Thesis report by David Cryer

R E P O R T

. . DAVID CRYER . TOMMY DEVINE . FR ANCESCA Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SHEA .

. C

POLI

D E S I G N

TON

T H E S I S

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AL AN DUNLOP

Alan Dunlop Architects BEN DEVEREAU

School of Architecture, University of Liverpool JACK DUNNE

School of Architecture, University of Liverpool ERIC HEQUET

International Cotton Research Centre, Texas Tech University GLEN GRIFFITHS

Herbert Parkinson, John Lewis Partnership ANDRE W WARBU RTO N

Area Rugs & Carpets R A C H A E L C O N N O L LY

Clerkenwell Rug Studio

ABSTRACT

FROM THE TEAM

n a world where technology and innovation are at the forefront of our economy, the only way for its survival is through their adoption. The Cottonopolis creates a platform to reignite the Cotton Industry in the UK through an injection of innovative research and experimentation into the raw material and its present and future potential.

Situated on a carefully selected site in Warrington this project will pay homage to the tradition and heritage of the textiles industry and aims to express the beauty and skill involved in the process. Creating a post-industrial composition was key to our site selection and the regenerative link between the resurging Manchester ship canal and Warringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s declining town centre was vital. The Cottonopolis exists as both machine and canvas. The Architectural expression resultant of process will power the industry, but creativity and investigation will ensure its survival. The two work together like the warp and the weft, the constant and the pattern, the indivisible whole; it is therefore this collaboration that has driven this project.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.â&#x20AC;? Albert Einstein

CONTENTS 3 | ANALYSIS 1 | INTRODUCTION

MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL Revitalising A Trade Route

THE PROJEC T Welcome to the Cottonopolis...

WA R R I N G TO N L ocation and Future Proposals

AIMS & DIRECTIONS Where Are We Heading?

ALL

THE SITE I nitial Analysis

THE HISTORY The Evolution of the Site and Town

2 | PREMISE 14

THE CONTEXT E xisting Industrial Infrastructure and Local Vernacular

W H AT ?

Gossypium Hirsutum. The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fibre

WHY?

4 | CONCEPT

The Cottonopolis of Old

WHO? A Reimagination of the Industrial Divide

INDUSTRIAL PROCESS Towards an Understanding

WHERE?

THE INDIVISIBLE WHOLE Fabrication Processes and the After Effects

The Cottonopolis of New

TH E WA R P The Worker User Profile and Routes

THE WEFT The I nvestigator User Profile and Routes

5 | PRECEDENTS 52

ARCHITECTURE AS PROCESS Architectural Elements Expressing Function

HONEST ARCHITECTURE V isually Permeable Facades and Honest Forms

STRUCTURE AS THRESHOLD A ctivity and Animation Through Structural Elements

A C T I V I T Y A N D I N N O V AT I O N F uture Materials and Experimentation

CORRESPONDENCE S ite Visits and Cotton Research

82 8 | STRUCTURE

146

The Spinnery and The Textiles School

148

6 | DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 64

THE COTTON PROCESS

152

154

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 4

FINAL DEVELOPMENT

10 | CONCLUSION 160

From Plan to Projection

The Strategy as One

THE MASTERPLAN The Wider Cottonopolis Scheme

122

Users and Their Paths

7 | FINAL PROPOSAL

10 0

GREEN ENERGY The Energy Centre

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 2 S ite Assessment & Objectives DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 3

GREEN INDUSTRY Site Strategy,Energy Production and Water Treatment

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 1 R esponse to the Process

9 | ENVIRONMENT

P rocess Informing Architecture

COMPONENTS OF THE CORE T he Warp Line and Chimney

APPROACH Where We Began

TH E WA R P VS TH E WE F T

THE COTTONOPOLIS Overview of the Scheme

INDUSTRY SEC TOR

Home of the Warp Worker

132

D E S I G N & M A N U FAC T U R E

138

T H E I N N O V AT I O N C A M P U S ome of the Weft Investigator H

Warp and Weft Interjections and End Route

TD FO DC TD

REIGNITION THROUGH I N N O V AT I O N

ALL

I N T R O D U C T I O N

INTRODUCTION

THE PROJECT WELCOME TO THE COTTONOPOLIS...

The main focus of this thesis is to reignite the textiles industry in the UK through exploration and proposal of a modern industrial centre in Warrington; thus yielding a blend of tradition and innovation to define the 21st century Cottonopolis. The textiles industry in the UK defined the North West of England and pioneered the Industrial Revolution. Yet today the industry bares very few remaining examples with the last spinning mill closing over 30 years ago. The success of the industry in the UK is recognised as a result of British imperial power and the resulting access to large volumes of raw material, which made possible the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, a key driver in its growth. Yet, failures came through an inability to keep up with technological advancement and overseas competition, leaving an abundance of post-industry but retained an abundance of skill, talent and cultural heritage. Our proposal recognises the evolution towards the knowledge economy of the UK today, to which the Cottonopolis will be equipped in dealing with all things cotton and express the Architectural quality and honesty of a 21st century industry. This provides a platform for cutting edge innovation and investigation to be intertwined with process driven tradition of textile manufacture; looking forward whilst harnessing the skill and experience of the past. The Cottonopolis of new is no longer centred solely on textiles but is safeguarded by the use of raw cotton in other sectors such as construction, biology and technology. The site will engage its diverse users in different ways and allow for the varying cycles to coexist simultaneously and separately through careful planning and Architectural intervention, ultimately reconnecting the dots between Warringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural and industrial past. Modern day production is reliant on digital technologies which are undergoing intense and thorough research into their current and future potential, thus provoking investigation into the redefinition of raw cotton and cellulose for making outside of textiles.

route » The Greenbelt Boundary lies to the south of the site, on its border with Arpley Landfill Site and the Moore Nature Reserve. » Development is relatively unconstrained by flood risk, however emergency access and egress in event of flood is isolated due to nature of site.

Arpley Meadows zone, including new river connections. » Strong links to existing transport infrastructure and historic industrial setting e.g. Crosfields Transporter Bridge » Port Warrington development along the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

INTRODUCTION

AIMS & DIRECTIONS WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

he intent of this design project is dictated by the ability to satisfy the following set of aims.

1. Re-ignite Provoke re-industrialisation in the North of England through the modern injection of a native industry into the area, utilising innovation and knowledge to safeguard its future. 2. Engage Using architectural expression and intervention, create a harmonious composition of tradition and innovation attracting specialist users to the site to work and investigate both simultaneously and separately as is appropriate. 3. Regenerate Repurpose and densify the historically industrial site to reinject the town with a new and lasting economy focused on all things cotton. 4. Link Create an industrial corridor that links Warringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural quarter to the Manchester Ship Canal provoking the proposal of a wider masterplan encompassing facilities of industry, commerce, living, education and infrastructure.

P R E M I S E

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

WHAT ? GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM THE WORLD’S FIBRE

“In India grew a wonderful tree which bore tiny lambs on the ends of its branches. These branches were so pliable that they bent down to allow the lambs to feed when they were hungry” Sir John Mandeville in ‘Travels’, c. 1320

he choice of a Cotton-opolis is a measured one. Since Mandeville’s (possibly untrustworthy) observations the understanding of cotton has grown from exotic wool-sprouting plant to essential commodity. Almost every person on the planet uses cotton daily and this staple fibre is unique in its demand, past, present and future. Its provenance as the fabric of people’s lives, steeped in an extensive and provocative history is the backdrop of an industry once distinguished in Britain.

with the UK the decision was taken to import from the south states of the USA, ensuring better cotton, organic and certified by the BCI, for the Cottonopolis.

This herbaceous crop is native to the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, notably the Americas, Africa and India. As in many industries, the world’s largest producer of cotton is China, however, the majority of its yield is used domestically and the USA remains the world’s largest exporter of raw cotton fibre. Gossypium Hirsutum, an upland cotton native to North America is of an envious quality, and following research into the USA’s production and trade links

The sustainability of cotton production has come under the microscope in recent history. For too long the story of cotton was that of unnecessary levels of stress: on workers, on economies and on the environment. However, the last 30 years has seen a shift in the numbers. Cotton farming has seen a 50% reduction in water usage, 30% decrease in energy use and double the land capacity. Now, as a renewable natural fibre, cotton offers a sustainable industry for further development.

Based on the US system, cotton is measured in bales: one bale of cotton = 0.48m2, weighing in at 228.8kg. Bales are exported following picking and ginning: ginning is the process of separating and cleaning the fibre from vegetable debris, the fibre is then compressed into a bale and shipped.

PREMISE

A flowering plant of the mallow family, growing as a herbaceous plant, bush or tree

Fruit of cotton is leathery capsule called a boll. Immature capsules cover the white fibres that protect the cotton seed until the mature capsule splits to release seeds and the fibres become visible

Produces while, yellow or red to purple flowers, individually growing from the axils of leaves

Harvest takes place 180 - 200 days after planting, once the boll has matured and opened

Cultivated varieties have erect stem with multiple branches on the upper part of the stem. Cotton usually grows 1-1.5m in height

Cotton is perennial (lifespan over 2 years), but it is often cultivated as an annual plant

Cotton leaves are green coloured divided into 3 to 5 lobes

SPECIES

TYPE

NATIVE

PRODUCTION

90%

Gossypium Hirsutum

Upland

Central America, Mexico, Caribbean & Florida

Gossypium Barbadense

Extra-long Staple

Tropical South America

Gossypium Arboreum

Tree

India & Pakistan

<2%

Gossypium Herbaceum

Levant

Southern Africa & Arabian Peninsula

<2%

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT T U R K M E N I S TA N 3 3 2

MEXICO 297

CHINA 6,532

U Z B E K I S TA N 8 4 9

USA 3,553

TURKEY 697

BR A ZIL 1,524

PA K I S TA N 2 , 3 0 8

INDIA 6,423

45o N

Eq.

30o S

Annual production of the fibre can reach 25 million tonnes, equating to 2.5% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arable land usage. At first glance, this statistic is enormous when the primary function of cotton is as fibre, not food. Typically, a yarn is spun from cotton fibre to make a natural breathable textile, used predominantly in apparel. Yet, extensive research exposed cotton to offer much more than its traditional fabric application. Cotton wseed, the waste from fibre picking, has been used in food for over a century, with research indicating the seed can be converted

into enough biodiesel fuel to power the industry, a concept taken further in the project to sustain the Cottonopolis from a central Energy Centre. Moreover, at 90% content, cotton fibre is the most pure naturally occurring form of cellulose. A sugar compound used chiefly in paper production at present, it has applications in technological advancements such as artificial skin, 3D printing from cellulose solution and fire-retardant building insulation. This group finds the innovations of cellulose research appealing as a catalyst for cotton industry reinvigoration in Britain, acknowledging

AUSTR ALIA 501

PREMISE

IA 501

FA R LE F T Growing zone of cotton and top producing nations 2015 in thousand metric tonnes

ABOVE Microscopic cross section through Gossypium Hirsutum

TOP RIGHT Traditional cotton picking techniques, still used in developing countries

CENTRE RIGHT Mechanised cotton picking in the USA

BOTTOM RIGHT Cotton Ginning. The ‘Gin’ was invented in 1794 by Eli Whitney

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

INNOVAT ION IN COT TON Using research and development to facillitate the reignition of an industry Innovation in...

Cotton has long been ‘the fabric of our lives’ however, research into the future applications of the fibre offered us exciting new technologies that push the boundaries of not only textiles manufacture, but also how we build and how we live.

CO N S T R U C T I O N

In most sectors, whether it is construction, technology or textile innovation, exploration and experimentation continually focuses on the use of 3D printing. Cellulose, the molecular component of cotton, is hydrophilic, meaning it may be mixed with water to produce a solution that may be 3D printed and dried. This has been explored in both university lead research and business start-ups such as the Electroloom company, who have built the world’s first 3D printer for cotton clothing.

INN OVATI O N IN . . .

CONSTRUC TION

3D printing broadens horizons for the future of the cotton industry through the concept of mass customisation. The industrial leaps of the 20th century are synonymous with Ford and the advances of mass production and the moving assembly line, this is still industry as we recognise it today. But, the 3D printer adds a new dimension to manufacture. In the case of textiles, clean raw cotton can be directly sent to a 3D print factory and a complete seamless product made in one printer. The eradication of the assembly line and standardised parts allows for the enginuity of mass customisation, with more time for design and quick prototyping. This is the ambition of the innovative sectors of the Cottonopolis.

Cutting edge experiments into the use of cellulose as building components, particularly bioplastics and insulation and the architectural uses of cotton fibre. 3D Print Canal House, DUS Architects 3D printed bioplastic components for a ‘green’ house. Though they have used starch as their biological material, cotton has similar, if not better properties to offer such research. Bioplastic 3D print bricks are gaining increased interest with DUS Architects at the fore of development Harvard University Introduction of a composite product that could be used for lightweight architectures, wind turbines, aeroplanes and cars. Legitimate use of cotton fibre as sustainable breatheable aggregate in concrete.

CONCEPT

Innovation Innovation in... in...

T TECH ECHNNOOLO LOGGYY

T TE EXXT TI LI LE ES S

INN OVATI O N IN . . .

TECHNOLOGY

TEXTILES

Cellulose solutions are being made, most commonly in combination with a hydrogel to print screens as alternatives to plastics, electrical circuits and artificial organs.

Research panels, educational establishments and new companies have begun to explore the use of cellulose and cotton as a component for 3D printing garments Electroloom

Chalmers University

3D printing with a cotton polyester blend funded by Kickstarter donations. The Electroloom can print seamless garments onto any predetermined mine depth.

Investigative studies into the different uses of 3D printing cellulose through a process of creating a hydrogel solution. These are used to print and then frozen to remove excess water.

MIT

International Cotton Research Centre, Texas Tech

Investigating robot spun threads to create silk pavilions. This idea could be applied to different materials and blends

Genetic modification of cotton for sustainable farming and assistance in the development of artificial organs and skin from cellulose as an organic compound

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

RIGHT Top producing cotton towns of the North West in 1923 using proportionate circles

WHY? COTTONOPOLIS OF OLD

ritain was once a manufacturing hub, with textiles its dominant industry in terms of employment, value of output and capital invested, and this was the first industry to use modern production methods. Arkwright’s spinning frame inventions and the mill town of New Lanark, now a World Heritage Site, stand as testaments of their pre-eminence. Indeed, in the 19th Century, Manchester became the world’s first truly industrialised city. Nicknamed ‘Cottonopolis’ because of its vast number of textile factories, the city grew to warrant the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, which allowed ocean-going vessels to travel the 40km inland to Britain’s newly created third largest port. Our interest in an industry of reputation for Britain grew from our understanding of how cultural identity is shaped by people’s work and learnt processes. The industries that defined the Industrial Revolution and after: the potteries, mining and textiles, wrought the identity of the people, of a Northern working class. The story of cotton from the mill towns of the North West is one of the most staggering. By 1912, these towns were producing a pair of trousers and a shirt to clothe every person in the world. It is important to note here the recent phenomena of industrial decline in textiles; its peak a century ago was followed by a sharp degeneration, 800 mills closed in the Interwar period and thereafter decline is primarily attributed to mechanisation, globalisation and the movement of manufacturing to the Far East.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

Though it would not do to romanticise the cotton industry of old; at home the mills marked low wages, child labour and 18-hour working days, and away imperial dominance ordered the triangular trade, slave labour and colonies’ economic suppression. An understanding of the whole provides the frame on which a new cotton industry in Britain might respond and grow. The Cottonopolis of old, was a melee of great industry, pioneering invention, feudal conditions and identity formation. The Cottonopolis of new is a palimpsest of the old, championing innovation in the industry and reimagining the cultural identity of a northern community rooted in ‘the mill’.

TOP LEFT Painting of Robert Owen, founder of the cooperative movement and mill town of New Lanark CENTRE LEFT Depiction of slave ships from 1829: the reality of the cotton trade BOTTOM LEFT A weave shed illustrating the beauty of the weft

FA R R I G HT Traditional Jacquard loom, still recognisable in the looms of today

PREMISE

POST- INDUSTRIAL BRITAIN VS. MA

Many towns and cities in the north of England grew around the industry they housed and upon its departure were left empty and in decline. The post-industrial landscape left as a series of depressed underutilised sites with all the infrastructure and none of the work. The industries defined the architecture, the urban plan, the infrastructure and the way of life; which places us now in the unique position of an existing framework for re-industrialiation and a keenness to realign living cultural identities and expertise with their industrial counterparts.

PREMISE

AIN VS. MADE IN BRITAIN

For decades the move to overseas manufacturing has been certain, however recent trends suggest a genuine revival for British born manufacturing and products, redrawing the industrial map of the UK. Burberry’s recent announcement to open a £50m weaving facility in Leeds by 2019 and the success of the Marks and Spencer ‘Best of British Collection’ marks a burgeoning interest in products from home. A recent Mintel survey showed that 73% of people associate British products with quality and authenticity, and a majority were prepared to pay more for ‘home-grown’. So, can the post-industrial landscape, ground steeped in histories of manufacturing prowess, embodied quality and authenticity, be used to promote the process of revitalising the industrial community for a new Made in Britain Cottonopolis?

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

WHO? A REIMAGINATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL DIVIDE

The Cottonopolis is a centre for textile manufacture and industry innovation, the traditional work and the investigative work. This project sees the two as symbiotic, a different understanding to the industry of old. Here the worker and the inventor work in unison, there is no class divide, the one informing the processes and understanding of the other with both architectural and representational crossovers.

“Any doorw set of congr

PUBLIC

P R I VAT E

The full scheme’s audience is split between deviations of the private and public. The public constituent includes the inquisitive public, local residents and off-site living cotton investigators, being scientists, research associates or artisans. The public and private interweave on site, maintaining their distinct attributes whilst allowing one to respond to another. The investigative paths traverse those of the private to afford visual permeability and innovative progress without interference in industrial productivity in private workers’ sectors

The workers areas of the site, the industrial processes, are physically separated from the public investigative sectors. The private component is made up of the Cottonopolis’ residents, the workers of the industry, from spinners to weave apprentices, dyers to machinists. Industry is given separate and private recreation areas, commercial opportunities and benefits, a reaction to the understanding that happy workers are good workers. Illustrated by research into the philanthropic industry men of the 19th Century.

“Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” Robert Owe

Founder of Utopian Socialism, Cooperative Movement & New Lanark Cotton Mill & Model Vill

PREMISE

“Any man who has stood at twelve o’clock at the single narrow doorway in the great cotton mills, must acknowledge that an uglier set of men and women, of boys and girls, it would be impossible to congregate in a smaller compass...A spiritless and dejected air” P. Gaskell, ‘The Manufacturing Population of England’ 1833

ABOVE Child labour and poor conditions for workers. A stark contrast to the celebrated inventors of the age BELOW The Cottonopolis follows in the footsteps of industry pioneers such as Robert Owen, to promote a holistic and enjoyable industrial environment.

rest” Robert Owen A

ton Mill & Model Village

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

WHERE?

The Cottonopolis of New 28

PREMISE

The choice to concentrate attention on the textiles industry will always direct focus to the North West of England, an area already cited for growing investment as the ‘Northern Powerhouse’. The Cottonopolis complements this movement. In the interest of cultural continuity, this project sought to continue the northern tradition of cotton manufacture and look for a site that sat within the post-industrial context, in need of regeneration. Secondly, an infrastructure for import of cotton was sought. The Manchester Ship Canal, and its adjoining waterways offer the opportunity to align the project with Britain’s canal infrastructure and reappropriate land adjoining it for the Cottonopolis. Indeed, research identified plans from Peel Ports to provide a Port Warrington, a site adjacent to the canal, conveniently located equidistant from Liverpool and Manchester, and with potential links to the Western Mainline train network.

A N A LY S I S

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL INTRODUCING PORT WARRINGTON

Peel Ports are proposing a Mersey Ports Masterplan to spread trade links across the North West of England and beyond. One key element to its success is Port Warrington. The Acton Grange site, as it was formerly known, (shown to the right) is currently home to a warehousing complex on the Manchester Ship Canal’s northern side. At present, this complex operates as an entirely road-based distribution facility, however through the use of adjoining vacant sites, a multi-modal inland port is in the pipeline. As well as utilisation of the existing vacant site, Peel Ports plan to reinstate rail freight connection via the nearby sidings, thereby reducing the port’s dependence on road networks. This development

would not simply assist the new businesses in the area but also the businesses situated here currently. With the arrival of Port Warrington comes the opportunity to create a strategic mid-point location on the Manchester Ship Canal. Having decided to choose a site close to the banks of the Ship Canal; the future Port Warrington proposal and improved rail links makes Warrington, in particular South-West of the city centre, an ideal location to locate the Cottonopolis. Raw materials coming in from across the Atlantic, and products leaving the site, can take advantage of new and improved nationwide trade links; ultimately increasing the likelihood of a Cottonopolis success.

MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL

» 50 acre site with potential to expand on

LEFT Visual showing the relationship between Port Warrington and Cottonopolis. RIGHT Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of the Port Warrington site.

- 50 acre site with potential to expand on existing 400,000 sqm of warehousing. - Direct berth onto Manchester Ship Canal and links to the I.2 Deepwater Terminal. Part of the Green Highway initiative. - Well serviced by existing rail infrastructure linking Liverpool and Manchester, the Cheshire lines, and links to major north-south routes. - Good proximity to the M56, M62 and M6 for connections across the north of England and to the South. - 30 minutes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SITES

URBAN GREEN SPACES

ANALYSIS

WARRINGTON < TO L I V E R P O O L

THE WIDER SITE CONTEXT Visits to Warrington and Warrington Town Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices provided us with a knowledge of the town and its developments, both recent and proposed. These helped in grounding our site selection. Research uncovered two very useful documents including the Warrington Town Masterplan 2008 and the Local Plan Core Strategy Proposal Paper 2012. These proposals cited numerous housing, industrial and commercial sites across Warrington city centre (shown above). Combining this knowledge with that of a Port Warrington proposal and our particular I N D U S T R I A L PR E D O M I N A N C E site preferences the site highlighted blue (left) was chosen. The site matches the desired criteria; being earmarked G R E E N B E LT WAT E R T R E AT M E N T W O R K S for development already as well as being close to the Manchester Ship Canal and major transport links. In FU T U R E CO U N T RY PA R K addition the site is bordered, in the majority, by the River Mersey; pokes into Warrington Town Centre; O R E N AT U R E R E S E R V E and is surrounded by a mixture of industrialM Oand residential land uses. Site sizes: Proximity:

100 acres (40 Hectares) in area, PR O P O S E D P O R T WA R R I N G TO N with a 3 km (2 miles) perimeter. Bank Quay Station - 0.3 km Town Centre - 0.8 km Warrington Central Stn - 1.1 km Manchester Ship Canal - 1.5 km M62 - 3.9 km M6 - 5.6 km M56 - 5.8 km

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SITES

UNILEVER

CHEMICAL IN

TOP Aerial view of the site as existing with views across Unilever to the North BOTTOM LEFT This modern chimney provides one of the very few visual links to the site from Warrington Town Centre BOTTOM MIDDLE The largest Unilever building remaining on site

BOTTOM RIGHT Near century old storage cylinders still standing at the centre of the site

THE SITE Where the old brick industrial factories once stood, now sit metal and plastic replacements of around a third of the size and density; leaving flat concrete expanses as scars on the landscape and reminders of the past. The predominantly vacant 100 acre site left with the marks of industrial decline, but we recognised the great potential this brownfield site offers for redevelopment with much infrastructure intact. Current site links - Crosfields Transporter Bridge(E), Eastford Road vehicular bridge (SE) and Forrest Way vehicular bridge (SW). To the North - Unilever To the East - Rail links and vacant green land (tipped as a commercial redevelopment site in the 2008 masterplan) To the South - Arpley Landfill Site and Moore Nature Reserve To the West - Lavender Gardens housing estate, a relatively recent addition to southern Warrington

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE HISTORY The site, known as Arpley Meadows, lay vacant until post WWI. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the site became home to Crosfield’s Bank Quay Soap Works; which spanned both banks to the north of the River Mersey bend. Other industries began to grow along side this, including; Fairclough’s Flour Mill and Mersey Flint Glassworks. In more recent decades Unilever have taken ownership of the industrial sites to the North of the site and surrounding area and now dominate the South Warrington skyline.

1936

ANALYSIS

FA R LE F T Crosfields Transporter Bridge allows access to the site from the East TOP Unilever provides vernacular to the North, across the River Mersey LEFT Pre WWI map of Warrington, River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CONTEXT LEFT Crosfields Transporter Bridge allows access to the site from the East

BELOW The old Fairclough flour mill, now used as self storage

BOTTOM LEFT Industrial freight train network east of the site connecting to nationwide

INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE The Cottonopolis site has a surrounding industrial framework and typology ready to utilise in helping inform the architecture as well as aid the industrial processes of the scheme. Whether it be the rail links to the North and East, the Manchester Ship Canal to the South or the Crosfields Transporter Bridge to the site. The old Fairclough Flour Mill sits conveniently on the national railway running east-west and could be used as an architectural link between the rail network and the site. Additionally, with an equal level of visual prominence in South Warrington the Grade II* listed Crosfields Transporter Bridge could either be re-purposed for a pedestrian crossing or used for its original intention in the industrial process; transporting materials and products across the Mersey. As well as an envious link to existing rail networks, these are just two of the multiple opportunities for the Cottonopolis to reignite and revitalise the surrounding industrial infrastructure.

ANALYSIS

SURROUNDING VERNACULAR The mixed views from site reflect that of the surrounding vernacular; expressing a split between residential and industrial architecture. This is still the case further from the site, with Unilever facing the civic buildings of the Cultural Quarter on the Bank Quay frontier. The Cultural Quarter is situated between the town centre proper and the site; comprising of a collection of Victorian and Georgian developments. This will serve as a principle gateway to the Cottonopolis and the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intervention will reflect the surrounding architecture in its design and purpose.

CURRENT Wilson Patten Street Bank Quay Station, Museum of Policing and Unilever

ABOVE LEFT Lavender Gardens housing estate across the Mersey to the West of the site

ABOVE RIGHT Unilever building facing the North of the site

C O N C E P T

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

M I X I N G & B L O W I N G Compressed staple fibres delivered to the spinning plant are unravelled using a mixing and blowing machine. It is then cleaned by removing substances such as leaves, seeds or sand adhering to it using a system of shoots and ducts. Finally, the staple fibre is processed into sheet-shaped ‘lap’

W I N D I N G The winding process involves rewinding the finished yarn onto bobbins into the cheese or cone shape according to its purpose

W A R P I N G Cheeses/cones are set on a warping machine to wind the predetermined length and number of yarns onto the predetermined number of warping beams under constant tension.

C A R D I N G The lap is combed using the carding machine to separate the fibres and remove fine dust and short fibres. Remaining long fibres are aligned nearly parallel and collected to be processed into the stringshaped ‘carded sliver’

S P I N N I N G The green yarn resulting from the roving process is further elongated to obtain a desired thickness and then twisted. The final yarn is wound on a bobbin

R O V I N G Drawn sliver is still too thick, it is further elongated using a roving machine. This process is to obtain the green yarn, which is wound onto a bobbin

S I Z I N G The warping beams of the required number of warps of the final textile are piling up for re-winding onto beams after sizing and binding

P A C K I N G Somewhat self explanatory, the textile is packaged to be kept clean and safe and ready for distribution to its next use.

DR AWIN G - IN To prepare for setting beams on a loom, warps are routed in the order of droppers, healds and guide bars

F O L D I N G I N S P E C T I O N The woven fabric sheets are inspected for quality purposes and folded, ready to be packaged.

CONCEPT

INDUSTRIAL PROCESS C O M B I N G The carded sliver is further combed to remove short fibres and dust that could not be removed in the carding process. Fibres are then arranged parallel to obtain uniform combed sliver.

TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING

ollowing our initial foundation for the Cottonopolis as a centre for the textile industry and innovative research, the ambition for the scheme took on research to understand how the two can coexist and positively interdepend on one another. The obvious starting point for any fledgling cotton industry is to understand textile manufacture from cotton, as the traditional, stable industry to compliment the innovative research and development centres of the Cottonopolis. Left is a diagrammatic study into the process of Spinning and Weaving which can be separated into two different mill structures. D R A W I N G Six to eight slivers after carding are gathered and elongated to six to eight times their original length using a drawing machine to straighten and remove uneven thickness from fibres. This process transforms fibres into the string-like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;drawn sliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

During research, the process of weaving stood out to us. Here two types of yarn, the warp and the weft are woven together to produce a fabric. They have separate functions, separate movements, and different patterns and colours, but depend upon one another to form the whole. The warp and the weft is often used as a metaphor for the underlying structure on which something is built.

W E A V I N G Prepared beams are set on a looming frame to weave: Opening: Two groups of warps are opened to let the weft pass through Inserting Weft: The weft is inserted between two groups of warps Beating Up: Pushing the newly inserted yarn back into the fell using reed Taking Up: The woven fabric is would on the cloth beam Letting Off: The warp yarns are unwound from the warp beam

CONCEPT

THE INDIVISABLE WHOLE

D THE WEF T

Whole...

THE WARP

FABRIC ATION PROCESSES AND THE AF TEREFFEC TS: ME TAPHORIC AND ME THODIC

The I

ereffects: metaphoric and methodic

An understanding of fabrication pr

The indivisible whole is a symbolic relationship in textiles. The process of weaving yarns to form cloth takes two elements: the stable backing of the warp, and the pattern yielding intervention of the weft. No textile can be woven the whole.whole is a symbolic relationship in textile weaving yarns to form cloth takes two without elements: both the and both, though different in principle and movement, are needed to provide The indivisible

weft. No textile can be woven without both and both, needed to provide the whole.

stable backing of the warp, and the pattern yielding int though different in principle an

We have taken this concept as a driver to help in formulating the architectural devices and characteristics of the users hitectural devices and characteristics of users of the We have taken this concept as a driver to help in fo of the Cottonopolis.

I N V E S TI G ATO R | PU B LI C

WO R K E R | PR I VATE

WEFT

WARP

The Weft categorises users related to the investigative uses of the Cottonopolis. This is a more public centric user profile, including visiting academics, scientists, artisans and the inquisitive public. These investigative zones provide the innovation of the industry. The route is changeable, the views permeable, the architecture lighter. The warpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence is felt less and less as the zones and users transition across the site.

The Warp categorises users related to the industrial activity of the Cottonopolis. This includes workers of spinning, weaving and fabrication zones and the industrial railway that links between them. The path is simple and set out, the architecture is made to last, the users are provided with the means to allow efficient and uninterrupted production. The weft interjects within warp structures, allowing investigative research to affect the industry.

WORKER | PRIVATE

INVESTIGATOR | PUBLIC

WARP

WEFT

ication processes and the aftereffects: metaphoric and methodic

p in textiles. The process of weaving yarns to form cloth takes two elements: the elding intervention of the weft. No textile can be woven without both and both, inciple and movement, are needed to provide the whole.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT elp in formulating the architectural devices and characteristics of users of the Cottonopolis.

2 I N V E S TI G ATO R | PU B LI C

WEFT The Weft categorises users related to the investigative uses of the Cottonopolis. This is a more public centric user profile, including visiting academics, scientists, artisans and the inquisitive public. These investigative zones provide the innovation of the industry. The route is changeable, the views permeable, the architecture lighter. The warpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence is felt less and less as the zones and users transition across the site.

WORKER

THE WARP THE WORKER: USER PROFILE & ROUTES

The Worker needs to be able to gain access to their respective industry buildings, be it the spinnery, weave shed or the apparel warehouses. These users may live on site and level entry is provided throughout the pedestrianised Warp Line to allow free access across level 0 of the Cottonopolis for Warp Workers. The architectural response is one of steadfast permanence, with the buildings of the route illustrating their function through their form. This will allow visual permeability where necessary for Weft Investigators but control access and views to areas which are to remain private.

Materials include a palette of concrete and brick, to demonstrate the permanence and confidence in the reinvigorated industry and as a reference to the cotton mills of old. The Worker navigates by use of clear unobstructed views and simple transitions between industrial buildings. The Warp Line is always close by to allow a high visual and kinetic connection between the sectors.

An understanding of fabrication processes and the aftereffects:

The indivisible whole is a symbolic relationship in textiles. The process of weaving stable backing of the warp, and the pattern yielding intervention of the weft. No though different in principle and movement, are needed to

ANALYSIS

We have taken this concept as a driver to help in formulating the architectural Cottonopolis.

1 WO R K E R | PR I VATE

WARP The Warp categorises users related to the industrial activity of the Cottonopolis. This includes workers of spinning, weaving and fabrication zones and the industrial railway that links between them. The path is simple and set out, the architecture is made to last, the users are provided with the means to allow efficient and uninterrupted production. The weft interjects within warp structures, allowing investigative research to affect the industry.

INVESTIGATOR

THE WEFT THE INVESTIGATOR: USER PROFILE & ROUTES

The Investigator wants to explore the Cottonopolis, to understand where changes can be made and design innovative solutions to challenges in the industry. The architectural response is one of frameworks and interjections. It is acknowledged that with the development of the Cottonopolis, the Innovation Sector will continue to grow and the framework of 3d print brick walls and temporary structures allows this with interlocking and lightweight design. Materials include a palette of steel, 3d print cellulose structures and tensile

canopies and patterns across the landscape. Buildings tend to illustrate or provide a canvas for exhibition and exploitation of new developments in cotton and cellulose research. Visual permeability is essential. The Weft Investigator navigates by use of a web structure of interjections in the Warp, much like the literal weaving process. The Investigator has many routes and journeys to choose from depending on their ambition and curiosity, provided for by raised and embedded walkways across the site. These walkways never cross with those of the Warp routes to allow exploration without obstruction.

P R E C E D E N T S

PRECEDENTS

ARCHITECTURE AS PROCESS Put simply, the Cottonopolis site is split in to heavyweight industrial architecture and lightweight innovative architecture. For the main industrial buildings we decided upon a robust and permanent aesthetic, resulting in a predominantly concrete and brick materiality across the industrial core of the site. Taking inspiration from Fordist principles and the architectural approach of Albert Kahn; these buildings will aid in the efficiency of the process; performing in cohesion with one another like parts in a machine. These three precedents are examples of how the concrete framework of the buildings could be used in the internal industrial process. Architectural elements such as funnels, ducts and projections will aid the manipulation and distribution of product within the building and throughout the site.

PR E V I O US PAG E The Berghain, Abandoned Power Plant- Berlin

TOP Undercroft of A3 Highway in Portugal.

BOTTOM House B E2A Architects

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

V ISUAL LY PER M E AB L E FACADES AND HONEST FORMS

transparency in showcasing the process or in expressing the internal function through the external architectural form of the building.

Our ambition was to relay an architectural honesty within the buildings of the Cottonopolis; both directly and indirectly.

For the more lightweight innovation buildings a visual permeability was paramount to allow views in, out and through spaces. Whereas, the solid structures of the industry control viewability of the internal process with strategically placed protruding forms and openings in facades.

The two main ways we have applied this concept is through opening up facades to allow greater

PRECEDENTS

PR E V I O US PAG E Ford Assembly Building refurbished by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects, designed by Albert Kahn TOP Cattle Site Factory Franky Larousselle

BOTTOM LEFT Silent Architecture - Theatre Simon Ungers

BOTTOM RIGHT Coffered Ceiling Light Wells

ABOVE Spirit of Place Aurelien Villette

LEFT High Bridge Trial State Park Southside Virginia

RIGHT Vodafone Headquarters Be Baumschlager Eberle

N E X T PAG E Oscar Niemeyer - Obras

STRUCTURE AS THRESHOLD Throughout the site movement between architectural types are differentiated and external spaces are defined through structural thresholds. The most substantial of these thresholds is the industrial highline railway, the Warp Line. Splitting the site into two, the structure showcases the industrial process and provides a border to the industrial sector, all this whilst remaining visually and physically permeable. This is also a key strategy for the animation of the waterfront, referencing traditional waterfront merchant typologies and thoroughfares, like those of Venice.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

AC TIVIT Y AND INNOVATION The innovation buildings on site act as physical expressions of the research carried out within them; as well as providing a canvas to exhibit the research of the sector. As research diversifies and new products redefine and evolve, so does the architecture. Consequentially, the innovative areas of the Cottonopolis combine flexible spaces and structures, experimental materials and unique and animated forms.

CU R R E NT PAG E Layer Design Benjamin Hubert.

TOP LEFT 3D Printed Facade EU Building Amsterdam DUS Architects TOP RIGHT 3D Printed Brick Brian Peters

BOTTOM House of Arts and Culture JDS Architects

PRECEDENTS

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

CORRESPONDENCE SITE VISITS AND COTTON RESEARCH

THE INTERNATIONAL COTTON RESEARCH CENTRE (ICRC)

L I B ER T Y, H O USE AND K VADR AT

HACKNEY

Eric Hequet from the ICRC was a key figure in kickstarting our project and our correspondence with him via Skype helped to clarify the integrity of the project. The ICRC are based at Texas Tech University in the USA, the USA being the main supplier of raw cotton to the Cottonopolis. The body is committed to providing comprehensive, stateof-the-art, multidisciplinary and systems-oriented cotton research and education programmes focusing on all aspects of the modern cotton industry. This includes genomics, genetics, production, field to fabric processing, development of high value-added bio-products from fibres and seed, marketing and international trade. The knowledge gained helped to define three sectors that could use innovative cotton and cellulose; Textiles, Science/Technology, and Contruction.

These are three companies that are renowned in the industry for their textiles and design prowess and are highly regarded for UK production and support for British industry. Each has contributed to the exhibition of British fabrics for the Cottonopolis project and are what we regard as an example of a typical user of the scheme.

HERBERT PARKINSON Once the concept had been set and the masterplan began to develop; we needed to determine how many buildings were required for the success of the scheme, and to what scale. We visited weavers Herbert Parkinson, part of the John Lewis partnership, and met with Director Glen Griffiths. The tour gave us an insight into the size, employee counts, production process, production output and product types needed. These were key in understanding the weaving process but also illustrated to us the beauty of the weaving process. John Lewis are another example of a British company supporting British industry.

PRECEDENTS

CLERKENWELL RUG STUDIO Rachael Connolly and Andrew Warburton work primarily with rugs and carpets but are also extremely interested in design and collaborating with new designers across all of the creative industries. This ethic is reflective of the Innovation Campus on the Cottonopolis site and will aim to break the boundaries between industries with a focus on material and design. Rachael and Andrew’s contributions to the development of the project were directed towards the process and products that could be achieved on site and the different types of spaces that would be needed. This began to influence the spaces needed for design, manufacture, dying yarns and cloth, but also with regards to the user; the artisan, the designer, the creative operative, the researcher.

TOP An Andrew Warburton hand-crafted rug in its early stages

BOTTOM Photo taken of a small selection of Herbert Parkison’s cloth rolls

PRE V I O US PAG E Kavadrat’s cotton wall art installation

D E S I G N

D E V E L O P M E N T

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

APPROACH WHERE WE BEGAN Early iterations of the scheme were explored through model making and sketches to define what was important for progression and how the different sectors of the scheme could develop along a new high level industrial railway.

THE COTTON PROCESS Understanding the process from receipt of raw cotton to creation of a finished product allowed for the development of an initial programme and design intentions. Through analysis of existing examples including Herbert Parkinson Textiles Mill in Darwen and Holmebank Mills in Mirfield, we were able to assess the suitability of the site for the Cottonopolis. The following pages outline the different stages of the cotton process and how these begin to define a programme of building typologies and planning strategy.

THE SITE The site exists as a largely blank canvas which made our understanding of the brief and programme all the more important with little existing parameters. However, as a post-industrial landscape there were nearby contextual and historic elements to acknowledge in making this an industry fit for the 21st century. A study into our response to the site resulted in a set of five diagrammatic models to illustrate our base principles for design.

THE USER Following the development of the project through process and site it was imperative to consider the user of the site. As defined early on in the progression, The Warp and Weft could now be considered and injected onto the site and allow for further refinement of the scheme.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE COTTON PROCESS

INDUSTRY

COTTON GROWN, PICKED, GINNED BAILED AND SHIPPED WORLDWIDE

C T W

INNOVATION

RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUTURE OF COTT COMPLETE PROCESS AT THE TEXAS TECH INTERNATIONA

EDUCATION 66

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

INITIAL PROCESSING & LOGISTICS

CONTAINERS DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL TO WARRINGTON FROM LIVERPOOL

SHIPMENT RECEIVED AT PORT WARRINGTON

TURE OF COTTON AND THE INNOVATION OF THE NTERNATIONAL COTTON RESEARCH CENTRE

EDUCATION AND INVESTIGATION INTO IMPROVING THE COTTON INDUSTRY BY COMPANIES, INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

FREIGHT TR RAIL

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE COTTON PROCESS

COTTON RECEIVED AT SITE PROCESSING PLANT

FREIGHT TRANSPORTED BY RAIL TO SITE

COTTO

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

INITIAL PROCESSING, RESEARCH & MANUFACTURE

COTTON SPINNING

YARN SOLD

YARN WOVEN

W S

INNOVA BACK DESIGN

COTTON FROM PROCESSING

CELLULOSE AND COTTON INVESTIGANTION

NEW INNOVATIONS INSPIRE AND COLLABORATE WITH EDUCATION INSTITUTES COTTON INITIATIVES FEED INTO EDUCATION

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE COTTON PROCESS

ARN SOLD

WOVEN PRODUCT

RN WOVEN

WOVEN PRODUCT SENT TO DESIGN

TTON FROM OCESSING

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FEED BACK INTO INDUSTRY FOR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE

DESIGNS SENT FOR MANUFACTURE INTO

NEW INNOVATIONS INSPIRE AND COLLABORATE WITH EDUCATION INSTITUTES

MANUFACTURED PR EXHIBITED ON COTTO PLATFORM

EDUCATION FEEDS BACK INTO INDUSTRY

EDUCATION PRODUCTS AND STUDIES EXHIBITED TO PROMOTE AND RAISE AWARENESS

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

INNOVATION, DESIGN AND MANUFAC TURE

INDUSTRY

EXHIBITED PRODUCTS TO BE SOLD

INNOVATION

FACTURED PRODUCTS TED ON COTTONOPOLIS PLATFORM

EXHIBITED PRODUCTS TO BE SOLD

EDUCATION

ND OTE AND

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 1 RESPONSE TO THE PROCESS

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

THE PROGRAMME NATIONAL RAIL LINK

DESIGN STUDIOS

INITIAL PROCESSING & LOGISTICS PORT WARRINGTON Initial receipt of raw cotton at Port Warrington from the Port of Liverpool.

INNOVATION HUBS

DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE

MANUFACTORIES

STOREHOUSE & REFINERY Raw Cotton is first refined into a cleaner fibre removing all debris and waste through the mixing and blowing process.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

WEAVE SHEDS

THE SPINNERY

INDUSTRY THE SPINNERY

DYE HOUSES

INDUSTRY

The cotton is then spun to make long fibre yarns ready to be sold or woven into products. A fascinating industrial process comprising a vast array of machinery and architecturally interesting features.

RESI HALLS THE REFINERY

PORT WARRINGTON

THE WEAVE SHED Industrial yarns are woven into sheet fabrics on a loom. A visually beautiful part of the production line injecting pattern and differentiation into the process for the first time, working on both vertical and horizontal planes and combining the delicacy of fine yarns with heavy industrial machinery. THE DYE HOUSES Raw cotton, spun yarns and woven cloths can be dyed at all stages as fits demand. This will occur in a dye house where the material is bathed in the chosen dye and dried for use.

RESEARCH & EDUCATION INNOVATION HUBS The research, development and production of cutting edge products using cotton and cellulose. These spaces will be experimental and exhibitory working with 3D printing and robotics that could revolutionise the textiles industry as well other sectors such as construction and technology. The hubs will boast labs, auditoriums, exhibition space, galleries and teaching hubs to offer a multifunctional and multidisciplinary base.

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING DESIGN AND DO MANUFACTORIES

STUDIOS

Designers and manufacturers will design and make products using woven fabrics. A largely human part of the process, architectural expression becomes more personal and considerate of the worker and encourages the creativity and excitement of both traditional and innovative injections.

ABOVE Diagram showing the Cottonopolis programme.

INNOVATIVE COTTON HQ This will be the home of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and the International Cotton Research Centre (ICRC) in the UK. These two bodies lead the growth and research of innovative cotton that will begin with the Cottonopolis site. Spaces here will include a prototyping factory, offices, research labs, meeting and lecture spaces and greenhouses for research and study into cotton growth.

RESIDENTIAL The residential element of the masterplan is split into on site and off site. On site residences will be exclusively for students, researchers, educators and visitors and be close to the innovation sector of the site for convenience. The off-site residences will create a 21st workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; town for those employed on the Cottonopolis site and their families. This town will provide a mix of live-work studios, quayside apartments, contemporary terraces and riverside boathouses. FUTURE EXPANSION On site we saw scope for the beginnings of innovative expansion as the transformation from a research based industry becomes a more established commercial entity. An area of the site will prepped for this expansions as will area adjoining the industrial line towards the Manchester Ship Canal.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 2 GRAIN SITE ASSESSMENT & OBJECTIVES Assessment suggested that the site of the Cottonopolis proper was too large for the initial phase of the project and was reduced by 2/3 which could then be taken forward using a series of site specific objectives; a response to the surrounding context of structures and landscapes - namely - the Crosfields transporter bridge, the south eastern vehicular bridge, the Unilever industrial site, the collection of railway lines, and the Fairclough flour mill; the connection to the Manchester Ship Canal; and a relationship to Bank Quay train station, the cultural quarter and Warrington Town Centre.

The historic grain of the site was arranged from north to south and was a driver that was used to begin planning of the site and work towards a new industrial line that could connect Warrington town centre in the North, to the Manchester Ship Canal in the south. This grain is still somewhat present on site albeit sparsely populated, but this gives scope to work with existing infrastructure and foundation, and also the creation of a central axis aligned with this. Planning to this arrangement will also allow connectivity where appropriate to the opposing Unilever industrial site to the north and provides opportunity to create a welcoming principal elevation to the East.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

INDUSTRIAL EDGE

G AT E WAY S

The River Mersey is a key and prominent feature of the Cottonopolis, both for its relationship to the site through the natural boundary it creates, but also the potential advantage of a natural water supply on site.

The sparsity and flatness of the site offers little to respond to, however there are exciting interventions in the surrounding context which provide interesting gateways to the Cottonopolis.

The waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge is an important factor in the development of the scheme. We intended for sheer edges and buildings abutting the river to the industrial side, and for this response to the waterfront to juxtapose a more natural treatment of the western river banks. This will create an interesting relationship between Architectural expression and an active water frontage.

To the East of the site are two existing bridges, one of which being the aforementioned Crosfields Transporter Bridge which boasts Architectural merit and is a listed structure. The second bridge is the Eastford Road Bridge, both structures link the site to Warrington Town Centre, Cultural Quarter and Bank Quay Train Station, three important outreach points of the project.

This link is particularly relevant again on the principal elevation to the east of the site as this is the key gateway to the Cottonopolis and design development here will be a driver to the success of the scheme as a whole.

To the North West of the site we saw potential in to forge a new gateway which would reutilise the Fairclough Flour Milll, currently dilapidated and used for self storage, but a key feature on the Warrington skyline. As one of the tallest buildings in the town it is visible alongside the Unilever complex and the existing chimney on site.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

AN INDUSTRY FOR THE FUTURE

SECTORS

The industrial sectors derived from initial planning and response are; Initial Processing and Logistics, Design and Manufacturing, and Research & Education. The programme of buildings that fit into each sector were defined by an understanding of the cotton production process. A key figure in this investigative research was Eric Hequet from the International Cotton Research Centre (ICRC) based in Texas. We established the feasibility for a revival of the cotton industry in the UK which begins with importation of raw cotton from the USA.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

ACTIVITY AND INTEREST

CONFLUENCE POINTS

We have defined two confluence points on site that are derived from the major gateways into the Cottonopolis and the early development of the new industrial line. The composition of the curve is informed by the location of Port Warrington and the northern and eastern gateways which push and pull the line as a consequence. This gives scope for areas of focus on site to provide hubs of activity with user centric planning at the core.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 3

USERS & THEIR PATHS

The rail line of the Cottonopolis is the physical link from Port Warrington on the Manchester Ship Canal to the main line railway north in the town of Warrington, but is also host to the journey of raw material to finished product. The line provides a constant to the scheme, the Warp Line, into which the excitement and interest of pattern can be woven.

The Warp Line has a functional role to service all major stages of production, which in turn has informed our industrial sectors. The stations along the route are carefully considered in response to the product at that stage and how best to handle it regarding both human, machine and architectural expression. The different approaches to transportation of cotton and product serve to tell the story of textiles to users and visitors.

The distinct curves of the line are informed by gateways of the site and resulting confluence points which act as the cogs of the scheme; the Power Loom and the Innovation Circus. These areas of distinct geometry create the main points where users cross paths and integrate, but also their form and planning intensifies collaboration between different types of architecture, industrial function, tradition and innovation. The main weft pedestrian gateway welcomes those from Bank Quay train station or Warrington town centre across the Crosfields Transporter Bridge into the heart of the development where many routes of investigation are available dependent on interest or requirement.

The circles offer an instant relationship to each other and provided the initial phase of a pattern language that responds to both of them across the whole site. This gave a stable ground for the injection of the programme onto the site, coupled with an initial backbone to inform layout and planning of each sector.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Other planning elements will be defined by access routes on and off site. The Cottonopolis can be accessed via two existing vehicle bridges to the east and the south which provide a strong southern axis, almost providing a transitional zone between the industrial heart and new urban community. The second is the north western exit of the industrial line via a new industrial bridge providing product transfer on to the main line railway.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

WARP & WEFT

We acknowledged from the outset that the traditional industry of cotton took a top down approach to business and the Architecture reflected this. We appreciate that the new Cottonopolis is designed with each user in mind and as aforementioned in our conceptual drivers, a key element in design development has been taken from the point of view of the workers and investigators on site; the Warp and the Weft. Whilst this is an industrial scheme with dominating industrial presence, the user is key to the function and enjoyment of the site. The Warp line follows the idea that workers can navigate quickly and easily without interruption yet, provides various opportunity for interaction with the modern and exciting approach of innovation. The Weft users rely on an understanding of the industrial process and in development of the site we noted that circulation and architectural intervention should prioritise the experience of the user.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

ABOVE Development of the Cottonopolis plan

ABOVE The Industrial Relationship with the waterfront

ABOVE The Warp and The Weft connects with the Power Loom and Innovation Circus

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 4 FROM PLAN TO PROJECTION

ABOVE The winding Warp Line

ABOVE The Riverside Elevation from Crosfields Transporter Bridge

ABOVE The Innovation Circus early development

ABOVE Design and Manufacturing early development

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

MASSING

Initial massing on site looked to locate the main industrial factories on the eastern industrial edge providing a principal faรงade to the Cottonopolis which boasts the robust and architecturally honest expressions of the textiles industry, whilst animating the riverfront. At this design stage decisions were made to develop the journey of the user through the site, from the Crosfields Transporter Bridge through the industrial gateway to reach the Power Loom, providing the key navigation point of the industrial process (the Warp Line) or onwards to the innovation centre and other areas of the Cottonopolis (the Weft web). The threshold between the two sectors is provided by the production line which at high level will maintain visual connectivity between the two. The other main distinction between the two areas in achieved by ground levels, the warp zone being three metres below the weft zone with areas of interaction at strategically placed points. The Innovation Circus was developed next. It is defined by its relationship to the structural components of the production line and the flexibility of the Architecture that surrounds it. This collection of buildings surrounding it promote the creative activity of those learning, researching and investigating the future of cotton and cellulose. This is the brain of the scheme; the Textiles and Art School, Medical Technology Labs, Construction Workshops and the Better Cotton Initiative Centre. The Western riverside expresses a more fluid and natural form, to reflect the campuslike nature of this area and site based responses from earlier design development models.. This will provide the main area for personal interaction with the river, as opposed to industrial interaction and a collection of creative pavilions which bare relationship with others woven through the whole site.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

FINAL DEVELOPMENT THE STR ATEGY AS ONE

proposal.

he pinnacle of each phase of development is pieced together in our final development model. This has provided the framework for the depth of design that follows in our final

At this point the scale allowed for an understanding of massing and how the buildings and sectors relate to each other. The study of scale, proportion, orientation and levels led to the decisions made when injecting the excitement and intrigue into the internal plans and the external architectural expression to aid both user experience, fluency of process and the face of the Cottonopolis. The areas of interest that were key in satisfying the aims of the Cottonopolis are the convergence of industry and innovation in the Power Loom, the principal elevation and gateway that are the outward looking facade towards Warrington and Bank Quay and the progressive density of the site from the South to the North; all of which informed the wider masterplan and the architecture from here on in.

THE RIVERSIDE E L E VAT I O N

P U B L I C G AT E WAY

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

PROGRESSIVE DENSIT Y

THE CORE

F I N A L

P R O P O S A L

1 Port Warrington

2 Country Park

Cottonopolis

The initial point of arrival for raw Cotton from the USA via the Port of Liverpool. Goods are received and transferred onto the industrial rail line which services the Cottonopolis and links to national rail.

Currently a landfill site the new country park will create an extension to the existing nature reserve north of the Manchester Ship Canal.

The industrial heart of the textiles industry providing traditional and innovative infrastructure and resource for the future of the trade. The site will be comprised of industrial factories, design studios and facilities for research and education.

PHASE 1

PHASE 3

PHASE 1

Cultural Quarter

5 Expansion Zone

As an externsion of Warringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old Cultural Quarter to Bank Quay station it creates a threshold to the Cottonopolis of new. The quarter boasts spaces for exhibition, archives, museums and retail.

The new industrial rail line creates a corridor between the Cottonopolis and Port Warrington, this area provides room for industry expansion as a result of the cutting edge research and experimentation into cotton.

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

A new residential Cottonopolis with a West; Quayside apar East; Live Work H

een rea the on.

FINAL PROPOSAL

THE MASTERPLAN

THE WIDER COTTONOPOLIS SCHEME

uch an industrial scheme called for a wider understanding and definition of the Cottonopolisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; setting in Warrington, how the potential for import and export from the Cottonopolis will be harnessed and where do the people who work in the Cottonopolis live? A zoomedout look at the masterplan for the thesis proposal allows understanding of these areas of the scheme which may be split as follows:

1. P O RT WA R R IN G TO N

The principle import hub of the Cottonopolis 2 . CO U N T RY PA R K

Southern green belt and unavailable land 3. COT TONOP OLIS

Industrial epicentre of the scheme 4 . C U LT U R A L Q U A R T E R

The public frontier of the Cottonopolis 5 . E X PA N S I O N ZO N E

Industry lined future development proposal 6. RESIDENTIAL

Workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing model village

6 Residential

A new residential area houses workers of the Cottonopolis with a range of different typologies; West; Quayside apartments and Boathouse studios, East; Live Work Housing, Central; Terraces and

PHASE 2

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

PORT WARRINGTON

1 Port Warrington

2 Country Park

3 Cottonopolis

4 Cultural Quarter

Currently a landfill site the new country park will create an extension to the existing nature reserve north of the Manchester Ship Canal.

As an externsion of Warrington’s old Cultural Quarter to Bank Quay station it creates a threshold to the Cottonopolis of new. The quarter boasts spaces for exhibition, archives, museums and retail.

PHASE 1

PHASE 3

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

Port Warrington is the initial point of arrival for raw cotton picked, ginned and baled in the USA. Cotton arrives by ship to the Port of Liverpool on large carrier ships, and cotton cargo is disembarked and set on smaller ships bound for the Manchester Ship Canal and Port Warrington. Goods are received at Port Warrington in one of three docks, all connected to an internal freight network that connects to the mainline and the ‘Warp Line’ leading up to the Cottonopolis. Imports reach the specific cotton dock and are taken to a sorting house and off along the industrial ‘Warp Line’ towards the Cottonopolis. Also planned into the Port Warrington development is areas of offices, warehousing and tall control towers for the Manchester Ship Canal and nearby swing bridges.

Expansion Zo

The new industrial rail line creates a the Cottonopolis and Port War provides room for industry expansio cutting edge research and experime

PHASE 3

FINAL PROPOSAL

LEFT Illustration of the cotton dock, with country park behind and warehousing to take delivery of raw cotton RIGHT Preliminary sketch of Port Warrington scheme

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

COUNTRY PARK 3

A current landfill site sits on the land proposed by the 2008 Warrington Town 2 3 1 Council masterplan to become a Country Park. The new Country Park will create an extension to the existing Moore Nature Reserve bordering Port Warrington. Country Park Cottonopolis Port Warrington

4 Cultural Quarter

5 Expansion Zone

Currently a landfill site the new country park will create an extension to the existing nature reserve north of the Manchester Ship Canal.

PHASE 1

PHASE 3

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

FINAL PROPOSAL

CULT UR AL QUAR T ER

As an extension of Warringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing Cultural Quarter to a renovated Bank Quay Station this area creates a threshold to the Cottonopolis of new. The quarter boasts spaces for exhibition, archives, museums and retail, providing the public face of the Cottonopolis in a central position of Warrington town.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

EXPANSION ZONE

The new industrial ‘Warp Line’ from Port Warrington provides a corridor of potential waterfront expansion areas to the south east of the Cottonopolis. The scheme includes this infrastructure ready for exploitation by the industry as it grows, envisaging start ups and expansion of the Cottonopolis’ innovative endeavours and cutting edge research south towards the Port, maintaining easy access to rail networks and the Manchester Ship Canal.

FINAL PROPOSAL

RESIDENTIAL

A new residential area houses workers of the Cottonopolis with a range of different typologies. Ambition for this grew from research into the model villages and philantrophic works from the peak of industry, such as Port Sunlight as Unilever’s village and New Lanark, a cotton town, brainchild of the industrial philantropist Robert Owen. To the west, quayside apartments and boathouse style studios are proposed to enjoy waterfront locations and respond to the residential development opposite. Centrally, terraces and apartment blocks make up the bulk of the housing whilst local centres are provided with commercial facilities. To the north-east side backing onto the ‘Warp Line’ and River Mersey are live/work homes, which are specialised for the craftsmen of the Cottonopolis: those who would benefit from close proximity to the Warp Line and close access to the industry.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE COTTONOPOLIS The Cottonopolis site is the initial and most important phase of the masterplan forming the backbone to the reignition of the textiles industry in the UK and a precedent for other post-industrial towns to follow suit. Our development of the site and brief has grown from a deep understanding of the cotton process and the idea of how each user would interact and engage with the different areas, buildings and platforms, defining the type of Architecture that is appropriate for its success. Our architectural response is expressive and reflective of the function it serves, the industrial parts of the site aim to showcase and suggest the process that is housed within a robust component. They form part of a larger machine that is the Cottonopolis. The Innovation and Education areas of the site are forward thinking and exude a flexibility in planning, structure and materiality. The buildings are interwoven with a series of user-centric walkways and landscapes that assist the circulation and experience for every person on site. The worker (warp) and investigator (weft) form a pattern that will grow and change over time and the stable constant that is the Warp Line provides opportunity for this to continue from Port to Town Centre as the Cottonopolis matures. The site is a collection of interdependent areas; THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR Home to the traditional industrial process. Predominantly Warp. THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE ZONE The middle ground between Warp and Weft defining a hub of activity that is reliant on all other sectors of the site. THE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CAMPUS The heart of contemporary and future industry. Predominantly Weft THE CORE A trio of spaces namely, the Power Loom, the Cloth Market and the Innovation Circus. Key integration of Warp and Weft.

100

THE CORE RESEARCH & INNOVATION DESIGN & MANUFACTHE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

T H E E A S T ER N GAT E WAY R I V ER S I D E EL E VAT I O N

The Riverside Elevation is an important part of the Cottonopolis, it is the outward looking face and welcoming facade of the site and gives us an uninterrupted opportunity to showcase the work and processes of the Cottonopolis to Warrington and users entering the site from the Town Centre, Bank Quay Train Station, or outside of the town. The robustness of industry is displayed as users cross the industrial Crosfields Transporter Bridge, with snippets of innovation injected into the composition or sat farther back in the landscape.

SOUTH

102

CENTRAL

FINAL PROPOSAL

O 1

103

us e Ho Dy

d ran St ing d dd ran : Be l St re re tu pa ac uf : Ap an re M tu ac uf re ios an ua M ud 19 Sq St n n on itio sig ati hib De 20 St Ex & n on ing sig ck r ati De 21 St we t Pa & ies uc n To ing or g od tio ck Pr rat y Co 22 n er ibu n bo l Pa fin str La re itio tto Di Re pa Co on hib n re ed Ap 23 ati Ex ed tto os ctu ov fin ng rp Co ru lvi Inn w pu : Re vo e St re on es Ra Re 24 Re an us cti ctu s: Cr Le tru & rcu e Ho ns ry/ Ci ps Dy lle Co bs 25 ho on y La ks er t Ga ati re or on en ov inn tu 2 ati rn tre an Sp eW Inn ec 26 Ya ov ea g rm tic /L ith un Co Pe HQ en on l Inn h ph pr ol/ on ati : Sp ica 3 arc Ap ho es Am rm 27 tati log se us Sc fo no ien Re /In les ch n e Ho re : Or xti 4 Te tto nt Dy Te 28 om Co s Ce c& n s r Lo tifi gy itie tio se er cil we ien 5 na ou En Po Sc 29 l Fa er nh y: Int cia ee ne er Gr im I& I 6 lls mm tal Ch BC ed 30 ry Ha en Co Sh cto us te rs rim ve Fa -si mp pe ea 7 fe we ing On W 31 Ex To Ca ’ Ca t & yp es ing n ot on tic et ive ot tto rfr arp 8 en Pr ark ch W Co 32 ate pr & M W h Ar Ap ing int les & ot & W Pr II xti Cl 9 ol Te & eft ed 3D 33 ho W Sh rn Sc & h Ya le ve ot ea ry/ xti arp Cl 10 W Te he 34 :W en as rk ov rd be r Pa :W ks 11 es Ha Ca or 35 tW en 12 atm 36 ps r Tre ho ge ks an ate or ch W d W Ex le ran n d ab sig g St nt ran De llin Re s St ’s we an rie : To te tis re Ar les tu ho ac uf : Up an re 16 M tu ac uf an 17 M

NORTH CENTRAL

1 : 2 0 0 | E L E VAT I O N L O N G T H E

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

R IV ER SIDE ELE VAT ION SOUTH

104

FINAL PROPOSAL

The South end of the elevation is where the industrial process begins and houses the first buildings of the site. This is the first point that the industrial railway interacts with the buildings on site and includes (from left to right); The Warp Line, The Refinery, and the Raw Cotton Dye Houses.

105

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

R IV ER SIDE ELE VAT ION CENTRAL

106

FINAL PROPOSAL

The central section of the elevation begins to introduce a depth to the site with differing building heights, animation of the waterfront and layers of activity. The composition at this point is centred by the public footbridge adaptation of the Crosfields Transporter Bridge, the buildings that complete this section are (from left to right); The Spinnery (with 3D printed Weft block inserted on the left), Yarn Dye Houses, The Auditorium (in the background), The Chimney, Weave Shed I (with production colonnade on river bank), Weave Shed II and Cafeteria, and the first Cloth Dye House.

107

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

R IV ER SIDE ELE VAT ION NORTH

108

FINAL PROPOSAL

The final Northern section of the elevation symbolises the bridge between the Cottonopolis site and the Unilever works across the River Mersey. This part of the site is where the robustness of the industrial sector begins to break down into a more lightweight and flexible Architecture that is influenced by the Weft innovators. The transition can be seen starting with (from left to right); The Cloth Dye Houses, The Product Manufactories (behind), The Artisans Workshops (river front), and the Design Studio Towers.

T H E

109

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

nu Ma

110

T 1

WEST

d an Str ing dd d Be an e: Str tur rel fac pa nu Ap e: Ma tur fac nu s 19 Ma re dio ua n Stu n Sq sig itio n 20 De tio hib Sta n Ex & sig ing 21 n De ck tio Pa r Sta ct ery & we du n fin 22 ing es n To Pro tto ck n Re ori tio Co Pa g tto rat ibu ed rel e bo Co str fin n Co pa tur La w 23 Ap itio : Re d Di uc Ra on es se hib ati us e Str Ex rpo ov an pu ng Inn e Ho Cr 24 lvi Re Dy on vo s& cti Re op re tru s: ery sh ns ctu cu 2 inn 25 ork Le Co Cir W Sp ry/ rn on ce re lle Ya ati nti ctu bs g Ga ov un t La 3 pre /Le 26 Co en Inn tre : Sp Ap on on on an ea es ati ati us rm ith tati ov Pe orm ph ien 4 e Ho l Inn 27 Inf ol/ Am : Or e/ Dy ica h HQ ho om Sc ntr log arc se no les r Lo y Ce ch 5 xti 28 we n Re erg Te Te Po tto En c& y: Co tifi s ne on 6 ien tie im 29 ati s Sc I cili Ch se ern Fa ed ou Int ial Sh nh I& ve erc ee 7 rs 30 ea Gr BC mm we W tal To Co fe en lls ry te ing Ha rim -si t Ca cto 8 t 31 arp pe us on Fa On rke W Ex rfr mp ive ing Ma ate Ca ch n& yp s’ W les Ar tto tot 9 ce xti 32 th II & Co Pro nti Te Clo & ed pre & Sh nt Ap Pri arn ve & ing 10 33 /Y ea ol W th 3D W ery ho eft Clo sh Sc W en le rda & ov xti be 34 arp Te :W Ha s W es ork us rk: tW r Pa e Ho 35 en Ca Dy atm s r Tre ge op 36 ate an sh W ch ork W d n Ex an ble sig 14 De nta g Str d Re an llin ’s Str we an 15 To tis ies e: Ar ter tur les fac ho nu 16 Up Ma

e: tur fac

THE CROSS SECTION

FINAL PROPOSAL

The Cross Section of the site cuts centrally through three of the main buildings of the Cottonopolis and stands to explain how Architectural expression has been used to create a sense of robustness, but also a flexibility in materiality and structure across the site. The robust industrial centre to the East is defined by concrete and heavyweight steel, referencing the industrial history of both the site and the textiles industry, as well as contextual remains such as the Crosfields Transporter Bridge that provides the main entrance to the Cottonopolis. The lightweight and playful designs to the West of the site are reminiscent of the innovative and experimental nature of the Innovation campus. Both are woven together through a combination of materials, proportions and levels, as in the elevation the layers to the site help to create a boundary that acts to both contain and express the production on site. It is clear how the steadfast industrial sector begins to deconstruct from East to West, with respect to future commercial development planned to the east and the existing residential area across the Western bank.

CENTRAL EAST

C R O S S

111

S E C T I O N

1 :1 0 0

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CROSS SECTION WEST

112

FINAL PROPOSAL

The Western section of the site is home to the Innovation Campus, the composition here explores the relationship with the river including the jetty and boardwalk. A calmer environment is created here with differing outdoor spaces. The drawing shows the use of innovative 3D brick material for the defining walls of the sector alongside the lightweight and flexible facades of the buildings. The main auditorium space is one of the more experimental spaces on site, deviating from the linearity informed by process and juxtaposing the buildings that surround it.

113

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CROSS SECTION CENTRAL

114

FINAL PROPOSAL

The Central section of site, as in the elevation, is the area of most activity. The changes in level, proportion and size animate this core area and the range of structures and materials add excitement to the scheme. This central zone plays host to the most user activity of the Cottonopolis, including the Marketplace, Innovation Circus, Power Loom, Canalside Walk, Weft Gantries, Warp Line and the Chimney. All of which provide an area of maximum integration between Warp and Weft.

115

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CROSS SECTION EAST

116

FINAL PROPOSAL

The Eastern section of the site provides the public gateway to the Cottonopolis via the pedestrian walkway of the Crosfields Transporter Bridge, This is the industrial sector of the site and the riverside is animated with production process routes and expressive components of the buildings, namely, Weave Shed I which boasts a colonnade allowing the manual transfer of product along the riverside to the rest of the weaving quarter and eventually the Haberdashery and back to the Warp Line. Here we see the Weft injection into the core of the building through a spiral staircase that links the Cloth Market to the building using the Weft Gantries.

C R O S S

117

S E C T I O N

1 :1 0 0

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CORE The collection of confluence points on the site that welcome users is defined by the industrial line and considered the central core. This trio of spaces includes the Power Loom, Cloth Market and Innovation Circus, all of which are dominated by the towering Chimney, the physical engine of the Cottonopolis that places it back on Warringtons skyline and provides the information, knowledge and technology that allows the smooth running of the industry centre.

THE POWER LOOM

The Power Loom is the central circus that sees the movement of industry, production and workers at a lower level, and the activity of visitors, innovators and investigators on an upper level. Linking to the Innovation Circus via a key walkway through the Chimney and the Cloth Market.

THE CLOTH MARKET

A historical reference to medieval Cloth Halls that defined many European market towns and were the centre of trade exchange. The Cloth Market will play host to a modern day take on the textiles trade where the products of each sector will be sold, exhibited and displayed for site users and visitors alike.

118

FINAL PROPOSAL

119

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE CHIMNEY The Chimney is the Cottonopolis’ beacon adding to the skyline of Warrington. Situated between the Power Loom and the Innovation Circus it provides a physical connection between the two warp and weft centres and overlooks the Cloth Market, the key spaces of user integration. The tower is 40m tall and comprises of a variety of spaces of both industrial and innovative function. An energy centre sits at the base of the building and is the engine that powers Cottonopolis. Warrington, the site with a biodiesel formed from waste cottonseed in theCheshire. ginning process. The rest of the building comprises visitor and public function as well as a control THE CHIMNEY centre and ‘signal box’ for the Warp Line. A structural study of the Chimney 40m tall and centralouses the Cottonopolis Energy Centre, an information hub, lecture spaces and Warp Line Control Room. Its height allows it to be seen from Warrington centre. follows in this report

Cottonopolis.

DESIGN STUDI

Glazed and tall, the design studios look over the Cottonopolis. Walkways manufactories on the ground. Perimeter towers look inwar

CONTROL ROOM

LECTURE HALL

GROUND e FLOOR

CHIMNEY EXHAUST FLUE b

ENERGY CENTRE FILTRATION ROOM h

WARP LINE CONTROL ROOM

INVESTIGATIVE INNOVATION HUB

INVESTIGATIVE INDUSTRY HUB

LECTURE HALL

RECEPTION BRIDGE TO POWER LOOM WARP / WEFT STAIRCASE

BRIDGEi TO INNOVATION CIRCUS

WARP & WEFT.

a. Bridged entrance from Weft Power Loom b. Stairs to Warp Power Loom c. Energy Centre

THE ENERGY CENTRE

Plan & Section @ 1:200 .

d. Brick-tiered Lecture Hall e. Investigative Industries Hub f. Investigative Innovation Hub

120

g. Warp Line Control Room 1 h. Warp Line Control Room 2 i. Weft exit to Innovation Circus

WEFT.

a. Bridged entrance b. Reinforced concrete lift core c. Parasitic steel stairwell/lightwell

d. Open plan e. Gantry to m

FINAL PROPOSAL

THE WARP LINE Cottonopolis.

Warrington, Cheshire.

Below illustrated are the components used to create the high level railway that is the Warp Line. This links all industrial processes and innovation quarters of the site. It enables efficient circulation and distribution, providing a stable base for progressive enterprises. A structural study of the Warp Line follows in this report.

THE WARP LINE

A high railway links all industrial processes and innovation quarters of the site. It enables efficient circulation and distribution, providing a stable base for progressive enterprises.

Cottonopolis.

Warrington, Cheshire.

THE WARP LINE PLAN A high railway links all industrial processes and innovation quarters of the site. It enables efficient circulation and distribution, providing a stable base for progressive enterprises.

a b b

SIDE ELEVATION

FRONT ELEVATION

f a

HIGH LEVEL RAIL TRACK

WARP LINE WALKWAY

c WARP.

Plan & Elevation @ 1:100 .

a. High Warp Line @ 7m b. 2x 250mm box sections make A-Frame c. Low level Warp Worker Pathway

WARP.

121

Plan & Elevation @ 1:100 .

a. High Warp Line @ 7m b. 2x 250mm box sections make A-Frame c. Low level Warp Worker Pathway

Warrington, Cheshire.

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

INDUSTRY SECTOR HOME TO THE WARP WORKER

Exuding permanance, the industry sector acts as the backbone of the Cottonopolis. Importantly, the investigative experience begins immersed in industry as awareness of the traditional process informs the innovation of the site.

rom extensive site visits and a growing understanding of the provenance of the textiles industry of tradition in the UK, we knew that no Cottonopolis would be complete without the infrastructure and ambitious architecture to enpower the industry. Site visits led us to prioritise waterfront access for many of the buildings of the sector, particularly the water reliant dyehouses, meanwhile, analysis and subsequent development models identified the best placed area for the sector would be to the east of the site, framing the Crosfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Transporter Bridge, a primary entrance to the site. It was important for the Warp Line to run directly into or through the majority of buildings and factories in the sector, for delivery, transportation and distribution of goods. For this reason, each

area of industry enjoys a uniquely designed access and retrieval system to and from the Warp Line, to promote varied permeability of process for both Warp Workers and Weft Investigators alike. The prominent buildings in this sector are set out to mirror detailed research into the process of the traditional textiles industry. Nonwithstanding, they include: 1. Refinery 2. Dyehouses 3. Spinnery 4. Weave Sheds I & II

122

C O T T O N O P O L I S

1 : 5 0 0

Raw Cotton Refinery

Manufacture: Bedding Strand

Dye Houses: Refined Cotton

Manufacture: Apparel Strand

Spinnery

Design Studios

Apprentice Workshops & Crane Structure

Design Exhibition Square

Dye Houses: Spun Yarn

Product Packing & Station

Power Loom: Orientation Cog

Apparel Packing & Station

Chimney: Energy Centre/Information/Lecture

Repurposed Distribution Tower

Weave Shed I

Construction Innovation Laboratories

Warping Towers

Innovation Circus: Revolving Exhibition Cog

Textiles Market

Amphitheatre

Weave Shed II & Waterfront Cafe

Textiles School/Permanent Gallery/Lecture

Haberdashery/Yarn & Cloth Archive

Scientific & Technological Innovation Labs

Dye Houses: Woven Cloth

BCI & Internation Cotton Research HQ

Water Treatment Works

On-site Commercial Facilities

Design Exchange

Cotton & Experimental Greenhouses

Artisan’s Rentable Workshops

3D Print & Prototyping Factory

Manufacture: Towelling Strand

Textile School & Apprentices’ Campus Halls

Manufacture: Upholesteries Strand

Car Park: Warp & Weft Wing

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

24 22 21

STOREHOUSE & REFINERY

17 16 14

27 15

12 28

R AW COTTON MIXING AND BLOWING, 13

DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE 11

5 35

2 36

The Refinery is the first industrial building of the Cottonopolis, all cotton and products enter the site here. Arrival is made via the Warp Line entering the building on its first floor, or by road from the low level lorry distribution centre. The Storehouse and Refinery’s form is derived from the processing of cotton in this building. The Warp Line punctures the section,

124

dividing storage and distribution from mixing and blowing. The plan and elevation exploits the use of ductwork and pipes in cleaning to express the process externally and internally. This is a functional building and only Warp Workers have use for it, Weft Investigators have the opportunity to view the goings on of the cleaning process from the Dye Walk over the River Mersey.

Cottonopolis.

STOREHOUSE & REFINERY

FINAL PROPOSAL

First stage processing for raw cotton. Laden carts enter onto the first floor, unloaded cotton works itself through a system of shoots and ducts to be cleaned stored. Storehouse acts as initial and final distribution warehouse for products by road.

LEFT Sketch of raw cottonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival to the Refinery, taken along conveyors and through silos

RIGHT Ground floor plan and section through Storehouse & Refinery

PROGRAMME A. Raw cotton/product delivery on rail B. Shoot system to ground C. Cotton sorted for storage/distribution D. Cotton sorted for cleaning (mixing) E. Further cleaning through ductwork F. Final stage cleaning with Blowing Machines G. Cotton Waste (Cellulose) Material Storage H. Road delivery and Distribution Centre I. Refinery and Distribution Offices J. Clean Cotton Store for Dye Houses

f a

d h

125 WARP.

a. Raw cotton/product delivery on rail b. Shoot system to ground c. Cotton sorted for storage/distribution d. Cotton sorted for cleaning (Mixing)

e. Futher cleaning through ductwork f. Final stage cleaning with Blowing Machines g. Cotton Waste (Cellulose) Material Storage

h. Road Delivery and Distribution Centre i. Refinery and Distribution Offices j. Clean Cotton Dye Store

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

P O L I S

1 : 5 0 0

Manufacture: Bedding Strand

Manufacture: Apparel Strand

1 : 5 0 0

dding Strand

ture

parel Strand

Square

/Lecture

& Station

Design Studios

Design Exhibition Square

Product Packing & Station

DYEHOUSES

Apparel Packing & Station

Repurposed Distribution Tower

Construction Innovation Laboratories

Innovation Circus: Revolving Exhibition Cog

Amphitheatre

ibution Tower

ovation Laboratories

Textiles School/Permanent Gallery/Lecture : Revolving Exhibition Cog

Scientific & Technological Innovation Labs

BCI & Internation Cotton Research HQ

ermanent Gallery/Lecture

On-site Commercial Facilities 32 ological Innovation Labs

Cotton & Experimental Greenhouses

3D Print & Prototyping Factory

Textile School & Apprenticesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Campus Halls

Car Park: Warp & Weft Wing

Cotton Research HQ

ial Facilities

ental Greenhouses

TYPES I & II FOR THE COLOURING OF CLE ANED COT TON, YARN AND CLOTH 21

yping Factory

Apprenticesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Campus Halls

Weft Wing

22 21

30 23 20 30

26 23

18 19

14 30

16 14

28 29

27 12

12 28

11 9

10 9

Dyehouses became essential parts to the scheme following site visits to Mirfield and a delapidated dyehouse on the River Calder. We were told stories of the brightly dyed river and coloured steam. 13

7 33

6 8

8 34

6 4

5 4

Dyehouses rely on water, and so two canals are cut into the site, following the Mersey downstream, and to allow no pollutants to be added to the river, water treatment plants and weirs have been included.

3 2

Dyehouses are placed around the site at multiple positions following each processing stage of cotton into woven cloth. Smaller

126

scale houses, Type I, fit 4 circular dye baths and are situated after the Refinery and the Spinnery. These dye smaller volumes of raw cotton or spun yarn, whereas the larger dyehouses to the north, Type II, house larger machines capable of dyeing and drying many metres of woven cloth held on beams. The form of the dyehouses follows the shape of a pitched chimney, to allow heat and steam produced by the process to escape out. Their materiality is that of a stepped brick structure on a concrete base, providing contrast to the monumental concrete factories next to them.

DYE HOUSE: TYPE I & II Scattered after refining, spinning and weaving the dye-houses take their own form. Always close to the water, coloured smoke exhales from their chimney-tops. FINAL PROPOSAL

LEFT Sketch of the riverside Type I dyehouses for cleaned cotton. Also in this view the Dye Walk, route for Weft Investigators, Refinery and Spinnery elevations can be seen.

Type II

ABOVE Ground floor plan and section through Dyehouses Types I & II (Left Type I, Right Type II)

WARP.

RIGHT The dyeing process at Calder Textiles in Dewsbury, Yorkshire. a. Entrance from

refinery/spinnery/weave b. Circular dye vats for yarn dying c. Long dye vats for cloth dying

PROGRAMME A. Entrance from Refinery/Spinnery/Weaving B. Circular dye vats for yarn dying C. Long dye machines for cloth dying D. Direction of movement through E. Steam from process follows chimney typology F. Concrete base/brick chimney

Plan & Section @ 1:200 .

d. Direction of movement e. Stream from process follows chimney form f. Concrete base /brick chimney

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COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

N O P O L I S

1 : 5 0 0

Manufacture: Bedding Strand

d Cotton

Manufacture: Apparel Strand

Design Studios

ops & Crane Structure

Design Exhibition Square

Product Packing & Station

ation Cog

Apparel Packing & Station

ntre/Information/Lecture

Repurposed Distribution Tower

Construction Innovation Laboratories

Innovation Circus: Revolving Exhibition Cog

arn

Amphitheatre

terfront Cafe

Textiles School/Permanent Gallery/Lecture

& Cloth Archive

Scientific & Technological Innovation Labs

BCI & Internation Cotton Research HQ

Cloth

On-site Commercial Facilities

Cotton & Experimental Greenhouses

Workshops

3D Print & Prototyping Factory

ing Strand

Textile School & Apprenticesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Campus Halls

esteries Strand

Car Park: Warp & Weft Wing

orks

SPINNERY 24 22 21

THE FIRST COT TON SPINNING FACTORY IN BRITAIN FOR 30 YE ARS

16 14 29

27 15

12 28

5 35

2 36

The Spinnery of the Cottonopolis takes one of the most imposing sites left of the Crosfields Transporter Bridge, facing the entrance to the site from Warrington Town Centre. Its elevation reinforces the monumental aesthetic of the industry sector. A crane link, steel frame Distribution Shafts and conveyors provide unique transportation of cotton to and fro between the Spinnery and the Warp Line. Each of the four production

128

lines are served by a crane and tower. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture and section is informed by the process of cotton at this stage. Detailed research informed the plan, split into 4 production lines over 4 floors with drums to the front of the factory housing the coiling machines which form sliver from carded cotton. Gravity is exploited in the building to transport cotton to the next mechanised process.

Cottonopolis.

Warrington, Cheshire

THE SPINNERY The first large scale spinning factory in 30 years. Products reach the 3rd floor for carding from a system of cranes and conveyors, coiling in silos follows which utilize gravity to drop sliver to the roving and drawing machines of the 2nd floor. Yarns are wound onto industrial cones from an overhead tracking system.

FINAL PROPOSAL

k h

LEFT Sketch of cleaned cottonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival to the Spinnery, lifted by cranes and set off down and across distribution shafts RIGHT Ground floor plan and section through Spinnery

PROGRAMME A. Clean cotton delivery on steel Warp Line B. Clean raw cotton craned off Warp Line C. Drop off to steel frame Distribution Shaft D. Conveyor bridge to third floor E. Third floor Carding machines to comb cotton F. Concrete silo holding Coiler - forming sliver G. Drawing machines produce first stage yarn H. Roving machines produce second stage yarn I. l Bobbins drop to Winding machines, fit to industrial cones J. Final Yarns Inspected on bridges K. Conveyor to Distribution Shaft L. Apprenticeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshops

Second Floor Plan

c d

i a j k

129

WARP.

Plan & Section @ 1:200

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

WEAVING SHEDS 25

WEAVE SHED I, THE PRINCIPLE FACTORY + WE AVE SHED II, THE DELIC ATES & SPECIAL S FACTORY

24 22

30 18

17 16

14 29

27 15

12 28

Weave Sheds are the factories of the weaving process. Once cotton has been spun onto industrial yarns these travel along the Warp Line to the Haberdashery Station and are distributed between Weave Sheds via a series of steel frame shafts that double up as a framework for exhibition and advertisement.

methodically chosen to expose the beauty in the process as weft thread is set into looms. Woven cloth leaves the mill via the eastern colonnade on towards the Haberdashery. The colonnade takes influence and responds to waterside warehouse architecture, in particular Venetian merchant buildings.

Weave Shed I is the larger of the two weaving mills. Yarn enters from the west, sizing and drawing-in on beams follows to specific requirements. Beams are set on east-west looming frames. Openings in the facade are

Weft investigators pierce into the building from above as they bridge over and wind down the central double-helix to experience the process from within, whilst woven cloth on beams spiral down the other side.

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lis.

WEAVE SHED I

FINAL PROPOSAL The larger of the two weaving mills. Yarn enters from the north at high level, sizing and drawing-in on beams follows to specific requirements. Beams set on east-west running looming frames. Weaving can be viewed from the riverfront. Woven cloth leaves the mill in the north east, to pass to the archive.

b e

LEFT Sketch development of the elevation of Weave Shed I, the colonnaded front, strategically placed openings and weft insertion RIGHT Ground floor plan and section through Weave Shed I

PROGRAMME A. Yarn Delivery Bridge B. Warping machine viewable from west elevation C. Piercing of north facade for weft yarn elevation D. Weaving Machines E. Woven cloth tumbles down helterscelter to ground F. Inspection and folding G. Exit of woven cloth to north

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a. Yarn delivery bridge b. Warping machine viewable from west elevation c. Piercing of north facade for weft yarn delivery d. Weaving machines

e. Woven cloth tumbles down helter scelter to ground f. Inspection & folding g. Exit of woven cloth to north

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

DESIGN & MANUFAC TURE WARP AND WEFT INTERJECTIONS AND END ROUTE

DESIGN AND MANUFAC TURE Warp & Weft interjections and end route...

At the northern tip of the site comes the culmination of the industrial production line, the Design and Manufacture Sector. Split between both Warp Worker and Weft Investigator this sector of the site is home to the: Haberdashery, Manufactories, Design Studio Towers and Knowledge Exchange. Ranging from large company factories to artisan workshops, this portion of the site is focused around finishing products, with infrastructure in place to distribute across the country in the form of the Warp Line and Fairclough flour mill distribution tower offsite.

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FINAL PROPOSAL

HABERDASHERY Cottonopolis. Cottonopolis.

The Haberdashery archives the Cottonopolis’ threads, yarns and cloth. A library of patterns and texture. Access from the Innovation Campus, the Manufactories and Cloth Market is as easy as one another, setting itself in a Set in the Weaving Quarter, the archive houses the Cottonopolis’ threads, yarns and cloth. A library of patterns and texture. Access from the Research and Innovation key position forQuarter, WarptheWorkers and Weft Investigators alike. Manufactories and Cloth Market is as easy as one another, setting itself in a key position for warp workers and weft investigators alike.

YARN & CLOTH ARCHIVE YARN & CLOTH ARCHIVE

Warrington, Cheshire. Warrington, Cheshire.

Set in the Weaving Quarter, the archive houses the Cottonopolis’ threads, yarns and cloth. A library of patterns and texture. Access from the Research and Innovation Quarter, the Manufactories and Cloth Market is as easy as one another, setting itself in a key position for warp workers and weft investigators alike.

e e

f f

a c

a - Warp Line b - Entrances for investigative users c - Yarn Archive d - Cloth Archive

e - Inspection and Layout Space f - Entrance of finished cloth from Weave Sheds g - Innovation Circus Amphitheatre

WARP & WEFT .

Plan & Section @ 1:200 .

WARP & WEFT .

Plan & Section @ 1:200 . a. Warp Line b. Entrances for Investigative Users c. Yarn Archive a. Warp d. Cloth Line Archive b. Entrances for Investigative Users c. Yarn Archive d. Cloth Archive

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e. Inspection and Layout Space f. Entrance of finished cloth from Weave Sheds I & II g. Innovation Circus Amphitheatre e. Inspection and Layout Space f. Entrance of finished cloth from Weave Sheds I & II g. Innovation Circus Amphitheatre

Warrington, Cheshi

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

MANUFACTORIES

MANUFAC TORIES

Straddling the industrial and innovation sectors, the manufactories are the evolving assembly line of production. Split into four strands: Towelling, Upholsteries, Bedding and Apparel; warp workers are intervened with weft designers to make present products and future prototypes.

Straddling the industrial and innovative sectors, the Manufactories are the evolving assembly line of production. Split into four strands: Towelling, Upholsteries, Bedding and Apparel. Warp Workers in the factories are intervened by Weft designers from the Design Studio Towers to make present products and future prototypes. All four strands of the Manufactories follow the same north lighting strategy to allow effective indirect lighting of workspaces. b

Towelling Towelling

Upholsteries Upholsteries

a - Entrances on gable end b - Weft bridges across from Design Studios c - Spiral stair connecting Warp and Weft

Bedding Bedding

Apparel Apparel

d - Mezzanine options for various threads e - Steel frame at 6m centres and cladding

Plan & Section @ 1:20

a. Entrances on gable end b. Weft bridges across from design studios c. Spiral stair connecting Warp and Weft

d. Mezzanine options for various threads e. Steel frame @ 6m centres. Wrapped cladding

View facing North West towards the end of the Warp Line and the Fairclough flour mill Distribution Tower. This area will be a hive of activity as products and materials are relayed from the Manufacturies to train stations and vice versa.

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FINAL PROPOSAL

DESIGN STUDIOS Glazed and tall, the Design Studio Towers look over the Cottonopolis from the North. Walkways link Weft Investigators with the Warp manufactories on the ground. Perimeter towers look outwards, framing Unilever and making the most of north lit design and their envious position situated on the River Mersey.

a - Bridged entrance b - Reinforced concrete lift core c - Riverside decking

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d - Open plan studio e - Gantry to Manufactories

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

C R E AT I V E E XC H A N G E

Amongst the heart of the production line lies an interjection of Weft. A pavilion central to a collection of waterside artisan workshops which allow individual designers to share their knowledge and talents and interact with others. These pods are rentable for short or longer periods of time dependent on need and all face onto the the river or canalside. The sunken nature of the pods provides a double height space with entrance on to a mezzanine level. They act as smaller industrial/creative spaces that artisans can come to work in, whether they are using the space for business or pleasure, the Cottonopolis site will have everything they need, with a large number of pods comes a high variety of skill sets.

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FINAL PROPOSAL

During our research we visited Andrew Warburton in Yorkshire. He was a professional hand-tufted rug maker working out of a small industrial unit. Andrew would be a perfect example of somebody who could use these smaller units; not only helping his business thrive but also increasing the creative diversity on site.

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INN

INNOVATION CIRCUS

FINAL PROPOSAL

Research and Development Epicentre

T HE INN OVAT I O N CAMPUS HOME OF THE WEFT INVESTIGATOR

his is the heart of contemporary and future industry. An area concerned with cellulose as a raw material and waste product of the traditional textiles process. The campus style flexibility and showcase of modern and experimental materials is expressive of the technological interest it holds. The sector predominantly accommodates the Weft user with direct links and access to a learning process involving other areas of site. At the core of the sector is the Innovation Circus (shown left) from which all main research and education buildings stem. The three buildings that make up this part of campus are the Textiles School, The School of Science and Technology and the Construction Workshops. Alongside the education facilities are the Innovative Textiles Headquarters; this houses the Better Cotton Initiative, the UK branch of the International Cotton Research Centre, and a Cellulose Prototyping Factory. Together with the Cotton Greenhouses, Apprentice Workshops, Halls of Residence, Campus Amenities and a number of Pavilions and Courtyards, the Innovation Campus is complete and provides initial expansion space to the south for growing industry.

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COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

THE PLAN

STATION WEFT WALK STATION CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOPS

INNOVATION CIRCUS

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LABS THE CAFE THE WALLED GARDEN TEXTILES STUDIOS & LABS THE AUDITORIUM THE SUNKEN PAVILION JETTY BOARDWALK

INNOVATIVE TEXTILES HQ PROTOTYPING FACTORY CAMPUS AMENITIES

GREENHOUSES

INDUSTRY EXPANSION ANCHOR

HALLS OF RESIDENCE

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FINAL PROPOSAL

T HE INN OVAT ION CIRCUS

The Innovation Circus is a flexible confluence point of Weft activity. The space provides a steel framework for exhibition and testing and also an amphitheatre for functions and events relating to the industry. The space mounts up from the Cloth Market and is accessed from both levels of the Power Loom via stairs or elevated

THE JET TY & BOARDWALK

The Jetty is a circular walkway that connects two promenades of the project from the Residential and Educational parts of the Innovation Campus. The jetty looks across the residential area on the opposite side of the River Mersey and back towards a Boardwalk that banks the Innovation Campus. The area of the site that banks the Boardwalk comprises of active squares, sunken courtyards, greenhouses, shops and cafes.

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M A K I N G T H E M A S S CUS TO M I S ED PRO D U C T

S E L EC T YO U R PAT T E R N

The Cottonopolis provides the convergence of two industries centred around cotton. The innovation and the tradition. Both instances are eq for the modern day and can provide product based on mass customisation, providing the user with the freedom to change, design and demand differing products that already exist or are under invesrtigation.

The 3D Printing Factory

S E L EC T YO U R PAT T E R N COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

The 3D Printing Factory

LUXURY BRITISH FABRIC

THE 3D PRINT FAC TORY SELEC T YOUR PAT TERN

N R E T TA P R U O Y T C E L T C U D ORP DE S I M OT SUC S S A M E H T G N I K A M

N R E T TAP R U OY T

3D printing is an innovative and cutting edge technology that allows 2D computer reh deppiuqe era secnatsni htoB .notiidart eht dna notiavonni ehT .nottoc dnuora dertnec seirtsudni ow t fo ecne drawings to be printed three-dimensionally. edThis allows for a mass customisation of na euqinu dnamed dna ngised ,egnahc ot modeerf eht htiw resu eht gnidivorp ,notiasimotsuc ssam no desab tcud otiagmass ti ry ser vno i rtec dna uF erag ron tsiixten ydiar erP la taD ht 3 stce udTh orp gnireffid products as a design can be interchanged on one machine as opposed to .nthe production of times past. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Select your Patternâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the initiative of the Innovation Campus that is injected into the site both physically through material usage and symbolically through user routes. Each user will mark their own pattern across the site, led by yrotcaF gnitnirP D3 eTh architectural and planning decisions we have made.

N R E T TAP R U OY T C C I R B AF H S I T I R B Y R U X U L THE 3D PRINT BRICK

SELEC T YOUR PAT TERN M A K I N G T H E M A S S CUS TO M I S ED PRO D U C T

S E L EC T YO U R PAT T E R N

The Cottonopolis provides the convergence of two industries centred around cotton. The innovation and the tradition. Both instances are equipped here for the modern day and can provide product based on mass customisation, providing the user with the freedom to change, design and demand unique and differing products that already exist or are under invesrtigation.

The 3D Printing Factory

S E L EC T YO U R PAT T E R N The 3D Printing Factory

LUXURY BRITISH FABRIC

THE 3D PRINT BRICK

KCIRB TNIRP D3 EHT

The 3D Print Factory is an element that is present across the Innovation Campus, the main manufacturing workshops are the Prototyping Factory and the Construction Workshops, however each school contributes to products created through 3D printing and the defining walls of the sector are a resultant of a 3D printed cellulose brick.

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THE COT TONOPOLIS TE X TILES SCHOOL The Components of Innovation

FINAL PROPOSAL

3D Printed Chevron Wall

We explored a number of patterns that could tessellate as a brick or could be etched onto a brick and decided upon a chevron that would bond to create a woven aesthetic. These will be used for the wall that dissects the Innovation Campus and are used in different combinations to create varied architectural features such as; shelves, surfaces, seating, windows and openings.

The Inhabited Wall

Interior / Exterior Threshold

Integrated Seating The Garden

THE PROTOTYPE The Foyer

The Crossroads

Interior / Exterior Threshold

The Auditorium

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The Entrance Hall

The Long Gallery

Innovation Circus

S T R U C T U R E

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

WARP VS WEFT THE SPINNERY THE ARCHITECTURAL SPINNING LOOM

THE SPINNERY

The Spinnery is split up into four main structural components. A steel framework of distribution shafts and conveyors Theof Architectural Spinning bridges to and from the main building; the 3D print brick insertion the weft block; theLoom concrete columns and walls holding up the main building and the four drums which act as funnels for vertical product movement through the building, supported themselves by steel bracing.

Level 3 - Carding and

Level 2 - Drawi

Level 1 - Roving

Level 0 - Spinni 0

THE WEFT BLOCK

The Weft Block

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STRUCTURE

THE TEXTILES SCHOOL THE COMPONENTS OF INNOVATION The structurally prominent features of the Innovation Campus are the large 3D printed brick walls which, on a larger scale, divide the site and manipulate the occupier, whilst on a smaller scale, become inhabited walls with integrated entrances, galleries and seating. The Textile School in particular is divided up into classrooms, laboratories and an THE COT TONOPOLIS TEthe X TILES auditorium, with a private courtyard at its centre. As shown, laboratiesSCHOOL and classrooms are relatively simple steel frame constuctions wraped in curtain glazing comparison, the concave auditorium pertrudes out of the Thesystems. ComponentsIn of Innovation regular structural grid and is designed as a free standing structure. This lightweight structure will be constructed using 3D printed cladding panels fixed to standard steel framework.

3D PRINTED CHERON WALL

3D Printed Chevron Wall

THE INHABITED WALL The Inhabited Wall

Interior / Exterior Threshold

Integrated Seating The Garden

The Foyer

The Crossroads

Interior / Exterior Threshold

THE TheAUDITORIUM Auditorium

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The Entrance Hall

The Long Gallery

Innovation Circus

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

CORE COMPONENTS WARP LINE THE INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY Sitting at 12m tall, 9m in width and at 12m centres, these A-frames travel the length of our site from Port Warrington to the Fairclough Distribution Tower. Carrying two concrete beds which in turn hold the train tracks; these frames are needed to transport the train, carriage and product along the production line six metres above ground level. Cross bracing connects the two parts of the A-frame, horizontal bracing at the top and middle of the structure and a 3m step of earth all assist in the solidity and success of the high line.

3 METRES OF GROUND ASSIST IN BRACING THE A-FRAME HORIZONTAL BRACING HORIZOTAL CONCRETE BED HOLDING UP ELECTRIFIED LINES CROSS BRACING ADDING ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO THE A-FRAME

All structural developments were made following discussions with structural engineer Brian Edmundson.

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STRUCTURE

THE CHIMNEY THE CORE OF THE SITE In order to carry the weight of the concrete floor plates and allow for the irregular form of the brick facade; a full height concrete core will take the majority of the load, especially for the top five stories. The floor plates will sit on top of metal beams which in turn sit on the steel cross members fixed into the core. The concrete will be masked by brick slips to give the chimney a 360 degree brick aesthetic.

CHIMNEY FLUE

STEEL CROSS MEMBER

BRICK FACADE

STEEL BEAMS

CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS BRICK SLIP FACADE FULL HEIGHT TAPERING CONCRETE CORE

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E N V I R O N M E N T

COTTONOPOLIS | THESIS DESIGN REPORT

GREEN INDUSTRY SOCIO-ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

DAYLIGHTING FOR DESIGN

This thesis project sees the re-use of an industrial site that embodies existing structures and site features to aid its success. The process undertaken on site includes elements of waste materials and products for re-use and research in textiles, energy production and other industries. This provides a social and economic sustainability strategy for both the site and Warrington.

As a centre for industry, design and research the conditions on site should be sympathetic and considerate of the different users and their requirements. Workers in the factories should benefit from naturally daylit spaces that suit both man and machine. Designers in studios should receive consistent north light for perfect designing conditions. Investigators should have steady indirect daylight for conducting experiments.

INNOVATIVE MATERIALS The Innovation Campus of the Cottonopolis has provided the opportunity to produce cutting edge, green production materials.

Spaces and buildings on site have been considered and designed with this objective in mind. This will reduce the need for artificial lighting and therefore energy consumption, also providing a better environment for the user and improving productivity in each sector.

The use of cellulose as a 3D print material will be a pioneering movement on the site and this technique will be used to construct elements of buildings around the site. This material is greener but also reduces the amount of concrete used in each case, replacing this with a bio-brick.

LEFT 3D Printed Aerated Brick, Formed for Passive Ventilation

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RIGHT Mount Fuji Architects - Valley House. A Composition of Structure, Material and Natural Light

ENVIRONMENT

WAT ER T R E ATMEN T TOP LEFT Dye House at the Calder Textile Plant in Dewsbury

BOTTOM LEFT Dye House at the Calder Textile Plant in Dewsbury

RIGHT FARAN Ultrafiltration Industrial Water Treatment Plant

All sectors of the Cottonopolis require water for their industrial or innovative function after which the water will become contaminated, predominantly in the Dye Houses and the Research Labs. The riverside location of our site provides great opportunity to use the water of the Mersey for these processes, thus informing the Cottonopolis Water Treatment Plant. The plant will decontaminate water and deliver it back into the river system through treatment in two main cylinders situated on each canal as they return to the Mersey.

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e ENVIRONMENT

G R E E N Eb N E R G Y

The Cottonopolis will employ a number of methods to reduce energy consumption through an on-site Energy Centre located at the base of the Chimney. The Energy Centre itself will work alongside facilities located in the Innovation Campus to constantly research and implement cutting edge technologies, of which will include the burning of Cottonseed Biofuel for energy production. Studies suggest that cottonseed, which is a waste product of the cotton ginning process, is abundant enough to power the whole industry making this a viable option for the Cottonopolis.

The energy production process will generate a large amount of heat that will be harvested and used to heat buildings around the site alongside a system of water source heat pumps that generate heat through the kinetic energy collected from river bed coils.

The third supplement to the strategy is the ability to tap methane produced via the neighbouring landfill site which will become part of the Cottonopolis masterplan. Methane, although not entirely green when burnt is a waste product that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.

All environmental strategies were made following discussions with specialist Steve Sharples.

WARP & WEFT.

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a. Bridged entrance from Weft Power Loom b. Stairs to Warp Power Loom c. Energy Centre

Plan & Section @ 1:2

d. Brick-tiered Lecture Hall e. Investigative Industries Hub f. Investigative Innovation Hub

g. Warp Line Control Room 1 h. Warp Line Control Room 2 i. Weft exit to Innovation Circus

19 22

24 17

23 14

30 28

29 10 9

ENVIRONMENT

T HE S T R AT EG IES ON PLAN

NORTH LIT MANUFACTORIES AND DESIGN STUDIOS

WATER TREATMENT PLANT 1

WATER TREATMENT PLANT 2

RIVER BED COILS FOR WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

THE ENERGY CENTRE

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CONCLUSION REIGNITION THROUGH INNOVATION

rom the outset we grew an affinity with our thesis topic, with each aspect playing to our individual and collective interests innovative industry, cultural identity, regeneration and reindustrialisation.

The project began with multiple discussion carrying on late into the night. What industry? Where would it be beneficial to the surrounding community? How could it be practicable? The filtration of ideas down to cotton and the North-west of the UK sent us off to search for a brownfield site with conditions suitable for such a complex brief; an area with strong transportation links, an industrial history, a need for regeneration and room for a new industrial centre to grow and thrive.

With growing interest in the resurging Manchester Ship Canal for import from abroad, we honed in on a site south-west of central Warrington. Contextually rich, the site offered natural water boundaries with the River Mersey, frontage to existing industry, proximity to Warrington’s commercial centre and exciting rail and water transport opportunities. Despite previous occupation by Unilever, the site, left scarce and delapidated, provided us with an, albeit challenging, largely blank canvas from which to design our Cottonopolis. Synthesis of comprehensive site responsive strategies, historical analysis, process driven research and conceptual development of the warp and weft formed the foundation of the scheme’s strategic planning.

“The Machine Age, wherein locomotive engines, engines of industry, engines of light or engines of war or steamships take the place works of art took in previous history...Today, we have a Scientist or Inventor in the place of a Shakespeare or a Dante” Frank Lloyd Wright

From the beginning our ambition was to provide a forward looking, but feasible, project, to revitalise the cotton industry in the UK by injecting exciting research into innovative processes and products in line with a reimagination of the textiles industry, on the brink of experiencing a genuine comeback in the UK.

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The concept of the Warp and the Weft provided us with the tools to divide the sectors and profile the users of the site, whilst developing the complexities and interplay between the two. The idea is that between the Warp and Weft, the ‘Indivisible Whole’ of the Cottonopolis is structured. The people who use the site, its functions and architecture are interwoven following specific principles set out from site, process and user centric responses.

CONCLUSION

Design of the core Warp industrial areas with efficiency at the fore developed new typologies responsive to the process of cotton and morphological studies which we hope add to the understanding of industrial architecture gleaned from research as a showcase of process. Meanwhile, a more fluid understanding of the development of the innovative weft areas of the Cottonopolis allowed us to explore opportunites to provide additive and flexible 3D printed frameworks with an emphasis on exhibition of prototyping and transformation in experimentation. This deliberately contrasts with the monumentality of the textile industry sector facing it. Marrying these two user types and their experiences has proven tricky at times, to make sure the area of industry, the known, to not take precedence over the planning and areas aportioned to the innovative devices of the Cottonopolis. It is always hard to design for a burgeoning industry that is not yet fully formed, but we have tackled this through thorough research and engaging conversations with experts in the field to help extrapolate the areas in which we see development in the use of cotton and cellulose in the future of the industry. The direct result of this research is the Innovation sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s division into technological, textile and construction research and development, with a particular emphasis on 3D printing and laboratory provision. Regarding the practical development of the thesis, the utilisation of hand-drawn methods has proven essential to our progression and presentation

throughout. Sketching and drafting has given us the time to truly understand how our masterplan slots together on a sometimes difficult site and complex brief, whilst it has also offered us the opportunity to bring out the character of the project with hand drawn techniques and a nod to the traditional. Model making has been an enjoyable part of the thesis, giving us the time to come together and explore each iteration of the scheme with working models at varying scales. The use of innovative research and processes in a scheme to reignite an industry with such provenance in the culture of its setting could be seen as a risk. The textiles industry has been in decline for many years, however, it has been the ambition of this project to help in redefining the industry of cotton in the UK. It is no longer the stories of long hours in the mill, the exploitation of workers overseas, the mass production of cheap goods. The Cottonopolis of new marries the reputation and expertise of the traditional manufacturing process with the envious knowledge economy and research standing of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best minds: championing better cotton, housing international headquarters, providing spaces for development of a new industry, training workers and designers and provision for all things cotton. This thesis offers a new concept for other industries. Ceramics and steel, like cotton, are not defunct materials and innovation in their application can be seen in many research centres, but industrial centres which we once associated with them are often in decline and derelict. The Cottonopolis offers a reimagination of these sites, understanding that both innovation and tradition used together can function to reignite an industry.

THANKYOU CH E S S Y, DAV E & TO M M Y

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Kolarevic, Branko. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. New York: Spon Press, 2003. Limited, BT Fresca. “Unique Gifts, Designer Brands & Liberty Print.” 2015. Accessed April 13, 2016. http://www.liberty.co.uk/. Logistics, Peel. “Port Warrington.” Accessed February 25, 2016. http://peellogistics.co.uk/sites/ port-warrington/#.V0Y5vpErJhE. Museum, Port Sunlight and Garden Village. “Museum & Garden - Wirral Tourist Information.” 2008. Accessed February 21, 2016. http://www.portsunlightvillage.com/. on-IDLE. “Better Cotton Initiative.” 2016. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://bettercotton.org/. Oxman, Neri. “Transcript of ‘design at the intersection of technology and biology.’” October 2015. Accessed February 15, 2016. https://www.ted.com/talks/neri_oxman_design_at_the_ intersection_of_technology_and_biology/transcript?language=en#t-195595. Trading, New Lanark. “New Lanark World Heritage Site and Visitor Attraction Lanarkshire Near Edinburgh and Glasgow Scotland.” Accessed February 21, 2016. http://www.newlanark.org/. “Customised Soft Furnishings - Outstanding Delivery and Service.” Accessed March 7, 2016. http://www.herbertparkinson.co.uk/. “DUS Architects Amsterdam - 3D Print Canal House.” Accessed March 20, 2016. http://www. dusarchitects.com/projects.php?categorieid=housing. “Kvadrat.” Accessed February 25, 2016. http://kvadrat.dk/. “Luxury British Interiors, Fashion and Lifestyle Brand.” Accessed April 13, 2016. https://www. houseofhackney.com/. “MX3D Bridge.” Accessed March 20, 2016. http://mx3d.com/projects/bridge/. “My Site.” Accessed February 16, 2016. http://www.clerkenwellrugstudio.com/. “Peel Ports: HOME.” Accessed February 25, 2016. http://peelports.com/. “Welcome.” Accessed May 26, 2016. http://www.electroloom.com/.

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