Unit H
2020
Life on the Canal
Oxford School of Architecture
Projects & Images
Thanks to Laura Mark at Baylight Foundation for hosting us at Walmer Yard for a special day of drawing, observation and debate, Philip Christou for running a series of life-drawing sessions and encouraging discussions about space, occupation and atmosphere and Sonja Syne for life modelling. Our thanks also to the tour guides who showed us around many inspiring buildings on our field trip to Belgium. Olivier Goethals at 019 Ghent and Kunsthal Gent Johannes Robbrecht at Robbrecht em Daem office and garden Viktor Derks at House Van Hee Linde Vanneylen and Dries Segers at House van Wassenhove Evelien Vandemarck, Nicole Van Hemele and Jan Maessen at Housing for the Elderly in Aarschot designed by DRDH Architects and architecten de vulder vinck taillieu Walter and Brent from Expeditie De Stad at Renaat Braem house and the nearby social housing Phillippe Thyssen at Roosenberg Abbey And finally, we would like to say sincere thanks to family and friends of our students for the support and encouragement they have given throughout the year.
Unit H Life on the Canal Oxford School of Architecture 2019-20 Tutors: Maija VÄŤksne Chris Pendrich Samuel Chisholm Edited by: Naomi Atherton Lou Feliu Cerys Squance Clark Jess Gardner Nichola Greenhalgh Lucy Turner Max Wright
June 2010
Contents
7 Introduction 8
The urban hinterland of East London
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Observations on living and atmosphere
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House for a Personality
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House case studies
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House projects
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House for a Community
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Housing case studies
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Readings and bricolage
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Housing projects
102 Catalogue
Introduction
This publication is a recording of the design studio activities of Unit H at the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University in the 2019/20 academic year. It serves as an archive and a showcase of student work beyond the setting of the school. Central to the approach of the studio are the processes of observation, debate, and rigorous testing. We explore through varied methods of representation, using large scale drawings and models to the realisation of carefully designed spaces. We strive to create architecture that can be understood as contemporary but is closely woven into the history, pattern, texture and character of its context. We place emphases on building an understanding of spatial types, details, meaning and purpose of fundamental elements of architecture through thorough studies of historic examples. The studio places a high emphasis on designing from the first person perspective of the user and encourages first hand experience with materials, becoming familiar with their tactile and visual qualities on the basis that this is how architecture is actually experienced. Both the housing crisis and the environmental crisis have been issues for a long time, but are now reaching new heights of urgency, with architects being placed as key parts in ameliorating the situation. Key to this is design thinking, to be resourceful and inventive in the approach to problems. The canals of London were once arteries for the supply of industrial goods across the city. Along these routes warehouses, workshops, yards and low-rise workers housing all developed to serve the needs of industry. But after a long period of decline and abandonment, canals have since been cleaned up and repaired, and what had previously been something the city has turned its back on is now a thoroughfare of life, greenery and leisure. As more attention is focussed on the canal, we need to ensure that new development doesn’t harm its current character or try to turn it into an average street but contributes to its current nature, creating a part of city with its own quality, where people can move at a slower pace and engage in more relaxed social relationships. We look to form buildings that are constructed to please the senses but also look carefully at how decisions about structure and materials are affected by an increased awareness of the part construction plays in the ecological crisis. We look to create sustainable buildings in terms of their fabric but also as part of the improvement to the green canal network. Key to a sustainable strategy is doing a lot with a little. We will look for integrated proposals where architectural and technological thinking work hand in hand to make beautiful, passive buildings that foster sustainable living habits.
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The urban hinterland of East London The canals of London were once the arteries for the supply of industrial goods across the city, primarily in the east and Docklands areas. Along these routes warehouses, workshops, yards and low-rise workers housing all developed to serve the needs of industry. Decline in manufacturing, the rise of motor transport and WWII bombing, lead to a reduction in the use of the canal as an infrastructural network for trade and similarly the surrounding buildings suffered from redundancy, damage and dereliction. Even though commercial traffic ceased on the waterways, the canalside retained an industrial character due to continued use of the large warehouses and workshops by smaller industries and businesses. The character was seen as unwelcoming, dirty and many new developments did not engage with the canal as an asset and opportunity. Since then the conditions have changed, after being cleaned up and repaired, changing to something of a thoroughfare of leisure, with increased activity of walking and cycling on towpaths and adaptation of industrial buildings into living accommodation, studios for creative industries and other uses. What had previously been something the city has turned its back on is now a thoroughfare of life, greenery and leisure. Even as the canal cuts through the centre of the city, it can still feel like a hinterland, ignored by people and time. This residual character allows for plants to take over and create a more relaxed part of the city. It holds a special condition of high connectivity; of waterways, paths and roads yet the pace is slower with people traversing by boat, cycle or foot. Never fast but never still. The character along a canal edge has an unplanned and informal quality, both in terms of buildings; where backs of terraced houses, warehouses and slick apartments butt up next to one another but also socially, where you can see people cooking their dinner on a canal boat or hanging out their washing in their garden. The combination of greenery, water, factory buildings, gardens and houses create a particularly English type of urban picturesque. It was in this context we aimed to explore ideas about living, home and comfort. How design can create moments of specialness in the everyday and foster scenarios of domesticity whether for one person, a family or a community. The studio also explored the ways in which to make better use of the canal as a leisure space, adding activity whilst engaging with the existing character of the canalside conditions of wildlife, bricolage and transience.
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4 1 Sketch recording of the architectural character along Regent’s Canal Lou Feliu
2 Sketch exploring urbanization along the Regent’s Canal Lou Feliu
3 Underside of a bridge on Regent’s Canal Christopher Pendrich
4 Regent’s Canal used as a leisure space Photo credit: www.tripsavvy.com
5 Nature taking over the canal edge and buildings
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Christopher Pendrich 9
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1 The Towpath Cafe near Whitmore Road Photo credit: www.leoniewise.com
2 Islington tunnel in the 19th century Photo credit: www.postcardfinder.co.uk
3 Regent’s Canal near Victoria Park Photo credit: www.romanroadlondon.com 10
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4 Sketch of the gardens at Regent’s Court Joshua Beanland
5 Building on the Regent’s Canal taken over by plants Lou Feliu
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Observations on living and atmosphere The year began with a visit to Peter Salter’s Walmer Yard Houses for a day of sketching. Their drawings were directed at particular aspects of the building looking at atmosphere; how light came through a variety of openings onto different surfaces, at materiality; how a range of materials and textures were used to form the building and at occupation; depicting human inhabitation within the building including drawing a life model inhabiting a space in a variety of domestic scenes. During our study trip we travelled to Belgium, visiting the Flemish cities of Ghent and Antwerp. There we looked at the streetscape, public life, and building culture. The architecture of Flanders is one not of icons displaying their difference but of a more modest and contextual set of circumstances. Streets are often characterised by a mix of similarities and differences, with repetition and remixing of architectural tropes without a harsh uniformity. This rich tapestry of the commonplace served as a useful link to the eclectic and informal environment of the canal sites of East London.
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3 1 Charcoal study of shadows Walmer Yard, London Nessie Luk
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Threshold between dark and light spaces Roosenberg Abbey, Belgium Joshua Beanland
3 Atmospheric watercolour study Walmer yard, London Yu Jin Sung 12
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7 4 Informal facade composition Ghent, Belgium Ines Reino Da Costa
5 White chalk study exploring light Walmer Yard, London Naomi Atherton
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6 Charcoal study of light and shadows Walmer Yard, London Sam Wilkie
7 Study of colour and texture Walmer Yard, London Cosmin Dobrea 13
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1 Living room Renaat Braem House, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
2 Colour pencil study of a roof light Walmer Yard, London Tiberiu Ion
3 Watercolour study of a staircase Roosenberg Abbey, Belgium Jess Garnder
4 Window study in charcoal Walmer Yard, London Zoi Papazekou
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4 Watercolour study of a window Walmer Yard, London Vincent Man
6 A study with a roof light House van Wassenhove, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
7 Study of domestic life in the city Jess Gardner
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1 Wardrobe Roosenberg Abbey, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
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Graphite study of a threshold space Van Hee House, Belgium Charlotte Ledger
3 Collage of the house scene from Jacques Tati’s 1958 film Mon Oncle Image credit: www.messynessychic.com
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4 Atmospheric watercolour study Walmer Yard, London Nichola Greenhalgh
5 Occupation study Walmer Yard, London Naomi Atherton
6-7 Exhibition and entrance space 019 Ghent, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
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1 Watercolour drawing of a kitchen Walmer Yard, London Nichola Greenhalgh
2 Street facing facade Van Hee House, Belgium Joshua Beanland
3 Study of industrial structures Ghent, Belgium Vincent Man
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4 View from balcony to social space Housing for the Elderly, Aarschot, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
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5 Relationship between circulation spaces Housing for the Elderly, Aarschot, Belgium Zoi Papazekou
6 Living space Renaat Braem House, Ghent, Belgium Lucy Turner
7 Graphite texture study Walmer Yard, London Lou Feliu
8 Exploring occupation of shared spaces Housing for the Elderly, Aarschot, Belgium Joshua Beanland
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1 Watercolour street study Ghent, Belgium Naomi Atherton
2-3 Ground floor colonnade Westkaai 4, Antwerp, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
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4 Graphite study of a corridor Roosenberg Abbey, Belgium Cerys Squance Clark
5 Roof and the pond House van Wassenhove, Belgium Maija VÄŤksne
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Charcoal study of a bedroom Walmer Yard, London Max Wright
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House for a Personality The house is the most common building type and one that everyone is familiar with. Even in it’s lowest and mundane form the house is often a place of great intimacy, a vessel of memories; from childhood, family gatherings or everyday life. The house is where one is most free to adapt and tailor in an effort to feel comfortable. To feel ‘at home’. The urge to shape our environment is supported by cultural mores and references but is also an act of personal expression. Unlike a public building, which have to suit a broad range of users, the home can exhibit more intense atmospheres, peculiar spatial relationships, more tailored to the habits and tastes of the individual. In this project students designed a place for a person in which to live, eat, work, wash and sleep but beyond that, the spaces had to be formed to create specific atmospheres to accommodate the client’s lifestyle and delight their senses. We used famous personalities as clients for this project, providing a rich character and backstory with which to investigate, before ascertaining their needs and interpreting their aspirations into proposals for a dwelling. The design project for the house lasted the whole semester but to get initiated with the typology and to expand students’ library of references for what a house can be we started the year by reviewing case studies of houses around from various times, countries and cultures. These showed different types of spatial arrangement, materiality, character and social structure within a home and served as a touchstone for discussions about the home and provided a starting point for design ideas. The students then proceeded to investigate the client, looking into their character, interests, profession and habits to know how the brief would be tailored to the individual to create a bespoke project. After studying precedents, the physical setting, brief and other references to provide a rich and varied framework for the design process, students endeavoured to describe the house in intimate detail, searching for atmospheres by the use of testing, modelling and drawing.
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House case studies “I do not design plans, façades, sections, I design space. … One must connect spaces with one another so that the transition is unnoticeable and natural, but also the most practical.” - Adolf Loos PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
Although architects concern themselves in the world of 2d drawings, they are merely representative. Representative of spaces, atmospheres and ideas on living in the real world. Photographs too only portray particular aspects of a building and are unable to capture the full spatial qualities. Only by researching from a range of sources; plans, sections, photographs, sketches, texts, etc. can we fully come to understand the character and ideas in the design of a building, both the intention and the reality. Working independently, students studied an outstanding example of the house from historic, modern and contemporary periods. Students built an understanding of the house in building, room and detail scales through a series of drawings and models.
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
1 Secular Retreat by Peter Zumthor Section C-C’ 1:100
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
3 1 Secular Retreat, Peter Zumthor Section, scale 1:250 Jess Gardner
2 Van Hee House, Marie-José Van Hee Room model, scale 1:20 Joshua Beanland
3 House in Balsthal, Pascal Flammer Room model, scale 1:20
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Helga Finna
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4 Eames House, Charles and Ray Eames Floor plans, scale 1:250 Ines Reino da Costa
5 Copper House II, Studio Mumbai Room model, scale 1:20 William French
6 Villa Necchi, Piero Portaluppi Section, scale 1:250
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2 1 Maison Latapie, Lacaton & Vassal Elevation, scale 1:20 Lucy Turner
2 A House with a Garden, David Leech Room model, scale 1:20 Cerys Squance Clark
3 Katsura Imperial Villa, Kobori Enshu Model image, scale 1:20 Naomi Atherton 4 Villa Muller, Adolf Loos Sectional perspective, scale 1:500
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Yu Jin Sung
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5 Guna House, Pezo von Ellrichshausen First floor plan, scale 1:250 Nessie Luk
6 Can Lis House, Jorn Utzon Room model, scale 1:20
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7 Turn End House, Peter Aldingtons Room model, scale 1:20 Rachel Alton 27
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Cork House, Matthew Barnett Howland Room model, scale 1:20 Rafael Alao Ceriz
2 Upper Lawn Pavilion, Alison and Peter Smithson Ground floor plan, scale 1:100 Nichola Greenhalgh
3 Casa Luis Barragan, Luis Barragan Room model, scale 1:20 Lou Feliu
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4 Astley Castle, Witherford Watson Mann Section, scale 1:250 Cosmin Dobrea
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Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier First floor plan, scale 1:250 Sam Wilkie
6 Red House, William Morris Room model, scale 1:20 Zoe Papzekou 29
House projects
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1 Perspective plan describing materiality, scale 1:250 House for Maruyama Okyo Jess Gardner
2 Sketch exploring the relationship to the canal House for Marie Curie Rachel Alton
3 Facade development sketches exploring verticality House for Dieter Rams Joshua Beanland
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Room model of the study, scale 1:10 House for Georges Perec Cerys Squance Clark
5 Section, scale 1:200 House for Bernd and Hiller Becher Naomi Atherton 30
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1 Kitchen room model, scale 1:10 House for Josef and Anni Albers Nessie Luk
2 Watercolour sketch of hidden staircase House for Andrei Tarkovsky Nichola Greenhalgh
3 Sectional kitchen perspective, scale 1:100 House for Andrei Tarkovsky Nichola Greenhalgh
4 Section, scale 1:200 House for Marie Curie Rachel Alton
5 Living space room model, scale 1:20 House for Truman Capote
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Lucy Turner
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1 Section, scale 1:200 House for Georges Perec Cerys Squance Clark
2 Exterior perspective House for Dieter Rams Joshua Beanland
3 Sectional perspective, scale 1:200 House for Miriam Rothschild
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4 (Right) Room model of reading corner, scale 1:10 House for Bridget Riley Lou Feliu
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1 Kitchen room model, scale 1:20 House for Vincent Van Gogh Charlotte Ledger
2 Ground floor plan, scale 1:250 House for Lilian Baylis Ines Reino da Costa
3 Axonometric view of the exterior House for Georges Perec Cerys Squance Clark
4 Kitchen and dining room model, scale 1:20 House for Andrei Tarkovsky Nichola Greenhalgh
5 Perspective section, scale 1:100 House for Ludwig van Beethoven
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Cosmin Dobrea
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(Left) Worm’s-eye view exploring structure House for Dieter Rams
2 Whitmore Road elevation, scale 1:250 House for Vincent Van Gogh
Joshua Beanland
Charlotte Ledger
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Main hall room model, scale 1:20 House for Dieter Rams Joshua Beanland
Ground floor plan, scale 1:200 House for Andrei Tarkovsky Nichola Greenhalgh
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House for a Community The housing crisis pushes the search for new places to build housing to all parts of the country and at the highest volumes possible, which does produce housing unit numbers but this attitude often neglects the quality of space, light as well as communal spaces that provide opportunities for social interaction and play. We will look to provide new housing focussing on quality and embedding the building into the surroundings, both physically and socially. Unlike the house, the design of housing has to be more generic, catering for multiple users and scenarios over time. But this does not mean it has to remove all the character of the house. Good housing should be welcoming, promote wellbeing and encourage social interactions. It should have a range of spatial atmospheres and arrangements formed to offer places that are suited to the core everyday activities but also with a generosity to offer room for the impromptu. Further to the design of housing students took the opportunity to make better use of the canal as a leisure space, adding activity that contributes the new domestic community but also to the wider neighbourhood and encourages links to the canal network. In relation to the environmental crisis, students looked at how the new proposals can meet the needs of our society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries. Continuing in our study of the Regent’s Canal, the studio broadened their scope, to look at larger sites but also explore the wider network of neighbouring streets, paths, parks and estates to better understand the links and opportunities that could be made possible by new interventions. Students studied the history of the area, looking at how shifts in buildings, people and commerce has shaped the canalside. We looked to industrial buildings for their character in their materials and expression but also in relation to their efficiency in structure and light. Similar to the first semester the project lasted for the whole semester but initial exercises focused on research of site, client and case studies. Case studies looked to explore the typology, which has particular differences to the house, and showed different types of spatial arrangement, materiality, character and social structure. These studies served as a touchstone for discussions about housing and domestic life and provided a starting point for design ideas. References were made to ideas explored in the house project and to the study trip to Belgium, particularly larger scale issues like streetscape, public life, and building culture that are more relevant to a larger urban project.
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Housing case studies In order to get an exposure to a variety of housing models and anticipate some of the issues to be addressed in the main design project, students made preliminary research into a housing project. The housing projects were selected from a range of time periods and locations and gave to students an insight into how housing responds to the context as a whole and as an individual unit. In their research, as well as making general observations about relationship to context, formal expression, functions, etc., students recorded measurements and made a detailed investigation of the physical and spatial attributes of the building. This shared research provided a point of reference throughout the rest of the year.
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1 Svartlamoen Housing, Brendeland and Kristofferson Photo credit: David Grandorge
2 Moriyama House, Ryue Nishizawa Photo credit: Edmund Sumner 42
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4 Tour Bois le Pretre, Lacaton & Vassal and Frederic Druot Photo credit: www.lacatonvassal.com
3 Waldmeisterweg, Luetjens Padmanabhan Photo credit: Helene Binet
5 Goldsmith Street, Mikhail Riches Photo credit: Tim Crocker 43
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6 Donnybrook Quarter, Peter Barber Architects Photo credit: www.peterbarberarchitects.com
7 Walters Way and Segal Close, Walter Segal Photo credit: Modern House
8 Piraeus, Hans Kollhoff and Rapp & Rapp Photo credit: Building Design 44
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9 Shepherdess Walk, Jean-Paul Jaccaud Architectes Photo credit: David Grandorge
10 Alexandra Road, Neave Brown Photo credit: Modern House
11 Timberyard Social Housing, O’Donnell + Tuomey Photo credit: Dennis Gilbert 45
Readings and bricolage In the design of both projects students acted as a bricoleur, using the things that are to hand. One can see in the work of artist Richard Wentworth or writer Iain Sinclair that these can be either ordinary or peculiar but can often exhibit a charm in the way they exhibit the ingenuity of the human hand or of natural forces. The area around the canal is a witness to much ad-hoc and unofficial behaviour, whether by people adjusting their boats or living in warehouses and students were encouraged to forage in this environment to find examples of this improvisational attitude. In the case of a maker, the act of bricolage would mean using available materials but as a designer we mean this to take reference in the surroundings, be that forms, textures, patterns, uses and rhythms. We aimed to gather a wide selection of sources, to give students a large inventory with which to help the design their projects. Our design approach of bricolage was continued and expanded, looking into how scarcity might affect your attitude towards the construction of the large building. How the design of a space can be efficient by performing multiple uses, how a deep facade can be expressive but also perform as shading or how the creative use of a cheap material can elevate it to the delightful. The studio engaged with a varied reading list, using texts to explore themes related to building, urbanism, observing, walking, and others. Texts by Stephen Bates, Irenee Scalbert and Georges Perec among others were used to provoke interest and to serve as reference points for discussions within the unit.
(Right) Extract from Species of Spaces and Other Pieces Georges Perec, published in 1974 46
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Housing projects
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Site locations along Regent’s Canal and Hertford Union Canal Scale 1:10,000
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De Beauvoir Estate
Orsman Road
Columbia and Brunswick Wharf
Naomi Atherton Nichola Greenhalgh Max Wright
Cerys Squance Clark Lou Feliu Jess Gardner
Tiberiu Ion Vincent Man Yu Jin Sung Cosmin Dobrea
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Regent’s Court
Bow Wharf
Chisenhale Road
Joshua Beanland Ines Reino Da Costa Rafael Alao Ceriz
Rachel Alton Charlotte Ledger Lucy Turner
Sam Wilkie William French Zoi Papazekou Joe Shirley
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Site 1: De Beauvoir Estate The site is located in Hackney, on the north bank of Regent’s Canal, and currently occupied by a derelict car park positioned between two 1960’s tower blocks as part of the De Beauvoir Estate. The estate is one of many in the area, some of which have undergone major development in recent years. As a whole, the De Beauvoir Estate is comprised of 5 tower blocks and a number of lower-rise, interlinking maisonette blocks, which form large courtyards, many of which have become underused. The estate displays a minimalistic material palette of rich brown brickwork, white spandrels and white PVC windows, which have replaced the original timber frames. The site itself is currently cut off from the towpath and thus difficult to access, giving the perception of being cut off and private. It has good views towards the canal and receives ample level of sunlight being south facing. The site is heavily overlooked by the surrounding residential buildings, and currently displays no clear public transport routes.
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4 1 Site model, scale 1:200 Naomi Atherton, Nichola Greenhalgh, Max Wright
2 Aerial view of site Naomi Atherton
3 Roof of the disused car park Christopher Pendrich
4 Map of Hackney estates Naomi Atherton
5 View to the estate from Rosemary Branch Bridge
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Christopher Pendrich
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Naomi Atherton This project explores the relationship between, and importance of, space, material, light, and occupation in order to create successful homes. The housing promotes intergenerational relationships, creating spaces for activities and interaction between young children and the elderly. With 16 units in total, the homes are positioned to form a series of courtyards to create these special moments of interaction between the generations. The project also allows for the development of growing communities and promotes the use of fresh, locally sourced food. The additional uses alongside the housing are spaces for allotments as well as a nursery.
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1 Ground floor plan Scale 1:500
2 Concept collage
3 Facade strip section and elevation Scale 1:100
4 Room model of living room and sun space Scale 1:10
(next page) Perspective section of the nursery Scale 1:100
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Nichola Greenhalgh Designed for people who currently live on narrowboats, the project is a cheaper alternative to standard homes. The building provides 14 homes, for short-term rent while they are repairing/renovating their boats. The project provides sheltered moorings and a workshop for this purpose. The new cafĂŠ creates a centre for social interaction between existing and new residents. The concept for the design came from a need to get light into the moorings. Three voids penetrate through the monolithic structure allowing light not only into the moorings but also the units. As the canal was excavated, the earth was re-purposed to form the main rammed earth structure. CLT is used internally as structure and without additional linings to maintain a sustainable building strategy.
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1 Sectional perspective of towpath bridge cafĂŠ Scale 1:125
2 Room model of one bedroom unit Scale 1:20
3 Ground floor plan showing unit variation Scale 1:250
4 Room model of kitchen and living room
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Scale 1:20
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Max Wright This proposal is a hybrid building in Hackney, on the ground floor a co-working studio for London’s growing creative industry, and a cafÊ engaging the busy towpath. The floors above accommodate 20 social housing units, all with views looking towards the canal to the south. The project focusses on creating an arrangement of self-sufficient housing units, while also provoking random acts of social interaction with neighbours and members of the public. This is achieved through the irregular unit arrangement and external circulation with pinch points through-out. The project incorporates links to the architectural language of the context, through linear bands and a minimal material pallet.
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1 View across the courtyard
2 Watercolour drawing of kitchen, dining and living space
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Canal facing elevation Scale 1:400
2 Watercolour sketch exploring the visual definition of ground floor uses
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Site 2: Orsman Road This site is a cluster of buildings on the Southern bank of Regent’s Canal. In contrast to most of its neighbours, the site still has a strong sense of its authentic industrial character which is maintained through architecture and the yard typology, originally intended for loading and unloading goods onto canal boats in the 1800’s. The purpose of the canal has changed significantly from a commercial use to leisure use. Today, the yard is used as a social meeting space by the diverse communities of East London, including artists who now live there. Positioned between a myriad of public transport routes such as the canal towpath, the overground line and Kingsland road, the site is very well connected to the wider city and is a convenient place to live for people to commute into the city centre for work and to socialise. It is also in close proximity to several parks as Shoreditch Park and Stonebridge Gardens, making green space accessible to residents.
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2 1 Site elevation, scale 1:500 Lou Feliu, Cerys Squance Clark, Jess Gardner
2 Site model view to site across the canal, scale 1:100 Lou Feliu, Cerys Squance Clark, Jess Gardner
3 Site model viewed from Orsman Road, scale 1:100 Lou Feliu, Cerys Squance Clark, Jess Gardner 60
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4 View from towpath Christopher Pendrich
5 Aerial sketch of the site and context Lou Feliu
6 Historical map from the 1950s Image ref: Digimap
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Cerys Squance Clark This housing proposal, comprising of 20 apartments and a nursery, creates interactions between the multi-generational families through the use of generous and shared circulation spaces, threshold spaces between apartments, and shared gardens and terraces. The main concepts for the design is the idea of spaces without boundaries, and spaces that encourage playful circulation throughout the building, allowing children to play both within the shared spaces and within their own homes. The proposal also responds to the wider issues along Regent’s Canal by opening itself up to the waterfront, allowing people to glimpse into the building, and the life which happens within.
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1 Proposed fourth floor plan Scale 1:500
2 Room model of bedroom and living space Scale 1:10
3 Room model of bedroom closed off from the living space Scale 1:10 62
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4 Proposed canal facing elevation Scale 1:500
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5 Proposed unit plan Scale 1:200
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(next page) Perspective describing the life in the building 63
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Lou Feliu This project is concerned with the contemporary culture of individual living and explores the idea of living together or collective living as an alternative. Rather than participating in everyday rituals such as cooking, eating, relaxing and working in solitude, the project encourages a shared living while still respecting the intimacy of more private rituals such as sleeping and washing. The housing is designed specifically for the community of artists, some of who already live on the site and provides 15 homes. In reference to site’s history, the homes and studios are arranged around an intimate shared yard which is used as entry sequence, provides apartments with sunlight and gives access to the canal.
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1 (previous spread) Room model of artist’s flat at night Scale 1:10
2 Room model of shared workspace Scale 1:20
3 Drawing of the shared yard
4 Strip section and elevation of polycarbonate facade Scale 1:100
5 First floor plan of shared apartment Scale 1:100
6 Room model of an artist’s studio in day time
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Jess Gardner With the growing artists demographic in Hackney, this housing proposal provides a place for young creatives to live, work and socialise. Sharing and creativity is encouraged with a large communal kitchen, living and working area to allow social daily rituals. The space is a 4-storey steel and glass atrium full of tropical plants which create zones for each activity to take place. The structure encompasses the approach of ‘never removing’; adding to and transforming the existing buildings in a sustainable way without demolition. To preserve the site’s industrial character, the original features of the buildings are combined with contrasting yet subtle materials, colour and geometry.
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1 Hallway room model Scale 1:10
2 Technical construction section Scale 1:150
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3 Proposed Orsman Road elevation Scale 1:500
2 View from Kingsland Road
4 Room model of communal kitchen 1:50
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Site 3: Columbia and Brunswick Wharf The Columbia and Brunswick Wharf site is located in Hackney and on the Southern side of Regent’s Canal. The cluster of brick buildings currently on site is used as an artist’s event space, as well as for the purpose of boat construction and repair. The tightly knit industrial buildings are accessed from the street and linear yard space. The variety of materials and construction methods reveal the ad-hoc nature in which the buildings have been repaired and re-purposed over time. In the more recent years the site has received more recognition due to Antepavillion structures built on the roofs of the warehouse buildings, attracting visitors during summer months.
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5 1 Existing site plan, scale 1:30,000 Cosmin Dobrea
2 Laburnum Street elevation, 1: 200 Tiberiu Ion
3 Long section, scale 1:200 Tiberiu Ion
4 Site model, scale 1:200 Tiberiu Ion, Yu Jin Sung, Cosmin Dobrea
5 North corner with Potemkin Theatre Christopher Pendrich
6 Aerial view of the site Cosmin Dobrea
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Tiberiu Ion This housing project combines public and residential uses in four vertical blocks alongside landscaped public spaces with greenery and recreational facilities. The towers feature public ground floor uses with the floors above providing studio, family, intergenerational and shared units, all of which have been designed to be affordable and inclusive for locals and newcomers alike. The homes are adaptable and therefore allow the occupants to create individualised spaces to serve their specific needs. Each tower features a roof terrace which provides a place for inhabitants to come together, encouraging the feeling of a modern, sustainable community which promotes a culture of cooperation and sharing of resources.
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1 Construction section Scale 1:50
2 Ground floor plan Scale 1:700
3 Exterior drawing
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Yu Jin Sung The project is designed for the artist squatters in Hackney and offers them a place to settle down and show their work to the local community. The proposal preserves as much of the existing structures as possible, only removing the roofs to allow for increase in height. Previously used for storage, the larger existing spaces are proposed to be used for events and art workshops. The apartments for the artist community are located on first and second floors and are arranged around a new central courtyard which also creates access to Regent’s Canal. In the apartments, pivoting walls also serve as openings and displays of art work, allowing the residents to interact with each other blur the boundaries between individual spaces.
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1 Conceptional axonometric drawing
2 Diagrammatic plan of an apartment Scale 1:200
3 Conceptional axonometric of social spaces
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Cosmin Dobrea The needs of the existing local community were the main drivers for the project. It combines 19 housing units in response to London’s housing crisis with a public swimming pool, a facility highly sought by the local community after the dereliction of their local pool opposite. In addition, surrounding public green spaces and recreational areas provide a social meeting space for both residents and the public. Key to the building is its low carbon, passive design. Not only does it result in a more sustainable construction process, but also reduces energy consumption, and therefore, cost to residents. Made up of arcade vaults and arches, the façade is the most distinctive element of the building. These arches provide shelter for verandas which can function as gardens and social spaces with opportunity to be individualised by the residents, making each unit unique.
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1 Visualisation of living room with balcony
2 Proposed site plan Scale 1:600
3 Technical section Scale 1:100
4 Proposed section of swimming hall
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Scale 1:500
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Site 4: Regents Court The site houses the Regents Court estate, a series of housing blocks built by the council in the 1960s to accommodate the growing population at the time. The estate is built in a U-shape layout on the edges on the site, leaving the Southern side facing the canal open. The existing buildings are built in brown brick and white PVC windows which have replaced the original timber frames. The contrast between the dark brick infills, expressed concrete slabs and white windows gives the facade the expression of rhythm and repetition. This contrast also shows the difference between different unit types. The large green space in the centre of the site is mainly used as a visual amenity. A basketball court and a playground provide outdoor play for the residents and public alike.
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1 Sketch of estate facade and allotments Joshua Beanland
2 Aerial perspective of Regents Court Joshua Beanland
3 Facade composition study Joshua Beanland
4 Route through the estate with underpass Joshua Beanland 78
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5 Paper site model, scale 1:100 Joshua Beanland, Ines Reino de Costa and Rafael Alao Ceriz
6 Existing site section, scale 1:1500 Joshua Beanland and Ines Reino da Costa
7 Sketches of estate fragments Joshua Beanland
8 An overgrown garden
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Joshua Beanland
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Joshua Beanland The plan served as the main point of exploration, referring to the open plans found in Swiss housing projects. This interior living arrangement offers a multitude of scenarios, relationships and views, which can adapt to different users and lifestyles over time. The exterior looks to echo the gridded façades of the 60’s buildings opposite but amended to form a new abstract composition, forming a new language in sustainable timber construction. The masterplan set out to add rectilinear buildings aligning with the orthogonal grid set out by the adjacent estate to which make use of the existing routes through and which form a new courtyard, serving the housing and a new community hall.
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1, 2 Development fragment of timber facade Scale 1:20
3 Perspective looking towards the kitchen
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4 Strip elevation and section Scale 1:200
5 Sketches exploring floor tile patterns
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Perspective looking towards the balcony
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7 Perspective looking towards the bedroom
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Opposite Room model of living room Scale 1:10
9 Proposed apartment plan Scale 1:200
10-11 Sketch plan of the community space
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Ines Reino Da Costa This project’s aim is to create housing for young families which provides both shared spaces for community engagement as well as a sense of privacy, found by allowing each unit to have its own front door. The new housing is positioned to the south of the site, in front of the existing buildings and creates a secondary route, the street, providing both new and existing residents a secluded private outdoor space right off the canal. Throughout the design, there is a strong emphasis on designing for children’s needs. The addition of a new nursery provides young families with a safe place where their children play and are looked after during the day.
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1 Proposed ground floor plan Scale 1:500
2 Room model of living room Scale 1:10
3 Proposed cross section Scale 1:500
4 Exterior perspective
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Site 5: Bow Wharf Bow Wharf is located on the junction between Hertford Union Canal and Grove Road. The site is used as a private car park for permit holders who work in the adjacent business units. It is situated in a conservation area due to site’s industrial heritage and architectural character of warehouse buildings that date back to 19th century. The site is also well positioned in relation to Mile End Park which adjoins the site on the South and Victoria Park located further way towards the North, providing Bow Wharf with connections to open green spaces and the wider network of interconnecting green spaces in East London.
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1-2 Site model, scale 1:200 Rachel Alton, Helga Finna, Charlotte Ledger, Lucy Turner
3 South-west facing section, scale 1:750 Rachel Alton 86
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4 North-west facing elevation, scale 1:750 Lucy Turner
5 Site plan, scale 1:2,000 Rachel Alton, Lucy Turner
6 Existing building window studies Rachel Alton
6 87
Charlotte Ledger In an effort to connect people who live alone the project encourages them, both young and old, to form relationships from social hubs within the city. The project provides 25 units and looks to achieve a safe and lively atmosphere in order to tackle problems of social isolation. The pedestrianised street allows the wider public to engage with the residential life, with a cafĂŠ, small bar and gym all contributing to the activity spilling out onto the canal, providing a safe environment. Using the sustainable Japanese construction method of Suteki, the project can be built quickly, reducing the construction time. Allowing the project to meet the high demand for social housing quickly, as the two-storey housing takes only 60 days to complete.
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1 Sectional perspective of cafe and homes Scale 1:100
2 Proposed site section Scale 1:1,000
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3 Proposed ground floor plan Scale 1:500
4 Model of ceiling structure Scale 1:20
5 Room model of living area Scale 1:20
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Rachel Alton This housing project provides a safe space for families to live, grow green produce and children to play independently while honouring and encouraging growth. It takes the advantage of the green network that links the site to the neighbouring parks. Arranged around a central courtyard, the project provides 6 differing family houses and 4 apartments suitable for a variety of family types and sizes. Each home benefits from generous private outdoor space in the form of terraces and balconies, providing views to the park. A sustainable construction method is chosen in order to address the issue of climate change. Stone is used both as structural and cladding material, giving the building a subtle expression of verticality and rhythm and will age beautifully over time.
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1 Strip elevation and section Scale 1:250
2 Room model of living area Scale 1:10
3 Proposed site section Scale 1:500
4 Proposed first floor plan Scale 1:300
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Lucy Turner This community housing scheme is designed for young entrepreneurs and artists who want to work and start up their businesses in the local area. The design focuses on representing the industrial heritage of the site, drawing inspiration from existing warehouses on the canal. It incorporates both co-working and private office/ studio spaces arranged around a shared courtyard and connects the young working community. In response to unaffordability and over-crowding of homes in Tower Hamlets, the project provides 16 affordable housing units for young adults or families. With the residential courtyard taking the advantage of the canal edge, it encourages a calmer and slower place of life.
1 1 Proposed first floor plan Scale 1:500
2 Room model of dining room Scale 1:10
3 Fragment model of the balcony Scale 1:10
4 Proposed ground floor plan Scale 1:3,000
5 Sectional perspective of housing units Scale 1:200 92
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Site 6: Chisenhale Road This site is located close to the Southern edge of Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets. It is on the edge of Hertford Union Canal and separates the canal from the parallel Chisenhale Road. There is no towpath on the southern bank, so the site is accessed from Chisenhale Road, which is a quiet residential road. The charming character of the 19th century brick terraces along this road is part of the Driffield Road conservation area. The only exceptions to the residential rhythm are the primary school opposite and the site itself. The site itself is roughly 2200m2 and 75% of it is occupied by an industrial brick building. This building was formerly a brewery on the western end and a veneer factory on the eastern end. The site is owned by the council who lease half of the building to the Chisenhale Foundation – a charity who support the creative community in East London. The foundation has re-purposed the factory into an art gallery, dance spaces and studios which they rent to professional artists. The other half of the site has been unoccupied since the brewery closed in 1987 and contains the brewery building and a loading yard for boat cargo on the edge of the canal.
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1 Map of Regent’s Canal and green network Sam Wilkie, Joe Shirley, Will French, Zoi Papazekou
2 Street facing elevation Sam Wilkie, Joe Shirley, Will French, Zoi Papazekou
3 Aerial view Sam Wilkie, Joe Shirley, Will French, Zoi Papazekou
3 Site from the towpath
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Zoi Papazekou
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Zoi Papazekou This housing project responds to the housing crisis in Tower Hamlets by providing 12 flats with shared facilities. The low-cost living solution attempts to reduce the ever-increasing number of homeless families in temporary accommodation. In addition to affordable housing, the scheme supports the growing artists demographic in the area by means of an artist’s studio and school for young people. Open garden spaces between buildings provide a space for residents and public to come together, creating a positive social environment. Materiality and lighting are explored and used to create successful spaces, both aesthetically and environmentally. The carbon footprint of the project has been reduced by the re-use of bricks from the demolished existing building.
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1 Strip section and elevation Scale 1:50
2 Construction section Scale 1:150
3 First and second floor plans
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Scale 1:250
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Sam Wilkie Adaptive reuse of the old brick brewery and factory creates 17 new socially rented flats along with 34 artists studios and an exhibition hall for the Chisenhale Art Foundation. The new flats and studios provide professional artists and their families with affordable housing and/or workspace which are both currently scarce in East London. The project aims to create an exceptional standard of living while keeping the rich industrial character of the canal and existing building alive, as well as maintaining a low ecological footprint by retaining the fabric of the building.
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1 Room model of kitchen Scale 1:10
2 Exterior perspective
3 Facade model exploring materiality and colour
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Scale 1:50
Joe Shirley This project continues on the Godson’s industrial legacy with The Doodlebug Brewery, where brewing takes place underground and produces its own original craft beers that are then distributed across London’s canal network. The project provides 12 new apartments for people who have all experienced homelessness and provide them with a much needed local community for support. Alongside the housing and brewery, a café, art gallery and workspace is intended to bring life back to the canal side. In order to build a sustainable building, a large proportion of the existing building is re-purposed and the industrial character is complemented with the timber interiors.
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1 Proposed site section Scale 1:750
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Exterior perspective sketch
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William French The community housing scheme provides 10 new, sustainable family homes, alongside a full sized kayak polo facility and clubhouse. The scheme aims to harness the sporting and leisure opportunities provided by the canal, whilst ensuring the feeling of privacy and tranquillity for residents. The building arrangement on site is designed to maintain the terraced facade along the road, whilst internally creating a concealed, sunlit, waterside green space. Internally, spaces are constructed using natural materials, and designed to maximise the volume of space within.
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1 Room model of a home Scale 1:20
2 Proposed site section Scale 1:500
3 Construction section Scale 1:100
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Catalogue
Naomi Atherton
Cosmin Dobrea
William French
Nichola Greenhalgh
p.48
p.72
p.96
p.52
naomicath@icloud.com
cosmindobrea17@gmail.com
william.french87@gmail.com
nichola.greenhalgh@gmail.com
+44 (0) 7761 067620
+44 (0) 7775 936755
+44 (0) 7502 598441
+44 (0) 7817 737954
Tiberiu Ion
Vincent Man
Zoi Papazekou
Joe Shirley
p.68
17011929@brookes.ac.uk
p.92
p.95
tiberiuion10@gmail.com
+44 (0) 7123 345678
zoip24@gmail.com
mrjoeshirley98@gmail.com
+44 (0) 7493 448059
+44 (0) 7722 255554
+44 (0) 7751 809794
Yu Jin Sung
Sam Wilkie
Max Wright
p.70
p.94
p.54
yujinsung1@gmail.com
sam@swilkie.com
maxjameswright@gmail.com
+44 (0) 7762 275180
+44 (0) 7860 630356
+44 (0) 7955 993418
102
Rachel Alton
Joshua Beanland
Rafael Alao Ceriz
Cerys Squance Clark
p.86
p.76
18041629@brookes.ac.uk
p.58
rachjalton09@gmail.com
18041863@brookes.ac.uk
cerys.sc@outlook.com
+44 (0) 7584 827514
+44 (0) 7123 345678
+44 (0) 7742 525505
Lou Feliu
Helga Finna
Jess Gardner
Charlotte Ledger
p.62
helga_finna33@yahoo.com
p.64
p.84
loufeliu@gmail.com
jessgardner10@gmail.com
charlotteledger@outlook.com
(+32) 4941 028 27
+44 (0) 7712 237915
+44 (0) 7703 317095
Nessie Luk
Ines Reino Da Costa
Lucy Turner
nessieluk1311@gmail.com
p.80
p.88
1206ines@gmail.com
lucyturner17@hotmail.com
+44 (0) 7562 767488
+44 (0) 7854 740410
+351 916758966
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