What is Comfort? A Manual to Disrupt the Norm of Domestic Architecture by house-lab_comfort

F E LI CIT Y M ORR IS E MI LY NIV E N J OS EP H W IL LOU GHBY

A M ANUAL TO DISR UPT THE ‘N OR M’ OF DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE

h t t p s : // w w w . h o u s e - l a b . o r g / c o m f o r t /

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to express our gratitude to our tutors Dr. Rosa Urbano Gutierrez and Johanna Muszbek, who have challenged our theories and process to guide us through a thesis we are passionate about. We thank them for the energy they have invested in our thesis project. We are also extremely grateful for the feedback and encouragement from the following critics: Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay, Ian Ritchie, and Neil Swanson. Their knowledge and guidance has been invaluable. Finally, we express our deepest appreciation to the University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture for supporting and funding our tools for research.

What Is Comfort ?

T H E ‘S TA N D A R D’ H O M E The minimum level of comfort in UK homes today would have been a distant dream to those of poor economic status a few centuries ago. It is for that reason that the introduction of living standards must be praised rather than chastised. Standards of living, however, are always relative to the wider society. Unfortunately, in our modern society the minimum standard also inversely becomes the maximum due to the economic ecosystem. Developers save money by designing more efficient spaces, with smaller façades and standardised, mass produced windows and materials. Economics strongly influence architectural outcomes. We believe the position of architects needs to be stronger and we need to challenge the set standard and make it more dynamic so it is harder to exploit. The first standards introduced in the UK had ambitious intentions. Their stipulations were in fact better than what is being built today. Higher ceilings, bigger gardens, larger windows, these standards initiated the notion that dignified and comfortable living was the responsibility of collective society and the government. The UK had the ability to provide comfortable homes and no longer had any excuses not to. One of the biggest challenges facing designers right now is how to change the status quo when things are fine. Our manual begins with the thought that fine is not good enough. Making everything just about bearable does not constitute comfort nor good architectural design. Designing our homes for true comfort has never been more important than now. We began our thesis research during lock-down in the UK, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the weaknesses of our home environment were magnified by time. Our research develops a methodology for challenging standards and creating a human-centred approach to designing domestic architecture rather than an economic model to be exploited. The research within this thesis project is timely, as in recent years collective programmes developed outside of the home have moved inside. Advances in technology have enabled the kitchen table to become the office, the bathroom to become the spa, and the living room to become the school. Modern housing has become its own micro-city. How can domestic architecture accommodate these infiltrations but also exceed the current understanding of comfort as a minimum standard? Our research by design approach disrupts the norm of domestic architecture through the creation of a dynamic manual, whereby changing parameters changes the hierarchy of comfort. Follow this manual with a different protagonist and location to uncover new design opportunities investigating the true meaning of comfort.

HOW TO

F O L D O U T PA G E S UNF OLD TH E PAG E S TO REV E AL TH E C O NTE NT

USE THE

SCAN THE CODE USE YO UR M O B I LE TO SCAN TH E Q R C O D E S

MANUAL

ROTATE THE BOOK ROTAT E TH E B O O K TO V IEW TH E C O NTE NT

- ACT IVIT Y An activity is anything that the humans do. For example: sleeping, eating, showering, etc.

F - F U N CT ION In this manual a function is something which occurs without the human being an actor. For example, the oven offers the function of cooking food. In this instance it is the oven which performs the activity not the human actor.

T - T Y P OLOGY A classification according to general type. A typology in this manual means something which has evident characteristics. For example, the kitchen-less house is a typology defined in this research - the common factor of this type is that there is no clearly observable kitchen. The typology may take different forms and appearances but the common factor remains.

P - P HYS ICS OF T HE S PACE Encompassing the thermodynamics, light, sound, and air quality in the space.

GLOSSARY

- Historical Research p.12 - Informing Factors p.14 - Genealogy p.16 - Dimensions of Comfort p.18 - Comfort-O-meter p.21 - Typical House p.22

INTRODUCTION

- Motion Saving Experiments p.34 - Analytics of Home p.40 - Ergonomics p.48 - Uncomfortable Kitchen p.56 - The Kitchen As A Typology p.64

P R OTA G O N I S T

- Designing through Disruption p.76 - Alter, Extract, Transform, Superimpose p.78 - New Typologies p.84

DISRUPT THE NORM

CONTENTS

- Rules and Assumptions p.90 - Unit and Building Typologies p.92 - Matrix Assessment p.98 - Matrix Results p.100 - Limitations and Critique p.102 - Blank Canvas Testing p.106 - Physics of The Space p.122

DESIGN PHASE 1

- Synergies and Activities p.140 - Furniture and Equipment p.141 - Changing the Parameter p.142

DESIGN PHASE 2

- Why Add A Context? p.180 - Urban Scenario: Ducie Street p.184 - The Comfort Trilogy p.190 - The Kitchen House p.194 - The Bath House p.200 - The Soft House p.206 - So, What Is Comfort? p.212 - The Designs p.214

A PLACE FOR HOME

INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL RESEARCH Domestic architecture has changed as a result of need for food, water, heat, and shelter. Significant changes have occurred due to pandemics, space-shrinking and time-saving technologies.

I N F O R M I N G FA C T O R S O F C O M F O R T The most basic definition of comfort is that there are both physical and emotional contributing factors.

GENEALOGY The genealogy explores a modern history of domestic architecture related to both physical and emotional comfort. It helps us to demonstrate that domestic comfort in modern homes is dominated by convenience and standardisation, and significant architectural explorations such as those by Philippe Rahm have failed to gain widespread application.

DIMENSIONS OF COMFORT The physical and emotional aspects of comfort have many dimensions - some of which are tangible and others are not.

C O M F O R T- O - M E T E R Comfort in the home is accumulated.

TYPICAL HOUSE Why are our homes uncomfortable?

HISTORICAL

RESEARCH

CONTEXTUAL EVENTS

HOUSING

3600 BC Earliest evidence of a sewage system, at Habuba Kabira.

B AT H I N G

400 BC Grecian mud-brick houses are plastered with tiled roofs.

6000 – 2900 BC Neolithic Age settlements begin farming

FOO

4,000 BC – 1500 BC Farming spreads, homes become more permanent

OUS POOR H

RICH HO US

ING

100 AD La vis h

2450 BC Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro

TOILETS

6th - 1st c. BC Communal

P U B L I C H E A LT H

t 16 AD 100

. hc

toilets

Sim

ING

21 2A DB ath s

2450 BC Houses at Mohenjo Daro are connected to a sewer.

20,000 BC Caves or animal-skin tents

FORMS FOLLOWS FUEL

t n aus c o mo yp m H o n a c m Rom ing t n 00 AD ota 1 a l p p so H E AT A N D P O W E R ield Me en-f p n i O . es 8th c ors h f Farming spreads across Europe. C o 00 B ion ticat 4,0 s e m Do 2000 BC

1700 BC Stone drains at the Palace of Minos, Crete

Ro ma n

Ca rac a

6th c .

lla

BC Rom e’s

1776 American Independence

186

1789 French Revolution

1756 - 1763 Seven Years War

1350 Marco Polo explores the East

1346 - 1353 The Black Death

1698 Thomas Savery invented the steam engine.

175

a. mi

ARCHITECTURAL

1680 - 1750 Diverse and

1630 Brick or stone houses are common.

1580 Glass windows and chimneys are common. Roofs are usually thatched.

1680 Glass windows and chimneys are common.

16th c. Designed for comfort rather than defence, with more rooms for p 12t h– 13th

loa c

aM ax im

15th c. Bath houses were available in towns for people to bathe.

-14th c. Gard erobe Toilets

151 7 Da

1340 Toilet Tower

17th c. Scented soaps are popular.

176

1775 Alexander Cummings invents the S-trap

1596 John Harrington’s Water Closet

13th c. Glass windows in a minority of homes.

nv illa s

12th c. Stone castles and stone houses.

800 AD Saxon Castles feature a Great Hall and private room for the Lord above.

en ood w le mp

g and heating, and basic furniture with straw beds. r cookin o f e r , fi huts

Vinci ’s Romo rantin Sanitary City

848 Public Health Act passed in England. Late 19th c. 2-Up-2-Down Houses.

Mid 19th c. Working class people have baths at home. Middle class homes have full indoor bathrooms.

1900 First working-class houses with bathroo

1888 Wet Wall

1920s Council houses built

EXPERIMENTS OF HOME + COMFORT

privacy.

Late 19th c. Sewage systems become more widespread.

1970s -

1931 Wind turbines invented.

1930s New homes in urban Britain have electricity.

1929 Wall Street Crash

1918 - 1919 Spanish Flu

1889 Electric water heater invented

1868 Gas water heater invented

1880 Thomas Edison patents the incandescent light bulb.

1930s The Great Depression

hütte Lihotzky: The Frankfurt Kitchen.

1910 The outhouse

e Sc

1920s Lillian Gilbreth: The Work Triangle

1924 Rietveld Schröder House – Flexible living

1923 Experimental House at Weimar Bauhaus Tackling suburban housing monotony.

1900 90% of the population rented their home.

Early 20th c. Some houses are built with inside toilets and bathrooms.

1875 Building regulations introduced

1834 Jacob Perkins refrigeration device

8th c. Robert Bakewell introduces selective breeding for sheep and cattle.

1911 Kohler makes the first one-piece bathtub.

Late 19th c. Mass production of furniture and carpets creates more comfortable homes.

1840s Councils ban cellar dwellings and any new back-to-backs.

Early 19th c. Back-to-Back Houses

1793 Whitney’s Cotton gin

1870 - 1871 FrancoPrussian War leads to the creation of the German Empire

28 Jul 1914 - 11 Nov 1918 WWI

Early 20th c. UK homes have access to clean, running water.

1858 The Great Stink of London

1870 Twyford’s single-piece porcelain flush toilet.

1857 First commercial toilet paper

1853-54 Cholera outbreaks.

67 The English Regency Shower r

8th c. Simple houses with very simple furniture.

rg a

1815 The city of Philadelphia is among the first to undertake a safe water supply as a governance issue.

1701 Tull’s Seed Drill

52 Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity.

Ma 27

ornate furniture is common.

61 - 1865 American Civil War 1 Sept 19

Early 20th c. Coal used to generate electricity. Gas cookers are common. 1920s Refrigerators are in homes.

1936 Ernest Neufert publishes Architects’ D 1920s -1930s Slum clearance and coun

1939 27% of the UK owns ho

Late 19th c. Flushing toilets are common, and they begin to mov

ome.

ve indoors.

1950s Outdoor toilets are still common in the UK

1929 -1954 Sanitary ware is mass-manufactured.

1935 Bathroom by The American Architect sets standards 19

7 0 s Cen

1949 Philip Johnson’s Glass House – Fixed toilet in open plan within circular brick core. 1956 Alison and Peter Smithson’s House of the Future – Technology

1945 - 1960s Old terraced houses demolished, high-rise flats replaced some of them.

21st c. One bathroom is not enough

1992 The Energy Policy Act is passed in America to conserve water and energy.

20th c. Prefabricated houses

2013 Toilet Tech - INAX Satis

C O M F ORT

2016 British Pavilion’s Home Economics Exhibition at the Venice Biennale

1998 - 2015 Philippe Rahm’s experiments in internal environments.

1968 Rogers' Zip-Up house system

1967 Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 - Village prototype

1960 s-

1957 Monsanto – House of the Future at Disneyland

1991 The internet is created..

2012 The Wall Street Journal reported that 80% of young New York City professiona ls work regularly from bed.

1979 The British government introduces a policy of selling council houses.

1949 Charles and Ray Eames - Case Study House no. 8

1943 Marcel Breuer’s Plas-2-Point House Prefabrication

1990s Popular culture promotes the ‘kitchen island’ as a social space.

2016 Paris Agreement signed to tackle global warming.

1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall

1981 AIDS pandemic begins

1980s Double glazing is common.

1968 A gas explosion at Ronan Point flats in London turned the public against both flats and gas.

1954 Solar panels invented.

2007 - 2008 Global Financial Crisis

H O M E

1976 The Bathroom by Alexander Kira studies intimate ergonomics

1970s Renovation + Retrofit popularised

ncil houses built.

1940s War forced the use of plastics in plumbing

Data – Ergonomics

1938 Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion Bathroom standardises the whole room

1937 The first single handle mixer tap

with indoor bathrooms. 1973 Computers first patented.

helps to eradicate hookworm.

THE KITCHEN l h e a ting is in homes.

939 - 2 Sept 1945 WWII 2019 vv Pandemic begins

2009 Smart meters introduced.

1960s Agricultural machine revolution increased efficiencies.

I N F O R M I N G FA C T O R S O F C O M F O R T Dependent on the field, be it architecture, psychology or healthcare, the definition of comfort varies. All people are different. One person’s comfort may be another person’s discomfort, therefore the definition should, by nature, be different among individuals. Regardless of the field however, definitions include aspects of both physical and emotional comfort. The factors informing a persons comfort are wide ranging and interconnected. While one can be surrounded by the perfect conditions for their physical comfort, they may be made uncomfortable by situational conditions, and vice versa. The relationship between physical and emotional comfort is in a dynamic equilibrium, where tangible elements have impact upon intangible experiences. This project explores the dimensions of comfort and the parameters contributing to and detracting from comfort within the home.

BOUNDARIES

CONNE

FORM

I N F O R M I N G FA C T O R S

S PA C E

P U B L I C / P R I VAT E

I S O L AT I O N

FUNCTION

SOCIABILITY

VISIBILITY

PERCE

SEN

PHYSICAL

LONGEVITY

FUTURE PROOFING

H E AT I N G

LIGHT FA C A D E

ECTIVITY

FETY

CONVENIENCE

ARRANGEMENT

WINDOWS

EFFICIENCY

PRACTICALITY

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

ENVELOPES

O C C U PA N C Y

EPTION

VIEWS

NSES

MELL

EMOTION AL

PLOT

STREET

URBAN BLOCK

BUFFER ZONE

INTERNAL FINISHINGS

AESTHETICS

THRESHOLDS

FURNITURE

ACCESS

TOUCH / FEEL

COMFORT

1913 THE NEW HOUSEKEEPING: Christine Frederick Introduction of the concept of efficiency in the home through architectural arrangement to reduce the number of movements needed for women to carry out household tasks. 1911 SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT IN THE HOME Scientific Management in the Home promoted the notion that by removing all activities not related to the preparation of food from the kitchen, one could then make the room smaller – and by doing so, reduce any potential unnecessary movement and streamline the cooking process.

1924 RIE T VELD SCHRODER HOUSE: Gerrit Rietveld Designed to give the user control over their environment, the modular design, bold colour scheme and transformability through collapsible walls still serve as inspiration in today’s standards. The spatial flexibility means there’s no hierarchical arrangement or prescription of rooms.

1920’S MOTION SAVING EXPERIMENTS: Lillian Gilbreth The Gilbreths pioneered using short films to observe how industrial process and office tasks were done, breaking them down into parts to determine how to make the job faster and less taxing. This was transferred to home tasks to make the woman more comfortable after a days work.

1923 H AUS AM HORN: Georg Munche The building is a prototype for low-cost housing units designed accounting for economical and strictly functional purposes. It also features technologically advanced solutions for improving thermal comfort.

1926 FRANKFURT KITCHEN: Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky The first kitchen in history built after a unified concept - low housing that would enable efficient work, the Frankfurt Kitchen was designed to be “comfortable, not spacious” and produced one design to be replicated among large number of apartments.

1929 PRACTICAL KITCHEN: Lillian Gilbreth A kitchen compressed to the extreme with a design to showcase Gilbreth’s research on motion saving. The test of efficiency reduced movements and steps for household tasks to one-sixth of an “impractical” kitchen.

1931 BE T TER HOMES MANUAL: Blanche Halber t. In this Manual are assembled the best contemporary statements obtainable on the selection of the site, and the fitting of the house to its site, the determination of architectural style and consideration of essentials in planning as well as the choice of materials to be used and selection of equipment for lighting, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and refrigeration, and the finishing of floors and walls. “It is Dr. Gilbreth’s belief that the business of running a house demands a well-planned little ‘office’ just as surely as does any business run by a man.

GENEA UNFOLD THE ANCESTRY OF 1936 ARCHITECTS’ DATA: Ernst Neufer t The book includes organizational diagrams, recommended minimum measurements for spaces, exact measurements of standard-sized furnishings, and treatises on standard building typologies such as dwellings (high-rise and low-rise), factories, schools, and office buildings.

1938 DYMAXION BATHROOM: Buckminster Fuller The Dymaxion bathroom simplifies design to the extreme for mass production. Its inflexible design would conform society to a “norm” that may not be accessible for all, which is a theme in keeping with current bathroom design.

1949 GL ASS HOUSE: Philip Johnson The only form of privacy is a fixed toilet in a circular brick core within the exposed open plan arrangement, the house is intended to be comfortable enough to show yourself to the world. 1956 HOUSE OF THE FUTURE: Alison & Peter Smithson The house has no rooms, but sliding walls or cupboards. This way of dividing the rooms makes the house able to change their distribution according to the taste or the needs of their residents, creating organic forms that allow the rooms flow into each other. The house is adaptable for the comfort of the occupants. 1957 MONSANTO HOUSE: Hamilton & Goody The design showcases how modern technology can make home life easier and more comfortable. It was an installation that sparked public desire to fill homes with emerging technology, that has since become commonplace.

1985 DWELLINGS FOR THE TOKYO NOMAD: Toyo Ito The two projects are based on a scenario where most of the domestic functions are dissolved in the metropolis while the living unit becomes a reduced entity providing only minimal shelter and the access to the informational network.

1990’s A-Z EXPERIMENTS: Andrea Zittel Zittel reconsiders the significance of given social structures, revealing that what may seem fixed and rational is often arbitrary. “What I’m interested in,” Zittel said, “is that each person examines his own goals, talents and options, and then based on these begins to invent new models or roles to fulfil his or her needs. What makes us feel liberated is not total freedom, but rather living in a set of limitations that we have created and prescribed for ourselves.”

ALOGY

DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE 1968 ZIP-UP HOUSE: Richard Rogers Rogers stated “Buying clothes off the rack is the norm. We wanted to do the same for the house – an affordable, speedy kit of parts.” Another project that conforms society to a standard.

1976 THE BATHROOM: Alexander Kira. Kira said “Architects must begin to think of hygiene facilities as an important part of the home and as an important aspect of our daily lives rather than as a necessary evil to be accommodated according to the dictates of some obsolete handbook or drawing template in whatever space is left over with whatever part of the budget is minimally required to meet legal standards.” He carried out dimetric tests to create the ergonomic bathroom, designed for people, not plumbing.

2 0 1 1 E VA P O R AT E D R O O M S : Philippe Rahm Rahm’s work challenged preconceived notions of internal environments and how they could work in the future. Between the infinitely small of the physiological and the infinitely vast of the meteorological, architecture must build sensual exchanges between body and space and invent there new aesthetic philosophies approaches capable of making long-term changes to the form and the way we will inhabit buildings tomorrow.

2016 British Pavilion Home Economics Exhibition: Venice Biennale The exhibition is broken up into five sections, all proposing a different approach to housing. Each room addresses domestic life through different periods of time: hours, days, months, years and decades. “Home Economics is not about designing better versions of established housing models that are already broken. It is about designing new ideas for the home understood through the duration of occupancy” said the team.

GENEALOGY

192 3 H AU S A M H Munc h e

191 3 T HE NEW HOUS EKE E PING: C h r i stin e Frederick

1911 S C I E NT I F I C M AN AG EMENT I N T HE H OM E

1920’ S MOTION SAVI NG EX P ERI M E Lillian Gilbret h

1926 FRAN KFURT KITCHE N : Margaret e Schüt t e-Liho t zky

1976 THE BAT HROOM : Alexand er Kira

HORN: Ge o rg

ENTS :

1924 R IE T V E LD SCHRODE R HOUSE : Gerrit R ietvel d

19 Al

1949 CAS E STUDY 8: Charles & Ray E ames 1931 BE T TE R H OME S M ANUAL: Blanche H alber t

192 9 P RACT ICAL KITCHEN: Lillian G i l b re th

19 D

1985 DWE LLINGS FOR TH E TOKYO NOM A D : Toyo

1990’s A-Z E XP ERI M ENTS : A

956 H O U S E OF T H E F UT UR E: lis on & Pe te r S m i th s on 193 8 DY M A XION BAT HROOM: B u c k m i n s te r Fu l ler

93 6 AR C H IT E CTS ’ ATA: Er ns t N e u fe r t

1949 GL ASS HOUSE : Philip Jo hnso n

1957 Ham

o I to

2011 E VAPORATE D ROOMS: Philippe Rahm

7 M ONS A NTO H OU S E : mil ton & Goo d y

T O D AY

Andre a Zi t te l

2016 BRIT ISH PAVILION H OME ECONOMIC S EXHIBIT ION: Venice Biennale

1968 Z IP-UP H OUSE : Richard Ro gers

Comfort cannot be explained by a single definition. It has many parameters within the realms of emotional, physical and social ecosystems. Domestic architecture provides for essential human needs with several functions. The design of the places in which we live is dependent on many factors, such as personal desires and particular applications; which are occupant dependent. However, people’s preferences are also dynamic through time. Days, weeks, months, seasons. Preference and desire are also influenced by environment, age, ethics, economics, and in particular social and societal movements. To the home-dweller, comfort can be qualified as one approach to evaluate

DIMENSIONS OF COMFORT the performance of the home in its role of protector against the outdoors. In this sense, architects and designers ought to consider domestic comfort as a quality aspect contributing to the total home and the user’s satisfaction. The many branches informing comfort all hold significance, as the absence of one may be of detriment to the rest. The home should provide for scenarios which encompass all branches, for the occupant to find their own equilibrium among the factors. Designing with comfort as a driver is therefore not peculiar to just one realm, but must have an understanding of the complexities of modern life and the interrelationships of the aspects of the multi-layered home. 30

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SENSUAL

DESIRES

DREAMS

ECONOMIC

TACTILE

ACOUSTIC

C O M F O R T- O - M E T E R TECHNOLOGY

PRIVACY

SECURITY

HEAT

SHELTER

FOOD

WATER

BASIC NEEDS

Comfort in the home is increased by an accumulation of fulfilled needs, conveniences, and desires. Fleetingly met desires raise our perceived comfort momentarily, but a lack of fulfilment of basic needs would result in longer-term discomfort. Similarly, a brief moment of biological discomfort may be outweighed by a deeper desire - for example, suffering the glare from a window to enjoy the view out of it.

CONVENIENCES

VISUAL

TYPICAL HOUSE This section presents a three-bedroom, semidetached house; a typology that can be seen replicated throughout the UK, housing a wide diversity of families, each having to adapt their lives to conform to its standardisations in different ways. The division of rooms and spatial arrangement makes it inflexible and disconnected, and the kitchen and bathroom are clear deductions of the decades old designs created for outdated stereotypes. Restrictions on our patterns of behaviour go beyond room locations alone. The arrangement of components from power outlets and light switches to radiators and windows restrict the possibilities for scenarios outside of the original imagination of the architect or designer.

3 BEDROOM NEW-BUILD HOUSE

BEDROOMS

MASTER BEDROOM + ENSUITE

B AT H R O O M

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted between 2010 an ng alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females li do 6. Even when both individuals in the couples were in full-time employment women were t rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted betwee ion by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 whereas men do 6. 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Even when both individuals in the couples were in full-time employme e to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that doing household chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study con 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million per week, whereas men do 6. Even when both individuals in the couples were in full-time e re were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, th a week doing household chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal males living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million fe housework per week, whereas men do 6. 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Even when both individua ne, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living a than men to spend at least 20 hours a week doing household chores.Fact about housewo e to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that women do on average 16 hours of housework per week, whereas men do 6. Even when b 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million times as likely than men to spend at least 20 hours a week doing household chores.Fact re were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, th 2011 found that women do on average 16 hours of housework per week, whereas men do males living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million fe found to be 5 times as likely than men to spend at least 20 hours a week doing household gure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a 2010 and 2011 found that women do on average 16 hours of housework per week, wher million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4. women were found to be 5 times as likely than men to spend at least 20 hours a week 6, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1 conducted between 2010 and 2011 found that women do on average 16 hours of house ion females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 m full-time employment women were found to be 5 times as likely than men to spend at le ne, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living a Longitudinal Study conducted between 2010 and 2011 found that women do on average e to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that couples were in full-time employment women were found to be 5 times as likely than me 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted between 2010 and 2011 found that wome re were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, th individuals in the couples were in full-time employment women were found to be 5 times males living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million fe housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted between 2010 and 2011 fou gure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a when both individuals in the couples were in full-time employment women were found million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4 chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted betwee 996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In whereas men do 6. Even when both individuals in the couples were in full-time employme million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3 doing household chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study con ng alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females li per week, whereas men do 6. Even when both individuals in the couples were in full-time e t rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure a week doing household chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal ion byI N2012.In T E R N A L1996, S E R Vthere I C I N Gwere 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 housework per week, whereas men do 6. Even when both individuals in the couples were 6, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1 least 20 hours a week doing household chores.Fact about housework: The UK Household ion females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 m 16 hours of housework per week, whereas men do 6. Even when both individuals in the co ne, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living a

nd 2011 found that women do on average 16 hours of housework per week, whereas men iving alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million female e found to be 5 times as likely than men to spend at least 20 hours a week doing household e that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a en 2010 and 2011 found that women do on average 16 hours of housework per week, million by 2012.In 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to yment women Fact about housework: The UK Household Longitudinal Study conducted 1996, there were 3.9 million females living alone, a figure that rose to 4.1 million by 2012.In week, whereas men do 6. 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SCENARIOS OF THE HOME - THE CYCLE OF DISRUPTION

SCALE - 1:50

POSITION 1 Op ti m al v i ew of th e ga rden , nat urally lit , wit h t able to rest lapto p o n to f re e - u p h a n ds. T h e dev ice’s charge is r unning lo w, must move to a llow ch a rgin g cable to reach a po wer so cket . 40

SCALE - 1:50

POSITION 2 M ai n tai ns some v iew of th e gard en and has access to a po wer o ut let f o r c h argin g th e dev i ce. T h e glare fro m t he wind o w behind is causing ref lecti on s on th e device’s screen, t ime to move again. 41

SCALE - 1:50

POSITION 3

Aw ay f rom th e brigh t ba ckd ro p causing glare, and st ill clo se to a p o w e r s ocket. Noise f rom o t her o ccupant s ho wever is causing i n te r fe ren ce wi th th e con ver sat io n, aft er a sho r t t ime it beco mes to o di f f icult to co nt inue.

SCALE - 1:50

POSITION 4 Aw ay f rom th e n oi se i n th e k it chen-d iner. Alt ho ugh co mfo r t able fo r a w h i l e , th e u ser wi ll soon be d isrupt ed again by t he o t her o ccupant s o r th e l a ck of pla ce to rest t heir d evice, o r glare fro m t he nat ural l igh t on ce more. T h e cycle o f d isr upt io n begins again.

2 P R OTA G O N I S T

MOTION SAVING EXPERIMENTS

A N A LY T I C S O F H O M E

ERGONOMICS

U N C O M F O RTA B L E K I T C H E N

THE KITCHEN AS A TYPOLOGY

LILLIAN GILBRETH 1 9 2 0 ’s It wasn’t until the early part of the 20th century that first literature, and then a science, developed about the best way to cook and clean. The results of this research shape the way we treat housework today, and created a template for the kitchen that remains conceptually unchanged since the 1920s. Lillian and her partner Frank B. Gilbreth, inventors of what is known as motion study, pioneered the use of short films to watch how industrial processes and office tasks were done, breaking them down into component parts (which they called “therbligs,” Gilbreth backward) to determine how to make a job faster and less taxing. They tested many of their ideas on their children, establishing “the one best way” to take a bath, training pre-teens to touch type, and charting age-appropriate chores for each child. Lillian planned, on paper, an efficiency-type kitchenette of the kind used today in a good many apartments. Under her arrangement, a person could mix a cake, put it in the oven, and do the dishes, without taking more than a couple of dozen steps. As she told a group of businesswomen in 1930, “We considered our time too valuable to be devoted to actual labour in the home. We were executives.” The Gilbreths found that their motion study methods, though sound in theory, at best produced only partial and temporary efficiencies in practice, and more often than not exacerbated tensions, not only between the workers and managers they were supposed to reconcile, but also among scientific managers themselves. Ultimately, the Gilbreth’s simply were less successful as manufacturers than as marketers of their motion study strategies. That their strategies and techniques survived and prospered is testimony less to their intrinsic worth as they practiced them than to the image of their worth which the Gilbreths carefully cultivated. Following the motion saving experiments, the Gilbreth’s developed a prototype of the “practical kitchen”. The kitchen was intended to showcase the new gas-fuelled appliances as well as Gilbreth’s research on motion savings. It was to replace the loose-fitting kitchen of many traditional homes (including the Gilbreths’): a large room with discrete

pieces of furniture around the edges. These might include a table, a free-standing cupboard, an icebox, a sink with a drying board and a stove. Ingredients, utensils, and cookware might be across the room, or even in a separate pantry. Working outward from her analysis of the motions, equipment and ingredients required to bake a cake, Gilbreth put stove and counter side-by-side, with food storage above, pan storage below, and the refrigerator a step away. A rolling cart provided additional surface area and could be wheeled to the sink with a load of dirty dishes, where soap, sponge and drying rack were all within reach. The idea was to create a tight circuit for the cook, with little need to move the feet. The L-shaped arrangement she devised continues to be one of the most popular options for contemporary kitchens. To quantify the efficiency of the Kitchen Practical, and a later, similar kitchen designed for the New York Herald Tribune Magazine, Gilbreth used a metric from the motion study of the production line: steps. As described in the 1931 Better Homes Manual. The test of the efficiency of

the new kitchen was made with strawberry shortcake. The cake was first made in a typically haphazard kitchen, then an exactly similar shortcake was prepared in the Herald Tribune Kitchen, which has the same equipment and utensils as the other kitchen, but has them arranged for efficiency. The results of this test were so startling as to be almost unbelievable. The number of kitchen operations had been cut from 97 to 64. The number of actual steps taken had been reduced from 281 to 45—less than one-sixth.

MOTION SAVING EXPERIMENTS CASE STUDY

In our current era of FitBits and Strava, saving steps may not sound like an unmixed blessing, but the manual had a clear position on where those steps should be taken. The Herald Tribune Institute is not opposed to walking and exercise for the woman of the family but they maintain that she should take that exercise in the open air, rather than in a treadmill round of refrigerator to sink, to stove and back again.

O U R C H O S E N P R OTA G O N I S T Prototypes such as the Frankfurt kitchen were designed based on the results of experiments using a young female as a test subject. The protagonist in the following experiments matches the physical attributes of the original test subjects used by Gilbreth, Schütte and the like. Radical societal change over the past 100 years however has resulted in a breaking down of the original stereotypical 23 year old Western female. Childless, unmarried, studying for a masters degree at university, and living alone, life for the protagonist is radically different from that of a 1920s, Western, young female. The protagonists’ current home is designed to meet minimum standards and is the result of decades old studies. The Protagonist should conform to these standards, as they were created based on the stereotype of young, able-bodied, female – but does she?

T H E P R OTA G O N I S T ’ S P R O F I L E DATE OF STUDY: FEBRUARY 2021 - AGE: 23 - SEX: FEMALE - OCCUPATION: UNIVERSITY STUDENT (MASTERS) - CITY OF RESIDENCE: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK - MARITAL STATUS: SINGLE - ETHNICITY: WHITE - NATIONALITY: BRITISH - RELIGION: NONE

E L E VAT E D H O M E S Location: Japan Traditionally Japanese dwellings were raised above ground level to avoid the devastation of flooding, which meant people were more inclined to remove their shoes before entering the home. In this respect, the Japanese culture has continued this tradition making the home a clean environment where surfaces such as the dining table are closer to the ground. However in the UK, the thought of a chair-less table would be discouraged or ignored as the majority of dwellings are designed to connect to the street; in-turn brining along the dirt into the home.

C U LT U R E

C L I M AT E

COMFORT

B AT H R O O M S A U N A Common Locations: Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland In the UK the luxury of a sauna within the home is an uncommon desire for many as a trip to the spa usually covers the craving for a quick relaxation. However, throughout the Nordic countries a bathroom sauna is often a common addition, becoming a space where occupants of the home can relax and enjoy the humid atmosphere. 51

QR CODE HERE - FILM A N A LY T I C S OF HOME

IN VIVO EXPERIMENT

A N A LY T I C S O F H O M E

This critical analysis in the form of a home survey determines the aspects of home the protagonist is most dependent on. Activities are mapped out in plan and section from waking up in the morning to going to sleep at night. The plan, in its most raw and descriptive form, shows fixed components in ‘bold’, movable in ‘regular’ and non essential additions in ‘italics’. As activities occurred throughout the day, they are overlaid in red, highlighting where movement takes place, what areas are occupied most, what furniture is used and the spatial elements they relate to.

JULIET BALCONY WINDOW P I N K S P L A S HC A C T U S

A L O EB O O K CHID CANDLE C A C T U S K A L A N C H O E COI R CANDLE CACTUS ALOE NTH A L O E O R C H I D C A N D L EC A N D L EH CYA A C T U S C A N D L E S C A N D L EC A C T U S

BLIND

H E AT E R

HERBS

MONITOR

RUG

DESK CHAIR CHAIR CHAIR

C O F F E E TA B L E

CUSHION S O FA BLANKET MUSIC BIN

CUPBOARD SINK CUPBOARD

D R AW E R OVEN HOB EXTRACT

FRIDGE / TROLLEY F R E E Z E R KME ITCTRLOEW A V E TOASTER

MIRROR SHELF DRAWERS BASIN

TOILET R A D I AT O R

SHOWER B AT H M AT

DOOR WA R D R O B E

STORAGE OPENING

DRAWER BED

L AU N D RY BASKET

MIRROR

BLANKET CUSHION

LAMP

N I G H T- S T A N D MONITOR

OPENING

D O O R M AT FRONT DOOR

CORRIDOR

T I M E L I N E O F D A I LY A C T I V I T I E S

WORKING

COOKING

EXERCISING

8am

DRESSING HOUSE WORK

The range of activities carried out in the home has broadened significantly with the evolution of modern life. If anything has showed us how much we depend upon our homes, it is the stay at home restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Home has become office, gym, restaurant, school, park, university...

These are places that the home was not designed to be, therefore we are forced to adapt to our environment as opposed to it providing for us. How comfortable can we be when being forced to retreat to our dwellings?

R E C R E AT I O N A L

11pm

E AT I N G

SLEEPING

A SECTION THROUGH THE DAY

EXTR CEILING LIGHT

CEILING LIGHT

BRIGHT

AIR P

STEAM SHOWER

WA R D R O B E COOL

OPENING

DARK

WA R M

LAMP

N I G H T- S T A N D

D O O R M AT

DARK

DOOR

FRONT DOOR L O C K E D M O N I T O RD I M L I G H T

SHE COOL

SOFT

L A M I N AT E

TOILE

L A M I N AT E

SOFT B AT H M AT HARD TIL

To investigate another dimension, the section analyses what levels, furniture and spatial conditions are occupied throughout the day. The red lines represent the length of time spent occupying various datums. The words in white represent physical properties found in the house, and the words in red define relative ambient conditions.

BASIN

DRAWERS

SOFT CUSHION B L A N K E T WA R M BED

L AU N D RY BASKET

DARK MIRR

This diagram enables the observation of how we change our environment dependent on the activity taking place.

RACT

EXTRACT

CEILING LIGHT

A I R P U R I F I C AT I O N

P U R I F I C AT I O N

BRIGHT DARK

CUPBOARD

N AT U R A L L I G H T BLIND DARK HALF CLOSED COOL

ROR

ELF

S T

GLARE

MONITOR

REFLECTIVE

WA R M

SINK HOT HOB OVEN HOT FRIDGE / FREEZER KETTLE TOASTER M I C R O WAV E TROLLEY

L A M I N AT E

DARK

JULIET BALCONY

DESK

DARK

WA R M

WINDOW OPEN

CHAIR

COOL COOL

DARK WA R M

MUSIC

CLOSED

S O F TB L A N K E T CUSHION S O FA

C O F F E E TA B L E

SOFT

RUG

WA R M

H E AT E R

CLOSED CLOSED DIM LIGHT PLANTS

WINDOW SILL

ERNST NEUFERT

A R C H I T E C T S ’ D ATA

1936

The Exceptional Pursuit of the Norm.

CASE STUDY

If the importance of an architect equals the extent to which his work lives on in others, Neufert is the most important of the twentieth century. There probably is not an architect who has not used Neufert, whether as a didactic tool or as a volume of references. Neufert’s involvement in the standardisation of architectural dimensions and building practices, for which he is best known, started in 1926.

The book includes organisational diagrams, recommended minimum measurements for spaces, exact measurements of standard-sized furnishings, and treatises on standard building typologies such as dwellings (high-rise and low-rise), factories, schools, and office buildings.

The DIN 476 standard is better known through the “A” series of paper formats. Released in 1922 and set out by German engineer Walter Porstmann, the system is based on the metric system (an A0 sheet has a surface area of 1 square meter), with fixed proportions (1:√2). These standard paper sizes allowed for increased efficiency in publishing and were first championed by the German War Ministry during World War I. Neufert explicitly acknowledged the influence of the DIN 476 standards on his work, in his book’s opening pages: “Standard [paper] formats constitute the basis for the dimensions of furniture used for writing and record keeping. These are also constitutive of the dimensions of spaces. Exact knowledge of standard [paper]

formats is important for the builder.” Neufert’s obsessive belief in standard systems even affected his book; unusually, it is the size of an A4 sheet of paper, making production inexpensive and the book easy to store and carry. Furthermore, the book engages with the notion of Existensminimum, variously describing methods of achieving efficient spatial planning and the use of movable, collapsing furniture, such as the Pullman bed. Like the A-series format for paper, Neufert’s ideal brick was based on the metric system: one meter should contain eight bricks, so Neufert named his principle “the Octametric system.” Neufert’s brick sizes were all multiples of 12.5 centimetres, one-eighth of a meter. In 1950 his Octametric system became an official DIN standard called “Dimensional Coordination in Building Construction,” DIN 4172, which led to the prescription of standard-sized windows, doors, kitchens, bathrooms, and even ceiling heights. For Neufert, the modular system was as much about construction as about redefining spatial realities, whether they were idealised or derived from reality. British prime minister Harold Macmillan even described modular coordination as “a way of drawing Britain and the rest of Europe closer together.” Comfort may be confused with convenience. Standardisation of domestic architecture is certainly convenient, but comfortable? Perhaps if we as humans all had the same ergonomic dimensions then a “standardised” world could be extremely comfortable, however Neuferts outdated super standardisation is an attempt to conform society to a “Norm” that simply does not exist.

P R OTA G O N I S T ERGONOMICS

15 cm

44º

36 º

20cm

81 cm

12 cm

45 cm

53 cm

102 cm

57 cm

24 cm

101 cm

130 cm

139 cm

171 cm

186 cm

171 cm

24 cm 78º

537 cm

20 cm

18 cm

60 º

40 cm 64cm 31 cm

31 cm

171 cm

145 º 24 cm

27 cm

10 º

171 cm

158 cm

23 cm

15 cm

47 º

9 cm

98 cm

26 cm

84 cm

11 cm

24 cm

N E U F E RT S TA N D A R D S / R E A L I T Y

405 mm

450 mm 7 mm

395 mm

420 mm

590 mm

405mm

500 mm

800 mm

260 mm

170 mm

Lowest 20 mm Highest 145 mm

165 mm

300 mm

55 mm 600 mm 700 mm - EXISTING DIMENSIONS

- N E U F E RT S TA N D A R D S

980 mm 360 mm

600 - 700 mm 560 mm

110 mm

950 mm 800 mm 1500 mm 1350 mm 570 700 mm

570 mm

570 mm 690 mm

400 - 450 mm

570 mm

410 mm

800 mm 200 mm

490 mm 980 mm

105 mm

Both the chair and sofa have dimensions smaller than those in Neuferts’ book. The protagonist has no choice but to use the furniture with discomfort.

SEARCHING FOR COMFORT

In 1944 Bruno Munari created a photo essay to consider the choice between aesthetics and functionality of furniture. Highlighted by the daily analysis as the most used elements of the home, the protagonist exhausted all the possibilities provided by the chair and sofa in a search for comfort. The length of time spent sitting in each position affected its level of comfort, and in all scenarios, the longer the time, the more uncomfortable it became. The compactness of the sofa leads to discomfort within a matter of minutes, no matter the position of the protagonist. The simple solution to this is to increase the size of the sofa, why then does the apartment come with this piece of furniture, so unfit for purpose?

I N U N C O M F O RTA B L E C H A I R S

1350

800

1:50

P R OTA G O N I S T ’ S F L AT K I T C H E N L AY O U T 1

The sofa is in its usual position with the external juliet balcony door closed. Its compact size is limited by the fixed sizes and positions of the kitchen cabinets as demonstrated by figures 1a - 1d.

1270

1420 96

800

1350

1500

800

KITCHEN 1b

1:100

Size: Normal Position: Normal

Size: Larger Position: Normal

675

561

KITCHEN 1a

549

547

1350

1500

800

KITCHEN 1c

KITCHEN 1d

1:100

Size: Normal Position: Balcony Door Open

Size: Larger Position: Balcony Door Open 67

This kitchen is so basic, I at LEAST need to add a microwave...

This is the only place it will fit, my work space is getting a bit cramped, and I still need a kettle...

H CRAS

Well that’s not ideal is it, but there’s nowhere else for it to go, there’s no more sockets!

This is tidier, at least I can open the door now...

awkwarddd

BANG

Shame I cant use the bloody kettle though, this kitchen just doesn’t work!!!

This is getting ridiculous, where am I supposed to prep food now???

It fits perfectly, why couldn’t the worktop have just been longer..?

ENTER TROLLEY Of course... Then it wouldn’t be

“Standard”.

This trolley has made my kitchen comfy, but how will it affect the rest of my flat?

This is going to make the kitchen soooo much more comfortable to use!!

The protagonists’ kitchen doesn’t accommodate even the most basic modern appliances. The addition of a trolley is an immediate response to make the space more usable, however the inflexibility of the kitchen’s design causes friction to arise in the rest of the flat.

1420 861

1350

800

1:50

P R OTA G O N I S T ’ S F L AT K I T C H E N L AY O U T 2

The trolley is added to the kitchen to improve its usability. Yet, this further restricts the potential sizes of the sofa as demonstrated by figures 2a - 2d; opening the balcony door fully makes the space very difficult to circulate into and around.

1270

711

1420 861

800

1350

1500

800

KITCHEN 2b

1:100

Size: Normal Position: Normal

Size: Larger Position: Normal

120

675

561

KITCHEN 2a

800

1350

1500

800

KITCHEN 2c

KITCHEN 2d

1:100

Size: Normal Position: Balcony Door Open

Size: Larger Position: Balcony Door Open 71

ST I N O OTAG R P THE THE OOM R H T AND E BA L B A ORT F M O UNC

THIS BATHROOM IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE, I CANT EVEN SHAVE MY LEGS PROPERLY! HUMM, I WONDER IF THIS WILL WORK?!

BANG! WELL THAT DIDN’T GO TO PLAN...

OK, NOW TIME FOR SOME MAKEUP!

UGH, THE POSITION OF THIS MIRROR IS JUST NOT WORKING FOR ME!

IF I USE THE SINK AS A CHAIR THIS MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM!

THAT’S MUCH BETTER!!

I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF! WHY DOES THIS BATHROOM HAVE NO STORAGE SPACE!?

All this storage fits perfectly, why couldn’t the bathroom design have more storage units...?

This is not ideal! I can’t even see the mirror when i sit down!

Of course... Then it wouldn’t be

“Standard”.

NOPE.. STILL CANT SEE MYSELF!

PERFECT..! 73

T H E O B S TA C L E S O F T H E H O M E

T H E B AT H R O O M

The kitchen and bathroom form the centre of the home, forcing all other furniture and activities to the extremities. This influences the furniture dimension and layout, and directly impacts upon occupant comfort. The bed is a ¾ size, the dining table doubles up as a desk and the protagonist suffers due to the “practical” positioning of the kitchen and bathroom. 74

THE KITCHEN

The kitchen has long since been described as the core of the home. This has multiple connotations. Its social ecosystem involves as a space to gather friends and family, to share food and tell stories. Its emotional environment can be a place to relax while cooking, or inhale inviting food smells. It is a

THE KITCHEN place in which we learn life skills from family and television shows. Being the core of the home, it also has a physical impact. Your kitchen could easily be removed from your home, and transferred next door, or down the street, to the next town or city even. Why is it that the core of our home is so easy to remove?

KITCHEN TYPOLOGIES

U-SHAPE

LINEAR

L-SHAPE

G-SHAPE

GALLEY

ISLAND

F R I E N D S 1994 - 2004

THE MEDIA KITCHEN

The influence influence of of pop-culture pop-culture and and sitcoms sitcoms led led to to kitchens kitchens The becoming more more than than just just aa place place to to cook. cook. They They have have become become becoming socialised with the addition of communal islands, allowing socialised with the addition of communal islands, allowing the the chef to interact with diners cooking. the Crosby chef to interact with diners whilstwhilst cooking. In the In Crosby show, show, The traditional female kitchen space became the The traditional female kitchen space became the completely completely liberated space that was theHuxtables, kitchen ofand the liberated public spacepublic that was the kitchen of the Huxtables, and there was noit,maid usurpthe it, either. Whilegave the there was no maid to usurp either.toWhile TV kitchen TV kitchen gave the actors something to do during scenes of the actors something to do during scenes of often unrelated often unrelated dialogue, havescenarios brought into theseour scenarios dialogue, we have broughtwe these homes. into our homes. Cooking has become less of a solitary task Cooking has become less of a solitary task and is an activity and is an activity occurs inofthe the main that occurs in thethat background thebackground main eventofhappening event the happening within theso“kitchen”. is not so much that the within “kitchen”. It is not much theItcooking facilities cooking facilities that is the centre of focus in sitcoms, but the is the centre of focus in sitcoms, but the kitchen table. Here kitchen table. Here we see actors food while seated we see actors preparing food whilepreparing seated among friends and among friends and family around the table, instead of using family around the table, instead of using the worktop surface the worktop for such an cooking activity. and Thiskitchen makes provided for surface such an provided activity. This makes cooking and kitchen activities a more the activities a more social event than the social originalevent fittedthan design original fitted design imagined. imagined.

J E A N N E D I E L M A N Chantal Akerman 1976

T H E B R A D Y B U N C H 1969 - 1974

C O S B Y S H O W 1984 - 1992

THE KITCHEN

MODEL SCALE: 1:20

THE KITCHEN

E V E R Y D AY D AT U M S

S U R FA C E S A N D V O L U M E S

MODEL SCALE: 1:20

3 DISRUPT

THE

NORM

ION UPT

H G FI

ING COMFORT

We can make our kitchens more ‘personal’ with colours and textures, but they essentially come down to a copy and paste of the same standardised forms throughout the West. The physical restrictions placed upon our homes by kitchens are scenarios we have come to live with, and adapt around. To re-imagine domestic architecture, one must first explode the most restrictive part of the home, the core, the kitchen.

DESIGNING THROUGH DISRUPTION Left Top-Bottom 01 - Store in reach 02 - Oven in reach 03 - Compressed Kitchen Right Top-Bottom 04 - Expanded Kitchen 05 - Moveable Worktop Datum

A LT E R

EXTR

Left Top-Bottom 06 - New Possibilities 07 - Original Plan Swapped Right Top-Bottom 08 - Poor Circulation 09 - Obstructing Wall Removed

RACT

Left Top-Bottom 10 - The Real Work Triangle 11 - Dead Space 12- Stand-alone 13- The Bed Kitchen Right Top-Bottom 14 - Slide Away Worktop 15 - Public/private Divide 16 - Furniture Freedom

Left Top-Bottom 17 - Extract Kitchen 18 - Extract Bathroom Right Top-Bottom 19 - Linearised Environment 20 - Linearised 21- Furniture Lost In Space

TRANSFORM

SUPER Left Top-Bottom 22 - Screens Added 23 - Moveable Screens Right Top-Bottom 24 - Privacy Screens - East Asian Culture 25 - Social Zone Separate From Private Areas 26 - Changed Door Position

IMPOSE

THE NET OF POSSIBILITIES Left Top-Bottom 27 - Artificial Views 28 - Cross Axis Not Long Axis Right Top-Bottom 29 - Heart of The Home 30 - Zones Without Walls 31 - Net of Possibilities

A LT E R

To alter the existing is to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way. The familiar kitchen is broken apart and components are rotated, stacked and moved into different positions, giving space back to the apartment for undefined events to occur.

EXTRACT The kitchen is extracted from the apartment, creating a kitchen-less space where events of the kitchen can happen that aren’t related to cooking. Socialising, working, resting etc. are all liberated from the constraints of the rigid kitchen units.

TRANSFORM Transforming the apartment into a space where everything becomes the kitchen eradicates the familiar 600 x 600mm. They are replaced by surfaces with heat and water sources within close proximity to other furniture that hosts different daily activities. This allows the previously limited furniture to expand and increase occupant comfort levels.

SUPERIMPOSE By exploding the familiar kitchen and looking at kitchen activities in relation to other activities within the home, components superimposed to create synergies among their properties to inform a new way of designing domestic architecture that accommodates the activities, scenarios and events of modern life.

N E W T Y P O LO G I E S T H E R E S U LT O F D I S R U P T I O N Designing through disrupting the core, fixed parts of the home - the kitchens and bathrooms - resulted in the identification of three new typologies for organising the space. The first being ‘linear’, where space is organised by the activities that form the occupant’s daily routine. Each activity generates its own station, and is repeated as many times as it is throughout the day. The second is where ‘everything is a kitchen’ and the activities that surround cooking and eating are distributed throughout the space. The third typology is ‘kitchen-less’ - where urban life can reduce the kitchen to a food reheating facility or a surface from which to eat takeaways off. The kitchen can be a shared facility outside of the walls of the private home, used whenever is required, in order to free-up space for other daily activities.

100

LINEAR

SUPER

ANSFORM

Left Top-Bottom 22 - Screens Added E V E R Y T H I N23 G - Moveable Screens

I S A K I T C H ERight N Top-Bottom

ANSFORM

24 - Privacy Screens - East Asi Culture 25 - Social Zone Separate Fro Private Areas 26 - Changed Door Position

Left Top-Bottom 06 - New Possibili 07 - Original Plan S

Right Top-Bottom 08 - Poor Circulati 09 - Obstructing W

KITCHEN-LESS 101

DESIGN PHASE 1

DEFINE RULES + ASSUMPTIONS

EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES FOR UNIT + BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

M AT R I X A S S E S S M E N T O F T Y P O LO G I E S

M A T R I X R E S U LT S

L I M I TAT I O N S A N D C R I T I Q U E

4 X8

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

STORAGE 1.75m3 per occupant

KITCHEN

ENVELOPE Notional 300mm external wall thickness and 350mm intermediate ﬂoor depth.

SIZE The set gross internal ﬂoor area, equivalent to 4.0m x 8.0m (for 2 person apartment), provides a basic constraint for realistic testing.

S TA G E 1 M E T H O D O LO G Y

FURNITURE The apartment tests must each provide a space to sit, work, and sleep.

UNIT T E SDesigning TING

through disruption resulted in three new kitchen typologies: linear, everything is a and kitchenless. These R U L Ekitchen, S The ruleskitchen enable the tests typologies can organise to have consistencies - at a level ofspace detail appropriate in different ways, and the to the scale of the test. This basic level of consistency arrangements are explored possible allows the tests to be comparable, which enables within this chapter. the assessment of the options against a metric of comfort.

N AT U R A L L I G HT The apartment tests must each provide a minimum of 4.0m2 of windows.

STORAGE

THERMAL COMFORT Assume an internal temperature maintained within a comfortable range - to be designed when the level of detail is increased.

1.75m3 per occupant

ARTIFICIAL Assume ambient and task lighting is installed appropriate to each tests - to be designed when the level of detail is increased.

Notional 300mm external RULES & ASSUMPTIONS wall thickness and 350mm intermediate ﬂoor depth. This initial testing is simplified in its level of detail - focusing on the spatial arrangements, using the new typologies, and not technology finishes. The rules and SorI material ZE assumptions enable the prototypes to have and therefore can The set consistency gross internal ﬂoor be compared to each other. area, equivalent to 4.0m x 8.0m (for 2 person apartment), provides a basic constraint for realistic testing.

104

FURNITURE

4 X8

ASSUMPTIONS

Due to the lack of detailed resolution (technologies and materials) at this stage we must make several assumptions about the basic level of comfort within the spaces.

LIGHT

ENVELOPE

TYPOLOGIES

UNIT TESTING T H E 4 X 8 F L AT T E S T I N G 4m x 8m is the same size as the protagonist’s current home. Keeping the size consistent, as one of the rules, during this stage of testing makes the scale of the outcomes R U L Ecomparable. S (prototypes) This design phase explores the possibilities within enable the tests theThe limitsrules of familiar sizes and forms. Rearranging and manipulating to have consistencies - atthe familiar rather than creating anything a level of detail appropriate unrecognisably new.

to the scale of the test. This basic level of consistency allows the tests to be comparable, which enables

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N/A

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We developed a matrix questionnaire to assess the comfort of the prototypes and find the best performing arrangements in the least subjective way possible.

rs to ta ec

r(s to ac

An apartment is never a standalone entity. The unit generates a building as a consequence. It was logical therefore to show the unit and the building in parallel, despite the unit being the focus of the 4 x 8 testing.

M AT R I X Q U E S T I O N N A I R E

e th

PRIVACY

SIZE

GRADING PIN-UP

SMELL

SC RE O

T OTA L

BUILDING + UNIT

SOUND

N/A

? ? e e ? ? e is ? ht th ? ed e? ht rs is c ig ig at s? no nit or rs ou no ll pa ul it u d n t f to m s o ia e al ns u e i n ile ta r ic d fro th bl er to ec te tif or h e d n sa xt e sp ct ot ar te hi an t e a i a at tu e by he ul w iv m nw m n u lt th d ie pr fro ro ns or f i e t c i a te Is ate tro d s ac ff lis e r e r e id ara su at to e tra n ul ov p ta th eu ve ge s pr se ec by e in ha rn s it or r sp ted to oi or to un act c t e n a e ac th ra ac m e th e e ne e th fro th th Ar ge es n Is es Do Ca Do

T OTA L

? ? e e e? ht ht is is ? ? is ig ig no ts no nit i ll no m n m u ia u al e ic fro er fro th rn tif te ed th ed in ar h t o t ex la y la it he m su d b su s w lt r n n fro ro r i te r i to ed to era to ta at ac n ac ec ul e ge e sp ns th th y ri Is Is b d to te ac ra e th ne Is ge

VISUAL

The protagonist used the matrix to give a total score for each prototype, which resulted in a top performer for each new typology. These winning prototypes clearly have successful attributes that can be carried forward into more detailed design stages.

105

STORAGE 1.75m3 per occupant

ENVELOPE Notional 300mm external wall thickness and 350mm intermediate ﬂoor depth.

4 X8 UNIT TESTING

SIZE

RULES

The set gross internal ﬂoor area, equivalent to 4.0m x 8.0m (for 2 person apartment), provides a basic constraint for realistic testing.

The rules enable the tests to have consistencies - at a level of detail appropriate to the scale of the test. This basic level of consistency allows the tests to be comparable, which enables the assessment of the options against a metric of comfort.

FURNITURE The apartment tests must each provide a space to sit, work, and sleep.

N AT U R A L L I G HT The apartment tests must each provide a minimum of 4.0m2 of windows.

THERMAL COMFORT Assume an internal temperature maintained within a comfortable range - to be designed when the level of detail is increased.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

106

Assume ambient and task lighting is installed appropriate to each tests - to be designed when the level of detail is increased.

ASSUMPTIONS Due to the lack of detailed resolution (technologies and materials) at this stage we must make several assumptions about the basic level of comfort within the spaces.

4 X8 BUILDING TESTING

C I R C U L AT I O N Each unit, or ﬂoor, has access to a circulation core large enough for a lift and stairs.

FIRE SAFETY Maximum distance from unit’s access to escape route, according to Approved Doc B, Table 3.1, is 7.5m if 1 escape, or 30m if there are multiple.

RULES

O U T D O O R S PA C E All ﬂats should have access to either a private or shared outdoor space.

KITCHENLESS F L ATS Units without a kitchen must have access to a facility to reheat delivered food.

ACCESS

ASSUMPTIONS

Assume access to the building is secure.

WASTE Assume that refuse, which is no able to be used directly as a fuel source, is stored appropriately and collected regularly.

107

LINEAR

8 8 8

The metric ergonomics of the protagonist are used here to determine widths, heights, and volumes of datums and surfaces, peculiar to the activity being carried out. The standardised daily routine of 8 hours sleep, 8 hours work, 8 hours recreation is broken down into a more realistic linear routine of the day. The plan and section shows replicated spaces to correspond with repeating activities, forming the basis of a series of prototypes within the ‘linear’ typology.

SLEEP

WORK

C O O K E AT H O U S E W O R K R E L A X U R I N AT E S H O W E R E X E R C I S E

FI XE D D ATUM

WEE

EAT

OK CO

EAT W OR K

EXERCISE

SHO WER

SLEEP

EAT W OR K

MOVA BL E DA TUM

HOUSEWORK RELAX

EAT

CO OK

SHO WER

EAT W OR K

EXERCISE

WEE

SLEEP

EAT W OR K

SECTION 1 :100 HOUSEWORK

RELAX

FL OOR P LAN 1 :100

108

109

KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITC

110

KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITC

HEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN

E V E R Y T H I N G IS A KITCHEN The apartment is transformed whereby everything becomes a version of a kitchen. No matter what the activity of the occupant they will always have direct access to aspects of the kitchen. The kitchen is not just the ‘hub’ of the home, it is the home, encompassing the daily activities. By distributing the kitchen throughout the apartment, other furniture is free to expand and transform dependent on the occupants desires.

111

HEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN KITCHEN

KITCHEN-LESS

112

The kitchen is extracted from the apartment entirely, reducing it down to eating implements and potentially a heat source to reheat food. All meals would be ordered and delivered, and the packaging and waste reused and recycled where possible. All homes come with a kitchen because societal ecosystems dictate thus, however not all people cook or desire any of the cooking vs a kitchen holds. By removing the kitchen, space is given back to the apartment for other activities and events to occur with more freedom.

113

PIN-UP GRADING 114

Each prototype was graded by the protagonist using the matrix. This assessment process could be easily replicated in practice to better tailor the design to the needs and desires of the end users. To see all the filled in matrices, scan the QR code on the opposite page.

115

C O M F O RT M AT R I X

n Ca

VISUAL

SOUND

T OTA L

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T OTA L

PRIVACY

SIZE

SMELL

SC RE O

? ? ? e e e? ht ht ht is is is o o ig it? s? lig lig n n t n ll i l no al m n m u ra ia r u al e o o c i r r h tu r tu f f t rn tif na d he d n na r te t e a t e te ithi ex at o e a er ou ul by ul w m th th k l c ns d ns rs fro e i i Is o t lo tro t r r ed to era to ta rb on c c c c at n to e a a ul or e ge e sp ac ns ct th th e a ri s s by th I I e to n ed th ac at Ca r e th Is

Photocopy to fill in manually or use the QR code to access digitally.

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? ? ? ? ? ? g )? s t ed ed s ht ht ht rs se ( i s tin )? r u ig ig ig at t? at s? i o e t r r o o i n n t u ll ll ll ea (s ne u ne un ia od e or ra ra al ac rg d o at ct tu tu ge he ge r e rn fic f e t e i h e iv a t t na na e rt n se in se th xt r i i c pr e a t o a e h e a r th e fo w no it no y pa er ou h b n m e s e th u c m sw m lt id f o g ro ck a o f e n Is r lo ov ce fro or fro is d sp ni nt i d tat d pr pa al rb te o g d r e e a c it s to in ut at ec at ul ve l l n p or un s ac ne di ha su s su e ct in e r y t n e n a r i o th v th t o ri b ri e a t un es ac to to th e ac th i ac ac Do th es

EXERCISE

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N/A

SLEEP

? ? e e ? ? ? ? s is ? ht th ? ed e ht ht se ur ig at s? oi no it lig ac lig l n or rs t o i n l ll l p u u d n l t f to m s s o ia ra ra e a u o n c e i r h n ile ta r i d l tu tu f t r e b a e to ec tif or he d n na nt sa e sp xt tn ct t ar te hi o a e t e a i a at y w tu ou er e he ul w iv m b n m n r s u th lt th d ie pr fro ck fro in o e e t c s i Is ro t a te lo I s c f i a s f l a e r nt ed r rb t id ara su to he tra ne co la to a t u e ov p ge or su ac ct y av ne pr se n b e e i ct e s it or a r i rh or sp d th t e o o e t un act n no ct ac ct th he ra e a t a m Ca n th e e ne e he r t e fro th Ca th A g es n Is es Do Ca Do

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od fo

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? ? ? e t? ce ht ht ? rs by is ce ? ? a ? e u a ng o x ig gh ig s d t? p x i i s t o p n l a i i e xi ? s ll ll a l n d t s l o n l a e u la s) l a o al e m ra r n u a r r a ci e l n i d re r( ur o tu fro her rn to ne th e to te er t tif na at e na r r ) d t n t at ac ge n nt s) i s e a e ( o x a i e tn t ( t r iv e e r e u x w e o er la y se ith o t h e o b i e pr th d w un th lt su d id ct a r vi ac m no s a e v e n o r Is e fo tro r i at ro e m to pr he fro lis id e r h t o p t a e t on d it ro a r r t t r f ov ac t c i n e n c o t u a f u pr sp ge un fo la ed pe ne it at s un

COOK

n Ca

e th

? ? ? ? d t? se ed rs ht ht te ? i h t ? ig ra nit lig ou ra or lig no t ll l ne u od ne ac al ia al ra c n d i ge he ur r tu ge e t f i e te h at na rt se in xt se t i a an y e e tn oi th o b i w e u n n er m h o un m rw th m lt ro o f e r to Is ro ro f d t f lis d ac d te on ra te e la te ut la th la su ne su by in su

WORK

n Ca n Ca e Ar

e th

E AT

? ? ? ? ? )? e ed rs ht ht ht se is u i r(s ig ig ig at it? ? no to ll ll ll do er n no s t u l i o n ia ra ra a ac n m c tu tu ge the rn ed ro r u ifi t he e f e e t na na rt n n s i x h rt d i a a t t e h e e fo no it er ou nw at o he e w t u k th om ul by r c s e ac om rs ol f d Is r r n lo f to lis sp nt r i te ed a a d rb t k r to era co te ct la to ut or c e a r n u e a w e s ac ul sp n to e g n s r e ve ac th ri in by to th o r e s ha t I ac to th it ac e ac un th n Ca

n Ca

N/A

e th

rc to ac

e th

rs to ac

e th

e Ar e Ar

e th

r to ac

e th

SOCIALISE

? ? d t? g or s? e? se he ht h f i r t ht te ? in ? ? ? ? is u r e ig e e ig lig o is ) ra it no ts o l c o n s s i ll l f i al r(s ln ne u m n od al ia pa ali ra e al ci to e i i e c s c i d ro r u ur na c c tu h g l f a f r t e i e so c o o a at e e h d s na rt n t n e ea nt sp s s r i x a l a e o o te ot tn hi e at h e t t a la y no it er iv r t xt ) he ou nw rn ) m s s e th u ( ( su b e pr f o k m w lt s t e c e fro a e in ed or or n Is d t i tro fro tor lo e c ct lis vi ct rs ra e ed a a a o id pa on t d rb r ed ta r i to e t e a n v p to ov s at ec ul ac e eu it th ro g s ul sp pr ac n n e p s n i r it u h t i t in by s to un un e th

WASH

n Ca n Ca

e Ar

ri to ac

e th

RELAX

? ? ? ? r ? ? t e h ht h ht ed ed rs fo ? se ac ? as ig u s lig e at it? at s? oi lig o w t r r g ll l sp ors c i n ln al ia ra od to ne u ne n pa in u c a g ng at e e e i r s ur tu d r n n f h g g o i hi ct r e e t e t o at t l e na rt e e h c d t n i e as pe a a x e is in is t tn a v b o w s h e e er ro g no it no y e m ou he nw th b n t p m th u at o m sw m it hi ck ro ol or e iv fr Is r o o r f s n o f r r t s l o a i u f f d pr te l e w e on d at d rb a ara te ac tra th te ct te to la rc p u e a a de p s to ac su es ul sp ul vi se ne e n s e ac ro or id ns by Do or ri in th e t p act ct ov to i n or th a pr ac ct un he Ca t i a e t th or f n Ca

EXERCISE

e th

r to

ac e th

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he ot

r e r at to e ne ul ta th ge ns ec by e ri is sp ted to e no ac th ra m e e ne fro th Ar ge

e th

TOILET

SLEEP SLEEP

n e Ar

? ht

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ed at s? ul nit

se oi

EXER

ce pa

s? ur

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ra ut ne

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1 0

r to

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h ig

N/A

n n

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r to

rs to ta

CISE

r ? ? ? ? ? e d e o s e f se is ? ht ht ht te ? is ac ? ur e ci )? ig ig ig e e ra it? o p no tor er r(s ll ll ll do ac is ne un ln l s is c c c m o p ia ra ra r ex o d ro e a ge he na na er ic ls e tu tu e ct f r r f x x e t i e d th at a te te e na e na na nt rt is in r e x o o n a a iv he y t t i t e e te ) t w no ith la b pr t e ) er ou s he d ex r(s a for un k m rw su ted th om lt vi r( r e e n o o e f i a o t oc Is ro fro cto id ct id ce s er d lis pr c v bl t a nt d e ov pa it e a ro e ni en te e a tra or at co n p l pr s h h t a t u ru g eu it it ul th rt su ac e y s rn in un un th fo in b e e to es th th ac e Do es es th Do Do n e th

O LI S

SLEEP

e th

? ? ? e e e? s s ht ht ht is oi s? oi it? ig lig lig n n t n ll i l no al m n m u ra ia r u e al ic tu tu fro er fro th rn a tif na te ed th ed in ar tn e h t o t ex er la y la it ou he w b u u m t th ck ns d ns rs ol fro e i i Is r o t lo nt or ra or at ed rb ct ne ct ct co at to e a a r ul e ge e sp ac to h h ns t t e ac ri s s by th I I d to te ac ra e th Is

0 %

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r to ac

ve ha

es Do

e th

PRIVACY

WAS

T OTA L

130

N/A

SMELL

5 6 7 5

SSO I Z EU N D

17.0 m2

140

17.0 m

6 7

SOUND 17.0 m FF

e th

r to

ve ha

e th

N/A

? ht

t a t a s o ra a om e ns u ci e ur i ? r h n ile ta r i d l ? ? tu t f r e e att to e?c te tif na e ep t nh ht ated ithin acthor tothe exte ar is ? usab is an e at ss l ? y t oiug g er g o o he iv roim nw m nt i i hei b s su r w u th e l lt t d i pr o n n ckl f t n fro in to ic Is i ro a te ll lol Is l te se c f d i a u e n nt rs a n a a uf al r ba te er m m e o r i id alra s r a t co to r u e p ut en e o ul o c ov ea ta th e v g or s i acu r r h r s pr n tu ec by e f in ct e t f f t ha rn i s it torr e a r a sp ted th a t to oi or e c to un e c h t d n d nn a th e ta afrorm n he ac Cea e t n e the nera n th x te ot te thi he ac th t Ca t Ar ge i a e a es e y er l l s an ou Is h Do m C w b u u oe t th k D s s l c fro in ted in ors Is ro lo t t r r d to era to ta rb on te to la ac n ac ec rc e ge e sp ac su to h h n c t t e i a r s s by th I I e o n p ed ct th e? e? t ee ? a ac ac sl ) Ca n e r(s sp sp ra e p p at o iv ct Ca ee ee th ne pr a sl sl a the a a Is ge de r vi fo

1 1 50

LINEAR

1 80

1 1

17.0 m2 SF

SMELL

120

T OTA L

1 1 1 100

VISUAL 8 5

VISUAL

SC RE O

17.0 m2

1 1

LINEAR

T H E R E S U LT S

an w

d te

n di

ac sp

e th

ve ha

he rt fo

n di

e th

a c iv a pr e a r th e id fo ov ce pr spa

e th

EXERCISE

ve ha

es Do

r to

e th

l ro

e th

r to ac

e is

r to

l tra eu

e th

rs to ta

rn to

e th

r to

e th

r to ac

e th

r to ac

n Ca

e e h te is in is t o h ex no it no by m m sw m fro fro or fro d d at d te te ct te la la pe la su su s su in in by in

e Ar

s in

e th

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n Ca

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r ? ? ? ? ? e d fo ? se is ? ce ? rs ht ht ht te ? se i a a t ci )? ig ig ig e no tor ou ce ise er ni no sp is er r(s ll ll ll d a a o ra ra en e u al al rc ex o om ac sp rc ci u e e d r g n n i tu e e ct f al ex at te e th er er ex tif d th at a t t n s na n an ar iv he tn te by in to e oi thi er to ex t a w ) ) n i pr t e er ou he ul ed m ex (s a for id (s un k m w s th r r lt r v e e o fro in rat oc Is ro se ro to fro to id ct id ce c i s d c l e p t ov a ov pa te ed a ra it e a ni en pr the la pr s at e ut un th ru g it it ul y th su e r ne he in b un un th fo ot e

e th

e Ar

es Do

r ? fo ? se ce ? rs e ci )? e pa e ou er r(s ac cis l s cis od p ex o s er d na er e ct r x al ex te at a te e rn o an iv he in to te ) t w pr t e ) ex r(s a for id r(s un e e o ov to id ct id ce pr c ov a ov pa it e a pr the pr s un th it it e r un un th fo

e th

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TOILET

ri to

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SLEEP

rn to

SLEEP

i tif

ri to

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g th g er rn e e h te is hin is ot ex no i t no by m m sw m fro fro tor fro ed ed ta ed at at ec at ul ul sp ul ns ns by ns

es Do

ri to

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p e? e? ee ? ac ac sl ) e r(s sp sp p p at o iv ct ee ee pr a sl sl a the a a e id for ov e pr c it pa un s

? e e ? ? d ? e? s? is ht th ? e ? e ht ht s t ? ur ig oi no nit lig ac lig la ts or rs o i n l ll l t f to m eu sp su un od ia ra ra al n c e u ile ta tu fro th rn r i er ed bl ifi at e to ec t t o n d h na sa xt e sp tn ct ot ar te hi an e t e u a i a at ou er e by he ul w iv m nw m nt r s u th e lt th ed pr fro ck fro in to e ci s i Is ro t a te lo I c ff lis e ra nt ed rs a rb t e o id ara su tra ne co la to at h t u e e r u ov p g ac ct by to av ne pr se ns e e e r it or ac ri is rh sp ed th to o o o t t un act t e n ac e ac th ra ac m e th e e ne e th fro th th Ar ge es n Is es Do Ca n

e th

121

e Ar

e th ? or rs t f to ile ta to ec e sp at iv m pr fro a te e id ara ov p pr se it or un act

e th

SLEEP

he lt tro on

e th

rs to ta ec sp

e th

e er th

rc to

e th

EXERCIS

e Ar

? ? ? e d e? is ? ht ht ht te is ig ig ig ra it? no tor no ll ll ll ne un c m ia ra ra al a ge he ic tu tu fro e rn f t i e h te na na rt is i n ed t a y t e ex ut no ith la b er o m m rw su ted th n fro i ra fro to ts e d ac ed ni gen te at la the ul su by ns

TOILET

e th

0 %

n Do

? ? ? ? ? ? ? e p e e e t? t? t? e e e s s s ht h ht h ht h is ?ee ? se i is oi ? oi it? ig ig ig ac ac o it? lig lig lig n n no itssl s) oi n n n p p ll l its ll l ll l no u s l m n m u m uante tor( al n ra ia ra ia p s ra ra p m e c o c u u i i ro r u ro he r na tu h tu e e t t f f t fro riv c rn e a a a le f t tif tif le er na h n d n d d hper a te n d s s xt ar ar tn tn e e te ot te hi te oat he x te hi a a e er er la y la it la ye r t e e la it ou ou he he e h th t k su d b su s w su bid fo om lt av av su s w om lt ck c r r r n n s n h h o o f e i i in terodv e fr Is i I o o r r o t l ) t t t r r d ts or ato bl or rap ac ed to era to ta rb on on r(s te es ct ct ct eit p t or c a o to ac en ac ec a rc r eunn s sula ct ul ct gu a pe o e e e e g g ac a s a e sp to s t h h h n n t t t e e y th Dos th by ac ac the ri ri th th Is Is b Is s I e o e d d e t to n n h o th t a es te te ac ac D Ca a C n n ra r e e Do Ca Ca th th ne ne Is ge

? e ? ? ? e? is ? ht ed e? ht ht rs is ig ig ig at s? no uni t ac ou no ll ll ll ul i t d n a m a sp s o ra al ci ur in u ro he n r i d le tu t f r at te tif or he d n ab te i na t t e tn ar an e ex us ac o at ith e l y w ou er m nt th k he b su r w un th o l t d ie r c n o f i ic Is ro lo Is te se ct t d i a s ff l a rb te er on or e ra su a t to ut en e rc ul ta th e g s ac to av ec by e in rn r is rh sp ted to to to e no ac ac th ra ac m e e e ne e th fro th th Ar ge n Is e th

es Do

? ? ? e e e? ht ht ht is ? is ? is ig ig ig no its no nit ll ll ll no a m n m u ra ia al ur ic ro r u ro he tu t f f f t rn i na d he d n na rt te a t e te ot te hi ex er la y la it ou he m th k su b su s w lt d c r n n fro Is lo tro r i te r i to ed to era to ta rb on at to ac n ac ec rc ul e ge e p ac to ns th th y s ac b ri s s I I d to te ac ra e th Is n

WAS

6612

p e? e? ee ? ac ac sl ) e r(s sp sp p p at o iv ct ee ee pr a sl sl a the a a e ve id for ha ov e pr c it spa un

PRIVACY

e th

SOUND P R I V A C1 Y

3 12 5 9

6 5

e av )h r(s to ts es gu

N/A

7 9 8

SIZE

OTA L 10T 7

ac Do

T OTA L

5 7 7 12

1 SOUND

N/A

SMELL

3 12 5 9

6 5 12

7 9 8

e th

es Do

3 12 5 9 12 7

6 5 10 7 5

10 9

5 9 7

5 7 9 8 4 8 5 11

2 5

12 7

CISE

EXER

SC RE O

V I S U A1L

1 VISUAL 7 9 8

1 40

SIZE

SC RE O

1 50

0 3

T OTA L

3 12

7 6 12 5 75 7 12 12

3 12 5 9 12

6 5 12 5 7 7 12 10

7 9 8 8

10 7

7 9 8 4 5 9 5

5 12 3

11 10 5

5 7

8 6 5 12 5 7 7 12

4 8 5

12 10 7 11 1

10 9

2 5 7

N/A

100

1 SOUND

S M E L0L

10 5

1 6 5

1 EVERYTHING IS A KITCHEN

e th

E R Y TE VHEIRNY G S G AI S KAI T T H II N K IC TH C HEEN N

1 SOUND 12 6 1 8

7 T OTA L

9 1 3

9 5

SC RE O

0 %

1 50

1 60

0 5 12 11

PRIVACY

EXER

VISUAL

5 10 9 4

6 5

0 1 VISUAL 5 12 11

N/A

SMELL

SLEEP

1 T OTA L

1 100

1 12 11

1 3 9 1 5

5 10 9 4

? ? ? e? se se ht ht ht is oi ? oi it? ig ig ig n n n ll its ll ll no m n m u ra ia ra u e al c i tu tu fro er fro th rn a tif na te ed th ed in ar tn e h t o t ex er la y la it ou he w b u u m t th ck ns d ns rs ol fro e i i Is r o t lo nt or ra or at ed t t t rb e co at to ac n ac ec r e ul e sp ac to he g h ns t t e ac ri s s by th I I d to te ac ra e th ne Is ge

NOTHING IS A KITCHEN

1 SIZE

0 1

O T HKII N S- LAE SKS I T C H E N T CGH EI N

The results of the matrix highlight the prototypes with the highest scores, within each typology. The grading is done against specific activity comfort. While understanding the relationships between daily activities is important, the limitation of this stage is that the internal environment is not assessed. The success of design phase 1 is that it generated ideas for synergies among activities in the home to enable more detailed design going forward that reflects the multi-layered domestic lifestyle found in modern western homes. The 4 x 8 testing is limited due to its rearranging of familiar forms. Comfort cannot truly be achieved in any of the prototypes as the focus lies too heavily on convenience as opposed to genuine comfort; similar to the motion-saving experiments of Gilbreth. In this phase of testing, aspects of comfort such as unexpected events, the physics of the environment and material physical properties, are neglected. To be able to design for such conditions, one must first understand how we as humans interact with our physical environments to provoke emotional responses.

122

Humm... I’M STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT THESE SPACES WOULD REALLY WORK?!

123

CORTEX

HIPPOCAMPUS

HIP

BASAL GANGLIA

SUMMARISES Uses space to perceive the world, providing a summary that the forebrain uses to store and organise experiences and memories.

BASAL GANGLIA E VA L U AT E S Seeks satisfaction from good, unexpected experiences. Drives our desires for consistent improvement.

CORTEX S I M U L AT E S

R I P H E R A L PE

124

N E R V O U S

Uses the summary from the hippocampus and the evaluation from the basal ganglia to simulate, decide, and store our memories.

E S Y S T

FOREBRAIN MODELS M

A simulator that creates a model of our environment.

MIDBRAIN

RAIN STEM

MEASURES

Receives input from our sense organs and decides whether to respond.

SP I NA L

HINDBRAIN MOVES Controls movement, maintains balance, and relays sensory information.

125

IN VITRO EXPERIMENT

126

BLANK CANVAS

T E M P E R AT U R E LIGHT SOUND

The protagonist is decontextualised and placed within a blank canvas testing booth. A series of observational studies were carried out to identify how sound, light and temperature are perceived, both over time and distance. The values observed are used to create a field of comfort within which to design a more comfortable home.

127

UNFOLD THE FIELD OF COMFORT

500

400

300

200

100

0 DINING

B AT H R O O M

WORKING

BEDROOM

DINING

B AT H R O O M

WORKING

BEDROOM

15 KITCHEN

KITCHEN

25 LIVING ROOM

LIVING ROOM

35 CORRIDOR

CORRIDOR

45 OUTDOORS

OUTDOORS

LIGHT RECEPTORS: lux

600

T E M P E R AT U R E : º C

2000

1900

1800

1700

1600

1500

1400

1300

1200

1100

1000

900

800

700

-10

-20 BEDROOM

BEDROOM

10 WORKING

WORKING

30 B AT H R O O M

B AT H R O O M

50 DINING

DINING

70 KITCHEN

KITCHEN

90 LIVING ROOM

110

LIVING ROOM

120 CORRIDOR

130

CORRIDOR

140 OUTDOORS

150

OUTDOORS

SMELL: ppm

0.1

SOUND: dB

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

The upper and lower figures determine the range of temperatures each space should provide for, as outlined in Neufert’s Architects’ Data. The values however do not consider activity, occupancy, time, season, social influences and more. To gain a deeper understanding of how the body reacts to these conditions, an in vitro experiment is carried out, with the results leading to a field of comfort specific to the protagonist.

132

SOUND The protagonist’s perception of sound was tested by recording the lowest volume they were able to detect for a given frequency. The volume of the sound source was gradually increased until the protagonist could hear it. We can then compare these results to the accepted range of human hearing, shown in the field of comfort diagram, in order to determine how sensitive the protagonist is to noise in comparison. This test was performed for when the distance between the protagonist and source was zero, and then again when the distance was increased to one metre.

133

MOBILE PHONE : DECIBEL ME TER

MOBILE P HONE: F RE QUE NCY E MIT TER

134

Minimum Detectable Volume 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

28Hz

1000Hz

FIELD OF COMFORT

2000Hz

3000Hz

4000Hz

5000Hz

6000Hz

7000Hz

Frequency of Source

SOUND

8000Hz

9000Hz

10,000Hz

11,000Hz

12,000Hz

13,000Hz

14,000Hz

nc e

.0 m

15,000Hz

c tan

ee n

f e o

so u

0.0

16,000Hz

w bet

ive

17,000Hz

urce

and rece iver

18,000Hz

135

22Hz > 1m

17,750Hz > 1m

28Hz < 1m

17,250 Hz < 1m

136

LIGHT The protagonist’s ability to adapt to changes in light, such as a transition from a naturally lit space to a darker enclosed one, were assessed by recording the time taken for the eyes to adjust. The protagonist shut and covered their eyes for twenty minutes to simulate complete darkness. Then, they opened and uncovered their eyes and called out when their eyes had adjusted enough to read the sentence on the piece of paper. The time at which they called out was recorded. This test was performed for several different light levels.

137

3.75

7.5

D is ta n c e fr o m eye to l ig h t s o u rc

D i st an ce fro m eye t o li g ht sou rc e i s 0. 5m Dist anc e from eye to l ig ht so u rc e is 1.5 m

11.25

120

18.75

Bathroom Spotlights: 140

22.5

FIELD OF COMFORT

160

26.25

200

T i m e Ta k e n f o r E y e s t o A d j u s t t o R e a d (Seconds)

240

Candle: 1

Undetectable

e is 1 .0 m

LIGHT

320

Light Level (Lux)

360

138

720

LED Flood Light: 680

640

600

560

520

480

440

400

280

Lamp: 15

139

1.5m

O. 5 m

CANDLE LIGHT

LAMP

SPOTLIGHTS

FLOOD LIGHT

140

T E M P E R AT U R E The protagonist’s sensitivity to changes in temperature were measured by recording the times at which they were able to perceive changes in their extremities (fingers or toes) and the rest of their body. The experiment consisted of doing a heating phase and a cooling phase. The temperature was gradually increased and decreased respectively. The times and temperatures when changes were perceived were recorded.

FAN SPACE HEAT ER + COOLER

HOT WAT ER B OT T LE

141

THERM AL IM AGE CAMERA

OI L FI LLED SPACE HEAT ER

i Te m p e r a t u r e o f E x t r e m

g Phase re of Palm - Heatin

225

200

Time (Seconds)

250

Te m p e r a t u

275

FIELD OF COMFORT

FIELD OF HIGHER COMFORT

FIELD OF COMFORT

Te m p e r a t u r e o f E x t r e m i t i e s - C o o l i n g P h a s e

ture of Palm - Cooling Phase

has ing P

Te m p e r a

Heat ties -

300

325

350

T E M P E R AT U R E

375

175

142

450

425

400

150

125

100

Temperature (ºC)

143

COOLING

S O U R C E H E AT I N G

H E AT I N G

THE PHYSICS OF THE S PA C E WORKED EXAMPLE:

A N A N A LY S I S O F T H E I N T E R N A L ENVIRONMENT KEY CLASH SYNERGY

144

! +

e th

rs to ta

e th

ed at ul

r to ac

d te la su in n Ca

e e h te is hin is ot ex no it no by m m sw m fro fro tor fro ta

ri to

d te

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r to ac

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l ra ut ne

e th

it un

ve ha

es Do

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e av

h it

e ac

e th

ng ni di

e th

n ni

e ac

es Do

e th

a i pr e a r th e id fo ov ce pr pa it s

SOUND

e th

N/A

e th

SLEEP

e th

es Do

e th

r to ac

e av

ee sl

e? ac

e ac

ve ha

i un

e th

p ee ? sl ) e r(s at o iv ct pr a a the de r vi fo ro ce t p spa

WAS

3 12 5 9

6612

6 5

10 7

EXERCISE

SLEEP

e th

7 9 8

T OTA L

PRIVACY

SIZE

N/A

SMELL

3 12 5 9

6 12 5 75 7 12 12

145

l ro

r to

TOILET

e th

7 9 8 8

2 5 7

r to

e th

r to

e th

r to

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ERYTHING IS A KITCHEN

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EVERYTHING IS A KITCHEN TYPOLOGY

0 100

1 EVERYTHING IS A KITCHEN

What follows is a worked example of one of the ‘winning’ prototypes. The chosen example is the best prototype, as assessed by the matrix, of the ‘everything is a kitchen’ typology. The physics of the space is analysed in relation to thermal comfort, light and visual comfort, and air quality. The drawings show clashes and synergies in the needs of the internal environment for each activity.

THERMAL 146

T H E R M A L P H Y S I C S A N D U K R E G U L AT I O N S U-VALUES A U-value is the rate of transfer of heat through a material. Current UK standards for U-values, as outlined in Approved Document L1A (new dwellings) and L1B (existing dwellings), are not nearly as strict as other available standards, such as Passivhaus. The Passivhaus standards are used for the worked solutions in this manual as they offer a strict, but achievable, limit on the rate of heat transfer and subsequently the loss of heat energy to the surrounding environment.

UK (L1A)

PASSIVHAUS

0.18 W/m2K

EXTERNAL WALL

0.15 W/m2K

0.13 W/m2K

ROOF

0.10 W/m2K

0.13 W/m2K

FLOOR

0.10 W/m2K

1.40 W/m2K

WINDOW

1.40 W/m2K

GLAZED DOOR

1.40 W/m2K

1.00 W/m2K

OPAQUE DOOR

1.00 W/m2K

5.0 m3/(h.m²)

AIRTIGHTNESS

2.0 m3/(h.m²)

W H AT ABOUT H U M A N B E H A V I O U R ? AIRTIGHTNESS In the UK, Approved Document Part L1, the limit for airtightness ensures that heat loss is minimised alongside limiting the U-value. The result of an airtightness test is expressed as the AP50 value. This is the measure of a volume of air (m³) that flows through the building fabric (m²) every hour at a reference pressure of 50 Pascals (Pa) – hence the AP50 units are m³/(h.m²). Although it is the rate of flow of air, this result is commonly referred to as the air permeability of the envelope.

BEHAVIOUR CAN OFFSET THE B U I LT S T A N D A R D S The comfort from sunlight on your skin. The comfort from breathing in fresh air through an open window. The comfort from immediately extracting unwanted smells. The comfort from hearing birds in the sky. The comfort from having hotter and colder zones within a given space. How can a home be efficient and comfortable? How can it meet both basic needs as well as desires, both physical and emotional? 147

KEY *SUITABLE AMBIENT AIR

21°C

16°C

SUITABLE AMBIENT AIR

TEMPERATURE*

(SUMMER)

(WINTER)

TEMPERATURE IS BASED SOLAR HEAT GAIN

PASSIVE COOLING

ON A BALANCE BETWEEN THE FIELD OF COMFORT (DETERMINED DURING THE IN VITRO TESTING)

0.10

AND EFFICIENCY.

INSTANT HOT WATER

INSTANT HEAT

THERMAL BREAK -

MAXIMUM

REQUIRED

PARTITION/SCREEN/

ACCEPTABLE

DOORS

U-VALUE (W/m2K)

MIDDAY

17°C TOILET 15°C

17°C

0.80

! !

EAT

18°C

SLEEP 15°C

23°C 16°C

DRESS

24°C 19°C

WORK 19°C

FRESH AIR

EXERCISE

18°C 15°C

21°C 16°C

COOK

SHOWER

HOUSEWORK

18°C 16°C

COOK

21°C

20°C 15°C

EAT 18°C

COOK

21°C EAT 18°C

23°C 16°C

COOK EAT

21°C 18°C

20°C 15°C

COOK

21°CEAT 18°C

20°C15°C

0.15

24°C 21°C

0.80

20°C 15°C

21°C 16°C

0.15

EAT

21°C 18°C

EXERCISE

18°C 15°C

+ + RELAX

22°C 19°C

WORK

22°C 19°C

EVERYTHING IS KITCHEN TYPOLOGY FLOOR PLAN 1:50 148

FRESH AIR

21°C

21°C 16°C

22°C

0.80

0.15

21°C 16°C

23°C 16°C

21°C 16°C

EAT

20°C 15°C

COOK

SLEEP EAT

18°C 15°C

21°C 18°C

EXERCISE

COOK

20°C 15°C

21°C 18°C

EAT

21°C 18°C

EAT

18°C 16°C

HOUSEWORK

COOK

20°C 15°C

0.80

0.10

18°C 15°C

EXERCISE

0.10 SECTION AA 1:50

0.15

24°C 21°C

20°C 15°C

18°C 16°C

HOUSEWORK

24°C 19°C

SHOWER

DRESS

17°C 15°C

COOK

23°C 16°C

17°C 21°C 15°C 18°C SLEEP

21°C 16°C

EAT

0.15

0.10

TOILET

0.10 SECTION BB 1:50

0.10

21°C 18°C EAT

21°C 16°C

17°C 15°C

SLEEP

18°C 15°C

0.15

21°C 16°C

EXERCISE

0.10 SECTION CC 1:50

CLASH SYNERGY

! + 149

LIGHT 150

THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM N AT U R A L D AY L I G H T Prior to the industrial revolution, a large proportion of the UK population worked outside. Whilst performing their agricultural activities, people were exposed to the natural cycle of light and dark. Yet today, as a result of our indoor lifestyles and the prevalence of artificial lighting people have become detached from the diurnal changes in environmental light, which has lead to a disconnect between us and a vital signal that regulates our circadian rhythm. Exposure to dawn and dusk light is very important for regulating our circadian rhythm, more so than exposure to light in the middle of the day. The orientation and accessibility of outdoor space should account for this fact.

MID

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT Light can have different colour temperatures ranging from orange (warm) to blue (cool). Strangely, despite rooms serving multiple purposes, we typically assign a single artificial light source with one type of bulb (of a particular colour temperature). For example, a living room can host the following activities: work, relax, eat, socialise, exercise, play. However, the light source could be exactly the same for all of these activities throughout the whole day. This means our circadian rhythm does not get the appropriate signals. A solution to this issue would be to design natural and artificial light concurrently, and to provide specific lighting conditions based on the activities and the time of day these activities will be performed. The following lighting properties will be key considerations: the type of light, the brightness level, the colour temperature, and the user control of these factors. Bright, cool light should be avoided in the evening to avoid delaying the sleep-wake cycle.

D AY L I G H T

6000 K

COOL WHITE

5000 K

NEUTRAL WHITE

4000 K

WHITE

3000 K

WARM WHITE

2700 K

SUNSET

2000 K

CANDLELIGHT

1800 K

151

KEY

AMBIENT LIGHT

TASK LIGHT (WARM)

AMBIENT LIGHT (COOL)

TASK LIGHT (COOL)

ACCENT LIGHT (WARM)

ADDITIONAL

POTENTIAL

VIEWS OUT

SCREEN POSITION

(WARM)

750 DAYLIGHT ACCESS

ILLUMINANCE LEVEL

ACCENT LIGHT (COOL)

(LUX)

MIDDAY

100

100 300

TOILET

750

EAT

300 SLEEP

200 WORK

DRESS

750

300

750

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM RESET

COOK

750 EXERCISE

COOK

750

EAT 300

750

HOUSEWORK

750

EAT 300

100

750

EXERCISE

100

COOK

750

COOK

EAT

1000

100

SHOWER

EAT

750

COOK

300

EAT

300

+ ! RELAX

300

WORK

1000

EVERYTHING IS KITCHEN TYPOLOGY FLOOR PLAN 1:50 152

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM RESET

750

750 750

EAT

750

300 COOK 300

SLEEP

EAT

750

COOK

300

EAT

EXERCISE

HOUSEWORK

COOK COOK

EXERCISE

SECTION AA 1:50

750

300

SHOWER

200

300

SLEEP

EAT

DRESS

100 HOUSEWORK

750

COOK TOILET

SECTION BB 1:50

300

200

EAT

SLEEP

750

EXERCISE

100

CLASH

SECTION CC 1:50

SYNERGY

! + 153

3 AIR

154

R E L AT I V E

HUMIDITY

Regulating relative humidity helps reduce air pollution within the home. Air pollution in the home comes in various forms ranging from scented products to building materials such as MDF which release VOC particles into the air. The wetter the air is, the closer together its particles are. These closely positioned particles trap the polluted air beneath it (keeping toxins and smells within the space). To remove the wet air, people often open their windows or use extractor fans but this can cause a lot of heat loss that wastes the energy originally used to heat the space. Therefore, the regulation

AIR

POLLUTION

of relative humidity - through the exchange of dirty, wet air with clean, fresh air - should be designed simultaneously and in congruence with the design of thermal comfort (envelope and space heating and cooling) within the space to avoid wasting energy.

relative humidity should be maintained at 50%

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Indoor air quality is assessed by measuring the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels because it is the result of human metabolism and is therefore an indicator of whether adequate amounts of fresh air are available within the space. Field studies have shown that regular office conditions have a 1,500ppm concentration of CO2, which may seem a very high level when compared to normal outdoor levels (around 400ppm CO2), but the regulatory limit considered safe for people is even higher: 5,000ppm over an 8-hour period.

oke

The prevalence of sick building syndrome is evidence of our poorly designed internal environments.

155

KEY

EXTRACT SMELL

WET TO DRY

ACCENTUATE SMELL

NATURAL

POTENTIAL NEED FOR

VENTILATION

MECHANICAL VENTILATION

TOILET EAT

SLEEP

DRESS COOK EAT

WORK

A FRESH AIR

COOK

EXERCISE

BIN

COOK BIN

COOK

EAT

HOUSEWORK BIN

EAT

EAT EXERCISE

BIN

COOK

SHOWER

EAT RELAX

FRESH AIR

WORK

BIN

EVERYTHING IS KITCHEN TYPOLOGY FLOOR PLAN 1:50 156

EAT COOK

SLEEP EAT

COOK EAT

EXERCISE BIN

HOUSEWORK

COOK

EAT

BIN

COOK

EXERCISE

BIN

SECTION AA 1:50

SHOWER HOUSEWORK

DRESS SLEEP

COOK

EAT

TOILET BIN

SECTION BB 1:50

EAT

SLEEP EXERCISE

CLASH SYNERGY

SECTION CC 1:50

! + 157

MI 0

0.1

ISE

°C

0.1 5

0.1

°C

HO US

°C

°C 19EAT °C 18

SO CIA

°C E 15 RCISE 20° LISE °C C EX

LIS

°C

SO CIA

22 18 °C °C

RE °C 20 LAX °C

0.1

2 SO 3° C C 20 IALISE °C

0.1

CO OK

CIS

23 18 °C °C

°C

C 18° C 15°

CIS

°C

OR K

OW E

0.8

E EX

°C

WO RK

°C

F A HOUSEWORK

EAT

BIN

SCAN HERE TO SEE ALL CRITIQUES WITH PHYSICS

750 0 K 100COO

750 WORK

COOK

BIN AX

REL

300

SLEEP

LIS

EAT

158

P T EA SLEE CIA SO

EAT

EW US HO

0.1 5

E CIS

OK CO

10 EXERCISE

SOCIALISE WORK

B EAT

EAT SOCIALISE

SLEEP

SHOWER

COOK

RELAX

DRESS

HOUSEWORK

With a greater understanding of the relationship SOCIALISE between the physics of the internal environment and the activities that occupy specific spaces, we observed synergies and clashes that informed the next phase of design. Initially designing with the activities and environments decontextualised from one another allows for the occupant’s natural daily D E C activities to be the driver for design, as opposed to the practicality and convenience of construction. Upon A M layering the physical dynamics of space over the activity plans and sections, synergies arise promoting a radicalised design strategy for phase 2.

750 DR

E OW

T CI RH RCA YT DI HM AN RE SE

ESS

WO RK

0 T

CO 750 OK

0 75

0 EA

OW E

CO OK

CO 750 OK

CIS

TO ILE

CO 750 OK

159

DESIGN PHASE 2

SYNERGIES OBSERVED BETWEEN ACTIVITIES

FURNITURE, ACTIVITIES, AND EQUIPMENT

S Y N E R G I S E + C H A N G E A PA R A M E T E R

SYNERGIES Designing a synergised way of living involves the interaction and co-operation of two or more entities to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate, individual effects.

162

163

W H AT IF THE KITCHEN BECAME THE ENTIRE HOME? The study of the protagonist has proved the kitchen to be designed to an out-dated standard, that doesn’t accommodate the multi-functional modern household. The kitchen is an obstacle within the home, rigid and condensed. It does not reflect personal preference and diversity of culture surrounding cooking and eating. For some people, their kitchens are nothing more than status symbols, with supercharged surfaces cladding the same standard carcasses. For others, the kitchen is the heart of the home. A space for more than just cooking and preparing food. Under the influence of American pop-culture, kitchens blended into social spaces as opposed to being auxiliary rooms. Birthday parties, home schooling and working on the computer all occur in the kitchen. Adding to the mix unexpected events such as COVID-19 lock-downs, the way a kitchen is utilised and perceived has changed again. With the concentration of activities, are we confined to our homes, or to our kitchens? What if our homes became the kitchen?

168

B E N E AT H T H E S U R FA C E

FRANKFURT KITCHEN Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky - 1926

169

THE KITCH..

Heart of The Home

170

THE COFFEE SHOP Coffee machines and their convenient little pods have made you into your own barista. Just add a dash of syrup and a milk frother and you’ll be opening a drive-thru in no time.

THE OFFICE Laptops, tablets, and smartphones alongside digital teamworking platforms mean that your work can occur anywhere particularly in the kitchen within arms-reach of a cup of tea and a biscuit - Covid-19 has proved that to be true.

THE BBQ Has the rainy British weather been getting you down? Bring out the griddle pan, invite your friends around, and enjoy the summertime in the dry comfort of your own home.

THE PICNIC When the weather finally does perk up, you might want to head out. But, if you’re anything like our protagonist, fields and fresh air aren’t your friend. Hello hayfever. Bring the snacks and tapas indoors and share your picnic around your kitchen island sneeze free.

T H E R E S TA U R A N T The kitchen island could be a picnic table one day, and a pass the next; maybe you turn it into a bar by pulling up a stool.

171

CHAIR L E S S TABLE

THE POWER OF THE D I N I N G TA B L E Steven Spielberg

172

The process of making, eating, and sharing a meal has ritualistic qualities, yet today it is often an inconvenience or a chore. Our overloaded dining tables – with laundry, screens, home schooling, home working, crockery, food - are evidence of the loss of the intangible culture of eating, which UNESCO is sworn to protect. The delicate human drama that unfolds around the dinner table has been immortalised in film, predominantly by Steven Spielberg. A scene present in all of his films is the dining table. Messy dining tables signify failed lives; family dinners break out in confrontation, not just conversation; and the act of dining is corrupted to result in comedy or a change of plot – where the everyday person becomes the hero of the story. Our modern dining tables have not been given such consideration – often one size fits all thanks to standards like Neufert’s. Today, the dining table has two primary functions, for working and eating, yet neither of which are biologically beneficial to do whilst sitting. So why do tables have chairs?

T H E D A N G E R S O F S I T T I N G A L L D AY Featured in The Washington Post in 2014, this drawing illustrates the reality of our sedentary lives, uncomfortable chairs, and poor posture. SCAN TO READ

173

CHANGE THE TOGU NA Meeting House Mali, West Africa

CHABUDAI Short-Legged Dining Table Japanese Culture

174

Sitting on the floor whilst eating has many benefits: it aids digestion, improves posture, increases circulation, helps you feel fuller sooner, and relaxes the mind and body. This lower datum is still present in Asia and Africa. Inspiration can be drawn from the Togu Na (meeting house) of the Dogon people of Mali, West Africa. The low roof forces people to sit down and converse on a level, signifying equality between the members of the conversation. The compressed height between floor and ceiling evokes feelings of intimacy and closeness. The Chabudai of Japan is a short-legged table, typically 300mm high, used for studying, working, or eating. In Japanese culture, people remove their shoes in homes, so floors are kept clean. People in Europe were less inclined to take off their shoes, resulting in dirtier floors and higher tables. Today in the UK people often remove their shoes, due to carpets, so there is no reason tables cannot be lowered and unhealthy, uncomfortable chairs removed.

175

DATUM

176

P L AY B O Y A R C H I T E C T S PLAYBOY ISSUES 1953 - 1979

CITY NEVER SLEEPS.

HUGH HEFNER BED PLAYBOY MANSION 1953 - 2017

Hugh Hefner was the star of the most famous bed in America. Iconic for its unorthodox circular shape, Hefner used his bed as a canvas for far more than sleeping. Hefner’s dream was of the kitchenless kitchen, a space of the ‘young connoisseur of meat and wines’ fused with technologies to make the bachelor seem more ‘normal’. For Hefner his ideal remained: mechanical gadgets rotated and transformed. In a review of Pornotopia: An Essay on Playboy’s Architecture & Biopolitics by Beatriz Preciado, Marshall says “Borsani couches could become horizontal. The round bed could turn 360 degrees. Kitchens became theatres, swimming pools had retractable roofs, sliding walls, two-way mirrors, glass walls, and naked interior spaces as pornographic as any playboy bunny. Hefner invented a new way of sitting. He introduced a new kind of horizontal worker in contrast to the vertical. Hefner worked on the floor. ‘I used the carpet as a gigantic desk. When I met artists, designers, and writers we used to crawl while we looked at our work.’ Playboy had invented a semi-professional space and a new style of cool worker in designer pyjamas. He blurred the boundaries between pleasure and work. His Playboy bed had a TV, radio, remote control system for drapes and lights, ambient lighting, was the technification of a non-monogamous horizontal pornotopia. The anti-female domesticity training

HUGH HEFNER BED PLAYBOY MANSION 1953 - 2017

given by Playboy, first to get rid of women after sex, second to eliminate their traces, and third to prevent women from taking back the kitchen…’ From these perspectives Hefner’s famous rotating bed is more like a military observatory or control room than a bed.” Architects and designers were treated as major cultural figures and published alongside other major literary figures, philosophers, activists and politicians. Playboy did not simply feature architects. They advised the reader on architecture and design. And they used architecture as prop for their sexual fantasies. Beds are designed for sleeping, not for the other events that occur there. Work, sex, watching movies, reading, the squashy surface seems comfortable and inviting but pains quickly arise when using the bed for more than just sleeping. 177

“One touch of the rotating bed’s buttons allows Hef to create four different rooms. When a bed is orientated toward the wall, he faces the Hi-Fi channel and video, in front of a television console made of Philippine mahogany with a double screen that was manoeuvred from the bed and a stereo Hi-FI Clairtone channel, with spherical speakers coated in aluminium … To the North , the bed faces the conversation zone created by Knoll sofa and a coffee table… To the West, the bed faces a fixed headrest, with a private bar and a table to eat at any time. And to the South, the bed is orientated toward the romantic glow that the Italian marble chimney produces.’ Tom Woolf described it as ‘No daylight. Within his sealed capsule, Hefner loses all sense of time and season.” - Playboy Hefner re-imagined conventional bed use at the time, however no radical changes were truly made. Additions were made to an existing piece of furniture, perhaps to make things more convenient and accessible, but does this necessarily make it more comfortable? In plan the orientation shifts, however datums and surfaces remain static, forcing the user to adapt and introduce discomfort to events.

EVENTS IN THE

BED

QUIET AMBIENT LIGHT

LAY FLAT

SLEEP LAY SIDEWAYS

SOFT SURFACE STAND

COVER UP SOFT SURFACE

LAY FLAT COVER UP

SEX LAY SIDEWAYS

AMBIENT LIGHT HARD SURFACE

LAY SIDEWAYS

READ

SIT UP

AMBIENT LIGHT

WORK

QUIET

TASK LIGHT COVER UP SOFT SURFACE

TASK LIGHT SIT UP HARD SURFACE QUIET AMBIENT LIGHT TASK LIGHT SIT UP TASK LIGHT EAT HARD SURFACE SOFT SURFACE TASK LIGHT

AMBIENT LIGHT

LAY FLAT

WATCH SCREENS SIT UP

COVER UP

178

LAY SIDEWAYS

Tracey Emin’s “My Bed” exhibition in 1998 showcased the many events which occur in the bed, and the way in which it becomes a sanctuary for a recluse. Emin accumulated a repulsive mess in her bed after languishing in it for several days while suffering a severe depression brought upon by relationship difficulties. Our beds are not given the credit they deserve for their emotional healing properties, largely due to the physical discomfort that arises when using the bed for events other than sleeping. TRACEY EMIN TATE GALLERY 1998

179

180

THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS

Modern life has seen a break down of the traditional 8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours sleep cycle. We work long hours, interspersed with cooking, eating, exercising... all within the walls of our homes. We have designated areas to carry out such activities, however spending prolonged periods of time in the same location with the same lighting, seating, and materials quickly induces discomfort. The city never sleeps all at once, therefore the home should provide for scenarios that reflect the needs of the modern city dweller. What if our homes become a more ambiguous space of surfaces and volumes, to use as a canvas however we desire? Does this achieve comfort?

181

W H AT I F S E R V I C I N G

182

BECAME FLEXIBLE? The previous model represented the possibilities of the bed - a hard, interlocking rigid structure is combined with a soft, flexible padding. In this case, we explore whether the servicing could be contained within the flexible structure rather than the rigid forms.

Softening the rigid components opens up new possibilities for the forms in which our daily activities can occur. Can parts of the surface be reinforced and other parts suspended, therefore moveable or flexible? Could we cook in a cocoon? How about bathing in a surface which moulds to your shape?

183

W H AT I F YO U J U S T A D D WAT E R TO THE LOUNGE? Elevated floors can signify importance or grandeur, and sunken floors evoke intimacy. A level change helps to define a space without creating a physical barrier; a hierarchy in a set a datums. A sunken lounge is associated with spatial theatricality and uniqueness, but they are actually a very simple spatial device. This amphibious lounge provides the occupants with a comfortable bath and sofa in one. The main challenge this synergy will face is the transition between wet and dry. Hot, wet air must be extracted and the surfaces dried out. Heated surfaces would increase the speed of evaporation of water on the seating, walls, and floors. The extraction of hot air and moisture could be through a mechanical device, such as an MVHR, or an openable window or rooflight.

184

JUST ADD WAT E R

185

THE AMPHIBIOUS LOUNGE

“The role that bathing plays within a culture reveals the culture’s attitude towards human relaxation. It is a measure of how far individual wellbeing is regarded as an indispensable part of life.” Mechanisation Takes Command - Siegfried Giedion 186

MAD MEN An American period drama set in the fictional time frame of March 1960 to November 1970.

MILLER HOUSE Eero Saarinen 1957

As bathing facilities moved into homes, bathhouses were less needed and subsequently demolished. Remnants of the culture of bathing remain today in spas and hot tub gatherings, but also in sunken lounges if you just add water. In 1963, Time magazine said “in the late 1950s there was hardly a blueprint around that did not include specifications for a large, shallow hole to be sunk into the living-room floor”. The conversation pit at the Miller House, designed in 1957 by Eero Saarinen, is one of the most famous examples. Sunken lounges have had a resurgence in popularity thanks to the American TV period drama Mad Men set in the 1960s. Bath-house culture throughout history has revolved around cleanliness, relaxation, conversation, political discussion, and mental rejuvenation. The conversation pit and sunken lounge have used level changes and inward facing seating to create many of the same conditions and human interactions. So, why sit on an uncomfortable sofa when you can bathe in comfort, either alone or socially?

S U N K E N B AT H P R O J E CT Studio 304 Architecture 2016

187

188

12 cm

18 cm

20 cm

60 º

40 cm 31 cm

20cm 64cm

24 cm

145 º

31 cm

171 cm

27 cm 10 º

158 cm

171 cm 47 º

84 cm

98 cm

26 cm

9 cm

45 cm

53 cm

11 cm

102 cm

57 cm

101 cm

130 cm

171 cm

171 cm 139 cm

15 cm

24 cm

E R G O N O M I C I N F O R M AT I O N Seated Position

E R G O N O M I C I N F O R M AT I O N Reclined Position

189

171 cm

23 cm

24 cm

190

JUST ADD WATER

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WAT E R I S C O N TA I N E D AND NET IS TENSIONED OVER IT

REPLACE B AT H T U B S U R FA C E WITH A NET

SOLID FORMS ARE TOO HEAVY

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CHANGE

THE

DATUM

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CASE STUDY

T H E B AT H R O O M 194

ALEXANDER KIRA 1976 Alexander Kira of Cornell University looked at the bathroom sink, toilet and bathtub, in the early sixties and was appalled. He said: “Architects and builders…must begin to think of hygiene facilities as an important part of the home and as an important aspect of our daily lives rather than as a necessary evil to be accommodated according to the dictates of some obsolete handbook or drawing template in whatever space is left over with whatever part of the budget is minimally required to meet legal standards.” Kira’s work analysed and re-imagined bathroom design. At the time, fashion was dictating the design of bathrooms within peoples homes, becoming a fashion statement that they could show off to visitors. As everything was becoming more and more standardised, people could compare between their bathrooms “mine has two taps, what does yours have?”. The bathroom had become a fashion hotspot of the home, dictated by popular culture and magazines portraying celebrities home interiors and sparking desire in regular people to have the same. Kira however quite rightly says “Just because a sink or tub is carved out of a single piece of onyx doesn’t make it luxurious. My definition of luxury is: “The art of the possible, something that works effortlessly every time.” If it doesn’t work, who gives a damn how expensive or stylish it is?” Kira’s bathroom designs are by no means glamorous, or what we deem glamorous in modern society, where we compare our lives and assets to an endless torrent of online content from influencers promoting “ideals”. It is fundamentally down to this,

the look, the aesthetic of the fashion grabbing bathroom, that caused Kira’s work to be overlooked by many. His studies proved people to value style over comfort, as his designs were visually unattractive, however highly practical, functional and comfortable. He worked closely with the human body and designed with human biological bathroom necessities in mind, as opposed to designing for an aesthetic that may be causing us genuine internal damage when using the toilet. Kira asked questions about the way we use our homes that until that point designers had been avoiding, because they delved into the intimate and private activities. He encourages the questioning of “standards”. What percentage of people genuinely have human ergonomics to comply with particular design standards to be comfortable? He concludes it is very few, as according to Kira, one would have to be 8 feet tall to use a toilet in a squat position, the proven position to safely and efficiently defecate. Why is it then that “comfortable toilets” were in production at the same time as Kira’s research that were 7 inches higher than standard toilets? Simply, it is down to obesity, giving the user an easier journey to sitting on their toilet seat. This may provide a momentary comfort, however the internal impacts of this unnatural position on the body are highly likely to lead to severe discomfort in the future. This is where time becomes key. Is a moments comfort worth a future of discomfort? Is a fad fashion trend going to be experientially comfortable in the future? Kira would say absolutely not. Designing for the moment is not sustainable, in every sense of the word. We must design for the future, for our health, environment, social culture, convenience and evolving comfort.

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FINDING

COMFORT THROUGH DISCOMFORT

We are all guilty of taking our phones to the bathroom for entertainment whilst on the toilet. A time for relieving human waste, becomes a waste of time. Do we do this because the toilet is too comfortable? What if we introduce discomfort to the surroundings, and make the toilet more biologically comfortable? Then we wouldn’t linger there, wasting time in an unhealthy position, and our mindless scrolling can take place in other parts of the home better suited relaxation.

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WASTE OF TIME F O U N TA I N Marcel Duchamp - 1917

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THE LIVING ROOM

W a ll - l e s s T o i l e t A place where time is saved, not wasted 198

PULP FICTION Quentin Tarantino 1994 Seen repeatedly throughout the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, John Travolta is shown playing the role of Vincent Vega who is constantly on the toilet, leading to his eventual demise. The character battles a drug and alcohol addiction. As Vaga’s physical health deteriorates, the toilet becomes a significant space, which illustrates how precious time can be easily wasted.

F O U N TA I N Marcel Duchamp 1917 On 9th April 1917, Marcel Duchamp submitted an artwork to the Society of Independent of Artists’ salon in New York. It was an upside-down urinal titled the fountain. The society rejected it claiming it is not a true work of art. The event sparked a debate. He made everyone question what makes something a work of art. For years, Duchamp championed the use of re-contextualised, ‘ready-made’ objects as artworks. Are everyday objects only significant to our daily lives by virtue of their usefulness? Remove the use, and you remove the significance. If a ready-made toilet can become one the 20th century’s most significant pieces of art, then could it generate an equally significant provocation in architecture? What happens if we transform the significance and environment surrounding the toilet instead of reimagining the object itself? 199

THE WALL-LESS TOILET

PROTAGONIST AND OBSERVER TRAVEL IN

THE PROTAGONIST

SLIDING LEAVER SCAN TO SEE IT IN ACTION

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OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AVOIDING EYE CONTACT

THE OBSERVER

Discomfort is introduced to using the toilet through the removal of walls. The datum means the user’s dignity remains somewhat intact, but how close to the blind spot does the protagonist dare to be? Is this a way to limit the waste of time?

PHYSICAL MODEL SCALE- 1:20

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202

Synergising components within the home proves that we use our furniture in more ways than they were originally intended. While these rooms, furniture and scenarios are currently working against one another, what if the solution to combating the obstacles of the home is to allow them to become the home? Instead of fighting against the kitchen, bathroom and sofa, we celebrate them and all of their associated rituals to bring rise to a new methodology for domestic architectural design. We test, explore, destroy, evaluate. We invent.

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A PLACE FOR HOME

WHY ADD A CONTEXT?

AN URBAN SCENARIO: DUCIE STREET

THE SOFT HOUSE

THE KITCHEN HOUSE

T H E B AT H H O U S E

THE COMFORT TRILOGY

CONCLUSION

WHY ADD A The synergies in Chapter 5 are prototypes designed out of context. They question the norms within the protagonist’s rituals in order to generate new ideas for the architecture a home can offer. However, in order to test the potential of these ideas, there has to be a site and a context. A context is an essential component in testing the synergies’ potential for creating more comfortable homes. research ADDThe TEXT HERE and design up to this point informs the design in context. The ideas can mutate to suit the climate, orientation, and scale of the site and its context. The context impacts heavily on which aspects of the architectural design can have elements of discomfort as well as comfort. For example, the cold British winter is an uncomfortable force of nature, but the touch of an icy door knob and watching your breath condense like steam in the cold air makes us feel alive. The level of comfort is just a question of time. The context informs which of the contributing factors of comfort are most affected by time. In Liverpool one of these factors is the cold weather - a short term pleasure but a great source of discomfort over time.

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LIVERPOOL, UK

CONTEXT ? N

SCALE: 1:10,000

The British welfare state has provided a dignified standard of living for people throughout the country. However, the minimum standard is effectively also the maximum standard by virtue of economic exploitation. Architecture is determined by profit or loss not the aspirational design goals that the first housing standards had at their heart. It is time to disrupt the norm and pave a new way for inventing new ideas and new, more dynamic standards better suited to the varied demographics residing in the UK. Instead of a one-size fits all approach.

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LIVERPOOL

Breaking the boundaries of the welfare state

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Ducie Street is derelict and has been for many years. The area has a bad reputation due to negative historic events that have caused the postcode to be tarnished to this day. The terraced house is a symbol of a familiar home we all recognise. The site has been chosen as the face of the new vernacular of domestic architecture, as nothing but radical renovation will evoke change in societal opinions of Ducie Street.

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DUCIE STREET

DUCIE STREET TOXTETH, LIVERPOOL

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RESEARCH IN-PUTS

HISTORICAL RESEARCH

CUSHION S O FA BLANKET

The historical research highlighted that the design of our homes is most affected by the fuel we use for heat and power, which in turn determines how we cook food. Epidemics have also influenced domestic control over our access to clean water and the effective treatment of human waste.

A N A LY T I C S

The in-vivo experiment showed the most used pieces of furniture to be the bed and the sofa, both are variations of the same thing: a frame structure with padding and a top textile. Although they meet standard measurements, they proved to be uncomfortable after relatively short periods of time. BLANKET BED

O B S TA C L E S OF THE HOME

CUSHION

NEW KITCHEN

TYPOLOGIES LINEAR

T H E B AT H R O O M

THE KITCHEN

The bed is a ¾ size, the dining table doubles up as a desk and the sofa is barely the length of the protagonist’s leg due to the “practical” positioning of the kitchen and bathroom.

EVERYTHING IS A KITCHEN

KITCHENLESS

CRITIQUING THE PHYSICS MIDDAY AM

23°C 16°C

DRESS

24°C 19°C

WORK 19°C

21°C 16°C EXERCISE

18°C 15°C

20°C15°C COOK

SHOWER

21°C

20°C 15°C

COOK

EAT 18°C

23°C 16°C

COOK EAT

21°C 18°C

20°C 15°C

COOK

21°CEAT 18°C

HOUSEWORK

COOK

EAT 18°C

21°C

21°C 16°C

18°C 16°C

20°C 15°C

0.15

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SLEEP 15°C

20°C 15°C

FRESH AIR

0.80

22°C

! !

18°C

24°C 21°C

EAT

21°C 18°C

EXERCISE

18°C 15°C

0.80

17°C

EAT

0.80

+ + RELAX

22°C 19°C

WORK

22°C 19°C

0.15

21°C

17°C 15°C

0.15

FRESH AIR

0.15

TOILET

21°C 16°C

0.80

0.15

SYNERGIES

HOME

KITCHEN

BATH

SO F T

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D E S I G N O U T- P U T S

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FOLLOW THE DESIGN PROCESS

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W H AT I F E V E RY T H I N G B E C A M E T H E K I T C H E N ? USE THE COMPRESSED N E G AT I V E S PA C E F O R T H E DISCOMFORT OF THE TOILET

CAN DIFFERENT D AT U M S P R O V I D E A N E W W AY O F U S I N G T H E S PA C E ?

STEPPED VOLUMES

W H AT I F T H E B AT H B E C A M E T H E H O M E ?

W E T- D R Y TRANSITION? WET GROUND FLOOR DRY UPPER FLOORS

W H AT I F T H E H O M E B E C A M E S O F T ?

WALL-LESS OF SIGHT W STREET

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ACCESS TO EAST AND WEST LIGHT TO RESET THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

HOW SMELLS B THE TOILET HOT A

CONTINUOUS ROUTE MÖBIUS STRIP OF LIVING

C O U L D D I F F E R E N T D AT U M S A L LO W F O R P R I VAT E A N D S H A R E D S PA C E S ?

HOW WILL THE PHYSICS WORK?

WAT E R VA P O U R C A N R I S E THROUGH NETTING - WHERE DOES IT GO?

E N C L O S E D S PA C E T O TRAP SOME OF THE HOT AIR AND CONTROL HUMIDITY

TOILET - LINE WITH THE

W COULD UNWANTED E EXTRACTED FROM T USING THE RISING I R F221 R O M T H E B AT H ?

I B O T

W H AT H A P P E N S A B O V E T H E GROUND FLOOR?

C O U L D T H E B AT H D I C TAT E T H E S PA C E S WITHIN THE HOME?

FA M I L I A R B O X E S F O R PRIVACY AND EMOTION AL SECURITY ADJACENT TO A M B I G U O U S S U R FA C E S AND VOLUMES

A VA R I AT I O N O F T H E B AY W I N D O W S E AT N E X T T O T H E B AT H - L I V I N G ROOM

NTERACTION WITH THE STREET - A BOLD COLOUR ON THE OUTSIDE AND AN OPENING TO GAZE THROUGH WHILST IN T H E B AT H ?

W H AT S PA C E S D O E S T H E B AT H - L I V I N G R O O M G E N E R AT E AROUND IT? U N D U L AT I N G F LO O R S C O U L D B E C O M E ‘ S O F T ’ D AT U M S F O R S I T T I N G , SLEEPING OR WORKING

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KITCHEN

COULD THE CORE OF THE HOME BECOME THE D AT U M O R G A N I S E R ?

C O N TA I N E D W I T H I N ? W H AT I F T H E B O X I S TRANSLUCENT? OR SHOULD THE SHELL F L U C T U AT E B E T W E E N C L E A R , O PA Q U E , A N D TRANSLUCENT?

B AT H

SOFT 223

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THE KITCHEN HOUSE

The Comfort Trilogy 225

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THE KITCHEN HOUSE

P HYSI C A L M ODEL SCAL E 1:50

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The Kitchen House

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The kitchen is arguably the most standardised part of the modern home. Instead of allowing the kitchen to place restrictions on other elements of the home, it becomes the home. All rituals of kitchen are celebrated in their own right. Your morning coffee is brewed by your bed, at the base of a spiralling staircase, acting as a chimney to draw the smell through the home. You need to work from home, but the standard kitchen table and chair that had become your office and crippled your back is gone, replaced by a multitude of surfaces at all different datums that allow you to work and snack in comfort. There is a pandemic outbreak and you can no longer go for a picnic in the park, or a barbecue on the beach, or to a restaurant with your partner, but that is no issue in the kitchen house, where you can do all of these things and more in the comfort of your own home.

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230

T H E B AT H H O U S E

The Comfort Trilogy 231

232

T H E B AT H H O U S E

P HYSI C A L M ODEL SCAL E 1:100

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BATH HOUSE

The Bath House

234

Removing the kitchen makes us question what the new heart of the home could be. Alexander Kira criticised how bathrooms are an after-thought, and are often seen as an auxiliary space. So what if the bathroom was your home, and there were bathing opportunities all over the house. There are distinct dry and wet zones connected by in between amphibious spaces, which connect to a storage wall for all the objects you wish to keep warm and dry. The highlight of the home is the bath-living room. The steam rises and condenses on the surfaces of the bedroom volumes and toilet at the top of the house. Ready to eat now? Just order your food online, and get it delivered through the hatch onto the conveyor belt. Watch it as it glides towards you and you can just reach through and grab it. The height of convenience and relaxation in the comfort of your own home.

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THE SOFT HOUSE

The Comfort Trilogy 237

238

THE SOFT HOUSE

P HYSI C A L M ODEL SCAL E 1:50

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The Soft House 240

The uncomfortable sofa was a major obstacle and source of discomfort in the home. So why not soften the boundaries, surfaces, and volumes in the home? What is a sofa, couch, or settee? ‘Sofa’ is derived from the Arabic ‘soffa’ meaning ‘wool’, and it was originally part of the floor raised up and upholstered with carpets and cushions. The word ‘couch’ has its origins in the French ‘coucher’ meaning ‘to lay down’. ‘Settee’ is a variation of the old English ‘settle’ which historically was a bench made of oak. The settee developed as a bench with a soft seat, becoming popular in the 17th century. The sofa is a floor, bed, and bench not just a seat. How can the ‘sofa’ transform the whole house? In this house you can enjoy the radiating warmth of the bath chimney. You can recline whilst cooking. Or, you can enjoy the soft, diffused light filtering through the fabric ceiling. All in the comfort of your own home.

241

So, what is comfort? The three houses are all designed as a result of testing carried out on the same protagonist with divergent outcomes. Similar to any other architectural brief, there is a bias to what factor is used as a design driver, in this case it is comfort. The field of comfort defined by the protagonist during this experimental research will be different to that of an alternative protagonist. This enforces the notion that comfort is subjective, not definite. Comfort is ultimately defined by the individual in a given situation; it is instinctive and inherent. Using comfort as a tool for design in a domestic setting is ideal as it encompasses all aspects of how we feel in a space over time. These houses were our architectural testing ground but they have not been lived in. The entire process could be repeated if the protagonist was to actually live there. It would transform the theoretical discussion into a built version of the initial idea which is then influenced by economics and subject to planning restrictions. This manual disrupts the norm in a domestic setting, but this methodology is not exclusive to housing design. How could this process apply to an office, a school, a hospital...?

Look at those houses! Don’t they look so comfortable!

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The Kitchen House

SCAN HERE TO SEE THE FULL DESIGN

The Soft House

The Bath House

What Is Your Comfort ?

h t t p s : // w w w . h o u s e - l a b . o r g / c o m f o r t /

WH AT IS COMFORT? A M ANUAL TO DISRUPT TH E ‘ N O R M ’ O F D O M E STI C AR C H ITE CTUR E

This manual of research-led design was conducted by three students at the University of Liverpool in partial fulfilment of the Masters of Architecture (MArch RIBA Part II). One of the biggest challenges facing designers right now is how to change the status quo when things are fine. The manual begins with the thought that fine is not good enough. Making everything just about bearable does not constitute comfort nor good architectural design. This thesis began during lock-down in the UK, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the weaknesses of our home environment were magnified by time. Our research develops a methodology for challenging standards and creating a human-centred approach to designing domestic architecture rather than an economic model to be exploited.

FEL I C IT Y M ORRIS

E MILY NIVE N

JOSE PH WILLOU GHBY