Bristol Lido - Year 3 Portfolio

Welsh School of Architecture

Bristol Lido Year 3 Final Project C1915555

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Year 3

Contents

Introduction to unit.....................................................................................................................................................2-3 Unit Brief...............................................................................................................................................................2 Creative writing Introduction..............................................................................................................................3 Semester 1......................................................................................................................................................................4 Precident study...................................................................................................................................................4 Semester 2................................................................................................................................................................5-26 Macro Analysis................................................................................................................................................5-9 Primer project..............................................................................................................................................10-12 The floating harbour.........................................................................................................................................13 Why is there no swimming?...........................................................................................................................14-16 Site Analysis..................................................................................................................................................17-21 Choosing a site.................................................................................................................................................22 Program and Massing.................................................................................................................................23-26 Proposal..................................................................................................................................................................27-41 Plans.............................................................................................................................................................27-30 Sections........................................................................................................................................................31-33 Collages.......................................................................................................................................................34-36 Renders........................................................................................................................................................37-41 References..................................................................................................................................................................42

*See page 15

1

PLAY Unit - 4 Brief

“This year, Unit 4 will s city made for play loo architectural proposa pervasive notion that “t be successful is to instead celebrate the interaction for the sa

Drawing from your und social, spatial and cult develop a brief for a corresponding externa

The programme for encourage and supp a new perspective on

As architects operating i crisis, a key aspect of you relationship between na

How I inte

To reject the notion tha dedicated in creating purpose was not to gene stimulate a sense of com This is particularly relev assigned by the brief. extremely varied demo thing we all have in com background is our desir intend to have a progra open to any age for e from participating in “p create a public space break and disconnect relentless “money mach nature and the

YTIME introduction

speculate on what the oks like. We will make als that reject the time is money”—that to be productive—and freedoms of collective ake of pure joy [...]

derstanding of the site’s tural contexts, you will a public building and al public space [...]

your building should port play, facilitating n the existing city [...]

in an escalating climate ur thesis is to question the ature and culture [...]” 1

erpreted it

at time is money, I was g a proposal which erate profit; but rather to mmunity through “play”. vant given the location Bristol is a city with an ographic; however one mmon regardless of our re to play. Given this, I am which is inclusive and even adults can benefit playtime”. The idea is to where one can take a from the busy city and hine” by reconnect with eir inner child.

2

WHAT IS PLAY?

Play is fun.

Play is life.

Life cannot be sustained without play.

Play encourages us. nurtures us. grows us.

Inspires us…

Us. Play is inside every one of us and, not limited to us.

Apes, elephants, dogs, and even cats.

Play is inside me as I write this, smirking to myself, thinking about the most liberal interpretations of the instructions I could take.

Play is deciding to put a question mark in the middle ?

Of a sentence.

Play is protest, riot, a defiance of norm; a defiance of life.

The smile towards impending doom.

The last laugh at the face of death.

Play, regrettably, is drawing a dick when someone tells you not to draw a dick.

Play is cursing in a piece of uni work and then doing it again.

Play unites us and drives us, it is the forbidden backbone of civilization.

Play is no shame. Play is a game.

Play is no crime. Play is a rhyme.

Play is doing anything for every reason, and no reason simultaneously.

Play is fun.

Play is life.

Play.

We can

3

Precedent Study - Nieuwmarkt

Aldo Van Eyck’s Playgrounds

Nieuwmarkt playground

Figure 2: (Ligtelijn, 1999)

Figure 1: (Verhoeff, 1970)

1:20 model

Throughout 1947-1978 Eyck designed 734 playgrounds in Amsterdam. He believed architectural interventions should have a direct positive impact on the daily lives of people and communities. Given the post-war climate during which he operated, the city was overrun by derelict buildings and vacant

1:20 model - West Elevation

spaces left from the aftermath of WWII. Eyck made use of these voids or “dead spaces” as sites for his playgrounds2. As part of my Term 1 work I undertook a precedent study producing a 1:20 model of his Nieuwmarkt playground. For the full breakthrough of the precedent study see Appendix A

1:20 Model - Jumping stones

1:20 Model - Moment under roof

1:20 Model - Section slice looking North

Given the unpredictable nature of the site, every playground had to be designed according to the constraints and advantages of the space, making every playground unique. Additionally, he complemented upon these spatial ambiguities with his designs to provoke children to interact with each other as they explore the playground.

While all the playgrounds differed in design, Eyck developed a set of “objects of play” placing variations

of them in each playground. These play elements were created mainly using metal and concrete to naturally blend with the building materials of the city2.

4

Macro Analysis

Where is Spike Island

United Kingdom

Clifton Brandon Hill Historical Town Spike Island Southville Spike Island

Bristol

5

Macro Analysis

Historical development of Spike Island

Group work

Historical development of Spike Island 1 Brunel’s work to solve the problems of the Floating Harbour was part of a range of alterations and improvements to the docks that were undertaken in the 19th centry. The lock was permanently sealed in the 1950’s

2

In the mid 20th century, the trade of bulk goods, livestock and passangers becaumse virtually extinct and with it the need to work slipways and dry docks. Mkaing any imporvements on the docks modest and small. scale post

3 In 1969 the City Council decided to close the docks and terminated commercial traffic in 1975.

4 M shed was firstly built to fascilitate post war trade as a storage unit.

However, after the docks closure to comercial shipping in 1975, the building was repusrposed into a museum

Group work

2

4

1 3

Buildings still in existence in 2021

0m

100m

500m

N

Spike Island: 1950

Group work

Group work

6

Macro Analysis

Building use

Residential

Religious

Industrial

Sporting

Shops/Food

Office

Boating industry

Education

Group work

Derelict

Health

Storage

Commercial

Cultural

Creative workspace

7

Macro Analysis

Site photography

1. Underfall Yard

3. Ashton Court and Hot Wells contrast

2. A - Bond behind Brunnel’s Way

5. Fairbairn steam crane

6. New Gaol (historic prison)

4. Historic train tracks

7. Bristol’s colourful houses

8. S.S. Great Britain

8

Macro Analysis

Morphology of green spaces in Bristol

Green Space Bristol

Bristol: 1840 Green Space Spike Island

Bristol: 2021

Then VS Now

Parks Woodland Meadow Farm fields Spike Island

Bristol: 1840

All though Bristol is ranked as one of the greenest cities of the UK, the statistic is misleading. Due to the decreasing portion of biodiversity and truly natural green space Bristol is suffering from an ecological emergency. Development in infrastructure has overshadowed large portions of green space. 33,500 new homes and 60 hectares of land for industry are planned to be built by 2036 causing potential crises in this ecological emergency.

To push sustainability on these upcoming projects One City Environmental Board developed an ecological emergency strategy for the city involving 4 goals: 30% of land in Bristol to be managed for the benefit of wildlife. Reduce pesticide use by 50%. Increase quality of water. Reduce consumption of products harmful to the environment3.

9

Primer Project - Creating a board game

Game Concept

Black Blocks represent city space

5 x 5 grid composed of 15 wood blocks and 10 black blocks

Wood Blocks represent green space

The game concept takes inspiration from the evolution of green space in Bristol as previously analysed. The game starting point is Bristol in 1840 , hence there is more green space then city space. As the game progresses the players take turns building over the blocks and expanding the city into green space eventually reaching a stage where it assimilates the ratio of city:green as seen in modern day Bristol.

Given the sustainability concept behind the game, the pieces of the game itself have to be sustainable, therefore these will be made out of wood. Additionally, this grants me the element of tactility which I am pursuing. The board will be minimalistic and derivative of classic games such as chess, and checkers so as to not distract from the game itself and place further emphasis on the structural quality of the pieces

Materiality & Packaging

and surrounding meaning. However, the theory of unsustainable expansion of cities should not be explicitly obvious. In other words I want to design a game which sits unsuspectingly on a shelf with other games; it blends in and can be played unaware of its meaning. But has a deeper allegory associated with it which once stated changes the way you perceive the game design.

10

Primer Project - Creating a board game

Game Mechanics

Soil Degradation, Deforestation & Environmental Impact The Dowel symbolizes development on a plot of land. As more buildings are constructed on said block, the quality of the soil decreases until it can no longer support new architecture. This is a commentary on the importance of re-using existing buildings wherever possible rather than constantly oversaturate the land with more infrastructure as the construction process and materials have an impact on gas emissions and by consequence the climate.

Black blocks (city space) is more adapted to sustaining large amounts of infrastructure, therefore in the game can be claimed a maximum of 3 times. The forth times results in an ecological consequence which seeks the removal of the block from the game On the other hand, white blocks (green space) can only be claimed twice before their removal since not only is the soil degrading with construction, but there is also the ecological impact cause by deforestation

The dowel is painted a different colour on each end. The 2 players will pick their colour at the start of the game and place their colour face up when sliding it into the block to symbolize they claimed the block.

Only your opponent can build over a block you have claimed; therefore the colours should always alternate as illustrated above.

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Primer Project - Creating a board game

Final Product

Start Game

Mid Game

End Game

The winner of the game is decided by being the first player to claim 6 sets of 3 block in a row or be the last block remaining. The latter is the more probable outcome symbolizing that there is no real winner in an ecological emergency; you won, but at what cost?

52 is a game about mindless, unsustainable expansion where you play as development in a city slowly taking over nature, and suffering the ecological consequences of doing so. It additionally comments on the importance of re-using and re-fitting architecture through the gradual decay of the blocks as they get developed and redeveloped as the game progresses.

Although be it in a small scale compared to a building, working with timber has made me appreciate the tactile quality and natural essence of this material. I will be reflecting this material choice in my main project.

Additionally the wood joinery I executed in the packaging mechanism can be mirrored in the structure of the proposal through wood joinery techniques such as mitred joints. Ultimately the proposal has to have a biophilic element to it to make people appreciate nature and raise awareness on the climate emergency which we are experiencing.

12

Macro Analysis

FLOATING HARBOUR A key characteristic of Spike Island is its floating harbour. Constructed in the early 17th century by Redirecting River Avon through the “new cut” and locking a portion of its water to control its tidal movements; thus creating

the harbour. This allowed ships to reach deeper into the city than they could before facilitating trade. However, since its closure in 1975, its purpose shifted to accommodate more leisurely activities.

Frequency of activity

High

Based off group work

The Floating Harbour & the New Cut

Cumberland’s lock

The Marina

Millennium Square

Cumberland’s Basin

S.S. Great Britain

City Centre

Underfall Yard

The Feeder Canal

Redcliff back

Low

ACTIVITIES IN THE HARBOUR Model: Group Work

N

The floating harbour is divided into 9 main segments; however, most of the water activity takes place within Underfall Yard and the Marina. Leisure centres in Underfall Yard offer water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and paddle boarding. However, as

of now there are now centres for swimming within the floating harbour. A water bus service is available with multiple stops throughout East and Central Spike Island however does not reach further West than Underfall Yard.

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Why is there no swimming?

Demand for Swimming Extracts from The Guardian4

Urban bathing spots are the norm in many European cities. In Copenhagen, citizens can swim in four harbour baths in the city’s redeveloped docks. “The ultimate aim,” Palmer says [leader of the wild swim group], “is to have a floating lido filled with harbour water like in Copenhagen, but for now we could have lines marked out and better access to the water.”

“The way to keep people safe is not by saying, ‘don’t go near the water’,” says Kim Graves, 31, as she dries off in the sunshine.

“There needs to be education.”

Extracts from BBC News5

“It makes total sense for us to start the conversation about this becoming an accessible amenity for the people of Bristol to use for physical health, mental health and to increase social capital.”

“People also want to connect with nature in an era when we are in an ecological emergency and wild swimming is the perfect way of doing this”

Extracts from Bristol Live6

Bristol City Council has said that wild swimming in the harbour is dangerous the Harbour Master booted the swimmers out of the water on Monday morning and the council followed that up with a statement which said the idea would not be considered.

Mr Palmer said that under controlled conditions - similar to those in cities like Copenhagen, or even at the Marine Lake of Clevedon or Henleaze Lake in Bristol showed that cold-water outdoor swimming could be possible.

Figure 3: (Johnny, Palmer)

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Why is there no swimming?

Government regulations

Figure 4

Figure 5

Throughout the Harbour side walk multiple instances of signs deterring the public from swimming can be found such as figure 4 and 5. Although their graphic design is quite bright and “playful” their text have quite dark implication.

More direct government regulation are also placed warning of up to £1000 fine for anybody caught swimming in the harbour (fig. 6).

Figure 6

The Floating Harbour is a working water course prone to contamination from different origins and tends to fluctuate with rainfall levels.

The most prone bacteria contamination present in the water is E-coli. This is the main concern that Bristol City Council has as it can be potentially dangerous for swimmers if the water gets contact with their eyes or mouth. 7

The River Avon has a number of potential pollution sources upstream. Discharges from the sewage treatment works at Saltford and Keynsham as well as sewer overflows in east Bristol.

To track the contamination levels the Council performs Weekly/monthly water tests in different locations throughout the floating harbour. The results of these tests are publicly available on Gov.uk

Play is questioning authority

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Why is there no swimming?

E-Coli levels in the Floating Harbour

E-Coli levels in the floating harbo (Countes per 100ml)

300

100

0 100

300

Counts per 100ml

our

Floating Harbour Water quality test results Measure: Escherichia coliforms8 Weekly tests, 19 April 2022 Baltic Wharf: 988 St Augustine’s Reach: 1270 Prince Street Bridge: 715 Redcliffe Bridge: 600 Monthly tests, 12 April 2022 Cumberland Basin: 18 SS Great Britain: 170 Bristol Bridge: 113

For water to be considered safe to swim in it has to have an E-coli count lower than 100 (per 100ml of water). Given the tests published by the City council, the only section of the harbour to regularly test below this threshold is Cumberland Basin. Therefore my proposal will respond to the demand of the people and consist of a public wild swimming lido which sits within Cumberland Basin.

16

Site Analysis

Site Surroundings

Residence Hot Wells Underfall Yard Ashton Court Site

Given Cumberland Basin sits within the West side of Spike Island a more in-depth analysis was conducted.

This portion of the island sits in between an area densely populated by residential buildings (Hot Wells) to the North; and Ashton Court a country park comprising 850 acres of woodlands and grasslands to the West. This creates a very interesting juxtaposition between the two areas which offers an under appreciated view (photo 3 on page 9).

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1. A Bond from across the New-Cut 2. Edge of spike island under Brunel Way 3.a. Cumberland basin from Brunels Way 3.b. A and B bond from Brunel Way 4. A bond Brunel way close up 5. A bond from Cumberland Basin 6. Start of Brunel Way on Spike Island 7. B bond leaving Underfall Yard 8. B bond from Cumberland Basin parking 9. Severnside Sub-Aqua Club 10. Bristol Maritime Academy 11. Underfall Yard looking West Red buildings represent the use of red Brick as predominant building material throughout the West end of Spike Island

Site Analysis

Axo of West Spike Island

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Site Analysis

Site Photos 1

4

2

5

3a

3b

1. A bond from across the New-cut 2. Edge of spike island under Brunels Way 3.a. Cumberland basin from Brunels Way 3.b. A and B bond from Brunel Way 4. A bond Brunel way close up 5. A bond from Cumberland Basin 6. Start of Brunel Way on Spike Island 7. B bond leaving Underfall Yard 8. B bond from Cumberland Basin parking 9. Severnside Sub-Aqua Club 10. Bristol Maritime Academy 11. Underfall Yard looking West

6

9

7

11 8

10

19

Site Analysis

Site Morphology- Past

1797

1880

1900

1920

1950

1970

1990

2022

The morphology of Spike Island revealed that the west end of Spike island has been severely underdeveloped over its history.

The main additions to the site were 2 out of the 3 bonds constructed between 1905 and 1919 (fig. 7).

35m tall brick buildings which were historically used as a tobacco warehouse. B bond (the left most one in the maps) is now an archive while A bond is unused with future plans of redevelopment.

The second main addition to the site was a vehicular/pedestrian overpass

Figure 7

built in the 1960s to connect the north and south side of Bristol to each other and Spike Island. Bristol City Council has discussed relocating the overpass on the other side of the New-Cut which would improve views to Ashton court from the West end of Spike Island.

My proposal aims to rejuvenate this area by drawing people in this less frequented part of the city and highlighting the unnoticed beauty of the site.

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Site Analysis

Site Circulation

Group work

The majority of road infrastructure throughout Spike Island is secluded to the West end since, as discussed in the morphology analysis, Brunel’s Way overpass access is located here.

Being the main road network to and from Spike Island, the site experiences Spike Island, Bristol moderate vehicular activity.

November 2021

Depending on where the proposal will sit on the site, the overpass might raise some concerns with privacy. As shown by figure 8 and 9, Brunel’s Way is also accessible by pedestrians from which they have a vantage point which facilitates views into hypothetical windows.

Figure 8

Figure 9

21

Choosing a site

Dead Space in Spike Island In the footsteps of Aldo Van Eyck As discussed in Aldo Van Eyck’s research. He believed in designing in and around unused spaces within the city. The map bellow follows this philosophy. Firstly I had to define “unused space” in order to map it. I considered a space unused, or “dead”, when it served no clear distinctive purpose. For example, an empty area between two buildings or under

a bridge can be classified as unused space.

However, if any space had a purpose no matter how simple or basic e.g. Chocolate Path (a pedestrian scenic route in Spike Island) it did not meet my criteria. Therefore this map identifies areas on Spike Island which present opportunities for architectural intervention.

Unused Space within Spike Island

1:5000 Dead Space Spike Island

Dead space

0m

100m

Spike Island

500m

Given the E-coli findings in page 17, the site has to be located in the proximity of Cumberland Basin; ideally directly bordering it. Figure 10 takes a closer look at the dead spaces in the west side

Site A: + Is part of Cumberland’s Lock + Has a border with Cumberland’s Basin - The section of Brunel’s Way which passes over the top is a swing bridge which requires the majority of the underlying area to operate

Site B: + Has 3 borders with Cumberland’s Basin + Frequent pedestrian activity - A swing bridge reduces the usable space to approximately half

Unused Space within Spike Island

Site C: + Borders with Cumberland Basin - Part of it is under Brunel’s Way limiting the height of the proposal - The highest point of Brunel’s Way is directly South of the site within close proximity casting a shadow on the site

Dead Space

Site D: + Borders with Cumberland Basin + Frequent pedestrian activity - Limited space

0m

22

100m

Developing the concept

Site & Program

N

A combination of site B and D were chosen as they were in close proximity to each other and had great coverage of Cumberland’s Basin as well as a strategic positioning in a connection node.

Given the previously conducted analysis on the decreasing green space in Bristol the site was shaped so not to build over existing green areas.

The gap between Site B and D made for a convenient placement of the vertical circulation in the proposal.

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Developing the concept

Site & Program

To negate the self cast shadow from the indoor pool, the roof was pitched to allow direct sunlight to reach into the floating harbour where the lido would sit.

The roof of the cafe instead was pitched towards the sun to let natural light infiltrate through a sky window and for optimal photovoltaic panel placement.

The indoor pool structure was cut diagonally following the direction of the road to allow direct views from pedestrians into the heart of the proposal to catch their attention.

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Developing the concept

Site & Program

The external lido was positioned where sunlight could reach it for most of the day with a walkway around it for ease of access and marking the boundary

Circulation from cafe structure to lido was achieved through an external spiral staircase and an internal elevator for disabled access Relationship between indoor pool and lido was reinforced by connecting them through a direct access staircase The large staircase acts as a social public space for both pool users and pedestrians to use while having views of the lido

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Developing the concept

Site & Program

w

s to

Vie

ton

Ash

urt

Co

Additional stairs were provided to hide the changing cubicles and further encourage pedestrians to experience the public aspect of the proposal by providing views to Ashton Court

ew

Vi o

ew

st

Vi

on

ht

As rt

ou

C

ido

oL

st

The cafe was strategically placed on the first floor of the East structure where its vantage point gives it view to Ashton Court, the lido and Underfall Yard

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Proposal

Ground Floor

1:600

1

Room description 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. Elevator 8. Reception and lobby 9. Community room 10. Staff room 11. Swing bridge control office

Indoor pool (25m long, 5 lanes) Men’s changing room Men’s bathroom Women’s changing room Women’s bathroom Storage

10

11

9

6

8 7

2 3

4

5

27

Proposal

Basement floor

1:600

2

4

1

3

Room description 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Water filtration for indoor pool/plant room Changing cubicles First aid room External pool Elevator

6.

7.

8.

9.

Women’s bathroom Men’s bathroom Sauna Turkish bath

9

8

7

6 5

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Proposal

First floor 1:600

Room description 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Elevator Cafe indoors Cafe terrace Kitchen Staff bathroom Unisex bathroom

4

5

3

6

2

1

29

Proposal

Roof Plan 1:600

30

Proposal

Long Section

1:700

31

Sustainable initiatives of Construction •

•

•

•

•

The use of concrete was minimized to the essential (foundations) Softwood timber was used over hardwood as it takes less time for softwood trees to grow, reducing the deforestation impact of the construction British Western Red Cedar is highly sustaiable timber produced in Britain reducing CO2 emissions through the transportation of the timber.

Timber is supplied by Timbersource an FSC and PEFC certified company which operates with fully managed sustainable forests1.

The U-values are lower than those stated in Building regulation Part L reducing the cooling and heating demands of the structure

Proposal

Detail section 1:20

Materials:

Roof junction

Window junction

Roof 1. Metal cladding - 5mm 2. OSB - 22mm 3. Waterproof layer 4. Mineral wool insulation - 250 5. Vapour barrier 6. CLT panel - with fire resistant coating 100mm 7. Secondary Glulam beam C25 225x65 - with fire resistant coating 8. Primary Glulam beam C25 225x65 - with fire resistant coating (support structures are bolted together) Wall 1. Cedar battens - 100mm 2. Cedar counter batten - 50mm 3. Cedar cladding - 30mm 4. DFM slab - 50mm inbetween battens - 50mm 5. Cedar counter battens - 50mm 6. Waterproof layer 7. Mineral wool insulation - 250mm 8. Vapour barrier 9. Plywood panel - 12mm - with fire resistant coating 10. Primary Glulam C25 column 500x200mm - with fire resistant coating Floor 1. Cedar deck board - 20mm 2. Cedar Battens - 60mm 3. Concrete slab - 140mm 4. Vapour barrier 5. Mineral wool insulation - 250mm 6. Waterproof layer 7. Sand binding - 30mm 8. Sand blinding hardcore

Floor junction

32

Proposal

Short Section

1:400

33

Atmosphere studies

Conveying atmosphere through collages

34

35

36

Proposal

Approach - Underfall yard

37

Proposal

Approach - North

38

Proposal

Lido

39

Proposal

Interior Pool

40

Proposal

Axonometric

41

References

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Higgins, Brendan, and Rory Corr, “PLAYTIME”, 2022 withagen, rob, and simon r. caljouw, Aldo Van Eyck’S Playgrounds: Aesthetics, Affordances, And Creativity (Front. Psychol, 2017) <https://www. frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01130/ full> [Accessed 12 August 2021] “Bristol’S Ecological Emergency - Bristol.Gov. Uk”, Bristol.Gov.Uk <https://www.bristol.gov. uk/policies-plans-strategies/bristol-ecologicalemergency#:~:text=In%20February%20 2020%2C%20Marvin%20Rees,60%25%20of%20 wild%20invertebrates> [Accessed 20 September 2021] wall, tom, “In The Dock: Bristol Wild Swimmers Flout Harbour Ban In Fight For City Lido”, The Guardian, 2021 <https://www.theguardian.com/ lifeandstyle/2021/jul/04/in-the-dock-bristol-wildswimmers-flout-harbour-ban-in-fight-for-city-lido> [Accessed 24 January 2022] BBC, “Swimmers Protest Against Bristol Harbour’s Bathing Ban”, 2021 <https://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/uk-england-bristol-57332011> [Accessed 20 February 2022] cork, tristan, “Wild Swimmers Hold ‘Protest Dip’ In Bristol’s Floating Harbour”, Bristol Live, 2021 <https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristolnews/wild-swimmers-hold-protest-dip-5480169> [Accessed 12 March 2022] BRISTOL FLOATING HARBOUR RECREATIONAL WATER PROFILE (Bristol: Bristol City Council, 2014) “Water Quality - Harbour And Rivers - Bristol.Gov. Uk”, Bristol.Gov.Uk <https://www.bristol.gov.uk/ pests-pollution-noise-food/water-quality-andpollution> [Accessed 20 January 2022]

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