recolections and musings on sustainability in the uk ARCH 502: “eNGLISH GREEN ARCHITECTURE” | SUMMER 2015 | KELTON BERRETT
trip itinerary
ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30 GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 FALKIRK WHEEL
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS | 7/3 | 7/7
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
BEDZEd
ICRI Sustainable Connected Cities Project | 7/8
HYDE PARK SERPENTINE PAVILION
ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL | 7/6
NORTH GREENWHICH TOUR
“as you LIke It” at the Globe
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
DISCOVER chiswick LONDON 1: park | 7/10 SOUTH BANK cat - the centre for alternative technology
LABAN DANCE CENTRE | 7/9
“A WAY OF BUILDING” CADaiR IDRIS discover london 4: discover London 3: trafalger square regent’s park etc. | 7/27 | 7/24 the crystal | 7/23 cullinan sussex visit office visit | 7/28 | 7/25-26
queen elizabeth park
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22 pos’ w/ bill bordass
allies & morrison office visit
charrette presentations | 7/30
res office visit | 7/21
bdp office museum of visit oxford brooks kebel natural history university visit college tour
london eye charrette day | 7/29
living sustainability
final group dinner
kew gardens | 7/31
oxford day trip | 7/20
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
preface on
sustainability Tracing its roots to the seminal work by Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, the environmental movement built over the course of the 20th century with its various successes and sputters. It perhaps became most poignant when the fist manned missions to space and the moon brought us the “Overview Effect,” and the realization of the fragility and scale of earth within the cosmos, crystallized by Frank White in his book of the same title 11. The notion and nomenclature of the sustainability movement was ushered by the UN’s Brundtland Report titled, Our Common Future, which called for a new movement of sustainable development. From this report we gained the most widely accepted definition of sustainability: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs...19” The report was released as the neoliberal policies of the US and UK were gaining a cultural foothold, and the economies of the Asian Tigers were airlifting at a dizzying speed, touching off the fastest period of urbanization in human history. Largely, beyond the work of the European Union and members, the tenets of Brundtland have gone ignored. This visit to the UK to focus on visions of sustainable development comes at no more fitting time. It comes at a time when the world seems more poised than ever to take serious the challenge we face. We are past the point of debating whether climate change is happening. The scientific community is united. The encyclical by Pope Francis has added a new dimension to the debate: a moral one. Further the popular pontiff seems like an excellent ambassador to groups disengaged by the debate, and emphatically links issues of social justice to environmental action. The US and China (the world’s biggest emitters) achieved an accord aimed at lowering carbon emissions from 26-28% of 2005 levels by 2025 5. To follow this up, President Obama announced on June 29th a surprisingly aggressive set of regulations aimed at a 32% reduction of greenhouse emissions compared to 2005 levels by 2030 3 . All this in preparation for the UN Climate Summit in Paris, where it is anticipated that the world may finally reach a global climate action plan. A stunning back drop for a trip aimed at learning about the visions of a sustainable and resilient world, as imagined by the citizens of the United Kingdom.
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 A story reminiscent of the narrative of cities in the US, Mark Baines lecture titled “Water, Stone, and Steel” charted Glasgow from its medieval beginnings, through its history as an industrial powerhouse, with a uniquely legible urban grid, and coherent housing typology (the “tenement”) legislated into the very physical fabric of the city.
glasgow school of view from mackintosh lighthouse
Today Glasgow enjoys a resurgence, but one that has seemingly avoided the massive gentrification the likes of New York and London. I pressed Professor Baines on this, to which he meakly asserted the working class social class that has called Glasgow home since pre-war times. Is it working-class homogeneity that produced this outcome? While this line of thinking seems to beg more questions than it answers, Glasgow has somehow avoided a fate that other cities in the English speaking world wrestle with: gentrification and resulting displacement of poorer geographies. Who are we creating our cities for? Those who can afford them? Or can cities really be a place for every economic class?
art
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 FALKIRK WHEEL ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS | 7/3
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
The post war era, like many cities in the US as well as the UK saw suburbanization, disinvestment and negative associations attached to the city and its dominant housing type. Further more, policies of slum clearance and urban renewal would remove chunks of vibrant urban fabric for cheaply constructed, spatially exploded corbusean towers. Planners even went as far to envision a plan eerily reminiscent of the Paris’ Plan Voisin, but a poor knock off of Corbusier at that.
mackintosh lighthouse
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 Among the stops in our tour of the Glasgow School of Art was the new addition to the school, the Reid Building, by Stephen Holl. Though Baines feigned neutrality, his derision was palpable. While Mackinosh’s masterpiece lies across the state in burned ruins, it is cherished, and will be rebuilt as such. The Reid building of only a couple years has already been damaged by a wind storm, shattering one of the glass panels that formed its exterior. To replace the couple or so panels, it required that the entire vertical sequence be removed. A lesson in planning for maintenance and disassembly. Beyond the wind storm damaged deemed as “Mackintosh’s revenge,” the interior has had its fair share of issues itself. Organized around 3 vertical light wells, periodically punctuated, it has been the focus of spilling drinks, and concern over fire safety. Furthermore, the craft of the construction left much to be desired.
reid building - Gsa
reid building - light well
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 FALKIRK WHEEL ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS | 7/3
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
While I didn’t share the overt disdain that many have for the building, it reminds me that sustainability is not just about being low carbon and energy efficient, its as much about good design. Baines believed that the building, the result of a design competition, never evolved, perhaps was a victim of the process. Design competitions do strike me as being concerned about buildings as icons, rather than environments for humans. Icons are visual, fleeting, concerned with first impressions. Buildings are quite permanent and quite beyond visual in their impact. The mediocre outcome of the Reid building is obviously a result of complex forces, relating to the selection process, construction quality, poor planning, and the lack of an iterative process. Will it earn itself the same love as Mackintosh’s building, and thus longevity? Its off to a poor start.
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 “There shall be a Scottish Parliament.” The building housing the political body created by the Scotland Act of 1998 (the above being the first line) was interestingly enough designed by the Catalonian architect Enric Miralles, interesting in that Catalan, like Scotland is a semi-autonomous region, that has long held nationalism and pride at the center of their artistic endeavours.
the parti
FALKIRK WHEEL ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS | 7/3
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
The overall scheme is interesting for its “parti” (which may be an abstracted tree?) is not just for a building, but the very landscape it occupies as well. It is not a trophy upon a pediment as the US Capitol has been described, but something rooted strongly in its context, growing out of the landscape. Its siting is equally strong with Arthur’s Seat to its rear, and a prominent place of the Royal Mile, the opposite terminus to the famous Castle. The building itself is fairly impressive in terms of sustainability. It uses sustainable sourced glu-laminated beams (though regrettably not local for the most part), dramatic use of daylighting, and the incorporation of a historically significant building previously on-site. It does however uses a considerable amount of concrete, an energy intense material to create, although beautifully executed in this case. It is an icon without being an object, engaging the surroundings, well sited, and making use of a wealth of Scottish based symbology (the cross in the concrete vaults). It is a rare example of a successful contemporary building 16.
main entrance security w i t h o u t compromisi ng
the public realm
shading + ornament
abstract flag
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2
FALKIRK WHEEL | 7/2
There can be no denying that the Falkirk Wheel is an engineering marvel. Replacing a series of 11 locks that took up an far greater land mass and a day to traverse, this machine is both efficient in space, as well as energy. The promotional boasting it uses only as much energy as it would take to boil 8 kettles of water (an interesting analogy I find). But more interesting to me than the machine itself, which is impressive beyond argue, is why? It connects two canals built early in the industrial revolution for the transport of goods. Both the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canals were abandoned by the 30’s (with the locks falling into disrepair) and formally closed in the 60’s, only to become polluted by rubbish. The Millennium Link project would restore and reconnect the canals. While they no longer serve an industrial purpose (long ago replaced by rail), they are now serving their communities in other ways as places of leisure and recreation. Furthermore, they are no longer biohazards leaching contaminants into the waterways of Scotland.
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS | 7/3
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
I question whether or not such a project would ever merit the spending in the US. It serves a purpose of a simplistic form of leisure, one we often don’t make time for. But perhaps we are rediscovering opportunities for recreation in the re-use of obsolete industrial age infrastructure. The New York High Line seems analogous, if it does lack a marvelous achievement analogous to the Falkirk wheel 15.
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 FALKIRK WHEEL
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS - john hope gateway | 7/3 Utilizing a variety of features, the John Hope Gateway by Cullinan, is a strikingly beautiful entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. Besides utilizing solar thermal water heating, PV elctrical generation, wind power, rainwater harvesting (to flush the toilets), delightful daylighting with integrating electric lighting sensors, green roofs, and a biomass boiler, the building also uses an elegant structural system (essentially a moment diagram in [Scotish] glulam), adding an element of material efficiency to the mix. Caithness stone from north Scotland, and table tops from fallen trees with the gardens themselves, root this building strongly in its place. The building is also an argument for the sustainability of good design. It offers areas of social gathering and publication, and sets up a dramatic entrance to the gardens themselves. It engages its community, educates the public, and welcomes visitors to enjoy the spectacular biodiversity of the botanical gardens.
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
Scotland ARRIVAL AT EDINBURGH | 6/30
GLASGOW VISIT: “WATER, STONE, & STEEL | 7/1 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT | 7/2 FALKIRK WHEEL
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS - john hope gateway | 7/3
rainwater collection ARRIVAL IN LONDON
daylighting
wind
london
Besides the history, and stunning beauty of Wren’s masterpiece, St. Paul’s poses an very unique challenge for the City of London. St. Paul’s since as least the Gothic church (the one directly preceding Wren’s) has dominated the London skyline. This is largely because London, like most European cities, has largely been a horizontal, low-rise city. This is changing. The City of London financial district has within the last decade verticalized, and shows few signs of stopping. The City has in response created controversial “strategic viewing corridors” as well as height limitations to preserve views of the dome from various points in London. Though these rules has created some dramatic forms (Nouvel’s One New Change), it has also been disregarded (Piano’s shard lies within the view corridor from Parliament Hill). Have these regulations been successful in protecting the heritage of a low-rise city, rapidly becoming a high-rise city? Or does its mixed success rate point to a greater issue, an erosion of a historic fabric, torn by the market pressures of a finance stronghold? To me, it seems the latter. Is verticalization (an arguably unsustainable option) the only option in the face of growth and the need for density? Perhaps cities like Paris (with a high population density of ~50,000 psm, but predominately low-rise) is a better precedent than New York 1.
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6 ARRIVAL IN LONDON
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
view from St. paul’s verticalization, view corridors, and a changing london
roger’s “cheese Grater” foster’s “gherkin” vingoly’s “walkie Talkie”
piano’s “shard” nouvel’s one new change “Stealth Bomber”
london
The inspiration for our culminating charette, the Serpentine Pavilion at Hyde Park is an annual venue designed by an architect and/or firm that has never worked in the UK before. Spanish firm, Selgascano designed this year’s pavilion (the fifteenth) around the theme of architecture’s most simple elements: form, light, color, and shadow. Unfortunately, the outcome is far less elegant than the artist statement. While the dominant material, fluorine based polymer, does have some moments of striking color filtration, the majority of the pavilion seems arbitrary, poorly conceived, and poorly crafted. Perhaps more damning than its aesthetics is its thermal performance. While London can’t boast a hot climate, the material choices ensure that a modest amount of solar radiation turns the pavilion into a sweltering greenhouse devoid of plants, necessitating giant electric fans to ventilate. What if the pavilion had been designed around a cleaver passive ventilation scheme? Strategic roof and ground openings, and openings oriented towards prevailing breezes. Perhaps wind cowls to further promote stack ventilation. At least the interior environment would have been pleasant, even if the pavilion remained aesthetically sophomoric.
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
london
natural drainage street trees urban farms parks augmentedgreen roofs naturalized reality water edges multiuse streets
The challenges: population growth, climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and resource depletion. Our response: sustainable urbanism, and its key component-- Green Infrastructure. At least according to Arup. Green Infrastructure or “GI,” is based on the notion of ecosystem services, or natures value to society through utilization of its resources: clean air, water, productive soils, food, and materials. In addition GI is recognized by NEWP (Natural Environment White Paper 2011) as “one of the most effective tools available to us in managing environmental risks such as flooding and heatwaves.” Arup in Cities Alive promotes to use GI components already present in the environments, upgrade them, increase connectivity between components, and create a network, a “city ecosystem” generating social, environmental, and economic benefits for urban inhabitants, while protecting against the effects of climate change 4. As someone very interested in urban design issues, understanding GI as a system of components simply adds another important layer to way of urban thinking really tipped off by Jane Jacobs in ‘61, and is a valuable lens in which to evaluate London for the Discoveries.
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE | 7/7 BEDZEd
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
chiswick park | 7/10
socialbenefits physical exercise Reduces stress provides space for community wellbeing and social cohesion Reduces healthcare costs by aiding in illness recovery environmentalbenefits Climate resilience in the wake of climate change Provide clean water & air Fosters biodiversity in urban areas reduce flood risk Manage stormwater Provides opportunites for
economicbenefits Provides sustainable Increased
food
supply
Increasing energy and resource
market values
efficiency
Opportunities for positive urban
renewal
achieving citiesalive Large-scale strategic vision Action based on evidence Diverse sources of leadership Engaging competing interests through collaboration Securing diverse sources of funding Clear resposibilities for managment
London
The ICRI Sustainable Connected Cities project is a research collaboration involving Imperial College London and Intel, and interested in combining computer science, social science, interaction design, and architecture to promote sustainability in the urban environment and promote well being. It operates along the themes of “Cities as platform,” “Harnessing the invisible city,” Enabling connected communities,” and “Sustaining sustainable practices.” While the next page I respond to each theme, I want to perhaps contextualize the reliance on technology 7. Perhaps Pope Francis has been the most critical (at least most recent) of our reliance on technology, he questions its otherwise unquestioned place in our thinking. I think he may have a point. In western culture we think that all of our problems can and will be solved by a technological solution. While everyone agrees that technology has a role to play, we rarely think of the aftermath of our devices, and we often pass up more elegant passive and organic solutions, as is often the case in architecture. I elicit Pope Francis here, because of his new dimensions of morality and social justice (especially in relation to the developing world) as it relates to environmentalism. E-waste from western technology is often illegally exported to China, the city of Guiyu specifically, where its toxic components and hazardous salvage operations rest on the poor, and it is the poor that suffer the consequences 9. I question the overreliance on technology because it often means sustainable solutions for the industrialized west, at the expense of the global south and developing world. We must ensure more sustainable processes of production (cradle-to-cradle solutions) if we are to continue using technology as part of the solution, and we need to again listen for non-technological solutions that may be better for all. At the very least we need to continue to look at sustainability from the perspective of the globalized world we live in, while we continue to seek local solutions.
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
BEDZEd
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
ICRI Sustainable Connected Cities Project | 7/8
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
LABAN DANCE CENTRE | 7/9
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
chiswick park | 7/10
cities asplatform The notion of next-gen cloud-based feed-back seems interesting, and would certainly be a gold mine of data. But I think beyond the challenge of ensuring the source, security, and accuracy of a dense amount of sensors, there is the challenge of interpretation, utilization, and response. Ultimately, this seems like a mamoth challenge, and personally its over my head, and I’m perhaps less interested in it than the more social and human objectives than the other themes.
harnessing the invisiblecity The aim of this theme is to leverage “forgotten” resources of urban environment, with the aim of improving decision making in one’s everyday routine. Here we begin to see a similar concern with Arup’s “smart cities” and research concerning augmented reality. While I believe we’re starting to see this in mapping and way-finding apps already, I think the danger of augmented reality is seeing the forest for the trees. We need to be engaged in our surroundings in a tangible way, and I think this could be a tool to do so, especially in light of an increasingly urbanizing population that is formed of communities of interest, not location.
enabling connectedcommunities Enabling connected communities is where my interest piques. To echo the theme of urbanization and communities of interest vs. location, can technology help us connect in real, tangible ways in a manner that social media has failed to do. Will it lead to better civic engagement, more safety, a better sense of rootedness in a community. In the atomized existence of the neo-liberal city, these things answer the nagging issues we find ourselves presented with, how to feel connected in an isolating age.
sustaining sustainablepractices The final theme interests me as well, for it looks to the really difficult question we haven’t even begun to answer, individual behavioral change. Furthermore, how we can sustain behavioral change indefinitely. Using research from behavioral economics and social psychology, using feedback to refine best practices, and with a emphasis on customization, so communities can tailor technologies to the priorities of individual communities and neighborhoods.
london
There is no place with greater name recognition in the realm of sustainable design than BedZED. When it was completed in 2002, it was considered revolutionary. 82 homes and several office spaces built in suburban London near a transit connection, electric car charging ports, biomass boilers, a living machine, super insulated walls, triple glazing, PV electrical generation, passive design features (including wind driven passive ventilation, southern orientation of glazing with sun spaces), and generous provision of open space. The intervening years have however uncovered a variety of issues. The biomass boiler no longer functions, the living machine has ceased operation, electric cars never gained traction in the market, and the “work” portion of live-work units never took off. And for these reasons BedZED often draws the ire of sustainability advocates for failing to deliver on its promise of one planet living. And it is true that as of 2010, residents ecological footprint hovered around 1.7 planets (the UK average is 3 however). But now the defense. Bioregional (whose office is on the premises) has remained transparent about BedZED’s failures and successes, enriching those who study and visit the development with a valuable educational experience on the challenges of sustainable developments. Further, the buildings themselves are a spirited argument to the virtues of passive design. By making simple but intelligent design moves, that unlike technological ads-ons, can’t fail, the development was found in 2003 that compared to UK averages very favorable numbers were evident (see next page). The lesson? The bones of good design meant strong performance despite the failures of infant technologies, that by-the-way can be replaced in the future when the technology and the skills to operate and maintain it have matured 12.
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
BEDZEd | 7/8
ICRI Sustainable Connected Cities Project | 7/8
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
LABAN DANCE CENTRE | 7/9
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
BEDZEd
by the n umb ers
in 2003 compared to uk averages bedzed:
wind cowls passive ventilation strategy
passive heating strategy
sun spaces
88% less space heating consumed 57% less hot water consumed 25% less electricity 11% was generated on site required
private gardens space access for
50-67% less water ecological footprint 1.7 planets
every unit
versus 3 for the uk,
consumed
5
for the us
BEDZEd
passive environmental control systems
exposed thermal mass
wind cowl for ventilation
south facing Southern exposure for heat gain, buffered sun space
north facing Lower profile: daylighting, minimal heat gain
18
work space
circulation
living space
sun space
london
The Laban Dance Centre is a little jewel project Herzog and DeMeuron. Making clever use of polycarbonate that modulates in color, illuminates the exterior when hit with the sun, and fills dance studios with diffused colored light. While it is beautiful, I do sense that the combination of specular flooring and translucent walls could produce some glare issues, especially for the studios that lack two walls of polycarbonate. The positive: an insulated source of light. Several light shafts are cut throughout the building bringing light into the social and circulation spaces in a dramatic way.
I think more important than the building itself is its location and engagement of the community. Situated on the borders of Greenwhich and Deptford, the building, the school it houses, and its landscape seems intent on knitting two neighborhoods together and engaging them. A public cafe beckons the community, the largest dance themed library not far behind, and a dramatic spiral staircase. The school itself hosts a variety of programing including public dance classes, and of course performance by the school itself. The building also seems intent on engaging the (at the time rather unsightly) Deptford Creek. No doubt the victim of centuries of industrial (mis)use, engaging the creek brings the communities’s focus back to a potential amenity of the neighborhood, bringing with it the necessary TLC and investment that a creek that no longer is shunned would necessitate. More than anything this is a community building, and that hearkens a sense of social sustainability, whatever its daylighting drawbacks may be 8.
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
LABAN DANCE CENTRE | 7/9
ICRI Sustainable Connected Cities Project | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
chiswick park | 7/10
london
For this Discovery, I am choosing to analyse the South Bank between the two recent foot bridges, the Jubilee and Millenium. They are attributed by at Allinson and Thornton for at least partially being responsible for the revival of the South Bank. I framing my analysis both by “walkability” and “culture 1.”
study area jubilee
to millenium ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
on walkability
a co n t ras t
Starting at the Jubilee bridge, and walking east, the South Bank is generous in pedestrian amenities. Below is the pinnacle of amenities, including pedestrian seating, generous pedestrian space, pedestrian friendly stairs, that lead to the patio entrance of the National Theater and its neighbors. Most striking is the double colonnade of mature street trees, offering a complete canopy to relieve pedestrians of sun, or as often, rain.
NATIONAL THEATER STAIR ZONE
tree zone
pedestrian zone
tree + seating
R I V E R
pedestrian zone
T H A M E S
on walkability
a co n t ras t
The language of trees, generous walkways, stairs, and streetwall permeability ends abruptly, it is then followed with sort of a promenade language. Though boasting less width for pedestrians, it remains a lively environment, rich with coffee stops and art galleries. It is after the Greyfriars station that things shift once more. Walking in the rain, or the hot sun, I one quickly notices the lack of large street trees (the clusters of trees are either ornamental, or not yet mature), the lack of street furniture, and places of respite. Through an urban liveliness is generated by the Millennium Bridge, connecting the Tate Modern and St. Paul’s Cathedral, there is nothing but the Tate Modern and street performers to keep anyone in the public space. The Tate does have a piazza in front of it, but it lacks any place to sit and relax. The grassy area flanking it looks as if it gets half the water it needs, but does offer the one place in the area to linger. Often this is in the form of naps.
lively promenade
baren streetscape
insufficient tree coverage
on culture
so ut h b an k b o o ke nd
When looking for culture, the Southbank is rich with it. Interestingly enough, the main high cultural venues form somewhat of bookend to the portion of the South Bank I’m studying with the Southbank Centre (which includes the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Hayward Gallery) and the National Theatre on the west end, and the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe on the east.
southbank center
national theatre
tate modern
royal festival halll queen elizabeth hall hayward gallery
Shakespeare’s globe
globe the
"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women
merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time
plays many parts, His acts being seven ages."
“as you LIke It” | 7/9
ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
NORTH GREENWHICH TOUR
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
london
While I have no doubt that Roger’s Chiswick business park is a lovely place to work, it remains to me, a business park. Yes it is better planned, yes the buildings are well shaded, yes the buildings are scrupulously detailed, and yes the landscape is impeccable, but it is still emblematic of the vestiges of Modernist single-use planning principles. It has one purpose and one purpose only: a place of business. While there are a handful of eateries on site, there are no homes, no corner store, no places of entertainment. We can do everything we can to perfect a business park, but in the end, it is a collection of empty floor plates, with lovely plantings, and nice details. It is not urbanity, and it represents regressive thinking about land-use planning and development no matter how low the air-conditioning load is, and how happy (or productive, because that’s the real goal here) employees are.
ECO-CABINS ARUP: gREEN iNFRASTRUCTURE BEDZEd | 7/7 ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | 7/6
ARRIVAL IN LONDON
HYDE PARK - SERPENTINE PAVILION
NORTH GREENWHICH “as you LIke It” TOUR at the Globe
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
chiswick park | 7/10
ICRI Sustainable Con- LABAN DANCE nected Cities Project CENTRE | 7/9 | 7/8
DISCOVER LONDON 1: SOUTH BANK
wales
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13
cat - centre for alternaive technology
CAT talks the talk, and walks the walk. Founded in 1973 in a disused slate quarry by a rag tag group of environmentalists, they have since then not only been researching an elusive modern, yet sustainable lifestyle, they’ve been living it 10. For me, it was the first time I’ve been in a building constructed of straw-bail. The first time living on nothing but renewable energy. The first time ever hearing of hempcrete. But CAT had it all there, and have been learning from their successes and failures ever since. For our week at CAT we joined the students of CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment, students from London Metropolitan University’s Architecture of Rapid Change and Scarce Resources program, students from Anglia-Ruskin University, as well as a variety of visiting guest speakers and other professionals. It created a dynamic interdisciplinary, international, and intercollegiate environment for immersive learning, and making human connections.
rammed earth lectrue hall wise
old food store green roof
Furthermore, CAT’s location in the Welsh hills provided a stunning back drop, and a variety of weather conditions to appreciate the earth, its biodiversity, and what we stand to protect, or destroy.
pv roof, reused slate walls
“A WAY OF BUILDING” CADaiR IDRIS living sustainability
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
wales
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13 cat - centre for alternaive technology
“A WAY OF BUILDING”
Taught by Mauice Mitchell and Bo Tang of London Metropolitan University, “A Way of Building: Using Locally Sourced Materials,” was an incredible experience both in terms of thinking and making. Divided into four small groups, each group selected a material that was to be found on-site at CAT. These materials became earth, log poles, slate, and small wood strips (my group). Each group was charged with creating a building element with these materials, working intuitively, allowing the materials inherent properties to guide the outcome. Each element would then come together, and again working improvisationally as well as collaborative with other groups, work to create a whole. All in under four days. The lessons for sustainability are profound and deep. This method of making rejects industrialism altogether, and focuses on instead what we already have around us, and using these materials in a manner that listens to the inherent qualities in each. It rejects the ego-centric role of the architect and the “design process” which often pigeon-holes us into one solution, allowing for no improvisation, even though deviations are bound to happen. Last (well actually far from last), the collaborative and improvisational way of working elicited a bond of camaraderie amongst disparate identities and backgrounds. Argentinians, Brazilians, Americans, and British men and women of diverse socio-economic backgrounds were working towards a common goal. Rather an image of our globalized world, working towards sustainable solutions (there’s hope!).
CADaiR IDRIS living sustainability
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
wales
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13 cat - centre for alternaive technology “A WAY OF BUILDING”
CADaiR IDRIS
Alison Pooley of Anglian-Ruskin invited the participants at CAT to hike Cadair Idris at 4 am, and be back in time for breakfast. Hiking the beautiful Welsh mountain, hearing of its lore, and getting in a week’s worth of physical activity is perhaps the most sustainable thing one could do. Its physically healthy, mentally tranquilizing, and spiritually invigorating. And again, reminds of the environment that we are stewards of.
living sustainability
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
cadair idris
wales
DEPART FOR CAT | 7/13 cat - centre for alternaive technology “A WAY OF BUILDING� CADaiR IDRIS
living sustainability
For the duration of our stay at CAT, we lived in the Ecocabins. The cabins were powered by solar-thermal water heating, wind turbines, PV generation, and a wood stove. The roof served for daylighting, as well as a host for an insulative green roof. Like the rest of CAT, all water emanated from a reservoir above the campus, that was treated by sand filters, and a UV light, and furthermore, all waste water was treated by the natural reed and willow beds, on site. The Ecocabins also had a clever display, giving us readings on everything from electricity consumption to hot water availability. Real-time feedback of our consumptive behaviors. We dined together in the WISE building, getting to know our new companions, enjoying heaping helpings of vegetarian food (meat take a considerable amount of resources to produce), all while enjoying the pleasantly daylit dining room. In the evening we enjoyed fascinating lectures from the likes of Sarah Wigglesworth (a very well regarded London-based architect), in a lecture hall built from rammed earth. At night we shared beers at the pub in the WISE building serving local beers. What was so unique about CAT was the constant community building in the setting of these sustainable buildings, and the Welsh countryside. It was not a fragmented sense of sustainalbility, it was deep, pervasive, social, and ecological. Even my own cynicism about transformative learning and immersive learning (it does sound like hippy shit) was quelled, because I was living sustainability, and what an amazing experience it was 10.
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
oxford brooks kebel college tour university visit
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
oxford day trip | 7/20
OXFORD
museum of natural history
OXFORD Perhaps the most curious thing about Oxford is its non-centralized organization, it is a federation of “colleges,� something akin to a Hogwarts House, a community of faculty and students housed in rather inwardly facing compounds each with centuries old traditions and protocols. While the University coordinates lectures, examinations, and the central library, colleges are often responsible for one of the main methods of teaching at Oxford, tutorials between a professor and a small number of students. This system of nearly uninterrupted academicism stretches to at least 1096. Making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and the second oldest university in the world.
Keble College itself, founded in 1870, was highly controversial for its monochromatic brick neo-gothic style, a departure from the stone palette used by previous (and really successive) colleges. It however is emblematic of the system of colleges, hosting a storied history, and the traditions that accompany such a history, and has in intervening years become iconic for its once rebellious architectural style, informing pop culture aesthetics, including the Harry Potter films 13.
oxford day trip | 7/20
While each successive college, and their historical traditions, Oxford has never become a relic. It remains cutting edge in its research, and its faculty still contains the likes of Stephen Hawking, and other giants within their fields. It is in every way a powerhouse institution, and an enduring one.
oxford brooks university visit
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
the chapel
museum of natural history
keble college tour
keble hall
“goldfish� bowl bar
sloan-robinson building-foreground
OXFORD Sumptuous materiality, clever daylighting, and a baffling (but albeit efficient) mechanical system, Oxford Brookes University’s John Henry Brookes’ building is another spectacular contemporary building from the UK. Whilst there, we also learned of another Bioregional project, this time an entire development in NW Bicester.
RETURN TO LONDON | 7/18
oxford day trip | 7/20
This development seems much less concerned with passive strategies a-la BedZED, but it was encouraging to see the partnership with Oxford Brookes, dedicated to tracking and improving the performance of the neighborhood as it develops. So while I give poor marks to the under-reliance on passive systems that tend to perform well even when technology fails, it is encouraging to see university research and outreach to help residents improve the performance of their homes over the long term.
museum of natural history
oxford brookes university visit kebel college tour
london
RES was an interesting visit for a couple reasons. 1). RES is a provider of large scale wind and solar power, leading the way towards utility scale renewable energy, and 2). Because their commitment as a company to sustainability seems genuine, and is evident in their built environment. A former chicken coop for Ovaltine egg production, this building is now a gleaming (if not a bit Disneyland-esque) modern office complex. It is beautifully daylit, makes use of green roofs, and had intentions of integrating landscape into its shading scheme. Unfortunately, the landscapers moved the trees away a meter from their intended position in a well meaning move. It reminds me that sustainable outcomes depend on collaboration and communication. The landscapers needed to know not only where they were to be planted but why 14. This detail aside, it is also important to consider the implications of adaptive re-use. By adapting this building, RES made a deeply sustainable move in terms of emergy and embodied energy. The moves of shading, green roofs, and a wind generator are add-ons to this genuinely sustainable approach. It signals to me a genuine concern for sustainability, and not just the appearance of such.
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
| 7/23 queen elizabeth park
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27 discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
| 7/28 london eye
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
Besides their headquarters, RES really did educate us on not only their onshore and offshore wind production, but also emerging technologies such as tidal and wave production, and the context of energy production in the UK. The UK is highly dependent on natural gas, having quickly phased out coal following Kyoto. I find this narrative significant, because it was a concern of the EPA and Obama administration when crafting the recent Climate Action Plan. It would be natural (and has already happened to some extent) for states to rush to natural gas without including renewables as part of their energy mix to meet 2030 carbon reductions targets. The Administration very wisely, in my opinion, and cognizant of lessons learned from Britain’s rush to natural gas, set in place incentives for states to develop renwables before 2022, and these credits are tradable between states. While the US is seemingly already on the trajectory towards this end, plan or not, it is encoraging that the Administration and the EPA seem to be learning from Britain’s circumstance, and taking on the challenge of climate change in a somewhat sensible fashion 3,6.
res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
res office visit | 7/21
| 7/23 queen elizabeth park
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27 discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
| 7/28 london eye
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
london
For this Discovery, I’m analyzing the planning and revival of the North Greenwhich Peninsula and Millennium Village. When looking at planning schemes for new developments, I expect a series of things. Density, mixeduse, walkability, architectural quality, and quality/existence of open space. I shall use these things as a rough criteria in my analysis of the peninsula. A final note: as the peninsula is still very much in transition, I focus mostly on that which has already been developed.
on density
Mille nnium V illa g e is d eve lop ing som e m e a s u r e o f d e n s i ty, i t i s tw o p a r ts m ult i- st ory a p a rt m e nt s, a nd one p a r t r o w -h o u s e (e s q u e) ty p o l o g y, w h i c h se e m s t o be a g ood m ix of t y p olog ie s f o r th e g r o w i n g c i ty o f Lo n d o n , a n d t he p la n shows p rom ise t o c ont inue t h i s ty p o l o g y.
ut ure d
eve lo
pment
mi xed o ut co mes mi l l en n i um v i l l a g e +
f
adj acen t dev e l op m e nt A d j a c e nt t o Mille nnium v illa g e howeve r, th e ty p o l o g y tu r n s u n f o r tu n a te l y suburb a n. I t is hig hw ay a nd ve hic le d o m i n a te d ( a b u tti n g th e A 1 0 2 ) , b u i l d ing s sim p ly f loa t in t he c e nt e r of t hei r l o ts .
a1 02
on mixed-use
a go o d st art I n t e rm s of m ixe d- use , Mille nnium V i l l a g e d o e s c o n ta i n w h a t c o u l d b e a t hriving lit t le m ixe d - use p ublic squa r e , w h i c h i s p e r h a p s a l l th e c o m m e r c ia l sp a c e t ha t t he c urre nt p op ula t io n o f th e v i l l a g e c a n s u p p o r t. H o w eve r t o be a t ruly m ixe d - use c om m un i ty, I h o p e e a c h o f th e “q u a d ra n ts � (o f whic h t wo have be e n deve lop e d ) be co m e h o m e to s u c h a r e a s . I n c o n c l u sion, t he re is not e noug h. T he ne ig hb o r h o o d w i l l n eve r b e a th r i v i n g p i e c e of urba nism , wit hout m ore p rovision o f o f f i c e a n d c o m m e r c i a l s p a c e .
ground floor retail/food
O2
B eyo n d Mille n n iu m V il la g e , th e p e n in s u la s e e m s de s tin e d a bit fo r a s im i la r fa te . Th e deve lo p m e n t im m e dia te ly s u r r o u n d in g th e O 2 A r e n a s e e m s de cide dly do m in a te d by o ffice a n d fo o d s e r vice , la ck in g h e r e , h o u s in g .
on walkability
struggle against auto-dominance
O2 surface parking eparksid
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ium len
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2
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A10
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ay
I can only assume that the transition from low land-value industrial use has left the legacy of auto-dominance. Cheap land, with few residents and their NIMBY mindsets, as well as a need to deliver labor to industrial sites has left the legacy of the A102, but in addition, the two nearly parallel roads of Millennium Way and West Parkside each utilize modern wide-street typologies with many lanes and smooth curves, inviting drivers to drive quickly, comfortably, and by result inattentively. They each have chopped up the peninsula, and provide unnecessary barriers to pedestrian activity.
It is likely that these roads predated new development as well, but regardless, they are likely needed to fill the expansive surface level car-parks servicing the O2 Arena, calling into question the wisdom of large venues (akin to any inner-city stadium project in the US meant as a regeneration catalyst). Are these costly (in terms of new construction as well as maintenance and operation) projects worth the investment, does the O2 provide an effective economic anchor for revitalization, and is it worth the autodominance that it continues to propagate?
on walkability urban plaza river walk park routes ped. friendly streets
pro gress m a d e Though confined, walkability within developed areas is rather successful. The river walk does seem to be under maintained, but both park routes are spectacular, and the shared urban streets forming in the development north of Millennium Village are very encouraging. Being able to connect these areas to more distant neighborhoods seems like the next challenge (the neighborhood remains isolated), as well as easing the ill effects of the highway-like road spine cutting up the peninsula.
on architectural quality
i m p r o v i ng Though much of this is subjective, and sensitive to shifts in design tastes over time, I argue that the quality of architecture on the peninsula is improving. Millennium village relied on exuberant color, and often times less resilient materials (EIFS or stucco). Color, especially in large quantities tends to age poorly, and tends to quickly age as color trends pass. The new development is however taking a more reserved approach, while not abandoning color all together, the palette is far more reserved, and for a large part, far more durable, having a higher percentage of brick and metal panel than stucco. Further, the lack of post-modern symbology (yes, I’m taking aim at those arches) again bodes better in terms of stylistic longevity. So while my personal tastes prefer the newer development, I do argue that more objective improvements have also been made, and will be more timeless in a decade than the post-modern color explosion of Millennium Village.
on open space
a success I think the attempts at creating open space on the peninsula have been quite successful. I have pointed out the public spaces here, but in addition, the embrace of the courtyard has provided many areas of shared private space for residents. In terms of pubic space, there is a nice mix between hard and soft space, and they are for the most part loaded with amenities. The exception is really the forecourt to the O2 Arena, which boasts few amenities in terms of seating, but even this seems appropriate, it is a place of movement, hosting a transit station and needing to facilitate very large capacity of people before and after events in the arena. The smaller plazas in Millennium Village are very thoughtful, enjoyable spaces both for the “town square” and “School Square,” the later even incorporating childrens’ amenities. The green spaces are varied, and all lovely, the ecology park being wild and full of wildlife, the long park strip providing seating, and both open and tree-covered spaces, and the park adjacent to the O2’s plaza, a unique rolling landscape of flowers and grasses.
on open space
a success
“town square� o2 meadow park
central park school square
ecology park
london In many ways, the organizers of the 2012 Summer Games in London are to be commended. There was a real effort imagine a more sustainable legacy for the site. The location, Stratford, was a depressed post-industrial area, much like the docklands, slated to transform into the Olympic park, the bones of which would underpin a new park and neighborhood in London. While I undoubtedly question the process to clear the area, and I soundly reject the idea that a shopping mall should form the economic base of the new community, there are many facets of the project that have merit. The creation of a park, and the resultant social and ecological benefits comes to mind, the legacy venues seem to be very accessible to the public, and the development of high density housing communities that are allegedly connected to surrounding communities.
| 7/23
res office visit | 7/21
queen elizabeth park
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27 discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
| 7/28 london eye
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
I however prophesize that this plan will suffer from the same issues that Greenwich Peninsula has, existing highway infrastructure that undercuts the connectivity and walkability of the scheme. Even in these figure ground models, it is easy to see that the site is contained by three A10-Whatever highways.
london
When it comes to the Royal Parks of London, they are almost unparalleled in their grandeur, and do offer a large variety of environments to be enjoyed by the diverse needs of their users. From the formality of the Avenue Gardens, to the bucolic boating lake, and even sports pitches, Regent’s Park seems to have much to offer to Londoners, and one would assume that these places form the life blood of outdoor recreation in London. But I find in many ways these grand parks are limited in their outreach. Their size and location (on the East side of London), means that they are not within walkable distance from many Londoners, dramatically decreasing the chance that one will leisurely visit.
res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
| 7/23
discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
queen elizabeth park
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27
| 7/28 london eye
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
Compare to London’s squares, small and dispersed, and seemingly far more democratic. They are within reach of everyday Londoners for lunch, an early morning stroll, or to stop for a break if walking home from a long day at work. The lack the pomp and grandeur or Regent Park, but they supply the basics: trees, open space, water, and seating. They are respite from the city, a tranquilizing factor. They provide all the benefits of biophilia for everyday, while perhaps the Royal parks are reserved for weekend ventures when one wants to brave the tube ride.
regent’s park
queen mary’s gardens
large, grand, diverse in environments
aristocratic vestigial traits
sports pitches
russel square
midsized, busy, all the basics
tavistock square
small, well-used, quiet
london res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
| 7/23 queen elizabeth park
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27
discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
| 7/28 london eye
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
A central node of London, Trafalger Square harkens to the mood of London when it was the center of the British Empire-- The center of the world. Culturally, it is home to the lovely church of St. Martin in the Fields and the National Gallery. From an urban perspective, the square links Buckingham Palace and Houses of Parliament, being the central node in a baroque pinwheel. The square itself is as formal and sober as the British Empire’s selfimage.
the national gallery Considered small, yet encyclopedic, the Nationally Gallery is sumptuously daylit, and contains a fascinating collection of my genres of painting: impressionism, postimpressionism, and the one-man movement of Van Gogh.
view from trafalger
seurat
van gogh
daylighting
st. martin-i n -t he-fi el ds Having existed on this site since at least 1222, in the Norman era, the church’s history has included the ire of Henry the VIII, and has ever sought to serve the city it resides in. Its name-sake, Martin, having shared his cloak with the beggar, has inspired the church to have an “open door policy.” This has included housing WWI soldiers en route to France, and the foundation of the Social Service Unit in 1948, and its successor organization, The Connection, which cares for about 7,500 individuals per year. In the 60’s, the church opened its doors to the emerging Chinatown, has been involved in the AniApartheid Movement, been involved in the founding of Amnesty International, Shelter, and The Big Issue, as well as hosting The Vicar’s Christmas Appeal on BBC Radio 4 since 1924 to raise money for the poor across Britain. While the building is strikingly beautiful its reserved color palette and brilliant daylighting, it is the work of this church that makes it a pillar of social sustainability in a way that many church’s in the US have lost sight of, lost to a perverse blend of dogma-rationalized nativism and by-your-bootsraps mentality 17.
urban connection Trafalgar Square also serves to connect the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, and Houses of Parliament by acting as a node at the center of a baroque style spoke-and-wheel scheme. The Mall follows an axis from Buckingham to Trafalgar, Palace of Whitehall to Parliament.
charrette day | 7/29
charrette presentations | 7/30
london eye
| 7/28 | 7/23 res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
queen elizabeth park
discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27
london
london ryan erstad
res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
| 7/23 queen elizabeth park
discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
london eye
final charrette | 7/30
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27
kelton berrett | 7/28
jessica faria de souza Meghan ballock
Hosted by Cullinan Studios, and tasked with the challenge of conceiving of a sustainable Serpentine Pavilion in a one day whirlwind charrette, I feel my team was very successful at creating a pavilion that touched many of the themes we were asked to consider including passive heating and cooling, active electricity generation, green construction materials and methods, reduced energy use, public education on green architecture, water use and supply, and demountable design. The next few pages include our presentation materials as well as my commentary on them
geode proposal for a sustainable serpentine pavilion university of idaho | anglia ruskin university hosted by cullinan studio |
meghan ballock | kelton berrett | ryan erstad | jessica faria de souza
materials and inspiration
It seems to me that in our brainstorming, we were inspired more than anything by materiality. The first image is an installation I stumbled upon in the square preceding the O2 arena. This structure is elegant for it uses small pieces of wood (opening up a much wider selection of reclaimed wood sources) in a very structural efficient way. It is like Buckminster Fuller meets reclaimed wood. The second image is a dazzling use of glass bottles, another avenue of material re-use that could be used to dazzling effect in terms of diffusing artificial light as well as daylight. The final image is of course PV panels, the kind that allow daylight penetration as well. These three images started to speak to an assembly, and even more significant, a metaphor to drive this assembly, and further design moves.
Right two images: Not my own
conceptual beginnings hard, utilitarian exterior sparkling, delicate interior
Structural Concept Diagrams
Here my team are exploring ideas related to plan, addressing two major approaches to the site, as well as the gallery terrace itself. The second set of diagrams is exploring how a structural dome, formed of the hexagonal construction method could respond with openings aligned to our plan. Plan development was intended to be flexible, not over-programmed. The intention was to create a varied collection of spaces that could facilitate the changing needs of the pavilion throughout its life, while having enough flexibility to not have any spaces marginalized during certain uses.
Concept Diagrams
Here, we are beginning to flesh out a sectional diagram, revealing the geode-like nature of the pavilion with a hard exterior of PV panels and hexagonal gridshell, filtering light through suspended reclaimed bottles.
SUn Storage/distribution
These diagrams depict the passive and active solar elements of our project. By day the PV’s and gridshell allow light to pass through the structure and be diffused by the glass bottles. The PV’s are simultaneously storing the energy the produce in batteries, which at night power LED lights suspended within the glass bottles. The elegance of the system is that the glass bottles are both a source of daylight and nightlight, and the closed loop system takes advantage of the fact that PV’s produce DC current, the current needed by LED light, removing the waste of AC-DC conversion, the major weakness of LED’s in today’s electrical grid.
Design
The plan, superimposed on the site, showing entrances engaging the northeast and south-east main approaches to the site, as well as an entrance engaging the Serpentine Gallery itself.
plan and site
Here, a formalized section depicting the terraced nature of the interior, the suspended glass bottles, and a portion of PV panels.
Section
And last, a depiction of what it might be like to inhabit the interior. The image also starts to suggest the materiality of the interior, showing here gabion baskets, wood slats, sod, as well as notions of rainwater collection in the center.
Perspective
london Our hosts for the presentation of the project (Allies and Morrison) as well representatives from Cullinan and other connections we’d made in the UK received the project well, and perhaps most satisfyingly, it started a dialogue about a variety of issues that were beyond the scope of a one day charette, or were simply things we hadn’t considered. For example, beyond disassembly (which we had considered), then what (which we hadn’t)? Unbeknownst to myself, most of the pavilions are sold at auction after the end of their life at Hyde Park. Perhaps this could be its fate. More importantly, what do we do with any of our trash? We live in a cradle-to-grave waste stream cycle, when we as consumers, and industry as producers need to work to create cradle-to-cradle solutions. Another issue, what about food production? While early in our brainstorming we concluded we should try and integrate vine based food plants to provide shade and food for the pavilion, these notions were lost by the end of the day. I think thoughtful combination of plant growth and PV use could yield some nice results on this front.
res office visit | 7/21
discover London 2: millenium village | 7/22
| 7/23 queen elizabeth park
discover London 3: regent’s park etc. | 7/24
discover london 4: trafalger square | 7/27
final charrette | 7/30
london eye
On behalf of me and my group members, we appreciated all feedback and criticism. We also appreciated greatly the graciousness of Cullinan Studios and Allies and Morrison in their roles as hosts and mentors to our group. I certainly left the charette with even bigger ideas, a few more answers to the sustainability riddle, and most importantly, a million more questions to ponder.
| 7/28
What about community engagement? One gentleman from Allies and Morrison suggested that the community could each bring a glass bottle and suspend it, learning about the construction of the pavilion, and being able to have a bit of ownership in it. A brilliant idea, and one that could lead to a colorful interior, as well as building social capital across communities. A strikingly socially and ecologically sustainable idea.
final group photo - kew gardens
Conclusion I can do little to conclude and condense my thoughts on sustainability. This 70 page journal really is in its whole my attempt at doing so. But what I do know is that Bruce and Tish put together a schedule of activities so broad, varied, and insightful that I could really only appreciate after having to recall them in detail for this journal. I owe you both my gratitude for a spectacular opportunity. Like I said, I have only a few more answers to the challenges we face, but I now have questions that I never knew to ask. I return to the “overview effect.” I think it is fitting to preface the challenge of our time by considering the overview effect of our planet in space, but I think its equally as fitting to consider the overview effect on a local scale. On the peak of St. Paul’s (a visceral symbol of London’s identity, and how it reckons with its future) we see not the abstract whole of our existence, but where we live, where we work, and the places we must make sustainable and resilient for our earth. Think globally, act locally.
separate crises,
"We are not faced with two one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both
social and environmental." 2
-pope francis, Laudato Si’
1.
Allinson, Kenneth. London’s Contemporary Architecture: A Map-based Guide. 5th Rev. ed. Oxford: Architectural, 2009. Print.
2. Burke, Daniel. “5 Powerful Quotes from the Pope’s Encyclical.” CNN. Cable News Network, 18 June 2018. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/world/popeencyclical-quotes/>. 3. Cameron, Charley. “Obama’s Climate Action Plan Is the Strongest in US History.” Obamas Climate Action Plan Is the Strongest in US History. Inhabit, 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://inhabitat.com/obamas-climate-action-plan-is-the-strongest-in-us-history/>. 4.
Cities Alive. London: Arup, 2014. Print.
5. “FACT SHEET: U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change and Clean Energy Cooperation.” The White House. The White House, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <https:// www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/11/fact-sheet-us-china-joint-announcement-climate-change-and-clean-energy-c>. 6. Grunwald, Michael. “Why Obama’s Epic Climate Plan Isn’t Such a Big Deal.” The Agenda. Politico Maganize. Web. <http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/08/why-obamasepic-climate-plan-isnt-such-a-big-deal-000183>. https://www.iisd.org/sd/ 7.
“ICRI Cities | Intel Collaborative Research Institute for Sustainable, Collaborative Cities.” ICRI Cities. Intel. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.cities.io/>.
8.
Laban Dance Centre Promotional materials
9. Möller, Greg. “A Culture of Waste - E-Waste.” Principles of Sustainability. University of Idaho. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/sustainability/chapters/ch03/ ch03-p05.asp>. 10.
“New Skills for a New Future.” Centre for Alternative Technology. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.cat.org.uk/index.html>.
11.
“Our Vision -.” Overview Institute. Overview Institute. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.overviewinstitute.org/about-us/declaration-of-vision-and-principles>.
12.
Our Work. Bioregional. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.bioregional.com/>.
13.
“Oxford University.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_University_Press>.
14.
RES Promotional Materials
15.
Scottish Canals | Scotland’s Waterways. Scotish Canals Corporation. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/>.
16.
Scottish Parliament Promotional Materials
17.
St. Martin-in-the-fields Promotional materials
18.
TwinnSustainabilityInnovation. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://twinnsustainabilityinnovation.com/?attachment_id=646>.
19.
“What Is Sustainable Development?” What Is Sustainable Development? International Institute for Sustainable Development. Web. 17 Aug. 2015.
*All photos unless otherwise noted are property of myself *Much of this info was given as part of promotional material given by the organization visited