Techne
A Community Craft Centre for Northern Marseille
Techne vb
1. Implies knowledge, experience and applied skill. 2. The rational method involved using the hands to produce an object or desired result. [from Ancient Greek: tékne as “craftsmanship”, “craft”, or “art”]
Techne A Community Craft Centre for Northern Marseille
2015
Contents Preface
3 Social objectives, Boulevard de Briancon
Idea
8 Philosophies, Project Goals, Site, Analysis
Precedents
Ruthin Craft Centre, Peter Zumthor and the idea of Craft,
Constellations Liverpool.
Initial Studies
The Essence of Craft, Folding Studies, Excavation,
Plan development.
Manifestation
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Model Development, Plans, Sections, Visuals
Structural Narrative
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Environmental Narrative
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Cost Plan
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“A city is composed of many kinds of men; similar people cannot bring a city into existance.� Aristotle
Preface Coalesce Masterplan Current Condition
Marseille is a city of huge cultural diversity. Its location, centered on the southern coast of France has throughout history made it the hard beaten path of many cultures and creeds and in turn has played its part as a portal of exchange between Europe and Africa. Today in Marseille, its cultural heterogeneity is as apparent as
Exclusion
ever recently being awarded ‘European Capital of Culture 2013’. A city of resilience, it remained the only city in France to experience economic growth during the global economic collapse in 2008. Now however, with a view toward regeneration, Inclusion
Required Condition
questions of identity are coming to the fore and a condition of mass social exclusion with it. To the more affluent south, the mostly indigenous population stir against the mostly migrant population to the north and tensions between races, religions and beliefs are further reinforcing the divide. The project attempts to analyse the current social and physical conditions in the city,
Exclusion
in an effort to determine how they contribute toward the growing tensions between the two polarised communities. Moreover with an objective to abolish the condition of social segregation or at least drastically reduce its effect on the community, a Inclusion
rigorous interrogation of the subject will be adopted. The ambition is that the output from this interrogation will bestow a better understanding of the physicality of the social world, and how the physical can influence, deter or even remedy a social condition. This knowledge will inform an urban proposal that endeavours to relieve the tensions of Marseille’s divided population.
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Top; 3 arenas of social exclusion analysis. 6 icons (left to right) represent the ‘tools’ used within the analysis, drawn from the 3 arenas and are: Spatiality and Difference; Spatiality of Social Exclusion; Barriers to Spatial Practices; Global and National Space; Public and Private space; Neighbourhoods, Markets and Regulations. See Coalesce masterplan document for more information. 4
Social Objectives The aim of the master plan was to address architecturally the physical issues of the site whether that was built matter or public/private infrastructure. The improvement of accessibility and freedom of movement to, from and within each urban development was fundamental to the scheme, removing barriers and boundaries creating new public spaces for interaction. Building programme played an important role also, where function lay dependant upon the node in question and the theme that had been applied to it, drawn from the political, social and economical analysis carried out in each area. Not only did this study create diversity across the master plan but the facilities promoted at each node act like magnets drawing people across and around this area of the city. Creating familiar territory for a variety of people to enjoy begins to breakdown the factor of detachment and seclusion that exists currently. The functions within the master plan, falling beneath the 3 arenas of political, economical and social, facilitate areas for social mixing, exchanges in conversation, education and culture. To make plain, the objectives were quite simple: To provide a place for expression; repopulate run-down areas; provide facilities that support independence and wellbeing; provide places of work and of leisure; provide a place for activity; provide places for social interaction; reconnect this region to the city and with it, the local community.
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Boulevard de Briançon As previously mentioned, each site had a particular theme and an array of associated functions that allow each their place in the master plan and facilitate an absent social requirement. Located to the north of the master plan, above its epicentre (recreational site ‘Silo Deux’) lies a stretch of small industrial warehouses to the west opposed by a concentration of modernist tower blocks, acclaiming the highest residential density in the area. Between these two opposing languages are a series of infrastructural barricades, including a small river and the birth of an overhead railway as it heads further north. This division has amplified the state of exclusion here and the poor permeability through the site meant tower blocks became fortresses in their own right surrounded by obstacles. The master plan here removed such obstacles as the warehouses to the north where a new generous park-scape was proposed in order to reinstate the balance between public and private space and allow a greater freedom of movement to the residents. To the west the warehouses become workshops and renovation offers a new lease of life providing community facilities, in the forms of workshops, butchers, greengrocers, a pharmacy and more. The idea was that the removal of obstructions and the magnetism of new stores and workplaces would allow the underside of the overhead railway to become engaged with, and a potential bistro or outdoor bar here would create a social pinpoint. Maximising the river and exposing it through excavation would provide a new public space with an art facility taking over the current riverside warehouse. This would include studios and an exhibition hall that sat on the bank of the river with a cafe and other amenities for social interaction.
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Idea
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In order for any solo project to be successful it must pertain to the master plan and draw guidance from this. On an urban scale there were ideas outlined by the masterplan that were initially considered as fundamental philosophies of the design that should be carried through: Left top: Illustration depicting the movement of groups/residents to a place of education. From here having learned a skill set they will be capable of fulfilling the voids in the workshops to the west; employment.
Positive Public Space
Left bottom: This image shows the ambition of the scheme, to unite people from different backgrounds, from a divided society, and transform this relationship to that of an integrated one.
Enhancement of Place
An issue with the entirety of this post industrious landscape is its lack of public space. This is a factor addressed in the master plan were offerings of quality public realms were now more plentiful. This is key here too, that the area within which a new development will sit should offer a public space of quality that people want to interact with.
The area around the tower blocks is run down and decayed and improvements to the area are essential if this is going to be a place where people want to be and to reconnect it with the city. It is crucial that a new building is something of the place, and something that belongs to the people who live in the area, that they believe it is theirs for them and also the wider community. It must feel accessible and not represent otherwise, which is why this feeling of place is so important.
Exposition of the River
There is a unique opportunity at the site around Boulevard de Brianรงon to expose or make the most of a neglected and disregarded river pass. Human and animal relationships with water need no explanation. The exposition of the river would both draw people to the area and improve its ecology. As such, positive engagement with the water should be prioritised as an important design aspect.
Educational, Social and Artistic Hub
Drawn from the master plan the theme of the area is to have an artistic edge but also an educational one. Employability in the area is low along with public aspiration. Artist presence will offer creativity and inspiration and could act as a catalyst to further regeneration, as has been seen elsewhere around the world particularly in Liverpool (Ropewalks, Baltic Triangle). The hope is that an educational facility would beneficial to the local community allowing for expression and offering creative minds somewhere to flourish. Engagement with the arts will also draw people from around the city to area and would bolster social activity.
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Marseille Craft Centre
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Education A key aspect of the project is to provide educational facilities for young and old, to teach them new skills enabling them access to jobs or providing them with a skill-set they can use to create items to sell. The centre will also have provision for makers workshops, where users can rent workspaces that incorporate shop fronts for them to sell their goods from.
Industry In-keeping with the character of the area, a place of industry, the skills and outcomes learnt and exhibited will all be via the hand, teaching and displaying lessons in craft that could be transferable to other roles, such as carpentry, ceramics and metal work for example.
Enterprise After completing workshops and learning skills, provision will be made for small start-up businesses retailing hand-made goods, helping people to utilise what they have learnt and apply themselves practically in order to generate an income. Studio spaces will be available for local people to use, and markets could be facilitated for retail events.
Independence A new skill set and source of potential income will seek to promote independance and the benefits of motivation and self-animation.
Social Interaction Not only will the Craft Centre provide facility for the local population to learn new skills in making and producing items they can then sell, it will also act as a social mixer drawing people from all over the city to interact with one other. The provision of workshops and classes for the local people will create a platform for social interaction to take place.
Artistic Fruition The Craft Centre will contribute to the development of creative minds in the area and will, through art, create a common interest between those who previously would not interact. The influence of art on the surrounding area will make it a brighter, more enjoyable place to visit, and stamp it as an artistic hub within the city. It will contribute to the development of artists, accomplished and aspiring alike and act as a checkpoint for the arts within the city.
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Site
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As can be seen in the aerial images to the far left, the area of the residential tower blocks is cordoned off by the railway line to its west as it comes out the earth and heads north but also,
Clear or Potential Public Realm
by the other towers blocks within its estate. To
Key Route
the north of here warehouses [to be removed
Toward Vernacular
within the masterplan] barricade the residential
Toward Modernist
area from the main road and the entire area
Impenetrable Boundary
seems to suffer from a lack of openness.
Vertically Suggested Boundary
This enhances the requirement for a physical,
Other Boundary
architectural intervention in order to facilitate
Potential Site Parameters
greater access and social potential both in and 2
out of the area. Ideally, a project site between the residential towers and the industrial warehouses could
Site Analysis
help bridge the relationship between the two entities; a bridge to education, success, social
The analysis above shows how areas can be dissected to formulate new plots and
integration, employment, etc.
designate spacially a plot most appropriate to maximise an intervention. The dotted
The character of the place is one of contrast,
square highlights the potential site parameters, incorporating the river and both of its
with the modernist cast concrete facades of the
Top: Analysis of the site, adopted from Kevin Lynch’s book Image of the City.
sides (bridge), also the idea of penetration, going over or under the railway trying to directly
tower blocks (left-bottom) versus the cobbled
tap into the community. The function of the building is so very appropriate to this area of
lowrise and more vernacular treatment we see
the city and to the plot highlighted because it addresses the needs of the area socially
in the warehouses.
and programmatically, but also environmentally, regenerating this run-down and decayed middle ground between characterful vernacular and stagnant modernist adding freshness and quality urban space where currently there is none.
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Character Studies The page to the right shows some sketches from around the local area, highlighting the qualities and types of architecture; techtonics of industry with corrugated steel roofs, alongside decorative local stone buildings that outdate them. Additionally the contrasting heights, whether between tower block and warehouse or silo and four storey residential. Decorative street lamps and other street details illustrate where attempts have been made to improve the area and make it more liveable but fail to suceed and appear only to be lost within their context. The confusion and mish mash of languages suggests that an architecture that tries to emulate a particular type would only become another member of the problem and that a new building should aspire to be something different but at the same time fully embrace the qualities and identity of the place and the people. 13
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Right: Sketches from the local area
Section and Warehouse Elevation
Potential Site Parameters
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1
1. Section across site facing north-east
2. Elevation of warehouses adjacent to site
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Precedents Having conducted the site analysis and established the site perimeters and ambitions for the scheme I began to explore a selection of precedents to inspire the next stage of the design process.
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Ruthin Craft Centre Ruthin Craft Centre, by Architecture practice Sergison Bates was renovated in 2007 and attracts over 90,000 tourists a year. Functionally very similar, aspects of scale and inter spatial relationships have proved important in my research in order to establish the impact communally a facility like can have and what its offering to the community. As a start point this precedent outlines the importance of route and function placement and successful courtyard space. Also it provides an idea of scale in terms of the utilisation of space by craftsmen and craftswomen and the types of requirements they may have.
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Peter Zumthor and the idea of Craft Although at times the work of Peter Zumthor can be seen as elitist, the principles he puts forth are those of quality, careful consideration, materiality, place and identity. These are values synonymous with the ambitions of this project. When approaching one of his buildings, we are able to recognise the relationship between his material choice and his consideration of them, how they fit together. Zumthor remarks at how people see his work and appreciate the efforts he has but in, just through seeing it; ‘People often say “a lot of work went into this” when they sense the care and skill that its maker has lavished on a carefully constructed object[...] I am impressed by the knowledge of how to make things, which lies at the bottom of human skill. I try to design buildings that are worthy of this knowledge and merit the challenge to this skill.’
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Constellations, Liverpool H Miller Bros. A small sized practice based in Liverpool. Constellations is a small scale outdoor bar and garden space that brings together people from the community. The entire structure is handmade which resonates well with the idea of craft as a tool, outlet and catalyst for architecture. The motif employed for the roof structure is inspired by the surrounding context and former roofscape that existed within the courtyard in which the structure is based, which tethers it to the industrial vernacular.
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Pre-Design Sketches As can be seen here, my very first impulses were that the design should respond to the river directly and improve access to it, opening it up to the public to become part of a possible public space. These images also show how my initial thinking demonstrates a sensitivity to context adapting stylistic characteristics of the area vernacular. This initial, some might say, “over-sensitivity� to place was later redressed and place was considered as more than the obvious physical aesthetic, when the architecture tries to capture the spirit and the essence of the area, the people and the programme.
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Manifestation After establishing an appreciation of the social and contextual requirements design implementation could begin to take place. The first steps were to question the massing and inter-spatial relationships.
Likely Schedule of Accomodation Makers Studios and Shop Fronts Resident Artist Studios Gift Shop Whats on (Tourist information room) Retail Gallery Auditorium Public Workshops CafĂŠ
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Right: Illustration showing a close up of the buildings in the immediacy of the site, highlighted in white. Demolition or retention will be subject to the progression and outcome of the massing studies.
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Refined arrangement
After considering the massing in terms of height, a multistorey development was deemed less favourable to a low set building that would be less imposing on the street scene and maintain a better relationship with its neighbouring structures; more reserved, more inconspicuous and more humble.
Spatial consideration is as follows:
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1
Makers Studios
2
Retail Gallery
3
Exhibit hall and Auditorium
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School of Craft
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Cafe and Shop
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Cafe breakout and restaurant space
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5 4 1 2
3
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Early Spatial Sketches The illustrations beneath show early exploration of the idea of accessing the river side and building a relationship to it. They show how the gallery space could be excavated beneath the current datum to establish public access from within the building, as a walkway or exhibition space.
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The drawings above express how the makers studios could be more intimate spaces, appropriate for the worker to focus in, yet allowing insight from the outside from passers by and spectators.
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View from the Tower Blocks A critical relationship that became apparent was that between the tower blocks and the new intervention from an aerial perspective. The roofscapes of buildings are often forgotten about, but the new building for the residents should be something of intruige and also a place of the highest quality. Establishing a strong visual link from their view point is something that should be taken advantage of; a link more dynamic than the usual staggered warehouse roofscapes they are familiar with.
Consideration of how this could be accomplished lead to researching the primary topic of the programme; craft.
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The Essence of Craft Folding, the most fundamental and accessible act of craft work; to be able to fold, manipulate, form compositions from items readily available to the lay person. It is this accessibility that appropriates its use as driver for the next stage of exploration. How could this method create a roof surface of interest or develop into something more symbolic for the project? The first exploration was to consider a sheet or cover over what would be built mass.
crease - pleat - bend - hem - gather - knot - hinge - corrugate - drape - twist - furl crumple - collapse - wrinkle - facet - curve - wrap
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Folding Studies From here studies were carried out to explore the variety of achieveable surface textures and how they could manifest themselves as more than just a sheet material or cover, and how they could be percieved as mass. This begun by utilising the variety of terms associated with folding.
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Early site model
Removal of run-down warehouse; folded form inserted to create new courtyard/public realm 35
Craft School Transition Throughout the project to this point the school of craft had been located on the other side of the railway line in order to provide the facility to the members of the community on their doorstep. Through a series of trials and studies, and through testing different formations it became clear that this isolation would in fact seem to detach it from the scheme. The studies paid dividend however, as ideas explored were those of excavation and exposing the river to create a public realm. The formation of a new public realm as mentioned at the beginning of this chapter was fundamental, and the inclusion of activities like workshops now within the main body of the craft center draws the scheme together in a stronger manner, and improves the capacity for social mixing. These ideas were taken an adapted to integrate with the rest of the scheme.
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Beneath the drawing highlights how the excavation of the ‘square’ enclosed by the craft centre creates a new public realm at its heart, incorporating the river. The sections show the condition before (top) and the condition after (bottom).
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Plan Development The consideration of points of access, function location and retention of existing buildings began
to
formulate
the
footprint of the building, and its volumetric organisation. To the right can be seen the transformation from the existing through to the implementation of the new scheme. This is illustrated in stages; the implementation of a courtyard firstly, then the absorbing of the river into the courtyard and division of the roof plane, followed by the folding form, and
relationships
between
between masses, the retained structures to the right (cafe/ restaurant) and how the shop permits bridge access to the gallery in the retained, former warehouse.
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Sectional Development
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Gallery and Excavation development
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This looks at initial studies into the retention of one of the warehouses on the easterly side of the river. The expansion of the excavation develops to completely sweep beneath the building leaving it resting upon structural pillars and expanding the public realm into a large scale capsule and incorporating all of the activities into one public arena. The plan below labels appropriately the spatial organisation and how the building could function as the new artistic hub within the city.
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Refined Scheme Sketches
View from the street
Roof plan sketch
Sectional cut through the site
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Elevated gallery with market place/event space
View of makers studios from beneath the retail gallery
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Fruition
Development Model
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Site Plan
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Plans 2
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4 6
6 11
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10 6
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Upper Ground Floor Plan
0 Scale (m)
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Brianรงon Entry point Craft supply shop Cafe/Eatery Gallery shop/Reception Information Point Makers Studios (Private Entry Level) Public Workshop Resident Artist Studio (Private Entry Level) Auditorium Craft Retail Gallery Retail Gallery II Art Gallery Bellevue Entry point
Cross-section
Longitudinal Section
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Lower Ground Floor Plan
0 Scale (m)
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14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Makers Studios (Shop front) Public Workshop Resident Artist Studio Auditorium Art Gallery Outdoor Exhibition Space Retail Gallery Access Staff Office/Administration Plant Store WC
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Structural Narrative The main structural features of the project are predominantly on display. In the makers studios the truss system supporting the ceiling was created from the reuse of the shuttering timber that restrained the rammed earth walls, specified as green oak due to its strength, cost and aesthetic. As mentioned, another structural challenge was the rammed earth retaining wall that surrounded the perimeter of the excavated area. This was chosen again for its aesthetic qualities, but also its structural strength at 800mm thick in some places. The final challenge was the suspension of the gallery while the earth beneath was removed and new structural columns were to be cast through the existing floor structure.
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Below are detailed some of the processed
Firstly, the process of installing the rammed earth
discussed with the engineer regarding the
retaining walls. Rather than trench out accurately
structural challenges the project faces.
the earth in the shape of the excavation, it was acknowledged that the area would be subject to slight “over-excavation� and then back filled up against the rammed earth walls once they are pummelled and in place ready. Secondly the trusswork and how the members would tie together and retain their structural integrity. This would be accomplished by using a 3 ply system, layering the timber in planks cutting away the minimum at junctions to allow the next members to slot in. Split plate washers would be used to strenghthen the local capacity of the dowels. These would be sandwiched between the plys of timber, as to remain out of sight. Finally the supporting, underpinning, and casting of the new supporting structure beneath the gallery in order to allow the excavation of its underside for people to pass though. Firstly plate piles would be installed in parallel with the structure. Then a concrete beam would be cast on top of each, before beams would be run adjacently through the building, rest on the concrete beams and support the load. The floor inside would be removed once the building is secured and the excavation would begin beneath and around. Shuttering would be installed and access to pour the concrete would be through the inside of the building down into the shutters. This will ensure that the building substructure is in absolute contact with the exising building. Once cast, the underpinning would be removed, a new floor would take place above the original level and the steel sheet piles removed from the ground, at 9m in length from top to bottom. In order to secure bricks that were beneath the underpin, an angular bore would be taken down into the bricks and a steel rod inserted and cast in an apoxy resin. This would secure any of the bricks hanging beneath the structure.
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Roof Makeup: 0.6mm Cold Rolled Copper 2mm Roofing felt (membrane) 12mm Ply board 190mm insulation 12mm Ply board 180mm x 50mm Timber Rafters Steel Brace Pins held with Apoxy Resin 200mm x 50mm (x3ply) Green Oak
Green Oak
Rammed Earth Ground Makeup: 125mm Earthen Floor
Concrete
100mm Hardcore Gravel 2mm DPM 400mm Perlite insulation 800mm Retaining Rammed Earth Wall
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Environmental Narrative The initial lines of enquiry that were investigated for the Craft Centre were whether a CHP system could be appropriated for the neighbourhood and warehouse population; how heat exchange systems could maintain the climate inside spaces and how the carbon footprint could be reduced through material reuse and the use of locally sourced materials.
Left: Early diagram of initial approaches and environmental ideas. Top shows sun path and orientation, the bottom how considered strategies could be applied.
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After discussion with the environmental consultant it was made clear that versatility and manoeverability for future upgrading could be beneficial to the scheme. Utilising a heat pump and coil system either beneath the pavement of the courtyard (due to the large open surface area) or from within the passing river would be the most efficient method of heating the building because of the part time nature of its occupancy, ie: daytime only. It was this factor that swayed the decision between whether or not a CHP system would be implemented. If the space were being used of a night time then the CHP system would be the first choice as its efficiency is at its highest when it is kept running. The rammed earth walls and reuse of the timber in the truss work supporting the roof reduces the embodied energy of the project but also provides a project built physically of the place. Workshops will provide extraction and ventilation locally, dependant upon activity type. Ventilation throughout will otherwise utilise a heat exchange system mixing cool and warm air to sustain a constant comfortable temperature within workspaces.
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Environmental Strategy Structure made from reuse of rammed earth shutter materials.
Heat exchanger to maintain the internal climate managed locally from control unit during winter or summer
Rammed earth wall - Material reuse from excavation, thermal mass, sustainable. Heat exchanger to maintain the internal climate managed locally from control unit during winter or summer
Cross Ventilation Mechanical extraction performed locally as and when needed
Ground source heat pump collects heat from the sun and provides thermal energy
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Radiators powered by ground source heat pump fed from exchange in plant room
Cost Plan Built Area - 3,050m2 Excavated Area - 10,209m2 Construction £2,200/m2 = £6,710,000 Excavation £20/m3 = £612,540 TOTAL = £7,322,540 Complexity Fee 15% additional - £1,098,381 Contractor Preliminaries 13% - £1,094,719 Design and Construction Contingency Fee 15% - £1,427,346 Consultants 10% - £1,094,298 Statutory 0.025% - £3,009 GROSS TOTAL £12,040,293
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Jonathan Farrell
jonathanfarrell10@gmail.com jonathanfarrell10.tumblr.com
A Community Craft Centre for Northern Marseille
A lack of jobs, education and skill has detached the local population of Parc Bellevue from the common narrative of the city. The Craft Centre provides a new artistic hub within the city incorporating makers studios, artist residencies, galleries, public workshops and craft outlets. This report documents the project start to finish and offers insight into design development and how the project manifested.
Techne
The Coalesce masterplan devised a strategy to break down issues of polarity and conflict between northern and southern communities addressing factors of social exclusion created and amplified by poorly placed infrastructure, a lack of local amenities for interaction, and a general disregard for the region further north of the historical docklands. This was formulated around the redistribution and creation of new political, social and economical realms to reinstate the balance and grant for-granted communities access to these facilities.