As an island nation, Britain has long been depending on shipping. 95% of all goods in the UK travel by sea, and seafarers make this possible. While the City Centre of Liverpool was once known as the Sailortown, in the regenerated city, the spirit of its maritime heritage has been fading. The New Sailors’ Home is a revitalised urban cluster designed for the seafaring community, comprising a support centre, residential quarters, and a public cultural centre. Born in Liverpool as a port city, the project stands as an emblem of the sea, while also providing a welcoming community and a home for travelling sailors.
In an antique furniture market, originally disconnected meaningful objects are placed whimsically into one space, forming a collection of domesticities to be circulated through trading. In this project, the operable walls and the roof forms celebrate the juxtaposition of objects, while transforming the market space into different antique trading scenes according to seasons. They also control the inside and outside in a way similar to local typologies. With the carefully chosen materials, the project becomes a playful house of trading.
Through arranging space in layers, the social housing project aims to accommodate families of different makeup. Three types of house are designed for large families, young couples, and young individuals respectively, while enriched communal spaces are inserted in between. The proposal encourages positive social interactions on various levels, stretching from within a family, an age group, a community to the wider neighbourhood.
