Component One : Finalised by Benjamin Lo

COMPONENT ONE U6 Coursework June 2020-21

By Benjamin Lo

DESIGN BRIEF Travelling is a big part of our lives. The act of getting from one place to another is unavoidable and can often lead people feeling bored and uneventful - especially when the journey is routine. Perhaps, the way to improve the wellbeing of people in London is to make the experience of travelling more enjoyable - like travelling on a vacation. I believe that the solution of having an enjoyable journey is one which is pleasing to the eye and carefree.

My message:

“Modern problems require modern solutions”

A Transport Hub is a perfect way to put forward this message! Using my architectural skills, I wish to rejuvenate Romford Station and remove the stigma that the area is dull and problematic, converging along the themes of "Movements & Flow" and "Nature". The existence of an existing train station will allow me to create a transport hub connecting the various type of transportations in London – which includes buses, trains, cars and bikes.

My aim is to promote Eco friendliness by getting commuters to use more sustainable methods of transportation such as cycling. When designing the transport hub, I want to keep in mind the importance of sunlight as it makes people feel less claustrophobic and make the space feel bigger. It also give this building a smaller carbon footprint as it relies less on energy usage and more on the sun.

A massive trend is the increase number of retailers in transport hubs such as train stations and airports as it creates a good opportunity for businesses to boom in such places. Consumers, which are normally commuters, could grab a quick meal or go shopping while waiting for their departure. Therefore, to put forth this idea, I would also include a small shopping district in the transport hub.

SPECIFICATION

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A curb-side drop off area for cars and taxis Can operate at least 10 buses at the same time Island for bus drop offs and bus parking areas when terminating A private space only allowed for bus drivers Cars and bikes parking facilities Accessible for buses, cars, train, pedestrians and bikes Feature plenty of greenery and maybe water Shelter which can block heavy wind and rain Implement at least two café or shop Social spaces with a good view (garden?)

Good flow of fresh-air through the building Wheelchair accessible Provide essential facilities e.g., toilets, charging stations, designated smoking zones, top-up machines Aesthetically pleasing no matter, the weather or time Promote sustainability (water collection and solar panels) Overnight rooms for hire Clear layout for the ease of navigation A grand main entrance Connect the different types of transportations together and a speedy transition between them Preserve the old train station

LOCATION ANALYSIS ROMFORD STATION My project will be based in a town called Romford in East London. The town has a long history starting out as a major part of a road built by the Romans to London. This advantageous location connecting Essex and London is highlighted during the Industrial Revolution where a railway station, Romford Station, was built bringing in developments of Collieries, factories, brewery and agriculture.

The importance of Romford Station remains important as for today connecting thousands of people to the city of London every day. Directly outside the station scatters various bus stations as it lies in a junction which suits my objective of building a bus terminal so people can interchange between different types of transportation easily.

The CAD model shown here is of Romford Station with Entrances located under the bridge and at the end of the ramp (bottom left).

Plan view of the surrounding area at Romford Station

Romford Station – Location Analysis

Using Google Earth, I was able to deduce the dimensions of the area of which I want to rejuvenate (highlighted in the image above) being approximately 50 x 150 meters. The wall leading to the station platform is approximately 7-8 meters (1-2 Storey) from the ground.

I have also created a CAD drawing for approximating measurements and as a template for laying out my project. This will increase my accuracy of my drawings and to gain better understanding of the area.

Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, Studying the layout of a Transport Hub Hong Kong is one of the world's most densely populated "region" in the world (6,611 people/km² ). Therefore, it is essential that Hong Kong needs to operate a smooth traffic for the population.

The West Kowloon station has a complex transport circulation system. It accounts for pedestrians, vehicles, buses, MTR subway and High-speed Rails (HSR). It has its own immigration facilities from people coming from or to China so people who comes out of highspeed trains are met by a clear series of checkpoints.

The station also provide the commuters with a clear sense of space because you can get a clear view of the city's skyline and of The Peak – and you know you can only be in one city, that being Hong Kong. The different component of the station is stacked to create a void – so people can observe where everything is and for natural light to pass through.

Hong Kong West Kowloon Terminus Rooftop Garden While researching and learning how the flow of traffic is operated, I took notice of the nearby bus terminal which is located on the other side of Jordan Road (North of Kowloon Station).

The design of the West Kowloon Station Terminus is familiar yet different to those which been to Hong Kong. The principle of this station is fundamentally the same – having stuff built on top of a bus terminal. To give a few examples of similar terminals are: Exchange Square Station, Choi Hung Station and Tsz Wan Shan Station.

Typically, a plaza or housing complex are built on top of the bus terminal with a selling point of being close to transportation, however, a rooftop garden on a bus terminal is an innovation in Hong Kong.

The circulation of the buses includes two one-way loops with the long loop having enough room for 2 buses to fit in its width.

Elevation drawing of the garden demonstrating the garden on top of the bus garage

CKK Jordanki Multi-functional Facility CKK Jordanki is situated in a historic city of Torun in Poland and was specifically built as a concert hall. The building occupies half of the plot, the other half being used as a park and was built as low as possible to the ground to avoid it blocking the view of the river – so it had to blend. To achieve its visual effect of camouflaging into the environment, it had to appear to be as natural as possible, a rock.

Fenandos Menis designed it in a way where the exterior may be rigid, but the interior is almost at its fluid-like state.

This meant that the building could have some flexibility; not only can it be used as a concert hall but also a space which can be changed depending on the event.

The auditorium can be easily adapted to different audiences, it may increase or decrease it capacity due to the highly mobile roof which is made from a mixture of recycled crushed bricks and concrete. There is also a secondary smaller hall which is separated by a removable wall. Lastly, the concert hall can be converted so it is opened to the outdoor for bigger events like festivals.

This low poly inspired shape could be moulded into any geometric shapes by tessellating different types of triangles together.

Developing ideas from the CKK Jordanki Architecture In this section, I will be developing from the ideas I gained while researching the CCK Jordanki and combining it with the other ideas I gained from the Kowloon Bus Terminus. I find the idea of having a cavernous atmosphere very suitable for my project because it gives off a welcoming and warm feeling.

These fragments have similar shape to rocks and the left-over shape creates an interesting façade for a building.

Studying The Bamboo Pavilion by ZuoStudio This pavilion located in Taichung is made of native species of Moso Bamboo and Makino Bamboo. The form is inspired by local mountain ranges but can also be interpreted as a seed coming out of a ground, surrounded by the body of water which is essential for the growth of bamboo. The indoor and outdoor is separated by walls of bamboo which is being kept together using weaving techniques. The "Bamboo Pavilion" is a metaphor of an architecture footprint, like a seed has been sowed and grown, symbolizing the hopes and dreams of the future generation. The use of sustainable material also harmonizes with the surrounding park and enhance the relationship between humans and nature.

Bamboo is bent into curves with different heights and angles to create this parametric design. It follows an algorithm, so the bamboo closest to the middle has a smaller angle as well as proportionately higher. These curves are parabolic but at some point, of the curve the gradience will become constant.

The pavilion is made of light steel and moso bamboo with slimmer makino bamboo for weaving. 320 bamboo plants which is grown over the course of 3 years is used to make this structure. Bamboos are extremely strong but is also very flexible and grows extremely fast in the Asian climate.

The weaving from the overhead, filters the sunlight which creates an interesting shadow which prints onto the smooth floor. The walls are not solid and the outside and inside of the pavilion is only separated by the strips of bamboos; representing the non-forceful separation of nature and the indoors. Walking through the pavilion is supposed to have a similar experience of what it feels like to walk through a bamboo forest.

Designers wanted to make this pavilion as an exhibition hall but also a place where they can have peace in the mind and calmness in one of Taiwan's most habited city.

Straw texture is used for each of the individual strips. This creates an interesting texture which is semi-permeable to light.

Developing ideas from The Bamboo Pavilion This time, I used the outline of a mountain to draw a curve and started drawing uniformly spread ellipses which overlaps at one end to construct a three-dimensional shape.

I then attempted to make this shape cleaner by using strips to replace the multiple ellipses and connected them using a transparent tensile fabric which when stretched produces a hyperbolic curve where it bends out of sight.

The tensile nature of this idea makes this idea intriguing to look at because it resembles the beautiful sail of a boat and creates a contrast between lightness and rigidness as well. The transparency of the roof helps connect the commuters with the outside and provide natrual light

Movement and Flow Flow is commonly associated with continuous smooth motion however most structures are stationary, so we need to use the form and shape to create an illusion of a continuous movement.

Many architects (such as MAD architects and Zaha Hadid) have already done this, and they adapted into the idea by creating an unpredictable silhouette outlined by curves and wavey lines to achieve the illusion of movement and flow.

Sinuous Architecture Designs Sinuous designs includes lots of wavy curves which can be seen as organic because you can see these outline often in nature. These multiple curves often get towards and away from each other to create dynamic.

The Changsha Meixihu is an international culture and art centre which uses these sort of curves and it generates a beautiful façade. This inspired me to create some of my own drawing which looks similar to the example given above. My first attempt was not great because I used a rectangle as its base shape but by using multiple elongated rectangles, I made it look much better.

When modelling with the blu-tac it likes to fold into itself after it has been stretched. I used that type of shape to create these drawings.

Ideas gained by the movement of electrons in an atom Atoms are extremely small atoms made of electrons, neutrons and protons.

Some have multiple shells depending on the number of electrons. The electrons follow the track of the shells and orbit the nucleus (the protons and neutrons) continuously.

Using the basic knowledge of atoms, I created a design where everything somewhat orbits a point on the site.

The buildings also have a variation of depth which resembles the shells in an atom and traffic also circulate and orbit the centre.

The Desert House Designed by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg

This house was designed by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg located in Joshua tree California. The structures resemble the form of a leaves binding together to create a canopy

The Desert House is situated on a rocky mountain in the Californian Desert.

The design of its exterior is flawlessly composed and elegantly embedded to its natural surroundings, consisting of numerous concrete slabs shaped like canopies to create an unworldly atmosphere. From afar the multiple slabs make the architecture seem like wall of trees with the smooth roof covering the interior like the foliage of a tree.

This impressive house also have a bunch of furniture designed like fish bones, furthermore highlighting Kendrick's inspiration from nature.

From afar the multiple slabs make the architecture seem like wall of trees with the smooth roof covering the interior like the foliage of a tree.

This impressive house also have a bunch of furniture designed like fish bones, furthermore highlighting Kendrick's inspiration from nature .

Plan View

Shape of the roof resembles the foliage on trees and plants. The form can be effortlessly replicated using concrete. Each individual roofing does not overlap so natural light can seep through it but also tries to minimize direct sunlight.

Skeletal Ideas After the research on the Joshua Tree Desert house, I decided to do some experimentation with the shapes of skeletons. The skeletal form tends to be repetitive and parametric. I find the form interesting because it has an interest light property like fences or window blinds. This type of design integrates well with the theme of nature since the form is the result of natural phenomenon.

Bone

Zaha Hadid - Galaxy Soho

Researching Zaha Hadid's Galaxy Soho inspired me to investigate rocks and its shape as well as the linear flows of the lines moving between the multiple structures.

Stacked Architecture The of stacking components together to create an architecture is used when you don’t want too much repetition, so you add in some randomness to it. For example, you want to make a tower more interesting, so you split it into components and stack it to make it more interesting.

Helix Structures Helix is normally associated with a corkscrew or spiral staircase. A helix structure has curves with tangents with a constant angle to an axis so when viewed from above it just becomes a circle.

When an image is taken on a 2D plane, the form resembles a sinusoidal wave.

Here is 4 different sin waves but with a constant phase difference.

The left image is of a segment of a single strand of DNA, components which are the double helixes held together by hydrogen bonds.

Natural and Organic Shapes Nature also holds many beautiful shapes and forms. Many of their forms is repetitive and symmetrical which makes it good to make parametric designs. A lot of nature's shape is also constructed based on the idea of the Golden Ratio, which can be seen in snail shells, sunflower seed, flowers, etc.

However, sometimes their form could also be manipulated by the environment e.g. sunlight and water, so the form may sometimes not be completely parametric.

So maybe in my design, I could make a living structure with a form which can be shaped by the environment.

Bamboo Architecture Bamboo has a strangely significant form appearing in segments and is mainly cylindical exterior with a hollow interior. This means that tubes This strength in the material allows us to make small structures such as pavilions and houses.

And the flexibility allows us to create form.

It is also very sustainable to use bamboo as a structural piece because it is durable especially when finishes are applied, and they grow extremely quickly compared to other plants.

Metz Pompidou Designed by Balmond Studio Acting as a drape, the roof acts as a skin which hovers over the museum below. The curves and bending of the structure creates drama meanwhile acting as a membrane protecting below from the elements. The membrane is translucent which allows partial light to pass through from the inside or outside. The weaving of the beams highlight the curvature and drama of the space - but also act as a structural support.

Arriva Heaquarters Designed by RVDM, Arquitectos Lda Arriva Headquarters is a bus garage in Portugal. It can hold up to 16 buses indoor but also 80 more outside. This headquarters is made up of offices, garages and maintenance shops. The office building is glass-coated lacquer, seeking advantage of the local landscape, views and solar orientation. Part of the building is elevated of the ground to give an optimal area for buses to easily maneuver around the space.

Slough Bus Station Designed by Architecture company Bblur

The Slough Bus Station has a very distinctive canopy – made from aluminum. The 130-meter canopy acts as shelter for the public who walks underneath from platform to platform. The end wraps round into a two Storey building which accommodates the bus driver's facility, toilet, café, newsagent, ticket office and a waiting area. The bus are also parked diagonally halfway from the platform so passenger can enter the vehicle without stepping on the road – which is a very good health and safety feature.

Hamburg Poppenbüttel Bus Station Designed by Blunck & Morgan Architekten This bus stop is a transportation junction, which connects the railway station with the bus station and the car park.

The main principle when designing this station is to create a floating sculpture. The wing shape roof comprises of transparent membranes and panels which is tessellated together to create this geometric shape. Under this roof provide shelter for toilet facilities, shops and break rooms.

Building this piece of architecture has tripled the number of visitors.

DESIGN IDEAS Using the shapes of mountains

After being inspired by the implementation of local mountains in the design of the Bamboo Pavilion, I have decided to use mountains as a form of inspiration for the creation of my bus terminal. It fits my theme of movement and nature as mountains are formed after many years of natural geological processes. Mountains symbol for constancy, eternity, firmness and stillness- words which can also describe Romford. Mountains are normally associated as a landmark used so by designing a structure which appears to be a mountain will help commuters navigate themself on their whereabouts.

Using geometric shapes, I produced textures like those seen on mountains because the triangles are placed together to create a jagged texture. I managed to translate this shape into a roof, and I grew fond with the surface being ridged giving it an interesting texture. The Hong Kong Bank of China tower is also somewhat like this idea.

DESIGN IDEAS Mountain Ridges

Inspired by the shape of mountain ranges, I decided to experiment with cardboard shapes of mountains and layering them on top of each other and I found that the shape looked best when the shortest were at the front and tallest at the back and I also found that the range of heights were also important as it gave it more depth.

For this idea, I tried to take a different approach on the shape of the mountain and focused it more on its slopes. This idea made the structure feel more fluid like and wavy like hills. I took the slopes by creating these ribbon shapes and laid it on the mountain to see what kind of curves I would get.

CAD DESIGN Using the drawings from the research page before, I had constructed a CAD prototype model and saw how it appears on the site.

It looks pretty good, but I could change the color scheme and add more detail to make it appear more like a bus terminal by implementing platforms.

Planning final model – Combining the idea together To produce my final idea, I have combined all my knowledge and ideas during my research period and applying it into my site.

The first step was to produce a general layout of the site. Using the research, I have done on Kowloon's Terminus, I produced a similar idea of stacking the garden on top of the bus terminal and having the platform be the same level as the garden for the ease of access.

For the main façade of the train station, I combined my idea from the development of the bamboo pavilion and movement and flow to create the ribbon shaped roof. My solution is produced by drawing an elongated cuboid to represent the train platform and entangled it with the curves

From this view you could see that the paths winds around the two domes which resembles pebbles in a river. Going between the two domes enacts the feeling of travelling through a valley or notch. The imagery of movement and flow connects with this site pleasantly as journeys involves movement and flow.

The two domes are also unique in a way in London so it can become a powerful icon and landmark in East London.

The design consist of three levels: The ground floor where buses and cars roam the streets and generally very busy. There are also commercial businesses on the ground for. The second floor where pedestrians can sit down and just stay idle. This floor is important for dividing the chaotic ground floor with the peaceful third floor. The third floor where pedestrians can get onto the train and is generally less crowded as the garden encourages the feeling of freedom. These floors are accessible using the elevator or escalator.

The bubble also creates a void so commuters can have a good sense of navigation as you are able to see more. It also allows the natural light to flow to the lowest floor.

Car Loading

Island

A space is given for cars to temporarily loading to pick-up or drop-off.

The length measures at 85-meters capable of loading 18 cars simultaneously.

This open space is for kiosks, bike parking and for people to wait for their taxi, car or bus. Escalator leads to the second floor which is the quiet area to relax in – also acts as a boundary between the busy ground floor and the peaceful third floor.

Pebble Domes & Garden

Businesses

Entrances

The Glass domes provides natural light to the space below. From above, it looks like a big pebble but from below it appears to be a cave hole. The garden can be accessed using the elevators or escalators located at the corner of the garden.

Commercial businesses are close to the bus stops so people can buy things and have a sit while waiting for their departure. Bigger commercial businesses are located on the other island and have a clear view of the road.

The entrance is next to the existing one for a quicker access to platform one and the other platform. Inside there would be ticket machines, reception and ticket gates. It will also act as a shelter when there is a storm occurring.

The buses have a one-way flow entering at Atlanta Boulevard and making a U-turn back to South Street. To pick up passengers, the buses make a temporary stop by the left or right side depending on what bus it is.

Under the garden is a bus station which features 9 bus stops, but more can be implemented. The building on the right represents the commercial businesses which will have its own store front design. These shops will provide shelter for the commuters and allow time to pass.

Bus stops on the other side of the road.

The entrance to the train platform includes ticket box and a canopy held up by pillars which are shaped like bones. The path is then split up into three directions which flows around the glass domes like the water flowing through pebbles.

The arched shape façade makes a grand entrance to the station stimulating the feeling of passing through some gates or archway. The sky is highly visible, so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic but at the same time acting as a veil to the outside to protect them from the rain and from other elements.

This image shows where the car loading area is located. It allows passengers to be dropped off or picked up. The island will feature bike parking spaces and also a multi-purpose area – meaning temporary structures and food vans could be set up here. The area have a ceiling maximum height of 3.5 meters.

Evaluation This project is the biggest architectural project I have ever done, and I am undoubtedly proud of my work. The integration of my different ideas for the project has worked well together in terms of aesthetic and made the form of the architecture unique and different; this is very important because my focus was on rejuvenating the existing Romford Station into something more exciting and eventful. One of the biggest and first problem when designing a transport hub is the circulation of vehicles as it determines what the final solution would look like, however, this was easily solved because of my extensive research on the West Kowloon Bus Terminal.

The theme of movement and flow can be seen through the curved and smooth nature of design – I had to restrain myself from using any sharp corners and avoid anything which looked too blocky, which came back to bite me when I had to translate all this onto CAD, but I ventured on and overcame the problem by using SketchUp plug-ins.

Using SketchUp helped me visualize the space because I get to create everything to scale, put components side by side and see if it looked good, it also allowed me to erase things if I didn't like it. Although SketchUp allowed me the freedom of creating whatever I like, this process was very long therefore hindering my creative iterations. To make my CAD better, I would like to learn how to add lighting so I could experiment with colour and intensity – expressing the space properly.

Many aspects of the design reflects on the other architectures I have researched and is proven to be extremely helpful. However, if I were to go one step further, I would look at parks/gardens so I can further develop the elevated garden and make it much more interesting. I would also look at other architectural designs which promotes environmental sustainability i.e., rain collectors, renewable energy sources and sustainable material as it is very important if I were to consider the design acceptable in modern day standard.

If I were to come back to this project, I would want to incorporate more of Romford's history into the site, so it has more character/identity. This could be done by designing statues or interactive spaces which allows people to learn about Romford or by planting rare plants in the garden which can only found in Romford. I would also want to design my site with much more detail which would mainly be the shopping district on the ground floor.

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION

Benjamin Lo (2020-2021)