RNP:
SuPerception
Integrated Practice 1 John Francis Levery MArch Architecture 6
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Contents introduction
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subjects
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funding 9
project team 10
planning and legislation reflection
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reference
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John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Contents
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timescale
0 main construction phase
stage 1
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Vehicle The realisation of the theme is created through the SuPerception project, conceived by a group called the [Contemplate] Collective, a group of artists within the New-Cross and Deptford areas of London. The SuPerception building will feature a static section and a reconfigurable section, making the building physically responsive.
establishment
Theme The Responsive Networks Project (RNP) aims to support a form of architecture that is underpinned by the term ‘responsiveness’. The building, occupants and wider society will all contemplate responsiveness and demonstrate the ability to intelligently respond, in particular exploring the ideas of what is held to be ‘logical-functional’ and ‘instinctual-spiritual’.
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INTRODUCTION:
Diagram illustrates timescale and stages of the project
stage 2
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stage 3
Operation Within the SuPerception Project, six teams’ operations define the general activity of the building; 3
[Respire] Reprocessing operates a construction and reusable waste collection service. [Assimilate] Materials Bank operates a trade centre for local artists to find and materials.
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[Cadence] Support Infrastructure builds modular and bespoke structure for [Sensitivity] interventions.
[Sensitivity] initial projects
stage 4
[Sensitivity] Experimentation creates crowd-funded urban interventions in the New Cross / Deptford area.
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repayments to Goldsmiths (Respire) Reprocessing operations
6 7
Theme / Vehicle / Operation / Timescale
site re-develoment
Goldsmiths develoment
4
(Assmilate) Materials Bank operations
transfer to new location
Timescale The project is intended to take place through five stages and over six years. (see diagram right]
[Respire] shopfront renovation operations
stage 5
closing preparations
The groups operate in cooperation with one another as not-forprofit businesses.
[Observation] Research operatons
[see diagram on opposite page]
[Transmission] Marketing operatons
(Sensitivity) Experimentation crowd-funded projects
[Observation] Research provides audience appraisal and research services.
John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Adjoinment
(Assimilate) Materials Bank
(Respire) Reprocessing
The ‘Guts’ of the operation
(Cadence) Support Infrastructure
SuPerception project
(Sensitivity) Experimentation
The ‘Face’ of the operation
(Transmission) Marketing
(Observation) Research
(Contemplate) Collective
Diagram illustrates key operation groups within the SuPerception project, and indicates their relationships to one-another.
Theme / Vehicle / Operation / Timescale
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SUBJECTS:
“Veolia, who are like a big recycling company... they do a lot of things if your project’s within a certain radius of one of their recycling centres, or depots, or something, then you’re eligible for kind of grant funding” [2:57, Meeting with Lewis at Assemble]
This paper covers three subjects; funding, project team, and planning & legislation.
“Create Art Award, which is a kind of participatory arts Funding award which is done every year, between kind of fortyPrivate funding in unpredictable industries like the arts is difficult and fifty-thousand pounds” to come by, but the [Contemplate] Collective manifesto states [10:19, Meeting with Lewis at Assemble] the intention to ‘drive the arts towards sustainable business models, independent from charity and monopolising contributors’. The complete ownership of the site, buildings and businesses are SuPerception’s focus on the arts will make it high risk, and will critical to the as this gives SuPerception complete independence likely generate unattractive low returns for private investors. in their actions. However, Goldsmiths requires that upon completion of the project and removal of the buildings, 45% To overcome this, the collective will seek an investment from of the area of the site is sold back to the university. This is the local Goldsmiths University, whose reputation for teaching likely to affect the nature of the building design, as low-cost in the arts gives them an interest in the SuPerception project. deconstruction would benefit the project. Initial funding is need to cover the costs of: • • • •
100% of the site [Respire] Reprocessing capital [Assimilate] Materials Bank capital The initial SuPerception building programme
Year One: The first part of the construction process will house the [Respire] Reprocessing and [Assimilate] Materials Bank to operate while construction continues.
During my meeting with Assemble, it was suggested I [Respire] offers a low-cost construction materials surplus look for possible grants as a source of initial funding also; collection, building material reclamation and free scrap collection
£££ £££ ££ £££ £ ££
££ £££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ £ £
timescale
0
1
££ £££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ £ £
2
3
££ £££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ £ £ 4
££ £££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ ££ £ 5
££ ££ ££ ££ ££ £ £ 6
£££ - Goldsmiths Lump Investment £££ - Initial construction ££ - [Respire] construction waste collections £ - [Assimilate] materials trading ££ - Repayments to Goldsmiths £££ - Operations, wages ££ - [Respire] shopfront renovation £ - [Sensitivity] mini projects and events ££ - [Observation] audience forecasting services ££ - [Transmission] marketing services ££ - [Cadence] flexible building operations ££ - [Sensitivity] crowd funded projects ££ - Decon
Diagram illustrates major sources of income and £: < 100k p.a. expenditure through the project ££: 100k - 1m p.a. £££: 1m < p.a. 6
Funding
Income Expenditure
service. It then processes materials for re-use or recycling within the SuPerception project or as scrap. This is attractive to developers building in the local area as it offers a reduction to their green footprint as material are re-used.
The Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) has been successful in providing a similar service to [Respire] in the USA. BioRegional has prototyped the service in the UK using ‘ReIY’ centres. [BMRA, 2014][BioRegional, 2008] [Assimilate] Materials Bank profits from collection of re-usable materials as it sets up a trade centre for artists looking for spare parts, scrap or re-usable materials. They can also trade-in their own surplus materials in exchange for others, and [Assimilate] takes a small commission from trades.
Image shows The Parlour Showrooms, Bristol
Year Three/Four: The Beneficial Foundation’s Materials Bank demonstrates the [Sensitivity] begins using the SuPerception project reputation to potential success of a materials bank, with over a thousand hold staged crowd-funding events, in which copious members of groups paying membership fee, and a store for non-member the public pay for an event that is attractive to them. Threshold trading. [Beneficial Foundation, n.d.] rewards are given dependent on their contribution amount ‘+Pool’, a project founded by Dong-Ping Wong, Archie Lee Coates IV and Jeffrey Franklin demonstrates how a crowdfunded urban intervention can work. Created on Kickstarter for appraisal and filtration testing, the project to install a public swimming pool in the New York City River is funded in stages. The project offers contributors their name on a tile, the size of their name and colour of the tile dependent on the size of their contribution. [+Pool, 2013][Kickstarter, n.d.] [see images over the page] Year Five/Six: [Sensitivity] crowd-funded projects and [Cadence] operations Image shows Beneficial Foundation’s Materials Bank begin to wind down, as the SuPerception project prepares to Year Two: close and transfer sites. As income begins to exceed expenditure, [Respire] expand operations into maintaining unused shop savings contribute towards the costs of deconstruction and frontage for temporary periods. In this time, artists use the transfer. Finally, part of the site is sold to Goldsmiths, while the space as low-rent project and exhibition space, while the land other part is handed over to community ownership. holder pays for the shop to remain occupied and be made presentable for potential tenants. This has been demonstrated by Bristol Capacity, a Bristol City Council initiative that offers shop-front refurbishment to make stores a more attractive buying prospect. However, Bristol Capacity buys the stores for re-sale, rather than just refurbishing. [The Parlour Showrooms, 2014] Upon completion of the building, [Sensitivity] mini projects, [Observation] and [Transmission] Marketing begin offering services for additional income.
John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Funding
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Image shows +Pool Conceptual Image
Image shows +Pool Tile Options 8
Funding
Project Team
Health & Safety Structural Design Consultant Consultant
Services Consultant
[Sensitivity] Experimentation will be using the SuPerception building as a workshop and testing space to create physical urban interventions from crowd funded/sourced projects. The SuPerception building must be reconfigurable to suit the majority of possible needs of these projects.
Security Consultant
£
Public funding Public dialogue
Public dialogue
Safe systems of work Employee and workshop user training programs Risk assessment of workshop equipment Fire risk strategies Noise mitigation strategies
[Compliance Health & Safety, n.d.]
John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Following rehearsal, the project is amended for improvement
Finishing
The project is tested on members of the public to assess operation
Health and Safety Consultant The nature of activity of [Sensitivity] Experimentation is similar to that of a factory or workshop, and a consultant with experience of these environments should be used at the design stage. This consultant is expected to provide strategies suited to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, including: • • • • •
Design advice for modular systems Simulations to assess limitations of modular systems Modular construction procedures and training
Upon completion, safety measures are introduced to make the project usable
While legal and schedule are certified, the project is held in storage.
Deployment
Amendment
A prototype is developed of the potential final product
Rehearsal
Prototype
Proposal
Appraisal
The project is appraised to suggest direction, funding and strategy
Cost Consultant
[Cadence] Support Infrastructure must provide suitable reconfigurable spaces for the construction of [Sensitivity] projects
£
The proposal for the project is uploaded to the internet
Approved Inspector
Structural Design Consultants [Cadence] Support Infrastructure will be responsible for operating reconfigurable spaces, likely to be a braced frame structure to retain flexibility [Prefab Architecture, 2010]. Structural design consultants will be used when designing the modular system, providing:
Because the SuPerception needs to be reconfigurable, a range of professional inputs should be used at the building design • stage to ensure the building can remain flexible while keeping • within legislation. • Public funding
Planning Consultant
Storage
Architect
Consultant character images
The project is removed from the building and transported to its location
Professional dialogue
Diagram shows [Sensitivity] Project stages of development within the SuPerception Project.
•
Maintenance and inspection of structural elements.
Dexion supplies a range of modular systems for warehouse storage and office systems, and also provide services similar to those suggested above [Dexion, n.d.]. Although these are not building systems, the modular structure may operate in a similar way and need similar servicing. Services Consultant The area of the building that remains reconfigurable will be very difficult to supply with adequate building services, and a services consultant will be used to introduce working systems of ventilation, water, electrical energy and heating to the spaces.
Project Team
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The three consultants above will be key in developing strategies This person would act as a mediator between the project for safe and functional working spaces, particularly in the team and others, ensuring a smoother transition from design to reconfigurable section of the SuPerception building. Regular construction phase. assessments will have to be carried out by all these consultants to ensure the building remains safe and functional. “DP9 has found that focused negotiation with planners, local communities and statutory bodies generally pays off and that the contacts created in the course of working Security Consultant on projects generate benefits for the future” Security will be a paramount in SuPerception, for both protection [DP9, n.d.] of assets and control of access. An effective security strategy should be built which reinforces the strategies set out by the Health & Safety, Structural Design and Services consultants.
Planning Consultant and Approved Inspector The nature of the building suggests a Planning Consultant and Approved Inspector may be necessary, who are referred to in the Planning and Legislation section. Cost Consultant The meeting with Assemble Studio also suggested that a cost consultant could help with financial-efficiency;
“the core team is normally... us designers, a structural engineer and a quantity surveyor or cost consultant,” [16:11, Meeting with Lewis at Assemble] Planning and Legislation Planning authority consent is required for the static section of the building, but planning is less clear with reconfigurable buildings. This is particularly relevant as the site is adjacent to the Deptford Town Hall conservation area (see diagram on opposite page) [Lewisham Council, Conservation Areas, n.d.]. Due to the unusual nature of the SuPerception project, the architect will need to employ a Planning Consultant to take responsibility for the impact the project may have on the local area and to navigate the planning process [Architects Journal, 2012].
Images show different stages of Prada Transformer
Prada Transformer by Rem Koolhaas changes its orientation and function by being moved using cranes. This near-limitless range of possibilities demonstrates the number of potential arrangements of the flexible part of the SuPerception building. [Prada Transformer, 2009]
Images show model of Prada Transformer steel structure 10
Project Team / Planning & Legislation
Deptford Town Hall Conservation Area Hatcham Conservation Area Telegraph Hill Conservation Area Site Area
John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Diagram shows New Cross-Deptford Conservation Areas in close proximity to the site [Ref 12]
Planning & Legislation
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REFLECTION:
Temporary (28-day) planning applications [Planning Portal, Class 4 (Temporary Buildings), n.d.] and regular retrospective planning applications [Planning Portal, Failure to Obtain or Comply with Planning Permission, n.d.] have been considered for the reconfigurable building, but due to the legislation surrounding For the first two years of the March Architecture course, I worked them, these methods could severely limit the reconfigurable 32 hours per week as a space planner and interior designer for a cruise ship retailer. There was a contrast between these nature of the building. environments, as the workplace was challenging in terms of The meeting with Assemble Studios suggested an alternate organisation, arrangement and production, university challenged method where planning applications are written for the largest ideas and personal development. I believe that these two alternate practices have complimented one another, and have allowed possible project; me to attain a better quality of work in both environments. “you could like just get planning for whatever the biggest During the first year, my design was a market, a formalised or most extreme version of it there is, and, you know, if concentration of the cultural and material demands of you only build half of it initially, then you’ve still got, kind the local populace in Sharrow in Sheffield. In second year, of, your permissions in place,” my design was much more fixed, designing an envelope of [27:14, Meeting with Lewis at Assemble] a creative business incubator on Heslington Road, York. To make the reconfigurable aspects of the building viable, they could also be considered to be ‘class 5 ancillary’ buildings, as The MArch course has allowed me to test the definition of architecture and design, to start assessing values that I believe described by the Planning Authority; to be beneficial to the subject and reflect part of my personal feelings about architecture. In particular, I believe that architecture “A building on the site of construction or civil engineering over the past two years has become more of a responsive works, which is intended to be used only during the organism which can have a personality, rather than a static object, course of those works and contains no sleeping and increasingly believe that should be completed by its users. accommodation.” [Planning Portal, Class 5 (Ancillary Buildings), n.d.] However, I believe my designs might have too large of This could make the reconfigurable structure exempt from focus on the human scale, when architecture sometimes planning consent [Planning Portal, Exemption from Building should accommodate more scales. I believe my urban design Regulations, n.d.], especially with a Planning Consultant on the skills still need improvement, as my buildings end up being a project team. This would also make the reconfigurable section place to go ‘to’ or ‘from’, rather than ‘through’ or ‘around’. I of the building exempt from building regulations A-K, M, N and believe my experience in the retail sector has steered me to P which further justifies the Health & Safety, Structural Design this human-scale focus. I believe that I will need to expand and Services consultants being on the project team to ensure my scales for success in this projects and the future. spaces are adequate. I also believe that my presentation has yet to improve, Building regulations can still be followed as far as practicable, and that many of my ideas might remain in my head but where building regulations are not applicable steps should rather than on the page. This has become detrimental be taken to make sure the space exceeds them by the project when communicating and developing ideas with others. team. An Approved Inspector will be used to ensure that the SuPerception reasonably performs to regulation standards or exceeds them, and can also contribute towards Construction (Design and Management) regulations [Approved Inspector Services, n.d.].
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Planning & Legislation / Reflection
John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
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REFERENCE: John Levery, 2014. Meeting with Lewis at Assemble. [Download] Available at: <https://drive.google.com/file/ d/0B2POmVxnobNgT3hfMm5YY01RSG8/edit?usp=sharing> [Accessed 15 January 2014].
Conservation Areas, n.d. Lewisham Council. [online] Available at: <http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/planning/ conservation/conservation-areas/Pages/default.aspx> [Accessed 07 January 2014].
John Levery, 2014. Meeting with Lewis at Assemble. [Download] Available at: <https://drive.google.com/file/ d/0B2POmVxnobNgT3hfMm5YY01RSG8/edit?usp=sharing> [Accessed 15 January 2014].
Fulcher, M. , 2012. Council Vetoes Metropolis Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cross Hotel. Architects Journal, [online] Available at: <http://www. architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/council-vetoesmetropolis-kings-cross-hotel/8624385.article> [Accessed 07 January 2014].
About BMRA, 2014. BMRA. [online] Available at: <http://www. bmra.org/content/about-bmra> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Changing Perceptions, n.d. DP9. [online] Available at: <http:// www.dp9.co.uk/company/changing_perceptions_3.html> BioRegional, 2008. ReIY Centres will reduce waste and landfill [Accessed 10 January 2014]. costs and create jobs. Bioregional.com News, Publcations and Events [blog] 10 December. Available at: <http://www. Prada Transformer, 2009. Prada Transformer. [online] Available bioregional.com/news-views/news/reiy-centres-101208/> at: <http://prada-transformer.com/> [Accessed 09 January [Accessed 06 January 2014]. 2014]. Materials bank, n.d. Beneficial Foundation. [online] Available Class 4 (Temporary Buldings), n.d. Planning Portal. [online] at: <http://www.beneficial.org.uk/bank.html> [Accessed 06 Available at: <http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/ January 2014]. responsibilities/buildingregulations/approvalneeded/exemptions/ classiv> [Accessed 10 January 2014]. About, 2013. The Parlour Showrooms. [online] Available at: <http://www.parlourshowrooms.co.uk/about/> [Accessed 06 Failure to Obtain or Comply with Planning Permission, n.d. January 2014]. Planning Portal. [online] Available at: <http://www.planningportal. gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/planningpermission/failure> About, 2013. Plus Pool. [online] Available at: <http://www. [Accessed 10 January 2014]. pluspool.org/about/> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. John Levery, 2014. Meeting with Lewis at Assemble. What is Kickstarter?, n.d. Kickstarter. [online] Available at: [Download] Available at: <https://drive.google.com/file/ <http://www.kickstarter.com/hello?ref=nav> [Accessed 06 d/0B2POmVxnobNgT3hfMm5YY01RSG8/edit?usp=sharing> January 2014]. [Accessed 15 January 2014]. Factories and Workshops, n.d. Compliance Health and Safety. [online] Available at: <http://www.compliancehealthandsafety. co.uk/your-industry/factories-and-workshops-health-andsafety.asp> [Accessed 07 January 2014].
Class 5 (Ancillary Buildings), n.d. Planning Portal. [online] Available at: <http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/ responsibilities/buildingregulations/approvalneeded/exemptions/ classv> [Accessed 09 January 2014].
Smith, R. E., 2010. Prefab Architecture. Hoboken: John Wiley & Exemption from Building Regulations, n.d. Planning Portal. [online] Sons. Available at: <http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/ responsibilities/buildingregulations/approvalneeded/exemptions> Our Services, n.d. Dexion. [online] Available at: <http://www. [Accessed 09 January 2014]. dexion.com/new-Our-Services> [Accessed 07 January 2014]. Consultancy Services, n.d. Approved Inspector Services. [online] John Levery, 2014. Meeting with Lewis at Assemble. Available at: <http://www.approvedinspector.co.uk/services/ [Download] Available at: <https://drive.google.com/file/ consultancy/> [Accessed 10 January 2014]. d/0B2POmVxnobNgT3hfMm5YY01RSG8/edit?usp=sharing> [Accessed 15 January 2014]. 14
Reference
Images [Tony Patrick character image] generated using Square Face Icon Generator [online] Available at: <http://www.icongenerators. net/square.html> [Accessed 07 December 2013]. [Beneficial Foundations Materials Bank] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://www.beneficial.org.uk/photogallery.html> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. [The Parlour Showrooms] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://www.parlourshowrooms.co.uk/about/> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. [+Pool Tile Options] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http:// www.pluspool.org/tilebytile/< [Accessed 06 January 2014]. [+Pool Conceptual Image] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://www.pluspool.org/images-and-video/> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. [Consultants character images] generated using Pixel Art Avatar Icon Generator [online] Available at: <http://www.icongenerators. net/pixelavatar.html> [Accessed 08 December 2013]. [New Cross-Deptford Conservation Areas in close proximity to the site (maps provider)] n.d. [online] Available at: <http:// digimap.edina.ac.uk/digimap/logout> [Accessed 08 January 2014]. [Different stages of Prada Transformer] 2009. [online] Available at: <http://prada-transformer.com/> [Accessed 09 January 2014]. Bibliography Boyer, B., Hill, D., 2013. Brickstarter [pdf] Brickstarter. Available at: <http://www.brickstarter.org/Brickstarter.pdf> [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Multiple Authors, 2009. Sub-Plan. London: Architectural Association Summer School. Smith, R. E., 2010. Prefab Architecture. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Attributions: Diagram showing [Sensitivity] Project stages of development within the SuPerception Project: Speech Bubble designed by Samuel Q. Green from the thenounproject.com John Francis Levery | MArch Architecture 6 | Integrated Practice 1
Reference
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