Building Procedure

48-773 Chi Zhang

Configuration of Amenity Plugins in Hutong

This project is an extension of my thesis "Hutong Plugin". The core concept of my thesis is to demolish the self-built, attached buildings in the historic neighborhood, reclaim the illegally occupied courtyard space, and resort to plugin boxes which create new shared facilities, including bathroom, kitchen and laundry, in collectively owned courtyards. Through this way multiple privately built facilities are changed to one common facility construction, natural sunlight condition is improved, more outdoor space is liberated.

This project focuses on using grasshopper as a tool to explore the configuration problem of different plugin boxes in the courtyards, according to the urban context and data.

I. Context

Figure 1: Beijing, modern or historical?

My thesis site locates at Beijing, China. I am going to explore the possibility of renegotiation of common courtyard space in very dense and crowded historical district. Speak of the image of Beijing, some people would say the tall buildings represents Beijing, but most would say it’s the historic buildings and patterns that make Beijing so different.

Beijing

Xisi North Neighborhood

Site

CHINA

Xisi North Neighborhood

Inner City

Figure 2: Site location

I. Context Courtyard

North House

East House

Entrance

West House Reversely-set House

Figure 3: The composition of Chinese traditional courtyard

Beijing courtyard housing (Siheyuan) is a very iconic housing morphology. One courtyard housing has a courtyard in the middle and four buildings surrounded. This idea to design it like this is to shows the hope of sharing tranquility and happiness in a family.

Figure 4: Courtyards birdeye view

I. Context Previous Amenities Are Transfered to More Bedrooms

Families build Their Own Kitchens on the Courtyard Space

Basic Living Space (Bedroom)

Amenities Space (Bathroom, Kitchen, Storage)

Figure 5: Spatial Change in Courtyards

During this transformation, the courtyard outdoor space property changes from private to common, legally it a common property of all those who own the houses around the courtyard.

The space has also changed a lot. Because of the increase of resident density, almost all the rooms of the houses are turned into bedrooms, while they used to be kitchens, bathrooms, storerooms and so on. But people can not survive with out these amenities, so they start to build their own additional buildings inside the courtyard space.

All the families attempts to build their own amenities in the common courtyard, the result is the courtyard is fully occupied by these additional buildings.

And because they are self-built houses and most of the residents who live here are not wealthy, these building are really in bad condition. Besides, they block almost all natural light and natural wind, which makes the original buildings dark and wet. Also they don’t meet the need of fire control.

This is not individual case, but already become a pattern in the historical neighborhood.

I. Context

Figure 6: The self built attached buildings in one couryard

Figure 7: The self built attached buildings in in the neighborhood

II. Analysis

Figure 8: Relevent System-the couryards shapes and sizes

Filtrate all the courtyards in the neighborhood that are available for plugins, which means the building type is residential, the courtyard size is at least lager than one Plugin box, and is not historic preservation building.

According to the size and shape of each couryard, try to fit as many boxes as possible.

II. Analysis

Figure 9: Relevent System-accessibility to other public amenities

The neighborhood usually has public amenities such as bathroom or reading room for the residents. Use these amenities to draw service circles, those couryard within these circles might have lower priority for this type of amenities. For example, the couryard which is next to a neighborhood bathroom may not have a bathroom plugin in theri courtyard. Instead they can use the space for some other purpose.

Figure 10: Relevent System-family with elderly

For those families with elderly, bathrooms can not be spared even if they are close enough to publim bathroom.

II. Analysis

Long Term Residents Family 1 Male 65 Retired Female 60 Retired

Floating Population Family 1 Male 34 Work Female 32 Work Female 8 Study

Playing Chess Reading Newspaper

Taking Care of Child

Storage Growing Flowers Basking

Toilet Laundry Cooking Shower Study

Surf the Internet Taking Care of Senior Long Term Residents Family 2 Male 70 Retired Male 43 Work Female 40 Work Male 15 Study

Fitness

Floating Population Family 2 Male 26 Work

Figure 11: Relevent System-what do different people need

The user type of the families who live in one couryard is an important factor that influence the decision making of what kind of plugins they need in this couryard. The diagram above shows what do different family type need in the courtyard. According to the basic living demands, I designed three basic plugins and four scenarios to assemble them.

IV. Component design

Figure 12: Plugin-Bathroom

Figure 13: Plugin-kitchen

IV. Component design

Figure 14: Plugin-Laundry

V. Component Deployment

Figure 15: Configuration Scenario 1Kitchen+Bathroom+Laundry

Figure 16: Configuration Scenario 2 Kitchen+Bathroom+Laundry

V. Component Deployment

Figure 17: Configuration Scenario 3 Kitchen+Bathroom

Figure 18: Configuration Scenario 4 Kitchen+Laundry

V. Component Deployment

Small Site Good Daylight No Elderly Close to Public Bathroom

Small Site Medium Daylight

Long Site Good Daylight

Square Site Medium Daylight

Figure 19: Configuration Examples

In this section, I try to think of an algorithm that can help configurate the plugin boxes into the courtyards.I use four parameters: 1. couryard size 2. courtyard shape(whether it can accommondate a scenario or not), 3. whether is within the service circle of public toilet, 4. whether have elderly in family.

Then I give four scenarios that can be configurated in the couryards according to the algorithm. and give some examples in the neighborhood that what are the typical situation of the four scenarios.

The next step is to use grasshopper to loop through all the couryards and put the scenarios in.

V. Component Deployment Size larger than 7.5m*2.5m?

N

Y

Within the public toilet serving radius?

Y

Scenario 1

Y

N

Courtyard can fit Scenario 1?

Y

N

Courtyard can fit Scenario 1?

Have elderly in family?

Y

Scenario 0 (nothing)

Scenario 4

N

Courtyard can fit Scenario 2?

Scenario 1

N

Y

Courtyard can fit Scenario 2?

Y

Scenario 2

Figure 20: Grasshopper Algorithm

Scenario 2

N

Scenario 3

N

Scenario 3

VI. Final Design

Figure 21: Final design rendering 1

Figure 22: Final design rendering 2

Figure 23: Final design Configuration

Figure 24: Final design Configuration