The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
This is a project about connectivity, our relationship with a Town. We start by mapping how a life can be lived in Galashiels from Cradle to Grave. What we see is an intricate almost infinitely variable series of permutations and combinations. Although it is possible to live a life defined fully within the Central Borders, in reality ‘out of town’ for training, higher education, work, retail & recreation show in sharp relief many of the gaps in civic life to be found in Galashiels. It is these that promote inward investment, resilience and quality of life. This project, Forming Nexus is not only about providing new facilities but also providing the sinew and connective tissue to link and energise all parts of the town. An early move in this project is to map business and economic activity. What this suggests is a centralisation of retail and business use far from residential, manufacturing and educational areas. In particular the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University’s is poorly situated in terms of the rest of the town.
In order to fully understand the community, a final but very important aspect needed to be explored: the University. It is very apparent in simply its access and location within Galashiels, that the students maintain their own separate domain and seldom venture to the other areas of the community. Given these findings, we have explored a few different methods of expanding the student community and integrating it more thoroughly throughout. The illustrations to the right indicate alternative avenues for campus expansion to integrate more effectively with the town.
Current Condition
Companies/local industry
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connectionh Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
The image below shows a summary map of all relevant points and notes in part two of the community workshop. Issues (noted in red) tended to be clustered around the same areas. Solutions (noted in green),
while still clustered, are more broad and although they are noted in some places the location was not always specific and could be placed anywhere in the community, and simply showed the desired improvements.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
Current Condition The immediate surroundings of the site of our proposal is filled with a number of businesses of various intensities including the Schofield Mill and BT, which are very highly intense industrial uses. While there is also a residential building just north west of the site, and some office uses just east, which are all low intensity uses.
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
Phase 1 The first step is to implement our proposal into the old Abbotsford mill site with mixed use and flexible spaces for the community. This will bring people of all backgrounds together to a shared space.
Phases 2+ The next phases are very flexible and will follow the demand of the community. Because our proposal encourages people to inhabit a space which previously has not been inhabited, the community might find that this momentum can be used to bring in various different uses to surrounding buildings that are more useful.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
Current Condition After having a firm understanding of building programme and location we look to the sizes and relationships of the spaces. How this integrates with the existing building is important. There are four main components: 1. The oldest building consisting of a three-level structure with two levels of 620 m2 and one top level of 200 m2; 2. An extension rendered in white plaster added to the SE corner of the first building; 3. A glass structure extension (the newest structure) filling the gap between parts one and two:
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
4. An open, manufacturing area with a single level but of two-storey height. The Bookstore is intended to instil school pride within the community and to be a place where students can bring their parents to buy supplies. Most importantly is pedestrian visibility along the major route leading to the university from the town centre. The Study Space should be able to accommodate about 100 students, and is intended to be supplementary to the study spaces already available at the University Campus. We chose the space which is on the top floor, to enjoy the quiet The Cafe, is nestled in the corner along the river to allow for a unique oasis feel where all members of the community can meet and enjoy a cup of coffee alongside the natural environment. The community mentioned numerous times throughout the community meeting that they would like to reverse the backturned-to-the-river relationship the town has to the river.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
Community Context Our chosen site is ideal for uniting the townwith its university community because it lies directly between the centre and the university campus. The dotted line illustrated shows a 15-minute walk in each direction. The northern route reaches up through the town centre, while the southern route reaches to the farthest side of the university campus. Additionally, public transport is easily accessible at various points along and near these routes. Currently, walking from the town centre to the university is possible, but not pleasurable. By locating a community facility between the two and addressing pedestrian friendliness, safety and comfort along the way, the experience can be broken into two more manageable routes. We source pedestrian and biking distances from walkscore.com which takes into consideration the street and pavement routes from a chosen destination, giving a more realistic overview of true travel times.
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
Phase I: The first step to bringing pedestrians through this area, is to remove the walls which direct traffic to the south facade which forces both vehicular and pedestrian traffic to squeeze by each other. This short-term, easy fix will begin to encourage more pedestrian vitality to and from the town centre and the university.
Phase II: Once the pedestrian route has been established through the site, the facility could begin to inhabit the old Abbotsford Mill site. Installing street frontage features to the buildings on both sides of the pedestrian route will attract passers-by, and encourage them to stop and spend time here.
Phase III: The final phase is intended to be flexible and allow the community to transform this area into a community hub. The Image show one possible way that it could be transformed including turning surrounding spaces into retail or food establishments; and walking routes could be added along the river just in front of the cafe and gym to encourage the community to bike or walk here.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
The Energy Proposition This project will make the building as energy efficient as possible, however willnot focus on the generation of energy. The historical nature of the building will be preserved as much as possible to connect with the history of the town; therefore the architecture will reflect this strategy more so than the efficiency.
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection
The energy strategy will be reflected in an Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) digital simulation model and analysis in the next phase of the project. The IES program will be used to predict what the energy usage of a building will be like, and will show the user how different building materials can impact the total energy use. IES will be used in this project to specifically identify the energy uses and needs of selected spaces identified in the programme, and will aid the project designers in creating a space that best suits the economy of the community. Based on Max Fordham sustainability matrices and current findings on acceptable ranges, the project aims to provide: 1. A maximum heating load of 30 kwh/m2/ year, 2. A temperature range of 20-25° C, a maximum of 1000 ppm CO2 in the air at any given time, 3. Provide 250-800 lux light levels.
Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
The mill endeavours to conserves energy as it encourages community members and students to forgo their cars and walk or bike to the community centre. Efforts will also be made to generate energy from the building envelope.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
The mill lade behind Abbotsford (Gala) Mill is currently completely overgrown with weeds large trees. Unless a visitor is familiar with the area they may not even realize the lade lies hidden along Huddersfield Street. The proposal calls to demolish the pavement along the road to be replaced along the opposite bank of the lade and to clean out the lade bank of all debris non-native plant material.
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
The next phase would be to clean up the subgrade for landscape materials and install Limecrete runners for seating, retainment and visual improvement. These improvements to the west facade of the mill aim to provide a new experience for the mill culture of Galashiels As the pavement will be moved away from the road, a footbridge will be installed to allow users to cross the lade on their way through the site improving the overall experience of the walk through Galashiels. A transistion area connects the west lade mill area and bridge to the rest of the mill site and attractions. The planting style is consistent with those of the lade plantings and includes planter beds with benches for seating along the pathway. The paving pattern is continued with the limecrete pavers to visually connect all pedestrian areas of the site.
The Resilient Forming Borders Nexus Project
Cecilia Hernandez + Taylor Berberich
+ Programme and Place + Prospectus + Prototype
Mill Development: Construction Materials Larch Cladding Scottish Larch is a local material and is valued for its tough, waterproof, and durable qualities. Thermal Conductivity: 0.14 W/mk U-Value (150mm): 0.59 W/m2k U-Value (25mm): 0.18 W/m2k Sheeps Wool Insulation Sheeps wool insulation is a particularly efficient insulation because of the millions of air pockets created by its crimped texture. Additionally, its production process requires 15% less energy than glass fibre insulation Thermal Conductivity: 0.042 W/mk U-Value (150mm): 0.28 W/m2k
links to our other projects - Forming Nexus - Knowledge Corridor - Gala Gait - Eol Gala - Cycling Gala - Textile Heritage - Gala Design Hub - Textile Tectonics - Food for Thought - The Well-being Network - The Healthy Connection Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture M.Sc. Advanced Sustainable Design 2015
EcoRock Drywall EcoRock is an alternative to the traditional drywall. This product requires no gypsum, no ovens to produce, is made from 85% industrial byproducts, and is fully recyclable. Thermal Conductivity: 0.036 W/mk U-Value (20mm): 1.79 W/m2k Angus Flagstones Angust Flagstones can be sourced near Dundee, and are a traditional scottish material which has low thermal resistance and is optimal for use with the proposed heated floor. Thermal Conductivity: 1.7 W/mk U-Value (30mm): 56.82 W/m2k Limecrete Limecrete is an alternative to concrete whereby a natural hydraulic lime and lightweight aggregate are combined to create a breathable floor slab. Thermal Conductivity: 0.2 W/mk U-Value (110mm): 1.81 W/m2k