[EARTH]
DIGB
Harpinder Sihra
DIGB[EARTH]
Harpinder Kaur Sihra Design Exploration ARC6011: Death & Shopping BSOAD, BA Architecture RIBA Part 1 01/06/2020 17154165
CONTENTS 01 Analysis 08-41 1.1. The site 1.2. Site diagrams 1.3. Infographics
02 Explorations
42-59
2.1. Open office 2.2. Geothermal energy 2.3. Plaster 2.4. Plaster experiments
03 Design Process
60-107
3.1. Observational recordings & process 3.2. Conceptual form 3.3. Precedents 3.4. Concept development 3.5. Developed concept form
04 EARTH Design Process
108-151
4.1. Form explorations to building concepts 4.2. Massing process 4.3. Rammed Earth research 4.4. Experiments 4.5. Design process 4.6. Precedents 4.7. Design development 4.8. Interior atmospheres
05 EARTH Resolution
152-195
Introduction
DIGB[EARTH]: “A challenge into the sustainability of natural materials� The first part of this thesis explores a range of material and energy flows, and the use of different spaces on a macro scale. The material plaster is then focused on in depth and analysed through a series of explorations in order to see how it can be applied to the form of the building for the site in Digbeth, Birmingham. The key concept for this project focuses on the fluidity and impermanence of the material plaster, and how its properties can be applied to the form of the building. This was explored through the use of models, sketches, plan development and 3D modelling. After these explorations my thesis became focused on resolving how can natural materials provide a sustainable building for the future. This thesis focuses on the sustainability of materials and using the site as a source for healthy materials to be sourced into and sold in the marketplace, where workshops and learning activities also take place. Design exploration explored the form of my building by analysing how the material plaster cracks in the form of primary and secondary cracks, portraying a sign of impermanence. This concept of cracking has been carried through into my design by having permanence and a more sustainable design underground and elements of the market above the ground with the intention for impermanence in the future, as the building above the ground is likely to be damaged over time first. Therefore, my project adopts a sustainable strategy of reusing earth materials on the site in order to reduce the carbon footprint.
7
01
Analysis 1.1. The site 1.2. Site diagrams 1.3. Infographics
9
THE SITE:
Digbeth, Coventry Street, Birmingham, B5 5NH
10
Route from Birmingham City University to the site which students would take from uni to the site.
11
1.
2.
5.
6.
Journey from Birmingham City University to site, key moments.
This series of sketches show the atmosphere from uni to the site. This was a key experience to record as students would be one of the main users of the community marketplace.
12
3.
4.
7.
8.
13
3D Rhino model showing site location, key surrounding context and a cross section through the site. Section a-a, scale 1:500.
14
15
Site photos and key important features from visit.
16
17
Collage exploring important impermanant features at site. 18
Capturing the impermanence of key materials such as brick was a starting point for my project as it was interesting to see the different types of materials across the site and how they all have a similar form of impermanence through cracking. This was mainly found in bricks and bricks covered with render. The viaducts is a key feature of the site made primarily from bricks. It was interesting to explore how the bricks in this case hold the structure over many years whilst show signs of impernanence. There is also an environmental element of impermanence on buildings at the site and throughout Digbeth caused by graffiti which ruins the buildings’ natural appearance.
19
Collage exploring movement through site, ground materials and key cracks through bricks around the site.
20
21
Charcoal rubbings of concrete textures at site.
22
Charcoal rubbings of brick textures at site.
These rubbings from the site helped to see the different surface textures of key materials at the site, especially in the brick textures. It was interesting to see how the cracks can be recorded through the rubbing.
23
SITE DIAGRAMS:
Structures
Access
Impermanence
Parking
Diagrams showing key analysis from observation at site.
24
Circulation
Sounds
Public/private
Brick textures
25
Figure ground mapping diagrams. Above: Areas of impermanance and cracking. Bottom: Access into and around site.
26
Permanent Impermanent Permanent-viaducts
Warehouses Mat building Low rise Courtyard buildings Viaducts
Figure ground mapping diagrams. Above: Permanent and impermanent buildings. Bottom: Types of buildings.
27
INFOGRAPHICS:
28
Shopping: • • • • •
House of Fraser Bazaar Market Square Corner Office Breakout Space
Materials & Energy flows: • • • • •
Construction Energy used Air Conditioning Mastic Plywood Brick
29
SHOPPING & SPACES:
30
HOUSE OF FRASER BIRMINGHAM SINCE 1894
Industry: Retail department store Founder: Hugh Fraser James Arthur Headquarters: London, UK Number of stores: 59 Owner: Sports Direct International
SHOPPING
1894 Glasgow, First established as Arthur and Fraser.
FURNITURE
1891, Established as Fraser and Sons. GIFTS
ELECTRICALS
COMPETING DEPARTMENT STORES
1936, Company expands across UK..
DEBENHAMS SELFRIDGES & CO TK MAXX MARKS & SPENCER
1995, Listed in FTSE index as House of Fraser plc..
Turnoever of House of Fraser in UK from financial year 2011-2017 (million GBP) £795 in 2011/12
200
400
600
Direct House of Faser employees
June 2018, 31 Stores closure announced.
£795 in 2012/13 £725 in 2013/14 £795 in 2014/15 £820 in 2015/16 £850 in 2016/17 0
10%
30%
In store jobs
60%
jobs high risk of being lost
800
SPORTS DIRECT
August 2018, Sports Direct company buys the chain.
31/59 Stores across the UK plan to close in the next few years affecting jobs.
Shopping & spaces: House of Fraser infographic.
31
Cultural centers
Political centers
Mosque School
Royal Court Palace
Commercial centers Shop Saray
People who visit retail outlet and bazaar 80 70
City
Purpose: 10% Outing 30% Both
60 50
A permenant enclosed marketplace where goods are exhanged or sold. Bazaars originated in the Middle East and were typically in close proximity to mosques and cities. Bazaars date back to 3,000 BCE and originally developed outside city walls. They developed a linear pattern along streets between city gates. The arch of bazaars are a key architectural feature, and are a symbol of the city and Islamic Architecture. Bazaars have are now popular for tourists in the 21st Century.
40 30 20
60% Shopping
10 0
No
Yes
Customers who visit bazaar: 14% Unplanned 23% Quarterly
Popular products purchased: Other Gifts Electronics Leather Food Grocery Clothes 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
34% Monthly
29% weekly
Bazaar
Bazaar Bazaar Bazaar structure in Pre-Islamic Shopping & spaces: Bazaar infographic.
32
Bazaar structure in Early Islamic
Bazaar structure in Seljuk Period
Temporary
Voluntary
M A R K E T
Management
Trades
Cheap
Agreement
Purchase
Online
ÂŁ
markets
Death of markets
Birmingham markets & relation to Digbeth:
Supermarket
Birmingham markets stall layouts:
Fruit
People and Employment in Birmingham:
Trading of goods. Key feature of cities. Linear. Impermenance.
S Q U A R E
Fruit
Fruit
Fabric
Fabric
Fabric
Fabric
Fabric
Birmingham markets busy areas:
Economic Inactivity 28%
Fruit
Fruit
Fruit
Fabric
7% Unemployment
Contains OS data Š Crown copyright and database rights 2019 Ordnance Survey (100025252). FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY
0
Scale 1:10000
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 m
65% Projection: British National Grid Resident Employment
Traders and average workers are the key types of people who work in markets to generate income.
130 Stalls
Oct 20, 2019 19:09
Birmingham markets circulation routes:
Harpinder Sihra
Mediate busy & noise Most busy & noisy area Least busy & noise
Birmingham City University
Fruit
Fruit
Fruit
Fabric
Fabric
Fabric
Fruit & veg Fabrics Household items Seasonal goods Shopping & spaces: Market square infographic.
33
CORNER OFFICE Corner offices are well known for promotions and senior staff In large companies, only 1/10 is considered for a promotion:
PROMOTIONS IN OFFICES:
29% considered one person for last promotion
79%
Formal process for promotions
27% considered three people 18% considered two people 11% considered four people
21%
no process
10% considered five people
74%
5% considered six or more
performance reviews are key
0
26%
Improvise
5
10
15
20
25
30
DIFFICULTY IN PROMOTION DECISION: 56%
Role of favouritism in promotions for corner office:
Knew who to promote
91% Favouritism in large companies 84% Favouritism occurs in their company 75% Witness favouritism in current company 23% Practiced favouritism at their company 9% Used favouritism for corner office promotion
0
20
40
60
44%
Not sure who to promote
80
SPACIAL LAYOUT OF CORNER OFFICE IN CORNERBLOCK: CORNER OFFICES
LIFTS
CORNER OFFICES
W.C. W.C.
STAIRS
Relation between Cornerblock & Digbeth BREAKOUT SPACE
OPEN OFFICES
Shopping & spaces: Corner office infographic.
© Crown copyright and database rights 2019 Ordnance Survey (100025252). FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.
0
100
200
300
Scale 1:10000
400
500
600
Projection: British National Grid
34
700
800
900
1000 m
Oct 21, 2019 19:53 Harpinder Sihra Birmingham City University
BREAKOUT
Complies with law Benefits employees wellbeing Collaboration Informal meeting place
Biophilic design is used
Typical layout of breakout space in offices, in the centre or atrium surrounded by offices.
to improve physical wellbeing and mental contentment among users.
Presence of water
Visual connection to nature
Views out into distance
Sounds of nature e.g. water
Patterns existing in nature
Thermal control and airflow
Typical uses of breakout space:
Meetings with clients Productive meeting area
37%
Workers with no break get headaches
Health & Safety regulations Lunch & coffee breaks
53%
Workers aim for regular breaks
48%
Workers with no break
Natural light Valuable work area
WIFI
CLIENT
RELAX
COFFEE
SPACE
Shopping & spaces: Breakout space infographic.
35
MATERIALS & ENERGY FLOWS:
36
CONSTRUCTION ENERGY Amount of energy that is used by a process, system, product, community. Generating heat, powering equipment, creating products and materials, transportation.
Energy efficiency reduces fuel consumption. This can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and help prevent climate change.
Smart meters
Low energy lights
Ways to reduce energy consumption Window energy ratings
Energy performance
Different types of energy used at construction sites:
30% fuel
CO2 emissions
12.6% Heavy oil
11.9% Electric
power Construction work 5.1% Electric power Office
1.4%
Kerosene
42.9% Greatest air emissions.
Light oil Heavy machinery
26.1%
Light oil Trucks
Materials & energy flows: Construction energy infographic.
37
AIR CONDITIONING
Typical position for AC in offices
Transfers heat from a building’s interior to the warm outside environment. Factors: Humidity Room size Air quality AC capacity Temperature
Evaporator
G
Cooling coils remove heat from air using refrigerant.
78
Blower
Fan circulates air over evaporator dispersing chilled air.
Condenser
Hot coils release collected heat into outside air.
Compressor
A pump moves refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser to chill indoor air.
E B
C
D
Fan
A fan blows air over the condenser.
Filter
F
Removes particles from the air.
A
Thermostat
Control system which regulates the amount of cool air released.
Energy flows: Small Medium Large
500 W 900 W 1,400 W
Uses: - Offices - Houses - Apartments - Service rooms - Machine rooms
Material & energy flows: Air conditioning infographic.
38
Water-resistant ADHESIVE SEALANT
Resists corrosion Temperature resistant
Key uses: Porcelain, glass or ceramic tile adhesive, cracks in walls and floor tiles.
UV resistant Construction uses Exterior facades
MASTIC
ADHESIVE SEALANT
Mastic is an organic glue made from the sticky resin of the mastic tree. It's available as a thin-liquid, thick glue, or a sticky paste.
Uses in Digbeth on exterior facades of buildings where appear and in construction.
Applied thickly only Light pressure Acrylic copolymers Calcium carbonate Harmful to environment
Š Crown copyright and database rights 2019 Ordnance Survey (100025252). FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.
0
50
100
150
200
Scale 1:5000 250
300
Projection: British National Grid
350
400
450
Oct 22, 2019 14:53
500 m
Harpinder Sihra
B&Q
Wickes
Birmingham City University
SCREWFIX
Material & energy flows: Mastic infographic.
39
PLYWOOD Fencing
Thin layers of veneer
1.2m
Construction Forest
2.4m
Grades of plywood:
Log yard
Manufacturing process of plywood
Log de-barker
Logs cut into peeler blocks Veneer peeling Veneer clipping
Glue spreading
Veneer drying
Cold pressing
Types of plywood:
Hot pressing
Sanding
Trimming
Aquatek
Hydrotek
Joubert Okoume
Marine fir
Made from meranti
Made from meranti
Made from okoume
Made from douglas fir
Material & energy flows: Plywood infographic.
40
Grading & packing
B R I C K
STANDARD SIZES:
SUSTAINABILITY:
TEXTURES:
£
70mm 112mm
240mm
RECYCLING PROCESS:
Roman brick Early Middle Ages
Red clay fired brick 4400BC
Dried brick 7500BC
Ceramic or fired brick 3000BC
Common brick Industrial era
Material & energy flows: Brick infographic.
41
02
Explorations 2.1. Open office 2.2. Geothermal energy 2.3. Plaster 2.4. Plaster experiments
43
O P E N O F F I C E
44
Open office was one of the topics I chose to explore as I want to incorporate an open office layout design or an office style similar in the workshops where users can go to learn about how to build things and learn about DIY and natural materials in construction.
Enhance collaboration
Better working atmosphere
Flexibility for future
Arrangement of tables
Meeting rooms
Breakout space
Open space
Meeting rooms
Diagram showing key layout of an open office design.
45
G E O T H E R M A L E N E R G Y
Trombe wall- collects solar energy from sunlight used as a source of thermal mass.
Diagram exploring how a trombe wall works as a solar passive design strategy. The trombe wall could be made from an earth material which cracks and changes over time. When exploring how the different spaces of the building could be layed out, I liked the idea of having the system as the core of the building. This led me to look into exploring how a geothermal energy system works which is a method that uses the earth to heat and cool buildings.
46
Two thirds of a typical energy bill go towards heating, cooling and hot water.
A geothermal system can also run deep underground in a vertical orientation.
1 Water is mixed with antifreeze and circulates through pipes buried several feet below the local frost lin.
Geothermal is more efficient than stnadard heating and air conditioning. It can reduce CO2 emissions from 20% to 65%.
2 Heat is exchanged between the solution in the pipers and the warmer earth, and the solution circulates back into the home for heating water or air. During the summer months, this process reverses.
47
P L A S T E R Existing solid wall Existing plaster
Insulation backed plasterboard Skirting
Existing floor
Technical detail of plaster to wall construction.
Plaster experiments.
48
IVE E DR CR
PIC
KF
OR
D ST
RE
ET
Ba
sin
BENA
MI
LK
ST
RE
ET
ET
RE
N ST
E AN
TL
LIT
RE
A TE
RR
AC
MI
LK
ST
RE
ET
E
M
OO
RE'
S
RO W
Key textures around site: brick cracks, render falling off.
Plaster experiment 1: curved surfface Plaster experiment 2: flast surface Plaster experiment 3: corner angle
The key impermanenet textures of render on brick from the site inspired how I explored the material plaster. This encouraged me to focus on how the material cracks over time and the physical qualities of the material such as texture and how it can be applied. My first approach was to explore how plaster forms and can be applied to different shaped surfaces: flat, curved and on a corner angle.
49
Photograph of a wall at site showing render cracking off brick.
50
Photograph of a wall at site showing render cracking of brick and the use of steel to hold bricks together.
51
Photograph of a wall opposite the site showing render texture cracking off brick.
52
Photograph of a wall at site showing render cracking of brick and impermanance.
53
PLASTER EXPERIMENTS
54
1.
Plaster: Water 1:2
2.
Plaster: Water 2:1
5.
Bonding: Water 1:1 Plaster: Water 1:1
6.
Bonding: Water 1:1 Plaster: Water 1:1
3.
Cement: Water 1:1
4.
Cement: Water 1:1 Plaster: Water 2:1
7.
Bonding: Water 1:1 Plaster: Water 2:1
8.
Bonding: Water 2:1 Plaster: Water 1:1
To explore the fluidity and ways in which the material plaster cracks, I did 8 samples with different mixture ratios. From this I analysed the way the cracks form and how this can be applied to a form.
55
56
Photographs of plaster texture and cracks over time.
From this process, the form of plaster can be observed from powder to liquid to solid and how cracks start to appear over time on a wall as well as colour change. This sample took 2 and a half hours to fully dry.
57
Geothermal energy
Core of the building
Solar thermal energy
Sustainability
Energy flows Cracking
Impermanance
Materials textures Structure Brick, plaster
Permenant
MIindmap exploring key ideas across the project and chosen themes.
58
Earth, mud atmosphere Underground? Temporary
Culture
Unsafe, graffiti Isolated
Digbeth Trades
Past?
Community
Open office
Key space
Future?
Present
Inclusive workshops DIY, ceramics, plaster.
Culture of Digbeth
Workshop- impermanent textures, natural materials, earth feel
59
03
Design Process 3.1. Observational recorings & process 3.2. Conceptual form 3.3. Precedents 3.4. Concept development 3.5. Developed concept form
61
OBSERVATIONAL RECORDINGS & PROCESS: The first stage of my process was taking the ways in which plaster cracked through the explorations I did and begin to abstract key properties which are shown. The key interesting features which I found through observation was the fluidity of the material and the way in which cracks appear once dry and also during the drying process. My approach to sustainability focuses on the materiality and use of geothermal energy which would use more natural resources therefore be more beneficial to the environment. The materiality plays a key role in sustainability as the surface of the material will appear new in its current stage once built but then in 100 years from now it would start to change and cracks would appear. Therefore, looking at natural materials that last longer is something I have explored through my concept form and designing with the intention that the building will not last forever.
62
Free hand sketches with charcoal exploring key cracks formed from plaster explorations.
63
Sketches of key cracks from plaster experiments.
After creating the plaster samples, I sketched each one and abstracted the key cracks formed in each and explored how this could form an overall form on the site through plan.
64
65
Sketches exploring concept from plaster sample 4.
66
After extracting how the key cracks from each sample form, I looked at exploring the concept of separating the cracks to use as pathways and form part of the landscape for my form. This is a sample I experimented with in terms of testing how this concept could work.
67
Exploration of concept from plaster sample 2.
68
Axonometric sketch exploring concept of separated the cracks as use for walkways.
The above sketches explore plaster sample 2 and key forms of cracks extracted. This sample had a more fluid form of cracks once dry compared to the other samples.
69
1.
2.
5.
6.
Explorations of form from plaster exploration 4.
70
3.
4.
7.
8.
As I did each plan I was thinking how the form could be arranged to enhance access through the site for use and creating landscape features such as seating from the structure. The material used for this will be rammed earth as it has natural earth tones and creates an earth feeling.
71
Landscape arrangement of form.
After developing a form layout from the 8 different plaster explorations I chose to take this form as a starting point to develop further. This was my chosen form as I liked the way it forms around the site and creates open walkways through the site. Within each structure in the form there could be a link that goes underground for the offices in which the community can use to gain workshops and knowledge on DIY and how to build things.
72
1. Key access into site
3. Separation of cracks to form landscape
2. Plaster texture and form of cracks
4. Incorporating textures into landscape, seating from plaster crack textures
Sketches explaining layout of form.
73
Landscape plan of form for final presentation. 74
75
Section and elevations of conceptual form.. 76
77
VISUALS VISUALS
Interior and exterior visuals through form.
78
The key features that will be in my design form are the textures and earth feel. Going underground with the design will create this sense of earth and link the market spaces together. To get to my form I went through the process of model making and working in plan and section. On the right are some visuals from my 3D sketchup model rendered using enscape to show the key materials and textures.
79
PRECEDENTS:
Figure 1: Andy Goldsworthy, impermanent walls and use of plaster in the underground. Source: (Smale, N. (2007)).
After exploring how the material of plaster forms I looked at some precedents that use earth materials to influence my form of my concept more. This is a wall by Andy Goldsworthy, he makes temporary sculptures with the intention they will eventually crack and fall apart. This helped me to explore how plaster can be applied in a temporary way and with intentions of it falling apart which started to appear in the cracks formed when pouring plaster in a liquid form to the models.
80
Figure 2: use of rammed earth. Source: (Cogley, 2019).
This is a shelter which uses rammed earth as a pavillion. It was interesting to see how rammed earth is used in this case on a small scale and how there are openings in the design to allow light through.
81
Figure 3: Use of rammed earth in Observation Tower, Negenoord. Source: (Gonzalez, M. (2018)).
This was an interesting precedent to look at as it allowed me to get an insight into how stairs could possibly be used with rammed earth to go underground.
82
Figure 4: Use of rammed earth in Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre. Source: (Gonzalez, M. (2018)).
This was a precedent which uses rammed earth in a cultural centre. I liked the tones used in this and how the form is simple but expressive with the earth tones. Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Canada (Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre – SIREWALL | Structural Insulated Rammed Earth, 2020).This precedent was built in 2006 by Sirewall which used multicoloured horizontal layers. Its innovative aesthetic effects were created with the aid of industrial activities; the earth used for the walls in this design were heavily stabilized with cement and the colours were achieved by adding artificial pigments.
83
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Site model, scale 1:500
84
Plaster model form exploration, scale 1:500
Plaster model form exploration 2, scale 1:500
Plaster model form exploration 3, scale 1:500
In order to explore the fluidity of plaster I experimented with pouring it into a shell of the form then allowed for it to dry. When pouring the plaster mixture over the samples each showed similar reactions in terms of how the plaster filled the structure and poured out through gaps. The experiment which caught my interest the most was number 3 as it showed a unique way of cracking compared to the other 2 samples.
85
In order to develop my form I explored the fluidity model further and started with sketching the key patterns of cracks formed once it dried. This allowed me to extract key points from how the cracks form and to generate some data charts so it can be carried into the form of my design. In order to do this I traced over the sketch several times and counted the number of points to gather data that could be put together in separate charts. I then used these charts to help inform my decisions when developing the conceptual form and applied these rules to how the form is divided into different elements. This included counting the number of cracks both primary and secondary, the number of pieces formed and the number of points in total. I divided the primary cracks with bolder lines to make it distinct from the secondary cracks.
86
Number of cracks formed. 25
Number of cracks once dry.
20 25 15 20 25 10 15 20 5 10 15 0 5 10 0
Primary cracks
Secondary cracks
Type of cracks
60 5 50 60
Number of pieces formed.
40
0
Number of individual pieces formed.
50 30 60 40 20 50 30 10 40 20 0 30 10 20 250 10 20 25 0
15 20
Primary cracks
Secondary cracks
Type of cracks
Number of points formed.
25
Number of points in total.
10 15 20 5 10 15 0 5 10 0 5
0
Primary cracks
Secondary cracks
Type of cracks
87
Sketch highlighting key points and cracks extracted from sketch from model exploration.
This highlights from the sketch the key cracks taken from the analysis to develop into my form. I focused on abstracting the primary cracks as the key divisions of the marketplace allowing for walkways and access through the site in between This form showed an important middle centre in which the cracks divided from which I wanted to incorporate into the landscape of the design form as the centre point for visitors to take a break. This centre can have an opening that allows people to see below the underground offices and workshops taking place. The secondary cracks could be a way of dividing the spaces inside when designing the layout inside.
88
Sketches exploring the development of form from analysed number of points.
I drafted out how much of the area should go underground which I wil develop the form of further by exploring the outer edges of the cracks shape overall. I explored different ways in how the central opening looking underground could be arranged in relation to the market stalls surrounding.
89
Marketplace
Transport/ delivery
Offices underground
Access
Diagram exploring layout of different spaces.
The key spaces in the form will be a marketplace to buy building materials of all sorts, and the community offices underground in which people can go to to engage in workshops and DIY skills. Students from the uni and also people from the community and traders would be the main users. Digbeth has a lot of trade around therefore, to have a central location where building supplies can be sourced into it can be a more convenient scheme and to have a space where inductions can take place.
90
Drawings exploring plan layout and section undergound links to different spaces.
Here I have developed the plans and drawn out in section possible connections between the two buildings. The centre opening also links back to my original idea of having the system as the core of the building which is something that can be explored further when the form functions as a building.
91
Marketplace
Drawings exploring plan layout and section undergound links to different spaces.
92
Offices underground
Offices underground
This page explores the final breakdown and layout of types of spaces before I came to my chosen form. The form of the underground plan has been developed in response to the number of points of primary cracks that appeared on the fluidity plaster experiment. This runs underground the marketplace and would possibly have stairs connecting from each side of the buildings. This is something which will be explored further once the form can function as a building.
93
Clay models exploring underground form, scale 1:100.
94
Access for deliveries
Public access Public access
Model with conceptual form showing key access routes, scale 1:500.
95
Context plan N
96
012
p ` ^ i b = Z = NWNMMM
02
04
08
0
97
Landscape ground plan of conceptual form
N
p ` ^ i b = Z = NWRMM
92 98
051
10
20
40
99
Landscape plan, underground of conceptual form
N
051
100
p ` ^ i b = Z = NWRMM
10
20
94
40
101
b-b
a-a Landscape plan, NTS.
Sections of conceptual form.
Top: section a-a Bottom: section b-b N
051
102
p ` ^ i b = Z = NWRMM
10
20
40
103
Elevations of conceptual form.
Top: north elevation Bottom: east elevation
N
051
104
p ` ^ i b = Z = NWRMM
10
20
40
105
Key visuals created using sketchup, enscape and photoshop showing key experiences through this form.
106
Key visual.
This shows a key visual from the undergound level looking up through to the sky. The key material shown in the form is the use of rammed earth and cracks which would start to appear in future years linking back to the idea of how the material is sustainable and is designed for future impermanence.
107
04
EARTH Design Process 4.1. Form explorations to building concepts 4.2. Massing process 4.3. Rammed Earth research 4.4. Experiments 4.5. Design process 4.6. Precedents 4.7. Design development 4.8. Interior atmospheres
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FORM EXPLORATIONS TO BUILDING CONCEPTS
To start my design process from my form explorations to a building, I sketched over the key sections previously produced and started extract key information and ways in which it could function as a building. The first stage in this process I identified the key concepts from my explorations which should be carried out through my design process. These were the use of having a key core in the building which allows natural daylight to enter also which the main circulation forms around, having a predominant use of underground space as the function of the building so that landscaping and the use of temporary markets can occur on the site level. The ways in which my form was explored produced some complicated shapes in these sections from here I translated these shapes into the use of mezzanie floors which can provide another experience when underground. This idea of impermanence is something I will continue to explore in the development of my design as designing underground is less likely to show signs of cracking over time due to less exposure to weathering compared to materials exposed on ground level. Also having these structures that are part of the building which rise from the earth at different locations on the site level is something I will incorporate as I develop my project. Furthermore the use of natural materials in my design predominantly rammed earth is something I will develop and explore further and using as minimal use of concrete as possible. This is because concrete is not a very sustainable material due to harmful CO2 emissions produced when the cement is made.
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From this I then identified the key levels which would be present in transition stage from form to building. In previous explorations I explored having the markets all on the site level and underground community offices and studio spaces around the core. However, I then started to think and imagine what it would be like to experience a market underground. This led me to start developing my project with two key floor levels underground as shown above in the sketch on the right, where -1 would be the office and workshop spaces and -2 would be the permanent markets. On the site level there would be access through the site, the use of landscaping and temporary markets under the viaducts which people would walk through and activities such as trading could happen here too.
A key visual which came to mind when extracting this information is to have a view from the bottom floor looking up with the viaduct arches in the background. The process of designing underground is something unique to my project and intrigued me as the experience of going underground into a building is an experience that would be remembered compared to ordinary trading markets in Digbeth.
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Exploration from plaster cracks formed, extraction of key shapes. The way in which the plaster cracked when analysing the shapes made produced this shape highlighted which could be the core of the building perhaps.
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Design brief for my design scheme.
This diagram puts together the key concepts in my design and ultimately links to the idea of impermanence. Therefore, when thinking about 100 years into the future, how the building would appear and what signs of impermanence would be shown, there would be changes in the texture on rammed earth walls.
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MASSING PROCESS
PROGRAMME PLANNING: When starting my programme planning I initially made massing models for all the types of office spaces and market spaces required and tested different layouts from my form explorations from the last chapter. This provided a starting point which I developed from, testing how markets could function on the ground level and just having the office spaces below. It was from this point I decided to have all the permanent markets underground and just temporary markets on the ground level. This was the point in which I started to explore the details and properties of using Rammed Earth as a construction material in order to provide a sustainable building. This then started to trigger thoughts into what these spaces would feel like and what the experience would be like to be nearly 10m underground in a shopping market.
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After initial programme planning using massing blocks, I refined my programme of spaces more specific to the spaces which my building would require to function. Breaking it down into a simple process, there is a process between making healthy material products such as ceramics in the workshops and selling these items in the markets. A main feature of my building is that it will be mainly used by the community.
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KEY: MARKET STALLS FOYER STORAGE UTILITY OFFICES
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These are some photos of my process using massing models and different arrangement layouts for the types of spaces which will be in my design.
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RAMMED EARTH RESEARCH
The Rammed Earth Wall Embodied For a 2.4m high wall
Material embodied energy from I.C.E in M J/kg: 0.083 Material embodied carbon from I.C.E in kgC02e/kg: 0.0052 Sample building embodied carbon: 413kg Volume of material in sample 1000sf/ 92.9m2 building: 49.6m3, 79,410kg
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Twelve ways to use raw earth Dug out An architectural space is made by digging out a hollow into the earth’s surface. Common with underground houses and cave houses Earth sheltering Earth is used to create a protective covering over a s tructure made from other materials Fill in Raw earth is used to fill hollow spaces in a building’s framework Cut blocks Blocks of clay or turf are cut from the ground directly into regular shapes and used as masonry units Compressed earth Compressing earth in wooden or steel moulds or formworks can make robust building materials Direct shaping Earth in a pliable form can be used to shape thin walls by hand. Constructing a building like this needs rolls of clay or vegetable fibres soaked in clay and layered vertically Stacked earth Earth that is shaped into balls can be s tacked in layers to form thick load-bearing walls Moulded earth Earth shaped by hand or moulds can be used to form bricks and blocks which can be left to dried in the sun for use Extruded earth Earth is mechanically extruded through a mould to make regular bricks, panels or units Poured earth Earth in the state of liquid can be poured into formworks like thin concrete to build monolithic wall layers Straw-clay and light clay Earth in the form of Liquid clay can be mixed with straw or grass to create a material with a fibrous appearance Wattle and daub Malleable earth is mixed with plant fibres and used to fill gaps in a load-bearing framework over a lattice of interwoven bamboo or wood
Infographics on the key statistical facts on a 2.4m high Rammed Earth wall regarding its embodied energy and on the twelve key ways in which raw earth can be used. This was important to research as it provided key properties of the main structural material which will be used for my building.
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LIFE CYCLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MATERIALS
Global Warming Potential (GWP) kg CO2 eq
kg CO2 eq 40 35 30 25
100 concrete block ceramic brick compressed earth block
lightweight concrete block
80
ceramic brick
60
rammed earth
20 40
15 10
20
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MJ
350 300 250 200 150
ceramic brick compressed earth block
700 600 500 400 300
100
200
50
100
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120
concrete block
800
0
lightweight concrete block ceramic brick rammed earth
LIFE CYCLE STAGES
Life cycle environmental impact of materials and life cycle stages of Rammed Earth infographic. From the diagram on the left it shows that earth materials have the lowest global warming potential and embodied energy when compared to other construction materials such as concrete and ceramic bricks. This is important as it shows that earth is a key material with many environmental benefits and it will be a more sustainable material to use with future implications.
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Moisture content is initially lower in rammed earth so is subject to shrinkage when drying.
Clay content of soil determines the durability and waterproof properties of the wall which is approximately 15-18%
Soils used with small gravel aggregate, sand, silt, and clay have best properties for rammed earth.
Higher clay content is allowable and desirable in soils used for rammed earth.
Higher clay content is allowable and desirable in soils used for rammed earth.
SOILS
Infographic exploring soils and the basics of Rammed Earth.
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Pneumatic Backfill Temper
Reinforced Plywood Frame
Moist Earth: Mixture of sand, concrete and gravel
Compressed Earth
Layers of Compacted Earth
BASICS OF RAMMED EARTH
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EXPERIMENTS
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1. Dug out soil and tested the soil content.
2. I then mixed 3 Cups of soil, 1/2 cup of sand and 1/2 cup of cement.
5. Addition of Earth mixture into the mould.
6. Ramming the mixture using a piece of wod as it is added in small portions. This formed a series of layers.
3. Layout of tools needed for sample: work bench, wood and clamps.
7. Final result of Rammed Earth wall sample in mould.
4. Assembly of clamps and mould for Rammed Earth sample.
8. After 3 hours the sample was dry and I removed the clamps and mould.
Process of making a rammed earth block sample using earth, soil and cement.
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Photographs of Rammed Earth wall sample blocks.
From the photos of the Rammed Earth wall block samples I made, we can see the solid form it has made once dry. This process of making gave me an insight into how Rammed Earth walls would be made for my building but on a much larger scale this would be at. This process was very straightforward and easy to follow. Once the sample had dried it was very solid and almost like a brick. This is a very good property of Rammed Earth Walls as it will contribute to its thermal mass properties.
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Thermal mass absorbs or ‘slows down’ the passage of heat through a material and then releases that heat when the surrounding ambient temperature goes down. All other things being equal, a high mass building such as rammed earth remains close to the 24 hour average for the time of year: in many climates this may be too cold or warm for comfort. If heating or cooling is required, the walls need to be insulated to limit energy consumption.
Stabilized Rammed Earth walls take into account this insulation layer required for optimal results. It is also reinforced with steel bars, which forms a grid within the wall. This provides extra strength to the wall for larger Rammed Earth walls. If I had steel rods available, I would have tested this in another sample to see how the sample would form once it has dried. It would probably be more harder to ram into the mould.
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Rammed Earth behaves as heavyweight masonry with a high thermal mass. Thermal mass is important because it absorbs or ‘slows down’ the passage of heat through a material and then releases that heat when the surrounding ambient temperature goes down. All other things being equal, a high mass building such as rammed earth remains close to the 24 hour average for the time of year: in many climates this may be too cold or warm for comfort. If heating or cooling is required, the walls need to be insulated to limit energy consumption. One of the key challeneges with using Rammed Earth walls for my design is in order to make it as sustainable as possible, is Ithat need to use as little as possible of concrete in the design. This is because concrete is not very sustainable and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the use of steel rebar as a method for reinforcing the Rammed Earth wall can be used to provide more strength to the wall. Especially as the design will be underground, a lot more strength will be needed. This type of wall reinforced with with steel rebar is called a stabilized Rammed Earth wall and has more benefits than an unstabilized Rammed Earth wall. The key benefits are is that it provides more strength to the wall, it has a layer of insulation which helps with the thermal qualities.
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On the right, illustrates a diagram I made which shows the key build up of a stabilized Rammed Earth wall. By using these walls as structurally load bearing walls it will form the primary structure for my design and remove the need for a steel grid or concrete columns. This would make the building more sustainable as stabilized Rammed Earth walls have a very low carbon footprint. Stabilized rammed earth walls are better than a concrete load bearing wall structural system because the cement in concrete produces a lot of harmful CO2 emissions. There will however be some areas in my design that will need the use of reinforced concrete for support. This will use Fly Ash concrete which is a type of cement more environmentally friendly.
300mm INTERIOR RAMMED EARTH WALL REINFORCED STEEL REBAR 100mm FOAM INSULATION 200mm EXTERIOR RAMMED EARTH WALL, REINFORCED STEEL REBAR
INTERIOR FLOOR
REINFORCED CONCRETE FOOTING
Diagram showing the technical layers needed for a stabilized Rammed Earth wall.
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DESIGN PROCESS
-1 Floor plan
Ground floor
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS LOADING, DELIVERIES ACCESS TO -1 LEVEL
ACCESS THROUGH SITE
Ground floor
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-1 Floor plan
To start designing my building after exploring spatial arrangements with diagrams and 3D massing models, I developed my design by hand in plans initially then used CAD softwares to resolve my building further. By hand this allowed me to see the arrangement of spaces and how they will link to each other and explore how the circulation for my building around the core will function. The positioning and angles of the core is something I explored and developed in response to the site and the viaducts. This was to allow as much natural daylight to enter as much as possible.
-2 Floor plan
In my first response to designing my floor plans above I looked at having a second atrium to allow light to enter the underground spaces. The shape of this diverted from the simple shape I initially wanted to explore which led me to starting again and positioning the core of the building under the viaducts. This is something I explored further as there was intriguing about having the building running through underneath the viaducts.
-2 Floor plan
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a-a
Ground floor
Section a-a.
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-1 Floor plan
From this I then did another set of plans which explored having a second atrium to allow more light into the underground spaces including the ceramics workshops and markets. I also explored having roof lights at the ground level to allow more light into underground spaces and function with my passive ventilation strategy. Below on the left is the section drawing from this set of plans. From this I was able to see how this design looked in section and to assess the effect of having a second atrium. I found that it was not neccessary to have one as it reduces the amount of floor area in the underground spaces. This also allowed me to explore the roof structure when I started to work in section.
-2 Floor plan
North elevation.
This elevation shows how the building appears simplistic from entrance at site level but then in section shows how it is more complex underground.
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Cross sections exploring design development of mezzanie floors.
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Development plans exploring key design strategies and using landscaping to encourage movement through the site.
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PRECEDENTS
Figure 5: Brother Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor (Etherington, 2020). This precedent shows how light would enter from above and the kind of atmosphere which could be created in rooms with less natural light and the texture from Rammed Earth walls.
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Figure 6: Westgate Mall Oxford Street GHA (GHA Project | John Lewis, Oxford, 2020). This precedent uses a similar style of roofing to the one which I am thinking of using in my design. It is made from a steel glazed roof but the concept is similar in the sense that it provides the majority of natural light to enter the courtyard.
Figure 7: The Administrative offices of the Gugler printing plant in Austria designed by Ablinger, Vedral & Partner Architects (print & media Pielach | Ablinger Vedral & Partner ZT GmbH, 2020). Rammed Earth has uses for offices with parallel interior and exterior Rammed Earth walls which mark the office and courtyards to create a sense of serenity and harmony. This is a precedent which uses the same materials that I will in my design consisting of Rammed Earth walls and a glulam timber roof structure. The roof structure in this design is quite flat whereas I want to explore a more curved glulam roof structure in my design for aesthetic purposes.
Figure 8: Savil Building by Glenn Howells Architects (GHA Project | Savill Building, 2020). This is a community building in Windsor Great Park which uses a timber grid shell for its roof structure. This was an inspiring precedent to look at as it helped me to develop the form of my roof design.
Figure 9: Underground Rammed Earth housing by Luigi Rosselli. This is a housing in Australia scheme by Luigi Rosselli (Mairs, 2020). In this precedent, houses are semi-buried along a Rammed Earth wall. Rammed Earth walls are used structurally and aesthetically in this design, with exposure to interior Rammed Earth walls as a finish. This precedent proves Rammed Earth can be a material used for underground designs and has the structural properties to do so. The houses’ flat roofs are covered with a thick layer of soil planted with vegetation, in order to provide thermal protection from the subtropical climate. This implies that when using Rammed Earth walls underground, some sort of green roof will be required.
Figure 10: Analysis of site plan of Rammed Earth housing by Luigi Rosselli (Mairs, 2020).
UNDERGROUND RAMMED EARTH WALLS EXPOSED RAMMED EARTH WALLS
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Diagram of core in Brooklyn Empire Stores and key courtyard space. Diagram of ground floor plan highlighting different functional spaces.
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Figure 11-14: Empire Stores Building, Brooklyn by S9 Architects (Empire Stores / S9 Architecture, 2020). This precedent helped me to think more critically about movement through the courtyard spaces and how the stairs encourage circulation through certain spaces. This was something I explored earlier on in my design process and the possibility of having a staggered staircase to encourage a flow of people through the ceramic workshop spaces.
After looking at the arch window openings facade on the Empire Stores building, I experimented with what openings would fit my project the most. I found that the squared opening suited my design scheme more as the walls will be quite deep and this would contrast with the arch openings in the viaduct.
Figure 15: Les Halles Shopping Centre, Paris (Westfield forum des Halles, 2020). This precedent was insightful to analyse as it is an underground shopping mall which uses escalators as the main form of vertical circualtion between floor levels. There are secondary stairs more towards the corner the primary form of vertical circualtion is via the escalators. This make me think how I could develop my circulation route so that it is more easily accessible for users to understand. From analysing this, I developed my plans to have a set of escalators as the primary form of vertical circulation between floor levels, and two sets of fire escape stairs which are at the perimeters of the building which will link back up to the ground floor.
Figure 16-18: The WISE Building (The WISE Building - Centre for Alternative Technology, 2020). This building is designed to have a very low impact in construction and in use. Stabilised rammed earth walls are used for this structure and a glazed glulam construction is used for the roof. The energy efficient glazing enhances natural daylighting and passive heat gain from the sun resulting in minimal energy requirements.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Cross-section.
Long section.
These are some sections and plan developments done in CAD software. From here I made final design decisions to help develop my scheme. This involved changing the stairs to escalators and providing 2 sets of fire escape stairs at the corners of the building. This would create a more clearer circulation route and create the atmosphere more like a shopping mall which users would go underground to enter. Above shows some key environmental analysis which is incorporated in my design showing how cross ventilation occurs and how warm air will rise out the building which will be useful during Summer months. Furthermore I will incorporate the use of a ground heat pump system as a source for natural heat, and use rainwater harvesting for greywater recycling. I also need to incorporate the use of roof lights in the landscaping so that natural light can enter more of the workshop spaces underground. Site plan, level 0 access through site.
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-1 Plan, arrival at ceramic workshops Fire escape stairs Replace stairs with escalators to enhance circulation flow.
-2 Plan, arrival at markets Fire escape stairs Replace stairs with escalators
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1. Daylighting strategy and influence on geometry of the core of the building.
2. Daylighting strategy and use of roof windows to allow as much daylight into underground spaces.
4. Site strategy and access through the site, encouraging the flow of movement through the site and entrance into the building.
5. Landscaping strategy incorporating the use of rammed earth as public benches.
These diagrams summarise my concept and the key strategies which I analysed when designing my building. For my daylighting strategy, in order to allow maximum natural daylight to enter the core of the building, the angle and geometry of the opening needs to be wide enough to allow this to happen. The walls should also buttress to help keep the underground spaces warm during winter months by absorbing the heat.
3. Core of the building and key circulation.
As my building will be underground, my site strategy is designed to encourage movement through the site, whilst having temporary markets which are open for less hours during the week positioned at key points around the site. The design incorporates easy access as having the entrance to the building poisitioned underneath the viaducts, which frame the view creating an opening. In order to access the underground levels, escalators and a lift are used in the design as the main form of vertical circulation between floor levels. There are two fire escape stairs which would rise from the site level positioned at the perimeters of the building. For my 100 year plan in the future markets at the site level could adapt for future change and become green markets as buildings become more sustainable in the future.
6. Plan for 100 years in the future.
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Diagram of key parts for my element showing the join of the glulam roof structure to the stabilized Rammed Earth wall.
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Diagram of key glulam joins for a glulam roof structure.
This page explores some key joins for glulam roof structures and how it would join to my stabilized Rammed Earth walls. After looking at precedents for glulam roof structures I broke the key joins down and tried to analyse the key components of these joins. A key join is the glulam beam to the glulam columns, and the join of the glulam column to the steel pin joint.
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INTERIOR ATMOSPHERES
COMFORT AND AESTHETICS Rammed Earth walls can have a range of aesthetic appearances whether this is the colour, texture, or way in which the layers are formed. The main feature from Rammed Earth walls which inspired my design is the minimalist aesthetic which the material Earth has. Earth is a natural material with rich textures and varies in a range of colours from dark grey to bright yellow (Dethier, 2020). This aesthetic gradient of colours can be noticed in walls made from multiple layers of rammed earth, as shown in the images on the left.
Figures 19-24: Images of rammed earth wall textures.
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Interior Rammed Earth walls create a healthy living environment because they absorb smells and don’t produce any off toxic by-products to the environment. Due to the granular structure, porosity, and propensity for phase changes of raw earth, it can allow steam to pass through it, ultimately creating a form of natural hygrometric regulation in which excess humidity is absorbed and a balance is maintained (Dethier, 2020).
On the other hand, dense and more heavy earth walls contain the property of thermal inertia which means that heat heat exchanges between the interior and exterior walls occur very slowly, as the heat which accumulates in the walls during the day is dispersed inside the building at night. Furthermore, buildings made from earth materials can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, providing a more sustainable solution as less energy is wasted on heating costs.
LIMITATIONS OF RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION: The only key limitations to using Rammed Earth walls in construction is that it needs to be combined with other materials to strengthen it. This prevents a capillary action. Earth walls tend to be built on a concrete, brick, or stone base, and beyond a certain height earth walls must be reinforced with steel, wood or concrete (Dethier, 2020).
Therefore, when taking this into consideration, for my design I will need to use as little concrete as possible, only in the ground foundations there will be the use of concrete footings and to support the join to floor beams. In order to supplement the walls I will use steel as a method of reinforcement and to provide more strength and stability to the structure.
IMPERMANENCE: Above is an image of a more aged Rammed Earth wall. This shows the beauty in appearance over time and in 100 years time it would hold its structural properties and beauty in aesthetic as signs of impermanence. Rammed Earth walls have simplicity, and when impermanence such as cracks or changes in texture start to appear, they can be more aesthetically beautiful.
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The use of Rammed Earth as a material has a lot of potential due to its properties, reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and slow rate in climate change. A key environmental benefit of the use of Rammed Earth is that it is renewable and abundant as soil is a natural material which is makes up the mixture of a Rammed Earth wall. Soils are available in a variety of colours and textures, with different physical properties. Natural and ecological Earth is easy to extract for building purposes as no chemical processes and hardly any energy is required for this process. No waste products are left which means it is an environmentally friendly material. Rammed Earth does not pollute the air, soil, or groundwater layer or destroy landscape. The grey energy consumption of Rammed Earth material is usually low. This is because there is little energy required for the transformation of the raw material into the building material, and also no transport may be required as earth can be extracted from on site or areas nearby. Furthermore, the CO2 emissions produced from the transformation of excavated soil into building material are considerably lower than those created in the production of concrete. This makes Rammed Earth a good material for use with properties that make it a sustainable material.
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Rammed Earth walls have many technical advantages as they are strong and durable. This is because the material earth is compatible with all climate types including rain. There is an increase in the use of Rammed Earth as a building material and ways are being explored for uses underground for example, the housing scheme by Luigi Rosselli in Australia which semi-buries houses using Rammed Earth walls. Furthermore, earth walls are repairable and recyclabe. If the wall has not been stabilized then it can be repaired easily with retouches on the surface using the origina mixture. When a building made from earth reaches the end of its lifespan, the walls can be demolished and returned to soil or reused in another construction project. Another advantage of the use of Rammed Earth is that it is communal and easy to handle. Little professional training is required, and it does not pose any risk of disease to workers as it causes no allergies. It is a very stable material therefore, does not cause irritation to the eyes or skin. Rammed Earth can be suited to communal building projects and to small scale self builds. Rammed Earth meets many of the requirements for community facilities in bothe developing and industrialized countries. Hence, the use in Digbeth for my design will propose a new possibility for the future, as Rammed Earth will become a more popular material to use walls for surrounding buildings may start to be built using this material to recover existing cracks that appear.
Materiality collage exploring atmorspheres and rammed earth walls.
Above is a materiality collage I created which shows the sort of atmosphere which I want to create inside my spaces in the building. As it is underground there will be a distinction between the natural light that enters the courtyard and the artificial light used in the more hidden spaces. Buttress walls will be used to provide more stability to the structure and give a slight angle to the wall opening which will allow for light to enter through into the hidden spaces.
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In order to test my design, I made a section model as part of the process. This allowed me to text the arrangement of spaces, form of roof structure and then experiment with materiality in key spaces.
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From the section model I made, I was then able to photograph this and add materialty textures to walls, get a sense for where the key shadows will be and add people to show a sense of scale. A key space that I have explored is the courtyard. This is because I has the most activities happening. These include circulation, relaxing, temporary markets and the space in which the majority of light enters the building. Furthermore, this space in the future would adapt to changes in activity and will show signs of impermanence. For example in 100 years, there could be pop up markets in the courtard and changes in texture on the Rammed Earth walls.
Collages exploring atmosphere and key spaces in my design.
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05
EARTH Resolution
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KEY: LOAD BEARING RAMMED EARTH WALLS 400mm GLULAM TIMBER COLUMNS AND BEAMS VIADUCT PIERS
Structural grid plan level ground.
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2
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KEY: LOAD BEARING RAMMED EARTH WALLS 500mm VIADUCT PIERS
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EXHIBITION
UP
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CERAMICS WORKSHOP STORAGE & GALLLERY
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CERAMICS WORKSHOP
Floor plan level -1 Scale 1:500
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TH EAR MED AM S AN N UM EAR COL 0X DB BER E 40 LOA TIM S SIZ MN LAM U U L L G CO M A L RS GLU T PIE DUC VIA
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Structural grid plan level -2
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1
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Floor plan level -2 Scale 1:500
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Public access through site
Private access for deliveries/loading
Public access through site Site plan Diagrams showing the access, public and private spaces of design proposal.
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PLANT ROOM
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EXHIBITION UP
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EXHIBITION CERAMICS WORKSHOP
STORAGE & GALLLERY
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CERAMICS WORKSHOP
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-2 level KEY: PUBLIC PRIVATE PUBLIC/PRIVATE CORE/ VERTICAL CIRCULATION
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Northwest elevation
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Southeast elevation
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West courtyard elevation
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North courtyard elevation
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East courtyard elevation
From my elevations, the key concept which is portrayed is the simplicity above ground and the complexity below ground. Elements that are above ground are likely to show the signs of impermanence over time as the site ages. This would mainly be the change in texture on the Rammed Earth walls above ground but it would still be a beautiful feature as the design ages with time. Meanwhile the complexity of the design elements underground will be preserved over time because they are less subjected to the effects of weathering.
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KEY:
VIADUCT PIERS PRIMARY STRUCTURE RAMMED EARTH LOAD BEARING WALLS AND GLULAM COLUMNS
VIADUCT PIERS
GLULAM COLUMNS AND BEAMS 400X250mm
PRIMARY STRUCTURE RAMMED EARTH LOAD BEARING WALLS AND GLULAM COLUMNS
SECONDARY STRUCTURE FLOOR POSI JOIST BEAMS
GLULAM COLUMNS AND BEAMS 400X250mm TERTIARY STRUCTURE GLULAM ROOF BEAMS SECONDARY STRUCTURE FLOOR POSI JOIST BEAMS TERTIARY STRUCTURE GLULAM ROOF BEAMS
Structural axonometric showing the primary, secondary and tertiary elements to my design.
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SELLING MAKING SELLING
Section B-B baseline drawing showing process between floor levels.
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B-B A-A
For my sections of my building I have done two key sections which show the key concepts of my design and put it into perspective within the context. Through my process of developing my design I came to a final more resolved building scheme which has a more resolved circulation route, landscaping strategy and response to my concept of impermanence explored at the site. This ageing of the material and the way in which cracks will appear on the surface over time is something that will make the aesthetics of the building appear more beautiful as the building ages. Such signs of ageing would appear on the Rammed Earth walls above the ground first as these are the key walls exposed to environmental conditions such as weathering. Below is a sectional perspective made from my 3D model in Sketchup using Enscape. I did this to portray a sense of depth in the section and to get a sense of circulation around the courtyard and through the viaducts.
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Section B-B of building proposal, Scale 1:200 170
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Section A-A of building proposal, Scale 1:200 172
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SUMMER SUN
NATURAL VENTILATION OPENABLE ROOF LIGHTS
STACK EFFECT UNDERGROUND SPACES ARE ACTIVELY COOLED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS THROUGH DUCTS IN THE CEILINGS.
WARM AIR
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP
Section A-A, showing environmental strategy during Summer.
WINTER SUN
RAINWATER
NATURAL VENTILATION
UNDERGROUND SPACES ARE ACTIVELY HEATED DURING WINTER MONTHS WITH UNDERFLOOR HEATING.
1. FILTER WARM AIR 2. TANK & PUMP
3. HEAT RECOVERY
RAINWATER HARVESTING USED FOR GREYWATER RECYCLING
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP
Section A-A, showing environmental strategy during Winter.
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SUMMER SUN
NATURAL VENTILATION OPENABLE ROOF LIGHTS FOR STACK EFFECT
UNDERGROUND SPACES ARE ACTIVELY COOLED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS THROUGH DUCTS IN THE CEILINGS.
WARM AIR
3. HEAT RECOVERY
1. FILTER
2. TANK & PUMP GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP
RAINWATER HARVESTING USED FOR GREYWATER RECYCLING
Section B-B, showing environmental strategy during Summer.
WINTER SUN
RAINWATER
NATURAL VENTILATION
UNDERGROUND SPACES ARE ACTIVELY HEATED DURING WINTER MONTHS WITH UNDERFLOOR HEATING.
WARM AIR
3. HEAT RECOVERY
1. FILTER
2. TANK & PUMP GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP
RAINWATER HARVESTING USED FOR GREYWATER RECYCLING
Section B-B, showing environmental strategy during Winter.
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Elevation bay- materiality study.
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Section detail- materiality study.
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Photos of model at scale 1:200 using clay and cardboard from ground level to -2.
Element model exploring rammed earth wall to glulam to glass roof join.
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Axonometric diagram of element- Rammed Earth wall to glulam to roof connections. 179
Visuals from exterior and through site.
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Visual from exterior and through site.
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Visual from interior exhibition space on -1 level, displaying range of rammed earth walls. In this space, users can learn about the history of rammed earth construction and the major benefits it has for the future.
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Visual from interior conference room on -1 level which displays information on buildings around the world which use healthy materials and what can be learnt from them, and the impact these healthy materials can have for the future.
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Visual from interior ceramics workshop space on -1 level. Here users can learn and use the ceramic workshops and materials to produce items. These can then be sold in the marketplaces.
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Visual from interior cafe space on -2 level.
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Through my visuals, I have shown the key moments and different public spaces in my design which are open for the community. These include: key exterior moments and views, the exhibition space, conference room, ceramics workshop, cafe and marketplace. The process in which I went through to produce my visuals involved 3D modelling in sketchup and rendering key views by using enscape. I then added the final touches using photoshop.
From the visuals, a sense of permanenece is shown in the underground spaces. This is because the underground spaces are protected from environmental exposure such as weathering. This linked to my concept of whats underground will be more sustainable for the future as there is more permanence as the richness in material is preserved over the years. The walls above the ground will show signs of impermanence over time such as changes in texture and man-made causes such as graffiti.
The atmosphere inside these key spaces is shown, creating a warmth atmosphere due to the tones in the Rammed Earth walls. This warmth feeling inside the spaces is key to my design as it provides a unique experience to the shopping markets. The beauty of using Rammed Earth walls is that no paints and toxic materials are needed to provide decoration. This helps to make it a more environmentally friendly building hence, more sustainable for the future.
The floor material on the -2 level is made from an earth floor build up. This is because on the bottom floor underground it creates an atmosphere intertwining with nature. Furthermore, and earthern floor has many sustainable benefits and is very durable to resist future damage. As it is underground weathering on this surface would not be an issue.
In the underground spaces, natural daylight enters part of the space through the atrium and via roof lights. To provide extra lighting there is artificial lighting in the hidden spaces which shines on key objects in the spaces. As previously researched, big branded shops in Birmingham are facing the end of their life. Therefore, the importance of providing a sustainable marketplace will be an important feature for the centre of Digbeth which promotes the processes of making and using healthy materials in designs and for homeware, as it will constantly provide products for the marketplace.
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As the ceramics workshop is the main source for where products are made then sold in the workshop, the marketplace is sustainable to adapt to future activities. This links to my hundrend year plan where in the future the temporary markets above ground and the courtyard space could adapt and become green markets which enhances the idea of a sustainable future.
Visual from interior market space on -2 level, which sells the ceramic products and pottery made from the workshop.
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Visual from exterior and through site in 50 years.
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Visual from interior courtyard in 50 years.
These visuals show the journey of adaptation and signs of impermanence in 50 years, 2070 which would be a midpoint between 100 years in the future. From the visual on the left it shows that perhaps in 50 years, a change in texture and cracks can start to appear on the surface of the Rammed Earth walls, and graffiti will continue to be a problem at the site. The courtyard visual portrays this concept of permanence and richness in material as it is protected underground from issues such as weathering which would cause changes in the textural appearance. In the future there could be more stalls put up which sell items from the ceramic workshops. As the journey continues to 100 years, site maintenance will occur removing graffiti and maintenance to the roof structure. This will then slowly allow change and for the site to adapt to becoming future greenmarkets and help to encourage the use of sustainable materials for future designs and homeware. 189
Visual from exterior in 2120, the site could adapt to become green markets.
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Visual from courtyard in 2120, this space could adapt to become green markets.
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TECHNICAL DETAIL
SITE PLAN
This detail highlights the key connections from the ground to wall to floor joins. Key materials here are stabilized rammed earth, a timber ledger floor and a green roof.
Showing design scheme at ground level and the simplicity above ground. Access to the entance of the building leads to the core which is underneath the viaducts
SELLING
COMMUNITY CERAMIC WORKSHOPS
MAKING
A space where natural products can be made and sold in the marketplace.
HEALTHY MATERIALS MARKETPLACE
SELLING
Underground market spaces which sell natural material products will show signs of permanence for the future. The courtyard space is adaptable for future change in activities and selling of items. 6647mm
45,643mm
CONFERENCE ROOM
EXHIBITION SPACE
Located on the -1 level which displays information on buildings around the world which use healthy materials informing what can be learnt from them, and the impact these healthy materials can have for the future.
Located on the -1 level, displaying range of rammed earth walls. In this space, users can learn about the history of rammed earth construction and the major benefits it has for the future.
[EARTH]
DIGB
Summary of design proposal.
EXTERIOR VISUAL Walkway leading to the entrance of the building. Key moments along the way include the glulam roof structure and rammed earth walls.
CORE
-3m
-6m
6872mm
8812mm
SUSTAINABILITY Underneath the ground the building appears more complex in comparison to the simplicity seen from the site level. Over time in the future towards 100 years there will be signs of impermanence. The reason for designing this scheme underground is that buildings and structures above the ground will show signs of impermanence such as changes in texture and cracking due to exposure to environmental conditions such as weathering. The spaces underground will be more preserved from this exposure, and therefore will still not have any significant signs of impermanence. This provides a sustainable solution as it is designed to last a long time, and uses healthy materials which have low carbon footprints. Furthermore, this impermanence over time will still be beautiful as the materials of the building age, especially the earth tones of the stabilized rammed earth walls.
CERAMICS WORKSHOP
MATERIALS MARKETPLACE
Located on -1 level. Here users can learn and use the ceramic workshops and materials to produce items. These can then be sold in the marketplaces. This creates a workflow between the making and selling of products.
Located on the -2 level around the central courtyard of the building, which sells the natural products made from the workshop and healthy building materials for homeware.
STABILIZED RAMMED EARTH: -
High thermal mass Sustainable Biophilia Durable Energy efficient Low embodied energy 0.083 M J/kg. - Material embodied carbon 0.0052 kgC02e/kg
References: Brand, S. (1994) How Buildings Learn What happens after they’re built. London: Viking. Dethier, J. (2020) The Art of the Earth Architecture: Past, present, future. London: Thames and Hudson. English Heritage (2011) Portars, Renders & Plasters. England: Ashgate Publishing Company. Heywood, H. (2015) 101 Rules of thumb: For sustainable buildings and cities. London: RIBA Publishing. Historic England. (2015) Earth, Brick & Terracotta. London: Ashgate Publishing Company.
Illustrations: Figure 1: Smale, N. (2007). Flickr. [online] Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nualabugeye/984369331/ [Accessed 3 Jan. 2020]. Figure 2: Cogley, B. (2019). Student builds rammed-earth shelter at Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture school. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https:// www.dezeen.com/2019/04/15/branch-conor-denison-rammed-earth-shelter-taliesin/ [Accessed 6 Jan. 2020]. Figure 3: Gonzalez, M. (2020). Rammed Earth Construction: 15 Exemplary Projects. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily. com/894341/rammed-earth-construction-15-exemplary-projects [Accessed 6 Jan. 2018]. Figure 4: Gonzalez, M. (2020). Rammed Earth Construction: 15 Exemplary Projects. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily. com/894341/rammed-earth-construction-15-exemplary-projects [Accessed 6 Jan. 2018]. Figure 5: Etherington, R., 2020. Key Projects By Peter Zumthor | Dezeen. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2009/04/18/keyprojects-by-peter-zumthor/> [Accessed 3 May 2020]. Figure 6: Glennhowells.co.uk. 2020. GHA Project | John Lewis, Oxford. [online] Available at: <https://www.glennhowells.co.uk/project/john-lewis-oxford/> [Accessed 6 May 2020]. Figure 7: A-v.at. 2020. Print & Media Pielach | Ablinger Vedral & Partner ZT Gmbh. [online] Available at: <http://www.a-v.at/en/project/g_08_me_ en/> [Accessed 10 May 2020]. Figure 8: Glennhowells.co.uk. 2020. GHA Project | Savill Building. [online] Available at: <https://www.glennhowells.co.uk/project/savill-building/> [Accessed 4 May 2020]. Figure 9-10: Mairs, J., 2020. Luigi Rosselli Builds Housing Behind A Long Rammed-Earth Wall. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen. com/2015/09/04/luigi-rosselli%E2%80%A8-constructs-ranch-housing-behind-longest-rammed-earth-wall-australia-cattle-station/> [Accessed 12 May 2020]. Figure 11-14: ArchDaily. 2020. Empire Stores / S9 Architecture. [online] Available at: <https://www.archdaily.com/895040/empire-stores-s9-architecture> [Accessed 3 May 2020]. Figure 15: Fr.westfield.com. 2020. WESTFIELD FORUM DES HALLES. [online] Available at: <https://fr.westfield.com/en/forumdeshalles/homepage> [Accessed 6 May 2020]. Figure 16-18: Centre for Alternative Technology. 2020. The WISE Building - Centre For Alternative Technology. [online] Available at: <https://www. cat.org.uk/info-resources/free-information-service/building/wise-building/> [Accessed 20 May 2020]. Figure 19-24: Sirewall.com. 2020. Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre – SIREWALL | Structural Insulated Rammed Earth. [online] Available at: <https:// sirewall.com/portfolio/nkmip-desert-cultural-centre/> [Accessed 9 May 2020].
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Bibliography: Bizley, G. (2010) Architecture in Detail II. London: Architectural Press. Brand, S. (1997) How Buildings Learn: What happens after theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re built. London: Orion. BREEAM. 2020. Technical Standards - BREEAM. [online] Available at: <https://www.breeam.com/discover/technical-standards/> [Accessed 1 April 2020]. Ching, F.D.K. (2014) Building Construction Illustrated. 5th edn. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Dethier, J. (2020) The Art of the Earth Architecture: Past, present, future. London: Thames and Hudson. Hetreed, J., Ross, A., and Baden-Powell, C. (2017) Architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pocket Book. 5th edn. London: Routledge.
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