Georgi Radev
The Barbican Centre
BUIL1166 Introduction to Built Environments and Construction
Introduction The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre, which holds contemporary art exhibitions, live music concerts, theatre performances and film screenings. The Barbican Performing Arts Centre was designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style. It was opened in 1982 by Queen Elizabeth II. The whole complex has a bad history, because it was a victim of mass bomb attacks during the Second World War. That is why most of the buildings we see today were renovated and have a new look from the original ones built in the past. Also, during the years more and more elements were added to the complex like statues, fountains etc. in order for it to look more modern.
However, in 2003 in a London Poll the Barbican Centre has been voted as “London`s ugliest building�. The whole atmosphere of the whole housing complex is very unpleasant, as it`s looks. Indeed, the Barbican Performing Arts Centre and the whole Barbican housing complex has a very strange and repulsive design. The streets around the blocks are very dark and scary and most of them are empty. Most of the people in the complex have to go through dark tunnels and through those streets to go home.
Not to mention, that the entrances to the buildings are very strange and put in a very unusual location so that if you don’t know, you can`t find yourself in the building, in any of them! The Barbican may be a huge housing complex and it may be located in central London, but the architectural design of the buildings – the Brutalist style – and the dark and scary atmosphere around it makes the place very unpleasant to visit.
• The Barbican Centre is located in a place in central London where there are lots of transport links and its very easy to get to with either bus, train or tube.
Air
Air is considered to be one of the most important things for human beings. Therefor, in buildings we need to have as much fresh air as we can and because of that people think of different ways to make air go through buildings. Of course, the ways of air moving through buildings can be 2 types - mechanical and passive. The mechanical way is by forcing the air through ventilations, convections, heaters or coolers and pipes. The passive way is just letting the air move through open spaces in the buildings - doors, windows and others.
In the Barbican Centre those two methods of air movement through buildings are combined in order for the fresh air to move around through the different spaces in the building. The Barbican Centre has a great amount of windows but not only the amount is the thing that its great, the sizes of the windows are pretty large as well. From those windows, of course when opened, fresh air can move into the building and circulate inside the spaces in the building. The Barbican centre is also very well "equipped" with convectors and smoke openings allowing both smoke and non-fresh air to move out making space for clean, fresh air to enter the building.
The Barbican Centre is a very good example of a combination between natural and artificial light. This kind of combination between the natural sunlight/daylight/ and the artificial lightning inside the building has been successfully achieved with a few tactics. The natural sunlight enters the building from huge windows and lights nearly half of the spaces but to be able to light more, small windows have been placed on top of the big ones on about a 45 degrees angle allowing more sunlight to enter the spaces and to light it up. For the rest of the spaces that could not be lighted by the sunlight, different kinds of artificial lightning has been placed so as to support the lightning in the space.
Light
One of the most natural lighted space in the Barbican Centre is the library. The big windows manage to light the place quite good and as its shown on the picture to the top right, more windows have been placed on specific places on a 45 degrees so the sunlight can access more inside the space. However, the library covers a lot of space and the windows are not enough to light the whole space. That is why artificial lightning is also needed. This is where artificial and natural combine and work as a team as its visible on the bottom right image.
Going outside the Barbican Centre, people can see the reflection of the sun from the surrounding glass buildings into the Barbican Centre and how the sunlight actually makes its way only on the last floors, leaving the ground in complete shadow.
The images on the right show how light readings are taken from the spot marked with an arrow on the map and how bright that spot is. The readings are made at approximately 3 PM.
The Barbican Centre is located in the middle of the Barbican Estate and is surrounded by the Barbican Skyscrapers which makes it hard for the sunlight to pass and light the building before and after noon. However, the sunlight manages to light the Barbican Centre from both the outside and inside.
Ground The Barbican Centre is a massive concrete building. Concrete is an artificial material produced by men through mixture of other materials. The basic concrete is created by mixing cement, water, sand and gravel. Though that is the basic concrete, there are many other types of concrete that exist and many of them are used in construction process`. Despite its massive concrete structure, the Barbican Centre, when renovated after World War 2, has been completely changed into a new more modern building. Now the Barbican Centre still remains as a massive concrete building but modern technology and architecture has changed the looks of the building.
The slightly domed (and unsupported) Sculpture Court sits on top of the main arts centre hall and yet you’d have no clue standing in it what was beneath your feet. There are no permanent sculptures, but this area has housed temporary sculpture exhibitions as well as theatrical performances.
The concrete is pick hammered and so technically ‘decorated’ which very much goes against Beton Brut, where the word brutalism comes from. Beton Brut raw concrete was often left with wood grains from the on-site moulds to communicate constructional honesty.
Water
Water Supply The provision of adequate cold water supplies is the statutory responsibility of the Metropolitan Water Board and supplies are takes from the Board`s mains surrounding the site. The lake and fountains which form the centre piece of the Barbican landscaping operate on a straight recirculation system. In times of heavy rainfall excess water is discharged by an overflow; there is also provision for emptying the lake when required for maintenance and cleaning. After draining, or in dry conditions when rainfall is insufficient to balance evaporation losses, the lake can be filled or topped up from hydrant points. The recirculation system is designed to provide a complete turnover about once every two days.
Hot Water Supply The first consideration is, firstly convenience and secondly cost. A number of technical considerations have been born in mind and, once again, avoidance of smoke has been regarded as essential. In common with space heating systems the choice lies between a centrally provided hot water service for which the cost is recovered from the tenant in the form of a flat rate , or a local service controlled by the tenant for which he is charged directly. In general the latter system is preferable since the tenant only pays for what he uses and is not committed to a fixed charge irrespective of use, in particular when he is away from home.
Cold Water Supply The approximate head of water available on the sire is 100ft., local storage of water is needed in each block of fats calculated on the basis of 50 gallons per flat. Storage of 10000 gallons is sited in the basement of each block with a subsidiary storage tank on an intermediate floor which can be served by water at mains pressure within a hundred feet of ground level. This subsidiary storage serves the bathrooms, basins, sinks, wastewater preventers and tank-type electric water heaters on the lower floors. All drinking water on the lower floors is served directly from the rising mains. All water draw-off points on upper floors can be supplied by pump from the 10000 gallon tanks in the basement; drinking water for the upper floors is supplied from “boosted� mains.
Energy
A DEC ‘73/C’ rated building, the Barbican Centre is committed under BS8901 to reduce this rating by one point per annum. The absolute annual unit energy consumption over the past two years has reduced by -7.9%. The building services function, operation, maintenance and projects are delivered using an in-house team of 36 staff including Managers, Supervisors & trade Engineers/Technicians on a 24/7, 365 day basis. This team also operates/maintains the Guildhall School of Music & Drama conservatoires building stock. As a consequence the Barbican Centre’s Carbon Mitigation strategy/reduction plan is modelled upon that from the HE sector requirements.
Key reasons for the Barbican Centre’s sustainable successes can be attributed to: • A Corporate commitment and buy-in at the most senior level to a sustainable ethos and behaviours. Chief Officers being personally accountable. • The Finance Director recognises sustainability is an organisational win! • Recognition that sustainable behaviours and technical interventions require differing skill sets for successful delivery. • A dedicated, competent & technically knowledgeable hard-FM team, with integrated responsibility for systems controls, maintenance and utility budgets. This integrated blend provides the priming fund for sustainable interventions and minor ‘invest to save’ projects. • Having focus in the form of a Carbon Mitigation Strategy & implementation plan. • Understanding the balance and necessity to monitor measure and sell success & continuously feedback outcomes.
. • Embed sustainability into the design of all new works; calculate & utilise life cycle/carbon cost modelling for decision making. • Utilise technology/automation, BEMS/M&T/Lighting Control systems etc. • Standard control protocols are just that and unlikely to be optimised for bespoke environs/applications. Utilise building physics/thermodynamics to maximise BEMS efficiencies and minimise consumptions. • Minimise operational parameters to deliver client satisfaction, challenge these parameters, understanding that what was, is not necessarily acceptable now. • Utilising external expertise, a fresh pair of (competent) eyes can invariably assist. • Continuously challenge conventional HVAC modus operandi, sustainably experiment, don’t be afraid of failures, and learn from them.
Recycle
As one of UK’s leading event centre, The Barbican’s commitment to improve its waste management practices was demonstrated through direct investment in recycling facilities for the public and the implementation of new recycling initiatives. Mindful of the millions of visitors received yearly and the amount of waste generated as a result, they have introduced recycling bins in their public foyers to encourage members of the public to recycle their waste. They have also introduced a comprehensive food waste composting programme involving all their catering partners which allows them to compost 100% of their food waste. The Barbican Centre is very well developed when it comes to recycling. All of the recycling points from where people pick up the trash have been shown on the map of the Barbican Centre on the previous page, including information about what kind of trash is collected from all the shown places.
To further minimise their waste, last year saw the expansion of their “Bin the Bin� policy to their level 6 offices resulting in the removal of desk-side bins and the provision of central recycling stations within the office. They promote environmental awareness among their contractors, clients and visitors by communicating their sustainable policies to contractors through contract specifications. They also run colourful and exciting slideshows about their recycling initiatives such as the new food composting scheme and previous Clean City Awards Successes on the numerous plasma screens across the centre.
Waste Minimisation
Recycling
Print double-sided Card No plastic cups/plates Paper Mains water UV system for dispensers Cans Plastic Reuse Glass Lost property to Red Cross Toner Cartridges Stationery reuse Mobile Phones Pallets removed Batteries Furniture Old bins donated to Hackney Scrap CDs & DVDs Cooking Oil Project Fluorescent bulbs WEEE Food waste
Staff communications, promotions and training
Methods to reduce contamination of recycling
Bin the Bin Recycling bins in the public area with appropriate apertures Signage Signage, information and instruction Website at recycling points Awareness day Dedicated staff collects recycling and Barbican Green Group report any contamination Staff training and induction, Initiatives to reduce smoking photocopier training related litter Cleaning staff training Smoking Bins Desk trays for recycling Front of house recycling for visitorsSmoking litter swept and public use Smoking area monitored Influenced caterers to take on food waste collection
Synthesis From all the visits to the Barbican Centre and all the research, I`ve learned quite a lot for the Barbican Centre and Estate as a whole. I found a new way for the air to pass through buildings through a combination of both technical and passive air movement. I`ve also learned how the light can affect the building`s overlook or how the water can be both useful as a resource in a building and as an aesthetic look resource. I`ve learned more about the concrete and what the specific type of concrete is used for the construction of the Barbican Centre or how buildings are configured as an efficient or non efficient building for energy consumption. And last but not least how a building can be both very busy as a number of visitors each day/month/year and kept very clean at the same time.
Conclusion As a quite old building, the Barbican Centre and the whole Estate are built in an old architecture style called Brutalism as massive concrete structures or “monsters� as some people refer it. However, the Barbican Performing Arts Centre has an amazing overall for a building not to contemporary. Everything the building has to offer it quite well thought of and made and still functional today! Despite the great overall of the concept of the building, the design is the key fact that needs to be changed into something a bit more contemporary and attention catching. The massive concrete structure needs to be renewed as it was renewed after the Second World War into something modern and more functional, in order to fulfil the desires of the contemporary society. Also, the building can be made more environmentally friendly by working on the sufficient energy consumption and decreasing the amount of artificial light in the building which is good both for the people`s health and the bills for electricity.
Reference http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/environment-and-planning/waste-andrecycling/commercial-waste-and-recycling/clean-city-awards/Documents/barbican-casestudy.pdf http://www.barbican.org.uk/ http://www.google.bg/imgres?start=133&newwindow=1&sa=X&espv=210&es_sm=122&biw=12 41&bih=566&tbm=isch&tbnid=6NMKHPeXYU11FM:&imgrefurl=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en /2008/06/402024.html&docid=BjIqIgxQzGLtIM&imgurl=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/20 08/06/402025.jpg&w=724&h=601&ei=5zKqUvOuBOmV0AWpnIG4DA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:3 5,s:100,i:109&iact=rc&page=10&tbnh=176&tbnw=212&ndsp=15&tx=69&ty=79 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48519/4296barbican-crc-case-study.pdf BAC 1989 (book) BAC 1959 (book) http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/environment-and-planning/waste-andrecycling/household-waste-and-recycling/Documents/barbican-recycling-map.pdf