Adventures in Architecture
Part One | Learning From Everything
by Elly Ward
Contents
Project 1 Adventures in Observation Project 2 Adventures in Low Density Project 3 Adventures in Re-Use
Addendum Venturing into the Real World
1
1st Year Project | London Metropolitan University | 2007 - 2008
1
Adventures in Observation Neighbourhood Watchtower
Amidst the growing concerns of a community threatened by overbearing and insensitive development, and in the spirit of a rich history of local activism, this project proposes a neighbourhood watchtower with strategic viewpoints directed towards principal locations of concern, a public ‘noticeboard’ at street level, an office space for campaigners and a hidden entrance to a borrowed space inside the pub next door for covert ‘direct action’ strategy meetings.
s y
l es
n
b Dalston, London Borough of Hackney
This is 60-66
But despite what Hackney Council, the GLA, TfL and the LDA have all been But claiming despite for the what H a c k - y el aa sr st 2 ney , ming
Council, the G L A , T f L a n d n tehwe the LDA h a v e a l l lJsDutano n c-
will not be a tube sta-
tion railway station
rk. tion. the N o It is r an do overes grou it nd o g line to stat e h tion, Cit just like Dals
who, in August 2004, advised that: "this is a strong has group that clear local history, the poor despite that condition from detracts their cohesion. Overall the buldings make a valuable contribution to the area, representing early 19th century development in Hackney, an area that grew considerable in this period....inclusion on the local list or within a Conservation Area would be an appropriate designation and recognition of the buildings significance" Within one month of that
y or to the Oly mpic sit e.
report there was an arson attack and 6264Dalsto n Lane were
burnt down. Mysteriously, bricks from the flank wall of 60 Dalston
dy els e ny bo
ple a
ah
ha ve a
ou
you t cherries
you lucky lucky peo
ies
oksun
have a look have a look ye
to the rescue
here I am want
you to know y'a
ll where I stand who
you
und
last of them cherr
a lo
r dancin' feet
es
wants the last
of th
e
ave a look hav
fuck you an’ all mate who wa nts the
is
er is sweet make you e weath want to move you shinin' th
them cherri
wan else ody
anyb pound in ‘ere
pound for a po
thanks love y
pound a basket a
nic e
t despite what u B Hackney Council, the GLA, TfL and the LDA have all been claiming for the last 2 years, the new Dalston Junction railway station will not be a is It tube station. an overground line station, just like Dalston Kingsland. It will be part of the Overt h e ground not the Underground network. Nor a n d does it go to the y e n City or to the Akehurst, seems to Olympic site. r e c e n t l y when he said as tube theatre station, which do you think a or the public might have wanted, Dalston will more?" Whatever the demolition of Dalston's historic buildings had nothing to do with more Funding for the East London Line Extension to Dalston had already got Government approval in the summer in railway station event. any ahead going was ally admitted in OPEN's Court proceedings that the profits, from the demolitions and building towerblock flats for sale on fact to be used to subsidise a £39million bus station on a slab above the new Dalston Junction station. Mayor Livingstone's GLA taxpayers, and not London communters, to pay the £19million funding shortfall. No one mentioned that Dalston's heritage buildings for tube for to station. bus a but a pay not buildings have been demolished and the dust has settled, TfL has put new promotional material, including local childrens' paintings their fronting site. error that caused the authorities, including TfL, to describe the East London Line Extension as a tube? Or did they think the public if tube? the to thought be getting price higher a pay was were we we what eastern Germanic tribe which earned notoriety by it sacking Rome in the 5th century but which was defeated by the Goths. itous the creations. artistic and environment of destruction anti-social the destruction of our cultural heritage by corporate ignorance, deliberate neglect, deceit, vanity and greed all in the name of
Even Council's Deputy Mayor Chief Whip of the HackLuke Labour Party, have believed the spin as July 2007 "A derelict people in Hackney want have neither. Furtherfunding the new station. of 2004. Dalston's ELLX The authorities eventuHackney's site, were in required Hackney were to be sacrificed However, now that the ings, up on the hoardSo was it a simple might be prepared to an The Vandals: Vandalism: the gratuMunicipal vandalism: r r s s e g o p
h
Dalston Lane, part of an 1827 Georgain terrace, as it looked in March 2004
But despite what Hackney Council, the GLA, TfL and the LDA have all been clai
when ning the permisnew o w n - d se imo on l it so h rs, Un- ton the n o t ea n der Kingterrace offgro sland. and r s e o h It will build combe p a n y , hr ua tbcbhi et -s . part apof the OPEN l i p d e Over- und called in for groun net p l a n - HEenr gi tl ai sghe d wo
em
Ridley Road Market
consumables fruit & veg mini-supermarket hotdog stand indoor market bakery eggs fish 24hr bagel shop flowers
electricals mobile electrical goods computers watches
personal clothing shoes underwear hats jewellery handbags baby hair & beauty cosmetics luggage toys
household fabric linen rugs
miscellaneous party shop newsagent bookmakers incense music police station mixed/general goods
Market stall movement study
The site
Sites of concern
1
2
6
5 7
1
3
2
gillet square
st marks church 5
4
clr james library
4
ridley road market 6
sound and vision
dalston kingsland
24hr bagel shop
Storey heights
2
4 3 4
1
1 4
1
4+ 3 2 1 0
View analysis
0
82°
150°
115°
1
1°
9° 9°
17°
82°
150°
115°
2 36°
25°
42°
26° 82°
3 55°
47°
25°
80° 8°
115°
150°
115°
82°
47°
55° 86°
67°
7° 20°
86°
55°
67°
45°
68°
47°
109°
121°
55°
86°
47°
67°
45°
75° 9°
109° 8°
67°
121° 8°
55° 86°
37°
13°
47°
Space options
workshop / meeting room
workshop / meeting room
workshop / meeting room
stair tower
stair tower
office
office
stair tower
workshop / meeting room workshop / meeting room workshop / meeting room stair tower
office
office
stair tower
stair tower
office
workshop / meeting room
office
office
stair tower
stair tower
stair tower
stair tower
stair tower
stair tower
office
office
workshop / meeting room
workshop / meeting room
workshop / meeting room stair tower
stair tower
workshop / meeting room
workshop / meeting room workshop / meeting room
stair tower
stair tower
office
office
stair tower
office
stair tower
office
Proposal development
option 4
entrance at street level
exit to first floor
adding observation booths
‘twisting’ the levels
adding stairs to twisted levels - central core is constant, stair extends to meet extent of twist
exit to second floor
exit to roof level
O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A
+3
+2
+1
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
+3
+2
+1
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
N
+3
+2
+1
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
+2
+1
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
N
TOP FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
2nd Year Project | London Metropolitan University | 2008 - 2009
2
Adventures in Low Density Re-Imagining Monkston
The archetype of the low density suburban city, Milton Keynes is the phenomenon at its purest and most intense. The studio undertook careful documentation and analysis of both its physical form and residents’ adaptation believing that this is as important to architects and urbanists today as were studies of Georgian London and ancient Rome to earlier generations. Such a study aims to contribute to the definition of this little understood urban form that is rapidly becoming the dominant form of development throughout the world.
49 distinct grid squares provide 49 individual experiments into suburban living
Monkston, Milton Keynes
(Sub)urban analysis
Public space
monkston & monkston park public space soft landscaping hard landscaping water
1 : 5000
Public green space
Roads
Water
Pavements
Designated play areas
Cycle paths
Private space
monkston & monkston park private space buildings sheds private land
1 : 5000
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Buildings
75+
0.8%
60-74
2.7%
Suburban statistics
7.5%
45-59
31%
30-44
34%
15-29
24%
0-14 age
4%
three
1%
four +
36%
two
51%
one 9%
none vehicle ownership
19%
detached
36%
38%
terrace
housing type
9% 3%
flat
39%
semi detached
retired
2.6%
sick/disabled
1.4% 80.3%
employed
3.6%
unemployed
7.3%
homemaker
2.6%
student
economic activity
6.3%
public transport
79.2%
private vehicle 7.6%
walk/cycle
6.9%
work at home
method of travel to work
9%
second home
81%
owned
13%
housing tenure
9%
council/ha rent
6%
private rent
dead ends + cul de sacs
pedestrian ways vehicular ways
non-residential
residential
Lesson #1 Just What Is It That Makes A Circle So Appealing?
AIR ET STRE
21.8m
The Colosseum, Rome
2 x biodomes, Eden Project, Cornwall
TR
EE T
21.6m
S
GLOUCESTER STREET BM 35.62m
37.5m
GLOUCESTE SQUARE
FB
LB
17.1m
Cross (site of)
BM 18.31m
16.8m
SHOREDITCH HIGH STREET
16.5m
CAL
15.9m
BM 16.04m
ANNING STREET
15.4m
Cycl
NEW INN YARD
51.8m
4 x Royal Albert Hall, London
UPPER
14 x IMAX, London
LB
49.4m TCB
44.8m
Royal Victoria Par
Putting Green
ce
STREET
Britan
nic Highw alk
NEW UNION
lds High
walk
COLEMA
N STREET
E STRE
ET
AVEN UE
Nun Court
Great Swan
ce
Tenn
Alley
is Court Te Co
Oval Cricket Ground, London
Wembley Stadium, London Fn
rt nis Ten
Cou
monkston circle, milton keynes
piccadilly circus, london
DENMAN STREET
GLA
SSHOU
SE STRE
ET
AIR ET STRE
21.8m
T
PICCADILLY CIRCUS
GEN
RE
ET
STRE
Shaftesbury Memorial (Eros)
AD
ILLY
AIR
PICC
STRE ET
ET
RE
ST
YN
JERM ST
PHE STE
ERLA NW CUMB
N STR
D
US
ST
T NT STREE ST VINCE
D STREE ERLAN SW CUMB
T LANE
STE EN PH PL
EE T
NOR TH WES
25.6m
GLOUCESTER
BM
27.1
6m LB
CIRCUS
L
35.4
CI
ET ENT STRE
ROYA
NO RC RTH US EA PL ST AC E
EN PH STE EET STR
CIRCU S LANE
ST
ST VINC
21.6m
ET
STRE
T KING
GREA 35.1m
35.4m
T CIRC US PLAC E 28.0m BM 31.58m
Posts
STREET
32.0m
CIRCUS PLACE TCB SOUT H EAST CIRC US PLAC E
37.2m
ERLA
HUMB
NORT
39.3m
36.3m
E
BM 35.62m
ER PLAC
S
CEST
EN
GLOU
RD
ROY
CIRCUS
37.5m
BM
5m 37.6
CI
37.5m
ET E STRE HOW
RC
US
GA
AL
BM 37.88m
LB
E
TCBs
INDIA
LAN
TH
ICA JAMA T STREE
NOR
ET STRE
JAMAICA
STREET
royal circus, edinburgh
ERLAN CUMB T STREE
LANE CIRC
TR
GLOUCESTER SQUARE
BM 43.54m
ER LANE CEST GLOU
T WEST
T SOUTH ICA STREE
ICA STREE
JAMA
LANE
JAMA
EET
.4m
FB
RD
16
STR
MBO
CHA 16.6m
AD
Y RO NE CK HA LB
17.1m
Mast (Telecommunication) AUSTIN
KIRTON GA
STREET
D
Cross (site of)
ROA
IA
GIN
VIR
DUCAL STREET
SWAN
BM 16.39m
16.2m
17.1m
LB
K
BRIC
E
CALVE
LAN
TCBs
16.5m
T STREE
SHOREDITCH HIGH STREET
FIELD
15.9m
s
Post
RT AVENU E
CIRCU
ARNOLD
STR S
EET
ISSY
PAL
Posts
CALVER
T AVENUE
16.1m Play Area
BOUNDARY STREET
Posts
Boundary Gardens
Posts
ROCHELLE
16.0m
CAMLE T
STREET
TCB
CLUB ROW
VA NA
17.3m
T STREE
EET STR RRE
STREET
CLARE MONT
BM 16.37m
15.9m
Ps
Path
BM 16.04m
EET T A STREE
MONT
NA
RHOD
CLARE
17.7m
STREE
FIELD
SWAN
T
CAMLET STREET
T
STREE
Posts
LIGONIER STREET
BOUNDARY
Play Area
OLD NICHOL
TURVIL
ANNING STREET
STREET
BM 16.84m
16.5m
STREET
B ROW
LE STREET
CLU
PCs
15.8m
16.2m
BOUNDARY PASS
15.4m
Cycle Path
SH
17.1m
STR RRE
VA
15.6m
arnold circus, london
ET STRE
BOUNDAR
KER HOC
Y STREET
16.0m
BM 18.31m
16.8m
TCB
15.8m
NEW INN YARD
RINE
CH STREET
RIVERS
STREET
MEWS
PLAC
E
CATHA
55.2m 58.8m
PLACE RUSSEL
CHUR CH UPPER
CIRCU S PLACE
54.9m
S PLACE CIRCU
L STREET
CIRCUS MEWS
LANSDOWN ROAD
48.8m
LB
BENNE
T TT STREE
49.4m TCB
50.0m
Posts
BROCK
STREE T
48.2m
THE
HAY HILL
St Werbergh’s
48.2m
Oratory (site of)
D STREET
TCB
ALFRE
Posts
46.0m
48.2m 44.8m
CIRCUS
vel Gra
LB
lk
Wa
4
40.5m El Sub Sta
ROYA
L AVEN
UE
the circus, bath
STREE
T
CATH ARINE
51.8m
LB
Cot
swo
Royal Victoria Park
Id
Wa
y TCB LB
Putting Green Tennis Court
GAY
40.2m
T STREE
E STREET GEORG
Bowling Green
GP
38.7m
L Twr
Car Park
L Twr
ce
Tennis Courts
SOU
Aven
ue
PLA CE
MEWS
TCBs
Finsb
ury
TH
PLACE
13.9m
FINSB
ELD ON
DS
lds High
MOO RFIEL
walk
STRE 13.1 m ET
14.0m
MOOR
PLACE
FINSBURY
CIRC
ELD
US
ON
ET STRE
12.7m TCB LB
AVEN
UE
TCBs TCB
D
IEL
LB
ST
SD TCB
MF
Bowling Green D Fn
BLO
Place
MOO
Keats
RGA TE
E STRE
ET
Undergro und Railway Posts
12.8m
TCBs
Moor Gate
13.4m
(site of)
FINS
BUR
Albion Place
Y
CIRCUS
AVENUE
EET IEL D
STR
BROAD STREET
BLO MF
PLACE
12.8m
BM 13.25m
SL
SL
LB
LONDO
CIRCUS
N WALL
N STREET
12.5m
COPTHALL AVENUE
COLEMA
New Broad
St
NEW BROAD
12.5m
Petty France
STREET
(site of)
Postern
Posts
(site of)
Posts
LB
BM
13.10
finsbury circus, london
URY
AVENU
E
SOUTH
Ice Rink Arena
STREET
Britan
nic Highw alk
NEW UNION
Wall
m
LON
Nun Court
DON
WA
LL LONDON
13.1m LANGTHORN
BM 13.82m
WALL
COURT
PLACE
TCBs
MOORGATE
Alley
GREAT
INNER CIRCLE
WIN
BM 38.21m
37.7m
35.5m
38.2m Fn 31.6m BM 37.89m Tenn
Depot
is Court
33.5m
Tennis Court
Open-air Theatre
Nursery
CHEST
37.4m
Queen Mary’s Gardens Stone
37.1m
33.8m
Fn
36.7m
Fn
FB
BM 36.25m
Queen Mary’s Gardens
36.1m
FB El
36.2m
Sub Sta
INNE rt nis Ten
Cou
BM 35.91m
Depot
R
CIRCLE
35.8m Tennis
Courts
inner circle, regent’s park, london
Great Swan
ce
Monumental Suburbia
Lesson #2 The Cul De Sac : A Suburban Icon
The word ‘cul-de-sac’ began as an old French hunting term. It translates, literally, as ‘bottom of the bag’ – where snared rabbits were shoved, face down, to keep in the dark and restrict their motion. Monkston’s street layout, though attractive in plan and on paper, feels confusing, unwelcoming and suffocating on the ground. Four streets lead out of the neighbourhood to connect with the main grid roads and two further streets connect with neighbouring grid squares via an underpass, the remainder are dead ends and cul-de-sacs. Is the literal translation dangerously close to the reality?
Suburban dreams | needs | aspirations
“Well, dreaming is nice about an incredible house , a penthouse Åat, a farmhouse set in its own land. But unfortunately, unless you are a super lucky lottery winner, this will not be the property that you will actually buy. Setting realistic requirements written down on paper is the best way with your extras alongside for comparison. In that way, you will more easily choose the priorities. Here is a typical family list with two young children seeking to buy a three to four bedroom suburban house. You should end up with a similar list.”
fford o ol y Sch we can a r ima r aints P s estate if or All S n ent area f Garde e u n e v Need Must be in the catchm on the A Want Would really like to live
semei:ena etw 1n9c3e0sbm nd ed sa Ndeb la o a sts. gosopacinioteunsaro ndceetaccohtheed f a a ableoumldobloavbelyricoeutraonge. r reaWsaonntt W p p ’s it Need ty bu e. Thrle4) Need proper um thre6, gi Minim ren (boy droom Reasona
e. two NeedOn ith ren WantgWch younoundildÅoor a gr ilet would to l and efu be us nd a seco even bathroombetter.
Need Off street parking space for two cars essential. Want A double garage would be perfect.
Need We would like to be close to the station. Want We only use the station two or three days each month so proximity is not
essential.
it.
Kitchen Need t be largtoe museno ugh ss eat in unle is a therearat e seproom g dinin ily for all fam bers memther. toget The Waner the biggbett er.
childsharing a be ot do so arew and canner no much longdr.ooms. for t Four be t bedroom Wanextra gues . But, a An ld be nice e of the wou d inson would do sofagbe omwel l. livin joro the b as
order ble throug We arehout. not DIY enthus and usiasts buildering is too s expens Would ive. redeco but no rate much t more. Want In spotless conditi on
Two. will not Needuse Beca thatyou ly the oning want m is bewit h living roo d alwsays messeen und. aro toy childr Three.This Want can be used a ra ext g or studying readin It can be made room.all library room a sm ll. as we
Need The same size garden as we have now. Want The bigger the better.
Need With a dog, a cat and two young children we would not be prepared to live on a main road. Want A cul-de-sac would be ideal.
Monkston’s most desirable residence is a five bedroom detached house. To many, a detached house is the ultimate, aspirational dwelling - an impossible dream for the average urbanite but an attainable goal in the suburbs. Even in a low density, suburban context it can be difficult to satisfy the number of dwellings required without attaching them in some way, and very often the spaces that exist between so-called ‘detached’ houses is laughably minute provoking scorn and disbelief in their desirability. But it is human nature to not want to be too close to one’s neighbour. We claim and defend our personal space, visible or not. Some crave complete exclusion but most people like to be where other people are and feel part of a community. Close, but not too close. Detached. Not touching.
Lesson #3 Density & Detachment
typical terraced house 136m2
typical semi-detached house 238m2
typical detached house 354m2
Monkston has an area of 73 hectares, a population of 2,145 and a total of 927 dwellings which equates to 12.7 dwellings per hectare. Of the 927 dwellings, 485 are detached houses, 173 are semi-detached, 184 are terraces and 85 are flats. Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan has an area of 24 hectares, a population of 19,101 and a total of 8,757 apartments which equates to 364 dwellings per hectare. The 8,757 apartments are grouped into 36 tower blocks that are 17 storeys high. Both Monkston and Stuyvesant Town have a large central, public green space for residents use and the residents are predominantly - though not exclusively - white, educated middle income families. Stuyvesant Town is described by residents as being like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;surburbia in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This suggests that form and density are not necessarily the driving characteristics of suburban life and that perhaps the suburban characteristics and other successful elements of high density environments could be identified, extracted, tested and reapplied to other low density situations.
MK vs NY
Milton Keynes 210,000 pop
Manhattan 1,620,867 pop
OVAL STUDY
OVAL STUDY
OVAL STUDY
OVAL FILM
OVAL FILM
OVAL FILM
1 km radius
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If each household in Monkston was allocated a one acre plot Broadacrestyle, the ultimate low density city, either a site seven times the size would be required, or the plots would need to be stacked seven storeys high.
If the total area of Monkston was divided equally between the residents, each household would be able to have a detached house on a plot that measured 787.4m2.
garden city
This project re-imagines the low-density suburban environment of one Milton Keynesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent residential developments and proposes a very different masterplan of circular communities that reappropriates public + private space, dividing up the existing public realm and reallocating it to the residents. This novel arrangement results in a series of new shared, private spaces (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;commonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) which are generators of communal activity and safe for children with more generous plots for detached dwellings for all.
Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong?
prescribed centre monumental, unused
service centres unowned, disparate
true centres private, insular
How to fix it?
A pattern book approach was used to design a series of two to five bedroomed detached houses that could be built in volume for speculative developments. A compact floorplate, kit-style construction, optional palette of materials and small, considered moments of luxury and delight are combined with a unique site positioning that maximises light and views for every house. Each house type is designed with future adaption in mind - first floor rooms come with extra high ceilings that extend into a loft space that has sufficient height to enable simple conversion to a third storey.
house orientation remains static but the arrangement of living areas, picture windows, entrance and circulation areas change as the house occupies different plots around the circle
entrance and circulation living area (kitchen/dining) living area (lounge) window solid wall (no line indicates picture window)
Lesson #4 Are Barratt Homes Almost Alright? Unlike many of the other neighbourhoods established in Milton Keynes, Monkston was not conceived as part of the original masterplan and was not designed by an architect. Developed in 2007, it is a perfect example of today’s speculative volume housebuilding – a tightly packed maze of mildly aspirational, predominantly detached, ‘executive’ style developer homes. Typically, this type of housebuilding is not considered ‘Architecture’ and is generally either disparaged or ignored by those who practice it. But does it deserve to be so much maligned? The people who buy and live in these homes do not seem to be too unhappy. Is it that the public are not informed enough to know whether their homes are good or bad and need an architect to tell them? Is it that they simply do not have a choice? Or, could it be that Barratt Homes Are (actually) Almost Alright?
2 bedroom houses
LIVING
K I TC H E N
BED
LIVING DINING
BED
K I TC H E N
BED
K I TC H E N
BED
DINING
BED
LIVING BED
8.5m2 21.2m2
13.3m2
9m2
15.9m2
16.5m2 12.2m2
9m
9.3m2
14.3m2
2
THE RANCH HOUSE L E V I T T B R OT H E R S ( 1 9 5 9 )
10.5m2
THE RICHMOND B A R R AT T H O M E S ( 2 0 0 9 )
H O U S E AT W E LW Y N G A R D E N C I T Y A . W. K E N YO N + L . D E S O I S S O N S F. R . I . B . A . ( 1 9 3 3 )
3 bedroom houses
K I TC H E N
K I TC H E N DINING
BED
K I TC H E N
BED
BED
DINING LIVING BED
BED
LIVING
BED
BED
LIVING
BED BED
4.5m2
6m2 12.9m2
14.4m2
8.6m2
12.2m2
14.4m2
8.5m2
11.1m2 16.8m2 15.8m2 22.4m2
12m2
15.8m2
9.9m2
H O U S E AT H A R E F I E L D , M I D D L E S E X H . A . T I P P I N G M . A . , F. S . A ( 1 9 3 3 )
H O U S E AT B A R N E S F. L . C A R R A . R . I . B . A . ( 1 9 3 6 )
4m2
T H E PA L M E R S TO N B A R R AT T H O M E S ( 2 0 0 9 )
9.9m2
4 bedroom houses
BED
K I TC H E N
K I TC H E N
BED
BED LIVING
DINING
DINING
BED
LIVING
BED
BED
BED
BED
6.5m2
8.1m2 13.3m2 17.7m2 8.6m2
5.8m2 13.5m2
18.7m2
13.5m2
20.8m2 9.9m2
THE THORNTON B A R R AT T H O M E S ( 2 0 0 9 )
12.9m2
9m2
H O U S E AT E S H E R , S U R R E Y I M R I E + A N G E L L F. R . I . B . A . ( 1 9 3 6 )
8.8m2
14.9m2
Apart from the obviously bespoke nature of the commissioning clients brief, one major difference between mass built development housing and architect-designed homes - whether they be 1930’s semi’s or ‘key buildings of the 20th Century’- seems to be linked to orientation. A one-off home or small cluster of homes can be designed totally for their context, fitted with neighbouring buildings and full advantage taken of the availability of light and views. Off-the-shelf housing can never respond to the demands of an individual site (let alone eventual occupier) and any decisions about orientation are a case of fitting the required number of homes in a certain area and trying to avoid too much overlooking.
But are we really so defeatist to think that mass produced housing can never satisfy anything more than a basic shelter function, to simply squeeze in as many as possible and then add a few details, trimmings and mod cons here and there to help disguise this fact and persuade homebuyers they are getting something better? Alvar Aalto once proposed the cherry blossom as a model for mass housing: â&#x20AC;&#x153;all the flowers are essentially the same but no two are exactly alike due to their individual history and position in relation to adjacent flowers, the sun, the wind and so onâ&#x20AC;?. There must be a way to provide generosity of space, generosity of light, views and moments of delight along with choice, identity and the opportunity for adaption to create individual homes that people truly desire too.
first floor plan
ground floor plan
roof plan
expansion attic (if converted) yellow indicates area with height of 2m+ and 1m+
section looking northwest showing potential expansion space in attic
section looking northwest 1:50
section looking northeast showing potential expansion space in attic
section looking northeast 1:50
7
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3rd Year Project | London Metropolitan University | 2009 - 2010
3
Adventures in Re-Use The Valley Palace Project
How can the contemporary city be defined? Venice, arguably the most beautiful (and much-cited) exemplar of the compact European city, has a dwindling population of just 60,000. By contrast Los Angeles, the most populated city in the US and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eighth most economically powerful, is the definitive de-centralised city of the twentieth century. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A territory that can no longer be called suburbia but must be referred to as the limits of the periphery... which when compared to cities of the past might seem devoid of possibilities, but in which we will one day recognise as many gains as losses.â&#x20AC;? Rem Koolhaus 1989
Thames Valley Catchment Area Area: Population: Population Density:
3,986,551 acres 13.2 million 3.3 persons per acre
Greater London Area: Population: Population Density:
388,480 acres 7.5 million 19.3 persons per acre
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Area: Population: Population Density:
3,104,173 acres 12.9 million 4.1 persons per acre
Los Angeles City Area: Population: Population Density:
300,160 acres 3.8 million 12.8 persons per acre
The Shape of TV
The Shape of TV
Built Up Areas
Green Belt
Administrative Boundaries
Road Network
Rail Network
Water
Land, land everywhere... but not a patch to play on
Didcotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid growth has led to deficiencies in public greenspace and recreational amenity provision All the surrounding agricultural land is now worth millions and the Council cannot afford developers prices.
TPSL
Upper Manhattan, 1858
View towards Didcot today
â&#x20AC;&#x153;For what worthy purpose could the city be required to take out and keep excluded from the field of ordinary urban improvements, a body of land in what was looked forward to as its very centre, so large as that assigned for the Park? The time will come when New York will be built up, when all the grading and filling will be done, and when the picturesquely-varied, rocky formations of the Island will have been converted into formations for rows of monotonous straight streets, and piles of erect buildings. Then the priceless value of the present picturesque outlines of the ground will be more distinctly perceived, and its adaptability for its purpose more fully recognised.â&#x20AC;? Concept of the winning plan for Central Park, New York 1858
Industrial / residential
Roads
Power
Rail
Water
Pre-History
1839
1914
Didcot comprises mainly marshland. The first Iron Age settlement is sited on a wellwatered wooded ridge arising from the marsh.
Isambard Kingdom Brunelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Western Railway reaches Didcot. By 1844 the junction to Oxford and the Brunel-designed railway station both open creating the conditions for the future growth of Didcot.
Didcotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s junction of routes between London, Bristol, Oxford and Southampton make the town of strategic military importance during WWI particularly throughout the Western Front campaign.
1885
The Army become the third largest employer in Didcot and an influx of workers stimulates more rapid house building. Several large private estates are erected for employees.
Roman settlers attempt to drain the marshland by digging the ditch that still runs north through Southmead Industrial Estate Didcot becomes a Saxon settlement and is described as a sleepy village of 100 people, much smaller than surrounding villages, in the Doomesday Book For centuries the town consists of three great open fields, a meadow and a common until the wholesale enclosure of land took place in the 16th century and much of it became owned by number of prosperous tenant farmers instead
The railway is now the main employer and agriculture becomes secondary industry. Many of the earlier half-timbered cottages are demolished to make way for brick-built Victorian tenements for the railway workers. A provender pond, provender store and other railway buildings are constructed on site. Grain for the parcel horses of London and Oxford is distributed from the store.
1939 Didcot continues to be integral to military logistics throughout WWII, most significantly during D-Day preparations, and the Army and Royal Air Force ordnance depots consume a massive 550 acre site to the northwest of the railway.
ASDA
1947
1976
2001
Didcot and the surrounding area becomes a refuge for hundreds of evacuees who elect to stay on after the war.
Steam trains finally become obsolete, superseded by diesel and electric locomotives. The old engine shed becomes the Didcot Railway Centre and Museum.
The new Ladygrove housing development is built on former marshland to the north and east of the railway line and almost doubles the number of dwellings in the town.
The first post-war housing estates are built and three years later large-scale private building commences, previously restricted due to the scarcity of building licences and materials after the war.
The old provender store and station buildings are demolished to make room for a large car park in order to attract travellers from surrounding areas. 1985
1967 To meet increasing demand in the South East, construction of Didcot Power Station commences on a 300 acre site situated on the grounds of the former military depot. The site is chosen due to its ideal proximity to both the railway (for coal) and the River (for water).
Didcot is now designated as one of three major growth areas in Oxfordshire. The first buildings are constructed on the site of the new Milton Business Park on the remainder of the former MoD site west of Didcot Power Station. At the same time, the first buildings are constructed on the site of the new Southmead Industrial Park which is nestled on the still vacant marshland between Didcot Power Station and the railway.
Future The Ladygrove Estate is set to expand further and a new 3200 dwelling development to the west of the town is planned. Employment opportunities at Milton Business Park continue to rise as it attracts ever-larger businesses. Due to its rapid expansion, Didcot is now currently amongst the poorest provided towns in Oxfordshire for leisure facilities and the council search urgently for available land required for sports and recreation purposes.
Parklife
The townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steadily decaying industrial park is fortunate to be situated in a prominent and accessible location with established bridle paths, cycle routes and greenways making it suitable site for many different types of land use and local amenity provision.
Packing / Distribution / Logistics
Warehouse / Distribution
Automotive
Design / Manufacture
Science / Technology
Supply / Service
Computing / Telecommunications Building / Construction Design / Engineering Public Utilities Owners Club Charity Clothing Catering / Drinks Recruitment Retail Office Vacant
Industry type + Industrial activity on site
Business Name
Business Description
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35
Tesco affa City Link SpeedLink Express Fellhouse Ltd AEA Technology lLc Advantage Cellular Communications Ltd Interior Systems (UK) Ltd vacant Fives Stein Ltd BASF Coatings and Inks Ltd Tappin Thames Fixings & Fastenings Biffa Depot Alpha Packaging hps Thames Cryogenics Olympic Coachbuilders Ltd affa vacant PHS Teacrate RL Automotive Matthew Clark Vitra Vitra Vitra Vitra Minster Marston Brook Services vacant Thames Water vacant Air Products Norbert Dentressangle
Regional Distribution Centre Providers of air, sea and road freight - logistics Delivery & Collection Services Delivery & Collection Services Vehicle and Tail Lift Repairs Ion implantation service using production scale medium and high current implanters Telecommunications solutions Interior systems furniture manufacturer
Packing / Distribution / Logistics Packing / Distribution / Logistics Packing / Distribution / Logistics Packing / Distribution / Logistics Automotive Science / Technology Computing / Telecommunications Building / Construction
Warehouse/Distribution Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Design/Manufacture
Engineering Design & Development
Design / Engineering Science / Technology Automotive Design / Engineering Public / Utilties Packing / Distribution / Logistics Building / Construction Science / Technology Automotive Packing / Distribution / Logistics
Science / Technology Packing / Distribution / Logistics
Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Warehouse/Distribution Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Warehouse/Distribution Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service
35
Basildon Chemicals
Science / Technology
Warehouse/Distribution
36
Volvo Truck & Bus
No.
10
11
4 7 3
2
1
12
5
1
8 6
13
9
14
15 1
16 1
18
113 36
37 38 39 40 41
35
34
91 90 89 88 87 86 85
42 43 44 45 46
47 48 49
50 51
52 53 54
96
101
100
102
99 95 94 93 92
98
103
19
55-84 105 106
107
20 24
104
21 108109 110 111
97
25 22
26
112 27 23
33 28 31
29
30
32
114
115
17
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115
Coach hire and truck wash Fixings & Fastenings manufacture and supply Waste collection, treatment and recycling, and disposal services Packaging Materials : Cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, automotive Contract furniture Manufacture, installation and servicing of cryogenic storage and distribution equipment Coachbuilders Providers of air, sea and road freight - logistics Warehouse/Distribution Centre Hire Crates, rent Returnable Transit Packaging and handling equipment for removals Distributor of tyre service products Drinks Distributor Ceramic tile designers / manufacturers Ceramic tile designers / manufacturers Ceramic tile designers / manufacturers Ceramic tile designers / manufacturers Insulation & Dry Lining - Supply/Manufacture Distribution services for scientific, technical, medical, professional and specialist publishers Warehouse/Distribution Centre Sewage Treatment Works Air Products & Chemicals Supply Provides transport and logistics for packed, bulk and refrigerated goods Supplier and manufacturer of silicone fluids, silicone compounds, silicone emulsions, silicone an and greases to the global personal care, pharmaceutical, food processing and industrial markets One of Europe's largest Volvo dealerships for commercial vehicles, sell, repair & service new & u trucks & parts
vacant vacant Field Service Engineering Horticultural Supplies TR Register TR Owners Club TVH Hydraulics & Pneumatics Smiths Security Supply, installation, service and maintenance of security systems SCA Schucker Car Accessories and Parts Marshall Curtis Raw Organic Skin Care Products Cosmetics & Toiletries Field Service Engineering Horticultural Supplies Gamidor Technical Services BioMedical Services & Supplies vacant Kingdom Signs Signmakers Tool Post supply of tools, accessories, finishes and machinery for woodturning, woodcarving & fine woodworking Didcot Auto Centre car servicing, repairs and MOT testing Motor Parts Direct The largest supplier of motor spares in the South East Red Box Fire extinguisher supply, training, service and signs Pentuck Installations Ltd Installer of underground gas & water mains vacant MP Jobs Ltd Recruitment Agency Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers Charity Oranisation Winthorpe Consulting Professional Services Oxford Spires Scaffolding Ltd Scaffold sales and hire Vilitas Office Solutions Office Supplies K L Skalka Architects Ltd Architectural Design Services Carmac Building Products Ltd Business Supplies Barker & Broad Ltd Mortgage Brokers and Consultants The Caring Company (Oxon) Ltd Home Help & Carers Mont Clair Home Shopping Ltd Home Shopping Elmwood Ltd Catering Equipment & Maintenance M R Glass Glaziers Protech Training Ltd IT Training Energy Insights Ltd Bio-energy Research Dot Co Dot UK Ltd Web Design Services FWA WEST Ltd Property Maintenance Safenet Systems Computer Support Recruitment Solutions (Trade & Labour) LtdRecruitment Agency Enara Community Care Home support Centronic Raditec manufacturer of photonic and ionising radiation detectors Meeting Room Office Space The Figaro Shop Nissan Figaro related services, from sales to repairs FWA WEST Ltd Property Maintenance ALT Construction Building Services Drain Gain Drain Cleaning and servicing, drain unblocking and repairs, waste water treatment plants QED Courier Signs Express Oxford Signmakers Carmac Building Products Ltd Building Supplies Signs Express Oxford Signmakers E-Tradeway Ltd Web Logistics Didcot Trade Centre Building Supplies Didcot Trade Centre Building Supplies Optical Thin Films Ltd Industrial Instrumentation Manufacture M&D Electronics Electronics Dixon Engineering Ltd Air Conditioning Thames Valley Temperature Control Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors Electric Light Power Store Lighting & Fixtures Sales David Charles Uniforms & Staff Wear, Safety Equipment, Protective Clothing or Footwear, Helmets Doors Direct Kitchen Door Refurbs and Planning Services DC Lighting Lighting & Fixtures Sales The Baptist Union of GB The Baptist Union of GB The Axworthy's Group Business Supplies Portwell UK Ltd Industrial computer and communication appliances Interactive Technology Technology Deustche Wurlitzer Vending Machine Manufacturers Action Seal-Tite Provide a full range of flexible hose couplings and fittings Henley Designs UK distributors of quality Hi-Fi and A/V equipment Oxfordshire Ambulance Trust Ambulance Service Oxford Lasers Design, develop and manufacture of laser micromachining and high speed imaging systems ABB Power and automation technology (Didcot B Power Station) Napier of London Shooting equipment and gun accessories. Supplier of a superior range of shooting and gun products Designs, manufactures and commercializes complete ranges of arms and accessories for huntin BWM sports shooting. The group also distributes the Winchester and Miroku brands Thames Water Water supply and waste water treatment Product development in the quality snack cake market. We pioneered the introduction of flapjac The Handmade Flapjack Company muffins, caramel shortcake and single portion cakes into the convenience and foodservice secto High Technology Solutions Technology Courier Direct Route Ltd Supply pre-owned and fully refurbished mid-range computers Midrange Direct Building Supplies + Conservatories Radley Trade Centre Hot Stuff Catering Truck vacant Warehouse/Distribution Centre (formerly ASDA) Foxhall Manor Park Residential mobile home park
Industry
Packing / Distribution / Logistics Automotive Packing / Distribution / Logistics Design / Engineering Design / Engineering Design / Engineering Design / Engineering Building / Construction Packing / Distribution / Logistics Public / Utilties
Site Activity
Automotive
Supply/Service
Design / Engineering Owners Club Automotive Building / Construction Automotive Science / Technology Design / Engineering Science / Technology
Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service
Building / Construction Building / Construction Automotive Automotive Building / Construction Building / Construction
Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Supply/Service
Recruitment Charity Financial / Consultancy Building / Construction Office Building / Construction Building / Construction Financial / Consultancy Public / Utilties Retail Catering / Drinks Building / Construction Computing / Telecommunications Science / Technology Computing / Telecommunications Building / Construction Computing / Telecommunications Recruitment Public / Utilties Science / Technology Office Automotive Building / Construction Building / Construction Building / Construction Packing / Distribution / Logistics Building / Construction Building / Construction Building / Construction Computing / Telecommunications Building / Construction Building / Construction Science / Technology Science / Technology Design / Engineering Design / Engineering Building / Construction Clothing Building / Construction Building / Construction Religion Office Computing / Telecommunications Science / Technology Design / Engineering Building / Construction Science / Technology Public / Utilties Science / Technology Science / Technology Design / Engineering
Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Warehouse/Distribution Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Design/Manufacture Design/Manufacture Warehouse/Distribution
Design / Engineering
Warehouse/Distribution
Public / Utilties
Supply/Service
Science / Technology Packing / Distribution / Logistics Computing / Telecommunications Building / Construction Catering / Drinks
Supply/Service Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution Supply/Service Supply/Service Warehouse/Distribution
Every building in Southmead Industrial Park
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Vehicular routes + Cycle and pedestrian routes
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“To gain insight from the commonplace is nothing new: Fine art often follows folk art. Romantic architects of the eighteenth century discovered an existing and conventional architecture. Early Modern architects appropriated an existing and conventional industrial vocabulary without much adaptation. Le Corbusier loved grain elevators and steamships; the Bauhaus looked like a factory; Mies refined the details of American steel factories for concrete buildings. Modern architects work through analogy, symbol and image – although they have gone to lengths to disclaim almost all determinants of their forms except structural necessity and the program – and they derive insights, analogies, and stimulation from unexpected images. There is a perversity in the learning process: We look backward at history and tradition to go forward; we can also look downward to go upward. And withholding judgement may be used as a tool to make later judgement more sensitive. This is a way of learning from everything.”
Sheds
26 Lyndene Road
8 Roxburgh Drive
32 Crossville Crescent
71 Lyndene Road
17 Roxburgh Drive
5 Crossville Crescent
10 Lyndene Road
14 Lyndene Road
Caravans
The Handmade Flapjack Company
Henley Designs
Pentuk UK Ltd
Bizspace
RL Automotive
Pentuk UK Ltd
Action Seal-Tite
Omega One
Landscaping devices - barricades, screens and ornaments
Decorating the Sheds
deutsche wurlitzer
minster
action seal-tite
tesco distribution centre
basildon chemicals
nordberg dentressangle
dixon engineering
alpha packaging
doors direct
kingdom signs
volvo truck and bus
tvh hydraulics & pneumatics
pentuk
oxfordshire ambulance trust
nordburg dentressangle
tesco distribution centre
henley designs
hps contract furniture
oxford lasers
the handmade flapjack company
toolbox
omega one
vitra
didcot enterprise centre
marston brook
bizspace
midrange direct
tesco distribution centre
18
26 Glimpses of a Regional Distribution Centre
19
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A Day In The Life of a
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A Day In The Life Of A Tesco Regional Distribution Centre
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Elevation looking south
MIRAGE
MIRAGE THE
MIRAGE
MIRAGE
Throughout the last century Southmead Industrial Park was used as a kind of spa resort for the work horses of London who were brought up by train and permitted to graze and run free in its meadows for two weeks before returning to work in the city. During WWI and WWII the bottom of the site was part of a huge military depot for the Army and Royal Air Force. Nestled between the horizondominating Didcot Power Station and Didcot Railway Junction, the Park manages to retain a rural ambience with an old plantation at its centre, an abundance of wildlife and a brook and bridle path gently winding their way into and around the site.
A small council-run residential caravan park at the south of the site started life as a temporary base for the hundreds of construction workers required to build Didcot Power Station in the 60s who came and pitched their mobile homes on the ideal hard surfacing of the former military depot.
The biggest building in the Park - a Tesco Regional Distribution Centre. Due to its colossal scale and the surrounding buildings it proved impossible to capture in a single image so I took a series of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glimpsesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; instead that perhaps better portray something of its megalithic quality and corporate presence.
A chat with one lifelong resident and his family revealed that many of the Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older residents either worked on the railway or at the power station, including some of the original construction workers who stayed on after it was built, and that it now provides a low cost option for many young families today too.
Though initially suspicious that I might be an estate agent looking over the site, a conversation with the Depot Manager ended in an invitation for a fully guided tour the following week. Apparently there are rumours that Tesco may be looking to upgrade to a larger premises as many others are doing at present - the biggest building on site and yet still not big enough....
A steel portal frame provides a very efficient structural form for single storey construction that is capable of spanning large distances which is why they are commonly used for factories and warehouses. The portal frame basically serves as support to the external envelope of the building which usually comprises insulated wall and roof cladding panels that can span up to 12 metres. Techniques employed to make a caravan look and feel more like a home, from garden ornaments to colourful paint jobs, to skirting and extensions, replaced doors, windows and tiled, pitched roofs - resembling full on suburban detached bungalows, Levittown style - are an economy of means.
These airport-scale sheds are vast warehouses operating 24 hours a day, receiving thousands of pallets of food and other goods from ‘upstream’ supplier lorries, sorting them into batches to be taken by ‘downstream’ ones to supermarkets. Every time you or I buy something from a supermarket an automatic order goes through to the RDC to ensure a replacement item arrives in time for the shelves to be restocked the following day. Fresh food supplies are scheduled to arrive within half hour time slots, with the aim of ‘cross-docking’ their goods directly into a delivery vehicle. Pallets are manoeuvred by teams of forklift trucks and ‘pickers’ in a constant race against the clock. The logistics of such a complex operation are incredible but it is run like clockwork and everyone seems to love their job, getting a buzz off the atmosphere of speed and efficiency.
Noticing the number of trucks constantly parked up around the quieter areas of the site with curtains drawn across the cab windows I was intrigued to discover more about the lives of these professional drivers so I became a member of the international forum Trucknet.com. Under the pseudonym ‘Carrie’ the name of the runaway bride in Smokey and the Bandit - I posted a request for members to tell me about their experiences of being on the road and delivering to regional distribution centres. I had an amazing response and was sent several diaries describing a day or a week in their lives, in very humorous detail. The most common complaint was lack of facilities and long waiting times. These drivers seemed to be the forgotten users of the Park and perhaps needed their own consideration.
A field trip to Los Angeles for the purpose of carrying out comparative studies of similarly ‘productive’ scenarios ended with the discovery of an unexpected precedent in Las Vegas. Though wildly different at first consideration, many comparisons can be drawn between the Mirage Hotel and Casino and the Tesco Distribution Centre. At the time of their inception they both set new standards within their respective industries and signified a new phase of development in each – mega-resorts and mega-depots. An alternative point of reference can be taken from the generous and democratic architecture of the Mirage with its spectacular streetside events such as an volcano that erupts hourly and a flamefilled lagoon are all experienced totally free of charge by the passing public.
TV to
I learned from Didcot Council that for a very long time the town has been short of open space and pitches. They currently couse the school’s facilities and the Power Station grounds. As the town is set to develop more outside recreation of all sorts will be needed including play areas, perhaps a BMX track and more allotments to meet demand. The Council said they have been searching for several years to buy land locally for recreation however, as Didcot is an expansion town all the surrounding agri land is potentially worth millions so no land owner is willing to sell at a price they can afford. So the problem is a lack of affordable, large open space around the town, yet there is an abundance of unused open space within the town itself...
LA
Valley Palace
Didcot is at a pivotal moment in terms of its own development and in danger of becoming strangled by its own success. Borne out of a pragmatic response to the needs of this growing town within the
a
wider context of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasing demands, the Valley Palace project is a move towards a more productive architecture for the contemporary city.
Proposed Site
Formerly a regional distribution centre for ASDA, this huge undecorated shed has been abandoned for larger premises further out of town. Rejected and disregarded, this moribund and mundane form presents a golden opportunity for adaptive re-use.
southmead industrial park
Existing ASDA Warehouse, Didcot
The British Library, London
Battersea Power Station
Spitalfields Market, London
Royal Pavilion, Brighton
Tate Modern, London
The O2, London
Finsbury Circus, London
Pompidou Centre, Paris
St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral, London
Wembley Stadium, London
Mirage Hotel Car Park, Las Vegas
Palatial Space
Large enough to accommodate St Pauls Cathedral, or to be cellularised into 3,744 habitable rooms, the possibilities for adaptive re-use afforded by the long, wide spans of a huge industrial shed are endless, with just a little imagination...
105 x 165 x 12m _ _ T
x1 _
4 x 4.5 x 3m _ _ T
x 3744 _
Space study 105 12m 105 xx 165 165 xx 12 m
x1 x1 x 78
105 105xx27 27xx12m 12 m
xx 6 6
88xx165 165xx12m 12 m
xx13 13
8 x827 x 12m x 27 x 12 m
x 78x 78
8 x 27 x 3m 8 x 27 x 3 m
x 312 x 312
4 x44.5 x 3m x 4.5 x3m
x 3744 x 3744
#1 Hyper-Rurality | Tilting the facade to reveal its structure and interior. Greening the exterior, using real trees as support columns
#2 Industrial Nostalgia | Exploring an older industrial aesthetic
165m 105m 75m 158m
#3 A Cathedral of Logistics | Scale play and a provocative proposal
#4 The Fissure | Cleaving the fabric to introduce canals, bridges and boat rides
25 x Things You Could Do To A Big Empty Shed An exploration of formal possibilities
7 x Things You Could Do With A Big Empty Shed An exploration of spatial opportunities
12 x Things You Could Do In A Big Empty Shed An exploration of programmatic options
A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Park-In-A-Shedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
After extensive exploration of the many options, possibilities and opportunities one particular idea proved irresistible and offered a temporary and possible solution to the lack and inaccessibility of local public greenspace.
You Are Here | A Visitors Guide to Valley Palace
Valley Palace alludes to the atmosphere of a public park with both ‘designated’ and ‘found’ multi-use spaces to discover and run around in with complete freedom to partake in organised activity, create your own or simply enjoy watching others.
The Thames Valley Path A multi-use trotting track, bmx track and promenade with different uses on different days. The main pathway emulates the outline of the Thames Valley Basin Area and smaller pathways represent the M25 orbital and other motorways.
alot-meants
Every day 9am - 5pm See timetable for details
The Cooling Towers A shower and changing facility with lockers for users of the sports areas in the shape of Didcot’s power station towers. 9am - 5pm Free
shooting galleries sprinkler tank
head room
recycling centre
The Head Room An acoustically sealed room stacked with books from floor to ceiling. A place of respite and quiet reflection, if only for a few moments..
the source
Daily 9am - 5pm Free to enter, fee for book loans
The Shooting Gallery Three long, open spaces for multiple use as archery lanes, cricket practice and even occasional art exhibitions.
truck market
valley cafe
cooling towers
band stand
Daily 9am - 5pm Space and equipment available for hire
Valley Cafe The converted flat roof of the former depot, the cafe connects with the Skywalk offers superior views of the Park interior as well as an open air terrace.
car park
cycle store
lift skywalk
Daily 9am - 11pm Full range of food and beverages
entrance The Truck Stop Market An entrepreneurial opportunity for anyone with a van or truck to sell their wares directly to visitors of the Park. In fine weather, this is be supplemented by an outdoor market selling produce from the allotments and other local goods. Weekends 9am - 5pm Ask for details
sculpture garden
Sculpture Garden 24 hours Free
Grassy Knolls Scattered throughout the Park providing areas to discover, sit, rest and watch the various activities taking place 24 hours Free
forest
car park
Alot-meants Community vegetable patch gardens for everyone to share, dig, plant, eat, enjoy... 24 hours Ask for details
meants
level playing field
stair to everywhere
The Level Playing Fields Three multi-use sports pitches marked out for netball, basketball, 5-a-side football, badminton, table tennis and volleyball. The ‘Fields’ are also used for yoga, aerobics, live music and theatre. Daily 9am - 5pm Space and equipment available for hire
level playing field
Stair To Everywhere A colossal three storey staircase enabling access to the perimeter Skywalk viewing promenade 24 hours Free
forest
lagoon water wheel forest
hobby village
amphi-cinema
The Hobby Village A cluster of sheds and caravans available to hire for any purpose - band practice, club meetings, craft-making, secret rendezvous... 24 hours Spaces available for hire
Amphicinema Drive in or take a seat on the grassy banked slopes overlooking the lagoon. A big screen showing the latest releases and all your cult favourites.
climbing corner
car park
Evenings only, weather permitting. Prices per person / vehicle, check programme
Climbing Corner A huge climbing wall for all ages available to hire, free to watch. Daily 9am - 5pm Space and equipment available for hire
The Source, River and Lagoon The most dramatic intervention - a ‘shibboleth’ style crack in the concrete floor pumped with flowing water - featuring a giant tap representing the source, a waterwheel in the position of the London Eye and a lagoon used for boating or paddling and that extends outdoors filling the sunken dock level area. As well as a visitor attraction, this is intended as an educational feature representing the water cycle. 24 hours Free
Shed-ule of Elements and Activities
Lo-fi solutions and readymade structures are utilised to create narrative elements and a programme of essential recreational activities
Valley Palace
A roofless birdseye perspective view of the internal arrangement including lagoon
A Glimpse From The Lagoon
The existing sunken access area up to the dock level doors is filled with water to create a 1.4m deep lagoon that extends into the shed interior for punting, paddling or just contemplating
A Glimpse From The Lagoon The existing sunken ramp area is transformed into a lagoon that extends into the shed interior for punting, paddling or just contemplating
A New Lease Of Life
Before and after sectional perspectives showing the vacant ASDA warehouse and its subsequent transformation into â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Valley Palaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
Inside The Shed
With only a light touch and subtle manipulation of the existing fabric, the retrofit design joyfully exploits its existing features and enjoys its industrial ambience
Facade options
VALLEY PALACE
VALLEY PALACE
VALLEY PALACE
VALLEY PALACE
deep plan deep plan/ atrium / atrium
translucent translucent
task - pathway task lighting lighting - pathway
south facing south facing
photovoltaics photovoltaics
task activities tasklighting lighting --activities
replace// transfer transfer toto walls replace walls
greenroof roof green
RE-
Week 14
Week 13
PORTFOLIO
Week 12
Week 11
FINAL DESIGN CRIT DI-
Week 10
IDA CRIT
Week 9
Week 8
Week 7
Week 5
FINAL DESIGN
DETAIL DESIGN CRIT
CELEBRATION WEEK
Week 6
DETAIL DESIGN
OUTLINE DESIGN CRIT
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
OUTLINE
Week 15
PROJECT 6
Week 1
SEMESTER TWO
Week
Week 12
PROJECT 6
Week 11
Week 9
Week 8
PROJECT 4
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
PROJECT 3
Week 4
PROJECT
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
existing existing
SEMESTER 1 CRIT FIELD TRIP
Week 14
PROJECT 3
FIELD TRIP
Week 10
PROJECT 2
PROJECT 5
PROJECT 1
PROJECT 1
SEMESTER ONE
Roof options
Welcome To Valley Palace
West Elevation By Day
West Elevation At Night Midnight movies at the drive-in amphi-cinema
West Elevation At Night | Midnight movies at the amphi-cinema
Gilding the Shed Brass etched model with laser cut roof showing new arrangement of existing rooflights and golden, animated facade
The End of Part One