Malak Elwy Portfolio

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Malak Elwy 180316412 City Ruins Newcastle University SAPL ARC3001 Architectural Design Stage 3: 2020/2021

Table of Contents

2

Reflective Diary

4

Framing Ruin Lust City Grain

8 10 26

Testing City Building

56

Synthesis City Threshold

84

Bibliography

110

Appendix Additional design process Cultural bibliography Home work Thematic case study

112 114 126 130 134

New/updated since synthesis Taken/adapted from ARC3013 report Group work 3

Reflective Diary

4

Studio introduction & key themes

In the need for change, we slowly stray farther away from the same roots which allowed us to grow. We now refer to those roots as “ruins.” The implication of a ruin is that it is part of the past. This studio challenged me to revisit this preconception. Through studying ruins around the city, I’ve established there are three categories: those of historical significance, of cultural significance, and of little to no significance. I now believe a ruin may almost always be able to serve a new function through re-purposing regardless of their category. This opinion is heavily due to my analysis of Islamic Architecture for my dissertation. There is a policy that vacant buildings should almost never demolished, but rather re-purposed to serve a new function while celebrating its heritage (Elwy, 2021). Perhaps, the point of re-purposing a ruin is to embrace its weathered state as a celebration through architecture rather than ignore it.

My chosen site had a recently demolished building known as Uptin House.

To me, it was a ruin of cultural significance. It was home to multiple artists, small businesses and leisure activities which grew over generations. To begin my process of re-purposing, I noted a few overarching observations. Through sketches and photographs from around the city, what caught my attention is how nature always finds a way to invade man-made structures. Nature’s intrusiveness became a key theme which has shaped my design outputs.

My reading of The Ecological Thought by Timothy Morton drew my attention towards the interdependency of elements. Acknowledging that all things in the world are connected is critical towards sustainable design (Morton, 2012: 30). So, not only did I observe the present, but looked to the past.

During the Industrial Revolution, craftsmen such as potters and artists drove Newcastle towards economic growth. To continue this heritage, my design would host both potters and artists and celebrate their crafts in the galleries. Historical roots from site connections is my second key theme.

Using the information and readily available resources on site shaped my initial brainstorming of ruins, and should not be overlooked. Which brings me to my third and last theme: recycling and reclamation. Where possible, site features remained as they currently stand given they’re in suitable condition. Where insufficient, they are recycled and re-integrated.

5

Design thought process

Over the past two years, my designs were developed from clean slates. They were generally flat sites with no existing building to work with. This year, I decided my building had to be shaped to the messy, old, ruinous site conditions to do it justice. Rather than building over the entire site, I designed a central courtyard where people would gather, bringing them closer to nature. I built within the slope on site rather than ignoring it. Vines are left to grow along the building facade and ruinous plants, whether old or young, are untouched.

Ruin Lust piece

My studies for the ARC3013 report allowed me to go in depth in the practicality of the design. It also pushed me to look at how it can be more self-sufficient.

Reclaimed timber & brick from on site, harvesting rainwater as a source of water for the entire development, and using the kilns in the pottery studios to heat water around the building are just a few examples of what I looked at. This allowed me to be more informed of how the entire building serves itself and the community, not just how it looks, and how it can integrate within its natural environment.

My ARC3014 essay allowed me to analyse the logistics of it. Using CLT as a structural material allows for pre-fabrication, increasing efficiency and reducing waste to almost none. It also made me look at the ethics and implications on the community: how will it serve them? Is it beneficial? Will it be suitable for generations to come? It forced my design to not be generic. The spatial layout is flexible and can be re-purposed to serve the community a new activity in the future. The beauty of it is how it weathers overtime as a mark of its history.

Atomgrad (Nature Abhors a Vacuum) II, 2010

6

This design project challenged me to drift away from clean, minimal renders to fulfil the conditions laid out through my themes, my Ruin Lust piece and reports for other modules. I was inspired by the works of Jane & Louise Wilson (left). Their style of photography brought attention and beauty to ruinous states without needing to remove their imperfections. When I thought my renders were ruinous enough, their photographs encouraged me find new ways to incorporate nature’s invasiveness to enhance the overall piece. By adding layers, the building now no longer acts as an entity, but co-exists as an element within the ruinous site. It is left subject to ruinous alterations over time until it becomes a ruin itself.

My final facade render, before & after ruinous additions

7

Framing

8

Key themes were explored and finalised for the project during this phase. One I consistently look back to during my design is nature’s invasiveness in man-made structures.

When both elements come together, a harmonious product is created which is far more interesting than when both were separate elements. This was explored in my Ruin Lust piece shown below. Based on this exploration, building massing and programme were developed also in accordance with key themes highlighted in the reflective diary.

Framing: Ruin Lust 9

Initial photographs around the city, observing its character Particularly noting variations in materiality and scale.

10 Framing: Ruin Lust

Initial sketches These sketches highlight what grabbed my attention when observing the city. Key notes were nature’s coexistence with almost anything, and the mixing of different materials for facades.

Framing: Ruin Lust 11

Artist inspiration: John Stezaker The style of imposing elements of nature interests me. It is as though anything human related is merely an underlying element of nature, only complete through nature’s intrusiveness.

12 Framing: Ruin Lust

Artist inspiration: John Stezaker, continued Here, the style is similar but enforced differently. Both layers of a single image, when observed separately seem similar in tone. When put together, their differences are accentuated yet still take part in creating a whole piece.

Framing: Ruin Lust 13

Artist inspiration: Jane & Louise Wilson Their style of photography makes the viewer seem small, there’s a sense of scale in her photographs which adds to their solitude I was more intrigued how the photographed spaces are forgotten, alone, empty and maybe even a bit lonely. Their ruinous state is captured in its raw form: untouched, left for nature and time to reform.

14 Framing: Ruin Lust

Framing: Ruin Lust 15

Ruin photographs based around site I was drawn to nature emerging from negative space and effortlessly destroying the brick, a material which appears much stronger and durable than branches and leaves.

16 Framing: Ruin Lust

Process Work: 3-D Ruin Lust Piece Based on my previous observation of nature’s intrusiveness, I went on to develop my progress work for ruin lust piece #1: this piece felt too forced. It felt too thought out and not spontaneous enough. All observations made around the site were of spontaneous and fairly organic, I want to carry this forward.

Framing: Ruin Lust 17

18 Framing: Ruin Lust

Process Work: 3-D Ruin Lust Piece The use of wire symbolises the natural roots. I covered them with a sheet of paper to emphasize how they are “hidden” in the background as internal systems. Although this was more spontaneous and minimal, It was not abstract enough to portray my idea. It still felt planned out.

Framing: Ruin Lust 19

Final 3-D Ruin Lust Piece I gave myself a time limit of 10 minutes to create a the ruin lust piece. Without thinking, I got some wire, punctured a sheet of paper in random spots, then pulled the wire. This piece is a metaphor of natures invasive habit. The wire, which seems so delicate compared to the thick card, effortlessly crumpled it without being affected. In the end, both elements connect and adapt into something new.

20 Framing: Ruin Lust

Framing: Ruin Lust 21

Process work: 2-D Ruin Lust Piece I wanted to carry forward nature’s “systems” within our man made systems into my 2-D piece as well, but it didn’t work out as planned. I wanted to do rubbings of the site, but the leaves and any natural element would not appear in the rubbings, only the architectural elements would.

22 Framing: Ruin Lust

Process work: 2-D Ruin Lust Piece I merged a few rubbings and made a collage using the photographs of leaves that I took, but the result was disappointing. It again felt a bit forced and did not effectively represent any of my key themes.

Framing: Ruin Lust 23

24 Framing: Ruin Lust

Final Piece: 2-D Ruin Lust Piece As separate pieces, the rubbings didn’t really portray how different they were from one another. I put them together in a collage and suddenly not only were different patterns more exaggerated, but textural qualities were revealed as well. This lines up well with my key themes of what makes a ruin, and links to my analysis of John Stezaker’s art.

Framing: Ruin Lust 25

26 Framing: City Grain

Site photographs: Stepney Road Some photographs I took around and inside the site, focusing on materials. Natural elements which were represented in my Ruin Lust piece were not really incorporated into Uptin House, despite their abundance nearby.

Framing: City Grain 27

Photographs inside the site, sourced from group work

28 Framing: City Grain

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Unit 5 Maling Court Union Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 1BP

T +44 (0)191 269 9900 F +44 (0)191 269 9901 W www.adderstonegroup.com E development@adderstonegroup.com

Uptin house elevations, sourced from Adderstone Group Key features to note from the elevations are the towers and chimneys, which I would like to keep and introduce into my design as a continuation of its language

Framing: City Grain 29

30 Framing: City Grain

Original/existing site plan Uptin House serves as the front facade of the site.

Beyond Uptin House is a ruinous forest with various trees and a slope. At the North East end is the City Stadium and a small path. Down the street to the South East is the viaducts. Around the area, student accommodations take over the context.

Framing: City Grain 31

Greenery diagram of the neighbourhood around my site, my input done as part of group site analysis.

32 Framing: City Grain

Circulation routes and accessibility within the area, my input done as part of group site analysis.

Framing: City Grain 33

Design brainstorm Exploration into potential layouts for the site plot and some atmospheric sketches based off of initial planning. Plan diagrams marked with an asterisk were my favourites.

34 Framing: City Grain

Refining design layout Out two

of the potential site layouts, I quite liked parallel block due to their subtle enclosure

the but

ones arranged with openness to nature.

Framing: City Grain 35

Building Plot Plan I noticed how almost all buildings on site follow their original plot, but they also close off into themselves for an internal courtyard. I like the idea of a courtyard but instead of closing it off with buildings, I’ll retain the natural elements as a natural enclosure to also provide access to what’s beyond the site, and connect to the path in the forest.

36 Framing: City Grain

Working in 3-D

Framing: City Grain 37

Programme development Spaces space,

38 Framing: City Grain

were where

allocated based on activity noisy spaces did not disturb

level. ones

This meant

was to maximise to be more calm,

comfort in each such as housing.

Programme development, continued This is not my final massing, however this was what I decided on at the time and began investigating it in context.

Framing: City Grain 39

Massing iterations & continued programme development

40 Framing: City Grain

Galleries, shop, admin

Workshop

Studio spaces

Cafe, education centre

Storage

Residential

Programme development, continued.

This is not my final massing, but an iteration. I explored placing public spaces at the bottom level and private spaces above. However, I disliked giving the cafe a small space compared to the stationary shop, so both were subject to change as I experimented further with programme development.

Framing: City Grain 41

Cite Napoleon interior photograph & floor plans: precedent

42 Framing: City Grain

Process ground floor plan

Process first floor plan, option 1

Process first floor plan, option 2

Floor plan development With the general massing established, the floor plans would determine allocation of spaces. Analysing Cite Napoleon in Paris influenced circulation and voids, mainly in the first floor plans. In option one, the top left building had too many voids. Option two still had voids, but two main, larger ones rather than multiple inconvenient smaller ones. Voids would create double height spaces, making the sections more variable.

Framing: City Grain 43

Floor plan development, housing A main issue was having varying spaces for accommodation. To make things simpler, I developed set plans for multiple sizes, which I then arranged on my accommodation levels in draft floor plans.

44 Framing: City Grain

Framing: City Grain 45

Process floor planes, colour coded In plan view, the varying accommodation spaces look interesting and link nicely Ruin Lust piece. Circulation isn’t a straight line, but shifts in areas to give it a

46 Framing: City Grain

with my 3-D less rigid flow.

Process section, colour coded In section, they were not as dynamic. This is because I repeated the floor plans for ease in construction, but this sets back my design and its link with my Ruin Lust piece and design themes.

Framing: City Grain 47

Accommodation & leisure draft elevation

Studios draft elevation

Process elevations The random arrangement of windows reflects random interior spatial arrangement but could be improved upon for the studio elevation.

48 Framing: City Grain

Atmospheric sketches Top: view of accommodation & courtyard Centre: view from forest looking towards courtyard & entrance Bottom: view of entrance

Framing: City Grain 49

50 Framing: City Grain

Progression of site layout To better link to my Ruin Lust piece, I revisited my site layout. I removed walls where possible to encourage free-flow circulation not only external but internal as well.

Framing: City Grain 51

1

3

52

Finalised building massing in context

2

The massing to the partially courtyard style surrounding

responds enclosed of the context.

My chosen activity to host potters and artists related to historical significance which grew in the nearby Ouseburn Valley during the Industrial Revolution

4

5

1. Student Housing 2. City Stadium 3. Building on site 4. Viaducts 5. Ouseburn Valley

Framing: City Grain 53

Historical maps of Shieldfield, the neighbourhood my site is located in

Map of Shieldfield in 1860s, sourced from Digimap

54 Framing: City Grain

Map of Shieldfield in 1970s, sourced from Digimap

Shieldfield typology morphed as the student population increased overtime. In the 1860s, the neighbourhood exhibited traditional terraced housing. Over the years from about the 1970s, the terraced housing style was abandoned as student accommodations took their place as blocks on the neighbourhood plot.

Many creativity-oriented buildings were demolished to make more space for the influx of students. The characterless accommodation buildings took over the area like a plague. Architects were no longer culturally driven, but sought commercial success. Consequently, Shieldfield’s culture began deteriorating as many ruinous sites were replaced with generic developments (Tian, Gu and Tao, 2014: 74).

I had to ensure my design would not follow the same style to establish a better historical connection with my surroundings.

This was also an opportunity to somehow revive what has been taken away from the community over the years.

Framing: City Grain 55

Testing

56

Finalised programme is explored, as well as links to the neighbourhood.

This section will include the final versions of my design through key annotated diagrams and brief material exploration in context.

Testing: City Building 57

58 Testing: City Building

Finalised design axonometric Most of Uptin House is preserved. The central portion is demolished to make way for an entrance.

The design maintains the same height as the surrounding buildings so as to not stand out, but rather blend with context.

Testing: City Building 59

Design progression: contextual response & final programme

Observing orientation and natural elements

Defining existing (orange) vs. new build (blue)

Developing roofscape and courtyard based upon surrounding roofscapes and courtyards

Circulation paths from the street and forest

Adapted from ARC3013 Essay 60 Testing: City Building

Private (red) vs. public (yellow)

Rentable space (green), cafe (grey), galleries (blue), stationary shop (yellow), storage for artists & potters (pink)

Housing

Studios & workshop for the artists and potters

Adapted from ARC3013 Essay Testing: City Building 61

Uptin House demolition

The original structure closes off any access to the back of the site, where the forest is. The building sits at the street and does not extend beyond that.

The middle portion will be demolished.

This is to make space for an entrance into the central courtyard. The wall will be demolished at its existing columns to not interfere too much with the original primary structure.

The demolished portion’s brick will be reclaimed and used to close up the walls. This reduces waste and maintains my theme of “recycle & reclaim.”

62 Testing: City Building

Link to forest

Rather than keeping the connection with the neighbourhood solely from the street, a path will be created and connect to the one going through the forest from the city stadium

Testing: City Building 63

Ground floor plan 64

1. Café 2. Café kitchen 3. Artist gallery 4. Entrance 5. Ceramics gallery

6. Stationary shop 7. Artist studio 8. Workshop 9. Ceramics studio 10. Courtyard

11. Small library 12. Study room 13. Artist/pottery courses 14. Staff room/storage 15. Housing

Existing New build

Testing: City Building 65

First floor plan 66

1. Café 2. WC 3. Artist gallery

4. Ceramics gallery 5. Stationary shop 6. Artist studio

7. Workshop 8. Ceramics studio 9. Housing

Existing New build

Testing: City Building 67

68

Second floor plan

1. Rent-able space 2. Artist/potters storage

3. Artist studio 4. Communal kitchen

5. Clay recycling space 6. Housing

Existing New build

Testing: City Building 69

4 1

1

3

2

5

6

7

Existing New build

1. Cafe

Section A

70 Testing: City Building

2. Cafe kitchen

3. WC

4. Rent-able space

8

5. Small library

6. Entrance space

7. Art/pottery courses

8. Housing levels

Testing: City Building 71

3

4

1

2

5

add people

1. Study room

Section B

72 Testing: City Building

2. Entrance hall

3. Apartment

6

6

6

4. Hallway

5. Central courtyard

6. Artist studios

Testing: City Building 73

Daylight study, summer Adapted from ARC3013 Essay

74 Testing: City Building

Daylight study, winter Adapted from ARC3013 Essay

Testing: City Building 75

Light analysis in section, close-up

Summer daylight closeup section 76 Testing: City Building

Winter daylight closeup section

Direct sunlight will accommodation spaces. and discomfort, blinds to adjust the shading

be To will to

most prominent at the reduce extreme solar gain be implemented for users their personal preference.

Studios and workshop will receive constant North light, so are not at risk of overheating from direct solar gain through windows like the accommodation spaces.

Taken from ARC3013 Essay

Winter daylight closeup section, effect of blinds Testing: City Building 77

Site section, facing entrance of design

Surrounding buildings around the site were mainly student accommodations. Their facades were made of what looks like brick veneer, varying in colour depending on facade design. These come off looking as fake and rendered to not necessarily give the true effect of brick, just the shape.

78 Testing: City Building

Original brick of Uptin House and reclaimed brick carries character, varying tones, slightly crooked alignment

Reclaimed timber cladding for my design varies in shade due to being sourced from multiple trees in the area

Inspired by general cladding in the surroundings and Uptin House, my design exhibits zinc cladding

Nearby viaducts exhibit imperfect stonework.

This imperfection inspired in my design’s reclaimed brickwork Testing: City Building 79

1. The original Uptin House structure is partially demolished to make way for an entrance path,

2.

Whole bricks are soaked to make cleaning them easier.

3. Mortar, plaster and paint are scrubbed off to reveal the true look of the reclaimed brick.

4. Salvaged bricks are stacked and ready for building with.

Thinking through making: looking into reclaimed materials Brick

80 Testing: Thinking Through Making

Photographs of Uptin House

Images for reclamation process

Brickwork of Uptin House has been painted over and occasionally plastered. These will be cleaned to show the true appearance of its brick structure

From top to bottom: sample image of painted/ plastered brick, plaster and paint partially removed, then final product of reclaimed brick wall

Testing: Thinking Through Making 81

1.

Trees boundaries are

in design taken down

2. Timber is gathered from chopped trees and local area

3. Timber gathered is milled and kiln dried for stability

4. Timber is moulded then cut into desired dimensions

Thinking through making: looking into reclaimed materials Timber

82 Testing: Thinking Through Making

Photographs of site landscape

Images for reclamation process

Various trees will need to be cut down.

Their wood, and scrap wood from and around the site, will be collected

After processing, tonal variations are visible in the planks due to different sources

Testing: Thinking Through Making 83

Synthesis

84

Now that drawings have been finalised, it was critical for me to develop my renders to link back to my main themes of nature’s invasiveness and the process of recycling & reclamation. This section further explores materiality, tectonics and overall relationship to the original site. Not only do I focus on the internal spatial experiences, but how external views are developed through materiality and connections with the exterior ruins.

Synthesis: City Threshold 85

Taken from ARC3013 Essay 86 Synthesis: City Threshold

Initial 1:20 section & corresponding elevation Based on my Thinking Through Making, I developed my elevation detail with reclaimed timber and kept the reclaimed brick for rebuilding the demolished Uptin House walls to close up the gallery spaces. A detailed section was developed based off this initial decision, however I felt I needed to revisit the tectonics of it in greater depth. Visually, the reclaimed timber also does not follow up with my design themes. The wood looks as though it was organised too perfectly. Further investigation was initiated.

Synthesis: City Threshold 87

Facade inspiration: precedents

Cowan Court by 6a architects To further develop my facade, I observed weathering-inspired construction including this case study. I was drawn to the lack of alignment and varying tones in the timber cladding.

Interior spaces are made clear through how the timber is stacked. Window placement indicates an uneven spatial arrangement inside, something that is also highlighted in my design.

88 Synthesis: City Threshold

Rosefield by A449 architects Using two different materials is what caught my attention in this precedent. The use of reclaimed timber as well as reclaimed brick for the same project creates a more interesting design. This is an approach I will be looking into for facade development, so that not only the demolished portion of Uptin House get rebuilt with its reclaimed bricks. They can be applied to the rest of the design to even create a humble historical link to the re-use of readily available ruins.

Synthesis: City Threshold 89

Facade experimentation

Iteration 1

I looked at perhaps changing the style of horizontal cladding.

I came to the conclusion that just one materiality was fairly dull, and lacked connection to the design as well as Ruin Lust pieces.

Iteration 2

I looked at a hybrid of two timber styles: vertically clad at the base and horizontally clad above.

The combination works, but shows no connection to the original Uptin House brick structure.

Location in design

90 Synthesis: City Threshold

Iteration 3

Shifting from timber alone, I looked at integrating Uptin House’s reclaimed timber into the rest of the design rather than just the buildup of the gallery walls.

It works better than previous options, but doesn’t succeed in visual aesthetics. The timber itself brings down the overall language.

Iteration 4 Revisiting option 2, linking with my 2-D Ruin Lust rubbings piece and nearby buildings.

It’s not practical and looks awkward. In addition, linking it to nearby buildings meant I was trying to establish a connection with the student accommodations, which goes against the preservation of the ruin.

Synthesis: City Threshold 91

Atomgrad (Nature Abhors A Vacuum) II, 2010

92 Synthesis: City Threshold

Revisiting artist inspiration

At this point, I chose to re-visit my initial artist inspiration: Jane & Louise Wilson.

Their style of capturing ruinous spaces is something which will effectively help me capture the true essence of the ruinous nature of my site.

Initial observation of Atomgrad (Nature Abhors A Vacuum) II (left) is that everything’s everywhere.

All objects are scattered around in various forms, yet come together to tie the whole photograph together.

Initial observation of Atomgrad (Nature Abhors a Vacuum) II (right) is how varying the nature is. It carries different tones and sizes, indicating unpredictable patterns.

Both observations will be implemented into the style of rendering my building, particularly external views of surrounding nature.

Atomgrad (Nature Abhors a Vacuum) II, 2010

Synthesis: City Threshold 93

Final facade render

The final iteration is made of a reclaimed brick base, with two distinct levels of vertical wood cladding which don’t line up at the edges. This defines interior floor levels. It is more logical for brick to be at the base instead of wood, as wood is not durable enough to withstand the damp grass.

Since the timber cladding is reclaimed from trees around site, which happen to be a random variety, this contributes to tonal variations. Its light shade accentuates the effect of weathering overtime, as opposed to the darker timber previously explored. This creates a deeper connection with the site and continuing its ruinous state within the facade’s architectural language. The facade effectively portrays my key themes of nature’s intrusiveness and reclamation while establishing a link with Uptin House through its reclaimed brick.

94 Synthesis: City Threshold

Standing seam zinc clad roof, inspired by surrounding context and original Uptin House roof

Vertical reclaimed timber cladding for upper two levels

Aluminium window frames for timber clad levels and balustrades

Reclaimed brick cladding for ground level

Concrete window sill for brick clad level

Synthesis: City Threshold 95

96 Synthesis: City Threshold

1. Zinc roof cladding 2. Breathable membrane 3. Gutter 4. 20mm reclaimed timber cladding 5. 30x30mm battens 6. 100mm mineral wool insulation 7. Vapour barrier 8. 25mm acoustic insulation quilt 9. 180mm CLT 10. Screws 11. Window frame 12. Thermal gas triple leaf glazing

Adapted from ARC3013 Essay Synthesis: City Threshold 97

98 Synthesis: City Threshold

13. 20mm timber floorboard 14. 25mm plywood subfloor 15. 50mm hydronic underfloor heating 16. Perimeter flanking strip 17. 25mm acoustic earthwool insulation 18. 115mm CLT 19. Suspended ceiling system (joints + 80mm insulation with services void) 20. 25mm timber floorboard 21. Reclaimed brick cladding 22. Breather membrane + ventilated cavity 23. 50mm rigid insulation 24. Damp proof membrane 25. Ground level 26. Steel fabric reinforcement 27. 150mm raft forming ground floor slab 28. 75mm sand binding 29. 150mm hardcore Adapted from ARC3013 Essay Synthesis: City Threshold 99

Studio space

100 Synthesis: City Threshold

Synthesis: City Threshold 101

window frame

trees outside, etc

Hallway in second residential level

102 Synthesis: City Threshold

Synthesis: City Threshold 103

Living space, highlighting integration of ruinous nature as key view

104 Synthesis: City Threshold

Synthesis: City Threshold 105

External view, looking at design from nearby ruinous forest

106

107

View of courtyard from entrance

108

109

Bibliography

110

303gallery.com. n.d. Jane and Louise Wilson. [online] Available at: <https://www.303gallery.com/artists/jane-and-louise-wilson/ selected-works?view=thumbnails>.

6a.co.uk. 2016. Cowan Court. [online] Available at: <http://www.6a.co.uk/projects/more/cowan-court>.

A449 Architects. 2019. Rosefield. [online] Available at: <https://www.a449.co.uk/portfolio/rosefield/>.

Elwy, 2021. Reviving Egypt’s Islamic architecture: an investigation into Hassan Fathy’s vernacular style, the roots of Islamic architecture and their applicability in contemporary society. ARC3036.

Elwy, 2021. The Creativity Hub. ARC3013.

Digimap. n.d. Digimap Historic Roam. [online] Available at: <https://digimap.edina.ac.uk/roam/map/historic>.

Morton, T., 2012. The Ecological Thought. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, pp.20-58.

Paris is invisible. 2013. The Cité Napoléon. [online] Available at: <http://parisisinvisible.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-cite-napoleon. html>.

Tian, Y., Gu, K. and Tao, W., 2014. Urban Morphology, Architectural Typology and Cities in Transition. 1st ed. Science Press Beijing, pp.56-76.

*All images are author’s own unless stated otherwise in a caption below the image

111

Appendix

112

Additional design process Cultural bibliography Home work Thematic case study

113

Additional design process

Revisiting layout

114

Historically significant sites diagram done for group work (top) Rough digital site layout with initial programming (bottom)

115

Studio 16sqm

One bedroom apartment 30sqm

Studio 25sqm

Two storey apartment 90sqm

Two bedroom apartment 43sqm

Ground floor

First floor Ground floor

Floor plan drafts (top) Colour coding housing, experimenting with protruding terraces (bottom)

116

First floor

Developing floor plans

117

Brief elevation study of window positioning according to interior spaces

118

Draft section A (top) Draft section B (bottom)

119

Sketchup screenshot for site section

Site section render done for synthesis review 120

121

V-ray rendered facade with initial texturing (left) Synthesis review facade study (right)

122

Photoshop render development for view of design from forest. Bottom version was presented for synthesis review but background context was incomplete

123

Photoshop render development for view of design from entrance. Bottom result was presented in synthesis review but was not ruinous enough

124

Photoshop render development for hallway in accommodation space. Bottom was presented in synthesis review but was incomplete

125

Cultural bibliography

Being stuck in lockdown, travel wasn’t exactly an option. During my time in Newcastle, I took multiple walks around the city and tried observing new things each time. One walk would focus on materiality, the other on nature, etc.

Although I was fascinated by the weathered materials around the city, there was something about the way nature forms in certain spaces.

When free, it flourishes. When constrained, it paves its way through.

126

One day I took a walk down to Ouseburn Valley with no intention related to my design work (photos from my film to the right). However, seeing how this place just allows nature to grow around it not only impacted my design outputs, but influenced my perception of architecture. You don’t need to start on a clean slate every time. I think what makes a building good is how much it works with its existing context, rather than ignoring its existence.

127

Wekalet Ghoury in Cairo, Egypt: once a trading hub, now a communal space with weekly festivities to celebrate its history Photograph taken from ARC3060 Dissertation

When I went back home to Egypt, I was able to visit and research historical ruins in Cairo, most of which were abandoned buildings repurposed for a new function while celebrating heritage. This “repurposing” was known as ia’adet tawzeef, a key concept in Islamic architecture which I looked into for my dissertation. It roots from the importance of cultural appreciation and using the given site as it is with little to no demolition whenever possible. A well known example of this is Wekalet Ghoury. It was a robust trading hub with residential spaces on the top levels, but overtime grew less in demand due to technological advancements (eg. online shopping). It was re-purposed into a gathering space for the community to hang out and watch live shows embracing its cultural significance. Although it’s in a completely different context, the idea still applied to my design as it is applicable regardless of environment.

128

This tied back to a book I read and re-read countless times over the past year: Architecture for the Poor by Hassan Fathy. Although it revolves around building in mud-brick in Cairo for the less fortunate as a more accessible method, Fathy went over multiple key topics regarding the importance of working with what you have, building from the ground up. In addition to his mudbrick analysis was what classifies architecture as “good.” It was mentioned that, if architecture can’t serve future generations even through varying functions then it has failed the community. Looking at Shieldfield, student accommodations aren’t exactly the type of buildings made to last decades.

Their living environments are uncomfortable and strictly just for serving one function: housing students in ridiculously small rooms impossible to be re-purposed. So, the building must be demolished in order to make way for another. Therefore, student accommodations are detrimental to societal growth and development for generations to come. The conclusion made from my readings of Fathy’s work triggered the need to create a ruinous design: one that does not interfere with the original site, but rather grows off it and is adaptable for various activities if necessary.

After completing my design project, I’ve come to realise that this is the path I want to take for my career. I don’t want to create designs shaped by the Western world when it does not fit in my context because of temporary aesthetic. Every new development in Cairo aims to be the new “modern,” similarly to how student accommodations in Newcastle have become the target investment. I’m hoping in my future career that I can take part in change for the better, building for generations and using what’s already readily available to reduce waste and accentuate cultural heritage.

129

Home Work

130

ARC 3001 2020-21

Images on this page from: https://en.wikiarquitectura. com/building/OzenfantHouse/

studio and work space typology studies ozenfant house and studio le corbusier, paris, 1922

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Ground Floor

132

Ground Floor

Ground Floor

Ground Floor

133

Thematic Case Study

134

BRICKWORK

2

1

1. Bricks 2. Concrete

4

3. Concrete sill 4. Glazing

3

Rain

sergisonbates.com Viertical Brickwork

SERGISON BATES ARCHITECTS SUBURBAN HOUSING ZURICH 2019 ARCHITECTURAL THEORETICAL POSITION

SERGISON BATES ARCHITECTS SUBURBAN HOUSING ZURICH 2019 ARCHITECTURAL THEORETICAL POSITION

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Architect’s theoretical position, Sam Coldicott

GLAZING AREA Building A

Building B

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Suburban Housing South Elevation PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

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‘The setting out of horizontal bands relating to proportional representation is at odds with the convention of classical ordering.’ - Lecture: Jonathan Sergison and Stephen Bates, “On Continuity” Harvard GSD, 2014

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East

Sergison Bates are drawn towards the normative program of housing. The architects consider the formal and dignified proportioning of Chandos House in London as a principle inspiration and instructive model for thinking about proportion and the image of their buildings. Chandos House displays a careful series of adjustments to convention that give the building a unique character, for example the offset entrance porch to the unequal window spacing, not immediately apparent but adding to the feeling of looseness. This is given precedence for the Zurich housing project, from the very subtle irregular placement of the precast concrete, to the breaking up of regular window spacing.

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Views

This idea has been further employed to the Zurich housing, using precast concrete slabs.

Chandos House, London Robert Adam, 1771

136

Thresholds from Living space to hallway

Second Floor Plan

In de Witte’s painting the room doesn’t depict any clear function, it could be a bedroom or a music room; its a room in a series of interconnected doors. The architects are interested in this process of moving between and through thresholds but also designing spaces that are adaptable and have no set purpose. Within the Zurich housing, each apartment has an open plan kitchen living room with a serious of smaller rooms connected, they are purposefully orthogonal and adaptable to suit the needs of the current user.

Ground Floor Plan, The Red House in Douglas, 1893 Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott

Interior with a Woman Playing a Virginal, 1665 Emanuel de Witte

The farmhouse kitchen has a materiality that brings great softness to the space - the spacial variety and character, the setting, the hierarchy of space over use. The generosity of the farmhouse kitchen is represented in the same spacial generosity of the kitchen living area in the Zurich housing.

‘By the 20th century function dominated house planning’ - Lecture: Jonathan Sergison and Stephen Bates, “On Continuity” Harvard GSD, 2014

Farmhouse Kitchen near Palma Scientific Autobiography by Aldo Rossi

Second Floor Plan, Highlighting hall/lobby spaces

What Sergison Bates are striving for in all their work as well as their Zurich Housing is this richness of space.

A Boy Bringing Bread, 1663 Pieter De Hooch

Second Floor Plan, Mansion Block, London Sergison Bates

Sergison Bates explore the idea of the quality of the room and moving through deep and delicate thresholds by transferring ideas of the 19th century and the work of Pieter De Hooch in the Dutch golden age of painting. The painting creates a series of thresholds moving from foreground to background, creating a feeling great depth. The architects also reference Baillie Scott’s own home ‘The Red House’ in their thinking behind the value of the middle room. Baillie Scott describes his plan as an ‘unfolding story’1, a laying of rooms.

By utilising a room with no immediate obvious use, a private lobby or hall space, it creates ‘spacial luxury’2 and an interconnection through the lateral living space. Even in the smallest studio apartments in the Zurich housing project, the architects have deepened the threshold between the semi-public to private space.

These ideas are carried throughout their work. In a similar project in London, the apartments have multiple interconnected spaces, these have an adaptability of use to suit the users needs. This instinctive forming of space from the inside creates a casual but highly controlled layout.

1 - Houses and Gardens, by M. H. Baillie Scott 2 - Lecture by Stephen Bates, Sergison Bates architects, Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels, 07.10.2015

137

Switzerland, 2019 Sergison Bates architects

Suburban housing, Zurich, Switzerland, 2019

Relation to other buildings of its type, Banu Sergison Bates architects

The that conc form and At t dire cess ing In prov and

The project is a combination of two resi that represent a material expression of concrete. The unusual designs and forms form a diversity of apartment sizes, organ and adjustments of openings.

At the north side of the place, the stru direction of the street line, and each in cessed through a small intersection which ing space for the next-door-neighbours with In the south side, the buildings are mov provide each home with a scene to the en and more.

View looking out from inside the living/dining room of a second floor appartment.

Sketches of the elevations, House Sugden, 1955 Alison & Peter Smithson

Suburban Suburbanhousing, housing,Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland,2019 2019

The architects describe their process of construction as ‘careful carelessness’3, which they believe is adopted by the building, giving its form a uniqueness. Sergison Bates favour the brick as a material, for both its ability to be exact but at the same time inexact.

Their thoughts being this brings a further softness and unpredictability to their buildings.

Sergison Bates architects Sergison Bates architects Through this inexactness in material exploration they hope to mirror the inexactness of daily life by ‘blurring the boundaries between time and place’4.

As a practice their main concern is how to engage cultural significance in construction. They start by observing place, by mediating and transferring memory into the initiators of form making. They have inherited how the Smithson’s refer to the ordinary with tenderness. The condensing of simple elements in the Zurich housing project magnifies the everyday experience with a sensitivity to the past. This is summed up well in their reference given in their lecture at Harvard GSD to Heinrich Tessenow’s theory that ‘the more we recognise the uniformity of our work and the less we require our work to be entirely new, the more refined it will become’5. He showed how the simple house could be elevated to the simple type, a window becoming emblematic. This exploration is a central idea in this suburban housing type.

Heinrich Tessenow Project for a Single family house, 1913

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Ground Floor External Brick

3 + 4 - Lecture: Jonathan Sergison and Stephen Bates, “On Continuity” Harvard GSD, 2014 5 - Heinrich Tessenow, House Building and such Things

138

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Bahnhaldenstrasse 29,Seeback,Zurich,Switzerland.

139

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Living spaces Living spaces

Studio speci ic criteria 01: historical context and city dialogue, Malak Elwy

The issue of social housing was prominent not only in the district of the case study, Seebach, but was a city-wide issue across Zurich. After the Global Financial Crisis, buildings were made unsustainable and low cost to accommodate for those of lower socio-economic status, but these houses compromised the architectural quality of Zurich as well as their infrastructure. The housing market in Zurich, due to economic growth, immigration and developed interests in urban living, was tightened as the growth was not complemented with proper housing.

n the building

Starting 2002, housing provision has increased to meet the demands for them, but they were still a bit costly due to high living costs and their accessibility financially.

They did not seem like a good investment due to the lack of social interaction they provided as well as the inadequate quality of their residential areas.

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Sergison Bates Architects.

Available at: <https://sergisonclear that the structures are different, one [online] is slightly smaller than the bates.com/de/projects/suburban-housing-seebach> [Accessed 29 November 2020]. other one, and they seem to look in other directions.

At the same time, Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/de/projects/suburban-housing-seebach> [Accessed 29 November 2020]. the buildings in London are almost identical and somewhat little different in volume. Both of these projects are very similar in their layouts and volumes,in the ways they are organised from the outside and inside, tho the projects are located in different countries,they represent similar architecture and planning ideology.

Circulation in the building Urban Housing Finsbury Park,Seven Sisters Road, Living spaces London,UK. Urban Housing Finsbury Park,Seven Sisters Road, London,UK.

Urban Housing Finsbury Park,Seven Sisters Road, London,UK.

ttps://sergison-

Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/en/projects/urban-villas-london> [Accessed 29 November 2020].

Seebach aerial view, 1947

Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/en/projects/urban-villas-london> [Accessed 29 November 2020].

Bahnhaldenstrasse 29,Seeback,Zurich,Switzerland.

Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/de/projects/suburban-housing-seebach> [Accessed 29 November 2020].

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Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/en/projects/urban-villas-london> [Accessed 29 November 2020].

Urban Housing Finsbury Park,Seven Sisters Road, London,UK. Sergisonbates.com. 2020. Sergison Bates Architects. [online] Available at: <https://sergisonbates.com/en/projects/urban-villas-london> [Accessed 29 November 2020].

Own photoshop render of site, emphasizing green spaces and residential context.

the case study site Seebach, 1898 Seebach, the location of the case study, was always known to be of lower socioeconomic background. It was re-built under a new building code developed during the “red Zurich” period by urban planner Alber Heinrich Steiner. It involved completely changing the district through more green spots and greater availability of housing.

This is because after WW1, the economy in Zurich was in dire straits and lots of people were forced into tenement buildings with highly unsanitary conditions. Housing focused more on efficiency, greenery and greater social interactions for a sense of community within the area. To help with this, the “Minergie Standard” was developed as a label for low energy consumption buildings and to guarantee high grade building.

The buildings around the site are residential. Sergison Bates maintained similar architectural qualities from around the site within his “Suburban housing, Zurich, 2019” project to continue the language of the surroundings. The same height was maintained so as to not dominate the other residential buildings, and the greenery was protected and not tampered with. The top illustration the area of the site to emphasize the greenery and amount of residential buildings, while the bottom photograph shows the case study on site made by the architects.

Site model of buildings in context by Bates.

Photograph of suburban housing in Seebach

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Studio speci ic criteria 02: detailed resolution of tectonic language, Afnan Iman

construction study:

copper gutters

Left, red brick building from case study. Right, grey brick building from case study

pre-cast concrete elements

flush brick cladding

Following the local typology, Bates built two contemporary interpretations of the villas that used to take up the site rather than a commercial building. While surrounding buildings seem independent of one another, Bates took an approach where both buildings complement one another. A lot of residential buildings within the city often get demolished and rebuilt after a few years. Bates designed this anticipating long-term occupations, and can adapt depending on the user’s needs, making the design “intergenerational.”

protruding brick cladding

in-situ concrete foundations

Bates kept in consideration the slightly high cost of housing in Zurich into account and those of low socio-economic background. The architect, therefore, built according to the Minergie standard and at low cost. The buildings are designed in a way that allows them to easily be recycled and to be maintained at relatively low costs. The interplay of both buildings shapes the communal interaction through social spaces formed in the negative space, shown below. Incorporating social spaces within the building provides a sense of community, an issue from its historical context that needed to be addressed.

“The project explores the unique condition of this place... [and] the way apartment plans anticipate longterm occupation by residents and are designed to adapt to the changing needs of the users” - Sergison Bates

materiality study, brick + concrete detail

Photograph of both buildings from case study Abo, S., Stellen, o., Versand, Z., Abo, S. and Stellen, o., 2020. Archithese - Zeitlose Architektur Für Den Wohnbau?. [online] Archithese.ch. Available at: <https://archithese.ch/index.php/ansicht/ mehrgenerationenwohnen-in-zuerich-seebach.html>.

AFASIAARCHZINE.COM. 2020. Sergison Bates. [online] Available at: <https://afasiaarchzine.com/2016/01/sergison-bates-5/>.

BauNetz. 2020. Ungleiche Schwestern In Zurich - Wohnungsbau Von Sergison Bates. [online] Available at: <https://www.baunetz.de/meldungen/Meldungen-Wohnungsbau_von_Sergison_Bates_7124180.html>.

Caretta-weidmann.ch. 2020. Bahnhaldenstrasse, Zürich. [online] Available at: <http://www.caretta-weidmann.ch/projekte/1607-bahnhaldenstrasse/>.Del Farra, P., 2020. Seebach. [online] hello zurich.

Available at: <https://www.hellozurich.ch/en/news/seebach.html> [Accessed 30 November 2020].

Docplayer.org. 2020. Zürich Seebach.4442 M Ü.M. - PDF Free Download. [online] Available at: <https://docplayer.org/9298146-Zuerich-seebach-4442-m-ue-m.html>.

Hopkirk, E., 2020. Sergison Bates Completes Pair Of Swiss Apartment Blocks. [online] Building Design. Available at: <https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/sergison-bates-completes-pair-of-swiss-apartmentblocks/5103503.article>.

Wohnforum.arch.ethz.ch. 2020. The Situation Of Social Housing In Switzerland. [online] Available at: <https://wohnforum.arch.ethz.ch/publikationen/fachartikeln/2017/situation-social-housing-switzerland.html>.

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tectonic study, brick + concrete detail

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Response to environmental context, Ben Lee

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TOPOGRAPHY

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Heating

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