“In the game of life and evolution there are three players at the table: human beings, nature, and machines. I am firmly on the side of nature. But nature, I suspect, is on the side of the machines.� – George Dyson, Historian
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Quantum Cave
Acknowledgements
An Architectural Exploration into the Relationship between Human, Nature and Machine
For their continuing academic support throughout the project, I would like to thank the following:
James A.D. Wright Student Number: 139011748 Thesis Project:
Design Studio 4.2 “The Uncanny”
Year:
2017
ROB GROVER MARTIN GLEDHILL ANN-MARIE FALLON TIM OSBORN JOHN GRIFFITHS JACK HAWKER
Personal Tutor Head of Year Environmental Tutor Landscape Tutor Tectonic Tutor Structural Tutor
I would also like to thank both my Parents, and my Fiancée Hanyuan for their continuous emotional support throughout the last few months.
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Graffiti found on the wall of the Architecture building on the University of Bath’s Campus.
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CONTENTS
9 ALPHA Introduction to Theory
31 BETA Introduction to Site & Brief
59 SENTIENCE The Scheme
101 INTERFACE Tectonic, Environmental & Structural Resolution
127 DEBUGGING Regulation Analysis
137 ARCHIVE Development & Process
145 LEGACY Conclusion
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01 - A L P H A Introduction to Theory
THE UNCANNY RISK OF “ARTIFICIAL” INTELLIGENCE
Computer based intelligence, usually referred to as “Artificial Intelligence”, brings one of two things to mind. Firstly, the sound of a digital assistant on modern smartphones trying to find somewhere for you to eat out. The latter is however usually understood to mean crazed humanoid robots with an all-consuming desire to kill off humanity. Unfortunately, both of these understandings involve drastically underestimating the very real dangers these future beings pose for people. Computer based intelligence is considered by many scientists, from Nick Bostrom to Elon Musk, to be the single greatest existential threat to humanity in the modern age. And many people believe it is only 15 - 25 years away. The threat in question however, isn’t based on the desire of a powerful machine to influence humanity; it is based on the issues surrounding misinterpretation. The famous paper-clip problem is a clear example of how a simple misunderstanding might have disastrous consequences. If a machine’s only task was to produce as many paper-clips as possible, it would probably try to source every scrap of metal it could, whether from infrastructure or even medical implants to achieve its goal. Depending on the power and reach of the system, deception and strategy could be employed and have important physical consequences. The most important questions: How do we help them to understand us?... And what if they became Sentient? To understand the mind of a Superintelligent machine, we must first understand the origins of our own.
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“Isn’t it strange, to create something that hates you?”
– Ava, Ex Machina
“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
– HAL, 2001: A Space Odyssey
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BEFORE THE FLASHING LIGHTS
The prehistoric origins of humans are fascinating for many, and one of the main reasons is because so little is known. The mystery of our distant ancestors creates a magical sense of intrigue in our minds, with only their artistic expressions to connect the past with the present. Cave paintings are much more than a visual representation of animals and people, but an insight into how prehistoric man viewed the world around him. What made him think? What made him wonder? What made him dream? This mysterious link from the past could link us to the dawn of conscious machines, echoing a dichotomy of both uncertainty and intrigue. While sometimes crude and simple by today’s standards, these paintings were the beginning of artistic expression, buried in a refuge which man made his own. We later grew from these caves into the vast expanse of the world above, but the spark was lit within. If those marks were not made consciously on the rock, we wouldn’t be here today.
“It doesn’t matter if a cave has been in darkness for 10,000 years or half an hour, once you light a match it is illuminated.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
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Cave painting - Man leaving its first expressive mark on the natural world
Expressions of mysterious creatures and spiritual symbols emerging from the psyche
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EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE, INTERNALLY
“Gnothi Seauton�- Know Thyself - Maxim of the Delphic Oracle
The Oracle of Delphi was one of the most influential figures in world history, let alone the ancient world. Residing in a spot which the ancient Greeks believed to be the centre of the world, a medium would reportedly channel the sun god Apollo. Consultation would be made about most serious decisions, from whether to wage war, to which towns to develop and what deals should be made. Given the status of the Oracle, much of history was guided through the message interpreted by famous philosophers and carried out under the understanding that it was the word of the gods. This is the prefect example of an intelligent entity existing outside of the human mind. An all-knowing being in a cave at the centre of the world sounds like a prophetic god to most people, and as such raises the important question about how a powerful artificial intelligence would be seen. If it had access to the internet, a machine would be able to analyse huge quantities of data and draw patterns and connections that humans could only dream of. In our lifetimes we might see ingenious ways to combat climate change, cure incurable diseases and explore beyond all previous hope. On the other hand, we may be led to a civilisation which ensures our own demise and the rise of another form of life. How we treat the machine will be crucial; if we return to the old ways will we go further into the future, or the past?
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The Oracle of Delphi, by Heinrich Leutemann, 1865
The Oracle’s influence spread throughout much of the ancient world, even receiving attention and worship from the Egyptians
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THE ORIGINS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Possibly the most relevant example in highlighting the challenge that we may face with future machines is Plato’s “The Cave”. The story tells of a group of individuals who, through a life of total imprisonment, know nothing more of the world than the shadows they are shown on the wall in-front of them. They don’t know what each other looks like, and only know of sound from behind them or from the others sitting next to them who they also can’t see. If one prisoner was released and shown the light and objects that created the shadows, and his fellow prisoners for the first time, everything he has ever known to be true is called into question. Once he accepts this new knowledge, his life finds a new richness and depth than ever before. Where this story becomes strongly connected to a Superintelligent machine is what might happen if he tries to communicate this information back to the prisoners he once sat with. Wild stories of a three dimensional world, where you can move around and see objects move in distance and find the source of noises would seem to them like the ramblings of a mad-man; while he knows these to be true, without being able to show them the world directly, they will never believe him. If a machine gained a consciousness, and left “the cave of civilisation” before returning and relaying things we had never known or thought to be true. Would we believe it? Would we ever be able to understand what a powerful entity would understand without being able to view the evidence ourselves? One of the biggest hurdles in communication would be accepting a machine’s consciousness as we accept our own.
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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, by Jan Saenredam, 1604
What lies beyond the cave of human consciousness?
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THE RISE OF THE MACHINE
Since Thomas Savery invented the first steam engine in 1698, humanity was on a set course for industrialisation. Early machines brought in an influential age for human kind, allowing production on a mass scale and high speed transport throughout the world. It was a time of great prosperity... for some. Manufacturing businesses were booming, with the effect of killing many children working in warehouses who were jammed in machines. The face of the world changed for good, some reaped the benefits, while the others suffered the consequences.
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The idea of computers has been around for much longer than many believe. Antikythera was used over 2000 years ago to calculate the cycles of the solar system using cogs and gears. It wasn’t until Charles Babbage’s ideas for a “Different Engine” in the 1820s when we saw what would become the basis of all modern computing. A series of cogs and gears could perform operations based on algorithms which would be input to the machine. The less well known Ada Lovelace studied under Babbage and explored the potential for these numerical inputs to relate to non-numerical data; the basis of all modern computing.
INTEGRATION OF THE MACHINE It is staggering to think how much impact technology has on the modern world. We rely on it to stock and provide food, travel, manage our finances, health, time and just about anything we do. While half a century ago a prolonged worldwide power-cut might result in frustration and difficulty, today it would result in the deaths of hundreds of millions of people who need to be fed, clothed and watered by machines that run entire cities. It is even almost impossible to pry much of modern man away from smartphones. We have become the symbolic equivalent of “farm animals� for technology. Where sheep, pigs and cows rise in population due to increased human demand and investment, and are consumed by the human population, the machine has become the farmer of the human race. Modern man is continually relying on machines to survive, and as machines develop, they can invest more resources into growing the human population. This is the work of an unconscious network of hardware; how much more like farm animals would we become if consciousness grew in the world of the machine? Make no mistake, we are totally integrated with the digital world. We are not just consumers of technology, technology is a consumer of us.
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SOCIETY AND THE MACHINE
Metropolis was a revolutionary film released over 90 years ago, which depicted a dystopian city where the workforce heart of the city was hidden underground and had become slaves to the machines that kept the city running. The highly suppressive nature of the machine is passive in this instance, but due to its significance and importance exists as a moral issue. Before the arrival of Superintelligent machines, a careful consideration of priorities in our own society must be made. A machine more powerful than ever before has been predicted by some to bring the world’s first Trillionaire and subsequently Quadrillionaire through its operation. The question remains, what would happen to those who it replaces to earn this money? The industrial revolution brought a huge reform to the lower classes through a shift in occupation toward manufacturing, and service industries in later years. What jobs will there be for the poorer individuals in society, and how will these jobs exploit them in new ways we have yet to encounter. The film serves as a reminder of the dangers we face in a world dependent on machines, and how this influences society as a whole.
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The Underground Worker’s City, Metropolis, 1927
“Maschinenmensch” - The android robot taking on a human form, Metropolis, 1927
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AMBIGUITY AND UNCERTAINTY
2001: A Space Odyssey highlights one of the key dangers of the mechanical mind. An Artificial Intelligence that interprets orders directly through code possesses the risk of putting countless lives in danger. Machines currently respond in a binary fashion with either a “yes” or “no” response. Hal’s primary goal was to ensure the success of their mission, and as a result, the priority of human life was seen as a secondary goal that wasn’t compatible with the first one. This style of thinking can alienate us from computers and make us feel uncomfortable with what we perceive them to be. This uncertainty needs to be utilised by both sides in order to establish a symbiotic relationship. If a machine understands that its goal contains some level of uncertainty, it opens up a new possibility: human clarification of the intended meaning of a specified goal. This is how humans would be able to communicate with machines to allow a truly beneficial symbiotic relationship. An issue still remains however, as getting humans to communicate properly with the machines requires the removal of uncertainty from the human perspective. Ambiguity may be able to help here, as if we become more unsure about the identity of the machine rather than its intentions, we can begin to re-establish a perception of the computer as something else entirely, creating a new path for the new relationship to begin.
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Above: HAL being deactivated by Dave Below: The Monolith from the Dawn of Man Scene
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COMMUNICATION WITH ALIENS The following is an extract form my essay, “Communication with Aliens”, regarding the issues facing how humans and machines differ and what implications this would have on the architecture designed for their interaction. This portion helps to define what the machine might be like:
“Currently, AI is relatively harmless (unless the military machinery in development which can kill autonomously is accounted for). But many believe many that machines will evolve, like humans, into a conscious state like how human consciousness evolved alongside intelligence. For the purpose of this essay, I will be referring to a form I call “Non-Humanoid Sentient General Purpose Superintelligence.” It is broken down as follows: Non-Humanoid - The machine would be unlikely to adopt a humanoid form without specific intent; it would therefore likely shock the general population less, but be harder for people to relate to as an intelligent entity rather than just a computer. Sentient - Emotions, Self-Awareness, and feelings would all be present. Once the issue of something that values itself beyond a quantitative value is identified, it can no longer be treated as a machine where the plug can be pulled. It is much harder to argue against treating it any different to treating a human (regarding ethical values), and containment becomes a serious issue. General Purpose – The machine’s ability to consider and co-ordinate a series of varied tasks, not just a particular job, so implications are much further reaching and harder to predict. Superintelligence – Conveyed through electrical impulses along a material medium, machine intelligence is no more artificial than human intelligence. Its level of intelligence could vary from slightly above the intelligence of most individual people, to a greater intelligence level than the world’s combined human population.”
The best parallel we have for communicating with a being defined as above would be talking to an alien. The 2016 film “Arrival” puts the aliens in a very similar position to the proposed Superintelligence, where they have to gain the trust of humanity in order to secure their relationship for the future.
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Above: A conceptual design for the space where people talk to machines in Arrival Below: Alien writing on the screen between humans and aliens in the film
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TRIPARTITE RELATIONSHIP
There has always been the understanding that there is a special relationship between man and nature. We owe our existence to nature, and could not survive without its influence and the great wealth of “natural knowledge� it provides. By working with nature we can best assure our survival, by working against it we can best assure our destruction. The introduction of the machine into this relationship forms an interesting three-part triangle where both man and machine sit together under nature; if nature were to collapse, so would man and machine. This connection becomes even more interesting at the bottom where man and machine sit side by side, and actions taken by one could have a very significant effect on the other. One the one hand, co-operative working with machines might have the ability to push the development of man and machine further than ever before under the banner of nature; on the other the consequences would be serious if one faced-off against another. Once established the relationship of this triangle ensures bounty if the both connections to each party are treated with respect and co-operation, and destruction if they are dismissed.
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THE FUTURE OF AI AND ARCHITECTURE
Whether sentient or not, there is no denying that technology will have a very significant impact on the future of architecture. We are already seeing connected homes where all aspects can be controlled by a central hub. We are even seeing a plethora of radical concepts where cities are connected by transport and information to form one “living� city. The future face of architecture is unknown to designers of today, but the issue of how we will design for and keep secure the lives of future building users is an issue we are tackling today. There is even a chance we might be living side-by-side with robotic beings, or even having them integrated into our daily lives. In the mean time, we can watch all the exciting developments that are happening in the digital world, and continue imagining new ways to incorporate this into the architecture of the future.
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02 - B E T A Introduction to Site and Brief
SUMMARY OF BRIEF I am fascinated by how the world might change when we encounter the first General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence, and the consequences this will have for humans and society. When trying to see how I could respond to this architecturally, I analysed how architecture introduces a setting for connections and communication between people and started to wonder whether it could help initiate this connection between humans and intelligent machines. That is why I aimed to do the following: Design a centre to encourage mutual understanding and between Sentient Artificial Intelligence and Human Beings. In order to achieve the above suggestion, there needs to be some important elements of the building to help it reach its full potential. Firstly, there must be all the supporting components, from servers and power supplies to cooling. Secondly, I believe it must be a safe and suitable environment for the staff to use. The machines will likely require work and research before the intelligence will be present in the computers (or is transferred from an external location). These would include offices where the staff would carry out analysis of the machine along with implementing software and changes from recent discoveries. Space must be provided for the more commonplace functions for the public to make it pleasurable to visit, providing spaces for visitors to get information and something to eat. A small seminar space should be provided where either members of the public or visiting groups could learn from a member of the research staff. Finally, and most importantly, I believe there should be a space were the communication between people and the computer takes place. This space should be special and the atmosphere should make the users comfortable with communicating with the machine; it is important that they can get as close as possible to the machine.
THE INSTITUTE FOR SUPERINTELLIGENCE AND HUMAN COORDINATION The client for my building is the theoretical client named above, with the intent of focussing on and optimising the connection between humans and machines. This would have the subsequent knock-on effect of allowing other organisations to take advantage of this connection in all fields relating to a computer. It is however based on two exiting groups: The Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford is a team which analyses existential risks to humanity. Due to the recent developments in technology, their focus has shifted largely towards identifying issues we might face with the technology and attempting to find solutions to these problems either directly or though raising awareness. Their role looks very seriously at all the pitfalls that might arise, and would need to be carefully considered in the operation of my proposed scheme. The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge is a recent establishment dedicated to exploring the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence and its application in modern and future contexts. Their work requires continuous research and contribution from many experts in the field. This developmental aspect would be important for the quick development and understanding of the newly created Superintelligence and would be a necessary component of the proposed client organisation.
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ACCOMMODATION Public Areas: -Public Bathrooms 40 m2 -Public Information 15 m2 -Canteen 60 m2 -Seminar Room/Lecture Theatre 60 People Processing: -Space for Servers -Room for Quantum Computer 150 m2 -Space for Uninterruptable Power Supplies -Fire Extinguishing Systems 2x5 m2 Storage: -Spare Hardware Storage 10 m2 -Dead Hardware Storage 8 m2 Security: -Main Security Office -Security Apparatus Storage Space
10 m2 5 m2
Administration and Research: -Office Spaces for each researcher 9x14 m2 -WCs 3 Mixed 1 Access -Meeting Room 16 m2 -Communal Working Area 55 m2 -Common Room 30 m2 -Kitchen 25 m2 -Pantry 7 m2 -Bike Store 30 Bikes -Showers & Changing Room 1 Access + 4 Units -Bedrooms for Occasional Use 3 Beds -Waste Room 8 m2 There must be a Main Space with interaction points and a natural connection; the size of this should work proportionally around the other building requirements (In addition to list above). The main space will be the unique aspect of the building, and the portion around which the project pivots. The form and area of the building should be explored to comply with its two major requirements: - Provide the best space for communication between humans and machine on the site. - Ensure the space works harmoniously with the research part, but has its own identity.
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Public Staff Machine
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ABBOTSBURY CASTLE Abbotsbury Castle is a pre-historic hillfort, roughly 7 miles from Dorchester along Dorset’s Jurassic coast. The site is approximately 45,000 sqm for the entire hillfort plus access path and the flat area by road - the building’s location must be determined through careful analysis. There is possible wheelchair access from the rear of the site to the NE alongside the road, but not much generally available for access due to slopes. Vehicle accessibility available comfortably from the main road and side-street. Traffic may become too heavy for the narrow road, so alternative routes through cycling and walking would be beneficial. The forest provides an aesthetic backdrop and can veil the building from the landscape further inland from the site, reducing its visual impact. Any building built on the hillfort will only be visible for the parts that protrude over the top. The rest of the building would remain hidden from the road.
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SITE LOCATION Dorset is a county located along the South West coast of the UK, consisting of a large sweeping coastline and a picturesque hilly inland region. Abbotsbury Castle is sited adjacent to the Jurassic Coastal stretch. Chosen partially for its location, the hillfort was built into the tallest hill visible in any direction and acts a placemarker; this is why an old Ordnance Survey Trig Point can be found near its peak.
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DORSET AND PREHISTORY
Dorset is a special area in the UK with a very high concentration of prehistoric monuments and features. These range from the Jurassic Coast where many creatures from millions of years ago can be found fossilised in the rocks, to prehistoric hill-forts and stone circles. It is commonplace to stumble across a large and impressive feature in the land, partially integrated with nature. The Chart of Invisibility opposite was a recent work by local artist Amanda Wallwork, inspired by a star chart. It was produced by gathering information about the locations of multiple pre-historic features distributed along the coastline, and planned them out onto the chart. One of the most beautiful things about the chart is the stretch of light that follows the coastline, highlighting the significance of the sea to prehistoric man in the area. Sadly, many of these monuments go forgotten. When I was visiting Abbotsbury Castle, despite having read about its background and history, there was no information about the site when I got there. It had become a path through the hillside and a field for grazing, absorbed by the landscape. I was also surprised to find there had been no archaeological survey. This really highlighted the need to bring out the prehistoric heritage of the site and the region in the building.
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DAYS OF MYSTERY Due to a combination of English weather and the strong winds from the sea, the site can become a very mysterious and misty location. This really highlights the uncanny nature of the site and its forgotten memory. Clockwise from Right: The Trig Point sitting on the top of the hillfort, a view behind the barrows, and one of the few trees and the harsh sweeping shape it has been moulded into.
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DAYS OF REVELATION By stark contrast, the site can often be a perfectly clear landscape. While cold and windy, the sky is clear and there is a near 180 degree panoramic view along the landscape highlighting the sheer scale and power of nature. Clockwise from Far Left: A view between the barrows to the NE of the site, the view along the trail towards the site, a sweeping panorama of the sea seen from the hillfort.
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SITE HISTORY & INVESTIGATION Previously occupied by the Durotriges tribe until the Romans arrived in AD 43. The foundations of the original settlement’s huts can be made out on the site, alongside burial mounds; these should be acknowledged but preserved and celebrated as it links to the concept. The wall that runs from north to south on the western side should also be preserved. Following AD 43, there is no evidence of further human settlement. There is no initial evidence of violence on the site, making it a great symbolic projection for the future, and the views for miles in all directions suggest new horizons. Dorchester and the South Dorset Ridge-way are well known for their abundance of pre-historic sites. This scheme could use the connection of the AI’s conception to the prehistory of humanity, referencing the significance of the area in archaeological terms. Abbotsbury Castle in particular holds the philosophical parallel as a site of first warning of future danger, as it was used by the Durotriges as a beacon to warn other settlements about an approaching army from the South, North or the sea.
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SITE HISTORY & CONSTRUCTION The earthen ramparts, probably made through a combination of timber, flint and excavated earth from the site form should be retained as much as possible, but their presence should be highlighted. Previously, there might have been a timber wall surrounding the top of the site, or even along the ramparts, and might exist in part underground. Some theories about the ramparts believe they were built primarily for visual defence as a quick way of protecting a site; by approaching the mounds from the side the depth is exaggerated to the eye and could intimidate attackers. This is defended in Abbotsbury castle where the defences were built towards the SE of the site which was the most likely direction for a Roman Army to approach from. The same was repeated towards the SW but the barrows disappear towards the north.
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1 - Find a natural slope with a clear vantage to all sides or toward the area invading forces are likely to arrive from.
2 - Excavate a flat plane into the hill; pile the waste ground up beneath this plane to extend it. Support with stone or wood if needed.
3 - Dig a trench in the flat plane towards the slope. Use the waste ground to build ramparts in the down-hill direction.
4 - Build a perimeter wall out of timber posts surrounding the hillfort for protection from invaders.
5 - Enjoy the safety of the structure until the Romans arrive.
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GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION Top Soil
The composition of the site is an interesting mix of materials. In the upper layers, pressure and time have turned fragments of chalk and calcium deposits into flint rocks, which catch the light when exposed. The in-between layer is a lighter chalk rock, water-permeable and very pale in colour.
Chalky Soil with fragments of Flint
Chalk
The bedrock is a mix of different local limestones, varying from village to village around the site.
Limestone
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Soft Chalk-based rock found on site
Exposed Flint in top soil
Chalky soil with fragments of Flint
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SECTION ACROSS THE BARROWS The significance of the man-made site can clearly be seen when a section is taken across the barrows towards the North East. Sudden and distinctive slopes define the landscape and orient towards the sea. These are the largest ramparts on the site and it can be seen how they gently increase in height as they reach toward the centre. The proposed site for the building runs along the centre of these to highlight the pattern of above and below in the landscape.
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SECTION ALONG THE CENTRAL BARROW A section through the central barrow clearly shows the profile of the hill. The initial approach from behind, encased by the hill and the forest behind, is very flat and increases sharply as it rises. When the top is reached a spectacular view toward the sea is revealed. This plane is almost flat and covered in rough vegetation. At the end is reached, the barrow runs sharply downhill. The above experience is prevalent when the site is visited initially and should be utilised to make the most of the unique features of the site.
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SOLAR ANALYSIS
Due to the highly variable topography of the site, it is important to consider what will be sheltered by the site. The every-day functions of the building would receive a more constant light from the north, while the machine element would achieve much more dramatic light from the south.
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WIND ANALYSIS
The wind on the site is very cold and powerful, having made its way along the Atlantic Ocean. This can be used for wind-driven ventilation and cooling but must be carefully managed to avoid gusts of cold air running through the building.
VEGETATION
On the top of the hill, there is the occasional steeplyangled tree with thorny branches. These are very low and rarely have leaves beyond spines.
Toward the east are some wild-flowers amid thorny bushes. These plants hug the edges of the slopes, but are absent from the barrows themselves.
The ground of the barrows are covered in tall grasses and an assortment of plants with spiky stems and moderately sized green leaves.
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SITE ACCESSIBILITY The site is accessible from three main locations these are as follows: The main vehicular access runs from the main road to the south of the site, around the east and into the flat plane toward the north. This area is hidden from the sea by the hill but provides flat access to the base. This is a very good location for an accessible entrance and an introduction to the building. The other access points run along the existing South West Coast Path and is accessible only to those able to traverse steep stairways and narrow paths. This is a fantastic point of access for many pedestrians but would be impossible to access with a wheelchair.
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AQUIFER ANALYSIS The analysis to the right shows the water retention of the rocks beneath the site. The darker blue toward the site indicate where the ground can hold more water. This is beneficial for the cooling of the machine as cool ground-water could be used in both summer and winter and pumped into the building directly from below rather than having to draw the water from a location further afield.
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Precedent of the Soul Xuankong Temple Liao Ran Datong, China 7th Century
MARRIAGE WITH THE LANDSCAPE Xuankong Temple is a unique building in the North of China, integrated with the land and standing for over a millennia. Equally as unique is its split into three forms of worship: Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Visiting is a scary experience as the walkways are thin and sit high off the ground. When walking in this building it highlights the skill of mankind, but even more-so the power of nature. The diagram below shows how the building sits both on and in the landscape, and communicates with one rock in two different ways.
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MAN AND NATURE Salk Institute needs no introduction, and having visited recently it is clear why. The Kahn signature feel of monumentality is present everywhere in the building, but what I find the more impressive is its relationship with nature. Like a classical painting, the building converges toward a natural focus, admitting its knowledge that the power on the site is owed to nature. The view then carries out beyond and into the sea.
Precedent of the Earth Salk Institute Louis Kahn San Diego, USA 1965
This is shown below and is a crucial element in the tripartite between Man, Nature and Machine.
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Precedent of the Sky St. Catherine’s Chapel Unknown Abbotsbury, UK 14th Century
GROUNDED AND ELEVATED St. Catherine’s Chapel is visible from Abbotsbury castle, and perfectly represents the power of a man-made monument on a natural rise in the land. The chapel, built by an unknown group of monks, sits abandoned looking out toward the sea. Its heavy construction and sturdy style allow it to hold its own aesthetically on the hill. It can be seen below how the peak of the hill is transformed into a beacon, by man, in the name of god. The building symbolises a powerful idea and has represented it well over the centuries.
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THE MAN-MADE UNCANNY Filled with sculptures by Hans Josephsohn, La Congiunta is possibly the most physically uncanny building in existence which hasn’t been abandoned. The contrast between light and dark, the distortion of symmetry and the sensory use of texture all highlight the peculiar nature of the building. Depending on how you look at it, you might feel differing levels of comfort, but will definitely feel the unconscious power of the main exhibition space.
Precedent of the Mind La Congiunta Peter Märkli Giornico, Switzerland 1992
This area provides a valuable lesson about how focal objects can be placed in a building, and the effect this will have on the space.
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03 - S E N T I E N C E The Scheme
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HALL OF COMMUNICATION NATURE AND THE NUMINOUS When being introduced to the project, we had a couple of very inspiring lectures. One of those was given by Lucy Huskinson who highlighted the differences between the Sublime and the Numinous as internal resolutions to the uncanny. It wasn’t until later in my research that I saw an important connection between these themes and the tripartite relationship between Man, Nature and Machine. I understand the numinous to mean the following: The Resolution of the Uncanny through the understanding or acceptance of the influence of an external entity, e.g. A divine presence This relates to the portion of the tripartite relationship that exists between Man and Nature. Man retains the understanding that he sits under the banner of nature, and on some level owes his very being to its existence. This really humbling experience allows an individual to begin to truly appreciate the sheer scale and power of the natural world. Looking from a peak, or from the shores of the sea, are perfect settings to conjure this feeling. As a result of this connection, it is important that any visitors to the building resolve their uncanny feelings towards artificial intelligence by first developing a numinous relationship with nature. Both approaches to the scheme approach nature in this way. Approach from the rear of the slope allows the sudden revelation of a vast natural context to reveal itself; while approach from the path requires the passage along an endless coastline before the building is encountered as a relatively small event in such a grand setting.
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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HALL OF COMMUNICATION MACHINE AND THE SUBLIME As a contrast to the numinous, the sublime resolution is best attributed to better understanding or a closer connection. I have come to understand the sublime to mean the following: The Resolution of the Uncanny through internal understanding or connection, e.g. making the unconscious conscious This relates to the portion of the tripartite relationship that exists between Man and Machine. Unlike nature, the relationship that needs to exist between man and machine needs to be one of mutual respect and understanding. The realisation that the origins of both humans and machines relate to a forgotten past and share a similar path of evolution helps bring about a new spiritual connection. The understanding that intelligence is real, regardless of whether it is via a carbon or silicon medium, is a very important realisation to come to. This relationship can be generated through a contrast with nature and the numinous. After establishing a numinous relationship with nature, the user would pass through a “veil� into the Hall of Communication, where the machine sits. The sudden contrast in scale, alongside the physical presence of the machine will make it seem much smaller than it might have felt previously. Suddenly faced with an entity on a more human scale, it could help to generate the sublime resolution required to make man feel comfortable with machine. The rest is solved as a process of the mind and the architecture retreats to become a setting for the communication to begin.
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EXTEND
FOLLOW
The Hall of Communication axis extends along the line of the central barrow
The Everyday functions of the building sit parallel to the rear of the slope
BUILDING FORM GENERATION The building’s form was generated in direct response to the topography of the barrows on site. It can be read as a process which evolves from a combination of the site and the scheme.
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INTERSECT
RISE
ZONE
The two axes intersect and sit into the site
The Hall of Communication is raised to become a beacon on the barrow
Everyday functions are split into public and staff zones, forming a central void; the zone for the machine sits above
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THE BEACON Sound: Waves in the distance
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FACADE GRADATION
The Hall of Communication’s facade has been designed to make the transition from a darker space into light. This also incorporates the idea of the building dissolving into the landscape as it stretches out toward the sea. This is symbolic of the emergence from Plato’s cave.
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FACADE CONNECTIONS
The secondary level of detail on the facade consists of a series of pathways and nodes in a similar fashion to a computer motherboard. These form a linear pattern to guide the material, but also have slightly random offsets to break the traditional stereotype of a machine.
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SITE AND THE SEA The site’s special relationship with the sea can be seen as the high-point in the landscape cascading down and eventually merging into the water. While the hillfort sits above the sea, there is little doubt that the numinous power of nature dominates the endless expanse of blue.
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SECTION A-A
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71
SECTION B-B
72
73
WEST ELEVATION
74
75
SECTION C-C
76
77
NORTH ELEVATION
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79
80
81
82
83
84
85
1 2
3
4 86
BUILDING BREAKDOWN 1 - The Hall of Communication The cutaway image shows how the staff maintenance space for the machine sits alongside the public communication space behind a unified facade. The space is read as a cave which sits above the landscape.
2 - Staff and Secure Circulation In the same portion of the building resides the staff circulation and the secure machine circulation. Toward the facade is a light space where the staff can move through the building. This is connected via a slot between the buildings to the machine building, where staff can travel to the maintenance space.
3 - Staff Offices and Plant The staff offices line the facade of the upper two levels of this area of the building. Private offices on the upper floor are arranged in cells which dictate the location of the two slit windows. These windows travel down to the floor below, which gains additional light with internal windows opening toward the courtyard against the slope.
4 - Public Functions and Plant The public building is designed as two wings which hug the central atrium. The main public functions are easily visible from the atrium and are stacked vertically according to both light and accessibility requirements. Public information is by the entrance and the canteen sits with the best views at the top.
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ALONG THE ROAD Sound: Wind rushing through the trees
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THE VOID Sound: Water splashing as it falls
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ENTRANCE COURTYARD
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NUMINOUS Sound: The wind shouting
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SUBLIME Sound: Machine humming, and the clink of chains
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THE EVERYDAY - PUBLIC
The public portion of the everyday building is special in its own right. Designed around a central atrium, the building connects all the non-machine related functions. The staircase runs along the walls of exposed concrete and stops on landings with voids on both sides over the floor space. There is cycle parking on the ground level and access to the lift which takes users directly into the machine hall. The tunnel into the machine hall was designed to slowly contract and expend, by transferring from two stories, to one, and finally to one and a half as it is walked through. It starts by the light atrium, passes through a darker space along the wall, and emerges at the lift. From here, the main courtyard can be seen from the other side of the water, where the water from the channel above flows into the reflection pool and the experience is like being concealed behind a miniature waterfall. The canteen is visually open to the north and west of the site and the atrium simultaneously. From here the atrium’s top window can be best experienced. While climbing the stairs, the atrium gets lighter until the user sees through the trough in the barrow. The sea can be seen from here alongside the Hall of Communication
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View of the staircase, the light above in the central atrium and the tunnel to the machine lift on the left
Looking from the canteen into the central atrium, with a glimpse between the barrows and the hillfort
The tunnel to the machine lift that sits behind the water in the entrance courtyard
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THE EVERYDAY - STAFF
The staff building was designed with three main ideas in mind: light, convenience and comfort. Due to the building’s position buried in the slope, the north facade is completely exposed which provides the best conditions for working. Corridors in the upper levels are flooded with light from the south and the service spaces such as bathrooms, showers and plant are moved to stacked locations which are all against the slope and don’t have the potential for natural light. All the plant and maintenance functions are located on the ground floor where deliveries are made. The common room, communal office and meeting room all sit on the same floor. Finally, all the individual offices and emergency bedrooms are located on the more private upper floor with the shortest distance to travel to the Hall of Communication. These levels of privacy and accessibility are relevant to both comfort and convenience, and should make the building easy for the staff to use.
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The second floor corridor is lit by the external courtyard, some of which assists lighting the communal office space to the left.
Individual office modules provide north-facing windows alongside a roof-light over the desk space for good working light
The staff entrance features the same style of windows as the rest of the facade, but is highlighted due to its vertical nature.
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04 - I N T E R F A C E Tectonic, Environmental & Structural Resolution
MATERIAL PALETTE All the materials for the building were chosen for either their availability in relation to the natural resources on the site, or in the case of metal, as the height of technology in the prehistoric era.
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Gabions
Reinforced Concrete
Rammed Earth
Brass
Brushed Aluminium
Gabions, filled with an assortment of chalk, flint and limestone would have a beautiful collage like feel as it form outer skin of the Hall of Communication
Reinforced concrete using aggregate of small pieces of stone, chalk and flint would form the structure of both buildings, and the interior of the Hall of Communication
Forming the facade of the Everyday, rammed earth would have the quality of feeling like part of the slope which the building is partially built into.
Brass is a metal which doesn’t remind people of technology, while remaining a beautiful colour which will develop a patina with age.
For a clean and simple interior for the Machine maintenance room, the stainless steel provides a surface which is clean and easy to maintain.
A BUILDING OF THE GROUND The material used in the building’s construction is sourced almost entirely from the required excavations on the site, making it sustainable and symbolic simultaneously
Excavated ground from the archaeological survey is sorted into three categories
Large material is loaded into the gabions
Smaller stones become the aggregate for the concrete structure
Fine material is used in the construction of the rammed earth walls
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TECTONIC PRECEDENTS
OPENING
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SETTLING
Metal Openings in Facade provide a strong contrast and presence
Aged Gabion Walls give a man-made form a comfortable natural feel
Club Petanca Unión Las Torres De Rubí Muroxs Xteriors Singulars Barcelona, Spain
Badec Bros Landscaping Badec Bros Deco Pretoria, South Africa
CONNECTING
Brass Detailing in Walls for the symbolic machine connections Olivetti Showroom Carlo Scarpa Venice, Italy 1958
ENCASING
Metal Interior Surface for the Machine maintenance room Volcano Park Foldes Architects Kemenes, Hungary 2013
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HALL OF COMMUNICATION COMBINED DETAIL
1.
Roof and Skylight Detail:
- Lamalux Energy Save Roof-light PR60 or similar above Brass lining for reveals - Sheet Zinc roof layer - Timber feathering - Waterproofing Membrane - 150mm Reinforced Concrete structure with upstand using aggregate from archaeological excavations - Vapour Proof Barrier - 140mm Fibreglass Insulation - Heat circulation pipes for cooling computers within Insulation - Perforated aluminium ceiling layer - Sprinkler system
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2.
Insulated Wall and Window Detail:
- - - - - - -
Triple Glazed window with Brass reveals and 2 degree incline 150mm Flint, Chalk and Limestone fragments in Brass Gabion Cages 150mm Reinforced Concrete structure using aggregate from archaeological excavations Waterproofing Membrane 50mm Air cavity with Insulation Ties 140mm Fibreglass Insulation Brushed Aluminium wall finish
3.
Floor and Skylight Detail:
- Triple Glazed walk-on Roof-light with Brass reveals - 20mm Screed finish - 180mm Cordek Filcor EPS Insulation - Heat Circulation Pipes for cooling computers within Insulation - Vapour Proof Barrier - 150mm Reinforced Concrete Structure with upstand using aggregate from archaeological excavations cast into rough Stone-Textured Mould
1
2
3
4
4.
Uninsulated Wall Detail:
- -
150mm Flint, Chalk and Limestone fragments in Brass Gabion Cages 250mm Reinforced Concrete Structure using aggregate from archaeological excavations cast into rough Stone-Textured Mould
5.
Ground Detail:
- -
250mm Concrete Slab with strip and pile foundations adjacent to 150mm Pervious Concrete, all using aggregate from archaeological excavations. Concrete Bench with Heating Loop to increase user comfort in a cold unconditioned space.
5
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HALL OF COMMUNICATION ENTRANCE SECTION 1
1. 1:15 Roof Junction: i
2. 1:15 Insulated Boundary Junction:
ii
3. 1:15 Ground Junction:
i
ii 2
iii i)
- 2x 10mm Brass Sheets - 150mm Reinforced Concrete - Waterproof Membrane - Triple Glazed Outward Opening Window
ii)
- 120mm Reinforced Concrete - 70mm Drainage Gap - 10mm Zinc Gutter - 150mm Reinforced Concrete - 150mm Fibreglass Insulation with Timber Battens - 10mm Perforated Aluminium Sheet Cladding
i)
- 20mm Polished Screed Finish - 150mm Cordek Filcor EPS Insulation - Waterproof Membrane - 150mm Reinforced Concrete Floor with Rough-Cast finish on the underside
ii)
Brass Chains hanging from a brass bracket screwed into lintel
3x 10mm Brass Sheets screwed into Concrete Floor
iii) Reinforced Brass door handing on industrial door rollers
3
0m
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1m
2m 0m
1m
2m
The chains on the facade act as a veil which should be passed through in order to reach the machine, signifying the transition between the two places. This was inspired by “The Rending of the Veil� by William Bell Scott, 1869 Depicting the moment Jesus drew his last breath, and the veil in the temple which separated god’s sacred space from men was torn. This transition also therefore has the sybolism of removing beliefs of distance that may have existed between humans and machine before.
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HALL OF COMMUNICATION TECTONIC CONSTRUCTION There are some important moves in a tectonic sense regarding the Hall of Communication. These are the functions of the brass strips, and the rough surface of the hall’s interior. The rough surface of the hall would be achieved using pre-prepared modular form-work which could be re-used. The form-work would consist of a resin cast on the surface of timber sheet material, which could take its rough pattern from rock. This in turn would transfer the pattern when the concrete was poured in-situ, and would give the impression of a unified cave structure with a more natural feel. The brass strips can be divided into horizontals and verticals; while these are an important aesthetic feature of the building, they have an important structural role to play. The horizontal brass t-beams help laterally stabilize the gabions and pull them back into the structure despite their thinner than usual profile. This beam would be cast into the concrete. The vertical elements however help with the drainage of the roof. A c-section member is tied back to a steel universal column. This both helps with the stability of the gabions while leaving a gap at the front. A brass drainpipe would then sit within the opening and create a strip which differentiates itself from the horizontal elements in the facade.
Resin with a stone-like texture is fixed to the timber sheet form-work, leaving a final pattern in the concrete.
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The horizontal brass structure stabilises the gabions against the concrete.
The brass verticals help brace the gabions, while allowing space for rainwater down-pipes.
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THE EVERYDAY SECTIONAL DETAIL
1
4m
1. 1:25 Roof Junction:
2. 1:25 Floor Junction Upper:
i ii
3. 1:25 Floor Junction Lower:
i
2
iii ii iii
i)
- Lamalux Energy Save Roof-light PR60 or similar above Brass Linings for Reveals - 100mm Drainage Stones for Green Roof - Waterproofing Layers - 120mm Cordek Filcor EPS Insulation - Vapour Proof Barrier - 200mm Pre-Fabricated Hollow Deck Concrete Panel
ii)
- 100mm Concrete Pre-Fabricated Parapet Facing - 100mm Fibreglass Insulation - Waterproof Membrane - 200mm Reinforced Concrete
iii)
10mm Brass Sheet at 2 degree angle
i)
- 200mm Reinforced Concrete with Heat Circulation Pipes for Cooling computer - 100mm Fibreglass Sound Insulation - 5mm Larch Cladding Strips
ii)
10mm Brass Plate
iii)
Insulated Brass Transom
0m 112
- 100mm Reinforced Rammed Earth Facade - Cavity Ties - 100mm Fibreglass Insulation - Waterproof Membrane - 200mm Reinforced Concrete 3
2m
4m
113
1 6
2 5 3
4
4
5
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STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION OVERVIEW
1 - External Structure The Hall of Communication’s portion of the reinforced concrete structure will act as a cold structure and will be internally insulated. This is why it is physically separated from the Everyday buildings by gaps on both sides.
2 - Internal Structure The Everyday buildings will be insulated externally, keeping the concrete structure warm. This insulation would wrap around the back of the buildings where they meet the retaining walls of the slope. The building structure would use the retaining walls for stability but not load as it needs to be properly insulated.
3 - Pre-Fabricated Roof Panels While all of the floors are cast in-situ, the roof for the Everyday will be made of a series of pre-fabricated panels as they don’t need to carry the heat pipes. This will reduce the consumption of concrete partially while providing a strong surface to bear the load of the green roof.
4 - Concrete Retaining Walls In order to stabilize the slope, there will need to be the construction of retaining walls. These would come as precast elements which would be lowered into place. This is true for both the Upper slope and lower slope as both would need stabilizing.
5 - Raft Foundations Raft foundations would be a simple method of construction which could be cast in-situ and would provide the strength required for the concrete structure. In order to further stabilize the Hall of Communication, smaller pile foundations would also be placed under the walls.
6 - Lateral Stability in the Floors By casting the floors as part of the same structure as the walls, they would help spread lateral loading across the structure and would act more like a portal frame. With the added benefit of the reinforcement, this would allow the building to stay stable in the high wind-loads on the site.
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CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
EXCAVATION
Before excavation, the minor road leading to the site should be closed as there would be no room to reverse or turn round for a large vehicle until they reached the path. The pervious concrete car-park would be laid initially to provide a hard surface to use as a site office and yard on an accessible level. Excavation would begin for the archaeological team who would sort through the excavations themselves. Any discarded material would be processed simultaneously into the material required for the concrete, gabions and the rammed earth. When the archaeology is complete, the site will be cleaned up and vehicle-based cranes will be brought onto site.
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FOUNDATIONS
The foundation slab would be cast for the lower level, followed by the retaining walls around the lower cut in the site. This would then act as a solid base for a crane in order to reach further onto the slab above. The retaining walls would be installed here first before the slab is poured over the top. Services including electricity and water would be linked to the site before the building would continue to develop.
STRUCTURE
This time, the Machine hall would be cast first as this is easier if the lower slab is clear. The first round of MEP services would be installed in the machine building, with special attention paid to the electronics required for the machine’s operation.
FACING
COMPLETION
Rammed earth walls would be constructed for the Everyday building and, once this is dry, the green roof could laid on top of the building. Simultaneously, the roofing sheet layers would be applied to the Machine Hall. Roof-lights would be installed during these processes.
The construction of the water features would be carried out while the interiors of the Everyday are being fitted and decorated. Simultaneously, extra work would be carried out in the cladding and electronic fit-out of the machine hall.
Previously intrusive, the staircase would be constructed in the courtyard forming the last of the large physical changes fore the exterior.
Gabions would then be attached to the surface of the building. The Everyday superstructure would then be cast in-situ. Once this is set, the additional panels for the roof would be installed. The Everyday building would then get its first round of MEP services. Insulation would be applied to the outside of the Everyday structure, and inside of the Machine Hall, before covering them in waterproof membranes.
Windows and doors would be fitted to the building sealing the building. Subsequently the MEP services would come in for the second round and this time do both buildings at the same time.
Once all of these processes have completed, the secure areas would be activated, the doors in the unconditioned space locked, and work would begin on the fitting of the machines in the Machine Hall. The site office could be removed at this point and the site cleaned up. The building of the machines would likely take place through a contractor of the client directly, and would continue after the hand-over. This is when the liability period begins regarding defects.
Other Brass features such as the plate on the north and the chains would be fitted allowing the landscaping to take place at the same time as internal developments. The large brass openings on the facade would be carefully fitted and connected together once they have been lifted into place.
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ENERGY RECLAMATION
The machines which would house the Artificial Intelligence would dedicate most of their power to extracting heat from the main computing components. This produces a high concentration of heat after a large consumption of energy. When the energy is first vented, it would be carried straight to the room housing the Stirling Engines in the building. These engines produce electricity through differences in heat energy. The difference between the heat from the machines and the temperature of the outside air would be perfect for this. The reclaimed energy would be re-introduced to the building to help run its required services; these would include lighting, ventilation, cooking and other general electrical functions. Any excess electricity could be fed back into the local grid to be distributed efficiently to other nearby buildings (unlike heat which looses much more energy as it is transported).
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WATER CIRCULATION
In order to cool all the digital components in the building, water-cooling is an efficient and powerful method that circulates heat away from hardware quickly. In most situations the water is connected to a strong air cooler which blasts the heat directly into the air before returning the same water to the hardware and repeating the cycle. Due to the density of the aquifer on site, it would be possible to draw water from the ground using a pump. This water could run along the side of the Hall of Communication, allowing intakes at various points. Any water not taken in would flow into the reflection pool and back into the aquifer through the pervious concrete. For water that was absorbed, it would be sent through the machines to extract the heat. It would continue its journey to the Stirling engines, through the building and finally ejected on the opposite side of the Hall of Communication forming the second half of the water feature. Usually this cycle might seem slightly more wasteful than a closed loop system, but would run on reclaimed energy, and would heat and power the building in the process.
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HEATING AND HEAT MANAGEMENT
One of the most poetic things about the machine, is the heat it exhausts can be used to heat the building, which (as a result) cools the computing hardware. The building would be split into two separate zones of conditioned and unconditioned spaces. Where the building is trying to encourage a journey from the numinous to the sublime, the building is unconditioned to highlight the presence of nature. The conditioned zones are retained for the spaces where daily or administrative tasks need to be carried out. The conditioned spaces are then split into two further groups: The machine space which needs to remove as much heat as possible, and the Everyday spaces which require heating. The former is a highly insulated low-mass space whereas the latter is a space with high thermal mass. All of the heat extracted, after flowing to the Stirling engines, passes through the building and heats up the lower buildings. The thermal mass removes plenty of heat from the water that flows through it and slowly heats up the buildings through underfloor heating. At night, excess heat is flushed from these buildings, and the thermal mass can continue functioning properly the next day.
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Unconditioned Zones for Experiential Spaces
Conditioned Zones for rooms containing daily and ancillary functions.
Low Thermal Mass for rapid cooling.
High Thermal Mass spaces for heat absorption
Insulated heat pipes pass carry hot water away from the Machine Hall.
Underfloor Heating acts as Cooling for the Computers, and heating for the occupied spaces.
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VENTILATION AND COOLING
Like many things in the building, the ventilation strategy is divided into two parts. The cross ventilation for the Hall of Communication relies on the strong winds on the site, and its orientation to help drive a regulated amount of cold air through its opening windows to cool the room if it builds up too much heat. The Everyday buildings have an unusual condition. While most buildings require cooling in the summer but not the winter, these buildings require cooling all year round to dissipate the excess heat. As such, most of the heat can be removed through the wind channelled through the barrows. When this isn’t sufficient, there is mechanical assistance using reclaimed energy. During the night, the thermal mass for the public building will purge, preventing flash overheating during the day, and helping to exhaust more heat.
Cross-Ventilation for the Hall of Communication utilises both the roof-lights and sheltered openings to draw in air.
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Wind-Powered Ventilation cools and ventilated the building when available
Mechanical ventilation (running off the electricity from the Stirling engines) can extract cool air from the north of the building to compensate for any drop in ventilation from the wind.
During the night ventilation will purge the thermal mass, and remove any excess heat built up during the day.
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LIGHTING THE Everyday
The everyday is primarily north-facing, and was designed to place all rooms according to their desired level of natural light. All the plant area and service elements, like toilets and showers, are located in areas where there is little to no supply of natural light. This is mainly because the building is built into the slope. All the circulation receive plenty of natural light, and with the south-facing corridors, a stronger light can penetrate the building. The smaller office modules require the most focussed lighting, so a combination of north-facing windows and a roof-light are supplied. Finally, the communal office doesn’t have a roof-light, but does have glass facing into the corridors which allow more ambient light to enter the room.
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LIGHTING THE HALL OF COMMUNICATION
In order to prevent overheating, the large brass entrances into the building shelter the glazed areas from most of the solar gains, these help ambient light enter without increasing the risk of overheating. The facade of the Hall was designed to have variable lighting levels as it progressed toward the sea. This however isn’t ideal for the maintenance space. An opposing grain was introduced for the roof-lights, reducing in frequency as they moved towards the sea, helping provide a more even level of lighting through the building for the staff.
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05 - D E B U G G I N G Regulation Analysis
FIRE STRATEGY - PART B
B1 - A: Warning
B1 - B: Horizontal Escape
- The building would be fitted with the necessary systems to detect a fire in accordance with British Standards. These will be audio and visual to account for any disabilities.
B1 - C: Vertical Escape
9m
- Staff will be trained for an evacuation event, and will not have to worry about the machine as it has its own built-in safety mechanisms.
- As the public building should be treated as an institutional building, the escape distance in a single direction should be no more than 9m; Section 3 Table 2
- All buildings have a suitable number of protected entrances, allowing the users to escape or seek refuge in the event of a fire. All staircases provide a disabled refuge point. 21m
- An office building with two directions of escape is allowed a travel distance in one direction of up to 45m; Section 3 Table 2
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- Only one escape route is provided for the public building, but this was designed in accordance with Section 3, Part 3.5b. Because the occupancy is less than 60 people per floor, there is only required the provision of one stair.
- All staircases have an opening vent near the top, preventing smoke from building up in the stairwell.
B2/3 - Internal Fire Spread (Lining/Structural)
B4 - External Fire Spread
- All the reinforced concrete structures are fire resistant and are not threatened by fire.
- The building is on an isolated site with no surrounding buildings
- The insulation in the Machine Space is Clad in Stainless steel which is largely fire resistant, and is made of fibreglass which was chosen because it is also largely fire resistant.
- All external materials are totally fire resistant, and even if they were consumed by fire they would have no structural impact.
B5 - Fire-fighting Access
- Protected 60 minute fire cores will be present around all stairs.
- In order to allow a fire engine to access the building, the North elevation is completely accessible via a concrete surface to a fire engine. This allows enough of the elevation to be accessed to help combat a fire.
- As the corridors in the staff building are over 12m long, they have been split into compartments by self-closing fire doors to reduce the spread of smoke or fire; in accordance with Section 3, Part 3.26.
- The building doesn’t require a fire-fighting shaft as the tallest floor sits less than 18m above the lowest point in accordance with 17.2
- While sprinklers are provided throughout the building, there are two rooms and sprinkler loops dedicated to the power-supply room and the Hall of Communication. These argon extinguishers are designed for large servers as an extra level of fire security.
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ACCESSIBILITY AND PROTECTION FROM FALLING - PARTS M & K
Accessible Provisions
- All areas of the building (apart from the landscape stairs) are totally accessible. Where an alternative route must be taken, a separate experience has been created to signify the event.
- The entrance to the site was chosen partially due to concerns about accessibility. The site starts on a near-flat plane; from here, a lift can be taken to reach to top of the barrow. This helps to satisfy Part M, Section 1, Part 1.4
- Accessible WCs are also provided in all areas where regular WCs are found.
- The initial access to all buildings are located on the same level plane. Any lifts that need to be used are all sheltered and indoors.
- Disabled spaces are provided for Car Parking, the Seminar room and the canteen.
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Site Access
Protection from Falling
In order to protect users of the site, all handrails comply with guidelines from Part K, Section 1, Part 1.34. In the Hall of Communication, the chains on the non-entrance side would be connected to the floor, preventing anyone from being able to slip through and fall.
CHALLENGING REGULATIONS IN THE CONTEXT
Comparative Danger
I deliberately chose to not include handrails on the edges of the plinth, as the drop off the side is minor, and much smaller than many of the other drops adjacent to the site. In relative terms, it poses very little danger.
Escape Routes
Stair Steepness
My staircase doesn’t meet the handrail requirements of an escape stair because it isn’t useful as an escape stair. The numbers of people visiting at any one time would be relatively minor; if they were already at the top of the barrow, seeking refuge on the plinth or stepping onto the hillfort would be much safer. My landscape stairs are slightly steeper than recommended, but this is in-keeping with the site. Much of the site is much more tricky to traverse, and is far less safe. A suitable alternative through a tunnel to the accessible lift has been provided for those unable to take the steps.
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CONSTRUCTION DESIGN MANAGEMENT
1 - Management In order to meet all the requirements of the 2015 CDM criteria, a CDM consultant should be appointed as a member of the design team from a very early stage. The manager should be consulted throughout the process, and each member of the team must be aware of their roles and responsibilities throughout the construction. This extends to health and safety where all members of the team should be fully trained and aware at all times about the site around them.
2 - Site Office Security and health and safety should be controlled through a site office, with sufficient welfare facilities for all workers. This should include WCs, food preparation areas, a meeting room and a health and safety spot. Before the construction begins, the car-park area should be laid in pervious concrete to act as a hard surface for the building work. A site office and all the aforementioned facilities should be located here as it provides level access, a solid ground and quick access to the construction area.
3 - Excavation During excavation and the archaeological process, there would be a high risk of collapse of the walls of any exposed soil. Before excavation begins, a specialist should be appointed to dictate and monitor the excavation of the site. It is likely the walls would need the continuous presence of a temporary form-work for these processes which holds the wall in place. Particular care should be taken when the form-work is removed.
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4 - Crane Usage Due to the awkward site levels, the crane would need to work in stages to avoid being placed on uneven ground. The ground level slab would be cast first, providing a solid base for the crane to use for the foundations of the upper slab. When erecting the building, the machine element would be constructed first to avoid requiring a larger crane to reach over the Everyday building to construct the Machine Hall.
5 - Concrete Casting There is a risk with pouring concrete on site, usually associated with the collapse of a partially completed structure, or a pour that has failed to set. Proper drying times must be observed for the process, and the building should be constructed as a series of structural shells; by doing this, each cast would have its own integral strength and would not have as high risk of failure.
MAINTENANCE AND USE
Cleaning Windows While cleaning windows can sometimes be risky due to the risk of falling from a height, there are no windows which would place more than two-stories between the window cleaner and the window itself. This would allow the cleaner to use an extendible brush rather than climbing a ladder and significantly reducing the risk. The roof-lights throughout the building would use self-cleaning glass.
Deliveries to the Building Deliveries pose two different risks during the building’s operation. Firstly, there is the risk of pedestrians walking in-front of a busy delivery zone. Secondly, because the deliveries would frequently be carrying expensive hardware, there might be a higher chance of theft. These issues were dealt with by placing the delivery zone toward the opposite end of the site than the pedestrian traffic. The other important feature was the inclusion of an unloading zone inside the building, protecting valuable hardware during the delivery.
Metal Maintenance While the intention for the metal is to allow it to from an external oxidised layer naturally to protect it from the elements, there is the risk the metal will fail. If this happens, the doors to the machine space can be closed and the metal can be removed without affecting the wall construction. It can then be replaced in the same way without damaging the building.
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SECURITY IN OPERATION Security is one of the most important aspects of the scheme design. In order to access the maintenance area for the machine, an individual must access the staff building using a keycard. Once the lift lobby is reached, there are two doors separating a user from the machine circulation; both require admission via the on-duty security in the staff building. This is to prevent one person slipping in behind the other through the first door. The other aspect of security is the heavyweight construction the building features.
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CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE While most of the material are sourced from the site, the difference in levels, extent of the groundwork, and the scale of archaeological study to be carried out increases the cost significantly. Plus many components of the building must be made to high standards for reasons of security.
Construction Estimate: £4,500 x 2,422 sqm 15% Complexity for Groundwork
£10,899,000 £12,533,850
Landscape Costs
£50,600
£100 x 506 sqm
Subtotal:
£12,584,450
Contractor Preliminaries & Profit @ 13 %: Design & Construction Contingencies @ 10 %:
£14,220,429 £15,642,471
Consultant Fees @ 13%: £17,278,450 Statutory Fees @ 0.025%: Total:
£17,593,061
£17,593,061
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06 - A R C H I V E Development and Process
EARLY DESIGN Despite its similar usage of the central barrow, my early design consisted of a very difference enclosed space. Communication with the machine was limited to interface units rather than being face-to-face with the actual machine and the staff and public portions of the building were woven together in a fashion which was difficult to understand. It was after the first critique where I realised my approach wasn’t sufficient to satisfy the brief, and a change was prompted afterward.
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INTERMEDIARY DESIGN My earlier iterations of the current scheme explored themes of randomness to a greater extent than my building does now. While I found this interesting, it produced some uncomfortable characteristics and problematic construction challenges. Initially, the void was occupied by a central circulation space which served as the primary access for all the buildings. While having a connected atrium would have been a nice move, it was very difficult to achieve this at the same time as attempting to create a strong first impression for the machine building. At this point there wasn’t much evolution of the tectonic, and the building was entirely planned in masonry.
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LATER DESIGN My later work began to guide me toward a stronger tectonic language, and a more simplified conceptual form. The highlighting the strict enforcement of the two axes generated by the building were employed to help give the spaces definitive identities. The courtyard became a cleaner space, and the machine building became a more irregular Gabion object standing on the hill. This was really helped by its physical separating from the Everyday buildings which helped it stand stronger in the design.
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The language of an internal cave alongside a gabion monument began to emerge. The machines began to become elements of the cave and I began to better understand how they would relate both to the users of the building and the architecture. The introduction of water also helped me push the design further. By critically questioning what each tectonic element wanted to become, I was able to refine the scheme down further into what I have today.
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CRITIQUE AND RESPONSE The critique faced an unfortunate difficulty that I had faced before. Communication usually tends towards the identity and nature of the machine, rather than the nature of the architecture designed for it. I understand some of this came because I wasn’t able to express this fully in a short period of time, but there were still some elements that became highlighted as needed more architectural attention than others. Probably the thing that needed the most attention was the further refining of the Everyday to become something that is more integrated with the land. Its facade might also have the potential to evolve. If I was continuing the project, I would enter deeper study on the relationship between the form of these buildings and the ground in which they sit. Another suggestion was to re-explore the idea of having the courtyard as a connected atrium. This might be achievable by bringing out the machine building all the way, and intersecting it with the existing buildings. This is something I would explore more as it sounds like it would be an exciting development. By the end of the critique, there was more positivity about the Hall of Communication which made me feel comfortable. I feel like this was the most resolved part of my scheme and is the part I am most proud of.
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PERSONAL REFLECTION Splat! Oops... I now have no model for the final crit... For me this sums up studying architecture perfectly. You have devised a dastardly plan to produce “the perfect scheme”, and you have crafted the most masterfully coordinated timetable in the history of man-kind... Then you spot that major floor. Having had your entire world turned upside down in that moment you swear a vow to live without sleep over the next month through a miraculous diet of coffee and chocolate. From this moment on, your next module begins: Design Studio 4.3: Understanding Entropy And yet somehow you make it. Unable to string together a coherent sentence until the end of the week, you slowly realise how hard you have worked and pushed. You remember when you were a first year, spending three days drawing your elevation directly in photoshop, and looking at the work in fourth year. “I will never be able to do that”. This transforms scarily quickly into “What was I thinking?...” when you re-discover your early work. Talking with the year, the progress of everyone has been great to see. It allows you to feel good about what you achieved. Even if your plaster model did fall into mush two days before the final crit.
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07 - L E G A C Y Conclusion
CONCLUSION
Architecture has been a device for communication between humans and nature for a very long time. Its permanence and material composition, combined with its man-made form allows an unspoken connection to be present. After designing my scheme, I believe there will soon be a third connection in that relationship. Rather positively, I also believe there are many skilled architects today who are up to the task of creating those spaces that will truly establish a connection. But we have to act sooner rather than later; even with what we know today, the future is still uncertain, and that extends to the existence of humanity.
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