Stage 2 Non-Design Work / BA (Hons) Architecture / Newcastle University by Ellen Peirson

AR RC CH H I T E C T U R A LL A

TT E EC CH HN NO O LL O OG GY Y

structural S T R U C T U RA L diagram D IA G RA M

PRIMARY STRUCTURE

SECONDARY STRUCTURE

TERTIARY STRUCTURE

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ARCHITECTURAL

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tectonic intent the foyer is built into a sloping site on the ouseburn Valley. the intention was to create a light glass cube to house the workshop, classrooms and exhibition space. above this would be a heavier timber cube that appears to be floating. this contains the living spaces for students and tutors. due to the many different types of wall construction (retaining walls, glass curtain wall and timber clad walls), the design requires a strong frame to allow for all of them. therefore, it was necessary to employ a steel frame as the primary structure to take most of the load. it also means that the walls are not load bearing and can be made up of anything. this would also be an efficient method of construction as the columns can be created off site and can be efficiently erected onsite to save time and money. to make this structure possible, i lined up most of the walls in my design, so that the steel frame would work across all storeys. the secondary steel beams are supported by the steel columns and contribute to the frames rigidity along with the secondary suspended timber floors. the floor plates, partition walls and flat warm deck roofs are the tertiary elements that complete the structure. due to the heavy load of the structure, the ground floor could only be made of concrete. However, in the interest of sustainability, the intermediate floors are made of timber. a renewable source, with an a+ sustainability rating.

ellen peirson 120552328

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details // 1:10 solid concrete ground Floor - reinforce concret retaining wall - cement and sand screed - Vapour control layer - Kingspan optim-r insulation - damp proof course - sub-base hardcore slab - strip pile foundations

Wall opening (sill and Head)

ellen peirson 120552328

ARCHITECTURAL

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details // 1:10 intermediate timBer Floor

Flat Warm decK rooF - Flashing - Wall cap - damp proof membrane - asphalt wearing course - protective gravel - Bitumen - Kingspan optim-r insulation - Vapour control layer - concrete slab and beams u-Value = 0.034 w/m2k ellen peirson 120552328

ARCHITECTURAL

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Bre: green guide 2008 ratings

The use of concrete in my structure has brought the green guide rating of my constructions down. The ground floor and flat roof could have received a higher rating if I had used a different material or assembly method. However, the concrete ground floor was necessary in supporting the heavy load of the structure. The block and beam concrete roof was implemented for ease of manufacture. Time will not be lost waiting for concrete to harden. Steel trusses or timber joist would have rated higher, however, they would have been expensive and costly. Therefore, I made the decision to stay with this based on cost and manufacture.

ellen peirson 120552328

𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤ℎ =

𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 60 × 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤ℎ + 2.5 80

SITE PLAN

PLINTH

1 Aquarium

GROUND

1 Atrium 2 Lecture Theatre 3 Cafe

GROUND + 0.5

1 Atrium 2 Lecture Theatre 3 Cafe

1 Teaching Space 2 Seminar Rooms 3 Group Study

1 + 0.5

1 Teaching Space 2 Seminar Rooms 3 Private Study

1 Informal Seating + Exhibition Area 2 Marine Observation

The code for sustainable homes is a government method of assessing the sustainability of homes, with an aim to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainable design. Homes are rated based on a set of calculations called the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) which is based on nine aspects of sustainable design. The end SAP value is between 1 and 100, with 100 being zero energy cost. The calculations also give an Environmental Impact rating which looks at the Dwelling CO2 Emission Rate (DER) over the Target CO2 Emission Rate (TER).

In this study, I have used an Excel spreadsheet to look at the energy usage of my design for the Living on the Edge project. The spreadsheet takes into account energy required per m3, fuel costs, solar gains and CO2 emissions. My initial design choices led to a building which had little consideration for the environmental impact it would have. I have made a series of alterations which resulted in a DER/TER increase of 76%. As shown in the table below there was also a decrease in CO2 emissions of 1692 kg per year which saves £278.86 per year. The improved design now only costs £266.54 per year to heat which is below the national average. Here, I will discuss the design changes that led to a credit rating of 9 and propose sources of energy in order to meet the demands of my building. Original

Improved

Solar Gains (Watts)

775.38

353.74

Total Internal Gains (Watts)

1426.73

989.22

Total Energy Cost (£/annum)

545.40

266.54

CO2 Emissions (kg co2/annum)

3255

1563

SAP

74.26

87.42

DER over TER (%)

-30

Credit Rating

N/A

Roof

Glazing and Doors The positioning and structure of my windows seemed to be one of the biggest factors affecting the thermal performance of my building. The North-East side of my building was completely glazed. This accounted for much of the heat loss and also did not allow for much solar gain due to the orientation. I removed most of this glazing in favour of glazing on the South-East side. I decided to use Clayton Triple Glazing. A manufacturer in the North of England producing glazing with a U-value of 0.6. I have found doors that have a u value of 0.58. They are from the German company, Energate.

Insulation I have chosen to use Kingspan OPTIM-R insulation in my wall and roof structure. It has a much lower conductivity than other insulations, whilst also only being 20mm thick. This saves space while also providing superior insulation.

To improve my roof structure, I decided to use a warm roof with a concrete structure. The roof consists of a 60mm asphalt wearing course, 60mm of protective gravel, 15mm of bitumen, 20mm of Kingspan OPTIM-R Insulation, 150mm concrete slab and 15mm of plasterboard. This gives a U-value of

0.34 w/m2k.

Wall

In my wall structure, I decided to use the same insulation (Kingspan OPTIM-R) due to its low conductivity and thinness. The wall structure is 15mm of plasterboard, a steel frame with 140mm of insulation slotted in between, a breather membrane, another layer of 60mm insulation and 19mm of timber cladding.

Floor The ground floor of my tutorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flat sits directly above the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bedrooms. Therefore, there will be zero heat loss here as the space below is heated.

Ceiling height In my first design, I had a storey height of 3m2 on both levels. The design intention was to create large open living spaces with generous areas of glazing. After reviewing my SAP calculations, I decided that reducing this would significantly decrease fuel costs. The total volume of the flat decreased by 28.2m3 meaning there was less volume that required heating. The wall surface area was also reduced which allowed for a decrease in heat loss. The size of the windows did have to be reduced to allow for this which was significant on the South-East side and led to a drop in solar gain. However, the advantages in terms of heat loss and fuel costs outweighed this drawback.

I have created light simulations of my living area using Dialux 4.12 to assess how inhabitable the space is before and after the alterations. It was not only due to the heat loss that the glazing had to be changed. The fully glazed wall, that was at first an integral part of my design, made the living space of my flat completely uninhabitable. As the diagrams produced on Dialux show, the lux values for the room are nearly always above 800lx (the white areas of the diagram), with some spaces above 3000lx. The most comfortable areas of the room being the green/blue areas, 200-400lx would be the most desirable. My first design creates a predominately white model as it took in little consideration for how comfortably lit the space would be and favouring the expansive view opportunities. My first design also only had single glazing panels. This gives a U-value of 2.0 W/m2k and a light transmittance of 90%.

AFTER ALTERATIONS I wanted to keep as much glazing as possible on the South-East side as this significantly effects the credit rating due to solar gain. Therefore, I only kept windows on the far side of the room where extra lighting was needed in order to light the room evenly. To remove all North-East facing windows would mean one side of the living area would be too dark and the room would still not be comfortably inhabitable. Although the new arrangement does still have some areas of over 800lx, the majority of the room is between 200-400lx. This allows for an acceptable compromise between glare, views and solar gain. All of the improved windows are triple glazed and therefore have a U-value of 0.6 w/m2k and a light transmittance of 68%. These modifications to the glazing have decreased heat losses. This will reduce fuel costs. Although my first design had very high solar gains, this was outweighed by the heat losses that these expansive windows created. My final solar gains figure is 353.74 Watts. This is less than half of the original value. However, it is still an adequate amount to allow for natural heating of the living space.

Through my design alterations, the total energy cost has reduced by over 50%. With the demands for lighting and pump and fans being very low, the main energy needed is for the water heating (3494KWhr/year) and the space heating (2954KWhr/year).

Photovoltaic Cells The South side of the building is completely exposed. This creates perfect opportunity to use photovoltaic cells on top of the flat roof to harness the suns energy as there is little shading. They will still produce electricity on a cloudy day as they do not need direct sunlight. A 3.5kWp panel would produce 3000kWhr/year which would reduce the fuel costs of the flat by nearly a half. As the roof is flat, they can be put up at an angle. They would be best facing East or West as this would produce a more even distribution of power throughout the day.

Combined heat and power This is the use of a heat engine that both produces electricity and useful heat. The waste heat from fuel combustion is harnessed and can be used for space heating and water heating. As the energy is produced locally it avoids heat losses in transmission and distribution throughout the National Grid. MicroCHP boilers have recently become available so that this method can be applied on a domestic level. They are most efficient when the heating and electricity are required at the same time, which would be applicable in a domestic setting. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Baxi Ecogen - Micro-CHPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seems to be the most appropriate. It can generate 1kW when working at maximum capacity. Excess energy can also be sold to the National Grid. This, paired with the photovoltaic cells would provide sufficient resources for the whole flat.

The Evelyn Grace Academy (2010) in Brixton and Oakfield Primary School (2012) in Rugby were only completed two years apart, although their buildings differ greatly. The schools represent a political change in the UK at the time. In 2010, the Conservatives came into power, with Michael Gove being appointed as the Secretary of State for Education. I will compare and contrast these two buildings, showing how these two school communities ended up with two very different structures. The Evelyn Grace Academy (2010) in Brixton and Oakfield Primary School (2012) in Rugby were only completed two years apart, although their buildings differ greatly. The schools represent a political change in the UK at the time. In 2010, the Conservatives came into power, with Michael Gove being appointed as the Secretary of State for Education. I will compare and contrast these two buildings, showing how these two school communities ended up with two very different structures.

The role of architecture in education has always been understated. However, the school architecture debate is ongoing and very much active. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was a scheme of the previous Labour government under which £55bn was to be invested to make well equipped buildings that would ‘inspire learning’ and deal with a large backlog of deteriorating old schools. (BBC, 2011) Then the BSF was scrapped by Michael Gove after the James Review was published in 2011. (James, 2011) Outlining the failings of BSF, the James Review argued for resources to be redirected to where they were most needed. Projects were cancelled and some were replaced by designs for standardised school buildings. This modular construction considerably reduced the input of architects.

Although the Evelyn Grace building was not built under BSF, its design and construction was carefully planned by architects. Evelyn Grace was built under the Labour ‘academy’ scheme. Some academies are sponsored by businesses and Evelyn Grace is privately funded by hedge fund managers. (Scott, 2011) As the academy is privately funded, most design decisions were made by the architects management. Evelyn Grace TH school CENTURY ARCHITECTURE 20and shows how this scheme had the ability to create bespoke and fit-for-purpose Take two buildings built withininstitutions. 20 years of Evelyn Grace was built in a deprived area of Brixton by Absolute Return for Kids (ARK). each other that contrast greatly in terms of ARK is an organisation which aims to providedesign, education for all children, with an end goal but have very similar functions. of closing the achievement gap. (Moore, 2010)Ensuring The building houses four separate schools that you describe these contrasts with shared communal areas. Breaking the school down like this gives the students carefully, give an account of why the twoa feeling of intimacy and ownership. The objective of the school was to help rejuvenate buildings are so different (perhaps this isthe to area and help the childrens education progress and these objectives helped it the do with the design approaches andwin beliefs Stirling prize. The building is designed to give disadvantaged an identity and Image 1 of the architects orchildren their clients, the social, something they can be proud to call their own. It shows the children that ‘someone is valuing (Moore, 2010) geographic orthem’. economic context and so on).

Following The James Review, the construction company Wilmott Dixon Ellen Peirson designed a set of buildings which could be replicated throughout the 120552328 country – Sunesis standardised schools. One of these being the ‘Keynes’ design. Oakfield was built at cost of £2.2m as opposed to £2m for renovating their own building. Oakfield was the first Keynes school to be constructed and following its success the design was repeated. It is a modular building with the majority of the modules made off-site and then assembled on top of a concrete foundation. This results in a construction time of only 32 weeks and little disruption to the children’s education. It also means that most design decisions were made by Wilmott Dixon and the government in order to mass-produce schools efficiently and the school management had little say. (Warwickshire News, 2012) Image 2

‘NO-ONE IS HERE TO MAKE

ARCHITECTS RICHER’ – MICHAEL GOVE

How to Build Schools

Image 3

Although the Evelyn Grace building was not built under BSF, its design and construction was carefully planned by architects. Evelyn Grace was built under the Labour ‘academy’ scheme. Some academies are sponsored by businesses and Evelyn Grace is privately funded by hedge fund managers. (Scott, 2011) As the academy is privately funded, most design decisions were made by the architects and school management. Evelyn Grace shows how this scheme had the ability to create bespoke and fit-for-purpose institutions. Evelyn Grace was built in a deprived area of Brixton by Absolute Return for Kids (ARK). ARK is an organisation which aims to provide education for all children, with an end goal of closing the achievement gap. (Moore, 2010) The building houses four separate schools with shared communal areas. Breaking the school down like this gives the students a feeling of intimacy and ownership. The objective of the school was to help rejuvenate the area and help the childrens education progress and these objectives helped it win the Stirling prize. The building is designed to give disadvantaged children an identity and something they can be proud to call their own. It shows the children that ‘someone is valuing them’. (Moore, 2010)

Following The James Review, the construction company Wilmott Dixon designed a set of buildings which could be replicated throughout the country – Sunesis standardised schools. One of these being the ‘Keynes’ design. Oakfield was built at cost of £2.2m as opposed to £2m for renovating their own building. Oakfield was the first Keynes school to be constructed and following its success the design was repeated. It is a modular building with the majority of the modules made off-site and then assembled on top of a concrete foundation. This results in a construction time of only 32 weeks and little disruption to the children’s education. It also means that most design decisions were made by Wilmott Dixon and the government in order to mass-produce schools efficiently and the school management had little say. (Warwickshire News, 2012) Image 4

The two schools were built with different objectives. Evelyn Grace focuses on the specific community, it was designed with Brixton in mind. Oakfield was designed with efficiency, cost effectiveness and a one-size-fits-all approach. This has been done before. For example, in 1870 under The Elementary Education Act when the introduction of free education called for hundreds of new buildings, all of which originated from a standard design by Edward Robson which was adapted to different locations and needs. (Robson, 1874) More recently in Brazil, Oscar Niemeyer designed hundreds of CIEPs (Integrated Centre of Public Education) with a standard design. (Wainwright, 2013) Perhaps the reason that Oakfield has been met with some criticism is that its design lacks adaptability and ingenuity. Robson’s work was adapted slightly to suit each site. Oakfield was designed and built with little involvement by architects. Consequently, the sloping site had to be flattened to adapt for the design which is not conventional architectural design practice. It was not made with Rugby in mind; Warwickshire Council were merely the first to be given the new school type. This lack of site consideration means that the outdoor spaces of Oakfield are ‘unformed and ragged’, in contrast to the small community which has been established in the outdoor spaces of Evelyn Grace. (Moore, 2013)

Image 5

In finance, design and construction, Evelyn Grace had a lot of freedom. The school site was brand new, meaning that they did not have to consider the disruption to current pupil’s education and could put more time into the design and choosing more time-consuming construction methods. However, Oakfield was in need of a new building quickly to replace the old. They were restricted operationally as the old school building was still running alongside the building site and therefore the basic modular construction method was required. It was also needed because of budget cuts for county councils. By comparison, Evelyn Grace’s hedge fund sponsors contributed generously to the costs of the building.

The theory of architectural determinism proposes that architectural design and social behaviour are very closely related. Children especially are very impressionable and can adapt to any ‘arrangement of space’ and their behaviour will be ‘caused entirely by the characteristics of the environment’. (Craighead, 2001, p.510) Evelyn Grace was made for a deprived community which needed a boost and investment for this came from many different sources. Evelyn Grace makes a clear statement to the deprived children that they matter. It makes them feel like they now have worth. When the school opened teachers and pupils were excited because there was nothing else like it in the country. The school was designed so that there were no hidden spaces. This means that no one gets lost and bullying is reduced. The building had a positive effect on the student’s behaviour. Opposing this, Oakfield was made for a deprived country, which needed to save resources and the building reflects this policy. Oakfield is in a much more affluent community and the government’s educational objective of bridging the gap of poorly performing pupils is relatively less-important. However, if children know their school is not special or fit for purpose, they may feel under-valued and may even become rebellious. Architecture leaves an ‘indelible impression’ on young children and gives them an idea of what architecture should be like. (RIBA, 2011, p.8) This can therefore have an impact on architecture for future generations. Rejecting architecture from education can lead to unwanted consequences. This cheap building ultimately means that resources can be redirected elsewhere, but ‘bad architecture’ could ‘cost you more’. (RIBA, 2011, p.1) Opposing this, the school’s identity is also reflected in its building. A running track goes through Evelyn Grace, celebrating its interest in sport and showing that those that like sport can achieve highly there. The school management were able to tell the architects exactly what kind of space and community they would like to create. The result is a series of intriguing outdoor spaces across different floors that weave their way through the building. This creates a space where the students want to spend time, separate from the learning environment and especially for them. The building communicates that the school is there for the students and that they are valued. The design at Oakfield is more basic, with management and teachers only left with the choice of cladding and how to decorate. The classrooms are all positioned Image 4 off of one ‘street’, which is the main circulation space and also houses additional teaching facilities. This dual-use space is highly efficient, although it means that each student using it cannot feel as though it is theirs. The extra facilities could be instrumental to struggling students, but the location means that they will constantly be disrupted. Image 5

Sunesis schools pride themselves on eliminating the expensive design phase from the process, meaning there is no need for architects. The main criticism of BSF was that architects were ‘creaming off’ money from the scheme. (Hurst, 2011) The James Review took heavy criticism from the RIBA. RIBA responded saying that ‘pupils deserve better’. (Waite, 2011) Wanting to eliminate architecture from education, Gove considered architects to be part of the problem, whilst others saw them as the solution. The BSF asked for technologically advanced schools, standing as a statement to the community of what they were there to do and that is what the architects delivered. However, architects can adapt to different briefs, which is what they are trained to do. They are used to working to budgets and with time constraints and if asked they could have developed standardized and cost effective schools as Robson and Niemeyer did. As architect Jack Pringle said in response, ‘all you need to do is ask’. (Pringle, 2011) The Oakfield building functions perfectly as a school and fits the needs of the pupils. However, it is difficult not to think that there should be something more to the place where these children are going to grow up. The Evelyn Grace building is inspiring for the children and undoubtedly contributes to their pride in the school. Perhaps more involvement from architects in the design of Oakfield could have created a building that wasn’t just fit for purpose.

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It is difficult to compare the two without considering funding. Evelyn Grace had large injections of money from many sources, most notable, ARK. The £38 million building displays its wealth from all angles. (Scott, 2011) The building is only a small part of this. The school has employed a large number of support staff that a regular state school could not afford. BSF was scrapped so that the money being spent on these school buildings could be redirected to other areas of education such as teaching and resources. Oakfield came from a government that needs to make cutbacks in all areas. Whilst, ‘flat-pack schools’ are not ideal, they are fast becoming the reality. Architects have a desire to follow Hadid in creating visionary and inspiring schools. But the government simply cannot fund this and they will be forced to look to other benefactors and create these under the academy scheme. Whilst Oakfield does not have the same grandeur of Evelyn Grace, it is a successful school and both staff and students are happy with the new building. Because of Sunesis, they have been able to move out of their 1950s building. Evelyn Grace is exciting and revolutionary, but in times of austerity it just is not feasible for every school student to attend an ‘Evelyn Grace’. Oakfield still managed to create an adequate learning environment for only £2.2m and is therefore just as much of a success as Evelyn Grace. (Warwickshire News, 2012)

Evelyn Grace is an ideal building for an ideal school. It has enough funding to offer its students a very special education and to change the lives of students in an area that desperately needs it. It has put everything it can into all aspects of the school and this is evident in the school’s success. Despite this, not all schools are going to get the funding that Evelyn Grace received, to argue that all schools should receive similar funding is politically unrealistic. Oakfield is a different set of circumstances. With a growing population and limited amount of resources available for education, the Keynes school was a solution to their need for a new school. However, it has its limitations as it was not specifically designed for the site and the people that use it. By spending slightly more and with more careful consideration for design, a set of adaptable yet still standardised schools could be developed that provide a compromise between costs and providing the educational facilities that children deserve. 1976 words

Bibliography

Images

Sebastian James. (2011). Review of Education Capital. Available: https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/James%20Reviewpdf.pdf. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

BBC. (2011). Q&A: Building Schools for the Future. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-10682980. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Caroline Scott. (2011). Inner-city academy that's a blueprint for the future. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/8497435/Inner-city-academy-thats-a-blueprint-for-the-future.html. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Rowan Moore. (2010). Evelyn Grace Academy, Brixton – review. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/oct/17/evelyn-grace-academy-review. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Warwickshire News. (2012). Next generation school opens in Rugby. Available: http://news.warwickshire.gov.uk/blog/2012/11/05/next-generation-school-opens-in-rugby/. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Edward Robert Robson (1874). School architecture: being practical remarks on the planning, designing, building, and furnishing of school-houses. London: John Murray.

Oliver Wainwright. (2013). Flatpack or flexible? Oscar Niemeyer's schools could have lessons for the UK. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2013/mar/15/flatpack-flexible-oscar-niemeyerschools. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Rowan Moore. (2013). Michael Gove's standardised schools not such a class act. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/apr/14/michael-gove-standardised-school-architecture. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. W. Edward Craighead, Charles B. Nemeroff. (2001). Environmental Psychology. In: Corsini Encyclopaedia of Psychology and Behavioural Science. 3rd Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p.510. RIBA. (2011). Good design – it all adds up. Available: http://www.architecture.com/Files/RIBAHoldings/PolicyAndInternationalRelations/Policy/Gooddesignitalladdsup.pdf. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Will Hurst. (2011). Michael Gove in new attack on 'award-winning architects'. Available: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/5012674.article. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Richard Waite. (2011). James Review: RIBA says 'pupils deserve better than flatpack schools'. Available: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/james-review-riba-says-pupils-deserve-better-than-flatpackschools/8613707.article. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Jack Pringle. (2011). Hadid's Evelyn Grace Academy: Gove won’t like it. Available: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/hadidsevelyn-grace-academy-gove-won%E2%80%99t-like-it/5025701.article. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

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Luke Hayes. (2010). Evelyn Grace Academy. Available: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/evelyn-grace-academy/.

Image 2

The Construction Index. (2012). Pupils move into first Sunesis school. Available:

http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/pupils-move-into-first-sunesis-school. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Image 3

Hélène Binet. (2010). Evelyn Grace Academy. Available: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/evelyn-graceacademy/. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Image 4

Luke Hayes. (2010). Evelyn Grace Academy. Available: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/evelyn-grace-academy/. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015. Image 5

bdonline. (2013). Carbuncle Cup nomination — Oakfield Primary, Rugby by Atkins for Sunesis. Available:

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Image 6

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Sunesis. (2012). Sunesis Keynes. Available: http://www.sunesisbuild.co.uk/products/education/keynes/1/. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.

Also known as the ‘monument to the third international’, Tatlin’s tower was designed to send a message just as much as it was to serve a function. It was to be a symbol of modernity to its nation. The designs were completed in 1920 and the tower was to be built as a salute to its soviet state and an icon of the revolution. It was more to be more than just a monument – the designs had a message and a vision. However, Russia was only a few years off of the rise of Joseph Stalin and this time of political change as well as the country’s financial difficulties meant that it would never be realised.

'Art is Dead – Long Live Tatlin's Machine Art'

The tower has the same tilt as the earth – 23.5 degrees. Made of three components, the structure would move with the earth at different rates. Each component would do a full rotation every day, month and year. These astrological formulas that Tatlin has imbedded in his designs disagree with the constructivist style he worked in. It seems to work in two directions, perhaps reflecting the political turmoil of Russia at the time. This confusion of direction seems to be present throughout the design. The rigid steel structure should create a threatening and superior feel. But, as a whole, it forms an organic spiral which moves with its rotation. It demonstrates how chaos and precision can exist side by side. The structural integrity of Tatlin’s design is often questioned especially with the technology and resources available at the time. Few photos of models, plans and sections still exist. You wonder if he ever thought it would be built or if it was just an ideal to him, as if he sensed Stalin was coming. His designs were Utopian. After Tatlin’s Tower, he went on to design ‘letatlin’, a flying machine for himself. His designs echo the ideal and escapism but also how hopeless this can be.

To represent this building in the form of an embodied drawing, I will take ideas from the constructivist art that Tatlin and other Russian artist were pioneering at the time. The work is geometric and random, with the predominant colour being red. I would like to show the juxtaposition of the chaotic next to the precise. In order to achieve this, my picture will have layers – one a very rigid, constructivist and true representation of the tower and one a much more experiential and visual image of the tower. The second will be much more basic, such as this street art of the tower found in Mumbai (pictured below). Drawing over layers of tracing paper is a technique often employed by architects. It gives drawings a versatility and a sense of movement that cannot be achieved with just one sheet. The drawings often become a process, as opposed to an end goal and allow for certain aspects of a design to evolve quickly. The layers will represent the two sides of the tower. Firstly, the basic structure and ingenuity of the design. Behind this will be the organic shapes that the structure creates, displayed in such a way that it describes the political unrest in Russia at the time and what the tower represented. The work of Perry Kulper is of particular interest to me; his drawings are highly communicative and allow a sense of hierarchy in the information he is conveying. The images and text in the foreground seem more significant, whilst the background material allows for subtle and valuable messages.

The effect of the physical environment on Alzheimer’s disease. With a rapidly ageing population, there is an increasing number of people needing care for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general. 1.3% of the entire population suffer from some form of dementia1 and this figure is set to increase. There is now a focus on finding new treatments and care plans for sufferers. This care will not always be medicinal. The physical environment can have a great impact on the sufferer. With no cure for the disease, caring for the patient and slowing down the deterioration is important. A care home in Wiltshire saw a drop in anti-psychotic drugs when it brought in a ‘time-warp’ room for its patients, dating to the 1950s.

It is also important to consider the effect on the family and friends left behind. The home must have privacy and dignity for both the benefit of the patient and the visitors. This could mark a move away from a clinical and hospitallike environment – the patients are not sick in the same way. Patients also shouldn’t feel imprisoned – just protected. Levels of dependency It is worth noting that Alzheimer’s is a very slow moving disease and therefore there is a range of levels of care required. Some patients can function with little to no help whilst others will need nonstop care. Who is this most essential for? Those without family/money? Or something that can help all care-givers – whether state funded or private. If this is state funded, how do we measure dependency? Some of the design considerations can be relatively cheap and subtle things to change and therefore can be delivered as advice to care givers as opposed to providing a service.

Bibliography John Zeisel (2010). I'm Still Here: A New Philosophy of Alzheimer's Care. New York: Penguin Group. Alzheimer's Society. (2014). Demography. Available: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=412. Last accessed 23rd April 2015. Rosenfeld and Chapman (2008). Home Design in an Aging World. New York: Fairchild Books.

Figure 1: A 'time-warp' room at a care home in Wiltshire, UK.

Should this be care homes? Or care at home? Care homes are expensive and with greater use of technology2 (Rosenfeld and Chapman) patients could be able to stay at home longer which will make space in the care homes for more severe and progressed cases. Is this sensible? Housing crisis For many patients, the benefit of this care would to be able to stay in their original home, which they are familiar with, for longer. However, for a lot of patients this will mean a large family home, that now contains many empty bedrooms. With a shortage of family homes across the UK, these houses are greatly needed. Are we trying to slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s or make patients more comfortable? How can patients get the most out of their lives, and not focus on the symptoms of their disease. Design considerations In the design of care homes there are issues that must be taken into account –both practical and therapeutic. For example, patients who cannot remember the last 20 or so years may not understand certain signs for bathrooms which did not come to exist within their memory. From a more therapeutic point of view, the patients need to feel secure and reassured. Alzheimer’s and anxiety often go together and by creating a familiar environment with little frustration these feelings of anxiety can be reduced. Alzheimer's Society. (2014). Demography. Available: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=412. Last accessed 23rd April 2015. 2 Rosenfeld and Chapman (2008). Home Design in an Aging World. New York: Fairchild Books. 1

“ALL MEN HAVE THE SAME ORGANISM, THE SAME FUNCTIONS. ALL MEN HAVE THE SAME NEEDS. … I PROPOSE ONE SINGLE BUILDING FOR ALL NATIONS.”

WHERE IS HOME?

If we are to say that one building can be a suitable home for all, it is crucial that we first understand what home really is. We immediately think that home is the house that we live in – where we store our belongings and where we sleep. But then some refer to the town that they come from as ‘home’, or on a wider scope, the country. Home can be as much about neighbours and surroundings as it is about the four walls that enclose you. It is a connection even more than it is an entity – it is the atmosphere we try to recreate, the sense of belonging we form and it is the force which continually draws us back to certain places. Is home just a set of four walls, or is it better seen as a mentality that can exist past the domestic sphere. By look at the work of theorists such as Dovey, Tzonis and Pallasma, I will be considering whether Le Corbusier was write to put forward this idea of ‘one single building for all nations’.

HOME AS ORDER

Home is what positions us in time, space and society. It gives us security, certainty and stability. It is essentially the thing that centres us in our world. This relationship is rooted in childhood, in our earliest memories and grows over time. Our homes reflect the ‘social order’. Different routines and habits result in different spaces – the home defines itself around our lives, our culture. These qualities make it possible to re-establish ‘home’ in different places, regardless of the building fabric.

HOME AS IDENTITY

Home has a unique meaning to each person. It sculpts us as individuals, begins to dictate our futures and teaches us values, how to behave and forms a part of our social identity. In reverse, the home is used as a vehicle to express ourselves. We use it to mirror both who we are and who we want to be. Our identity is a combination of where we have come from and where we are going – we express our past through adornments. The contents of our home hold our memories and capture the past.

HOME AS CONNECTEDNESS

Through home we form relationships between ourselves and the world around us. It connects us to other people as a part of the sociocultural order and as an expression of our identity. It connects us to a place – we are oriented in it and root ourselves. Our identity is attached to a place. And it connects us with our past and future. It holds our memories and through it we experience familiarity and continuity.

IS THIS A MATTER OF BUILDING STYLE OR HOME? This assertion seems to suggest a want for The International Style, a time at which Le Corbusier was working. Opposing vernacular architecture, which works with the parameters of local needs and availabilities, The International Style aimed to traverse nations and cultures – based on simple forms and visible structure, the style avoids unnecessary ornament. Critical regionalism attempts to bridge the both - a compromise between the needs of a community and the desires of the world. It is concerned with place and the idea that surroundings should be directly reflected in the building. It takes the global language of architecture and gives it an identity according to its region, but not to the individual. It gives ‘priority to the identity of the particular rather than to universal dogmas’ . This is the much wider context of the issue proposed by Le Corbusier. Whilst overlooking the experiential problems that Le Corbusier’s idea proposes, it is questionable over whether different environments and climates can all support just one structure. If necessary it could be feasible but is it the most desirable? The most efficient?

The culture of copycat architecture in China has proven that architecture needs to be site specific to at least some degree. The country’s architects took buildings and towns that they deemed to be successful and cloned them in their entirety. To some the ‘duplitecture’ seemed unreasonable – a replica of Stonehenge has no meaning without the history and meaning that it holds. However to others this was seen as a step towards innovation, but perhaps not in the right direction. Hadid, who took legal action for her work being copied, even admitted that it “could be quite exciting”. If the work can be developed on then it will always benefit the world of architecture. However, a complete copy of somebody’s work completely disregards the design choices which were made with direct relation to the site.

“IT IS FINE TO TAKE FROM THE SAME WELL – BUT NOT FROM THE SAME BUCKET.” MY STREET - ST. GEORGES TERRACE

True to most terraced houses, they are near enough identical in layout and structure. With 7/8 bedroom houses and 2/3 bedroom flats, the street is occupied by an eclectic mix of students, families and retired couples. With a range of personal budgets, each person still manages to happily occupy very similar spaces. There are obvious visual differences – some have immaculate front gardens, whilst others are showing fading paint work and drinks cans littered in porch ways. They all started off exactly the same and have come to be inhabited in very different ways.

“A PARTICULAR SMELL MAKES US UNKNOWINGLY RE-ENTER A SPACE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN BY THE RETINAL MEMORY, THE NOSTRILS AWAKEN, A FORGOTTEN IMAGE AND WE ARE ENTITLED TO ENTER A VIVID DAYDREAM”

“THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS TO THE HOME, AND THE ACTUAL SOLID BUILDING IS ONLY A PART OF IT. ONLY REALLY NOTING IT WHEN SOMETHING CHANGES.”

“OUR CONSTRUCTED WORLD HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND AND REMEMBER WHO WE ARE” “HOME ORIENTS US AND CONNECTS US WITH THE PAST, THE FUTURE, THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND OUR SOCIAL WORLD”

BECOMING AT HOME

It has been asserted that we create our own relationship with home. It is rooted in childhood and past experiences . If we detach this notion of home from the physical entity of a house, then the idea of home becomes a multitude of things. It is a place in which you feel safe, you are completely aware of your surroundings. A ‘familiarity… rooted in bodily routines’ . Whether this experience be walking around your hometown without the need to think where you are going, or guiding around your house in the dark, each of these complies with Dovey’s notions of ‘home’. The home isn’t just a house that shelters you from the world outdoors. It is the community you grew up in that refuges you from the intimidating city. And it is that intimidating city that later refuges you from the wider nation. By not just looking at the ‘home’ on a minute level, the physical building we usually imagine a home to occupy starts to become irrelevant and we can perceive home beyond this material domain.

“NEVER MAKE YOUR HOME IN A PLACE. MAKE A HOME FOR YOURSELF INSIDE YOUR OWN HEAD. YOU'LL FIND WHAT YOU NEED TO FURNISH IT- MEMORY, FRIENDS YOU CAN TRUST, LOVE OF LEARNING, AND OTHER SUCH THINGS. THAT WAY IT WILL GO WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU JOURNEY.” By detaching this notion of home from the physical building, we can greater understand how Le Corbusier may have come to this conclusion. If the building you live in becomes irrelevant to the idea of home, then each man could indeed occupy the same space. Architecture is often regurgitated over and over to meet the needs of different people and different communities. Social housing schemes often use a tried and tested floor plan to allow for housing to be made available quickly and efficiently. Each occupant is given exactly the same space, but what they do with it varies greatly. This is powerfully demonstrated by photographer Mark Cowper, photographing numerous living spaces, all in one London tower block, Ethelburga Tower. The results confirm that ‘home’ comes in many different forms – no matter what the starting block is. We create our own space with mementos and belongings. They ‘embody the past and are a part of our future’ and turn empty shells into unique and distinctive spaces – an extension of our character and personality. The embodiment of ‘who we are by where we have come from’. Each flat has exactly the same worth – but the adornment tells a different story. The way each space is occupied gives each tenant a different social status. They have reflected their own identity into the room – whether it is accurate or not. Their design intentions gives them their status.

IN CONCLUSION

Le Corbusier does not use the phrase home. He does not say anything about desires, wants and tastes. We do have the same needs. We all need to eat – a place to store food, a bathroom/toilet area, a place to sleep. The way in which each manifests itself can differ. However, we can start with the same basic plan. The issue here is dependent on the view that the home is separate from the house. Each person could be given a house as a starting point and then it is up to them to develop this into a home. Buildings can evolve over time; partition walls can be put up or taken down and spaces can be redefined. The expression of home is a journey and how each person manifests this statement is a description of their personality. Home is an extension of oneself and this is temporal. ‘The human imagination carries the notion of home into any really inhabited space’, the form and shape of the space itself is in many ways irrelevant. I agree that one building could be suitable for all. The building that we occupy bears little authority over how we occupy it and each person is capable of making a home for themselves anywhere – whether that be a conventional house or not..

ST GEORGES TERRACE - JESMOND