1| [S]tructure & [E]nvironment
Brockholes Visitor Centre Adam Khan Architects [Selection] Main reason for selecting A. Khan’s building were:
Materiality Materiality
[Approach] Architect’s approach to: - sustainability - making people aware of nature
[Hybridity] Similar structure and materiality to authors project: concrete, steel, glulam and glass.
Biomass
Recycled Materiality
Materiality
[Environment] Similar setting - presence of water and importance of natural features to the scheme
Recycled
[Foundations + Pontoon]
[Initial Structure]
Pontoon is made of reinforced concrete and filled with cordek foam. It is almost as light as air and provides waterproofed infill for the cells. The loads from pontoon is not transferred to the foundations but directly to the water (as it floats). Only the environmental loads are carried by the foundations. Moreover, they allow the base to adjust to the level of water without changing position in horizontal plane.
Majority of the loads are transferred to the base by structural columns, but some of the internal timber stud walls are load bearing as well (carrying dead load of mezzanine floors and flat roofs). They are also braced by secondary timber beams. It is important to acknowledge that temporary steel bracing was used during construction process in places that will be later supported by structural insulated panels (SIP).
Recycled
Biomass
[Landscaping] Water walkways used as a feature leading to the building are present in authors project
Adam Khan’s building has a lot in common with Recycled Biomass authors studio project. Analysis ofRecycled the selected solutions and technologies used may be very beneficial and informative.
Biomass
[Load Distribution Diagram]
The loads are take by structural frame to the base. Due to triangulated roof the loads distribution is very even. Then the loads are transferred to water (and is opposed by buoyancy maintaining equilibrium). [Structure] One of the most important aspect of the structure is its hybridity. Its primary structure consist of concrete, steel, glue laminated timber, typical timber members and structural insulated panel. Majority of the load bearing elements are counteracting compression forces.
[Frame] Main structural frame is made of steel and glue laminated timber. It carries all the dead loads of the building to the pontoon. Entire frame is connected to base by bolts going through a layer of grout and shims. It is important to notice that each of the building on the concrete base is unique and has different load paths, although all of them base on the same principles. They are altered only by additional bracing and mezzanine structures. Triangulation of the roof structure increase the stiffness and make the load distribution more uniform. Finally auditorium building (bottom left corner of the pontoon) has frame consisting mainly of steel. It has also an additional bracing ring in the middle of the roofs. According to Adam Khan it is a micro version of the entire visitors centre.
[Key] Concrete Structural Steel Temporary Steel Support Glue Laminated Timber Structural Timber Strud Walls Secondary Timber Beams
[Primary Structure]
Materiality
Above image shows all the elements of primary structure together with internal stud walls and SIP. It is clearly visible that kitchen and auditorium have different structure to the rest of the buildings. They incorporate stud walls to support the roof, but they also resist environmental shear forces such as wind.
Primary Structural Insulated Panels Secondary Structural Insulated Panels
[Environmental]
[PVC] Spaces for PVC panels are provided on the roof, but due to lack of finances they are not installed yet.
Brockholes Visitors Centre is a good example of environmentally friendly building. Although it is not a spectacular, high-tech building it manages to have a limited impact on the environments it is in. Most interesting solutions are:
Biomass
[Secondary Structure] Primary structure is further braced by secondary SIP’s. They are attached directly to the frame and rest either on the concrete uprise or the steel collar around the glue laminated columns. They help to oppose shear forces, but also provide ideal flat surface for roof and wall envelope.
Recycled
[Concrete] Providing thermal mass to the building
1|Materials Building uses materials with high efficiency and low Materiality embodied energy such as glue laminated timer. Materiality Materiality Stumps used as roof tiles are considered almost as a Materiality west byproduct.
services 2|Greywater Recycling Strategy incorporates using natural properties of reed beds to fully clean the grey water and dispose it back Recycled Biomass Recycled Biomass to the natural water reservoir. Recycled Biomass [Glass] Special glass managing amount of solar gain
Biomass
Recycled
3|Biomass Off site biomass plant is used to supply building with heat energy.
/msa_year3 /maciej_olszak
[Services] All the services in the building are distributed at the top of the pontoon in specially designed horizontal corridor. All the pipes go on the bottom of the water reservoir and access the building through the plant room. Plant room
Toilets
Kitchen
[Daylight Control] Building uses integrated system of awning and blinds to limit the amount of sunlight entering the building. [Key] Natural Ventilation Natural Light Underfloor Heating Services
2| [I]ntegrated [E]nvelope
Brockholes Visitor Centre Adam Khan Architects
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34
23 35
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36
21 20 19
37 40 41 42 43 44 45
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38
17 16
39 15
14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
4 3 [Key]
2
Insulation Sealant
1
[Key] 1 - Reinforced concrete (RC) base 2 - Cordek foam 3 - 200 mm Reinforced Concrete on Ribdeck 4 - Weatherproofing layer 5 - Sealant 6 - Automatic Opening Device 7- 15 mm larch ventilation panel 8 -Ventilation flap with oak frame 9 - 24 mm larch bench supported on struds 10 - Triple Glazing in oak frame (2x16mm cavities and 3x4mm toughen glass) 11 - Rail for sliding window frame 12 -Timber post
13 -Triple Glazing in oak frame (2x16mm cavities and 3x4mm toughen glass) 14 - Awning with fabric blinds 15 - Timber Window Frame 16 - Metal Flashing with drip detail 17 - 10 mm oak shingles 18- 24/48 mm battens 19 - membrane seal 20 - 24/48 mm counterbattens 21 - 15 mm strand board 22 - 220 mm Polystyrene 23 -15 mm strand board sprayed with 25mm acoustic insulation 24 - 22/50 oak strip closing the panel
25 -Sealant 26 - Copper Flashing on treated sw plate and packers 27 - Automatic Blinds System 28 - Window Flashing 29 -Automatic opening roof light (2x6 toughen glass + 18 cavity) 30 - Window frame 31 - Air tightness membrane 32 - Sealant 33 - Steel Angle bolted to flitch plated welded 34 - 360x115 glulam rafters connected with steel flitch plate and M20 bolts 35 - Steel ring of paired back-to-back angles bolted to projected T-shape welded to flitch plate
But it is also important to mention that some of the researched information and solutions used in Brokholes Visitors Centre were useful for the studio project, They are being integrated within the design process and utilised. And what’s most important - I believe that the analytical skills significantly developed through this task.
Finally, author is satisfied with the time spend on this analysis as it was very fruitful in terms of understanding of structural and environmental solutions, but also significantly contributed to development of studio project.
36 - 20 mm Flitch plate 37 - 315x56 glulam rafters bolted from each side to the steel plate 38 - 20 mm steel plate 39 -Shims and grout 40 -I- beam 41 - Weatherproofing layer 42 - Insulation 43 - Plastic Clips 44 - Underfloor Heating Pipes 45 - Screed Finish
[Reflections] This was a very useful case study that improved authors general knowledge about: -hybrid structures -integrating building with the landscape -integrating multiple passive and active systems together -glulam constructions
/msa_year3 /maciej_olszak