Introduction

THE AIM OF THE PROJECT

word: nurture (verb)

meaning:

‘‘care for and protect (someone or something) while they are growing’’ - Oxford Dictionary

Creating a micro-community which allows individuals to thrive was the main aim with this project. The way communities can allow people to feel integrated into society and be comfortable within their surroundings is key for anybody to thrive in life. Especially for individuals with ASD, who can often feel excluded and misunderstood by those around them, building up a support group in which they can learn, work and be cared for amongst others in a similar situation as them, can have a positive effect on their lives.

With it being quite a large insertion within the centre of Dundee City, there is still a need to create a sense of contextualism, where for the project to be accepted by the existing residents in the surrounding area, there is an aim to create a recognisable but subtle design. The approach is realistic in the sense that there is an understanding that one project will not instantly change the area but the hope is that the design methodology would be translated into other projects close by (and across the city) to create an established zone which recognises the importance of history but deals with the needs of the current city’s social and economic needs.

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The aim of this year was to design a scheme for individuals with ASD who are currently misunderstood by most and not accommodated for in daily life. Designing for those who see and experience life differently compared to someone who identifies as ‘neurotypical’ added a different aspect to the process of creating an architectural form. It created a stronger sense of purpose, and the understanding of ASD allowed me to think differently myself and try a new approach to design.

In the DRU module, I explored adaptability with an interest in potential and future shift in design that would allow built forms to be more sustainable. Adaptability in terms of function, envelope and user personalisation was explored, with the background question of: how can we make our designs last longer?

The idea of respecting history and referencing the original structures within the city of which we are designing was also something which was really explored throughout the design process. The idea is not to replicate historic movements and theories but to use them to educate ourselves on how cities can work in certain societal and economic situations.

Finally, historically the land on which we have built our cities was once green which had many benefits of not only keeping us alive (in terms of food) but it also kept us sane (in terms of breathing space to allow the mind to relax). So to design garden spaces into the scheme was also a key running theme which was integrated into the design process.

The development of attitude and reasoning for design moves has changed quite significantly this year. Before this year I was focussed mainly on function, either public or residential with not enough focus on the user. Studio E has forced me to really design around the specific needs and requirements of individual users rather just the general function of the building.

Before researching ASD I was naive in terms of how excluded people with disabilities feel and how much they can struggle with the average daily task because the world we have created for ourselves does not take those individuals into consideration. By not designing for everyone, we have a completely divided community of people who are on the outside, unaccepted by the world. People can only support others so far, but if there is a step and a wheelchair user, they are faced with an issue which is taken for granted by an able person so by making sure our facilities are as supportive as people we can allow everyone to have independence and freedom. By ensuring that when we design, we take this large group of people into consideration and design for them rather than ourselves, we allow everyone to be catered for - enabling the ease of daily tasks.

As a general concept and understanding of architecture, I previously understood that architecture was about creating certain experiences but I have come to realise that architecture, especially residential, is about comfort. Creating spaces in which people want to be and enjoy, which are safe and calm especially in an urban context - meaning that they are used and not left to ruin.

There are of course exceptions to this idea where there are buildings such as the Jewish Museum in Berlin by Daniel Libeskind [see figure below] which aims to make the users uneasy due to the nature of its function - it really absorbs the visitors into an experience and forces a feeling of sorrow upon them.

From researching Patrick Geddes and others alike, I have been able to understand historic urban theories, tried and tested ideas which have informed and impacted the growth of the cities we see today. By questioning whether they are still relevant [see pages 07/08 of J1] within the current climate I have started to understand how we can progress with city design. The needs and wants of society has changed and the way we have functioned through the Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift in how we use our

Void in the Jewish Museum, Daniel Libeskind - Author’s own.

homes and cities. Residents have been re-evaluating their home situation and making changes accordingly whether that is a slight change to the layout or room function or a complete move altogether so they are closer to relatives and green space.

The grain of the initial composition of the city (Dundee being the burgage plots) informed the design greatly, combining history, nature and adaptability. The original idea of a shop front with living quarters above then being extended into the long garden space [studio E Dundee booklet page 27.28] was how the city found itself growing and developing into what we have today. After the war these plots were transformed into the tenement block as the need for housing increased where the principle in terms of street elevation and vertical plan stayed the same but instead of having the long plots for growing crops and animals they were filled with the mirror image of the building, creating a courtyard in the middle. This is where people began to be unhappy with how they lived and we have tried several arrangements since then but, as well as fashion, architecture has almost completed a full cycle with improvements along the way.

Throughout every project I have designed, there has always been some form of garden. Until this academic year I had not realised how universal the want and need for green space near our homes actually was. From public walled gardens to private plots of greenery, people are subconsciously attracted to wherever nature grows.

This year, with the introduction of public allotments within the scheme, I have discovered that there is a science behind interacting with nature and that soil has a positive effect on human health. The proximity of the allotments and the houses completes the historic cycle of testing housing types, where burgage plots have been of high influence.

‘‘not just looking at nature, but actually touching or working with plants and dirt - is good for us in ways we never imagined. Biologists have found that the bacteria found naturally in soil boosts serotonin and reduces anxiety in lab mice, and they suspect that it has the same effect when breathed in or ingested by humans’’ - Charles Montgomery, Happy City [pg 124]

Introducing nature back into our architectural designs has the deeper meaning of not only the interaction of it but also the connection back to history where houses were further apart and farmland had a greater footprint than built form. The realisation that as people we have reached a point where city life is almost too extreme for us to live in, where the introduction of the surrounding landscape (fields) would relieve our busy lives with a sense of serenity and release.

Research and experimentation this year has influenced how I might tackle design in the future. This idea of adaptability in terms of function and therefore the sustainability of buildings (not been explored enough in integrated design project due to the underlying theme of designing for individuals with ASD meaning there were other more important elements to think about such as rhythm and calmness and control of environment.

Looking back, I realise the design is large, and does not provide me with the scope to really explore in detail the effect of nature on people and also how adaptability can allow for personalisation and therefore ease of living.

From thinking solely about the general user of the building in previous years this year has really made me look at the city as a whole and the immediate context which the design effects. It has made me think about the feasibility of the proposal, from how it would be accepted better into the community to how it would be funded and constructed and finally continued (designed to last).

The next step would be to investigate both further through an intense design project which may be a single building designed down to the intricate details, ensuring that every element of the space suits all possible users.

When we design for users in relation to history and nature we allow the built environment to form itself. Cues are given allowing the final product to sit effortlessly and quietly in the context - which is a big shift in what people think architecture is. We are so used to seeing big extravagant architectural moves, large towers which ‘respond’ to other buildings, bold forms that evoke a response, dividing society. However, I do not think our role as space designers should be about making something which goes against the grain and cause division, it should be about going left instead of right at the junction, doing the unexpected but in a controlled, considered and contextual way. Allowing the architecture to exist but in a way that is non-invasive allows the user to come first rather than the architects ego.