Z15P11

Newcastle University

Por tf olio Sam p le 2018-2020 Nick Green

Fr om a Gr aduate o f ‘ T he COVI D Ye ar ’ The adjacent graphic depicts my working from home

The thesis explored two socio-political phenomena that I

set-up since the start of lockdown and is inspired by the

was completely (perhaps blissfully) unaware of until the

‘Hometown’ challenge being run by Archisource. The page

start of the year – the Global Freshwater Crisis, and the

has invited followers to submit a graphic to demonstrate

Anthropocene. Exploring these two contexts has provided

something about their experience of working from home.

an excellent backdrop to the conversation about public space,

These graphics are being combined to create a huge virtual,

as it looked to reinterpret an industrial landscape within the

modular city in isometric, as a demonstration of how we can

public sphere. The thesis explained the idea of decentralising

remain connected ‘only a room apart’. It feels strange to think

the needs of the human in the seawater desalination industry

about how the thesis project was established, brought to life,

to bring about a new state of liveability with our natural

and curated from this desk and bed.

surroundings. The so-called waste product was centralised, and disposed of into environments that not only tolerate this

Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly demonstrated

‘waste’, but thrive in it.

how isolation has demanded that we find new ways of connecting with others, which is an idea that has generally

What is certainly undeniable, is that the global freshwater

been within the remit of the architect. I have always preferred

crisis and our existence in a post-Anthropocene, forces us to

to engage with the social and physical aspect of architecture,

reimagine the built environment, and it would be undeniably

and believe that the architect should be selfless in creating

exciting to see communal spaces designed for both humans

their work – it should be in the service of others.

and animals alike.

So, given that the public realm has been a ghost town over the last few months, we see just how important quality, outdoor space is, as people flock to meet in any green space available.

This QR code should take you to the live ‘HomeTown’ drawing challenge, I invite you to participate!

S ta ge 6 T h e si s

A N e w S ta te o f L ivab i l i ty Throughout history, cities all over the world

cannot be to increase its price. Furthermore, if we

have evolved around their rituals of freshwater

valued water more highly, the price of consumer

consumption and storage - today 90% of all human

goods would sky rocket and many industries would

civilisations live within 10km of a freshwater source.

collapse.

However, it is predicted that by 2040, most of the

Inevitably, this will have a dramatic effect on the

world’s major cities will not be able to meet their

built environement, and we as designers will have

population’s demand for fresh water.

to respond to this crisis.

Water is used, priced and valued as if we will

Whilst our capacity to alter human behaviour is

always have enough. Over the last century, water

limited, we can create environments that encourage

consumption has increased seven-fold, and recent

different attitudes. In order to do so, we must

research has highlighted that this water is used in

fundamentally critique our preconceptions of

incredibly wasteful ways.

the built environment to bring about meaningful change.

Globally, water wasted through poor quality plumbing accounts for approximately 50% of

This thesis therefore responds to the fourth

all household freshwater usage. In agriculture,

landscape manifesto and the Architect’s Declare

crops are also grown in incredibly unsuitable

initiative by radically altering perceptions of industry

environments. Alfalfa, a key component of cattle

within the built environment. It uses architecture as

feed, is commonly grown in the Nevada desert.

the catalyst to usher in a new state of harmonious liveability for humanity and the animal kingdom in

Access to freshwater is recognised as a fundamental human right by the UN, so the solution to this crisis

the post-Anthropocene.

Dr aw i n gs o f Ar m i l l a Italo Calvino’s description of Armilla became the literature inspiration for the project. It is a city Marco Polo discovers during his travels made of infinite pipework, built to purify contaminated water. The industrial landscape is perforated by bathtubs, lavabos and other white porcelain elements where the purified waters can be enjoyed. Nymphs and naiads populate the city of Armilla in the absence of humanity, and thrive in the watery surroundings.

“...the water pipes rise vertically where the houses should be and spread out horizontally where the floors should be...”

“...against the sky a lavabo’s white stands out, or a bathtub, or some other porcelain, like late fruit still hanging from the boughs...”

“...Armilla may have been built by humans as a votive offering to win the favour of the nymphs, offended at the misuse of the waters...”

“...abandoned before or after it was inhabited, Armilla cannot be called deserted...”

Armilla describes a catoptromantic industrial landscape created entirely for non-human entities.

Whether the nymphs and naiads simply enjoy the purified waters, or if they are the entities which purify the waters themselves, is left unexplained. In either scenario, the human is decentralised in the man-made landscape as the nymphs and naiads enjoy the watery world in their absence. Armilla is a dream of a world where human ingenuity and craft are wielded selflessly to create industrial landscapes that coexist harmoniously with the natural environment.

A N u m i n o u s B a th r o o m Located at the entrance to a Venetian household

explains how designing the bathroom has become

adjacent to a canal, the water to be purified is

equivalent to a closet or wardrobe, it is merely

welcomed into the building at the same location as

tacked on at the end of the design process, yet the

the person.

bathroom is a spiritual place - one walks in unclean, and out again clean. Indeed, recent global events

Both will come in off the street dirty, and are

have demonstrated the importance of being open

cleaned before distribution around the house. The

about our cleanliness.

immensity of pipework and steam evaporating off the warm water, will create a theatrical experience

As a design exercise, the numinous bathroom

for the user, whilst also providing privacy.

explores how we can reassociate the preconceptions we have concerning water consumption, and sets

Marco Frascari laments how we have come to hide

the scene for a design project as seen through the

these rituals of cleanliness, musing over modern

lens of catoptromancy.

society’s bewitchment by the goddess ‘Hygiene’. He

S A N P I E T RO D I C A S T E L LO

T h e s i s D e c l a r a ti o n The thesis proposes a response within the built environment to the global freshwater crisis. Through the lens of catoptromancy, it reinterprets the industrial landscape by establishing a public pleasure garden of water purification on the islet of San Pietro di Castello in the Venetian archipelago. Based around the processes of seawater desalination, this holistic urban design proposal replaces the elements associated with anthropocentric industry on the islet in an attempt to reinstate a hierarchy of space, giving a purpose and reason to come to the islet.

PIAZZA QUINTAVALLE

REMINERALISATION CALCITE BED

AQUEDUCT

BRINE LAKE

DESALINATION PHYTOREMEDIATION TOWER TIDAL POOL

Non-Human With a heavy focus on decentralising the needs of

The brine garden is a shallow pool where the

the human, the proposal establishes two key spaces

brine solution created by seawater desalination

within the urban design proposal specifically for

is deposited. This becomes an excellent space to

non-human entities: a tidal phytoremediation pool

encourage a halophytic [salt-tolerant] environment

and a brine garden.

for algaes and microorganisms, which in certain atmospheric conditions will turn bright pink. Brine

The phytoremediation pool is populated by floating

shrimp also feed on these organisms, which in

artificial wetlands, which pre-treat the seawater for

turn sustain the flamingo colony that exists in the

desalination by naturally reducing the toxicity and

lagoon.

impurity of the water. These wetlands are excellent spaces to encourage biodiversity, providing nesting habitats for the many wading and seafaring birds that inhabit the Venetian lagoon, as well as safe spaces for small fish to hide amongst the roots.

H uma n Just as in Armilla, the place of the human is to

alike back to Venice, as the Istrian Stone campanile

wield their ingenuity, craft and skill selflessly. This is

once did.

not to say that there is no enjoyment the human can take from the project.

The gardens themselves also offer evocative experiential spaces. The remineralisation grotto will

The architecture of the project aims to emphasise

be filled with sounds of water trickling through

its context, and reconfigures the island to create a

calicite filled pipes, whilst the echo chamber invites

holistically reimagine the piecemeal construction

the sea into the belly of the tower, and reflects the

of the islet. The construction of the tower invokes

sounds of the waves off its hard arched surfaces.

a lighthouse design, guiding sailors and gondoliers

Re mine r alisa tion G r otto

Echo Chamber

White Concrete Beams

Secondary Structure Steel Columns Open Facade

Brick Columns

Wall Ties

Steel Skirting Board Steel I-beams

1000mmx500mm Concrete Column

Tow er

Op e n Facad e De ta il

Primary Structure Concrete Columns

Wall Ties

Self-supporting Brick Column and Concrete Beam Open Facade

Perforated Brick Facade

Wall Ties

Secondary Structure Steel Columns

Steel Cap

Tow er

Op e n Facad e De ta il

Fe sta d e l l a S e n sa This graphic depicts a scene at the new Piazza

environment. Industry for mass consumption and

Quintavalle during the Festa della Sensa - the

anthropocentric gain has done nothing but scar and

ceremony that celebrates the Venetian’s marriage to

damage the natural landscape almost irreparably

the sea.

over just a few short centuries. This thesis proposes a new state of liveability where anthropocentric

It is imagined that the regatta procession would

gain is decentralised in industrial landscapes, and

adopt a stop at the seawater purification pleasure

instead a marriage to our natural landscape is

gardens at San Pietro di Castello to take a drink

proposed where coexisting harmoniously with our

from their bride, symbolic of the consummation

natural environment is emphasised.

of this marriage.

Indeed, this is a relationship that the thesis is challenging humanity to adopt with the rest of our

S ta ge 5 D e si gn P r o j e c t

C e n tr o d e I n ova c i o n This key precedent study is imagined as an “anti-skyscraper� -

concrete block, however through the glazing, the walls return once

architect Alejandro Aravena cites the traditional glazed skyscraper

more to open office spaces, and are clad in timber that works to create

that is designed around a central structural lift core as unsuitable

an extreme contrast between the internal and external impression of

for collaborative work that also creates an uncomfortable, heavily

the building.

machine controlled working environment.

We have an idea of how large a brick of piece of timber are, concrete is Located adjacent to a large motorway, the form comprises 3 plans that

only given scale by its context. In the case of the Centro de Inovacion,

rotate around a vacant atrium space. Despite its massiveness and scale-

where its context its almost irrelevant, we can imagine that building

less facade, the building is light and spacious internally. The external

has no scale.

courtyard walls are returned in concrete to give the illusion of a solid

T hesi s D e v el o p m en t

S e n so r y Ma p p i n g Set in Vienna, the protagonist for this project was the adventitiously blind, which forced the project to come to understand the site without sight. This attempt at sensory mapping describes the smells, sounds and tastes which form a key part of understanding and navigation for the blind.

The graphic, inspired by the work of Kate McLean, takes into account the prevailing wind direction, WSW to ESE, and builds up an image of how a blind person might understand a city and navigate to the site. It highlights the building shadows - detectable as a person moves between light and dark spaces - the vegetation, gastronomy outlets and transport routes - detectable through the sounds they make and smell as it is carried by the wind.

The Enjoyment of Life w i th o u t S i gh t The design is a nothing if not a bold statement. Inserting itself adjacent

for the blind given its hard, reflective properties and ornamentation

to a four-lane motorway, it would dominate the area visually. The

serves no purpose to those who cannot see. The public square that

pristine white concrete facade could not be missed, and by completely

the project overtakes had been neglected and left uncared for, so the

overtaking this once highly ornate facade and public square, it would

project suggests that the Viennese have forfeited the right to have an

certainly create a topic for debate.

opinion on what happens in this site.

The response from many students this year, and what we have come

Were the project to be built, the graphics at the base of the drawing

to understand through the tutoring, is that it appears Vienna does

opposite highlight that it is likely the external facade would be prone

not wish to present itself as a city at the forefront of progress and

to graffiti. The pollution from the Gurtelstrasse would certainly

innovation, but rather a heritage city that preserves its ancestry and

turn the white concrete facade grey, and it might even provoke such

heralds the masters of music, architecture and art that have come

a response that the people protest. Internally however, the garden

before. This is made all the more confusing by the dominance of the

would remain beautiful, the green space, up-kept by the blind given its

Nazi regime in Viennese history.

function and practicality. The allotments and tranquillity pools would provide private retreats, and the bandstand would provide space for

So a monolithic concrete block inserted brutishly adjacent to a beloved

some of the worlds most talented musicians to perform.

member of Viennese history is unlikely to go down well.

As people pass by the singular opening in the facade, they might hear But the project suggests this is exactly the point. The past regime

an echo of this music, or catch the smell of flowers on the breeze, and

in Vienna is obsessed with its image, yet the protagonist for this

maybe they will question whether vision is the most important sense.

project cannot see. Concrete is an incredibly helpful building material

Mo d e l E x p o r a ti o n The model exercises explore two key spaces within project that

striking contrast the embodies the core concepts of the project.

became essential in understanding the project on the whole - the

YPPENHEIM

entrance to the building, and the projects relationship with the

As the oldest and most dominant building on the square, the project

adjacent Yppenheim building.

could not ignore the presence of the Yppenheim, and my project must consider how to interact with the building.

ENTRANCE Reaching and navigating to the building is clearly something that must

Over the years, the building has become more and more neglected.

be considered concerning the protagonist’s unique situation. The

Originally a military hospital, today the building remains in military

main entrance to the structure is therefore kept as simple as possible.

use as flats. The frontage, once celebrated, proudly giving its name to the square it resides on, it today blocked off by a large gate and several

As the front facade becomes a large monolithic structure, it fits that as

trees that have grown taller than the building itself.

few openings as possible should be employed to preserve the sound isolation effect provided by the large wall.

The design therefore proposes that the raised entrance becomes a classically designed bandstand, also referencing Vienna’s rich musical

The project employs an alternating plan to create offset ‘balconies’ that

heritage. This instantly provides a centrepiece for the space to focus

give the internal facade an Aires Mateus-inspired eroded appearance.

on, whilst its transparency ensures the Yppenheim facade is not

The contrast created between this and the external facade creates a

obstructed or overshadowed.

A tm osphe r ic Expora ti on Understanding the atmosphere of the building became an exercise

RESIDENTIAL CORNER

these create a significant sensory space that a blind person could

ATRIUM

in representing the difference in light and shadow within the spaces.

Generally, 90 degree corners are preferred for navigation in buildings

recognise, and come to terms with its non-perpendicular nature.

The atrium graphic depicts the light and shadow during high summer.

suitable for navigation by the blind. However, given the site boundaries, In order to ensure the graphics remained faithful to the project concept,

the residential arm turns a non-perpendicular corner.

the final drawings were raster laser cut, which provided texture to

The structure of the glazed facade casts shadows along the faceted VIEW FROM YPPENHEIM

balcony walls to the ground floor, and shows how important the

It could be imagined that the view is ruined by this project, the

space is when navigating the building.

the drawings, meaning that the shade could also be understood by

This presented an interesting design challenge that the project sees

existing square has been all but blocked off by vegetation, and the

touching the image. The beauty of this representation technique

as an advantage to improve the internal atmosphere, rather than a

introduction of the Gurtelstrasse as a motorway perhaps already

comes from the natural imperfections in the timber, as the burning

limiting constraint.

achieved this. Inserting this project so intrusively instead should be

effect of the raster cutter highlights the timbers grain and any knots.

seen as providing the Yppenheim inhabitants with a new, beautiful

These give the graphics more depth, and further explore the extents

The project creates a planting bed that introduces vegetation into this

of representation for the blind.

environment, and a void space to illuminate the corner. Together,

space to front their building.

B l i n d Ma te r i a l L i b r a r y The idea emerged to improve accessibility in architecture, specifically

into account our ability to reproduce the warmth of the material, as

the enjoyment of experiencing materiality, a primarily visual experience.

well as the precision of each form of digital fabrication.

The goal was to create a Blind Material Library to help those who cannot see understand materiality or ephemeral phenomena through

The nature of our process of fabrication allows for the library to

their re-imagination in tactile form.

be easily expanded, and could be reproduced at a wide variety of scales - it could be imagined as anything from a household item, to a

To create this Blind Material Library, we analysed test models and decided on six materials or phenomena that we could reproduce in tactile form most accurately with the resources available. This took

specifically dedicated museum.

6

7 5

1

11

8

10

9 1:5 Atrium Ventilation Detail 1. Double glazing: 10mm safety glass + 16mm argon-filled cavity + 12mm lam. safety glass, c.o. 2x6mm toughened glass with mesh inlay, 3% slope 2. Concrete beam 3. Aluminium shoe for glass fin with galvanized steel bolts into concrete, surrounded by 2mm epoxy resin 4. 36mm lam. safety glass fin, c.o. 3x12 toughened glass @ 900mm centres 5. Purlin: 80x60mm RHS, casing electrics to operate mech. vent 6. Waterproof flashing 7. Steel cap 8. 100x100mm mechanical vent @ 450mm centres 9. Gutter cast into concrete beam with sealing waterproof sealant, 1% slope 10. 2mm galvanized steel sheet 11. Load-transmitting seal, black

3

4

2

2

0m

0.15

Companion

Yppenheim &

Entrance &

Planting

Bandstand

Sensory Paving

Atrium

Stairway

Skyflats

Bu i l d i n g Tec hn o l og y

Te l l - th e - ta l e D e ta i l 1

1. White pigmented concrete ventilation brick 65x215

6. Sliding window casing sunk into concrete to provide

2. External leaf construction:

continuous shelf, thermally divided

250mm white pigmented semi-transparent concrete with

7. Wall to floor ties, 300x20 stainless steel bolts with 2mm

sillicate-based, water-repellant surface treatment

epoxy resin covering - Creep prevention whilst allowing

Glass rods at 30mm spacing to create semi transparent effect

ventilation between floors.

3. Internal leaf construction:

1470x2mm stainless steel floor cap, to become balustrade

250mm white pigmented reinforced concrete with sillicate-

for handrail

based, water-repellant surface treatment

8. Accessible roof construction:

Vapour barrier

80-100mm light substrate with various roof coverings

100mm wood-fibre insulation

(vegetation, sand, concrete, gravel, tarmac)

30mm mineral wool sound insulation

30mm Moisture retention mat

15mm plasterboard, paint finish

10mm drainage mat

4. Non-insulated floor construction:

Root-proof membrane

400x400x20 polished white pigmented concrete tiles with

60-100mm extruded rigid foam thermal insulation

400x400x20 timber CNC Routed tactile paving

Bituminous sheeting as back-up measure

80mm levelling screed

180mm white pigmented concrete slab with exposed soffit

Vapour Barrier

9. Thin Structural Insulation between junctions in floor

320mm reinforced white pigmented concrete Slab

slab

5. Insulated floor construction:

10. 500mm pile foundations to unconfirmed depth

400x400x20 polished white pigmented concrete tiles

11. Double glazed sliding window, 10mm glass + 16mm

80mm insulated cement-and-sand screed with underfloor

argon-filled cavity + 12mm glass

8

1

heating separating layer 40mm impact sound insulation 80mm Styrofoam structural insulation 200mm white pigmented concrete slab (with exposed soffit

9

Insulated Space

6

Non-Insulated Space

11

for floors above ground floor level) 6

2

3

7

1

4

5

10

Bu i l d i n g Tec hn o l og y

Te l l - th e - ta l e D e ta i l 2

Wr i tte n Wo r k

Grey Street is at the centre of a battleground between urban

intervention. The Tyne & Wear Metro doesn’t connect the two, so

designers, planners and the public; this blog interrogates its

an over-ground tram line could fit the bill.

suitability for pedestrianisation, imagining a vision of Grey Street 2065.

The tram could be directed down Grey Street, starting at the Theatre Royal, and finishing at the bottom of Dean Street as it

The insightful lecture given by Alan Wann on sustainable transport

meets The Side. It could be imagined as part of the Metro ticketing

systems highlighted the renovation of John Dobson Street. A

system, or even as a ‘hop-on-hop-off ’ shuttle system. However it

£1.1m council-backed investment[2] created a bike highway running

is managed, the principle of connecting the Quayside to the Metro

the length of the street.

infrastructure is a key benefit.

This proposal arose in the wake of Newcastle University’s

A tram would also give those who have difficulty walking the

‘Newcastle City Futures 2065’ exhibition[3], which featured an

opportunity to enjoy the newly pedestrianised street. This leaves

‘interactive city feedback’ installation. Residents were asked for

Mosley Street as the only bus route affected by the pedestrianisation.

their opinion of the city, and the issue repeatedly raised was that of pedestrian movement around Newcastle.

Mosley Street: Another Newcastle Bridge?

Let us consider a vehicular bridge across Moseley Street. Running

Being a pedestrian in Newcastle is frustrating to say the least.

perpendicular to Grey Street, the road crossing would be one of

The numerous one-way systems, seemingly infinite pedestrian

the key design elements to resolve as it forms a serious barrier

crossings, bus lanes, cycle routes, taxi ranks and skywalks[4] give a

to pedestrian movement. However, the road is a key traffic route

plethora of different messages to the user. It is surely the moment

between the train station and motorway into Newcastle, so cannot

to reconsider pedestrian navigation in the city.

be removed.

Pedestrianising Grey Street

Its intersection with Grey Street is at the bottom of a 6m dip.

One of the world’s leading Urban Designers, Jan Gehl, is an

Creating a bridge over this dip allows the tram and pedestrians to

advocate for walkable cities. His book, “Cities for People” explains

pass underneath, whilst not interrupting the flow of traffic. The

walking as an “occasion for many other activities” and city space as

space under this bridge could also help create more commercial

a “forum for social activities”[5].

opportunities, and let’s be honest, Newcastle absolutely loves bridges.

The ‘City Futures’ Exhibition attendees recognised this and were overwhelmingly in favour of pedestrianising Grey Street.

Grey Street 2065

Newcastle Labour Councillor Nick Forbes has recently echoed

As the pedestrian link between the two, the development of Grey

these sentiments, revealing plans to re-imagine the UK’s “most

Street holds the key to the expansion and connectedness of the

beautiful car park”[6].

city centre.

The Opposition to Pedestrianisation

If nothing else, this blog has highlighted that pedestrianisation

However, there are still several factors that need resolution. Those

must consider more than simply banning cars. It requires a holistic

primarily impacted by pedestrianisation schemes are bus drives,

design approach that considers all factors. In developing walkable

and those who rely on their service.

cities, we certainly must think about tired legs.

Also, looking at the two images above, we can see that Grey Street’s

We can imagine that a tram would go some way towards facilitating

topography is a significant barrier for pedestrians. At around 500m

movement around Newcastle, but what is undeniable is that the

long, Grey Street has an average incline of about 10%. Giving

development of public transport is key in improving the City

people no option but to walk this would not be, as Gehl might say,

Centre-Quayside pedestrian connections.

very ‘sweet to the people’.

Urban Design Blog

T he Pe de str ia nisa tion of G r ey Str e e t, N e wc a slte

The pedestrianisation of Grey Street looks set to happen. With In Support of Tired Legs

council backing, it is surely only a matter of time, and I believe

There is a disconnect in both physical and human geography

it will be to Newcastle’s benefit. Jan Gehl laments how cities are

between the City Centre and the Quayside.

no longer the “primarily the province of the pedestrians”[11] and decries being “pushed up along building facades”[12] by cars. In

The city centre has become the significant shopping area in

pedestrianising Grey Street, we are taking a piece of Newcastle

Newcastle. Yet the Quayside remains the centre for food and drink

back from the automobile and putting it back in the hands, or

spots as the views of the numerous bridges are highly desirable.

under the feet, of pedestrians.

A potential solution to these issues would be a public transport

[...] We understand architecture as contingent. Till argues that contingency is a

capitalist society. Although if this is to be believed, we would wonder why they

“defining feature of architectural design” (Till, 2001, p. 1) and explains that “the

allowed the initiative to begin in the first place.

process of design cannot be subjected to method, the process of briefing cannot be fully rationalised, the process of building is open to continual uncertainty, and

The reason that this collective feels uncomfortable is rooted in a wider context.

the occupation of architecture is unpredictable” (Till, 2001, p. 1), and indeed,

All over the country, the public realm is being fractured and discarded, and we

in 2017, Coexist were handed notice to “return vacant possession [of Hamilton

are seeing investors and landlords buy up the land and property that was “once

House] to C&C” (Wilson, 2018).

owned by the governments and local council on behalf of the people” (Minton, 2012, p. 5). This concept has been coined the “death of the city” (Minton, 2012,

Since this announcement, C&C [developers] have applied for planning

p. 15) and concerns the “[fracturing] of the public realm” (Minton, 2012, p.

permission to turn block C into a residential block of apartments6 and intend to

xxxvii).

do the same to block B “subject to viability” (Smith, 2018), whilst block A is to remain as a home for community use. Coexist were offered the opportunity to

Anna Minton, presents this concept in relation to the mega-retail complexes

remain in occupancy of this block, however concerns over their management

that have sprung up on Brownfield sites over the last two decades all around

strategy led C&C to instead employ the company Forward Space (Wilson, 2018).

the UK. She describes that if the city is being killed, ‘compulsory purchase’8, an aspect of planning law, is the instrument with which it is murdered. This

But is this simply another case of a corporation looking to cash in on its own

motion allowed the “growth of entirely private places” which in turn produced

shrewd investments? Coexist are a tenant of Hamilton House, and C&C are

the “scaling back of local democracy” (Minton, 2012, p. 24), consequently

well within their rights as owners to do as they choose with their property;

creating a new world made up of places “which [are] neither home nor abroad”

and as analysed in the previous section, the property has certainly grown in

(Minton, 2012, p. 17). Minton brings this into perspective by drawing attention

value. Furthermore, C&C are widely known to have worked with homeless

to a comment from a developer in charge of the Liverpool One project, who

shelters7 and appear to be sincere in their desire to represent and work with

claims that the proliferation of these large shopping centres is due to the public

the people of Bristol and Stokes Croft, so are unlikely to be the profit-driven

finding them “much cleaner and safer than other parts of city centres” (Minton,

corporation that on the surface this decision represents. It might be reasonable

2012, p. 17), and so enjoying them more than those imperfect city centres. As

to suggest therefore that they are simply oblivious to the reality that they are

Minton suggests, this raises the question “what kind of cities do we want to live

perpetuating a repression of the working classes and communities. However,

in?” (Minton, 2012, p. 23), those that are imperfect but embody the identity of a

the following research will discuss neither C&C’s naivety nor their morality, but

space, or those that are ‘dystopian-ly’ perfect but devoid of any character.

will critically analyse why the success of Coexist in HH feels uncomfortable, and the significance of the decision to evict Coexist from HH.

Lefebvre, through Coleman, suggests that “amongst the many sins of capitalism, reductionism is … arguably the most pervasive and nefarious” (Coleman, 2014,

Primarily, the reason the success of Coexist feels uncomfortable is because as

p. 13), and indeed, just as Minton explains how the reduction of vibrant and

tenants of the property, they lack security in their occupancy of the property

active city centres to isolated shopping complex nodes causes the death of the

and are susceptible to external forces beyond their control. This naturally leaves

city, so does the reduction of community centres to residential complexes.

them susceptible to eviction on the expiry of any leasehold agreement and given

T h e S to r y o f Hami l ton House, Bristol, and i ts Un comf or tab l e Success [Excerpt from chapter “The Nature of Uncomfortable Success” of community-led urban regeneration]

the dramatic rise in value of their investment, an unconscious neutral eye might

This uncomfortable success for community-led initiatives is therefore a result

see the sale of HH as a no-brainer.

of a trend in Modern society – the growing desire of the ruling class to ‘reduce’.

This is unfortunately perpetuated by these comunity-led initiative’s ability to

However, we must ask the question: why does a popular, community-led, grass

stimulate dramatic urban renewal and we can imagine the cyclical nature of

roots organisation that occupies a previously derelict office block feel any sense

this process. This leads into the next section, which will question this apparent

of unease? We might suggest that C&C, as a bureaucratic and corporate entity,

inevitability and ask how we might imagine a future where public or community-

also sees this success as uncomfortable, and is concerned with the threat to a

led collectives are allowed to grow and expand indefinitely. [...]