Project Play
Museum and Community Space
The lack of social spaces occupying Hatfield, Hertfordshire brought the potential for a community center and museum in collaboration with the Hatfield De Havilland Aviation Society. Project Play is a rendition of a child’s wonder; using imagination verbatim to break down an inflexible object giving the freedom of unique shapes and expression.
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Concept collage how to play
How children play was the topic of exploration in designing; vtaking a child-like approach of ‘chaos’: curious and destructed. The reference aircraft selected: ‘The De Havilland Sea Vixen’, was taken apart in a nonsensical manner to oppose the symmetrical virtues of the reference. The loss of structure guided multiple paths, some of illusion, catering to the children without creating an organic simplistic shape.
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SIte masing
The site and context
The model was built upwards, flipped and broken down to a concluded floor plan. Meaning, in disassembling the toy plane to basic geometric shapes and reconstructing the blocks in a playful fashion, the sketches of the elevations were used to concoct a floor plan design.
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Ground Floor Plan 01 Display Only no Entry 02 Gallery 03 Museum 04 Display Only no Entry 05 Display Only no Entry 06 Exhibition 07 Foyer 08 Interactive Space 09 Display Only no Entry 10 Playground Scale 1:100
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Concept
01 Section A-A scale 1:100
Project Plant Pot
Sustainable Communal Living
Project Plant Pot, a small private and communal housing scheme for key workers for the housing association, People Place space Ltd. The project’s aim to design affordable housing blocks without using nature as a trade off has been tackled through the narrative, ‘Hatfield needs more trees: the regression of the natural environment and the growing material footprint of nations’. Why? Trees are the critical physical and organisational structures needed for an operational society the neighbourhoods of Hatfield lack. An article suggests the lack of tree canopies and abundance of rooftops and heat absorbing asphalt causes suffering to low-income communities as greenery has been neglected as critical infrastructure.
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Concept collage how people inhabit a space
Taking into account the littered site state, the optimal slope of the site increases privacy and the concept design centering around gardening and potting. The concept challenges: Hatfields lack of trees while existing within the green belt, How would homes have functioning gardens and shared living
Project Plant Pot aims to promote renewable energy by using energy material which is achieved through passive sun maintenance.
The materials shown are highly sustainable due to their recyclability and low transport emissions. The main material, Rammed Earth, can even be found on site as it is made by compacting raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime or gravel.
Site outline and surrounding building context Types of homes in Hatfield illustrated
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Taking this block design to the concepts narrative, ‘Hatfield needs more trees’ and keeping the concept of potting. Project plant pot design was simply a clay craft project, using air dry clay to create a central design point for the three types of blocks. A massing that followed form and flow, using how people would inhabit the internal spaces to determine the layout beyond these central points. These block materials would contrast the projects chosen sustainable material to create a sense of balance and uniformity.
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Ground Floor Plan scale 1:200
Elevation scale 1:200
Interior perspectives
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Rammed earth has a high thermal mass ensuring comfort and reducing energy use in the apartment units. This also applies to the mineral wool insulation; which paired with gypsum board adds three layers of soundproofing and fire resistance while also reducing heating and cooling costs. With high windows utilising indirect sunlight into each room and a layer of privacy, the apartment units have circular flows of ventilation with at least two exits per room. The thick walls disperse the soundwaves and lessen the noises from the street and railway, damping the surrounding noise.
In the material study the added resistance to water absorption/ resilience provides a passive heating method.
The slightly tilted roof highlighted in the sections in the technical arrangements (at a 1:400mm ratio) and discussed in the roof plan and garden roof explorati on, uses rainwater which improves air quality, thermal mass and reduces energy usage. This also helps maintain clean air and recycle up to 375 grams per square metre of carbon dioxide over the span of two years.
RAMMED EARTH
RAMMED EARTH
The primary material used in the walls as the load bearer. Complimented and reinforced by stainless steel.
The primary material used in walls as the load bearer Complimented and reinforced by stainless steel
CONCRETE
CONCRETE
The foundation element, due to the walls needing to be raised by at least 225m above the ground level to protect the rammed earth from settled waters.
The foundation element, due to the walls needing to be raised by at least 225mm above the ground level to protect the rammed earth from settled water.
STAINLESS STEEL
STAINLESS STEEL
A lightweight stainless steel grid, makes for a durable, high strength combination with the previous materials.
A lightweight stainless steel grid, makes for a durable, high strength combination with the previous materials.
REFURBISHED PLYWOOD + CLT
REFURBISHED PLYWOOD + CLT
Reused timber on the interior walls makes for a sustainable option and continues the earthy tones used.
Reused timber on the interior walls makes for a sustainable option and continues the earthy tones used.
Cross Laminated Timber for the roof structure helps display the weight of the slanted garden roofs.
Cross Laminated Timber for the roof structure helps display the weight of the slanted garden roofs
GARDEN ROOF
GARDEN ROOF
The roof overhangs protect the walls from rain and the garden make up reflect the narrative
The roof overhangs protect the walls from rain and the garden make up reflect the narrative.
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