The
Big Family Suburbia Transformed 3.0
Entry 355S 1
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The
Big Family Project Description
The Big Family project has evolved around the increasing trend in the UK of multi-
generational households and responds with the need for both flexible housing and an adaptable landscape. This project goes beyond the standard “green� methods by exploring how the garden can create a community. This project explores an approach to housing which challenges the traditional American suburbia ideals by using a site in an area of traditional Victorian terraces in the suburbs of Sheffield, UK. The compact way of living has proven to be robust and adaptable over many years and this flexibility is at the heart of the Big Family concept, providing a landscape that can withstand constant changes in the household and wider community. The project capitalises on difficult landform and carefully uses cut-and-fill to provide sustainable drainage systems and to maximise solar gain. Local character is of great importance and the design utilises local materials and traditional housing forms to maintain the integrity of the wider area. The scheme has been designed around existing trees to add a sense of maturity as well as maintaining existing green networks, further enhanced by the evolving garden. The Gardens provided are large enough to enjoy privately, yet seamlessly blends into the communal garden giving the impression of being part of a larger landscape. The communal garden provides the framework in which a community can evolve and a landscape which can develop with changing needs and demands of the community.
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The
Big Family
Existing Conditions
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Master Plan C C
B1
C C A
C
A
C C
D1 A
A
A1 C
C
C
B
B
C1
B
A
C C
D B
C B
C C
B A A
A
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The
Big Family
Design Concept
The Big Family can take many forms and this conceptual diagrams demonstrates the various routes through which the family can grow and change whether it be through close relatives, distant relatives or through companionship.
The diagrams shows the arrangement of the neighbourhoods private, semi private, semi public and public spaces on site which are of an appropriate scale to accommodate the different variety of users. The site is split into two subcommunities which come together in the semi-public space
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The Big family living arrangements can also vary with members living together, becoming neighbours or spread through a local community. A flexible home and garden is essential to meeting the varying family set-ups
Conceptual Model
These photos are of a conceptual model to illustrate how the big family concept can be applied on site. They illustrate the changing family home and how the site can accommodate the changes. The model also shows how the private homes are linked to the communal semi-private space, and also the semi-public space shared between the two sub-communities.
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The
Big Family
Adaptable Living
The ever changing family needs a flexible home and this design of the homes allows for multiple extensions over the years while maintaining a sustainable level of internal light. Initial homes are 6m x 12m, with a maximum size of 12m x 12m. All homes, where possible, face south for maximum solar gain for internal light and solar power.
This illustration has been adapted from Responsive Environments (Bently et al.1985.p68) to show the varying functions of the private garden at different scales. Site conditions cannot provide selfsufficient gardens, hence this project has provided gardens around 100m2 with enough room for active and passive activity. There is also room for expansion of the home (as shown above) while maintaining a good size garden. The communal garden offers the function of food production for community activity, but not self-sufficiency.
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Solar Power
Cross Sections
A Rain Water Swale Community Shelter
Water Storage
Activity
Sections A-A1 and B-B1 show the complete cut through of the two sub-communities illustrating the change of topography from the old (red line) to the new. This change in landform has become part of the onsite water management system and maximised solar gain.
Private Garden
Pond
Communal Orchards
Tank
Swale
and Hard Space
Lawn
A1
B
The proposal demonstrates the range of communal spaces which can be achieved (community shelters, activity lawns, hard play space and ponds) although these are flexible to change as the community develops.
Rain Water Tank
B1
Swale
Activity Lawn
Swale Water Storage
Rain Water Tank
Pond 9
The
Big Family
Cross Sections
Existing
C1
C Community Laundry with air drying space
This section further shows how the tricky landform has been adapted. Both sub-communities have a communal laundry with air drying areas. Also mature trees have been retained. Private gardens have simple shrub boundaries allowing the landscape to flow into the communal space for the impression of a larger garden.
Rain
Orchard
Swale
Water
Water Storage Activity
Community Centre
Lawn
Pond
Community Shelter
Eyes on the
street
D1
D Here we have an elevation to show the potential character of the street scene using locally sourced sandstone and redbrick as well as adopting the style of a terraced house. The homes have been positioned around the existing street trees and set back far enough to provide privacy. The shop and community centre offer economic benefits which can be used to maintain and develop the communal spaces. The upper floors provide apartments with balconies to provide eyes on the street and provide prominent corners to improve legibility. 10
Local Character
1 3
2
4
5 Image 1 demonstrates the local character which has been embraced in the scheme, and Image 2 shows how flexible the terraces homes can be by being adapted into a shop or apartments. Communal refuse areas (3) will be for the whole community to use to reduce the number of bins needed and the removal of access by vehicles to all homes. Image 4 is of a local development scheme where private balconies ensure there is always natural surveillance.
The scheme has been designed to blend seamlessly into the local area embracing local scale and materials. (5) The street scene is matched with two-story terraced homes and boundary walls made of local sandstone (6)
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The communal gardens provide a green connection through the site to the surrounding network of gardens and street trees. (5/6)
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