Programmed and Unprogrammed Space in Polyvalent Design by Nick Shepherd

PROGRAMMED AND UNPROGRAMMED SPACE IN POLYVALENT DESIGN NICOLAS SHEPHERD

traditional Japanese tea houses

C O R E + D E M O C R AT I C S PAC E

m a c r o m i c r o s

design iteration C1

design iteration C2

design iteration C3

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Tutors: Dr Neil Burford Carol Robertson

APRIL 2016 5310 WORDS 100012622

CONTENTS 7

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

POLYVALENCE AS TYPOLOGY

PROGRAMMED SPACE

UNPROGRAMMED SPACE

PROGRAMMED SPACE TO UNPROGRAMMED SPACE

TOPOLOGICAL SPATIAL SEQUENCING

EXPERIMENTAL: ISLAND HOUSE

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX A: ADDITIONAL DESIGN ANALYSIS

APPENDIX B: PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

WHAT CONSTITUTES POLYVALENT DESIGN? TO WHAT EFFECT CAN CORE BE USED AS A COMPONENT TO FACILITATE DEMOCRATIC AND POLYVALENT CONFIGURATIONS?

ABSTRACT: METHODOLOGY This research investigates the varying definitions of changeable space in domestic architecture, to show that creating plasticity between spaces and functions in a way that the architectural identity is maintained results in a sustainable architecture that is specifically suited to a Scottish remote rural context such as the Isle of Eigg. A comprehensive breakdown of terms such as flexibility, adaptability and polyvalence will conclude that polyvalent design is the most critical in response to macromicro studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design brief. An understanding that polyvalence depends on the coexistence of functional fixture and changeability will lead to a theory driven design process which tests the role of the permanent object in polyvalent design through the study of programmed and unprogrammed space. The core will be looked at as an object that transcends typology to offer fixed programmatic functions. Analysis of the function of a core will lead to a series of design iterations which use a central structural and functional zone to generate space which explores the coexistence of democratic and polyvalent space to achieve sustainability. Topological design analysis is used as a tool to interrogate degrees of democratic and polyvalent space to conclude that fixed components can be used to enable flexibility.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The process of change must constantly appear to us as a permanent situation, that is why the changeability itself must come first and foremost as a constant factor, which contributes to the significance of each individual form. In order to withstand changes built forms must be made in such a way that they permit multiple interpretations, i.e. that they can both absorb and exude multiple meanings, without, however, losing their identity in the process.â&#x20AC;? (Hertzberger, 2005)

INTRODUCTION Flexibility, Adaptability and Polyvalence in the remote rural The Brief document for macromicro Studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design research project highlights the importance of flexible and adaptable design in remote rural Scotland (refer to Brief document, page 40-43). Eigg hosts a limited existing housing stock, which is mostly unavailable. The lifestyle trend in urban and accessible rural areas is often based around a widely varied and accessible housing market that is in a constant state of flux. A couple may live in a one bedroom apartment that is perfectly adequate of their needs at a given time, but supports no supplementary purpose. The same couple might start a family, leading them to change their home for one that encompasses their new sphere of requirements. This could be considered a sustainable way of life, as it is based in a context within which diverse housing models already exist. The focus of this study will not be to question the role of flexibility and adaptability in this environment, but to apply it to a place where it is most critical: the remote rural. The basis of sustainability is to sustain, which is to support and maintain life, whether at a microscopic or sociological level. The remote rural dwelling must respond sustainably by acting as a mechanism that can uphold a range of social situations, making it appropriate to be lived in for a longer period of time than a typical affordable home in urban and accessible rural contexts. When researching and developing the brief, macromicro found that it was important to draw a distinction between the terminology of flexibility and adaptability. In this document, adaptability is defined as the ability of the functions within the building to change over the whole life period of the dwelling. The brief breaks this down into social and technical adaptability. Technical adaptability involves providing adequate space for the maintaining and addition of future renewables and services, as well as designing for deconstruction. Jeremy Till and Tatjana Schneider write about the categorisation of social adaptability into personal and practical issues (Till, Schneider, 2007). Personal adaptability involves the changing size of the family over time, whereas practical adaptability caters for the onset of old age and disability. Such distinction is critical, as this paper does not study the issues relating to adaptability,

open partitions

closed partitions Schroder House (first floor) FIGURE 1

but focuses on flexibility, as the opportunity for spaces to host a variety of functions that can interchange on an intermittent basis. A home may be adapta ble whilst not necessarily possessing flexibility. BRE’s integer house and Rietveld’s Schroder house are both obvious examples of dwellings that are flexible. In both cases, movable partitions allow spaces to be joined and divided, allowing the home to evolve throughout the day (The design expert (1999), (Overy, 1988). Hertzberger writes of another type of flexibility: polyvalence. This term refers to a series of spaces that can be put to a variety of uses without altering the fundamental architectural form and character. Under this definition, Schroder House and Integer House fail, by offering a technical solution to the problem of flexibility, which modifies the architectural identity of space. Polyvalency must address change in a way that is respectful to architectural meaning. Just as spaces may be adaptable without being flexible, flexibility is not always polyvalent. It is through the research and analysis of issues surrounding this specific type of changeability that sociological sustainability can be understood and applied to the design of a dwelling for remote rural Scotland. These issues involve the research and investigation of programmed space, unprogrammed space, democratic space, form, hierarchy, and a topologically represented study of transitional sequencing.

“If we want to respond to the multiplicity in which society manifests itself we must liberate form from the shackles of coagulated meanings. We must continuously search for archetypal forms which, because they can be associated with multiple meanings, can not only absorb a programme by can also generate one. Form and programme evoke one another.” (2005)

Central hall Bathroom Kitchen Vestibule Stage Backstage External store Circulation

Salle Polyvalente de Plumergat (own interpretation) FIGURE 2

POLYVALENCE AS TYPOLOGY Polyvalence is manifested in the typology of the Salle Polyvalante; a building commonly found in French villages that can be used for celebrations, arts based performances, and the screening of films, without any internal modification to the building (2005). Salle Polyvalente de Plumergat, as designed by Studio 02 Architects, is a contemporary example of this typology. The plan emphasises the importance of form and its relationship to hierarchy in achieving polyvalent design. The drawings show a central hall that is immediately surrounded by four different functions. Circulation is minimised and used strategically to reduce spaces of multiple functions to one access point. In his paper titled ‘Notes on Hierarchy and Form’, John Habraken distinguishes between hierarchy in constant and fixed forms. In the situation where two forms are present, one changing and the other remaining fixed, the latter form assumes hierarchy over the former (Habraken, 1984). Using this concept, the living/dining space on the upper floor of Rietveld’s Schroder House can be thought to claim dominance over the other spaces on that floor, as it is the only space that is not subdivided to change function. Even in this space, with so many changes to the architectural identity of the surrounding home, it is hard to establish a hierarchy of spaces and functions. Salle Polyvalente de Plumergat features changeability under a more robust series of form and hierarchy. The central hall is most immediately understood to be the dominant space because of its size in comparison to the surrounding elements. It is more subtly understood to be a focal space due to its central location in the plan. Much like Louis Kahn’s use of servant and served spaces, the supporting rooms surround the central hall, allowing for a singular relationship to each function. The hall would be deprived of much of its hierarchy if the servant spaces were accessed from transitional spaces. The permanence of this space through the various functional iterations of the building allow its hierarchy to be maintained. The establishment of a clear hierarchical sequencing allows the forms to remain consistent, contributing to the scale of polyvalence.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the power of invention, all the skill and experience in the art of building, are called upon in compartition; compartition alone divides up the whole building into the parts by which it is articulated, and integrates its every part by composing all the lines and angles into a single, harmonious work that respects utility, dignity, and delightâ&#x20AC;? (Alberti, 1988)

Although considered as polyvalent, this type of polyvalent design differs to that of residential architecture. This typology is designed to assimilate a single function at any one given time. Although smaller in size, the polyvalent home becomes vastly more complex, as it must achieve multiple functions at the same time, in contrast to hosting one after the other. This extra level of complexity concerns servant and served spaces which must perform within the multiple and simultaneous functions of the home. It is therefore through an analysis of programmed and unprogrqammed space that the principles of polyvalent design can be understood and applied to the dwelling.

WASHING

WORKING

SLEEPING

BEDROOM

ZASHIKI (furthest from street)

GATHERING

LIVING ROOM

EATING

DINING ROOM

TSUGI-NO-MA

NAKANO-MA (middle room) CHA-NO-MA

COOKING

KITCHEN

WASHING

BATHROOM

WORKING

STUDY

DAIDOKORO

YUDONO

OTEARAI

FIGURE 3

load bearing walls

roof trusses

pre-fabrication

FIGURE 4

designing for activity spaces

PROGRAMMED SPACE Programmed space could be defined as space that is highly organised and specific to a particular set of requirements and functions. Developer housing in the UK is traditionally programmed beyond the point of reinterpretation. Jeremy Till writes about developer housing as being a major contributor to the UK housing crisis, due to its lack of polyvalence (2007). Sheffieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kelvin Flats were a well known high rise developer housing project that was demolished only thirty years after completion due to the inflexibility of the plan arrangement to accommodate future change. This could be regarded as a technical issue, in that load bearing walls make it expensive to reorganise the plan, and roof trusses, although an economical way of structurally upholding empty roof spaces, make it very difficult for the space to be repurposed (figure 4). Beyond technology, the problems of these programmed spaces lie in the more encompassing matter of spatial type and the sociological issues of space. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Space in the Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a design bulletin published by the government in 1963 advises that the design of spaces is governed by the dimensions required for their assigned function. For example, a dining room will be designed to the proportions of a dining table and chairs, making it an odd fit for any other use (Great Britain: Department of the Environment, 1968). In the technical realm, eating food is assigned its own space, manifesting itself in the sociological dilemma of a dining room that is only used for a small proportion of a day. Designing in such a way leads to the undesirable outcome in which the individual modifies their lifestyle to suit the home, rather than one in which the home develops to suit the needs of the user. This programming of space can be contrasted to that of traditional and contemporary Japanese residential architecture. The sociological classification of space is represented in figure 3 as a topological diagram, which shows the relationship of space and function. The functions of the home can be broken down into six categories; eating, sleeping, cooking, gathering, cleaning and working. In the UK, our spatial schemata revolves around the connection between a space and a function. The bedroom is a room that contains a bed, and the dining room

square and regular tatami

double tatami

four and a half tatami room

six tatami room

eight tatami room

FIGURE 5

is the room used for eating. We expect each function to be segregated and surrounded by walls. Traditional Japanese dwellings consist of a series of rooms that are referred to not by their function, but by their location in the plan, i.e, ‘Nakanoma’ (middle room) and ‘Zashiki’, which is usually the room that is furthest from the road. (Nishihara, K, 1968). This leads to the design of spaces which can adapt to cater for a range of functions, rather than each function possessing a bespoke space. Zashiki can be used for sleeping, gathering, and eating, which makes it considerably polyvalent. This transcends the over speculated technological response to reconfiguration, and reacts to the more overall issue of how space is used. A rule is carefully established in the programming of these spaces to make them suitable for multiple functions. The tatami, a floor mat commonly measuring six by three feet, is used throughout the home to serve a variety of functions. It can be used underneath bedding and movable dining furniture, and often serves as a floor finish. Drawings of traditional Japanese homes show tatami as a device for interrogating and indicating which functions spaces could possess. One tatami is of a suitable proportion for a single bed, or two could be joined to form a square geometry that is suitable for use as a double bed, or for two people to gather around a table. Four can be arranged to leave a central square that may allow four people to eat. As different combinations suggest different functions, the tatami is used to simultaneously measure the size and function of a zone (1968). Kazou Shinohara’s A House with an Earthen Floor features two areas of the plan that are subdivided into tatami. This creates spaces that are evenly proportioned into square and three quarter square geometries (figure 6). Designing these spaces around a device that is interchangeable between functions, rather than bespoke furniture with unique and precise activity spaces, leads to the design of spaces which can accommodate more than one function, as the tatami that inhabit them. This careful and considered programming of space is a considerable contributor to polyvalent space. The Japanese tea house, as represented in figure 7, is an interesting example of a typology that is distilled to only cater for the activity of gathering. The building is built to a strategically placed timber structural grid, and features a small sliding timber door that must be crawled through to enter.

Yoshimura House

CED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

House with an Earthen Floor Kazou Shinohara

Umbrella House Kazou Shinohara

PRODUCED BY AN AUT

FIGURE 6

Sometimes this entrance space leads to an intermediate space, but often it opens directly onto the tatami arrangement that facilitates the gathering and drinking of tea. A crucial element of this typology is the hearth, which is found in a variety of locations, often interrupting the careful geometrical division of space to provide a fixed object that begins to suggest how the building might be inhabited. The tatami bridges the connection between programmed and unprogrammed space by suggesting a proportion whilst leaving the proposed function to the imagination of the user. Consideration must be given to the understanding and analysis of spaces that are distinctly and deliberately unprogrammed.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then again, I would not wish all the members to have the same shape and size, so that there is no difference between them: it will be agreeable to make some parts large, and good to have some small, while some are valuable for their own mediocrity.â&#x20AC;? (1988)

traditional Japanese tea houses

FIGURE 7

“The image of the house, therefore, depends on the existence of different places which interact among themselves and with the environment in varying ways. Above all, however, the character is determined by concrete ‘things’ such as the fire place, the table, and the bed.” (Schulz, 1985)

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT closed plan: changeability open plan: fixed purpose

House in Balsthal FIGURE 8

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL

UNPROGRAMMED SPACE The plan diagram of Pascal Flammerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House in Balsthal (figure 8) shows the first floor, which is divided up into four rectilinear rooms of similar size. The room that lies directly above the kitchen in designated as a bathroom, leaving three rooms that are not assigned for any specific purpose. One of them could become a bedroom or all of them could become a bedroom. Pascal Flamer includes a further layer of complexity in his arranging of programmed and unprogrammed space. The ground floor level could be considered programmed as the drawings indicate specific and fixed functions, yet it remains an open plan space that is glazed on all four elevations. It is the fixed spaces on the upper floor, for which no programme is assigned or indicated, that provide changeability of functions. This proposes a scale of flexibility to the problem of polyvalence. A similar idea is shown in Helmut Wimmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Griehofgasse housing of 1996, which is based around the concept of layouts that can evolve within a fixed and repeated structure (figure 10). Each apartment consists of two spaces of double square geometry which are connected by a transitional space. The only confirmed component within these spaces is a length of kitchen facilities. Partitions can be constructed to transform these spaces into single square proportioned units, with the central circulation space increasing the possible combination of spaces, as well as the relationships that could exist between them. Figure 9 exhausts the possible configurations that could be used to accommodate gathering, eating, working and sleeping. The only given rule present in assigning activities to these spaces is that one given zone must be used as a kitchen area, although the placement of this changes in different apartments. The kitchen space therefore inherits hierarchy, as it remains consistent. This apartment arrangement creates numerous potential layouts by allowing the programme to be arranged across one plane. Unprogrammed space could therefore be considered as space that is removed from any presuppositions of function and use, but must coexist within strict rules and parameters.

FIGURE 9

In both examples, at least one thing remains permanent; and through this permanence freedom is granted to the remaining zones. The proportionally divided zones on the upper floor of Flammerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design could be defined as democratic space, as the central stair landing produces equal spaces, to which no hierarchical dominance is prescribed. Democratic space can therefore be considered as a critical element to polyvalent design. The upper floor of this home becomes polyvalent by the very careful placement of the spiral staircase. The application of elements can be examined as forms that grant the hierarchy and democratic conditions that enable a configuration to become polyvalent.

Griehofgasse Housing FIGURE 10

Fisher House fisher Louis house Kahn loius kahn FIGURE 11

PROGRAMMED TO UNPROGRAMMED SPACE “Systems provide a discipline rather than a limit. They allow for growth, they accommodate the scherzo: They can be elaborated to encompass infinite variations and complexities.” (2005) Core and Democratic Space explore the use of a core to mediate spaces and functions. The core becomes an element that creates democratic space by containing fixed functions that have carefully constructed relationship to the surrounding rooms. The hearth, one of Semper’s four elements of architecture, often acts as a core. The Hearth in Louis Kahn’s Fisher House is a large masonry structure that is half circle in plan, and spans two floors. In this instance, the functions of the open plan categorise themselves due to their narrative to the gathering functions that are commonly associated with the hearth. The curved edge of the hearth-core creates a private section of the plan that is sheltered from the main communal area, therefore dictating a different function. Savioz Fabrizzi’s Chalet, Val D’hérens shows the use of a centrally placed concrete core to contain a stair (figure 12). The core also begins to contain elements of the programme, such as a bathroom at first floor level. Diagrams of the ground floor level plan show how the core acts as the mediator of the space. There is an area for preparing food, another for eating food, with two spaces for social activities, and a space for storage allocated within the core. This leads to a set of rules that can be used to programme an unprogramme space. The desire to create flexible spaces that could host interchangeable activates leads to the inclusion of a fixed element, in a similar method employed in Louis Kahn’s designation of servant spaces that strengthen the singularity

Vhalet Val D’Herens

Chalet, Val D’hérens Savioz Fabrizzi Savioz Fabrizzi FIGURE 12

of the remaining space. Combination of the core as hearth and stair leads to a categorisation of things that are to be contained within the core or gathered around its perimeter. This is handled by internalising elements that could be considered as permanent by necessity, such as any functions that require plumbing and extensive electrical attention. The placement of the core is also considered here, as a varying placement will influence how the spaces can and will be used. The position will have a direct influence on its form and level of hierarchy. Homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright often feature a core as a thematic organisational and structural component. A cruciform cluster organisation in plan is used in Ward Willitts House, with a centrally located pinwheel system in Arthur Heurtley house (Baker 1996). In these examples, the spaces in the home are systematically and geometrically organised in relation to the core, which acts as a structural and spatial divider for various functions. The reliance of changeable internal form and spatial language in Schroder House gifts a hierarchy to the centrally placed stair. The first floor stair landing becomes an essential enclosed space which acts as a transition space for the remaining zones.

location thecore core locationof of the 31 FIGURE 13

legend

external entrance

enclosed external space

3 first floor landing

secondary permeable connection

example 1

Integration calculation (not including external space) 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; depth of 1 to 2 and 3. integration of 1 (mean value) 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; depth of 1 and 2 to spaces 1 and 3 respectively. integration of 1.5 (mean value) 3 - depth of 1 and 2 to spaces 1 and 2 respectively. integration of 1.5 (mean value) MEAN integration (1+1.5+1.5)/3 = 1.33

design iteration A1

4 3

example 2

example 3

example 4

FIGURE 14 7

TOPOLOGICAL S P A T I A L SEQ UENCING Topology can be used as a mathematical way of testing and representing the relationship between geometrical components set within an arrangement. It becomes a useful way of representing configurations of architectural space as it tests the result of modifying factors such as form and positioning; allowing for the level of polyvalence and democracy in arrangements to be quantified and compared. This level of design analysis is critical in maintaining a methodology which allows specific theories to be tested architecturally. The employed methodology is derived from an analytical technique used by Julienne Hanson in ‘Decoding Homes and Houses’ (Hanson, 1999). The theories explored in this book are based on Space Syntax concepts conceived in the writings of Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson, which use spatial sequencing as a design analysis tool for urban masterplans. Analysis at the scale of the city requires sequencing diagrams to be generated computationally. The scale of the home, as investigated in this paper, allows for syntax diagrams to be drawn manually. Example diagrams 1-4 show how syntax diagrams can be used to represent spatial relationships. Example 1, the traditional Scottish ‘But and Ben’ dwelling, generates a simple diagram, with two rooms connected by an entrance passage. Examples 2-4 show a varying degree of diagrammatic depth and complexity with a similar placement of spaces on a 3x3 grid. Example 3 hosts the most compact and regular sequence, which is partly aided by an axis of vertical symmetry. The hierarchy of functions in the home can begin to be mapped onto the topological diagram to suggest which spaces will possess certain functions. For example, a bedroom will not function well if it acts as a transitional route to another room, dictating that in most cases, only rooms at the end of a sequence may be used for sleeping. The more extruded diagram of example 2 therefore limits how functions can be assigned. Large transitional branches consisting of three or more connections will enable the plan to function in a less restricted manor if

2 6

House in Balsthal FIGURE 15

House in Balsthal, Pascal Flammer

they occur higher in the syntax, as highlighted in example 3. A space which uses a branch connection to connect two or more spaces will assume dominance over spaces with a single connection. Example 2 shows a very strong gradation of hierarchy, due to the extruded form of the diagram. Examples 3 and 4 exhibit a more autonomous hierarchy. The level of permeability between functions in the home has an influence on the depth of the spatial configuration. House in Balsthal (figure 15) shows a very high level of permeability on the ground floor, resulting in a three tiered transitional depth. An additional layer of permeability is added by the use of sliding partitions, which allow each room on the upper floor to be accessed by two others in a ring formation. As these sliding partitions are only the width of a door, the architectural identity of the configuration remains constant, resulting in an arrangement that is highly permeable whilst remaining very polyvalent. This contrasts to the partitioning in Schroder house, which contains a degree of democratic division when the partitions are closed due to the central position of the stair, but is not polyvalent because the multiple functions cannot be hosted simultaneously. Spaces six and eight obstruct the democratic layout by adding an additional transitional layer to the configuration. Griehofgasse provides the same configurational depth as this layout, but in a way that includes all of the space functions necessary to constitute a dwelling on a single level, effectively making it a more compact series of transitions (figure 16). Closure of the sliding partitions allows for a highly democratic layout by maximising the possible combination of functions. In this arrangement, zone one becomes a single intermediate space that provides a transition to five rooms, ensuing a strong hierarchal positioning by means of a proportionate establishment of form in the plan. This level of compartmentalisation functions best when is occurs in a concise graph depth. Diagram A for Schroder house shows this branch pattern in the middle of the sequence, leading to an imbalance in the weighting of hierarchy and application of function (figure 17, refer to appendix B for supplementary topological diagrams)

Schroder House, Gerrit Rietveld 35

Griehofgasse Housing FIGURE 16

Griehofgasse, Helmut Wimmer

2 1

Schroder House (first floor) FIGURE 17

Schroder House, Gerrit Rietveld

design iteration C1 FIGURE 18

8 7

6 9

design iteration C3

4 3

2 5 1

design iteration C2 FIGURE 19

design iteration C1

design iteration C2

design iteration C3 FIGURE 20

E X P E R I M E N TA L ISLAND HOUSE Core + Democratic Space have aimed to generate spaces that respond to the need for a flexible and adaptable island home by using a central core as a generator of democratic and polyvalent zones. This is tested through two design approaches, allowing for the spatial syntax diagrams of two distinctly different arrangements to be interrogated and contrasted against the original design intent. The first approach features a core which is shared between two dwellings, resulting in a highly compact form. A terrace typology is used as the second idea, which features the core within a single repeated form, leading to an elongated scheme. As previously discussed, a series of desirable criteria can be derived from the analysis of topological syntax diagrams. In order to maximise polyvalence, a high level of democracy must be found in the arrangement of spaces, establishing a hierarchal consistency. An increase in spatial connectors will reposition the level of hierarchy, creating carefully considered servant spaces which organise the relationships contained within the plan. A compact sequential depth will maximise interchangeability by increasing the mean connector value. This proposed methodology compares three fundamental syntax diagrams. Diagram A shows the topological structure from the position of the entrance space, allowing the sequential depth to be measured. Diagram B shows the relationship from the perspective of one of the furthest spaces from the entrance, as identified in diagram A. Diagram C focuses on the spatial relationships that begin from the gathering space. Conclusions will be drawn from the cross examination of these three diagrams. Appendix A contains a concise commentary of previous design work that tests the role of the core in a single dwelling. As diagrammed in previous topological precedent analysis, democratic and polyvalent design will result in these three justified diagrams showing an equal level of depth and symmetry. A range of analytical methods can be used to test the topological diagram, allowing for each space within the diagram to be ranked, and whole diagrams to be graded against alternative layouts.

2 6 7

design iteration T1 design iteration T1 FIGURE 21

7 8

6 5

4 3

design iteration T2

design iteration T2 FIGURE 22

design iteration T1

design iteration T2 FIGURE 23

Spatial integration is the average measure of depth from one space to all other spaces in a diagram, allowing the containment of a space within a plan to be tested. This system is used at a master planning level to test how zones will function sociologically (1999). Computer scripts can be used to highlight areas of the masterplan which are not well integrated within the layout, and are likely to function poorly.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL MEAN

A1 2.29 3.14 1.71 1.43 2.14 2.29 2.00 2.14

17.14 2.14

A1 2.29 3.14 1.71 1.43 2.14 2.29 2.00 2.14

17.14 2.14

Figure 24 shows a matrix of integration values for the spaces within each design development as proposed by Core + Democratic Space. The calculation of the integration value is previously explained in figure 14 for the ‘But and Ben’. A low number suggests an integrated space, with a higher value indicating a segregated one. The matrix shows that homes containing an organising space with a high connectivity value tend to have a lower mean integration value, with the organisational space gaining hierarchical dominance due to a low integration figure. These spaces are coloured yellow on A2 A3 A4 C1 C2 C3 T1 T2 T3 T4 figure Types 2.00 C2, C3,1.38 T4 and be1.86considered highly 2.55 24. 2.00 1.75T5 could 1.80 2.56 1.89 1.00 3.64 3.00 as the 2.63 integration 2.25 1.00value 1.00is equal 1.86 1.89 1.75 democratic, in 1.67 each space 2.00 from 1.40 1.50 2.25 1.75 pattern 1.80 2.43 apart the servant zone. This is also 2.56 shown 2.78 in the 1.75 2.91 2.30 2.38 2.25 1.75 1.80 2.43 2.11 2.78 1.75 integration House1.75 in Balsthal and Griehofgasse. 2.91 2.30values 2.38 for 2.25 1.80 3.00 2.78 2.78 0.00 1.82 house 2.30 types 1.63 tend 1.50to have a similar 1.80 2.14 These syntax3.67 graph2.78 when 2.82 2.30 each 2.50space 2.13in the home. Graphs 2.86 A, B1.89 justified from and C 1.89 share 2.00 1.60 2.50 2.13 2.86 2.78 3.00 a similarity 2.91 2.60in symmetry, 2.50 2.13 depth, and connectivity 2.78patterning. 2.44 2.91 2.60 2.78circulation 3.67 In these examples, it is the core that enables the 2.60 in a way that distributes the hierarchy evenly to 2.91 function 2.91 throughout the plan generating a10.00 centralised servant25.89 zone. 6.25 32.27 25.00 20.00 by18.25 8.00 19.43 25.56 2.27 2.22 such 2.03 1.67 the 2.43 2.56of the 2.59 In 2.69 other examples, as A21.60 and A3, position core 1.25 creates an awkward sequence of circulation, increasing the EXPERIMENTAL MEAN INTEGRATION mean integration value.ISLAND It isHOUSE: therefore not VALUES just the presence of a core, but it’s considered pairing with a circulation path that can enable a short and consistent syntax graph depth.

A2 2.55 3.64 2.00 2.91 2.91 1.82 2.82 2.00 2.91 2.91 2.91 2.91 32.27 2.69

T5 1.00 1.80 1.80 1.80 1.80 0.00

8.20 1.37

A3 2.00 3.00 1.40 2.30 2.30 2.30 2.30 1.60 2.60 2.60 2.60

A4 2.00 2.63 1.50 2.38 2.38 1.63 2.50 2.50 2.50

C1 1.38 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 1.50 2.13 2.13 2.13

C2 1.75 1.00 1.75 1.75 1.75

C3 1.80 1.00 1.80 1.80 1.80 1.80

T1 1.86 1.86 2.43 2.43 3.00 2.14 2.86 2.86

T2 2.56 1.67 2.56 2.11 2.78 3.67 1.89 2.78 2.78 2.78

T3 1.89 1.89 2.78 2.78 2.78 2.78 1.89 3.00 2.44 3.67

T4 1.75 1.00 1.75 1.75 1.75

T5 1.80 1.00 1.80 1.80 1.80 1.80

25.00 2.27

20.00 2.22

18.25 2.03

8.00 1.60

10.00 1.67

19.43 2.43

25.56 2.56

25.89 2.59

8.00 1.60

10.00 1.67

main organisational space

experimental island house: mean integration values FIGURE 24 45

10 9

8 7

6 5

4 3

design iteration T3 FIGURE 25

design iteration T3

design iteration T4

design iteration T5 FIGURE 26

4 5 3 2

design iteration T4

3 4

1 2 1

design iteration T5 FIGURE 27

CONCLUSION To conclude, the design of spaces that are polyvalent and democratic is a fundamental necessity in response to the brief of an island home. Terms such as flexibility and adaptability are often used with little thought to their spatial and architectural consequence, as well as a lack of consideration to how such ideals can be achieved in a way which allows the identity and character of a building to be maintained. Due to the importance of maintaining this individuality, flexibility does not always imply polyvalence, in much the same way that a building can be designed to be adapted on a long term scale whilst possessing nothing that causes it to be flexible on a more frequent basis. The analysis of how spaces are programmed, or how they are deliberately left void of programming allows for the principles that contribute to polyvalent design to be investigated and tested. The comparison of Japanese and Western European spatial programming shows that interchangeability of function relies on spatial division which is based on a rational geometrical system. This allows for a state of uncertainty between space and function; increasing the degree of polyvalence by maximising the potential combination of functional arrangements. Democratic space is commonly found in examples where spaces in the home are unprogrammed. A regularity of form gifts the hierarchy back to the organisation space, which allows for a compactness and symmetry amongst the topological diagrams. Unprogrammed space is shown to be effective when it exists as a component alongside or within a programmed zone. This shows that programmed space is crucial to the formation of unprogrammed space, and identifies the fixture of certain functions as an enabler of democratic space. This leads to an understanding that flexibility and polyvalence must be applied strategically and selectively, as it is not efficient for each function to become interchangeable. Analysis of the Salle Polyvalente highlights the specific relationships between the central interchangeable space and the servant spaces which allow it change function. It is the very careful programming and consideration of these relationships that allow this space to become unprogrammed and polyvalent.

Topological design analysis can be used as an effective tool to catalogue and quantify spatial relationships. A trend develops when diagramming examples of democratic and polyvalent architecture, in that the spatial sequencing has a similar depth and branch pattern when taken from any of the three positions on plan. Spaces which must be accessed via spaces of an equal hierarchy add length to the transitional depth, reducing the ease of functional flexibility. Integration values can be calculated and compared, allowing the sociological implications of spaces to be quantified. This methodology allows for space to be tested on the level of the terrace, home, and individual function. Designing a home that is flexible, let alone polyvalent is a complex issue. The affordable home is the most complex building type to which these principles can be applied, as the functions of the dwelling must interchange simultaneously, within a modest floor area. To be sustainable on a sociological level, the home must suggest multiple ways in which it can be interpreted, rather than forcing the user to evolve their lifestyle to suit a specific arrangement of fixed spaces which host segregated functions. Polyvalence therefore becomes manifest in the relationship between permanence and plasticity. To become truly flexible, fixture must first become established.

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