STUDENT HOUSING FOR CARACAS BUILDING WITH CONTAINERS UNDER THE CONCEPT OF CO-LIVING
JORGE TANNOUS
STUDENT HOUSING FOR CARACAS BUILDING WITH CONTAINERS UNDER THE CONCEPT OF CO-LIVING
Thesis Project for the Double Degree Program. Master of Architecture, Construction and City. Academic year 2016 - 2017 GSPublisherEngine 0.34.100.98
POLITECNICO DI TORINO
Supervisor: Prof. Carlo Deregibus
UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Fabio Capra
Student: Jorge Tannous
To all my family. Especially my father, mother and brother who had been the pillars of my studies, my faithful companions on every stage of this story. Thank you for make me who I am. You are on every line I draw. To God, for guiding me through every decision and giving me strength to reach my aspirations. To my friends that became my family and supported me in the hardest moments of the career. Together we turn the longest nights into the best memories. To my supervisor, for being always there and teaching me so much from the classrooms until the very end. To Torino, for giving me experience and knowledge. You are all part of this. Thank you.
ABSTRACT The Venezuelan capital of Caracas carries the most prestigious universities in the entire country with the highest amount of students enrolled. Many of those students come from other regions of the country to study in Caracas with no prospects of where they will live in the city. The lack of student housing in Caracas has been an unattended problem that is negatively affecting the life of undergraduate students and their decisions when enrolling in a university. The aim is to propose a student housing model for the city while keeping a high-quality architectonic value by the use of recycled shipping containers. With the highest number of student enrolled (around 62.513 ), the Central University of Venezuela will be used as a target to settle the student housing buildings in its surroundings. This model will not intend to cover the whole housing demand (around 7.000 students) due to spatial reasons therefore, the project approach is to study the impact this residence will have on the students’ life while ensuring it becomes a cost effective building. This project analyzes different topics such as the Co-Living concept and
how it affects the social interaction of its spaces, cost effective construction method for optimising the use of resources, and the modular construction system using shipping containers as the modules. After studying the designs of different projects, it became evident that the student residence in Caracas should be constructed using cells, with each one being independent but connected to the others at the same time. Containers have certain structural capacities to support each other however, when assembling them in this type of project, a metallic frame will be needed for space diversity and durability of the building as a whole. This project shows an increase of architectonic qualities compared to other low-budget projects due to the optimal use of resources and materials (even if the containers are seen to be as a limitation on the construction of the building due to their rigid structure). This model could be used as the starting point of a student residence network in the city (and possibly the country) and will meet the high demand of student housing each university in Caracas has.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Introduction CHAPTER ONE: Caracas as a University City The capital city Universities and students in caracas The student’s residences Current situation Hypothetical intervention strategy CHAPTER TWO: Student Housing A new stage What are students looking for? Characteristics of students residences More than just residences About the student housing location Study cases. Park View Student Housing by HKS Architects Residenza Universitaria Olimpia by Marco Meneghetti (EDISU) Campus Twenty by Felix Claus and Kees Kan Jowett Walk Balliol College accommodations by MJP Architects Student Housing by C.F. Møller Architects CHAPTER THREE: Co-Living The student’s relation Co-living characteristics The role of architecture in the society Functions and circulation as common spaces Study cases. Roam by Alexis Dornier Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl Tietged Dormitory by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
11 18 22 26 32 38 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 66 67 68 70 72 74 76 78
4 5 6
CHAPTER FOUR: Cost-Effective Solution The cost and the building Design and cost effective Study Cases Residential Building in Av. Libertador by Fruto Vivas Office and Training Centre by Heinle, Wischer and Partner Social Housing in Monterrey by ELEMENTAL Snabba Hus Västberga by Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter CHAPTER FIVE: Modular Construction: Containers How does it works? Why to build modular? Containers as a module Study cases 222 Jackson by ODA Proposal for Hexagonal Pods for Homeless by Framlab EBA51 by Holzer Kobler Architecturen Citè a Docks by Cattani Architects
84 88 92 94 96 98 105 106 111 114 116 118 120
CHAPTER SIX: The Project Intervention strategy The location The residences
127 128 138
Conclusion Bibliography
174 178
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INTRODUCTION The presence of student residences has been always played an important role in society. Their value goes beyond hosting undergraduate students during their academic careers; student housing is involved with the evolution of social and biological aspects of the student directly related to their time spent there. Considering that these residences represent a home where most of their activities outside the academic field will be held, a healthy environment must be provided to guarantee the best psychical and physiological conditions for their residents. Communities are the base of society and, according to Resino, Gonzales, Montero and Brocano (2013, Pag 471), psychological, economical and social factors are highly influencing its shape. Student residences have the potential to create groups using equality, where differences are set aside when all are living in the same space. As a service offered by the educational institutions, or the city itself, to facilitate the mobility and accommoda-
tion of their students during their academic studies, it has also become a motivational factor to gain independency, to increase learning and interest to explore new possibilities, and to easily expose themselves to this new world of academia. It also gives the individual confidence to take risks and make decisions when they have a clear idea of what the possibilities are. When presented with a wide range of options, residences offer students the tools needed to choose the best option according to their necessities. In the same way, the time that the student spends in the residence should be invested in experiences and enjoying the basic amenities and facilities that are provided such as, the recreational areas, kitchens, reading rooms, snack bars, green areas, etc. As well, the rooms should be strategically located around these areas for optimal use of those spaces. “Student halls� is another name given to this type of residence which highlights the importance of the activity that happens in-between the private spaces that is also
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valuable for their university experience. The inclusion of heterogeneity is another meaningful feature that this design concept brings. When different cultural backgrounds come from diverse homes and meet in the same space for the first time, students are encouraged to learn and adapt to the new culture in the residence. This awakens an interest in other cultures and opens the doors to students learning new things from other students as well as showcase their own cultural features. Understanding and solidarity should be a part of the residents’ behaviour, but it should be promoted by the space under a global functional system, where co-existence leads each function of the building. In the last decade, the amount of students in Venezuela has increased notoriously due to the establishment of new educational institutions by the government and the private sector. This has had positive results in terms of spreading the opportunity to study, offering culture and
knowledge through its own diverse students, and reducing the density that the older institutions have. Inequality comes when the student population increases but there is no plan in place to offer them a place to stay and assuming that they will all remain in their parents’ home. But the last years have proven that their ambitions of reaching new horizons (after being exposed to new possibilities) encouraged them move around the country. For many years, Venezuela has gone through different stages that have led to economical, political and social crises. For this reason, many of the country’s problems have been accumulating. One of the problems is the current state of student residences. Even if the capital city of Caracas has been recognised internationally by its high quality universities, the city still does not possess a proper system of rooms to accommodate the high amount of students that are coming in from other regions of the country. These students are searching for study
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programs in the city that are not being offered in their hometown and usually have to pay inflated room rates to stay in private apartments or with other families. It will usually take them years to get a room in an affordable residence due to the low availability of student dormitories in Caracas. This problem is affecting the quality of life and cultural growth of Venezuelan citizens and should be treated on a bigger scale with a network of student residences that could begin with this project. It is important to recognise the effect that student residences could have on society. They could provide positive results if the spaces are treated in a way to make communities stronger, more equal and constantly active in the search for knowledge. At the same time, it is necessary to break the barriers that are preventing the younger population to pursue their studies and pursue what they want in life. As residences have become a necessity for universities all around the world, it is not plausible to eliminate this
opportunity in the city that needs it the most. The aim for this thesis is to propose a student residence project that will meet the diverse needs and quality standards of the spaces with optimisation of the materials used in its construction. This project will also take into consideration the actual needs of the country and look forward to a brighter future. This thesis studies the context of Caracas and highlights the virtues and the critical facts that could be used to improve the quality of life for students studying in the city. Recognising the reality of the country and respecting the culture, only applicable topics will be chosen to be studied to improve the present situation of the city and the country as a whole. As well, the solution to the country’s economic barriers can be avoided by transforming recycled shipping containers into spaces (which is proven to be cost effective). These containers were abandoned since exportation from Venezuela has been ceased. Many
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of them are lying on the coast and can be recycled and converted to a living space. This project will focus on the weakest aspects of the city and will become a support for building up a better country. Starting by: offering more opportunities to students (who are the future of the country), offering the best environment to showcase their abilities inside a healthy environment where common spaces are the main functions of the building, and offering a place of comfort for those coming from the aggressive streets of Caracas. Currently, only a few studies have been conducted about student housing in Caracas which brings a lack of information available. The students in Venezuela have become accustomed to the current state of student residences and have considered it to be the norm. Because of this, the development of better student housing has lagged due to lack of protests from students. This project sets a future vision of
the development of the country and predicts the first action that should be taken in order to attend to society’s needs. This is a deep study of how architecture and design can both help create communities that keep away differences and sheds the different layers to discover an environment where everyone can co-exist but still maintain privacy. In order to include all of the features that could be added to improve the quality and performance of the new student residences in Caracas, it will be necessary to categorise these concepts to clearly reference each feature and how it will function in the design. This is important because each feature has the potential to affect another feature in the building and, if not planned properly, could be problematic. A selection of references should be studied about student housing on a worldwide scale extracting the functional and spatial aspects that will improve the relation between the building and its sur-
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rounding environment. This includes some theoretical aspects that could be translated into architecture. The Co-Living concept responds to the social crisis in Venezuela by bringing together new generations to create healthier relationships between its citizens. This concept promotes social interactions in its spaces and influences the design decisions as well as the whole functional scheme of the residence. Due to the current economical crisis of the country, the study of cost-effective construction proved to be just as important as the study of the design of the student residence. The building will highlight the use of certain materials, adding features to their performance without increasing the cost of the total project. Because Venezuela is not in a favourable financial state, the country is in no condition to invest an astronomical amount of money to build an expensive project. The modular system has proven to be very cost effective and
and will be emphasised in this proposal. Shipping containers could be used as a module since exportation has since ceased in Venezuela and many of these containers were left on the coast with no purpose. They can then be recycled and converted to living spaces for the student residence. This introduces a new technique for residential living and building and Caracas will be able to benefits from the economical and environmental aspects of this design approach.
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CHAPTER ONE
CARACAS AS A UNIVERSITY CITY
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CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y
THE CAPITAL CITY General Information Caracas, the largest city in Venezuela and its capital, is a valley situated between the Cordillera del Litoral, which rises above 8,600 feet (2,600 metres), the Pico Oriental (7,000 feet or 2,100 metres), and the mountain range of El Avila. The main river flowing through the valley of Caracas is “The Guaire” which is now highly polluted. Because of the green landscape of this city, temperatures remain relatively consistent with an annual average temperature of 21°C. Between the coldest month (January) and the warmest month (May), temperatures will only change 5°C. Due to these warm temperatures, Caracas tends to attract many tourists to its public gardens, plazas, museums, historic buildings, and boulevards. Parque Nacional el Avila (Figura 1 2), Parque Los Caobos and the Botanical Gardens are the main attractions of the city.
Caracas is Venezuela’s central hub - the neutron of the country’s commercial and industrial firms, financial institutions, insurance companies, and foreign and domestic government agencies. As a result, public transportation plays a huge role in the city. The main system is the subway which was first developed in 1983. It is a modern structure that reflects the blueprint of the country. It has since expanded to reach more areas by joining with the bus lines to create a more convenient way to travel across Caracas. Along with the subway, Caracas has many highways and main avenues which allow ease of transportation by car (mainly used by the middle-to-upper classes) and motorcycle (used by the rest of the population). As is the case with many other capital cities, Caracas is the centre of a variety of culture and entertainment including theatres, exhibitions of painting and sculptures, concerts, dance, and film.
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ill. 1-1. Av. Bolivar
ill. 1-2. Parque Nacional El Avila
ill. 1-3. Tropical weather
ill. 1-4. Public transportation: Metro
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Established in 1931, the Ateneo de Caracas has since hosted a slew of film festivals, exhibitions and fairs which cultivated the city’s rich cultural history. And speaking of history, Caracas’ National Library houses more than 7 million books and serves as the go-to place for the country’s leading academia. Caracas may be filled with culture and history, but baseball and football remain as the top interests of the city’s citizens. The Citizens Social-class divisions are quite evident in Caracas, as is with any other country in South America. The high class residences are luxurious and generally occupy the eastern margins of the valley and the Caribbean coast. Middle-class housing occupies the central core of the city, as well as certain residential suburbs. The lower social class occupies the hillside shantytowns overlooking the city from the west and south.
In Venezuela, it is quite common for young adults to live with their parents until they create their own economic independency (either through obtaining a full-time job, pursuing a career, or through marriage). However, the economical crisis that Venezuela is currently experiencing is delaying the pursuit of economic independency as many young adults cannot afford to live on their own. Students will drive for hours to attend their respective universities so long as they can continue living with their parents. This serves as a huge inconvenience for students as many cannot afford to live on their own and be closer to their educational institution.
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5 2 4 6
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2 2 8 4 3
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20% of the universities are located in the
0.047% of the country
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ill. 1-5. Amount of universities divided by state.
As Caracas became the economical and political capital, it is also hosting the most prestigious universities of the country with the highest amount of students enrolled.
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UNIVERSITIES AND STUDENTS IN CARACAS Caracas quickly became the principal city for academics, due to its large cultural, economical, and political presence in Venezuela which provided bustling career opportunities for young hopefuls. Currently, there are 23 universities in Caracas - 14 of those are privately operated and the remaining 9 are publicly-funded. The leader of these is the public institution of the Central University of Venezuela. Founded in 1725, it boasts the highest number of undergraduates, and currently holds 62,543 students on its campus. The institution was designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva in 1945 and featured a more modern concept at the time. Coupled with his studies in France, Villanueva was able to bring a fresh perspective to the city and called it, “Ciudad Universitaria.” In 2000, the university became a UNESCO Heritage Site as it was an excellent example of modernist architecture.
The Simón Bolivar University is another example of a leading public institution in Venezuela. It was founded in 1967 and is well known for its focus on science and technology. This institution is not located in the city centre, but on the outskirts with glorious views of the mountains. This university currently has 15, 415 students on its roster and continues to grow year after year. Private educational institutions of Caracas are not all located in the city centre. Most notably, Andrés Bello Catholic University (founded in 1953) is located on the west side of the city surrounded by residential and commercial areas. The Metropolitan University (founded in 1976) was built on the north-east side near the National Park Waraira Repano (El Avila). The Santa María University (the first private institution established in 1953) is located in the El Paraíso suburban area, with the main building located at the east side of the city at the end
CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y of the Francisco Fajardo highway. According to the latest statistical data collected in 2016 by Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica (INE), there are 2.629.312 students enrolled in Venezuela, which, according to Morles, Medina and Alvarez (2016, Pag. 74), is the fifth country with the largest student enrolment and the second country in the Americas. 11% of those students are enrolled in Caracas, with a total amount of 268.693 students. 60% percent of that amount are studying in public institutions, which results in 161.216 students. In public institutions, 11% of the population is living outside the city, which results in 17.733 students constantly traveling or renting rooms in the city. According to the Morles, Medina and Alvarez (2003, Pag. 25), public universities are the oldest group of institutions representing the most typical academic tradition and the highest amount of students enrolled (according to Christina M. and Torres, L (2013, Pag. 3) in Venezuela. There were 1.503.344 enrolled in public universities whereas 654.564 were attending private institutions. Privately-owned universities are known for their many privileges. Since they are in charge of their own financial matters, they are able to provide the best educators, the best academic settings, and the best building structures for their the best building structures for their
students. However, many private institutions lack student accommodations, dining areas and study halls. In regards to private educational institutions, Morles, Medina and Alvarez (2003, Pag. 25) expressed that these universities were created as an alternative to government-founded universities. Therefore, every private university has a different way of operating and providing to its students. Because they charge for their services, the student population tends to be less diverse than the public universities. After going through an economical filter, once accepted, the students join a very homogeneous group of academics with similar backgrounds. However, that constant income from tuition is used to maintain and develop existing and future infrastructure which is a win-win for everyone involved.
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CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y
23 Universities in Caracas
1)
PUBLICS
1. Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV): 62.543 students 2. Universidad Simón Bolivar (USB): 15.415 students 3. Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez (UNESR) 4. Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador (UPEL) 5. Universidad Nac. E. Politécnica de la Fza. Armada Bol. (UNEFA) 6. Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA) 7. Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela (UBV) 8. Universidad N. E. Politécnica A. J. de Sucre (UNEXPO) 9. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC)
PRIVATES
10. Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB): 7.380 students 11. Universidad Metropolitana (UNIMET): 5.121students 12. Universidad Alejandro Humboldt: 12.200 students 13. Universidad José María Vargas (UJMV) 14. La Universidad Virtual Latinoamericana (LUV) 15. Universidad Santa María (USM) 16. Universidad Monteávila (UMA) 17. Universidad Católica Santa Rosa (UCSAR) 18. Instituto de Estudios Sup. de Administración (IESA) 19. Instituto Universitario Politécnico Santiago Mariño (PSM) 20. Instituto Universitario de Nuevas Profesiones (IUNP) 21. Instituto Universitario Tec. Américo Vespucio (IUTAV) 22. Instituto Universitario de Tec. Ind. R. L. Arismendi (IUTIRLA) 23. Instituto Superior Universitario de Mercadotecnia (ISUM)
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11)
10)
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RESIDENCES FOR STUDENTS Student housing in the city of Caracas is scarce and as a response to a growing demand, some old buildings in the city have been restored to provide residential spaces exclusively for students. However, due to the current economical crisis in Venezuela, Caracas has had a difficult time completing these restoration projects because of lack resources. Students have some off-campus options - the most common being room-andboard at religious institutions (in exchange for participation in church activities and volunteering in the community). Another option is to rent a room from a family member or a friend. As a consequence of the crisis in the country and the constant transformation of buildings (like the one in the Central University of Venezuela), student residences are not operating as residences anymore even though they were developed and created for this purpose.
The Students Residences of the Central University of Venezuela This university was designed by the Architect Carlos RaĂşl Villanueva. He combined the knowledge he obtained in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris with his Venezuelan roots and created a modern and eclectic building that responded to the needs of the students of Caracas. Many of his projects are still very relevant today - the reconstruction of “El Silencioâ€?, El Museo de Bellas Artes, Plaza la Concordia and many others around the country. The student residences were built between 1948 and 1952 and are surrounded by natural greenery and house 850 students. The buildings are connected but are isolated at the same time to reduce the noise level from the campus and the city. Just a few steps away from the dinning pavilion and the sports centre, there are three bars (115m x 15m away and another one 55m x 15m away).
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The architect, with Le Corbusier references, designed the residences in a way that allowed students to have visuals of the greenery that surround them. Each floor has enormous windows and balconies that allow plenty of light in. In December of 1966, the residences were taken over by a military movement that suspected students at UCV of organising attacks against the government. These residences then became classrooms which still stand today. Currently, all residence buildings have been developed as classrooms for the Faculty of Economical Research, and Sociology (residence 1), Social Communication and Nutrition (residence 2), Arts School and Statistics (residence 3), and Bio-Analysis (residence 4).
ill. 1-6. University residences 1952
ill. 1-7. University classrooms 2017
ill. 1-8. University classrooms 2017
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Livia Governeur Originally designed as a family residential building, the Livia Governeur is the only residential building in Caracas designated just for students. It was built in 1961 and was soon abandoned. In February of 2013, the mayor of the municipality at the time, reopened the Livia Governeur as a student residence and renovated the decaying aspects of the building. Currently, the building holds 657 beds and is located in a prestigious area in the centre of the city, with public transportation and services nearby, along with the Central University of Venezuela.
ill. 1-9. Residence Building
ill. 1-10. Residence halls
ill. 1-11. Bathrooms
ill. 1-12. Room inside view
The spaces were then divided to increase the amount of rooms which did not improve the quality of living for students. The original structure, however, was kept without change and still gives the feeling of a traditional building in an old city. As well, it created a sense of community and led to the creation of an organization called “COCO� where students meet to discuss different topics that could help improve the area including the betterment and maintenance that must be done in order to keep the integrity of the building in tact. This unofficial organisation is very common in Venezuelan societies as they promote the independency of their habitants. The biggest challenge is not the availability of student dorms (or the lack of), it is the demand for constant maintenance of these dorms that seems to be overlooked. This lack of maintenance is due to insufficient funds available to invest in infrastructure around the city and as a result, led to the deterioration of necessary services such as living spaces and bathrooms (Figure 1 -8)
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OPUS DEI Opus Dei is a catholic organisation founded by a group of young believers that offers accommodations for students who are also interested in the Catholic religion. Usually, the costs are very low due to the fact that it is a charitable organisation whose main goal is to spread the Catholic word and relative traditions.
ill. 1-13. Outside activities
ill. 1-14. Comunity work
ill. 1-15. Inside classes
ill. 1-16. Part of the building facade
As is the case with other religious group residences, their main objective is not to offer residences to the students, but to integrate them in their activities led by their beliefs. At this time, only men are allowed to apply for a room at this building. After phone calls and emails, the only quantitative information obtained is that they offer beds for around 550 male students as long as they participate within the community. The facilities provided include a communal bathroom and kitchen and dining area. There is an abundance of green space at this residence allowing its students to enjoy the rich vegetation of nature. Many sports are implemented as well to promote a healthy lifestyle and creates an environment centred around teamwork and faith. Unfortunately, Opus Dei is very private and did not provide sufficient images or information about the services they provide. However, their website showcases an example of the quality of living at Opus Dei and the outdoor facade of its building.
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A C TU A L R E S I D E N C E S
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1.Livia Gouverneur, Plaza Venezuela. 2. OPUS DEI, Monteávila. 3. Virgen del Valle, El Paraíso. 4. Franciscanas Sisterhood. 5. APROFEP, Urb. El Pinar. 6. APROFEP, Urb. Loira.
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Other Options
The aforementioned buildings fit into three diverse typologies of student residences built in Caracas: 1) Originally designed as student dorms, 2) Restoration projects from family residences to student housing, 3) Religious establishments that include teaching programs.
Some of the other religious organisations available in Caracas include Orden de las Hermanas Franciscanas en MontalbĂĄn (exclusively for women with 250 spaces), Residencias Virgen del Valle en el ParaĂso (exclusively for women with 350 spaces) and APROFEP (exclusively for men with around 450 spaces). There is also a considerable amount of off-campus options which include rented rooms in family homes or apartments. Some individuals are renting out a whole apartment and renting out the rooms to different students and providing them with the same basic amenities as student dorms would (such as kitchen and bathrooms).
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CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y
CURRENT SITUATION Caracas holds the most prestigious universities in the country representing the most important territory for students. The diversity of studies that the city’s universities offer make Caracas a very attractive city for students. However, the lack of adequate student housing is making the city less desirable and more inconvenient for the academia community. Because of the lack of student housing buildings, there is a corresponding lack of knowledge and research available for these buildings. The Metropolitan District of Caracas requires at least 20,000 rooms for prospective students coming to study in Caracas every year. The sad truth is that 20,000 rooms do not even exist in Caracas. Instead, the city can only provide housing for 15% of that demand according to the statistics provided by the social welfare offices at the universities, which are in charge of helping students to find housing (Hernández, 2016, Pag. 6).
The best option for students looking for housing during their academic career is to rent out space in family homes and apartments. Even if some of the owners are skeptical about having an unknown student live with them and their families, or even if the student himself is uncomfortable living with an unknown family, it is helping Caracas cover the deficit of student housing in a major way. For example, at the Central University of Venezuela, 10 students a day are visiting the social welfare office looking for a place to live that is close to the university. At the University Simón Bolivar, there are only enough rooms for 200 students in the surrounding area of the campus (Hernández, 2016, Pag. 6).
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To further illustrate the actual situation of the lack of student housing in Caracas, I interviewed students that are experiencing the inconvenience and lack of nearby student housing at their respective universities. These students are traveling long distances from different areas outside of the city and using diverse methods of transportation to get to class every day. These stories reflect the level of discomfort I have illustrated above.
2.560 rooms
161.216
11%
outside the city 17.733
60% in public
institutions
268.693 students in Caracas
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TESTIMONIES Edmundo Chidiac “I live in a 12 km radius away from the university, but I need to border El Avila, which makes a 80 km road. Where I live, there are not any direct public transportation, so I need to walk 1,5 km to the closest station to take a bus that will ride me till the main station, to finally take a bus to Caracas. After arriving to the city I take two long trips on the metro to arrive at the university station. That’s my everyday. On the way back home I can do the same or take the university bus, departing at 7:30pm I could arrive home at 11pm very tired, so I usually can’t do homework, I have a job too.” Pablo Tannous “I live in Los Teques, the capital of Miranda state, located 40 Km away from The Metropolitan University where I studied Production Engineer. During all this 5 years I was waking up at 4:00am to avoid the chaotic traffic of Caracas. I’m thankful of having a vehicle but still completely stressful, cause we can never know which day is going to be more difficult to arrive in time, since I was getting late to every class I started to wake up earlier and sleeping in the parking lot of my university while waiting to the class starts.” Aldys Sulbaran “I study the ninth semester of Nutrition in the Central University of Venezuela. I live in Guatire cause I can’t afford a room in Caracas, what I have to pay is more than I got by month. Everyday during the last 4 years, I’ve been traveling to the capital to attend my classes. Usually waking up at 3:30 in the morning, to arrive at the bus station before 5 am and then to take 2 more trips on the Metro, so I can arrive to the classroom at 7 am. I missed a lecture because the professor couldn’t understand that I was living away, he used to close the door at the time the lecture began.”
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Leonardo Contreras “I used to live in another’s family apartment in Caracas, but after the economical crisis of Venezuela they had to sell it and left me. After that I couldn’t afford any other options so there was no more options for me that returning back to my hometown Maracay and start traveling everyday. I usually wake up 4 hours before my class starts hoping to arrive earlier. To come back if it’s later than 7 pm I rather stay in any friends place and come back home the next morning cause is usually dangerous.” Oswaldo Dias “I’m currently studying the 4th semester of Modern Languages in the Technological University Institute Amércio Vespucio. I live in San Antonio de los Altos. I wake up 3 hours before my class, walk around 15 minutes to the bus station that takes me to Caracas, then I take 3 metro trips to finally arrive walking to my institution. It’s not so complicated but traffic gets usually heavy and that can cost me from 1 or 3 more hours on the bus road. I usually get late to the classroom but my professors understand the situation.” Mariana López “I’m studying accountancy in the Central University of Venezuela. I live in La Victoria. I have to wake up everyday at 3:30 in the morning to take the bus at 4 to attend my lectures at 8 a.m.. I need to stay the whole day at the university attending different lectures until 9 p.m. to go back home taking the same route in which I usually spend 6 or 7 hours of my day. I can never rest and my academic performance is decreasing by the time”
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CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y Most of the universities are in the capital
Insecurity
Not enough money
OTHER REGIONS STUDENTS SITUATION
Lower interest for studies
They move from their home to the city. Experimenting a peculiar place as caracas sometimes causes physic damage. Does not let the students socialize. Makes a routine based on going from their house to the university without experimenting the city. Creates limitations when choosing a room. Usually the cheap options in the city are dangerous or not properly equipped. As it is so difficult to find any kind of options to move and start a career, some people just reject to study. Some careers are only been offered in the capital and not everybody can study what they want.
Low quality of existing residences
Lack of residences
They were not designed for being dorms, usually old building that does cover all the functions the students need nowadays. The only building working as dorms passed through a superficial restoration process. There are no buildings originally designed for being a residence for students. Other options as living in a family house or a religious centre is to have a big amount of limitation.
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THE STUDENTS OPINION Design decisions considered a poll made to 100 students of the university where they have been asked general questions about their preferences and what is their opinion about certain specific topics of the students residences. They presented diverse priorities and the main approach was trying to include them in the project in a proportionate way without forgetting the actual needs the city has.
Where would you like to live in relation with your university?
Do you consider that having direct contact with the city is important for your student experience?
Do you think that this relation should be constant and directly immediate to your resident?
Yes: 96%
Yes: 90%
Nearby: 68%
Inside: 32% No: 4%
Do you consider important the social interaction with the people from your residence?
No: 10%
With how many people would you share a room?
Yes: 94%
Would you be able to work at the residences in any public shop or participating on its communities?
One: 51%
Yes: 90% None: 14%
Two: 26% No: 6%
Three: 9%
Graph. 1-1 Students Interview
No: 10%
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HYPOTHETICAL INTERVENTION STRATEGY Before proposing a possible solution to the situation, it is important to see that there are common problems that university students studying in Caracas face: 1) The inefficiency of the public transportation, 2) Several hours spent on traveling, 3) The insecurity that the city is constantly dealing with, 4) The equally strict regime that the public universities implement on punctuality and class attendance to their students not caring about their different situations and circumstances. In order to improve the quality life of students, they should be provided with basic services and necessities in order for them to feel comfortable and, as a result, optimise their academic career. The main, and most important, necessity is room and board and, unfortunately, Caracas cannot supply available housing to respond to the demand.
To reach this goal on a city-wide scale, the current network of student residences present should be enhanced with restoration of these student residences or the construction of new residences. The construction of just one residence will not be enough to directly solve the problem and cover the total demand. Venezuela is also facing social and economic issues that will make restoration or new construction projects difficult to complete due to lack of financial and building resources. The Central University of Venezuela is a great place to start as it contains the highest number of enrolled students and needs the largest amount of student dorms, enough to provide to 7,000 students coming from other regions of the country that have the lowest-quality living conditions (Hernรกndez, 2016, Pag. 6). At the same time, the density of the area will not allow to raise one project with the capacity to cover the demand.
CA R A C A S A S A U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y
Therefore, a network of residences should be constructed around the area and synchronised with one another. The future residences should be located nearby public transportation systems to provide ease of mobility of students traveling through the city and, if possible, allow the students to walk or bike to the universities to reduce transportation expenses. As the general safety and security of students living in Caracas continues to be a problem, the residences should be completely exclusive for the students with a strict system controlling the entrances of any individual in the building. The main focus of building additional student residences should be to improve the quality of living for students pursuing an academic career as well as making it more convenient for them to live and travel in the beautiful city of Caracas.
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CHAPTER ONE
STUDENTS HOUSING
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STUDENT HOUSING
A NEW STAGE When a young adult enrols in a college or a university, a major decision they must face is where will they live. Is their post-secondary institution close to their parents’ home? If it is far away, they must choose on-campus or off-campus residence options. When the student decides to live on their own, they open up to a whole new experience. There are new things to learn and living on their own can be somewhat stressful. This is why it is important that selecting their student housing should not add any stress to this new experience. Changing places of residence becomes part of a new experience and everything must be learned anew, including the search for housing, which many students are confronted for the first time (Mutius and Nußberger, 1994, Pag. 8). Due to technological advances, students can apply to a university from virtually anywhere in the world. This works the same with researching student housing and the student’s best option for residence. A quick map search can provide
the student with the distance between the residence and the university, a gallery of what the residence looks like and bountiful information about the housing options and amenities available for students. This is especially useful for students who are moving from away from their hometowns. The time between applying to a university and receiving the acceptance letter can be a difficult process. During this time, the student begins researching places to live. “For students, available housing is an indispensable precondition for beginning and pursuing their studies. The living situation has a direct effect on the selection of the study location, study success, and study duration.” (Mutius and Nußberger, 1994, Pag. 10). What is important to see is that the availability of residences for the students is more of a need than a facility. The student housing decision affects all other decisions - if a student cannot find a place to live, he may not find that particular university desirable anymore. As well, if the residences
STUDENT HOUSING
do not offer any social opportunities to meet new people and make new friends, the student will have second thoughts about attending that university. These aspects change the student’s entire perspective of the whole university experience. Moving away from their hometown means more than just changing locations. They need to change their lifestyles as well. This is why it is important to take this into consideration before starting the design strategy of the student residence building. The building should offer everything a student needs to live a quality life, especially if the surrounding areas do not provide this for them. Medical services, grocery stores, health aid, etc. These are the items that should be considered first and foremost before drawing the first draft of the design. The student population should be researched and their fundamental needs must be assessed and translated into the space.
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STUDENT HOUSING
WHAT ARE STUDENTS LOOKING FOR? According to a study called, “Quality of college life: identifying the key indicators of student satisfaction” young adults were asked what was the most important aspect of a student’s life. The majority answered residences that met their satisfaction and provided a thriving social environment as well as security and activities (Blázquez, Chamizo, Cano and Gutiérrez 2013, Pag. 471). Since the majority of students are moving to a new place where they do not know anyone, it is even more important for student residences to offer activities and social events that help students meet other students and create safe communities. Not only will students encounter different people on campus, they will also be met with new responsibilities and duties that are not even related to their academic lives but more related to their lives as human beings who require the basic necessities to live a quality life. It would be very convenient for the student if these basic necessities were provided
within close proximity of the student’s academic environment. It would be even more convenient if student residences offered these services on site. Amenities coupled with social activities makes it very desirable for a student to want to live there. It is an invitation to expand their horizons and explore other options; these social environments represent the beginning to a more mature step which would otherwise begin after completing their academic studies (in the “real world”). Life consists of many different stages and we are all constantly growing and changing. As Norwegian authors (Frønes and Brusdal, 2000, Pag 52) said, the opportunity for independence and control over one’s living circumstances would be important for students as they develop their adult identity. Which means that, in this environment, students are shaping themselves to be the person they want to be in the future, including the social circles they want to be a part of. Interacting with others makes us more
STUDENT HOUSING
human which is what BlĂĄzquez, Chamizo, Cano and GutiĂŠrrez, 2013, Pag. 472) refer to the natural behaviour of the human being of interacting with those included in our everyday life. To enhance this, the student residence building should not be isolated from reality. For example, fraternities in some university towns demand loyalty from their habitants and their community is too close-knit to allow any outsiders in. This type of social environment is isolated from the public - the student residence building should be the perfect balance of public and private. It will allow individuals to explore new territories both physically and socially in public spaces and still have their own private space within their boundaries.
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STUDENT HOUSING
CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS RESIDENCES In summary, there are many benefits to choose student housing for a young adult’s university experience. Firstly, it defines the location, success and duration of the studies. Students who are attracted to affordable and quality housing will most likely choose the closest university to that residence building. Second, student housing offers the opportunity for independency which will benefit the student after they complete their studies and live in the real world. Third, students gain social benefits and friendships that help make their academic career a little more fun and a little less stressful. Therefore, the main approach for the project should take these benefits into consideration and cater to the specific needs of the students relating to space, social atmosphere and amenities. Location, as mentioned before, is one of the most important aspects when it comes to student residences. Students have specific needs according to their lifestyle.
In 2006, Fulgencio Ruedas noted in his research (called “The Ulandina Students Residence, Under the Light of a New Era” , Pag. 8) that the basic needs that should be provided for a student in his residence. It should be within close proximity of the university, near public transportation hubs and recreational areas like squares, parks and cultural institutions. These are the characteristics that will enhance a student’s quality of life and will be taken into consideration when building the student residence in Caracas. Fulgencio Ruedas (Pag. 9) points out that basic functions and amenities must be provided within the residence building. To maintain a high level of satisfaction level with those living in the building, there must be single or double rooms available, a laundry room, meeting rooms, and a multifunctional room available for all the students to use. As well, the building should take into account accessibility for those with handicaps - rooms and bathrooms must be spacious and provide
STUDENT HOUSING
the right functions for a student to access the building with no difficulty. These factors should also complement the design of the building and ensure it flows with its concept. Even if the city outside of the campus offers these same facilities to its residents, it is more convenient for these services to be offered within their residential building. It is more convenient for the students and it will not disrupt their academic schedules. It can be argued that offering these services privately to students will negatively affect the economy of the city (as the students would be less likely to venture out to the city and explore their services). While this could be true, there are facilities and services that the city can provide that a student residence cannot: parks, public recreation areas, theatres, different restaurants, just to name a few. So even if the residence building is providing the student with basic services, students will still venture out into the city and enjoy its many perks as well.
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STUDENT HOUSING
MORE THAN JUST RESIDENCES As far as more information about students dorms is being conducted, it is becoming more clear that they are not just about rooms and halls, but more about social interaction with an economical impact. Their design comes with many other functions that increase their value and increase its responsibility in the development of a student’s career and future. Students should be seen as groups, not individuals because this is how they will impact the functional use of the building. Spaces should be designed on a larger scale to include all groups but respecting their privacy as well. If the main objective of constructing a student residence is to provide as many rooms as possible, it should do so without compromising quality and cost. The responsibility is bigger than just to cover a demand for a certain number of beds; the actual goal is to integrate quantity with a diverse options of preferences and activities that the habitant can choose from. Creating an environment
that is too serious will not awake interest in them. The residence should provide the students with exciting activities and opportunities to explore creativity with the versatility that the building provides. “The architecture of the student’s place was found to be important to the respondents, despite its temporary nature. In many cases it was even described as a home.” (Thomsen & Eikemo 2010, Pag. 275). This statement makes it clear that the role of the architect on the construction and planning of these types of buildings is fundamental. It is not only about constructing to cover the need, but to design spaces that students can call “home”, which is such a meaningful concept for anybody, not just an architect. In any case, in order for one to become comfortable in a certain living space, it is important to get sentimentally involved as said by Kenyon. To be able to call it “home”, one must feel identified with something in the space. In this case, the way students can feel more at home
STUDENT HOUSING
living in a student residence to have important social relationships with the other students living in the residence - this is something they can identify with and help them feel more at home. Because most students live far from their family and friends, creating sentimental friendships is one way they can get through this transition in their lives.
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STUDENT HOUSING
ABOUT THE STUDENT HOUSING LOCATION According to an study made by Francisco, J., Blasco, C. & Moreno, M. Called “University Areas and Accommodation. An Urban Nature Commitment�, the students residences are tent to be distributed in different locations depending on the urban nature of the city. The locations can variate but they will always be divided in two groups: those who are inside the campus and those located around the city. In the work, after researching by their own means they analysed the most important universities worldwide, contrasting the ones located in the city centre and those located on the periphery of the city when at the same time analysing which ones had students residences included in their campus and which ones did not. The results exposed that even if mostly of the universities were offering dorms for their students, this were not satisfying the total need of the students enrolled coming from abroad or from other regions of the country. Actually in
average it could they found out that universities were only covering the 10% of the students enrolled. Translating this numbers to the Caracas context, the Central University of Venezuela located in Caracas, has 62.543 enrolled students, where according to the study it should be offering at least 6.254 beds. It is important to have in consideration that the university was found on 1725 and through the time it has increased notoriously the amount of students and nowadays the space inside the campus is not enough to cover this quantity of students, in fact, the original residences were planned for just 850 students, which now are transformed into classrooms. This reality in the city reduce the possibilities of solving the problem by designing students residences inside the Universities, even if it can be done, they will cover a very low amount and should be supported by an out campus residences network where is more possible to find bigger and more areas to work on.
STUDENT HOUSING
15.396 12.501
2.895 Outside the University
Inside the University
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The study found out that almost 81% of the residences around the world are located in the surroundings of the university. This is a notorious difference compared with the 19% that offers inside the campus. It could be related with the fact that as universities prefer to use the space for classrooms and use other lands nearby to expand their capacity to harbor students.
TOTAL
ill. 1-1. Stadistic of the residences location in different countries around the world according to Francisco, J., Blas-
co, C. & Moreno, M.
17 Near the centre 6
On periphery
On the other hand, from the 23 Universities, 6 of them are located on the periphery of the city, which are difficulty reachable for some students if they would live in the centre. For this cases should be considered to build the residences nearby them but well connected to the public transportation and the rest of the city.
ill. 1-2. Amount of universities located near the centre or on periphery in Caracas.
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STUDENT HOUSING
CASE STUDY 1. Park View Student Housing by HKS Architects in Miami, Florida. (2015)
ill. 2-1 Connection between buildings.
ill. 2-2 Common space of the bridge
As a part of the research I visited some examples of students residences to feel the environment understanding the vibrance of it’s halls and the connection through their common spaces, as well to understand the student scale, I had the possibility to meet this residence located in the Florida International University, which was directly built on campus offering a direct connection to its residents to the different faculties. The campus itself offers as well other facilities for the students, uses that do not need an immediate connection with the room are spread in the university to invite the students to walk the area and not overcharge the building concentrating all the uses in the same place, as a fact, this side of the city bring out a different scale, where the distances become larger an density is not anymore an approach, but instead spreading the uses to provide them in all the area, as an instance the gym belongs to a whole independent building located 200 meters away from the main building, but instead the laundry room which is usually something more related with the house tends to be in the ground floor of the actual residences building.
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STUDENT HOUSING
ill. 2-3 Common space inmediate to the vertical circulation
ill. 2-4 Functions plan
Spatially speaking, the building brings out some interesting features emphasising the lifestyle of the locals, which due to the lack of density in this urban typology are always looking to connect themselves and meet in certain places to realise activities together, in fact the bridge that connects both volumes is a actual expression of this fact. This bridge is connected directly to the vertical circulation of both buildings, offering a fast access to this space on different levels, but it is worth noticing that the proportions of this elements allowed it to become an actual space for permanence and not only transition, offering furnitures to the students creating a function, which in this case is an area to have snacks and small talks, meanwhile the other side of the bridge which is the ending piece on the left side of the building, due to its more private and quiet qualities offers a conference and study room.
Even if I did not got the chance to enter into the rooms, the most interesting features where in the halls and the way the common spaces are constantly included in the program, even if the distances can become a little long through the halls, it is due the scale of the projects and the nature of the university context, which the building had to be adapted to, but in after this, in every ending of the halls there was always a living room, meanwhile next to the elevators en the stairs louder activities as playrooms where located. This project proved me effective the strategy to locate the common areas next to the circulations in order to promote their use. A weak point of the project is that the cars street is dividing the connection outside the buildings, meanwhile this space could had been used for green areas having the street around the complex.
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STUDENT HOUSING
CASE STUDY 2. Residenza Universitaria Olimpia by Marco Meneghetti (EDISU) in Torino, Italy. (2008)
ill. 2-5 Enclosed garden by the buildings with pattern path.
ill. 2-6 Main used halls to get into the gym, dinning hall and residences.
Located in the outlines of the centre but a few minutes walk to the main square Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, in one of the most quiet zones of the city in front to the river Dora and right next to the UniversitĂ di Torino Campus Einaudi where most of its residents are studying in. This is the first residence in the city to obtain the certification ECOLABEL for following sustainable regulations on its design. According to an interview that I had with the architect about the project, It is confirm that the residences were mainly built to be used by the press and reporters who were coming to Torino for the Olympic games in 2006, but under the condition that after being used they will remain for the students, so basically the building was designed thinking for the students who did not used it the first months. The disposition of the volumes creates an inner courtyard where the most transparent facades are living in, having rooms with big openings and a optimal proportion of the free space allowing a fresh sense of the outdoor of the project, which becomes a distribution space in the project where the outsides facades are just limiting the residence from the
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STUDENT HOUSING
ill. 2-7 Brise-soleil on the facade to protect from direct sunrays
ill. 2-8 Dinning hall
street, privatising the area and giving the exclusivity needed to the students, after this, the main accesses were located back in the courtyard. Even if the outdoor space is generous and it;s giving more value to the rooms offering fresher views, air and sunlight, these space are not frequently use by the students in groups. It is just used as a transition place to move around the area but actually it has not become a permanent space. An hypothesis can be it’s proximity to the University Building, which has a bigger and more attractive green space so the students prefer to spend the time there, where there are also services as coffee shops and library. Another hypothesis is the spatial configuration of that courtyard, which does not have a completely free circulation directly in the vegetation, but instead follows a stone path in a slightly lower
level, which makes it uncomfortable to be in Both together can be affecting the lack of use of the central space. A better proposal could have been to use the central space as an open air dinning hall for big tables and common kitchens, like the typical Chinese courtyard, not competing with the university space and offer a diverse possibility, after seeing that the students are actually meeting outside in plastic chairs and tables to talk and have drinks. As an student, we can enjoy the facilities as the dinning hall and the gym, which are the only spaces constantly used by the residents any time of the day, after seeing how necessary they are when becoming part of their routine it will be necessary to include them in the project reaching a similar level of comfort for the users.
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CASE STUDY 3. Campus Twenty by Felix Claus and Kees Kan in Enschede, Netherland (1997)
ill. 2-9 The nature as context giving freedom to the design.
ill. 2-10 Small openings on the facade for natural ventilation.
After visiting and studying the two previous cases, I realised that some features of each one, could have been improved by reducing the scale of development, when instead of having large roads of rooms, it could have been done by having smaller fragments of the building with all the services needed connected through each other. It encouraged me to study project under the selective criteria that they should be developed under a modular system taking in account specially the develop of the functions and how this fragments are related to each others. The interesting quality about Campus Twenty is that the separation of rooms is very minimal - the rooms generate like cells which group them closer to each other without creating the possibility to pass from one to another (unless it is from the outside). Since the development of this project is horizontal, there is the possibility to have the rooms unite as one piece. This project shows us a different perspective of privatisation of space. The rooms seem to be more enclosed which gives it a more personal and private feel, but it compromises the social aspect of
STUDENT HOUSING
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ill. 2-11 Plan with funtions diagrams
the building. The use of the same spaces by diverse people increase their possibilities to share moments during the day, however it increases the possibility of seeing the same faces every day. Instead, each cell should still be close to each other but allow some form of transition from one room to the next to create a global union. It is not healthy for the social environment of the building to have the rooms be so strongly divided. Since this building is horizontal, it is understandable why the rooms are designed like this (as is the case with other taller buildings, it becomes more dense). This is one of the negative consequences of a high-rise building. The benefit about this type of grouping is that the spaces in each section become more personal for the residents and can become more comfortable for their own personal use. However, when the building is divided into fragments like that, the density increases and the build-
ing begins to drive out each cell and separates them from common spaces. As was said before, this concept should be not applied on a bigger scale if the strategy is to create a global entity and a healthy social environment for students. So the only value taken from this scheme is the distribution of common spaces around the building in order to provide access of each kind of services in every space of the residence.
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CASE STUDY 4. Jowett Walk Balliol College Accommodations by MJP Architects in Oxford, England (2005)
ill. 2-12 Volumes surrounded by green areas
ill. 2-13 Rooms with panoramic view.
The separation of cells allow a better perception of the building’s surroundings and creates a major environmental effect. When natural elements, such as lighting and air, are provided from every angle, it is possible to have a wider range of view and appreciation for the concept. This is what differentiates this project from the others, which is a notable advance for this study. These projects are finally showing how different groups, even when separated, can be tied together through the use of recreational spaces (in this case, green areas). The questions are: what are they providing to the individuals, how are the shared spaces used, and what functions in the common space unite the individual units? The answers to these questions are shown in the plans below. The main feature that unites each cell is the circulation between the units along with resting places and green areas (of large proportions). This type of circulation offers the possibility to stop by and communicate with each other and to appreciate the surroundings - hallways and corridors should not only be for transportation purposes only. They should also provide a way for the individuals to experience and appreciate the building and be able to use
STUDENT HOUSING
ill. 2-14 Plans with a clear view of the cells organization.
the functions within the circulation in a social setting. Speaking of circulation, it is clearly demonstrated above that the stairs from each module are directly leading to a common space. This is an important aspect of the design because it highlights a feature that was prominent in all the other projects. It is important to take into consideration that if the stairs or halls are completely differentiated from other uses rather than the rooms, they can become a space just for transition and not enjoyed. To optimize their use, circulations should be mixed with generous-sized common areas. After dividing the building into cells, this concept took the step to create spaces between the cells, which is considered a value-added feature because they work as a connector of rooms. In this case, separation does not mean dissociation - for students residences, these spaces are conceived with collective
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functions, such as parks for example, which offer another option with different outdoor conditions. The residence is still being recognised as a whole unit because all buildings contain the same functions and they share the same functions. When the building is divided into fragments, the density increases and starts to drive out the cells from the common spaces. The way to connect them is to use functional circulations. Not only is it permeable to functions but also to the environment. Giving life to the building according to its surroundings is a fundamental aspect as well. The functions that operate within the building are not just catering to those inside of the building but to the outside as well. These spaces are not meant to be isolated. The student residences are not just a singular piece that can be constructed anywhere - the design should take into account the surroundings of the buildings (which will be discussed further when discussing the importance of location).
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CASE STUDY 4.Student housing by C.F. Møller Architects in Odense, Denmark (2016)
ill. 2-15 Common spaces visualy connected
ill. 2-16 Services as a social activity
The Southern Denmark’s Student Housing is the design that answers the question of how the spaces could be all integrated in one cell and taking advantage of any possibility that it could involve. As it is clearly seen in the axonometry, the middle space plays different roles at the same time: 1) It uses different functions to transport the users from each circulation module to their rooms. 2) Holds diverse common activities which are available for students from every floor, such as kitchens, playrooms working spaces, etc. 3) It allows direct visual connection with the surroundings thanks to the spaces between the different blocks and meets the necessity of allowing access of air and light into the spaces. 4) Establishes immediate connection between each independent block, making them a unique group. 5) There is an equity on value of the spaces - as in, there are no spaces with a lack of usage according to what the students want.
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ill. 2-17 Common spaces next to vertical circulation
ill. 2-18 Plan model with function scheme.
This kind of organisation responds to the necessity of constantly keeping in touch with your neighbours and to recover the value of communities. And as it was said before, the important quality is to provide the students (of such a vulnerable age) to discuss and learn from others around them. It is important to consider how the structure is involved on the creation of these conditions. The middle platform is the element that ties together the three blocks, literally uniting them. The structure, as well, allows the design to have big openings on the facades approaching the diversity of views that the design has to offer. When the cells are sharing the same space as the rest of the functions and services, the value of the building is concentrated in one central space which naturally spreads and connects directly to private blocks which invites their use but respects boundaries at the same time. This is the best solution to promote the
social interaction between students. It is personal but at the same time collective - spatially speaking, it is very generous because it includes diverse functionalities that are organized around the private blocks. This makes it comfortable for its proportions and relation to the rest of the building, but creates something global and not sectored.
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CONCLUSIONS
FOR THE PROJECT >> The location should be nearby the university. >> Avoid the disposition of many rooms in a single hall which is usually translated in long corridors with low quality. >> Grouping diverse rooms typologies in a single cell sharing the same common spaces will increase the space value. >> Mixing private and public spaces will make a stronger connection between the student and the city.
Taking everything into consideration, it is necessary to recall the role that the halls have played in the different projects, where it is no longer conceived as a circulation system but instead has included certains activities that are increasing its value and promoting the permanence of the students for its uses. On the other hand, the rooms are keeping their density when organised together in certain ways, but as the last three projects showed, when they are grouped into cells, the relation between each one becomes more personal making an independent piece an possibly a common space between them, increasing the possibility of creating communities. The residences are no longer seen as a place just for sleeping, instead they are becoming part of the students life and studies, where they could spend most of their time making interesting relations where architecture is responsible of making it happen.
CHAPTER THREE
CO-LIVING
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CO-LIVING
THE STUDENT’S RELATION The life of a university student consists of constant communication and the daily exchange of knowledge and ideas. Campuses all around the world are very diverse and, because of this, students are exposed to different races, religions, beliefs, and cultures. According to “Quality of college life: identifying the key indicators of student satisfaction” there are three kinds of satisfaction that may positively or negatively affect students: resources and facilities, teaching, and social life. (Blázquez, Chamizo, Cano and Gutiérrez 2013, Pag. 471). Sargisson (2000, Pag. 62) defines intentional communities as “groups of people who have chosen to live (and sometimes work) together for some common purpose beyond that of tradition, personal relationship or family ties”. This chapter will highlight the social aspects of university students and how their social lives are affected through communal living (or “co-living”). Since it has been proven how important a social life is
it is worth integrating this knowledge into the design and function of the student residence. Therefore, the social aspect of the building plays a large role in the design concept as a whole. Since social interaction is considered to be fundamental and an integral part of a university student’s life, it will be the main objective in the design concept of the student residence. If the building is designed in a way that allows students to interact freely with their peers on a daily basis, it will no doubt improve their own university experience as well as improve their academic development and culture. This concept will also promote understanding and tolerance between different groups and create a safer and healthier environment that would otherwise be prone to intolerance and hate.
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CO - LIVING CHARACTERISTICS The author Francesco Chiodelli (Pag. 2572) has defined four specific points that explain the concept of coliving and the requirements that make co-housing a success: 1. A configuration of the space towards the social life and community; 2. The presence of common areas and collective structures that integrate the private spaces; 3. The participation of the habitants on the management of the community and the inclusion of new residents; and 4. A lifestyle dedicated to collaboration and the construction of social networks (Cited by: Angeli, 2011). In the first point, Chiodelli is talking about designing the space so that it allows social connections to occur freely. The space should be comfortable and inviting so that it creates a sense of community. Secondly, the space should integrate private spaces. The author is referring to the integration of two different spaces in the building (the common
and the private) in a balanced manner. If the common spaces were to fully integrate with the private spaces, it would create an invasion of privacy and would not improve the quality of life for the student. The integration should work as a transition, where both spaces overlap but do not overpower the other. The third aspect explains how the residents should actively participate in the management of the community that is built in the residence. When the students are involved in maintaining their community in a positive manner, it opens up opportunities for prospective residents to join the community as well. This inclusivity is what makes co-housing a desirable option for university students. And lastly, the fourth point explains that co-housing leads students to inhabit a lifestyle that is geared towards the creation of social networks. The result will be self- sustainable communities that exchange knowledge and ideas and improve the quality of students’ lives.
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THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE SOCIETY “The experience of communal cohabitation of people with various social origins, i.e., of various nationalities and various points of view, promotes the development of personality.” (Berner and Rentzsch, 1989, Pag . 173). Because the students enrolled in the different universities in Venezuela are all so diverse, they allow other students to be open-minded of other cultures, religions, etc. This is why sharing spaces in a university setting is very pertinent in the shaping of one’s life and perspective - as the authors Berner and Renstzsch say, it also shapes your personality and leads you to different paths in life because of the different ideas a student can gather from living with someone that has something different to offer. To illustrate this, just imagine about the different kinds of people we meet on a daily basis and the different ideas they bestow upon us that allow us to think a different way or take a different path in our lives. This is the opportunity
Despite the various differences in their study programs, law students, medical students and students of the natural science and the humanities share the same status as “student” and share the same conditions of life that come from being a student (Mutius and Nußberger, 1994, Pag. 11). However, their different studies leads them to think differently and have more diverse views. These differences should not be looked as negative, but as an opportunity to share these diverse perspectives with other students. Because, at the end of the day, they all have one thing in common: they are all an academic student pursuing their desirable career. As was previously discussed, co-living can assist in combining the diverse views and ideas from students to create a union of expanded knowledge and awareness. Co-living can even go as far as helping to solve the problems of the country and create a more tolerable space. This kind of living can be translated
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One option that was done in part was the typical corridor full of closed doors, described as sterile and impersonal and mirrored the nature of an institution (Thomsen 2007, Pag. 271). Even if most dormitories contain communal facilities aimed at promoting contact among its residents, like a bar, a television room, game room, (Mutius and NuĂ&#x;berger, 1994, Pag. 11) it is not enough to reach the benefits of co- housing. Those common spaces should not be treated as individual spaces, but on a bigger scale of spaces that are harmonically connected with each other and inviting their residents to connect with each other as well. On the contrary, common areas should be sensible in a way that allow the residents to sustain their privacy. The design of a student residence should implement a sequence of private spaces (with boundaries for individual comfort) that is smartly integrated with common spaces. Even those who live in single apartments are embedded in a particular social
environment simply by virtue of their spatial proximity to people in comparable situations. (Mutius and NuĂ&#x;berger, 1994, Pag. 12). It is important to realise that, even for those who look for single apartments searching for privacy, it does not mean that they do not wish to socialise with residents outside of their rooms. Many opportunities will be offered to residents to socially interact with other residents and it will only be just a few steps away.
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FUNCTIONS AND CIRCULATION AS COMMON SPACES The travelling path of the building is just as important as the layout of spaces. If the path does not allow the resident to move freely from one end of the building to the other, it will deter the student from roaming the halls and creating the social interaction that co-housing promotes. Therefore, it is necessary to have a clear, organized, and continuous path that allows the freedom to go from one place to another without any difficulties. Not only do the halls act as a path for travel and transition, they can also acts as a permanent place in the building. If hallways and corridors became common places, it would generate more social experiences. A student walking through a corridor that also acts as a lounge, may run into another student sitting in that lounge and strike up a conversation. When common places are found in the circulation of the building, with proper proportions, it is when the perfect balance of function is found.
In pursuance of the spatial conditions for these spaces, it is necessary to study the different projects that have shown the aforementioned features of co-housing and see how they combine both of their uses. Their scales and sizes are not similar, but they illustrate the diversity of architectonic elements in a way that can be interpreted into other similar designs.
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Kitchen
Unit
Unit
Unit
Living
Unit
Unit
Recreation/ Laundry
Unit
Private
Transition
Shared
Transition
ill. 3-1 General functional and spatial diagram about Co-Living conditions.
Private
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CASE STUDY 1. Roam by Alexis Dornier. Bali, Indonesia (2015)
ill. 3-2 Inner courtyard
ill. 3-3 Common Terraces
This project was initially a hotel but it was transformed into a co-living residence. The architects intended the space to be communal and to create a sense of community. This is what made this building perfect for co-housing. This creation of micro-societies allows the user to find privacy but also gives them the option to socially interact, exchange ideas and educate one and other. Even though it has a very peculiar configuration, where most of the recreation spaces are located on the terrace of the buildin, the living space occurs in the middle space which allows open communication and interaction among the residents. It is also very peaceful, which is essential for the stressed-out student The scale of the project is not very large - it is covered by three enclosed buildings that hold the main central space. Each building has 3 stories with a diverse use of materials depending on each function, but the most relevant aspect is the use of big openings in its windows to allow transparency and light into the inner space towards the courtyard. One of the approaches of the project was to create density in order to bring people closer. This aim to have people communicate is also reflected by
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ill. 3-4 Terrace as a visual relation with the context
ill. 3-5 Plan of common space in the terrace
ill. 3-6 Relation of common spaces in section
the concept of uniting both sides of the rooftop with a bridge. These bridges act as common spaces - there are all kinds of entertaining spots such as lounges, bars, and restaurants. Even if the bridges are on different levels, the main courtyard is visible from all the recreational areas on the top, which makes it part of the space as well. This is the same as the ground floor using common spaces. The materials used for its development are very significant for the traditional architecture of Bali, and they also fit perfectly into the concept. It plays with different levels of transparency by the use of bamboo for the enclosures and the constant use of the canopy highlights the social areas. Tin and poly carbonate are also used to filter light but still offers the chance to appreciate its context.
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CASE STUDY 2. Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl. Beijing, China (2009)
ill. 3-7 Individual modules sharing spaces
ill. 3-8 Connection through the bridges
Called by their own creators as “a city inside another city�, it effectively offers everything required for the communities living in the space. The main use of the building is residential, but the building also offers hotel accommodations, a kindergarten, and recreational areas. What makes this building interesting is that the common spaces are found all over the building in a stripe conformed by a series of passages. These bridges are the core idea of the design concept - some of them hold amenities like swimming pools, gyms, galleries and coffee shops. What is also interesting about this project is the fact that, while all the buildings are connected by these bridges, each building still maintains its individuality and uniqueness. The connection of these buildings looks almost like the buildings are holding hands which highlights the community living that the residence promotes. Once again, the circulation of the building are common spaces where people can meet, socialise, and find a place in that community. As shown on the diagram of the building plan, the spaces where the bridges meet are not totally covered by common use facilities; there are also private spaces and different services provided
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ill. 3-9 Accesses under the bridges
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which creates a diverse mix in every building. Each cell covers the needs of the diversity of ages that will live in the complex, starting from children playgrounds to chess tables for the elders. The position of the building in relation to its surroundings allows visitors to see these unique bridges from the main entrance which gives the residence more character. The units come with green roofs as an initiative towards sustainable living. The materials used for this building make social connections possible and convenient for its residences. For example, the bridges are covered with transparent glass and the facade is geometric using opaque stripes that frame the windows. All these details and design strategies make this building very desirable for those looking to engage and connect with others.
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CASE STUDY 3. Tietgen Dormitory by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects. Copenhagen, Denmark (2005)
ill. 3-10 Inner courtyard
ill. 3-11 Side halls
What makes this building interesting is its circular shape. The private spaces surround the main courtyard where all the outdoor activities are provided. There are big openings on the facade which are usually the rooms’ windows and balconies that overlook the courtyard. This allows constant visual communication which is very valuable for the study because it represents a solution to integrate the rooms into the common spaces. The building allows many common use opportunities as well as the option to sustain one’s privacy. The kitchen, for instance, can be use privately but can be converted into communal use which then becomes a social project. This is a good strategy to bring people together, as eating is a necessity but can also become an activity to spend time with other residents. The same can be done with the laundry room. When spaces commonly used by necessity are placed in just a few strategical points, but with the capacity to cover a high amount of people at the same time, it becomes an inviting space for all residents to come together and get to know one another. The circular vicinity is made up of 5 buildings connected by passages that have common spaces within them;
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a design similar to the one made by Steven Holl. However, this building has a different density factor. This building is well made on purpose to emphasise the sense of community due to the closeness of the apartments. Again, the space under those connections is being used as the entrances to the building, leading to a perimetrical hall around the main space. The common spaces inside the building express the connections that the architect was hoping to show in a formal way. It is another way of saying how the five buildings belong together and are united by communal spaces and visual communication. ill. 3-12 Accesses through the voids under the bridges
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CASE STUDY 4. LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects. Japan (2013)
ill. 3-13 Common spaces visualy connected
ill. 3-14 Services as a social activity
What makes this building interesting is its circular shape. The private spaces surround the main courtyard where all the outdoor activities are provided. There are big openings on the facade which are usually the rooms’ windows and balconies that overlook the courtyard. This allows constant visual communication which is very valuable for the study because it represents a solution to integrate the rooms into the common spaces. The building allows many common use opportunities as well as the option to sustain one’s privacy. The kitchen, for instance, can be use privately but can be converted into communal use which then becomes a social project. This is a good strategy to bring people together, as eating is a necessity but can also become an activity to spend time with other residents. The same can be done with the laundry room. When spaces commonly used by necessity are placed in just a few strategical points, but with the capacity to cover a high amount of people at the same time, it becomes an inviting space for all residents to come together and get to know one another. The circular vicinity is made up of 5 buildings connected by passages that have common spaces within them;
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ill. 3-15 Services as a social activity
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a design similar to the one made by Steven Holl. However, this building has a different density factor. This building is well made on purpose to emphasise the sense of community due to the closeness of the apartments. Again, the space under those connections is being used as the entrances to the building, leading to a perimetrical hall around the main space. The common spaces inside the building express the connections that the architect was hoping to show in a formal way. It is another way of saying how the five buildings belong together and are united by communal spaces and visual communication.
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CONCLUSIONS
FOR THE PROJECT >> The residences will be conceived by individual self-sufficient modules connected through each other with common uses. >> The common spaces will be located inmediate to the vertical circulations to promote their use. >> Inmediate connection between private and common.
It is evident to see that each aforementioned building share the same purpose - to enhance social interaction. Even though each building was unique in its aesthetic, design and size, they each all had multiple opportunities within the buildings to create communities. It is important to recognise the way the common spaces are connected, each project shows a different way but they are tightly related with the scale and purpose of the project. Despite the differences, between the features they had in common were the proximity of the private space to the common space, even if that transition is slightly dissolved by any kind of circulation, it is possible to arrive quickly to a shared space. In the same way, the spaces are given in big proportions respecting the project, to exalt their presence and dominate the scheme, in another words, they are the organising element of the scheme. One of the most influential projects to establish the conclusion of the concept was the “Linked Hybrid� by Steven Holl. The facility keeps the independence of each cell in tact, but still allows the communal connection with use of its passages. This project also has the possibility to be adapted to different shapes and levels to fit into the Caracas landscape.
CHAPTER FOUR
COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
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THE COST AND THE BUILDING There are several factors affecting the final result of a project, and cost will always be an important one. As Christian Schittich expressed “The building design process is a complex interaction of skills, judgement, knowledge, information and time which has as its objective the satisfaction of the client’s demands for shelter, within the overall needs of society. Ultimate satisfaction is obtained when the ‘best’ solution has been discovered within the constraints imposed by such factors as statutory obligations, technical feasibility, environmental standards, site conditions and cost.” (2007, Pag. 81) To satisfy a client’s desires and needs, it is pertinent to balance cost with quality. As the author above noted, the construction of the building along with economical variants should be thoroughly studied and designed to arrange the best possible solution in terms of business and design. Many variants will change the total cost of the project and swing the cost in an unfavourable position for the client-
this is why meticulous decision-making must be a priority throughout the construction process of any building. It is important to realise that the cost of the building is only one of 9 items of total cost which is incurred by the client and, in the end, it is the total that counts. According to Ferry and Brandon (1980, Pag. 8), some of the other variants involved in the final price are: the cost of land, the legal costs of acquiring and preparing the site, the demolition or other physical preparation of the site, the building cost, professional fees in connection with those costs, furnishing the spaces, cost in connection with disposals (sale, letting, etc.) where the building is to be disposed of at completion, cost of financing the project (this principally represents interest, etc. on the moneys expended before any returns is obtained either by income or use), cost of management as running and maintaining the building. Some of these decisions can be modified during the design process. It is
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important to have constant communication with the client by presenting proposals and identifying the project’s calculated cost in order to be transparent, keep the client happy, and get their final approval on the design. Cost and functionality are the main factors that affect the client’s decisions and these are thought out during the design process. Many people tend to think that design method follows a linear path however, many changes occurring during the process that will cause the architect to do a step back and constantly re-evaluate the design (Ferry and Brandon, 1980, Pag. 82) According to Christian Schitting (2007, Pag. 9) the cost and budget limitations are the rule and generous resources are a rare luxury. Designers are continuously presented with new challenges in the ongoing struggle for the most economical and pleasant solution at the lowest price possible. All projects strive to be cost effective and designers try to come up with an optimal result us-
ing a limited amount of resources, but at the same time exploring the many possibilities that the design can achieve. This is why the aforementioned author called a cost-effective project “challenging” this type of approach is filled with many obstacles but, if done correctly, the result can be extremely satisfying to both the client and the builder. Projects with a smaller budget strive to design buildings that meet basic necessities, for example: studios, hotels, cultural centres, schools, offices and many others. However, the most common project design is a residence as it is the primary necessity for everyone (Schittich, 2007, Pag. 166). When the need of housing construction meets a country that is presently in a state of an economical crisis, the project would have to have the lowest budget with the necessity to supply the citizens in the most effective way (Ferry and Brandon, 1980, Pag. 8). As populations continue to grow, the needs for a residential building expand
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as well. To meet this high demand, many buildings would have to be built which is why it is pertinent to keep cost in mind. Otherwise, the projects may exceed budget and may not be completed (thus, the demands would not be met). Students are usually limited by very low incomes (Mutius and Nußberger, 1994, Pag. 6) and normally have low housing expectations, especially among the youngest students who may be satisfied by just finding a room no matter the quality or the standard (Thomsen and Andreas, 2010, Pag. 275). Because of their low cash flow, most students search for a cheaper residential solution in order to use their monies for other expenses. Therefore, a student residence must not be an economical ambitious project. It should be the result of smart decisions that will provide quality accommodation while maintaining low expenses. After affirmations by both studies, it seems that student housing projects are pointing to a cost effective concept.
It should be noted that student housing should not follow the general concept of the cost- effectiveness model because quality and basic amenities should not be compromised just to save costs. There are many projects around the world with a high budget for student residences. But there are many factors, as were mentioned before, that affect the final result and must be taken in account because they are as important as the building itself. It is a matter of analyzing for which sector or group the project is going to be built for. As Ruedas (2006, Pag. 102) expressed about the social distinction in student dorms, “The functional characteristics of a residence for students should be a place for those in the lowest social class but not exclusively (it must have to be done a social study of those who want to apply)”. If the approach of the building is to make any social impact on a problematic situation as (in Venezuela’s case, the economical crisis of a country) the cost
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effective design concept must be supported with a filter attending to the ones who need it most. It is worth considering that despite the social impact that a short budget building can have and all the formal requirements for its constructions, as Ferry and Brandon (1980, Pag. 98) expressed, designers are continuously presented with new challenges in the ongoing struggle for the best, most economical and pleasant solution for the lowest price possible. It is interesting for architects (in terms of design) to study the possibilities the building could have with the cost limitation involved. It is usually under those conditions that new discoveries are found and become a contribution to the field of architecture.
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DESIGN AND COST EFFECTIVE Cost efficiency begins in the preliminary planning stage of the project. With this concept, the optimisation of functional sequences and written brief, the built form, the relationship between volumes and facade areas and wether a basement is necessary are just some of the relevant parameters. (Schittich, 2007, Pag. 9). Cost is the first decision made in the planning process, as was mentioned before. It starts with the meaning of the building (or how the author calls it, the “concept”) and that will lead to the rest of the characteristics of the building. After the decision of cost is made, the style and representation of the building should be taken into account. Shaping the space in a certain way should be just as important as the economical facts of the project. According to Ferry and Brandon (1980, Pag. 289) from a formal point of view, the most cost effective projects are already using some of the most common shapes. They explain: “In these circumstances it would appear that the right-an-
gled building which has the lowest perimeter will provide the best answer. This shape is of course the square.” Furthermore, the same authors explain: “The circle does not usually allow efficient use of site space and plus some curved surfaces are very expensive to produce in some specific materials.” In summary, the way the building is shaped and how the space is utilised affects the price point of the construction project. Every single decision is made with the intent to optimise space and financial resources without taking in account aesthetic benefits alone. On the other hand, talking about functional terms, Mutius and Nußberger (1994, Pag. 6) expressed that student dormitories are designed only for temporary housing which can have considerable effects on the design of the building. Usually quality and comfort are correspondingly lower; this is not the case for residential projects that have families living in those buildings for longer periods of time. Student residences are usually cost
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and space-saving and represents a specific form of a social housing construction, which makes the price for the creation of the rooms even lower. Again, it is important to take into account that there are different conditions that make this concept more feasible and other conditions that do not. The variable of time has been presented by Ferry and Brandon when talking about how fast the construction of this shelters should be done, but then it is introduced again by Mutius and NuĂ&#x;berger in this case referring to the limited period of time the students will be living there until they finish their studies. Those arguments express the transient use of the residences, how they are constantly changing its users with no chance of indeterminate permanence. As a result, the focus of the building should be on how the spaces function and how they are connected. The architectural value can still be high without overcharging for unnecessary items that are not
useful - what the student wants from their place of residence is the social experience. From a construction point of view, many factors are involved in the final price of the work and some techniques are applied as an strategy to reduce expenses. One of the most important and most-used strategies to cut costs is to cut construction time. This usually involves the salary and labour production of many people involved, as Ferry and Brandon (1980, Pag. 257) highlight. People work much more productively and efficiently when they can see a clear task in front of them and when they feel that they are taking part in an efficient operation. The most effective technique used to achieve efficiency when constructing a new building is to manage time wisel. To do this, there must be clear communication between everyone involved in the project and the task should be simple in order to be understood by everyone.
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Complicated tasks that are unclear to workers lead to obstacles, delays, and added time to the project. Student housing covers a specific need and its construction should be quick without compromising quality. According to Schittich (2007, Pag. 9), materials used during the construction process are also highly influential to the total cost of the project. The author states: “Cost efficiency depends, to a great extent, on the selection of materials, the most economical structural system and detailing, and the question of whether prefabricated elements are feasible or not.” Depending on the different types of materials used, the construction process will be different as well the fabrication process, which are all tied to the final cost. Every piece of material possesses its own qualities and each render a different result. The projects highlighted in “Cost-Effective Building” by the same author (2007, Pag. 10) showcase the wide range of materials used for those
projects. The materials were: timber, steel, reinforced concrete and masonry. The studies showed alternative applications of these materials to obtain faster and cheaper results as well as give the building an expensive and luxurious look. In summary, the approach taken to apply these materials defines the economical aspects of the building and determines the total cost. The types of materials selected should also be adequate for the scale of the project. Due to the fact that the student residence will be constructed on a large scale with a high capacity required, the proper materials for this type of project would be steel and reinforced concrete. Ferry and Brandon (1980, Pag. 82) realized that if the size of the building is fixed, together with the form and specification, a certain cost can be generated. This reality awakens the necessity to think about the different possibilities of how the size of the building can be known in advance in order to provide an expected price of the project. One of the tech-
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niques that provides this necessity (which is also used in fast construction) is the modular design. Modular design gives the architect the opportunity to reduce costs in terms of construction. This approach offers the possibility to create cells that are individually designed and then reproduced on site to create a system of cells as well as a building. Even if it is not the only cost effective solution, it can offer notorious benefits in terms of time spent on the construction site. As mentioned before, time is a valuable variant on the design and final cost of the student residence. Ferry and Brandon state that in order for firms to prepare their tenders, it is pertinent to calculate the quantities of labour and material which will be required to build the project (Ferry and Brandon, 1980, Pag. 2). By controlling the project in a quantitative way, firms are able to provide the most cost-effective project to their client quickly. Labour and materials are both involved in construction time
and total price and can get out of hand if not managed appropriately. Therefore, it is important to start making the best decisions in those fields early on in the design process in order to keep the controlled price that was tendered to the client.
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CASE STUDY 1. Residential Building in Av. Libertador by Fruto Vivas. Caracas, Venezuela. (2013)
Cost of Construction: 2,4 mill â‚Ź (total)
ill. 4-1. Modules enclosure
ill. 4-2. View from the main street
Area: 22.300 m2
This social housing structure, located on one of the main streets Av. Libertador, was constructed by the government to provide a fast solution to those who are living in very low quality houses in the slums of Caracas. The construction of this building started soon after those houses were destroyed by a constant period of heavy rain. The main structure is made out of steel and displays an interesting way of supporting each floor using a system of frameworks that creates something like a contained box. External walls are used to create a division between the apartments and are made of clay masonry that acts as a coating.as a coating.
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ill. 4-3. The construction
ill. 4-4. Building bracings
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The interesting result that comes from this approach of steel application is how the structure is completely visible and all there is left of the building is the coating and covering go the apartments. The use of this metal system also creates generous spaces, like the one in the basement, where only a few columns are supporting the whole building and at the same time freeing the area to create an open space that is covered. It is an important contribution to the study of the low amount of material used in relation to the large extent and capacity that it covers. It is worth noting that access to the structure is on the ground floor which is supported by structural concrete walls to provide the building with strength and create easy access to the complex.
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CASE STUDY 2. Office and Training Centre by Heinle, Wischer and Partner. Dresden, Germany. (2002) Cost of Construction: 2,8 mill â‚Ź (total)
ill. 4-5. Courtyard hall
ill. 4-6. Green areas
Area: 5.881 m2
The approach of this project was not just to stay within its low projected budget - it was to reach an ambitious goal in design in the interior of the building and the heterogeneous urban environment. This building satisfies a higher demand of quality compared to many other commercial buildings. It is located in the outskirts of Dresden and operates as a place to live, work, and exchange knowledge. It follows a regular construction grid, made real by a modular design, which is the strongest feature of this project. The rhythm of the facade carries a conceptual and constructional purpose - it combines the design perks of being aesthetically pleasing with low-cost construction. From a conceptual point of view, it provides order to the chaotic side of the city. The L-shaped part of the building holds an atrium where the major openings of the facade are showcased. These openings serve the need of a passive indoor climate due to its ventilation system and direct solar exposure (mainly used in the winter).
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ill. 4-7. Inner patio for lighting and air flow
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The main strategy for reducing costs in this project was to restrict the size of the units which, in turn, reduced the amount of materials required to construct those units. With a lesser amount of materials used, less costs were incurred. As well, using a modular system allowed the project to avoid significant expenses on production and installation. The prefabricated windows saved on-site labor costs and were installed in each cell on the concrete structure system. The walls are covered by black fibre-cement panels. These features highlight the importance of using standardised measures to obtain an effective and efficient result. This construction strategy follows a parallel action of detailing and planning the building process at the same time which allows the flexibility of responding and adapting to any last-minute requirements on site. This is a great example on how to improve and reduce construction time and efficiently control the cost of every single finishing detail of the final result. This is notoriously evident in the images.
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CASE STUDY 3. Social Housing by ELEMENTAL. Monterrey, Mexico. (2010) Cost of Construction: 900.000 € (total)
Area: 6.591 m2
ill. 4-8. Rhythm of the modules with accesses generating the front yard and arriving to the voids.
ill. 4-9. Voids as the main access and common space of the house
Owner of a Pritzker price, the architect Alejandro Aravena is well know for building houses for families with the lowest sources in different cities of Latin America. He has become famous for building “half of a good house”, this intention awakes curiosity when usually social housing projects are defined for being highly dense to cover the maximum amount of rooms with just a few open spaces, in this case it is possible to see a series of voids following a rhythm next to each habitation unit (70 in total) where the empty space is finally transforming it’s meaning, it is not longer seen as a waste, but more as an extension of the internal house, giving to the residents to live it as the way they want due to the immediate proximity to the inner space, it is also used to distribute the circulation in a equal way without interfering in the structure conceiving the front backyard. This solution is very useful in Latin-American countries where the weather it’s comfortable to enjoy the external space and where the citizens lifestyle has been always include outdoor activities. The independence of each space invites the users to feel the space more personal. This intention brings out a low cost solution offering different kinds of possibilities with the less amount of materials possible, taking advantages of the minimal conditions an open space could offer.
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ill. 4-10. A unique courtyard to reduce cost of maintenance
ill. 4-11. Assembling of spaces and division of mod-
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An important sustainable solution according to the architect, is that the building has being designed to be “porous” and allow the construction of future houses in the spaces between the existing ones, when anytime economical crises could hit the country, the city will have an option to provide more housing for it’s habitants. A valuable characteristic which has also taken in account the transcendence of the building throughout time and the possible adaptations in can have after any case. It is worth noticing that this conditions could be possible by the use of a modular construction system, which is always a positive solution when low budgets are leading the projects decisions. Even if the modules where built on site, the scale and horizontal develop of the complex can be easily handle by the use on masonry, the project design is simple and does not have any decorative or unnecessary elements. Their disposition generates an inner courtyard, which is the only one with vegetation to reduce maintenance costs.
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CASE STUDY 4. Snabba Hus Västberga by Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter in Stockholm, Sweden. (2016) Cost of Construction: 7,1 mill € (total)
ill. 4-12. Facade with metallic modular skin
ill. 4-13. Concrete and steel pieces assembled
Area: 15.000 m2
The building has been designed for a you population looking for independence offering affordable apartments under a low cost construction with interesting spaces and clean finishes. 280 units were built in this building by the use of standardisation materials to reduce time production, again a method commonly use for residential buildings. The apartments which were assembled off site and are supported by prefabricated concrete structures. It is worth noticing that avoiding the process off applying the concrete on site which implies to wait for the material to dry reduce notoriously its construction. The halls of the residences are happening in the outer edges of the volumes, protected by an interesting facade which is mixing an opaque polycarbonate and vertical aluminium slats to generate diverse openings filtering the lights and environmental conditions, protecting at the same time the structure and giving rhythm to the facade. These elements were prefabricated as well making possible a faster assembling. A communal central courtyard is surrounded by 6 buildings connected by bridges on the sides to not interrupt the connection between each block,
COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
ill. 4-14. Bridges connecting sides to use a single vertical circulation
ill. 4-15. On site construction
ill. 4-16. Modular design of rooms on plan
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communicating the spaces and expanding the extremes of the building, including vertical circulation in the gaps using the same spaces for diverse purpose shared by two blocks at the same time. Meanwhile in the ground floor are located the common uses and larger apartments for bigger families, keeping the possibility to design specifically for young aged or single users populations with smilers spaces on the upper floors. As it is conformed by many pieces assembled on site, the building is capable of being relocated in the future, keeping the integrity of all its pieces and possibly able to be transformed into something else, this, indeed is one of the many variables important for a low cost structure. The interesting approach of this project is the combination of assembling off site and on site by the use of diverse materials, proving that it is not only possible with metal structures, but the concrete as well can be an interesting option to offer durability and a diverse aesthetic compared to conventional solutions.
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COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
CONCLUSIONS
FOR THE PROJECT >> Each material used will represent its diversity through different uses >> Building with standard sizes and regular shapes to facilitate the construction process >> Metallic structure should be used over other materials to reduce construction time.
In general terms, I should said that even when the projects are different from each other they all show a particular way of making efficient construction of the required program by choosing a material and a way to assemble it. Assembled in different ways and used in diverse scale, many of those aspects can be reinterpreted and adapted to the situation of student housing in Caracas. The project that seemed more accurate to me was the Residential Building in Av. Libertador by Fruto Vivas where he use the structure in such a way that can solve different situations with just assembling everything in one piece, in terms of time and use material it is very productive, besides the use of metal structure which tends to be more fast to build compared to concrete, even cheaper to produce and capable of cover significant amount of weight with thiner profiles. It is worth noticing that mostly all the projects are using the modular construction as a technique to keep the price lower due to its fast assembling construction, after this it is important to go deeper in the study of this solution as it can be potentially used in the project.
CHAPTER FIVE
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION: CONTAINERS
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
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HOW DOES IT WORKS? Design and construction are both integral parts of the building process. There are different ways to approach the building process, but design decisions will always affect construction decisions and vice versa. One of the more efficient methods of construction is modular construction which will be discussed in this chapter. “Modular construction provides a new way of building based on factory-made or on-site-made units”. (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag.17). According to Lawson, Ogden and Goodier (2014, Pag. 15) the modular system is one of these strategies and it uses three-dimensional volumetric units that are prefabricated and are essentially fully finished in factory conditions, and are assembled on site to create complete buildings or major parts of buildings. It is a production of series which are connected in such a way that allows a functional use of the building and it can change its’ scale depending on the quantity used, working independently like cells with the capacity
to grow and be connected to each other. When using modular construction, the planning process must be meticulously thought out as every module affects the next. It would not be efficient to poorly plan one module and have to re- design the others. As well, the planning process must take into account the amount of materials needed and ensure there is no excess or shortage of construction materials. The design must be efficient in terms of construction materials and construction time. This “new way of building” showcases the final product as the evolution of cell development, where each cell (or module) is a completely separate unit but, when installed as part of the system as a whole, gives the project life.
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WHY TO BUILD MODULAR? Lawson, Ogden and Goodie highlight the many benefits of using modular construction (2014, Pag. 9). These key advantages include: shorter building times, superior quality achievement by its individual checks, economy of scale in To summarize, the main benefits of using modular construction are the time and cost savings without sacrificing quality. This is why one of the main uses of modular construction is for student residences (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag. 6) as it produces a high quantity of modules (dormitories) in a significantly shorter amount of time. Also, since student residences tend to be almost lifetime fixtures on university campuses, it is important that the residences withstand the test of time. In reality, all buildings will decay due to natural causes. Modules can be replaced without affecting the building as a whole. This is a positive aspect in terms of maintenance - any signs of decay can be attended to without touching the whole building.
Modular construction would be a great option for the student residences in Caracas due to two reasons: its economic benefits and the sustainability of the residence as a whole. These two benefits address the most important needs of the city and the project itself. They are discussed in further detail below. Economic Benefits As mentioned, modular construction can bring positive results to different variables of the building process. However, in the end, all these variables are connected to the total cost of the project. Recalling what Ferry and Brandon said, as mentioned before, the cost of the building is just one of nine others involved, but controlling this can make significant changes in the end (1980, Pag. 8). Economic factors are important when it comes to student housing, as it requires the lowest costs possible in order to offer affordable room rates for students.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
Ferry and Brandon pointed out that, if the size of the building is fixed, together with the form and specification, then a certain cost will be generated (1980, Pag. 82). Therefore, it is possible to estimate the total cost of a building (at the client’s request) quickly due to the efficiency of modular construction. This process precisely controls the amount of materials and labour required, which results in lower construction costs. Lawson, Ogden and Goodier have proven the viability of this modular system for the use of dormitories by applying modules to residential buildings, medical buildings, and extensions to current buildings. These applications highlight the key benefits of rapid and high-quality construction and economy of scale in manufacturing (2014, Pag.15). It is worth noting that modular buildings have the opportunity to grow (by its own extension) to offer versatility - another value added to the modular process. Lawson, Ogden and Goodier
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also mention the usage of modular construction as a system and fits a wide range of building types, from schools, hospitals, offices and supermarkets. (2014, Pag.1). To better illustrate the economic benefits of modular construction, it is necessary to compare it with the typical site-intensive construction. Lawson, Ogden and Goodier are providing the required data for this analysis, it can be useful to see which construction process is more cost efficient and has a more desirable cost-benefit relationship. The pie charts below showcase the comparisons between site-intensive construction and modular construction, including different variables such as materials needed, labour required, etc.
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Graph. 5-1.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
Graph. 5-2.
It is clear to see that the highest cost allocation goes to site personnel on site-intensive construction which accounts for almost half of the total construction cost (40%). Site personnel costs using modular construction is only 15% - this variable alone is significantly lower than site- intensive construction. Even though modular construction has variable costs that site-intensive doesn’t have (such as factory overhead and personnel and non-modular components),
they do not significantly affect the other variable costs that are shared with site-intensive constriction. All variables in modular construction are still significantly lower than those of site-intensive construction. Therefore, it bears repeating that modular construction has the most economic benefits for constructing a student residence in Caracas.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
Sustainable Construction “Modular construction feels appropriate to a world where mass production is the norm and quality and efficiency are keys to competitiveness.” (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag.13) Building with modules has been proven to be environmentally-friendly and, as mentioned, would be beneficial in places where “mass production is the norm.” It proves to have less of a negative impact on the environment while responding to housing demands. As was shown above in the graphs, this type of construction is considerably sustainable as a result of reduced materials and waste that it would produce (due to the accurate quantitative calculation that is part of the modular planning process). Since many of the modular pieces are perfectly fitted to the other, they can be easily replaced at a low cost and at low impact to the environment. From my point of view, the most beneficial sustainable option of modular
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construction is that each cell or module is totally independent to the structure and can be easily removable without affecting the fundamental forces of the building, leaving the skeleton completely free for other uses. This can be useful for the future as it gives the building the opportunity to be used for other functions without going through any type of demolition. “The open plan space of the modules can be fitted out and serviced to suit the user’s requirement, modular buildings can be latter disassembled and reused” (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag. 245). “The benefits of modular construction may be focused on certain marked sectors, where there is a demand for speed of construction, and economy in manufacture, or where reducing the disturbance of the building process is and important business of planning requirement”. (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag.4). Pollution is reduced with less noise, dust and noxious gases when using the modular construction as the
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construction of modules occurs in factories (whereas there would be more disruptive factors using on-site construction). Modular construction produces fabrics in factories which still produce chemical gases, however it is contained in the factory and does not affect the jobsite (which is important as student housing is usually located in residential areas where other residents could potentially be harmed by the chemical pollution and dust or annoyed by the noise pollution). Modular construction also reduces transportation waste - “Modular construction is generally used to create cellular-type buildings, which consist in similar roomsized units of a size suitable for transportation” (2014, Pag. 243) which allows the materials to be easily transported less often and therefore, reducing energy consumption. A study was performed in the book “Design in Modular Construction”, where the authors followed the construction progress of a modular building in the city of Wolverhampton
- an eight- storey building was monitored to control the rate of installation on each piece. The overall construction period of the 25.000 m2 floor area project took only 15 month which represents a 12 month reduction to an equivalent on-site construction project. The rate of installation went from 28 to 49 modules per week (which is about 7.5 modules per day) and there were 52 labourers involved in the construction during the whole year (only five were involved in on-site management which reduced the quantity of labourers needed by 50%).
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CONTAINER AS A MODULE The container is a self-supporting structure that has the capacity to be placed on top of another when they are shipped and stored. Their sizes are the ideal living dimensions at to 2.44 meters wide and 2.6 meters high. Containers come in different lengths but the most common ones are 6.06 meters and 12.2 meters long (Springer, 2013, Pag. 12). “The manufacture of the modules is a specialist and often bespoke activity to a particular supplier, but architects and other members of the design team should know how to satisfy the structural and building physics requirements of buildings constructed using load-bearing modules�. (Lawson, Ogden and Goodier, 2014, Pag.15) The authors explain that proper care and treatment must be taken when dealing with modular construction and some physical variations will have to be done in order to create openings and cover the internal or external surfaces to condition the space and avoid irregularities for proper use. There are countless uses for con-
tainers, but they are mostly used as rooms as part of a building system. Just recently, containers have been used as independent homes and shopping centres (Image 1), kiosks, coffee shops (Image 2), offices and many others. One of its most common uses are temporary rooms for workers on construction sites, where they are piled in a very simpler way without using any extra structure (Image 3). The modules can support between 9 to 12 modules on their own depending on their size and materials used (Springer, 2013, Pag. 28). Characteristics of the Container The shipping container is made up of different materials depending on its use. According to Springer (2013, Pag. 9), the most commonly used containers on construction sites are steel or aluminium containers which are the most resistant. Containers used for shipping are typically made out of wood, fibreglass or reinforced plastic to ensure that the containers are light-weight for air or boat transportation.
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MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
Steel Shipping Containers Sizes
Assembling Axonometry
ill. 5-1. Container Axonometry
20ft Container
40ft Container
Height: Width: Length:
Height: 2.60m Width: 2.44m Length: 12.03m
2.60m 2.44m 6.06m
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
Modifying the Shipping Container
ill. 5-2.
ill. 5-3.
1. Cutting the openings on the side walls for 2. Replacing or covering the original container floor due to its toxic components. windows and doors. Flooring the space.
ill. 5-4.
ill. 5-5.
3. Framing the faces and installing windows 4. Insulating the inner or outter surnfaces. In this case it is a Spray Foam internal isuand doors. lation.
ill. 5-6.
ill. 5-7.
5. Mechanical, electrical and sanitary in- 6. Final finishes with coating materials. stallation as other services depending on Images from Tim Steele, source: Youtube the space.
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When building with containers for a residential purpose it is necessary to aconditionate the space with the necessary qualities to be lievable. They were mainly created to play a role that does not invole direct contact with humans 24/7 as a room needs to, that is why their materials are thiner, with fast finishes, and usually with remainings of toxic chemistries. This is why before their use, they should pass through a process of adaptation. For example, the containers must be appropriately insulted to avoid extreme heat (due to the fact that containers lack proper air flow and the low-thermal resistance steel has) as well as contain the right amount of heat to keep it warm when temperature drop. If this is not done correctly, it can cause significant damage to the health of the resident. After researching how containers can work structurally as modules to create a building made up of liveable spaces, it is beneficial to see examples of how they are arranged on site and to compare the structural variants that were mentioned before (piling containers on top of each other versus bolting them in the metal frame). It is also beneficial to see which building will prove to be the best option to mirror for the construction of the student residence
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CASE STUDY 1. 222 Jackson by ODA in New York, USA. (2016)
ill. 5-8. Street view
ill. 5-9. Longuitudinal section
ODA stands for getting out of the box with this modular system giving an dynamic aspect to its residential buildings, standing up for 11 stories with 175 deluxe apartments and following the regulations of the city with a regular inner base form but giving more freedom to the perimetrical space with outstanding volumes, where balconies, outdoors activities and panoramic windows are taking place. It is worth noticing how playing with the fills and voids to formulate diverse hierarchy of the spaces, specially the outdoors are taking in sole part notorious dimensions which allows them to have different stages, in fact as it is possible to see in the section, the intentions of the architects were to unite the voids visually or physically, this creates an extension of each situation, even reaching infinity where all of them are opening to the sky or to the sides. With this, environmental conditions as air and lights are able to reach two different lays of the building, the dynamic one and the flat behind, providing this essentials to a deeper side of the structure.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
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ill. 5-10.
ill. 5-11.
ill. 5-12.
The facade might seem that the project involves many typologies, but it actually has 3 diverse modules variating locations attached to a concrete frame. As a matter of fact, this structure does not represent an economical solution due to it’s ambitious approach but it did reduce timing on it’s construction by the easy understanding of how it is assembled. By the other hand, other commune spaces as an amenities club, a pool, green terraces, banquet hall for parties and a gym located on a mezzanine along with a terrace offering panoramic views to Manhattan are examples of how the versatility of the space can provide an standard level of quality no matter in which position of the building is located.
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CASE STUDY 2. Proposal of Hexagonal Pods for Homeless by Framlab in New York, USA. (2017)
ill. 5-13. Facade
ill. 5-14. Side view
ill. 5-15. Diversitility of the project
Modular construction shows once again its diversity with this proposal which tends to offer rooms to the hopeless people to spend the nights inside hexagonal-shaped rooms, with the lowest impact possible on the city, where these are able to be attached to the blind facades of any building with a metallic frame where all the units are being attached, giving the appearance of being a honeycomb. This shapes are an alternative to the regular squares or 90 degrees angles, and are actually very commune in structures where the purpose is to grown like cells in different directions, thanks to the diversity of angles that it has, allowing a perfect fit through each other with the possibility of leaving voids in adjacent levels connected and becoming the same space, as it happens in the facade of the proposal. The space inside the hexagons could be expanded when connected through each other, something that is not happening in this proposal due to its approach to offer single beds for the homeless with a minimum use of space. It is very attractive the fact that the structure has almost zero impact on the city, when it is instead taking advantage of some spaces in blind facade of many buildings of the city which are
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ill. 5-16. Single room module
ill. 5-17. Double room module
ill. 5-18. Bathroom module
usually next to empty plots waiting to be build, parking lots or any other low rise buildings. This ecological solutions allows the possibility to disassemble the structure any time and in fact re-locate it in any other facade (ill. 5-15), many of this structures could work together to cover the correspondent necessity of the city. The structure behind is also used to conceive the vertical circulation and the halls, giving the structural support at the same time attaching the modules through each other and whole panel into the concrete wall, acting as a frame, where all the units fits perfectly becoming the fundamental core of the system. Each module can be a double room, a single room or a bathroom with a shower.
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CASE STUDY 3. EBA51 by Holzer Kobler Architekturen in Berlin, Germany (2015)
ill. 5-19. Facade with balconies
ill. 5-20. Assembling the containers
This student residence is located in the residential area of Plänterwald and is made entirely of recycled containers. It is known for being a permanent scheme for a temporary population that requires the basic necessities to live. The project is still currently under construction, however some modules are complete and it can be seen how the building is supported by these modules. The strategy for this project was to solely use self-supporting containers and placing one on top of another like “Jengaâ€? pieces. By doing this, it allows the design to explore different variations without losing the stability of the building as a whole. Without taking into account the balconies, the modules seem to create a very rigid piece, due to the fact that they need each other to distribute reinforcements equally around the whole module. This feature does not allow the modules to change directions or have a significant cantilever. The modules are not just placed on top of each other - there are thin metal plates on the ends of the containers that allow them to lock into each other as reinforcement to ensure stability and avoid separation made by physical movements in the containers. The sides of the containers are where big openings for
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
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ill. 5-21. Concrete and steel structure hall
ill. 5-22. Containers sides welding
ill. 5-23. View inside a double room
windows are made which had to be reinforced as well to maintain structural capacity. Even though metal frames were not used to construct the container itself, they were indeed necessary to build the circulation of the building, which is completely independent from the structure as a whole. Concrete and steel were mixed to create the halls that allow entrances to the modules on each floor. Not moving the modules to create space for corridors to flow through them but, instead, making the corridors completely separate, allows more density in the building and more space for rooms. This is why this system actually provides the most capacity and reaches high density even if the volumes are not spatially dynamic.
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CASE STUDY 4. CitĂŠ A Docks by Cattani Architects in Le Havre, France. (2010)
ill. 5-24.
ill. 5-25.
In this French town, students can live in a residence where the containers are made of a mixed metal frame and its structural capacities allow the modules to be independent of the structure as a whole. This allows the structure to be designed into many different shapes and each module can provide a different function (as they are separate from the entire structure). This building provides generous sizes for spaces, with a rhythm of fills and voids all over the block. It is important to highlight the fact that the voids are being used as entrances to the different groups of modules and highlights the circulation integrated through the modules. These corridors are different than the aforementioned residence, where the circulation was completely independent of the structure. Integrating elements is always an attractive option because the design gives elements diverse purposes which, in this case, corridors can also support containers. Another different feature that this building offers in comparison to the Berlin residence is the fact that the modules can be configured more freely and allow the strengthening forces to be applied all over the structure and not just the containers.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION : CONTAINERS
ill. 5-26. View inside a room
ill. 5-27. Construction close up
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It is also worth noting that the containers can still function independently even if they are integrated with the whole building. One container can create cantilevers on their own by getting attached to the main structure and another container can change direction. This gives the structure a different dynamic than the EBA51. The largest openings are also on the smallest side of the group of modules, which provides enough light to a large set of openings in the back of the structure. (You might want to change this or look it over - I don’t quite understand what you are trying to say so let me know if it’s wrong). These openings do not need any kind of significant reinforcement now that the module is not supporting anything else other than itself.
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CONCLUSIONS
FOR THE PROJECT >> The modules should be arranged in cells allowing their own grown and expansion. >> Each module typology will be related to different sizes rooms >> The containers should be reinforced by a metalic frame for space diversity and durability of the building.
After researching how shipping containers are made and which insulation method is optimal for the container to be liveable, the most important question remained: when it comes time to assemble the container, is a frame required? In fact, residences can be constructed with or without a framing system. However, after a spatial study on each case, it was evident to see that having a simple metal frame reinforcing the containers created a diverse spatial condition inside the modules, something that is not possible when used as a structure due to their need to be rigid. Also, if the scale of the project were to be larger (like the scale needed to construct the student residence in Caracas) it would be beneficial to have the metal frames reinforcing the modules together to create greater strength and stability. This also allows freer design configurations and modifications that can be made to ensure the student residence meets the needs of the students and makes their living space as comfortable as possible.
CHAPTER SIX
THE PROJECT
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INTERVENTION STRATEGY After realising how important is to have a well designed students residences in the city of Caracas due to their constant demand and the availability of limited sources. Taking in account the actual economical, political and social crises the country is living they should represent a place for equity, available for those who are looking to enrolle in courses from the universities nearby and able to offer a significant quantity of places to at least cover a part of the demand. Nowadays the city runs an urgent an massive necessity for students accommodations which can not be solved with just one unit, this project intention is to show a possible solution to one of the most prestigious universities of the country which has the highest amount of request of dorms from other regions students, when at the same time can serve as a model of a low cost structure and a fast construction solution including spatial
qualities necessary for the students life not seen yet in the few projects Caracas has. With the use of containers as a recycling the main materal and a way to work with modular construction, over a metal structure in order to accelerate the construction progress so the building could be shaped and ready to use for the students. Along with the capacity of reassembling the pieces and even replace them, every single part of the containers should be used for architectonic purposes. The approach of the project will be to include the studied concepts and references as part of the design decisions due to their necessity for the project and it’s development in the city context. It will need to offer all the services the students need for their everyday with some facilities serving also to the public in order to have different situations in the same place, connected but not together.
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THE LOCATION The Central University of Venezuela is the one with the highest number of students enrolled, around 62.543 people are studying where almost 7.000 are coming from other regions of the country and are living in bad conditions, having to pay high amounts of money for an apartment or traveling from the outsides of the city to the centre where the university is everyday. It is surrounded by an area of residences with diverse commerces constantly used by the students for eating or buying supplements. After the interview made to the students and the analysis about their preferences towards living inside or outside the university and the study of the positive and negative effects of both situations, where the third one of living on the periphery has not been taken in count due to important negative effects as transportation and so on, finally it has been proved that living outside the
University is the best option for this proposal and probably for the future. Taking in count to the fact that the students itself presented preferences to live outside and that it seems the best option in terms of confort it most be added that a massive amount of students are looking for accommodation and inside the campus there is not enough space to cover it, in this way, the best proposal should be that each residence build must be part of a residences network, where they work synchronised towards attending the total need, this situation can only happen outside the campus. The area most appropriate are to develop the project is located in Los SĂmbolos, in front of the main square and along the green boulevard known as Paseo Los Ilustres. The are belongs to the government and was abandoned for a longtime meanwhile informal settlements started to be build, completely
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out of the scale where they are use to grown, which is usually in the mountains. The fact is that this houses are being rented to students by diverse owners which are earning money but still offering really bad conditions to them. The presence of this informal settles are as well avoiding the capacity to build higher edifications which can contain a most important quantity of proportionally to what is needed. Lately the government has being applying a plan called “Misión Vivienda” where they replace informal settlements for new buildings after many disasters happened for their instability, after this it is proved that in a future, our country will face a renovation where this settlements will be improved in their respected areas but in small pieces of the city will be necessarily taken into consideration for a renovation and reconstruction of the area towards a develop country. It must be taken in consideration the important presences of the commerces on the ground floor in the actual scheme of the area, where even if they are built in bad conditions, they have been providing services to the area and for respect and tradition their must be kept, offering them better conditions to work.
School, passing in front of the project area highlighting the square Los Símbolos, this is a valuable urbanists gesture towards the function of the project, because it connect directly the university with the future residences with a pedestrian walk of at least 22 meters thick that keeps many activities as skate park, chess tables, children’s park, outdoor training machines and in general this qualities of a public park. It is also very significant from the landscape and environmental point of view, the abundance of the trees generates a green barrier that dissolve the traffic present in the streets around.
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Rating regarding the location from empirical evidence Inside the University
-1 -2 -3 -4
Walk to Class
Building Program Flexibility
Construction Process
City Pollution
Students Social Life
Students Cost of Living
Building Program Flexibility
Construction Process
City Pollution
Students Social Life
Students Cost of Living
> The land prices can variate depending on the area and the services around, in some cases are quite high. > The constant chaos of the city can not be comfortable for some students.
Walk to Class
Cons
Services Around
5
Services Around
-5
Public Transportation
> The location will have all the services and connections the students need including transportation. > Direct relation between the students and the city. > Public services can be included in the program increasing the buildings value. > The university could be reached walking.
1
Public Transportation
Pros
2
Integrity with the city
Near the University
3
Integrity with the city
> Not enought space to cover the actual need. > Universities are accesses are controlled and usually a few. > Noise during construction. > Residence destinated for just a single university. > Usually having administration issues for maintenance.
4
Land Cost
> The residences will be developed as a campus, being more integrated to the university sharing services. > No charges for the land. > Walk to class instead and public transportation commonly offered in the surroundings.
Cons
Land Cost
Pros
5
4 3 2 1
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
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On the Periphery
5
Cons
Pros
4
> Public transportation not well connected. > Mostly of the universities are nearby the city centre. > To own a mean of transport is a necessity.
> Lower land prices. > Variety of land options for a more flexible design. > Peaceful, outside from the city chaos.
3 2 1
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
INSIDE THE UNIVERSITY NEAR THE UNIVERSITY
Integrity with the city
Public Transportation
Services Around
Walk to Class
Building Program Flexibility
Construction Process
City Pollution
Students Social Life
Students Cost of Living
Public Transportation
Services Around
Walk to Class
Building Program Flexibility
Construction Process
City Pollution
Students Social Life
Students Cost of Living
ON THE PERIPHERY
Integrity with the city
NEAR THE UNIVERSITY
Land Cost
12 25 -4
INSIDE THE UNIVERSITY
Land Cost
ON THE PERIPHERY
5 4 3 2
Students Cost of Living
Students Social Life
City Pollution
Construction Process
ing Program Flexibility
Walk to Class
Services Around
Public Transportation
Integrity with the city
Land Cost
Overlapping all the graphics together its possible54to see that locating the residences near the university seems to have more positive aspects in contrast to the 3 periphery. It is worth considering that building the resi2 1 dences inside the university despite of the results could still be a possible option, yet, the actual demand of the -1 city-2 is so high that there is not enought space inside the campus of each university to build a single residence -3 capable of have enought vacants, consecuently, a net-4 -5 work of students residences should be proposed to work around the city serving together all the higher education institutions.
1
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
12 25 -4
1 Area Metropolitana de Caracas
2 Municipality scale
2 3
3 Urbanization scale
Central University of Venezuela
4
4 Intervention area
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AREA VIEWS
4 2 1
3 Img. 1 Los Simbolos Square
Img. 2 Street View
Img.4 Paseo Los Ilustres
Img.3 Informal Settlements
FILLS AND VOIDS
VEHICULAR PATH
CONTEXT BUILDINGS LEVELS
PEDESTRIAN PATH
1
2
3
4
5/6
7/8
9
10
FUNCTIONS OF THE AREA
Recreational Medical Religious Park Unifamiliar housing Educational Self-made Commerce Multifamiliar housing
INMEDIATE USES NEEDED FOR STUDENTS
As it has been said, the students depend on services nearby to cover their need and be confortable. Between the most importants, is the public transportation to move around the city without needing to have their own form of transportation. The supermarkets and pharmacies to buy essencial needs. Banks for account managing. Parks and recreational areas to meet outdoors and connect with the city.
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VEHICULAR ACCESS T O AVOID TRAFFIC Due to the high circulation that it is constantly happening in the Avenue Paseo Los Ilustres, it is necessary to locate the vehicular acces in the backside of the area where it is comonly for residential use, what usually has less flow during the day.
THE PRESENCE OF THE STUDENTS ON THE AREA It is believed that the presence of the new students population in the area will help to increase the sells of the commerce actually present and probably will help to grown it’s development bringing more investors and new comerciants becoming more attractive to the public and increasin it’s value. Commerces and general services on the ground floor
U. C. V.
137 INFORMALITY OUT OF SCALE It is worth considering the proportion that this piece of land convers inside the city with self made structures surrounded by and urbanized and planned area. This space has been forgot by the city and needs attencion to promote the renewal and development of the area. I will clearly say that this project is not intending to devalue the qualities of informal settlements and their potentiality as a urban solution, it is exposing a solution according to what the development of the construction of the country has been leading nowadays, with the replacement of this small fragments in the city into formal buildings with all the services needed. According to this reality in Venezuela, it is an hipothesis that probably in the future this small pieces will be consumed by the develop of the country meanwhile the ones that has been evolving in a bigger scale mostly in the outlines of the city are going to presence improvement on their spaces and services, many projects have been already made about this topic.
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THE RESIDENCES After studying the qualities of the modular structure taking in account the interesting role the containers could play in this system and using the spatial characteristics of the Co-Living to increase the social interaction between the studentes, the concept started to get shape. The main idea of the design is that in the same way the containers are working as modules, attached to each others to create bigger spaces and creating a building together, each module holding containers will act the same along with the nature of the plot, over a platform that privatize the area but keeping at the same time the visual connection with the surroundings. For the project it was decided to use a metal frame to support the modules due to better posibilities of design, allowing to change the direction of the containers for space variations and keeping them independent to the integrity of the building.
MODULAR DISTRIBUTION
W
139
E
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Organizing the modules following the angle from the backstreet will expose the faces of the building directly to the sun, increasing notoriously the temperatures.
MODULAR DISTRIBUTION
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Rotating the modules to avoid the direct sun incidence, using the doors of the containers as a brise-soleil to cover the openings.
THE PLATFORM
RESIDENCES
SHOPS
To privatise and at the same time mixing uses in the same building. Making possible a public passage through the project. VERTICAL CIRCULATION
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Individual circulation for each module to combine the common spaces in a vertical sense and to give mobility independence.
COMMON USES CONNECTING MODULES
141 GYM READING DINNING
AUDITORIUM PLAYROOM ATELIER
Uniting the modules under Co-Living concepts by an stripe with the functions more frequented by the students. LIVEABLE TERRACES
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The terraces are attractive for the students and they could work as a part of the common spaces system in the last layer.
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Facade 1: 350
SINGLE ROOM
DOUBLE ROOM
TRIPLE ROOM
15 m²
30 m²
30 m²
95 units in total
16 units in total
119 units in total
32 beds
357 beds
95 beds GSPublisherEngine 0.45.100.98
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Modules axonometry and plan 1: 15
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TWO DOUBLE ROOM 45 m² 62 units in total 248 beds TOTAL OF ROOMS:
292
TOTAL OF BEDS:
750
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Wall detail 1: 15
INSULATION Moisture
100% Resistance (r-value) = Thickness / Conductivity
-
-
0.12 m²K/W
Plywood
12 mm
0.14 W/m.K
0.09 m²K/W
Container Steel Wall
3 mm
50 W/m.K
0.00006 m²K/W
100 mm
0.037 W/m.K
2.70 m²K/W
-
-
0.06 m²K/W
Internal Surface
Expanded Polystyrene Insulation External Surface
Thickness
Total Resistance
U - value
Relative humidity 49%
80% 70%
Outside Temperature 18 °C
60% 50%
Inside Surnface Temperature 20 °C
40% 30%
Condensation 0 Kg/m²
20%
2.97 m²K/W
1 / 2.97
90%
Relative humidity (%)
Conductivity (k-value)
Material
*u-wert.net
0.34 W/m²K
*u-wert.net
10% 0%
Inside
0
20 40 60 80 100 120
Outside
cm Material
ACOUSTIC Internal Surface
Thickness
Conductivity (k-value)
-
-
Weighted Sound Reduction 12 mm Index 0.14 (Rw) W/m.K Plywood
0.12 m²K/W 0.09 m²K/W
Thickness 3 mm
0.040 W/m.K Density 50 W/m.K
2.50 m²K/W Mass Law 0.00006 m²K/W
-
-
0.06 m²K/W
Container Steel Wall Total Resistance Expanded Polystyrene Insulation
0.003 m
7700 Kg/m³
0.1 m
Plywood
0.012 m
25 Kg/m³ 1 / 2.77 750 Kg/m³
30.8 Kg/m² 2.77 m²K/W 2.5 Kg/m² 0.36 W/m²K 18 Kg/m²
Rockwool Material Steel Wall Container External Surface
U - value
Component Mass Law Material
100 mm
Resistance (r-value) = Thickness / Conductivity
Thickness
51.3 Kg/m²
Conductivity (k-value)
Resistance (r-value) *UNI EN 12345=- 3 Thickness / Conductivity
-
0.12 m²K/W
*Empirical formula made by INRIM (Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, ex “Istituto Galileo Ferraris” di Torino).
Component Mass Law (m’) = 51.3 Kg/m² Gap Cavity (d) = 10 cm Insulation Thickness (e) = 10 cm
Rw = 59.20 DB
Weighted Standardized Level Difference (D2m, nTw) Internal Surface Plywood Corkboard Material Container Steel Wall
12 mm 100 mm Thickness 3 mm
0.14 W/m.K 0.09 m²K/W *UNI EN 12345 - 3 Facade area = 15.6m² 0.042 W/m.K 2.38 m²K/W Conductivity Resistance (r-value) = 50 W/m.K 0.00006 m²K/W Room volume = 39 m³ (k-value) Thickness / Conductivity
External Surface
-
-
Internal Surface Total Resistance Plywood
-
-*UNI EN 12345 - 30.12 m²K/W
U - value Container Steel Wall
12 mm
0.14 W/m.K
3 mm
1 /W/m.K 2.65 50
0.06 m²K/W
Correction (k) = 10 cm
2.65 m²K/W m²K/W 0.09
0.38 W/m²K 0.00006 m²K/W
*The average compared with other prototypes of “Finestral” is between 45 DB and 60 DB. The value after construction is usually less
D2m, nTw = 43.4 DB according to ≥ 40 DB *Minimum COVENIN 1432 = 1981 for residencial use.
Weldable Shipping Weldable Shipping Container Twist Container locks Twist locks Welding point Welding point
REINFORCEMENT
1
The container and the parallel beam with a Soldable Twistlock
2
3
3
4
4
1
2
Weldable Shipping Container Twist locks
1 1
Welding point
2 2 Weldable Shipping Container Twist locks Welding point
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3
1
4
1
Containers with a 1 meters cantilever are reinforced to the parallel beam with a 90 Degree Angle Bracket 3
3 3
2 2
4
44 1
2
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3 3
Assembling of the bridge with the building frame
4 4Assembling of the truss
Assembling of perforated container wall to the bridge structure for the facade 3
PublisherEngine GSPublisherEngine 0.81.100.89 0.81.100.89
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Metal frame bracings
4
+- 0 +- 0
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+- 0
Ground Floor 1 : 500
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+ 2.5
+- 0
+- 0
Ground Floor 1 : 500
+4
+5
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Platform Level Plan
1 : 500
b
a b' Gym
a' Reading Dinning Atelier
Playroom
Roof plan with shadows 1 : 800
Auditorium
Section a-a’ 1 : 300
Section b-b’ 1 : 300
ATELIER
LIVING ROOM
1:220
1 : 200
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PLAYROOM
PLAYROOM
1:220
1 : 200
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AUDITORIUM
1 : 200
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DINNING
DINNING
1:220 1 : 200
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READING ROOM
LIBRARY
1:220
1 : 200
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GYM
GYM
1:220
1 : 200
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CONCLUSION Student housing has become a forgotten problem in Caracas after the economical, political and social crises of the country have preoccupied the minds of many. Even with these ongoing crises, the number of students enrolled in universities have continued to increase but the availability of student housing has not. There is still a lack of available and affordable student dormitories in the capital city that provide students with rooms, basic amenities, and a standard quality of life that will allow cultural expansion. This thesis examined the students and the universities in the city of Caracas, extracting its strongest characteristics as well as the most critical aspects that translate into the most important needs. These four different concepts are reflected in the proposal. The result is a building developed in front of Los SĂmbolos square, 500 meters away from the Central University of Venezuela (the educational institution with highest amount of enrolled students
and the greatest need of student housing). The new residence will signify an economical improvement of the area with the presence of students in an area surrounded by businesses and restaurants. At the same time, it will provide immediate public services on the ground level along with a passage that creates a connection of the main square to the rest of the streets. Over the platform that divides the public spaces from the private spaces are individual modules connected with bridges that contain common-use spaces. Each individual chapter contained in this proposal shapes the final result after extracting the best features from different case studies that were developed along same design line and rendered the desired result. Beginning with general research about students residences, it was found that the buildings should be located nearby the university to create ease and convenience of travel. In the future, this would allow a complete network of stu-
175
dent residences synchronously supplying different educational institutions, which is what the city needs after the high demand that is being presented lately. In terms of the disposition of the rooms, the references that were studied showed that the best way to take advantage of the space is to organise them into small groups. Using containers to create a modular system will transform them into an actual liveable space. This concept brings about many questions that can be answered by special construction techniques, which can be brought to life by anyone that has a basic knowledge of construction (because containers can easily be managed and arranged). However, one must be careful with the aesthetics of the containers as they could have a rugged look depending on the materials used during construction. But after the assembly and final touches are complete, the look of the containers as a modular system will be clean, organized, and environmentally friendly (as recycling these
containers will help to clean up Venezuela’s coast). As mentioned, the Co-Living concept promotes social interactions. But how can design make this happen? The best possible way is to organise the building by individual self-sufficient modules connected to each other by common-use corridors or bridges coupled with an immediate proximity to the vertical circulations and the private spaces. The close proximity of these common-use spaces will promote their use and therefore, create opportunities for social interactions. This theory proves that this concept is important to include in a new building in Caracas as it can have a positive impact on a city that is going through a social and economical crisis. It opens the doors for sharing spaces, co-existing, and saving money. The construction of modular systems allows the building to optimise the organization of its functions as well as consists of an easier, faster, and econom-
176
ical assembly. Therefore, along with the benefit of creating communities, constructing the building using individual cells seems to be an attractive solution - it sustains the privacy of their residents but still provides them the opportunity to socialize with other residents. As well, these individual cells are cost-effective (which is analyzed further in the Cost Effective chapter). Building with standardized sizes and regular shapes simplifies the construction process and, therefore, reduces expenses. Also, construction time can be saved by using metal structures which can be rapidly assembled and carries diverse uses. Independent cells also provide a better environmental approach. When the building is made out of different individual pieces, as was seen in the project by MJP Architects in Oxford, each one of them enjoys better air flow, views and natural lighting. The platform meant for the project contains both the division and connection of functions. Private and public spaces are divided vertically which allows both spaces to be connected as well as creates a transitional space on the ground
floor for the residents. This is what the Co-Living concept promotes - a constant relationship between the users and the urban environment by offering them more services in the area surrounding the residence. These services can also be accessed by pedestrians and could possibly provide the city with an economical boost. The horizontal connection is meant to connect the buildings using common spaces. Typically, a main hall is used. Instead, this proposal shows an alternative solution that recreates outdoor activities and is capable of connecting different spaces and modules while providing visual variety within the circulation. This becomes a space for permanency and circulation at the same time. After studying projects in Florida and Torino, they were either lacking use of outdoor space or had long corridors. This proposal creates a design that meets the equilibrium of both. An individual vertical circulation is used to emphasise the function of the platform and to increase its use by allowing an equal flow of people and making
177
each cell independent (which is mentioned in the Student Residences chapter where each module has its own independent services and are self-sufficient). The creation of bridges emphasizes the horizontal connection but on different levels. These bridges have diverse functions going through the modules with the intention of establishing a dynamic continuity that passes through the buildings. The proximity of these functions should be close public and privates (as highlighted in the Co-Living chapter) in order to optimize their functions and use. The bridges literally symbolise connection and unity, where all the users can find something in common with the others. No matter what study program they are enrolled in or where they came from, at the end of the day, everybody is sharing the same status as “studentâ€? which is something that already gives them similar living conditions (Mutius and NuĂ&#x;berger, 1994, Pag. 11). The roof of the building becomes an element that contains special conditions of the common areas system. Even if it is an outdoor element such as the
platform, it acquires an individual character when its scale is reduced and limited by the building perimeter. The same occurs in the project studied by Alexis Dornier in Bali, where the terrace acts as an open air collector with limited dimensions to develop certain activities with a certain number of people. It acts as a permanency space instead of a platform and a circulation system as well. The terraces are the arrival point for the transitions from one collective space to another. To contribute to the research on student residences in Caracas, I propose the residence to be outside of but nearby the universities while taking into consideration the existing dormitories and the projects in order to continue building on a network of residences that could serve all the educational institutions of the city that could expand over time. As well, I do invite more theoretical research about the importance of introducing this concept in the country of Venezuela and how it could have a positive impact on its society.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Amole, D. (2007). Typological Analysis of Students Residences. Nigeria: DOAJ. Berner, H. & Rentzsch S. (1989). Freiheit und Geborgenheit: studentisches Wohnen und psychische Erfahrung. Hamburg: Broschiert. Codelectra, V. (1981). Medidores de Nivel de Sonido, COVENIN 1432. Caracas : Fondonorma. Ferry, D. & Brandon, P. (1980). Cost Planning of Buildings. Great Britain: Granada Publishing. Francisco, J., Blasco, C. & Moreno, M. (2015). University Areas and Accommodation. An Urban Nature Commitment. Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València. Frønes, I., & Brusdal, R. (2000). Pa sporet av den nye tid. (On the trail of the new time). Fagbokforlaget: Bergen. Haüßermann, H., & Siebel, W. (2000). Soziologie des Wohnens (2nd ed.). München: Juventa Verlag. Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Venezuela (2012). XIV Censo Nacional de Población y Vivienda 2011. Caracas : INE. Lawson, M. & Ogden, R. & Goodier, C. (2014). Design in Modular Construction. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Lawton, M. (2014). R-Value of Exterior Insulated Wall Assemblies. Vancouver : Morrison Hershfield.
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Moore, C. & Yildirim S. & Baur, S. (2015). Educational Adaptation of Cargo Container Design Features. Missouri: American Society for Engineering Education. Mutius, A & Nussberger, J. (1994). Bauen für Studenten : Wohnanlagen in Deutschland seit 1990. Berlin: Birkhäuser. Renno, D. (2012). Residential Shipping Containers. New York : RSCP. Resino, J. & Gonzales, J. & Montero, E. & Brocano, S. (2013). Quality of college life: identifying the key indicators of student satisfaction. Valencia : Talavera de la Reina. Ruedas, F. (2001). La Residencia Universitaria Ulandina a la Luz de los Nuevos Tiempos (The Ulandina Students Residence, Under the Light of a New Era). Mérida: ULA. Sampieri, A. (2011). L’ abitare collettivo. Milano: Franco Angeli. Schittich, C. (2014). in Detail: Cost-Effective Buildings, Economic Concepts and Constructions. Berlin: Detail. Sargisson L, (2001). “Politicising the quotidian’’ Environmental Politics. London : Routledge. Thomsen, J., & Andreas, T. (2010). Aspects of student housing satisfaction: a quantitative study. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment. Norway: Springer Science. Thomsen, J. & Eikemo, T. (2010). Aspects of student housing satisfaction: a quantitative study. Trondheim: Springer Netherlands. UNI EN 12345 - 3 (2000). Welding - Multilingual Terms for Welded Joints With Illustrations. Milano : Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione.