DEV HALAI CONTINUUM
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Content Project Summary Continuum is about creating a multi-purpose building which hosts a : factory, design studio, offices, gallery and public cafe all under 1 roof. The buildings is transparent, approachable, dense and emits minimal pollution. Process and innovation should not be isolated but rather integrated within the city and should co-exist with other programmes to help sustain each other. Continuum is a building that is here to stay to show a factory can work alongside other businesses in urban context.
Brief + Site
3-7
Scheme Proposal
8 - 11
Design Development
12 - 18
Structure + Services
19 - 20
Facade Development
21 - 26
Final Drawings
27 - 41
Experience
42 - 50
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The Brief
The context of Manchester has a well known heritage in textile manufacturing previously known as ‘Cottonopolis’. Currently a large number of small scale textile businesses collectively make a significant contribution to the economy of Manchester’s city centre. We were set to create a modern factory in Manchester’s city center as the local government does not recognise the value of the collective significance of this manufacturing network and their interlationship with other industries, economies within the city centre and nearby in the modern day.
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Location Plan
1:2000 Location map.
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Macro Site Analysis Environmental Charts
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Looking at how the potential sites link to greater Manchester, to see what connections can be made in the existing city network.
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Millgate
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Vict
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Sudell Street Industrial Estate
Royal Mail sorting and delivery office Games Court
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Fire Departement
Victora Station
Crown Industrial Estate
Poland Street Industrial Estate
Railway Crossing
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Arndale LC
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ANCOATS
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Piccadily Gardens
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Level Crossing
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Bus station
Piccadilly Village
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Gateway Industrial Estate
Piccadily Station Scale 1:5000
Victora + Piccadily station identified for potential freight import/exports. Royal Mail office within close proximity aswell. Fire department within close range incase of emergencies, and bus station located for easy transport workers. All within a 1KM radius.
Macro climate data indicates strong winds from the West and Southwest direction. Winds can reach up to 40mph for the year but is mainly at the 12-17mph speeds. Need to make wind speeds aren’t enhanced by building. High amounts of precipitation throughout the year. Watertight building required however presents an opportunity for green roof tops which can also be used for thermal insulation but also acoustic insulation whilst in an urban area.
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Mezo Site Analysis Considering the site context and approaches to the site and what type of buildings exist in the area. As well as the sites history.
Leads to M60 Royal Mail sorting and delivery office
Fire Departement
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Great Ancoats Street main traffic
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Rat Road to avoid Oldham Road + Great Ancoats Street
Rat Road - Medium traffic during peak hours High pedesterian routes Listed buildings Mainly ommercial / industrial
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Scale 1:2500 1850
1940
1980
Contemporary
Mid 18th Century the area was mainly for residential use which changed to industrial use during the 19th Century. Main reason for this was the canal infrastructure. Technology helped with competition and balance the grain which allowed housing to be added in the mix, however still remaining largely for residential use.
Ancoats has a heavy favour for residential buildings at this time with a few industrial buildings.
Industrial revolutions oocurs and industrial buildings grown greatly over the past 100 years as expected.
Industrial revolutions oocurs and industrial buildings grown greatly over the past 100 years as expected.
Unchanged from previous generations. Still mainly used for industrial buildings today, however some have been converted
Industrial decline made a lot of businesses exit, buildings had to be renovated and repurposed. Increased mix use in area.
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Micro Site Analysis
Materiality
Scale 1:500
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SILK STREET
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El Sub Sta
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Warehouse
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Materiality of site is heavily favoured towards brick. However due to the various age of buildings, the brick has a wide range of colours and texture.
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LOOM STREET
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POLAND STREET
Camera stitch shows the constrast of quality from 1 extended view. Left side shows a completely run down, industrial backstreet area. Whilst Right side shows a completely clean renovated residential look thats inviting you into somewhere greater,
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GEORGE LEIGH STREET
Factories 22
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RADIUM STREET
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Current buildings have no glazing on them. Just solid voids marked out creating negative space. Real constrast between the spaces, feels entirely private.
Site Boundary Primary Roads Secondary Roads Tertiary Roads
Even materials that aren’t brick have been graffiti’d on, look dirty or are decaying showing a real forgotten / lost atmosphere in the project.
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Concept
Transparency
Factories should be transparent and celebrate the manufacturing process. Can use it as a point of attraction for visitors, but in general architecture has evolved to blur the boundaries of inside and outside since the industrial age.
Dense
Space is more scarce then before. Factory’s previously were only a few stories high but had enormous floor plans. Although circulation was easier, if we’re to have factories back in citys they need to be compact.
Minimal pollution
Minimal pollution to create a better work environment for the workers but also for the surrounding parties, so it becomes more welcomed by its neighbours.
Approachable
Links with transparency. But a factory should celebrate what it creates and invite people in, rather than have a sealed operation going on.
Concept inspired by a reading ‘Corner Factory - Revisiting urban manufacturing’. With all the innovations in technology today, maybe it is possible to have a factory in an urban area without it being so isolated. Textile Mills are considered ‘light manufacturing’, they don’t produce as much noise and pollution to typical heavy manufacturing. With all the innovation in technology barrier to exit + entry can be reduced and maybe we can see an increase in small - medium sized factories built in urban areas.
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Programme MAN
UF AC TU RIN G
Connection Fundamental Beneficial
PRIVATE ENTRANCE
Minor Entrance / Exits
LOADING ZONE
CO
M
RIC ME
STORAGE
IAL
LAB
Factory/Mill programmes are usually quite robust with limited flexibility due to the efficiency of handling raw resources to exporting final goods as fast possible.
MILL
CORE OFFICE
G AL MEETING ROOM
P U B LI C A
REA
LER
EMERGENCY EXIT
Y
INSTALLATION
EGRESS
KITCHEN EXHIBITION
Other typology’s such as office spaces and exhibition spaces hold different goals.
The exhibition space should be located away from the mill if possible so people can concentrate on the art work. Exhibition spaces usually contain multi-media artwork such as audio and visual arts so noise cancellation is recommended incase this type of art is in the gallery. Having the installation (if not incoporated in the building) as the entrance forces people to experience its effects.
STORE
Office and meeting room should kept seperate from mill due to noise, and distant from exhibition space as this is CUSTOM SHOP
PUBLIC ENTRANCE
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Manufacturing Proposal Smart Textiles and Graphene
Previously Manchester was known for its Cotton Mills and that’s what put its name on the map and expanded it into a known city. Another thing Manchester is famous for is Graphene. Since Graphene can be woven into textiles, its perfect to revive Manchester’s textile past and bring it to the future with Graphene. Since Manchester is the leading city for the development of Graphene, there will always be an interest in graphene products coming from here, And since graphene is still early in terms of its predicted development, any breakthroughs can be implemeneted in the factory immediately. Manchester also has a reputation for its engineers (which helped them during their textile phase because of the breakthrough in machinery in the industrial revolution). So by producing a smart textile the company could also build links by regularly suppliyng engineers and the university for their research in smart textiles. And lastly its about innovation. Most textiles are already well known. But by producing a new ‘composite’ textile, it can be used to attract visitors to the building and educate them about the process and the excitement behind the manufacturing behind this new scheme.
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Manufacturing Process [G]raphene [O]xide [L]iquid [C]rystalisation
GOLC will be the main method of producing the graphene yarn. The chemical reaction allows for the liquid crystals to form, which must then be processed through a wet spinning manufacturing process in order to produce the fibre for the textiles. Main benefits of this is that no specialist lab equipment is needed when handling graphene. It’s in a form that’s more suited to manufacturing. But can still produce graphene yarn that has all its benefits. E.g electric conducting, strength, and optical properties. Although wet spinning is a fairly slow process. It was chosen since its the most cost - effective when scaling up a manufacturing process. And most polymeres can be spun through wet spinning processes.
Graphene Oxide
PAN
GO + PAN (Dope)
Graphene Oxide Fibre will be woven with another thread (allowed a vast majority) in order to produce a composite textile. This is to reduce the cost and have familiar clothing comfort whilst having enhanced graphene properties, This composite material can realistically change. The machines that take these yarns have no major restrictions on what they can take. So if graphene or the other thread material is no longer profitable. The material can always be changed to create various textile materials.
‘Wet Spinning’ Fibre Process
GO Fibre
Strain
Hot Air treatment
GOLC Dope
Running roller
Pump
Hot Drawing Box
Coagulation Bath Spinneret
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Initial Ideas - Volumes
Whilst programme is seperate in terms of noise. Each side feels really disconnected.
Manufacturing process has the same importance as the exhibit, Manufacturing could be part of the exhibition.
Linking them together again but with private links. So the office and design studio (introduced) has direct access to the lab and plant for conveincy. Seperate public links for exhibitition and public manufacturing viewing.
An attempt to fracture the grid. So it would be more approachable to the public by cutting through the site to get across the street. However none of the attempts worked successfuly since circulation for the public and workers got too complicated and the building took up much more space. Due to the size of the factory, when it was orientated on the site it made adjacent volumes have irregular forms which wasn’t really efficient.
Manufacturing dominates left side and underground. Introduction of ASRS saves storage space with an interesting feature. Helps the flow of goods, so heavy machinery doesn’t neccessarily have to be at top. Packing and delivering is underground saving space, and is also closer to the vertical circulation of materials.
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Spatial Arrangement 1 Commercial Core Exhibition Public Manufacture
Initial volumetric model. Factory steps back to allow more sunlight throughout the days.
Split office and exhibition into two different volumes rather than floors. Allows for more intimate spaces whilst remaining large and open. Gets rid of everyone working in the same view.
Factory orientation reversed to provide more internal views from atrium and other workers.. Volume arrangement also allows more sunlight for residential block behind.
Split core into 2 different volumes. Allows for better adaptability if either side is sold seperately.
Reduction in factory size since it was too generous and fits the rest of the buildings proportions.
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Spatial Arrangement 2
Commercial
Exhibition
Manufacture
Core / egress
Public
ASRS
Volumes focused on the atrium circulation and how to create a better journey for those visiting to expose them to all elements of the building.
Adding egress and ASRS. Atrium circulation introduced but seems too ordinary.
Circulation path leads them up showing the first exhibit, the manufacturing process. Then it leads them to the exhibit space where they can go down to the public area and atrium.
Circulation re-arranged to focus more on the journey. Manufacturing process is part of the exhibition circulation. Used to create a journey throughout the building, allowing them to fully circulate the building.
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Spatial Arrangement 3
Circulation now merged into each floor to allow for more realistic stair spans and create offsets allowing better views into factory floors. Introduction of spaces between 2 cores. Factory dimensions also made smaller since it was previously too excessive.
Slight adjustment to shift western side of building (and eastern core) to reduce building footprint, allowing a more suited building access.
Smart core rises to the top. And evaluating distances, egress can be removed from the factory allowing for a more open interior throughout the floors.
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Process Model - Main Scheme
Main iteration where I began seeing the building form in terms of the interior. This model compared to previous one is the change in circulation. Previous iteration had a problem where the floor slabs were over a set distance requiring 2 landings per run resulting in unwanted staircase length. Solution was to create the platform walkway halfway between the double heigh zones to create more regular length staircases and allow for the public to see better views. This creates more circulation through the atrium since each floor is discovered one at a time instead of skipping double height spaces.
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Process Model - Main Scheme
The atrium was shown to be the most promising feature of the building in my eyes. After sketching on top of the physical model I could begin seeing how it could tie the building together just as I planned. This render allowed me to capture the atmosphere I wanted without going to technical yet and is something I wanted to try and keep whilst continueing to resolve the space.
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Red Carpet Staircase
Staircase Structure Precedent
Staircase Colour Precedent
Atrium Staircase Render
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios - Manchester
Clive Wilkinson Architects - Ropemaker Place
My project render - Red Carpet Staircase
For my atrium to have long spanning stairs without columns to support, I looked at the staircase Feilden Clegg Bradley studios designed. By making the entire staircase sit within a truss the long spans were achievable, and this also gave an aesthetic look I was found of.
Ropemaker place is a building that hosts different businesses under 1 roof. Multiple sized businesses share 1 common atrium space which connect them altogether to stress the importance in connectivity. The use of red highlights the staircase as a ‘red carpet’. The staircase is the first thing visitors notice which invites them to go around the building.
The staircase in my building uses the structure and aesthetics of the former staircases to create a visually highlighted journey in my building. This signifies its importance to the user the moment they walk in the building and allows them to explore the building through the intended order.
As my factory exposes the structure I liked the idea of having the staircase expose the structure as a form of continuity and made it a theme in my building. The steel structure wrapping around the staircase gives it a bold highlight making it seem more important and weighted from the moment you walk in.
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Structure & Services
ASRS + Freight Elevator
Seperate Cores
Part of the problem with previously built factory’s is the barrier to exit. This is especially difficult for a ‘vertical factory’. So a freight elevator was added in order to add new machinary and remove old / broken machinery as needed.
Lecture from 5Plus Architects inspired the decision to split 1 larger core into 2 smaller cores for future use. This way if the building is ever sold in seperate parts, each party has access to their own core. The cores position is also advantageous as it allows for a shared plant room, and each core contains elevators, toilets and staff rooms.
The Automatic-Storage-Retrieval-System allows for goods to be stored in a more efficient space than a storage room. It can also be used as a faster lift in order to move goods through the vertical use of production.
Structural Grid
Steel frame as the primary structure with composite concrete floor slabs. Grid size is 6m x 5m which allows for larger spaces between columns for the public (North Eastern) side of the building. The Factory side is column free through the use of 900mm cellular beams. This also allows the integration of services within the beams.
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Environmental Strategy Wind path analysis through building
Performance Evaluation Performance analysis taken through sefaira, which allows me to see my building’s energy consumption and the lighting quality. *Results are only estimates. Due to simplicity of the software, factors such as perforated materials and double skin facades can not be taken into consideration.
Venturi effect occurs at my site, and this could be used for the factory part for passive ventillation.
Baseline tests with poor insulation and single pane glazing option.
Roof, wall and glazing u value improved through better insulation.
G value for glazing has been reduced.
G value for glazing has been reduced.
Through fine tuning, my building now consumes 30% less energy along with improved lighting quality.
Environmental Strategy to incoporate
Factory volume successfuly recieves passive air intake which flows through the factory uninterrupted.
Thermal mass Site has a lot of brick, building can relate to site and have environmental benefits of thermal mass. Can keep the workers cool by absorbing heat.
Double Skin Facade Double Skin facade on the factory facade will allow for the heat to escape faster and allow for passive ventillation, buildings orientation allows for this. Works well with thermal mass too.
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Envelope Arrangement
First iteration encloses the spatial arrangements into 1 volume. Volumes are indistinguishable and doesn’t reflect well on the buildings programme.
Second iteration tilts facade back for the factory allowing more solar radiation on the surface for the double skin facade.
Built from previous attempt to create a cleaner + more smooth aethetic between the factory and the atrium.
Considering the cost for the atrium glass as individually curved pieces. 2 triangular pieces gives almost the same impression for the shape
Final form. Curtain wall facade has a large steel beam spanning from ground to roof for structure. Although previous intent was to hide the join between 2 surfaces of glass to achieve a single surface look. Spanning beams at different directions gave the atrium facade a unique aesthetic allowing it to be read in another way.
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Facade Study
Digital Design Methods
Digital design method was used to create various brick pattern tests. By sticking to standard dimensions to reduce cost and to experiment with various patterns for the facades. Previous talk from Jack, someone who focuses on digital design methods in Hawkins Brown mentioned how we can use digital design method to automatic tedious tasks, allowing us to exploit regular materials into simple but effective effects.
Original Grasshopper Script
Brick Dimensions
Output examples
Bricks Generated
Culling Pattern Surface Area
Brick Facade
Fade pattern
Image Pattern
With this script I have full control of the brick dimensions to use (including changing the overall shape) as well as the surface I wanted the brick to go on. With the generated bricks I could then cull any pattern into it using various parameters such as a fade gradient or an image. This would then give me various facade outputs to choose from.
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Facade Study 1 Kengo Kuma and assosiates - Shipyard 1862
Rennovation project for a shipyard where the architects had to preserve existing materiality and structure. West facade shows clay bricks suspended on steel wire to create a permeable effect with brick. Gradually fading from the original brickwork of the factory to a more contemporary curtain wall.
This can be applied to my building since something was needed that could be integrated with a double skin facade. With this facade for my factory I could still have the environmental benefits of the double skin facade, whilst having brick with a nice aesthetit twist.
Facade lighting + view models
Physical model made to view the different patterns produced. Exploring the views both the workers and visitors passing by would see, testing the permeability of the brick as well as the patterns.
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Facade Study 2 LSE Saw hock O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects
AU Office and Exhibition Space Archi Union Architects The perforated brick is something I wanted to use on the public side of the building for a more subtle effect on the exterior. For the interiors it provides a nice effect with gentle perforated shadows and at night the exterior seems like a ‘glowing lattice lantern’.
The ‘twisted’ brick used in the AU Office + Exhibition space immediately reminded of a fabric or another type of soft material. The bricks twisting in a non-linear pattern creates a soft approach of a material being torn or acting in tension.
The effect of the brick is subtle unlike the manufacturing side facade. This gives more individuals to each side of the building and reflects more on the programme of being a gallery and less intruisive.
As the bricks are in varying angles, as the visitors walk by some parts of the building are exposed due to the position they’re in along the path and new parts are exposed as they walk further along. This is another type of facade I could use to play with the idea of permeability to tease people into my building.
Physical Models testing views and lighting
Physical model tests for perforated bricks in different styles. First (left) is standard perforated brick seen in saw-hock with a gap between each brick. Second is made from an image map pattern to twist brick based on colour output to achieve the permeable effect based on rotation to effect what a user would see depending on where they stand.
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Perforated Brick Facade Detail
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1 Brick 4
2 Air cavity 3 Kingspan Insulation 4 Wall tie 5 Steel beam 6 Composite steel deck 7 Brick Sill 8 Suspended Ceiling 7
The perforated brick facade system was adapted from LSE saw hock building. I chose to use red brick inside the building instead of CMU to stay true to the materiality through the interior too. 6
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Gallery Section
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Double Skin Facade Detail 9
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1 Mullion 6
2 Transom 3 Operable window 4 Steel column
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5 Steel beam 6 Single pane glazing 7 Double pane glazing 3
8 8mm steel wire 9 Polyethlyne block
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10 Steel maintenance deck 1
11 Steel bracket 12 Ladder 13 Concrete Floor
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14 Metal Decking 15 Insulation (Aliminium covered)
Factory Section Double skin facade was used in the factory for the passive ventillation benefits. This was important in my facade in order to get both the environmnetal benefits and the aesthetic of a perforated brick system. Suspended bricks were used in order to achieve this effect.
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Axonometric
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Ground Floor Plan
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First Floor Plan
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Second Floor Plan
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Third Floor Plan
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Fourth Floor Plan
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Fifth Floor Plan
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Roof Plan
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Factory Section
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Longitudanal Section
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Gallery + Office Section
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North West Elevation
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North East Elevation
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South East Elevation
South Elevation
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South West Elevation
West Elevation
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Approach
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Sectional Perspective
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Gallery To Atrium
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Factory Interior
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Environmental Strategy
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Office To Atrium
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Green Roof
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Video Highlight
https://youtu.be/7DYaJwagwg0
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VR Image
https://kuula.co/post/7qXvY
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