Feasibility Report
Advanced Studies in Interior Design By Hannah Morton Level 6
Contents Introduction
Building 1
8 Great Marlborough Street
Location
North West
Transport Links Main Driving Routes
Demographics History
Lockside Mill, Marple
Location
North West
Access
Time-line
Transport Links Main Driving Routes
Demographics History
Little Ireland
Stockport Marple
Manchester Great Marlborough Street and Surroundings
Access
Building 2
Oldknow’s Canal Warehouse Time-line
Current Use
Current Use
Photographic Survey
Photographic Survey
Architectural Features
Architectural Features
Area and Usable Space
Area and Usable Space
Fire Escape Strategy
Fire Escape Strategy
Solar Orientation
Solar Orientation
Potential Voids
Potential Voids
Precedent Study
Precedent Study
Building Summary and Proposed Use
Building Summary and Proposed Use
Case Studies
Case Studies
Building Comparison Statement of Intent Bibliography
Introduction This project aims to analyse two different buildings and compare them both. Building number 1 Number 8 Great Marlborough Street, in Manchester. Building number 2 is the Lockside Mill, in Marple. Throughout the document, I will analyse building number 1, then go onto building number 2 and then compare and contrast the different buildings towards the end. Through my analysis, I will explore topics such as location, the surrounding History, net Internal Area and fire escape strategies. This will enable me to determine a feasible use for the spaces.
Buildings
Building 1 8 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester
Building 2 Lockside Mill, Marple
Building 1 8 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester
Location North West England The North West of England encompasses 6 counties which are, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The region became famous in the 18th century for its spinning and weaving cotton mills and factories, which grew in the industrial revolution around Manchester as the cotton trade grew. Currently, the region is still known for being heavily industrial but with areas such as Cumbria and the Lake District with stunning scenery. The location of Great Marlborough street is highlighted by a yellow dot on this map.
Location Manchester Manchester developed as a city through the industrial revolution during the 18 hundreds with the production of cotton cloth. This grew with great success following the creation of The Manchester Ship Canal, this enabled landlocked city to import and export the cotton though the port of Liverpool. Manchester is commonly referred to as England’s second city. Once a major industry powerhouse, it is now known for its major cultural hub, diversity, nightclubs, libraries and sporting history. One main attraction for Manchester is the idea of it being a place which birthed more rock stars than any other British city. Such as The Stone Roses, Oasis, The Happy Mondays, The 1975 and many more. This is coupled with Manchester’s famously great night-life coming to rise from the iconic Hacienda nightclub where British dance music evolved. Which links into the buildings current use as The British and Irish Modern Music Institute, referred to as BIMM. The history of this area may help to determine a suitable use for the building which reflects the area and compliments the surroundings.
Location Great Marlborough Street Great Marlborough Street is located in the just off the Deansgate area of Manchester near. Oxford Road. Number 8 on Great Marlborough Street, this is currently The British and Irish Modern Music Institute, otherwise known as the BIMM institute. This areas has a rich history with The River Medlock being close by, which joined the Manchester Ship Canal. Great Marlborough Street was also the location for Little Ireland, which was an area of horrendous housing conditions, which was population with Irish migrants during the industrial revolution. The current area is a complete contrast to the history with high end student accommodation at Liberty Height student halls. With Manchester Metropolitan University campuses around this area. On Greater Manchester Street, the universities admission centre is located. The area is also home to further accommodation, including the Macintosh Village, which is a series of green building apartments. Therefore, this building may be suitable for something can be used by students and other residents to the area as has a high density of accommodation surround the building. Furthermore, with the Macintosh Village being a sustainable area occupants may also be interested in a building use which compliments this and is also eco friendly.
Transport Links
Parking
For visitors driving in, there are 6 local car parks. These are all between a 2 and 6-minute walk.
Bus Stops
There are 12 bus stops around Great Marlborough Street. There are two main bus stops, which are circles in the diagram, these are the Oxford Road stop B and Hulme Street. 16-22 buses stop at these locations, Including buses such as the V1, 42 and 191.
Train Stations
Oxford Road Train Station is only a 5-minute walk away from number 8, Great Marlborough Street.
From this we can clearly see that the location is easily accessible by many forms of transport and only a short walking distance from bus stops, car parks and the train station.
Main Driving Routes
Rochdale to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 37 minutes and 17 miles
Ashton Under Lyne to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester
Average of 23 minutes and 7 miles
Stockport to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 25 minutes and 9 miles
Stretford to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 15 minutes and 4 miles
Wigan to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 46 minutes and 28 miles
Bolton to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 35 minutes and 15 miles
Bury to Great Marlborough Street, Manchester.
Average of 38 minutes and 14 miles
With Manchester being the main city in its area it acts as a central point for other towns and areas, with an average travel time of 31 minutes. From this we can deduce that the building location is easily accessible from areas around Greater Manchester.
Demographics Around the area of Great Marlborough Street, the age group of residents are mainly between 20 and 44 with the highest quantity age group being between 20 and 24. This highlights that this area consists of mainly young people. For the housing types in this area, you can tell by the pie chart that the main residential accommodation is concentrated with purpose-built flats. These are likely to have an occupancy of 1 to 2 people living in a flat. The majority of the social grade is C1 and AB. These are high social grades with people who have highly professional managerial job roles, this also includes junior management in professional practices. From this information I can deduce that the area is wealthy, this could be important to the proposed use of the building as it could be a high-end place or somewhere for young professionals to go.
Age Groups
Housing Types
Housing Occupancy
Social Grade
History around Great Marlborough Street 1820- 1850
Little Ireland Throughout the 1840’s to 1850’s the area of Great Marlborough Street was know as Little Ireland. From the start of the industrial revolution, Irish immigrants began arriving in Manchester seeking work. The flow of migrant workers from Ireland increased drastically due to the Irish Famine in 1845, this caused millions of people to leave Ireland. As a result of this during the decade of the 1840s, Manchester had the third-highest population of Irish born residents. The Irish were offered cheap, unskilled work and this lack of income meant they were forced to live in the poorest living conditions, at this time it was common for one or more families to share a room or a cellar. In 1835 the Manchester statistical society estimated that 15,00 people were living in approximately 3,500 cellar dwellings. At either side of what is now number 8 Great Marlborough Street, would have been Forge Street and Frank Street. In 1841 Forge Street consisted of 12 households and approximately 69 residents on this street. Similarly, on Frank Street, there were 7 households with multiple different families living in these spaces. Following Engles description of the Little Ireland area, with comments such as “The cottages are old, dirty, and of the smallest sort, the streets uneven, fallen into ruts and in part without drains or pavements; masses of refuse, offal and sickening filth lie among the standing pools in all directions; the atmosphere is poisoned by the effluvia of these, and laden and darkened by the smoke of a dozen tall chimneys.” Manchester led the way with social reform with the Sanitary Improvement Act in 1845, which was then followed by the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act and the Local Act which prohibited the use of cellar dwellings. Around 1847 the remaining residents were forced to vacate from their homes with the arrival of the railway by the railway company.
Current Use The building is currently a location of BIMM, this the British and Irish Modern Music institute. BIMM is the leading provider of education in music in Europe, this as a well established college which has been operating for 35 years. They have eight colleges in; London, Berlin, Dublin, Bristol, Brighton, Hamburg and Manchester. They have many successful alumni, with the likes of James Bay and George Ezra. Currently the building is split into sections through the floor levels. The basement is used as an IT suite, staff rooms and offices. On the ground floor there is a reception, student lounge, tutorial room and a performance room. This area is currently the only open plan space in the building. The first floor contains a performance room, teaching studios, toilets and estates. This floor is consists corridor on the right of the building, the left of the building is divided into small cellular rooms. On the second floor it is currently used as further teaching studios and tutorial rooms. This floor has a similar layout to the first floor. From this I can see that the space can either be divided into different sections but also can opened up. This means that there are options available to change the current space and layout.
Exterior View of 8 Great Marlborough Street. This highlights two faces of the buildings, you can see the front entrance and also the side fire exit. The different levels of the building are also visible in the image.
Main entrance door, also highlights a small staircase to get onto the ground floor. We are also able to identify artificial lighting at each side of the door and Fire safety equipment to the side of the door.
Red Brick Exterior
Pocket window, usually used for ventilation to basement areas.
Double fire exit doors on the staircase leading to the basement on the left side of the building.
This image shows the current building level usage. You can also see a hint of the yellow and grey painted walls.
Wooden staircase from ground floor to the first floor, with metal railings on each side. To the left of the staircase there is a no structural partition wall with a wooden look cladding.
Light coloured wooden fire door, this is located at the top of the stairs at the front of the building. Making the staircase a usable vertical fire escape route.
Through the door shown in the image on the left, you can see exposed ventilation ducts, pipework and wiring. This image also highlights artificial lighting, directional fire exit sigh, the narrow corridor with classrooms on left and windows on the right.
This shows a corridor leading to the staircase from the first floor to the second. You may notice the staircase has changed into a metal frames staircase with wooden treds. Materials in the image show wooden flooring, a non structural painted wall with a tempered glass section. You can also see a fire extinguisher at this point.
This image was taken on the second floor through the corridor facing the back of the building. Similar to the floor below this area consists of classrooms to the left and windows to the right. This corridor leads to the back of the building where there are another set of stairs which can also be used as a vertical fire escape route.
View out the window from the second floor. This shows the building next door and acts as a reflection to the exterior structure of the building as the two buildings are similar in their exterior features, such as the brick arch headed window casing.
Brick Castellated Window Header Slate Roof
Disused Chimney Arched Brick Window Header/ Canopy
Stone String Course
Pocket Window
Red Brick Exterior
Decorative Stone Moulded Door Canopy
Architectural Features and Materials By looking at exterior features of a building y it can help to determine what to put in the interior as usually, you want the two to complement each other and work as a holistic design. From this image, we can see that the building consists of 13 bays which are slightly receded into the facade, with 4 floors, a basement, ground floor, first floor, and second floor. The building exterior materials include red brick faces and a graduating slate roof. Other features include pocket windows, usually used for ventilation for the basement, these particular windows have an arched brick header and bars along the inner window casing. The windows on each floor have a slightly different header on the window, this part of the casing acts as a canopy from water running down the building, the material used is the same brick as the rest of the facade. The ground floor has a simple rectangular casing with no detail. In contrast, the first-floor windows have an arched header. The windows on the second floor are different again with a decorative casing. On the front face of the building, I have highlighted the decorative stone mould canopy which surrounds the large double doors, used as the main entrance. Other features shown on this face include the stone string course which wraps around the hole building. You can also see a large chimney, which is currently blocked off and cannot be seen from the inside of the building.
Area- Usable Space 2nd Floor 247.6m²
1st Floor 247.6m²
19.2 m²
19.2 m²
228.4 m²
228.4 m²
Fire Exit 2
Ground Floor 234.8m²
Main Entrance
215.6 m² 19.2 m²
Fire Exit 1
231.8 m²
Basement 251m² 19.2 m²
Total Area 981m² Scale 1:200 at A3
Area and usable Space This building has 4 floors which when stripped to the minimum have an almost identical floor plate. Starting from the bottom, the basement has a total Net internal of 251m². The ground floor has a total Net internal area of 234.8m². This floor also has the entrances and exits to it, which are highlighted in yellow, this includes the main entrance and the two fire exits. The ground floor plate is slightly higher than the ground level outside. Therefore there are steps to get to access each exit and entrance door. The next level the 1st floor has a usable area of 247.6m² and the stairs move towards the front of the building. This floor plate is identical to the last level, the 2nd floor. This also has a usable area of 247.6m². This gives a total usable area of 981m² for the building. In this diagram I have used a stripped out floor plan, therefore there are areas which would need to be included when proposing a design, such as toilets, storage cupboards and areas for aspects such as ventilation. This is a huge amount of space which may be able to be split into sections. Since the floors are identical this could be an opportunity to partition the spaces differently on each floor. This could be done in different variations using the structural grid of the building. This is just one possibility of the use of space this building has.
Fire Escape Strategy There are 3 final exits in this fire escape route all on the ground floor, two near the front of the building and one at the back, these are highlighted in yellow. In the basement, the fire escape route is a horizontal and then a vertical escape up the stairs to the landing where the final exit is. On the ground, the floor the main escape route is a horizontal route will a small vertical escape down to the final exit on the ground level. On both the first and second floor there is a horizontal escape route leading to a vertical escape route down the stairs. Currently, fire doors are enclosing the staircases on each floor to create a safe vertical escape route. There are also refuge points with fire safety equipment on each landing with a fire door. These main escape routes will need to be considered when redesigning the space, as to make sure the path is kept clear and visible and that fire doors and vertical escape routes are kept contained.
Scale 1:200 at A3
Solar Orientation This building is orientated to the North East. This means that the sun path travels diagonally over the building. Starting at the front of the lest side of the building and ending at the back of the right side of the building. This is important to consider when designing the interior to make sure you make the most out of the natural light provided and also to identify where more artificial lighting is needed. In addition to this information is useful if proposing any sunlight in the roof and voids through the floor plates, as you can get the full potential of the natural light.
Potential Voids As this is such a big space the building interior could benefit from having voids. This will connect the different levels and also add more light to space as the light from one level will be flooding into the other. For these potential voids, I have considered the solar path. This is because to get more light in you could add sun lights in the roof, this would only be effective if they are placed where the sun would cross the building. So I have proposed the voids go across the building diagonally avoiding structural reinforcement. These are only ideas of where voids could be placed when a design is in development it will be clearer where voids will be effective to link the areas together and create a holistic design.
Precedent Study- Black House Black House is a duplex apartment above a converted Victorian warehouse, designed by Simon Conder Associates. This building sits in an industrial neighbourhood in Hackney, London. The architecture of the extension shows robust structures which respond to the industrial characteristics on site. The extension seems to respect the existing building without directly reproducing it. This building has two functions, the first three levels are the original building which is used as a design studio. The extension is for a new home for the designers who occupy the design studios. The key features in this design are the brickwork of the original section of the building. This is complemented by the extension of insulated timber wall panels, an externally exposed larch glulam frame which is clad with sawn. The extension exterior also has a matte black preservative stain, this gives a contrasting visual to the light brick below. Furthermore, the timber columns align with the window openings of the warehouse below. This creates a visual connection between the two sections. In addition to this, the South and East elevations incorporate large openings to make the most of the solar gains. I feel like this design is effective and an innovate extension which compliments the warehouse without detracting from the historic use. I also believe it is clear that the success of this design is due to the designers paying attention to the original building features and working with them instead of against. Overall, I feel this is a comprehensive holistic design, which also fits in the context of its surroundings. The reason I picked this building as a precedent study is mainly due to the building features being similar to the Number 8 Great Marlborough Street due to them both being previously used as Victorian warehouses. Features such as the narrow front face and long side elevations are mimicked in both warehouses. In addition to this, the windows are similarly designed with brick window headers. This design has inspired me from the wide glazing of the extension. I feel like this could be something I could incorporate in my design to include the natural light and open up space which is currently cellular and dark.
Proposed Uses/ Summary Number 8 Great Marlborough Street has extremely easy access through transport, in addition to this, people from outside Manchester City Centre are likely to visit the area for a variety of other reason. This gives the building a wide range of potential users. The current demographics consist of a majority of young professionals with a moderately high paying jobs. Furthermore, this particular street has Manchester Metropolitan campuses nearby, high-end student accommodation and general residential accommodation. One area of potential interest linking with accommodation is the Macintosh Village, this is a series of sustainable and “green” flats. The building its self has very large rectangular floor plates which are currently divided into cellular space. Due to the mass of area on each floor plate, it may be beneficial to open up sections of the floor plates vertically creating a void or a multiple of voids. Another element to consider when redesigning this space is the lack of natural light in large areas of the building. Therefore, valuable to also open up the spaces horizontally giving an open plan layout. This will increase the areas which natural light can reach. Furthermore, this building has strong historic relevance and despite the fact that it is not a listed building I believe it will be important to keep the majority of the original features of the building. Considering these factors a potential use for this building could be a space which has lots of different areas to it to provide full use of the space available. Regarding the sustainable living accommodation nearby, student accommodation and young professional surrounding the building. I propose that the building is split into sections. These sections would include an allotment for growing fresh ingredients, a sustainable OR “plastic-free” shopping area. There could also be a space for a cafe where student and professionals could use as a relaxed working area. This means there would need to a space for storage which may be suitable for the basement area.
Allotment Bar, Manchester
Bents Garden Centre Plentiful, Plastic Free Shop in Ramsbottom
Potential Case Studies Since this proposed design has different areas and uses, it will be beneficial to study examples of these areas individually and then see how theses spaces can fit together in a holistic design. Some current examples include the Allotment Bar in Manchester, this is a bar and cafe which provides fresh ingredients. Another example is Plentiful, this is a “plastic-free� shop in Ramsbottom and was the first zero-waste shop in Greater Manchester. Elements such as sourcing products, storing them and what happens to any waste. This would be an interesting way of investigating a closed-loop design system. Furthermore, the production of these products may also be a relevant factor in the design as there could be a soap making area incorporated in the design or production areas. Another aspect of the proposed design is an indoor allotment and garden area, an example of this would be found in the sheltered area of Bents garden centre, where the equipment needed and potential material can be researched. In addition to this it would also be valuable to visit a local allotment to see how they work in relation to the local community. Visiting these spaces would allow deeper analysis and will be crucial to creating a comprehensive working design.
Building 2 Lockside Oldknows Mill, Marple
Location North West England
Similarly to the previous building, The Lockside Warehouse also sits in the North West region, containing regions such as Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. This region is famous for its historic mills and factories. This is relevant too Lockside mill as it was originally built as a warehouse. The location of Lockside Mill is highlighted in pink on this map.
Location Stockport The borough of Stockport is located Sout East of Manchester City Centre. The borough itself consists of Romiley, Woodley, Reddish, Bredbury, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle and Marple. Stockport is rich with historic architecture, with over 380 listed buildings. Lockside Mill is one of these. In addition to the architecture, Stockport is the home of beautiful scenery and stunning walks, with a multitude of nature reserves. This also relates to the canal route which you can walk down parts of in Marple.
Location Marple Marple is a village in Stockport, dating back to approximately 1086 when the area was most likely a wasteland inside the boundary of Macclesfield Forest. The name of Marple is believed to be derived from either “maere hop hyll” meaning “The hill at the boundary valley” or “maere pill” meaning “The stream at the boundary”. Marple is filled with the knowledge of its history it’s the Peak Forest Canal and Samuel Oldknow’s mill, changing the demographics of Marple. It is clear that the residents of Marple are a community that are proud of this history, this is reflected in their celebration of the silver anniversary of the reopening of the canal in 1999. In addition to this, the community spirit of Marple seems to be unmistakable with a long list of community projects, just one of them being the “Happy to chat bench”. Furthermore, Marple hosts a food and drink festival which provides artisan products made in Marple and the surrounding area, supporting local businesses. Marple has beautiful scenery and with miles of canal towpaths, cycle tracks, wooded valleys, river, lakes and hilltop moorland, which makes it a perfect place for walkers. Marple also has many different amenities for a small village. It has approximately 16 restaurants, 4 pubs and 5 cafes. It also has a swimming pool, a local library and a cinema. With this in mind, a use for the Lockside mill could be suited to somewhere the community can get together, maybe somewhere for locally produced goods to be used and promoted.
Transport Links
Parking
Currently, there is parking at the front and back of the building. However, these are only small. Other than this there are 3 car parks nearby which are approximately a 10-minute walk away from Lockside mill.
Bus Stops
There are several bus routes around Marple and the surrounding area. The Closes bus stop to Lockside Mill is Brabyns Brow bus stop. 5 buses stop at this location, these are; 375, 384, 394, 802, 804. This bus stop is only a 3-minute walk away from Lockside Mill. The second closest bus stop is the Marple Station bus stop. 7 buses stop at this stop, including 3 mentioned above, the additional busses are; 800, 806, 808, 383. This is also a 3-minute walk to Lockside Mill.
Train Stations
Marple has it’s own station, just off Brabyns Brow Road and Station Road. From here it is a 5-minute walk to Lockside Mill.
For a small village, Marple has a lot of transport links. This is beneficial for a design development proposal as it enables you to have a wider reach of potential users.
Main Driving Routes Manchester to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 47 minutes and 13.2 miles.
Stockport to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 26 minutes and 15.8 miles.
Wilmslow to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 33 minutes and 11 miles.
Macclesfield to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 35 minutes and 14 miles.
Hayfield to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 26 minutes and 8.8 miles.
Glossop to Lockside Mill, Marple
Average of 21 minutes and 7 miles.
To the North, West and South of Marple, there is a higher quantity of driving routes to Marple. The main access road is through the A626 which goes past Marple. The average driving time to Marple is 31 minutes, this is not really a long driving time. Therefore, I think Marple is easily accessible. However, I think the main reach for potential users of the building will be more local than this.
History - Original Use On one side of Lock 9 on the Peak Forest Canal, stands Samuel Oldknow’s canal warehouse this is now called Lockside Mill. Samuel Oldknow a prominent figure in the construction of the canal and had a huge influence on the area. He is said to have shaped the Marple we see today. His biggest influence was his Lime Kilns and Mill, this provided a great deal of employment to the area. He was also known for the construction of the All Saints’ Church and many of the roads and highways in Marple. The warehouse was used as an access point to transport materials and goods to and from his mill. There are loading bays on both sides of the warehouse for both wagons and boats to access the mill. This would have been particularly useful during the construction of the canal as this section of the canal was the last part to be finished due to financial difficulties. Up to the finished canal, the top and bottom sections of the canal were finished and working but the section through Marple had to be put on hold. Therefore, the road which is now St Martins Road would have been a crucial element to Oldknow’s transportation of goods.
Current Use Lockside Mill is currently used as offices for different companies, including a carpet design company and an Architectural firm, in addition to this approximately half top floor is being used as an art studio. The lower ground floor offices are split into cellular offices. The ground floor is mainly just used ass access as gradually lowers into the lower ground floor. The first floor is then used for carpet design offices. The second floor is split into two spaces. The first to the back of the building belongs to the Architectural firm and the second is to the front of the building, which is the art studio. The art studio is open plan with exposed timber structural beams. This shows that the space can be divided into different section and also open plan. However, when redesigning the interior you would have to be mindful of the structural beams and potentially work with these to create partitions throughout the building.
Demographics Throughout Marple, the most common type of housing is detached houses, the second most common housing is semi-detached houses. To me, this portrays the areas as having luxurious and spacious houses. In addition to this the main social grade in the area is AB this is a high social grade with people who have managerial and highly paid professions. The age group of the population of Marple is mixed, however, there is a higher quantity of people ages 45-49. From this, I can deduce that the main target audience the potential use of the building are high-class professionals, approximately middle age, who have a sense of luxury.
Housing Types
Social Grade
Age Groups
Front face of the building, showing the main entrance with a small road on the right side of the building.
Exterior view of the front and right side of the building, showing the position of the building in relation to the canal.
The rear of the building, highlighting a small car park and the fire exit.
Canopy and jib over previously used shipping bays which have now been glazed. This is mirrored on the opposite side of the building as well.
Front office on lower ground floor. From this image you can see the artificial light and that there is little natural light entering the building. You can also see covered beams going across the ceiling.
View of the canal from the lower ground floor. In addition to this it is visible that there are bars across and down the interior of the window casing.
Image of an office space on the lower ground floor, in this image you can see that the brick has been painted, there is carpet on the floor and exposed piping on the ceiling.
Stairwell looking down towards the ground floor, with a painted brick wall encasing the stairwell. Natural light from the windows is provided. Furthermore, there is a fire extinguisher on the mini landings at this point.
View from the stairwell, showing a steal reinforcement beam going across the building from front to back. You can also see the use of artificial light in this area.
Structural beams in the first floor.
Polished tile window sill, and rendered painted wall.
View from the first floor, overlooking the canal and lock. Furthermore a view of the front carpark can also be seen.
Architectural Features and Materials The exterior facades of the building are stone with a graduated stone slate roof. The building consists of 7 by 2 bays on the left face of the building and 7 by 3 bays on the right side of the building. There are two loading bays at either side of the building on the canal side and the roadside. Above these loading bays are a jib and a canopy, the jib will have been used to kept lift and lower goods and materials. These loading bays have now been glazed. Further features include Round Headed 20th century casement window. On the front and back of the building, there are also shipping holes, which have now been blocked off with brick. Another exterior feature is the elliptical arched doorway above the entrance. These features will inform the interior design as elements of the exterior architecture can be mimicked. Furthermore, the exterior of this building is particularly important as it is a grade two listed building. Meaning that no exterior features can be changed.
Previous shipping hole, now blocked off. This is one of two on this side of the building
Round Headed 20th century casement window
Jib and Canopy, covering 2 previous loading bays, now glazed.
Graduated stone slate roofing
Stone brickwork exterior Elliptical Arched Doorway
1st Floor 170m²
Ground Floor 168m²
Lower Ground Floor 163m²
Total Area 501m² Scale 1:200 at A3 Scale 1:200 at A3
Area and Usable Space This building has 3 floor plate which are almost identical. I have also stripped the floor plan down to the minimum so I can calculate the maximum net internal area with only excluding the core of the building, which in this case is the stairs and the small corridors of them. . The ground floor has a net internal area of 162m² as the main entrance is set back a little from the face exterior face of the building, the main entrance is show in pink on the lower ground floor. The ground floor has a gross net area of 168m². On this level there is a fire exit door at the rear of the building, also highlighted in pink. The first floor has the biggest net internal area of 170m², this is due to the reduction of columns in on this floor. The total net internal area is 501m² .This is a fairly small area for a building with three floors. With the area being quite small this can have its positives and negatives. A negative could be that once storage is added, depending on the use this could really reduce the usable space for a design. However, the smaller space could also be beneficial as it may be easier to create a holistic design which flows throughout all levels. Similarly to the previous building partitions could be put in using the structural grid for positioning, this will make sure that the partitions fit in with the existing building and less like they were just placed in randomly.
Fire Escape Strategy There are two final fire escape exits for this building. One at the front of the building on the lower ground floor and the other at the rear of the building on the ground floor. On each floor, the staircase is enclosed with fire doors. This creates a safe vertical fire escape route. On the lower ground floor, the main fire exit is a horizontal fire escape route towards the front door. In the case of a fire at the front of the building on the lower ground floor, the stairs are accessible from both side so it would be possible to go up the stairs to a vertical fire escape route and out at the rear final exit point. On the ground floor, the fire exit route is a horizontal route towards the read of the building. Similarly, in case of a fire at the rear of the building on the ground floor, there is a vertical escape route down to the lower ground and through the final fire exit point on this floor. The first floor is focussed on a vertical escape route, to the ground floor and out the rear final fire exit. On each floor, the staircase is enclosed with fire doors. This creates a safe vertical fire escape route. There is also a fire extinguisher on the landings between each floor.
Scale 1:200 at A3
Orientation/ Sunlight This building is orientated to the North. This means that the sun path travels horizontally over the building, starting from the east on the roadside and over to the west on the canal side of the building. This means the main natural sunlight will be hitting both sides of the building with the most windows. However, when I visited the building I noticed the centre of the building was quite dark, I think this was due to the way it had been partitioned with the enclosed staircase. This is something to bear in mind when redesigning the space as so gain that extra natural light I may be to remove these partitions, add more artificial light or come up with a new idea to perforate natural light into this space.
Potential Voids In this first sketch, I have extended the area surrounding the staircase and looked at the potential for a straight vertical void of each floor. This would be to create a clearer view of the hight of the building from the inside. In addition to this by creating a larger hole in the ceiling, it should create a more spacious feeling and start to get away from that cellular feel it currently has. On the second diagram, I propose that the floor plate of the first floor has the largest area taken out of it. Then going down to the ground floor the area removed is reduced. By doing this I was aiming to create a visual view of each floor when looking down front the top floor. Furthermore but by having a larger void this should increase the natural light in the building as it will seep from floor to floor.
Precedent Study- Calder and Hebble Navigation Warehouse Calder and Hebble Navigational Warehouse in Wakefield has been renovated by BDP architecture, this renovation was completed in 2008 and since then has once several awards. Currently, the building is being used as offices and alternative accommodation. The key materials of this building are stone brick, with similar arched features to Lockside Mill showing previously used loading bays. The interior of the building consists of a timber frame which can be seen on the top floor. I feel like this is a comprehensive renovation of the warehouse combining a modern look at the same time as enhancing the original features. The open plan layout lets in a huge amount of light, however, it is obvious that artificial light is still needed in certain sections. Another notable change is the addition of glazing in the centre of the roof. This has added a huge amount of light to the centre of the building. This is an inspirational building when comparing it to Lockside Mill as both building area grade two listed and were previously used as navigation warehouses. Although this building has a much greater area. This renovation shows how to effectively gain natural light to the building and also opening up the layout can have a positive effect on the aesthetics of the space.
Proposed Uses/ Summary Lockside Mill is a grade 2 listed building, previously used as a warehouse. The local area of Marple seems to be hugely community-based, through supporting local businesses and community projects. Marple also is known for its leisurely walks and scenery, this can be liked to the enjoyment of nature. The demographics of Marple show that the most common age group is between 40 and 50 with a high social grade and good jobs. The floor plates of Lockside Mill area relatively small in area and would benefit from an open plan layout, letting in as much natural light as possible. From this analysis a suitable use for space could be a local business centre which also sells local food and products, promoting the local businesses, this could be done in a variety of ways whether it be a shop, small restaurant or a cafe, overlooking the canal.
Potential Case Study - Manchester Craft and Design Centre Although this is a huge space compared to Lockside Mill the design centre has 19 different studios of artists, makers and designers to create a centre filled with passion for similar interests. This creates a small community in the city, which can otherwise be an isolating lifestyle. This will be relevant to develop the proposed use of a local business centre in Lockside Mill as an analysis of how the different studios are integrated will inform how this may work on a smaller scale. Furthermore, the combination of these local businesses may have a chance to solidify an already supportive community.
Building Comparison Similarities
Differences
Both Located in the North West
Lockside Mill is a listed building
Link to historic relevance of a canal. Manchester Shipping Canal near Great Marlborough Street and the Peak Forest Canal for Lockside Mill.
Manchester city centre is an urban location known for being busy, and business orientated, whereas Marple is a rural location known for its scenery and leisurely walks.
Rich history Easy access to public transport
Manchester has a strong connection with the music industry.
Previous uses of being a warehouse. Although the Great Marlborough Street was origionally housing.
Sun path travels diagonally over Great Marlborough Street but horizontally over Lockside mill. Means it could be easier to determine how to make the most of natural light.
Are currently divided into cellular spaces but both show areas of open plan spaces, showing that it is possible to reduce the partitions.
The net internal area of Great Marlborough street is almost double the area of Lockside mill.
Both have areas which are lacking sunlight. However the areas lacking sunlight is a bigger issue in the Great Marlborough street building .
Differing age groups, the population surrounding Great Marlborough street are mainly young professionals in their 20’s. Marple has a higher quantity of residents in their 40’s to ’50s.
High social class residents
Statement of intent Number 8 Great Marlborough Street in Manchester is situated in a location with a rich history. The building is currently used as a BIMM institute. Surrounding this building there is high-end student accommodation, a Manchester Metropolitan University campus, and general residential accommodation. One particular accommodation area is the Macintosh village, this is a series of “green� flats. The new design brief for this building will be to considering principles of biomimicry, Passivhaus technology and zero-carbon buildings. The design must include areas such as an indoor garden or allotment for nearby residents, a sustainable goods retail space and a fresh food cafe.
Bibliography Askmen become a better man. Restruant and bar design awards 2015. https://uk.askmen.com/fine_living/ galleries/restaurant-bar-design-awards-2015/allotment-bar-manchester-uk.html BDP. Navigation warehouse. Retrieved from http://bdp.com/en/projects/m-o/navigation-warehouse/ Griffiths.A (2017, 7, October). Black House is a duplex apartment above a converted Victorian warehouse in Hackney. Dezeen. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/07/black-house-duplex-apartmentextension-victorian-warehouse-hackney-london/ Historic England. Listing. Retrieved from https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/mapsearch?postcode=SK6%207BZ&clearresults=True Historic UK. Manchester ship canal. Retrieved from https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/ DestinationsUK/The-Manchester-Ship-Canal/ Historic Uk. Timeline of the Industrial Revolution. Retrieved from https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/ HistoryofBritain/Timeline-Industrial-Revolution/ https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ If those words could talk. (2016). Long lost histories: ‘little Ireland’, Manchester. Retrieved from https:// ifthosewallscouldtalk.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/long-lost-histories-little-ireland-manchester/ Manchester Craft and design centre. Artists and Makers. Retrieved from https://www.craftanddesign.com/ artists/ Marketing Manchester. Visit Manchester. Retrieved from https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-seeand-do/explore/stockport Plentiful plastic free shop. About us. Retrieved from https://plentifulshop.co.uk/ Street check. Area information for St Martins Road, Marple, Stockport, SK6 7BZ. Retrieved from https://www. streetcheck.co.uk/postcode/sk67bz Street check. Area information Great Marlborough Street, M1 5NN. Retrieved from https://www.streetcheck. co.uk/postcode/m15nn The Marple website. A brief history of Marple. Retrieved from https://www.marple.website/local-history/abrief-history-of-marple.html The Marple website. An introduction to the canals and waterways of Marple. Retrieved from https://www. marple.website/canals-and-waterways/canals-and-waterways-of-marple.html
Feasibility Report, Advanced Research Studies Hannah Morton Level 6 Interior Design, Salford University January 2020