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Fig.169 Conservation area of Dundee

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Concept + Design

PROPOSAL Faith brings communities together. The intention of this project was to create a multi-generational hub to be used by all, nestled into the residential Roseangle area of Dundee. By combining the 2 main elements of both a church and a community centre, the facility is intended to be used by all age groups which already live in this area of West-end Dundee.

SITE The Westfield Lane site is situated in the conservation area of WestEnd Dundee, also known as Roseangle. Travelling to the site you notice the heritage, scale and intimacy of the surroundings. This journey from Perth Road feels quaint, homely, comfortable as the surrounding houses and gardens give a feeling of safety.

The site itself is nestled amongst existing tenements and the existing piece of land sits almost completely unused. My ambition was to create a hub to this diverse community - to allow a chance for each generation to connect in space open to all while remaining respectful to the rich, existing surroundings.

Figs.170-173 Site strategy diagrams

CONTEXT + ACCESS The path of Westfield Lane is narrow and enclosed by a series of existing properties, gardens and brick walls. I intend upon keeping all walls with the exception of the most southerly wall as I wish to open up the site. Key routes of access are along the north-south axis from Perth Road down to the site. This route can only be taken by pedestrians however is already popular in leading south from the busy main road. Another main access point is via Seafield Road which leads north from the main road of Roseangle. Cars can also take this route and there is existing parking at the south of the site in which I will keep within my proposal. The final main route of access to the site is the West-East axis which leads visitors through the building to reach Westfield Lane ensuring I haven’t cut off an existing access route.

DESIGN SOLUTION My final proposal comprises of the 2 key spaces including both the church sanctuary and community hall. I have developed the form of my church space to include a skylight allowing optimum south light to enter the space even though this space is at the most northerly point of the site. The height of my building has also been taken from the nearby tenements to ensure continuity in the street scape.

Fig.174-177 Site diagrams

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Technical Design

FIRE The fire safety strategy is simple, with staircases catering to each side of the building - one for the first floor classrooms/meeting rooms to the south and the second for those using the cafe in the centre of the building. The most southerly staircase is in a fire protected core.

On the ground floor level there are 5 different fire escape routes, all leading out to areas suitable as an assembly point.

Ground floor plan highlighting stairs and escape routes

Ground floor plan highlighting distance between openings, all 20m or less

20m 11m

11m

5m

17m 16m

Figs.178-179 Fire diagrams

SUSTAINABILITY Making use of mass timber as a construction method is an extremely effective choice in terms of sustainability. Mass Timber is the collective term for the range of engineered wood products that can more accurately be described as solid laminate timber systems.

The main Mass Timber systems available include cross laminated timber, glued laminated timber, laminated veneered lumber, dowel laminated timber and nail laminated timber.

Mass timber is a renewable material with much lower carbon emissions than that of other building materials such as concrete or steel. It has a high strength to weight ratio and excellent fire performance due to its char layer.

It is due to these factors that I have chosen to use glue laminated mass timber as the primary structure for the community hall segment of my building. This allows for high ceiling heights with a wide span, reaching the width of the hall.

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Costing

BUILDING TYPE - Public This community church covers a wide variety of activities for a diverse group of the public. High volumes of people will be using the space all at once. The costing of this building will be MODERATE.

SITE + ACCESS - Reasonably Accessible With parking to the south of the site and road access from Seafield Road the site is reasonably accessible for construction vehicles however these roads may prove narrow for certain vehicles. Pedestrian access is widely accessible from all directions. Due to the tight nature of the site with regards to building machinery the overall cost will be MODERATE.

STRUCTURE - Glulam Beams/Mass Timber Mass timber has been chosen as large spans can be covered instead of steel, for example, for a much more sustainable option at a relatively LOW cost.

TOPOGRAPHY - Flat Site The site is on a very slight slope, changing in 5 metres from the north of the site down to the south. This makes building simple as it can be levelled off easily resulting in a LOW cost.

HISTORY - Conservation Area Building on such a sensitive site while paying respect to the existing buildings may result in potentially HIGH costs as the building of the project will need to be carried out carefully,

GEOMETRY - Mixed The church sanctuary form is an abnormal shape with a slanted roof. This unusual form will result in HIGH building costs as its complex geometry may prove difficult for contractors. The surrounding flat roofed element to the building will be much LOWER cost as the simple form can be manufactured and built easily and quickly.

VENTILATION - Natural Making use of clerestory glazing throughout, ventilation will flow naturally throughout the spaces resulting in LOW costs. However, due to high levels of activity in the community hall, mechanical ventilation will be used additionally at a MODERATE cost.

HEATING - Underfloor Underfloor heating is relatively energy efficient and can heat large span spaces quickly at a relatively LOW cost. However, installation of the underfloor heating is relatively HIGH but will pay off long term.

LIGHTING - Mixed Lots of glazing has been used on each face of the building to provide natural lighting in the day time however as this space is also intended to be used in the evenings when it gets darker, artificial lighting can be seen throughout resulting in MODERATE costs.

MATERIALS Glulam - LOW Brick - MODERATE Glazing - HIGH Standing Seam Zinc - HIGH

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Business Model

THE TEAM

ARCHITECT Responsible for the design and planning of the project, the architect must also appoint the planning consultants and construction team while remaining in communication with the client.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Ensures that the structure in which the architect has designed works and will hold all forces both internally and laterally. Their role can also include making the designed structure more simplified and efficient in terms of both construction and cost.

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS Ensure that all heating and ventilation strategies are working and installed appropriately. Also deal with the lighting strategies and all other services within the building.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR Constantly analyses the cost of the project from the design stage and throughout the construction stage to ensure the budget is not exceeded.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Oversees the team of contractors which the client has helped select alongside the architect. The construction manager directs the team of workers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

FIRE ENGINEER The role of the fire engineer is to ensure that all fire rules and regulations are met safely and effectively within the project.

THE PRACTICE - Private Limited Company

LEAD ARCHITECT Also known as the founding director, this architect who started the company will sometimes appoint a board of directors to assist with the running of the PLC.

ASSOCIATES Experienced senior architects who often have specialist areas within the company such as landscaping or structure. These architects can oversee projects from beginning to end.

ARCHITECT These qualified members of the team will be organised by their senior architects and associates above them in the company. Having completed their part 3, the architect can complete any given project from beginning to end as part of a team.

ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT Assistants can be either part 1 or 2 graduates from university and are working towards their final RIBA part 3 exam. They complete the slightly more menial of tasks such as model making or cad drawing however are always included in team design meetings and discussions.

INTERIOR DESIGNER An optional but useful role to an architectural company, the interior designer specialises in the interior finish and furnishings of the design, making the building ready to use. They will often work directly alongside the architect to ensure the client’s vision is met.

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Health + Safety

SITE LOCATION + CONSTRUCTION (Diagram A) As mentioned previously, the site has road access from Roseangle via Seafield Road. With parking to the south of the site construction materials can be delivered safely as close to the construction site as possible. This area will be made secured so that so pedestrians nearby aren’t affected during the construction of this project. The diagram highlights the main route which contractors will take to access and park at the site.

ASSEMBLY POINTS (Diagram B) In terms of fire health and safety, when evacuating a large group of people there must be an adequately sized area in which those users can safely wait and assemble. Assembly points should be positioned as far away from the building which is equal to twice the height of the overall structure, in my case, around 22 metres. Shown are the allocated assembly points which are each around 25 metres away from the closest set of fire escape doors.

BUILDING USE (Section C) Within the building all staircases include handrails which meet regulations as well as the balustrade height at the mezzanine cafe being at the correct level to ensure no children accidentally fall over. I have chosen to for my balustrade to be 950mm high to ensure that when seated, cafe users can safely see over onto the entrance foyer below.

Fig.180 Diagram A

Fig.181 Diagram B

Fig.182 Section C

CONSTRUCTION DESIGN MANAGEMENT (CDM 2015)

The CDM are a set of guidelines set out to ensure the health and safety on site of all scale construction projects - no matter how small. These guidelines are to be followed at all points during the construction, use and maintenance of a project. The rules, roles and responsibilities of both the client and the designer are listed as follows:

CLIENT - Clients can be for both domestic and commercial works - At the beginning of any project, the client must first appoint a principle designer to lead the work. - Decides what is to be constructed, when and where - Appoints each different contractor - Provide any pre-construction information they have - Co-operate with anyone involved within the project

PRINCIPLE DESIGNER - Once appointed, the designer must ensure they understand the wants of the client clearly - They must risk assess potential health and safety issues and eliminate them - Prepare and modify their design to make them as safe and risk-free as possible - Provide design information - Co-operate with all other members of the design/construction team

APPENDIX

Fig.184 Drawing to understand