letters to myself Harsha Gore
the Writingplace for those who have spent their lives on the move; may this be a place you can call home. I hope you do not forget your culture, your history, your traditions. May this become a space where you can tell us your stories. Where do you really come from?
Storytelling is a lonely activity, but the sharing of them a wonderfully inclusive moment that has shaped my life time and time again. This individual project would not have become one I was proud of, had I not had the unwavering support of Jayne Barlow, who listened to my every tale with every intention of enriching it. Thank you Tim Osborne, Doug King, John Griffiths and Jamie Siggers, who through their own experiences and expertise coloured in the pages of my fairytales: without you this would have remained an unlikely ambition. and of course, Matthew Wickens, and Martin Gledhill, your enthusiasm and friendship in a tough academic year was a reliable source of strength. Made with the support of Ellen Page, Nick Hand of the Letterpress Collective & my coursemates, and friends all over the world. To my family: your love, care, support, and the experiences you have allowed me to live have made this project a reality.
Dedicated to my grandfather; the greatest storyteller I knew.
No story could ever capture the imagination, creativity and joy you sparked in me.
“Where are you from?” A framed identity crisis sat above four dotted lines on which I was meant to hastily put down my answer. My first day of school - for the fifth time - somehow didn’t seem to get easier no matter how many times I’d asked my mum for a nice, concise answer. I suppose the answer changed depending on which school in particular had dared ask me the question. Perhaps though, it was implied that I had better start finding a common answer for a question that looked like it would not leave my periphery any time soon. Sure enough, another two years later I started an undergraduate degree in Architecture in England and this dreaded question found itself sat, quite comfortably, in my lap during introduction week. A long sigh preceded the rehearsed answer : “I’m Indian, but I grew up in a few countries before moving to Switzerland recently.” An answer I took so little pride in seemed to be source of fascination for many, though. Growing up all around the world had already formed the backbone of my personality at an age where I’d refused to acknowledge it. The influence of multiple cultures, languages, people had already shaped my outlook on what I wanted from my life and somehow this manifested in architecture; my answer to finding a physical representation of commonality in what was quite an myriad experiential childhood.
This project sits, completed, my honest desire of the effect of ordinary places on extraordinary lives. I have searched the world I know for a home that I can take with me on the next part of my journey. Stories, and homes for these stories have been paramount in my upbringing and placemaking this journey has been a dream I’ve harboured since I started this course, back in September 2016. “I’m going to make my final project about myself,” I’d told a professor. After being asked how I was going to attempt representing myself in a building I came to the clear conclusion that a building about me was going to be more about the ‘me’ I was determined to give a personality to. The effect of consistent migration on my life has been inescapable, and the privilege of voluntary migration has not escaped the disadvantage of growing up without a permanent home. Writingplace is an attempt to create a safe space for stories of home that do not particularly belong. I’m not going to ignore the tremendous effect involuntary migration has had on this project. While it has grown with the accepted love and revering of a migrant lifestyle, having to graduate with a project about migration in the year of an unprecedented pandemic has shaped the journey this project has taken. Overnight, I said goodbye to Bath and returned to my parents’ home, lugging rolls of tracing paper and unfinished models. With the rest of my coursemates, my opportunity to graduate on time has been taken away from me. Never did I think a story about journeys and chapters would itself not have closure. And thus I put the rest of my expectation on this project: may Writingplace be filled with stories of migration, for all journeys have a meaning and story to them.
chapter index 1 2 3 4
vanishing cultures project aspirations
01
looking for beautiful places the site
09
the architecture of identity key moves
18
(no) place like home the proposal part one : choreography part two : crescendo
22 44
5
understanding oneself tectonic and structural realisation
59
6
adapting to a new home environmental strategies
69
7
integration policies building regulations
85
a story of other times design diary
91
8
chapter one vanishing cultures
“Nothing about us without us is for us� The systematic removal of indigenous cultures and people from their native habitats has threatened human diversity. It has caused the death of cultures and languages. The world has shrunk from speaking and sharing over 10,000 to recognising only slightly over 7,000 languages today. Understanding and valuing cultural diversity is a communal effort. Denying cultural expression is limiting the expression of unique life experiences and threatens the transmission of history from generation to generation. An attempt to revive lost cultures is by creating opportunities of recognition and education. Without understanding diversity, urban multiculture remains an unachievable dream. The visibility of migrant struggles demands and deserves respect, recognition, and above all, attention.
1
“Understanding others makes possible a better knowledge of oneself: any form of identity is complex, for individuals are defined in relation to other people – both individually and collectively – and the various groups to which they owe allegiance, in a constantly shifting pattern.” Learning: The Treasure Within UNESCO, 1996 Multiculturalism refers to a diverse ethnic make-up of contemporary societies. They could be the product of existing ethno-cultural groups within countries, or as the result of international migration. The European immigration model relies on an economicallydrafted integration technique. Integration policies typically aim at the successful incorporation of immigrants into the host country’s institutions and labour market. Enough attention is not always paid to social, cultural and the identity-based integration of immigrants. Recognising intercultural dialogue is an important instrument for fostering integration.
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel Peter Zumthor in Mechernich, Germany
An architectural attempt for cultural integration, relies on the positive recognition of public domains. In these lines the simplest form of accepting a multi-culture is to recognise it. In a multicultural society the celebration of these diverse stories would be by replicating their three constituent factors: their making, their shaping, and their sharing. The proposal aims to modernise ancient storytelling techniques. It aims to characterise migration as an uplifting, positive journey. It relies heavily on its surroundings to placemark itself as a home for years to come.
“architecture is storytelling” The emotional impact of the proposal intends to ring louder than its physical structure. It is an exploration of the effects of ordinary spaces on extraordinary stories. Inspired by the Field Chapel, the architecture of the proposal intends to be simple and elegant. It is a return to mankind’s primal affection for storytelling and safe spaces.
2
“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie When characteristics of cultures are taken without their context or without the people that form it, the culture is lost in its new host, assimilated beyond repair. Thus it is necessary that these stories of migration are told by the right people in the right way, decreasing their chances of being misunderstood. To tell a story is perhaps the most important way of helping a community find their identity. A sacred art passed from generation to generation, storytelling is one of the few traditions found in every culture across the world. This is why the proposal intends to deliver traditions and multi-culture through storytelling, tapping into humans’ instinctive empathetic natures. We respond to stories because they cultivate emotion and a sense of togetherness — a connection. These stories then form our communities.
“No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.” Charles de Lint
The brief was greatly inspired by my favourite literature and artwork. A literary motif the proposal aims to embody is that of a treehouse. The spaces intend to capture the warmth, fantasy, and innocent excitement evoked by the magic of a treehouse.
Owl’s House as described by Christopher Robin, from Winnie the Pooh
3
Writingplace
This project was partly inspired by the narrative of Migration Series. Migration Series is a collection of artwork by AfricanAmerican artist Jacob Lawrence. It is a 61-panel story explaining his life in Africa, moving to America for a ‘better future,’ but becoming a victim of apartheid.
a journey inspired by the path of migrants
Inspired by his style, the proposal sets the brief by identifying three forms of classical storytelling to reinterpret: their make, shape and share.
make A story is formed by cultural events, shifts, and people. The building re-imagines the ‘make’ of the storytelling in the form of a letterpress service.
shape The ‘shape’ element of storytelling is in the form of consumable media, both books and digital platforms. These culminate in libraries of different scales. The building fabric is meant to inspire storytelling. Opportunities for expression include walls to write on, and bespoke furniture.
share The best way to recognise a culture is to hear it. Sharing within the proposal takes place in a hierarchy of scales, starting from private learning spaces, to a cafe, and a broadcasting centre. Active participation is encouraged in the form of radio interviews , podcasts, open mic, performances on site.
Drawing from the literary and cultural history of Bristol, the proposal seeks to educate the community of the wealth of heritage in the city. It aims to cater to every resident of Bristol, regardless their age, home, or mother tongue. Derived as a modern exploration of the three facets of storytelling it aims to allow users to narrate their own story.
The programme is inspired by the panels from Lawrence’s collection. Several of his artworks and the meaning behind them are explored in the creation of spaces within the scheme.
4
migration (noun) the movement of people to a new environment in search of a better life.
artwork from Migration Series, by Jacob Lawrence
“
Interviewer: So, anything that comes to mind that you see as part of your story? Angela: Erm, [3 seconds’ pause] I think, it’s very, it’s quite complicated, I think, and you don’t know where to start, cos there’s so many, since I’ve spoken to you there’s been so many different bits that have sort of surfaced, and I haven’t thought about that for a long time or ever. Interviewer: So simply talking on the phone last week? Angela: It’s just wakened a lot of things, or brought a lot of things back to mind that, you know, I hadn’t thought about for a long, long time, about feelings, about, you know, visions, you know about the visual look of the place and the songs that were on the radio and the weather, and just things like that, and just being lost really in this work of new world. Although I didn’t think of it like that, it was, now looking back it’s like a serial existence, a surreal existence you know …
excerpt from an interview with a migrant, conducted by Christine Griffin, 2007.
”
timeline An average day in the building is a long, busy one. The activities in the proposal, intended to cater to different audiences, are staggered across the timetable to encourage greater participation. The proposal follows a linear journey, inspired by the process of storytelling. Its spaces are catered to a variety of audiences and a variety of expression forms. The opportunity to absorb knowledge at an independent pace is balanced with a selection of classes and group study activities.
5
clients & funding
with the support of
The programme is split into three distinct forms: make, shape and share. Each of these programmes have independent benefactors. The workshop will be funded by the Arnolfini. It will be run by The Letterpress Collective, an independent letterpress company run by two printers, Nick Hand and Ellen Bills. They will use the workshop themselves, and host classes for printmaking after hours. The University of Bristol would be the primary patron for the library and foreign language spaces. They will, however, not be the library’s sole users. For the University, the proposal would behave as a place for the enhancement of their Literature Society, as well as their School of Arts degrees in Culture, History, Philosophy, Language and Religion. The broadcasting centre would be operated by BBC Knowledge, to host educational shows as well as conduct interviews. Works found on site will be translated into audio books and podcasts. Furthermore, the proposal aims to fulfil the status of a Social Enterprise by running entirely as a nonprofit organisation.
6
programme
letterpress print workshop - 60 sqm art hall and tutorial spaces - 50 sqm press stores: ink, paper, type -10 sqm each
reading rooms - flexible provision, min. 8 sqm a series of ‘corners’ in the scheme that allow for private experience of the space library - 300 sqm a transitional space, convertible into a café as well as event space for open-mic, spoken word and book readings, which also behaves as a bookshop and archive library with limited edition works foreign language study spaces - 30 sqm dedicated spaces for University use as well as independent study literature storage - 50 sqm cafe - 20 sqm kitchenette/servery - 10 sqm
recording studios - 20 sqm production and control rooms - 20 sqm live lounges - 100 sqm interactive spaces for podcast recordings, with provision for musical audio book recordings
landscape - 100 sqm element of ‘private respite’ in scheme all BOH spaces - 200 sqm toilets, staff rooms, plant and equipment rooms, circulation spaces
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make shape private learning share
public
private
public landscape recording studios broadcasting
staff
library
library
exhibit workshop
library reading rooms
cafe study
entry
adjacencies & people flow 1:500
8
chapter two looking for beautiful places
‘Bristol Dock: St Mary Redcliffe, seen from Bristol Harbour’ Andrew Taylor
Bristol Area: 110 sqkm Population: 535,907 BAME Population: 117,900 Elevation: 11m Climate: CbF; warm and temperate
Established: 1373 Demonym: Bristolian Languages: English + 90 secondary Time Zone: UTC +1 Postal Code: 0117, 01275
The city of Bristol has been a British landmark for its advancements in aviation and the performing arts. However, unfortunately, part of Bristol’s wealth also emanated from its involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the early 18th century. Often referred to as a city built by slaves, Bristol’s history with racial inequality has left a permanent scar. The neighbourhoods of Bristol that benefited the most from the Slave Trade included the Old Town, and the neighbourhoods of Clifton, Harbourside, and Redcliffe. The city was officially recognised as a city of sanctuary in 2010. A ‘city of sanctuary’ is defined as a place where a broad range of services and facilities are committed to welcoming and including people seeking sanctuary. The proposal intends to add valuable input to the city’s commitment as a sanctuary. The City of Sanctuary organisation is funded by a variety of charities, including the International Organisation for Migration, and the Quaker Friends Community. These establishments have a significant presence in Redcliffe. Today, Bristol is a multicultural, vibrant city. The life of the city is concentrated in its cultural sector, bracketing the Floating Harbour. This cultural sector in Bristol has thrived through its openness and generosity – it is relatively informal, and the overarching sense of identity is one of tolerance, inclusion, sharing and environmental sustainability.
9
12,207 6,311
7,947
12,183
Old Town
The population of Bristol has become increasingly diverse and some local communities have changed significantly. There are now at least 45 religions, and at least 187 countries of birth represented. In a city of 535,907 people (2019 census); Bristol speaks 91 languages. Its varied demographic is concentrated in the neighbourhoods of Harbourside and Redcliffe.
‘01-’03 ‘04-’06 ‘07-’09 ‘10-’11
Figure 01 Biannual census of incoming migrants into Bristol - long term residents
65+
50-64
25-49
16-24 0-15
Figure 02 Population demographic of Redcliffe and Harbourside (the city centre) 3.4% intermediate proficiency
The proposal sits in the heart of Bristol’s city, just off the cultural sector. It acts as the intermediary site between the Old Town, Redcliffe, and the Floating Harbour. Redcliffe is a neighbourhood historically wealthy with art and literature. Its name comes from the view of its landmark Phoenix Wharf from the Floating Harbour. On Phoenix Wharf sit 8m tall red sandstone mines, topped by a public car park. This car park will be reused into the site for the proposal.
Cultural Centre
Site
Floating Harbour
The site is an apex to the city, crucially between the destination of the Transatlantic Slave Trade route and the literate, art-appreciative society. It neighbours the Grade II listed St John’s Hermitage. This hermitage sits in the Friends Burial Ground, home to the Bristol Quakers. The Quakers are a community that promote peace and equality, and were one of the first opposition to the practice of slave trade in Bristol. Primary BAME demographic
3.7% native level proficiency
1.3% 0.2% beginner proficiency
Figure 03 English proficiency of the 9% residents that do not consider English in their first two languages. 0.2% do not speak the language.
Context Plan 1:10000 10
11
MShed
Arnolfini
Redcliffe Parade
End of Trade Route Site
Phoenix Wharf
St Mary Redcliffe
Bristol Language Centre
Floating Harbour Studios
The Site as a catalyst to the Cultural Sector 12
13 min
5 min 10 min
1. 2.
3.
15 min
13 min
Pedestrian Routes from Cultural Sector to Site Meso Context Plan 1:4000
The site location prioritises the following: 1. Constant view of and from the Harbour
1. From Phoenix Wharf
2. Easy, visual pathfinding from the cultural sector to the proposal 3. Proximity to the Benjamin Perry Boathouse, the historic destination of the Transatlantic Slave Trade route. 2. Looking toward the Floating Harbour
4. An edge: the cliff-edge of the carpark gives the site an added elevation and establishes vertical dominance. 5. An equal relationship with the horizontal and the vertical. The site’s neighbourhood inspirations are across the East-West horizon of the City. The proposal sits on top of an 8m tall cave formation, allowing the proposal to utilise its vertical extensively.
3. Looking toward St Mary Redcliffe Site Photographs 13
Immediate site conditions Site Area
1,800 sqm
Site Dimensions
~80 m x ~21 m
Site Level from water
+ 18.0 m
The extensive cave network underneath Redcliffe is only accessible under the site. Originally mines, their sandstone has been used by the art industry of Bristol. The proposal intends to reuse material from the caves within the scheme.
Phoenix Wharf
Site Western Section/Elevation - from the Floating Harbour 1:2000
14
Redcliffe Caves
St Mary’s Church
Site Length
Arnolfini, on the Floating Harbour
Context Northern Elevation - from the Old Town 1:5000
The Bristol City Council has declared the view of the spire of the neighbouring St Mary’s Redcliffe to be protected. To follow these regulations, the maximum building height was determined by drawing a sight line between the Floating Harbour and the spire. This gave the proposal a maximum potential height of 22m.
22m
Site Northern Elevation - from the Old Town 1:2000
The 22m vertical site boundary blocks the entire length of residential buildings behind it. However, since the site is toward the North of the buildings, it does not affect their right to light. However, it affects their right to views out. The proposal’s height, as a consequence, is staggered to allow views out.
15
levels
10m 15m 18m
The immediate context splits and ramps between three demarcated levels, of which the site sits at the highest point.
green Five large trees currently exist on site. The proposal takes into account their root protection boundary and incorporates these trees into the landscaping.
light Due to the existing trees and proximity to residential street front, the site receives controlled natural sunlight.
view The site is a crucial redevelopment zone as characterised by the Council. Its frontage to the Harbour demands those views out to be celebrated and its corresponding long views in protected.
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1.
2.
3. 4.
1. Western Ramp 2. The Colosseum 3. Redcliffe Caves 4. Phoenix Wharf Redevelopment Zone
5.
5. Quaker Burial Ground
The site is currently a public car park. While most of the allocated lots have been moved to Redcliffe Parade, the proposal retains three accessible-friendly lots. Towards the West is a non-compliant ramp that grants access, and the Eastern boundary of the site is caged by a restaurant, The Colosseum.
1.
2.
1. St Mary Redcliffe - aged stone facade 2. Redcliffe Caves - triassic red sandstone These are the predominant materials on site. Their colour palette influences the views of the proposal. The scheme intends to address these local materials.
The site allows access from the entire Southern facade. However, the main entrance of the proposal is at its Eastern end. The ramp towards the West is partially blocked, and then used as private access. The wharf level adjacent to the site is home to upcoming redevelopments that block the Northern view out from the proposal. However, they leave a small visual gap that has been utilised by a Northern courtyard within the proposal.
17
“
“Well, Maia, we have good news,” said Miss Banks, a woman now in her sixties, frightening to many and with an amazing bust which would have done splendidly on the prow of a sailing ship. She smiled at the girl standing in front of her, a clever child and a brave one, who had fought hard to overcome the devastating blow of her parents’ death in a train crash in Egypt two years earlier. The staff knew how Maia had wept night after night under her pillow, trying not to wake her friends. If good fortune was to come her way, there was no one who deserved it more. “We have found your relatives,” Miss Banks went on. “And will they . . .” Maia began but she could not finish. Mr. Murray now took over. “They are willing to give you a home.”
“On the Amazon?” she said. “In the jungle, do you mean?” She was thinking of the Amazon. Of rivers full of leeches, of dark forests with hostile Indians and blowpipes, and nameless insects which burrowed into flesh. How could she live there?
“I want you to find out at least one interesting fact about the Amazon.” Miss Banks smiled. “And I shall expect you to tell us how you will travel, and for how long, so that we can all share your adventure.” There was no doubt about it: Maia was a heroine, but not the kind that people envied, more the kind that got burnt at the stake. By the time her friends had clustered round her with “oohs” and “aahs” and cries of distress, Maia wanted nothing except to run away and hide. But she didn’t. She asked permission to go to the library after supper. The library at the Academy was a good one. That night Maia sat alone on top of the mahogany library steps, and she read and she read and she read. She read about the great broad-leaved trees of the rain forest pierced by sudden rays of sun. She read about the travellers who had explored the maze of rivers and found a thousand plants and animals that had never been seen before. She read about brilliantly coloured birds flashing between the laden branches—macaws and hummingbirds and parakeets—and butterflies the size of saucers, and curtains of sweetly scented orchids trailing from the trees. She read about the wisdom of the Indians who would cure sickness and wounds that no one in Europe understood.
“Those who think of the Amazon as a Green Hell,” she read in an old book with a tattered spine, “bring only their own fears and prejudices to this amazing land. For whether a place is a hell or a heaven rests in yourself, and those who go with courage and an open mind may find themselves in Paradise.” Maia looked up from the book. I can do it, she vowed. I can make it a heaven and I will! Matron found her there long after bedtime, still perched on the ladder, but she did not scold her, for there was a strange look on the girl’s face, as though she was already in another country.
Excerpts from A Journey to the River Sea, by Eva Ibbotson
”
Panel 25: They left their homes. Soon, the community was nearly empty. Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence
chapter three the architecture of identity
relive The sandstone excavated during construction from the caves is repurposed into the proposal in its facade and landscaping.
Cave Formation 1:1000
Volumetric total sandstone quantity under site boundary = 3600 metre cubed Volume of sandstone excavated by building structure = raft slab + columns + core + skylight = 550 metre cubed = 16% of total rock facade panels
18
facade panels
landscaping
There are five London Plane trees on site. Their average height is 16m. The two trees to the West of site currently have root barricades constructed. The remaining trees are not within the site boundary, but their roots disrupt the site. The root spread of these trees is calculated as 4 times their trunk width. Their root spread and an additional 2m boundary is followed to determine the building form. There is a raised walkway along the trees with untreated stone forms to create the landscape. Antonino Sciortino’s personal home Milan, Italy
buildable area
Tree Location Plan 1:500
19
horizontal using the site to break away from two-dimensional linearity in the building form
01
01 Beginning with simplicity. The trees on site push the form inward. 02 A pocket of tranquility opens to the North, the building reaches to the street. 03 The proposal maximises its North and moves Westward to accommodate vehicular access to the East. 04 The form opens to its surroundings.
02
The site is fitted with a 2m x 2m grid, inspired by the relationship of the existing site conditions. This grid creates pockets of spaces within the proposal that attempt to replicate this intimacy. 03
04
20
01 Using the maximum building height of 22m
04 Proposal peeks over Northern edge
02 Pushing inward to accommodate tree boundary
05 Relieving towering structure from residential frontage
03 Adjusting to neighbouring residential Right to View
06 Terracing proposal for views to St Mary Church
verticality
21
Panel 47: As the migrant population grew, good housing became scarce. Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence
chapter four (n o) p l a c e l i k e h o m e
this chapter is split into two parts part one
choreography
p.22
part two
crescendo
p.44
part one choreography (noun) the process of designing a series of movements to denote an evocative performance, most often used in dance
The proposal intends to behave as a spatiotemporal frame, aiding an environment of storytelling and sharing. The journey is designed to encourage learning at different scales. The path throughout the scheme is choreographed to celebrate all directions equally.
22
Site Plan 1:500
23
of the earth the ground floor experience: a series of framed spaces
+
path
+
scene
+
threshold
+
+
+
+
+
+
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+
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1
Staff Entry
11
Lobby
21
Book Exchange Stall
2
Heidelberg Press
12
Staff Toilets
22
Reception
3
Central Pulley
13
Underplatform Storage
23
Cloakroom & Buggy Park
4
Letterpress Workshop
14
Public Toilets
24
Cafe
5
Type Display
15
Plant Room
25
Plant Room
6
Kitchenette
16
Library Lift
26
Kitchenette
7
SwissPort 40 Press
17
Storytelling Platforms
27
Entry
8
Staff Hall
18
Foreign Language Study
28
Book Donation Stall
9
Paper Store
19
Literary Exhibit
29
Parking
Ink Store
20
Cave Skylight
10
+
24
Floor Plan 1:200 +9.5m from Wharf
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interaction
The landscape intends to dissolve the natural boundaries between road - pavement - ground. This is done by removing the existing capping and parapet from site, and unearthing the cave rock below. The facades encourage participation with the scheme. Emulating the texture of the caves below, stained concrete panels clad the walls. Some of these concrete panels are ribbed, into which new books can be stored. These book facades surround the entry route into the proposal. Natural rock from the excavated caves is scattered around site, defining pockets of interaction, as well as creating seating around the existing trees. Smaller shrubs are planted to protect pedestrians from direct sunlight as well as buffer the views into the space.
The Storytelling Walls
26
East-West : access oriented facade
Independent landscaped storytelling
Book Exchange Facade seen at the Southern elevation seasonal and independently run community enterprise
27
the storytelling platforms
literary exhibit
writing walls storytelling platforms
The ground floor learning spaces employ mixed methods of learning. The literary exhibit changes every week, featuring a different culture and work each time. The storytelling platforms are framed with oak columns that hold books. Edges of the platforms are blackboards to draw on. The internal spaces are made of darker materials. The flooring is a screed aggregate mixed with sandstone to mimic the cave experience.
28
nature and order
central library
foreign languages platforms
literary exhibit
courtyard
the grid is contrasted with the natural, organic movement of people and literature
29
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the workshop
The workshop is operated by Nick Hand and Ellen Bills of the Letterpress Collective. The machines are a Heidelberg Press, and SwissPort Presses. They are supplied and maintained by the Arnolfini and MShed. The workshop is fitted with a double-pulley system, operated by visitors. Visitors are not allowed on the print floor. Instead, after finishing their artwork they will use the system to hang their artwork up to dry.
The workshop’s celebratory machine, a Heidelberg Press, weighs one ton and requires an oil tray on its underside. This is accommodated by placing the machine on a raised floor deck with a raised parapet hiding an oil drain. The machines also need to connect to a three-phase electric socket, embedded in the additional depth of the flooring.
workshop floor
underplatform storage
Heavier loads from the workshop are accommodated in a thicker ground floor slab that meets the standardised floor slab in a thickened corner pile. This pile continues as a heavier column into the caves to transfer the load. detailed on pg. 62
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Southern Elevation 1:200 32
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anthropology a study of humankind In all cultures the cave has been the symbol of creation, of ethnic groups and individuals. It is the great womb of earth and sky. Apart from their ecological and environmental values, caves have been predominant in mankind’s primal lives. They are ambiguous spaces, offering both shelter and darkness. It is this introspective nature that the Writingplace attempts to animate. Quiet, unassuming, and rich in knowledge, the caves add to the dominant social ambition of the scheme. The natural rock formations underneath the site remain mostly untouched. As a powerful contrast elements of the built form puncture into these caves, making their presence known. Other than purposeful lighting, these cave spaces remain mostly dark. The natural pockets formed by the sandstone are revitalised into exhibits. A route trails across the caves, guiding the journey. All exhibits cater to different cultures, using their traditional styles. The cave also hosts group activities. Multiple stations of digital media bring light into these dark spaces. A makeshift performance stage serves the Bristol Film and Literature Societies and their activities too. Clustered around the lightwell are reading spaces that nod to the presence of a spiritual sky light above.
Caves have been a diary of the history of humanity. Their symbolism as places of permanence have made mankind rely on them to tell their stories. Exhibits in the proposal revitalise this primal form of storytelling.
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1
Visitor Entry
2
Heat Exchanger Plant Room
3
CD + Digital Store
4
Anthropology Display
5
Projector Wall
6
Digital Display
7
Performace Stage
8
Transcript Library
9
Store
10
Book/Tablet Display
11
Study Hall
12
Skylight
Floor Plan 1:200 +1.5m from Wharf
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unearthed studying the relationship between ground levels - 1:100 detail
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explorer an organic journey through the caves
The internal spaces of the caves are centred around communal activities. Their homage to traditional storytelling incorporates exhibits, spoken word, ancient literature, and picture films.
37
ascent the first floor The middle ground of the proposal is the central library. This library is open to Southern light, and is screened from the services with a series of pulled fabric walls. At 2.4m above ground level height, it then ramps up to form the art hall level. The art hall is separated from the mezzanine of the workshop with a series of seating spaces. As the workshop does not permit visitors onto the print floor, the art hall is the primary public interchange for the make element of storytelling. Visitors can purchase material from the cashier’s and create templates for their print work. These are handed to the printers through the delivery store, accessible from the print floor by a stepladder. Sum of Days Carlito Carvalhosa at MoMA
The art hall is voided, and maintains an uninterrupted link to the top of the scheme and promotes vertical interaction.
Yue Library Beijing Fengemuchen Space Design
38
1
Workshop Gallery
2
Art Hall
3
Delivery Store
4
Cashier’s
5
Central Library
6
Parchment Divider Wall
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Plant Room
8
Storytelling Platforms
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Solar Roof (+4.0 FCL)
Floor Plan 1:200 +11.5m from Wharf
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gradient The materiality of the platforms variates between screed and timber flooring. The ground is made of sandstone-mixed aggregate screed. As the levels rise, the sandstone in the screed mix reduces, gradating the floor finish. Rocks from the landscape form signage. The ‘additional’ elements of the furnishing are made of oak. This oak acts as a tertiary structure for many of the spaces and bears the weight of books. Ramps, the platforms, seating furniture, and bookshelves are all designed as dovetail-jointed oak furniture. They reduce the embodied energy of the dark internal spaces and give warmth to the space.
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an afternoon of poster making art hall 41
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Paper Store
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Cave Group Study Hall
The second part of the scheme focuses on creating intimate spaces of sharing. The proposal culminates in a broadcasting tower, stacking up toward the Western point of the site, creating grand views out over the Floating Harbour. The broadcasting element of the scheme is divided into public versus private broadcasting, and accordingly encourages public participation within the same. The journey Writingplace intends to take the visitor on concludes in a comfortable roof garden. It is treated with the landscape from the ground and planted, intending to create a forest of quiet contemplation at an apex above the city.
Vertical circulation diagram intending to animate the public journey across the scheme
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part two crescendo (noun) the highest point reached in a progressive increase of intensity
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stepping stone second floor learning
The Garden Library for Refugees and Migrant Workers Yoav Meiri Architects in Tel Aviv, Israel
The mixed media library is a transient layer in the spatial experience of the proposal. The spirit of the library is not to assume the form of a general book store, rather it is placed within nature to arouse a spirit of comfort. It acts as a catalyst layer in the realisation of the scheme as a literary ‘treehouse.’
interaction
The catalogue includes work in mixed media forms - audiobooks, picture books, film and music.
open vs closed key views
The library is surrounded by both an accessible and inaccessible garden. The inaccessible garden frames the view toward the church of St Mary Redcliffe. Using biophilic elements as a proponent of organic storytelling, the library fosters community and inclusion.
‘a forest out of reach’
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“Where should I go?” “Well, that depends on where you want to end up, doesn’t it?” The Cheshire Cat, his Wisdom, and his Favourite Tree Alice in Wonderland Trees have always been synonymous with wisdom in children’s literature.
city scape a lively space within nature - second floor roof garden and study
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diary entry third floor recording studios
SonastĂŠrio Music Studio Joao Diniz Architecture in Morro Do Chapeu, Brazil
The recording studios record audio books, work from the proposal, and new books. A standard fully-floated recording studio is quite closed off. Rather, to increase communication with visitors, the studios in the proposal are semifloated acoustic rooms. Across the void they are paired to audio stations, where visitors can don headsets which will let them listen in to recordings through the control room. These recording studios are bracketed by a terrace to the East, a buffer to their view of the Church.
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Air Source Heat Pump Roof
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Floor Plan 1:200 +19.5m from Wharf
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writings on the wall the community space
Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics Architecture Research Office for Brown University Providence, Rhode Island
The podcast station plays a double role including a radio centre. Its function is amplified by its position at the top of the scheme, a ‘broadcasting tower.’ The podcast station, run by BBC Knowledge studios, aims to deliver interviews with authors, and run weekly special broadcasts in different languages. Opposite the podcast hall is a tectonic hallway named Writings on the Wall. Like the children’s learning space on the ground floor, it is a blackboard wall for visitors to draw and share feedback on. This is connected to an Eastern terrace with views to the Church.
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Some are boarded and their axis fixed with hinges. These boards swing down to form desks that can be used to study on. The modular shelves variate in size to accommodate different functions within them. Some open out to form nestling benches to read on.
Some openings in the modular units become windows to peek through. They slot into modular oak wall units that form the library walls of most of the tectonic building surfaces.
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Writingplace embodies its social agenda in its details. The message of inclusivity and adaptability is explored in the detail of the experience. The learning surfaces - shelves, seating - are configurable to the user’s needs.
It has an organic counterpart in the form of untreated rock from the unearthed caves below.
The shelf, weighing approximately 3kg, and designed to be 400mm x 400mm x 400mm, can store books, be used as a seating unit, or a makeshift desk.
The shelves can be taken onto the storytelling platforms, whose dimensions allow for reading and storytelling experiences of their own comfort.
The proposal creates its own story of migration through a moving shelf. The shelf, built with an intricate, traditional dovetail joint, journeys through the scheme as per the user’s needs. 56
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beacon an anchoral view
Torre Guinigi Lucca, Italy
The towering scheme stacks up toward the Western point of the site. It creates a tall emblematic structure when viewed from the Floating Harbour. It is topped off by a roof garden, acting as a key natural relief in the context.
Part Two Stack Section 1:100
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Workshop Print Floor 58
“ borrowed
power
�
Who owns culture? In today’s age the biggest social struggle remains the blurred lines between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. How is a proposal intended to protect and preserve migrant cultures meant to appreciate them without leaving room for them to be appropriated? The Writingplace seeks to create an environment of equality. Rather than promote multiculture as an element of fantasy, it seeks to establish it as necessary knowledge and history. The world can be studied as a contrast of immigrant homes and migrant homes. Migrant countries see the largest global amounts of people leaving to settle abroad. Similarly immigrant countries see large amounts of incoming residents in comparison. The healthy mix of the two promotes culture across the world. The possible harm behind not allowing room for culture to be shared is that it is appropriated used without its necessary context, potentially demeaning it. By creating a space that promotes all cultures equally and gives room for these ethnic groups to tell their stories, the proposal facilitates healthy multiculture.
Immigrant density
Migrant density
chapter five “u n d e r s t a n d i n g o n e s e l f�
Panel 4: All other sources of labour having been exhausted, the migrants were the last resource. Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence
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structural overview
The proposal is made of two structural systems 1. A concrete frame structure, with shear concrete walls. The concrete frame follows two different grids. Above ground the grid is laid at 2m x 2m spacings. This transfers loads onto a thickened raft transfer deck for foundation. Under the ground level, the cave grid is laid at 8m x 8m, with thicker columns. 2. A series of structural oak bookshelves in modular compartments. They help hold up downstand beams (spanning North-South) at 2m spacings, and support the stepped roof. The proposal is capped with a series of precast floor/roof slabs of variating thickness. As there are three roof forms, each buildup varies slightly without compromising on the internal ceiling datum level. This is done with the support of secondary downstand beams (spanning East-West).
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Roof Slab - supporting green roof systems Downstand Beams at 2m centres Precast concrete floor slabs forming tower floors and storytelling platforms Tertiary Structure: Oak Columns and modular loadbearing shelving units Concrete Shear Walls Concrete Columns Transfer Raft Foundation - precast concrete slab with thickenings Cave Colonnade at 8m x 8m centres
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concrete columns at 2x2 grid
facade concrete panels
steel frame
The facade is made of concrete panels. Some of these are ribbed. The facade pigmentation is customised by developing the cement mix with sandstone excavated from the site. The ribbing is formed in two different ways: 1. Timber board formed. The boards are left with gaps so that the concrete panel - as a negative cast - develops thin ribs. 2. Negative cast of book spines. These old books will not be harmed in panel creation. Using their dimensions to create the ribs ensures new books can be slotted back into the created facade panel. These panels are specifically attached to the external facade where the proposal acts as an independent book exchange/donation enterprise. These panels are created in three sets of dimensions: a) 800 mm x 1200 mm b) 800 mm x 2000 mm c) irregular corner detail dimensions They attach to a steel stud frame that then attaches to the building concrete frame.
board-formed thin concrete ribs
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Ground Floor Buildup Detail top to bottom
The foundation of the proposal is a laid raft transfer deck, with thickenings at the perimeter. The raft foundation ensures minimal invasion into the cave layout by creating a wider grid.
80mm sandstone aggregate screed mix Waterproofing layer 80mm rigid insulation 5mm Mastic Asphalt 500mm (left) and 300mm (right) concrete raft foundation Coarse sand mix 250mm gravel hardcore mix
sitting on 2m sandstone bedrock
The floor of the workshop is heavier than the floor of the standard ground floor. As the workshop hosts two printers of 1 ton weight each, the raft thickens underneath the workshop floor and the level change is accommodated at a pile underneath.
workshop floor
underplatform store
1:20 Foundation Detail context callout on page 42 62
lighting callout pg. 76
Local Detail Section-Elevation 1:30 63
materiality
Sandstone is a widespread aggregate resource and is increasingly being used in concrete creation. The ratio of sandstone mix in cement concrete grades the pigment of the concrete. This pigmented concrete is used in the screed polished floors of the scheme. As the proposal climbs higher vertically, the screed mix reduces in sandstone proportion to create varying floor finishes. The flooring also grades from rough to polished as one climbs up the building. ground to fourth floor concrete mix progression
Royal Albert Memorial Museum John Hayward in Exeter, UK Triassic Red Sandstone in construction
dovetail joinery detail on oak Capsule Hotel Atelier tao+c in Jinhua, China Oak glulam loadbearing bookshelves
The primary materials are sandstone, concrete and oak hardwood glulam timber. The oak manifests in different forms across the scheme. It is in the flooring of the ‘additional’ furniture, and it forms the bookcases in the scheme. The oak continues into the acoustic ceiling of the spaces. This is to create a tunnel of warmth internally.
Hut on Sleds Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects in Whangapoua, New Zealand A contrasting internal and external warmth
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Western Elevation 1:100 66
treehouse 1:20 intensive green roof buildup
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Proposed Intensive Green Roof Buildup 1:10 detail, top to bottom
roofing levels standard proposed roof types and buildups
300mm Soil bed Filter Fleeze Drainage Reservoir Waterproofing Membrane 80mm rigid insulation Vapour Control Barrier 50mm levelling screed 200mm precast concrete slab 80mm rigid insulation as acoustic panel treated timber back panel Ceiling Finish
Proposed Extensive Green Roof Buildup 1:10 detail, top to bottom
Intensive Green Roof Extensive Green Roof Sedum Roof
40mm Soil blanket Filter Fleeze Drainage Reservoir Waterproofing Membrane 80mm rigid insulation Vapour Control Barrier 50mm levelling screed 200mm precast concrete slab backing panel Ceiling Finish
Proposed Solar Sedum Roof Buildup 1:10 detail, top to bottom 50mm Chippings Waterproofing Membrane 80mm rigid insulation Vapour Control Barrier 50mm levelling screed 150mm precast concrete slab backing panel Ceiling Finish
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Panel 13: Their lands were left to rot and dry. There was no one left to tend to them. Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence
chapter six adapting to a new home
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The environmental performance of the proposal relies heavily on existing site conditions and materials. The primary ventilation and heating system is realised through a combined Air Source Heat Pump and Heat Recovery System. The Air Source Heat Pump is located on the top most roof, and connected directly to a treated plant room in the caves through a vent shaft in the tower core. The ASHP maximises its position at the peak of the local wind rose and draws on the thermal performance of the ground to generate maximum potential energy. The treated plant room makes use of the surrounding sandstone as a Phase Change Material: it utilises its natural thermal performance to distribute heat back into the scheme. As the foundation sits on a consistent bedrock, and the floor finish is treated screed, the heat is transferred through embedding underfloor heating across the scheme.
Solar Roof
Green Roof
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Site Environmental Conditions sunpath: low light blocked by neighbours wind direction: prevailing Westerly wind ground form: sandstone
Air Source Heat Pump
Cave Formation
Summer Heating and Ventilation Condition section 1:500
Most of the high-angle heat entering the space is trapped in the green roof and unearthed rock landscape layers. They dissipate the heat back outside, leaving the internal spaces cool.
Winter Heating and Ventilation Condition section 1:500
Low-angle light enters the space through raised windows. This heat is trapped in the concrete floors and slowly dissipates into the internal spaces, keeping them warm.
for context refer to page 51-52 71
first floor
ground floor
ventilation
Mechanically Ventilated Spaces
The scheme employs a mixed-mode ventilation system. The need for mechanical ventilation is reduced by creating openings at staggered heights across the proposal, creating a stack effect. This effect is employed through the vent windows above the storytelling platforms. It is also maximised by the voided form of the towering scheme, which connects into a vent shaft in the core to carry the air out. From the generated power of the ASHP, a heat recovery system is used to mechanically ventilate the deeper spaces of the proposal. These are the foreign language study spaces, staff halls, the cafeteria, and the workshop. The workshop will also be fitted with an extractor fan for ventilating out the smells and fine dust generated. The heat recovery system is placed in plant rooms adjacent to the mechanically ventilated spaces to minimise energy lost during transfer. By removing the capping of the site above the caves, all heat trapped excessively in the bedrock of the caves is let out into the air through the ground plane. The opening of the caves through natural doors and the skylight also promote a stack effect through the bedrock. The thermal performance of the sandstone means the cavern internal spaces are on the cooler side, ranging between 10-12 deg. celsius.
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sunlight, daylight, and heat
South-facing Solid Concrete Walls Services Green Roof Solar Roof
Using the energy from the ASHP, the solar panels, and the natural thermal properties of the sandstone and the green roof system; the building generates enough power to keep itself running independently. The concrete of the floorings offers high thermal mass. The raised windows help dissipate this heat through a stack effect. Windows are placed diagonally to aid the transfer of heat across the proposal. The direct sunlight received on site guides the South-East orientation of the solar roof panels. Raised windows help daylight penetrate deeper into the spaces. Since Northern light is optimal for reading, select library functions are arranged toward the North for a consistent, equal lighting condition.
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public vs private allocation
public spaces facing south and reading spaces facing north
The building has a non-compact form, with a form factor of 1.92. This is due to the linear nature of site and the terracing scheme footprint. The greatest heat loss is observed from the Southern and Northern elevations. This heat loss is however tackled through the materiality of the scheme, as well as the thermal performance of the site. The concrete as both structure and facade help control the thermal trap the scheme provides. The green roof system acts as thermal insulation that further reduces the theoretical form factor. panel facade over concrete shear walls, thus acting as double-skin material insulation
Existing trees buffering direct Southern sunlight
Staggering proposal height and towering void aid in stack ventilation.
Green roof systems will help minimise heat loss through the roof and provide thermal insulation.
The ASHP energy is stored in an underground plant room, sourced through the ventilation shaft Using the bedrock as a Phase Change Material as well as running underfloor heating 74
The proximity to neighbouring buildings on the Southern facade mean majority of afternoon light during the Winter months is blocked. The proposal utilises its East-West orientation by placing glazed facade units at climbing altitudes. This, paired with the tall ceiling heights of the internal spaces, maximises the daylight into the space. Harsh, direct Southern Summer light on the corresponding facade is buffered with a series of short flowering shrubs nestled in the landscaping. The proposal will also be reliant on artificial lighting throughout the year. This lighting energy will be in part generated from photovoltaic panels on the first roof of the proposal.
workshop lighting and cross ventilation strategy, achieved through a diagonal and East-West orientated glazing system.
Low-angle direct light penetrates deep into the spaces
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lighting
Even with the impeding visual barriers, the internal spaces have an adequate daylight factor. However, with the dark internal materials and depth of spaces of the ground floor the scheme relies on artificial lighting throughout the year. The higher floors are partially reliant on artificial lighting, but are mostly provided for with natural light. Lighting strategies are embedded within the buildup. The platforms are slightly receded from the building edge and a lighting strip is placed in the shadow gap of the surfaces. Similarly, lighting fixtures are slotted between acoustic timber slats in the ceiling. All lighting energy requirements are provided by the four photovoltaic panels on the first roof of the scheme. They will be specified as low-energy lighting to control demand. These feed into a plant room located directly below the roof and also power the lightweight equipment in the kitchenette. 1:5 embedded floor lighting detail
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Eastern Elevation 1:100 77
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acoustics
Acoustic Ceiling Isolated Detail 1:10 top to bottom
Steel Hanger System at 500 mm centres Steel horizontal UB as mounting bracket 50mm rigid insulation Timber battens at 50mm centres suspended ceiling hides pipework
The intimate study spaces are fitted with acoustic pads in the bookshelves to absorb sound. The library and art hall, as large spaces, use their structural strategy to include sound absorption. Long spans in the library spaces are made possible by downstand beams across the scheme at 2m grid intervals. The downstand is used as datum to attach a suspended timber acoustic ceiling.
Acoustically Treated Spaces
Additional design aesthetic elements of the proposal play an acoustic role. The services corridor is concealed from the central library with a row of parchments attached between thin oak columns. These parchments aid in sound absorption. The timber vertical language is continued into the roof form, which conceals the suspended acoustic ceiling.
Umeda Hospital Kengo Kuma + Associates
Rather than fully-floated isolation booths for the recording studios, they are treated as acoustically semi-isolated rooms instead. Their wall finish is in decorative acoustic pads that help float the room as necessary.
Baird Music Group self-designed
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rainwater
Secondary substreams water the landscape.
It is fed back into a local plant room adjacent to the toilets.
Rainwater is stored in an underground tank
Additional water is sourced from the local Phoenix Wharf.
The terrace form of the scheme promotes active rainwater harvesting. The ribbed facade on all Eastern walls hides a drain that connects the highest roof to the lowest roof. This drain lets out into two substreams: one connects to the Northern courtyard, the other into a storage tank located in the caves. Grey water collected in the underground tank is then reused into the flushing system of the proposal. However, as the roof system is a collection of green roofs approximately 60% of collected rainwater is absorbed into these roofs.
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part l conservation of fuel and power
Vertical Cores Plant Rooms and Equipment Green Roof Solar Roof Water Drain route Combined ASHP + Solar Power energy route
The potential heat loss through the building is minimised by the thermal performance of the building fabric. The green roof system reduces heat lost through natural air rise and dissipation, while the combined concrete walls + concrete facade behave as a double layered thermal trap. The acoustic ceiling hides ductwork and minimises the route the energy transfer takes through the proposal. The mechanical ventilation required derives its energy from the heat recovery system entirely. Artificial lighting powered by the photovoltaic panels will be specified low-cost and energy efficient. The high efficiency of the proposal is in part due to its power being sourced from a decentralised energy generation system based on renewable energy sources. It is capable of generating enough energy to independently power itself. The ASHP, combined with its low-waste transfer into plant rooms aids energy efficiency. As the only energy required is for heating, air extraction and lighting, the combination of the ASHP with photovoltaic panels are sufficient. The plant rooms are ideally located next to the toilets and kitchenette to minimise energy lost in transfer. Using the caves as natural storage spaces for heat exchangers and rainwater minimises energy required to treat those power sources.
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Northern Context Elevation 1:500 84
chapter seven integration policies
Panel 14: Justice? Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence
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Fire Core
Escape Routes
Run Distances
Exits 85
part B : fire strategy
B1: Means of Warning and Escape The three exit routes of the building are a minimum of 1500mm wide. These routes are clearly demarcated. All three means of escape let out into refuge stops beyond a 2m boundary from the proposal. The central stairway of the scheme as well as the vertical core for the towering structure are fire cores, with a designated fire lift. The escape stairs are fitted with a smoke shaft and have a designated refuge landing on each floor. B2: Internal Fire Spread (Linings) The floors are all clad in concrete, making them naturally fire resistant. However, there is a large amount of timber in the structure that will have to be treated to make retardant. The insulation in the scheme is of rockwool, present both in the buildup of the structural walls as well as of the lowered acoustic ceiling for the central spaces. The risk of fire catching is of significant concern regarding the books within the scheme. However, there are multiple fire extinguishers within the building, and all staff will be trained. B3: Internal Fire Spread (Structure) The building structure is made of concrete, making it naturally fire resistant. The furnishings of the proposal are of oak, which has a better thermal performance than comparable timber structures. The caves pose a considerable risk in the event of a fire, as soft rock such as sandstone (Triassic red, on site) are prone to cracking in the presence of a fire. To ensure the protection of valuable goods within the cave experience, chosen natural rock cubicles are lined and treated to create pockets of insulated storage space.
left; 1:500 stacked plan right; 1:50 tower fire core
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There are three disabled-passenger friendly car park lots on site. These three lots are adjacent to the public entry on the Eastern facade. The staff entry, located to the Western end, is neighboured by a bicycle stand within the root outgrowths of the existing trees.
part M : access & use
The entrances to the building are 1500mm wide and flush to the ground. The journey meant to be followed across the scheme is choreographed organically, and the visual vertical cues make pathfinding simple. To counter the changing levels of the internal spaces, an alternative layout of lifts and ramps has been used. This is to prioritise both forms of vertical circulation without demeaning the ramp. The ramp is compliant, with its two rises compliant to their corresponding regulatory rise:distance ratio. There are two vertical circulation cores, one as part of a fire core in the towering footprint of the scheme. The other is separated into a central lift, ramp, and a fire-protected stairway. Where there are accessible steps, the rise is no more than 170mm. All passageways - ramp width, stair width, are a minimum 1800mm wide with railings provided at dual heights of 750mm and 900mm off the ground. right; 1:500 stacked plan below; 1:100 first floor plan
accessible route
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Vetical Accessible Circulation
Passageways
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construction design management
Management Overview A CDM consultant will be appointed by the contractor. He will assess the risks to the project; with attention to the construction of the foundations and towering structure at the Western point. Demolition of Existing Structure A survey will be necessary to identify the risk in the removal of the capping above caves, and identify the fissure points of the rock formation underneath. To prevent instability, appropriate bracing will be used. All excavated rock will be evaluated regarding its fissure and appropriately repurposed into either the landscaping or aggregate for the facade.
Material Delivery The majority of material will be delivered from CEMEX Concrete and Screed Plant of Bristol, located 1.1 miles away. Since building construction and facade production will happen concurrently delivery and execution will have to adhere to a strict timeline. This will not overwhelm storage on Redcliffe Parade and block traffic on the one-way street.
Site Management As the site is at the Harbour with existing access at multiple levels, a site boundary will have to be established to prevent unauthorised access. As the caves are currently in use by the City in summer months the construction timetable will have to accommodate.
Excavation Excavation will pose a considerable risk due to the caves. Contiguous pile walls and bracing will have to be used to prevent rock internal collapse. The capping from existing paving will have to be removed, and the top layer of rock so as to lay the raft transfer foundation slab.
Facilities for Workers A site compound housing WCs, changing rooms, first aid, meeting rooms, offices will be installed by the wall boundary shared with The Colosseum. The kitchen will provide food for the workers. Hoarding propped will ensure a safe working environment for the workers. A site induction and health and safety protocol training will be delivered to workers before work starts.
Worker’s Welfare Workers are to be trained in health and safety. Scaffolding will be installed along the all perimeters to reduce risk of falling.
Crane A crane will be required during the construction of the top floors. This crane will have to be brought onto Phoenix Wharf level rather than site, to prevent fissuring of the cave rock.
Emergency Fire safety points are located and marked at safe distances.
Maintenance All roof levels are accessible for maintenance. Maintenance is required to ensure the working of the Air Source Heat Pump on the highest roof, and the solar panels on the lowest roof. The risk of falling is removed with either balustrades or high parapets; depending on the roof.
Construction Hoarding Line Initial Site Office
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part 2 reg 7: materials and workmanship
Building work shall be carried out — (a) with adequate and proper materials which— (i) are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used,
part ? reg ? social distancing and travel bans
The building structure is of concrete, with the internal floor finish as screed levelled concrete; and the exterior finish as prefabricated concrete panels at standard panel sizes.
In the face of a pandemic, the world and the way we experience the world is changing at an unprecedented rate. Every day is a new regulation, a new condition; but one that has cemented itself in place since the beginning has been social distancing and the inability to travel.
(ii) are adequately mixed or prepared,
The Triassic red sandstone excavated from the caves will be taken to a proper concrete mixing plant [CEMEX Concrete and Screed Plant, 1.1 miles away] and be mixed into a cement mix at predetermined ratios that positively affect the colouration of the concrete without affecting its structural strength. These panels will then be transported back to site.
How would this affect a proposal about migration, if one isn’t allowed to migrate and meet an audience willing to listen to their story? Social distancing is a constraint salvageable with greater ease. The proposal already aims to create spaces of comfort, and puts equal priority on individual and group learning. Each space allocates a minimum of 5 sqm per visitor.
(iii) are applied, used or fixed so as adequately to perform the functions for which they are designed; These concrete panels are fixed to the concrete walls by attaching to a steel framework at a smaller grid of 600 mm x 600mm to ensure perfect fitting for all panel sizes.
However, the inability to travel has become the first regulation that has severely affected migrants, myself included. Even with the name on my passport I am unable to travel home, making my urge to tell my story louder. With this happening in degrees of severity to so many around the world a physical proposal identifying migrants may need to elevate its presence beyond the physical ‘book.’
(b) in a workmanlike manner. Facade work will be carried out by trained workers, and with necessary safety precautions in place, particularly regarding attaching the facade to the highest point of the proposal - 22m above ground.
The digital revolution overtaking the print industry has already affected literature, but maybe this effect can be transliterated into an advantageous one by pushing stories of migration to be heard; audibly. The digital media in the scheme can be uploaded to the internet, and could the proposal benefit from an interactive website?
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Self Portrait Pablo Picasso
chapter eight a story of other times
My brief. If I’d known this would be the last physical report I’d produce for my degree, I probably would’ve taken a better picture...
february
2020
It would be dishonest of me to not admit the conception of this project was a selfish one. I had spent the past three years of my degree questioning myself and my decisions, and had decided now was the time to do something that was unapologetically me. However, formulating a proposal became a masterclass in studying human rights and migration - both causes very close to my heart. The social agenda of this project has always rung louder than its physical manifestation. As a result, I found myself struggling to realise the scheme towards the beginning of this four-month journey. The scheme began simplistically, a very basic reinterpretation of what it meant to create ‘reading spaces.’ Unfortunately, 2020 hasn’t been great. Events around the world pushed for a better understanding of what it meant to be a migrant, what it meant to be a storyteller, and finally the project took off - maybe three weeks in. At my first crit I presented a design diary and some sketches of the mood of the spaces rather than the spaces themselves. Although it was received well, there was a palpable excitement in the air regarding what this proposal could truly become.
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defining a stronger architectural narrative
The biggest change in the proposal came after the first crit. Although the social agenda was strengthening, there was a serious lack in its physical representation. The section had not been designed and the spaces felt very formal, losing their poetic potential. I started detailing the scheme down to its intricacies. It was important that the message of solidarity, safety, comfort was prevalent in every version of the proposal - and it had to do that very obviously. The project progressed in section, experimenting with height and light to create experiences within a tight, linear site.
reading and learning: moments
I went back to site analysis - and found that with a clearer motive the site designed my proposal for me! The caves underneath the site became a catalyst in a journey that began coming together. The scheme developed a strong relationship with its vertical. I also kept sketching internal ‘moments’ of the scheme. These ‘moments’ helped determine the materials.
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choreographing the internal spaces
section through the library
developing the language
section through the ‘treehouse’
march
2020
The towering scheme formed through resolving the vertical language. At first, the context’s inability to aid the proposal was lost potential. To embody a consistent scheme and narrative I took to children’s literature to find common themes. The allegory of a ‘treehouse’ formed as a result. Giving a name to the programme amplified and simplified internal spaces. At this stage, it seemed the basework for the architecture had been accomplished, and it was a matter of defining this language in the details.
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My last crit at University. The proposal was received positively, it was time to start making tectonic models.
A 1:500 site model that was never used...
Common occurrences in the workshop.
The external facade experiments - casting and negative writing the word ‘home’
Leaving University for the last time never thought it’d be in daylight!
1:100 short section stack model, defining light source into the central spaces.
01/03/2020 - 16/03/2020
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Flying home mid-March.
Getting used to working on a tablet rather than tracing paper. Using colour and gradation to experiment with overall building form.
A view from my personal terrace
An opportunity to sit in nature to work, observing the language of trees and nature
tower section 10
The proposal was heavily influenced by my favourite books.
Learning to explain myself through emails. Having to produce at semi ‘presentation level’ helped solidify some decisions.
17/03/2020 - 31/03/2020
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april
2020
A lot of hand sketches accompanied studies into materiality of the spaces. At this point, I had decided on a majority of the internal spaces being customisable - walls of the proposal were treated with blackboard finishes, and the occupied surfaces were treated with oak to embody warmth. Structurally the scheme started resolving, albeit slowly. The entire structural system became a concrete frame with downstand beams to create long, clear spaces. There was a general urge to push my materials to do more - thus the bookshelves became taller and structurally functional, metaphorically resembling spines of the scheme.
an interesting ‘pin-up’ format...
At this stage I had not realised the caves to their full potential. The tectonic review feedback encouraged me to incorporate them better into the scheme.
Sketching lively spaces helped in understanding how ‘typical’ the internal spaces were, when they had the potential to be so much more...
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Unfortunately, I realised late that I had not utilised my tectonic review to its fullest. Accommodating to working at home, and trying to refocus on work, meant my tectonic review proposal was incomplete and unresolved at nearly every scale. After giving myself some time to adjust I found myself to be my biggest critic when I reviewed my submission. There was a long way to go...
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3
Post-crit I found myself reflecting on my foundational decisions. Regret at having wasted a valuable feedback opportunity resulted in some major design changes that actually helped put my intention back in perspective. Rather than designing my details with ‘why?’ in my mind the question became ‘why not?’ and I found myself jumping at opportunities to refine moments in the scheme. Materiality and the feel of the spaces became pertinent and without modelling to help resolve conflict, I put together texture collages to gain perspective. There was research into the cultural weight behind particular materials and aesthetic qualities, which guided design decisions. The central library slowly became less ‘basic’ and more bespoke. Designing tactile furniture was a welcome opportunity to represent migration in a less ‘performative’ way.
ground floor
The towering footprint had always been awkward.
foreign language study
staff room
cave light study cafe
tower moved open one grid
Ground Plan +8.00 M 1:200
manuscript exhibit
underplatform storage
type display
Reshuffling the internal spaces toinkfeel grander. central pulley
paper
The scheme finally came together a week before final crit. I was confident with the decisions I had made. For the first time, each design decision had influenced another, and I felt the agenda of the proposal was integrated with its physical realisation. To make up for a lack of models I took to animating my scheme as much as I could at every stage.
building moved out 2m (one grid)
2
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may
2020
At the final crit I submitted a series of simple drawings that featured a typical day in the scheme. Relying on storytelling to explain the proposal helped as my feedback was largely positive, and my tutors felt I had embodied the ‘concept’ honestly.
Michael visits the proposal. He decides to give away a book his grandfather gave him to the book donation wall.
However, a lot of the scheme still felt very conceptual. A design made almost entirely by literary motifs, the details of the proposal were the areas of least development.
He walks around the literary exhibit. This week’s work is in Hindi, so he doesn’t understand, but he likes the print and wants to try it!
Other areas of less development were the caves. It was quite challenging to reinvent such a primal human shelter but at the end it was decided that the caves remain as natural as they could be. Overall, there seemed to be a level of satisfaction at the final result, and it was a matter of retelling the story in a report.
Michael uses some of the books on ancient printing techniques at the platform library and does his research.
He visits the Art Hall. At the reception, he buys himself some paper and ink, and decides to make a poster of his grandpa’s book.
He designs his poster the best he can, and hopes the printers get the idea, since he’s not very good at art.
Not letting the details inform the experience: the preliminary architecture felt cold.
At the delivery store he gives Ellen Bills his poster and asks her to print it for him, after explaining what he wants in it.
He watches as Ellen hand prints his grandpa’s work for him. He’ll hang it up to dry, and explore the rest of the building until it’s done.
textures: week 1
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textures: week 14
a letter to myself
...
Reflecting on this project feels quite monumental - an attempt at a summary of four years, rather than four months. Going in to final year I had expected it to be a bumpy road but never could I have predicted the situation I find myself in, as I click ‘submit’ on Moodle instead of handing over my report at the 2E office. I started this project determined to come up with an architecturally ‘perfect’ building. Rather I find the end result quite imperfect but honest in many ways; for it is undoubtedly me. I actually feel a sense of vulnerability, having referenced my favourite childhood books in the conception of this project, to making the target demographic of the proposal people like myself: confused, minority, ‘third-country’. I have always found editing tough and this project was no different. My favourite thing about designing has been its storytelling, and creating weaving narratives. Working on this project for four months has allowed me to do that. It has given me a chance to design details I never thought I would, and opened my eyes to the incredible effect of realising an architectural ‘concept’. As someone who had always approached design as a rational, pragmatic ideal - this is the first time I let my emotions guide me, and it was objectively easier to do, when I realised I could really understand what I would want from the space. This project has been a challenge, but an immensely rewarding one that I am proud of. I feel I could have designed the proposal forever. While I am happy with where it is, today the world around me is so volatile it feels almost necessary I continue adapting my brief, my spaces, my ‘moments of representation’. I feel a certain sense of pride and accomplishment at realising that my architecture can be my outlet as activism. I hope in the future all the projects I get an opportunity to design, dig their feet in social change - for this is what I find myself unreservedly passionate about.
I have already thanked everyone who has made this project a reality but I find I need to refer a few more: Dear Alice in Wonderland, thank you for teaching me at a young age that space was moldable, that beautiful spaces existed everywhere, if you had the courage to look for them. Dear Winnie the Pooh, thank you for inspiring me to find fantasy in every corner of my life, for teaching me basic life lessons, and for teaching me honesty in creativity. Dear Journey to the River Sea, I was so fortunate to find you when I did. Thank you for showing me representation was worth fighting for.
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references
Bristol City Council, 2019. Central Statistical Ward Profile, Bristol: Bristol City Council. Carroll, L., 1865. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan. Ibbotson, E., 2002. Journey to the River Sea. London: Macmillan Children’s Books. Lawrence, J., 1940-1941. The Migration Series. [Art] (Museum of Modern Art). Meisel, A., 2017. The Past, Present, and Future of Human Migration. [Online] Available at: https://omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/past-present-andfuture-human-migration [Accessed March 2020]. Milne, A. A., 1926. Winnie the Pooh. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd.. Phoenix, A., 2019. Convivial practices in communities of research. In: M. L. Berg & M. Nowicka, eds. Diversity and Migration. London: UCL Press, pp. 45-46. Picasso, P., 1972. Self Portrait. [Art]. Tenniel, J., 1865. Alice with the Cheshire Cat. [Art].
yours truly, a migrant