Cecilia Loretta Egidi Portfolio

#NATURE #HEALTH #COMMUNITY DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY STUDIO 5: MATERIAL CHANGE TUTORS: DANIEL BURN AND JANE REDMOND SEMESTER 2-ERASMUS PROGRAM CECILIA LORETTA EGIDI

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CONTENTS

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INTRO

PROGRAMME CONCEPT

SITE - URBAN INTERVENTION

DESIGN CONCEPT

FLOOR PLANS

DESIGN DESCRIPTION

STRUCTURE

PHYSICAL MODEL STUDIES

TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS

TECHNOLOGY DETAILS

DESIGN DIARY

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AGENDA 1. How can we reinvent our cities as places of exchange relevant to the wants and needs of future communities?

2. How can our cities reinvent themselves in response to the global climate emergency?

Cities are places of exchange where commerce and community meet, where businesses develop and jobs are created.

The quality and success of our city centres is often used as a measure of the prosperity and the character of a place.

Our city centres face huge social, environmental and economic challenges: • Housing typologies are typified by small apartments, often with little mix in size or type and rarely a variety of amenity to sustain a broad social mix.

• Streets are dominated by the car with the associated pollution and noise.

• Landscapes are rarely green and dwelling in space is rarely encouraged.

• Online shopping has challenged the economic viability of high street.

In April 2020 as our city centres fell completely silent, we ask, what is the future for our city centres?

PROGRAMME 1. How can a building on this site offer an alternative mode for development on a high street following the recent challenges faced by high streets across the country?

Policymakers examining the most effective and longterm ways to save the high street should: - Improve educational attainment and skills provision.

- Provide businesses with quality facilities and office space in the city centre.

- Invest in transport systems to allow better access to amenities and city centre jobs.

Valentine Quino, High Street, (from https://www.centreforcities.org/)

2. How have cycles of lockdown and social distancing measures changed the way we use our cities?

- More hybrid working : provide workspace - City centre hospitality and retail jobs may be lost - People will be reluctant to use public transport : make cities better for cycling and walking - Virus-phobia may push some people out of cities Jack Kelly, Future of cities, (from https://www.centreforcities.org/)

3. How can a building design for communal purpose respond to the challenges faced by infection control?

- Ventilation - Sunlight - Multiple paths - Space for social distancing - Sanitizers point

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PROGRAMME

SUSTAINABILITY MUSEUM AND LABORATORIES

0 KM FOOD RESTAURANT AS A WORK-STUDY HUB

VERTICAL PARK PROVIDING SPORT AND ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES

EDUCATION SPACE

SHOP/RESTAURANT

GREEN AREA

TOILET FACILITIES

OTHER

Reception Hall

3 Laboratories

2 Classrooms

Open Space Exhibition

Services

Bookstore

Toilet Facilities

Kitchen

Gardens

Food Storage

Gardener Deposit

Work-Study Area

Seating Area

Toilet Facilities

English Garden

Air-Filtering Plants

Seating Areas

Sport Course

Art Course

Toilet Facilities

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SITE

OLD ELDON SQUARE

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Gr ai ng er

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St

St

Ne ls on

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Cl ay to n

ai ng er

St

Blackett

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NOT MUCH VISUAL PERMEABILITY AND GREEN SPACE

GRAINGER MARKET

LACK OF PUBLIC SEATING N Scale 1:2500

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URBAN INTERVENTION

CONNECTION BETWEEN OLD ELDON SQUARE AND GRAINGER MARKET

+ PUBLIC SEATING

+ GREEN SPACE

+ VISUAL AND PHYSICAL PERMEABILITY

GREEN AREA

DEMOLISH

RE-USE

GREEN ROOF

BUILDINGS

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4 6

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PROGRAMME

SUSTAINABILITY MUSEUM AND LABORATORIES

0 KM FOOD RESTAURANT AS A WORK-STUDY HUB

VERTICAL PARK PROVIDING SPORT AND ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES

EDUCATION SPACE

SHOP/RESTAURANT

GREEN AREA

TOILET FACILITIES

OTHER

Reception Hall

3 Laboratories

2 Classrooms

Open Space Exhibition

Services

Bookstore

Toilet Facilities

Kitchen

Gardens

Food Storage

Gardener Deposit

Work-Study Area

Seating Area

Toilet Facilities

English Garden

Air-Filtering Plants

Seating Areas

Sport Course

Art Course

Toilet Facilities

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DESIGN CONCEPT AND PROGRAMME DISTRIBUTION DESIGN EVOLUTION

GREEN ROOF This space, and the Vertical Park, are most definitely the fulcrum of this project.

It doesn’t just provide a terrific amount of plant species and a kitchen Garden, but here you can find the Cafe/Restaurant which is thought as a Hub were people with different backgrounds can enjoy their time by working and studying or doing peaceful activities to escape by the city stress.

SUSTAINABILITY MUSEUM This Museum is thought as an interactive journey through the meaning of Sustainability. It give the opportunity to understand and educate the visitors about Newcastle plants biodiversity and how they are important in our everyday life. On the second floor this theme is represented through an art exhibition.

LABORATORIES AND CLASSROOMS On the last floor of the museum are located classrooms where different age of visitors can attend workshops, through the use of laboratories. They are also located two research laboratories, that are dedicated for University researchers and students.

VERTICAL PARK It is an extension of the park in front of the building, which provide continuity with the Green Roof.

It is equipped with plants and grass areas. Through out the ramp we can find a sport course as well as panels with local artist exhibitions projected.

MUSEUM SPACE

SHOP/RESTAURANT

GREEN AREA

GREEN+ACTIVITIES

LABORATORIES/CLASSROOMS

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DESIGN CONCEPT AND PROGRAMME DISTRIBUTION

SHO

LABS+CLASSROOMS

OFFICE SUSTAINABILITY ART-EXHIBITION

BOOKSHOP

HALL RECEPTION OFFICE PLANTS EXHIBITION

OP GARDNER DEPOSIT GARDEN 0 KM RESTAURANT STUDY+WORK AREA

PUBLIC/PRIVATE RAMP - BOTANIC GARDEN - SPORT COURSE - ART COURSE

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GROUND FLOOR 0

5 EXISTING STRUCTURE NEW STRUCTURE

15 m

N

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2ND FLOOR 0

5 EXISTING STRUCTURE NEW STRUCTURE

15 m

N

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3RD FLOOR 0

5 EXISTING STRUCTURE NEW STRUCTURE

15 m

N

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ROOFTOP 0

5 EXISTING STRUCTURE NEW STRUCTURE

15 m

N

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SUSTAINABILITY MUSEUM PLANTS EXHIBITION In the Plants Exhibition section, there will be exposed scientific information about the local plants, such as: Bilberry, Hazel, Holm oak, etc. , which are listed in the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

These plants will be then planted in the Vertical Park.

ECO-ART EXHIBITION The Art Exhibition section is inspired by the 2020 Eco-Art Exhibition, hosted in the Tate and Victoria & Albert museum in London, where the artist approached the climate crisis with creativity and optimism.

LABORATORIES Part of the Museum are also the laboratories and workshops space. Where people can get involved in activities leaded by Researchers. There also space for University researchers and students to rent labs space which the museum provide.

GROUND FLOOR

2ND FLOOR

3RD FLOOR

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5

15 m

N

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THE GREEN VERTICAL PARK THE ENGLISH GARDEN Part of the Museum Exhibition is “an plain air“. In the Green Vertical Park, where local Plants will be planted.

Each of the plants will have a small tag, which will be written the name and the species of the plant. The Park will have the characteristic of a revisited English Garden.

Often it is densely studded with “eye-catchers”, such as grottoes, temples, tea-houses, belvederes, pavilions, sham ruins, bridges, and statues.

THE SPORT COURSE 15 gymnastic equipments will be distributed through out the park. This concept is taken by the “Life Path” in the Swiss woods, which was developed in the 1968 as a symbol of youth movements, but also of body movement. It was the first track for practicing gymnastic exercises in the midst of nature, open to all.

Today there are 499 Life Paths in Switzerland. Usually a path covers a distance of just over a couple of kilometers, on which there are 15 stations with different gymnastic equipment. The exercises serve to promote strength, endurance and agility.

THE ART COURSE An other connection with the Art Exhibition will be the Art Course though the park, which will consist in different Graffiti/Street art on the walls of the 2 nearby buildings walls. This art form was born in the Bronx, as part of the Hip Hop culture, which goal was and is to bring awareness to the higher society, about the lower class difficulties.

This powerful media of communication spread in the whole word as a way to bring awareness to a wider public in an artistic form. One of the bigger exponent in the UK is Bansky, known as an activist, which cover topics such as politics , culture and ethics .

TEMPLES Small glass temples with plants, with the function to clean the air.

RUINS A few old building pillars left in the centre as ruins.

POND

HEXAGON PAVILION A forest in the heart of the Vertical Park, with a hexagonal shape.

A rainwater collector on the floor ground.

15 STATIONS 1. SIDE STRETCH AND UPPER HAMSTRING STRETCH 2. CALF STRETCH 3. BENT KNEE HANG HEARTBEAT CHECK 4. BAR JUMP 5. SIT UP AND LEG RAISE 6. PULL UP 7. BALANCE WALK 8. PUSH UP AND LEG STRETCH

9. HAND WALK AND BODY DIP 10. UPWARD STRETCH 11. BODY RAISE AND REVERSE PULL UP 12. BODY TUCK 13. QUADRICEPS CLIMB AND SIT 14. HAMSTRING PULL, LIFT AND DROP 15. TENSION RELEASE

ART WALLS LOCATIONS The Graffiti are going to be located on the Walls between the Vertical Park and the adjacent buildings.

The users of the ramp will be able to appreciate the art pieces within the green space.

The main theme of the Graffiti will have the focus to bring awareness about the ecosystem of the Planet.

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THE HIGH LINE PARK OF NEW YORK PRECEDENT In this past century studies has been made about the importance of Green Area within the cities. Urbanization had brought many problem to the environment and to our health, such as pollution and stress. One of the main solution to these problems are plants, which space has been taken by the buildings.

In this intervention an important goal is to bring back nature to the city centre of Newcastle and to make it coexist with the buildings.

One of the main precedents that is inspired from is The High Line Park of New York City. It was built on a disused section of the elevated railroad called the West Side Line which is part of the larger New York Central Railroad.

The green urban park was carried out by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and by the landscape architecture studio James Corner Field Operations.

This green promenade has and average width of 10-12 meters and is 2,33 km long, which runs along the western side of Manhattan .

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PARKING-LOT VERSUS A VERTICAL PARK A MISS OPPORTUNITY: ELDON SQUARE MULTI-STOREY

The parking lot of Eldon Square Multi-Storey, is definitely a suggestive building, which allows the users to appreciate the different panoramic views that the heart of Newcastle offers. Unfortunately it’s function is restricted on begin a parking-lot, where users without a car can’t really enjoy.

By taking the concept of an open ramp, which allows people to enjoy the views of the surrounding buildings, I’m proposing a ramp which will focus on pedestrian and bikers. It will allow visitors to sit in a green space and enjoy the different scenarios of downtown.

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GREEN ROOF AND KITCHEN GARDEN ECO - FRIENDLY CAFE/RESTAURANT This Café/Restaurant is thought to have a Zero Kilometres food Menu provided by the “Kitchen Garden” (as the one of the Kew Gardens), located on the Rooftop of the Museum, providing educational workshop on how to nourish gardens, prepare healthy food and other projects with an ecological footprint (La recyclerie, Paris). This place will be also equipped with long community tables, which aim to connect the users of the café, but also students and workers, finding there a relaxing, green area to develop their ideas.

KITCHEN GARDEN In the Kew’s Kitchen Garden, in London, are grown edible plants to learn more about producing healthy and sustainable food and experimenting with unusual crops, important sources of food for the future due to the climate change.

In Georgian times, the Kitchen Garden supplied members of the royal family living in Kew Palace, today, the Kew’s restaurants, and part of the harvest are sold between May and September.

WORK-STUDY-ACTIVITY AREA This area will be dedicated to students and workers or whoever wants to find a quiet place within the city centre, above the street noises and surrounded by plants.

It also provide a hub where people with different background could share a big “office” table.

It is place as next to the Restaurant, so that during the day people can enjoy a lunch/tea - break during their work sessions.

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5

15 m

N

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PLANTS LOCAL PLANTS An important part of this project are the Plants.

In order to promote the local biodiversity, the plants that have been chosen for this project are the one listed in the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. There are around 66 species of Trees and shrubs that are considered in the ecosystem of Newcastle.

These are the Plants that will be exhibited in the Museum and though the Vertical Park.

These Plants do not require special climate control since they are biologically use to the oceanic climate of Newcastle.

AIR-FILTERING PLANTS 1989, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in collaboration with Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) carried out Clean Air Study and published results which provide a definitive list of plants that are most effective at purifying indoor air.

The study, led by Dr. B. C. Wolverton, found that plants are effective at filtering likes of benzene, ammonia and formaldehyde etc from the air, helping to neutralize effects of Sick building syndrome. They found certain tropical plants, which are commonly used as house plants, are quite effective in removing formaldehyde, trichloroethane, benzene and other pollutants from air and replacing them with breathable oxygen.

Report suggests to have at least one plant at every hundred square feet at home or at office space.

Since these Plants mainly require a warm weather they will be boxed in small green-houses through the park.

The air that they produce will be then directed to the Museum, providing so a Mechanical and at the same time Natural Ventilation. The number of plants required to clean 3200 meters square will be around 320 Plants.

This mean 16 greenhouses with 20 plants.

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5

15 m

N

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VERTICAL PARK ARCHITECTURAL SECTION A-A’ 0

5

15 m

B’ A’

B

A

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STRUCTURE: CONCRETE AND TIMBER TIMBER SYSTEM: NEST WE GROW BY KENGO KUMA The new structure that will host the ramp of the Vertical Park is thought to be mainly a timber structure, in order to make it more sustainable for the environment and more in theme with the design project.

The connection between the timber beams and the pillars is going to be interlocked, like the one presented by Kengo Kuma & Associates and UC Berkeley.

The main structure will be made of two different dimension of pillars and the main beams will consist in two beams that intersect the bigger pillar and come up besides the smaller ones.

Since the differences of dimensions and the irregular shapes of the ramp, there will be a concrete base structure that will help to reinforce it. Also part of the existing structure, made out of concrete will be connected with the base and the timber structure, creating so a stronger system.

STRUCTURE CONCEPT

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STRUCTURE: CONCRETE AND TIMBER 0

5

15 m

N

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

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STRUCTURE MODEL TIMBER AND CONCRETE

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SUNLIGHT CONCEPT

30°

RAIN WATER CONCEPT

SUB-IRRIGATION SYSTEM

UNDERGROUND RAIN-WATER COLLECTOR SYSTEM

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THE VERTICAL RAMP: MATERIALITY REFERENCES

CLT, Xlam green rooftop detail by ‘Wood Home’

Green rooftop with timber beam structure by ‘Ton Gruppe’

Compact Polycarbonate Sheets for the facade and parapet

Glulam beams and pillars and Xlam slabs

~ max 60 °

TECHNOLOGY SECTION 0

1

3

4m

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TECHNOLOGY DETAILS

0

0,5

1,5 m

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TECHNOLOGY EXPLODED VIEW

CONCRETE PILLAR AND TIMBER BEAM CONNECTION

TIMBER DOUBLE BEAM AND PILLAR CONNECTION

COMPRESSED POLYCARBONATE SHEETS WITH TIMBER BEAM CONNECTION

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DESIGN DIARY

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY STUDIO 5: MATERIAL CHANGE TUTORS: DANIEL BURN AND JANE REDMOND SEMESTER 2-ERASMUS PROGRAM CECILIA LORETTA EGIDI79