The Lifeboat Education Centre Initial Solutions
Initial Solutions
Contents 1.0 - Material Palette 2.0 - Existing Revit Model 3.0 - Spatial Layout 3.1 - Revit Massing 3.2 - Spatial Options 3.3 - Development of Space 4.0 - Exterior Mood Board 5.0 - Exterior Design 6.0 - Further Building Development 7.0 - Natural and Artificial Lighting 8.0 - Interior Mood Board 9.0 - Interior Design/Sketches 10.0 - Structural Frame System 11.0 - Services 12.0 - Gabions 13.0 - Final Concept Revit Elevations 14.0 - Final Concept Revit 3D views 15.0 - Final Concept Floor Plan
Initial Solutions Material Palette
Initial Solutions
Existing Revit Model This first step I took in my initial design solutions was to model the existing lifeboat station in Revit. Though a basic model, I felt that this gave me a better sense of the space and also would come in useful during later design stages.
East Elevation
West Elevation
North Elevation
South Elevation
3D View
Initial Solutions
Spatial Layout The below diagram gives an idea of how I think the spaces will connect with each other.
After the site visit I felt that this development would work best if all the newer extensions to the boathouse were demolished. I felt that the additions to the building were not complimentary as the material, finish and size varied - giving a mix matched look to the existing building. The remaining space had a footprint the size of the education space set out in the brief, so from this early stage the idea was to keep this as the main education space for the development.
Boathouse Extension Massing Using the Revit massing options I started to create a form which I thought would suit the development. My original thoughts were to keep the building single storey so that the building would ‘sit’ into the landscape better.
Spatial Option 1 Advantages Good views for all occupied spaces - main education space has views to the coast and small education/meeting room and staff room have views to the west. Kit and drying room as one to save transferring of kit between sections of the building. Disadvantages The circulation space is takes quite a lot of floor space. This may be seen as wasted space. Not much room allocation for WC’s. May not comply with regulations in terms of WC’s provided and accessibility.
Initial Solutions
Spatial Option 2 Advantages Circulation space kept to a minimum to minimise building footprint and maximise usable area. Kit and drying room as one to save transferring of kit between sections of the building. Good costal views with no obstruction for both education spaces. Disadvantages No views to the west from occupied spaces. Staff room has a view to the north which is looking on two houses - not very pleasing. Spatial Option 3 Advantages Good views for all occupied spaces main education space has views to the coast and small education/meeting room and staff room have views to the west. Possible link between both education spaces. Circulation forms a central spine which could provide front to back view. Disadvantages Kit and drying room separated. This may result in equipment having to be carried through/outside the building.
Spatial Option 4 Advantages Good views for both educational/ meeting areas (east and west views are costal and landscape with no/little obstructions). Kit and drying room as one to save transferring of kit between sections of the building. Good amount of WC space - possible to meet document M standards for accessibility and number. Disadvantages Staff room has a view to the north which is looking on two houses - not very pleasing.
Spatial Option 5 Advantages Good views for all occupied spaces main education space has views to the coast and small education/meeting room and staff room have views to the west. Kit and drying room as one to save transferring of kit between sections of the building. Disadvantages The circulation space is takes quite a lot of floor space. This may be seen as wasted space. Not much room allocation for WC’s. May not comply with regulations in terms of WC’s provided and accessibility.
Initial Solutions
Development of Space The layout I decided to develop further was option 4. I felt the initial idea of this was best suited for the development and the design principles I wanted to use.
The first change I made to this space was to swap part of the kit storage with the small education / meeting area. By doing this I made all occupied space have a east or west view (most desirable for this site). The downside to this change was that the kit storage is now split into two, meaning equipment may need to be transported across the building. However, the storage now has the option to be used for different purposes, for example, the large option may be used for outdoor equipment with the smaller space been used for internal education equipment, i.e. chairs, desks, etc.
Once the spatial layout had been decided and developed I used to Revit to create the concept elevations. A strong influence on the building design was existing lifeboat stations. The main design element I wanted to take from these buildings was the large openings that were used to allow deployment of the lifeboat (as can be seen opposite).
Now that the wall of the building had been added I could see another development to the proposal. Instead of having a separating wall between the circulation and smaller education space I decided to have this area open plan. I thought that this would give the building a much most light feel and also allowed the space to be more flexible for future developments.
Initial Solutions
Exterior Mood Board Below is an example of building elevations that I will take inspiration from. Having a natural finish is something which I aim to achieve. I feel that timber or stone would be most suited for my extension as it is not heavily manufactured and would suit the environment better (as opposed to a metal, glass or vinyl faรงade).
Exterior Design
Taking inspiration from the mood board I decided to clad the building in a timber. Due to the location of the building it will be important to source a timber that is suitable for costal regions (high level of moisture and harsh climate). The timber may need to be treated. To stick with my original sustainability ethos I would be looking to specify a timber that is ideally UK grown, but if not, European .
To create this concept wall I made a new wall type in the Revit settings and added the material finish. At this stage the design is still in concept stage so the wall build up may not be fully accurate.
Initial Solutions
The idea to separate the building facade into two different ‘layers’ was inspired by agriculture buildings. These are common in the local and surrounding area. The bottom tier of the building features a gabion wall.
Gabion Wall The idea behind using a gabion wall was originally conceived after thinking about ways in which the demolished site material could be used on site. This reduce the carbon footprint of having to remove this material and gives this material a second use by way of reusing. After thinking about this wall type further it has come to have a second connection with the building and history of Boulmer. The wire mesh that is used in a gabion is very similar to the rope that is used for lobster cages and lobster catching - something that Boulmer has a deep history of.
By creating a stacked wall in Revit, a conceptual gabion wall could be created. This will need further development once the wall type is researched further but give a basic ides of what the wall will look like.
When thinking about the roof of the new extension to the building the first idea that came to mind was a green roof. I felt that the roof would ‘ground’ the development to the location and helps to encourage the buildings connection with nature. In a sustainability sense the roof (if designed correctly) should also increase biodiversity. By having a green roof I feel the impact of building on the site is reduced by ‘giving something back’, a philosophy which I want to uphold during the project.
Creating a concept green roof was similar to creating the concept wall. Although the structural build of this wall may not be accurate at this stage, it does give a good image of when the roof with look like in-situ. By splitting the roof into sections I could experiment with having different areas of green roof.
Initial Solutions
Further Building Developments The next development I made to the building design was to add a glass partition wall that separates the existing building from the new development. The idea behind this was to have a clear line that shows the new development. The north facing wall of the existing building is been kept, though not acting as an internal wall, in it’s natural state. This means that when in the building the old building can still be seen. Lighting may be added to highlight this feature.
The WC design now includes three separate cubicles. All three of this cubicles are compliant with document M for accessibility. The staff WC from the brief is included in this area. Having all the WC’s in one section means less pipe and duct work will be needed and can be serviced together. The wall which the WCs share with the staff room will take the piping from the WCs and also any wiring, piping or duct work that will be used for the staff kitchen.
The archway from the existing building now has a curtain wall in it, this allows a visual connection between the two education spaces. Curtains or a blind may be added to this curtain wall so that these two space can be separated.
Natural and Artificial Lighting I started to think further about how to maximize the amount of natural lighting, which would minimize the use of artificial lighting - using less energy. Using my site report I looked at which elevations would be exposed to the sun at different times in the day and also which rooms would need natural lighting (for example, the store rooms do not necessarily need natural lighting,
Adding skylights to the existing building allows for more light to enter the space. One side of the pitch is also south facing which means that the sun should heat the space through these windows during the day. The skylights have been placed and centre in between the rafters. The glazing on the west elevation has to be designed carefully as west elevations are prone to overheating during the to the position of the sun, however, the west elevation of the building offers good views across the landscape which I wanted to be seen from inside the building. To overcome this problem I split the windows up and made them quite thin. Shading of these windows mat need to be considered - this may be done by the use of brise soleil or could be achieved by landscaping trees on the site.
I also added skylights onto the flat roof to maximise the amount of light that can entre the building. These can also be used for ventilation - again minimizing the amount of energy that needs to be used.
Initial Solutions
Interior Mood Board Below is a sample of interiors that I think work well for an educational / research building. The main inspiration behind choosing these pictures was an open, flexible space that could be used for multiple tasks.
Interior Design / Sketches Taking inspiration for the interior mood board opposite I started to population my Revit model with furniture. Below is some concept sketches, using the Revit model as a base, of how I want the interior to be designed.
The main principle behind the interior of the spaces is to create an atmosphere that is inspiring, yet not “busy� and therefore a minimalistic approach has been taken in regards to the furniture. The spaces should be a light, airy space that allows the creativity to come from those working in the spaces. The colour blue is a running theme through the building, this references back to the original blue door of the lifeboat station and has a connection with the sea (which is one of the main views from the education space)
Initial Solutions
Structural Frame System The framing method I chose for this project was a Glulam Timber Frame. I thought that this system would work best aesthetically within my project, is suitable for my initial design ethos. Because of the spans that would need to be achieved in this project (if an open, uninterrupted space is sought), the beams will have to be quite deep, however, I think that this can be made into a good design feature. A concept design (using rules of thumb for span lengths) of where the beams would be placed was drawn onto the building floor plan.
Services Because of the location choice of WC’s and the staff kitchen, the majority of the services for the building will share a single service wall - saving on the pipe work needed allowing quick maintenance for these services. The servicing for lighting and ventilation will hopefully be reduced by utilizing natural lighting and heating. In hot conditions, a “through ventilation” can be achieved due to the location of windows, doors and sky lights.
Gabions
The decision to use gabions came as a consequence of wanting to reuse the material from the proposed demolition of certain parts of the boathouse. Specifying the type of gabion cage to be used, as, if specified wrong the cage could corrode due to the high moisture and harsh climate of the area. The gabions will not act structurally for the building, instead they will provide, what is in effect, a rain screen cladding. Calculations can be made to see how much mass the demolition will create and this will show if there is enough material to fill the proposed gabions. In the situation where there is not enough mass, rubble may be taken from near by waste pills/landfills. In the situation that there is excess material from the demolition, this may be crushed to use as aggregate for the parking area or in the foundations for the new structure.
Initial Solutions
Final Concept Revit Elevations
East Elevation
West Elevation
North Elevation
South Elevation
Initial Solutions
Final Concept Revit 3D views
Final Concept Floor Plan