Nina Lish by Drexel Architecture Program

ULLARHĂ&#x161;S

[woolen house] a textile mill and Artisan Village on the shore of Lake MĂ˝vatn in Northeast region of Iceland Nina S. Lish Advised by Professor Katie Broh Drexel University Architectural Thesis Presented 18 May 2019

SITE RESEARCH

PROGRAM

existing conditions and site visit In December 2017 I co-led a 10-day short-term study abroad with 38 college students studying geothermal energy and hydro-power on The GREEN program. In August 2018 co-led a second program and along with my mom we drove 828 miles on the ring road. I visited a volcanic lake in northeastern Iceland along the Ring Road, situated on the northeastern shore is Reykjahlíð village. Just East of the lake there is the “Blue Lagoon of the North” called Mývatn Nature Baths. It is a naturally heated man-made lagoon, with mineral-rich waters known for their health-giving properties. A short distance away, near Námafjall Mountain, is Hverir, a hot-springs area with boiling mud pots and fumaroles.

Reykjadalur hot springs

ring road camper van trip

planning and building type

TGP mentor group

Hverir geothermal area near Námafjall

Sólheimajökull glacier

Mývatn Nature Baths, Reykjahlíð

The site is between 5 regional sheep farms and allows the residents to utilize material that is typically shipped internationally. The Ullarhús village is a specialized extension to the existing Reykjahlíð village and reflects the textile artisans through the architecture. The buildings are a modern interpretation of traditional typologies of factory buildings and turfhouses in Iceland from original material studies and designs.

PROGRAM RESEARCH sheep experience

LAMBING IN MAY

SUMMER GRAZING

In May all of the Icelandic sheep birth twin sheep. They will always be together and seen in threes. The artists are paired up and mentor a visiting artist.

The sheep are free to graze throughout the country during the summer. They climb hills, block roads and eat a lot of grass.

RÉTTIR DAY IN SEPTEMBER

In September there is a nationwide roundup where people on foot, ATVs or Icelandic horses retrieve the sheep from the mountains and valleys, aided by trusty sheepdogs. Entire communities come out for support. It’s a national holiday and fun experience.

CORRAL AND SORTING The sheep are corralled into a historic stone pen space on the site and sorted by the farmers. Each farmer bring their flock of sheep home to their farm.

SHEARING

STORAGE AND SLAUGHTER

The sheep are sheared on réttir in September and in May. The sheep are groomed and checked for medical issues. fleece is brought to the textile mill to be stored and processed.

In September the sheep are also sorted between winter barn storage and slaughter for meat. The lambs are usually the ones used for meat, an Icelandic staple. They unfortunately live a short life.

CASE STUDIES

architectural and material precedents BUILDING WITHIN A BUILDING

COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING FOR ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS

Textile Facility to house the machinery (ZHCODE - seen below) to produce the next building in the community... ZHCODE — ZHA’s computation and design research group — was responsible for the structure’s architectural design, while block research group (BRG) of ETH zurich introduced the KnitCrete formwork technology and developed the structural design and construction system.

First, imagine and design new structural possibilities for manufacturing composite materials Then find a new process to replace the traditional use of molds in manufacturing for architectural use

E SECTION

FIBERGLASS COLUMNS

CROSS SITE SECTION

Composite materials are produced when two or more materials of different physical or chemical properties are combined to make a new material, or composite. When successful, the new material is stronger, lighter or less expensive that its component parts. Common examples of composites include concrete and plywood.

Textile Mill Entrance

Greenhouse Restaurant

Lake Myvatn

“Anything we can fold with paper, we can fold with fiberglass, without a mold.”

Community Turfhouse

https://www.archdaily.com/882389/vitsoe-hq-and-production-building-vitsoe-and-martin-francis

1” = 20’

Vocanic Mountain Range

Fiberglass reinforced plastic is naturally flexible, like cloth, but can be made stiff with the application of resin. Through the creative use of applying resin to certain sections, making a crease pattern and folding, the lightweight fiberglass can be constructed to bear significant weight and yet still allow for flat packaging.

Sheep Grazing They created “Columns of Double Curvature” by employing a weaving technique to construct large columns with a central twist. The students had to build a rotisserie-like jig to weave the fiberglass cords, then they covered the woven column with epoxy. The final columns are strong enough to support roof structures, yet open enough to allow light to shine through. And each structure uses fiberglass thread to weave the threedimensional, seamless columns, with no need for molds.

VITSOE HEADQUARTERS

precedent study

http://newsstand.clemson.edu/breaking-the-mold-architecture-students-win-national-attention-for-industry-changing-designs/

Turfhouses Campground

FIBERGLASS

precedent study

KNITCANDELA - ULTRA LIGHT CONCRETE

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/zaha-hadid-knitcandela-concrete-shell-mexico-city-10-30-2018/

precedent study

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/zaha-hadid-knitcandela-concrete-shell-mexico-city-10-30-2018/

Sheep Grazi

3D KNITTING

precedent study

RESEARCH REVIEW Fall Presentation on 12.15.1

sheep stone corral plan view

Krossdalur Volcano Range lake myvatn

sheep stone corral

Krossdalur Volcano Range

grass hillside lake myvatn

sheep grazing

route 1

FARMHOUSE

footpath route 1

SHEEP STONE CORRAL

SITE HILLSIDE

existing site context

volcano mtn range geothermal heated nature bath

lake myvatn

lava rock

route 1

Ancient subterranean cavern complex known for its geometric rock formations & hot springs.

volcano mtn range

STÓRAGJÁ

existing site context - eastern region

lava rock

NATURE BATHS

existing site context - eastern region

KRAFLA POWER PLANT - KRÖFLUST

existing site context - northern region

TECHNICAL REVIEW

PROCESS

Presentation on 03.18.19

Iterations and redesign after critique

TEXTILE FACILITY

Textile Facility Turfhouses Sheep Grazing

Skylight

Greenhouse Restaurant

Lake Myvatn

Campground

Skylight

View looking South From Highway Myvatnssvetarvegur (848)

Roof Plan 1/8” = 1’ N

Textile Facility

Vocanic Mountain Range

Turfhouses Greenhouse Restaurant

Stone Sheep Corral

Sheep Grazing

Office

Office Flexible Alcoves

Artists Entrance

Stair

Flexible Alcoves

Pedestrian Walking Path

Open to Below

Flexible Alcoves Stair

Flexible Alcoves

Flexible Alcoves Office

Office

Office View looking North From Highway Myvatnssvetarvegur (848)

Second Floor 1/8” = 1’

Exterior Perspective driving on Route 1

Finished Textile and Product

Processed Wool Storage

Wool Dyeing

Wool Sorting

Wool Processing Machinery

5 Turfhouse

Raw Wool Material Storage

Truck Garage Door

South Elevation 1/8” = 1’

Pop up Design Shops

Gallery

Visitors Entrance and Lobby

Gallery

Turfhouse Cross Section 1 1/8" = 1'-0"

Turfhouse Cross Section 2 1/8" = 1'-0"

North Elevation 1/8” = 1’

Gallery

First Floor Plan 1/8” = 1’ N

East Elevation 1/8” = 1’

Elevation 1 - a 1/8" = 1'-0"

West Elevation 1/8” = 1’

Turfhouse Wall and Roof Detail 1/2" = 1'-0"

MATERIALS DESIGN

Solidwool and Icelandic Aggregate Concrete development

CONCRETE WITH LAVA ROCK AGGREGATE

Crushing the Cores

CONCRETE

material study

Technical Specs

CONCRETE WITH LAVA ROCK AGGREGATE

Acoustics Small Scale: ASTM C 423: NRC – 0.70, SAA – 0.70 Large Scale: ASTM C 423: NRC – 0.75, SAA – 0.75 Colorfastness to Light Class 4–5 (40 hours) Colorfastness to Crocking Class 3–4 (wet), Class 4–5 (dry) Environmental Oeko-Tex© Standard 100 Certified Product Class II (100% Wool Design Felt + Acoustic Substrate)

TEMPORATY WOOL PARTITIONS

FINAL REVIEW Presentation on 05.18.19

SITE DESIGN

Site Plans and Axonometric Diagrams

Truck Loading

Highway

Sheep Grazing Skylights

Plant Dye Roof Garden Driveway

Greenhouse

Greenhouse Restaurant

Textile Mill Artist Entrance

Textile Mill

Plant Dye Roof Garden

Community House

Turfhouses Sheep Grazing Patio

Sheep Grazing

Textile Mill Main Entrance

Sheep Grazing

Textile Mill Artist Entrance Techtonic Plates Fissure

FACING NORTHEAST

FACING SOUTHWEST

Greenhouse Restaurant

FACING NORTHEAST

Truck Loading Dock Outdoor Patio

SAUÐFÉ [SHEEP] EXPERIENCE

LAMBING IN MAY

In May all of the Icelandic sheep birth twin sheep. They will always be together and seen in threes. The artists are paired up and mentor a visiting artist.

SUMMER GRAZING

The sheep are free to graze throughout the country during the summer. They climb hills, block roads and eat a lot of grass.

RÉTTIR DAY IN SEPTEMBER

CORRAL AND SORTING

The sheep are corralled into a historic stone pen space on the site and sorted by the farmers. Each farmer bring their flock of sheep home to their farm.

SHEARING

The sheep are sheare and in May. The shee checked for medical to the textile mill to b

SITE MODEL 1” = 100’ scale

SITE SECTION MODEL 1” = 20’ scale

Plates Fissure

FACING NORTHEAST Cross and Longitudinal

SITE SECTIONS

FACING SOUTHWEST

Greenhouse Restaurant

FACING NORTHEAST

SPRINGTIME VIEW

Truck Loading Dock

View from the Road (Northeast)

Outdoor Patio

STORAGE AND SLAUGHTER

September d and is brought processed.

In September the sheep are also sorted between winter barn storage and slaughter for meat. The lambs are usually the ones used for meat, an Icelandic staple. They unfortunately live a short life.

CROSS SITE SECTION 1” = 20’

Lake Myvatn

SAUÐFÉ [SHEEP] EXPERIENCE Campground

Turfhouses LAMBING IN MAY

Sheep Grazing In May all of the Icelandic sheep birth twin sheep. They will always be together and seen in threes. The artists are paired up and mentor a visiting artist.

Textile Mill loading dock SUMMER GRAZING

Ha Ha walkway

The sheep are free to graze throughout the country during the summer. They climb hills, block roads and eat a lot of grass.

Vocanic Mountain Range

RÉTTIR DAY IN SEPTEMBER

CORRAL AND SORTING

The sheep are corralled into a historic stone pen space on the site and sorted by the farmers. Each farmer bring their flock of sheep home to their farm.

SHEARING

LONGITUDINAL SITE SECTION

1” = 20’

Vocanic Mountain Range

Community Turfhouse

In September the sheep are a winter barn storage and slau lambs are usually the ones u Icelandic staple. They unfortu

CROSS SITE SECTION

Textile Mill Entrance

Greenhouse Restaurant

STORAGE AND

The sheep are sheared on réttir in September and in May. The sheep are groomed and checked for medical issues. fleece is brought to the textile mill to be stored and processed.

1” = 20’

Lake Myvatn Sheep Grazing

Campground

TEXTILE MILL A Tour of the Building LOBBY

The visiting artist or tourists check in at the entrance lobby and get a map of the textile mill and site self guided tour.

VIEWING HALLWAY The solidwool walls create a corridor VIEWING HALLWAY where visitors can peek into the machine The solidwool walls create a corridor workshop and see production machines. where visitors can peek into the machine workshop and see production machines.

CARD, ROVE, SPIN ThereROVE, are looms and work stations CARD, SPIN (second floor shown above) to design and There are looms and work stations make roving, yarn, textiles and poducts. (second floor shown above) to design and make roving, yarn, textiles and poducts.

POP UP SHOPS products such as roving, yarn, wool textiles, and POPThe UP SHOPS wool products, that are made in the textile mill are

The products such as roving, yarn, wool textiles, and sold in pop up shops throughout the different spaces. wool products, that are made in the textile mill are sold in pop up shops throughout the different spaces.

KAFFI BAR The BAR coffee bar and outdoor patio overlook KAFFI the sheep grazing. This space brings in the

ARTIST WORK STATIONS The artists design the wool products and digitally program ARTIST WORK STATIONS the machines. There are work stations on both floors. Each

The artists design the wool products and digitally program space allows flexibility and display of wool products for sale. the machines. There are work stations on both floors. Each space allows flexibility and display of wool products for sale.

The coffee bar and outdoor patio overlook community and allows a shared experience. the sheep grazing. This space brings in the community and allows a shared experience.

PATIOS The second floor outdoor public space also PATIOS brings together the whole community. There The second floor outdoor public space also are expansive views of the landscape. brings together the whole community. There are expansive views of the landscape.

WEAVE There are four large weaving machines WEAVE in the atrium space, the head of the

There are four large weaving machines machines protrude above the second floor. in the atrium space, the head of the machines protrude above the second floor.

GREENHOUSE DINING The public restaurantDINING offers a unique experience GREENHOUSE where artists, tourists, and he greater

The public restaurant offers a unique experience community enjoy produce grown on site. where artists, tourists, and he greater community enjoy produce grown on site.

ATTRIUM WEAVING The weaving machines are viewable ATTRIUM WEAVING from above in the atrium. The artists and

The weaving machines are viewable tourists get to see the magic happen. from above in the atrium. The artists and tourists get to see the magic happen.

ARTIST LOUNGE There LOUNGE are 4 large machines in the atrium ARTIST space, the head of the machine protrudes There are 4 large machines in the atrium above the second floor space, the head of the machine protrudes above the second floor

ARTIST GALLERY There GALLERY are three alcove artist workspaces ARTIST used as a gallery for events and tours. The

There are three alcove artist workspaces designs pin to the solidwool walls easily. used as a gallery for events and tours. The designs pin to the solidwool walls easily.

ULLARHĂ&#x161;S