14 15
YEE CHING CHEW 120552041 STAGE 3 ARCHITECTURE NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE PLANNING & LANDSCAPE
AP4 FINAL DESIGN SUBMISSIONS
CHARETTE WEEK S E M E S T E R 1 P R O J E C T & D E C L A R AT I O N O F C H A N G E S F O R M T H I N K I N G T H RO U G H M A K I N G W E E K S E M E S T E R 2 P R O J E C T & D E C L A R AT I O N O F C H A N G E S F O R M
CONTENTS
Additional works are indicated with
00
DESIGN SUMMARY
pg. 1-2
01
CHARETTE WEEK pg. 3-6
03
THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK pg. 35-38
02
WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Semester 1 Project
pg. 7-34
04
THE NEW PASTORAL
Graduation Project pg. 39-70
DESIGN SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
STUDIO 6 - INFRASTRUCTURE
Nearing the completion of third year, I am excited to write this design summary report. It is difficult to take a step back to give an overview of the work you have developed while working towards the final crit. Taking this opportunity to reflect on my development over the academic year as well as the whole degree course, I feel that my third year Architecture has been my most successful in terms of the progression of the quality of work, brief development, tectonic study and also representation skills of my design work.
Throughout the years in studio 6, I have become more skilled in a wider variety of techniques, in particular my CAD capabilities and brief methods. The latter if which has enables me to define the importance of a clear line of conceptual thought from the inception of a project and its repercussions for the overall representation of a project. Through keeping a Learning Journal in Stage 2 Architecture Design, I started collating a work booklet for each project that I do over the course of the year. I have been compiling and collecting development work each phase continuously into a booklet. With that, I have developed a personal methodology of design as a process, rather than an end product. Compiling, collating and collecting experience is what fascinates me most within my learning. This is something I have explored more in portfolio compilation which has added breath and reasoning to my design.
CHARETTE WEEK Beginning the year during Charette week, my group was tasked to collect sound of surface vibration by using contact mic and build a model based on the recording, which was a precious opportunity to experience several new methods of recording audio and video making that were valuable and useful lessons throughout the year. Personally, I have acquired skills to work with other people and I really appreciate brain storming as well as finding solution as a group. DUSSELDORF FIELD TRIP I found myself transfixed in narrative of a design after our field trip. By exploring Dusseldorf, it became apparent the culturally different uses of public space is a key factor in determining the initial design moves. I first observed how the past infrastructure could become a new organisation for cultural and social life of the present. For example, the RUHR Museum demonstrates a strong and cultural identity to the city Dusseldolf which generates the idea of reawakening a redundant infrastructure into an exhibition centre as shown in my projects. Nevertheless, the final architecture-related edible exhibit needed more careful curation, so throughout the following projects, clarity of concept became a priority. SEMESTER 1 PROJECT - WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Waking the sleeping beauty was the first project for stage 3 which focused on the challenge of addressing the small and intermediate scales of intervention into changing infrastructure in the northeast. I focused on the narration of the project by setting scenarios of future change, developing specific material responses and also deploying mechanisms of infrastructural renewal on the High Level Bridge. This was the first human-scale project (device making) I have encountered as this project has a strong emphasis on the design approach at micro level. Also, the most challenging part was to convert my design into a human scale device as every material details have to be considered thoroughly. Consequently, the making process has taught me to rethink about design for disassembly in the following project and how every single tiny details need to be taken account in order to form a big structure or building. GRADUATION PROJECT - THE NEW PASTORAL The graduation project allows me to develop the semester one scenario further. With the developed scenario, the studio aims to explore it in the context of the A40, with own brief, programmatic responses and architectural-scale interventions along the elevated motorway. Most of the time, my concept is generated through intuition site observation together with social, cultural and political explorations of infrastructures role in the built environment. By implementing the design idea from micro to macro scale, I was more confident of working on tectonic details such as designing indoor farming devices. perhaps provocative, to the eye.
PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT I keep diligent track of my work and progress. However, communication skills had been a weakness for me particularly in first and second year, nonetheless, identifying this has led me to improve it significantly in the final year. For the graduation project, I allowed myself more time to produce my final presentation as well as verbal presentation compared to semester one project in order to create more engaging layouts that communicate my ideas in a more structure and coherent way. In related to the final presentation, it was acknowledged in my feedback, with my presentation ‘good and clear’. Hence, time management is something I will have to continue to be more diligent about in the future. CONCLUSION Third year has been a big learning curve for me. In second year, I mainly focus on utilising all the key tools in computer which would help to enhance my visual communication skills, whereas this year I immersed myself into more depth researching, looking at precedents and understanding the way they work as well as convey real information. By reflecting myself as an architect, which actually helped me to create a strong atmospheric understanding on my design. This exercise was challenging but also very rewarding as it focused on my thinking process. Looking back at my undergraduate degree as a whole, from stage 1 to stage 3, my progress throughout the degree has obviously been immense. Starting off in first year by producing everything through hand handdrawn to computer software. Concretely, my graduation project is the strongest design in my portfolio. Notwithstanding the graduation project is the most ambitious project I have designed to date, and it incorporates most of the elements which I have grasped over the past three years, succinctly summarising my learning experience over the degree course. Overall, I have identified over the three years my particular interests in the field of architecture and constantly striving to gain the skills I want which I feel all of these are the key skills to have going into my placement year. I hope that I will have demonstrated, not only knowledge about architecture, a personal approach towards design as a continuous process of making a well-designed building which is solid and sturdy, and be useful and pleasing – or perhaps provocative, to the eye.
02 DESIGN SUMMARY
CHARETTE WEEK GROUP 10
01 CHARETTE WEEK
Charette week, an annual event that takes places within Newcastle Universities Architecture Department. Students from all years groups of both Bachelors and Masters programme collaborate to work on various projects in accordance with varying briefs. According to the university, the purpose is to allow students to express their creativity, explore their limitation between both art and architecture.
04 CHARETTE WEEK
THE UNSEEN & THE UNHEARD
Projection mapping, also known as video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technology used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection. These objects may be complex industrial landscapes, such as buildings. By using specialized software, a two- or three-dimensional object is spatially mapped on the virtual program which mimics the real environment it is to be projected on. The software can interact with a projector to fit any desired image onto the surface of that object. This technique is used by artists and advertisers alike who can add extra dimensions, optical illusions, and notions of movement onto previously static objects. The video is commonly combined with, or triggered by, audio to create an audio-visual narrative.
GROUP. DESIGN. PROCESS. 05 CHARETTE WEEK
P RO J E C T I O N M A P P I N G Group 10
The Unheard & The Unseen
Sound collection of surface vibration by contact mic & build a model based on the recording.
06 CHARETTE WEEK
ECO SEAT HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE
02 WA K I N G T H E S L E E P I N G B E AU T Y INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure forms the substrata of our lives. We live in amongst a wed, a network of connections that intersects almost all areas of urban and rural environments. These infrastructures are always, to some extent, physical - they have a material existence that is in a constant state of flux: as technologies change, their distribution channels alter too. And they leave legacies - ones that offer the potential to be rethought, reimagined and reintegrated into the fabric of the city.
08 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
BRIDGES TYPOLOGY
“A Structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle.” Design of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored. the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. Bridges can be categorized in several ways including the type of structural elements used, by what they carry, whether they are fixed or movable, and by the materials used. Additionally, bridges can be classified by how the forces of tension, compression, bending and shear are distributed through their structure.
SUSPENSION
S
P
A
N
FOUND ATION
FOUND FOUND AT I O N ATION
O
B
S
T
A
C
L
E
S
DEFINITION. AND. TYPOLOGY. 09 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
ARCH
TRUSS
TIE ARCH
10
03
08
05
12
06 N EWC A ST L E
BL AYD ON
G AT E S H E A D
01
02
07
04
09
BRIDGES ACROSS THE TYNE
01. NEWSBURN BRIDGE 02. LEMINGTON BRIDGE 03. BLAYDON BRIDGE 04. SCOTSWOOD RAILWAY BRIDGE 05. SCOTSWOOD BRIDGE 06. REDHEUGH BRIDGE 07. KING EDWARD VII BRIDGE 08. QUEEN ELIZABETH II 09. HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE 10. SWING BRIDGE 11. TYNE BRIDGE 12. MILLENNIUM BRIDGE
11
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
10 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
BRIDGES TYPOLOGY
TOP LEFT. ARCH BRIDGES TOP RIGHT. GIRDER BRIDGES BOTTOM LEFT. DETAILS BOTTOM RIGHT. CONSTRUCTION RHYTHM 11 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
O B J E C T D I S A S S E M B LY
“Revealing the beauty hidden within the mechanical device and transforming ordinary objects into works of art by carefully arranging the components and photographing them.� An exercise that make the inner workings of mechanical device visible. Disassembling an old folding camera and then laying them out on an A2 size frame in meticulously detailed arrangements. This is an interesting process of taking things apart to see how it works inside while bringing out the curiosity about the material world.
12 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
01
05
02
06
03
07
04
08 The following design stage was disassembly of a mechanical device. Throughout the process of dismantling a folding camera, it was interesting to find out how the functional parts and components eventually support the whole system. The whole process of disassembly was recorded and displayed as above. Scan the QR code on the left to go to the video of disassembly process. This video shows the entire process and method of disassembly in a faster pace.
13 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
D I S M A N T L E D PA R T S A2 size frame displaying the dismantled parts in an organised arrangement according to the size and shape.
FOLDING. CAMERA. 14 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
WA K I N G T H E S L E E P I N G B E AU T Y As in many periods of technological change, we see social and cultural change develop space. Scenarios once imgained become real. Where once formidable forms of material infrastructures appeared inviolable, they now fall to decline, disuse or disrepair. But they mark our landscapes and cityscapes in myriad ways. In the northeast, the remnants of industrial pasts form a palimpsest of potential: structures, spaces, technologies lie dormant, ready to be reawakened to meet needs and address scenarios of cultural change.
HIGH. LEVEL. BRIDGE. 15 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
SCENARIO “Infrastructural urbanism has drifted away from such forward-looking ideals and indulged itself in an unhealthy relationship with modernism.� Urban infrastructure were once objects of fascination and carriers of promises for generations of architects, urbanists and engineers. However, the post-industrial transformation of urban economies left an important part of urban infrastructure to decay. This downturn has become an important source of social and environmental problems, consequently, it has gradually become a central topic of the debate on the contemporary city.
DESIGN IDEA “Rather than waiting for the past infrastructure to get decommissioned and reborn with a new social programme – could we conceive of our public infrastructures with intended social side-effects.” These past few decades we have rediscovered the city and the attractiveness of city life in terms of spatial quality and livability is again at the top of the political agenda. With the growing concern of urban problems including underused infrastructure, urban renewal should be reconsidered. The question arises as how we, as an architect could implement the public infrastructure with social programmes proactively to create a new urban life forms that generate positive social side effects into the city.
tween Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. However, with the emergence of new bridges along the the river tyne, High Level Bridge has less importance than it was before and it is often seen as a grey area with the loss of social and cultural context in the city landscape. The main idea of the project is to bring back the urban park and implement it into the neglected infrastructure. The underlying reason is to transform the high level bridge into an attractive, living, leisure and work In the North East, High Level Bridge environment. And this can be done designed by Robert Stephenson, was by turning the grey infrastructure constructed as a road and railway into green where people want to live, bridge spanning the River Tyne be- work, play with the environment.
THE. DEVICE. MAKING. 17 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
U R B A N PA R K “As an important part of public space and crucial green infrastructure, parks can provide huge range of functions to man and society.”
Parks make cities more lively, agreeable and beautiful, they provide us with numerous recreational possibilities and ideal meeting places. Parks give structure to the city, reinforce the urban fabric and help to channel public space. They provide breathing space and make sure that the compact city remains livable as well. Additionally, they improve a city’s or region’s housing quality and quality of life.
01
02
03
04
05
Planning & landscape benefits
A healthy population
Strong and safe communities
Recreational benefits
Tourism benefits
06
07
08
09
10
Enhanced biodiversity
An improved environment
Climate mitigation and adaptation
WHY. URBAN. PARK. 18 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Places for urban agriculture
Economic value
“TURNING HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE INTO AN URBAN PARK.”
GATESHEAD
01
THE GATESHEAD RAILWAY CLUB AND INSTITUTE
NEWCASTLE
02
HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE GATESHEAD (LEFT) TO NEWCASTLE (RIGHT)
SECTIONAL. COLLAGE. 19 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
03
RAILWAY HEADING TOWARDS NEWCASTLE RAILWAY STATION
MACRO SCALE
COMPLEMENTING THE GREY INFRASTRUCTURE High quality parks and public spaces are an essential feature of successful neighbourhoods where people want to live, work, play and invest. They are vital to people’s health and the local economony. Hence, by turn the grey infrastructure - High Level Bridge into green, it will definitely bring out the important spatial, social, economic and cultural significance of the space. The idea is to place greenery plantation that attached to the existing structure and also rainwater collection tank along the high level bridge. Water pump system is integrated in the mechanical bumpers on the bridge’s road. Water is pumped up to the hanging plants when a vehicle make contact witht the mechanical bumper. The bumpers are located every 10m on the bridge to slow down the vehicle’s speed. This system not only self-irrigate the plantations but also provide an astonishing greenery view to the public, both internally and externally, which makes the bridge alive again. 20 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
01 RAINWATER COLLECTION
Water tanks are located along the High Level Bridge for rain water collection to be reused for plantation
21 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
02 CROSSING VEHICLES
Vehicles driving through the bridge have to contact with mechanical bumpers that have been set up along the whole bridge.
“HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE THE SKY GARDEN”
03 MECHANICAL BUMPER
The mechanical bumper is made up with water pumping (syphon) system. When a car tyre contacts with it, collected water is pumped up by the force. 22 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
04 WATER PUMPING SYSTEM
Collection rainwater is pumped up by the vehicle’s contact force towards the hanging planting screens on the High Level Bridge.
BRIEF MAKING The main focus on the transformation of High Level Bridge into green infrastructure is the unused space underneath the railtrack. It is unprevailing and dark during the night, people pass by daily without noticing the space. The idea was to explore a new form of symbiosis between infrastructure and nature to create a connection for locals by creating a social infrastructural device. The devices are not only aesthetic and environmentally well intergrated with the exisiting bridge structures, but also socially activating.
MICRO SCALE
GREY
GREEN
GREY. TO. GREEN. 23 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
S I T E A N A LY S I S The figure below shows the site of high level bridge at the river tyne. It also shows the existing building around as well as green spaces. The red circle indicates the unuse space that this project has been focused on. On the other hand, the plan on the right shows the possible location of the devices.
01. SITE PLAN 02. HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE BRIEF SITE PLAN 1:400
01 OTHER BUILDINGS GREEN SPACE PATHS RIVER TYNE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE
24 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
02
DESIGN APPROACH The design idea of turning the whole bridge into an urban park with both human and vehicle mechanical devices designed for irrigation. The underused site located between residential space, work space and institution, can be treated as a social urban park where there is no longer a distinction between public and private. In other words, the idea is to transform high level bridge into a local resource for exercise and socialising, community events and education as well as offer respite from the pressures of urban living. The illustration below demonstrates the key concept of transforming the high level bridge.
THE. DESIGN. CONCEPT. 25 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
01
02
04
03
05 01. DEVICE WITH SITE CONTEXT 02. HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE DETAIL 03. CONCEPTUAL MODEL SECTION 04. CLOSE-UP DEVICE - BOTTOM 05. CLOSE-UP DEVICE - TOP
1:50. CONCEPTUAL. MODEL. 26 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
“SUCCESSFUL GREEN SPACES THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO USE AND RESPECT.”
01 Spring syringe which tion as
SPRING SEAT
system connected with is attached to the seat, has the similar functhe mechanical bumper. 27 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
02 WATER SYPHON SYSTEM
When a person sits on the device seat, force applied to the syphone forces the collected rainwater up towards the planting screeens.
03 PEDAL GENERATOR
Transforming human pedal power that triggers the generator in order to generate electricty. Besides, it also acts as an exercising device. 28 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
04 LIGHTING
Light is generated by human source, which helps in promoting the use of space and also increasing security especially during the night.
01
FINAL. DEVICE. DESIGN.
01. PERSPECTIVE VIEW 02. SECTIONAL VIEW 29 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
02 T H E E C H O S E AT
Given the name of my designed device as ‘Ecoseat’, each function is well considered. The Ecoseat provides public seating area where people can rest, socialise, read and site viewing. When a person sit on the device, the water pump that is connected to the seat pushes rainwater by pressure to water the green screens on top, which are located between the bridge 30 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
columns. Additionally, it consists of a human powered device that helps in generates light energy through pedalling. In order words, the device can also be treated as a stationary cycling machine that convert human power to electricity. Placing the devices along the abundant space have contributed in promoting the use of the forgotten space on High Level Bridge.
FUNCTIONS
Public sitting area where people can rest, socialize, read or viewing
Pumps rainwater up to water the green screens
Improves air quality and generates happiness
Human powered device to generate light energy
Promotion the use of space with adequate amout of lighting generated
BENIFITS
ECOLOGICAL
H E A LT H
SO CIAL
ENERGY S AV I N G
IMPROVED LIGHTING
Creates green space that improves urban environment
Benefit both mental & physical health
Provides a social gathering space where opportunities ties created for public interaction
Generating light by human power
Public invitation by the aesthetic visual lighting & functional during night
CONSTRUCTION D E TA I L My design incorporates configurations of the device that allows dismantling, reassembly and materials recycling in order to avoid waste. Choice of materiality for the Ecoseat and the need to reduce demolition and waste material produced was taken into consideration of my design with future recycling in mind. Most of the materials used can be recycled and reused for new purposes. For instance, the timber joists can be easily deconstructed, reprocessed and reused in new buildings, renovations or alteration. Some materials are reused to build the device such as wooden pallets taken from waste and recycle bicycle parts including bicycle chain, chain ring, pedal, saddle and frame collected from Recyke Y’ Bike in Newcastle. It is vital to reuse these materials as they remain their embodied value, still good in shape and are able to function well. By enlarging it into a bigger scale for the whole section of the space, the devices that built with recycled materials will definitely minimise the consumption of resources. 31 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
MECHANICAL D E TA I L
60MM NAIL SEATING PAD
2”x2” WICKLES SAWN KILN DRIED TIMBER PALLETS SUPPORTING WOODEN PIECE SUPPORTING WOODEN STICK COMPRESSION SPRING SUPPORTING WOODEN PIECE
SUPPORTING WOODEN PIECE CONNECTING THE SYRINGE
SYPHON WATER PUMP
WATER TANK LOCATION L-SHAPED CONNECTOR
60MM NAIL 2”x2” WICKLES SAWN KILN DRIED TIMBER PALLETS
BICYCLE PEDAL BICYCLE WHEEL L-SHAPED CONNECTOR
32 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
1:1 FINAL MODEL The ‘waking the sleeping beauty’ project has a strong emphasis on the design approach at micro level. Design while buidling it into human scale model makes this project challenging and yet interesting as well. It was not an easy task at first as every single tiny detail that connects to each material required consideration in order to build into a bigger structure. Beside, the making process has taught me to rethink about design for disassembly in the following project.
01. PEDAL GENERATOR SYSTEM 02. RECYCLED BICYCLE CHAIN & PEDAL 03. SYPHON PUMPING SYSTEM 04. TIMBER JUNCTION DETAIL 05. IRRIGATION DRIPPING SYSTEM 06. RAINWATER COLLECTION TANK 33 WAKING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
01
02
04
05
03
06
03 T H I N K I N G T H RO U G H M A K I N G W E E K
Material forms the core of architecture’s practice - be it the material of construction or that of the drawing board or digital interface, the way making inflects thinking underlies the production of architecture. Thinking Through Making asks us to delve into possibilities of material; the potential of technologies; system of structures and modes of exploration of material design through making & drawing. Thinking Through Making week allow us to explore a wide variety of material practices and possibilities, with the potential of a new and unexplored avenue of material, technology, structure, surface, to infiltrate the ongoing design projects. Additionally, it allows us to strat thinking about material and technology as an intergral part of thinking and making architecture.
35 THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK
THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK
T H I N K I N G T H RO U G H M A K I N G W E E K Infrastructure The Concrete Island Collage
1:1 Drawing Exploration of the Concrete Island along the London Westway A40
37 THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK
The 1:1 drawing exploration is derived from the themes and aims of each design studio. A large-format paper size (1mx2m) was provided to use as the principle medium of the week. The drawing was a collage of photos taken at the concrete island(London A40) from the London field trip, illustrating the capacity to develop a conceptual and critical approach to the Infrastructure studio at real scale. The final drawing output is part of the exhibition that showcases the outcomes of the Thinking Through Making week. Scan the QR Code above to go to the recorded video of the 1:1 drawing process. 38 THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK
04 T H E N E W PA S T O R A L INFRASTRUCTURE
In London, the failed dream of urban motorways has left the legacy of the A40, the Westway out of the capital. Spaces in, on and around this ribbon of concrete, in the strange liminal land of London’s main western artery, provide remnants of space that, ina city of extreme real estate premiums are oddly underused. And, with the inherently unstable future of technology provoking an unstable future for its channels of distribution, the urban-motorway could itself become subject to fundamental change.
39 THE NEW PASTORAL
THE NEW PASTORAL CONCRETE ISLAND
SCENARIO
“Sustainability has an influence in many key areas of our educational institutions, from politics to architecture. Does architecture have the potential to reconnect people in urban centres with food production, while serving as a model for sustainability?” Our cities are expanding at an unprecedented rate with 1.3 million rural migrants flocking on cities accross the world each week where the historical balance of rural to urban dwellers is shifting in favour of the city. This has created a large environmental problems, none more so than sustaining this expanding number of hungry city dwellers. Food production must continue to increase in number to meet all of these great needs. However, with the dramatical increase of land use intensity nowadays, the reliance on only rural agriculture where mostly located in the suburbs is the main issue to be considered.
“19 MILLION HECTARES OF RAINFOREST ARE LOST EACH YEAR TO MAKE WAY FOR ARABLE LAND.”
QUESTION. ON. SUSTAINABLITY. 41 THE NEW PASTORAL
The land we use: Green areas are used for growing crops, brown areas are used for raising animals.
2014
2050
+2.5b Conventional production of food use large amounts of resources and chemical inputs that are both inefficient and unsustainable.
The world’s population will grow by 2.5 billion people in 2050.
+80% Some of the produce we get in grocery stores has to travel from farm far away to plate.
80% of the world’s population will live in the cities.
+70% Farmers will need to produce 70% more food to feed the population.
Current industralised farming methods and long-distance transport of our food bring negative enviromental and health impacts.
-80% Foods have to be picked and transported days before they reach peak ripenesws, compromising their taste and nutrition.
80% of the Earth’s available land is already farmed.
Over the centuries, there has been an undeniable symbiosis between urbanization and agricultural development. Cities and food are intrinsically linked together. Ever since their genesis, they are interconnected on the levels of production, processing, logistics and consumption. Especially today, when half of contemporary civilization is living in cities, this spatial interconnection is more relevant than ever.
However, lack of sophisticated transportation and refrigeration techniques caused much of the agriculture to be interwoven with urbanity. If cities and other urban areas are to become food secure and more sustainable, they must produce more food locally while preserving their green spaces. This is undeniably quite a challenge for large cities such as London. According to statistics, only approximate-
ly 25% of a Large town or cities food requirement will come from the urban and peri-urban area. Necessity has without question made urban agriculture a viable proposition in times of conflict or self sustenance, however in our economicaaly driven free market, is it a realistic alternative to the current contemporary condition of our food production?
42 THE NEW PASTORAL
U R B A N A G R I C U LT U R E
“There are environmental benefits from organ urban agriculture such as preserving biodiversity, tackling waster and reducing the amount of energy used to produce and distribute food.� By bringing food production back into cities, these urban areas can begin to insource more of their food instead of the current practice of our-sourcing. Having food available in the urban areas not only dramatically reduce carbon emissions it would also provide jobs to the increasingly urban population, raise awareness of how and where our food comes from and has the potential of becoming a social buffer in creasing interaction within urban environment. Therefore, it is important for urban communites to produce food themselves.
01
02
FOOD MILES The farms are normally far away from the city and the import of vegetables costs a lot of carbon footprint. If we are able buy local food or grow our own food, it will definitely reduce the footprint.
03
AGRICULTURE FOOTPRINT Greenhouse-gas emission from the food production system is the biggest footprint in agriculture, releasing up to 12000 megatons of carbon dioxide per year.
WHY. URBAN. AGRICULTURE. 43 THE NEW PASTORAL
FOOD QUALITY Contrary of most people belief, organic vegetable does not mean pesticide-free. In fact, organic farmers are allowed to use a wide variety of chemical sprays and powders on their crops.
MAPPING
“Looking into the current urgan agriculture situation from macro scale to micro scale(London A40).”
This diagram suggests a typical ‘food zone’ in Europe. The aim of urban agriculture would be to expand the innermost circles, increasing and diversifying production within and close to the urban core, while diminishing supply from the outer cirles, thus reducing ‘food miles’. The main idea behind is to make London as the main food production for the city itself in order to feed the popula-
06
FURTHER AFIELD 5%
05
REST OF EUROPE 15%
04
REST OF UK 20%
03
RURAL HINTERLAND 35%
02
PERI-URBAN LAND 17.5%
01
URBAN TRADED 5%
00
URBAN DOMESTIC 2.5%
tion. The figure on the left shows the location of main food production in the UK based on the city population. Looking closer into the London A40, concrete island is the most strategic location as the site acts as a central point along the elevated motorway. Addtionally, the points around are representation of the existing grocery stores.
I N D O O R FA R M I N G M E T H O D S
“With the lack of arable land to grow in cities, the methods of farming are limited. Hence, high-tech indoor farming methods are used which utilise less space but with higher efficiency. The main food production area is located at the building’s underground level; however the building is not trying to feed all of the London population but it will serve as an example of an optimal method of growing indoor localized food within a dense urban area. offering a precedent that could be replicated throughout the city. Within the building there will be three four farming methods: Aeroponics, Vertical Farm, Aquaponics and Hydroponics. These systems are ideal for growing crops such as herbs, eggplants, lectuces, tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.
HYDROPONICS Hydroponics wheel grow plants with cylindrical growing system. The cylinder rotates slowly through the feeding trough allowing plant medium to absorb only the water and nutrient needed.
PLANTING LED LIGHTING
ROTATING SYSTEM NUTRIENT ENRICHED WATER
45 THE NEW PASTORAL
AEROPONICS
V E R T I C A L FA R M I N G
The Aeroponic mist most efiiciently provides roots with the nutrients, hydration and oxygen needed, creating faster growing cycles.
Farming method involving a motorised rotating belt powered by the generator. The water solution is directed to the plantings on each rotation.
MOTORISED ROTATING BELT
LEAFY GREENS LED LIGHTING
CLOTH MEDIUM
SOLUTION CHAMBER
47 THE NEW PASTORAL
SOLUTION CHAMBER
LEAFY GREENS
Hydroponics is a system of growing plants without using soil. Hydroponics often optimizes yields and produces a higher quality of produce due to the direct nutrients and lack of pests associated with soil growing. Aeroponics is a growing system that uses a fine mist of nutrient enriched water that is pumped to the roots systems of crops. Aeroponics are often recognized as a more intense type of hydroponic grow system. Vertical farming method is the only method that uses sunlight exposure and water which is located around the building facade. They also acts as a double skin facade. Aquaponics is a farming method that combines hydroponics and aquaculture(farming fish). The system uses oxygenated clean water for the fish to swim in that is pumped up afterwards t othe roots of the plants for irrigation.
CROP TYPES
AQUAPONICS Aquaponics uses a recirculating process to grow , harvest plants and farm fish where the fish waste works with the beneficial bacteria in gravel and plants, creating a recyclable concentrated compost.
DRIP SYSTEM LED LIGHTING
LEAFY GREENS FISH FEEDER FISH TANK WATER PUMP
48 THE NEW PASTORAL
PUBLIC
THE SITE WITH EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
RESEARCH
THE BUILDING PROGRAMMES
LINKAGE BETWEEN BOTH PROGRAMMES
49 THE NEW PASTORAL
REVEALING THE GROWING FACADE
T H E N E W PA S TO R A L
Located in West London along the A40 Westway, the building is an organisation between urban context, local community and indoor vertical farm. With the scenario developed further from the Semester one project, this project explored the A40 site context with developed brief, programmatic responses and architectural-scale interventions along the A40
London. The design incorporates indoor farm with research facilities and also public spaces. The main focus of this project is the formation of a balance- a natural equilibrium - between the food programme, landscapes and their need of natural resources. The balance is a dynamic system like a natural scaleless ecology, which can connect different spatial conditions and programmes.
B U I L D I N G FA C A D E
This is the facade view from the existing infrastructure (London A40 elevated motorway) level. The design approach is to span the building accross the elevated motorway while allowing the vehicle passing through the building. The public’s view will generate public aware as well as encourage public engagement with the food production, which will be
the major factor in the success of the project. By integrating the public in the public into the operation of the project, such as providing education on indoor farming methods, they become a part of the food programme. As a result, this integration will help the idea grow and gain public’s acceptance of this new urban agriculture movement in London.
“ESTABLISHES A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CITY.”
Infrastructures in the city are often considered as the isolated elements that have been the separated by the city landscape. By taking the existing infrastructural elements to engage with the urban field order as well as creating new potentials and hybrids within the urban fabric. This graduation project focus on creating a potential
for the interaction between urban agriculture and city’s infrastructure (A40 London). Utilising the new agriculture programmatic elements to activate and create new catalysis within the neighbourhoods. The New Pastoral vertical farming building not only maintains but also reawake the infrastructure at both street and elevated motorway level.
ARC 3015
SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE The key image of graduation project representational technique is sectional perspective cut. This is a section cutting through the main building, showing internal key spaces and circulation. It is a combined representation of section and perspective drawings. The drawing depicts connections within designed scheme and also how the interior spaces work together. Additionally, it reveals the inside of the building as well as explores the relationship between the site context, which give more information about the building structure and relation with the original idea. 53 THE NEW PASTORAL
CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM
01 DESIGN PROGRAMME The design consists of two main programmes - public and the researcherwith seperates routes through the building as shown. Red represents public where blue represents researcher.
-1m
02 STREET LEVEL ACCESS
+2m
The diagram shows the vertical and horinzontal movement at street level. Both entrances which are located at different levels - underground(-1m) & level 1(+2m), can be accessible through slope and stairs as indicated.
street level +0m
street level +0m
roof top garden
03 VISITOR ROUTE exhibition auditorium library
The red dotted line represents thepublic visitor route through the buidling, starting from entrance to library, auditorium, exhibition, roof top garden and then back to the original level. The route itself is reversible.
reception
04 RESEARCHER ROUTE
roof top garden
The blue dotted line represents the seperate private route for the researchers which is accessible at underground level. It is a vertical circulation through the researcher block including main planting area, office, laboratory & roof top garden.
laboratory main planting area
office
05 VERTICAL FARM The diagram shows the vertical planting on middle of building’s facade. The vertical plantation acts as a double skin facade and also noise barrier that reduce the noise level coming from the elevated motorway.
06 INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACTION 5m
54 THE NEW PASTORAL
The diagram demonstrates the interaction between the building and the existing A40 elevated motorway. The building spans over the A40 with 5m height difference in between. This allows vehicle passage through the building.
02
01
03
04
05
01. 1:500 SITE MODEL 02. BUILDING-INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACTION 03. BUILDING-INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACTION 04. 1:100 SECTIONAL MODEL 05. SECTIONAL MODEL - LIBRARY SPACE 55 THE NEW PASTORAL
06
07
08
09
10
11 06. MODEL TOP VIEW 07. ORINIGAL STAIRS DESIGN 08. MODEL SIDE VIEW 09. INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACION 10. INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACION II 11. INFRASTRUCTURE INTERACION III
1:200. CONCEPTUAL. MODEL. 56 THE NEW PASTORAL
PROGRAMME DIAGRAM
01 Reception - Level 1
07 Roof Garden - Top Level
PUBLIC
02 Library - Level 2
08 Laboratory - Level 3
PUBLIC
03 Auditorium - Level 3
Office - Level 2
PUBLIC
Main Plantation - Underground
PUBLIC
PRIVATE
11 A40 London Motorway
PUBLIC
06 Retail Store - Level 2
PRIVATE
10
05 Cafe - Level 3
PRIVATE
09
04 Exhibition - Level 4
PUBLIC + PRIVATE
INFRASTRUCTURE
12 Access Routes
PUBLIC
57 THE NEW PASTORAL
PUBLIC + PRIVATE
ACCESS ROUTES
01 02 03
01
02
03
RESEARCHER ROUTE & PUBLIC ROUTE
STAIRCASE LEADING TO UNDERGROUND LEVEL
STAIRCASE AND SLOPE LEADING TOWARDS PUBLIC ENTRANCE
58 THE NEW PASTORAL
PLANS
1:400 LEVEL I 06. Reception Area 07. Retail Store 08. Sending & Receiving Area 09. Storage
06
07
08
09
1:400 UNDERGROUND LEVEL 01. Toilets & Dressing Room 02. Mechanical Room 03. Germination Room 04. Storage 05. Main Plant Growing Area Hydroponics & Aeroponics
01
01
05 02
03
04
59 THE NEW PASTORAL
1:400 LEVEL III 15. Auditorium 16. Exhibition - Experimental area 17. Exhibition - Hydroponic Wheel 18. Exhibition - Aquaponics 19. Exhibition - Aeroponics 20. Laboratory / Testing Chamber
15
17
16
19
18
20
1:400 LEVEL II 10. WC 11. Library / Study Area 12. Cafe 13. Kitchen 14. Office 10
11
12
14
13
60 THE NEW PASTORAL
RECEPTION As inspired by the RUHR Museum in Dusseldorf, the idea of locating the main staircase at the reception that brings the public straight up to the exhibition centre was implemented in this building. Vertical farm acts as a double skin facade that wraps along the curtain wall of the whole building.
62 THE NEW PASTORAL
LIBRARY Public library - the following space is located on the upper level where the staircase leads to before entering the exhibition centre. Public gets to engage with the vertical farm on both sides in a close distance while walking along the public staircase.
64 THE NEW PASTORAL
CAFE
Cafe space located at the second level, is at the same level of the A40 london. Vertical farms act as louvres system to provide shade and glare protection against low evening sunlight. Part of the space is double height, which links with the exhibition area above, where indoor vertical plants are displayed at both levels and the produce are ready for public to pick out or send it to the cafe kitchen for food preparation.
66 THE NEW PASTORAL
1. ROOF DETAIL 2.
1. 150mm angled rood parapet 2. 80mm substrate for extensive planting 3. 200mm thermal insulation & water proofing 4. 200mm concrete slab 5. Concrete 250mm, internal insulation 200mm(extruded polystrene)
3.
4.
5.
4. 1.
WALL & FLOOR DETAIL 1. Concrete slab 2. Cold form steel deck 3. Stud shear connector 4. Steel beam & column 5. Reinforced concrete shear wall 6. Nangles & Bolts 7. Glazed aluminium curtain wall
5.
2.
6. 3.
2. 1. FOUNDATION DETAIL 1. Steel beam & column 2. Nangles & bolts 3. 25mm thick grout 4. Concrete slab with woven wire mash 5. Existing ground level 6. Fine sand, fine gravel & course gravel 7. Rigid insulation & Damp proof membrane 8. Drain surrounded by course gravel
3. 4. 5.
6.
7. 8.
67 THE NEW PASTORAL
SECTIONAL DETAIL
Constructional detail of the office space at level two
The New Pastoralww is essentially a steelframed building with reinforced concrete shear walls at the core. The reinforced-concrete shear walls encase the steel frame of the vertical transportation core to resist lateral loads.The unique combination of a steel frame with a concrete core is built for hardened elevator shafts and stairways. The concrete core is constructed after steel frame wasRESEARCHER erected. The constructionPUBLIC allows the design concept of having two heavy structures with a light weight structure in between. The figures on the left show the details of wall to roof, wall to floor as well as wall to foundation from the top to bottom respectively, whereas the figure above illustrates a closedup sectional detail of the office space at level two. The sectional detail demonstrates not only the space constructional detail but also the01.atmosphere both internal and external.
PROGRAMMES & DIAGRAMS
CO N S T R U C T I O N A L D E TA I L
02.
03.
DESIGN PROGRAMME
STREET LEVEL ACCESS
VISITOR ROUTE
The design consists of two programmes public and the researcher with seperates routes through the building.
The diagram shows 68the vertical and horizontal movement at street level. THE NEW PASTORAL
The diagram indicates the visitor route through the building, starting from the entrance to library, auditorium, exhibition and last but not least the roof top garden. The route itself is reversible.
S T O R M WAT E R T R E AT M E N T S Y S T E M
ARTIFICIAL LIT GRASS FLITER AND TRANSPIRE WATER WHILE ENHANCING THE PUBLIC STREETSCAPE
STORMWATER FROM ROADWAY FLOWS INTO THE PLANTER
WATER INFILTRATES THROUGH THE SOIL
WEEPHOLES IN THE MANHOLE STRUCTURE TRANSFER STORMWATER TO THE WATER TANK FOR STORAGE
69 THE NEW PASTORAL
STORMWATER FROM SIDEWALK FLOWS INTO THE GRASS PLATFORM
STONE & OTHER STORAGE MEDIA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL STORMWATER STORAGE
1:200. FINAL. MODEL.
YEE CHING CHEW 120552041 Newcastle University School of Architecture Planning & Landscape