The Seaweed Pier Shawn Zhang
Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my tutors Frank Lyons and Martin Gledhill for their inspiration and encouragement throughout the project.
Contents 01 Introduction
4
02 Concept 26 03 Scheme 48 04 Tectonic 102 05 Environmental Strategy 133 06 Regulatory Compliance 140 07 Self Assessment 150
4
Part 1: Introduction
5
From Workshop to Factory The Issue in Industrial Architecture
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century launched the era of factory production as opposed to the localised cottage and workshop industries. Production method had been changed; human muscle power was substituted by machinery. Since then the discourse and practice of architecture has fundamentally changed. Where Western architecture of the late eighteenth century was largely charged with the design of ecclesiastical, military, and public buildings, or with housing and symbolising the reigning powers and the nobility, by the early nineteenth century the rise of large-scale industrial building and planning heralded a new era for architecture. The role of industrial buildings emerged after the Industrial Revolution was to accommodate machines as many as possible, and to produce products as efficient as possible; any other qualities or costs would be considered worthless and redundant. Besides, in order to maximise the productivity of factories, they were usually built in groups with the idea of factory estates. Due to the way of industrial buildings work, the restricted industrial zones and consumerism, consumers are largely separated from the production process. On one hand, the Industrial Revolution has changed the way of people getting goods. Before we used to make tools and articles by our own hands, but now we buy everything from supermarket without thinking about how the products are made. On the other hand, opportunities are rarely provided to consumers which let them enter a factory and witness the manufacturing process. Therefore people become more and more unfamiliar with production and products.
6
Before
Today
7
More than just Production My Interpretation of Modern Factories
In order to reconnecting people to production process and the products that they consume in daily life, modern factories should be more ‘transparent’. It does not mean that the façade of factories should necessarily be glass; it is the manufacturing process that should be exposed to people, letting people witness where the products are from and how they are made. Factories should not just be the place for producing goods; exhibition and education functions and spaces should be added to this building type. In this case, the production process will be ‘exhibited’ and people as ‘audiences’ will be educated. By doing this the connection between production and consumption will be created. Besides, it also provides more supervision to the manufacturing process, forcing the business owners to pay more attentions to the standard of manufacturing, and the quality of the products. People will also get familiar with production, and therefore become more confident on the products. There are many ways to achieve this idea. For the existing factories which were design in the early days with little consideration of exhibition and education functions, events such as ‘factory tour’ might be a good way of getting people involved in the production process. People can be invited to the factories and guided tours can be organised for them to witness and experience the way and the process of factory working. For new factory designs in the future, it should be encouraged that the exhibition and education function being fully integrated into the design. Apart from the spaces for machinery needed, the space for visitors exploring and experiencing may be taken in to account as an important consideration of designing a factory. Factories therefore will be more like a museum where you learn their production and products.
8
9
Weston-super-Mare
The Declining Victorian Seaside Resort Weston-super-Mare sits in the coastal line of Bristol Channel. Back to the Victorian time, Weston was a very popular seaside resort. Today, the growing of foreign travel and mobility make the Weston town less attractive to both the local people and the visitors. Apart from the decline of tourism, there is a significant residential/employment imbalance in Weston-super-Mare with 36% of workforce worked outside of the town. This is mainly because of the lack of variety of industries; tourism as the priority in old days can no longer be the ‘pillar industry’ that support the whole city. Clearly tourism has fundamental role to play for the Weston town, but what is more important is to introduce a new economy to make the city more attractive, and therefore reviving the tourism.
10
11
Seaweed: The First Impression of Weston- super-Mare During the first city visit I went straight away to the seafront after getting off the train. Unlike some of other English coastal cities which have beautiful beaches or rocky seashores, the first thing that drawn me attention in Weston-super-Mare was actually the countless clusters of seaweed lying on the massive mudflat area. The image in front of me immediately aroused my interest; ‘Why there are so many seaweed here?’ Backing to home I did some research on both Weston-super-Mare and Seaweed, and found that it is the natural conditions in Weston that created a perfect environment for seaweed to grow; the large tidal change in Weston creates lots of tidal pools and mudflats where wild seaweed usually lives. The water speed, and the water quality are also suitable for seaweed to grow. Because of my interest in industrial production and industrial architecture, this finding perfectly met what I was trying to find: seaweed is an important resource of many productions, such as food, cosmetic and fertiliser. Besides, it is a natural resource that belongs to Weston-super-Mare. I therefore made my decision to do something about seaweed in this project.
12
The large tidal change creates a massive mudflat area which is suitable for seaweed to inhabit
Weston-super-Mare is located in the area that has fast water movements which helps seaweed to absorb nutrients in the sea
The water quality of Weston sea has met ‘excellent’ in overall providing a good environment for seaweed to grow
13
Brief: A Seaweed Farm It is until recently that most of us in this country thought of seaweeds as nothing but a nuisance, clinging to our legs as we swim in the ocean and stinking up the beach as they rot in the sun. Thanks to the growing popularity of sushi restaurants, seaweed are increasingly finding their way onto our plates. However, because of the lack of tradition of eating seaweed in this country, most people are still find it difficult to add seaweed to their daily menu. Few of us have any idea of the nutritional value of seaweeds. Historians believe that Britons have been eating seaweed since it was first introduced as a survival food by the Vikings, but we have forgotten this tradition for centuries. In order to link people back to their tradition of eating seaweed, I decided to do a seaweed farm, which is not only about cultivating and producing seaweed, but also providing opportunities to touch it, smell it, taste it, and learn how to cook it. I want this farm to be an ‘experience centre’ of all the beauties of seaweed. In other words, it is a farm not only cultivate seaweed, but also cultivate people’s mind.
14
Schedule of Accommodation
cultivating
harvesting
learning
drying
tasting
processing
shopping
Admin admin office meeting room farmers’ lounge
40m2 20m2 40m2
Subtotal
100m2
Production seaweed hatchery seaweed farm seaweed drying processing space seaweed storage bio-refinery
50m2 15000m2 (outdoor) 500m2 400m2 170m2 140m2
Subtotal (habitable)
1260m2
Consumption shop seaweed restaurant seaweed cafe kitchen lecture room (flexible use) cooking workshop
150m2 150m2 120m2 60m2 170m2 170m2
Subtotal
820m2
Circulation + utilities
20% of total: 436m2
Estimated Total Area (Habitable): 2616m2 15
The Site: Birnbeck Island Birnbeck Island is located on the northern headland of Weston’s seafront. It is connected to the land by the Grade II Listed pier opened in 1867 and enjoyed great success as a major tourist attraction, with paddle steamers using it to ferry passengers between Weston and Wales.
16
The Old Days Historically Birnbeck Island was used as a ‘fun fair’ place with great successful in the earlier days. The pier opened in 1867, having been designed to attract the thousands of visitors brought by paddle steamers from all over the Bristol Channel. ‘There were marches through the town, children were given the day off school - it was a very special occasion.’’ ‘‘ There was masses of entertainment - there would have been the water chute, the switchback, a jungle, a hall of mirrors, shooting galleries, and even a skating rink!’ Today the island stands largely derelict and has been closed to public access. The majority of the existing buildings are in a dilapidated state as a result of rotting timber construction.
17
Feeling the Glorious History Upon my first visit to the site I was struck by the deplorable condition of the pier and the island; the bridge deck are missing parts, the walls of the pavilion have fallen down with structure exposed to the air, the roof is leaky with seagulls flying through, the structure of old ferry pier was still there but half of it has collapsed. The whole island becomes an isolated and detached land with no one there but just seagulls. However, when I saw the signs and marks left from the old days on the island, I can somehow glimpse the glory history of the island. I feel that one of the objectives of this project is to help restore the past glory by bringing a new type of tourism to provide people a different experience, which people will not have in anywhere else.
The existing structures
18
19
The Topography Apart from its history, another interesting thing I found about the island is the different characteristics of the two sides of the plinth: the north edge of the plinth has a very odd irregular shape while the south edge is completely straight. After some observation and thinking I realised that it is probably because the topography of the island: the north part of the island has a much more steep and complicated terrain than the south. This idea was proved after I checked the contours on the site plan. Interestingly this natural quality seems also has affected the layout of the buildings on the island. The main pavilion is sitting on the north edge to ‘protect the island’ while the south part is completely an open space with amazing view to the Weston town. The benches facing inward on the north edge also reveal the introverted characteristic of the north part island compared to the south part. I feel that this is an important identity of the island which needs to be considered in my design.
20
The view looking towards Weston town from the south edge of the island
Compared to the south of the island the north edge is more introverted
21
22
ine el ez on
e
tid low
tid
low
al
tid
er int
e
n zo
e
le
idd
e tid
n zo
m
de
h ti
hig
e zon
high
S To
a
ay
dB
an
To se
ne
li tide
nd Pier To the Gra
To Brea
n Down
and We
ston Be
ach
To Weston Woods To Prin ce Co ns or tG ard en s
Low Tide Line
View
Public Access
The Island is just next to the low tide line which is the perfect location for cultivating seaweed: the water is shallow enough to enable seaweed to absorb sunlight, and it will not dry up.
One of the feature of the Island is that it is a very extroverted thing with views towards all the directions. Therefore in the design a good viewing space needs to be provided.
There are two public car parks on the mainland adjacent to the pier entrance which can be used for visitor’s car parking. The pier access will be pedestrian only but there is an opportunity to restore the old tramway on the pier for both public access and seaweed transporting.
23
Precedent Study Finding a seaweed factory precedent was very difficult, so I studies two precedents which are not about seaweed, but both of them have some characters that can be shared with my project. The new harbour project in Albania revealed the beauty of using given elements on the site. The initial concept of the design derives from a shell on the bench. The shell shape then is developed to the plan and the geometry idea of the building unites. The materials used in the building also make people feel that the building grows out of the site and belongs to it. The Oliveira Da Serra Mill project depicts the possibility of revealing production process to public. The Conveyors carrying olives from the forest to the processing room are exposed externally, drawing visitor’s attention to the functions and process inside the building. The façade is glazed in order to let people see through the building and witness the whole olive oil making process.
24
Landscape for a New Harbour in Albania by Patrizia Pozzi
Oliveira Da Serra Mill in Ferreira Do Aentejo by Bakgordon
25
26
Part 2: Concept
27
The Concept Given the specific issue I want to solve in the brief and the unique characters of the site choice, I want my design to be a connection between production and consumption, food and people, land and sea. I imagine my project is a long walkway extending into the sea, leading people’s way to the building, the farm, and the beauty of seaweed. Therefore I call my design The Seaweed Pier.
28
29
Response
to the Site, History and Brief
Response to the Site
30
Extending into the Sea
Connecting by Tram
Seaweed grows in the sea. In order to have better water and lighting condition, the existing Birnbeck Pier will be further extended into the sea and the seaweed farm. The new pier also creates the visitor’s journey going into the sea and the seaweed farm.
As the extended pier is a relative long distance to walk, the old tramway on existing pier will be restored and extended to the new pier. The tram can be used for both visitor’s transport and seaweed transport
Using the Giving Character on the Site
A Tower for Looking In and Looking Out
As analysed earlier, the north and south of the island have different characters. I want to use what is give on the site by having the building on the north extruding up from the plinth to ‘protect the island’, while removing part of the south platform and having a softer landscape instead to provide easier access to the sea and better views to the Weston Town
The site is very extroverted with views all over around, I decided to have a tower for visitors to look out on the top. Also by using it as a drying tower it could be a symbol and a show case of seaweed and its processing process
31
Response to the History
Ferry Terminal: Reconnecting Weston and Cardiff In past history Birnbeck island was a popular tourist attraction for both the local people and people in Cardiff. The two cities in Bristol Channel were connected by ferrys. Today the two cities can be connected again because of seaweed; Welsh people have a long tradition of eating seaweed, they use seaweed to make bread, salad, and pub snacks. The new seaweed farm on Birnbeck Island will be an attractive place for Welsh people to visit and to experience a new type of tourism. I want to restore the old memory by having a ferry terminal at the end of the new pier to replace the old ferry terminal in Knightstone Lake which is not able to run daily ferry services between Cardiff and Weston because of the higher up location.
32
Flat Holm Island
Steep Holm Island
A New Fun Place The old Birnbeck Island was a funfair. People came at weekend with families and spent a whole day there. Today ‘fun’ is not only about entertainment, but also about a healthy life style. Seaweed is a perfect resource of healthy life because of its high nutritional values and sustainable growing method. In my design I want my seaweed farm to be a fun place to visit. It is a place that you can spend a whole day experiencing seaweed through touching, smelling, tasting, cooking, and seeing the process of growing, drying, processing. It is a place to experience fun and healthy life.
33
Response to the Brief
It’s All About Seaweed The journey on the pier will be all about seaweed, from the mainland to the end of the pier. I want to expose all of the cultivating and processing processes with different visitor facilities and activities scattered along the pier. Visitors will be encouraged to take part in the activities and experience every aspects of seaweed.
34
growing
processing
shipping
Linear Processing, Linear Building
Spaces Intertwining
For the efficiency of seaweed production the building will be in a linear form to represent the linear production process. It also helps visitors to understand the production process during their visit.
The public spaces will be intertwined with production spaces so that people can witness the production process without actually going into the production room
35
Scheme Layout The final layout of the scheme stretches from the mainland to the proposed new pier extending into the sea; - The main building accommodating seaweed processing facilities and the visitor centre sits against the north edge of the island in order to response to the site character. A seaweed drying tower is attach to the west end of the building.
ry l he na rm c i t Fa a H d erm e T ed we rr y we Sea Fe Sea
Dr
er ow T g yin
nd ga n i ess e roc entr P ed r C we isito a e V S
ier gP n i ist
Ex
- On the south of the main building will be an algae pond for cultivating micro-alage and produce energy for the building. It sits between the sea and the island which blurs the boundary between them, providing easier access to sea and better views from the island towards the Weston town. - The food farm cultivating edible seaweed is located around the area where low tide line passes through for better lighting and water condition. - In the food farm there is a small seaweed restaurant attached to the pier structure. It sits in the farm and provides seaweed based dishes and great views looking to the farm and the island. Two hatchery tanks are attached to the west end of the building. - The end of the pier is a ferry terminal running daily service between Cardiff to Weson-super_ mare. It is also a boat station for farmer’s boats and visitors’ boat for renting.
food farm
36
building energy farm
mainland
- All the programmes are connected by the existing Birnbeck Pier and a proposed new pier with tram running on them between the mainland and the ferry terminal.
am Tr
pC Sto
e aw Se
e
e dR
nt ra u sta rv Ha
C ing t s e
ve on
rs yo
B nd top Po S e ga am Al Tr
am Tr
pA Sto
A View from the Land towards the Island
37
An Aerial View of the Seaweed Farm and Ferry Terminal
38
An Aerial View of the Birnbeck Island
39
The Three Storylines There are three stories happing at the same time in this scheme: seaweed production, energy production and visitor’s journey, They are running interdependently and each of them has a unique story line that I will explain in the following a few pages.
40
Building Edible Seaweed
Food Farm
Energy
Energy Farm
41
2
Storyline 1: Seaweed Production The Cultivating and production process starts from the seaweed hatchery and ends at the main building on the island. 3
1. Mature seaweed cut to pieces and put in the tanks in seaweed hatchery. The pieces will release sporelings which will be cultured in the tanks. Seeding nets will be attached to the water wheels in the tanks. While the wheels drives the sporelings will be attached to the seeding nets.
3
3
3
4
1
2. Farmers carry the seeding nets to the farm in the sea and attached them to the farm structures, which is a series of aluminium sticks built in seabed. 3. The sporelings on the seeding nets will then grow to mature seaweed in the following 3 months until harvesting.
3
3
3
4. When seaweed is ready for harvesting farmers will cut the seaweed off from seeding nets and put them on the harvesting conveyors floating in the farm. The branches of conveyors all go to the main conveyor supported underneath the pier structure and run all the way to the drying tower.
3
2
5. Farmer receive seaweed in drying tower and hung them on the racks of paternoster system. Seaweed will be dried naturally through the moving of paternoster. 6.The dried seaweed will be further process and packaged in the processing room of the main building 7. The products will be stored in a storage combined with a seaweed shop. 8. A portion of products will be transported to the land by tram for future delivery. 42
CULTURE OF SPORELING 1
SEEDING 2
HARVESTING
GROWING 3
4
5
7
6
4
8
DRYING
G 5
PROCESSING 6
SELLING / STORING 7
SHIPPING
8
43
BIOFUEL FOR FERRY AND BOATS
ENERGY FOR C
Storyline 2: Energy Production The idea of energy production is from the technology that turning algae into bio-fuel and then producing heat and electricity when burning the bio-fuel in fuel cells. The process is: 1. Alage will be cultured in the algae pond on the south of the island. Alage absorbs sunlight naturally and high concentration of Co2 needs to be injected into the pond. 2. As algae grows very fast it will be harvested constantly through a pipe running underneath the plinth to the bio-refinery on the east end of the main building. 3.Alage will be refined and turned to bio-gas which will be used to power the tram and the boats. 4. The rest of bio-gas will be burned in the fuel cells. During this process, heat and electricity will be produced to power the building, and as a by-product Co2 will be produced and will be injected back to the algae pond to catalyse the algae to grow.
ELECTRICITY FOR CONVEYOR
BIOFUEL FOR BOATS AND FERRY
44
CONVEYORS
ENERGY FOR PATERNOSTER REFINERY
BIOFUEY FOR TRAM
CO2
ALGAE
ALGAE FARM
ELECTRICITY & HEAT
BURN
FUEL CELL BIO
GA
S
ALGAE
BIOREFINERY
ENERGY FARM
CO2
BIOFUEL FOR TRAM
L
FUE
BIO
45
Storyline 3: Visitor Circulation Unlike the linear processes of seaweed and energy production, the visitor’s circulation on the island is relatively free. Visitors can stroll on the pier and the island seeing things without following a certain rule. However because of the nature of the linear layout of the scheme I designed the journey route in a way that people can have the best experience about seaweed. As the visitor’s experience is the key to my design, in the next chapter I will explain the scheme in the sequence of a visitor’s journey.
FERRY TERMINAL TO CARDIFF AND ISLANDS
46
SEAWEED RESTAURANT
FARM TOUR
TOWER TOUR
TALK
COOKING WORKSHOP
FACOTRY TOUR
SEAWEED CAFE
TRAM
SHOP
47
48
Part 3: Scheme
49
A Journey Going into the Sea The essence of the scheme is the visitor’s journey of walking through the pier from the land to the end. The journey strings various activities together on the pier leading into the sea and the seaweed farm. In this chapter I will explain the scheme in the sequence of a visitor’s journey, and illustrates what happens in each part of the scheme.
Site Plan
50
Site Plan
51
Starting off from the Land The Tramway
The journey starts from the land. Visitors may choose walk to the island or take the tram as a fresh starting experience. The tram is seaweed powered so it will be the first thing that visitors will experience about seaweed.
52
The Tram route
Tram Cars
The tram is running between the land and the ferry terminal with three stops to take on and off passengers.
A tram consists of two passenger cars for transporting public visitors and one freight car for transporting seaweed between the farm and the land. The number of card may vary according to needs
53
Approaching to the Island As approaching to the island the main building, the algae pond, the drying tower and the seaweed farm stretching to horizon will gradually come in sight. The imagine in front of eyes will immediately tell people that this is a place about seaweed.
54
55
56
A Looking of the Island from above 1:200 Building Model
57
58
1. Bio-refinery 2. Seaweed Storage & Shop 3. Processing Space 4. Drying Tower 5. General Storage 6. Plant Room 7. Farmer’s Lounge 8. Admin Office 9. Alage Pond
Ground Floor Plan The ground floor of the building is mainly for edible seaweed and seaweed energy productions. The building in plan are divided into north part and south part according the geometry and the character of the site. The south part has a regular linear shape to accommodate the linear production spaces while the north part which following the shape of the plinth accommodates services and admin offices. The algae pond sits on the south providing easier access to the sea and better views to the Weston Town.
59
60
1. Flexible Lecture Room 2. Reception 3. Seaweed Cafe 4. Gallery 5 Cooking Workshop 6. Drying Tower 7. Outdoor Platform
First Floor Plan The first floor is public for visitors to explore. It accommodates education and consumption facilities including lecture room, seaweed cafe, and cooking workshop. There are also spaces where people can looking down to the processing spaces on the ground floor, such as the gallery and the cafe. Therefore the experience on the first floor is totally intertwined with the production process. The top of the north service part becomes a public viewing platform for visitors to explore the beauty of island topography on both sides.
61
The First Look
Bio-refinery and East Facade The refinery on the east end of the building turns algae to energy. As it is the first looking of the building when visitors approach the building, the plants in the refinery are designed to be integrated in the facade language.
fuel cells
refinery oil tanks
The Plants that Turn Algae to Energy The algae will be turned to biofuel first in the oil tank and then it will be burned in fuel cells to generate heat and electricity
Plants Become Part of the Facade Three oil tanks in the refinery are designed to be part of the facade so that visitors will know its function immediately.
A view Looking to the refinery from the east 1:200 Building Model
63
Blurring the Boundary The Algae Pond
The algae pond is designed on the south of the building for the season that it need sunlight. But more importantly it is a landscape between the sea and the island and blurs their boundary. When people stand in front of the pond looking toward the sea, the pond, the sea and the horizon become integrative.
Absorbing Sunlight The algae pond are place on the south to maximum sunlight gained by algae.
64
Looking out to the Sea The pond acts as a landscape providing visitors a better open space for viewing.
The relationship between the building and the pond 65
A Little Taste of Seaweed
Seaweed Cafe and Seaweed Storage+Shop The Seaweed Cafe on the first floor will be the visitor’s first taste of seaweed. Seaweed-made drinks such as cider, bear and tea will be provided. On the floor above is a combination of seaweed storage and shop. This two space are designed that they are linked both visually and physically.
Seaweed Storage Combined with Shop The products become an exhibition of seaweed species while shopping in the same space.
Linking to the Cafe Above The void in the cafe of the first floor above creates a visual link to the storage tanks below, and visitor can use the stairs provided to start shopping on the lower level.
67
A Production Show
Gallery and Processing Space The processing space on the ground occupied the largest area of space. Because of health and safety reasons it is not likely to allow visitors to access the processing space without tour guide. Therefore a gallery space on the first floor where people can looking down to the processing space is designed to invite people seeing how the seaweed products are made.
Processing after Drying
Production Becomes a Show
Dried seaweed from the drying tower will be brought to the processing space for further process, including cutting, seasoning, shredding, quality controlling and packaging.
The Gallery acts as the audience area of the show, which is the production process. The first floor is mainly glazed so people can also see the production from the north outdoor platform.
69
A View in The First Floor Gallery 70
71
A Showcase for Seaweed Drying Tower
The drying tower, attached to the west end of the main building, is another import part for both seaweed processing and public visiting. The Harvested seaweed coming from the conveyor underneath the bridge will be hung and dried in the Tower. Also, the tower allow visitors to enter and explore the drying processing of seaweed while climbing to the top for a aerial viewing of the sea and the town.
72
A Close Look of the Drying Tower 1:200 Building Model
73
SECTION OF THE SEAWEED DRYING TOWER Cutting through the Paternoster Transporting System
The Paternoster
Making it More Efficiency and Enjoyable The Paternoster System As seaweed has to be dried naturally to keep the maximum nutrients and guarantee the best tastes, a paternoster system is introduced to improve the air movement making the drying process more efficient. On the other hand the paternoster will also be used for visitor’s Vertical circulation. Each car unit consists of a cage for passenger and a rack for hanging seaweed. The movements of people and seaweed in the tower create a dynamic perspective for viewing and observing.
A Typical Floor of the Drying Tower 74
Tower Section
An Internal view of the Drying Tower and Paternoster 75
Inside the Tower Tower plans
The introduction of paternoster not only improved the drying process of seaweed , but also made the whole production process easier and more efficient; Farmers can hang or pick seaweed on equally without climbing up and down the tower.
Lower Ground Floor - Seaweed Receiving Farmer receive harvested seaweed from the conveyor and hang them onto the racks on paternoster cars.
76
Ground Floor - Ready to be Processed When the dried seaweed is read to be processed farm on the ground floor will cut them from the racks and bring them to the processing space.
First Floor - Pick & Cook
Typical Middle Floors- A Enjoyable Vertical Journey
Top Floor - The Best Viewing Place
When the dried seaweed is read to be processed farm on the ground floor will cut them from the racks and bring them to the processing space.
For visitors the process of moving up and down will be enjoyable because of seaweed observations inside the tower and viewing out at the balconies protruding out of the tower as an escape of the enclosed space.
The Top Floor of the tower is a large outdoor balcony providing the best view looking to the seaweed farm to the east and the Weston town to the south.
77
Pick & Cook
Cooking Workshop and Drying Tower The cooking workshop provides visitors opportunities to learn how to cook seaweed dishes. It is designed to be located at the west end of the main building directed looking to drying tower. Visitors can pick dried seaweed from the tower for cooking resource and bring them back to the workshop to cook.
Pick
Cook
79
A View in the Cooking Workshop Looking to the Drying Tower 80
81
An External View of the Building From the South Side in the Sea 82
83
84
Long Sectional Perspective Cutting through the Main Building 85
86
Front View of the Building 1:200 Build Model
87
Growing Out of the Island The North Back of the Building
The shape of the north part of the building defined by the topography of the island and therefore the geometry of the existing plinth, which I think is an important identity of the site. This part is mainly for services so it is mainly solid made of concrete with rooflight on the top and very limited windows on the facade, giving people a feeling that it grows out of the island.
88
Back View of the Building 1:200 Build Model
89
90
Journey Continues The island is not the end of the journey; after visiting the main building and the drying tower on the island, the journey continues towards the new pier leading to the seaweed farm on the other end of the pier. If the main building and the island is about industrial and processing, the new pier and the farm in the front are more natural and growing, which is the most lively part of seaweed life.
91
The Essence of the Scheme The Seaweed Farm
The Seaweed farm is the premise of the existence of anything else in this scheme. Therefore it needs to be designed to work efficiently. Also walking through the Farm on the Pier and seeing the process of seaweed growing and harvesting would be a wonderful part of the journey.
Farming Racks
Harvesting Conveyors
The Farming Structure consists of a series of aluminium sticks built into the seabed. Seeding nets are attached on the sticks and floating on water surface. Seaweed grows on the seeding nets from sporelings to mature plants until harvesting.
Floating conveyors are introduced as the harvesting system. The 6 branches are floating in sea while they are all connecting to the main conveyor supported by the bridge structure. During harvesting seaweed will be transported distinctly the drying tower for drying process.
93
When the Start Meets the End Seaweed Restaurant and Hatchery
After walking through the main processing building, the drying tower and the seaweed farm, seeing seaweed being cultivated, harvested, dried and processed, finally visitor will get the seaweed restaurant. The consuming and tasting process in the restaurant becomes a final celebration of the journey and the entire cycle of seaweed life. The restaurant is designed to be located right next to the hatchery where seaweed are still in the phase of sporelings. Here the starting point of seaweed life meets the final celebration of visitor’s journey, reminding people the very origin of seaweed life track. Sitting in the restaurant, the farm around you , the drying tower in the distance and the hatchery next to you all remind you where the food is from and how we got it from the nature.
plan location
Restaurant and Views
Seaweed Hatchery
95
96
A View of the Farm and the Restaurant Building from the Sea
97
The End is not the End... Ferry Terminal and Boat Station
As the journey getting closer towards the end of the pier, walking back over the same route is always not an exciting choice. Here there are more choices than just this. The ferry terminal and boat station at the end of the pier provide visitors the opportunities to extend their journey to somewhere else; they can take a ferry going to Cardiff, or Steep Holm and Flat Holm, the two small islands which have already been famous as tourist places in the middle of the Bristol Channel. Visitors can also choose to rent boat and get a close-up observation of the seaweed farm, and taking part in the seeding or harvesting process. The ferry service between Cardiff and Weston-super Mare also reconnects the two cities together. With the long history of seaweed eating tradition, the new seaweed industry on the Birnbeck Island will become an attractive and fresh tourist destination to Welsh people ,and help to restoring the glory of the Birnbeck Pier in the past.
98
99
100
101
102
Part 4: Tectonic
103
Main Building
corrugated aluminium roof with roof light
The Overall Structure - Main Building The structural strategy of the main building was based on the idea of ‘use what is given on the site’ according to the natural and topography identity of the site. The structure of the ground floor is mainly concrete to achieve the idea of ‘growing out of the island. The first floor use steel CHS construction with timber roof structure supported on the top of it to achieve a light touch to the concrete construction of the ground floor and the plinth.
glue-laminated timber roof structure
6
stainless steel circular hollow section structure
5
glass facade construction
4
3
precaset concrete frame construction
1
104
2
Precast reinforced concrete columns as the primary structure of the ground floor
Cast in-situ concrete wall for north part of the building
50mm timber battens with fixing screws
The building skins: precast concrete panels for the ground floor and glass panels for the first floor
Stainless steel CHS sections as the primary structure of the first floor
Corrugated aluminium roof
Glue-laminated timber beams as the primary roof structure
The finished building
105
Facade Type 1 This is the facade type for most area of the south facade apart from the lecture room. There are several factors that have been considered in the design process. - The first floor of the building is mainly glazed to keep transparency for public spaces and allow sufficient natural light to get in, while the ground floor facade is mainly opaque to avoid direct sunlight entering the food production space. - All the glass area on the south is louvred in order to avoid overheating and direct sunlight because the fact that the site is on an island without any neighbour buildings are trees as shelters. - The main circulation route on the first floor protrudes out of the ground floor perimeter forming an shelter area for people to walk underneath on the ground level and to sit on the benches against the concrete facade. - Considering the fact that the site is relatively windy, the glue-laminated timber columns are connected to the concrete floor slab to provided further stability for the roof.
106
Facade Type 2 The facade type of the lecture room is slightly different to the rest of the area: - the protruding corridor stops and becomes the main entrance stairs connecting the ground and the first floor. - a proportion of the south facade louvres are cut off to indicate and highlight the entrance location - the glass line on the first floor draws back to the structure line in order to give space for the entrance. The CHS columns therefore need to be insulated and coated to avoid cold bridge.
107
108
Detail Section 1:100
109
Roof Light Construction Detail 1:20 a
- corrugated aluminium roof sheeting - Z-section steel angle to support roof sheeting on insulation - 70mm styrofoam insulation - waterproof membrane - 50mm timber battens with fixing screws - 40mm plywood sheet - 250*150 glue-laminated timber beams - 12mm double glazing panels - prefabricated steel L-section subframe - Steel fascia - timber studs to support glass frame - Z flashing - flexible fire grade sealant
110
b
Detail a
Detail b
111
South Facade Construction detail - First Floor 1:20
a
Roof - corrugated aluminium roof sheeting - Z-section steel angle to support roof sheeting on insulation - 70mm styrofoam insulation - waterproof membrane - 50mm timber battens with fixing screws - 40mm plywood sheet - 190*150 roof gutter Facade - 250*150 glue-laminated timber beams and columns with pin joints - 8mm heat and sound insulative glass+16mm cavity+6mm heat and sound insulative glass - prefabricated steel c-section subframe - 30*100 timber louvres Floor - pin joints between glue-laminated column and concrete floor slab - steel flash - 50mm concrete floor finish - 50mm floor screed - 200mm reinforced floor slab, cast in-situ - water proof membrane - 80mm rigid insulation layer - Z-sections to hold insulation - cement board screwed on plywood with render for external ceiling
112
b
Detail a
Detail b
113
South Facade Construction Detail - Ground Floor 1:20
a
First Floor - 50mm concrete floor finish - 50mm floor screed - 200mm reinforced floor slab, cast in-situ - water proof membrane - 80mm rigid insulation layer - Z-sections to hold insulation - cement board screwed on plywood with render for external ceiling Facade - 250* 300 pre-cast concrete columns - 150mm internal concrete panels - vapour barrier - 100mm insulation - 1500*3500*100mm pre-cast concrete wall panels for external claddings - wall ties - timber benches with triangle frame supports pinned in to the concrete panels Ground Floor - 50mm concrete floor finish - 50mm floor screed - 130mm reinforced floor slab, cast in-situ - 100mm rigid insulation layer - water proof membrane - sand bleeding - 200mm hardcore - stripe concrete foundation
114
b
Detail a
Detail b
115
Walkable Roof Construction Detail 1:20 Roof - 100mm concrete slab as external finish - 100*100 drainage - 50mm floor screed - bituminous roof membrane underneath the screed layer - 80mm insulation - water proof membrane - 200mm structural reinforced concrete slab, cast in-situ - suspended ceiling system Walk on Rooflight - double glazed walk on unit: - 25.5mm clear heat soaked toughened laminated outer glass+ -14mm black silicone sealed argon filled cavity+ - 6mm clear toughened soft coat low E inner glass - factory applied structural glazing tape with structural adhesive seal - dual hardness EPDM gasket - low modulus neutral cure silicone with polyethylene bond breaking backing rod Parapet Wall - 70mm pre-cast concrete cap - 250mm structural in-situ concrete - waterproof membrane - 100mm styrofoam insulation - wall ties - 100mm cast in-situ concrete - 80mm steel pipe, safety sink for rain water
116
117
zinc roof sheeting
The Overrall Structure - Drying Tower The structural strategy of the drying tower was base on the idea of having the same structural and material language with the main building. The tower’s primary structure is 16 steel SHS columns, and the steel secondary structure in the middle of the tower supports the vertical circulation and the paternoster system. The timber claddings are screwed to the primary structure.
paternoster and secondary structures
steel mesh
stainless steel mesh stairs
glued timber cladding
SHS steel column as primary structure
118
Primary Structure
Paternoster
Vertical Circulation
Timber Cladding
Protruding Balconies
Drying Tower
119
Tower Construction Detail
Column - 300*300*5000 SHS steel columns bolted together Stairs and Flooring - 20mm welded mesh reinforced steel mesh flooring - 100*50 steel structure members for supporting Facade - glued European larch cladding screwed onto the SHS columns Balcony - steel strip steel balustrades with waterproof layer - L-section angles to fix the balustrade
120
121
corrugated aluminium roof
The Structure of the Restaurant The restaurant has similar principle with the main building; the floor is supported by the pillars built into seabed, and the glue-laminated timber roof structure is supported by steel CHS columns.
glue-laminated timber structure
reinforced concrete slab cast in-situ; glass walls; 100mm CHS steel columns
steel pillar foundations built into seabed
122
Detail Section 1:100
123
The Structure of the Harvesting Conveyors
timber pier deck and I beams
The six branches of the conveyors sit on a series of buoys so that they will be floating in the sea. Each floating branch is 60m long therefore it consists of three segments with each of the segment 20m long in order to avoid bending during low tide. The first segment attaching to the pier has reinforced structures with stronger structural beams and bracing in order to avoid damage during low tide. The main conveyor underneath the pier is supported by CHS structural member connected to primary beam of the pier. main braced beam supporting the the pier deck
branch conveyor with stronger stronger structural members conveyor supported by pier structure
124
125
Working as a System There are lots of elements in this scheme and lots of activities going on at the same time. However that does not mean that the scheme will go to too complicated. During the tectonic studies of this project I tried to keep the scheme ‘simple but sophisticated’ , and to make it work as an efficient system with the simplest structural solution.
126
127
Constructure Sequence
- existing building to be demolished and site cleared. - restoration of the existing Birnbeck pier
128
- construction of new pier and ferry terminal
- construction of new pier and ferry terminal - Birnbeck island site work: construction of algae pond and stripe foundation for the main building. - primary tower structure construction
- cast in-situ concrete walls for north part of the main building. - installing pre-cast concrete columns and concrete wall panel for south part of the main building - secondary tower structure installation
- concrete floor slab cast on site - staircases to be installed - paternoster system to be installed in the drying tower
- CHS columns to be installed on the first floor to support roof structure - stairs and circulation elements to be installed in the drying tower
- cross laminated timber roof structure to be installed - facade glazing to be installed - roof light installation - corrugated aluminium roof placed - timber cladding for drying tower installation
- construction of seaweed farm structures - installation of tram way system
129
Materiality corrugated aluminium roofing layer
The Building The material choices of the main building has a similar approach with its structural strategy; As I want the ground floor of the building to be more grounded and ‘growing out of the island’, it is mainly made of concrete which is the same material of the existing plinth. The upper floor is more public and open, I want to use lighter materials to give the site a light touch contrasting to the grounded concrete construction of the lower floor.
timber roof structure
steel first floor structure
glass first floor skin
concrete ground floor structure and skin
130
Dying Tower The primary structure of the tower is made of steel for the best efficiency. The paternoster core in the middle of the tower is clad by metal mesh to provide both safety and transparency. The exterior of the tower has timber cladding to match the same material language of the main building
mesh paternoster skin
steel structure and stairs
timber skin
131
132
Part 5: Environmental Strategy
133
Seaweed Energy As the most important environmental strategy introduced to this project, the idea of using seaweed energy had been consolidated in the very early stage and has been fully integrated into the design. In this scheme the algae pond is not just an industrial facility for producing energy, it has become an important quality of both site responding and the visitor’s journey.
134
BIOFUEL FOR FERRY AND BOATS
ENERGY FOR CONVEYORS
ENERGY FOR PATERNOSTER REFINERY
BIOFUEY FOR TRAM
CO2
ALGAE
ALGAE FARM
ELECTRICITY FOR CONVEYOR
ELECTRICITY & HEAT
BURN
FUEL CELL BIO
GA
S
ALGAE
BIOREFINERY
ENERGY FARM
CO2
BIOFUEL FOR BOATS AND FERRY
BIOFUEL FOR TRAM
L
FUE
BIO
135
Heating and Electricity The main resource of heating and electricity of the building is from the energy produced in the fuel cells when blurring algae fuel. In addition to this the building also uses photovoltaic cells as a complementary of harvesting energy. These cells will be placed on the south facing roof of the main building which is pitched to 30 degree and has a surface area of 600m2. Because the site does not have any neighbouring buildings and obstacle which cause shadings the PV cell will be working very efficiently all through the year.
136
137
Ventilation During the design process the section of the building has been carefully considered to achieve the best ventilation efficiency. The main processing space will be ventilated through the rooflight, opening on the first floor, and the vents on the ground floor. The big void on the first floor connects the two storeys into one therefore helps the ventilation of the entire whole building. The narrow form of the building allows single-sided ventilation through the windows and rooflights in the farmer’s lounge, admin office and the room for services on the north edge of the building.
138
Lighting The Building’s narrow form allows natural light to flood the entire depth of the spaces. Direct sunlight will be reduced by the louvres on the south facade, while the glass north facade provides more comfortable natural light to both the public spaces on the first floor and the production spaces on the ground. Additional sunlight is introduced through the skylight to both interior of the building and the external platform on the north edge of the island. For the farmer’s lounge and the admin office diffused sunlight will be introduced through the translucent glass of the walk on rooflight, providing a good lighting condition for working.
140
Part 6: Regulatory Compliance
141
Part B - Fire Strategy The scheme is relatively large scale with the main building and the drying tower sitting on the Birnbeck Island, a new pier extending into the sea and a single-programme building (the restaurant) located at the end of the pier. The pier and the drying tower are both open-air and the restaurant is single-story attached to the pier, therefore the fire strategy of the main building on the island will be the main issue that need to be addressed.
B3_ Internal Fire Spread - Structure - The primary structure on the ground floor, precast concrete, is inherently fire resistance. Since the structure is exposed in most of the areas, an addition of fire retardant layer will be applied. - The steel structure on the first floor will be coated by fire-resistant layer. B4_ External Fire Spread
B1_ Warning & escape - Heat and smoke alarms to meet BS5839-1 installed within all parts of both the main building and the restaurant building. - Traditional audible siren to warn of a fire, as well as visual alarms (in the form of warning lights) for the hard of hearing - Sealed fire corridor connecting cells. - Doors to fire resistance staircases are fitted with automatic closing device in case of fire. - Fire resistance staircases kept free from combustible materials and contain a disabled refuge - All exits & routes at least 900mm wide - Hand-held fire extinguishers distributed throughout building - Manual call points complied BS 5839-2:1983 to be installed by the exits and near high risk zones such as kitchen, in accordance to BS 5839-1. - For most of the areas, there are more than one fire exit available, where the escape distance is less than 45m. Less than 18m escape distance where one fire exit is available. B2_ Internal fire spread -linings - All internal linings and soft furnishing treated to resist flame spread over their surfaces - Fire resistant glass used in staircases in the main building - All doors and openings will have a 60 minutes fire rating - additional hand held extinguishers provided in higher risk areas, kitchen and plant. - The primary structure on the ground floor, precast concrete, is inherently fire resistance. Since the structure is exposed in most of the areas, an addition of fire retardant layer will be applied. - The steel structure on the first floor will be coated by fire-resistant layer.
142
- All external cladding and openings are 60 minutes fire rating. - Sprinkler system is installed and shower heads are equally distributed throughout the building. - The building is sitting on the island without any neighbouring buildings. B5_ Access for the Fire Services - Fire and rescue service vehicles can access to the island and the end of the new pier - Over 15% of perimeter with vehicular access to comply part b section 17.4 - Water valves will be located in protected stairs for fire service use.
Escape Route Fire-resistant Stair
143
Part M - Circulation & Access The provision of easy access to and within the building was an essential design factor from the outset, to avoid discriminating against any portion of society. Public visitors access the island, the seaweed farm or the ferry terminal by the tram running on the pier between mainland and the ferry terminal. Public visitors use the main entrance staircase to access the first floor of the building, which is public space. Staff access the building by the doors directly on the ground. Public external staircase is provided for the people who want to access the north edge of the island but do not want to enter the building. Internally, vertical circulation is provided by staircases in the reception and processing areas. The staircase in the cafe serves the public connecting the cafe and the shop. The staircase in the processing area connecting to the gallery on the first floor will be used for guided tours. Lift is provided adjacent to the main entrance serving disabled people. All of the stairs within the building comply to part M regulations. Circulating routes throughout the building exceed 1500mm to allow wheelchair users easy movement between rooms. Disabled toilets provided in all inhabited levels
144
Main Entrance Stair Other Stairs Lift Seaweed Delivery Service Access
145
Construction Design Manangement
Overall Management A construction design management consultant would be engaged by the contractor as soon as possible to ensure that the entire team is aware of its responsibilities. Their role would be to adequately brief members of both the design and construction teams and ensure that they are operating under the appropriate health and safety framework. All risks should be identified before going to site, so that they can be eliminated. If any risk remains reasonable attempts should be made to reduce them, inform workers of them and control them.
Welfare of Workers Adequate welfare facilities to be provided on site including toilets, showers, canteen or food preparation area, meeting room and sick bay. These facilities would be located adjacent to the contractor’s office, with particular consideration given to the access of the sick bay by ambulances.
Site management Considering the inconvenient island access, proximity to the sea and limited space around much of the site, careful management will be essential in delivering a smooth build and minimising injuries. Before any site work on the island the existing Birnbeck Pier must be restored to allow future deliver of materials. The delivery of materials can take place through the restored Birnbeck pier, although larger prefabricated components could be manufactured in another city of Bristol Channel (eg. Cardiff) and delivered by freight. The Birnbeck Pier have to be closed throughout the construction process to protect members of the public and allow the passage of materials over it.
146
Demolitions
Risk
Means of eliminating risk
Remaining risk reduced
Uncontrolled collapse of the island
Survey existing buildings to establish stability
close the public access of the Birnbeck Pier
Take care not to undermine foundation
Construction
Hazardous materials, e.g asbestos
Carry out full survey prior to commencement to establish hazards
Ensure that demolition workers have correct safety equipment, including protective clothing & breathing apparatus
Temporary instability of structure
Use of prefabricated components to attain structural integrity more quickly
Design temporary props and bracing to prevent collapse
Use of prefabricated components which can be craned into position rather than assembled at height
Provide protection at edges of concrete floorplates
Identify areas of overhead working and schedule work to avoid people operating within the high risk area
Provide suitable lifting & tethering equipment as well as safety netting
Falls from height
Falling object casuing injury
Use a cherry picker as a platform from which to fix lath cladding to canopy
Ensure hard hats are worn at all times
Maintenance
Use
Restrict access to areas adjacent to components which are unstable
Potential falls from height during: cleaning of rooflight
Inward opening inspection window allow building users to access rooflight for cleaning with an extendible pole
Maintenance of roof
Use of durable, low maintenance materials such as zinc or aluminium
Falls from height, e.g drying tower
1100mm hight barrier to be designed for all places where falling could be a possibility
Public injury by seaweed-processing equipment
access to processing room must be guided
Provision of harness points where repair work at height is undertaken
147
Construction Estimation: Building Cost: =Units Rate x Gross Floor Area Processing Area (inlcuding drying tower) = 1343 m2 x £1500 / m2 = £2,014,500 Circulation + Service Area = 912 m2 x £1800 / m2 = £1,641,600 Public + Admin Area = 1112m2 x £2200 / m2 = £2,446,400 Subtotal = £6,102,500 Landscaping (including farm and conveyor) (15% of above) = £915,375 Subtotal = £7,017,875 Contractor Preliminaries + Profit (Add 12%) = £842,145 Subtotal = £7,860,020 Design + Construction Contingencies (Add 10%) = £786,002 Subtotal = £86,46,022 Consultants + Statutory Fees (Add 15%) = £1,296,903 Project Cost Estimation (excluding VAT ) = £9,942,925
148
149
150
Part 7: Self Assessment
151
Self Assessment Looking back to what I have done for this project and the evolution of the scheme I am happy with the final result. During the design process in the last 4 month I felt that I have set up a very challenging brief on a challenging site. The brief required myself to design an industrial building that is not just about production, but offering more qualities to the visitors and the public. This struggled me a lot in the early stage as I need to solve both the production spaces to make them work efficiently, and the public spaces to make people’s journey enjoyable. More importantly, how do the two different types of spaces can be integrated and intertwined in order to create a sophisticated architectural solution. Besides, the strong character of the site makes it more difficult to get start on programming the building on the site. The process of designing was very difficult but I feel that everything that I do and I think is a process of learning. I think the whole design process was under control all the time and the scheme is evolving gradually to a well-solved solution. I am not sure if the scheme has achieved ‘sophisticated’ but I think it achieved mostly the requirements of the brief and I explored the questions and topics that I am interested in during my essay writing and research. For me, I really enjoyed the processing of designing and exploring a building type that I do not know much.
152
As the scale of the project is relatively large and mechanisms and plants for seaweed production added more complexity, some of the aspects of the scheme are still having problems and not well solved. The first floor plan is steel not working very well. The meaning and necessity of the gaps between each function is not very clear. I was criticised in the final crit that I put too much effort on the island, but the farm is also architecture, which worth spending more time to design. I think I agreed with it. I was a bit conservative when designing the scheme because I thought that I should make the ‘building’ done first, and then design the rest of the scheme which is not conventionally a ‘building’. This made me did not put enough thinking on the farm, which should be the essential part of the scheme, rather than an ‘accessory’. If I had more time to spend on the project the first thing I would do is to further develop the seaweed farm, putting more ‘intelligence’ into it and make it more powerful to the scheme. I feel that there are still lots of opportunities and potentials there to improve the architecture quality of the farm and the visitor’s experience in it.
153
156