Feminist Figures Document 1, Manchester School of Architecture

Project Overview and Contents

Introducing the Project Title - our city

Figure, Ground & Bearings

Identity

Networks and Nodes

Mapping the Macro-climate

Parallel Histories

The Project Title - exploring Ardwick

Scale Factor

The Personal Diurnal vs Nocturnal

A Woman’s ‘route’ine

User Factor

The Project Title - Feminist city planning

The politcal: What’s it got to do with planning?

The political: What’s in a number?

The politcal: What’s in a name?

Diagramming the Feminist City

Defining the Streetscape

Archive Typologies

Defining the Archive

Spaces... to talk, to inspire, to care

Archive Case Study

Faces & Voices

The BIG Big Draw

Inspiration & Precedents

The Big Draw 1.0

The Big Draw 2.0

The Big Draw 3.0

Site & Wider Site strategy

Iterative Massing

Programme & Zoning

The Project Title - Actively archiving

Who is the Archive for?

Site & Streetscape

Playing with Projection

Ground floor plan 1:200

First floor plan 1:200

Second floor plan 1:200

Roof plan 1:200

North elevation & section 1:200

West elevation & section 1:200

South elevation & section 1:200

West elevation 1:200

The Feminist Spine

The Green Spine

1:50 Vignettes

Project Road Map & Five Point Plan

Bibliography

* The markers to the RIGHT will be used throughout this portfolio to indicate the node explored on the page and the progression of the project through the pages*

** Pages are not chronologically but to form a narrative of concept throught to creation**

Personal

What does feminism mean to me? Its a question I have always, never quite been able to answer. As someone who runs in the face of potential conflict I have always struggled to define how I can confidently and yet quietly convey my Feminist approach. I am proud and empowered by my status as a woman and believe wholly in the intersectional feminist point of view. I am often angered and inflamed by the injustices that exist in the societal economies that leave women and those not of the ‘ideal’ body type, race, gender and age stereotyped by media and culture at a disadvantage, and a disadvantage that is often so normalised it is hard to recognise. However I am also aware of my own privileges as a white, straight and middle-class individual despite my inheritted injustices being a woman.

I see feminism not as a scale nor a title to bestow upon only those who actively argue with men about their privelledges, but as a adjective, one that describes anyone who believes that gender and race and sexuality should not define someone’s opportunity or treatment in life. So for me a feminist project is one that considers the people who need it and will use it and gives everyone an equal input and opportunity to experience it; safely, freely and without judgement and one that sets a precedent for similar change in the city.

Praxxis

The Praxxis approach is considering architecture as not just a giver of form, a filler of space or an aesthetic puritan on a landscape, but as a server of the people who’s daily lives occur within its context. To be wholly honest with myself Praxxis scared me, as a feminist with a fear of admitting so, was worried I would lose sight of other reason’s behind design and become so fixated on women that alienate others. Praxxis’ approach, however is not that of exclusivity, rather of intersectionality, and the atilier is based upon a critical understanding of these terms and theories. A Praxxis approach to design is not disimilar to any sympathetic, user-oriented architect’s design, accept in the fact that it is Feminist principals and characteristics which create the mindset of an architect who works on a human scale. While I do not agree that if you design for women you unconciously design for everyone else, I do believe that you come very close to a universally accessible and people-centric design, from there it is what sets you apart as your own architect that continues to evolve from these foundations.

The Pankhurst

The Pankhurst centre on the corner of Grafton and Nelson Street is the obvious epicentre of Feminism and feminist programmes in Manchester. Home to Emmeline Pankhurst in the years running up to her protests for women’s right to vote it represents powerhouse of the city’s radicals and a symbol of the women we have to thank for our freedom today. Currently a small archive-museum it was saved from demolition in the 1970s and is now a heritage site with Grade II listed status. The site therefore lays the foundation for a sympathetic and thoughtful brief, that aims to continue the programme of archiving from a Feminist approach whilst introducing further programmes to the site to benefit and appeal to the local community. The Pankhurst Centre is a key element in the project as it develops as it sets the tone and context of the site in a solid physical but also theoretical and literal way. The site poses several interesting challenges and the role of the final intervention on site must tackle these, cleverly introducing new life, playfully embracing the larger context and thoughtfully responding to the historic narratives.

Figure, Ground & Bearings

The project site occupies the corner block of Nelson and Grafton street in the lower suburb of Manchester city centre: Ardwick. The block is currently home to a pub, research building and car park and tucked into the far corner the Emmeline Pankhurst Centre, former home of Emmeline herself and a feminist epicentre of the city. The building is Grade II listed and demands a symapthetic and thoughtful design response. Looking at the wider context of south-central Manchester identifies an area of twosides: one of the dominant student population, and one of the working class and often migrant families who call it home. On a city-wide scale, the site and new design proposals should weave into Manchester’s rich historic narrative and respond to the climate, context and scale of the city.

The site sits sandwiched between two foundational campuses of the city, the University and the Hospital. Occupying a small square footage within a landscape dominated by institutionalism, and within this 50X50m plot sits a heritage protected bubble of the past, a glimpse into the 1900s and a reminder of the women who shaped our country. Amongst the steel and glass, a post-modernist ‘behind-the-scenes’ of Manchester’s largest hospital, protected by its Grade II listed status, The Emmeline Pankhurst centre sits as a monument to the feminist icon. The building is invisible from Grafton street and made even more so by its location in between the two corridors to the city, a place for passing-by not stopping and thinking.

The site has good exposure to southern daylighting and is shadowed only by the car park adjacent, however polluted by constant road noise and the occasional deafening ambulance siren. The overwhelming acoustics begin to plateau towards the southern perimeter of the site. The site is dominated by its perimeters, the borders that provide interaction and visual connection and the boundaries which barricade the site from its surroundings, whether physically, acoustically or architecturally. An archive, whilst a reflective, calm and welcoming space, must also be strong and stable, a withholding force against the environment of steel and glass and noise which surrounds it and a protector of history and legacy.

Identity

An archive is a representation of identity, a record of legacy and a resource against naivety. The identity of an individual may be represented by their clothes, their face and their words, the identity of a country may be represented by its culture and its architecture, but the Feminist archive brings into question how the identity of an ideology can be represented, recorded and reflected.

The purpose of the archive is to explore the identity of feminism and to apply this identity to an architecture which enables a feminist manifesto. The site, though identifiable lacks its own identity, deafened by those of the hospital and its architecture, harsh steel and concrete, its atmosphere of emergency, and the commotion of the University, popularised by students and an ever-expanding campus. Yet, behind these seemingly lifeless façades, there is a history steeped in innovation, sacrifice, hope and triumph and it is this identity that is lost and forgotten if not kept safe within an archive. The characteristics of the site are harsh, cold and masculine, the embodiment of the archive is strong, yet gentle, warm and ultimately feminine.

Ardwick was once a magnet that drew wealth and the wealthy to the cities southern edge. Whilst Moss-side and Hulme housed the workers in the mills these families made their wealth from, in a generalised view this was a prosperous time for the area. The evidence of this primetime still seen in the massive Victorian villas that characterise the streets, now broken down into digestible flats and student-lets. With the growth of the UMIST and Victoria University of Manchester campuses in the 20th century came a displacement of the upper classes, replaced by students who continue to popularise the area today. The Manchester Royal Infirmary moved to Oxford Road in 1908 and has since expanded and bled out into these suburbs of the city. Meanwhile Brunswick, Ardwick and Victoria Park gained a reputation as troublesome areas, with several failing attempts at regeneration in the 60s and again today, the council keen on bettering the outward appearance of this gateway to the city, continue to ignore the needs of those who do not just pass through, but make home in South Manchester.

VIRTUAL NETWORKS

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

Kern, L. (2020) Feminist City: A Field Guide

Historically the city was for the working man, the suburb for the respectable housewife. The nuclear family stereo-type stressed the importance of the suburbs for the safety of women and children, pushing again the city was the man’s realm. ““They say: the city really isn’t for you”. However the suburbs present their own challenges: reliance on the car and difficulty to juggle unpaid and paid work for a women. The city therefore seems a better place for women with easy access to amenities and public transport, being able to work and take the children to school in the same block and grab dinner on the way back. On the surface the city is more convenient and built for the woman’s varying daily routines going back and forth. However the city when examined on a closer level remains a male-centric concrete jungle. This is mostly due to poor representation in planning committees and city planners as well as higher levels of council.

BUS STOPS CROSSING POINTS

CYCLE ROUTES BUS ROUTES 6

Networks and Nodes

In order to understand who can access the archive and who the archive is meant for, the networks and nodes of the site and its bounding areas were explored. The area is dense in infrastructure and architecture, bounded by two main roads, one of which is a key gateway into the city centre. Upper Brook street itself is wide but the roadside pathways fairly narrow and close to the road, making the journey by foot feel dangerous and on edge. However it is Upper brook Street alongside Oxford Road that provides the site’s local access via public transportation and bus routes, and Oxford Road’s cycle path network is a useful link to the outer suburbs especially for students. The carpark onsite dennotes prominant use of car to access the site and this parking is useful for workers of the hospital, providing safe and easy access to work. Though ugly and an eye-sore to some it increases the networking ability of the archive and therefore its outreach to women and people across the country.

Access via foot is the main concern for the site as the walk especially during nighthours feels uneasy and dangerous, the area is known for muggings and assualts and Upper Brook street is usually devoid of pedestrians. The aim of the archive is not only to provide a safe space of education, communication and care but also to improve the safety of the streets by means of intervention to these network routes.

The uppermost layer represents virtual networks to the site and the endless possibilities of connecting worldwide, an issue that is more and more apparent in a post-pandemic era. The use of social media, virtual meeting platforms and pages extends the traditional meaning of archive beyond its architectural boundaries.

ROADSIDES

ROADS

SITE

Mapping the Macro-climate

zoning

female presence

life expectancy

socio-economical

social boundaries

ethnic unbalance

equal opportunity

‘green’ spaces

illness and disability

health and wellbeing

female futures

deprivation

childcare

THE FEMINIST SPINE

Scale Factor

The intention of the project is to consider the human scale of architecture and to design with the users, actors, creators and negotiators of space in mind. Exploring the multitude of uses within which a dictated space can be manipulated to suit those who reside in it, whether this temporary or permanent. The series of drawings below depict this user focused design morales translated as the detritus of my workspace, the place in which will spend the majority of my time, evolving and furiously designing and refining this project. ‘My workspace’ is then layered with ‘My IDEAL workspace’ and ‘The IDEALISED workspace’ demonstrating the dynamic use of space and looking deeper beyond the umbrella of terms and spaces often thrown into architectural design.

8.45AM

11.55AM

1.50PM

The Personal

2.30PM

8.15PM

8.30PM WALK TO MEET FRIENDS AT THE SU

12PM WALK FRIEND BACK HOME AND ORDER UBER TO MINE SO NOT TO WALK ALONE

Third year Architecture student, living in Victoria Park just below the site. I use Upper Brook Street often as a route to get to campus or into the city and often have to avoid Grafton Street as a cut through at night as it feels dangerous. I use take the 50 bus into the city occasionally but with rising bus fares I have to walk most journeys. There is no bus route that links directly to Oxford road and campuses so if I do take the bus I have to walk some part of the journey anyway. I have experienced, on several occasions, street harassment in the area especially on Grafton and Upper Brook street, mostly at night when the roads are quieter. Although it is a generally accepted aspect of city living especially for young women, I am constantly angered by the lack of safe routes home and the fact that each time I choose to walk to somewhere in the city I also choose to face a street where may be wolf-whistled, shouted at, scared or potentially assaulted. The site is deeply personal to me as I am forced to frequent it or avoid it in my daily life and want to use this project to design an archive and street scape that anyone feels they can ‘claim’ and is safe to the use.

GET OVERPACKED BUS TO LECTURE

WALK BACK HOME FROM LECTURE TO GET LUNCH

DECIDE NOT TO CATCH THE BUS AND WALK INSTEAD TO SAVE MONEY

ARRIVE AT ALI G LIBRARY

WALKING ALONG UPPER BROOK STREET TO MEET FRIENDS

Ellie (ME), 20,

During the day Grafton street is a key route between Oxford Road and Upper Brook street for both pedestrians and vehicles. The link is reinforced by the bus route that runs from the north campus to the medical school on Grafton street and populated during the day by students in transit to lectures and lunch. Heading east on Grafton street the general population of pedestrians declines and the noise of traffic rises, Upper Brook street on the eastern boundary of the site is busy with constant traffic during the day but generally not populated by people. The main bus routes run

along these roads linking the University to the Victoria Park and Fallowfield campuses. The A&E department entrance, though open is one of two entrances, with the larger one with Ambulance bays on Upper Brook street and so it is less frequented than at first glance. Nelson Street is an also forgotten node off from Grafton street, animated only by turning cars and building work, this means the site is quiet, however reduces ease of access and exposure of the building. The main challenges to diurnal activity is the invisibility of the site from busy Grafton street.

During the night the site and surrounding areas evoke different feelings. The noise of the main road is the dominant sound and masks rustling and movement in the darker corners making the street feel uneasy and unsafe. The lack of low level lighting on Upper Brook street deters pedestrians and the proximity of the pathway to the road makes its dangerous, the road has a reputation for muggings/ assaults in hit-n-run scenarios. Grafton street is almost empty during the night, animated only by some activity from the A&E department and the bleeding of activity of restaurants on Oxford

road into the western edge of the street. Although well lit by street lighting the dynamics of the building façades, with overhangs and porches creates dark spaces for anti-social activities. Nelson street is now completely barren of both cars and people. For some students living on the Ardwick and Victoria Park campuses Grafton street is a necessary short-cut home from the libraries or city centre and at present feels like a dangerous and risky stretch of the journey.

June , 78

Retired, lives in Ardwick with her husband David. She struggles to travel locally to meet friends as the bus system doesn’t stop close to her home and there is no local meeting places.

A Woman’s ‘route’-ine

11.30AM - IN THE OFFICE

9.30PM WAIT FOR BUS HOME

8.20AM DROP KIDS OFF AT BREAKFAST CLUB

Saskia, 21

Student at the University of Manchester, lives in a student house with 5 other flatmates in Victoria Park. She feels unsafe walking home from university and experiences street harassment occasionally.

3.00PM STUDY IN THE LIBRARY

Aasimah, 34

Administrative assistant, grew up and lives with her young sons in Brunswick, after her father emigrated here from Pakistan in 1978, she works in the city centre and relies on the bus system to commute everyday, but has to walk to run errands or pick up her children

5.20 TAKE BUS 50 HOME

6.30PM

1.30PM ARRIVE AT HOSPITAL

8.40AM ARRIVE AT BUS STOP

7.00PM WALK TO MEET FRIENDS

1.00PM LEAVE HOME TO COLLECT PRESCRIPTION

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

6.15PM COLLECT KIDS FROM CHILDMINDER’S

Kern, L. (2020) Feminist City: A Field Guide

In Leslie Kern’s book “Feminist City: Claiming space in a Manmade world” she writes under three main chapters, of mothers, friends and individuals, similarly the mothers, young people and elderly people are represented by the actors identified in my project. The feminist city however is beneficial for everyone, regardless of age, gender and religion and must be viewed in an intersectional light. As Kern says one must be reflective on their own privileges and how benefiting one may hinder another for example “I need to ask how my desire for safety might lead to increased policing of communities of colour”

STOP AT SUPERMARKET TO PICK UP DINNER

older women students working mothers

User Factor

The first drawn piece of the project was a study of my ideal workspace and the current workspace I occupy, the piece considers architecture on a human and experiential scale, one that is often forgotten in big and ambitious designs. The personal and experiential is deeply important to my archive space, as a female community space and epicentre of a feminist city block. The ‘actors’ and users that have been identified in my project previously and their ‘space at my table’ is considered in the drawing above. Each of the actors have their own personal daily lives and activities and the way they may interact with me as an architect seeking local user input will vary. The older woman may overlook me working in my preferred coffee shop and strike up a casual conversation about her life and needs in the area, from these informal discussions, often the most valuable and real input emerges. The students may visit the offices and participate in active and visual designing of the building, whilst using social media groups and forums to give their peers input and reflect a broader audience. The working mother may only find time to send an email or participate on these forums within their busy daily lives, these interactions though seemingly less personal are still crucial means of user input and in understanding the lives and needs of local potential users.

The political:

What’s it got to do with planning?

Ardwick Council Representatives for 2020 on the left; a varied and diverse representation of the population of Ardwick and support causes such as Women’s Aid and BME charities. Ardwick is seemingly a relevant and potential zone of the city to begin to pioneer Feminist Planning changes. The suburb has the potential to be an example feminist block.

So what has this got to do with City Planning?

A question that reflects the misdirection of blame on cultural and economical sources and equally fails to consider the impact of city planning on an area and the lives of those living in it. The flaws in the lives of women and others in the area is often from a direct result of planning policy or (more likely) lack there of it.

The crucial issues with the public transport system is in its privatisation that results in rising prices and poorly serviced routes and times. If the transport and bus system was franchised then councils could have control over fares and locals can have input on where and when a route runs. The GMconsult organisation has ambitious plans to franchise and equalise the bus system by 2040 but in the meantime there needs to be pressure from councils on improving bus routes.

GMconsult strategy for 2040 proposes

-franchised bus system

-universal fare system

-improved routes and timetables

-50% of all journeys to be by foot/bike or bus

Gentrification threatens to displace Ardwick’s local communities that have called the area home for decades and even centuries, planned redevelopment in Ardwick Green may be seen as a positive change for the suburb however on closer inspection the scheme is more concerned with expanding the city borders and links to Piccadilly than reinforcing and providing for the existing community and fails to stretch out to other problem areas at the south of Ardwick.

Council representation in Ardwick is much more diverse than that of other districts of the city, however they hold little rank over council executives and leaders in the City Centre which remains fairly male and white dominated and stuck in a conservative approach to city planning. Ardwick has potential to be a innovative example of feminist city planning theories in Manchester.

*loss of public and cultural services and under-representation of Islamic communities in Ardwick, are reflective of the Gentrification that threatens to white wash over Ardwick and fail to serve the existing residents and their needs.

* a study of increasing bus fares on First and Stagecoach routes in Greater Manchester Based on the prices of the average single fare.

The political:

What’s in a number?

Crime rates are on the rise in the city centre, alongside those of motorist and cyclist accidents, as use of public transport increases and services fail to meet demands. The roads and foot-ways along the cities perimeter are becoming increasingly dangerous hotspots of anti-social activities and accidents leaving the students and young, working class families who rely on these paths to commute everyday at risk.

Although huge regeneration and eco-centric schemes are taking place within the city edges, the areas beyond the Mancunian way are neglected still suffering at the hands of the 1960s urban planners who built the monstrous road networks. Upper Brook street acts as a gateway into the city alongside Princess Parkway on the west of Oxford Road and is constantly populated by fast moving traffic. The roadside is narrow and underlit and there is no designated cycle path. The road acts as a link for many students from University and the city centre to their flats and accommodation buildings that extend from the main road. The dark and narrow nature of the path and the ease of drive-by crimes makes the street a magnet for harassment. assault and robbery.

Sexual assault continues to be an issue of ignorance to the city council and University faculty as 1 in 5 students report experiencing some form of sexual harassment around campus, and 90% of sexual assault cases go un-reported. To truly execute a feminist approach to the archive design the scheme must also tackle to safety and feminist planning of the main means of access to the site and its surrounding areas, and the success of the scheme will be measured on both ability to share the stories of historic and inspirational women, but also improve the lives and safety of the women that populate the spaces around it everyday.

The political: What’s in a name?

The archive aims to tackle a small part of a large problem in the lack of women represented as role models and in history and science. On a global scale the disproportion of women to men in STEM fields continues to be an issue and is fed into by the complete lack of representation of historic and significant women in the media, curriculum and in local areas. In Manchester itself the lack of representation of women in the architecture spans from the architects themselves, right down to the naming of its

streets. The subconscious message to young and aspiring women is that the odds of their successes are stacked against them leading to a lack of belief of their capabilities or belonging in history. History is often measured using time as the key factor of significance instead of importance and so women’s impact is de-scaled by its lack of ancestry rather than considering its importance and egalitarianism

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

Middleton, M (2019) ‘Feminine Exhibition Design’,

In the article she discusses six key points of feminine design: curvature, softness, nurture, sparkle, colour and humility. It is important to define that femininity does not just belong to people who have periods or people who are mothers, but in fact is not a binary descriptor, instead a characteristic that makes up part of everyone and is not exclusive. The key attribute of feminine design being curves goes beyond the mirroring of a stereotypical women’s body but implies welcoming, embrace and invitation, it is ergonomic and soft, and yet strong on its own accord.

the streetscape the journey the archive

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

Kern, L. (2020) Feminist City: A Field Guide

The Feminist city is often wrongly presumed an actively anti-male environment, run by the ‘type of women’ that the world is fearful of. This not the case as Leslie Kern’s book reflects when designing the city for women one often finds themselves designing the city for everyone.

Diagramming the Feminist City

In order to understand the Feminist city and to dissect the aspects in which these theories can be implemented in Ardwick, I summarised the concepts as three series of diagrams. The first focusing on the street-scape and making commute via, foot, public transport or bicycle easier and safer for all. Widened paths allow buggies and wheelchairs through without being in the way of other pedestrians. The implementation of the Dutch-style bike path alike to those on Oxford road, makes crossing the road safer for pedestrians, separates the bus waiting areas to clear the pavement and makes cycling safer, by separating bikes from road traffic. Adding lighting and landscaping makes the path more welcoming and will improve the likelihood of the route being populated. The second focuses on the journey, mirroring the issues identified in the women’s route-ine study. The archive provides a model similar to new housing schemes where amenities and childcare are places close to homes or are well connected via public transport. If not living in a multi-use housing scheme the commute is improved for women by making the journey from home to work more linear, by combining childcare and shopping/health care with workplaces instead. A systematic change that is needed in the Feminist city is the introduction of better transport services with multi-way tickets enabling women to juggle errands on their journey home without paying extra for multiple stops.

The final series explores possibilities to implement these theories on a smaller scale within the archive, by ensuring equal accessibility, creating an informal space for women to gather and to ‘claim space’ within the city. The archive empowers women of all ages by giving them a voice or providing representation of other successful and aspirational women.

VIENNA CITY PLANNING, 1990S-ONWARDS VIENNA CITY PLANNING GROUP, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Vienna underwent a huge transformation in the late 1990s of both the ideological and systematic approach to city planning. The city is regarded as a precedent of a Feminist city alike to that described by Kern in her ‘manual’. The city utilises several concepts of the gendered street-scape, with wider streets, better transport networks and accessibility commonplace, they have taken now even bolder steps toward the vision of a feminist city with co-living residences popping up that have on-site doctors, crèches, and amenities and in which residents can share the roles of cooking, cleaning and childcare to ease the strain of paid/unpaid work schedules. The diagram to the left dissects the needs and wishes of women in the Ardwick area and introduces the systematic and city planning solutions that would resolve these issues. The highlighted solutions are those that may be architecturally implementable within the scope of the project if extending the site boundaries to include the networks that bring these women to the site. The project intends to implement feminist theories of the street-scape, on a seemingly small but impactful scale.

Archive Typologies

ANTONI CLARE ARCHIVES KENGO KUMA, 2018 PARIS, FRANCE

MUNICIPAL ARCHIVE AULETS ARQUITECTES, 2018 FELANICH, SPAIN

ELIZABETH SACKLER FEMINIST CENTRE @ BROOKLYN MUSEUM SUSAN RODRIQUEZ, POLSHEK PARTNERS, 2007 BROOKLYN, USA

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM ARCHIVE ARCHITYPE, 2019 DUXFORD, UK

WOMEN’S LIBRARY @ LSE WRIGHT AND WRIGHT, 2002 LONDON, UK

Kuma, known for his use of wood and natural materials used a traditional Japenese technique called Washi to coat the expanded metal walls with paper pulp creating varying transparency and a dappled lighting within the archive. The archive is of the work of a Spanish artist and the exhibition space differs from a typical archive, held within his converted studio, the focus for Kuma was on the spatial effects and lighting, minimising glare and creating subtle natural daylighting to highlight the pieces on show. The internal spaces are whitewashed allowing the shadows and lighting to bounce against the different surfaces.

The Municipal archives is similar in scale to Antoni Clare archives, and nestled within a small Spanish village. The concept of the space originates directly from the context in which it sits and remaining true to the history and vernacular of Spanish architecture. The building utilises only five materials: wood, lime, concrete, brick and metal, built by only five craftsmen. The archives vaulted shape creates soft and inviting space, grand enough to emphasise the importance of the archives and artefacts.

The Feminist centre sits within the existing structure of the Brooklyn Museum and is completely centre around the piece of art in which it is designed to archive. The piece: The Dinner Party’ by Judy Chicago, a depiction of important women in history by their settings at the table. The work is intended to be walked around and not viewed from one single perspective and so the architecture diverts and forces users into a set route around the art. The use of three ‘walls’ that converge at different angles forming an apex, creates a sense of entrance and mystery at each corner of the triangular plan.

The archives at the Imperial War Museum is a archive in the traditional sense that its purpose it to protect and preserve the precious archives. It is not open to the public and so the outward appearance is key to how it is received by users. The use of Corten steel cladding mirrors the colour of the brick context, and the use of CNC embossing adds texture to the ‘box’. Given the title of the word’s most air-tight building, inside the building meets Passivhaus standard, minimising its use of energy and maintaining the ideal internal environment to protect the artefacts.

The Women’s Library at LSE built by the female architect Clare Wright uses differing levels and circulation routes to create a journey around the building, in the pockets between this circulation route are quiet spaces for reading, open spaces for meeting and a labyrinth of archives on shelves. The Women’s library also has a strong virtual presence, making the archive materials accessible for those outside of the campus and all over the world, an important element for the future of modern archives.

Defining the Archive

IMMAC2 MIXED-USE PROJECT, 2019 URBAN PROJECT, TIENEN, BELGIUM

The precedent above is a mixed-use development within an abandoned school site in Belgium, it mirrors a lot of the features of the Pankhurst Centre Plot and the intention of the archive building in my project. The project uses a mixture of the old brick building and new additions in an urban site and the amalgamates different social uses alongside the primary archive space. The development features workplaces alongside leisure space and crèches allowing women to balance their unpaid/paid work and be close to children and friends. The diagram to the left demonstrates the formation of initial programme for the building, combining interactive and passive archive space with informal and formal meeting spaces as well as a crèche and care giving spaces. The needs of the three predominant female actors on site are dissected and the response to meet these needs is formulated. The key aspirations of these women is for increased freedom, accessibility, flexibility and safety within the city. The archive building allows them to claim space comfortably and to use the city in the way they choose, whilst learning and exploring a feminist history and uncovering inspiration and role models. The women can come together in a space that is entirely unregulated and a multi-generational community of support is formed.

Space to Inspire

The key programme of the archive is of course the archives. There are two forms of archival matter held in the archive, special documents that are private and must be requested and are protected and preserved. The public archives are not, however, rows of filing shelves with documents and books to be examined in silence, they are part of a interactive and engaging display throughout the space. The ‘museum’ space is flexible housing different temporary exhibitions telling important women’s stories and creating narratives of ‘Feminist Figures’. The archive is interactive in the sense of digitalised materials as well as reading rooms and computer labs, but also participative. The archive features recording booths where one can record their own stories of the area of their encounters with Feminism. These stories are then played in listening booths for visitors to hear anonymously creating a shared sense of community that is both loud and quiet. The archive intends to engage people of all ages and to address and provoke the Feminist in all of them.

Space to Talk

Spaces to talk are a crucial part of the archive building, they allow a continuous archive to grow, as the recent ‘histories’ of the women who visit lives unfold when they are given a space to reflect on them. The archive is interactive to allow people of all ages to engage with the stories. Beyond interactive screens, touchable displays and elements of discovery and research the archive features recording booths that allow women to tell their own stories of success or battles for Feminism. The informal spaces within the archive give women in the area a space to come together and a space to claim as their own. There is both a reading room for researching, relaxing and students to study in as well as a public cafe space which provides older women and working women in the area somewhere to catch-up and meet others, one that is not available in the area at present. This space is where the women can be themselves, and they can engage in meaningful conversation and begin to form an informal community of support.

Space to Care

The definition of care within the archive extends beyond the crèche and daycare for children, it is a foundational programme of the entire archive with a multi-generational impact. The crèche provides working women in the hospital, University or city centre a safe and reliable place to leave their children, alleviating a stress on the balance of childcare with their unpaid/paid work schedules. The crèche benefits from the archive providing an educational space where young children can seek and find role models and develop a Feminist perspective early on. The benefit is also to those visiting the archive building, young and old are intertwined with visual connections between the crèche and cafe that allow mothers to keep a watchful eye on their children and visitors to get in touch with their childlike playful joy. The elderly visitors too may benefit from helping out in the crèche or at the allotment gardens attached, instilling words of wisdom and reflecting on their youth. A secondary layer of care is in creating a safe space on the streets of Ardwick for anyone to seek refuge in. The building glows at night and will be open during the evenings to provide help and advice for anyone who feels unsafe on the streets.

Archive Case Study

MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY ARCHIVES+ VINCENT HARRIS// MATHER + CO, 1934//2017 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

The Manchester Central Library stands at the centre of the city, a icon of the cityscape and a corner stone to navigate the city by. The central library was originally built in the early 1900s by Vincent Harris but is resembling of a much older Neoclassical style and is often mistaken as much older. The library is characteristic of a building of the era with grand column entrance and rich marble and stone interiors. The library underwent renovations from 20142017 adding an Archives layer to the programme that is freely accessible to the public and at the core of the building. The Archives+ mirrors a programme similar to one I would like to establish in the Feminist Archive, one that is overlapped with an informal social programme, fun and interactive exhibition space and quiet and formal archive research spaces. The library is one of the few building typologies in Manchester that is intended to be accessible for all and the design of the Archives creates a welcoming and free-plan space that meets the needs of all potential users. It is accessible and features a sloping and winding circulation route, as well as open cafe for people to meet and gather. The space feels animated at all times of day and is used by different people according to the time and day, at midday older people meet and catch up in the cafe whilst students browse and study in the special archives room, occasionally the space is flooded by children on a school trip and after the 3pm school pick up, mothers with young children make a pit-stop to pick up a book and a coffee while the kids explore the interactive displays. The archive uses a broad range of sensory media from the analogue to digital, touch screens, audio booths and real artefacts. The breadth of archive on display creates a varying and interesting exhibit and allows for potential failures in technology. The circulation winds around the space forcing a slower path to be taken and for moments of pause and reflection, allowing even coffee-seekers a moment to be immersed in Manchester’s history.

Faces & Voices

ELLEN WILKINSON

A Manchester- born Labour MP who was vocal and defiantly stood with underpaid labourers during the Jarrow March which protested for unemployment benefits and to ensure a fair wage for steel workers of Jarrow. She was known as Red Ellen for her wearing of bright and bold colours and her fierce spirit. She was an advocate for women’s suffrage and fought equal pay between genders.

WENDY TAN WHITE

Originally from Salford, the tech entrepreneur is the Vice President at X, Alphabet’s moonshot company. She is recognised as co-founder of the world’s first DIY website builder. Wendy is passionate about inspiring women to enter the tech and investment sectors and has implemented a policy to allow mothers in her company to start later in the day to manage childcare responsibilities first.

EHINOR OTAIGBE

Ehnior is the founder of Wonderfully made Woman, an Ardwick based women’s charity that aspires to improve women’s confidence especially after experiences of domestic abuse and hate crime. She is an inspirational speaker and holds workshops to help rebuild women’s confidence. She is also a qualified lawyer and therapist.

iteration 1

The BIG Big Draw

iteration 4

The BIG DRAW represents the crucial transitional point in the project moving from concept to building, when thoughts, theories and case studies begin to amalgamate and take form on the ‘blank’ site. The methodology behind the process is to ‘mash-together’ precedents, plans, images and sections to be playful and unprecious using and stealing ideas and forms from existing sites. The precedents are layered and scrapped and layered again in

iteration 2

iteration 3

iteration 5

iteration 6

a physical and always metamorphosing collage. The activity is intended to break past the fear of tackling a completely blankslate on site. The big draw then provokes later thoughts and iterations regarding initial form and programme. The activity led to three key concepts that then developed into a favoured form and programmatic layout. This concept will be developed through the next series of programmatic and iterative tasks to

determine a primitive idea of the potential archive building. A mixture of landscape, archive and secondary precedents were used including some for the potential street-scape surrounding the site making the area safer and more accessible for those who frequent the streets and transport systems. The big draw was a messy (see right) and thought-provoking activity that spurred motivation and progression of the project.

Inspiration & Precedents

KRESEN KERNOW ARCHIVE CENTRE, CORNWALL, UK PURCELL 2019

- the scheme safeguards the historic and listed Brewery building at the heart of the Cornish Mining history - the approach was to adapt and restore the existing site fabric and to extend it in a sympathetic manner

-externally clad in pre-cast concrete panels and copper-clad additions

WISTIK LIBRARY AND KINDERGARTEN, LOKEREN, BELGIUM STEVEN VANDENBORRE ARCHITECTS, TOOP ARCHITECTUUR, 2018

- The programme of the building is a multi-generational meeting space with both kindergarten and library, close to the centre of the village it provides a crucial community focal point.

-the functions of playful and noisy and quiet and regulated spaces initially seem to be contradictory but meet over a central garden space that acts as a boundary between the two.

-The materials are recognisable and warm to create a welcoming feeling

TREE DESK GARDEN, PUDONG XINQU, CHINA DA LANDSCAPE, 2018

- The tree desk is hidden in a quiet area within the campus

- using multiple entrances to make the space inviting and un-regulated

- the desk itself ebbs and flows throughout the yard dictating circulation and enforcing a slower movement through the space

DRENTS ARCHIVE, ASSEN, THE NETHERLANDS ZECC ARCHITECTURE, 2012

-the building gives archives a new accessible form converting cards and paper into digital photos, mapping and film material - the new entrance opens the site up to visitors and makes it inviting and accessible where before it was enclosed and private -the modern and futuristic pavilion symbolises a time-machine that takes you back to the past as history unfolds in the archives.

MAGNOLIA MOUND VISITORS CENTER, BATON ROUGE, USA TRAHAN ARCHITECTS, 2013

- The design intent of the project is to emphasize the importance of site and topography as it relates to Magnolia Mound.

- translucent glass obscures the visitors and blurs distinction between old and new

- the translucent glass also regulates lighting in the space softening the glares of the sun but illuminating the exhibition space.

- the building is a playful mixture of sculpture and museum

HISTORICAL ARCHIVE OF BASQUE COUNTY, BILBAO, SPAIN IDOM ARCHITECTS, 2013

- the archive provides several multifunctional spaces on the main accessible floors alongside lobby and exhibitions for public access - whereas below and above in the non-public areas the typology changes to vaulted and more intimate spaces

- the building utilises access to its garden space for an area of reflection and for use for special digital exhibits and films.

- the building uses a highly efficient air conditioning system with enthalpy recovery and free cooling to reduce energy consumption

ARCOS HOUSE, BRASILIA, BRAZIL (HOUSE OF ARCHES) JOAO FILGUERIAS, LIMA, 1978

-the house is an obsessive reflection of the use of arches and all their symbolic meanings

- the arch is used in a playful and intentionally exaggerated way to create a welcoming, soft and yet powerful form for the residents

- the arch varies in size but repetition and scale is used to create some calm in the combination and complex form

BIKE PATH, ESPLUGUES De LLOBREGAT, SPAIN BATLLE I ROIG ARQUITECTURA, 2018

-the concept behind the street-scape is to cultivate a more biophilic city that is prompted by introduction of bike lane to encourage more green modes of transport as well as gardened and landscaped footpaths.

- the bike path is in a Dutch style meaning it is separated from the road making it significantly safer for cyclists

- the planting is seasonal and subtle to create a year-round green intervention in the city that requires little maintenance.

PARK,PARK, CALGARY CANADA PUBLIC CITY ARCHITECTURE, 2020

- the ParkPark attempts to revolutionise the surface car park characteristic of a drab and grey cityscape - the use of colour and bold patterns brightens up the space and creates a joyful intervention in the concrete city.

STRENGTHS

- The hidden and quiet garden area and public green space means both non visitors and visitors have separate spaces of relaxing and contemplation.

- The archive is broken apart in the plan allowing for separate zones or time-lines to be easily distinguished

-The crèche has its own internal courtyard that is safe for children but allows fresh air and lighting into the deep plan

-combination of arched forms and peaked roof lines to give a dynamic frontage

-rooms off of the archive space all have good light access without noise

-cafe faces gardens for relaxing views

WEAKNESSES

- no link between the hospital and university or car park

- creates an awkward nook between the Pankhurst Centre and the building that would be underused

- no distinct interaction or relation to the Pankhurst Centre,

OPPORTUNITIES

-opportunity to interact with the street edge and create recessed shelter, seems inviting and potentially could be developed into porch like entrance

-crèche on western edge of the site creates potential for a second private entrance for mothers/children to prevent excessive footfall in the main entrance

- potential to create more archive and private spaces on second/ third floors

THREATS

-the green space at the front may create an area of social-malaise at night and may be counter productive

- the archive being centred around the front may make it difficult to reach or recognise the cafe space and may not attract informal visitors

OVERVIEW

Iteration two explored the idea of a ‘S’ shaped plan which divides the site into different zones of green space and building. The crèche and cafe sit at the back of the plan nearer the Pankhurst Centre whilst the archive addresses the front perimeter with a recessed and sheltered entrance. In aesthetics the collage takes inspiration from two main precedents a single story crèche building in a sandy brick cladding and a much more modern and dynamic form of an archive extension in glass steel and white plastics. The original precedent is attached to a listed building and instead of trying to match the existing typology it attempts to contrast, modernise and stand against the red brick building. The main drawbacks of this potential organisation on site is the potential for unused space and the relation to the street side not being as direct and inviting as intended.

STRENGTHS

- central archive space directly connects and links other spaces forcing the visitors to use this space as a circulation space also and enticing them to look at and interact with the archives

- The plan directly links to the Pankhurst Centre and becomes an extension of the exhibits

-The plan again recesses from the street edge to welcome visitors to the site and to provide shelter from the rain/wind

-the exterior glows to create a safe and welcoming space and illuminate the streets at night in an area that is known for being dark and intimidating

-cafe faces gardens for relaxing views

WEAKNESSES

- less outdoor space is created which is private and sheltered and so there is less opportunity for indoor and outdoor activities and reflection space

- arches are used but are not as prominent and don’t have the exaggerated quality that makes the building distinct

- There is no linkage between the car park

- The archive space is less dynamic and more squared off making it difficult to create a leading route and plan

OPPORTUNITIES

-Opportunity to interact with the university building with a link bridge or architectural relationship.

- The glowing building form provides opportunity to create a symbol of safety and the ‘feminisation’ of the streets.

- The pointed roof also provides opportunity for lighting and environmental considerations when protecting the archives.

THREATS

- the materiality may fade, relies too heavily on technology that may be costly to run and so wouldn’t be used all the time, without it the building is less impactful and welcoming

OVERVIEW

Iteration five explores the use of a centric plan where the archive acts as a focal point with the other programmes branching off from this central zone. The archive is therefore the connecting point and is forcefully used as a route through the building and therefore the visitors are drawn to the exhibitions even if their intention had only been to visit the Cafe. The inspiration was taken from both the historical archives in Bilbao as a source of planning and programmatic layout based on a linear grid and simple layout. The glowing exterior and materiality is pulled from the Philharmonic Orchestra Building in Poland that has a translucent skin that glows at night or dusk. The plan follows on from the positives from previous iterations in keeping the crèche on the western edge and creating a pocket of gardens at the back of the site but evolves to connect directly with the Pankhurst Centre and finds its own form within a diverse site.

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

Middleton, M (2019) ‘Feminine Exhibition Design’,

The arch in the case of the archive represents the vault, the strong and protective space in which archives are kept and preserved. The arch in the case of the city represents welcoming and entrance, it boasts the cities friendliness and opportunity. The ARCH-ive in the case of the project brings together all such symbolism in a organic and defiantly feminine form, one that is strong due to its shape. A feminine form thatsupports the foundation for feminine exhibition design as depicted by Middleton; welcoming, humane and strong, and a reminder that femininity is not something that should be shied away from in architectural design.

STRENGTHS

- the plan curves and embraces the Pankhurst Centre creating a visual and physical connection that is both empathetic of the existing building whilst being direct and addressing the space - the garden space is enclosed between the new and existing building and is large enough to provide for several different programmes

- The dynamic form of the plan allows for a dynamic circulation within the space and for different exhibitions to flow into each other

- The link between the pankhurst centre bridges directly between the two buildings and acts as an extension of the exhibitions

- The link is suggested between the car park and the university building to create safe access to the site.

WEAKNESSES

- the archive is a separate space and is not required to access the cafe which might make it underused by informal and unintentional visitors.

- The form is slightly repetitive despite the distinct arched form -the curve creates some awkward spaces at the ends of each apex that may be difficult to organise and give programme too - the front of the site is too close to the street edge and doesn’t allow for a separation of programme from the street and a level of privacy.

OPPORTUNITIES

-opportunity to combine the form of iteration 5 alongside this iteration and to amalgamate the glowing light weight structure with a solid and arched form to make the building more diverse and interesting - opportunity and ideas to improve the street-scape as well as the site

THREATS

-the archive may be underused as it is not part of the main circulation space for the other programmes of the building

OVERVIEW

Iteration six explores the use of a curved form to cradle and embrace the Pankhurst centre. The form directly relates while still respecting the uniqueness of the existing listed building and the green spaces act as a breaker between the old and new whilst the link ‘corridor’ marries the two plans and programmes together. The collage uses a residential project flagged for its excessive use of the arch as well as the efficient and welcoming organisation of the crèche space in Belgium. The feeling and interior of the archive and exhibit space is considered further in this iteration with the ideas of an interactive floor map as well as leading and isolating ‘walkways’ which immerse the visitor in the exhibition. This iteration is the most successful at responding to both the existing context as well as the programmatic requirements of the archive and will be carried into the next stages of the project.

Site strategy

The diagram above explores the thought process and decision making regarding the projects approach to the existing site. Central to the design is the link both physical and contextual to the listed Pankhurst Centre Building. The buildings position, access and materiality informed the form and scale of the new intervention on site. The initial drawing shows the buildings that will be demolished including a Pub and research building, the decision to remove these buildings was in light that they are not key to the urban fabric and detract from the programme of the site as a Feminist archive. The car park is kept as it is an essential means of access for hospital workers and also allows easy access for non local visitors to the archive. The car park will be considered and addressed to prevent it from again becoming a crime hotspot. The form grew from the placement and scale of different programmes on site, the cafe, crèche and archive, the form embraces the Pankhurst centre whilst leaving a breathing space between the old and new to stop it from feeling overwhelmed and forgotten.

Wider Site strategy

The wider site strategy considers access to the archive for local users and the already mentioned issues with crime and vehicle danger on Upper Brook Street and its surrounding road network. The strategy focuses mostly on the stretch of Upper Brook Street to the start of University Accommodation as this is a highly frequented route and links directly to Grafton street. The proposal is intended to set an example of potential citywide changes with a Feminist approach not to become an entire city planning venture. The second diagram highlights the separation of pedestrian from vehicle from green space. The road is wide and has large unused spaces that would benefit from planting and wider paths. The strategy is to mirror the Dutch style bicycle lane that is on Oxford road, separating cyclists from cars and pedestrians and to create wider set back pavements that weave through planted areas with benches for rest and regular bus stops with shelter. Planting will be seasonal and low maintenance and street lighting above and at low level will increase to make the route, for locals of Ardwick to the amenities they need, safer.

CONCEPT ONE

A rectilinear formation of the enveloping form experimented with during the Big Draw. The concept trials whether this simplistic and modular form works with the programmatic layering and circulation. The form though simple and easily gridded for structure lacks dynamism and flow, and the spaces don’t allow for a unguided free circulation as is encouraged in an exhibition space. The programmed spaces feel too solid and like boundaries not borders between each other, and the form doesn’t emphasise and embrace the existing site of the Pankhurst Centre.

Iterative Massing form zones routes

CONCEPT TWO

The next iteration trials a similar layout but feature a vaulted arched roof-style to soften the building’s ‘edges’ and mirror the ARCH-ive concept directly in the form. The building feels more welcoming and mimics a rolling landscape, but is still too harsh against the Pankhurst centre in its rectangular plan. The talk space being central interrupts the route through the archive and makes for a difficult and confusing circulation around the space and the cafe being on the main street means although it is easily accessed it feels cut off from the archive itself and devoid of its purpose bringing informal visitors to the archive.

CONCEPT THREE

The next iteration keeps the successful softer roof-line from iteration two and begins to play with a curving plan, that wraps around the Pankhurst centre forming a circular garden. This plan feels more connected and respectful of the listed building. The archive is entered at the centre of the plan with a glass cafe allowing a peak through to the Pankhurst Centre behind. However the flow of archive and cafe still do not overlap and the circulation feels too linear around the space. The special archives feel established as a separate space solely on the top floor and the isolation of the sloping roof to this area helps distinguish the change in programme and purpose.

CONCEPT FOUR

The next iteration allows for more special archive space considering reading rooms and the need for space for storage and mechanical equipment too. The plan again curves around the site but with the entrance moved to the far corner and curved inwards creating an entrance area and shelter off the street edge. The plans and programmes overlap more and the height of each space is considered but the single core is not enough for the scale of the building. The use of the arch feels slightly overwhelming and craves some angular juxtaposition.

CONCEPT FIVE

The final iteration trials an angular roof to juxtapose the arch apertures and curved plan. It also introduces a courtyard area shared by the cafe and crèche. The cafe is placed at the streets edge visible to the public but its only accessed through the archive. The archive then curves and wraps around two cores making circulation less linear and slower through the exhibition. The curved entrance is kept to creating a welcoming space and shelter for passers-by.

Programme & Zoning

The programme was split into six sections regarding the three main programmatic elements already established and additional spaces for services and entrance. The diagram above shows the scale of each programme in comparison to the entire building with the archive requiring the most space followed by the crèche and then cafe. The programme sections are then split further into smaller programme zones, which indicate the amount of space each programme would require. This diagram helps to understand the separate spaces needed for each zone which informs placement and distribution of the programmes. The archive has several types of spaces, exhibition spaces which must be linked physically, special archive space which requires a different internal environment and acoustics and so is separated from the other spaces and a talk space which must be large and tall enough for acoustics and impact. The crèche needs

an entrance/ reception space that is separate from the main entrance to allow for easier access and drop off. It also needs its own ancillary space with toilets, staff rooms and kitchenette. The cafe requires less elements but needs to have public and visual access to encourage new visitors. The cafe and crèche are adjacent to allow a visual and physical connection so mothers can keep an eye on their children and elderly visitors can enjoy watching the children play and may be encouraged to volunteer. The archive runs the length of the building and follows the curve of the courtyard leading to the double height talk space, it then circulates onto the second floor and to reading and computer spaces. The special archive has its own dedicated floor, limiting access and creating a quite space with its own typology. The cores link the entire building like a ‘Feminist spine’, while the archive acts like the arteries for circulation.

Who is the Archive for?

Examining the site on a 1:1250 scale and analysing the network of economies that connect and provide access to the site from the adjoining suburbs and implementing Feminist urban planning interventions as dissected from Feminist texts and theories. The map above shows the changes to Upper Brook Street and Grafton street with the introduction of a new Dutch-style cycle lane network and footpath landscaping which tackles the previously unsafe and unpopular route into the city and onto site, making the archive a much more welcoming and accessible space.

Site Streetscape

RELATING BACK TO THEORY

Sidorova, M., Lammelova, Z., et al. (2016) How to Design a Fair Shared City?

The Feminist city is a city that is accessible, navigable, convenient and safe. In the case of my project this means a better network of public transport and a streetscape that feels safe, is well-lit and welcoming, ultimately, where taking a short cut is not a dangerous feat. In the form of the Archive it is providing place for meeting, learning and a space women can claim in the city as their own. Providing a day-creche for working mothers in the hospitals either visiting or working, giving access to public transport and private car parks that don’t feel sketchy and unsafe. It is giving young women and students a place to shelter if they are in a situation where they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

On the left the 1:500 site plans shows the general form, strategy and landscaping on site with the potential link bridge to the car park as well as the immediate road and cycle lane changes to improve connectivity to the site. The right hand side image zooms in on a section of the re-landscaped Upper Brook Street with continuous cycle paths and increased footpath width which is improved and softened with seasonal wild-flower and tall grass landscaping, The lanes are made slimmer but with the secondary turning lane to help minimise speeding and make the road safer whilst preventing traffic build up.

First floor

Second floor

North

1:200 North Elevation and Section

The north elevation faces Grafton Street, and is the public facing facade and therefore must actively highlight the programme of the building and be inviting and open to the public. The cafe faces outward onto the street and gives a viewpoint into the secondary programme, the double height picture windows create a direct relationship between the building and the street. The north-west corner can be projected onto, playing short videos and images of the people and contents of the archive which can be watched from a landscaped area across the street designed for University staff and students to take breaks during lunchtime and as a gathering point between lectures.

West

1:200 Wast Elevation and Section

The eastern edge of the building sits parallel to the car park and is less visible from the street-side, being the least public facade it houses the essential programmes of the plan: plant room, services and ancillary space. The Northern corner is curved into the street and canopied by the third floor creating an entrance space that provides shelter and a sense of welcome. The section shows the interaction of the three floors with double height space mixed with smaller intimate spaces as well as the larger open and flexible exhibition space that is spread across the two lower floors. The top floor houses archive storage and restoration space with individual research rooms for private use. The space has a different plan, height and flow to define this change in use and separate public from semi-private space.

South

1:200 South Elevation and Section

The southern elevation highlights the direct relationship of the new archive building to the Listed Pankhurst Centre, by means of physical glass link bridge with gives a direct connection of use and flow between the two buildings while acting as a neutral barrier between the two differing materials without overwhelming and over powering the Pankhurst Centre. The talk space at the rear of the building is flexible and can be opened up for larger lectures, but also closed off for more intimate workshops and talks. The arch form is mirrored throughout the building in both the apertures and facade, creating moments of shelter, spaces of rest and texture to the entire building envelope.

East

LABAN DANCE CENTRE, LONDON, HERZOG & DE MEURON’S, 2016

The top floor of the building is clad in a lightweight double skin translucent polycarbonate juxtaposing against the solid and grounded lower floors clad in brick slips. The change in material defines the change in programme and creates a heavily insulated perimeter that allows the archives to be protected from sunfade from glare and damage from moisture. The building is naturally illuminated during the day but at night takes on the role of ‘illuminator’ creating a glowing point of refuge and landmarking the area. The glowing roof illuminates the street and changes completely the dim, dark and shady connotations of Grafton Street at night. Inspiration was taken by Herzog & Meuron’s Laban Dance Centre made from the same material but with the purpose to play with shadow and silhouette of the dancers inside.

1:200 East Elevation

The Feminist Spine

POLYCARBONATE CLADDING

The top floor is clad in a double skin of translucent polycarbonate plastic which allows the space to be naturally illuminated during the day and artificially glow during the night. In-between the layers of polycarbonate will be up-lights that turn the building into a source of illumination at night, signifying a point of refuge and changing the connotations of danger on Grafton Street. Polycarbonate cladding is used over glass tiles as it is a better insulator due to the air gaps in the corrugated form which improves the insulating envelope reducing energy consumption.

BIODIVERSE GREEN ROOF

Though it may seem like an after-thought attempt at sustainability in the archive, the green roof is crucial to the cultivation of the allotment gardens that create a meeting space for young and old members of the community. The green roof will filter rainwater and re-oxygenate it which will then be harvested and stored for use on the gardens. It also acts as a natural thermal barrier regulating heat in the large archive space.

STEEL STRUCTURE

The steel structure makes up the ‘Feminist Spine’ of the building and allows for open plan spaces due to the large span potential. The choice of steel in contrast to concrete is so the archive space can be more flexible and allow for larger open space. Recycled steel will be used for the majority of the make up of the structure and can be dismantled and reused beyond the buildings lifespan. The steel is painted pink and remains exposed in the interior spaces, highlighting the ‘Feminist’ strength and structure that upholds the building and ultimately the community.

EXISTING URBAN FABRIC

The Pankhurst centre is built in a traditional red brick and the archive aims to complement, whilst not overwhelming the existing building. The use of a lightweight glass link bridge, physically and aesthetically acts as a neutral buffer between the two different façades. The sense of stability, history and humble origins that is represented in the brick wall is carried over into the archive’s brick slip cladding.

INTERIOR SPACES

The interior space similar to a gallery will be minimalist and clean to allow for the exhibits to bring the visual texture and colour into the space. The archive exhibition space will be flexible and changeable and so the interior materials being light and clean will allow for this flexibility of uses.

BRICK SLIP CLADDING

The main building envelope material will be brick slip cladding in a cream/ tan hue that compliments and doesn’t overpower the existing context, while relating to the scale of the Pankhurst Centre with a modern and prefabricated approach. The brick slips will be pre-cast into panels that can be fitted on site and allow for different shapes, patterns, extrusions and details to be added easily without compromising structure and timeline.

The vignettes above explore the experiential journey by visitors through the archive. It begins to give spacial and tangible manifestation to the spaces mapped out in the previous plans and sections. Each vignette depicts a different layer of the archive and the way in which a visitor may interact with the different spaces. Attached to the images is a narrative of telling, sharing and then making ‘Herstory’ by learning and understanding other women’s stories and being inspired to set about making their own. The drawings also highlight some of the spacial and form giving elements of the design such as the use of the arch, the visual connection from cafe to crèche, the double height entrance and the winding exhibition space and the relationship with the streetscape and using projection to animate the building’s facade. These final images establish the tone of the project and will motivate and be referenced back to as it continues.

Project Road Map

UNDERSTANDING MY OWN PRIVILEGES

FEAR OF BEING FEMINIST

Before joining Praxxis was scared of defining myself as a feminist architect and funelnecking myself into a particular ‘type of design’. I needed to overcome this fear very quickly if I was going to succeed in this project. In a sense the project and my striving for a good portfolio has completely changed my outlook on Feminism and the pride I take in being one.

LEARNING ABOUT THE FACTS OF FEMINISM

To apply feminist thinking to my work I needed to set out a foundational understanding of what Feminism is. Very early on I taught myself on the waves of feminism, the roots of its origins and its impact on our city.

un-learn

INTER SECTIONAL APPROACH

THE TYPICAL PROJECT

Coming into third year had a very concrete idea of how a project usually flows and the stages that I needed to take to achieve a good mark. However this is the outlook of a typical project NOT a Praxxis Project and needed to readjust my thinking and working style in order to work in a Feminist way and to consider the meaning and theory behind my designs.

FEELING FEMINIST

Beyond facts and figures, I began to develop a feminist point of view - one that focused on the people - and led my design ideas later on.

learn

ONE TO ONE SCALE

Key to my project was considering the scale of one person to another, something I had never reached during my previous projects. The consideration of the human scale informed my design decisions from massing down to door handles and makes the archive feel designed by people for people rather than as a political statement or imposing testament to Feminist.

Further to my understanding of the feminist standpoint needed to re-learn how to approach the subject of Feminism in an intersectional light, considering the project not as exclusively female or feminine. Early on I fell into a trap of stereo-typing the women I expected to use the space and so I had to take a step back and take a wider viewpoint of what defines being a women and how the archive can serve those who do not fit under these traditional stereotypes also.

A crucial part of designing a safe-street-scape was considering my own privileges as a white, straight, young woman and ensuring that my demands for feeling safe at night did not result in a further policing of ethnic minorities in the area and a displacement of the people that form the local community.

Five Point Plan

FOCUS ON THE DETAILS

COMMUNICATING MY IDEAS

I often found I had a million ideas in my head but couldn’t convey them all into one concept. I learnt the need to refine and clearly define my ideas to improve my workflow and communication.

re-learn

A PERSONAL APPROACH

I have learnt the impact that taking a personal approach on architecture can have, whether your own or considering the personal scale of the project, it allows the design to remain rooted in what matters and that is how people will use, interact with and the feeling they take away even after leaving the space that you create.

Be obessive abouton the detritus of things that will make up the archive of feminist figures.

FINDING TIME TO READ

I have to admit I have a bit of a book-phobia and find it really difficult to take time to read when there are much more pressing matters of studio collages and site maps to do. However in order to truly understand Feminism before I could design for it, I was going to need to pick up a book or two.

BECOMING A CITY PLANNER

In order to consider how Ardwick come become a precedent of Feminist city planning theories, I had to also analyse the failings of the current planning council in the city. Through this research I began to understand the underlying injustices in council and planning authorities, the harmful impact of Gentrification and the sheer lack of real indepth community consultation.

PERSONAL GOALS

Working from home and on a sole project took a slight toll on my motivation during the project and so I had to find a way to keep the momentum felt as we were launched into the brief when it was new and exciting and expansive. I learnt that a routine and a plan for the week helped me achieve these goals and I kept a notebook of ideas and inspiration that struck me at random times for later points in the project that I later moved on to and referred back to.

TAKING TIME OFF

Though occasionally I slaved through weeks of no break allnighters, I decided to actively force myself to take a break this term to avoid burn out and have found that have actually produced much better and clearer work because of this and I am still enjoying and engaging with the project and my design

LANDSCAPE

AS A PROGRAMME consider the ways the courtyard space can bring in visitors and serve the community

SAFETY FIRST

Analyse the archive building to ensure it is built safely and consider accessibility and impact.

AVOIDING GENTRIFICATION

I had to take a critical approach to my design to avoid generalising the terms ‘safe-street’ and ‘community space’ and to focus on responding to the individual needs of the user to avoid falling short in the final design.

THEORY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PRETTY

Through the works of Leslie Kern and Margaret Middleton I have gained a greater understanding of feminist architectural theories and I am able to justify my design choices with a much stronger narrative of theory and thinking than just “it looks good” and “it fits the context.”

FEMINISM AND CONTINUITY CAN GO HAND IN HAND

I had admittedly been set on joining CIA since first year, having always had a passion for historic architecture and the threads of continuity and context in architecture. However I have learnt that Praxxis and CIA are not as different as they seem, and taking a feminist approach can equally mean considering context and history as much as it means considering people and community. Equity and accessibility should be at the heart of all architectural design just as a good building should be defined on its ability to improve the lives of those who use it

KEEP IT PERSONAL

Continue to cross examine the archive from the perspectives of the people it is for

SUSTAINABILITY

How can the archive be both ‘greener’ and have a sustainable future in terms of use and lifespan

Bibliography

NETWORKS

http://www.mdpag.org.uk/ https://mappinggm.org.uk/people/?lyrs=#os_maps_ light/14/53.4613/-2.2052

https://digimap.edina.ac.uk/

HISTORICAL LOCI

https://rusholmearchive.org/the-borders-of-rusholme

https://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour10/area10page59. html

https://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/outside/brunswick.html

https://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/gone/stmaryshospital.html

https://manchesterhistory.net/ https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2014/06/on-grafton-street-withvanished-hotels.html

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/pictureshow-university-manchester-changed-10482880

PARALLEL HISTORIES

https://www.pankhursttrust.org/pankhurst-centre/history-pankhurstcentre

https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism/The-fourth-wave-offeminism

https://www.protect-ed.org/single-post/2018/04/18/student-blogsreclaim-the-night-why-did-it-start

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/international-womens-day-2017-manchester-6786063

https://ilovemanchester.com/sex-city-manchester-celebrates-100-yearsradical-women

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/ postwarera/1960s-america/a/second-wave-feminism

MAPPING THE MACROCLIMATE

https://mappinggm.org.uk/people/?lyrs=#os_maps_ light/14/53.4613/-2.2052

UNDERSTANDING THE ARCHIVE https://manchesterarchiveplus.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/onlinememory-box-library-city/

http://www.designcurial.com/projects/manchester-central-library http://www.archivesplus.org/

ARCHIVE TYPOLOGIES

https://archinect.com/wrightandwright/project/the-women-s-library

http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/irn/workshops-and-symposia/ smithsonian/the-virtual-feminist-museum-griselda-pollock https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/video/

https://designmuseum.org/whats-on/talks-courses-and-workshops-3/ building-a-new-feminism

https://www.archdaily.com/913956/archivo-municipal-aulets-arquitect es/5c9ad65c284dd1fbf3000340-archivo-municipal-aulets-arquitectesphoto?next_project=no

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/24/kengo-kuma-archives-antoniclave-paris-architecture/

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/03/imperial-war-museum-archiveiwm-paper-store-architype/

WHAT’S IT GOT TO DO WITH PLANNING?

https://issuu.com/greatermcr/docs/bus_reform_consultation_covid-19_ document_v2

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/ardwick-greens-big-comeback-inner-17238505

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/7265/ardwick_ green_ndf_support_document

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/islamic-academy-manchester-loses-battle-6721689

https://www.gmconsult.org/strategy-team/greater-manchester-busconsultation/?utm_source=Paid%20Search&utm_medium=Google&utm_ campaign=Bus%20consultation&gclid=Cj0KCQiArvX_ BRCyARIsAKsnTxPelyaxIP2IEkQwkPDj3-lhPozFMWC9_KS5dD_ UYOWhasJxJHczPesaAiaxEALw_wcB

https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2020/01/01/greatermanchester-bus-fare-changes-january-2020/

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17333281.bus-fare-riseslammed-counter-productive-user-numbers-fall/

UNDERSTANDING THE FEMINIST CITY

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-09/amsterdam-swar-on-tacky-holiday-lights-explained

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2019/11/01/Cities-Built-For-Men/

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/students-say-theyre-scared-walk-13738102

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/not-fit-purpose-most-dangerous-15972488

https://thetab.com/uk/manchester/2015/10/21/safe-feelmanchester-10-14605

https://www.wewhodo.com/the-sustainable-startup-series-spotlight-onsafe-the-city

https://www.streetcheck.co.uk/crime/m130fz

https://uk-crime-stats.verisure.co.uk/place/manchester-uk?_ ga=2.63231206.873969832.1607516057-1266221163.1607516057

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/safetywomen-cycling-roads

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/manchester-street-names-history-heritage-12383984

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchesternews/albert-kennedy-died-amid-appalling-16797556

http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/women-written-history-interviewbettany-hughes/

https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/multimedia/2020/2/ infographic-visualizing-the-data-womens-representation

UNDERSTANDING THE FEMINIST CITY

Kern, L. (2020) Feminist City: Claiming space in a Man-made world, London: Verso

DEFINING THE STREETSCAPE

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/may/14/city-with-a-femaleface-how-modern-vienna-was-shaped-by-women

DEFINING THE ARCHIVE

https://www.archdaily.com/941177/immac2-mixed-use-project-urbanplatform?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all

THE BIG DRAW

https://www.archdaily.com/928669/wistik-library-and-kindergartentoop-architectuur-plus-steven-vandenborre-architects/5dd328883312

fd8098000291-wistik-library-and-kindergarten-toop-architectuur-plussteven-vandenborre-architects-photo

https://www.archdaily.com/300703/drents-archive-zecc-architecten/50 b92072b3fc4b2a3f0000ca-drents-archive-zecc-architecten-section

https://www.archdaily.com/950424/meet-digital-arts-center-carlo-rattiassociati?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_projects

https://www.archdaily.com/883444/fort-worth-museum-of-scienceand-history-legorreta

https://www.archdaily.com/949125/park-park-public-cityarchitecture?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all

https://www.archdaily.com/888119/magnolia-mound-visitors-centertrahan-architects?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_projects

https://www.archdaily.com/510050/the-works-of-the-late-joaofilgueiras-lima-brazilian-icon

https://www.archdaily.com/911155/tree-desk-garden-da-landscap e/5c615594284dd1bb2d0002b0-tree-desk-garden-da-landscapephoto?next_project=no

https://www.archdaily.com/903679/bike-path-battle-i-roig-architectes/5 bbe300ef197ccf207000013-bike-path-battle-i-roig-architectes-photo

SITE STRATEGY

Villa Sengokubara, Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan, Shigeru Ban, 2013 https:// www.designboom.com/architecture/shigeru-ban-subtracts-circularcourtyard-from-villa-sengokubara-10-15-2013/

Grey to Green Project, Sheffield, Sheffield Council and Nigel Dunnett and Zac Tudor , 2016 https://www.nigeldunnett.com/grey-to-green-2/ Jewish Museum, Wasaw, Poland, 2014 https://vosizneias. com/2014/03/27/warsaw-poland-exhibition-by-jewish-museum-showspre-wwii-life/

FACES AND VOICES

https://mmwonderwomen.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/ellen-wilkinson/ https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/beatrice-shilling-engineer-and-battle-of-britain-heroine/ https://www.historytoday.com/working-woman%E2%80%99s-place https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/waywere-cotton-industry-6085540

https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/news/ground-breaking-newartist-residency-scheme-to-explore-lgbt-visibility-in-older-people-shomes/

https://www.followthehalo.com/features/2018/9/11/neither-here-northere-the-new-exhibition-bringing-bme-artists-together-to-confrontanti-immigration-sentiment

https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/news/ground-breaking-newartist-residency-scheme-to-explore-lgbt-visibility-in-older-people-shomes/

EAST/LABAN DANCE CENTRE PRECEDENTS

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/12/11/herzog-de-meuron-laban-dancecentre-new-photographs-jim-stephenson

THE FEMINST SPINE

https://allsitestructures.com/steel-vs-aluminum-framed-fabricstructures/#:~:text=The%20main%20framing%20materials%20 used,structure%27s%20versatility%2C%20longevity%20and%20performance.

https://www.taylormaxwell.co.uk/offsite-solutions

https://www.vandersanden.com/en-uk/brick-slips-and-eco-brick-slips

https://www.archdaily.com/598607/bus-station-canopies-maxwanarchitects-urbanists?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_ projects

https://www.taylormaxwell.co.uk/uploads/files/brochures/Brick-MiniBrochure.pdf

THE SUSTAINABLE ARCHIVE

https://blog.palram.com/construction-and-architecture/why-usepolycarbonate-in-building-and-construction

https://inhabitat.com/imperial-war-museums-passivhaus-targetedarchive-breaks-world-records-for-airtightness/

https://www.elementalsolutions.co.uk/passive-archives-and-museums/ https://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/faq/so-its-all-about-dutch-stylecycle-paths

https://impeccabuild.com.au/sustainable-buildingmaterials/#:~:text=Plant%2DBased%20Polyurethane%20Rigid%20 Foam%20is%20the%20eco%2Dfriendly%20version,popular%20 insulation%20material%20Rigid%20Foam.&text=A%20combination%20 of%20bamboo%2C%20hemp,insulation%2C%20furniture%20and%20 even%20surfboards.

https://www.justmensrings.com/Eco-Friendly-Alternative-Metals_c_879. html#:~:text=Cobalt%2C%20steel%2C%20and%20tantalum%20 are,reduced%20risk%20to%20the%20earth.

http://www.reidsteel.com/steel-buildings/eco-friendly/ https://european-polycarbonate-sheet-extruders.prezly.com/sustainablebuilding-design-with-multiwall-polycarbonate-sheets https://www.epa.gov/chp/what-chp https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/how-do-rain-gardenshelp-with-storm-water/

TEXTUAL

Foran, C (2013) How to Design City for a Woman [online] Accessed 10/12/2020 http://www.citylab.com/ commute/2013/09/how-design-city-women/6739/

Kern, L. (2020) Feminist City: A Field Guide, London: Verso

Middleton, M (2019) ‘Feminine Exhibition Design’, Exhibtion Vol. 38, no. 2] National Association for Museum Exhibition

Sidorova, M., Lammelova, Z., Bainakova, A., Fajmonova, V., Mazzini, M., Stara, K (2016) How to Design a Fair Shared City?

8 short stories based on equitable urban planning in everyday life, Prague: Tiskarna Daniel

Sánchez Del Río, E. (2017) Everyday Life Spaces as a tool of empowerment for Low Income Women to own and shape their cities according to their needs and experiences., London: UCL