architectural portfolio

PORT

FOLIO

stage

2

architectural

studies riba

part

one

newcastle university

ILINCA GEORGESCU 2013

resume

ilinca georgescu d.o.b. |23|11|1992| email|i.georgescu@ncl.ac.uk| blog|www.archpuncture.wordpress.com| instagram|ilincag|

education

newcastle university |2011-present| BA Architectural Studies

Oakham school |2007-2011| the German ‘Goethe’ College bucharest|1999-2006|

achievements

student Representative for the first year architecture students oakham School Design Prize academic Prefect runner up in the design competition for n-hay

Skills

languages: english |fluent| romanian |native| german |fluent| it:sketchup|photoshop|autocad|indesign| microsoft office|highdesign|renditioner|

workexperience

junior art director |gav advertising agency| romania|2011-present| summer house project|civil engineer christos massuros|2012| dorin stefan architectural office|2011| costume design movie|2010|

assistant|the

elle decoration| romania|2010| elle magazine|romania|2010|

phantom

father

projects

05 04 03 02 01 section

civic

simplicity

a l l e y centred economy h o m e george

placed

displaced s t a i r s t y n e m o u t h n e w c a s t l e newcastle

charette

w e e k newcastle

a p r i l m a r c h december november october

additional

course

components

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a n of c e s and c a p

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s s e

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environmental d e s i g n and s e r v i c e s

places of houses

a r c h i tectural

technology

learning journal www.archpuncture.wordpress.com

year

o v e r v i e w

This year was a year of progress, a year of experimenting and a year of development. Every project brought with it something new and different. my aim was to try and continue with hand drawn plans and sections, which i then realized it took a lot more time and has maybe restricted some of the development work. i believe i have improved in modelmaking, as the quality of these has increased, thus enabling me to realise where more development is required. i have enjoyed starting my own blog to document my working progress and this turned out to be very useful when putting together this portfolio.my computer skills have improved as well and i feel very confident using cad,sketchup and photoshop, even thought these have been mainly used for final presentations, so next year i am looking into applying these skills throughout the development of a project. putting the portfolio together was a way of reviewing my work and realizing the improvement that happened throughout this year. all the re-done work using the feedback from the final crits is marked with a round dot. through the project entitled ‘secion alley’ the chares of newcastle were explored. As a group, we all had to make suggestions and decisions, bouncing ideas of each other andcreating a diverse outcome. The exploration of materials was a key component to our work, as it enhanced our ideas of recyclability and the use of the sites resources. the challenge was to get our ideas across in a very obvious but special way, trying to differentiate ourselves from other groups, we casted concrete models, experimenting with appliques of tights onto card and many other unusual techniques.

The project entitled civic centred provided me with a much better understanding of large scale projects. In the beginning I struggled with applying the correct scale and dimension to my design, but a review of the brief has sent me on the right track. the site being the old tynemouth pool it had some precise geometry within it, something that seemed out of place on a beachy environment. therefore my desig was also geometrical and very precise, being inspired by the ‘rubix cube’. Howvever this would consist of a mirrored exterior, which means it reflects the always changing surroundings of the building but still making it stand out if seen from a distance. What didnt work very well in my presentation were my plans which didn’t have enough detail and liniarity about them and were not positioned well in the presentation. I have chosen to redraw these for my portfolio using cad. I have also re-adjusted some components of the sections and tried to make these stand out more,as this was another critique received. The whole presentation lacked as it wasn’t planned properly. However, I believe the cube ide was very well rerceived which meant that only a few changes had to be made.

The ‘simplicity,economy,home’ project was ambiguous in the sense of understanding how the user will interact with the building and what are the neccesities that need to be incorporated. I have decided to construct a paper workshop to accompany the acoomodation building. The site provided me with an interesting gradient and shape, which helped compose the design. In the final presentation the main weakness mentioned was the interior of the building. I have chosen to change this to create more interesting interior spaces that follow the outlines of the building and its direction. The sections were appreciated and really showed my design ideas and the way the building is inhabited. Unfortunately, the quality of the drawings was lost whilst scanning so a few changes had to be made. i believe this has enhanced my ideas of light and floating quality even further.

‘Placed,displaced’ was the first design project of the year. Creating a small house within small dimensions was a fun challenge. I enjoyed looking at the works of Adolf Loos and his ideas about internal spaces and ‘Raumplan’. This helped me understand the ideas of privacy within a household and influenced me into creating divisions in an open space using rised levels. The idea of privacy was then further developed when I chose to add a touch of nature to the white interior. This is done through the use of tree trunks in spaces such as the balcony or the division between the bedroom and stairs.this is linked to the fact that the users enjoy nature and so therefore would enjoy a nature-inspired method of separating the rooms. The exterior was all about depth and I believe this was very well shown through the facade study. However, the sections didn’t show the inhabitants of the place so the sense of scale was lost. Therefore I have chosen to re-draw the section and also create a longitudial section which shows the qualities of the light. the charette week gave me the chance to gather ideas from other years, to make friends and enjoy a fun project at a 1:1 scale. our concept was to create walls in a tight space which would get the user to interact with it. i believe the project was a success.

05

section

alley george

stairs

april

as the title suggest, section alley is a project in which a group of us had to explore the hidden alleyways of Newcastle. The three week long project encouraged us to explore our ideas and concepts through modeling and experimenting, as well asthe use of sections, as these were highly regarded. our chosen site is known as ‘George stairs’ and is a very urban space through its 60’s concrete design. we based our concept on the idea of pipes carrying the sound through the whole site: from the sheltered music installments to the busy streets of newcastle.

3d sections collage

This page is dedicated to experimentation through materials . A variety of materials such as tights, wood, concrete casts and recycled materials have helped us realize which direction we should follow with our concept. the proposed installation is very angular, to provide shelter but also to funnel the music upwards into the ‘music pipes’. These pipes carry the sound through the whole site . Each installation will be playing different music so that all pipes combined will create an orchestra of sounds and noises which will attract people towards the chare .

concrete m o d e l

site model u s i n g s c r a p

materials

the metal pipes follow the route of the chare and is represented as the bendy metal wire in the above model

04

civic

centred tynemouth

m a r c h

the chosen site for this project was the old tynemouth pool. the geometric ansamble right on the beach, made this site interesting. from the idea of liniarity and difference between levels, i have chosen to compose a design that would fit within the environment. the design would hold two main activites: -photography exhibition and photography courses to focus mainly on underwater photography and sea related photographs.

-diving pool of 9.5 metres deep and also the exterior original pool which would be filled up with water .

the design is based on the famous rubix cube. from there I chose to keep the perfect proportioning even in the interior of the building: creating an internal grid of lines and from there trying to split up the spaces. to keep the perfect proportions the size of the building is of 15x15metres.

The building would be positioned on the west side of the building and will be raised 1.5 on stilts .

This will create a floating feeling and the water will be reflected in the mirrored ecternal facade.

development

models

key words accentuating the deisgn jagged repetition pattern reflection grid changing extruded open bright square

latitudinal

section

The idea of the cube was taken further by extruding the viewpoints from the important sides: the north and east sides which face towards the beach and sea. The other two sides will remain flat to add a more liniar feeling.

I have chosen to experiment with the different extrusions using sketchup at first then actually testing this , as shown through development models.

longitudinal

section

ground f l o o r S C A L E 1 : 2 0 0

The cut the the

section running at the bottom of the pages is a through the long side of the pool. this shows positioning of the design within the site and access bridge to the entrance of the building.

the plans shown below have been redon after the final crit. the internal spaces seem to be working a lot better now but still leaving that sense of internal squares. the first floor is allocated for the gallery space and classrooms, whilst on the second floor the pool. changing rooms and first aid rooms are located.

f f S 1

i l C :

r o A 2

s o L 0

t r E 0

second f l o o r s c a l e 1 : 2 0 0

03

simplicity

economy

h o m e

s p

i l

t a

e n

newcastle

december

s i t sectio showin d e s i g

e n g n

the step up to a project of a bigger scale was an expected hallenge. The site chosen was rised at 1.2 metres from the ground, which made it very interesting to me. as a workshop was required in the brief, i started looking at furniture manufactured out of paper. the book entitled “Folding techniques for designers:from sheet to form� helped me understand basic principles of folding and how these can be applied on a much larger scale item. I enjoyed working with paper and followed the idea of an lightweight design, something that is almost floating in the air. i belive that the drawings and photographs describe my development much better than words. even though at times in my design i wanted to create three separate buildings, when modeled these didn’t have the same effect as just one without separations.

f i r s t t h r e e i d e a s

qualities t h a t w e r e t a k e n further

development

u s i n g lighting qualities

deveopment

t i m e l i n e linearity simplicity l i g h t w e i g h t floating

l i g h t enhances the idea of a‘floating a b o v e ground’ building

f u r t h e r deleopment u s i n g site model

final design

The ground floor is dug into the sloped ground and provides the main entrance for the workshop but also to the elevator which leads into the main building. the platform is flat and creates a unity to the building. all the lines of the design point in a certain direction and that is towards the sw corner which is the only rounded corner of the site. that acts as my focus point in directing the external lines/shape and helping to shape the interior.the interior was not developed enough at the time of the final crit so i have chosen to redraw the plans and to try to succeed in following the liniar qualities.

second floor

first floor

ground floor

section

e a s t s i d e

section south facade

section

west side

The most praised component throughout the project has been the consistency of the idea of floatingness. this was achieved by raising the ground floor enough to allow some glazing. This glazin g would allow for light to pass through and create a sense of lightness to the above building. this is most pronounced during the night time and makes the design very obvioous to the people passing by.

This difference in ‘weight’ between the ground floor and the upper floors has also been accentuated by the use of materials. the groundfloor being out of concrete creating a very solid support which also reflects on the purpose of the level: the workshop. The upper storeys will be made out of wood to enhance that idea of lightweightness.

02

placed

displaced newcastle

november

the restrictions brought by the brief, regarding the size of the building and other limitations, made this project very exciting.the house design i chose to develop was very simplistic but practical.

To give the idea of a larger space than the existing one i restricted myself in using a lot of partitions. Apart from the exterior walls, only the toilett has walls. All other spaces differentiate from each other through levels (bedroom) or the half partition of the staircase (between living room and kitchen). the concept was to create a staircase that will receive a lot of light from the illuminator created by the extruded ceiling. this also illuminates the bathroom, which otherwise would have been cut off from natural light due to its placement in the centre of the first floor.

precedents

f i r s t d e s i g n showing l i g h t qualities

f i r s t f l o o r p l a n

ground f l o o r p l a n

3d facade s t u d y

section

scale 1:100

01

charette

w e e k

newcastle

october

focusing on ideas of intrusion within space, a concept of interaction with the design was created. A simple, often frecvented corner in the Quadrangle was used as our site for the one week project. The group worked well together, everyone focusing on creating a structure that would balance well and stand on its own. We created three walls which were put together using a lap joint. to create the right height we had three centre pieces onto which rectangular shapes were attached. Each one of these shapes was at a diffferent distance, creating thr intervention we wanted to achieve. The carboard walls stood up on their own however, on the fianl presentation day it was very windy so they kept blowing away.

installation

on

s i t e

geometrical

drawings inspired by presentation

paintings

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note: even though scale is shown on this page the drawings have been resized so are not to an accurate scale factor

environmental d e s i g n and s e r v i c e s

Insulation*(U-Value)*calculations*

Fig.9 mineral wool

The%resident%flat%consists%of%just%one%floor,%on%the%N5W%side%of%the%building.%I%had%to%calculate%the%U5values%for% walls,% roof,% floor% and% glazing.% Starting% off% with% the% walls% of% the% flat,% there% are% two% walls% exposed,% whilst% the% other% two% are% sheltered,% as% they% are% inside% the% building.% I% have% looked% at% creating% a% timber5framed% wall% construction,% due% to% its% eo5friendly% factor:% every% timber% frame% home% saves% about% 4% tones% of% CO2% (ForestryScotland).%I%have%investigated%two%out%of%three%types%of%timber%frame%construction:% % 5Open%panel%system%(Conventional% 5Closed%Panel%System5%the%insulation% Platform%frame)5%This%accounts%for%80%%of% material%is%installed%into%the%panel%in%the% timber%frame%used%in%the%UK.%Panels%are% factory%and%another%layer%of%material%is% made%from%softwood%timber%frame%and% added%to%close%the%panel.%Fig.4,%shows%a% sheathed%with%plywood%or%OSB%(oriented% generic%type%called%‘breathing%walls’.%In%this% strand%board).%The%insulation%can%be% case%the%vapour%control%layer%is%incorporated% Fig.4 ‘Breathing installed%on%site%if%preferred.%Expected%U5 into%the%plasterboard%and%then%the% Walls’ value%is%of%0.18%with%an%external%brick5% soft/medium%board%of%outer%sheathing%does% cladding%layer.%In%my%design%I%decided%to% not%require%additional%breather%membrane,% choose%this%manufacturing%system%with% unlike%the%open%panel%system.%I%have%found%a% an%external%timber%cladding%of%100%mm% Fig.1 open panel system manufacturing%solution%called%SuppaWall% thick%which%has%a%resistance%of%0.57% (fig.6),%which%has%a%U5value%of%0.12%W/m2K.% % m2K/W%(fig.2),%the%other%layers%are% Another%type%of%closed%panel%system%is%the% presented%in%the%table%below%(fig.3).%The% latest%development%called%‘reverse%wall’.%In% ! insulation%I%have%chosen%was%mineral% this,%the%structural%OSB%sheathing%moves%to% wool,%with%a%thickness%of%140%mm%and%a% the%inside%face%(to%improve%robustness)% !

Fig.5. ‘Reverse thermal%resistance%of%2.69.%I%have%showed% whilst%it%also%acts%as%a%vapor%control%layer.% Wall’ all%the%layers%of%the%wall%in%the%table% The%external%material%can%be%moisture% ! below%with%their%conductivity%and% resistant%plasterboard,medium/soft%board%or% Fig.6 SuppaWall resistance.%The%outcome%for%the%U5value% breathable%membrane.%% ! was%0.22%W/m2K,%which%is%below%the% British%Building%Standards%of%0.35%W/m2K% !

!

Fig.2 external timber cladding Placement/material Fig.3 Table showing material Outer wall/Timber qualities for wall 25mm Cavity Sheathing

!

Insulation/Mineral Wool Plasterboard

!

Conductivity (W/mK)

Thickness (mm)

!

100

0.18 0.05681 0.13 0.04

25 !

9

0.44 0.07

12.5

0.06

Thickness (mm) Conductivity (W/mk) R-Value (m2K/W)

2! !

Conductivity(W/mk) R-value (m2K/W)

Foundation

200% 0.32% 0.62%

Sub Base

50% 1.1% 0.05%

Concrete beam

20% 0.19% 0.11%

Insulation

140% 0.021% 3.91%

Floor-laminate

12.5% 0.08% 0.16%

Insulation 200% 0.021% 9.52%

Plasterboard 25% 0.21% 0.12%

With%the%U5values%acquired,%walls50.22,%floor50.15%and%roof50.08,%I%have%achieved%an%AECB%Silver%Standard% level.%This%means%70%%reduction%in%co2%emissions%from%the%average%UK%building.%% %

My% flat’s% total% glazing% area% is% of% 14.54m2,% this% includes% also% the% roof5light% which% is% allowing% more% light% into%the%living%room.%I%have%decided%to%look%at%different%types%of%glazing%such%as%low5e,%gas5filled%double5 glazing,%argon%and%triple%glazing.%I%have%decided%to%compare%these%four%not%only%related%to%the%u5value% they%would%achieve%but%also%cost5wise.%% Double&Glazing$& ,Typical!U,value:!2.6! ,Optimum!space! between!the!two! layers!of!glass!is!of!20! mm.! ,Double!glazing!! becomes!energy! efficient!when!used! together!with!a! gas/e,glaing! ,heat!loss:!1400W! ,£90!a!month!!

%%%%%%%%%The%flat%is%located%on%the%ground%floor.%The%foundation% construction% therefore% will% be% a% Ground% Floor% Slab(fig.7).% This% consists% of% a% concrete% Fig.7 ground floor slab foundation.% I% have% researched% different% types% of% aggregate% blocks% to% make% up% this% foundation.% I% have% used% the% ‘Foundation% 7’% blocks% with% their% conductivity% of% 0.32W/mK,%as%they%have%a%strength%that%is%double%then%the%normal%blocks.%%

Thickness (mm)

Sheathing-Plywood 25% 0.0735% 0.34%

%

Exterior!Wall!U-Value:!0.22!W/m2K%

Fig.8 Table of values for floor

External Boundary 20% 0.13% 0.15%

However,%Polyutherane%Foam%gave%the%lowest%overall%value%of%the%roof%being%at%0.08W/m2K.%%

!

A% sub% base% of% width% 10mm% is% added.% % This% can% be% either% Recycled% Aggregate,% Limestone,%Granite%or%EcoBlend.%I%chose%to%add%a%layer%of%limestone,%soft%(1800/kg3)% which%has%a%thermal%conductivity%of%1.1.%As%an%insulation%layer%I%have%added%Phenolic% foam%of%a%thickness%of%140mm.%(all%these%are%shown%in%table).%%An%alternative%to%this% insulation% could% be% floors% that% already% incorporate% insulation% such% as% Tarmac% Heatwave%Plus,%which%can%achieve%U5values%of%18%W/m2K.Overall,%I%have%achieved%a%U5value%of%0.15%for% the%floor.%%

Fig.12 Polyutherane

% The%flat%has%a%timber%flat%roof,%so%I%have%looked%at%creating%a%roof%with%a%well5ventilated%cavity.%%I%have% started%looking%at%different%types%of%insulation,%the%first%one%being%mineral%wool%of%200%mm%wide,%which% together%with%the%external%and%internal%boundaries,%the%plasterboard%ceiling%and%the%roof%space%gave%a% value%of%0.1W/m2K.%This%is%a%low%value%but%I%am%interested%if%there%are%better%insulating%materials%that% can% be% used.% Expanded% Polystyrene% and% Cellular% glass% both% gave% the% same% outcome% of% 0.1W/m2K.%

2.69

!

Fig.11 Cellular glass

% % % %

!

0.57

140

0.21

Thermal Resistance-R (m2K/W)

Fig.10 EP

Fig.14 double glazing heat loss

Low$e&glazing$&

Argon&glazing$&&

Triple&Glazing$&

,Typical!U,value:!1.8! ,For!extra!energy! efficiency!

Typical!U,value:!2.6!

When!used!with!low, e!glazing!the!value! goes!down!to:!1.7!

W/m2K!

U,Value:!it!can! achieve!a!value!of!0.8!

(Passive!House)! when!filled!with! krypton.!However!the! usual!value!lies!at!!1.3!

W/m2K! ! ,heat!loss:!300W! ,£20!a!month!

,double glazing using Low-E glass has energy conservation properties as good as normal triple glazing, without the 50% increase in weight! &

%

% % % %

% % % % % % %

Fig13Triple glazing

Therefore,% I% have% decided% to% use% triple% glazing% in% my% design% to% ensure% a% greater% energy% efficiency,% as% triple% ! glazing%achieves%an%A%in%the%Energy%Efficiency%Table.%This% also%reduces%heat%radiation%between%glass%and%room%by%80%.%With%a%U5value%of% 0.8% W/m2K% means% that% it% means% the% AECB% Gold% Standard% qualification.% I% will% use% the% same% triple% glazing% for% my% rooftop% light% as% well,% to% ensure% the% same% standard.%% % The%front%door%does%not%lead%straight%outside,%but%in%the%entrance%hall,%which% means%that%it%should%not%loose%as%much%heat%as%an%external%door.%However,%I% will%treat%it%as%an%external%one%to%try%and%find%a%solution%that%has%a%U5value%below%1.8%W/m2K.% CENSolutions% stated% that% a% 60565% mm% thick% hardwood% door% would% have% a% U5value% of% between% 2.553.0,% and%“most%timber%door%manufacturers%will%find%it%impossible%to%achieve%1.8”.%I%want%to%try%and%find%an% energy%efficient%type%of%door,%even%when%this%has%to%be%made%out%of%a%different%material%to%achieve%low% U5values.% Broxwood% offers% timber% doors% U5value% of% 0.7% W/m2K,% which% can% even% be% used% in% a% Passive% House.%This%means%the%energy%efficiency%level%is%very%low.%I%will%use%this%in%my%design.%% %

% 3! !

Fig.15 Solar Panel

!

Day-lighting**

Sustainable%Energy%%

% In% the% SAP% calculation% the% outcome% was% that% my% flat% requires% 1510.37% kWhr/Year%for%the%heating%system%and%3352.554209 kWhr/Year for%the% water%heating%system.%This%provides%a%total%of%4862.924%KWhr/Year.%This%is% a% low% value% as% both% the% heating% system% and% the% water% heater% have% an% efficiency%rate%of%85%.

To% make% the% flat% more% eco5friendly% I% have% firstly% looked% at% the% heating% system% and% how% this% can% be% improved.% Small% additions% such% as% adding% a% room%thermostat%can%mean%£70%and%280kg%carbon%dioxide/year.%Another% addition%could%be%a%hot%water%tank%thermostat,which%saves%£30%and%130kg% Carbon%dioxide/year.%I%am%interested%in%a%solar%water%heating%system%for% the%flat%using%solar%panels.%This%is%possible%as%I%have%decided%to%leave%out% the% trees% in% my% project% and% the% other% trees% are% too% far% to% effect% the% efficiency%of%the%system.%The%brand%Genersys%(right%hand%table)%achieves%a% renewable% contribution% of% 1630% kWh% for% electricity% using% their% branded% panels.% A% Genersys% 100510% domestic% solar% panel% could% generate% 1300% kWhr/year%for%one%panel%alone.%If%3%panels%would%be%installed%this%would% mean%3900%kWhr/year,%resulting%in%the%flat%being%self5sufficient%in%regard% to%the%hot%water%system.%The%payback%cost%of%the%system%is%estimated%to% be%at%around%8510%and%the%yearly%saving%is%of%£275.% %%%%%In% my% SAP,% the% electrical% requirement% is% of% 130% kWhr/year,% which% is% not% very% high.% % I% have% looked% at% Photovoltaic% Panels% (PV’s),% which% can% generate% about% 3000% kWhr/year.% This% saves% over% a% tone% of% carbon% dioxide%every%year.%% %%Looking%at%UK’s%irradiation%map,%Newcastle%does%not%get%the%maximum% amount%of%solar%energy%possible.%This%is%at%a%level%of%900%kWh/m2%rather% than% 1100% kWh/m2.% However,% this% does% not% mean% the% PV’s% wouldn’t% work,%it%means%their%functionality%could%be%lowered%by%7%.%(fig.17)% % I% have% worked% out% that% with% 4% Bosch% M235% panels% I% could% achieve% an% annual% electricity% output% of% 723% kWhr.% This% would% require%a%frame%as%my%roof%is%flat,% so%it%can%be%positioned%at%an%angle%

*

kgCO2/year% 351.8272454% 663.8057334% 67.21% 214.2099% 1297.052876%

Dining!area!

Fig.16 table showing difference in electricity

! ! !

Fig.18 living room

! !

Kitchen!

“Daylight is is essential – not only for vision, but also for the effects on people working in, living or experiencing the built environment. Seen from a biological point of view, daylight is the essential factor for the existence of all life.”

(Editorial, Daylight and Architecture,2006)

Fig.17 Irradiation Map

Fig.19 Single Bedroom

Fig. 20 Double Bedroom

Ways%of%improving%the%emission%rate% kgCO2/year%saved% Photovoltaic%Panels%%(PV)% 383% Solar%Panels% 500% % % % % New%total%value%of%co2/year:%414.052876%kg%

The%flats%total%energy%cost%was%at%224.333143.%However,%with%the%new%sustainable%energy%sources%added% I%believe%this%can%go%down%to%around%£50/year.%This%very%low%cost%and%and%the%sustainable%energy%sources,% that%have%managed%to%lower%my%CO2%emissions%by%30%,%I%believe%the%flat%can%be%counted%as%an%example% of%a%‘Passive%House’.%In%the%SAP%calculations%I%achieved%14%credits,%so%an%improvement%of%123%%of%DER% over%TER.%%

4! !

* *

Workspace!

!

and%will%use%up%6.56%m2%of%the%roof%area.%The%panels%could%be%positioned% towards%the%front%part%of%the%building,%over%the%reception%area%(which%is% located%in%front%of%the%flat).%In%case%more%panels%would%be%bought,%some% of% the% energy% produced% could% be% sold% back% to% the% national% grid.% % The% calculation%gave%me%an%annual%saving%cost%of%£172.%% Dwelling%Co2%emission%rate% Heating%system%% Water%heating%system%% Electricity%for%pumps% Electricity%for%lighting% Total%CO2%%

Living!room!

Fig.21 Bathroom

5! !

Fig.18%shows%the%open%plan%kitchen,%dining%are,%living%room%and%workspace.%%This%is% also%where%the%access%from%the%rest%of%the%building%into%the%flat%is%occurring.%There% is%a%quite%large%area%that%seems%to%be%over5glazed,%with%lux%levels%of%800.%This%value% is%too%large%and%it%appears%to%be%coming%from%the%rooflight.%To%minimize%this%value,% a%smaller%area%of%glazing%should%be%used.%%The%kitchen%area%is%well%lit%with%levels% between%2005400%lux,%which%is%just%the%right%amount%of%light%penetration.%However,% the%area%where%the%workspace%is%located%is%a%little%bit%darker,%lux%levels%located% between%1005200.%I%don’t%believe%that%it%is%necessary%to%think%about%more%glazing%in% that%area,%seeing%as%roof5light%provides%enough%light%throughout%the%rest%of%the% space.%%% Fig.19%shows%the%single%bedroom%adjacent%to%the%living%room.%This%is%a%small%room% that%because%of%its%quite%large%window%is%very%light.%Lux5levels%are%ranging%from% 1005at%the%back,%to%even%6005right%near%the%window.%I%believe%it%is%necessary%to%add% some%blinds%or%curtains%to%this%window%to%gain%privacy%but%also%to%control%the% amount%of%light%that%comes%in.%% Fig.20%shows%the%double%bedroom%that%is%adjacent%to%the%kitchen.%This%is%very% dark%on%one%side%of%the%room%with%lux%values%going%as%low%as%0.00.%A%larger%glazing% area%should%be%considered%to%allow%for%more%light.%% Fig.21%displays%the%bathroom,%which%seems%to%have%a%perfect%amount%of%light% coming%through%the%roof5light.%The%lux%values%are%situated%between%2005400.%The% idea%of%using%a%rooftop%light%meant%that%the%dweller%has%its%privacy%but%still%a%source% of%natural%light.% % %

Ilinca Georgescu Student No.110120658

Using specific examples discuss how direct involvement in the process of producing housing impacts on the rela8onship between the dweller and the dwelling. What can we learn about concepts of construc8on, dwelling and habita8on= The rela9onship between the dweller and the dwelling has always been the core of architecture. In 500 BC the celts lived in round houses made out of clay with thatched roofs (fig.1). The tradi9onal purpose of a dwelling was to shelter and protect its inhabitants from weathering or animals. In 9me, the purpose of houses has evolved and the buildings have changed shape to accommodate these altera9ons. The more modern explana9on of the purpose of a dwelling is described by Stea and Turan as “an environment in which part of everyday life is sustained through various ac9vi9es and where social rela9ons are accommodated”(1993:13-­‐14). Therefore, it is apparent that 9me alters func9ons and rela9onships of dwellers and dwelling alike. In this essay I will look at how the direct involvement in the process of producing houses can change the rela9onship between the dweller and the dwelling, if this strengthens the rela9onship or not Fig.1 and how mediums such as architects should take into account this rela9onship.

In modern society the two terms ‘house’ and ‘dwelling’ seem to have been separated. A house will be built for the purpose of a dwelling rather than the dwelling to be considered whilst it is being built. The main purpose of crea9ng a dwelling is crea9ng a boundary, which is defined as the house. This should be fiTed to suit the dwellers personal preferences, which then gets filled with good/bad moments and memories, crea9ng a ‘dwelling’. Heidegger comments on the rela9onship between human beings and space, saying that “this is inherent in our character as dwellers”(2001:155).I agree with the statement and believe that a dwelling is in close contact with the dweller, they co-­‐exist, thus a stronger bond between the two can only be enhanced by prolonging this rela9onship, which can be achieved by the direct involvement in crea9ng the dwelling. Once again this idea is backed up by Heidegger who states that: “building is not merely a means and a way towards dwelling; to build is in itself already to dwell” (2001:145).The dweller has the opportunity to shape his house the way he is used to, crea9ng a flow of movement through the dwelling that seems very natural. All the choices made, concerning the dwelling, reflect a personal choice and lifestyle, therefore perfectly sui9ng the dweller. However, the direct influence of the dweller on the dwelling cannot be simply set out to be just at the construc9on phase. This influence con9nues throughout a life9me. Time brings changes to a Household, rou9nes and creates a never-­‐ending construc9on phase, (this of course is less substan9al then the primary stage of making the founda9ons).

The middleman in the rela9onship between a dweller and the process of producing a dwelling is the architect. Their role is to create a strong and personal link between the house and its occupants. The architect needs to be in constant contact throughout the building period, in order to find out what the dweller wants and maybe to rec9fy what he would not have agreed with. This is acknowledged by Kenline, who men9ons that “architects need to think about the truth, the true purpose of a building, as dwelling, to understand that a building is not an expression of themselves, but should cul9vate the life of beings”(Kenline: 7). The flexibli9ty of an architect according to its clients can bring great success into one’s project. However, there are a great amount of examples in which this connec9on between the architect and the dweller has not been taken into account. This mainly happens in larger scale projects, in which the number of residents exceeds 15, as these buildings become very impersonal. An example of this is the ‘Hulme Deck access disaster’ in Manchester (fig.2,3).

The redevelopment-­‐project seemed to have taken into account all details except for one: “No one thought of involving residents in the decision-­‐making processes of the (proposed) redevelopment of Hulme” (HPRC, 1977). This lack of direct involvement from the residents resulted in the disastrous project, which quickly gained a very bad reputa9on (Mahdjoubi and Moobela,2007:15).In my opinion a house built in direct connec9on to its dweller and his needs will effec9vely achieve its aim: to become a home to its dweller.

Fig.2

Principles and Theories of Architecture ARC 2023

Fig. 3

In this paragraph I will look closer at the idea of spa9al iden9ty and how this creates a link

between dwellers and dwellings. Heidegger explains that in essence, building is more than the ac9on of erec9ng and planning a dwelling, it is the way we live in it as well. Simple ac9ons such as wri9ng a book or gardening can mean ‘building’, therefore any ac9vity can be counted as building or dwelling, due to their original German word: ‘bauen’(Arriagada 2009:18). The building one calls home is constantly being filled with ac9ons. These can be posi9ve or nega9ve but both create memories that the dweller will always remember and so it creates a psychological link. This link means that a special iden9ty has been given to the place by the dweller and interes9ngly, the dwellers can receive components of iden9ty from a place. For example some people relate to a place right from the beginning because of its ‘spiritual maTer’, also referred to as ‘genius loci’ (earth spirit). Chris9an Norberg-­‐Schulz gives a very nice example of such a spiritual connec9on to a place, in his book en9tled “Between Heaven and Earth”. He talks about the story “The Last One Home” wriTen by Tarjei Vesaas, in which the main character called Knut, a forester, is ques9oning what it means to know and to belong to a place. Knut establishes that he belongs to the forest and that is where his iden9ty lies (fig.4,5,6). Norberg-­‐Schulz emphasizes, that a person’s connec9on to a specific place and belonging there, adds to someone’s iden9ty. This iden9fica9on of belongingness, influences the rela9onship between the dweller and the dwelling (Van Nes,2012).The explana9on of the ‘genius loci’ given by Jackson is more straighkorward and states that: “we recognize that certain locali9es have an aTrac9on which gives us a certain indefinable sense of well-­‐being and which we want to return to, 9me and again”(1994:157l158). It is therefore an achievement to find this special connec9on between the environment, the dweller and its dwelling.

Fig.4,5,6

I enjoyed looking past the concrete meaning of construc9ng; to build or make something (typically a building, road, or machine) to the more conceptual idea derived from the wri9ngs of Heiddeger. These link the idea of building, to constantly construc9ng the bond between the dweller and the dwelling through events and happenings that take place in the dwelling.

The process of construc9on, either being the concrete brick over brick or filling the space with emo9ons and memories, is directly linked to the limited space of the building. This building, if it is not occupied, starts to fade, but when it is occupied/inhabited it seems to become alive. This was a philosophical concept Mar9n Heidegger believed in and looking at this in a broader sense, it also links to parts of the philosophical idea of phenomenology (2001:147-­‐148). The inhabitants of a house dictate the dwellings appearance and character, which in return helps the dweller acquire his iden9ty. The 3 concepts I am talking about are interlinked, the concept of construc9on can only be based on ones personal choice to create a house. This house only becomes a dwelling when the residents fill it with meaning (inhabit it) and this leads to the dwelling becoming a ‘home’. This is achieved through the process in which the inhabitants create connec9ons to the place they have chosen in order to sa9sfy their needs and wishes. The house allows the dwellers to shape it and therefore: “This allows them to imprint their own personality on their dwellings, and the interior and its contents become a mirror of the self” (Cooper Marcus, 1995). In many cases however, the dweller did not seem to choose the right environment, or the intended environment did not fulfill its ‘role’. An example of this are the ‘Killingworth Towers’ (fig.7,8) which were located close to Newcastle upon Tyne and were designed with the idea of crea9ng a sa9sfactory community in a safe and secure environment. However, instead of pushing the community to be sociable and integrated, they have achieved the exact opposite. The corridors were feared by the residents, as they were regarded as unsafe and fearful, whilst the community’s iden9ty was never found. This problem seemed to have come from the architect’s building decisions, as many of the residents complained about the design and form of the blocks, which seemed unsa9sfactory (KelleT,1987;4-­‐11).In such cases, it is very hard to create a connec9on to the place, making it unpleasant to live there.

Fig.7 Fig.8

In conclusion, the philosophical concept of a dwelling and the rela9on between a dwelling and the dweller should always be at the star9ng point of any construc9on. The aim is to find the ‘genius loci’, the connec9on that the residents will have with that environment or that dwelling. This would create a strong bond between them and also allow for a more personal rela9on between the dweller and its dwelling. I believe the process of producing housing will always evolve but it will never be exactly defined to what is right or wrong to construct, how or when it is best to construct it. Time also plays a big part in the process of construc9ng and the connec9on between dweller and dwelling. Though it is 9me that combines memories and sen9mental values, every dweller and dwelling is different. The only thing they have in common is that every dwellers personality will be reflected in their dwelling as 9me goes by.

As Winston Churchill said: “We shape our dwellings, and anerwards our dwellings shape us.”(1944)

References

ARRIAGADA,I.M. (2009) ‘The Primacy of Space in Heidegger and Taylor: Towards a unified account of personal iden9ty’ Appraisal: The Journal of the Society of PostMCri8cal and Personalist Studies, Vol.7, No.4, 18

COOPER MARCUS, C. (1995) House as mirror of self: Exploring the Deeper Meanings of Home,

Berkely (Ca.): Conari Press

CHURCHILL, W. (28 oct. 1944) Speech in the House of Commons

HEIDEGGER, M. (2001) ‘Building,Dwelling,Thinking’ Poetry,Language,Thought, trans. Albert Hofstadter, New York: HarperCollins, 145-­‐155

HPRC (1997): Inner City Crisis, Manchester’s Hulme, Hulme Peoples Rights Centre, Manchester.

JACKSON, J.B. (1994) A sense of Place, A sense of 8me,New Heaven (CT):Yale University Press,157-­‐158

KELLETT, P. (1987) ‘Killingworth Towers: What went wrongq A case study of Mul9-­‐storey Housing Failure’, Open House Interna9onal, Vol.12, No.4, 4-­‐11

KENLINE, C. Thinking about dwelling in building ,7, hTp://www.academia.edu/1835913/THINKING_ABOUT_DWELLING_IN_BUILDING, accessed 02/01/2013

MAHDJOUBI,L. and MOOBELA,C.(2007) Integra9ng Our Na9on’s Diversity: Exploring the Roles of Mul9media in Fostering Mul9cultural Par9cipa9on, Vol.1,15

STEA, D. and TURAN, M. (1993) Placemaking: Produc8on of Yuilt Environments in Two Cultures, Aldershot: Avebury,13-­‐14

VAN NES, A. (2012) Between Heaven and Earth: Chris9an Norberg-­‐Schulz’s contribu9on to the Phenomenology of Place and Architecture, Environmental&Architectural Phenomenology, Vol. 23, No.1

Images, Photographs and Plans

-­‐Fig.1 quick sketch of cel9c house with thatched roof -­‐Fig.2 photo of Hulme ‘s crescents (refferred to in my essay as ‘the Hulme Deck access distaster’; hTp://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/gone/crescents.html -­‐Fig.3 photo of one of the crescents of Hulme, hTp://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/gone/crescents.html, copyright of Alan Denney -­‐Fig.4,5,6&background own photograph of forest taken in Salzburg, Austria (2012) -­‐Fig.7,8 own sketch that was also edited using Photoshop of Killingworth Towers aner photo from Wikipedia source (hTp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Killingworth_Towers_1987_(2).jpg)

Wordcount: 1592 words

a r c h i tectural

Secondary Structure (not to scale)

ARCHITECTRAL TECHNOLOGY

The Tectonic intent of this building is to create an interesting and different design, that is achieved using modern materials such as wood and a very particular detail in the design. I have decided to use a horizontal cladding system, which would link to my original project idea of lines and angles. Timber cladding is lightweight and easy to work with, reducing time and costs. Timber is also a good natural insulator.

technology

4. Intermediate floor to external wall (Green Guide Rating A+)

Baseboard

Scale 1:100 Structural Diagram: Timber Frame

Plywood Floor Deck

N

(exterior walls & load-bearing walls)

Insulation

Secondary Structure The diagram shows the floors that have been added using timber beams onto which the wood flooring is added. (see diagram 1&3). Another addition are the interior walls, which are represented by the red panels for a clearer explanation.

These are also based on the same wooden frame structure as the primary stage, but do not include as much insulation and have a different finish.

Structural Outline I have chosen to create the structure of my building as a typical timber-framed structure. This is used throughout the whole building, on the ground and first floor. The reasons why I chose this type of structure are as follows: -lightweight construction -beneficial economically- due to its natural heat and sound insulation -sustainable- makes my design more environmentally friendly The main concept behind my design is creating very angular shapes, almost like an origami shape, which could be easily achieved using a timber frame structure.

Timber frame Nogging for extra support

Timber Header joists

4.Exterior wall to suspended floor scale 1:20

5.External Wall Opening Section (Green Guide rating: A+) U-value:0.8m2W/K Scale 1:10

2.External Wall construction (Green Guide rating: A+) U-value: 0.22

(for clarity window and gap are not included. The type of window used is triple glazing Which gave a U-value of 0.8)

Timber cladding Breathable membrane Wooden battens & insulation

Plywood Sheathing

Insulation (mineral wool) Timber frame

1.Flat Roof-Warm Deck (Green Guide Rating:A+) U-value: 0.08m2W/K

Breather membrane Insect screen

PVC waterproofing membrane Insulation

Drainage and ventilation grid

Vapour Control Layer

Vapour Control Layer

Head Detail

Plywood sheathing Timber joists

Plasterboard

Insulation Seal

Vapour Control Layer

Insulation

Nogging between vertical battens to close sill

Plasterboard Ceiling Lining

metal flashing

Fixing batten

3.Ground Floor/Foundation-Aggregate Blocks (Green Guide rating:B) U-value: 0.15 m2W/K

Timber Decking

Sill Detail

Insulation Mineral Wool and concrete beams Breathable membrane

DPM Sub base-recycled aggregate

2. External Wall Section Scale 1:20

Timber frame

Insulation

Foundation-aggregate blocks Flat Roof/ Ground Floor Scale 1:20

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i.georgescu@ncl.ac.uk