A Flexible Self-build System Facing towards the Future

A Flexible Self-build System Facing towards The Future The Segal Method, and Segal Close and Walters Way

Contents Architects advocated self-build

1

A flexible self-build system

3

Conclusion

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List of figures

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Bibliography

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Architects advocated self-build The re-evaluation of the self-build house and the relation between occupants and architects followed the triumph of modernism in the 1960s.

The aftermath of World War II had resulted in house crisis in Europe. Governments had to launch mass reconstruction project to deal with it as well as to improve people's life 1; then the modernism architecture was adopted by them immediately. It is not only because it tries to meet the universal needs of humanity 2, but it also translates these needs into physical criteria 3 . However, critics on it also related to these characters. The modernism architecture emphasising on the standardisation of life quality resulted in a design based on the assumption of architects about people's needs, and those criteria were also based on an unrelated situation 4. These designer-oriented public house project soon experienced failures in communities like PruittIgoe in San Louis.

Architects began to seek for the solution to this situation and highlighted the importance of individual needs. De Carlo, cited in Roberts, demonstrated that authorities should put a 1

2 3

4

Mateusz Gierszon, ‘Architect-activist. The socio-political attitude based on the works of Walter Segal’, Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 38 (2014), 54-62, (p. 56).

Ibid, p. 55.

Adam Roberts, The Architect and Self-Build Housing (unpublished bachelor’s thesis, University of Sheffield, 2011), p.

4.

Ibid, p. 4.

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priority on individual occupants as the house has a direct relationship with them 1 . Moreover, pioneer such as Ward started to advocate self-build to solve the problem, stating the residents are the best designer to fulfil individual needs 2.

Walter Segal was another pioneer in this generation. The origin of this modular timber-framed system was a temporary house in the backyard of Segal's house. After some cases based on the same concept, he realised it was a suitable method for ordinary people to build their own home. Meanwhile, the Lewisham council faced house crisis in the second half of the 1970s, with people waiting for better

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accommodation. The council finally launched two public house schemes based on the Segal Method after protracted discussion in 1977 and 1984. These two cases, later named after Segal Close and Walters Way, became examples of a new approach to self-build and a new system of social housing 3 4 5 . This essay will evaluate the Segal Method, taking these two projects as case studies.

1 2 3 4 5

Roberts, p. 4.

Ibid, p. 5.

Ibid, pp. 25-27.

Gierszon, p. 58.

Alice Grahame and Taran Wikhu, Walters Way and Segal Close (ZĂźrich: Park Books, 2017), p. 18.

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A flexible self-build system Although Segal abandoned the traditional methodology of modernism architecture, the Segal method still benefits from the ideology of modernism and prefabricated industrial products. These features make it distinct from the vernacular self-build house and offer it flexibility in location, design, construction and maintenance.

One distinct component of this system is its foundation. The house stands on posts above the ground rather than fixing in the ground (Fig. 1). As a result, it only requires separate concrete piles under each post instead of a continuous foundation for the loadbearing wall 1 . This feature echoes with the Pilotis mentioned in the Five Points of Modern Architecture by Le Corbusier. It does not only protect the ground floor from moisture but also makes the house suitable for complex topography 2 . The flexibility in its constructing site was highlighted in the first project, Segal Close. The chosen location for the seven single-storey dwellings is a steeply sloping land at Forest Hill (Fig. 2).

Moreover, two houses launched in the same project in Bromley even found a layer of made-up ground and natural spring, respectively on their sites 3. Although self-builders of the two in Bromley had to dig a deeper foundation or make

1

2 3

Jon Broome, ‘The Segal Method’ , The Architects' Journal, 184 (1986), 31-37, 39-40, 42-43, 46, 49-53, 56, 59-63, 65-66, 68, (pp. 49-50).

Ibid, pp. 49-50.

Charlotte Ellis, ‘You've Got to Think Ahead’, The Architects' Journal, 172 (1980), 1187-1205, (p. 1188, p.1193).

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a drain to solve the problem, the average depth of the foundation was three feet and six inches 1 . It means an inexperienced family can make it in a relatively complex site by themselves based on the Segal method. The post-based foundation also contributes to the harmony between occupants and nature. Trees close to the house can be kept without a levelled ground beyond the building area. This connection to nature is underlined by the Walters Way resident, Alice Grahame 2. The adjacency of the plants to the concrete pile was even beyond the surveyor's experience when the first project, Segal Close, was built 3.

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The entire timber-framed system is different from those traditional vernaculars as well. It only adopts the timber frame that acts as the structural member 4 . Without any loadbearing walls, the housed using the Segal method is, to some extent, more reliable and easy to maintain and repair (Fig. 3). A car accident happened in Walters Way could be a good example. According to Earl Brown, one of the original occupants of Walters Way, a car had gone through one house and then crashed into the neighbour's kitchen.

However, all the damage caused by that accident had been fixed by six o'clock that day evening. The repair procedure 1 2

3 4

‘You've Got to Think Ahead’, p. 1193.

Alice Grahame, 'This isn't at All Like London': Life in Walter Segal's Self-build 'Anarchist' Estate (London: The Guardian, 2015) < https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/16/ anarchism-community-walter-segal-self-build-south-londonestate> [accessed 13 January 2018].

‘You've Got to Think Ahead’, p. 1193.

Grahame and Wikhu, p. 42.

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was merely replacing the damaged part with spared wallboard

▲Fig. 1 The post-based foundation

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▲Fig. 2 The site plan of Segal Close

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▲Fig. 1 The “sandwich” wallboard, easy to maintain and repair

wallboard, while the main framework kept safe and is still stable now 1.

However, the most significant innovation of the Segal method is that it gives ordinary people the opportunity to design their own house to fulfil individual needs, under the control of regulations and laws. It is based on the timberframed structure, the modular tartan grid, the prefabricated materials and a set of calculations of the structure before construction. Once residents begin to design their own house with the Segal method, they accept all the restrictions

1

Grahame and Wikhu, pp. 31-33.

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of it, so does those regulations related to it 1. This character became more evident in the project of Walters Way. Different from the predecessor with eight different house types, dwellings in this scheme is limited to a single type. However, apart from the vertical structural core, the interior space arrangement and acceptable expansion of the basic plan was based on the needs of individual households with the modular system. Segal had already provided 19 potential layouts before the construction (Fig. 4) and encouraged those self-builders to do further exploration 2. Besides, all the work can be done by freehand on a squared paper 3. With regard to the practice, the original plans of the home of Earl Brown and Federico Mazandarani (Fig. 5) were markedly different in both ground floor and first floor, which may depend on their lifestyle and household size. The frame structure and modular system, along with the flat roof, also contribute

to

the

flexibility

in

the

expansion

and

refurbishment. Although these houses were first built under the principle of economy and a less rigorous regulation, which may not meet the current requirement, residents find it much easier to renovate than those brick-built houses 4.

For instance, Paul and Alice, who lives in Walters Way, have added new insulation to the exterior wall and applied tripleglazed window for better energy efficiency. Besides, the flexibility of the flat floor enabled 1 2

3 4

Gierszon, p. 59.

Charlotte Ellis, ‘Self-build Selection’, The Architects' Journal, 179 (1984), 36-39, (pp. 37).

Broome, p. 40.

Grahame and Wikhu, p. 42.

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▲Fig. 2 Some intentional floor plans designed by the architect

▲Fig. 3 A comparison between the floor plans of Earl’s house (left) and Federico’s house (right)

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enabled them to put in solar panels and a solar water heating system during the refurbishment (Fig. 6), making the house more eco-friendly 1 . Lisa and Simon, other two occupants in Walters Way, adding larger windows and a sliding door to their house, completely reshaped the bedroom upstairs, while all the work was done by themselves in spare time 2. Moreover, Dave reconstructed his home in 2006, apart from eco-renovation, he put in a yoga studio next to the original structure as well 3.

The construction procedure also proves the flexibility of the Segal method. As Segal has eliminated all the wet trades, there is little need for skilled workers, and individual family or single person can finish most of the work depending on their schedule. In the case of the Segal Close, the selfbuilders registered with the National Federations of House Association with the suggestion from the council, but only accept a few of its regulations on conventional self-build.

They rejected setting a minimum working hour of each member and take all the cooperative work informally. One of the suggested rules they accepted is establishing a communal fund for the rent of some shared low-voltage electrical equipment. However, the entire construction procedure processed smoothly under the Segal's system 4.

They merely needed to compromise with others' schedule when waiting for a felting sub-constructor for the roof, as 1 2 3 4

Grahame and Wikhu, p. 166.

Ibid, p. 116.

Ibid, p. 190. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You've Got to Think Aheadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, p. 1189.

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Segal insisted the work should be done by a specialist 1. The Walters Way had the same situation. Apart from the inconvenience result from the electrical-tool-sharing, they could do most of their work at their own pace 2.

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▲Fig. 4 The solar panels and solar water heating system on the roof

1 2

‘You've Got to Think Ahead’, p. 1196.

Grahame and Wikhu, p. 40.

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Conclusion The evaluation of these two cases highlights the flexibility of the Segal method. As a response to the failure of conventional modernism architecture in the 1960s, it is a hybrid of the universal solution and the personalised scheme. As a universal solution, the design of the foundation makes it suitable for various complex site ranging from the steeply sloping hillside to the area with poor soil conditions, while that topography prevents most of the previous housing project. As a personalised scheme, the flexibility of the method encourages people's participating in the design process to fulfil their individual needs. Moreover, the timber-framed structure and modular simplify the procedure of construction, maintenance and refurbishment, making the timetable and working load more flexible.

However, it is the flexibility in the adaption that makes the Segal method still suitable for contemporary self-build. The adaptability is proved by the renovation of the estate in these two cases and may be applied to the method itself. It is easy to add new materials and technologies to this open system and make it not only satisfy the contemporary regulation but also updated for the future requirement. In conclusion, the Segal method, which is universal but personalised, could be an option for both urban renewal and rural area development project in the world.

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List of figures Cover Cover photo: Taran Wikhu A flexible self-build system Fig. 1: Adapted from Charlotte Ellis, 'You've Got to Think Ahead', The Architects' Journal, 172 (1980), 1187-1205, (p. 1203).

Fig. 2: Adapted from ibid, p. 1188.

Fig. 3: Adapt from Jon Broome, ‘The Segal Method’, The

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Architects' Journal, 184 (1986), 31-37, 39-40, 42-43, 46, 49-53, 56, 59-63, 65-66, 68, (p. 60).

Fig. 4: Adapt from Charlotte Ellis, 'Self-build Selection', The Architects' Journal, 179 (1984), 36-39, (pp. 39).

Fig. 5: Adapt from Alice Grahame and Taran Wikhu, Walters Way and Segal Close (Zürich: Park Books, 2017), p. 32, p. 36.

Fig. 6: Adapt from ibid, p. 175.

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Bibliography Broome, Jon, ‘The Segal Method’, The Architects' Journal, 184 (1986), 31-37, 39-40, 42-43, 46, 49-53, 56, 59-63, 6566, 68.

Ellis, Charlotte, 'You've Got to Think Ahead', The Architects' Journal, 172 (1980), 1187-1205.

— — , 'Self-build Selection', The Architects' Journal, 179 (1984), 36-39.

Gierszon, Mateusz, 'Architect-activist. The socio-political attitude based on the works of Walter Segal', Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 38 (2014), 54-62.

Grahame, Alice, 'This isn't at All Like London': Life in Walter Segal's Self-build 'Anarchist' Estate (London: The Guardian, 2015) < https://www.theguardian.com/cities/ 2015/sep/16/anarchism-community-walter-segal-selfbuild-south_london-estate> [accessed 13 January 2018].

Grahame, Alice, and Taran Wikhu, Walters Way and Segal Close (Zürich: Park Books, 2017).

Roberts, Adam, The Architect and Self-Build Housing (unpublished bachelor's thesis, University of Sheffield, 2011).

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