Ioannis Saravelos_Y4 |Unit 14 | Bartlett School of Architecture by UNIT 14

VERTICAL URBAN REALM

IOANNIS SARAVELOS YEAR 4

UNIT

Y4 IS

GOOGLEPLEX OLDSTREET

@unit14_ucl

All work produced by Unit 14 Cover design by Charlie Harris www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture Copyright 2019 The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

@unit14_ucl

IOANNIS SARAVELOS YEAR 4 Y4 IS

john.saravelos@gmail.com @unit14_ucl

GOOGLEPLEX OLD STREET VERTICAL URBAN REALM Old Street, London, UK

RESEARCH

n the context of the Unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme, modern courage, I started off by chasing technological advancement in architecture throughout history. There were several studies, documenting specific cases which pushed the boundaries of technology, from Gothic Cathedrals to contemporary skyscrapers. Looking not only at the technical aspects but also the societal/civic role of these iconic buildings I observed the transition in the democratisation status of these projects, from the open religious temple to the public museum, and finally to the contemporary corporate highrise. It was the dominance of the corporate high-rise typology in this timeline that led me to investigate the role of public space in the vertical realm to explore a response to the shift in the democratisation status of these iconic projects.

station. The cores are optimised with perforations that visually articulate the vertical navigation from pedestrian level. The tower mass is tapered at the base and top according to solar performance and wind loads. Finally, the louvres comprising the skin, adjust in depth according to programmatic solar needs, to externally reveal the diversity of public spaces housed in the interior.

PROPOSAL - VERTICAL URBAN REALM

he second part of the project takes on board the observations described above to speculate on an urban, privately funded high-rise typology with intermediate pockets of public space. In this speculative context, the project funder is Google, being at the forefront of the (often debatable) public space regeneration through private funds. The site is the Old Street Roundabout, tapping into the infrastructural opportunities and existing public space framework (as Google already does in Kings Cross). The project then dives into the high-rise typology and explores structural, circulatory and programmatic principles to fulfil several objectives relating to vertical public space and connectivity. In conclusion, the project proposes a three-core structural system, housing the vertical circulation, which expands perimetrically at the base to accommodate the tube

Religious Building Typology and Technical Breakthrough Since the beginnings of civilisation, the temple has been the architectural representation of societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conception of divinity. Several of the greatest construction achievements of all times were accomplished through these buildings. Even though there are plenty of studies on this particular kind of structure, most of them do not consider time as a key element to understand the refinement sequence the temple has experienced. Though his analysis is more likely to be based on genre than on type, it provides relevant information about the templeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution which is used as the framework to address the relationship between this kind of building and its progressive architectural sophistication. An enquiry which makes possible to observe how the refinement of the temple is directly related to the way it is occupied. As it became a more public building, it acquired a higher degree of complexity, implicating that the templeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character is expressed through structure.

The Cathedrals of Breakthroughs The Gothic style of architecture first emerged in Northern France during the 12th century. In engineering terms, it was a major step forward from the Romanesque style that had dominated European architecture up to that time. It allowed people to construct cathedrals, churches and other buildings on a scale that dwarfed anything that had gone before. The technological superiority of the Gothic approach was the result of four engineering breakthroughs: the pointed arch, the ribbed vault, the flying buttress and the elaborate timber roof structure. The greatest achievement of Gothic architecture can be seen in the cathedrals of medieval Europe. The engineering innovations of pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses meant such buildings could be the longest, widest and tallest of their day. Even in modern times, the Gothic approach is unsurpassed as far as solid stone buildings are concerned.

Funicular Masonry Structure Evolution Medieval European builders developed a modification, the rib vault, a skeleton of arches or ribs on which the masonry could be laid. The medieval mason used pointed arches; unlike round arches, these could be raised as high over a short span as over a long one. To cover rectangular areas, the mason used two intersecting vaults of different widths but of the same height. The fan vault emerged as an English innovation not seen in the churches of continental Europe. The ribs of a fan vault are of equal curvature and rotated at equal distances around a central (vertical) axis, forming the conoid shape which gives rise to the name. In between sequences of conoids, flat central spandrels fill the space. The fan vault as a critically slim conoid skin distributes self loads throughout its rotated curved surface as structure, and is without the concentrated load patterns of ribbed geometry found in Gothic architecture.

Contemporary Funicular Masonry Research Much of our architectural, cultural and structural heritage consists of unreinforced masonry. These historic structures fail mostly due to instabilities caused by large deformations and displacements. Many standard structural analysis tools used in architecture and engineering practice today are not well suited to deal with these types of structural problems, not in the least because of the unknowable material properties of historic masonry constructions. Specific methos, such as the Thrust Network Analysis above that are under constant development, develops a robust computational basis for a fully three-dimensional method for limit analysis of vaulted masonry structures with complex geometry. The investigation above looks at TNA as a method for generating funicular masonry shell structures. The analysis of the Gothic Vault using the same method showcased earlier, links over 700 years of funicular structure design research, since the setting of the structural principle.

From Temple to Cultural Infastructure - executing 1880s designs in 2019 technological means The above investigation examines the radical transofrmation the constuction proccess of the Sagrada Familia has undergone since the turn of the century. Additionally, mention must be made to the transition of the building from a religious temple to a museum fully supported by visitor tickets. GaudĂ used Catalan vaulting to construct hyperboloids and paraboloids. Decorative elements made from green and golden glass are set in the spaces left by the lines of tiles, representing the leaves of the trees represented by the vaults and columns. Today, materials are applied using techniques offered by modern construction technology. Stone is cut using computer controlled systems, as are the wooden or metal, even polyester, fibreglass or polystyrene, frames and shuttering used for reinforced concrete. Finally, mention must be made of present-day ancillary equipment (metal scaffolding, tall, powerful cranes, and computer-aided redesigning systems).

Executing an 1880s design in 2019 technological means The above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the above case study examines the.

Corporate Building Typology and Technical Breakthrough The above investigation looks at the degree to which privately funded corporate projects essentially led technological advancement/ boundary-pushing throught the 20th centruy. High-rise construction, though possible from the late 19th century onwards, was greatly advanced during the second half of the 20th century. Fazlur Khan designed structural systems that remain fundamental to many modern high rise constructions and which he employed in his structural designs for the John Hancock Center in 1969 and Sears Tower in 1973. Khan’s central innovation in skyscraper design and construction was the idea of the “tube” and “bundled tube” structural systems for tall buildings. He defined the framed tube structure as “a three dimensional space structure composed of three, four, or possibly more frames, braced frames, or shear walls, joined at or near their edges to form a vertical tube-like structural system capable of resisting lateral forces in any direction .

Vanity Points and The Language of Power The chart at the top reveals the Vanity Point of towers i.e. the elevation point of the building above which the skyscraper is unoccupied. The Bank of America building in New York City was judged the second vainest, with 34 per cent, or 131m, of its total height being inhabitable. The question of the Language of Power is raised, particularly when considering the bank corporations, insurance companies and tycoons owining those modern-day palaces. The study below looks at the HSBC HQ, Hong Kong. HSBC, decided they needed “the best bank building in the world” – an office tower that would have to be the highest quality both in name and reality for at least the next 50 years. By the time it was completed in 1986, it would be the most expensive building in the world. Its bill (equivalent to £1.8bn at today’s prices) came down to Foster’s total approach to the project: every part of what an office building should be was to be fundamentally rethought.

The Leadenhall Building I - Structure Overview Instead of a traditional central core providing structural stability, the building employs a full perimeter braced tube which defines the edge of the office floor plates and creates stability under wind loads. The circulation and servicing core is located in a detached north-facing tower, containing colour-coded passenger and goods lifts and service risers. The megaframe was made at specialist steelworks in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is divided into eight sections, each 28 metres high and comprising seven floors (apart from the first section, which contains five). The steel columns and beams are connected by nodes that transfer forces of up to 6,000 tonnes, while nearly 3,000 ‘megabolts’ (threaded steel rods) connect all the steel parts together. These megabolts are stretched (‘pre-stressed’) before being installed, so that they create completely rigid joints. This type of construction is more commonly used for bridges and offshore oil rigs.

The Leadenhall Building I - Construction Overview The construction processes were streamlined and the superstructure divided into large components to be prefabricated off-site and brought to site to a strict timetable. It was one of the fastest pieces of large-scale construction to take place in the UK. Much of the construction work for the building was done in factories and workshops around Europe, so only the final assembly of parts took place on site. Due to the large size of such components, deliveries to site could only take place outside of office hours to ensure that there was no impact on city trading. Lifting the steel frame sections into position required cranes that could lift up to 45 tonnes. The heaviest-duty crane available, however, had a maximum load of 32 tonnes, so two new ones were made especially to construct The Leadenhall Building.

Public and Restricted Realm Studies Complementing public space is, of course, private space. As with public space there are many different scales of private space. The above study looks at how these two types of spaces are overlapping and, in some instances, shifting. The study also examines the way in which the zoning and careful strategical planning of public and private space is used as an experience device for the user of the building. Looking at the Medieval Gothic Cathedrals one can see how the main axis of the building functions almost as a public alley-way. Smaller spaces, radiating away from the main axis form spaces of asending levels privacy and intimacy creating a social microenviroment within the Cathedral. Of course, there are then the strictly restricted spaces of religious worship where only the church representatives are allowed. In a similar manner, one can see the way in which public and restricted intertwines at the GFs of the corporate buildings showecased above.

All work produced by Unit 14 Unit book design by Charlie Harris www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture Copyright 2019 The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmited in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retreival system without permission in writing from the publisher.

UNIT @unit14_ucl

M O D E R N C O U R A G E

2019

t the center of Unit 14’s academic exploration lies Buckminster Fuller’s ideal of the ‘The Comprehensive Designer’, a master-builder that follows Renaissance principles and a holistic approach. Fuller referred to this ideal of the designer as somebody who is capable of comprehending the ‘integrateable significance’ of specialised findings and is able to realise and coordinate the commonwealth potentials of these discoveries while not disappearing into a career of expertise. Like Fuller, we are opportunists in search of new ideas and their benefits via architectural synthesis. As such Unit 14 is a test bed for exploration and innovation, examining the role of the architect in an environment of continuous change. We are in search of the new, leveraging technologies, workflows and modes of production seen in disciplines outside our own. We test ideas systematically by means of digital as well as physical drawings, models and prototypes. Our work evolves around technological speculation with a research-driven core, generating momentum through astute synthesis. Our propositions are ultimately made through the design of buildings and through the in-depth consideration of structural formation and tectonic constituents. This, coupled with a strong research ethos, will generate new and unprecedented, viable and spectacular proposals. They will be beautiful because of their intelligence - extraordinary findings and the artful integration of those into architecture. Inspired by the audacity of the modernist mind the unit’s work aspires to reinstate the designer’s engagement with all aspects of our profession. Observation and re-examination of every aspect of current civilizatory development enables to project near future scenarios and positions the work as avant garde in the process of designing a comprehensive vision for the future. Societical, technological, cultural, economic as well as political developments propel the investigations with a deep understanding of how they interlink to shape strategies and astute synthesis to determine a design approach. We believe in the multi-objectivity of our design process, where the negotiation of the different objectives becomes a great source of architectural novelty and authorship. We will fight charlatanism with the aid of practical experimentation, scientific knowledge and technology. We find out about how human endeavour, deep desire and visionary thought interrelate as well as advance cultural and technological means while driving civilisation as a highly developed organisation. The underlying principle and observation of our investigations will be that futurist speculation inspires and ultimately brings about significant change. Supported by competent research the work is the search for modernist courage aiming to amplify found nuclei into imaginative tales with architectural visions fuelled by speculation. Thanks to: RSHP, Zaha Hadid Architects, DKFS Architects, Heatherwick Studio, Amanda Levete Architects, Seth Stein Architects, Cundal Engineering, DaeWha Kang Design, Uni Stuttgart ITKE

UNIT 14 @unit14_ucl