presented hereandare by840qualities that make n the historic Leith Fort site in Edinburgh, with both CEC Portinformed of in certain areas, with unpainted, galvanised railings. Boundary walls innor original colony examples 670mm of spaceaffect at theon bottom before theCpavement. And only 1050mm at length of width ofsteel stair. On landing to external stairs,could where tactile pacing the precedent. The materiality of the railings its neutral colour pallette have an adverse boundaries (source: CEC Edinburgh Colonies), so this choice be seen not to deviate far from oLHA) as joint clients. Due to financial concerns, the practice then tended to be constructed in stone, but metalbeing railings were notwith uncommon on forestairs and the top landing. used, 1.2m min length. C Edinburgh special. They seek to achieve new development that draws on the scheme able to comply local design guidance to ‘Harmonise materials on new Abbeyhill Colony Non-compliance 300 the precedent. The materiality of the railings nor its neutral colour pallette have an adverse affect on ion in 2015, and could no longer assume their role as a novated Leith Fort Compliance (source: 4.3.7: As an external route serving more than one dwelling, tactile paving 4.3.7: On development external routes serving more could than one dwelling, tactile pacing boundaries CEC Edinburgh Colonies), so this choice besurrounding seentonot to deviate far2013 from with the materials used on buildings.’ (EDG 2.4). 01 ABBEYHILL vs LEITH FORT 95 800 the scheme being able to comply with local design guidance ‘Harmonise materials on new ecture (CAL) were approached to take the project forward from its and interprets the past; although the emphasis is strongly on interpretation, C should be, but is not, utilised here. should be railings used at the and footcolour of any flight of external steps, a stripaffect on the precedent.building The materiality of norhead its surrounding neutral pallette have an adverse application approval) to final completion. The scheme was completed in with thethe materials used on buildings.’ (EDG 2.4).specified By examining one example of an original Edinburgh colony (at Abbeyhill) using later development 127 Handrails not extend beyond top and bottom of the flight.810 800mm deep, positioned 400mm from the first stepconcrete edge. 2013 D|Alternative materiality of forestair: The forestair in4.3.14: the MFA design,dowhich 300 the scheme being able to comply with local design guidance to ‘Harmonise materials on new creativity and innovationstandards, rather than prescription...the city must continue to planning policy and design guidance, we can clearly see how the design changes that led 4.3.15: Handrail at 805mm, less than the 840mm min. incorporated external storage space, was top replaced with aof steel which opensis up the 4.3.14: Handrails to extend at least 300mm beyond and 185 bottom the stairway 670 800 development with the materials used under-stair on forestair: surrounding buildings.’ (EDG 2013 contemporary colony typology at Leith Fort were directly informed by the regulation guidances D|Alternative materiality of Theand concrete specified in the MFA This design, which space gives the forestair appearance of 2.4). the stairway ‘floating.’ choice certainlyhave seems to 4.4.2: Railings 127mm between them, so a 100mm sphere could flight of stairs. embrace change soEdinburgh thatto itthe can adapt totime its evolving needs.” 286 Fig 5 Isometric view of Leith Fort Housing (MFA 166Building ew deliberately upon the typology of the colony, popular and policies ata the of conception (2013). This has been done using the 2013 Scottish incorporated external space, was replaced with a steel stairwaywalls which opens the Barrier break with tradition, where are on masonry which tend toup accomodate external pass through. is lower than the min height of 900mm on stairs. 4.3.15: Astorage handrail should be fixed atstairs height ofsupported at least 840mm. design removals in orange, CAL additions in blue). 140 the city in the late-19th and early 20th century, with the conceptual aim Standards (Domestic) and Edinburgh Council Design Guidance 2013, with reference made to local D|Alternative materiality space of forestair: The forestair specified in MFA design, which storage in the original design, the stairthe cansphere be seen to comply well with EDG Edinburgh Design Guidance 2013, page 9-10.’ under-stair andDesign gives the appearance of the however, stairway ‘floating.’ This choice certainly seems to2013 point 2.4. 4.4.2: of concrete predestrian protective barriers 100mm cannot 166 280 Fig 7 External terraces (removed post-VE) contemporary needs. This study aims to examine the evolution of the Fig 5 Isometric670 view of Leith Fort Housing 185 (MFA planning policies. external was replaced withonon amasonry steel stairway which up the external passspace, through. Min height of 900mm stairs. with storage tradition, where stairs are supported walls which tend opens to accomodate 280 400 incorporated break 286in blue). nt to final scheme, reflecting upon the particular deviations made from design removals in orange, CAL additions E|Removal of external terraces: Unlike dormers, external terraces/balcony spaces are not typical of the 400Fig 1 External stair Leith Fort Housing under-stair space andingives theFig appearance ofAbbeyhill the the stairway ‘floating.’ choicewell certainly seems topoint 2.4. storage the original stair can be seenThis to comply with EDG 2013 2design, Externalhowever, stair (Policy Hou 4)140 states that development density should regard the Site layout: The layout of units on site remains consistent between schemes. The d examining which contemporary planning guidance regulations these traditional EdinburghColony colony typology, and thus their removal has little to no effect on maintining the view 2016 Fig 5 Isometric of Leith Fort Housing (MFA Fig 7 External terraces (removedso post-VE) ‘characteristics (of the site) and its surroundings’ and ‘the need to create an break with tradition, where stairs are supported masonry walls which tend toand accomodate external EDG 2013 (2.3) asks that new development buildings be positioned as ‘to ‘spirit’ of the on colony precedent. Regarding policy design guidance, item 3.3 ‘Private open space’ Abbeyhill/Leith Fortwell stair comparisons Isometric view Fort Housing Forestair/external terrace isometrics design removals in orange, CAL additionsenvironment,’ in blue). attractive residential which were both key considerations in theof Leith engage positively with [surrounding] streets and spaces’ and ‘create interesting of external terraces: dormers, external terraces/balcony spaces arepoint not typical the storage in theE|Removal original design, however, theUnlike stair2013 can be seen comply with EDG 2.4. of the EDG states thatto terraces should be included in2013 development as a of ‘mitigating measure’ 2016 (Policy Hou 4) of states that development density regard Site layout: The layout ofspaces:’ units on site7remains consistent between schemes. The development this scheme. The EDG 2013 (page should 32) further statesthe that (by and attractive streets and a Fig section of MFA’s orignal(by Design and Access External terraces (removed post-VE) traditional Edinburgh colony typology, and thus their removal hasis(by little to noShack) effect the Caitlin MacLeod) Caitlin MacLeod) where the inclusion of ‘private open space’ notTheo possible - ason themaintining Leith Fort Housing Scheme e are informed by qualities that make Edinburgh special. They seek to ‘characteristics (of the site) and its surroundings’ and ‘the need to create an EDG 2013 (2.3) asks that new development buildings be positioned ‘Where appropriate, higher density low rise building types like colony housing, or ABBEYHILL COLONY EXTERNAL STAIR NON-COMPLIANCE statement (section 3.2) demonstrates in detail how the scheme ‘respond[s] to so as ‘to LEITH FORT HOUSING EXTERNAL STAIR COMPLIANCE ‘spirit’ of terraces: the colony precedent. policy and gardens, design guidance, item 3.3typical ‘Private space’ includesRegarding the provision of private the exclusion of terraces does open not seem to affect how well t draws on and interprets the past; although the emphasis is strongly on dormers, terraces/balcony spaces are not terraced housing coulddevelopment be inserted some lowkey density lowregard rise areas street edges’ and meets guidance standards on this point. attractive residential environment,’ which into were both considerations inwithout the Siteengage 4.3.2: The typicalexternal rise is 185mm, which isdesign greater than the max of 170mm.of the 4.3.2: All rises in a flight should be of uniformE|Removal height. Max of riseexternal inthe ‘anyEDG other2013Unlike positively with [surrounding] streets and spaces’between and ‘create interesting 2016 (Policy Hou 4) states that density should the layout: The layout of units on site remains consistent schemes. The the scheme complies with planning guidance. nnovation rather than prescription...the city must continue to embrace of states that terraces should be included in development as a ‘mitigating measure’ traditional Edinburgh colony typology, thus their little to no effect on maintining the adverse impact on amenity character.’ Plus theand bottom step is ofremoval a variablehas height (~90 - 160mm). stair’ is 170mm. development of site) this scheme. The orEDG 2013 (page statesanthat EDG and2013 attractive and spaces:’ a section of buildings MFA’s orignal Design and so Access ‘characteristics (of the and its surroundings’ and ‘the 32) needfurther to create its evolving needs.’ - Edinburgh Design Guidance 2013, page 9-10. (2.3)streets asks that new development be positioned as ‘to where the inclusion of ‘private open space’ is not possible as the Leith Fort Housing Scheme ‘spirit’ of the colony precedent. Regarding policy and design guidance, item 3.3 ‘Private open space’ 4.3.4: These flights have 18 steps, greater than the 16 max. 4.3.4: A flight of stairs should have not more than 16 rises. ‘Where appropriate, higher density low rise building like colony housing, statement (section demonstrates in detail the and scheme ‘respond[s] to 1mto affect how well attractive residential which keytypes considerations the or positively with3.2) [surrounding] streets and how spaces’ ‘create interesting includes provision ofThe private gardens, exclusion ofthe terraces does not seem Scaleenvironment,’ and Massing: With verywere minorboth variations made to building in heights, theengage BIBLIOGRAPHY 4.3.6: landings toothe small, than 1.2mas required. There ismeasure’ only 4.3.6: Stair landing to be provided at top andofbottom of every flight at the minthat the EDG 2013 states terraces should beare included inless development a ‘mitigating terraced housing could beThe inserted into some low density low rise areas without street edges’ andCouncil, meets guidance standards on thisDesign point. development of this scheme. EDG 2013 (page 32) further states that scheme remains generally the same in the overall scale, form and massing of the scheme complies with planning design guidance. City of Edinburgh 2013. Item 7.2(a) ‘Edinburgh Guidance.’ and attractive streets and spaces:’ a section of MFA’s orignal Design and Access of spaceis at the before thethe pavement. And 1050mmScheme at length of width25º of stair. stairs,the where tactile pacing 840 rule On landing to external where inclusion of ‘private670mm open space’ notbottom possible - as Leith Fortonly Housing adverse impact on amenity or character.’ building. feature of the is key, particularly when housing, comparingor it to thestatement 1m made to MFA’s original design, deemed CEC, 2013. ‘Edinburgh Conservation Area how Character ‘Where appropriate, higherThis density low risescheme building types like colony (section 3.2)Colonies: demonstrates in detail the Appraisal.’ scheme ‘respond[s] to the topAs landing. outlined in Fig 5 a number of variations were non-material used, 1.2m min length. Abbeyhill Colony Non-compliance includes the provision of private gardens, the exclusion of terraces does not seem to affect how well early 1960s public housing blocklow ‘Fort House’low which previously occupied the CEC, 2016.and Edinburgh Local Development Plan. on this point. Leith Fort Compliance 2.3m by the CEC planning authority. However, a number of design decisions made remained consistent 4.3.7: As an external route serving more than one dwelling, tactile paving terraced housing could be inserted into some density rise areas without 4.3.7: On external routes serving more than one dwelling, tactile pacing 1m street edges’ meets guidance standards RT 95 very2013 minor variations made to building heights, theof BIBLIOGRAPHY the scheme complies with planning design site. WhileWith the EDG (2.2) requests that schemes ‘harmonise the scale HM Government. 2010. ‘Access to and Use of Buildings. Volume 1: Dwellings.’ between which would have qualified as material considerations should they haveScale beenand Massing: should be, butguidance. isschemes, not, utilised here. should be used at the head and foot of any flight of external steps, a strip

EMPORARY COLONY

eo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

MATERIAL CONSISTENCIES

THE CONTEMPORARY COLONY

REGULATION |How contemporary fire regulations have influenced a change in colony design. Sarah Alcock | Theo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod

THE CONTEMPORARY COLONY 30 minute fire proof

wallhave influenced a change in colony REGULATION |How contemporary firesurpression regulations design.

30 minute fire proof Sarah Alcock | Theo Shack | Caitlin MacLeod surpression wall

upper dwellings. In order for these to be used in the Reduced maximum number of rises in a 1) Escape windows on stories below 4.5m from ground level flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3 Port of Leith Housing Association According the regulation 2.9.2 of the Scottish Domestic Building Standards , which supLeith Fort development, their dimensions had to be 2) A protected enclosure from all stories to a safe exit OR suppression and early breaks detection adjusted in order to accomodate the inclusion of landing area for the in upper plies framework for the provisions made within dwellings to allow for safeMinimum egress, flights and enterances to dwellings LEITH FORT FACT FILE separa4.3.3 system. landings, a reduction in flight length and the CONTRACTOR: CCG Scotland LTD1.2m dwellings in this development need; tion of front doors to at least 2 meters apart to allow Meets minimum stair width according to 1.2m 1m for safe egress under regulation City 2.2. This lead to a 4.3.3 CLIENTS: of Edinburgh Council One of the key design changes made to the floor plans from the Abbeyhill designs was to ARCHITECT: Collective Architecture. change in visual language, with a longer staircase Escape below fromlarger ground level Diagram 3a: Original Abbeyhill external1) access stairswindows on stories Diagram 3b:4.5m Leith Forts external staircasPort of Leith Housing Association move the living spaces upper floors to offerallow better natural lighting, less noise pollution and balcony making the staircase more of a domiwithout required space landings outside the to the landing space, reduction flightdetection 2) Aforprotected enclosure from all stories toesa that safe exitforOR suppression and in early nating visual feature for the whole facade. a welcoming entrance to these and doorways to be further apart.spaces, the deenterance doors. and better views. To ensure that there was lengths PRINCIPLE DESIGNER: David Adamsons Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

1.2m

Meets minimum stair width according to 4.3.3

1.2m

Fig 9b: The f suggested fo more reminis design.

01 COMPONENTS OF SAFE EGR

According the regulation 2.9.2system. of the Scottish Domestic Building Standards , which signers at Collective detailed half walls for the top of the staircase and no door into the dinplies framework for the provisions made within dwellings to allow for safe LEITH FORT FACT FILE ing room. This however means there isnt a protected enclosure for egress from the upperegress, the u SIZE: 1.7 Hectares, 94 dwellings One of the key design changes made dwellings to the floor in plans the Abbeyhill designs was to ARCHITECT: Collective Architecture. thisfrom development need; floors, therefore suppressions systems and early detection is needed. The fire engineered move the living spaces to the upper floors to offer better natural lighting, less noise pollution solution created by Astute Fire and detailed in their second issue fire report, was threefold: 03 FIRE ENGINE CLIENTS: City of Edinburgh Council and better views. To ensure that there was a welcoming entrance to these spaces, the dePRINCIPLE DESIGNER: David Adamsons 1) Escape windows onofstories below and 4.5m ground level Port of Leith Housing Association signers at Collective detailed half walls for the top the staircase nofrom door into the dina) Install aenclosure better than suggested LD1 early system The site c 2) This A protected stories to adetections safe exit OR suppression andAbbeyhill early dete ing room. however means therefrom isnt aall protected enclosure for egress from the upper SIZE: 1.7 Hectares, 94 dwellings 125m long with no b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper (in system. accordance with 2.9.4 of the buildfloors, therefore suppressions systems and early detection is needed. The fire engineered CONTRACTOR: CCG Scotland LTD which means that alt ing standards the top floor is higher than 4.5m from the ground and therefore too high to solution created by Astute Fire and detailed in their second issue fire report, was threefold: to fire engines. The s egress from.) are not within 45m o Oneofof30the key design changes thebathroom floor plans from the therest Abbeyhill w ARCHITECT: Collective Architecture. c) Inclusion minute fire wall around themade kitchentoand to protect of the designs non c a) Install better than suggested LD1 early detections system move the livinga spaces to the upper floors to offer better natural lighting, less noise pol stories from the most high risk fire areas. b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper (in accordance with 2.9.4 of the buildThis lead to a differe and better views. To ensure that there was a welcoming entrance to these spaces, th PRINCIPLE DESIGNER: David Adamsons ing standards the top floor is higher than 4.5m from the ground and therefore too highbytoCollective Archite This was deemed equally effective as the provisions explicity detailed in the regulations signers at Collective detailed half walls door roads into and th accessible egress from.)for the top of the staircase and no turningfrom facility the is provu in 2016.ing However, This upon interview with Nicola Mclachlan who workedenclosure on the project, it beArea of non comp means isnt a bathroom protected for egress c) Inclusionroom. of 30 minutehowever fire wall around thethere kitchen and to protect the rest of the SIZE: 1.7 Hectares, 94 dwellings lianc e the density of the site came apparent that this design for the colonies wasand replicated at a site in is Coopersknowe floors, therefore suppressions systems early detection needed. The fire engine stories from the most high risk fire areas. affordability that was in 2019 and was not deemed to be sufficient. Instead, it was necessary to have full height but means there’s on solution created by Astute Fire and detailed in their second issue fire report, was thre walls around the staircase and a door separating the hall from the living spaces to create that this area fa This was deemed equally effective as the provisions explicity detailed in the regulations B) Escape Windows a complete enclosure in accordance with 2.9.5. There was no legal change to this area of in 2016. However, upona)interview with Nicola Mclachlan who worked on detections the project, itsystem beInstall better than suggested early 45mand regulation between 2016 theapresent day which has leadLD1 to speculation that, in areas BIBLIOGRAPHY came apparent that this design for the colonies was replicated at a site in Coopersknowe b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper (in accordance with 2.9.4 of the under descretion, what is deemed sufficient has been tightened post the Grenfell Tower Lin on2019 don R and was not deemed to be sufficient. Instead, itt was necessary to have full height 1. Scottish Governme Stree4.5m incidentoing This lead to a design more reminicent of the original Abbeyhill colonies h Fort adin 2017. standards the top floor is higher than from the ground and therefore too hi Nort walls around the staircase and a door separating the hall from the living spaces to create 2. Scottish Governme being reintroduced. While the enclosed spaces worked well at the Abbeyhill site, offering egress B) Escape Windows a complete enclosure in accordance with 2.9.5. There was from.) no legal change to this area3.ofNicola McLachlan. more privacy to the the it fire makes the living spaces at Coopwersknowe feelto darker 4. Astutethe Fire. rest 2016. c) Inclusion of bedrooms, 30and minute wall around and bathroom protect regulation between 2016 the present day which the has kitchen lead to speculation that, in areas and smaller than the more open ones at Leith Fort in Nicola Maclachlans’ opinion. Fire Strategy Report under descretion, what is deemed stories sufficientfrom has the beenmost tightened post the Grenfell high risk fire areas. Tower 5. Nicola McLachlan. incident in 2017. This lead to a design more reminicent of the original Abbeyhill colonies T. Shack. Fig 10a: Abbeyhill Colonies Site Map with fire engine accessible roads Fig 10b: Leithspaces Fort Colonies Site Map with accessible roads being reintroduced. While the enclosed at fire theengine site, offeringin the regula C) worked Protected Enclosures /Abbeyhill Surpession Sytems This was deemed equally effective the well provisions explicity detailed and 45m zones of reach highlighted and 45m zones of reachas highlighted more privacy to the the bedrooms, itPlan makescomparisons the living spacesof at fire Coopwersknowe feel darker engine in 2016. However, upon interview with Nicola Mclachlan who access worked on the project, and smaller than the more open ones at Leith Fort in Nicola Maclachlans’ opinion. 1.2m

CONTRACTOR: CCG Scotland LTD

1.2m

REGULATION |How contemporary fire regulations have influenced a change in colony design. 30 minute fire proof surpression wall

45m

2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

REGULATORY DRAWING 02 | REGULATION

came apparent that this design for the colonies was at a site in Coopersk (by replicated Sarah Alcock) in 2019 and was not deemed to be sufficient. Instead, it was necessary to have full h C) Protected Enclosures Surpession Sytems walls around the staircase and a door separating the/hall from the living spaces to c a complete enclosure in accordance with 2.9.5. There was no legal change to this ar regulation between 2016 and the present day which has lead to speculation that, in under descretion, what is deemed sufficient has been tightened post the Grenfell T incident in 2017. This lead to a design more reminicent of the original Abbeyhill col being reintroduced. While the enclosed spaces worked well at the Abbeyhill site, off more privacy to the the bedrooms, it makes the living spaces at Coopwersknowe feel d and smaller than the more open ones at Leith Fort in Nicola Maclachlans’ opinion

B) Escape Windows

‘Building Regulation/Inclusive Design - Detail the strategy for access, circulation and means of escape.’ Group Members: Caitlin MacLeod, Sarah Alcock, Theo Shack Response: ‘How contemporary fire regulations have influenced a change in colony design.’ Sample from ‘Components of Safe Egress’: ‘The fire engineered solution created by Astute Fire and detailed in their second issue fire report, was threefold: a) Install a better than suggested LD1 early detections system; b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper (in accordance with 2.9.4 of the building standards the top floor is higher than 4.5m from the ground and therefore too high to egress from); c) Inclusion of 30 minute fire wall around the kitchen and bathroom to protect the rest of the stories from the most high risk fire areas. This was deemed equally effective as the provisions explicitly detailed in the regulations in 2016. However, upon interview with Nicola Mclachlan who worked on the project, it became apparent that this design for the colonies was replicated at a site in Coopersknowe in 2019 and was not deemed to be sufficient. Instead, it was necessary to have full height walls around the staircase and a door separating the hall from the living spaces to create a complete enclosure in accordance with 2.9.5. There was no legal change to this area of regulation between 2016 and the present day which has lead to speculation that, in areas under discretion, what is deemed sufficient has been tightened post the Grenfell Tower incident in 2017.’

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Each dwelling is separated from its adjoining neighbour by 60 minutes fire proof party walls and floors to fulfill regulation 2.2.1, ensuring fire is contained within a single dwelling as much as possible. Each dwelling is separated from its adjoining neighbour by 60 minutes fire proof party walls and floors to fulfill regulation 2.2.1, ensuring fire is contained within a single dwelling as much as possible.

Too high for egress and therefore just used for ventialltion and calling for help

5.9m

Too high for egress and therefore just used for ventialltion and calling for help

5.9m

C) Protected Enclosures / Surpession Sytem

Fig 9a: Axonometric analysis of the extent of the protected enclosure at Leith Fort with the stairwell open to the living spaces but protected from the high risk areas.

3.6m

Fig 8: Axonometric analysis of the three fold fire engineered solution to the surpression system in upper dwellings at Leith Fort

Fig 9a: Axonometric analysis of the extent of the protected enclosure at Leith Fort with the stairwell open to the living spaces but protected from the high risk areas.

3.6m

Fig 8: Axonometric analysis of the three fold fire engineered solution to the surpression system in upper dwellings at Leith Fort

20cm

Too high for egress and therefore just used for ventialltion and calling for help

5.9m Distance between (front doors to dwellings) Distanceopenings between openings (front doorsexceeds to dwellings) exceeds 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using the balcony to egress are at reduced risk from flames contained balcony to egress are at reduced from flames contained within thethe property spreading without fire proofingrisk doors.

within the property spreading without fire proofing doors.

2.9m

20cm

within the property spreading without fire proofing doors.

2.9m

A large part of the external visual language of the colonies is the external staircases that lead to the upper dwellings. In order for these to be used in the Leith Fort development, their dimensions had to be adjusted in order to accomodate the inclusion of A large part of the external visual language of the landings, a reduction in flight length and the separacolonies is the external staircases that lead to the tion of front doors to at least 2 meters apart to allow upper dwellings. In order for these to be used in the for safe egress under regulation 2.2. This lead to a Leith Fort development, their dimensions had to be change in visual language, with a longer staircase adjusted in order to accomodate the inclusion of and balcony making the staircase more of a domilandings, a reduction in flight length and the separanating visual feature for the whole facade. tion of front doors to at least 2 meters apart to allow

02 EXTERNAL STAIR REDESIGN

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Fig 9a: Axonometric analysis of the extent of the protected enclosure at Leith Fort with the stairwell open to the living spaces but protected from the high risk areas.

3.6m

Balcony does not accomodate current day minimum landing area requirements outside doors as is only 1m deep

Fig 8: Axonometric analysis of the three fold fire engineered solution to the surpression system in upper 02 EXTERNAL STAIR REDESIGN dwellings at Leith Fort

2.9m

1.58m

Balcony does landnot accomodate current day Continuous flight of 18 rises without minimum ing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4 landing area requirements outside doors as is only 1m deep

Balcony does not accomodate current day

minimum landing Continuous flight of 18 rises without land-area requirements outside doors as is only 1m deep ing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

Isometric of fire solutions at Leith Fort (by Sarah Alcock)

1.58m Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

Continuous flight of 18 rises without landing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

1.2m

Meets minimum stair width according to Continuous flight of 18 rises without land4.3.3

ing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

1.2m

1.58m

Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

Meets minimum stair width according to 4.3.3 20cm

20cm

Diagram 3a: Original Abbeyhill external access stairs without required space for landings outside the 1.2m enterance doors.

Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

1.2m

Meets minimum stair width according to 4.3.3

Meets minimum stair width according to

Distance between (front doors to dwellings) 1.2m Minimum landing area for breaks in exceeds Distanceopenings between openings (front doors to dwellings) exceeds 1m means, in accordance flights and enterances to dwellings 2m which with regulation 2.2, those using 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using 4.3.3 the balcony to egress are at reduced risk from flames contained balcony to egress are at reduced from flames contained within thethe property spreading without fire proofingrisk doors.

Diagram 3b: Leith Forts larger external staircaswithin the property spreading without fire proofing doors. Minimum landing area for breaks in 2.9m flights and enterances to dwellings es that allow for landing space, reduction in flight 2.9m 4.3.3 lengths and doorways to be further apart. 1m

1.2m

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

1.2m

Fig 9b: The full protected enclosure that is beingsystems Isometric of suppression suggested for use at Cooperknowes development, (by Sarah more reminiscent of the original Abbeyhill colony Alcock) design. Fig 9b: The full protected enclosure that is being suggested for use at Cooperknowes development, more reminiscent of the original Abbeyhill colony design.

Architectural Management Practice and Law 2020-21 Learning Outcome 1 Coursework Submission Student Answer Paper Student Names: Theodore Shack, Sarah Alcock, Caitlin Macleod Matriculation numbers:s140844, s1518176, s1440163 Coursework Questions (Delete the Question you do not answer) Question 1: Form of Business Note from Practice Formation meeting: We need as a fledgling practice to consider clearly our form of business options. Our accountant has suggested three potential business forms for us to consider, without particularly going into detail on any. Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Company or a Co-operative.

2.1.2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law | Y2 | S1

Can you investigate the above 'form of business' options and provide a brief critical appraisal of their advantages and disadvantages. Should we be considering a hierarchical or flat organisational structure? Are there any ethical issues we should consider in deciding on a form of business? Look at key factors, such as business structure, professional liability, tax and administrative duties etc. A suggestion for an analytical framework might be Overview/ Ownership-Legal Structure/ Risk/ Tax/ Perception and Future development, feel free to add any other critical terms you might think appropriate. Conclude by making a recommendation as to which 'form of business' we should adopt and how this might shape the future direction of the practice.

LO1 | ONLINE EXAM

ANSWER BELOW….

‘Students will work in their pairs/groups to answer two scenario based questions on the subject of architectural practice. Similar to the Contract Simulation exercise, students may select the computer programme they would prefer to use to facilitate on-line working and communication with their selected and assigned partner. (For instance Zoom, WhatsApp, GoToMeeting, Google-Hangouts).’

I believe that in our current form as a three-person firm it would be within our best interest opt for a Limited Company format, with the potential future opportunity to transform into a Co-Operative business when we eventually expand our employee base. I’ve outlined below the differences between these forms of business in order to articulate my position, and hopefully make clear why I think an LLC is for us. Overview/Ownership: Limited Liability Partnerships can be considered a hybrid of the longstanding traditional Partnership model and LLCs, adopting the ‘limited liability’ feature of the latter form with a similar ownership structure to the former.

Group members: Caitlin MacLeod, Sarah Alcock, Theo Shack Response/reflection: Due to an administrative error which resulted in a required rescheduling of the exam, the time between the issuing of the question and the hand-in of answers was extended to two weeks. Regardless of this, our group aimed to complete the work within the original 48-hour period, which we felt aided in us being more concise and clear in our responses and subsequently resulting in very positive feedback from the marker. We divided the work such that I myself would be completing question 1 (Form of Business) and Sarah and Theo would respond to question 3 (Getting Work).

A Co-operative is a type of business which may be formed under any legal form (including both companies and partnerships) and is a type of Employee-Owned Business (EOB), where ownership is equally shared between members and money is held in a trust for sharing amongst employees. As a general rule, under a co-operatively run architecture firm, each employee has a meaningful stake in the company both financially and with regard to the ethos and running of the practice, promoting a more ‘flat’ structure.

LLP’s are based on Agreements, which set out the basics of the company (name of company, partners, start dates and so forth), and the ‘rules’ regarding the running of the company. The Articles which govern Limited Companies perform much the same function, however they contain some built-in flexibility regarding how the practice wants to run and potentially change in the future. It can be written in that the company will be run as an EOB, and because there is ‘share ownership,’ it is easier to set this up further down the line. This also allows for easier formation of a co-operative within the broader category of an employee-owned business, should this be desired: I will explain later why I believe this, in particular, is a good option for our firm to consider. Risk In an LLP unlike a traditional Partnership, liability is ‘limited’ (hence, ‘limited liability’) to the monies held within the business i.e. how much each partner has invested in it, and does not include personal assets. Liability is limited to the stake one has in the company, however, this is not the case should a partner be found to be personally at fault for the failing of the business. Liability in also limited in an LLC, where directors and shareholders are only liable for assets in the company, and liability is spread across the company. As a general rule, the more risk taken on by the directors/partners of the business, the more hierarchical its structure will be, hence the structures of LLCs have the potential to be more ‘flat’ and open. This also applies to co-operatively run firms. As a three-person firm these differentiations don’t make a huge amount of difference currently, but when we eventually decide to grow our firm and take on more employees, sharing liability and adopting a more ‘flat’ structure is, I believe, the direction we should take.

Getting new work is key - we should set aside a portion of our resources towards it. That can include work on competitions and feasibility work but also on networking, targeted correspondence and maintaining a strong public image through lectures and internet-based material. I have listed a few key areas of focus below.

We should consider our existing contacts and how to maintain and develop these relationships as a source of work by attending parties, events and informally socialising – using these as opportunities to mention that we are looking for new projects. Networking within the industry can yield work through collaborations and hearing current news and opportunities through the grapevine. We should regularly attend architectural events and exhibition openings, hosted by organisations like Archifringe, SEDA, RIAS and the architecture schools. Joining and being regular members of different local groups, activities and clubs (eg. Gardening, swimming etc) can also be a fruitful way of meeting people who may need an architect and expanding our networks. Always make it known that you’re an architect and follow up any hints or leads that may be dropped.

Perception by clients, investors and so forth of limited companies, whether an LLP or LLC, tend to be similar - it is widely understood that limited companies are the most common forms of business nowadays, and as such may be seen to be more ‘credible’ than less common forms of business (for example, traditional partnerships and sole traders). However, it can be said that with regard to co-operative (and, more generally, employee-owned) firms, there is a perception that the democratic and open structure of the practice will be reflected in the types of work taken on by them, prioritising programmes such as social/affordable housing, public buildings and charity-funded work. As such, clients such as local councils, community groups, charities and housing associations may be more likely to work with this type of firm. Organisational Structures/Conclusion I believe that it is in questions of organisational structure that questions of ‘ethics’ mainly lie. As we are a practice with the desire to design ‘for the common good’, in fields such as social housing and urban regeneration and for the types of clients mentioned in the section prior, our practice structure can and should reflect our ethics of democracy, equality and transparency. A flat structure, as opposed to a hierarchal one, allows us to do this. Employees, regardless of seniority or experience, will be given the opportunity to contribute to design work, and particularly younger employees/architectural assistants will be given greater agency and responsibility than they would in more hierarchal firms. Decision-making will be democratic and transparent, and as such our practice will be one where employees are treated fairly and equitably in terms of pay and understand the value of their individual contributions. These issues will mainly apply much later down the line when our employee base has grown considerably, but we should consider at this point how adopting an LLC will allow us to achieve these future goals, due to the flexibility this form of business offers in pursuing a co-operative model which, I feel, perfectly aligns with our goals and said ethos. Bibliography

Partners are treated as ‘self-employed’ in an LLP and are taxed accordingly via income tax a year in arrears, payable on each partner’s share of profits. As such, within three months of starting up, members must register as self-employed with HMRC. Employees are taxed through PAYE. Both employees and directors in LLCs pay income tax on salaries and benefits through PAYE, and company profits are subject to corporation tax. Should an employee-owned or co-operative model be opted for, employees will hold shares through a share scheme (for example, Share Incentives Plans), and less tax may be paid by the business if an approved scheme is chosen. While tax issues are generally easier to deal with in an LLC than an LLP, tax rules are constantly changing, and as such are not a good basis for making a decision on form of business – I believe other categories of concern are more compelling in arguing for an LLC.

Dall, Neil. ‘Starting Up an Architectural Practice’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 2 Oct 2020. Foxell, Simon. ‘The Business Plan’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 25-53 Various colleagues including Nicola McLachlan, Christ Stewart and Jude Barber at Collective Architecture, in conversation with Caitlin MacLeod. 2018-2020. Stewart, Chris & McLachlan, Nicola. ‘Getting Work!’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020.

Future Development

Having a clear thematic emphasis associated with our practice will help to promote us within that sphere. At the moment, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability and meeting the demands of net zero carbon target. This has manifested itself in the ‘green new deal’ rhetoric and the announcement of investment in retrofitting existing buildings to improve energy efficiency. Establishing ourselves publicly as specialising in sustainable architecture will help give us access to this area of work which is clearly growing in importance. We should coordinate our branding, website, social media and public content around this specialism.

Introduction:

Perception

Tax

Obviously we are delighted to have won our first commission and we look forward to working on this in the coming months. We have also been approached by a family member to design a house extension in the Borders, including some internal alterations to the existing Victorian property. All new work is welcome! But we need to now ensure that we continue to attract more work on a regular basis and we need to devise a set of clear and carefully considered methods for getting that work in. I wonder if you could write a short memo on the development of a ‘Getting Work’ practice-strategy. It should include both general points on good practice and any specific targets we should have.

Getting Work Strategy:

While it is possible to alter company structure later down the line should we wish to do so, I believe it is in our best interest to think long-term and plan for our future goals. As mentioned previously, I believe we should take advantage of the opportunities for future development offered by Limited Companies in particular. They, unlike LLPs, can sell or pass on shares in the business, and hiring, firing and departure of directors is far more straightforward. However, it is the ease of setting up an employee-owned business in a Limited Company structure which will be of particular interest to us - I have expanded on this later.

Legal Structure/Governance:

progresses and other stories occur within the practice. Linking to this published content on our website further establishes our credibility.

Networking:

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Limited Companies are the most common form of business for architecture firms nowadays, where the business is owned by shareholders (who can be made up of directors, employees or separate companies) but run by directors. They are governed by the Companies Act 2006 and are based on ‘Articles’ as opposed to ‘Agreements.’ Note that Public Limited Companies (PLC) are also an option, but this analysis will look purely at the more common Private Limited Company (LTD).

Question 3 - Getting Work

ANSWER BELOW….

Once again, I was fortunate to be able to draw on my significant experience in practice to answer the question in an informed manner, and bring a unique angle to the response: as Collective Architecture is an employee-owned ‘flat structure’ practice, I have considerable knowledge on how these types of practices are run and how they are beneficial to employees and clients alike. I structured my answer such that I could recommend adopting this form of practice, and was able to give real-life examples of the kind of work this would lead our imaginary practice to undertake, and why.

They tend to be owned by the partners (two or more members) who have set up the business, and are based on a ‘Members Agreement’/‘LLP Agreement.’

Growth Sectors: Paying attention to news and announcements can help us to stay abreast of current growth sectors and target these. This can be done by following the construction industry press such as Architect’s Journal and Building and also paying attention to economic forecasts. At the moment, despite an unpromising economic outlook, there are areas of growth. Housing particularly, both social and private looks set to grow under strong demand and government targets and investment. We should look out for commissioning bodies such as housing associations and community councils. We could also approach volume house-builders and smaller developers to ‘sell’ our design services, offering to carry out feasibility studies with potential sites in mind.

Targets and Conclusion: While winning new work is important for profitability and continued operations, we need to remember that we are a small practice with limited resources and therefore our time is very valuable. In order to protect this, we will aim for a 80:20 split on billable to non-billable working hours, with half of the non-billable hours being used to procure new work (10% of overall time). To keep account of this, we will keep accurate time sheets and an office diary which is analysed every month against these figures. This figure is a benchmark, but we should be responsive to our situation, ensuring that we retain current profitability but also have an eye to the future. This is to ensure a steady flow of new projects even whilst apparently busy as new work can take a while to get off the ground, and the aim to grow the practice is part of our long-term strategy.

Bibliography Dall, Neil. ‘Starting Up an Architectural Practice’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 2 Oct 2020. Dickson, Bruce. ‘The Economic Context’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020. Foxell, Simon. ‘Getting Noticed’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 99-106

Sectors like healthcare and education are often more stable in times of economic instability. We should look into whether we can join any public procurement frameworks or undertake bids for work in this area, ensuring that we have the relevant experience within the practice and where we are lacking, consider teaming up with another practice who does. We should be able to build on our recent competition win for the education centre.

Foxell, Simon. ‘Winning Work. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 107-112

Tourism in rural Scotland is also a growing sector, with demand far outstripping the supply of holiday lets in the Highlands with self-catering ‘shepherd huts’ and pods particularly popular. We could tap into this by designing an economical and beautiful repeatable small holiday unit to offer potential clients.

Scottish Government. ‘Reducing greenhouse gas emissions’. Policy: Climate Change. Gov.scot (2020). Online. https://www.gov.scot/policies/climate-change/reducing-emissions/.

Creating our own demand: Some of these areas, such as holiday units and housing, offer opportunities for us to look into self-development, we could approach friends, relations or local developers with partnership proposals to act as our own developer of sites if we are willing to take the financial risk. Good local knowledge of suitable locations and contacts in local planning departments will help with this. With a suitable site in mind, we could carry out a quick options appraisal and development economics with which to approach a developer. This should lead to an introduction fee and likelihood of being taken on as architect.

Ingrid Petit, Associate at Feilden Fowles, in conversation with Theodore Shack. 15 May 2020. Scottish Government. Policy: More Homes. Gov.scot (2020). Online. https://www.gov.scot/policies/more-homes/.

Scottish Government. ‘A National Mission to Create New Jobs, Good Jobs and Green Jobs’. Protecting Scotland, Renewing Scotland: The Government's Programme for Scotland 2020-2021. Gov.scot (2020). Online. https://www.gov.scot/publications/protecting-scotland-renewing-scotland-governments-programme-scotland2020-2021/pages/5/ Stewart, Chris & McLachlan, Nicola. ‘Getting Work!’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020.

Public Image:

Collaboration We can put thought into the location and design of our studio. A prominent location, with a shop-front can establish a good local presence, moreover, the design of the space can be used to showcase our design approach and an enticing window to display models and drawings lure passers-by. Meanwhile occasional local surgeries offering free advice could lead to further work. Our website and social media are a first port-of-call and should be attractive and up-to-date with interesting content that establishes our expertise and credibility. Excellent photographs of previous work and inspiring visualisations in a good house-style should be used to visually promote our work. These can also be used for regular social media posts and distributed through the internet via Pinterest boards and Dezeen, leaving a paper trail back to our website. Good website design and SEO should be used and monitored to make sure we have prominence on search engine rankings. Writing articles and commentary to be published in both architectural press and conventional media is a good way of raising public prominence. We can pay special attention to local newspapers, making sure that news such as our recent competition win is published with comments from our practice. Entering for awards is also a good idea. All of these efforts should be followed up with further press releases and images as the competition project

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Through collaboration with other architecture firms in the locality, we may be able to bid on bigger more profitable projects and work in other sectors to expand our experience. We should look to approach other practices with viable projects for collaboration and continue to develop these relationships as we may also have projects passed onto us when other practices are too busy to take on work. Working at Risk: Competitions and feasibility studies have no guarantee of paid work at their end. When planning resources, it is worth considering that in medium-sized offices often a maximum of 1 in 7 bids is successful (Feilden Fowles). Nonetheless, doing this work can give us the chance to gain experience and showcase our ability, creating imagery that can be used to promote the business on websites and social media. There’s also the possibility of media coverage by the competition organisers - all potentially leading to further work later on. To balance these issues, given our practice size, we aim to undertake one competition and up to one unpaid feasibility project per year if it has good prospects of leading to further work. All other feasibility work will be charged, to maintain profitability and ensure the value of our work remains respected.

QUESTION 01 | FORM OF BUSINESS Note from Practice Formation meeting: We need as a fledgling practice hence the structures of LLCs have the potential to be more ‘flat’ and open. This also applies to co-operatively Always make it known that you’re an architect and follow up any hints or leads that may be dropped. to consider clearly our form of business options. Our accountant has suggested three potential business forms for us to consider, without particularly going into detail on any. Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Company or a Co-operative. Can you investigate the above ‘form of business’ options and provide a brief critical appraisal of their advantages and disadvantages. Should we be considering a hierarchical or flat organisational structure? Are there any ethical issues we should consider in deciding on a form of business? Look at key factors, such as business structure, professional liability, tax and administrative duties etc. A suggestion for an analytical framework might be Overview/Ownership-Legal Structure/ Risk/ Tax/ Perception and Future development, feel free to add any other critical terms you might think appropriate. Conclude by making a recommendation as to which ‘form of business’ we should adopt and how this might shape the future direction of the practice.

ANSWER (SUMMARISED) | I believe that in our current form as a three-person firm it would be within

our best interest opt for a Limited Company format, with the potential future opportunity to transform into a Co-Operative business when we eventually expand our employee base. I’ve outlined below the differences between these forms of business in order to articulate my position, and hopefully make clear why I think an LLC is for us. Overview/Ownership: Limited Liability Partnerships can be considered a hybrid of the longstanding traditional Partnership model and LLCs, adopting the ‘limited liability’ feature of the latter form with a similar ownership structure to the former. They tend to be owned by the partners (two or more members) who have set up the business, and are based on a ‘Members Agreement’/‘LLP Agreement.’ Limited Companies are the most common form of business for architecture firms nowadays, where the business is owned by shareholders (who can be made up of directors, employees or separate companies) but run by directors. They are governed by the Companies Act 2006 and are based on ‘Articles’ as opposed to ‘Agreements.’ Note that Public Limited Companies (PLC) are also an option, but this analysis will look purely at the more common Private Limited Company (LTD). A Co-operative is a type of business which may be formed under any legal form (including both companies and partnerships) and is a type of Employee-Owned Business (EOB), where ownership is equally shared between members and money is held in a trust for sharing amongst employees. As a general rule, under a co-operatively run architecture firm, each employee has a meaningful stake in the company both financially and with regard to the ethos and running of the practice, promoting a more ‘flat’ structure. Legal Structure/Governance: LLP’s are based on Agreements, which set out the basics of the company (name of company, partners, start dates and so forth), and the ‘rules’ regarding the running of the company. The Articles which govern Limited Companies perform much the same function, however they contain some builtin flexibility regarding how the practice wants to run and potentially change in the future. It can be written in that the company will be run as an EOB, and because there is ‘share ownership,’ it is easier to set this up further down the line. This also allows for easier formation of a co-operative within the broader category of an employee-owned business, should this be desired: I will explain later why I believe this, in particular, is a good option for our firm to consider.

run firms. As a three-person firm these differentiations don’t make a huge amount of difference currently, but when we eventually decide to grow our firm and take on more employees, sharing liability and adopting a more ‘flat’ structure is, I believe, the direction we should take.

Organisational Structures/Conclusion: I believe that it is in questions of organisational structure that questions of ‘ethics’ mainly lie. As we are a practice with the desire to design ‘for the common good’, in fields such as social housing and urban regeneration and for the types of clients mentioned in the section prior, our practice structure can and should reflect our ethics of democracy, equality and transparency. A flat structure, as opposed to a hierarchal one, allows us to do this. Employees, regardless of seniority or experience, will be given the opportunity to contribute to design work, and particularly younger employees/architectural assistants will be given greater agency and responsibility than they would in more hierarchal firms. Decision-making will be democratic and transparent, and as such our practice will be one where employees are treated fairly and equitably in terms of pay and understand the value of their individual contributions. These issues will mainly apply much later down the line when our employee base has grown considerably, but we should consider at this point how adopting an LLC will allow us to achieve these future goals, due to the flexibility this form of business offers in pursuing a co-operative model which, I feel, perfectly aligns with our goals and said ethos. Bibliography Dall, Neil. ‘Starting Up an Architectural Practice’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 2 Oct 2020. Foxell, Simon. ‘The Business Plan’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 25-53 Various colleagues including Nicola McLachlan, Christ Stewart and Jude Barber at Collective Architecture, in conversation with Caitlin MacLeod. 2018-2020.

QUESTION 03 | GETTING WORK Obviously we are delighted to have won our first commission and we look

forward to working on this in the coming months. We have also been approached by a family member to design a house extension in the Borders, including some internal alterations to the existing Victorian property. All new work is welcome! But we need to now ensure that we continue to attract more work on a regular basis and we need to devise a set of clear and carefully considered methods for getting that work in. I wonder if you could write a short memo on the development of a ‘Getting Work’ practice-strategy. It should include both general points on good practice and any specific targets we should have.

ANSWER (SUMMARISED) | Getting new work is key - we should set aside a portion of our resources towards it. That can include work on competitions and feasibility work but also on networking, targeted correspondence and maintaining a strong public image through lectures and internet-based material. I have listed a few key areas of focus below.

Networking: We should consider our existing contacts and how to maintain and develop these relationships as a source of work by attending parties, events and informally socialising – using these as opportunities Risk: In an LLP unlike a traditional Partnership, liability is ‘limited’ (hence, ‘limited liability’) to the monies to mention that we are looking for new projects. Networking within the industry can yield work through held within the business i.e. how much each partner has invested in it, and does not include personal assets. collaborations and hearing current news and opportunities through the grapevine. We should regularly Liability is limited to the stake one has in the company, however, this is not the case should a partner be found attend architectural events and exhibition openings, hosted by organisations like Archifringe, SEDA, RIAS and to be personally at fault for the failing of the business. Liability in also limited in an LLC, where directors and the architecture schools. shareholders are only liable for assets in the company, and liability is spread across the company. As a general Joining and being regular members of different local groups, activities and clubs (eg. Gardening, swimming rule, the more risk taken on by the directors/partners of the business, the more hierarchical its structure will be, etc) can also be a fruitful way of meeting people who may need an architect and expanding our networks.

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Public Image: Our website and social media are a first port-of-call and should be attractive and up-to-date with interesting content that establishes our expertise and credibility. Excellent photographs of previous work and inspiring visualisations in a good house-style should be used to visually promote our work. These can also be used for regular social media posts and distributed through the internet via Pinterest boards and Dezeen, leaving a paper trail back to our website. Good website design and SEO should be used and monitored to make sure we have prominence on search engine rankings. Writing articles and commentary to be published in both architectural press and conventional media is a good way of raising public prominence. Having a clear thematic emphasis associated with our practice will help to promote us within that sphere. At the moment, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability and meeting the demands of net zero carbon target. This has manifested itself in the ‘green new deal’ rhetoric and the announcement of investment in retrofitting existing buildings to improve energy efficiency. Establishing ourselves publicly as specialising in sustainable architecture will help give us access to this area of work which is clearly growing in importance. We should coordinate our branding, website, social media and public content around this specialism. Growth Sectors: Paying attention to news and announcements can help us to stay abreast of current growth sectors and target these. This can be done by following the construction industry press such as Architect’s Journal and Building and also paying attention to economic forecasts. At the moment, despite an unpromising economic outlook, there are areas of growth. Housing particularly, both social and private looks set to grow under strong demand and government targets and investment. We should look out for commissioning bodies such as housing associations and community councils. We could also approach volume house-builders and smaller developers to ‘sell’ our design services, offering to carry out feasibility studies with potential sites in mind. Sectors like healthcare and education are often more stable in times of economic instability. We should look into whether we can join any public procurement frameworks or undertake bids for work in this area, ensuring that we have the relevant experience within the practice and where we are lacking, consider teaming up with another practice who does. We should be able to build on our recent competition win for the education centre. Tourism in rural Scotland is also a growing sector, with demand far outstripping the supply of holiday lets in the Highlands with self-catering ‘shepherd huts’ and pods particularly popular. We could tap into this by designing an economical and beautiful repeatable small holiday unit to offer potential clients. Targets and Conclusion: While winning new work is important for profitability and continued operations, we need to remember that we are a small practice with limited resources and therefore our time is very valuable. In order to protect this, we will aim for a 80:20 split on billable to non-billable working hours, with half of the non-billable hours being used to procure new work (10% of overall time). To keep account of this, we will keep accurate time sheets and an office diary which is analysed every month against these figures. This figure is a benchmark, but we should be responsive to our situation, ensuring that we retain current profitability but also have an eye to the future. This is to ensure a steady flow of new projects even whilst apparently busy as new work can take a while to get off the ground, and the aim to grow the practice is part of our long-term strategy. Bibliography Dickson, Bruce. ‘The Economic Context’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. 6 Nov 2020. Foxell, Simon. ‘Getting Noticed’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 99-106 Foxell, Simon. ‘Winning Work. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 107-112 Ingrid Petit, Associate at Feilden Fowles, in conversation with Theodore Shack. 15 May 2020.

2.2

YEAR 2 SEMESTER 2 Jan-May 2021

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2.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) 2.2.2 Design Report 2.2.3 Part-time employment: Collective Architecture

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2.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) | Y2 | S2

COURSE SUMMARY The emphasis in this module falls upon the development and refinement of the structural, material, technical, environmental and legislative aspects of the student’s design project. These, however, are not pursued as ends in themselves, but as part of a fully integrated design project guided by conceptual, theoretical, contextual and ethical concerns. LO1 A sophisticated approach to the programmatic organisation, arrangement and structuring of a complex architectural assemblage in a loaded contextual situation (eg. the built, social, historical, technological, urban and environmental contexts). LO2 A knowledge of how to develop the structural, constructional, material, environmental and legislative aspects of a complex building to a high degree of resolution, with reference to discussions with a team of specialised consultants. LO3

An understanding of issues relating to the questions of sustainability, and its concomitant architectural, technological, environmental and urban strategies.

LO4

A critical understanding of, and ability to present complex design proposals through appropriate forms of representation (eg. verbal, drawing, modeling, photography, film, computer, installation, performance and workshop techniques).

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AT HOME IN T H E C I T Y |

Suzanne Ewing / Andrew Brooks

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS This final year of the Masters Programme was completed entirely under varying levels of lockdown, meaning a lack of access to workshop facilities, studio spaces, computer labs and printing facilities. Detached from the activity and vibrancy of the studio environment, unable to work alongside my peers and being limited to the space and resources of my one-bedroom flat in Edinburgh undoubtedly limited my work. Model-making, for example, was reduced to the crafting of simple maquettes, my personal laptop often struggled with large tasks and time was definitely wasted to long loading times, and I wholeheartedly missed the dialogue between students regarding design ideas, readings and precedents that would occur organically in a typically full studio space - I am certain my project is poorer for a lack of my peers’ continued insight and influence, usually offered and accepted so readily in ‘normal times.’

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In other ways, working from home prompted some behaviours that I’d like to hope I can continue going forward into future practice. In particular, I returned to frequent sketching and hand drawing design practices, which admittedly, over the years, I have overlooked in favour of working digitally, having somewhat lost confidence in my skills with a pen and sketchbook or trace. From this, I am certain my project benefits, as I was encouraged to scribble ideas that I might otherwise try to retain mentally and model in CAD later, by which point the clarity of the concept would have faded. In all, I have gained a newfound appreciation for the power of collaborative practice in the process of architectural design, and going forward this is something I am unlikely to take for granted in the future.

2.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) | Y2 | S2

BRIEF 01: DESIGN (LINES) ‘Architecture is generated through practices of making, through iteration. The first phase of Studio B aims to support project iterations of city house(s) following the trajectory of Studio G. In many cases the starting points will continue in identified sites/site conditions: the New Club, New Town, Old Town, Leith, city hills/infrastructure, colonies housing, municipal hinterlands, city shoreline. However in some cases new sites/conditions should be identified and tested to sharpen conceptual concerns/ project formation as suggested in Studio G feedback. In order to continue to explore questions of inhabitation of the city, the New Club remains a critical testing site, perhaps intensely worked into in ways informed by cityhouse(s) design tests or as a foil/counterbalance for a site elsewhere.’ Foregrounding making through sectional maquettes, it is expected that each week you will revisit and produce further drawings at the appropriate scale of investigation. It is likely that you will be working simultaneously on several maquettes at different scales, and working between section (maquette) informing plan and other arrangement drawings, developing specific practices and logics of translation between these, using photography, film etc. to develop a poised and considered mode of representation appropriate to your project inquiry... The aim of this first phase of the studio is to open up possibilities for invention, development of distinctive architectural language and sophisticated spatial arrangement, and also to distill your project/thesis inquiry through intuitive/iterative design practices in preparation for the technical study focus of the next part of Studio B.’

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

(Above) 1:200 facade maquette, foam (Right) 1:200 form maquette, card

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Response/reflection: Working with maquettes was a daunting prospect to me initially, as I find model-making to be by far my biggest weakness in the ‘testing’ stages of a design process. Having a brief direct me to make varying scales of maquettes therefore pushed me to work outside my comfort zone, and with working from home restricting the access I would usually have to more expensive materials and workshop facilities, I was freed somewhat from the usual mental burden of trying to make a ‘perfect’ model; working with scraps of materials found around my flat helped me to work in a way that was explorative and playful. I was able to work across a variety of scales to realise some high level ambitions for my design project going forward at different points of relevance: in terms of the city, in terms of the building as a whole, and in terms of carefully crafted, zoomed in areas of the proposal. (Above)1:20 ‘fins’ maquette, cardboard (Right) 1:20 desk space ‘nook’ maquette, white card

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

CLO

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The previous semester’s concluding work was found, upon reflection, to be lacking in terms of employing a site-wide, contextual logic, and as such I began working on a more rigorous process of discovering a site for the second semester’s proposal. This involved researching data into ‘gap’ sites in the New Town, including closed down retail units, overused (and now abandoned, thanks to the global pandemic) luxury Airbnbs and at-risk heritage buildings lying in disrepair. It was intended that this would build up a ‘Field of Emptiness’, building an argument for the need for a re-placement of people and activity into the New Town. This became the starting point for my mixed-use design proposal on Princes Street, occupying the site of the former BHS Department Store.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

(Left)1:1250 Site plan mapping ‘gap’ sites in the New Town (Above, top) 1:1250 Site model, route hierarchy through the New Town (Above, bottom) ‘Degrees of vacancy’ elevational study of ‘gap’ sites

POSITION + AIMS

CONTEXTUAL SITUATION The design project is situated in Edinburgh’s New Town, which is observed to have undergone a process of ‘emptying,’ both prior to and during (and ultimately accelerated by) the events of the Covid-19 pandemic. In prior years, this ‘emptying’ took the form of population displacement, where a significant number of residential units in the New Town were taken over by Airbnb landlords, seeing local populations increasingly replaced by yearround tourists. In a current context, the economic and cultural impact of the pandemic is visible in the ‘gaps’ left by the New Town’s permanently closed retail units, particularly on Princes Street - this, combined with the lack of tourism which leaves previously high-use Airbnbs unused, contributes to a condition of emptiness in the heart of the city.

POSITION + AIMS

RE-USE PRINCIPLES As mentioned, the buildings of the New Town have a history of being adapted and re-used for the changing needs of society over time. Since semester 1, the project has considered how best to work with existing buildings, re-using existing structural elements to reduce the significant environmental impact of demolishing and building anew, a significant problem in the construction industry. This was initially expressed through the retention of existing floorplates and the introduction of concrete ‘fins’ which would form an ‘inhabited facade’ these ideas were tested on the site of a prior New Club site on St Andrews’ Square.

The project aims to respond to this condition of emptiness through the creation of a ‘New Town Neighbourhood’ - a diverse, heterogenous and socially sustainable community centred in the heart of the city which would ‘Re-place’ a previously displaced population of residents. The historic context of the site is such that there is plenty of precedent for adaptive re-use of buildings, with programmes being altered to accomodate for and adapt to the changing societal needs over time, and thus the aim to repopulate the area with housing and community facilities can be seen as another (post-pandemic) step in the evolution of Edinburgh’s New Town. These provisions will foreground the needs of the city’s most vulnerable populations such as those experiencing homelessness, in response to the current social context of the city centre where housing is unaffordable and underutilised and the homeless population is high.

( R E ) PLACEMENT

PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

As the project developed and a more rational site was selected at 64 Princes Street (see previous page), a more rigorous approach to retention was adopted. Early iterations of the proposal for a mixed use building (containing a market hall,a ‘support hub’ for vulnerable populations and mixed tenure housing) retained only floor plates and perimeter walls from the existing build - see an early cross section overleaf. However, subsequent iterations opted for the further retention of structural columns and stair cores in addition to this, allowing as much of the building to be retained and re-used as possible, and reducing the structural burden placed on the proposed concrete ‘fins,’ which would now span the entire depth of the building(s) as a means of dividing and organising space. This approach would also reduce time and difficulty in construction stages, removing the need for propping mechanisms to be placed in order to remove structural columns.

POSITION + AIMS

APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY

TECHNICAL REPORT Caitlin MacLeod | s1440163 ARCH11069

As mentioned, the project was conceived initially with a focus on social sustainability, questioning what makes a community sustainable and resiliant. In order to achieve this, the early, broad aims of the project focused on providing built-in work opportunities for vulnerable populations to ensure long- term success, rather than short- term solutions to homelessness (‘procuring permanence’), an approach to flexible design which would allow units to be adapted to future use, and a clustering of mixed uses (home, work and play) in the city centre as a strategy to reduce reliance on cars and promote walking and cycling as modes of transport. Before a particular programme had been determined, it was decided that the proposal would focus on providing not only affordable and mixed-tenure housing, but some form of public-access facility which would directly benefit and bring together members of the community and further afield - a social hub, of sorts.

Left, above:: Early maquette studies of architectural language - new ‘fins’ intersecting with existing floor slabs Left, below: Detail sketches, working out relationship between existing/re-used elements with new elements

Right: Study of ‘gaps’ in the New Town and degrees of vacancy along Princes Street. Note that 64 Princes Street has been identified as a suitable site to develop an in-depth mixed-use design proposal, due to its full-height vacancy, location on the high street and considerable size.

www.archdaily.com www.archdaily.com

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POSITION + AIMS

PRECEDENTS - MATERIALITY, FORM The following precedents were presented to the consulting engineers as aspirations for the materiality, form and spatial arrangement of the project building:

BRIEF 02: BUILDING (LINES)

Structural/material Structural/materialapproaches: approaches:Concrete Concrete'ﬁns' 'ﬁns'that thatcan canbe be inhabited/passed inhabited/passedthrough/divide through/dividespace spaceinternally internallyand andexternally. externally. Aims Aimsto torere-use useexisting existingstructure structureof offormer formerBHS BHSbuilding building(RESEARCH (RESEARCH ++DRAWING DRAWINGINTO INTOSITE SITETO TOBE BECOMPLETED) COMPLETED)- -how howcan canI Iwork workwith with existing existingstructural structuralelements elementsininaasustainable sustainableway? way?

New elements

CONSULTATION + RESPONSE

PROGRAMME/SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT The programme of the mixed-use building comprises three main components: a market hall, a support hub and housing. The main access point for the market hall is from Princes Street, where the floor-to-ceiling glazed facade creates an active, inviting frontage onto the street. The hall comprises stalls which can be modified to suit individual vendors who may sell a variety of wares including food, hot drinks or crafts - akin to the Christmas market stalls in Princes Street gardens, but year-round and purpose-built. Mezzanine levels above the hall provide seating, either for paying customers or simply as a free-to-use space for resting and socialising. On the ground floor (basement level below Princes Street), a space is provided for food trucks to park and sell directly to customers, with vehicular access up to Rose Street.

Technical/material Technical/materialprecedents: precedents:Banco Bancode deLondres Londres(concrete (concrete'ﬁns' 'ﬁns' as asstructure structureand andscreen), screen),Farvardin FarvardinHouse House(Timber (Timberrecess recessdetailing, detailing, roof/balcony roof/balconyplanting) planting)

AD Classics: Bank of London and South America // ArchDaily

Argentine Argentinephotographer photographerand andarchitect architect Federico FedericoCairoli Cairolihas hasshared sharedphotos photoswith with us usofofClorindo ClorindoTesta’s Testa’sBanco Bancode deLondres Londres ......

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Farvardin FarvardinHouse House/ / HAMAAN HAMAANStudio Studio

AD Classics: Bank of London and South America // ArchDaily

Retained + re-used elements

Early iteration cross-section, original scale 1:100 | Earlier work shows a less rigorous approach to retention of existing structural elements than seen in final iteration work (for example, floor plans), with only floor plates and perimeter walls retained and re-used at this stage. Discussion with tutors and engineering consultants and personal research into the environmental and cultural benefits of adaptive reuse motivated this developed approach.

Retained + re-used elements

AD Classics: Bank of London and South America // ArchDaily

2.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) | Y2 | S2

AD Classics: Bank of London and South America // ArchDaily

Design Design development development

New elements

Vehicular access from Rose St to basement Public restrooms

Farvardin House // ArchDaily

The Barbican // Decoration and Style Blog

Flats and duplex housing are provided on the floors above, with a mix of one and two bedroom units. It is intended that a portion of these would be set aside for homeless visitors of the hub who are seeking either long or short-term accomodation, with one unit set aside (at Jan’s suggestion) to accomodate support staff, who can be accessed 24 hours a day. These would be integrated alongside affordable and mid-market rent flats and duplex housing, with a focus on integration rather than seperation as a means to build social resilience. On the south side, units surround a communal greenspace, puntuated by skylights looking down into the market hall atrium below.

PRIN CES

STRE ET

GF PLAN | MARKET HALL, FOOD TRUCK AREA

Retained + re-used elements

New elements

Dining/seating area above market hall

Suppor t Hub reception area

New elements

Hireable communit y room (meetings, consultations)

Communal garden/outdoor seating

1 bedroom duplex (first floor)

2 bedroom duplex (first floor)

Communal bike storage

1 bedroom duplex (ground floor)

Suppor t Hub contact room

Suppor t worker accomodation (2 bedroom)

2 bedroom duplex (ground floor)

Laundr y room

1 bedroom flat

Public restrooms

2 bedroom flat

Study area + open access computers

Librar y + reading area

12 13

Waiting area

DOUBLE DOUBLE LIVING +

Meeting/admin offices

ROSE ST

LIVING +

DOUBLE DOUBLE

ROSE ST

LIVING +

BED

LIVING +

DOUBLE

BED

DOUBLE DOUBLE LIVING +

16 18

BED

KITCHEN

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BATHROOM

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ROSE ST

LIVING +

DOUBLE

BED

LIVING +

18 17

DOUBLE

BED

CONSULTATION + RESPONSE

STRUCTURE

BATHROOM

ROSE ST

BATHROOM

BED

KITCHEN

BED

KITCHEN

BATHROOM

13 DOUBLE DOUBLE

BED

DOUBLE

BED

DOUBLE

BATHROOM DOUBLE DOUBLE

ROSE ST

Consulting with structural engineer Patrick Wemyss at David Narro Associates, I initially opened up the conversation by asking a few questions, namely: how can I work with an existing structural framework alongside my propsoed system of concrete ‘fins’, and is it possible to build with concrete in an ecologically sustainable manner?

BATHROOM

DOUBLE

KITCHEN

17 12

Retained + re-used elements

S. LANE

ROSE ST

S. LANE

ROSE ST

DOUBLE

BED

DOUBLE

18 18 LIVING +

BED

BATHROOM

BED

KITCHEN

S. LANE

LIVING +

BATHROOM

ROSE ST

KITCHEN

LIVING +

KITCHEN

DINING

BED

KITCHEN

S. LANE

LIVING +

BATHROOM

KITCHEN DOUBLE

BED

STUDY/OFFICE

DINING

BATHROOM

DOUBLE

BED

STUDY/OFFICE

BATHROOM

KITCHEN

DOUBLE

RETAINED ++ RE-USED; RE-USED; RETAINED

BED

19 LIVING +

LIVING +

STUDY/OFFICE

KITCHEN

DOUBLE

BED

BATHROOM

DOUBLE

KITCHEN

22 BATHROOM

KITCHEN DOUBLE

BED

Concrete slab slab floors floors Concrete Stair cores cores Stair Structural RC RC columns columns Structural Perimeter walls walls Perimeter

BED

STUDY/OFFICE

BATHROOM LIVING + LIVING +

Patrick was keen to advise on the potential sustainability benefits of using concrete for the proposed building programme, highlighting its considerable durability and thus longlife cycle as a material - the initial carbon footprint may be high, but using an appropriate material now and thinking long-term can make a more sustainable building in terms of full life cycle. As the project focuses on ‘procuring permanence’ and long-term societal resilience, I felt that this approach to long-term thinking in terms of material selection was appropriate.

18 18 LIVING +

LIVING + LIVING +

DOUBLE

BED

STUDY/OFFICE

BATHROOM BATHROOM LIVING +

KITCHEN

DOUBLE

BED

STUDY/OFFICE

22 DOUBLE

BATHROOM DOUBLE

WC DOUBLE

STRE ET

PRIN CES

STRE ET

PRIN CES

21 21 LIVING +

LIVING +

BATHROOM WC

KITCHEN

DOUBLE

WC DOUBLE

DOUBLE

STRE ET

PRIN CES

In terms of retaining existing structural elements, Patrick initially advised on how to replace existing structural columns with structural concrete fins by a system of temporary staged propping. This led me to reconsider and eventually opt for the retention of these existing columns, to reduce the complexity of the construction process and work as far as possible within the existing structural framework. Structural perimeter walls, concrete floor slabs and stair cores were also maintained (see drawing opposite).

BATHROOM

BATHROOM LIVING +

KITCHEN

BED

21 LIVING +

PRIN CES

BED

STRE ET

As a response to the proposed retention and altering of what would become the central mezannine floor, the consultant advised that a series of secondary beams supporting the perimeter of this floor would be needed, A similar ‘grill layout’ of RC beams was proposed to support the edges of the skylights above, and was incorporated (see skylight detail drawing).

Response/reflection: The technical report, including the early formation of a brief and consultation meetings with the structural and environmental engineers, helped me meet a pair of graduate criteria in which I had previously felt to be lacking (GC8 and GC9), which are concerned with building technologies and detailed structural and environmental design. While I had touched on this in my MArch 1 project it was far less in-depth, and did not greatly inform the whole design. By contrast, thinking in terms of the structural and material implications of adaptive re-use became a central part of working through design iterations, leading to a more cohesive, comprehensive proposal overall.

Left: Exploded isometric of final iteration

UPPER GF PLAN | MARKET HALL, SUPPORT HUB

1F PLAN | MARKET HALL, COMMUNITY ROOM, APARTMENTS

3F PLAN | APARTMENTS, DUPLEX HOUSING

2F PLAN | APARTMENTS, DUPLEX HOUSING

INTERIOR - MARKET HALL BASEMENT

Concrete parapet Glazing

ENVIRONMENT

DETAIL 5

Callum McIntosh of Max Fordham advised on the environmental aspects of the project these were far less considered than the structural aspects of the design at the stage of consultation, and as such my questions were general and broad; I asked if there would be specific demands placed on the building due to the presence of multiple overlapping programmes and building users, and if a particular energy strategy would best suit this kind of multi-use construction.

Green roof/concrete slab buildup: Vegetation layer Bauder Intensive Substrate Vapour control layer Water storage/drainage mat Rock mineral wool insulation Damp proof course Retained concrete slab

DETAIL 4

In terms of heating, it was noted that the market hall would have less intense heating requirements than the residential units and support hub, with it being more of a ‘semiindoor’ space as people come off the street and keep on their jackets as they wander the stalls. The presence of cooking stalls and trucks would also aid in heating the space (it should be noted that large floor-to-ceiling glazing is provided on both the north and south faces of the hall in order to naturally cross-ventilate the space, at the suggestion of the consultant). As such I decided on a split, rather than collated, heat source strategy. For the less stringent heat loads of the commercial market hall, fan coil units (air heating only) would be used, where hot water is distributed via a gas boiler. For the residential units and support hub a CHP (combined heat and power) system would be used, where heat is generated from a gas pipeline, but the steam generated turns a turbine to generate electricity in turn, bringing down grid loads.

DETAIL 3

EXTERIOR Floating CLT bench with ‘secret’ fixings: Steel equal-angle brackets Countersunk tek screws (into bench and bracket) M12 Resin anchors (into bracket and studs)

INTERIOR - MARKET HALL DETAIL 1

DETAIL 2 RETAINED + RE-USED ELEMENTS (Foundations, floor slabs, basement walls)

Balcony railing: Concrete parapet Timber ‘slatted’ balustrade (Fixed with resin anchors)

Concrete sill Glazing

Wall buildup: Timber wall panelling Plasterboard Timber studs + mineral wool insulation Plywood Timber cladding

INTERIOR - SUPPORT HUB

Further consultation with Andrew Brooks revealed a need to consider the risks involved in working with an existing basement, which can be prone to leakages and can be assumed to be poorly insulated - see details 1 and 2 for waterproofing and internal insulation strategies.

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Skylight wall buildup: Concrete ‘fin’ built onto proposed reinforced concrete beam Damp proof course Rock mineral wool insulation Vapour control layer Concrete cladding*

DETAIL 4

Delta Membrane System sump pump: Delta Membrane System sump Deltapump: Dual Sump V3 Delta Dual Sump V3 Pump chamber installed into concrete bed Pump chamber installed into Inlet concrete drainbed Inlet drain Cable duct Cable duct

Left: Skylight detail, original scale 1:10 Below: Perimeter section detail 3, original scale 1:5

Floating CLT bench with ‘secret’ fixings: Steel equal-angle brackets Countersunk tek screws (into bench and bracket) M12 Resin anchors (into bracket and wall)

Balcony buildup: Softwood timber floorboards Raised floor supports Thermal insulation Damp proof membrane PIR Insulation board Vapour control layer Retained concrete floor slab EPS Insulation Proposed concrete slab

Basement floor buildup: Polished concrete flooring Screed Rockwool insulation Cavity drain membrane Polysil anti-lime coating Retained concrete slab

DETAIL 1

In areas where timber is built into concrete to form seating and desk space (see skylight detail opposite, perimeter detail 3 below), a common ‘secret fixing’ language is utilised to give the effect of ‘floating’ benches, where screws and bolts are countersunk and or/ incorporated into wall buildups/behind cladding where they cannot be seen.

*Concrete cladding fixed back to concrete: Zinc plated secret panel fixing Concrete screws (panel into cladding) M10 Resin anchors (panel into wall)

EXTERIOR - ROOFTOP GARDEN

Callum advised that the nature of the overlapping programmes - namely, the housing units and support hub situated atop the presumably noisy, communal market hall - meant that soundproofing and acoustic insulation would be a priority (note Detail 3). Acoustic baffles are also included on the ceiling of the support hub to prevent sound transfer to the residential units above.

Right: Perimeter section, original scale 1:20

RESPONSE

DETAILING + FIXING

CONSULTATION + RESPONSE

(Right) Submitted Technical Report document

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The Barbican // GreenBlue Urban

Farvardin Farvardin House House || Timber Timber recesses, recesses, planted planted roof roof

‘Studio B focuses on design iterations of city|house(s) inHabitations in order to distill and develop individual design projects architecturally to a high degree of resolution. Four lines (wall/envelope, ground/foundation, effect/material transformations, vision/spatial configurations) provide a critical framework to work across scales of inquiry, to interrogate conditions of spatial, material, legislative, environmental exchange and responsibility in studio tutorials. Your design work will be informed by tutorials with specialist consultants in Week 5 and 7. For the Week 9 reviews you will be developing a technical study report which encompasses principles and strategic approaches to technical dimensions of your design from urban/territorial scale to the scale of the body, alongside a carefully selected and considered 1:20 perimeter section and associated drawings which explore design integration and synthesis in your project appropriate to your specific thematic/conceptual inquiry.’

Food truck area (for holding + ser ving)

The support hub is accessed from Rose Street, and provides services for vulnerable and/or homeless persons in the area. The programme and spatial organisation of this facility was carefully designed following a video consultation with Jan Williamson, Assistant Director of Services at Streetwork Edinburgh. Her emphasis was on recognising homelessness as a ‘broad’ issue, providing space which could ‘host different agencies who provide confidential space,’ and a focus on giving ‘agency and responsibility’ to vulnerable users of the hub. The hub aims to provide for both long and short-term needs - a vulnerable person may wish to wash clothes, go to the bathroom or contact someone before leaving, or they may be seeking permanent accomodation, work or long-term support. Jan was encouraged by the suggestion of a ‘digital zone’ which she explained has worked well in exsiting support hubs, where access to open-source computers is provided. The hub therefore comprises a laundry room, digital zone, library/reading area and consultation rooms/administration offices for staff, with a focus on spaces being well overlooked while still feeling comfortable and private to wary visitors. A ‘community room’ above the market hall can be used to run workshops and classes which can benefit these populations, while the hall itself is intended to provide built-in and local job opportunities in retail and food service.

FARVARDIN HOUSE | HAMAAN Studio: Less relevant as a precedent in terms of programme and spatial arrangement, however the recessed timber inserts of the facade significantly influenced the proposal - the contrast between the light colour of the brickwork and the dark panelling of the timber in particular guided decisions regarding the material pallette. THE BARBICAN | Chamberlain, Powell and Bon: The pallette of rough-finish concrete and dark timber at the Barbican Estate also served as precedent for the selection of materials in the proposed building. Additionally, the arrangement of apartments around a central, communal greenspace became inspiration for the rooftop communal garden surrounded by apartments and duplexes in later project iterations.

Main market hall - food/craft stalls, seating

Farvardin House // ArchDaily

BANCO DE LONDRES | Clorindo Testa + SEPRA: ‘Thin and deep concrete columns’ are used to punctuate the glazed facade of the building, with exposed concrete used internally on stair wells. This is utilised alongside mid/dark hue timber panelling - a contrastingBanco pallette de Londres Banco de Londres || Concrete Concrete 'fins' 'fins' as as structure structure ++ screen screen of materials which has been used within all iterations of the proposal since semester 1 (originally as a reference to the contrasting pallette of stone and polished timber in the New Club Building). Raised mezzanine levels are used throughout the tall, central atrium space this would later become precedent for the mezannine seating level overlooking the market hall in the proposed building.

1 2

Basement floor buildup: Polished concrete flooring Screed Rockwool insulation Cavity drain membrane Polysil anti-lime coating Retained concrete slab

DETAIL 3

Basement wall buildup: Retained concrete wall Polysil anti-lime coating Cavity drain membrane Rockwool insulation Vapour control layer Plasterboard

Facing concrete wall/parapet

Flushing port with access panel

DETAIL 2 Basement wall/ceiling (including Delta Membrane wall system) Retained concrete wall + floor slab Mortar plus fillet Waterproofing coating Polysil anti-lime coating Primer Cornerstrip Cavity drain membrane Rockwool insulation Vapour control layer Plasterboard

Roof buildup: Zinc helmet (atop parapet) Precast concrete XPS insulation Waterproofing membrane Levelling screed Screed Proposed concrete slab

Thermal bridge break Koster quellband Adaptor Delta puddle flange

DETAIL 5

Inlet drain laid to falls

INTERIOR-MARKETHALLBASEMENT

DETAIL5

Basement floor buildup: Polishedconcreteflooring Screed Rockwool insulation Cavitydrainmembrane Polysil anti-limecoating Retainedconcreteslab

Basement wall buildup: Retainedconcretewall Polysil anti-limecoating Cavitydrainmembrane Rockwool insulation Vapourcontrol layer Plasterboard Flushingport withaccesspanel

DETAIL2

DETAIL1

Koster quellband Adaptor Deltapuddleflange Inlet drainlaidtofalls

DeltaMembraneSystemsumppump: DeltaDual SumpV3 Pumpchamberinstalledintoconcretebed Inletdrain Cableduct Concretesill Glazing

Wall buildup: Timberwall panelling Plasterboard Timberstuds+ mineral wool insulation Plywood Timbercladding

DETAIL4

INTERIOR-SUPPORTHUB

EXTERIOR FloatingCLTbenchwith‘secret’ fixings: Steel equal-anglebrackets Countersunktekscrews(intobenchandbracket) M12Resinanchors(intobracketandstuds)

(Left) 1:20 perimeter section (Right) 1:5 details Balconybuildup: Softwoodtimber floorboards Raisedfloorsupports Thermal insulation Dampproof membrane PIRInsulationboard Vapourcontrol layer Retainedconcretefloor slab EPSInsulation Proposedconcreteslab

DETAIL3

DETAIL1

DETAIL2

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RETAINED+ RE-USEDELEMENTS (Foundations, floor slabs, basement walls)

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

DETAIL4

Balconyrailing: Concreteparapet Timber‘slatted’balustrade (Fixedwithresinanchors)

Roof buildup: Zinchelmet(atopparapet) Precastconcrete XPSinsulation Waterproofingmembrane Levellingscreed Screed Proposedconcreteslab

DETAIL3 Basement wall/ceiling(including DeltaMembranewall system) Retainedconcretewall +floorslab Mortarplusfillet Waterproofingcoating Polysil anti-limecoating Primer Cornerstrip Cavitydrainmembrane Rockwool insulation Vapourcontrol layer Plasterboard

Facingconcretewall/parapet Thermal bridgebreak

DETAIL5

NEW ELEMENTS

RETAINED + RE-USED ELEMENTS

Early cross section, original drawing scale 1:100 Early studies sought to represent the relationship between new and existing elements by contrasting colour hatches. This revealed a considerable lack of retention, and a focus became remedying this in later iterations.

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EXTERIOR-ROOFTOPGARDEN Concreteparapet

Glazing

*Concretecladdingfixedbacktoconcrete: Zincplatedsecretpanel fixing Concretescrews(panel intocladding) M10Resinanchors(panel intowall) Greenroof/concreteslabbuildup: Vegetationlayer BauderIntensiveSubstrate Vapourcontrol layer Waterstorage/drainagemat Rockmineral wool insulation Dampproof course Retainedconcreteslab

FloatingCLTbenchwith‘secret’ fixings: Steel equal-anglebrackets Countersunktekscrews(intobenchandbracket) M12Resinanchors(intobracketandwall)

Skylight wall buildup: Concrete‘fin’builtontoproposedreinforcedconcretebeam Dampproof course Rockmineral wool insulation Vapourcontrol layer Concretecladding*

RETAINED+ RE-USED; Concrete slab floors Stair cores Structural RCcolumns Perimeter walls

INTERIOR-MARKETHALL

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(Left) 1:20 skylight detail drawing (Right) Exploded isometric of tectonic elements A central focus of the design process became retaining as much of the existing building as possible, and considering how best to work within an existing structural system - this was the first time I had explored adaptive re-use in my design practice and I feel it helped me to better understand building tectonics and fold in questions of ecological sustainability

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2.2.1 Architectural Design: Studio B (Modular) | Y2 | S2

BRIEF 03: CLOSING THE STUDIO ‘The studio culminates in the considered presentation of a fully articulated design inquiry/project. In these final weeks of the semester, you re-visit and remake your InHabitation design project inquiries: a re-making which is a process of distilling and clarifying your design practices and decisions. You will present Studio B as a choreographed digital archive of work that comprises: • A Studio Atlas of concluding pieces of your design inquiry/project with significant, selective aspects of your project developed to a high degree of resolution through appropriate forms of representation (eg. verbal, drawing, modeling, photography, film, computer, installation, performance and workshop techniques) • A technical report that collates your technical study brief and conclusions including 1:20 studies that demonstrate knowledge of structural, constructional, material, environmental and legislative aspects of a complex building, with reference to discussions with a team of specialised consultants. This should include clear articulation of understanding of and response to sustainability in your project. • A supporting portfolio of process work that includes full extent of explorations of programmatic organisation, arrangement and structuring of a complex architectural assemblage in a loaded contextual situation. Response/reflection: I organised my Studio Atlas in a similar manner to the structuring of my design report, where the project would be explored at three scales of concern - the wider city-field, the whole building (tectonic assembly) and selected areas of the design (qualities of space). I believe this helped me to refine and clearly demonstrate how the proposal met the stated objectives.

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(Right, above) Internal visualisation, market hall entrance (Right, below) Internal visualisation, Support Hub digital zone

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

‘Field of Emptiness,’ Studio Atlas opening page The opening page aimed to set the stage for the field of enquiry in which the building proposal is situated, mapping out the early semester’s research into ‘gap site’ data and placing the proposal within this context.

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RETAINED+RE-USEDELEMENTS NEWELEMENTS

(Left) Internal visualisations, mezzanine floor (Right) Upper ground floor plan 1:100, market hall and Support Hub Visualisations became a particular focus of production in the final stages of the design inquiry in order to convey the qualities of space and interplay of concrete and timber materials - this was an aspect of my project which I felt was lacking in my previous MArch 1 studio. Plans utilised a system of solid fill/hatched fill to display the relationship between retained and new building elements.

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(Above) Qualities of Space, Studio Atlas closing page (Overleaf) Visualisation, deck access of residence overlooking communal garden

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The interplay between varying modes of representation - in this case, visualisations and a perspective section - helped to orient the viewer in the project in a way that, again, I felt was missing in my MArch 1 proposal.

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2.2.2 Design Report | Y2 | S2

COURSE SUMMARY This core course, taken in the second semester of the M.Arch 2 year, requires the student to produce a comprehensive design report that documents in detail one of the projects that the student has completed during the programme. The design report sets out the research and design development undertaken, incorporating images including the key representations of the project itself. The design report should allow the reader to follow the student’s study process, allowing an understanding of the material examined, decisions taken, etc. No word length is specified, the balance between text and image being a matter for the student. LO1 The ability to communicate, critically appraise and argue the rationale of a design proposal using text and image in the context of a printed* report. LO2 Demonstration, through architectural design, of the integration of knowledge in architectural theory, technological and environmental strategies, and an understanding of architecture’s professional and economic context. LO3

The development of transferable design skills and techniques through the preparation of a sophisticated graphic document.

* Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the design report was submitted digitally

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2.2.2 Design Report | Y2 | S2

(RE)PLACEMENT: PROCURING PERMANENCE Response: The report sets out the aims of the final year Masters design project - to create a vibrant, diverse and socially sustainable community in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town - and charts the research, testing and production work undertaken throughout both semesters in order to achieve these aims. The chapters are roughly organised not by chronology, but by the zooming in of scales of concern, from the scale of the wider New Town Neighbourhood to the mixed-use building proposal sited on Princes Street. Each chapter ends with a solution to a previously established contemporary challenge presented by the site and current social condition of the New Town - Dis-placement, Disintegration and Dis-use. The chapters are structured as follows:

( R E ) PLACEMENT

PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

1. The New Town 1.1 The Emptying City 1.2 Degrees of Vacancy 1.3 Re-Place

DESIGN REPORT Caitlin MacLeod | s1440163 ARCH11069

2. The Open City 2.1 City of Bunkers 2.2 Support Structures 2.3 Re-Integrate 3. Building and Dwelling 3.1 Place and Space 3.2 Fins, Facade, Encasement 3.3 Re-Use

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

(Re)Placement: Procuring Permanence in the City Design Report cover

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

CONTENTS

HIG H

- US NB E AIRB

2.1 2.2 2.3

CITY OF BUNKERS SUPPORT STRUCTURES RE-INTEGRATE

BUILDING AND DWELLING:

3.1 3.2 3.3

PLACE AND SPACE FINS, FACADE, ENCASEMENT RE-USE

Each section concludes with a core principle for the project which directly responds to a challenge previously explored in the section, and outlines how it will be addressed through the design proposal, as follows:

CONCLUSIONS + REFLECTIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES

DIS-PLACE / RE-PLACE DIS-INTEGRATE / RE-INTEGRATE DIS-USE / RE-USE Left: Final proposal long section, original drawing

‘Here, these kinds of “private cities” are being built, promising their inhabitants a life in social and physical security, devoid of the uncertainties and disorder of contemporary urban life.’

03 //

BUILDING AND DWELLING ‘Urban development today displays almost everywhere a dramatic increase in separation. Residential areas, industrial and commercial estates, university campuses, airports and shopping centres form monofunctional clusters with single access routes, separated by clusters of infrastructure that compartmentalize the landscape.’ - Kees Christiaanse ‘The Open City and its Enemies’, Open City

‘Field of Emptiness’, original drawing

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(RE) PLACEMENT | PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

The research conducted over the course of both semesters - examining city archives, parsing the social and architectural intricacies of Princes Street’s New Club, the exploration of the city-field of the New Town, extensive reading into urban design theory, and drawing and modelling as a means of testing architectural intervention - all contributed to the consolidation of a programme of uses for a building proposal on the site of the former British Home Stores unit on 64 Princes Street, and generated the tools required to realise this multi-use programme spatially and tectonically. The following chapter will examine the refinement of programmatic configuration, architectural language, and spatial strategy in the final iterations of the design proposal.

Final proposal: Support Hub internal visualisation - the architectural language of fins, nooks and an ‘inhabited facade’ are maintained, but the hub is now part of a larger programme of housing and community-orientated facilities.

E xploded axo, highlighted retention of existing structural elements // Original drawing

03 BUILDING AND DWELLING / RE-USE

(RE) PLACEMENT | PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

2. High activity: Properties which have an occupancy rate of 50% or above, which demonstrates that the property is most likely a source of considerable income for the host (it is worth noting that most entire home/apartment Airbnbs in Edinburgh meet this criteria) 3. High availability: Perhaps most important - those properties which are available year-round to tourists. As Inside Airbnb notes, these properties ‘probably don’t have the owner present, could be illegal, and more importantly, are displacing residents.’ Again, most Edinburgh listings meet this criteria.

Left: Site drawing mapping out ‘gaps’ in the New Town, original drawing, original scale 1:1250 at A0

These were then checked against Google map data (due to the inaccuracies of pointers on the interactive map) and locations of ‘high use’ airbnbs across the New Town were mapped alongside closed retail and at-risk buildings to build up a picture of a fractured neighbourhood punctuated by ‘gaps.’

(Re)Placement: Procuring Permanence in the City aims to identify and utilise a perceived condition of ‘emptiness’ in the New Town to create a vibrant, diverse and socially sustainable community centred in the heart of the city of Edinburgh, in response to a lack of current community provision, a low resident population and a current skew towards consumer and tourist-based interests. The project seizes upon pre-existing challenges that have been accelerated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the widespread closing of high street retail units and the abandonment of luxury Airbnbs, and seeks to turn these into opportunities for housing, leisure and work provision, with a focus on re-integrating and accommodating the needs of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable populations, such as the homeless.

- Tim Rieniets, Open City

The architecture of the building reflects and enforces this condition of exclusivity and opacity, with an understated, almost hidden entrance giving privacy from the street, which can be looked down upon from elevated terraces far above. The facade overlooks rather than meeting the street, where the un-clubbable masses dwell, and the internal workings of the club remain secret and closed-off to them.

Mapping and understanding the extent of the notorious Airbnb problem in the city involved an in-depth collection and study of data from online database ‘Inside Airbnb: Adding data to the debate.’ The website gathers information from Airbnb’s own website to create interactive maps and spreadsheets of listings, their prices, approximate locations, host names and so forth for a selected city. Working concurrently across the interactive map and downloaded spreadsheets of information, the search was narrowed to include only those properties which fell under the following criteria;

SAMPLE: ABSTRACT

The New Club moved to its current site at 86 Princes Street in 1837, and suffered the same fate of demolition in the 1960s, at the wishes of the Princes Street Panel, as the British Home Stores building nearby at 64 Princes Street. The former Georgian building was similarly replaced with a modernist, brutalist structure, with some original panelling retained and incorporated into the new interior. Exclusiveness is, of course, a core concept at the heart of any private members club such as this. Until very recently (2010), women were excluded from becoming full members, and to this day current stipulations state that ‘you must be proposed and seconded by two existing Members whom you know well’ (newclub.co.uk) in order to gain membership, limiting access to a pool of socially well-connected and, most likely, wealthy elites.

MAPPING GAPS Finding data on and subsequently mapping recently, permanently closed retail units and at-risk heritage buildings was rather straightforward: the former required gathering information from the large volume of articles that have been written, especially in the past year during the events of the pandemic, on the decline of retail in the New Town and beyond, and the latter the accessing of the Buildings at Risk: Register for Scotland website (https:// buildingsatrisk.org.uk/) for listings in the area.

1. Entire homes/apartments available for booking: As opposed to a resident offering a spare room in their own home

AT-R

02 THE OPEN CITY / SUPPORT STRUCTURES

02 THE OPEN CITY / CITY OF BUNKERS

04 05 06

Extensive study of urban planning writing and research was core to the development of the values and motivations behind the project, and as such much of the report is structured around principles of urban planning examined through quotes from academics and professionals in the field, and responded to in my own work.

TAGE

THE OPEN CITY:

HERI

CLO

REPORT STRUCTURE The report is divided into three main sections; The New Town, The Open City and Building and Dwelling. The sections are not organised chronologically through the steps of the design process, but rather explore concerns at a decreasing sequence of scales, from the conditions of the New Town and wider city to the final building proposal on the site of the former BHS Department Store on 64 Princes Street.

(RE) PLACEMENT | PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

THE EMPTYING CITY DEGREES OF VACANCY RE-PLACE

(RE) PLACEMENT | PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

1.1 1.2 1.3

I SK

(RE) PLACEMENT | PROCURING PERMANENCE IN THE CITY

THE NEW TOWN:

IL UNIT RETA

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT + STRUCTURE

SED

00 01

‘Airbnb claims to be part of the “sharing economy” and disrupting the hotel industry. However, data shows that the majority of Airbnb listings in most cities are entire homes, many of which are rented all year round - disrupting housing and communities.’ - Inside Airbnb

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Concrete parapet Glazing

*Concrete cladding fixed back to concrete: Zinc plated secret panel fixing Concrete screws (panel into cladding) M10 Resin anchors (panel into wall)

RETAINED + RE-USED; Concrete slab floors Stair cores Structural RC columns Perimeter walls

EXTERIOR - ROOFTOP GARDEN Green roof/concrete slab buildup: Vegetation layer Bauder Intensive Substrate Vapour control layer Water storage/drainage mat Rock mineral wool insulation Damp proof course Retained concrete slab

Floating CLT bench with ‘secret’ fixings: Steel equal-angle brackets Countersunk tek screws (into bench and bracket) M12 Resin anchors (into bracket and wall)

Skylight wall buildup: Concrete ‘fin’ built onto proposed reinforced concrete beam Damp proof course Rock mineral wool insulation Vapour control layer Concrete cladding*

As shown in the exploded isometric (opposite), a more rigorous approach to re-use in later design iterations included the retention of far more existing structural elements, comprising floor slabs, columns, perimeter walls and stair cores. Proposed concrete fins were slotted in around these, and new ramps designed to provide maximum accessibility throughout all areas of the multi-function building. INTERIOR - MARKET HALL

Detail drawings demonstrate the interplay of existing and proposed structure by utilising the same representative techniques as the plan (existing as colour/navy fill, proposed as white) - for example, the drawing on this page shows the incorporation of an existing RC floor slab into a proposed RC beam and upstand, which forms the skylight - see Appendix A for more detail drawing work. Left: Skylight and rooftop garden detail drawing, original scale 1:20

The project is supported by extensive research in the fields of urban planning, and draws upon the knowledge of figures such as Jane Jacobs, Richard Sennett and Professor Tim Rieniets to test sustainable and progressive solutions to the erosion of the New Town’s social and urban fabric, attempting to ‘re-place’ a previously dis-placed population. This led to the formation of a guiding framework for the programmatic configuration for the design, which was to centre on mixed-use development for a diverse demographic of residents and user groups. The resulting proposal for a combined market hall, homeless support hub and residential accommodation occupies the site of a former department store on Princes Street, and utilises its existing structural elements to reduce construction waste as far as possible. In this way the project aims to ‘procure permanence,’ not just for vulnerable individuals seeking long-term solutions to homelessness, but by thinking in terms of the full life-cycle of ‘empty’ buildings, building longterm Neighbourhood resilience. ‘...the alternative to monoculture in the built environment is a collaging of different building types, people and activities, which may appear visually and socially a mess, but in the long run will prove more resilient than a single-species environment.’ - Richard Sennett, Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City

2.2.3 Part-time work: Collective Architecture | Y2 | S1+2

SUMMARY Across the entirety of my final year of the MArch programme, I worked two days a week in practice at Collective Architecture. While this undoubtedly created some challenges in terms of time management, I strongly believe that my experience working in practice and studio simultaneously only benefited my work, particularly with regards to non-studio courses such as Architectural Management, Practice and Law and the Design Report. I believe also that the chance to work alongside familiar colleagues, liaise with clients and generally engage more with the ‘real world’ was vital in terms of my staying engaged during the Covid-19 pandemic - I feel that without this work to ‘root’ me and provide a change of pace I would have grown restless and frustrated, especially due to working from home orders restricting my working environment so significantly. During this time I worked across a variety of projects with a healthy mix of experience at different project scales and stages. Work completed as follows; • Pulling together a bid for a housing scheme in Glasgow, including the production of plans, models and project information sheets, and deciding on housing mixes and layouts • Editing a website for a community-based project in Paisley • Creating collage-style visualisations for a park development in Paisley • Drawing detailed plans and sections, creating a colour scheme and specifying products for a community centre in Glasgow, as well as completing some internal visualisations for the client • Creating a 3D model and external visualisations for a private dwelling in a rural area in the north of Scotland

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GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

)

(um

REV -

SIGHTHILL MASTERPLAN, GLASGOW Play Area +53.74

4B6P houses- 28nr (32.9%) 3

EXTERNAL

type

Views across to the canal 5 House

COLL

Shared garden path

Entrance to West parking courtyard 1 Images

+56.00

LOBBY 14 3

+55.59 +58.00

+57.00 +57.00 5 House

type

+57.00

Entrance to East parking courtyard

1 Images

3 type

House 4

+58.00

5 House

2 images

Visbility splay to be reviewed by engineer

type

+58.00

2 images

Possibility of further 23 onstreet parking spaces

3 type

2 images

Incurtilege parking

1 Images

5 House

1 Images

2 images

+56.00 Possibility of onstreet parking

5 House

type

Shared garden path

1 Images

House 4 type 3

Views across to the canal

+58.00 +58.00

House 4 type

+56.00

type

5 House 3 type 5 House

1 Images

+57.50

16 spaces

Parking for apartments and visitors

House 4

+58.00

pedestrian route

Block 2

Block 13 +57.00

House 5 type 3

+56.00

+57.50

Elevated allowing for existing embankments

REVISION NOTE -

DATE -

BY -

Levels indicated for houses. Indicative contours also shown.

19/7/17

type

1 Image

Alternations following engineering review. Changes to unit numbers.

9/8/17

changes to blocks 15-17 to allow for 6m gap for connection to sewer

15/8/17

Possible on-street parking bays for discussion. To be developed with the engineer.

22/8/17

12 units added along Sirrat Street

3/4/18

Housing mix updated

2/5/18

Removal of flat units, changes to layout, addition of housing units

10/01/2021

Re-introduction of some flatted units to East of site

11/01/2021

BOILER ROOM

+56.00

House 5

Block 7

+51.35

5 House

type

+54.00

REV -

+57.50

5 House

1 Images

type

Private parking courtyard

+57.00

+54.00

2415mm

1 Images

+56.50

2 images

existing floor to ceiling 2370mm

5 House

type

1 Images

+56.50

Private gardens

2 images

of Sighthill is the largest project of its kind outside London, delivering a new community school campus, a footbridge across the M8 motorway connecting the site to the nearby City Centre, and a new road bridge across the railway linking Sighthill to Port Dundas. In addition to this will be the provision of improved parkland, allotments and public spaces, active travel routes to and from the city centre, and integrated surface water management.

Parking provision for houses: 104 spaces in curtilage/with access to parking court (over 100% for housing, as 2 spaces per house along Stirrat Street, and 50% for apartments)

+56.50

+56.00

740mm

type

+56.30 +56.00

Block 6 Existing embankments

+52.64

1500mm

Client Wheatley Group / Keepmoat Homes

920mm

880mm

type

1 Images

5 House

4 House

Block 1

existing floor to ceiling 2140mm

2B4P apartments - 12nr (60%)

+56.00

REET

Visbility splay to be reviewed by engineer

3130mm

Possibility of reducing external stairs by lowering entrance level with steps internally

APARTMENTS 1B2P apartments - 8nr (40%)

INA ST

+53.41

2930mm

Overlooking play area

Overall Value of Project £57 million

1 Images

+57.00 1 Image

+57.50

+55.50

House 5 type 3

Private gardens to the rear

1 Image

+55.50

+54.00

+57.00

1 Image

3 type 5 House

+57.00

1 Images

Block 5

Terraces of three houses

House 5 type 3

+55.50 2

+55.50 type

+54.00

Block 12

5 House

images

1 Images

+57.00 +57.00

5 House

type

+54.50 images

11 spaces

+54.00

+54.50

type

1 Images

5 House

+54.45 1 Images

+54.90

+55.50

+54.50

type 5 House

+55.50

2 images

+55.50

Steps of similar +53.50 design to match the pedestrian route to the south

5 House

type

Block 3 Steps of similar design to match the pedestrian route to the south

6 m clearance to allow connection to the existing sewer

+55.50

Raised position

+55.00

All steps and levels to be reviewed to maximise efficiency

amenity and garden space to be reviewed with Planning

1 Images

2 images

+54.90

Block 4

+49.00

pedestrian route

Proposed Section B 1:20

+54.45

+54.00

Sighthill and Glasgow will also gain from this regeneration project through a community benefits programme from the project team that will deliver 62 new jobs through modern apprenticeships, graduates and new entrants, 45 new jobs on the construction project, support for 46 existing apprenticeships, and 82 new work placements.

+57.00

+56.50

images

+53.50

Road rises to the North

Entrance to apartments

+54.00

All steps and levels to be reviewed to maximise efficiency

Block 11 groun

d sewer

Scenic views to the south

Existing below ground sewer retained

All electrical works to be designed, installed and tested in accordance with BS7671:2018.

+55.00

+55.50

+56.00

amenity and garden space to be reviewed with Planning

+56.00 +56.50 +56.50

1 Images

+55.00

Block 8

+55.00

5 House

type

Entrance to corner block

+54.50 +54.50 +54.00

Raised ground floor +51.93

+54.00 +53.50

KEY

+53.50

Block Block12 9

Homes elevated due to existing embankment along this edge

+53.50 Efficiently laid out

LOBBY

Block 10

+4 8

2 s

image

BOILER ROOM

2 s

image

+48.5

1 10

FOAM PIPE

B E

DO NOT SCALE FROM DRAWING ALL DIMENSIONS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE PRIOR TO THE START OF ANY WORK AND ANY DISCREPANCIES NOTIFIED IN WRITING. REFER TO ENGINEERS' DRAWINGS FOR ALL STRUCTURAL, HEATING, LIGHTING, POWER, EXTERNAL AND UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE AND VENTILATION INFORMATION ALL BUILDING WORKS TO COMPLY IN ALL RESPECTS TO CURRENT BUILDING STANDARDS FOR COUNTRY IN WHICH SITE IS LOCATED.

NOTES -

SCALE BAR

DRAIN

OIL FEED

KEY

+44 .7 NOTES -

2 image

2 image s

+46.5

+44 .7

CLIENT -

DO NOT SCALE FROM DRAWING

Pyramid at Anderston

ALL DIMENSIONS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE PRIOR TO THE START OF ANY WORK AND ANY DISCREPANCIES NOTIFIED IN WRITING.

ET RE

+44.3

2 images

+43 .8

Play Area

+44.0

2 images

REFER TO ENGINEERS' DRAWINGS FOR ALL STRUCTURAL, HEATING, LIGHTING, POWER, EXTERNAL AND UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE AND VENTILATION INFORMATION

+44.3

+43 .8

PROJECT -

RWP

Pyramid at Anderston

ALL BUILDING WORKS TO COMPLY IN ALL RESPECTS TO CURRENT BUILDING STANDARDS FOR COUNTRY IN WHICH SITE IS LOCATED.

DRAWING -

Ground Floor WC refurb (female) - Internal Elevations

+44.2 +44.2 2 images

CLIENT -

2 images

+43.4

URBAN UNION

+41.5

+43.4

CONTROLS

+42 .0

PROJECT -

COLLINA STREET

PUMPED PIPEWORK

images

+51.0 +4

2830

images

Existing steps

OIL TANK

OIL TANK VENT

Similar in mass and scale to neighbouring developments

+50.52

Corner apartments with views south

OIL TANK BUND

+50.96

REET

FLUE

7.9

images

7.0

EXTERNAL

+50.62

NIVEN ST +53.0

Perspective sketch

All homes dual aspect

Boundary and ownerships to be confirmed

5.2

carefully relandscaped with exported soil from other parts of the site

D-05-01

+53.50

Existing on street parking

VENTS

7.0

in >>

e of dra

images

<< Lin

Contours in landscaped area to be reviewed with engineer, potential to provide drainage for surface water runoff in extreme rainfall events

920mm

7.9

landscaping proposal to be developed with engineering input

2400mm

g below

111mm

Existin

1500mm

Following a detailed procurement process, Keepmoat Homes was selected in October 2017 as the preferred partner to deliver the housing development. The new masterplan and subsequent development will create 198 homes for mid-market rent, 628 homes for private sale, high quality retail units and a commercial development. The regeneration

BY -

3B5P houses- 38nr (44.7%)

Status Phase 1 - On site, est. completion 2022

images

Collective Architecture’s involvement in the area began during the bidding process, with the design and delivery of 141 affordable housing units for Glasgow Housing Association. This first phase of work within Sighthill’s regeneration was completed in 2015, and in 2016, Collective Architecture was asked to join Keepmoat Homes’ design team to bid for the delivery of the wider residential development of the site.

DATE -

HOUSING 2B4P houses- 19nr (22.4%)

El Sub Sta

Sighthill, to the north of the City, is the largest of eight Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs) in Glasgow. Sighthill was proposed as the location for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, and while the city’s bid was unsuccessful, the proposals presented in the bid continued to be progressed.

REVISION NOTE -

105 units (85 housing + 20 apartments)

DATE -

BY -

FEBRUARY 2021 JOB NO -

20230

DRAWING -

+43.3

SCALE -

EW CHKD -

1:20 @ A1 DRWG NO -

74_004

SKETCH SITE LAYOUT F

+43.3

DATE -

BY -

JANUARY 2021

SCALE -

1:500 @ A2

+41.6 JOB NO -

+41.6

+41.5

1744

CHKD -

DRWG NO -

SK-006

+41.5

MERCAT BUILDING, 26 GALLOWGATE, GLASGOW, G1 5AB TELEPHONE +44(0)141 552 3001 FAX +44(0)141 552 3888

19 15 0

1.1of work 2.1for Collective 3.1 4.1Architecture 5.1 6.1 Sample 2.2 placement 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 during1.2 part-time 2020-2021

7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

100 M

MERCAT BUILDING, 26 GALLOWGATE, GLASGOW, G1 5AB TELEPHONE +44(0)141 552 3001 FAX +44(0)141 552 3888

11 3

24 AINSLIE PLACE, EDINBURGH, EH3 6AJ TELEPHONE +44 (0)131 516 2270 EMAIL INFO@COLLECTIVEARCHITECTURE.CO.UK WWW.COLLECTIVEARCHITECTURE.CO.UK

Proposed Section E 1:20

24 AINSLIE PLACE, EDINBURGH, EH3 6AJ TELEPHONE +44 (0)131 516 2270 EMAIL INFO@COLLECTIVEARCHITECTURE.CO.UK WWW.COLLECTIVEARCHITECTURE.CO.UK

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2 10.2 11.2 GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3 10.3 11.3

GA 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

ACADEMICPORTFOLIOPART2

CAITLINMACLEOD s1440163 ESALA2019-2021 88