Site report
Virtual Project (14036120) BE1341 – Virtual Project Assignment 001
Table of Contents The brief ......................................................................................................................... 2 Boulmer – Village.......................................................................................................... 3 Location ..................................................................................................................... 3 History ......................................................................................................................... 3 Things to do ............................................................................................................... 3 Accommodation...................................................................................................... 3 Boulmer – Climate and Geography ......................................................................... 5 Wind ........................................................................................................................... 5 Sun and temperatures ............................................................................................. 6 Rainfall ........................................................................................................................ 6 Snow ........................................................................................................................... 6 Materials and construction ..................................................................................... 7 Services ...................................................................................................................... 7 External site ................................................................................................................ 8 Floor plan ................................................................................................................... 9 East Elevation .......................................................................................................... 10 West Elevation......................................................................................................... 10 South Elevation ....................................................................................................... 11 North Elevation ....................................................................................................... 11 Other Views ............................................................................................................. 12 ...................................................................................................................................... 12 ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Site report
References .................................................................................................................. 14
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A The brief “As part of a design team you will be required to develop an existing non domestic building and propose a design scheme for its conversion to allow it to be reused. You will initially work in small teams (3-4) to assess the building and its context in direct analysis of the brief below. Your team will select, apply and explain a range of building requirements which will demonstrate how you intend to approach the brief. You should demonstrate your growing understanding and professionalism in providing suitable solutions to the requirements of the project.�
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Boulmer – Village
Panoramic shot of Boulmer Village – Northumbria University Student (2015)
Location Boulmer is a small Northumbrian fishing village, 6 miles east of Alnwick and 40 miles North of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The village is remote and set within a rugged landscape, giving it a picturesque quality. Being only a small village it is largely quiet and undeveloped, with an old fashioned yet cultured aesthetic. History Boulmer has a history of smuggling and pirates, dating to the 18th century. However it is more famous for RAF Boulmer that was built during the Second World War and is still an active airbase. The building I have been tasked to develop is the village life boat station that was built in 1825. This life boat station is still in operation though this project will involve a virtual renovation of the property. Things to do Boulmer offers little in the way of things to do other than coastal walking paths and cycling, with most of its business focusing around fishing and the local pub, “the Fishing Boat Inn”. This is the only place to eat and drink in the village, with the exception of Boulmer Life boat station housing a small makeshift bar.
Site report
Accommodation Boulmer can house visitors to the village in the form of rented cottages and room booking at the Fishing Boat inn.
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Aerial view of Boulmer village – Google Maps
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Boulmer – Climate and Geography
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Wind The main prevailing wind to the United Kingdom is the Tropical Maritime wind from the South West. However, due to Boulmer being located on the North East coast is subjected to a mix of winds coming off from the sea.
Wind speeds are described as being moderate by RAF Boulmer, with gale force winds being rare. January, May and December are the windiest months in Northumberland, with June, July and August being the calmest. Strong cold gusts from the North Sea however can be frequent and contribute to Northumberland having colder summers than most other parts of the country.
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A Sun and temperatures The sun path in Boulmer goes from East to West like all places in the UK, with North facing buildings not getting any direct sunlight. The length of time the sun is up varies depending on the time of year, with naturally longer summer days and shorter winter days. Temperatures range from an average of 6°C in January to 18°C in August.
Rainfall October to December are the wettest months at Boulmer, with April to July being the driest. Boulmer experiences roughly 651 ml of rain per year, which makes Northumberland one of the driest places in the United Kingdom. However, while Boulmer does experience less rain than other parts of the country, the coastal gusts, combined with rain and salt water can be particularly abrasive. Snow Boulmer normally only experiences light snow fall that lies for approximately 10 days a year. January and February are Boulmer’s snowiest months on average. [Climate data supplied by RAF Boulmer] 6
Virtual Project
Boulmer Lifeboat Station The chosen site to re develop is Boulmer Lifeboat station with the purpose of changing its use to an educational facility. Along with a team of architectural students I attended a site survey to analyse and evaluate the building and its surrounding context. The buildings internal and external measurements were taken, along with levels and photos. Local residents were also asked for their opinion. The measurements for the site have already been logged in the form of a Sketchup model and this will be used throughout the assignment to inform the constraints.
Boulmer Lifeboat Station – East Elevation
Materials and construction
Site report
The station, like many of the buildings in Boulmer is primarily constructed out of stone. Stone is a very durable and solid building material which explains why the building has survived since being initially constructed in 1825. However it does have additional extensions, as can be seen to the right of the above picture with another at the rear. These have not followed the stone construction in the same way and have been pebble dashed. They also do not share the same roof type, choosing felted flat rooves rather than the high gabled tiled rooves of the original building. These rooves are not insulated. Through the building is a solid concrete floor. The station also utilises timber in the form of facia boards, doors and window frames. The windows in the frames are only single glazed. This could lead to damp ingress and poor energy performance if not rectified. Services The station is serviced with electricity and water and has no gas input. 7
A External site
Boulmer model as located on a
North Elevation entrance
The buildings “main� doors are currently facing East out to see, due to this being the natural choice for launching lifeboats. Standard entrances are on the north elevation. As the top left picture shows, the grassy area is directly level with the bottom of the door. This can lead to excess damp being brought into the building if not remedied. To the south of the station are buildings that effectively limit developing this side of the properly. The West or rear offers a small amount of space. To the north is an expanse of ground where the station could be extended. Similarly to the East there is some ground, albeit, more triangular and this could make development complicated, or at least require a more considered approach. At the northern boundary of the site is a drainage ditch which I would ideally like to avoid from building to close to and would prefer to leave it as is, so that excess water can be taken from the site naturally.
The above graphic shows the site boundaries. The green area indicates spaces where I feel are feasible to build on, where the orange is less practical, though could still be developed in terms of paths or planting. 8
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Site report
Floor plan
Floor Plan
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A East Elevation
West Elevation
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South Elevation
Site report
North Elevation
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A Other Views
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A References Bing.com. (2016). google maps - Bing Maps. [online] Available at: https://www.bing.com/mapspreview?q=google+maps&mkt=en&FORM=HDR SC4 [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]. Boulmerlifeboat.co.uk. (2016). Boulmer Volunteer Rescue Service | Boulmer Lifeboat Founded In August 1825. [online] Available at: http://www.boulmerlifeboat.co.uk/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2016]. Boulmerlifeboat.co.uk. (2016). History Of Boulmer Lifeboat | Boulmer Volunteer Rescue Service. [online] Available at: http://www.boulmerlifeboat.co.uk/history-of-boulmer-lifeboat/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]. Essentialtravelguide.com. (2016). Northumberland Weather & Climate | When to Visit Northumberland. [online] Available at: http://www.essentialtravelguide.com/regional-guides/northernengland/northumberland-travel-guide/northumberland-weather/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]. Morton, D. (2013). Virtual project be1341 (part 1). [online] Issuu. Available at: https://issuu.com/davidmortonarchitect/docs/virtual_project_be1341__part_1 _ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2016]. Raf.mod.uk. (2016). RAF Boulmer - Local Weather. [online] Available at: http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafboulmer/newsweather/localweather.cfm [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]. S-cool.co.uk. (2015). The Climate of the United Kingdom | S-cool, the revision website. [online] Available at: http://www.scool.co.uk/gcse/geography/weather-and-climate/revise-it/the-climate-ofthe-united-kingdom [Accessed Feb. Apr. 2016]. Suncalc.net. (2016). SunCalc sun position and sunlight phases calculator. [online] Available at: http://suncalc.net/#/55.4206,1.5814,15/2016.04.26/00:00 [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]. Yournorthumberland.co.uk. (2016). Boulmer Guide - Your Northumberland Guide. [online] Available at: http://www.yournorthumberland.co.uk/areaguides/boulmer [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016].
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