Professional Studies 1

PORTFOLIO PS1

By Daniel Cruse, Ben Sayers and Adam Chown

INTRODUCTION “The belief that through the correct use of new technology the public could have unprecedented control over their environment, resulting in a building which could be responsive to visitor’s needs and the many activities intended to take place there.”

Cedric Price

CONTENTS

01 CONTEXT

05 APPLICATION

The Housing Crisis 03

Flexible Living 17

A DfMA Approach 04

Accommodation Programme 18

02 NARRATIVE

06 PROPOSAL

Flexibility Case Studies 05 Defining Flexibility 06 Thesis Statement 07

03 USER SPACES Urban Demographics 08 User Definition 09

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Site Plan 19 3D Axonometric 20 Ground Floor Plan 21 Typical Floor Plan 22 Long Section 23 Visual 24

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07 DETAIL

Modular Space 10 Outlining Components 11

04 SITE MASSING Urban Density 12 Local Analysis 13 Taxonomy Study 14 Core Design Strategy 15 Developed Massing 16

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Hover Over

Structural Section 25 Modular Construction 26 Construction Sequence 27 Building Regulation Drawings 28 Environmental Analysis 29 Visuals 30

08 DfMA LOGISTICS Volumetric & Panlised Systems 31 Connection to Structure 32 Panel Fixture 33 Glazing Details 34

09 CONCLUSION Group & Individual Conclusion

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01 CONTEXT THE HOUSING CRISIS

Housing standards is a document of minimum requirements for quality of living which are advisory, outlined as: “attractive, spacious, safe and green and which help to shape sustainable neighbourhoods with distinct and positive identities.“ The housing standards are a useful guideline to ensure the UK quality of living does not fall below a certain standard, so people with lower incomes can live comfortably.

Conclusion Demand for homes far outweighs supply of new homes, and is unsustainable in our country’s population growth.

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01 CONTEXT A DfMA APPROACH

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The Problem: 24% of global carbon emissions can be reduced through improvements in the construction industry.

The Solution: DfMA has many advantages which can significantly decrease emissions, as well as enhance living residential architecture Analysis: Volumetric design allows for less flexibility, but does improve efficient construction, while panelised design allows more flexibility while increasing construction times.

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Logistics: Components/Modules are required to be transported to site from off-site construction locations.

Conclusion The combination of both volumetric and panelised design methods could significantly improve the quality of housing, in terms of providing flexible living, while maintaining efficient means of constructing, transporting and installing.

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02 NARRATIVE

URBAN SPLASH _ HOUSE (Left)

FLEXIBILITY CASE STUDIES

House is seen by many as revolutionary in flexible living, as the car showroom-like website allows users to customise their home to suit their demands before the space is inhabited. The level flexibility is created by a significant level of customisation.

The current standard of homes in the U.K. allow for a limited amount of flexibility. Using case studies, we can analyse existing homes which may be typical or ‘revolutionary’ in their ability to be flexibile.

“The phrase ‘critical life event’ usually refers to events or changes that are part of the normal course of an individual’s life – such as relocation, a change of job, marriage, or death in the family – yet interrupt the everyday cycles of life and necessitate adjustments” (Schwarz-Clauss, 2002).

While the implications of some events may be extremely adverse, such as a family tragedy, the home – which we have learned to rely on for comfort and security – cannot adapt to the environment we may require in certain moments of life.

MIMA ARCHITECTS _ MIMA HOUSE (Right)

Mima Architects presented a scheme in which homes can be manipulated while being lived in. this level of flexibility is provided through means of movable interior walls.

Out-take: While inevitable critical life events continue to create stress in everyday life, our homes are unable to accommodate our ever changing needs and should adapt to do so.

Conclusion Few current homes allow for flexibility at all, which lie in a very niche market, unaccessible to the general population. Of those homes which provide flexibility, none provide a level which can accommodate critical moments in life, which cause high levels of stress regularly.

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02 NARRATIVE DEFINING FLEXIBILITY

The extent of flexibility must be limited in some way to allow the building to function. Using metabolism theory, the structure can live, grow, die and be reborn along with the life cycle of users, where volumes or panels can be replaced in tandem with life events. Taking inspiration from Kisho Kuro’s Nakagin Capsule Tower can allow us to accomplish this, while also providing a method for sustainable methods of maintenance.

01 - Flexibility

Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Kisho Kuru

The ability for a person to choose their living situation, based upon individual preferences.

02 - Flexibility The ability for a prospective home owner to arrange and design their living accommodation before moving into the home.

03 - Flexibility The user can continuously customise the interior of their home to suit their constantly changing needs.

Conclusion Despite the failure of the capsule tower, some consider it a success in development to achieve metabolism in architecture. Principles can be taken in order to remove and replace volumes, but instead using a panelised system.

By striving for a fourth level of flexibility, the method of restricting flexibility shown on the right can significantly enhance the quality of living while providing logistical maintenance processes.

04 - Flexibility The inhabitant can add and remove spaces to accommodate significant life events, eradicating the need to move house in order to upsize or downsize their living situation.

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02 NARRATIVE THESIS STATEMENT

Holmes and Raye’s scale of stressful life events, compared with corresponding flexible living arrangements.

Critical life events are a natural occurrence in one’s lifetime, but our current ‘flexible’ homes cannot adapt to basic user demands. With designers failing to produce a solution for the demands of modernday flexible living; an alternative approach of introducing an enhanced level of flexibility in homes is needed. Inhabitants must be able to surround themselves with an adaptable environment, which can be reshaped and resized, to accommodate for inevitable, and disruptive moments of life.

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03 USER SPACES URBAN DEMOGRAPHICS

The local demographic can be encapsulated by finding the common household types and economic acitivity. By carrying out this research, we can understand what demands are emphasised on our site.

The top chart shows the typical demographic of the M15 postcode while the lower chart shows a significant difference in demand over Greater Manchester.

Out-take: The demographic of local and greater Manchester can be split into four segments to provide flexibile accommodation: Students, Young professionals, Families and Retired.

GREATER MANCHESTER

M15

Information from: ONS, 2011 Census

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03 USER SPACES USER DEFINITION

To provide a fourth level of flexibility, users must be able to add and remove spaces from their home. Using a panelised modification process to existing volumetric modules, spaces can be transformed before users move in, or whilst their inhabiting the space. On the right are some typical floor plans these users would be expected to use.

These demographics vary massively in lifestyles, and therefore will require separation to define distinctive accommodations. It’s worth remembering these groups of people are not fixed to these layouts, and have a large amount of flexibility to alter their living spaces.

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03 USER SPACES MODULAR SPACE

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03 USER SPACES OUTLINING COMPONENTS

To allow maximum flexibility, users can choose from a number of panels which provide different functions. Using a family of four as an example, we can understand how a prospective buyer or existing user goes through the process of selecting specific panels to suit their flexible home.

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04 SITE MASSING URBAN DENSITY

Mapping the density indicated the large contrast between the two sides of Higher Cambridge Street. The site sits in the middle of this contrast and gives an opportunity to either connect or separate the two densities of large educational buildings and smaller residential properties.

There is a large amount of cycle storage in the area and a plethora of public transport links to encourage green methods of travelling around the city. Bus routes are plentiful, tram connections from the centre can reach the outskirts of Manchester, and vehicular access is structured well. “UDP Part 1 Policy T3.9 gives priority to pedestrians, disabled people and cyclists above the needs of the car, and developers must take this into consideration in the location and design of any parking facilities.�

- www.manchester.gov.uk

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04 SITE MASSING LOCAL ANALYSIS

While it’s important to respond to urban density on site, more local factors need to be identified in order for the scheme to respond to the surrounding streetscape.

The neighbouring building to the south may be a limited solar factor, while the cross junction to the north of site provides an opportunity to use as a major node of the site.

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04 SITE MASSING TAXONOMY STUDY

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04 SITE MASSING CORE DESIGN STRATEGY

The use of a central core wrapped by accommodation presented the most economical way of creating space, while remaining properly functional as a concept.

To the right, the progression of massing is shown to use this core typology combined with the taxonomy study on the previous page.

The site allowed for four towers which enabled us to separate the four demographics into each tower for suitable living situations.

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04 SITE MASSING DEVELOPED MASSING

The mass aims to respond to the more imposing features on the site, including the separation in density, attaining direct sunlight to the private courtyard and utilising the corner node located at the north of the site.

The illustration to the right indicates the build up from a modular scale to a full sized apartment, to a floor, to a tower block (top to bottom).

The modules are fixed volumetrically but can be adapted through panel manipilation.

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05 APPLICATION FLEXIBLE LIVING

By studying critical life events and their average expectancies, we can almost map out how often users will need living arrangements modifying.

On the research conducted, a 6 month period between installation dates is necessary, to avoid large costs of keeping cranes on site many weeks a year, and to allow flexible living. The illustration shows what a users demand might mean for their living arrangements.

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05 APPLICATION

ACCOMMODATION PROGRAMME Understanding how the building could change on a larger timeline can inform the future cityscape. Using a modular core structure and a stacking approach to modular structure, the scheme has potential to rise and fall along with the demand for flexible living in Manchester.

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06 PROPOSAL SITE PLAN

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06 PROPOSAL 3D AXONOMETRIC

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06 PROPOSAL GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1

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06 PROPOSAL TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

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06 PROPOSAL

LONG SECTION/ELEVATION

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06 PROPOSAL VISUAL

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07 DETAIL STRUCTURE

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07 DETAIL

The images to the left show a proposed system which allows the stacking of modules in a stable manner. Using a steel member which slots into the member of the opposite module - using male and female components, we can introduce and separate panels and modules relatively easily.

MODULE CONSTRUCTION

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07 DETAIL

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

1 Foundations laid

2 Cores and Ground Floor Steel

3 Floor, Roof and Walls

4 Module Delivery and Craned on site

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5 Modules Stacked

6 Complete Module Buildup.

07 DETAIL

BUILDING REGULATION DRAWINGS 1

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07 DETAIL

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

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07 DETAIL VISUALS

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08 DfMA LOGISTICS

VOLUMETRIC & PANELISED SYSTEM

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08 DfMA LOGISTICS CONNECTION TO STRUCTURE

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08 DfMA LOGISTICS PANEL FIXTURES

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08 DfMA LOGISTICS GLAZING DETAIL

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09 CONCLUSION

GROUP AND PERSONAL REFLECTION

GROUP REFLECTION

PERSONAL REFLECTION

The response to the brief allows a new framework for flexible living.

While the outcome may not present an outright solution to the housing crisis, it presents new opportunities to outline desirable living situations within the modular housing typology.

This project has given me opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills as an architect, not only that but it has allowed me to work in a team of different dynamics to produce a finalised building. At first, I struggled to adapt to the new ideas and the differing of opinions, but as the project went on I found that the different styles to my benefit.

Tackling this project as a group of three has been a rewarding process, as each of us have developed skills in communication, leadership and organisation. The group collaboration has been smooth, as we’ve each taken leadership in our own roles. Adam took charge of the portfolio, having an interest in how the work is presented, as well as theory and outcome of the project. Ben lead the BIM design stage, as he showed confidence in using Revit and has a great understanding of building regulations. Daniel was keen to develop the physical functionality through technical details in both construction and environmental awareness. While sharing the workload between us, we’ve also shared our learning experiences, and our specific areas of work have not restricted our development.

As a system of construction, I found DfMA to be a strange concept at first, but I started to understand as the project went on why all the steps we had went through were necessary. Towards the end of the project Myself and the rest of the design team were working fluidly together to provide all the drawings to produce a final building. There are steps that I would change throughout the process but as a whole they have enabled me to learn from the mistakes and gain a valuable insight into how a project like this may be run in practice.

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