The Multi[home] - Manchester School of Architecture

Project Itinerary

Act

Exploding the Home

Environmental Strategies

The Sectional Home

The Details

Structure & Spaces

Servicing & Access Strategy

Fire Strategy

Construction Phasing & RIBA Stages

*For the Attention of Laura + Sam!!

Please note this document uses interactivity on some pages. Look out for this symbol to will indicate that a button, timeline or key point can be clicked to cycle through a series of images and text.

*Key Look out for the following symbols to indicate -reference to the Vertical Briefs/ Cinematic, Visual or Built Precedents/ Building Regulation Information /

The Re-built cinema of Life

The [Multi] Layered site

The [New] high-street block

The Masterplan

The New Clock Tower

The [Re-imagined] Foyer

Act Five Zooming in

The Social Home Facade Rationale

The Mews House Materiality & Sustainable

Sourcing

Site Section

Unfolding the Home

The Mud-Room

The Heart of the Home Thresholds & Openings

V1 Urban Artefacts - Vertical Research Project

V3 Craft & Culture - Atelier

Seminar Series

V4 Work in Progress - The Blog

Additional Demographic Analysis

The Two-Century Home Diagrams

Site Masterplans

*Where this note is present please refer to the relevant appendix pages for additional work (not within the page count).

Prologue - First Encounters

The site sits within a dense block, often overlooked and woven into the street as a whole (Figure 2), a part of an amalgamation of styles, eras and typologies of the High street. When walking along the high-street the elevation is rarely viewed as a two dimensional plane, instead in glimpses and at an askew. (Figure 1) What is seemingly solid and impermeable, on closer inspection reveals itself through a series of voids, thresholds and extrusions giving glances into the buildings past, purpose and programme (Figure 3). Figure 4 investigates the narrow alleyways bordering the site reveals the hidden and unspoken programmes and purposes behind the frontage of the high street as it is usually seen. In contrast the south of the site reveals a different narrative. Neglected and vacant the site can initially be seen an a eyesore and a void as explored in Figure 5, but on closer inspection reveals a detritus of items which reveal elements of the buildings past, present and future (Figure 6)

The Map Navigating the Sketches

One The J unction

Two A slice of the H igh-street Three F orgotten Thresholds

Four Tributaries from the High-street Five Voids & Vacuity Six Detritus of the city

Prologue - First Encounters

Preston found its origins in the Anglo age, derived from the phrase ‘Priest’s Settlement’ as it was at the time the centre for such holy training as was required from one to forge a path in Priesthood. In Medieval and Tudor times Preston evolved into a market town and was a crucial node in the trade of local textiles, given Guild Merchant status in 1179 which is celebrated at the Preston Guild which occurs vicennially. Rapid growth of the town coincided with the industrialisation in the North-west as cotton product and trade brought a huge influx in employment and development in the town.

Preston is the administrative centre for Lancashire county and home to over 300,000 people.

Preston’s morphology is ultimately derived by the River Ribble meandering to the south of the city. The Doomsday book records the medieval route of Fylde Road linking north-west to south-east and the origins of this route are still visible in Preston’s urban layout today. The Historic high-street was established later during the merchant years of the town and remains as an amalgamation of Church Street and Fishergate running laterally through the city. In the mid-century the Ring-road developments severed the city in two, creating a laborious border within the inner suburbs. Preston’s organic morphology is typical of other Northern towns who’s urban density rapidly increased and declined during the Industrial Revolution.

The site sits on the welding point between the historic Church Street and Fishergate. The jointures of these two streets forms the main shopping High-street in the town and is a mixture of architectural styles, building typologies and pedestrian and vehicular streets-capes. The site is enveloped by the back streets of Main Sprit Weind and Old Cock Yard, which narrow into service alleyways at the north and widen to join Syke Street to the south. The site’s main vehicular access along Syke Street, while its main public facing elevation sits along Church Street. The site is located at a key nodal point within the city, almost at true centre and therefore though a forgotten block of the city today it has the potential to be a epicentre for the community.

Micro Meso Macro

Macro Prest on on a Map

Micro S ite Identification

Meso N etworks and Nodes

Prologue - First Encounters

0.III V1 Urban Artefacts

Preston Bus Station 1.2500 Infrastructural Mapping & Model Making

Preston Bus Station was built in 1969 by BDP Architects as a vision for Preston as an Infrastructural Hub. The 170m long building was designed to accommodate 80 double decker buses and 1100 cars. A double height ground floor, designed to emulate the luxury of air travel for those unable to afford it, layered beneath car parking and enveloped in bus terminals. Preston was a crucial node along the countries first motorway and the vision was for the city to become a commuting hub for the North West and the design anticipated a subsequent population boom. Though this original vision fell short, Preston is still an important node within infrastructural networks nationwide. The 1:2500 model was used to locate the building within the wider infrastructure of Preston and be used as a base over which to layer tectonic maps showing the interweaving networks of pedestrian, public and vehicular infrastructure.

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.48 to refer to the entire Urban Artefacts Research Project

1.2500 scale model constructed from engraved MDF, Birch-faced Plywood and 3D Printed Scale Models The Pins and Thread demonstrate the layered infrastructural networks within the city and show the complex nature of such invisible structures.

Built in collaboration with the MArch 2 & BA3 students.

Prologue - First Encounters

0.III V1 Urban Artefacts

Preston Bus Station 1.100 Sectional Model

The sectional model above explores the interchange of people, cars and buses within the overlapping layers of the Brutalist Infrastructural icon. The station built upon the idealistic principals alike many other structures of the era: to design for a four-wheeled future, separating person and vehicle. . The bus station was under threat of demolition in the millennium and was saved and granted Grade II listed status by local residents and famous architects alike. The model demonstrates the negotiation of height and space to accommodate for the varying ‘users’, double height spaces welcome two footed guests, while a spiralling ramp brings those on four wheels right to their destination. Buses, cars and people intersect across 4 planes including a now filled in subway route which took pedestrians to the adjacent Guildhall, giving the buses priority at ground level. The model en-captures this layering of space alongside the iconic repetitive cast concrete fins along the layered swept façades.

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.48 to refer to the entire Urban Artefacts Research Project

Eleanor Jones Continuity in Architecture PS1 The Two Century Home The Multi [home]

1.100 scale model constructed from laser-cut MDF, Birch-faced Plywood, Greyboard, Card and Acrylic Sheets. Built in collaboration with the MArch 2 & BA3 students.

Act One - Preston Cartographically I.I Preston Demographically

Preston is a fairly rural area with vast zones of the area having a low population density. The central suburban zone has increasingly dense population heading toward the city centre. Population trends show a huge increase in population since 2000, following the dip in 1970 with the decline of industries in the area. The graph predicts an increase of 1% between now and 2030.

Preston has an increasingly aging population with a quarter of the population being aged 65 or older. In stark contrast the student population who influx in and out of the city make up only 11% overall. While 2/3 of the population are at working age, this is increasingly becoming skewed towards an elderly generation.

The map adjacent shows the average percentage of housing costs whether rental or mortgage in comparison to the average income. The maximum percentage for affordable housing is 30%. Within the areas of Preston town centre and its suburbs the general cost of housing is above this affordable guideline.

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.51 to refer to the entire body of individual demographic research

Preston has a slighter higher percentage of home ownership than the national average at 74%, and only 13% of housing is private rental. Home size varies from the suburbs to the rural countryside with the average size of home in the town centre being between 30-60m 2. Social housing supply is slightly lower than the national average despite the high levels of unemployment.

Act One - Preston Cartographically I.II Site Attributes

The site is oriented north-south skewed slightly to the east in its diagonal. The urban density of the surrounding area decreases along this southern access meaning the rear of the site benefits from good access to daylight . However the southern aspect faces a multistorey car parking providing an eye sore at the ‘sunnyside’ of the site. The design will need to mitigate views over the car park while maximising access to daylight . The deep nature of the site and the close adjacency to other buildings will also need to be considered.

The site is divided by a set of invisible axis dictated by the movement through the site, its former perimeters, programmes and thresholds. The front entry to the former foyer creates a historic linear axis that is visible as a relic in the vacant archways in the facade. This axis was used a point on entry and exit through, and is perhaps only partially across the site never taking anyone through beyond the theatre doors. The lateral axis are defined by the layering of building extensions that have occurred over the century, with plan and roof lines reflecting these former building edges and the joints revealing themselves in the building’s derelict state.

Pedestrian access occurs mostly at the north of the site, where the existing frontage remains and is well connected by the main High-street as well as other pedestrian streets leading south from the town square. Vehicular access occurs to the rear of the site, in the location of the former car park. Syke Street is linked via Avenham Lane to the Ring-road and out to the wider city area. The site is currently viewed to the north as a link within the chain of the high-street, however from the south it appears as a sloping eye-line towards the city skyline and key urban artefacts beyond. While the south may be regarded as an ancillary entrance it provides opportunity to see the site in a wider context.

The site is well connected to public transport and cycle routes, with bus stops linking to the wider city and suburbs located directly to the north of the site and within a 5 min walking radius. Preston Bus station and Train Station a 5 and 10 min walk respectively. Recommended cycle routes run adjacent to the site to the east and west, and link to the neighbouring suburbs, university, schools and the riverside and local green-spaces. The accessibility of the site via these green infrastructural networks is key to defining the potential users and dwellers on the site, it is key to the buildings longevity that the homes locate in a positive way within their users daily lives.

Act One - Preston Cartographically

I.III The Site Inter-sectionally

Contextualisation Topography & Site Sections

The site slopes significantly to the south, amounting a 9.6m change over the 155m depth, while presenting challenges in terms of spatial layouts and overlooking, it provides an opportunity to play with level changes within the homes and the site, and allows the southern end of the site to achieve a higher maximum height while in-keeping with the site surroundings.

The site is bordered densely at the north and sits within the high-street block broken only by a few narrow alleys and lanes. To the south the site sits adjacent to a diagonally oriented multi-storey car park which sets a precedent for a taller building typology.

The site sits in a sectional axis with key historic and iconic buildings with Preston skyline including the Harris and Preston Minster, the sectional view above will be key when considering the proposal within the a wider context and its impact on the existing sight-lines and key views.

9.6m Level Change

155m Site Depth

Preston Minster Miller Arcade

Former NatWest Bank

Avenham StreetOld Cock Lane Main Sprit Weind Glover’s Court

Former Booths

Former Woods Ltd Tobacco Manufacturers

Avenham Car Park Harris Museum Sessions House

Act One - Preston Cartographically I.IV Typologies & Use

Fishergate high-street is seen running East-West along the top third and creates a clear linear route through the dense and complex space. Behind the lateral frontages of these shopping streets is a network of narrow alleyways, outhouses and service yards. To the north and south typical terrace blocks are visible an artefact of rapid industrialisation. The visualisation of the city as a series of voids highlights the spaces that are left between, often the ones actually experienced in people’s daily lives. The forms and shapes seen in the context will inform the proposed design block.

Preston experienced rapid expansion in the 1800s and its architectural fabric is typical of northern towns & cities which experienced the same morphology, the majority of buildings being remnants of this Victorian Industrial Boom. In the post war era slum clearance schemes saw the construction of Brutalist icons such as the Bus Station and several housing estates, many of which, however, have been demolished and replaced with modern buildings since. The immediate site context is characterised by grander Victorian commercial buildings along a few post-millennium additions.

The city is naturally spatially planned into quarters and zones, for shopping and leisure, for work and for living. However through the organic process of city expansion these zones begin to bleed into one another and overlap. The high-street is clearly defined by retail spaces, whereas to the south is mostly commercial and office buildings and to the north light industrial areas formed in the remnants of historic mill yards. Residential blocks are a mix of existing Victorian terraces, modernist social housing estates and postmillennium apartment blocks.

The site is situated at the epicentre of the city and along the main thoroughfare The inner-city area is characterised by a number of listed historic buildings, namely Victorian and pre-industrial civic buildings, notable religious buildings as well as the occasional modernist icon. The former cinema was once part (at its height) of 22 working cinemas in the city, 5 of which were located along Fishergate. Of these former entertainment spaces, none remain open and most are demolished or decayed.

Act Two - Preston Retrospectively II.I Urban Morphology

Laura + Sam !! Please click on the timeline nodes to cycle through the historic maps

1815 Preston Gas Light Company established

1925 The cotton industry collapses and aircraft manufacturing takes over 1958 The Town Hall is destroyed in a fire.

1971 St George’s Shopping Centre is Built

2002 Preston is granted City Status

1964 Preston By-pass is built 1969 Preston Bus Station is built 1999 Preston Docks closes 2022 The former Odeon cinema is burnt down & demolition begins

1865 There are 75 operating cotton mills in Preston 1928 The New Victoria Theatre is built, designed by W.E. Trent

Act Two - Preston Retrospectively II.II Cine-metrics -

Picture houses in Preston

Cinemas, Picture-houses and Theatres of the Late 19th and early 20th century were characterised by a renaissance in ornate and decorative architecture. They represent an extract of the height of technology, style and luxury of the era of their genesis. Whether examples of early Edwardian, Art Deco or Mid-century architecture, the picture house was at its height the centre of socialisation, modernity and enjoyment and their style reflects this indulgence in gilded luxury, colour, vibrancy. Beyond their architectural style there are several main components of the 20th Century Cinema. This criteria defines form, style, elevation and spatial layout. The foyer - a space to meet and a vestibule between the real world and the fictional is intrinsic to the theatre, the elevation is denoted by; a canopy, a secondary meeting space, for sheltering from rain and booking tickets under; bold signage; decorative motifs and use of ornament and often a symmetrical and rhythmic façades. The two main types of theatre - on the corner or within the high-street have their own typology and style, the corner plots often having bevelled or rounded edges adorned with domes or parapets. Internally the screen is segregated into layers seating to form an auditorium and the proscenium arch shrouds the source of entertainment. The forms and criterion identified will inform the spatial moves and forms that I begin to test on-site, the intention to reference the sites cinematic past through the types of spaces created, a memoir to the unique architectural typology that stood before.

Cine-metrics Architectural Styles

Foyer of ABC Cinema, Preston

Theatre Royal, Preston

Playhouse Theatre, Miles Platting

Palladium Cinema, Preston Odeon Cinema, Preston 1940s

Proscenium Arch of the Regent Cinema, Brighton

Odeon Cinema, Preston 1980s

Internal Screen of the Odeon Cinema, Preston

Cinematic Architecture Typologies & Features

The Foyer

The Wayfinder

The Row Picture house

The Corner Picture house

The Canopy

The Auditorium

The Ornament

The Proscenium Arch

Act Two - Preston Retrospectively II.III Resi-metrics - Housing in Preston

Resi-metrics Housing Typologies

Preston’s housing stock follows that of a typical post-industrial town. Rows of terraced housing that remains denotes where former mills and factories once stood, and in the place of those that were demolished during slum clearance in 1940-60, are a mixture of remaining municipal high-rise blocks and former council houses. Historic Winckley Square breaks this typical typological mould, a set of Georgian town houses flanking a public garden, these houses however are too large for the typical Prestonian family and are now converted to offices and commercial buildings. Pioneering estates of the mid-century such as Preston Housing Project led by Stirling and Gowan, and several high-rise Brutalist blocks are no longer, demolished and replaced by 90s and 00s ‘Rabbit-hutch’ housing estates.

The diagrams to the right are a non-exhaustive summary of these typologies, a mixture of wider urban scale housing arrangements, to high density solutions and suburban scale housing types, the simplified sketch synopses summarise the key attributes of these typologies and will be used to inspire the spatial organisation on the site.

Each typology has a conscious or unconscious principle: the Crescent and Courtyard create an internal facing sense of community while the row house, high rise and estate create a sense of visual equality between dwellers. The maisonette, and high rise consider density of living and sharing of resources while the semidetached and cul-de-sac are inspired by suburban ideals.

The Royal Crescent, Bath

Longridge Road, Preston, 1950s

Pleasant Street, Preston

Victoria Square, Manchester

Preston Housing Project, Stirling & Gowan, Preston

Elizabeth Street Tower Blocks, Preston

Winckley Square, Preston Farringdon Park Estate, Preston

The Crescent

The Town house

The Semi Detached The Row house

The Court

The Cul-de-sac

The Maisonette The High-rise

Housing Typologies & Classifications

Act Three - Establishing the Narrative III.I The Urban Grain & The Spaces that Remain

Laura + Sam !! Please click on the buttons below to explore the massing evolution

Act Three - Establishing the Narrative III.II Site Layering

Site Layering

“The city spread horizontally in space while the layering vertically in time”

The proposed site layout is informed by the previous building perimeters marked by a series of nodes and axes. By layering the plan and section over top of the previous drawings these overlaps can be visualised. In plan the proposed scheme follows the previous extension perimeters and extends deeper onto the site enveloping back and creating a secondary entrance in parallel to the existing entry facade. In section the proposed scheme descends down the site mirroring the previous building. The roof line steps up and down alike to the bobbing roof line of the cinema, shaped by original the dome and roof lanterns.

Section

The Crescent

The Mews

The Former Theatre Back stage The Foyer

The New Foyer

Act Three - Establishing the Narrative III.III Who Lives Here?

The idea of multi-generational living is often considered as part of non-British cultures like in Islamic and Asian cultures, however when explored in a historical context the idea of generations living together is woven into the nation’s cultural fabric. Historically wealthier families lived together within estates, while working class people often stayed within the towns they were born, living a few doors down from their parents. The advantages to multi-generational living extend beyond the immediate family, with older people offering child support in return for care and assistance and company.

Young people benefit from a sense of community and stability and young and establishing families can learn from and connect with more established family units and rely upon each other for support.

Generations by Julian Germain captures the beauty and novelty of generations supporting each other and emulates what the proposed scheme aspires to achieve.

I was inspired by the organised and rhythmic architectural style of the twelve houses in Malmö. The rectilinear form and planning grid allows the houses to be easily adapted and extended in the future, key for multi-generational living as the families grow and transition between generations.

The small urban block in a former industrial area in Malmö, mirrors the size and density of the proposed scheme. The individual units are rationalised into a 3x3 grid focused around a central staircase and ancillary core, housing plumbing for bathroom and utilities and axes for circulation.

The houses simple internal structure translates well into the proposed scheme, with the intention for the stacked units to be linked vertically if needed and also separated to be individual units. The units must therefore align vertically and a structured and simplified grid allows for this.

Overlapping of users and dwellers identified within Preston City Centre & their links and potential connections to each other.

Family Typology Map

Generations Julian Germain 2013 Twelve Houses Sorgenfri / Förstberg Ling Malmö, Sweden, 2022

Act Three - Establishing the Narrative III.IV Architecture on Film - Creating Cinematic Moments

I was inspired by the cinematic past of the site and my research into the creation and spaces, feelings and routes within the cinema itself categorised by a set architectural language. I was interested in looking at the relationship between film and architecture in a broader sense and the cross-fertilisation between the way architects think when creating spaces and places and the way directors and cinematographers think when creating sets and scenes. I want to emulate the feeling of film in the scheme, creating key moments through framing, composition which is dictated and directed by the architecture. I undertook a series of film studies to understand the way in which these cinematic moments are framed and how to translate this into the architecture of the site. Through my visuals and renders I will explore these cinematic moments taking inspiration from cinematic stills from a number of films in which architecture and cinema overlap.

Cinematic Moments The Site as a Set

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson 2014

Revolutionary Road, Sam Mendes 2008

The Shining, Stanley Kubrick, 1980

Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino, 1994

Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, 1954

Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson 2012

The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson 2021

The French Dispatch Wes Anderson, 2021

Symmetry

Composition

Framing

Symmetry

Mise-en-scene

Lines that Lead

Sightlines

Shadow & Light

Lines that Lead

Sight lines

Motion & Still

Framing

Mise-en-scene

Act Three - Establishing the Narrative III.V The Two Century Home & Family

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.52 to refer to the full body of two-century home diagrams, showing the other 3 typologies 4

The Mature Family The Grandparents The Grown-up Children The Second Generation Family The Tenants The Single Parent Family

The Blended Family The Co-living Family The Live-in Carer The Co-parenting Unit

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.I The Re-built Cinema [of life]

1.1250 Masterplan Carving into the tissue of the city

The site is carved to form a series of masses and voids which are of equal weight and importance. The spaces formed, the spaces in-between and the spaces within are considered and informed by the human experience, and of the daily acts and practices which are enveloped in the home. Three typologies are intertwined through the centre of the site, connected by mews streets and gathered around a communal courtyard. The two symbolic site entrances are characterised by spaces and landmarks that create visual cues and links to the wider city . To the north the re imagined foyer allows the high-street to spill into the site creating a reflective and intimate space. To the south the new clock tower creates a visual landmark , replacing the historic vertical node fulfilled by the now burnt down Town Hall.

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.II The Multi-Layered Site

The section above shows the site as it slopes down from Fishergate to Syke Street. The site is stepped along increments of 3.2m, creating housing typologies that are split level with the upper floors accessed via the street above. This allows a layering of units while maintaining private entry for residents alongside shared communal spaces. The mews create pockets of activity within the site. To the south the clock tower denotes the historic link with the Burnt Down Cinema & Burnt Down Town Hall.

North - South Section Facing West Cutting through the site

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.IV The Masterplan - Crescent Courtyard

To the south the semi-crescent envelopes the site from the main road. Within the void of the crescent a communal courtyard is created, allowing residents shared external amenity. The crescent forms a feature corner to the south-west housing a clock tower, creating a landmark for the city and a visual cornerstone to draw people towards the site and the crucial entrance point into the ‘internal’ blocks.

Le Square au Luxembourg

Claude Emile Schuffenecker, 1888

1:200 Syke Street Crescent & Courtyard

GF 12 HSt 456

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.56 to refer to the full set of Masterplans GF-Level 6

The Courtyard Gardens Space to play, space to relax

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.IV The Masterplan - The Mews Streets

The houses sit on a lower ground semi-subterranean floor, entered from the north but settled within the landscape to the south allowing for each unit and sub-unit to have a private entrance. The mews are laid with recycled bricks from the original building, and allow space for the homes to spill out into the street. Removing cars and road noise the streets are free to be used for street parties, community gardens, dining alfresco, washing lines and football matches.

1:200 Church Street The mews streets

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.56 to refer to the full set of Masterplans GF-Level 6

GF 12 HSt 456

The Mews Streets N eighbours meet and play Spectre Sam Mendes, 2015

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.IV The Masterplan - The Parallel Streets

To the north- fronting onto the re-imagined foyer space is a block of four individual annex units, carved by the circular void to the north. The homes are intended for residents who are not within larger family units but want to live amongst the multi-generational community. Interweaving overhead are a series of access decks acting as parallel streets in the sky. The secondary streets link the annex units at upper levels to the ground and allow them to have private access.

1:200 Syke Street Crescent & Courtyard

*Please refer to the Appendix pp.56 to refer to the full set of Masterplans GF-Level 6

GF 12 HSt 456

Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino, 1994

The Parallel Streets Independent yet Intertwined

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.V

The New Clock Tower

Preston’s Gothic Town Hall was burnt in 1947 and with it an important landmark and node of the city was lost: The Clock Tower. The site lies just south of the historic town hall and aligns with several nodes and axis of the city. The Planning Documents for the site denote an aspiration to create a new landmark point to link with other historic nodes such as The Cenotaph, Sir Robert Peel statue and Spires of St Walburge’s Church and Preston Minister. Historically, a crucial timekeeper for the city the New clock tower will be an instantly recognisable time piece for residents and visitors alike, allowing them to navigate around the city centre. The art-Deco style of the tower draws inspiration from cinema marquees of the 1920s, linking to the historic facade and cinematic past and also creating a key entrance point into the site.

The New Clock Tower Replacing the Missing Landmark

Metropolis, Fritz Lang, 1927

The Burnt Down Town Hall 1780-1947

The Site

Act Four - Setting the Scene IV.VI The [Re-imagined] Foyer

Fishergate typical of an urban high-street is lined by a dense linear block on both north and south axis. The foyer breaks up this linear density and is glimpsed by the pouring of light and shadow out from the openings. Stepping into the foyer reveals a hidden void in the high-street which spills out from the streets edge, drawing in passers-by. The three original entrances are carved out to remain as open apertures framing views in and out of the courtyard. Visitors are drawn in by a centrifugal force led by the visual promise of a centre, and the enveloping nature of the courtyard around the central tree. The foyer recreates the symmetrical and enveloping feel of the lobby space in The Grand Budapest Hotel The visual focus is drawn upwards toward the circular aperture which allows a glimpse at the terrace and houses above and envelopes the tree which marks the centre of the foyer. The space is left uncluttered with a singular bench along the eastern wall which allows visitors and residents a space to stop and rest or reflect. Light breaks through tree canopy, giving the interior space a dappled and changing quality.

A Glimpse into the Past A foyer for the high-street

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson, 2014

The Social Home ‘Very Social Housing’ Leth & Gori, Copenhagen 2013

The mews are an active street-scape where neighbours of decades or days can meet, gossip and spend time together. The apertures of the home allow for interactions to occur above ground level within the social space of the mews. Inspired by ‘Very Social Housing’ scheme by Leth & Gori, the facade grid is designed to allow residents to invite social interaction, or create privacy within the home. The aperture is large in size, with several shades and screens which can be opened and closed to increase or decrease privacy. The two-century home is intended to be lived

in by one family unit for centuries and so over time neighbours will become close and the residents can bridge interactions between the their homes. The scenarios highlight the adaptability of the screens and aperture and how they may be used as intended or perhaps re-imagined for another purpose. Screens also provide operable solar shading creating interesting shadows and shapes over the course of the day and year. The gossip bench is built in the doorway as a space to take off muddy shoes, or to sit and chat with neighbours and friends.

The early riser

The Privacy Shade

The Protruding Balcony The Solar Shade

The Terrace

The informal washing line

The lie-in screen

The gossip bench

Act Five - Zooming In V.II Facade Rationale

Precedent: Yardhouse, Assemble, London, 2014

Composition & Materiality Designing the Facade

The facade rationale is derived and inspired by the surrounding architecture of the high-street and the typologies typical within Preston. From the facade analysis above, a rationale was developer summarised by use of hierarchy within the aperture grid, use of symmetry, use of banding to divide the facade and create weight and interest and ornament including protruding window details. These principals were then employed in the facade design in a simplified and rationalised manner. The material palette is extracted from the contextual urban fabric and inspired by the historic cinema facade, the tiled cladding inspired by the diamond motifs seen on the elevation, and mirrors the original green glazed tiles that lined the entrance of the cinema.

Waterstones Building, Fishergate (1859) Historic Cinema Facade (1952)

The double height living and kitchen space in the town house is where the family can come together, The kitchen faces into the living room which looks up into the central staircase and playroom above. The utility & pantry remove clutter from the space and the kitchen island is a space to gather. The multi-generational home allows parents and grandparents to share childcare duties such as school runs during the busy week.

Living Space S haring the school run

Act Five - Zooming In V.III The Mews House

Inspired by the linear thresholds of historic stately homes, the rooms of the townhouse spill into the central atrium and align and look into each other. Sight-lines through the house give promise of something more an draw guests and residents into the next room.

Bedroom

E n-suite Shower room

F amily Shower room

Thresholds View of the Hallway from the Study

Act Five - Zooming In V.III The

Mews House

The townhouse and annex units all have access to private terrace gardens alongside access to the shared courtyard garden and allotments. The residents benefit from access to external space, fresh air and daylight without the chore of maintaining a private garden. The townhouse and annex terrace are stacked and the upper floors use metal grate flooring to allow sunlight through the lower floors and connect the two spaces visually. (key over previous leaf)

Green-space View of Townhouse Roof Terrace

Fourth Floor 1:100

1 K itchen- living space

2 Bedroom

3 Out door Terrace

4 Bathroom

5 A ccess Decks

Roof Plan 1:100

1 P arapet Wall

2 M etal Profile Roof

3 S olar Tiles

4 M esh Solar Shading

Act Five - Zooming In V.IV Materiality & Sustainable Sourcing

Laura + Sam !! Please click on the boxes below to focus on the different materials

Act Five - Zooming In V.V Site Section

1:100 Section looking East Cutting into the Home

The Section below shows a slice of a typical multi generational home with a family living within the three units, sharing their communal spaces and coming together for occasions and support but allowed privacy and independence when needed.

Act Five - Zooming In V.VI Unfolding the Home

The South elevation uses a number of strategies to mediate and maximise solar gain. Horizontal solar shades are employed to the living spaces to shade from summer sun, horizontal shutters are used at lower floors to allow privacy to bedrooms and living spaces.

The West elevations are minimal in glazing as they face directly onto the neighbouring buildings. Horizontal banding, in both terracotta and brick soldier course creates shadows and interest on the facade. The facade is left intentionally blank to emphasis the feeling of enclosure in the alleyways bordering the site.

The North elevation employs smaller glazing to minimise heat loss through windows while using vertical shades to mediate eastern and western light. The mud-room porch at ground floor adds interest and character to the facade.

The East eastern elevation follows similar principles to the western elevation, with minimal glazing due to overlooking into the adjacent buildings. Translucent glazing is used, however to allow natural light into the bathrooms and an additional window in the kitchens allows daylight into the deeper plan.

Act Five - Zooming In V.VII The Mud-Room

1:2o Sectional Model

The Mud-room vestibule provides the family with a space to shed the armour of the day and a place to store the detritus of things which would otherwise clutter the living space. The space acts as a mediator between indoors and outdoors. The internal bench provides a place to take off muddy shoes and store them, while the external bench provides a spot for neighbours to chat or parents to watch their children while they are playing in the mews. Modelling the mud room has allowed me to explore the use of perforated brick which creates dappled playful light within the intimate space and the interface between the facade and the structure.

The Mud-Room

1:20 scale model constructed from engraved MDF, Birch-faced Plywood, paper tiles, engraved laser board

Act Five - Zooming In V.VIII The Heart of the Home

Part K - Protection from Falling

The stairs are designed around a central void which acts a visual and communication core, atop of the circulation space a roof-light brings daylight into the deep plan which is broken and manipulated by the overlapping stairs and bridges. The space is a central hub for the family linking the layers of the home together. The stairs are designed in accordance to Approved Document K guidance on domestic stairs, the pitch of all stairs is within 42 ° and the maximum flight is 16 steps with at least one landing equal to the width of the stairs (950mm). The rise and run of the stairs is 200mm x 230mm and the handrail is set at 900mm height from the top of the pitch and 1000mm from the landings. The stairs are carved from treated and stained spruce to match the window surrounds and ‘storage walls’. Mitered butt joinery hides the seams of the steps and railings

Act Five - Zooming In V.IX Thresholds & Openings

Part K5- Manifestation of Glazing // Part E - Resistance to Sound // Part F - Ventilation

The windows are designed in accordance with document K5 which covers previous guidance from Part N - Glazing. Part K5 discusses minimum heights of operable windows, which all windows abide by and framing for windows to prevent falling in case of potential collision.

The glazing is also designed in accordance with Part E and F, providing adequate protection from sound with the use of double glazing with silicone seals. Alongside the use of double glazing the walls are also lined with a secondary layer of acoustic insulation. The adjoining walls between the homes are thickened with additional 200mm of acoustic insulation to prevent the travel of sound between dwellings. The structure of both homes is separated by this fire resistance insulation to prevent travel of sound through reverberation. The windows are also design in accordance with Part F Volume 1 - for dwellings . All windows are operable allowing natural ventilation into each room and purge ventilation for humidity and exhaust of fumes. Allowing natural air flow into homes improves the air quality and health of the home and supports the MHVR system.

Tsagaraev’s series of paintings depict a young girl [Masha] at her window gazing out at the view. At first glance they are very similar in both composition, colour and form, however on closer inspection they reveal very different narratives and evoke different emotional responses. While Spring feels somewhat melancholy, and sombre with Masha gazing through the closed window at dreary weather. The piece evokes a sense of longing or absence, and the window here serves as a separation tool between Masha and wherever or whatever she is longing to be or be doing. The toys sit untouched a further notion towards Mashsa’s unrest and boredom. In contrast Masha’s Dream evokes a completely different sensation in the viewer. The lighting and open window promise hope or a look beyond the window and draw the viewer to wondering what Masha may be contemplating. There is a sense of something to come and a urgency as if Masha is about to jump off the sill and run outside. The fundamental use of lighting and the symbolism of the objects and spatial qualities of the painting change the entire feeling of the image. The painting translates into and inspired my work on the facade treatment and creation of cinematic moments within the architecture of the home, in this case at the window. The window shape, orientation and context affect the way we use it and create entirely different moments. Having a ledge to sit on, being able to open the window and perhaps even looking one way or the other change the way the dweller uses the space creating an entirely different scene in life.

Masha’s Dream

Spring M axim Tsagaraev (1951)

Masha’s Dream M axim Tsagaraev (1951)

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.I Exploding the Home

Sectional SIPs Panel Detail 1:5

External

20mm Fibreglass Tile w/ Green Painted Finish // 22mm Brick Slip w/ Buff Brick Finish // 50x50mm wooden battens/slip railing// 100x100mm wooden batten substructure// DPM // 192mm SIPs Panel with rigid wall insulation // Breather Membrane // 100mm Internal Insulation // 35mm Internal Plaster Board // Plaster-wash finish

Internal

The Exploded Module 1.200 Exploded Axonometric

1 Exploded Module

2 Exploded Wall SIPs System with Rain-screen CladdingBuff Brick Slips & Fibreglass Tiles

3 The Mud room Vestibule

4 Storage Walls

5 The Central Staircase

6 Strip Foundations

500mm x 1500mm - Shallow Strip Foundation

7 The Modulated SIPs Wall

8 Glazing & Ironmongery

9 Operable Solar & Privacy Shades

10 The Garden Wall

Act Six - Behind the Scenes VI.II Environmental Strategies

Response to RIBA Sustainability Outcomes

1. Net Zero Operational Carbon

Operational carbon is reduced by use of solar panels and a MHVR system to reduce energy demand from the grid. The walls and floor SIPs are highly insulative with U-values of 0.15 W/m2K which prevents heat loss and energy demand.

2. Net Zero Embodied Energy

The main structure of the homes is made from locally supplied spruce timber from B&K Structures, reducing carbon footprint and embodied carbon, any usual steel and brick is recycled from the existing building to be used in the access decks and landscaping.

3. Sustainable water cycle

The scheme uses the natural slope of the site to harvest rainwater for use in grey-water systems and for landscaping. Rain gardens and permeable paving ensure the site doesn’t flood.

4. Sustainable connectivity and transport

The site provides bike storage and maintenance hub promoting sustainable travel. The site is well located to local public transport. Parking is provided as it is considered necessary to accommodate large families

transport needs, EV charging points are also added and there is a reduced number of spaces with the aspiration that the intergenerational families units to car share.

5. Sustainable land-use and biodiversity

The site was previous disused brownfield and therefore detrimental to biodiversity, courtyard gardens, street planting and allotment gardens will include a range of plants beneficial to local ecosystems.

6. Good health & well-being

The allotments and gardens provide visual and physical access to green space and fresh air, and allow residents to grow their own food. The homes are spacious, bright and airy improving the well-being of residents.

7. Sustainable communities

The two century home is designed to cultivate rooted and cemented community ties that go back generations. It allows households and neighbours to share resources and care and creates a sense of belonging and identity.

8. Sustainable life cycle cost

The homes are intended to be owned by the household and allow parents to give their children access to property, either by renting the annexes or by passing the home onto them in the future.

Environmental Analysis Sefaira

The building analysis reveals the daylighting of the internal spaces during Spring, the analysis varies from winter to summer and the spring lighting is taken as an average. The floors are generally well lit with dark spots in the centre of the plan reserved for utility spaces, boiler cupboard and bathrooms.

Part G Water Efficiency/L Conservation of Fuel /O Prevention from overheating /S Provision of EV Parking

The scheme is designed in accordance with Part G Approved Document with greywater harvested through rainwater gardens and stored within a central water heating systems and supplementary individual boilers, reducing water wastage and recycling usable rainwater for toilets/ landscaping. The centralised air-source pump also reduces wastage, with a centralised system for the community, which is the supplemented by energy from solar tiles on each unit. Any excess energy is used to power EV Charging points in the private car park. The homes are insulated to Passivhaus standards reducing heat loss and energy demand. In accordance with Part O , Solar shades and strategic planting prevent overheating in the summer, while smaller windows to the north reduce heat loss in the winter.

& Environment

Site-wide Strategies Considering Energy, Sustainability

Act Six - Behind the Scenes VI.III The Sectional Home

A External Wall

30mm Brick Slips // 22mm Fibreglass Tiles

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

75mm rock-wool insulation between substructure 10mm plasterboard

B Foundation to Floor

1400mm Concrete Strip Foundation

50mm Concrete Screed

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

40x40mm substructure/ battens with underfloor heating

- in-between rock-wool insulation

30mm stained Spruce flooring

C Internal Floor [Spans 8x8m]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

40x40mm substructure/ battens with underfloor heating

- in-between rock-wool insulation

30mm stained Spruce flooring

D Roof

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

30x30mm battens/ substructure

40mm OSB

200-150mm Rigid Foam Insulation (sloping)

Roof Membrane

10mm Metal Profile Finish with hidden gutter Detail

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.IV The Details

A External Wall

30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

75mm rock-wool insulation between substructure

10mm plasterboard

B Metal Deck

1mm thick aluminium composite cassette interlocking panel soffit with secret fixings to support system

200x200mm Steel I-Beam

Fixings to engineers specification

1mm thick aluminium sub floor

50x50m steel framing

1mm treated aluminium decking

1100x10mm aluminium railing with black painted finish

C Bench Seating

30mm Treated Spruce Timber on hinge with hidden handle

detail

470mm Deep storage void

30mm Treated Spruce interior finish

30x50mm plywood base framing

A Internal Floor [Spans 8x8m]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

40x40mm substructure/ battens with underfloor heatingin-between rock-wool insulation

30mm stained Spruce flooring

B Double Glazing

6mm glass pane

Aluminium framing to manufacturers specifications

6mm glass pane with thermochromic & electrochromic multi laminate film (to reduce thermal loss and overheating)

C Solar Shading

30mm Treated and waterproofed Spruce shading system on a hydraulic hinge system

A External Wall

30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

75mm rock-wool insulation between substructure

10mm plasterboard

B Roof

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

30x30mm battens/ substructure

40mm OSB

200-150mm Rigid Foam Insulation (sloping)

Roof Membrane

C Hidden Gutter Detail

5mm aluminium gutter

1mm gutter bracket

1mm aluminium flashing

Damp Proof Membrane

A Bench Seating

30mm Treated Spruce Timber on hinge with hidden handle detail

470mm Deep storage void

30mm Treated Spruce interior finish

30x50mm plywood base framing

B Ground Floor

30mm stained Spruce flooring

40x40mm substructure/ battens with underfloor heatingin-between rock-wool insulation

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

50mm Concrete Screed

B Foundation to Floor

900x550mm Concrete Strip Foundation cast insitu

500x1500mm Concrete Base Foundation cast insitu

Well compacted hardcore

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.IV The Details

A External Wall 30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

75mm rock-wool insulation between substructure 10mm plasterboard

B Roof Terrace

10mm Terracotta tiles

50x50mm timber batten substructure

55mm rock-wool insulation between substructure

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

C Steel Structure

200x200mm Steel I-Beam

245x245x5mm Steel C Plate - fixings to engineers specification

A Cold External Wall 30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Timber Structure

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

50x50mm horizontal rail / battens

30mm Brick Slips

B Roof 10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

30x30mm battens/ substructure

40mm OSB

200-150mm Rigid Foam Insulation (sloping)

Roof Membrane

C Roof-light

6mm glass pane

Aluminium framing to manufacturers specifications

6mm glass pane with thermochromic & electrochromic multi laminate film (to reduce thermal loss and overheating)

A Internal Floor [Spans 8x8m]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

40x40mm substructure/ battens with underfloor heating -

in-between rock-wool insulation

30mm stained Spruce flooring

B 750mm ‘Storage Walls’

30mm treated spruce finish

700mm timber structure w/ 30mm treated spruce finish

60mm spruce shelving with aluminium fixings

30mm treated spruce finish

100mm acoustic insulation

30mm treated spruce finish

A Cold External Wall

30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Timber Structure

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

50x50mm horizontal rail / battens

30mm Brick Slips

B Roof Terrace

10mm Terracotta tiles

50x50mm timber batten substructure

55mm rock-wool insulation between substructure

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

C Balcony Railing

1100x10mm aluminium railing with black paint finish

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.V Structure & Spaces

A Roof Terrace

10mm Terracotta tiles

50x50mm timber batten substructure

55mm rock-wool insulation between substructure

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

B Roof

10mm Plasterboard with curved coving to interface with internal walls

Steel top-mounted joist hanger (attached to adjoining walls)

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

200mm Rigid Insulation [SIPs Panel]

20mm OBS [SIPs Panel]

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

30x30mm battens/ substructure

40mm OSB

200-150mm Rigid Foam Insulation (sloping)

Roof Membrane

C Steel Grating

18mm Steel Diamond pattern grate

245x245x5mm Steel C Plate - fixings to engineers specification

D Cold External Wall

30mm Brick Slips

50x50mm horizontal rail/ battens

100x100mm vertical substructure

Breathable Damp Proof Membrane

20mm OSB [SIPs Panel]

200mm Timber Structure

20mm OSB Board [SIPs Panel]

50x50mm horizontal rail / battens

30mm Brick Slips

Metal Grating for Solar Shade

Flat roof - potential for solar tiles

Cold Wall for privacy division

Roof/ Roof Terrace with red terracotta tiling

Metal GratingTerrace/Balcony

Roof-light with thermo & electrochromic film

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.VI Servicing & Access Strategy

Accessibility P edestrian, Vehicle, Cyclist

In accordance with Document M level access is provided to all units and annex units. 3no. circulation cores are connected by a series of access decks allowing level access at upper floors, while the alleyways and mews streets are designed at accessible gradients (<1:20 ratio) creates level access throughout the sloping site. The scheme encourages sustainable travel providing a secure cycle store with 24no. spaces and 10no. visitor spaces in accordance with the Preston SPD. Secure parking is accessed at Syke Street, with 19no. spaces, of which 4no. are EV charging spaces exceeding the guidance of 10% in the SPD & Document S. 2no. spaces are DDA in accordance with the SPD.

In accordance with Document H , and Preston SPD the maximum distance from any residence to the closest bin store is <30m. There are 2no. bin stores, 1no. main store with extensive recycling bins which serves the crescent block and lower 2no. mews streets and a smaller block which serves the top 2no. mews and individual apartments. Waste collection points at the north and south of the site are under 8m from the pull-in spaces for waste collection vehicles in accordance with the SPD and Document H . The plant room meets the minimum space requirements for the 19no. units including a sprinkler and tank room. A designated space is reserved for occasional maintenance vehicles.

In accordance with Approved Document Q , the site is accessed only by secure fob-entry doors or external gates. Each of the mews streets has separate fob-entry gates and at Fishergate the site is accessed via fob-entry lobby space. At Syke Street the crescent block and courtyard are all secure access. The car park has operable shutters and each internal room linking to the site requires fobentry. Following Document B guidance, emergency vehicle bays are provided to the north/south and courtyard entrance with an appropriate turning point provided at courtyard entrance. Fire strategy will be highlighted further overleaf.

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

Site Strategy +12.8m [level 4]

Automatic vents are provided to all kitchens and bathrooms in accordance with Part F

Fire-fighting stairway/lift NOT required as top floor level is <18m

60min Fire Resistance SIPS 3 Dry riser pump Emergency Exit from protected core Individual Final Exits to Courtyard Emergency Vehicle Bay Emergency Vehicle Bay *Externally Mounted Wet Riser to Serve Top Units Access Road 3.7m + <20m reversing path to turning head

Emergency Vehicle Bay

The site strategy is designed in accordance with Approved Document B . The townhouse units have individual means of escape alongside the ground floor annex units. In these unit protected stairways are used and all room are within 9m of the stairway which is <9m from the final exit door. The upper floor units use external access decks and protected cores. There is advised maximum travel distance for escape via external decks, the maximum in the scheme is 27m. All dry and wet risers are within 18m of emergency vehicle bays.

Fire Resistance

E scape route along external decks [<27m (no max)]

Dry Risers [<45m from riser to units]

Dry Riser Pumps

Temporary Emergency Vehicle Bay [<18m to risers]

Turning Circle

Location

of Final Exit Doors [at Grade]

60min requirement

<2m wide to prevent smoke building + >1.5m wide for wheelchair access

Act Six - Behind the Scenes VI.VIII Construction Phasing & RIBA Stages

*Planning is usually submitted at Stage 3 (but may vary from project to project). An additional ‘Theoretical’ Stage is added to reflect the Two-Hundred Year Home. Stage 8 represents the process of extending, joining and separating units over the building life span which can be done in consultation with the original planning information.

Act Six - Behind the Scenes

VI.VIII Construction Phasing & RIBA Stages

Masterplan Phasing

One Demolition

Focus on demolition of the existing site, salvaging all materials which can be re-used including brick to be cut into tiles for use in the landscaping. Preserving and securing the cinema facade to be repaired and restored. Site cabins built at south of the site.

Block Construction

Two Site Excavations

Levelling the site to create the stepped phasing of the site. The site levels are designed to follow the natural topography to minimise the need to cut and fill the site. Excavations will be needed to accommodate for the subterranean levels.

Three Foundations/ Core

Form work created and concrete strip foundations and screeds poured on top of steel rereinforcements. Utility lines installed. Concrete retaining walls poured at subterranean levels. Three building cores constructed level by level with sliding form work.

Four Phased Construction

Materials are brought to site. Scaffolding is built. Buildings are constructed north to south to allow access to cranes and site vehicles. SIPs panels are built off site and craned into position alongside floors and roofs. The crescent block is built last.

Five Interiors & Finishes

Windows are added and internal acoustic insulation and boarding is added. Internal storage wall, built off-site are brought in and fitted, kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and electrical are fitted. Final finishes are done to external and internal spaces.

Six Landscaping

Landscaping and hardscaping undertaken alongside internal finishes. Installation of street furniture and lighting, planting and softscaping added. Removal of site materials and remaining site cabins and final clean and finish of the site. Handover.

Initial site surveys and site setting out. Consultation with subcontractors and construction of SIPs walls, floors and roof panels off-site. Windows, doors and internal storage walls also constructed off-site. Increasing efficiency and reducing wastage.

Strip foundations are poured with steel reinforcements. Retaining walls constructed in formwork where necessary. Site materials are brought onto site ready for construction.

Scaffolding is built. SIPs walls and roof are assembled and joined level by level. Blocks are built simultaneously with adjoining walls between units built with additional acoustic and fire proof insulation. Roof panels are added and windows and doors are fitted to make the buildings watertight.

Trades are brought in to fit electrics and plumbing. Solar tiles are installed in the roof and individual unit boilers and MVHR systems are fitted in the utility rooms and connected to the central heatsource system. Grey-water system is connected to central rainwater harvesting system.

Internal acoustic insulation and plaster-boarding is fitted with rounded cornicing. Floor finishes, tiles and plaster is added to walls. Internal doors and skirting board is added.

Storage walls are fitted and doors added and kitchens and bathroom suites are fitted and plumbed. Fitted lighting and switches are fitted.

Act Seven - The Epilogue VII. I - Multi-generational Moments

Studying from Home

Students are able to stay at home in the annex units and commute to university, reducing their debt while maintaining privacy & independence

Mum - Daughter Playdates

Parents have extra time to play with the kids due to sharing chores & responsibilities with the larger household

Son-in-law shopping days

Families are able to support and look after older relatives without travelling far and interrupting their routine

Preparing & Sharing Meals

Living in larger units allows families to share cooking duties and enjoy meals together in the shared dining room

Additional Rental Income

Families can rent out the annex units to provide additional income which make the larger units financially viable

Studying Together

Younger siblings are able to grow up with the support of their older siblings

Sharing Parental Duties

Divorced families are able to share parental roles remaining close to the children but able to live independently

A Place to grow into Young families are able to grow into the home expanding into the annex units when they need to

Inclusion

& Adaptability

The annexes allow the units to be adapted to suit any household type including work/live arrangements, granny pads and live in care

A space to meet & connect

Neighbours share the communal space and can meet and form friendships and bonds. The communal space also allows households to gather with their extended family Community Values

A sense of identity

The foyer and communal space allows individual residents to gather and feel a sense of community and inclusion

Sharing Advice & Support

Young families can learn from older families and households and both benefit from support such as shared childcare, security and friendship. Granddad watches the children after school

The community forms cemented roots over time with the units remaining within one family for decades

Childcare & Family Moments