RIBA Studio: Diploma in Architecture C6 Cultural Context – Project Related Report
CULTIVATING PARTICIPATION: Creating a Modern Pairidaeza
TIMOTHY PHILIP GENTRY | 14/2/138 Word count: 5273 30th August 2017
…… Contents
Abstract
1 Introduction 7
Chapter 1: City Husbandry – Urban and Rural Histories
19
Chapter 2: Philosophical and Conceptual Direction
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Chapter 3: Design Strategy and Development
53 Chapter 4: Conclusion 58 Bibliography 64
Image List
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Abstract
With few exceptions, our contemporary understanding of what defines the modern city leaves the agricultural processes, which make these vast centres of technological and cultural innovation possible, strangely absent. Through our efforts to shift the waste the city produces beyond its immediate borders we have created environments almost entirely divorced from the ecosystems that sustain them. This is to the detriment of both the condition of the cities surrounding territories upon which they depend as well as our collective knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. Many recognise the detrimental effect this has on the pysche of their immediate community too, and it has become more and more common to see local initiatives for greening urban centres taking shape. However, many schemes and initiatives typically depend on a few dedicated volunteers and fail to generate wider participation, remaining marginal efforts. With food insecurity becoming an ever more important question in need of an answer, it would seem our urban centres need to be reminded of these connections and once again adopt a role in supplying food to their immediate context. So how do we generate and sustain interest in a wider, generally more apathetic, part of the population?
Public will need convincing of why it is neccesary beyond more traditional, commercial operations as well as what will be done and how this should be achieved.
Sustainability is key, as is
ease of implementation. They are not likely to take up a spade of their own free will unless it can be demostrated as a critical and valuable concern and is easy to do so! Beyond outlining the utility of urban farming techniques, people need to be reminded of how enjoyable farming can be, and how it offers an opportunity to enhance ‘quality of life’ for people regardless of where they live and generate a meaningful connection with the spirit of a place.
Cultivating Participation …… Introduction
Whether it be due to political upheaval, economic crises or simple necessity, the spread of agriculture within our contemporary built environments has so far struggled to establish itself where there have not been extenuating circumstances willing it to succeed. In Cuba the food revolution was kick started when the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989 severed the supply of various critical imports (Clouse, 2014); in World War II Britain it was due to pressures on the war-time food supply chain, where ‘Victory Gardens’ were promoted as a defence strategy (Arosemena, 2012); and more recently in Northwest Arkansas it was prompted by over 70,000 people experiencing food-insecurity in one of the most productive agricultural states in the US (Mandel, 2016). US trade restrictions with Cuba have been relaxed in recent times with many academics wondering whether resulting changes in Cuban food policy will undermine existing infrastructure. In Britain, although remnants of the war effort remain in the various allotments skattered throughout our towns, food production now relies largely on intensive commercial processes and imports. The latter of these
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1: Photo taken while watching a ‘dig for victory’ video chronicle at Hampshire archives.
2: Photo taken while watching the same ‘dig for victory’ video chronicle.
Introduction
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three examples offers us a glimpse of how community engagement in food production, with a little help from the state, can not only be very successful, but is in fact essential for a sustained interest in and maintenance of a modern ‘food city’ in a predominantly foodsecure country. Without proper engagement of the population and an overreliance on private or government-lead programs/ infrastructure, persuading the food-secure population of the benefits of urban agriculture prior to food shortages becoming a wide-spread problem could be a hard-sell. But with more than half of the world’s growing population of 7 billion now living in cities (Gorgolewski, 2012) the question of how we sustain these resource-hungry nerve centers has never been more relevant. This report sets out how the Winchester Horticultural City project brief has been interpreted to tackle this question and how it may take shape by proposing a philosophy, strategy and design concept to achieve this. Whilst there is some overlap between topics discussed, it is summarised into the following three chapters. City Husbandry – Urban and Rural Histories This chapter discusses the challenges faced by a food or garden city project being developed within the layered, existing context of Winchester. The relationship between the city and the resources required to sustain it identify the need for the brief. Further to this, a respect for and retention of the cultural significance of a place is essential to ensure the scheme is well received by the local population. Without this success would seem an impossibility.
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Relevant parts of Winchester’s history and context is summarised to provide the reader with a sense of place and identify the ‘voice’ of the place, its genius loci. This will include the selected site itself. Other factors leading to the selection of the site are summarised in later chapters. Philosophical and Conceptual Direction The sensitive nature of the site meant underlying concepts and philosophies needed to be properly explored to ensure the conservation of its special character and to frame my design direction. This includes three main avenues of thought; one relating to the formal structural strategy for planning the programme, another to the significance of the site and a coherent policy for conservation, and lastly to user participation. All consider how the project may embody the stories of people and place. The philosophies discussed provide a frame of reference for both master planning the wider context of Winchester and developing the site. Relevant precedents, both current and historical, are analysed to provide further focus and justification for the ideas being developed. Together these illustrate how historical and contextual references discussed in chapter one have helped refine of the brief. Design Strategy and Development Having laid out the foundations of the underlying history and theory
Introduction
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of the brief, the logic behind the master plan and site selection is explored. Discussion revolves around the holistic strategies being proposed for the horticultural city. Closed-loop systems of farming infrastructure are outlined by exploring the masterplan and storyboards of how the city will function. This includes a summary of different urban farming typologies, sustainable sources of energy/ materials and open-source strategies for user-lead development encompassing education, pre-manufactured tool-kits and integration with tourism trails etc. Iterations of the building plan and elevations/ sections are illustrated showing how ideas routed in the design theory and history are captured in the new building preserving the provenance of the site whilst re-imagining its specific function.
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Chapter 1 …… City Husbandry Urban and Rural Histories
It is only in relatively recent history that the definition of a city has evolved to exclude activities relating to farming. The industrial revolution lead to new refrigeration, transport and farming automation technologies that enabled agricultural production to move away from urban centres.
Continued technological
developments in the farming and storage of food have meant production can take place ever further away, with food imports often coming from across the globe. As green-spaces within the city become more ornamental, our sense of detachment from the agricultural activities that sustain us becomes more pronounced. In modern times this definition is increasingly segregated, whereby our agricultural areas and dense urban settlements are considered wholly separate from one another. As Graciela Arosemena argues in his book Urban Agriculture: ‘The improvements to agricultural production…has resulted in the massive abandonment of the countryside and the migration of the rural population to the cities…cities are
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largely responsible for the planet’s environmental problems… migration to urban areas leads to an increase in the poor population and thus the problems of feeding this population grow exponentially’ (2012, p.15) Couple this with a planning system that frowns upon mixing agricultural practices within city limits and a general public with similarly sceptical views (Gorgolewski, 2012), we are confronted with the very real danger of seeing food insecurity becoming more wide-spread.
But new urban farming technologies provide us
with a solution that could see the re-introduction of agricultural practices in new guises. Even though Winchester is no stranger to this phenomenon a majority of open spaces within the city are used primarily as ornamental or recreational spaces - due to its size and network of footpaths it is relatively easy to find your way into the surrounding countryside to remind yourself of these connections.
The
horticultural city project provides opportunities to enhance this and combine it with the city’s story and wider context. Historically Winchester was an important Roman outpost called Venta Belgarum established in AD 70 (Legg, 2011), and was later made the capital of Wessex by Alfred the Great, known as Wintanceaster by Anglo-Saxons. When King Alfred acceded the throne of Wessex from AD 871-899, repeated Viking raids lead him to build a number of fortified burhs including Winchester. Despite rebuilding its Roman walls, Anglo-Saxons were not people likely
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to live in towns by choice and he needed to make improvements. By increasing the number of brooks diverting the flow of the river Itchen into and around the city (Proudman, unknown), most of which remain to this day, it was made possible for countryside lifestyles to endure to some extent within the city walls. It is thought this was done to persuade Anglo-Saxons to move to the city enabling Alfred to provide protection from Viking raids. As such, in Alfred’s time the countryside and the city maintained very close ties.
3. Winchester Hidden Waterways Walk handout
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4. Winchester Cathedral Outer Close. A favourite with tourists and locals alike.
5. Abbey Gardens, the site of the former Nunnaminster.
6. Compton Lock. A favourite swimming spot of locals for generations. The banks of the navigation trail
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are tended by individual land owners who used to charge boats a toll for upkeep.
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Farming within the walls was also present not long after Alfred’s time. Alfred’s wife Ealhswith built St Mary’s Abbey known as the Nunnaminster, on land he had gifted her, likely soon after his death. This was built on the site of Abbey Gardens in contemporary Winchester. Any remnants of the Abbey have since been lost, but it is believed the nuns within the Abbey grew food which was used to feed local almshouse residents. Later, in the 12th Century, it became possible to navigate up along the Itchen from Southampton Water to Alresford (Legg, 2011); a pre-cursor to the Itchen Navigation canal built in the 17th Century and the watercourse which supplied stone from the Isle of Wight to build the Cathedral. Water and the control of it is a consistent theme in accounts of Winchester’s history. The navigation canal served several purposes beyond transporting goods including siphoning off water to fill farmed water meadows to the north and south of the centre and running watermills dotted up along its length. Although the navigation is no longer used today its mark on the city is still vivid. The navigation trail remains a popular attraction for those visiting and living in the city and reminds people of the stories and nature of the place in which they live. This identifying feature of Winchester brings with it the risk of periodic flooding in the flat land of the city centre. Flooding has occurred as recently as 2014, and the effects of flooded, marshy land around the Cathedral foundations lies at the heart of the story of William Walker, one of Winchester’s most famous former residents as the Cathedral’s literal saviour.
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7: Flooding outside the School of Art in 2014.
8: Diagram showing repairs William Walker undertook to the cathedral foundations.
As well as a strong connection with the water, the city also speaks many stories of religious devotion and of Kings and Queens. There have been many iterations of both the cathedral and surrounding abbeys/ churches across the centuries of which most are entirely lost, but the flint and stone ruins of the former Bishop’s Palace, Wolvesey Castle and the chosen site, remain. Located centrally within the city across from the Cathedral, they stand as an enigmatic reminder of a lengthy past and a country governed by the church under the reigning monarch. This site has remained under the charge of Winchester’s Bishops since the first bishop’s residence was built
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Hampshire & The Isle of Wight
Southampton & Winchester
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Itchen Navigation, Winchester
Bishop’s Palace & Wolvesey Castle
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13. Contemporary plans of the former palace ruins at ground and first floor level respectively
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by Bishop Æthelwold in AD 984, and the current Wolvesey House (Bishop’s residence) lies immediately adjacent. Having seen years of stone looting the ruins are now a slowly deteriorating museum piece owned by English Heritage. The contemporary image of the palace is that of the one built largely by Bishop Henri de Blois from AD 1130 onwards. This was a fortified palace rather than a dedicated castle, thought to be surrounded by a moat with 38
14. Ruins as they appear today looking towards the northern boundary and remaining west hall gable.
15. Bishop Henri de Blois’ Wolvesey Castle as it may have appeared in 1121. The west hall and entrance courtyeard stables on the right; east hall with curved roof eaves of the chapel on the left. (Wareham, J., 2000. p. 24).
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rooms over 4 storeys surrounding a central courtyard (Legg, 2011) (figure). The palace was the administrative hub of the diocese of Winchester and saw generation after generation of Bishop’s and Royalty pass through its doors seeking ceremony, counsel, entertainment and refuge from both the weather and war. Built up on raised ground but prone to flooding, surrounded by high walls, and housing persons of importance and their selfsufficient utilitarian gardens, Wolvesey Castle and the city share many common threads. One is like a microcosm of the other. The history of the city can be witnessed and replicated through the lens of the castle, emulating the special provenance of the city and providing an apt historical base for its re-imagination as a selfsufficient, food-secure hub. Research into the shared history of the city, site and their fabric frames the genius loci of each place, and in turn leads the developing master and building plans in an organic nature. Both of them can be considered a form of walled garden defending against external forces and threats at various points in time. To repurpose Kate Baker’s words in her book Captured Landscape, their walls offered sanctuary by providing ‘limits to limitless space, enabling an enhanced enjoyment of natural landscapes’ (2012, p. 16).
Chapter 2 …… Philosophical and Conceptual Direction
‘The word paradise is the transliteration of the Old Persian word, Pairidaeza, literally meaning a place surrounded by walls, that was used long before the biblical accounts. It appears in some of the first texts ever to be written down, in the Sumerian period in Mesopotamia.’ (Baker 2012, p. 74) When Kate Baker describes a trip she made to the village of Toconao in the middle of the Atacama Desert (2012, pp. 69-70), it is easy to imagine how a Pairidaeza that captured the magnificence of quebrada (geographical features, often canyons, that create the right conditions for an oasis) could come to be revered as an expression of a heavenly paradise on earth. The literal Old Persian translation and implied connotations is an interesting concept which holds a particular relevance for the project brief. The so-called enclosed garden or hortus conclusus as it was called in the Christian world, a space bound by plant(s) or architectural walls, attained special religious significance during
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medieval times. It came to be associated with the virginal state of the Mother Mary, seemingly alone but surrounded by flowering plants (Baker 2012, p. 79). Therefore, conceiving the development of building and city plans as a series of walled gardens carries with it a special cultural significance of its own. It generates an understanding of the garden as more than a place of utility, where architecture and garden enjoy an intimate relationship. Both landscape and architecture form the language of the place. It implies both secular (utilitarian) and ecclesiastical meanings, looking to all corners from a present context.
Framed in this
manner, a modern, forward thinking, sustainable introduction within the confines of the existing ruins can speak both of the palace’s historical purpose and its future in a way that reinvigorates the story for future generations to discover and build upon. With this design concept comes the need to develop a policy of conservation for the existing structure. In order to do so it is useful to consider three main headings outlined by John Earl in his book Building Conservation Philosophy: • ‘Motive – Why do we wish to conserve? • Monument – What are we trying to conserve? • Manner and Means – How should it be done?’ (2003, p. 6) In the case of Wolvesey Castle the first two questions are very straight-forward to answer. We conserve the site to preserve our collective cultural inheritance for future generations, and for Wolvesey this is what remains of the palace walls, foundations
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16. Early sketch plan development showing walled gardens already integral to the building.
17. Begginings of a low-tech DIY aquaponics system occupies inactive wall space, thernal mass should help the plants grow. Potential for ideas like this scattered throughout the masterplan.
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18. Delightful dappled ligt through the leaves at the Jane Austen memorial walled garden, College Street
19. A walled garden on Colebrook Street raised above flood levels overlooks the Itchen Navigation Trail; brick steps lead down to the water’s edge.
20. The so called ‘secret’ Dean Garnier Garden is accessed through a discrete wooden door in the Cathedral’s inner close and up a short flight of stone steps, again presumably to protect from potential flood waters.
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and gardens. The trickier question to answer is the manner and the means, and the one for which we need an underlying philosophy. The Australian International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Charter, or The Burra Charter (2013), poses a series of questions rather than strict guiding principles to determine the best processes for any given site. The word conservation in this context is defined as ‘all the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance’ (2013, p. 2). The first and most critical process has already been discussed; the site’s genius loci. In addition to this, the following charter policy principles are outlined here: • USE: Winchester Horticultural City Head Quarters, just as the building was the former administrative centre of the diocese. • VALUES: To create a space of value beyond utility for everyone to enjoy and have an influence on; to enable people, and to improve quality of life. • USE: To create food-security. To inject life back into a site, thereby ensuring continued maintenance. • SETTING: To enhance the building’s connection with the surrounding city whilst preserving its special air of tranquillity and cultural memories. • RELATED PLACES AND OBJECTS: The Abbey Gardens, Cathedral, walled city, Itchen navigation and water meadows.
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• PARTICIPATION: To preserve the ruins and its stories for the enjoyment of and elaboration by future generations. Of the various processes outlined by the charter, the following can be considered to be relevant to the development of Wolvesey Castle: • MAINTENANCE: Ensured by continued occupation of the ruins. • PRESERVATION:
Protection of the remaining fabric is
guaranteed through use of the site. Future deterioration may be restored with greater certainty. • NEW WORK:
Additions will respect and enhance the
provenance of the site. Configuration of the programme employs a sympathetic concept and emulates, whilst not reproducing, volumes of the former palace. New work touches existing ruins lightly, clearly defining sensitive thresholds between new and old. Materials are sourced locally and sustainably, with new additions using a restrained palette and viewed as ‘temporary’ (removable) structures. • RETAINING
OR
REINTRODUCING
USE:
Bringing
agricultural uses back to the site. • RETAINING ASSOCIATIONS AND MEANINGS: Employing sympathetic concepts in the development of a plan. • INTERPRETATION: Of the historical use of the site now put in the direct employ of local people. The conservation policy is primarily one of preservation as
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21. Workshop plan working to determine how the HQ will delivery DIY toolkits for urban farming infrastructure. Also sketch workings considering how thresholds between old and new may work: delicately placed, skirting but not touching. Glimpses of ruins beneath. Minimal gaps where paths pause at threshold between old and new.
22. New additions are suspended amongst the ruins, letting light in to the plan
23. Volumes to be emulated but not replicated
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opposed to restoration (where original materials are present) or reconstruction (to a tangible, evidenced former state). New work will bring life back to the structure and will be placed subtly amongst the ruins, respecting their presence and telling their story. The final element of the brief considers how the social philosophies of people like John Ruskin and Cedric Price can communicate the individual stories of the people that come to use the site. Price sought to engender in the profession the idea of a freedom to be useful, whereby practice encouraged and enabled people to participate in the architectural process so they may be provided with and provide themselves greater utility and usefulness (Price 2003, p.11). In the context of this brief it is used as a strategy to implement the horticultural city masterplan, and for the open exchange of ideas within the headquarters. Engaging local people in the activities of the headquarters is a path toward a lasting interest in the project and implementation of its aims. The goals of conservation and enablement are mutually inclusive, one enhances the other. The building, historical fabric and farming infrastructure are maintained through the active participation of local people creating a sense of ownership. Precedents found on following pages illustrate some of the ideas discussed thus far.
Philosophical and Conceptual Direction 27
Hedmark Museum by Sverre Fehn
A couple of parallels can be drawn between the brief and the work of Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn. First and foremost his general working methodology shares a common thread with the project as he adopts narratives to guide the design. As Pjer Olaf Fjeld elucidates: ‘He always starts with a personal story that he invents parallel to the project, which he later brings to the programme. In the narrative lies the core of the project which in turn seeks an architectural content.’ (1994, p. 51) His most famous project, the Hedmark Museum in Hamar, is the most pertinent example for the conservation philosophy adopted for Wolvesey Castle. In every instance careful thought is given for the subtle, enigmatic expression of thresholds between old and new materials: Glass sheets are placed directly over openings, timber columns lie just inside of the walls, board-faced concrete and engineered timber structure delicately navigate the ruins suspended above and around them (figures). Visitors are directed through the building via a raised path, from which to observe the layers of history peel away as they proceed in an almost ceremonious manner. The materials appear to be acutely aware of their placement in time, either accepting or resisting its effects, as the architect himself once stated, “Only the manifestation of
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the present can bring the past back to life,� (Fjeld 1994, p. 52). These devices allow archaeological investigations to continue and the existing building to breath. The use of a narrative in the design relates the building back to human scales and lends it an experiential significance, reading as a story of human activity in years past whilst framing and remaining true to the stories of people yet to come.
24. Frameless glass sheets oversail the verges of the window openings.
Philosophical and Conceptual Direction 29
25. New additions suspend themselves around the existing ruins
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26. Newer additions bring the old to life.
27. The walkway takes visitors on a ceremonious path of discovery.
Philosophical and Conceptual Direction 31
Neues Museum by David Chipperfield Architects with Julian Harrap
The Neues Museum in Berlin illustrates how a variety of conservation processes may be employed harmoniously to complement each other where a variety of different conditions exist on the same site. It has been ‘conserved, rehabilitated, reconstructed and remodelled by Chipperfield, with Harrap as restoration architect’ (Stephens 20120, p. 58). They followed a general approach, like that proposed in the 1964 Venice Charter, of exposing changes occurring through time rather than disguising them or creating a facsimile of them. They chose not to place a hard-line between new and old elements instead opting for degrees of separation based on the state of the original fabric of the bombed-out structure. The richly decorated interiors of the restored original features are however read as a sharp contrast to the austerity of new additions, and serve as a reminder of the cruel disregard war shows for our built heritage. The conservation strategy, whilst healing the building, also serves its memories whether good or bad. However austere new additions may appear by direct comparison to the delight of the original/ restored features, they also bring with them new delights, bathed as they are in a natural, to some maybe heavenly, light of the day. The romanticism of the old is like theatre, intended to grab and surprise you, whilst new additions assume the character of a sombre but hopeful building, meditating on its past whilst looking to the future.
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28. Restored collonade ceiling remains legible from existing structure.
29. Original grand staircase was salvaged.
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30. Original features restored whever possible.
31. Austere new elements contrast with original features.
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Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) by David Lea and Pat Borer
The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education is the educational arm of the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) established in 1973 by the late Gerrard Morgan-Grenville (Barac 2012, p. 92). Like all buildings within the CAT quarry, WISE was built as an experiment in sustainable building technologies and demonstrated how a sustainable build need not be an ugly build. Straw bale walls form the insulated perimeter of the lecture theatre, huge internal rammed-earth walls provide thermal mass for regulating temperature, and the external walls of the complex are formed from a hemp and lime mix (Anderson 2010, p. 34). The plan is organised around a central communal courtyard, or walledgarden; the eastern porous wall mediates between interior and exterior conditions (Baker 2012, p. 15) and provides shading from the summer sun. Teaching facilities are gathered predominantly at ground floor level with student accommodation wrapping around the building’s north and eastern edges backing onto the walls of the old quarry. The student accommodation enjoys the morning sun from the east while the single storey structures to the south and west let sun penetrate the depth of the plan so solar gains can be made during the productive parts of the day. Teaching rooms have transparent elements that look out onto social spaces in a way that implies a spirit of collaboration. The scheme reflects the school’s ethos:
Philosophical and Conceptual Direction 35
‘“Everyone plays their part, no one part more important than the other, but all significant.” Convivially it is a pedagogical principle, “You learn more when you are having fun and sharing knowledge and experience with your peer group”’ (Barac 2012, p. 93).
32. Looking to the south over the courtyard. ‘Porous wall’ can be seen on the left.
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Brockholes Visitor Centre by Adam Kahn Architects
Located at Brockholes Nature Reserve just off of the M6 at Junction 31, it is a floating structure built on-top of a deep concrete pontoon cast in-situ while the lake was drained (Roberts 2011). Modern building designs for flooded contexts outline 3 main concepts for dealing with flood water: resist, protect or submit. Brockholes adopts a submissive approach to the water, allowing the building to rise and fall while tethered to substantial retaining posts as the water levels naturally fluctuate. The building cluster is reminiscent 33. Surrounding teaching rooms and restaurant open out onto the coutryard.
of local vernacular farm buildings in an unexpected context; instead of being bounded by fields it is bound by the lake and reeds which in turn dictate the consistent eaves height of the composition (Roberts 2011). The building does more than simply frame a visual connection with the landscape, it moves with it and creates a dialogue between the two, becoming an integral part of the place.
34. Single storey structures allow the western sun into the plan.
Philosophical and Conceptual Direction 37
The Mudhif
These are traditional, single storey buildings made entirely out of reeds by ‘the Madan people, or Marsh Arabs in the swamps of southern Iraq’ (Wikipedia.A 2017). Their construction proffers an insight into how reeds can be used in the construction of the HQ as a sustainable source of materials. This form of construction is also an ancient one thought to have roots in ancient Mesopotamia. This links in with the concept of the Pairidaeza and its beginnings whilst remaining true to the local context of Winchester. Their exact application is explored more in the project-related technology report. The intention is to test them and develop a more efficient structure for building higher and / or as shading etc.
35. A reed structure where the tribe’s sheikhs gather to discuss issue of importance to the community.
Chapter 3 ‌‌ Design Strategy and Development
A key to the success of the horticultural city will be in establishing closed loop-systems of management. As previously discussed no city exists entirely within its own limits. The manifestation of their processes extends well beyond their borders and the territory of the modern city can be thought to have global reach. However, a lack of connection with the ecosystems that sustain them results in the prolonged deterioration of their territories which, if damaged beyond repair, will result in the eventual demise of the city itself (Arosemena 2012, pp. 26-27). The masterplan considers strategies that can be employed to close these loops through the logical reintroduction of agriculture. The beginnings of this are illustrated in storyboards developed to describe the holistic processes involved. Where possible existing / historic
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36. Basic story of how the water meadows contribute to the city masterplan
37. Various cyclical inputs help the Head Quarters to achieve it aims. These depend on user participation.
Design Strategy and Development 41
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Different scales of Cuban urban farm typologies set out by Carey Clouse in her book Farming Cuba.
38. Clouse, 2014, p. 92
39. Clouse, 2014, p. 94
42. Clouse, 2014, p. 100
43. Clouse, 2014, p. 102
Design Strategy and Development 43
40. Clouse, 2014, p. 96
41. Clouse, 2014, p. 98
44. Clouse, 2014, p. 104
45. Clouse, 2014, p. 106
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infrastructure is re-imagined or repurposed to sustain these cycles: •
Disused or lost watermills restored to generate power.
•
Water-meadow reed beds serving a dual purpose; 1. as water filtration to extract motorway traffic pollutants absorbed by the ground; 2. as a sustainable source of building materials.
•
Cleansed water diverted to arable meadows and pasture land.
•
Farmed reeds form the basis of low-tech built farming infrastructure.
•
Local markets benefit from fresh local produce.
•
Food waste recycled as planting compost, animal feed or for biomass power.
•
Existing open green spaces put back to productive use instead of being strictly ornamental, encouraging good husbandry and an appreciation of connected ecosystems.
•
Tourism and pleasure routes to cross paths with infrastructure generating intrigue, encouraging participation and sustaining interest in the project.
These goals made it clear the programme would need to perform many functions from a central location to manage this plan. Wolvesey Castle came about as a logical selection for the Head Quarters fairly quickly. It carries a pertinent historical provenance, it is ideally located adjacent to the navigation and
Design Strategy and Development 45
46. Growing opportunities within the city center mapping out open spaces, south facing walls etc.
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has good links with the city centre. Provision of sustainable power sources also expands the technologies available to local people, making possible things such as indoor vertical farms through subsidisation. What, then, should the headquarters cater for and to what extent? Solutions initially need to be low tech and easily implementable to encourage the layman to try things out. The Cuban model of development is a useful precedent. Consulting Carey Clouse’s book Farming Cuba (2014), we see how Cubans have developed a number of typologies at different scales. These range from micro-gardens through to large state enterprises. Thus, the plan of the building evolved to provide some service for all these examples. It also became a social hub offering a platform for sharing / exchanging personal discoveries, ideas and developments. The role of the headquarters becomes a depository of ideas to help people realise their own plans for the horticultural city. It is a lab, manufacturer, educator, prototyping facility, farmer, market stall and advisor to the local population. It provides social cohesion for the project and opportunities for up-skilling, including for disadvantaged people such as inmates from the young offenders Winchester prison (BBC News April 2017). Many urban farming operations already run schemes like this including Grow-Up Urban Farms through their new Grow-Up Box project. To increase uptake of these ideas and encourage participation the decision was made to introduce a further branch of
Design Strategy and Development 47
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47-49. Grow-Up urban farm’s new vertical aquaponic farm: the ‘Grow-Up Box’ for periurban areas.
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the navigation trail that runs up through the building. This introduced questions over division of private vs public vs semipublic space so the navigation trail could remain open when the facility was not. Opportunities to enjoy and understand the building history and special character is key not only to the sensitive conservation of the structure but to the operation of the facility. Walled gardens within the headquarters are both decorative and utilitarian. They perform an efficiency function in protecting from prevailing winds whilst storing heat enabling a greater variety of plant life to flourish (Baker 2012, p. 20) and mitigating building heating costs. At the same time they provide passers by a frame of reference from which to enjoy the building and its surroundings. This marriage of strategy and philosophy, for work and relaxation, looks to create a symbiosis of utility and culture. The building attempts to make itself indispensable to the city through the use of contextual, historic motifs and desirable, holistic function.
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50. Sketch ground floor plan development looking at zoning
51. Exploration of public, semi-public and private zoning of building infrastructure.
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50. Sketch first floor plan development plotting the trail route.
51. Sketch diagram for first floor zoning of plane
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52. Early massing model investigating viable options for new insertions amongst the ruins.
53. Plotting the trail route and key views
Chapter 4 …… Conclusion
‘One of the most compelling reasons for integrating agriculture and urban settlements goes beyond the provision of food sources alone - it is based on the fundamental place of the food system in a resilient community and its urban nutrient cycles.’ (Gorgolewski 2012, p. 43) ‘By manipulating the enclosed landscape, keeping untamed nature at bay, we actually intensify our relationship with nature, whether our purpose is for cultivation or enjoyment, for our bodies or our souls. In many cases this can be described as a poetic act. Some of the most memorable places around the globe are those where architecture, architectural components and landscape collude and affect our sensibilities.’ (Baker 2012, p. 8) A food crisis may be looming on the doorstep of many nations in the near future, but urban agriculture and examples of its
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success offer up a potential solution to alleviate the problem. Whilst it would be foolish to say we can solve food-insecurity problems with effective urban farming methods alone, it would also be foolish to reject them because of too simplistic arguments surrounding their productivity verses current industrial-style operations. Both can serve their purpose. Urban agriculture may realistically be able to provide just 20% of the food for the population of any given city, but 20% is still a substantial buffer worth implementing. If it also enhances people’s appreciation of the ecosystems we rely on and creates more joyful places to live in, it can surely only be a good thing? More work is needed to properly assess the sustainability of certain farming methods, and that is one reason this brief revolves around the use of low-tech, low-energy methods, but the problems do not seem insurmountable. For instance, one initial sketch masterplan maps out all the south-facing building facades to estimate an idealised yield for vertical farming methods within a certain area. This would likely require powering a large number of pumps arguably negating the point of growing vertically, but if sufficient power could be generated from the city mills then this could still be a possibility for Winchester. Other cities will surely have other energy advantages that can be exploited or new advances / ideas will come to the fore. Some solutions have even been discovered in writing this report, such as partnering heated office space
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with vertical farms to reduce energy usage during winter, thereby providing some justification of their use for an urban farming sceptic. In whole, although the historic, conceptual and theoretical directions have been well explored, much drawing and modelling work is still needed to properly convey ideas inherent in the building plan and its material treatment. The base elements of the storyboards need elaboration to describe the experiences of people using the facility. It is essential for most buildings to properly frame their context in terms of the people using it but this is perhaps even more relevant to a project which relies so heavily on user participation. Indeed, the exact interest and function of the client is still not entirely clear to me, there is an ecclesiastical link with the adjacent Wolvesey House and a history of public projects receiving endorsement from their local church, but exactly how this is to develop is not yet clear. Once these aspects have been ironed out and the construction technology explored further, the project has great potential to show how ideas around the sustainable implementation of the horticultural city could, could be implemented with the help of engaged local people.
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53. PLan overlays and key idea workings including experiential/ philosophical elements, sustainable...
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...strategies, and tcehnical information for projected yields etc.
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Bibliography Books Arosemena, G., 2012. Urban Agriculture: Spaces of Cultivation for a Sustainable City. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili. Baker, K., 2012. Captured Landscape: The paradox of the enclosed garden. London; New York: Routledge Bohn, K.; Viljoen, A., August 2015. Second Nature Urban Agriculture: Designing Productive Cities. London: Routledge. Brooker, Graeme; Stone, Sally, M.A, c2004. Rereadings: Interior Architecture and the Design Principles of Remodelling Existing Buildings. London: RIBA Enterprises.
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Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Despommier, D.D., 2011. The vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. New York: Picador. Earl, John, 1928. Building Conservation Philosophy. 3rd ed. Shaftesbury: Donhead. Legg. P., 2011. Winchester: History You Can See. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. Littlefield, David; Lewis, Saskia, 2007. Architectural Voices: Listening to Old Buildings. Chichester: Wiley. Pelsmakers, S., 2015. The Environmental Design Pocketbook. 2nd ed. RIBA Publishing. Price, C., 2003. The Square Book. Chichester: Wiley.
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Scott, Fred, 2008. On Altering Architecture. London: Routledge. Wareham, J., 2000. Three Palaces of the Bishops of Winchester: Wolvesey; Bishop’s Waltham Palace; Farnham Castle Keep. Wellingborough: Sterling Press.
Journal Articles Anderson, B., 22nd February 2002. Catch of the Day. Landscape Architecture Magazine, 106(10), pp. 152-169. Anderson, W., June 2010. CAT’s coming of age; Architects: Pat Borer and David Lea. Architecture Today, (209), pp. 24-34. Anstis, D., 13th March 1970. Building Conservation: The Need for a Philosophy. Building, p. 123-124. Barac, M., January 2012. Centre for Alternative Technology. Architectural Review, 231(1379), pp. 92-93. Bullivant, L., November 2010. A Revolution in Cuban Architecture? Castro Opens Up Private Sector. Architectural Review, 228(1365), pp. 29-30. Burall, P, December 2011. Our Protests Were Wrong. Town & Country Planning, 80(12), pp. 572-573. Deitz, P., May 2005. The Power of Horticulture. Architectural Review, 217(1299), pp. 96-97. Fjeld, P. O., February 1994. The Workings of Sverre Fehn. Progressive Architecture, 75(2), pp. 50-57. Goodwin, K., January 2008. David Chipperfield, Berlin. Blueprint, (262), pp. 54-59. Gorgolewski, M., Spring 2012. Designing for Urban Agriculture. Green Building, 21(4), p. 38-43.
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Green, R., September 2010. Rural Realities. Town & Country Planning, 79(8), pp. 369-370. Harwood, E. et al, March 2000. Conservation of Twentieth Century Buildings. Context, (65), pp. 7-33. Hinshaw, M. L., November 2011. The Walls Are Alive. Landscape Architecture Magazine, 101(11), pp. 127-167. Ijeh, I., 21st April 2017. Floating Ideas. Building, 283(8968/16), pp.34-37. Leftly, M., 14th October 2016. Corbyn Welcomes Plan for Temporary ‘Floating Parliament’; Architects: Gensler. Building, 282(8943/41), pp.12-13. Logan, K., April 2017. Noah’s Ark-itecture. Architectural Record, 205(4), pp. 217-223. Mandel, L., January 2016. The Next meal. Landscape Architecture Magazine, 106(1), pp. 82-97. McGuigan, C. July 2013. Food: Design from Farm to Table. Architectural Record, 201(7), pp. 16, 48-116, 164. Roberts, D., September 2011. Country practices. Architecture Today, (221), pp. 1, 46-93. Schuler, T. A., April 2015. Food revolution. Landscape Architecture Magazine, 105(4), pp. 54-62. Spring, M., 1st July 2005. National treasure; Architects: Feilden Clegg Bradley. Building, 270(8388/26), pp. 26-29. Stephens, S., March 2010. Renewal; Architects for Alterations: David Chipperfield Architects; in collaboration with restoration specialist ProDenkmal and restoration architect Julian Harrap Architects. Architectural Record, 198(3), pp. 58-65. [Unkonwn], 13th July 2007. Norwich cathedral; Architects: Hopkins Architects. Building, 272(8488/28), p. 72.
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Vaughan, R., 23rd October 2008. Moxon’s Reed-Wrapped Office Enters Planning. Architects’ Journal, 228(15), pp. 8-9.
Websites/ Online Resources/ pdfs Architecture Norway, 2017. Hedmark Museum, Hamar. 1967-2005 [online] Available at: <http://architecturenorway.no/stories/photo-stories/binethamar-09/> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Australia ICOMOS Incorporated, 2013. The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance. [pdf online] Available at: <http://portal.iphan.gov.br/uploads/ckfinder/arquivos/The-Burra-Charter-2013Adopted-31_10_2013.pdf> [Accessed 19th August 2017]. BBC News.A, 9th April 2017. The prison that breeds entrepreneurs. [video online] Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-latinamerica-39530787/the-prison-that-breeds-entrepreneurs> [Accessed 28th August 2017] BBC News.B, 23rd August 2017. Winchester flooding defence scheme completed. [online] Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandhampshire-41021903> [Accessed 27th August 2017] Dabaieh, M., Sakr, M., 6th November 2015. Building with Reeds: Revitalising a building tradition for low carbon building practice. [PDF online] Available at: <https://lucris.lub.lu.se/ws/files/6135559/8408751.pdf> [Accessed 28th August 2017]. Frediani, K., [Unknown]a. Urban Agriculture, a SMART solution to complement sustainable intensification? [pdf online] Available at: <https://www.ofc.org.uk/ sites/ofc/files/papers/urban-agriculture-oxford-kf-final.pdf> [Accessed 22nd August 2017]. Frediani, K., [Unknown]b. Exploring the Potential of Urban Agriculture in Food Smart Cities. [pdf online] Available at: <http://vfua.org/wp-content/ uploads/2014/12/Kevin-Frediani.pdf> [Accessed 22nd August 2017].
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Grow Up Community Farms, [unknown]. Vertical Growing, Fuelled by Fish. [online] Available at: <http://www.growup.community> [Accessed 29th August 2017] Open Food Network UK, [unknown]. Open Food Network UK [pdf online] Available at: <https://drive.google.com/file/ d/0B8GhJcMDO6a1UmxhdGhMeWxYazg/view> [Accessed on 7th March 2017]. Proudman, E., City of Winchester Trust, [Unknown]. The Waterways of Winchester - TrustNews Spring 1994. [online] Available at: <http://www. cityofwinchestertrust.co.uk/archive/TN94/spg08.shtml> [Accessed 27th August 2017] The City Of Winchester, 1998. The Nunnaminster. [online] Available at: <http:// www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/history/html/nunnaminster.html> [Accessed 27th August 2017]. Wikipedia.A, 20th June 2017. Mudhif. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Mudhif> [Accessed 28th August 2017] Wikipedia.B, 14th August 2017. Ealhswith. [online] Available at: <https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealhswith> [Accessed 27th August 2017]
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Image List All images by the author unless where stated below. Figure 1: Hampshire Record Office.a, 2017. Using the VHS library. [VHS video] March 2017 ed. Winchester: Hampshire Record Office. Figure 2: Hampshire Record Office.b, 2017. Using the VHS library. [VHS video] March 2017 ed. Winchester: Hampshire Records Office. Figure 3: Hidden Waterways Walk, 20th May 2017. Winchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cleansing Streams. [map leaflet] 20th May 2017 ed. Winchester: Tourist Information Centre. Figure 7: BBC News, 13th February 2014. The Winchester School of Art in Park Avenue, near the leisure centre, is also under water. [image online] Available at: <http:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-26169796> [Accessed 29th August 2017] Figure 8: Progress is Fine, 30th June 2017. Section through the cathedral walls showing how the diver worked. [image online] Available at: <http://progress-is-fine. blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/william-walker-diver-who-saved.html> [Accessed 29th August 2017] Figure 15: Ball, T., n.d. Reconstruction drawing of Wolvesey. Reproduced in: Wareham, J., 2000. Three Palaces of the Bishops of Winchester: Wolvesey; Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Waltham Palace; Farnham Castle Keep. Wellingborough: Sterling Press.
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Figures 24: Binet, H., 2009. From the castle court, detail of old wall openings with new glazing. [image online] Available at: <http://architecturenorway.no/stories/photostories/binet-hamar-09/> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figures 25: Binet, H., 2009. Inside the museum. [image online] Available at: <http:// architecturenorway.no/stories/photo-stories/binet-hamar-09/> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figures 26: Binet, H., 2009. Timber roof structure above a part of a mechanical thresher in the museum. [image online] Available at: <http://architecturenorway.no/stories/ photo-stories/binet-hamar-09/> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figures 27: Binet, H., 2009. From the ramp across the castle court. [image online] Available at: <http://architecturenorway.no/stories/photo-stories/binet-hamar-09/> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figures 28-31: David Chipperfield Architects, 2017. n.d. [images online] Available at: <https:// davidchipperfield.com/project/neues_museum> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figures 32-34: bdonline.co.uk, 25th June 2010. n.d. [images online] Available at: <http://www. bdonline.co.uk/centre-for-alternative-technology-education-building-by-patborer-and-david-lea/5001598.article> [Accessed 29th August 2017]. Figure 35: Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, 28th November 2013. The muddhif is a reef structure where the tribeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sheikhs gather to discuss issues of importance to the community. [image online] Available at: <http://www.iraqicivilsociety.org/ archives/948>
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Figure 38: Clouse, C., 2014. Micro-jardines / Micro-gardens. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 39: Clouse, C., 2014. Patios / Yards. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 40: Clouse, C., 2014. Parcelas / Lots. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 41: Clouse, C., 2014. HUertos Intensivos / Intensive Cultivation Gardens. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 42: Clouse, C., 2014. Autoconsumos / Self-provisioning Gardens. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 43: Clouse, C., 2014. Organoponicos / High-Yield Urban Gardens. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press. Figure 44: Clouse, C., 2014. Campesinos Particulares / Private Peasant Gardens. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press.
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Figure 45: Clouse, C., 2014. Empresas Estatales / States Enterprises. Reproduced in: Clouse, C., 2014. Farming Cuba: Urban Agriculture From the Ground Up. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press.
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Notes:
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RIBA Studio: Diploma in Architecture C6 Cultural Context â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Project Related Report Timothy Gentry