Issuu

William Peers

Part I Architectural Assistant

Activate Huyton Community Initiative, Derby Road, Huyton, June 2024

2:1 | BA (Hons) Architecture

Professor Robert P Nicholls Travel Award

Profle

I am a highly driven recent graduate from the Liverpool School of Architecture with a strong focus on social responsibility and sustainability, seeking a position as a Part I Architectural Assistant.

My interests lie in developing socially engaging and sustainable proposals anchored by challenging historical and cultural contexts, which I have had the opportunity to develop through my BA3 design brief, ‘A Plan for Huyton’.

Both projects, ‘Grow Huyton’ and ‘Huyton Bakehouse’, worked within the existing frameworks of real-world developments in an undervalued suburb of Liverpool.

Involving the local community from the outset allowed me to collaborate and provide creative, exciting solutions to combat real-world issues. I was also able to explore the eﬀectiveness of demountable structure, meanwhile space and adaptive reuse as agents for lasting social change.

I had the opportunity to display my explorations and solutions as a part of an exhibition, working within a team of students from my studio to realise the installation as a successful community activator.

Upon graduating from the Liverpool School of Architecture, I was delighted to be awarded the prestigious Professor Robert P Nicholls Travel Award, as recognition for my proposal to study both the built and unbuilt aspects of Aalto’s partially realised masterplan for Säynätsalo (pg39).

References

Available Upon Request

Education

Liverpool School of Architecture, 2021 - 2024

2:1 | BA (Hons) Architecture

Aquinas College, 2018-2021

A | Art and Design

A | Physics

B | Mathematics

Dist* | Applied Business

Te Kingsway School, 2013-2018

9 GCSEs Grade 7-9

Experience

Karakusevic Carson Architects, London, July 2023

Summer Internship

Studio MUTT, Liverpool, March 2023

Work Placement

Bowker Sadler, Romiley, October 2019

Work Placement

TESCO Extra, Wilmslow, August 2019 - Present

Part-Time Customer Assistant Role

Sof ware + Certifcations

AutoCAD

SketchUp PRO

Adobe Suite

Procreate

Microsof Oﬃce

Aquinas College Art Exhibition 2019

RIBA Future Architects Mentoring Scheme 2023

BA1 Guest Reviewer, Liverpool School of Architecture

A Plan For Huyton

57.7 % (71,707) Economically Active

3.1 % (3,852) Unemployed

25.1 % (31,193) Income Deprived

57 % (70,837)

Suﬀered from Food Poverty

26.6 % (33,057) ‘Fair’ to ‘Very Bad’ Health

16.1 % (20,008)

Long-Term Health Issues of usual population Grow Huyton

Huyton Bakehouse

Studio Pen & Inc

Liverpool School of Architecture

Grow Huyton

Huyton Railway Station, Huyton, 1970

Historically, Huyton’s geography has seen it included in the development of regional railway infrastructure.

During the Industrial Revolution, Liverpool became one of the world’s most active ports, importing raw materials from abroad to be transported to mills in Manchester, where water power enabled the production of textiles. Most fnished goods were then transported back to Liverpool to be exported worldwide.

Eﬃcient transport between the two cities became vital in maintaining the fow of trade through Liverpool’s port, and the competitiveness of Manchester’s textile mills.

However, existing transport structures were slow and outdated, with the journey taking twelve hours by canal and a day by road. Waterways were the main mode of transport for bulk goods, but ofen incurred expensive rates from monopolising canal companies. Turnpikes connecting Liverpool and Manchester were poorly maintained, with horse drawn wagons ofen overturning with the weight of goods on the rough terrain, which negatively impacted profts.

In September 1830 the world’s frst operational inter-city passenger railway was unveiled between Liverpool and Manchester, with Huyton’s strategic location approximately halfway between the termini securing its position along the route.

Te Liverpool and Manchester Railway ushered in the railway age, fundamentally re-shaping transport and commerce worldwide, allowing for more reliable and cost eﬀective transport of goods, in a fraction of the time.

Today, Knowsley Council are to begin preparations for the bicentennial celebrations taking place at each station along the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway route, commemorating the technological might of George Stephenson’s design.

Grow Huyton is a temporary public installation which acts to celebrate Huyton’s rich rail infrastructure history whilst addressing the town’s fragile future, by supporting a struggling community through connectivity improvements, cultural enlivening and community growing.

Each ‘Kit of Parts’ naturally arrives at Huyton Railway Station by freight train, afer simple construction elements have been donated, checked and sorted. Reclaimed scaﬀolding tubes, couplings and base plates form the main structural system, whilst standardised plywood boards organise spaces. Volunteers are trained by local scaﬀolders, empowering the community to take ownership of the project from the outset.

During construction, Grow Huyton will provide valuable meanwhile space which actively engages the community, using low-technology materials to construct informal markets, raised-bed allotments and communal seating.

Huyton Railway Station is harshly segregated from the proposed site by a defensible brick wall, which acts as a safety feature for the railway line and a signifcant elevation change. A simple scaﬀold stair respects local heritage whilst allowing direct pedestrian fow between the platform and site.

Right : Huyton Railway Station Improvements Working Plan

Below : Grow Huyton Phase One Planometric Sketch Overleaf : Huyton Railway Station Improvements

Grow

Volunteers from local schools and community organisations are invited to grow, maintain and harvest seasonal produce across six levels of raised-bed agriculture, cultivating produce ranging from root vegetables to leaf salad. Practical experience with small-scale cultivation could lead to an increased interest in allotment ownership and self-suﬃcient growing in Huyton, whilst fuelling an interest in sustainable, healthy lifestyles.

Accompanying the ongoing development, a covered sports pavilion provides an informal place to play sports in small teams. Once demounted, some of the proposed site may be granted to sports teams at the wishes of the local planning authorities for grass-roots programmes.

Several small commercial units along the thoroughfare are rented at low costs to emerging businesses. Incubating local start-up businesses with aspirations of them establishing themselves along Derby Road begins an ongoing cycle of reinvestment into Huyton.

Right : Grow Huyton Growing Tower Working Plan

Below : Grow Huyton Phase Two Planometric Sketch Overleaf : Grow Huyton Growing Tower and Sports Pavilion

Grow Huyton Phase Tree

Huyton Outdoor Market invites the community to purchase locally grown produce at aﬀordable prices. Trusted, regional farmers supplement the on-site produce, and local businesses sell their artisan products to a host of returning customers from Huyton and the wider region. Additional small market stalls line the route between Huyton Railway Station and Derby Road, supporting the initially struggling High Street.

Chefs in the Grow Huyton test kitchen request an ingredient list each morning in order to create a seasonal menu. Troughout the day components are acquired through community purchases and each customer is invited to return and dine that evening, with a small additional contribution.

Informal allotments are advertised to local residents and earmarked for the eastern end of the site, working alongside the community growing. Demand for allotments is expected to be so popular that other unused land around Huyton is selected for the construction of demountable raised-beds.

Right : Grow Huyton Outdoor Market Working Plan

Below : Grow Huyton Phase Tree Planometric Sketch

Overleaf : Grow Huyton Outdoor Market and Test Kitchen

Huyton Bakehouse

Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Factory staﬀ canteen, Huyton, 1957

Traditionally, food has been a source of community.

During WW2 in Britain, imported supplies were restricted due to the need for cargo ships in the war eﬀort. Although ingredients became rationed, the public remained resourceful and made do with available supplies over long periods, with communities utilising the neighbourhood baker’s oven amidst damaged homes and gas shortages.

Baking Schools were forced to close during wartime despite the profession’s historical societal importance, leading to a lack of skilled bakers, which was further aﬀected by the development of new techniques complying with modernisation.

Huntley and Palmers, a large manufacturer of confectionary founded in 1822 in Reading, established a close aﬃliation with Knowsley afer experiencing a labour shortage prior to wartime. In 1955 the Huyton Factory opened on Wilson Road, specialising in the production of their well-loved biscuits, to handle the massively increased output demand. Huntley and Palmers are fondly remembered in Huyton, creating long-standing employment opportunities throughout the region, ofen employing several generations of the same family.

Today, High Streets tend to substitute the artisanal craf of skilled bakers for mass produced baked goods with little nutritional beneft. Many of us are guilty of consuming disconnected products rather than sourcing sustainable goods simply due to convenience and cost.

More recently, the lockdown caused due to Covid-19 breathed new life into baking as families became more resourceful and navigated the shortages of imported products due to travel restrictions, reminiscent of the struggles suﬀered throughout wartime Britain.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many have been lef without work, with reduced incomes and increased living costs, demonstrating the societal importance of bakeries with not only nutritional products, but spaces which allow for community gathering and growth towards a more resilient future.

Huyton Bakehouse will locate industry directly on Derby Road, repurposing a vacant commercial premises through sensitive adaptive reuse. Te current separation between production and retail will be shortened, increasing the consumer’s awareness of the journey from grain to plate and celebrating Huyton’s rich industrial baking identity.

Existing Structure at 1-8 Cavendish Walk Site Visit, Derby Road, Huyton, February 2024

Primary steel fame will be repaired and coated with intumescent paint.

Ceiling panels will be removed to expose all structure and ductwork.

Exterior brick and concrete blockwork will be used in the re-building of the facade, with improved insulation and waterproofng to increase the building’s lifespan.

Existing roofine of Huntley and Palmers Factory on Wilson Road, 1960s

Initial pigmented plaster cast of proposed saw-tooth roofine for Huyton Bakehouse

Sensitive adaptive reuse of the existing building fabric was preferred when designing Huyton Bakehouse, minimising the environmental impact and reducing construction costs of the building. However the existing building was a low quality build, requiring several intentional moves to unlock its value to the community.

Initial zoning for Huyton Bakehouse led to the removal of two central structural bays, resulting in the addition of the grain milling tower raised above street level, dividing the initial mass into two distinct functions and sheltering the new connecting thoroughfare below. Increasing verticality allowed for greater visibility around Huyton, with the polycarbonate structure becoming visible from from Huyton Railway Station to the Huyton Wetlands.

Extensive damage to the existing fat roof provided an opportunity to depart from the building’s commercial typology, incorporating a steel-framed saw-tooth roof structure inspired by Huyton’s industrial heritage. Terefore, natural daylighting became possible through high-level fenestration and windows could be omitted above street level, creating a distinctive facade, comprising of reused brick from the existing structure, prominent along Derby Road.

Communal allotments are tended to by volunteers from local community groups, providing agricultural experience whilst promoting an interest in healthy diets from ground to plate. Huyton Bakehouse facilitates on-site cultivation, from which seasonal produce is then used to form a daily-changing menu.

Huyton Outdoor Market occurs twice a week in order to further facilitate access to fresh, high quality produce at a low cost. Initiatives such as Grow Huyton are incredibly important in supplying the market with fresh produce, supplemented by regional artisans, allowing for reinvestment into Derby Road.

Increasing Huyton’s economic window was important when considering approaches for the Bakehouse Social Yard due to the evening inactivity of Derby Road. Te Bakehouse Brew, a collective of avid brewers with an interest in strengthening community spirit and identity, regularly host events which support the evening lectures from world-famous bakers in Te Bakehouse Teatre.

Right : Huyton Bakehouse Outdoor Market and Allotments Below : Te Bakehouse Brew Working Exploded Planometric

Whilst the majority of commercial baking is to be undertaken by young, start-up businesses keen to be involved in a lively challenge, community classes provide opportunities for local people to become involved in and actively continue Huyton’s rich baking legacy.

Importantly, the Bakehouse Kitchen maintains a strong visual connection to both the outlet and cafe, oﬀering maximum process transparency to the consumer. Customers are invited to browse shelves of organically grown and carefully prepared ingredients, whilst classically trained bakers work incredibly hard daily, assuring customers they are purchasing sustainable, high quality produce.

In order to supplement income, fresh baked goods are transported by bicycle to local food outlets as a replacement for imported produce, or by rail to larger outlets across the region, establishing Huyton Bakehouse as the baking heart of the North-West.

Right : Huyton Bakehouse Outlet and Kitchen Below : Bakehouse Outlet Working Exploded Planometric

Community Cafe

Huyton Bakehouse provides a valuable social space to a currently struggling High Street, becoming the centre of a vibrant community.

All interior fnishes are purposefully low-technology and consist of standardised construction elements in order to maintain a low build cost. Providing approachable space to access, learn and work allows for large-scale community skill development, increasing potential for local economic prosperity and reinvestment.

Fresh baked goods are always available for purchase through the bakehouse outlet and community cafe, where customers are encouraged to pay what they can aﬀord, helping eliminate boundaries regarding household income and food insecurity.

Whilst some of the cafe is reserved for sociable working, all other furniture can be easily reconfgured in case of community initiatives, including daily breakfast clubs for schoolchildren and coﬀee mornings for the elderly.

Right : Huyton Bakehouse Community Cafe

Below : Bakehouse Cafe Working Exploded Planometric

Ongoing Research

Säynätsalo Town Hall, Alvar Aalto, Säynätsalo, c1951

Onni Dahlberg directs the loading of a barge at the Enso-Gutzeit plywood factory, Säynätsalo, 1954

Alvar Aalto’s Intentions for Säynätsalo

Previously, no conclusive research had been conducted outside of the Alvar Aalto Foundation on the remainder of Aalto’s vision for Säynätsalo, or the economic and geopolitical factors which defned his relationship with the industrial island.

In October, I was incredibly honoured to visit the Alvar Aalto Foundation archives in Jyväskylä, where I was invited to study the extensive collection of original sketches, orthographic drawings and physical models associated with the unrealised projects. Tis formed the basis of my research, which I then supported independently through site sketches and photography on Säynätsalo over the course of a fve day feld trip.

Upon my return, I began to prepare initial drafings of hand drawn orthographic studies from the original drawing materials and my own feld notes, from which I intend to construct a physical model of Aalto’s masterplan.

Once complete, I will present a formal lecture at the Liverpool School of Architecture for staﬀ and students, sharing previously unpublished materials from the archive and displaying my completed studies of the unrealised project.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have been provided through the recognition of my proposal, and I am very excited to share my passion for this project with others soon.

William Peers

Part I Architectural Assistant