PORTFOLIO APPLICATION FOR: MSC ARCHITECTURE AT KTH
APPLICATION NR: 13765079 SELECTED WORKS 2016-2019- UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH
Somers Town Community for Women TYPE INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC PROJECT YEAR 2019-3RD YEAR OF BA,TERM 2 LOCATION KINGS CROSS, SOMERS TOWN, LONDON
The Site -Chalton Street
Programe-Life Long home
Somers Town Community For Women is an architectural exploration of the statement: ‘Women, undoubtely the strongest pillars of our comunity’ (Meera Satpathy, Founder and Chairperson of Sukarya). It seeks to elevate female independence while coexisting in today’s world. It provides life-long private homes for elderly women, creating a Community that keeps the residents engaged with all aspects of society. Ateliers and Private Residences blend into one to provide a dynamic environment to practice and teach a craft.
The chosen site, Chalton Street, Somers Town is part of the Euston - King’s Cross corridor, a dynamic, vibrant and well-connected location. The area houses The Ossulston Estate, a council housing project from 1931 including the Levita House, and the chosen location is on the strip between Levita House and the street itself. The 5,5 width of the street’s typical London houses - is used to create a grid for the proposed estate, so the design can be fully integrated into the site. The columns are extruded from the grid, manifesting the proposal spatially.
A successful retirement requires purpose and sense of belonging. The proposal provides this by establishing a close relationship between the private house, the atelier, the women’s community and the public. Several Crafts are proposed as part of the program (music, sculpture woodwork). The women are encouragend to do everyday activities as a community rather than as an individual.
Music Atelier
Concept-Column
Woodwork Atelier
Sculpture Atelier
Cooking Atelier
1. The column is the central motif. However it is not a true column but a composite wall that takes the shape of one. The method of constructing the building, is by using pre-cast concrete elements and pre-cut laminated wood panels.
1
2 Sequence of assembling the ‘column’
3
4
1
2
1. Living Area 2. Flexible Space Moving Platform- Used as Workspace
B
4
5
3
A
3. Library - Can Become Guest/Caretaker Bedroom 4. Extension of Library/Workspace 5. Platform Shaft
6
A. Sunken Sculpture Yard B. Sculpture Atelier
Home - Atelier The Home and the Atelier have a close relationship, the atelier being an extension of the active space of the household. The flexible teaching space that can be used for sculpture is seen as a secondary (shared) living area for Private House 4 & 5. A flexible library on the first level can be used as a guest/caretaker bedroom. The Houses are wheelchair accesible, having an incorporated platform/lift, that is part of the active space of the households.
6. Master Bedroom 7. Kitchen - Used when the Occupant feels the need for privacy
View of Atelier 2-Commune Kitchen
The existing bi-weekly market that takes place on Chalton Street will be extended into the community’s grounds to build a rapport between the Women’s Community and locals. The women are encouraged to sell home cooked food, so the market is placed underneath the cooking atelier.
Elevation of Somers Town Community for Women
Main Entrance of the Community-Bi-Weekly Market
Privacy is necessary even in a co-living, open and embracing environment. A sunken mew (accessed from the market entrance and a secondary gateway under the sculpture workshop) provides a private pathway for the Women’s community. Deep thresholds and short ‘column’ elements are used for an added sense of intimacy. View of Mew-Private Street of the Community
Second Floor Plan of the Community
House A
House B
House A
House A
House A House B
Progressive Sequence of the Meeting Points between Houses
House B
The Somers Town Community for Women speaks to the wider context and, while an imposing presence, on closer inspection, it’s gateways provide entry into the creative environment of the atelier. The Chalton street Women’s Community is not a elderly house but a lifelong home for women who have retired from their professional fields and seek to pursue a harmonious community centred life with likeminded individuals.
Transformation: Extension of the Waterstones on Mallet Street TYPE INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC PROJECT YEAR 2019-3RD YEAR OF BA,TERM 1 LOCATION KINGS CROSS, MALET STREET,LONDON
The Site -Malet Street The given site is the Waterstones on Malet Street. The book shop is situated in a central area of London and has three facade on three, busy roads, however due to it’s statistic nature one of the façades of the building is percieved by passers-by as an exit point rather than an encitinc entrance.
Chosen area for extension
Static facade- Malet Street
The Concept-Perforated Wall The meeting point between the two spaces (quartet rehearsal space and reading area) is a perforated wall that resembles a tight colonnade. This allows for glimpses of both activities from the other space, and permits music to be heard in the entire extension
Reusing London’s public building stock, layers are added to a given existing building in order to create new spaces. The Waterstones on Mallet Street in King’s Cross gains an extentions that has the purpose of not only bringing the focus back to an otherwise neglected facade, but also to harmoniously combine a reading space and a string quartet reharsal space.
String Quartet Reharsal
Reading Space
Diagramatic arangement of the programme on site
View of Reharsal Space -Handmade Model
Short Elevation of the Extention
View of Reharsal Space -Handmade Model
Handmade Model used to design the space
1
A
Long Section of the Extention
2 B 1
A
C
C Long Elevation of the Extention
Plan of the Extention
A. String quartet reharsah area B. Reading Nook C. Existing Waterstones Connection 1. Perforated Wall/ Colonade 2. Window seating
A
Collaged view of the 2 Spaces added and their link to the Existing architecture
B
Institute of Documentaries and Voyeurs TYPE INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC PROJECT YEAR 2018-2ND YEAR OF BA,TERM 2 LOCATION EMBANKMENT, LONDON
The Site
Charing Cross
School School
Substation Interviews
Social/eating
The Given site is the area next to the substation of Charing Cross, north of the Thames in Victoria Embankment Gardens. A junction of the most walked paths is the chosen location for the 3 building School of Documentaries and Voyeurs
Handmade Model created using the concept of surveilence
Sound Insulation Sound Insulated POD Roof
Insulated Clandestine Observation Structure Insulated Entrance to Clandestine Observation Structure
Oxygen tank One-way Window
Voyeur
Sound Insulation The Institute of Documentaries and Voyeurs is a Experimental learning experience for documentary makers. The busy and dynamic area of Embankment provides perfect opportunity to observe the behaviour of people from all strata of society. The students are encouraged to observe passer-bys and each other. Students become Voyeurs as they use the Clandestine Observing Structure to gather data on their peers
Work Area InsulaSchool Building 1st Floore
Individual Study POD
Padded floor Clandestine Observation Structure
Interviews Documentary Maker
Voyeur
Documentary Maker
Voyeur
Social/eating School
InsulaInstitute Ground Floor
School
Social/eating