The Ashen Forest

AN INTEGRATED DESIGN PORTFOLIO BY

JAI VIJ

THE ASHEN FOREST ARCH3035 AND ARCHITECTURE STUDIO 5 PRESENT DANIEL FARSHI A CO-EXISTENCE IN THEORY PRODUCTION AN INTEGRATED DESIGN PORTFOLIO BY JAI VIJ “THE ASHEN FOREST” P2449214 2020/21 DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY JAI VIJ IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DIRECTED BY

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06. Programmatic and Narrative Research.

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18. Design Development.

07. Burial Space Crisis

19. A Day in the Life

39. Physical Model

08. Thanatology

21. Physical Journey

40. Physical Model - Elevation

09. Dead Space

23. Emotional Journey

41. Physical Model - Plan

11. The Defamiliarization of Parker Drive

25. Circulation (Tesseract)

42. Physical Model - Perspectives

13. Ethereal Narrative Analysis

26. Crematorium

43. Isometric Perspective

15. Practical Narrative Analysis,

27. Auditorium

44. Elevation A 1:250

16. Spatial Hierarchy

29. Columbarium

45. Elevation B 1:250

17. Conclusions

31. Gardens

47. Facade Treatment 1:100

33. Circulation (Staircase)

49. Precedent Study - The Jewish Museum

35. Floor Plan 1:1250

51. Precedent Study - The High Line

36. Floor Plan 1:000

52. Precedent Study - The New Crematorium

37. Floor Plan 1:500

53. Site Character - Materiality/Fenestration

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54. Technical Development.

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68. Design Proposal.

55. Technical Precedent - NoXX Apartment

69. Site Plan 1:1000

56. Technical Precedent - 3D Model Study

70. Ground Floor Plan 1:1000

57. Technical Precedent - NoXX Apartment Analysis

71. Ground Floor Plan 1:500

58. Response to Precedent

73. Elevation A 1:500

59. Garden Proposal

75. Section A 1:200

61. Columbarium Proposal

77. Comparison to Early Photomontage

63. Auditorium Proposal

79. Reductive Diagrams

65. Auditorium Detail Section A 1:50 66. Auditorium Construction Detail 1:5 67. Auditorium Construction Detail 1:5

Captured in an anamorphic wide screen format, this portfolio is best viewed as double page spreads.

Programmatic and Narrative Research. .–..

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Programme Analysis - Burial Space Crisis Problem: Cemeteries

The Burial Act 1857

Solution: Crematorium

140,000 people in the UK still choose to be buried, cemeteries around the country are running out of space. In 2013, a BBC study found that a quarter of England’s local authorities — which oversee the overwhelming majority of cemeteries — expected those they managed to be full by 2023.

The Act made it illegal to disturb a grave (other than for an officially sanctioned exhumation).

The public’s refusal for change had allowed escalating problems to go unaddressed; it meant that possible solutions had been overlooked, or dismissed as too controversial.

“The crisis is built into our system. We’ve always been at crisis levels”.

In 2004, the Government considered the problem that when a burial ground became full, it generated no income from new burials, and without income, it may become difficult to maintain and fall into neglect.

Getting to grips with the lack of burial space requires weighing the rights of the dead, as well as of the living that they leave behind, and asking how far society should go to accommodate the minority of people who still want to be buried.

Consequently in 2015, amendments to the Burial Act 1857 permitted the disturbance of graves with Church of England’s permission.

This law is largely responsible for the burial crisis we face today.

Statistics for cremation, as of 2018: • The cremation rate in the UK is 77.05% • The busiest crematorium in 2017 was Amersham with 3,764

Cramming As cemeteries eventually run out of space, graves will continue to grow. This results in a need for increased site boundaries, resulting in a take over of adjacent land. In some instances, to clear space for more graves, workers remove benches and dig up trees, this resolve is unsustainable as it serves as a means to an end.

• The most expensive crematorium in 2017 was Beckenham

Cost As burial space becomes more scarce, burials themselves are becoming more expensive. Scarcity of plots has significantly inflated fees, the average cost of a basic burial in the UK increased 70 per cent between 2008 and 2018, to almost £4,800.

• The Average cost of a basic cremation in the UK is £3312.43

“There’ll be a situation where burial will start to become a kind of luxury product...you can buy it if you can afford it”.

• Each Crematorium had an average of 1607 cremations in 2017

Conclusion The most suitable intervention for the burial crisis, is to progress with cremation. This intervention can significantly reduce occupied space, and proves to be more affordable than a typical burial.

• The cheapest crematorium in 2017 was Belfast • The average crematorium fee in the UK is £783.18 (up 766% since 1990)

This method can also deal with existing graves that need to be relocated. The method of cremation requires further analysis, as it too harbours unsustainable qualities.

• There were 467,748 cremations in the UK in 2017 across 289 crematoriums.

Case in Point: Timeline of Bicester Cemetery Located in Bicester, England, this cemetery is an exemplification of the burial crisis, and the futility of current intervention strategies. “It’s a pleasant, simple space: a long path runs through it, flanked by lines of trees. The oldest of the weathered gravestones I saw dated back to 1865”.

Bicester Cemetery space becomes so scarce that the local council bans residents from reserving plots, “If we had carried on the way we were there would not have been any space left in the cemetery”.

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Bicester Cemetery expands in 2010 when its site boundary is increased further into Pingle Field Recreational Ground. This intervention did not solve the issue, rather it bought some time.

2006

2010

Cemetery closed to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, it eventually reopened. However, currently there are 28 single burial plots and 31 plots for cremated remains left at the cemetery in a town of over 30,000.

Local council declare the site has 2 years of grave space remaining before alternative measures will need to be considered. 16 trees were removed on site to allow for more space.

A proposed solution to the burial crisis involved occupying further land for a new burial site. This was included in the Cherwell Local Plan, with 10 acres of land being reserved at the 6,000-home eco town in North West Bicester.

2015

2019

2020

2021

Programme Analysis - Thanatology Body Recycling Centre

Crematorium Cremation

Traditional method involving combustion.

Cremation requires a lot of fuel, and results in millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Miscellaneous

Resomation

Soul Tree

Eco Water Urn

Ornament

Shroud Burial

Human Composting

Donation

Mushroom Suit

Capsula Mundi

Also called aquamation or alkaline hydrolysis. This sustainable cremation separates the body into bones and liquid made of chemical compounds, which can fertilise soil.

The Bios tree Urn combines a loved one’s ashes with the earth to help germinate a seed or tree, using the qualities from the ashes (phosphate) as a fertiliser which in turn becomes a memorial.

Designed for water burials made from recycled plant materials with no glues, using only heat and water.

The end result is a sustainable, eco-friendly and dignified solution for water burials.

Carbon extracted from ash can be added to the manufacturing process of a series of items. Such as, vinyl, diamonds, pottery and more.

Used for natural burial or eco friendly cremation, bodies are wrapped in biodegradable bamboo shrouds which have minimal impact on the environment.

Bodies are covered with wood chips and aerated, providing an environment for naturally occurring microbes and bacteria. Over the span of 30 days, the body is fully transformed, creating soil which is used to grow new life.

The body can be donated for scientific research or organ donation. This will need to be approved before death and can be classed as sustainable.

Made from organic cotton embedded with material from specially cultivated mushrooms, the suit delivers nutrients from the body to surrounding plant roots efficiently.

Bodies will be laid in a foetal position in a biodegradable pod and will then be buried. A tree will be planted on top to serve as a memorial.

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Programme Analysis - Dead Space A dead space is defined as a space without vegetative life such as trees or foliage

How can green space help a person resolve death?

“For me, my local parks are vital for my wellbeing. They are the place I go to escape, to decompress. When our children were young, we spent endless hours in all weathers enjoying the freedoms the park gave them to run and express themselves. When my wife died, I walked across many parks coming to terms and grieving.”

“I believe that parks do the same for much of our population...It shows that physical health, mental wellbeing and life satisfaction are all enhanced through access to and use of parks and green spaces.”

- Paul Farmer, CEO of mental health charity Mind

City Centre 1:50,000 This is Leicester’s core and consequently receives the largest volume of traffic. This is the city’s initial entrance and exit point and an introduction of green space could significantly improve it through a regeneration of landscape around existing buildings, inviting community interaction thus providing mental health benefits.

Parker Drive 1:5000 Parker Drive

Parker drive lacks green space which results in a depressing atmosphere and exposure to high winds. Behind the site is an abandoned railway line which has been overgrown with vegetation, this space is difficult for the public to access.

Green Space

Utilising North-South and East-West cross-circulation could allow local residents to access the rear landscape. An introduction of foliage to Parker Drive would improve the interaction and quality of space, and reduce the intensity of wind.

Dead Space City Centre

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https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/blogs/how-green-space-improve-our-wellbeing

Map of Leicester at Scale 1:80,000

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The Defamiliarization of Parker Drive

Chimney smoke from the crematorium below

Multiple levels above and below the existing site

Vertical strips serve as a visual metaphor for infinite expansion

Crematorium based on programme one

Columbarium based on programme two

Green space to the rear of Parker Drive occupying an abandoned railway line

Horizontal strips serve as a visual metaphor for infinite expansion

This photomontage serves to test ideas through an abstract sectional perspective of Parker Drive. By doing so, I was able to formulate an observe premature spatial arrangements within, and identify circulation and human interaction with space. Furthermore, this montage allowed me to explore the vertical potential of the scheme and apply ideas derived from relevant literature such as Bernard Tschumi through a reduction of facade ornamentation. This montage is also underpinned by the aesthetic qualities of the movie Interstellar, more specifically, the core of the existing building which is modelled on the tesseract, visualising the fourth dimension. This will aid in the development of my design narrative, and subsequent spatial relationships pertaining to the development of floor plans.

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“If shock can no longer be produced by the succession and juxtaposition of façades and lobbies, maybe it can be produced by the juxtaposition of events that take place behind these façades in these spaces.”

Bernard Tschumi’s Six Concepts - Excerpt from Architecture and Disjunction provides discourse on the advancement of post industrial cultures to de-construct the fragmentation and superficiality of current architecture. In short, Tschumi presents the notion of celebrating fragmentation and de-familiarisation to ultimately question everything for the benefit of a new world. An improved society can be achieved through deconstruction by “airing the views of women, immigrants, gays, minorities, and various non-Western identities who never sat comfortably within the supposed community”. The right half of this montage serves to exemplify this sentiment, through opening the flood gates for unspoken voices.

Shadow model reinterpreted as floodgates

People climbing over the damn now that there is room for them

The breaking of the damn is a representation of tearing down what already exists to start again, allowing for new voices to be heard

Funeral hall

New additions to the new world, entering in coffin boats

Residential side of Parker Drive

Ornament stripped from facade reveals the spaces within

Questioning everything

“If the design of windows only reflects the superficiality of the skin’s decoration, we might very well start to look for a way to do without windows. If the design of pillars reflects the conventionality of a supporting frame, maybe we might get rid of pillars altogether.”

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A tesseract is a hypercube, a four-dimensional ev rsion of a cube: a tesseract is to a cube as a cube is to a square. dimensional reality to allow you to understand it”.

In Earths future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand (Michael Caine), a brilliant NASA physicist, is working on plans to save mankind by transporting Earths population to a new home via a wormhole.

“constructed this three-dimensional space inside of their Thve“physical dimension”.

“to em, time may be just another physical dimension. To em, the past might be a canyon they can climb into, and the future a mountain they can climb up.”

But Thrst, Brand must send former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and a team of researchers through the wormhole and across the galaxy to Thnd out which of three planets could be mankinds new home.

tesseract

Ethereal Narrative Analysis,

tonal qualities

austere - something ev ry sombre contemplating - deep in thought or meditation grave - serious; solemn; sedate solemn - serious; sincere

Christopher Nolan 2014

space narratives de-constructed Dissecting the narrative of Interstellar reveals three core principles, four if you consider gravity. These three principles (right) over-arch the lm and connect crucial plot points across space and time, justifying decisions made.

atmosphere Interstellar generates atmosphere and evokes emotion through manipulation of light.

Moods exhibited in this Thlm are similar to those I strive to achieve in my scheme.

Similarly, my scheme will require a set of principles to inform the design choices, like the narratives of Interstellar. I will use this approach to develop my own algorithm, which will ultimately dictate the spatial arrangements and coordinate the user interaction within them.

This approach will provide a deeper and more informed justication to the decisions made.

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time primary narrative

love

secondary narrative

binary tertiary narrative

Time is a major area of focus based on my analysis of parker drive, therefore this narrative will be suitable for my scheme. As previously stated, this physical interaction with time is modelled as a tesseract. In relation to Parker Drive, the tesseract could be reinterpreted as a primary location from which diTherent circulation routes occur. is space could manifest as a hall, a forecourt, or something entirely new.

The purpose of this narrative design is to create a story that coincides with the proposal. My story revolves around the dichotomy of life and death, and consideration of time and connections. Hence why I have referred to Interstellar to aid with my narrative.

e concept of time can be interpreted in av rious ways, one of which being the control of time spent at a space through the manipulation of architecture. Careful coordination of spatial interaction and accessibility to programmes on site can result in an almost scripted circulation. Due to the nature of public and private spaces, and an overlap of diTherent circulations, this could lead to an eThective resolution.

By dissecting this narrative, I will be able to reference core principles to formulate my own “algorithm” which sets parameters for my design, and will result in a project deeply rooted in metaphysical considerations, which provides an additional dimension to the scheme.

time

algorithm

Visual strips of av rying opacity can be interpreted to represent the inThnite expansion of my project in any direction.

In the Thlm they stem from the tesseract, further supporting the concept of modelling the core of the scheme as a tesseract from which the building circulates ev rtically and horizontally.

The concept of love represents a metaphysical form of communication. Applying this to my design, this can be a metaphor for the atmospheric and intimate relationship of space between loved ones and the deceased.

Architecturally, this can be achieved through the duration of atmospheres. This will evoke emotion within the users which will in turn, produce tangible interactions between parties involved. Thus generating connections between user and space.

narrative applications

love narrative interpretations Physical language communicated through manipulations in light, across space and time.

binary Controlling the moment through the use of practical and spatial solutions.

Overarching theme of love transcends space and time, connecting beings to one another.

The language of binary can be interpreted literally for my design narrative. eK y elements of my scheme include a steel frame structure, and pods of trees/architecture that sits within them.

The visual output of binary can be used to aid with the layout of pods within the frame. With “1” representing the frame, and “0” representing a pod.

Furthermore, “1” and “0” can be interpreted as “yes” and “no”, as this project deals with life and death, binary can represent spaces for the living “1” and spaces for the deceased “0”. As the scheme grows to accommodate new additions, the binary code will always be changing. Alternatively, the binary narrative can be applied to the design as it is in the lm, through a manipulation of light, which will help achieve desired tonal qualities, and generate atmosphere on site.

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“We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars. Now ew just look down and worry about our place in the dirt”

Interstellar is set in a near-future Earth on the ev rge of total ecological collapse, with drastic changes in ew ather patterns and devastating food shortages driving human beings to the brink of extinction.

Blight has wiped out wheat and okra crops, while dust storms threaten corn. Facing food shortages, governments now assign farming careers to children by age 15 and early on in the movie, Cooper learns that his son will have to join him on the farm.

climate change

environment cooper station exploration

Practical Narrative Analysis, Christopher Nolan

Towards the end of interstellar, it is implied that a handful of humans have been rescued from the environmental crisis on earth and are aboard cooper station. This is a cylindrical station located in Saturns orbit. An interpretation of this ending could be that on the human races quest to nd new land, they made a synthetic one in the process.

2014

additional narratives de-constructed

sustainabilityquaternary narrative

Aside from the poetic interpretations previously mentioned, a grounded approach to Interstellar has led to practical interpretations.

Interstellar is a climate change movie, it deals with the death of crops and consequently the need to Thnd a new habitable location for the human race to surviev and thrive. is is explored through space travel and a quest to investigate three potential planets. e search for new land, and the narrative of a dying earth highlights the concept of sustainability.

Furthermore, posing the choices of either addressing the situation head on, or eeing to start fresh.

Moreover, Interstellar takes place during the mid-late 21st century, a future not so far away, which adds a sense of realism to the problems exhibited in the Thlm. is further adds to the notion of sustainability as it makes the audience question what can be done now to prevent a similar circumstance from arising in the future.

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spatial justice quinary narrative

forward thinking

senary narrative

The death of green space could be applied to my scheme through an introduction of ev getation on Parker Drive, and a reviav l of dead spaces in the city.

The quest to nd new land could result in creating it instead, this could be applied through the implementation of land above the site, a ev rtical forest/park, to accommodate for the expanding forest/columbarium.

Future proof considerations on site could include introducing a 50-100 year design proposal showcasing the desired eThects of my scheme, on the site and wider context. Such as, trees planted or land occupied.

Spatial Hierarchy a subdivision of key spaces based on programme analysis

Crematorium serves to ethically and sustainably deal with the deceased through the process of resomation/alkaline hydrolysis. Which will result in ash and a liquid which can be used to fertilise soil.

Fire imagery is illustrative and not indicative of the traditional process which is unsustainable.

gardens

columbarium

crematorium

factory

auditorium

This garden hosts trees that have grown with aid of cremation ash.

This space is ever expanding and can begin at the ground level, expanding ev rtically or into the city to occupy dead spaces.

Multi-purpose service hall/auditorium catering for funeral services.

This space is not religion specic, rather a modular environment that can adjust to the users request.

Columbarium contains all the ornaments that are not taken home after cremation.

This space serves to immortalise the ash through a display of urns and objects manufactured on site. This space will expand over time, either ev rtically or through pre-existing factories.

Another multi-purpose space dealing with the import and export of bodies, the manufacture of ornament from cremation ash and the servicing of trees and other facilities on site.

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Programmatic and Narrative Conclusions

The purpose of this scheme will be to celebrate the interaction of life and death through a vertical park affixed with the existing site, promoting interaction between neighbouring communities to revive Parker Drive.

Recently deceased or unearthed grave

Cremation ash from alkaline hydrolysis

Community of users

A Diagram of Programmatic Elements

The Dichotomy of Death and Rebirth

Revival of dead spaces

Green spaces

Dead spaces

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Columbarium

Hydraulic cubic press

Diamond

Item leaves with the user

Vinyl pressing machine

Vinyl record

Tree planted with ash

Carbon extracted from ash

Introduction of green space

Ash stored in urns

Furthermore, this proposal on Parker Drive will serve to introduce life to dead spaces through vegetation, grown with the aid of cremation ash obtained from sustainable alkaline hydrolysis. The dead spaces will begin with Parker Drive and spread into the city centre, then the wider context of Leicester, ultimately regenerating the city improving the quality of spaces as people pass through and interact with it.

Moreover, this scheme will deal with the recently deceased and recycled graves, through the re-purposing of ash for the manufacturing of items that can be taken home with the family, or immortalised in a columbarium. This process will honour the deceased and maintain the identity of those who do not have a family to return to.

Design Development. ..

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19

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Physical Journey Dialectic user profile and their respective journeys through the site

Members of staff will enter the site through a different entrance, their journey through the site is purely utilitarian, not holistic.

The deceased will travel through the majority of spaces on site.

The recently deceased and unearthed graves are transported to the site and enter through a separate entrance, an import bay.

Deceased

Unearthed Grave

Recently Deceased

Tesseract: Public

Auditorium: Private

Factory: Private

Staff

Factory Staff

Funeral Staff

Users

Mourners

Visitors

The visitors journey will begin long before they approach the site.

Mourning begins around the time of death, therefore this site serves to aid with the closure of this ritual.

Travellers

Local community

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Transients

Users of the park will not have access to private spaces such as the auditorium. Instead, they will only have access to the columbariums and green spaces.

Crematorium: Private

Columbarium: Public

Gardens: Public

The purpose of this diagram is to aid with the identification of spatial arrangements on site. For example, the main entrance is towards the rear of the site and the staff and body entrance is on Parker Drive.

Moving forward, this will result in a series of floor plans. However, the next step is to create architecture from these montages.

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Emotional Journey As interpreted through the lens of Richard Hill’s “Purpose Function, Use”

Repetition

A Fan or Visiting Spectator “There is a stream of consciousness in which the building varies in significance moment by moment, rising to conscious attention and then falling away...the office worker does this every day so that an essential aspect of the aesthetics of use is its sheer repetition”.

Staff Divided Attention Factory Staff

Funeral Staff

Auditorium

“The user of building has a different range of kinds of experience, a different collection of types of attention, from the visiting spectator”.

Users

Mourners

Tesseract

Attributing the various stages of grief to the architecture in question can result in a holistically informed design which provides a resolve to more than just lack of green space, it can provide emotional resolve to mourners.

Facto As observed by Hill, staff confined to a space perceive the architecture differently to a spectator or user. Architecturally speaking, this means the staff spaces, such as the factory or crematorium, can be designed for function rather than form.

The staff journey is linear and devoid of holistic experience and emotion.

Visitors

Depression

The Up Travellers

Local Community

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Transients

The auditorium is expected to host funerals, therefore a sombre atmosphere will be needed to match the energy of the room.

Denial and Anger

Stages of Grief

The user is unique in their experience as they will be dealing with physical and emotional loss. This facilitating architectural moments where the user can have a personal interaction with the deceased. These mo and each one can help the user to progress through the stages of grief, ultimately concluding with a celebrati

ory

pward Turn

“For the spectator their significance lies not in their physicality but in the fact that they represent forms which are of aesthetic interest”.

“Purpose denotes a human intention in relation to an object, and function denotes the object’s execution of that purpose”.

Separating purpose and function has resulted in a dissection of events and an in-depth analysis of spatial coordination on site. This has resulted in the understanding that the user has the most emotional journey through the site, and the architecture should acknowledge this. The emotional journey of the user and traveller will now be considered in the upcoming design development.

Reconstruction and Working Through

Crematorium

The columbarium and gardens mark the final stages of the users’ journey through the site. Here, the design intention is to embrace death and celebrate the life through an immortalisation through urns and trees. These spaces will have the largest exposure to natural light, as a metaphor for the beginning of a new chapter, a sensory reset.

“An aesthetic experience of the building could only truly be had by a person working there. The tourist or the architecture fan visiting the building could aim to imagine what it would be like to work there, and might thereby get some access to the aesthetic experience of architecture. But it would always be limited by the distance between experience and imagined experience”.

Acceptance

Columbarium

Gardens

s scheme serves to help through oments are spread across the site ion of life, through acceptance.

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Design Development - Circulation (Tesseract)

Hand-drawn Development

Lift in a vertical steel frame

Disorientation through multiple circulation routes

User observing activity

Steel frame

Existing brick

Additional circulation routes

Disorientation representing the anger and denial stages of grief

Steel staircase

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The tesseract space marks the beginning of the users’ one-site journey for the general public, This space aims to filter out different user groups and act as a core circulation space from which the rest of the site can be accessed.

It is heavily inspired by the tesseract from interstellar (above) and serves to embody the anger and denial stages of grief. This is achieved through a de-familiarisation of the site by disorienting the user.

However, disorienting the user completely may not be the most appropriate strategy as this may conflict with their emotions, especially if they are grieving.

Therefore careful consideration and sensitivity will be required to successfully execute this space.

Design Development - Crematorium

Resomator Research Drying Oven

The amount of space required to facilitate a resomator and all of its additional components is around 40m². This information will be useful when allocating space for the crematorium, which aims to hold 3-5 resomators.

Cremulator 1000 Litre Hot Water Tank

The crematorium will be private and the design intent will not be as dramatic as the other spaces, this is a staff space and therefore will not affect the overall journey of the visitors.

Resomator

Control Panel Steel frame construction

The graph below presents the environmental and cost benefits of resomation in comparison to traditional cremation and burial.

Bridge in the distance Steam Generator Existing red brick facade

Resomator

80

Sink

60

1000 Litre Chemical Tank

40 20

Suggested room layout from resomator.com

0

Burial

Cremation

Resomation

Environmental impacts in shadow prices (€/funeral)

Exit to green space

Tiled flooring

Front Elevation 1:40

Right Elevation 1:40

2009 Resomator S750 High Pressure Alkaline Hydrolysis System

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Design Development - Auditorium

Hand-drawn Development

Lift shaft in distant view

James Turrell inspired skylight

Ventilation gaps to compensate for lack of window openings

Access to exterior gardens

Coffin for funeral ceremony

Seating arrangement

Steel frame

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Floor Plans 1:100

How can the coffins be transported in the same lift as the public?

In this instance, the auditorium pods are a private space, this means the usage of lifts is directly in accordance with the timetabled schedule on any particular day. This space will need to be pre-booked. Therefore, coffins can be transported using the same lift prior to the visitors arrival, eliminating any possibility of an overlap of different circulation types.

Auditorium as a Tower 1:100

Auditorium as an Individual Pod 1:100

There is a need for two separate iterations of the auditorium pod as one can be stacked to form a tower akin to the spatial hierarchy diagram, and another can stand alone. This method also permits two different sized internal spaces, which would benefit large and small visitor groups.

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Design Development - Columbarium

Hand-drawn Development Integration of existing red brick on Parker Drive

Limited use of windows for atmospheric qualities

Archways for ease of access

Upper balcony

Shelving units for deceased

Steel frame

Access to adjacent pods

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Initial 3D Model Development

The first floor can hold 300 individual shelves

First Floor

Ground Floor 1:200

The ground floor can hold 410 individual shelves

Ground Floor

This is the initial developmental stage of the columbarium, which will be subject to iterative development as the scheme progresses.

Red - Lift Shaft Blue - Staircase

Currently, this double height public pod can accommodate 710 individual shelves. Each shelf will be designated to a deceased individual to immortalise and celebrate their life.

First Floor 1:200 Steel Frame Structure

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Design Development - Gardens

Hand-drawn Development

Initial 3D Model Development

Lift in vertical steel frame

Public garden pods

Leicester skyline

Proposed Trees on Site

Ground level gardens

Visible structural support

Handrails

Bridge above site

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During this initial development stage of the gardens pod, the aim was to create a modular space that could facilitate trees with deep roots, as well as aesthetically represent the character of Parker Drive.

During this process, the concept of holes in the walls for vegetation to seep through had arised, this theme will be explore further.

Fraxinus excelsior

Quercus robur

- strength - power - longevity

- honour - eternity - endurance

/ common ash

/ sacred oak

Updated Pod Development

The garden pod has adopted an ‘S’ shape circulation path to maximise time spent within the space and promote interaction with adjacent green space. Furthermore, steel archways can improve the tone of the space aesthetically, this can be strengthened through the use of lanterns affixed to the archways. Red brick walls encapsulate the design language of Parker Drive providing a visual connection in the sky, to the factories down below.

Steel frame

Planted trees

Steel archway

Concrete pathway Red brick wall Vegetation growing through holes The proposed trees have been carefully considered based on accessibility within the United Kingdom, practicality in regards to climate conditions and growth, and aesthetic variation.

Salix alba

Prunus serrulata

Taxus baccata

- hope - belonging - safety

- love - life - renewal

- sadness - eternal life - sorrow

/ white willow

/ cherry blossom

/ british yew

The five trees selected share holistic connotations with themes exhibited in this project. Such themes consist of life, death and moments in between. The intention here is that the user can select a tree that is best suited to their desires for the recently deceased, both visually and metaphorically.

The selected tree will then be planted and grow in remembrance and celebration of the life lived.

Concrete panels retaining soil within

Long vines growing through holes

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Design Development - Circulation (Staircase) Steel Staircase at 161 Parker Drive

Hand-drawn Development

Initial 3D Model Development The intention behind this staircase design is to facilitate a modular circulation intervention that can be affixed within the wider frame in any 9x9m space. This modular design is stackable to allow for ground floor users to reach the upper frame, and will be constructed from galvanised steel. This method will ensure resistance to weather, whilst following the existing language of Parker Drive.

Furthermore, the unused central 3x3m grid allows for the possibility of a lift shaft. The overall grid spans 9x9m and is subdivided into 9 3x3m smaller grids, the overall height is 4m.

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Iteration One - Plan (Not to Scale)

Iteration Two - Plan (Not to Scale)

Iteration One - Iso

Iteration Two - Iso

Lift Shaft UP

Close-up Perspective Showcasing Materiality 1:100 Plan

1:100 Elevation

Iteration Three - Iso

Final Proposal

Stacked Proposal

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Floor Plan - Iteration One 1:1250 This initial diagram is the first attempt at formulating a building from the previous research, the most notable attributes derived are as follows: - 8x8m grid overlaid on the site was unsuccessful, each building may require their own grid, or a larger grid should be tested such as 10x10m.

- The entrance to the site will be towards the rear of Parker Drive, entering through Beaumont Leys Lane, this defamiliarizes the user as soon as they enter the site.

- There will be a front to back approach, this means that the factory spaces to the rear of the scheme will become the front of Parker Drive, matching the existing street scene.

- The columbarium will occupy the largest building on site, which is towards the top of Parker Drive.

Key: 1 - Committal Room 2 - Family Room 3 - Main Hall 1 4 - Condolence Rooms 5 - Storage 6 - W/C 7 - Entrance/Waiting 8 - Cloakroom 9 - Crematorium 10 - Body Storage 11 - Recycling Centre 12 - Plant Room 13 -Office 14 - Staff Storage 15 - Staff Room 16 - Staff W/C 17 - Kitchen 18 - Communal Space

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Private Space 1:500

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Floor Plan - Iteration Two 1:000 This second iteration of the floor plans builds upon the first diagram, spaces are more appropriately designated and internal spaces are explored in further detail. The design intent behind the entrance (9) and forecourt (11) is to defamiliarize the user as they enter the site, this disorientation is reflective of the initial stages of grief. The desire is to have the user enter and be able to choose one of many circulation routes to begin their journey.

Parker Drive

A 10x10m grid has been implemented into this iteration, this was also unsuccessful. It has become clear the most appropriate way to address the steel frame grid, is to address each building individually, and apply a separate sized grid to the additional spaces, the next arrangement to be tested will be 9x9m.

The columbarium has been sectioned into three zones, this approach is an improvement to iteration one however still requires further development.

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Development Sketch

Key 1 - Staff Spaces 2 - Factory/Loading 3 - Crematorium 4 - Plant Room 5 - Columbarium 6 - Cold Store 7 - Lifts for Bodies 8 - Body Prep 9 - Entrance/Reception 10 - Small Service Room 11 - “Tesseract” Forecourt 12 - Gardens 13 - Parking Public Private

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Along side this floor plan iteration, was a brief sectional development drawing. Above, is an initial sketch of a frame affixed to the existing structure adhering to the specified grid, this study enforced a sense of scale and it became clear that my original intentions with the scheme may result in a building that is far too tall. This information was extremely useful for further development.

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Floor Plan - Iteration Three 1:500 This third iteration focuses heavily on the manufacturing space, and the park towards the front of the site. The decision to completely remove the right most building was so that the scheme can appeal to the public as much as it does to mourners. By removing the entire building, a ruin can remain and a park can form within, which is inviting to the residents of Parker Drive and serves as a public transition space to reach the frame above. The brick ruin symbolises a decomposing facade, a concept which will be enhanced through additional facade treatments on the existing buildings.

Key 1 - Staff Lockers 2 - Factory Staff Entrance 3 - Cafeteria 4 - Loading bay for Receiving Coffins 5 - Staff Offices 6 - Manufacturing Space 7 - Plant Room 8 - Manufacturing Space 9 - Storage 10 - Large Hall for Staff Cross Circulation 11 - Cold Store 12 - Body Preparation 13 - Control Room 14 - Hall to Crematoriums 15 - Public Space/Reception 16 - Large Auditorium 17 - Public Entrance 18 - Public Toilets 19 - Front Plaza with Columbarium Pods

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Hand-drawn Development

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Design Development - Physical Model

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Design Development - Physical Model - Elevation

As a response to the floor plans, this model serves to introduce the concept of steel frame construction coexisting with the red brick factories. Balsa wood represents the numerous pods developed throughout this project, such as the stairwell/lift or the columbarium, auditorium and gardens. This model was successful in the fact that it illustrates the design intention of the frame and overarching bridge. As well as this, it introduces scenarios that would not have otherwise been considered, such as the arrangement of pods and subsequently, the capacity of them on site. This model made it apparent that the front park was too busy, and consequently changes have been made. Although the pods are in scale with the site model, this model has over exaggerated the heights of the components involved, this is a negative which can be improved upon in the future.

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Design Development - Physical Model - Plan

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Design Development - Physical Model - Perspectives

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Design Development - Isometric Perspective (Not to Scale) This is the first 3D model of the entire scheme, combining all the previously developed elements within a frame coexisting with the site. This iteration is successful in the fact that different circulation routes have been considered. However, an improvement to this could be that the scheme is defamiliarized further, perhaps through off-setting the garden pods to create a less linear route through the bridge(s). This intervention would slow down the time taken to travel through the site, which directly correlates with my desired intentions. The isolated columbariums towards the front could also have a frame connecting them to the greater scheme.

Bridge continuing off site, into the city

Separate circulation for mourners visiting the auditorium for a funeral service Private stairwell/lift shaft to access auditorium Auditoriums overlook the green space below, whilst maintaining privacy Parker Drive Brick ruin from demolished building can be used as seating space in the park

The beginning of the bridge, accessible through the two adjacent columbariums

Existing - Public Elevation B

Existing - Private

Isolated columbarium pods with a gradual increase in floors to signify the schemes growth into the frame

Garden Main park entrance from Beaumont Leys Lane

Auditorium

Existing green space, integrated with the design proposal

Columbarium Elevation A

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Brick Ruin from Demolished Building

Beaumont Leys Lane

Bridge

Stairwell deep within the existing green space, in case someone ventures too far

Design Development - Elevation A 1:250

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Design Development - Elevation B 1:250

Existing - Public Existing - Private Garden Auditorium Columbarium Brick Ruin from Demolished Building Bridge

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Design Development - Facade Treatment 1:100 Facade Test

Facade Proposal

The image below is an initial testing of ideas pertaining to incorporating steel with the brickwork.

This intervention was unsuccessful however paved the way for the developed proposal.

This facade proposal intends to visualise the deterioration of brick, simultaneously with the introduction of steelwork. This dialectic treatment ties into an earlier observation of Parker Drive which was that the building elevations felt like they were visual timelines of themselves. Spaces where brickwork has been completely ruined, such as 153, do not affect the security of the scheme. This is because the ruin is of an old extension, and the building itself begins behind it. Furthermore, the full ruin at 163/157 can be re-purposed as seating or low walls to control circulation through the park.

Additionally, the demolished brick can be reused when constructing the new proposal, this approach is sustainable and ensures visual cues to Parker Drive, from above the site.

163/157 Parker Drive - Demolished ruin converted into outdoor furniture.

Less Brick More Steel

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153 Parker Drive: Ruin street front walled off from the main scheme behind it, to prevent unwanted access.

151 Parker Drive: Less of a ruin, new steel staircase embedded within facade to signify transition of old and new.

145 Parker Drive: The first out of two manufacturing spaces for this scheme, facade remains original aside from the removal of cladding and the addition of perforated brickwork.

More Brick Less Steel

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Precedent Study - The Jewish Museum

Summary

Precedent Focus - Atmosphere Through Control of Natural Light

The Jewish Museum Berlin, exhibits the social, political and cultural history of the Jews in Germany from the fourth century to the present, explicitly presenting and integrating, for the first time in postwar Germany, the repercussions of the Holocaust.

Architect - Daniel Libeskind Location - Berlin, Germany Year - 1999

Ground Floor Diagram

Examples of Controlled Use of Natural Light

The visitor enters the Baroque Kollegienhaus and then descends by stairway through the dramatic Entry Void, into the underground, thus preserving the contradictory autonomy of both the old and new structures on the surface. The descent leads to three underground axial routes, each of which tells a different story.

This precedent study serves to identify successful elements of Libeskind’s architecture pertaining to the generation of sombre and holistic atmospheres.

Interior Perspectives

Topological transformation of the Star of David in the plan of Libeskind’s Berlin Museum with the Jewish Museum Department

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The building zigzags with its titanium-zinc façade and features underground axes, angled walls, and bare concrete “voids” without heat or air-conditioning. With his “Between the Lines” design, Daniel Libeskind did not want simply to design a museum building, but to recount German-Jewish history.

Shalekhet (Fallen Leaves) installation by Menashe Kadishman.

More than 10,000 faces with open mouths, cut from heavy round iron plates, cover the floor of the ground floor void.

Response to Precedent Study

Facade Treatment on 127 Parker Drive (Not to Scale)

Daniel Libeskind designed the structure of the windows based on the addresses of notable Jewish and non-Jewish Berlin figures.

The most notable intervention exhibited in the museum to control natural light is the use of windows. As a response to this precedent study, I have incorporated the windows from the museum into an existing facade on Parker Drive.

The intention behind this was to begin forming the relationships between old and new, and to test facade treatments that would generate a response or atmosphere akin to this precedent. This intervention was unsuccessful as the facade lost its character, and became novelty which took away from my initial design intentions. However, this adds to the iterative development of the overall scheme and has brought me one step closer to achieving the most suitable facade treatment.

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Response to Precedent

Precedent Study - The High Line

Summary

Precedent Focus - Green Bridge/Connection to the City Parker Drive (Site)

Architect - James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Piet Oudolf Location - New York, U.S.A. Year - 2009

Extending over 2.5 km, the High Line winds its way through the West Side of Manhattan. The pavings to the pathways consist largely of narrow pre-cast concrete planks laid parallel to each other. The tapering ends of these are feathered in and out of the flower beds and interlock with the relaid railway tracks, so that a flowing transition is created between pavings and plantings. This is a recurring motif of the park.

High Line inspired Bridge

Abbey Park

City Centre

The 1:25,000 site plan of Leicester (left) represents a testing of ideas pertaining to the connection of my scheme to the city as a whole. The white strip is a proposed journey from Parker Drive to the City Centre through Abbey Park. This would add additional use to the park above the site by directing human traffic towards other dead spaces in the city.

This could tie into the theme of replicating elements of the architecture, perhaps at the end of the bridge.

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High Line Between Buildings

Aerial Perspective of Bridge

Map of High Line (Not to Scale)

1:25000 Map of Leicester with a High Line-esque Connection to the City Centre from Parker Drive

Precedent Study - The New Crematorium, The Woodland Cemetery Precedent Focus - Crematorium/Use of Red Brick Exterior and Concrete Interior Architect - Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor Location - Stockholm, Sweden Year - 2013

Perforations

Desaturated Red Brick

Exposed white concrete has been used for the structure of the building. The aim has been to achieve the robust as well as to give a sense of clemency in the interiors.

Brick has been chosen for façades and roof to bring the small scale to the surfaces as well as for how it relates to the trunks of the surrounding pines.

1. Public Entry 2. Waiting Hall 3. Reception 4. Ceremony Room 5. Furnace Hall 6. Control Room 7. Cold Store 1 8. Cold Store 2 9. Coolers, Accumulators 10. Air Intake 11. Garage 12. Covered Car Entrance 13. Hall for Receiving Coffins 14. Urns 15. Atrium 16. Changing Room 17. Staff Room 18. Manager Office Aerial Perspective

Interior Perspective

Perspective

Ground Floor Plan

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Site Character - Materiality/Fenestration Site Plan (Not to Scale)

Red Brick

Cladding

Stone

Window

Parker Drive can be aesthetically represented through the tonal and textural qualities on site, the most predominant material is red brick. Moving forward, this study will underpin the aesthetic qualities of the final proposal.

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Technical Development. ..–.

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Technical Precedent - NoXX Apartment Precedent Focus - Facade Treatment/Structure/Detailing Architect - CM Mimarlık Location - Istanbul, Turkey Year - 2014

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Images of Scheme

1:5 Detail

Technical Precedent - 3D Model Study

Section 1:10

Elevation (Not to Scale)

Isometric Study (Not to Scale)

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Technical Precedent - NoXX Apartment Analysis

1:5 Detail A

1:10 Detail A Thermal envelope line

There is a break in the thermal envelope due to a lack of insulation behind the PFC (Parallel Flanged Channel). This results in a cold bridge leading to cold air entering through. A solution to this would be to introduce a thermally broken connection.

Cold air

The purpose of this analysis is to address any issues in the existing detail, so that it can then be re-interpreted for my own use. The desired intention is to rotate the steel beam so that it sits vertically within the brick facade.

Thermal envelope line

Steel has been shifted to the right, a plate is bolted in and thermal insulation is added to create a thermally broken connection.

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NoXX Apartment Elevation (Not to Scale)

Technical Development - Response to Precedent

151 Parker Drive Elevation Proposal 1:20

1:10 Plan Detail B

Plan Detail B

Air gap

Brickwork

Brickwork

Exposed steel beam Insulation

Exterior

Interior

Insulation 12.5mm gypsum board

Waterproof membrane

Thermal envelope line

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Technical Development - Garden Proposal Plan 1:100

Elevation A 1:100

Section A 1:100

Elevation A

Section A Overhanging vegetation

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Cast-in-situ concrete panel

Red brick panel made from demolished building

Detail A

Capsula Mundi

Tree and vegetation roots

Pathway Development

Iso Perspective

Detail A 1:10

50mm angled hole ‘U shape’ circulation for dead ends Planting substrate

Geotextile membrane Filtration material (pebbles) ‘Z shape’ circulation increases time taken to travel across, a strategy to control the ‘moment’

Damp proof membrane Tapered screed laid to falls at 3°

200mm cast-in-situ concrete panel ‘+ shape’ circulation for nodes Leaf guard Steel beam

‘I shape’ circulation for linear routes, this strategy is undesirable as the gardens may not be appreciated

300mm reinforced visual concrete

Hopper Drainage pipe

The garden pod acts as a large plant pot, the lower half will hold soil for tree roots and vegetation, and the upper acts as a miniature forest. This modular pod can be affixed within the steel frame above Parker Drive and is manufactured with the aid of red brick sourced directly from demolished buildings on site. This adds an element of sustainability which is further enhanced through the trees themselves which are planted with the aid of cremation ash, thus completing the life cycle of the deceased and addressing the burial crisis.

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Technical Development - Columbarium Proposal Elevation A

Section A

Ground Floor Plan 1:100

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Section A

Upper Floor(s) Plan 1:100

Section A 1:100

Elevation A 1:100 62

Technical Development - Auditorium Proposal Isometric Perspective (Not to Scale)

Section A

Auditorium/Funeral Hall Private Space for Mourners Storage

Floor Plan 1:100 63

Cloak Room

The auditorium pod serves to host funeral services. For this reason, there is a necessity for sensitivity when designing the space, this is achieved by limiting any distracting or inappropriate scenarios through a reduction of architectural elements. By reducing a space to its fundamental principles, there is an opportunity to generate atmospheric qualities through the manipulation of natural light. This is evidenced through a lack of windows in the funeral hall, the only access to vast natural light is through an oversized skylight situated overhead the coffin.

Furthermore, perforations in the cast-in-situ concrete walls permit minute levels of natural light to enter the space. The pod is situated above all other pods on site, thus, adding a sense of privacy and once more limiting any unwanted scenarios.

Section A 1:50

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Technical Development - Auditorium Detail Section A 1:50

Detail A

Detail C

Detail D

Detail E

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Detail B

Technical Development - Auditorium Construction Detail 1:5 Clipped on aluminium capping 20mm plywood Cavity closer

Skylight

100mm cast-in-situ concrete

Waterproof membrane

Flashing 30mm insulation Waterproof membrane 100mm cast-in-situ concrete exterior wall

100mm cast-in-situ concrete

10mm interior finish

50mm gravel

Waterproof membrane

Waterproof membrane 75mm insulation

Rigid thermal isolation joint

125mm insulation

200mm cast-in-situ concrete

100mm cast-in-situ concrete interior wall

Detail B

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Technical Development - Auditorium Construction Detail 1:5 Detail C

Detail D

Detail E 100mm cast-in-situ concrete interior wall 125mm insulation 15mm floor finish

5mm perforated metal sheet

65mm screed

Waterproof membrane

Double glazing

5mm perforated metal sheet

Window frame Window sill Cavity closer

100mm cast-in-situ concrete interior wall

300mm reinforced visual concrete

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Rigid thermal isolation joint

50mm insulation

Waterproof membrane

Design Proposal .

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Design Proposal - Site Plan 1:1000

Section A

Elevation A Parker Drive

A master plan development showcasing vegetative growth on a park above Parker Drive.

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Design Proposal - Ground Floor Plan 1:1000

Section A

Elevation A Parker Drive

A ground floor plan development showcasing the integration of interventions on Parker Drive.

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Design Proposal - Ground Floor Plan 1:500 Key 1 - Staff Lockers 2 - Factory Staff Entrance 3 - Cafeteria 4 - Loading bay for Receiving Coffins 5 - Staff Offices 6 - Manufacturing Space 7 - Plant Room 8 - Manufacturing Space 9 - Storage 10 - Large Hall for Staff Cross Circulation 11 - Cold Store 12 - Body Preparation 13 - Control Room 14 - Hall to Crematoriums 15 - Columbarium Hallway for Mourner Journey 16 - Reception/Waiting Room 17 - Cloak Room 18 - Large Auditorium 19 - Columbarium 20 - Entrance 21 - Park 22 - Columbarium

A close up of key spaces, zoned and labelled for clarification.

Existing - Public Existing - Private Garden Auditorium Columbarium Brick Ruin from Demolished Building Bridge

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Design Proposal - Elevation A 1:500 Existing - Public Existing - Private Garden Auditorium Columbarium Brick Ruin from Demolished Building Bridge

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Design Proposal - Section A 1:200

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Design Proposal - Comparison to Early Photomontage

Critical elements of the design proposal stem from initial ideas that were originally irrelevant to the specified dialectic programmes. Initial site observations such as the reduction of facade elements to reveal steel work underneath have carried forward into the developed scheme.

Furthermore, an early observation of the scarcity of green space visible from Parker Drive has resulted in a park on and above the site which invites residents of Parker Drive to interact with, in an otherwise avoided factory half of the road.

An observation that the site felt like a graveyard has carried forward into the proposal manifesting itself as a crematorium and body recycling centre.

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Design Proposal - Reductive Diagrams

Stairwell from factory to auditorium, for the transportation of the deceased for the funeral

Columbarium pods gradually increase in height for maximum exposure to direct sunlight

Auditorium pods are situated one level above the gardens to ensure privacy

Bridge continuing off the site and spreading into the wider city.

Stairwell for circulation to auditorium, only accessible to funeral visitors

163/157 Parker Drive to be demolished in favour of a park, the demolished brick will be used to manufacture the pods Stairwell pod deep within the forest

1. The original site 79

2. The removal of 163/157 Parker Drive and the introduction of circulation above the site

Ground level columbarium pods gradually increase in height to signify the upcoming gardens

Brick ruin for seating and control of circulation through the park

3. The implementation of 24 columbarium and 4 auditorium pods

Off-centre garden pods defamiliarize the user and force them to travel in a non-linear route through the site which slows down the time taken to get from point A to B

4. The integration of 34 garden pods

Examples of defamiliarized, non-linear routes through the site

5. The proposed scheme 80

To be continued...

CIT

COEXISTENCE IN THEORY