Site Analysis Portfolio

coexistence in theory. arch3035 - urban design analysis report.

2020/21

jai vij, p2449214. tutor, daniel farshi.

welcome to coexistence in theory. this report presents a perceived understanding of what the site is, permitted by an analysis of what the site is not. also known as a dialectic analysis, this approach towards parker drive has unearthed novel site information, not necessarily obtained from a traditional sun path or google search. furthermore, this method of metaphysical analysis has permitted the formation of relationships on-site, which in turn, became the generator of key ideas. this report will begin with a more traditional site analysis, before entering a metaphysical realm, capturing the fabric of parker drive. this will lead to visual conclusions, known as photomontages. the consequent ideas and relationships formed from these montages, will then be tested via the implementation of unconventional, programmatic pairs. concluded in the form of massing models. alongside this core analysis, additional research will be conducted into, but not limited to, technical detail of an old and new synthesised building, and an analysis of select reading material, visually presented. an example of which being the shadow pattern device. the conclusions made in this report will aid in the testing of ideas, inevitably materialising as an architectural resolution. select work has been used to underpin the content of two A2 panels that accompany this report. lastly, this report has been compiled with one imperative mantra, considered at all times:

everything is a design opportunity.

executive summary.

contents.

dialectic site analysis...................................................................04 dialectic photomontage..............................................................12 place and placelessness...............................................................18 programme analysis....................................................................20 programme manifesto ................................................................28 technical precedent.....................................................................30 shadow pattern device................................................................32 massing studies............................................................................36 site model .....................................................................................42 appendix.......................................................................................44

dialectic site analysis.

04.

site analysis.

parker drive.

locality and weather.

site introduction. the site chosen is parker drive, this is because there is great opportunity for development, and the dichotomy of residential vs. factory spaces appears to provide a challenge i wish to architecturally resolve. my initial observations of the site conclude that there are little to no trees on site, this lack of vegetation [coupled with the most prominent wind travelling north, up parker drive] can make the weather conditions on site fairly unpleasant, as there are no natural wind barriers.

site, 1:2500

leicester, 1:500,000

wind rose.

united kingdom, 1:20,000,000 solar path.

calm winds.

intense winds.

05.

site analysis, 1:1250.

texaco petrol station.

local context.

unused green space at the rear of factories.

north entrance to parker drive. beaumont leys lane.

norwich road.

factories.

residential homes. residential homes.

south entrance to parker drive.

site textures.

06.

site plan, 1:1250

site analysis, 1:5000. wider context.

site history. residential homes.

green space.

river soar. great central railway.

main road.

supermarket.

site. leicester abbey remains.

1143-1538. parker drive.

site plan, 1:5000.

greyhound racing - leicester stadium.

1923-1984.

07.

site visit, 127 parker drive. visual observations from the initial site visit. the images taken are from 127 parker drive, when we were granted access into the building. this was a useful exercise as gaining access to a building on site, allowed me to form informed narratives, enhancing my perceived understanding.

frontal elevation.

interior studio. shutter door.

sink.

08.

interior studio.

exposed brick. staircase.

graveyard of printers.

heaps of unattended junk.

compactor.

09.

dialectic site analysis. thesis vs. antithesis.

10.

ground plane, sloped vs. flat.

large shutter door vs. mouse hole.

no vegetation vs. forest.

red brick vs. blue water.

the site landscape is uneven and sloped, my perceived opposite is flat, desertified land.

factory spaces have large shutter doors, my perceived opposite is a tiny mouse hole.

parker drive lacks vegetation, therefore my percieved opposite is a dense, vibrant forest.

the most prominent material is red brick, my perceived opposite is blue water. brick builds, water erodes.

compactor vs. sponge.

stairs vs. swimming.

time vs inertia.

motion vs. standstill.

my perceived opposite of a staircase on site, is swimming underwater. stairs climb, swimmers dive.

some factories on site feel like they were trapped in time, my perceived opposite is inertia - time stopped.

pedestrian movement is limited on site, the opposite of which, i’ve determined, is vast movement.

my antithesis of a compactor on site, is a sponge. sponges expand, compactors compact.

steel structure vs. feathers.

glass vs. ceramic.

residential vs. skyscrapers.

fence vs. freedom.

my antithesis for steel frames, are feathers. steel is heavy and grounded, feathers are weightless.

my perceived opposite for translucent broken glass, is opaque ceramics. both are made through a heat process.

my perceived opposite for the residential landscape, was an array of skyscrapers, a metropolis.

the thesis here is the iron fence, this symbolises being locked up, therefore, my antithesis is being un-cuffed. finding freedom.

texture, smooth vs. bumpy.

movement, van vs. bird.

my antithesis for transparent textured glass, is smooth opaque timber.

my perceived opposite to the vehicle, is a bird. vehicles drive on the ground, birds fly.

history, printing [present] vs. dog racing [past].

my observation is that there’s a junk yard of abandoned printers, this is present day history, therefore my antithesis, is dog racing, as that used to take place nearby, past history.

climate, windy vs. sunny.

my observation on site is that it can get very windy, therefore my antithesis to the unpleasant weather, is pleasant weather, a sunny day.

The purpose of this task is to form thesis/antithesis relationships on site, this is achieved by documenting a plethora of observations [thesis], then forming a personal, perceived opposite [antithesis]. the relationships formed will then be used to inform ideas and methodologies, culminating with an architectural resolution. just like the concept of coexistence in theory, which looks to coalesce the old and the new, a dialectic understanding of the site achieves a similar principle. the ideas formed are then tested on site.

11.

dialectic photomontage.

12.

13.

photomontage explained.

14.

a visual representation of thesis/antithesis relationships formed from the initial site observations.

15.

residential and commercial spaces on parker drive. the dichotomy of live and work spaces on site, aided with quotes from louis sullivan’s ‘the tall office building artistically considered’.

“similar to the cell in a honeycomb.” [1]

similarly with factory spaces, the quote below echoes the sentiments experienced when on and around parker drive, the buildings feel like machines, emotionless and robotic, constantly importing and exporting, constantly meeting demands.

my perceived understanding of the residential spaces is that they appear identical in appearance and construction, this analysis coincides with the aforementioned quote. a small montage of the residential spaces merged with a honeycomb illustrates this.

“utilitarian and pecuniary demands.” [2]

16.

this montage aims to portray how different the site can be, during the week compared to the weekend. this is primarily due to the factory spaces not being in use (for the most part) throughout saturday and sunday. this dichotomy is of particular interest to me as it shows the versatility of the site, and opens the floor for a plethora of ideas regarding my programmes.

weekday vs. weekend on parker drive.

17.

place and placelessness.

18.

place and placelessness on parker drive. application of theories, from relph, e., “excerpts from place and placelessness”.

“we owned and controlled a piece of it.” [1]

is parker drive a place? or a nonplace? parker drive is a non-place, meaning it experiences placelessness as a whole. there is a lack of uniformity and standardisation on site. this is evidenced by the factory spaces which consistently experience industrial commercial developments. as well as this impermanence on site, some factory spaces perpetuate an atmosphere of abandonment, evidenced in the deterioration of the sites materiality. parker drive is lacking both diverse landscapes and significant places.

However, there is an argument suggesting parker drive is a place, for some. a place is very personal and individualistic in is form. the residential spaces on site are identical in construction, yet mean something completely unique to those who dwell within. we “cannot easily judge it as a lesser experience, for it still involves the intentions, the hopes and fears of men and women. of experience, as of happiness and despair, we have no measure”.[6]

“places constitute the basis for the discovery of the self.” [2]

“remembered with reverence.” [3]

figure 1. typical residnetial scheme on parke dr.

figure 2. rear view of 127 parker dr.

“it reveals the external bonds of his existence.” [5] “perceptual unity.” [4]

references.

1. page 376.

2/3. page 377.

4. page 374.

5. page 383.

6. page 386.

19.

programme analysis.

20.

evaluation of research. select conclusions based on primary research, and relationships formed through the dialectic analysis. steel frame construction. from my visit to 127 parker drive, i was able to conclude that the factories had been built via a steel frame construction. this frame is evidenced in my photomontage. this frame construction, gave me an idea of potentially stripping back the elevations on a scheme, revealing just a frame, which could then be built into, in a modular sense.

lack of green space. the site, at a macro scale, appears to feature a fair amount of green space, but the site, parker drive, does not. this has resulted in the site being prone to harsh winds, as there are no natural barriers. a solution to this issue could be to introduce more green space via my programmes, this could be through the use of a farm, or a forest.

weekday transient access. based on my initial observations of parker drive, the space appears to cater for the factories during the week, which results in the general public using the site as a means to get from point a to point b. this is further evidenced by the lack of community spaces on site. therefore, one idea that i could test via my programmes, is to build a sense of community on parker drive, this would give meaning back to the residents, and the space would transform from a bridge for transients, to a space with meaning.

present day graveyard. another observation that appeared in my dialectic analysis, was that some of the site felt like it was a graveyard for its present day uses. the print factories harboured heaps of abandoned printers, like a junkyard. this made me think about graveyards, and the current spatial issues that surround them.

21.

adjacency matrix.

parking reception visitor w/c office graveyard crematorium recycling centre import bay green space paper factory book factory factory office janitor closet staff w/c staff storage plant room book storage communal cafeteria library shop export bay

22.

export bay

shop

library

cafeteria

communal

book storage

plant room

staff storage

staff w/c

janitor closet

factory office

book factory

paper factory

green space

import bay

recycling centre

crematorium

graveyard

office

visitor w/c

reception

parking

far

nearby

adjacant

idea one, graveyard and library.

adjacency diagram. idea one, graveyard and library.

23.

adjacency diagram. idea one, graveyard and library.

these are the initial programme ideas, presented via a flow chart, and venn diagram.

24.

adjacency diagram. idea two, graveyard and museum.

idea two. import bay brings in corpses that have been buried for over 20 years, that are no longer claimed. removal of these bodies frees up valuable space at graveyards, from where they can be ethically recycled and re-purposed, or immortalised in the museums mausoleum. alkaline hydrolysis is a sustainable method of liquid cremation where remains are separated into ash, and a liquid made from various compounds (e.g. salt). this liquid can be used as fertiliser, or disposed of. at the ornament production centre, the remaining ash can be used to create monuments to those who have been cremated, either via a physical manufacturing process, or by being planted into the earth along side a sapling, to aid in the growth of a tree. any recycled remains will be immortalised in the mausoleum section of the museum.

25.

adjacency matrix.

far nearby

forest

columbarium

janitor closet

office

plant room

communal space

staff w/c

staff storage

staff room

ornate production centre

crematorium

family room

committal room

main hall

condolence room

toilets

cloakroom

waiting room

storage room

import bay

columbarium reception

exit

entrance

parking

idea three, crematorium and body recycling centre.

adjacant

parking entrance exit columbarium reception import bay storage room waiting room cloakroom toilets condolence room main hall committal room family room crematorium ornate production centre staff room staff storage staff w/c communal space plant room office janitor closet columbarium forest

26.

adjacancy “dot” diagram, third edition.

the most recent stage in the testing of ideas and methodology, is the concept of programme one being a crematorium, and programme two being a body recycling centre. crematorium. this space serves to resolve the growing spatial issues of graveyards, more specifically, push on persuading families of the deceased to cremate the body, rather than abetting the existing issue. The family will then have a choice of what to do with the remains, as seen in programme two. body recycling centre. this space serves to deal with the remains of loved ones, both ethically and sustainably. methods provided in the space involve transforming the ash into ornate artefacts, or planting the ash into the ground to aid with the growth of a tree. ornate artefacts, can then be immortalised within the schemes columbarium, or taken home with the family.

adjacency diagram.

idea three, crematorium and body recycling centre.

placed on an isometric grid, this 1:400 adjacency diagram serves as a visual to the third edition dot diagram. this diagram aims to materialise each space, whilst adding additional information. information such as; room heights, desired room luminosity, purpose of each room, circulation routes for visitors, staff, the dead, and lastly, room sizes.

27.

programme manifesto.

28.

programme photomontage. what would i like to achieve?

forest.

this combination of programmes aims to resolve the issue of running out of graveyard space. with a heavy push on encouraging families of those who have passed away, to get the body cremated.

columbarium.

body recycling centre.

by doing so, in an ethical and sustainable way, the aim is to reduce occupied land space, and commemorate loved ones appropriately. this can be achieved in a series of ways; via the family taking the ash home, transforming the ash into ornaments and immortalising them in a columbarium, or aiding with the planting of a tree which would result in a forest.

programme one:

crematorium. the most common cremation process can be harmful for the environment. this programme will aim to use alkaline hydrolysis as a methods of cremation. this process is much more sustainable and in turn, is less negatively impactful on the environment.

programme two.

crematorium.

body recycling centre. sustainably immortalising the ash can lead to less space occupied underground. with the methods present in this programme, it can result in improving parker drive overall, whether that be by introducing more [needed] green space onto the site, or by erecting a space for the community to pay respects to their loved ones.

funeral space.

29.

technical precedent.

30.

king’s cross station london, england.

2 mm aluminium flashing to existing building

bituminous sheet sealing layer 20 mm EPS insulation, compression resisant 160 mm mineral-wool insulation between 80/120/5 mm steel RHS supporting structure 500 mm mineral-wool insulation 2 mm perforated sheet alum. cladding

250/800/20 mm galv. steel RHS, painted

the purpose of this precedent study is to begin to understand how new technologies can coesist with older ones.

my annotations on the detail.

kings cross station.

31.

shadow pattern device.

32.

shadow pattern device. inspired by manuel delanda’s “a thousand years of nonlinear history”.

this shadow pattern device, is a product of my own ambition, informed by the writings of delanda. more specifically, chapter 11: “flesh and genes biological history: 1700-2000 a.d.” key points i wished to address in my device, came from ideas of the net production of people, how the upswing causes the down swing. this led me to think about peaks and troughs, which resulted in a device made from balsa wood, with match sticks of different lengths which imitate the shape of a sinusoidal wave. another aspect of the reading which inspired me, was the idea of each person having an extended belonging, a replicator. this drew my attention to the idea of overlapping lines or dots, which replicate infinitely. therefore, the final model, forms linear strips which overlap to create intersecting forms of varied porosity. the model itself has been assembled without any glue, and will be used to aid my design process. similar to the dialectic analysis, where we observe what is, based on what isn’t. this shadow pattern device permits shapes to be seen, via the light we cant see.

33.

catalyst.

replicator.

34.

energy.

rhythm.

35.

massing studies.

36.

evaluation.

massing model one. insertion.

isometric perspective - 1:2500.

this first massing attempt is fairly successful in that it utilises a fair number of existing buildings on parker drive, however it could benefit from using more of the other half. the frame structure represents a modular arrangement for the forest, which can expand in any direction.

b

human perspective, not to scale.

plan view - 1:1250.

a

key.

1. main hall 200m2 2. staff spaces 150m2 3. production centre 250m2 4. waiting room 200m2 5. condolence room 100m2 6. funeral spaces 65m2 7. communal space 200m2 8. crematorium 100m2 9. forest/columbarium

1

4 elevation a - 1:1250.

elevation b - 1:1250.

2

3

6

5 7

8

9

37.

massing model two.

plan view - 1:1250.

addition.

key. isometric perspective - 1:2500.

c

1. funeral spaces 65m2 2. condolence room 100m2 3. main hall 200m2 4. waiting room 200m2 5. crematorium 100m2 6. production centre 250m2 7. staff spaces 150m2 8. communal space 200m2 9. forest/columbarium

1

2 3

4

6

d

7 evaluation. this massing model arrangement, serves to add to the site, taking as little away as possible from the existing scheme. inspired by the steel frame in the dialectic photomontage, i have attempted to portray the steel structure continuing through the roof with my scheme resting on top of it. this approach may not be successful as it raises issues regarding accessibility. thus rendering the scheme impractical.

elevation c - 1:1250.

38.

5

elevation d - 1:1250.

8 9

massing model three.

plan view - 1:1250.

synthesis.

key.

isometric perspective - 1:2500.

c

1

1. main hall 200m2 2. production centre 250m2 3. crematorium 100m2 4. communal space 200m2 5. staff spaces 150m2 6. waiting room 200m2 7. condolence room 100m2 8. funeral spaces 65m2 9. forest/columbarium

2 3 4 6

5 7

8

9

evaluation. d

this massing model is my most successful attempt yet, this is a synthesis of the best qualities from massing one and two. this scheme, keeps the verticality of massing one, creating a steel frame for a vertical forest. as well as this, it extends the frame horizontally over the site similar to massing two.

elevation c - 1:1250.

elevation d - 1:1250.

the rooms themselves appear to “spill” out onto the site, this is intentional and makes great use of the northern half of parker drive.

39.

massing model three, 1:500 sectional view.

plan view - 1:2500.

based on the synthesised massing model, this 1:500 sectional view presents the purpose of the steel grid arrangement.

40.

massing model three, 1:500 floor plan. waiting room.

communal space.

crematorium.

car park.

evaluation. this initial site plan serves as an attempt to create rooms from massing. it is not entirely accurate, however it has enabled me to think about methods of circulation on site. as well as how much space i can use from the existing buildings. condolence room.

production centre. funeral spaces.

circulation.

staff space.

main hall.

41.

site model.

42.

model development. methodology.

site boundaries for the model are assigned, a site map is then exported to autocad, where it is cleaned up.

the purpose of this site model, is to aid with the design process, not to be on display. therefore, the approach taken is to strip back the ornament on site, and present a topographical mass, from which the parker drive factories can be removed, or inserted, at liberty. by taking this approach, we are able to test ideas in real time, and the removal of spaces on site, aids with the design process of coexistence in theory. material wise, the base [left] has been machined out of green chemical wood, and measures 1500mm x 1000mm. the buildings themselves will be laser cut from 3mm clear acrylic thus permitting visibility into the scheme for massing purposes.

site model is then exported in to sketchup, where it is extruded and inserts are added for the buildings to slot into.

this site model is currently under construction, and below is a working colour palette for when we decorate the terrain.

site model is then converted to an .stl file, where it is taken to be machined out of green chemical wood. this material is the industry standard, and is the quickest, most efficient method of construction given the time frame and budget.

propsed site model colour palette.

43.

appendix.

44.

appendix.

massing study. this initial massing study is no longer required, however i feel it is still worth sharing. this design attempts to fit as many masses into a factory, as possible. this idea was abandoned after i felt i could make better use of the site as a whole, this then led to the development of my three other massing arrangements, as seen in the portfolio.

45.

thank you.