THE DAIRY FACTORY
A dilapidated Grade II* Calcining Mill is revived and returns to Stoke-on-Trent’s initial form of industry, dairy farming, to readdress the balance of production.
BURSLEM STOKE - ON - TRENT
Proposed areas of production, research and public engagement sit within the existing whilst three cowsheds sit across the canal on an area of brownfield. A spectacle is created as a new ‘dairy route’ links the two.
Located in Burslem, the ‘Mother Town’ of the Potteries, it was once at the heart of a thriving global ceramics industry. Subsequent industrial decline however led to factory closures and a reduced workforce, resulting in today’s struggling local economy.
Slip Casting Process - The ‘Gap’ A
Carefully considered intervention with the existing built structures allows for accommodation of the new programme, along with sympathetic new build. A conceptual approach to inserting new forms into the existing building applies the pottery method of clay slipcasting This process begins with a plaster mold into which clay slip is poured. As the plaster mold absorbs the water, a hard shell of clay forms. Excess slip is removed, leaving behind the clay shell. As the shell dries it shrinks, creating a gap between the clay form and the plaster. This gap is employed architecturally to subtly distinguish between the old and the new, existing and contemporary.
Investigation into the Potteries’ history identified that Burslem’s earliest potters were also farmers, producing butter pots to supply Stoke’s prominent dairy industry. The combination of the two occupations supported each other, providing a balance. Given that the sole production of pottery is no longer a reliable source of industry within Burslem, this project argues for a return to the dairy farm. Exploring key themes of evolution and adaption of place and production, it re-imagines the farm in a more contemporary and sustainable manner through promotion of a form of dual production. 50 cows are utilised to produce food as well as materials including bio-plastics derived from their by-products.
Existing Building Mass
Existing Building Treated as Shell
Proposed Mass
A proposed simple material palette includes corrugated stainless steel cladding, reflecting an agricultural style. Exploration of contemporary materials including bioplastic cladding derived from cow’s milk form translucent cladding to the cow sheds and milking parlour, echoing the translucency of bone china, referencing the site’s former use.
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Situated within a former Calcining Mill, on the edge of the Trent and Mersey Canal, the collection of buildings arranged around a courtyard with a kiln at the centre were previously used to grind up cattle bones for the production of bone china. 01
Existing site
02
Site appraisal
03
Removal of garage wall
Cows - sheds & parlour 3 cow sheds on opposite side of canal
Removal of delapidated roofs
04
Cow route
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Line of dairy production
06
Research facilities Labs
Cow route from sheds to milking parlour bridging the canal
Cheese tower
Milking parlour
Packaging & distribution
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Public engagement
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Farmhouse and street frontage
Circulation cores
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Research support space - seminar room - offices -meeting rooms
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Proposal
Research circulation
Cafe & public workshop
Pasteurization & Cheese making
Production circulation
Farmhouse Exhibition space & farmshop
Removal of site fencing
Proposed wall creating new frontage to street
Burslem Centre 0.5 miles Slip T ower Roof Conc
rete R oof
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Slip H
ouse
Slip T Conv ower eyor Wha rf Ro of
Boile
Wha
r Ho
rf Flo
Roof
Offic Wall to
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Gara ge Interm / Worksh o ediat e Flo p or, N& R oo W Fa cing Wf & all
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use R oof
or
e Roo
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f
Cana
l Grind
ing R oom
Steel
Roof
Struc tu & Roore f Wash in
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g Roo
m Ro
of
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Brick
Wall
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Meta l Fence Corrugat ed 4
Trent & Mersey Canal
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01 Site - Former Calcining Mill 02 Trent & Mersey Canal 03 Delapidated Port Vale Flour Mill 04 Middleport Pottery 05 Allotments 06 Brownfield 07 Middleport Park 08 Area of Residential
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Demolition & Retention Careful consideration and appraisal of the existing building has been undertaken to consider areas for retention and removal. The existing have been removed due to existing damage and poor quality. Existing openings have been retained.
Birdseye Proposed Dairy Factory
Existing Site Context Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent
Flour Mill
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C 10 9
1 13
B
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First Floor Plan Grain S
ilos
Milk Parlo ing ur
Cow Sheds
Cow Shed
Path
Path
Canal
Dairy Parlour Cheese Making
Courtyard
Site Office
Biogas Kiln
Milvale Street
Key Plan 1. Public Cafe 2. Production Office 3. Dairy Parlour 4. Raised Cow Route 5. Cow Sheds 6. Grain Silos 7. Cheese Store
8. Laboratory Support Space 9. Seminar Space 10. Meeting Space 11. Laboratory 12. Farmhouse 13. Site Office
A
B
Cow B
Section AA - Cow Shed to Milking Parlour 1:350 Grain Silos
Scale 1:250
ridge
Che Towese er
Residential
Cir Chee cula se tion Lab
ulat
Offi Past ces & euriz atio n
ion New Sup por Roof to t Sp ace Circ Lab
Site Offi ce
orat orie
s Farm
hou
se
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Circ
Roo m
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ulat
ion
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8 7
3
Caf Pub e & lic C oo
king
Wo rks
2
hop
Pub Exh lic Farm ibitio sh n Sp op & ace
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10 1
Ground Floor Plan Scale 1:250
Front Elevation BB 1:200 Appropriation & Intervention Delivery Space
Research Facilities
Dairy Production
Public Engagement
Existing Bridge
Delapidated adjacent Flour Mill
Key Plan 1. Farmshop 2. Public Workshop 3. Ice Cream Production 4. Pasteurisation Room 5. Cheese Making Space 6. Packaging Space
7. Material Store 8. Store 9. Laboratory 10. Biogas Kiln 11. Farmhouse 12. Courtyard
Milv
ale S
tree
t
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Cows grazed and housed across the canal
Cows cross new bridge to get to milking parlour
Milking parlour, 3 cows milked at a time. Total milking time for 50 cows = 1 hour Milked 3 times per day
Milk processed and turned into cheese
Cheese matured in cheese tower, placed on shelves and rotated depending on type of cheese and required maturation time
By products from cows utilised to produce packaging for dairy products
Produce supplied to proposed farmshop and cafe
Proposed primary structure pinned back to support existing masonry
Route of Production
1
Corrugated steel cladding panels
Pre-fabricated panels containing insulation to fit between primary structure
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Existing masonry structure with roof and south east facing wall removed
Canal Approach
Cheese Tower
New concrete slab cast over existing post debris clearance
1:50 Model Material Techtonic Study - Public Cafe
Basic Construction of Proposed Forms into Existing Shell
1:5 Model Translucent Cladding - Parlour & Sheds
Approach from Milvale Street
View from Existing Bridge
1)
Floor 20mm wood floor finish Movement joint 125mm sand cement screed 120mm rigid insulation Damp proof membrane 200mm reinforced concrete slab Existing concrete slab
5)
External Treatment 60mm paving 120mm sand 300mm hardcore
2)
Wall 225mm existing masonry 280mm gap 100mm foil faced rigid insulation Breather membrane 18mm ply 140mm timber frame structure 140mm insulation within frame 20mm timber panel finish
3)
Intermediate Floor 20mm timber floor 18mm particle board 20mm routed insulation 18mm particle board 254mm Easi-Joist at 600mm centres 100mm insulation within beam 18mm board 210mm metal frame ceiling 20mm timber panel finish
4)
Roof 8mm corrugated steel cladding Helping hand bracket on thermal coupling 100mm foil faced rigid insulation Breather membrane 254mm Easi-Joist Metal frame ceiling 20mm timber panel finish
4 Section CC - Courtyard 1:200 Middleport Park
Labs
Lab Support Facilities Material Store
Store
Courtyard
Public Cafe Ice Cream Production
Existing Bridge
Delapidated Flour Mill
View of cow route from courtyard
Elevation DD - Canal 1:200
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2
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Section EE - Route of Production 1:200 Delapidated Flour Mill
Public Footpath
Site Production Offices Milk Storage & Pasteurisation Rooms
Dairy Parlour Cheese Production
Cheese Storage Tower Cheese Storage Preparation Room
Labs
Cows return to sheds following milking
Technical Section N.T.S