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‘In architecture, the pride of man, his triumph over gravitation, his will to power, assume visible form. Architecture is a sort of oratory of power by means of form.’ – Friedrich Nietzsche
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Third year project
Second year project
Second year project
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Third year project
Second year project
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EXTERNAL EAST ELEVATION
Greater Carpenters Neighbourhood: the site The site of the project is the Greater Carpenters
Neighbourhood in Stratford, London. The residents of the Greater Carpenters community have spent several years with the uncertainty for the future of their homes. In
2003
started
new
plans
to
redesign
the
neighbourhood by demolishing the three historical towers of the community and some of the low rise social houses. None of these plans have taken action and nowadays the government is forcing the community of the neighbourhood to relocate elsewhere. Brickotopia: a second chance for the new generation The purpose of Brickotopia is to give a second chance to the community, in particular to the young generations. The youth centre represents a safe space where working parents can leave their children during the day and a space were the younger members of the community can learn its history and that strong sense of community that has always characterized the Greater Carpenters. Neighbourhood.
EXTERNAL SOUTH ELEVATION
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Design strategies The design of the Brickotopia is based on a system of arches and vaults. The choice of bricks as the main material for the youth centre represents an attempt to commit the buildings to the rich history and traditions of its neighbourhood. Brickotopia is made up of a series of small buildings rather than a single main structure in order to recreate a sense of community and a village environment for the people inside. As for the technical side of the project, each structure is characterized by structural arches that support the vault which is built following the Guastavino tile technique. The youth centre was projected to become a landmark for the Greater Carpenters neighbourhood . The centre, with its organic architecture inspired from the more modern
buildings in the site London Aquatic centre and the Stratford station, represent a bridge between the historical Victorian houses made in bricks and the future.
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LEGEND 1. M.U.G.A. (Multi Use Game Area) 2. Teenager’s area 3. Entrance
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4. Cinema 5. Café
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GROUNDFLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
6. Children's area
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CAFÉ : internal view
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
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CHILDREN AREA: internal view
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NORTH-WEST ELEVATION
“Just play”, a Children’s entertainment centre. The site of the project is situated in an area of Leicester close to De Montfort University. The site is surrounded by typical British houses and an historical railway facing the Soar river. The aim of the project was to create a connection between the design of the children centre and the railway and also to create a structure that could contain up to 100 children of the age between 3 and 8 years old. The gross internal area of the site does not exceed the 500 sqm and contain both learning and social areas. The design strategies of the project were all made with the prospective of a child. The choice of having different structures rather than a main one was justified by thinking that a children could feel less intimidated by a smaller scale building in which he could familiarise with it easily rather than a big one in which he could feel lost in it. The shape of each building represents a connection with the surrounding site and it also represents the way a child would draw a house, the safest place he knows. The circulation of the centre is provided by an external ramp which connects every building to each other.
SOUTH ELEVATION
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GROUNDFLOOR PLAN LEGEND:
7.
Café
14.
Toilets
1.
Entrance
8.
Learning area
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Painting area
2.
Changing room
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Learning area
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Food village
3.
Play area
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Food village
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Café
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Cinema
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Office
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Toilets
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Green house
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Library
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Learning area
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN
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railway SECOND FLOOR PLAN
Each building has a different function and purpose for the development of the education of the children. For this purpose the centre also includes a little green house in which children can learn how to respect and take care of nature from an early age. The railway represents a secondary entrance to the children’s centre. Families can enter from the railways through the cafÊ or externally from the ramp which will lead them to every room.
ROOF PLAN
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NORTH-WEST SECTION
SOUTH SECTION
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COURTYARD VIEW
AERIAL VIEW
EXTERNAL VIEW
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1. EXTERNAL VIEW
EXTENDING THE CITY: Celebrating Leicester’s Richard the III Centre The site of the project is located just behind the Leicester’s King Richard III Visitor Centre in the medieval friary of the Grey Friars, where the king’s remains were buried over 500 years ago. The visitor centre has played an important role in the city’s regeneration and economic growth. The aim of the project was to re-imagine and recreate a new important civic space in the city, whilst considering its connections to the wider city area and the City’s Cathedral.
2. EXTERNAL VIEW
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SECTION A-A
SECTION B-B
INTERNAL VIEW
NORTH-WEST ELEVATION
NORTH-EAST EL
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SECTION C-C Design strategies The core of the project is represented by the design of the café. The café is
placed above a series of small outdoor seating areas that are all situated at different high levels. These are all connected through a series of ramps which make the building easy to access to anyone. Technically the café is made of structural glass and a Corten steel structure underneath it. The use of Corten create a visive connection with the surrounding old bricks of which the houses are made of. The complexity of the forms of the design represents the project as a celebratory pavilion within a garden.
EVATION
SOUTH-WEST ELEVATION
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EAST ELEVATION
NORTH ELEVATION
Micro flat: the Diogene project The design of the unit is divided into two different areas: night area and day area. The day area consists of the kitchen and the dining room. The night area consists of bedroom and bathroom. The micro flat is characterised by a regular rectangular base for the plan and a roof irregularly inclinated. Sustainability:
After the study of the Diogene project by Renzo Piano, the micro flat was designed by following a similar system for the water collection. The rainy water is collected in the gutter on the roof edge and it is sent through the pipes to the water tank that will filter it and make it reusable. The flush water is sent through a siphon cockpit into the imoph tank where the water will be treated and sent through separate pipes into the soil surrounding the micro flat to act as a fertiliser. The electricity system comes solely from the solar panels where the sunlight is absorbed by the panes and turned into usable electricity. The internal ventilation has been improved in the flat by designing windows and openings on each wall. Also the micro flat has two windows at the edges of the structure (1) that have to be oriented east and west in order to
lighten the day area when the sun rises and lighten the night zone when the sun sets.
SOUTH ELEVATION
WEST ELEVATION
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SOLAR BOILER: It collects energy from the sun and converts it into hot water
ROOF CONSTRUCTION: -18 mm plywood -0.25 mm vapour
barrier -cavity insulation -15 mm sheathing board -0.6 mm breather membrane -25 mm x 25 mm vertical battens -25 mm x 50 mm horizontal battens
FLOOR CONSTRUCTION: -18mm plywood -0.25 mm vapour barrier -cavity insulation -15 mm sheathing board -0.3 mm breather membrane -the primary structure is composed of 200 mm x 200 mm x 150 mm beam The distance between every secondary beam is 460 mm.
-timber shingled
VENTILATION ZONE: Thanks to the batens system , the air can filter through the vertical battens, between the breather membrane and the horizontal battens system. This gurarantees a better thermal insulation and resistence for the humidity.
SCARF JOINTS: They were used for the construction strategy of the house. They are a method of joining two members end to end in woodworking FOUNDATION: The plinth is made with cast in situ concrete. The pile, connection plate and bolts are in stainless steel.
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SECONDARY WALL: It is composed of -18 mm plywood -100 x 50 mm beams -18 mm plywood
VENTILATION:
Windows have been designed on every wall of the micro unit to improve the ventilation.
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Nafta, Tunisia The site of the Community Centre is Nafta, an oasis in Tozeur Governorate in Tunisia. The oasis is defined by an hot and dry climate. This climate condition is generally characterised by hot dry summers and cold and dry winters. The humidity is very low and the rainfall is very little. The aim of the project was to design a new community building that provides the local population with a space for meetings, gatherings and other activities.
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Community centre designed for a hot and dry climate The building has been designed in order to embrace sustainable principles. The centre has a courtyard that provides an outdoor space away from the public eye. It has the function of make the hot air rise and exit the building thanks to convective principles. The courtyard creates a draft of air by providing pressure difference and including an inward draft of cool air through lower level windows. The main material used for the structure is rammed earth. This has low manufacturing impact and is made with concrete and other local materials. This material is very beneficial for the hot and dry climate because of its high thermal mass. Rammed earth absorbs heat during the day and it realises it at night. This moderates daily temperature variations and reduces the need of airconditioning and
heating. One of the main design features of the community centre is the central dome. The dome has been designed in order to improve the ventilation of the building. It also facilitate air exchange. In fact, when the wind blows, the oculus of the dome creates the suction of hot air which rises upwards and it accumulates in the vault.
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LEGEND 1. Final floor 2. Sub floor 3. Waterproof membrane 4. Insulated window
5. Waterproof
membrane 6. Concrete floor slab
11. Rammed earth wall (50 cm)
7. Compacted sand
12. Shutter in wood
8. Compacted soil
13. Reinforced concrete
9. External floor
bond beam
10. Reinforced concrete 14. Rammed earth wall foundation
(50 cm)
15. Drip edge 16. Reinforced concrete
26 ‘USEFUL ROOM’ PHYSICAL MODEL
MATERIALS: wooden sticks and cardboard (First Year)
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GREATER CARPENTERS NEIGHBOURHOOD, LONDON Site Model Material: 1.25 mm cardboard (Third Year)
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MICRO FLAT UNIT, DIOGENE PROJECT Technical Structure Model Material: 1.25 mm cardboard (Third Year)
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BRICKOTOPIA PHYSICAL MODEL Materials: cardboard, metal sticks and clay
(Third Year)
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