community “...a plan that allows true interaction and cultivates relationships.”
Isolation – a separation from peers and interaction. The Cardroom Estate was once a community that thrived on the close encounters between groups and individuals, but over time succumbed to isolation as the area’s population decentralized. The sense of community was lost because of isolation, but as the area is re-established as New Islington, the community is being restored. A common complaint among artists is the feeling of isolation. Though they may see other artists at the studio where they rent, there are few chances for the type of interaction that builds a true community.
For New Islington, rethinking and restructuring the built environment gave rise to a growing and thriving community. We, too, believe that isolation can be omitted by good design and careful planning. It is New Islington’s sense of community and identity that our design for Hope Mill Studios embodies. Hope Mill provided us with a blank canvas on which to design the antithesis to isolation. Using the existing column grid, a series of 18 artist bays was inserted into the center of the 5th floor. To take advantage of natural light, the interior core walls were made solid while the
bays were left open on the side that faced the windows. To create separate spaces for individual rentals while maintaining an integrated and communal space was not easy. However, the decision to use reclaimed shipping pallets as a primary material provided multiple layers of transparency that provided both secure individual spaces and open communal areas. Frames on a wheel base hold the pallets and a series of movable walls provides dynamic and flexible spaces for artists. The possibilities literally open up: Individuals may choose to rent a single bay, or if they require more space than 10.5m square, they
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interaction, but impromptu critiques, inspiring conversations, extensive display space and most of all, an inclusive and tight knit community vibe. Just as New Islington abandoned the isolating elements that stifled a community, we too, abandoned all traditional ideas of artist studios and started fresh with a plan that allows true interaction and cultivates relationships.
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PLAN 1:100 1. RECEPTION - EXHIBITION PERMANENT GALLERY 2. ARTIST BAY 3. LOUNGE - KITCHEN
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1 LONGITUDINAL SECTION 1:100
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may occupy two bays (or more). Simply rolling the separating pallet wall back to the solid core links the rented bays together, allowing an artist or group of artists to store materials and work within a larger footprint. To keep supplies safe while artists are away, the rolling pallet doors extend and meet at the corners where an individual may lock the pallets together. Locks could be supplied by the studio or by the individuals. The configuration of pallet doors allows for constant interaction between artists, or if one prefers, they may close their bay for added privacy. The transparency allows not only for visual
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TRANSVERSE SECTION 1:50
If a community is made up of a unified body of individuals, then our design for the Hope Mill Studios is the perfect environment for developing a tight knit community. We believe that each individual must retain their unique identity in order to contribute to a vibrant community. With this in mind, the artist studios are highly customizable and allow each tenant to personalize their bay(s) with little effort. Whether they choose to adorn their core walls with “...It is a space that each person can be photos, hang baskets of supplies from the pallet walls or proud of, and that is something that paint the pallets themselves, the bay is a blank canvas waiting for the artist’s touch. brings people together. ”
individuality
The stationary entry wall and rolling pallet entry door are intended as display space. All of the pallet walls are natural hanging mediums due to the horizontal slats of the pallets. The stationary wall can display an artist’s work on a daily basis, or both the stationary wall and rolling door can be covered with art during formal gallery shows. During a gallery event, all artists can roll their dividing walls into their respective bays, and extend the entry doors to create a long gallery hall on each side of the mill. This configuration provides 44 linear meters of display space in addition to the permanent gallery and exhibition
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area near the stairwell. To relate the mill back to its origins, artists could suspend textiles across their bay to conceal supplies during gallery events, or for a cozy and comfortable feel on a daily basis. Each artist is allowed to be unique and showcase their passion and talent with our plan. It is a space that each person can be proud of, and that is something that brings people together.
SINGLE BAY OCCUPANCIES VS MULTI BAY OCCUPANCY DIAGRAM
CLOSED BAYS CONFIGURATION
OPEN BAYS/GALLERY EVENT CONFIGURATION
constructibility “Sometimes the biggest impact can come from the smallest source. ”
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Concepts are great, but what about feasibility? Sometimes the biggest impact can come from the smallest source. We took this approach when deciding which materials to use in our design. The recycled shipping pallets are not only affordable (sometimes even free), friendly to the environment, and easy to work with, but they pay homage to the roots of the industrial beginnings of New Islington and Manchester.
The materials we chose are all affordable and the methods used are simple, making it easy for inexperienced workers to participate. A high construction tolerance ensures that the final product will look good and work properly, even if amateur hands make a few mistakes. We also chose pallets because of their textural qualities and how they lend themselves to personalization; whether a tenant chooses to hang belongings and supplies from the pallets or paint them and make them ‘their own’, they can easily be redecorated to suit the next tenant’s desires.
The simple materials will facilitate a new identity and feel for the studios. Perhaps the best part is that the materials all come in under budget*: gypsum board, wood studs, wheel assemblies, handles, hardware, pallets, metal channels for top rail guides = £3400. Materials and constructability are high priorities if one expects a concept to come to fruition. We believe that our choices will allow for our design to be realized affordably and efficiently. *Dependent upon local pricing/availability
SINGLE ARTIST BAY
OPEN ARTIST BAY
EXHIBITION / GALLERY
LOUNGE AREA AND KITCHEN