the meadow / r&d report

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The Meadow buddy-up network

Unit 04 Research and development report Elliot Anthony Dunn + Zaeem Ahmed

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Contents

Original brief

01

Refugee research

05

Trip to Calais

13

Precedent studies

15

Size comparisons

25

Re-written brief

27

Green belt research

29

Chosen site

33

Master planning

43

Community hub

55

Civic buildings

59

Buddy-up network

63

Home pod

67

Pod construction

77

Interior feel

91

Refugee design competition

95

Exhibitions / talks

99

01

Original brief

02

03

Musings

Cities have a knack of balancing different scales of living - urban, neighbourhood, dwelling etc.

Community intertwining allows people to feel inclusive and stable within their current environment.

As humans have the natural need and desire for a sense of togetherness and interaction, both socially and physically, a community gives the idea of home. Refugees have lost the birth-place they called home, therefore a new sense of home needs to be introduced. Family, friends, community, safety, warm, loved, interaction, a sense of equality, self involvement - all can encompass a the definition of home. Community can provide all these things also.

A refugee camp can act as an exaggerated system of a city with scale, community and temporality all battling with each other. Along with heightened political and economic factors. Two examples with slightly different outcomes are Al-Zataari in Jordan and ‘The Jungle’ in Calais. Zataari is a very rigid layout with growing economies, due to tenant entrepreneurship, and a number of communal outlets. Calais is very bricolage with no real system of layout but still

with a dominating importance on civic buildings/ideals. Even with the growing temporality problems the government is throwing in.

As with any city the differing scales of urban, community and individual need to be addressed - preferably in tandem. Refugee camps are no different. As they are very rarely planned spaces, the time for an over view-master plan is non-existent. Individual shelters, civic buildings/structures are not seen as a relative to master plan and visa versa. Grid planning in camps is the most widely used when a large influx of refugees settle - simply because it is very easy to plan, keep secure and maintain. However, recent publications state that it is not preferred among refugees.

I personally think it feels stale, lacks life and any form of natural growth. I much prefer London’s ad-hoc back streets to New York’s straight line avenues.

- Elliot

04 Design a Rapidly deployable ‘home’. Home being a key word here. What makes a home? In general discussion we were both of the opinion a home is a peaceful and secure abode where you live, share and experience life with your loved ones. A place of beauty and remembrance. Initially looking into the Zaatari camp in Jordan, we found interesting examples of refugees trying to adapt the monotonously planned layout into flexible shared spaces with the people they loved. With this in mind we base our ‘premise’ on the quote: ‘First the neighbour, then the home’. Can the neighbour also denote other living forms?

If we were to be considerate to the name Zaatari itself and its root meaning in the native Arabic language we find it generally refers to a family of middle eastern herbs such as oregano or thyme.

Also referred to by hyssop in Biblical terms, it is seen as an antiseptic and medicinal plant. During the summer these plants produce pink, blue and white fragrant flowers. Interestingly, it is resistant to drought, thrives in warm climates and is used by beekeepers to produce rich, aromatic honey.

It’s not outrageous to expect the name and the named to be one, yet there are no signs of these herbs being grown in an otherwise barren wasteland in Jordan.

Why not? A fellow student at The Cass, has been conducting thorough research into the camp and concluded that making the communities economically self-sufficient was key for their growth.

Could Zaatari and it’s residents not be enhanced through organic agriculture, and would it allude to nostalgic memories of their homeland?

Julia King recently gave us a talk on her experiences when developing an infrastructure for sanitation for a slum in Delhi. She poignantly said ‘be prepared to stay for a while and listen to the poor’. We couldn’t even get out to Zaatari for a day, so forget about staying there. Let’s look closer to home. Our neighbours in Calais were also suffering from destitute conditions in ‘The Jungle’ refugee camp. As a team, we travelled down and volunteered to build shelters for a few days, with an aim of witnessing the context and what, if anything, could be done to alleviate the situation. What we found was a huge political mess in which a ‘home’ certainly couldn’t be built. What we did learn however, was the ease of construction methods for the temporary shelters and the importance of the communal and civic buildings holding the whole community together. Although the original birth of the name ‘Jungle’ was a satirical stance by early residence of the camp let’s look at that root word and it’s possible meaning.

Jungle derives from the Hindi word ‘jāṅgala’ meaning rough and arid terrain, today we refer to the word when describing an area of land overgrown with dense forest and tangled vegetation, typically in the tropics or to a situation or place of bewildering complexity or brutal competitiveness. The latter being very fitting to Calais’ refugee problem. The mud of the meandering streets we visited could be seen as an illusion to being ‘knee deep in it’ but where were the trees, vegetation, the growth and feeling of hope?

Sadly, a week after our return the south side of the camp was demolished with further plans for the whole Jungle to be obliterated not far out of sight.

So what now? Where could we design a ‘rapidly deployable home’ giving us the chance to listen to the poor and stay for a while. How about in our own back garden. Ourselves. The stage is set. The supply of affordable housing has become a critical issue facing London.

The facts are stark: 2015 saw London’s growing population surpass 8.6 million. With no signs of slowing, at least 40,000 new homes per year are needed to house new residents. With the private sector at maximum capacity, small house builders decimated and a shortage of skilled labour we are running 9,000 homes a year short of current demand. However, new analysis published by housing and homeless charity Shelter, suggests that ‘Starter Homes’ will be a non-starter for 98% of families earning George Osbourne’s new National Living Wage.

In addition to this, 25,771 people applied for asylum in the UK as of June 2015. David Cameron has pledged to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK by 2020, and if recent events in Germany are anything to take example from, the magnetic pull of a capital city could prove a likely destination. The issues don’t stop here.

The number of homeless families living in B&Bs has hit a 12 year high in England and it is estimated that only 20% 25-34 year olds will be on the property ladder by the end of the decade. Consequently, 48% of the same age are now renting compared to 21% 10 years ago. This 48% are spending half of their total earning on rent, hence why our age group are being called ‘Generation Rent’.

- Zaeem

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Refugee research

The number of refugee’s, asylum seekers and internally displaced people exceeded 50 million people as of a UNHCR research statistic in 2014. Due to current events in Syria, the middle east and Africa this number is very much likely to rise. In order to gain an understanding of the problem we have compiled a selection of research on varying areas regarding refugee’s.

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Looking at Za’atari refugee camp there are a number of iterations that could be implemented in order for residents to reside next to people of similar beliefs or ways of life. A few sketches of possibil-

ities have been explored below.

Along with a short text of Za’atari as a word and it’s route meaning.

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Refugee research

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Refugee Camp Designs Refugee camp layouts

Hagadera Camp, Kenya Population 138,000

Zaatari, Jordan Population 80,000

Dagahaley Camp, Kenya Population 120,000

Ifo 2 West , Kenya Population 116,000

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The Jungle, Calais Population 6,500

Ifo Camp, Kenya Population 96,000

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Europes refugee Refugee intake Intake Europe

Number of refuges to be accepted under new EU scheme 20

A 2015 EU scheme has pledged a number of refugee’s to be excepted in each country. With a large number of people living for decades in refugee camps (an average time of 12 years) the world needs to come together and integrate these people back into a society they feel comfortable in.

They are people at the end of the day.

The UK has stated that it will accept 20,000 refugee’s by 2020.

How will this take place if we are already falling short of the housing needs for people already here?

UK ”20,000”

Netherlands 7,214 Ge 31 Belgium 4,564

France 24,031

Portugal 3,074

Spain 14,931

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015

Finland 2,398

Sweden 4,469

ermany ,443

Estonia 373 Latvia 526 Lithuania 780

Poland 9,287 Czech Republic 2,978

Slovakia 1,502

Austria 3,640 Slovenia 631

Romania 4,646 Croatia 1,064 Bulgaria 1,600

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Trip to Calais The team travelled to Calais, volunteering with Auberge de Migrants to construct temporary shelters for the ‘The Jungle’. For the first three days we worked on building floor plates from reused pallettes. Thereafter, the team visited the camp to gain a deeper insight into the tough conditions. We found that the civic buildings, especially ‘Jungle books’ and the ‘Good Chance Theatre Dome’ were of great significance to the local community.

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walter segal self-build house / poche

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Precedent studies

3 2

key features

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1 modular tartan grid planning layout 2 post and beam structure 3 flexible internal layout / non- load bearing

Walter Segal’s approach to his modular homes is essentially of simplicity and ease of construction.

Shown in the above and right drawings. ‘Off the shelf’ materials and no complex joints.

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the walter segal method / exploded axo

1/ 40mm layer of shingle weighs down felt, not bonded to deck

2/ 3 layer felt overhang

3/ woodwool slab deck laid without falls deck laid onto structure without cut panels

4/ fascia and timber capping to hold down felt

5/ plasterboard laid between timber joists

6/ windows fixed after building made weathertight, made on site

7/ tongue and grooved softwood boarding 8/ flexible internal partitions which can be placed anywhere on the grid

9/ floor joists. spaces and heights based on common building panel dimensions 600mm or 1200mm with timber thickness 10/ timber post and beam structural frame assembled on ground with floor beam tie 12/ house raised above ground for services, insulation and undercroft storage 13/ timber framing posts 5.4m made from 50 x200mm timber 15/ foundations capped with concrete slab

11/ non-structural infill wall panels clamped to frame with internal woodwool insulation

14/ timber battons with three spun galvanised steel and structural joist at top

16/ 0.9m in situ concrete foundations 17/ perimeter paving slabs

18/ community of self-builders

Weaving a Home 17

Precedent studies

Weaving a Home

Images used as reference

Architect and designer Abeer Seikaly has proposed a hand woven solution to disaster relief. The fabric shelter allows it’s inhabitant to personally build the structure - with the ability for transportation as it folds down into a managable size. As a test Elliot created a couple of simple paper folded structures.

Images used as reference

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Cap

Tubes Water tank storage

Lid with connectors

Top layer foldable structural fabric

Lower layer foldable structural fabric

Temporary floor finish

Temporary floor build up

Battery Outer ring with connectors

Exploded Axonometric Scale 1:50

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Precedent studies micro compact home / exploded axo

1/ airlifed in by helicopter / installed in 4m 9s / expensive + high carbon footprint

2/ plastic laminated timber sheet 3/ rockwool insulation 6/ front door with security double lock

4/ timber roof beams 5/ aliminium double glazed windows

7/ polyurethane foam insulation 8/ internal timber sheets 9/ 150mm timber studs

10/ 150mm timber square frame 11/ storage space for bedding / equipment 12/ two compact beds, 198cm x 107cm 13/ sliding dining table, 105cm x 65cm

14/ polyester coated aliminium external cladding

15/ potential for electrcc under floor heating

16/ step to deck access

17/ external base framing system

20 micro compact home tower / urban array

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2

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key features 1 structure of small steel vertical columns 2 open core space sustains central lift shaft, surrounded by around 30 micro homes 3 micro homes stacked around core ro provide maximum transparency to nature, with viewing platform above

A micro house, designed by Richard Morden, creates a very simple home of modular panels that can be used to create numerous buildings. The exploded axo, left, explains the simple build up, while the above drawing by Zaeem explores how the pod could be stacked for student housing.

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Precedent studies

Poché void axonometric Scale 1:50

Dymaxion Dwelling Machine deployed to areas of need.

Buckminster Fuller was a keen enthusiast of a modular system and how to reduce a buildings parts for interchangeability if needed. His Dymaxion house, shown The Dymaxion World above and right, provides an easily constructed home with minimal parts and joinery. Possibly used for disaster relief, as shown by Elliot above.

4D Dymaxion Car

Maps & Charts Fuller envisioned a system of air-delivering his 10-deck buildings to the world’s most remote and environmentally hostile places.

Integrating a world by air traffic reaching points that were unreachable by normal routes.

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Aluminium roof dome

Radial beams Tensile tie-down tubes

Stainless steel structural tubes Stainless steel criss cross straps Partition walls Internal pods

Plexiglass window sheets

Aluminium gore sheet

Central structural mast

Floor ring

Central shoe and springs

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Area Comparison

Precedent studies

DYMAXION HOUSE 148m² IKEA HOUSE 19m²

WOVEN HOUSE 20m²

If considering an emergency shelter, Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House cannot be considered in relation to size and scale. If the Ikea prototype is heralded as an example shelter we need to stay around 20m²

Steel grain silo

lightweight - mass produced - easily deployable

during the war Bucky’s idea was that we needed easily constructed, easily shipped, mass produced houses.

- heated and cooled by natural means, made its own power, earthquake and storm-proof - the interior space can be modified to users liking - if houses like this were engineered like cars it could be produced at a cost of $40,000.

Bedroom 25m²

Bedroom 25m²

Entrance 10m²

Kitchen 10m² Living 40m²

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Burning Man Temporary Structures Student project inspiration

Josh Haywood - Westminster

Lorna Jackson - Westminster

Showing the intricacies of temporary structures possible by a relatively low skilled team

Jon Leung - Westminster

Josh Haywood - Westminster

Burning man is a design and music festival allowing participants to design and build structures of interesting forms. With a reletively low skilled team, complex looking structures can be built. All of which are eventually set on fire. Hence... burning man.

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Size comparisons To aid the design of our affordable home, we researched the sizes of relevant shelters. These examples also included the Y-Cube in South London, which was visited and a good precedent for us to determine comort in size within our own scheme.

AREA COMPARISONS

POD MODULE 30m²

IKEA POD 17.5m²

Y-CUBE 26m²

SHIPPING 30m²

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SHIPPING CONTAINER 30m²

CALAIS SHELTER 7.7m²

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Re-written brief

“Some architects come with the question in advance. We are trained to have a kind of selective listening. We listen to what we want to listen to.

What we’re trying to do by asking people to participate, is envision what is the question, not what is the answer. There’s nothing worse than answering the wrong questions well.” - Alejandro Aravena Design a Rapidly deployable ‘home’. Home being a key word here. What makes a home? In general discussion we were both of the opinion a home is a peaceful and secure abode where you live, share and experience life with your loved ones. A place of beauty and remembrance. Initially looking into the Zaatari camp in Jordan, we found interesting examples of refugees trying to adapt the monotonously planned layout into flexible shared spaces with the people they loved. With this in mind we base our ‘premise’ on the quote: ‘First the neighbour, then the home’. Can the neighbour also denote other living forms?

If we were to be considerate to the name Zaatari itself and its root meaning in the native Arabic language we find it generally refers to a family of middle eastern herbs such as oregano or thyme. Also referred to by hyssop in Biblical terms, it is seen as an antiseptic and medicinal plant. During the summer these plants produce pink, blue and white fragrant flowers. Interestingly, it is resistant to drought, thrives in warm climates and is used by beekeepers to produce rich, aromatic honey. It’s not outrageous to expect the name and the named to be one, yet there are no signs of these herbs being grown in an otherwise barren wasteland in Jordan. Why not?

A fellow student at The Cass, has been conducting thorough research into the camp and concluded that making the communities economically self-sufficient was key for their growth. Could Zaatari and it’s residents not be enhanced through organic agriculture, and would it allude to nostalgic memories of their homeland?

Julia King recently gave us a talk on her experiences

when developing an infrastructure for sanitation for a slum in Delhi. She poignantly said ‘be prepared to stay for a while and listen to the poor’. We couldn’t even get out to Zaatari for a day, so forget about staying there. Let’s look closer to home. Our neighbours in Calais were also suffering from destitute conditions in ‘The Jungle’ refugee camp. As a team, we travelled down and volunteered to build shelters for a few days, with an aim of witnessing the context and what, if anything, could be done to alleviate the situation. What we found was a huge political mess in which a ‘home’ certainly couldn’t be built. What we did learn however, was the ease of construction methods for the temporary shelters and the importance of the communal and civic buildings holding the whole community together. Although the original birth of the name ‘Jungle’ was a satirical stance by early residence of the camp let’s look at that root word and it’s possible meaning. Jungle derives from the Hindi word ‘jāṅgala’ meaning rough and arid terrain, today we refer to the word when describing an area of land overgrown with dense forest and tangled vegetation, typically in the tropics or to a situation or place of bewildering complexity or brutal competitiveness. The latter being very fitting to Calais’ refugee problem. The mud of the meandering streets we visited could be seen as an illusion to being ‘knee deep in it’ but where were the trees, vegetation, the growth and feeling of hope? Sadly, a week after our return the south side of the camp was demolished with further plans for the whole Jungle to be obliterated not far out of sight.

So what now? Where could we design a ‘rapidly deployable home’ giving us the chance to listen to the poor and stay for a while. How about in our own back garden. Ourselves. The stage is set. The supply of affordable housing has become a critical issue facing London.

The facts are stark: 2015 saw London’s growing population surpass 8.6 million. With no signs of slowing, at least 40,000 new homes per year are needed to house new residents. With the private sector at max-

28

imum capacity, small house builders decimated and a shortage of skilled labour we are running 9,000 homes a year short of current demand. However, new analysis published by housing and homeless charity Shelter, suggests that ‘Starter Homes’ will be a non-starter for 98% of families earning George Osbourne’s new National Living Wage.

In addition to this, 25,771 people applied for asylum in the UK as of June 2015. David Cameron has pledged to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK by 2020, and if recent events in Germany are anything to take example from, the magnetic pull of a capital city could prove a likely destination. The issues don’t stop here. The number of homeless families living in B&Bs has hit a 12 year high in England and it is estimated that only 20% 25-34 year olds will be on the property ladder by the end of the decade. Consequently, 48% of the same age are now renting compared to 21% 10 years ago. This 48% are spending half of their total earning on rent, hence why our age group are being called ‘Generation Rent’.

If we were to create community land trusts and lobby for underused land in pockets of opportunity within each of our areas a difference could be made. We are proposing for a site near Fairlop waters in Greater London, bordering Essex, to be developed into a meadow of self-build affordable houses, situated within a self-sufficient community. This community will hope to provide homes and a new start for the the socially disenfranchised, whether indebted students, the homeless or refugees. The site aims to have three typologies. The central hub and communal gathering space. The civic buildings and stations of economic activity. And the home.

Let’s end with tying in a double meaning of our central Hub and utilising language as a technology for design. Hub is thought to have originated from the word describing the solid central part of a wheel.

In which case, our central hub could metaphorically be seen as the nucleus of our community, something with rigidity and security, just the same way

a wheel’s center gives strength. Hubb also means love in Arabic and comes from the root word Habba, which means a seed. A seed is an embryonic plant that has the potential to grow into another plant. But the strength of that new plant depends on the nurturing it was initially given. Our Hub hopes to act as this seed. The initial seed for knowledge, the seed to nurture horticultural and human growth, the seed of provision, from where it’s offshoots hope to create ‘rapidly deployable homes’.

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Green belt research

We have explored all of the current UK green belt areas and plotted them on a UK map. Gaining an understanding of how each area correlates with major cities.

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Greater London green belt

The Greater London green belt is a vast expanse of land protecting the possible protrusion of urban spaces from spilling out into the countryside. With the M25 ring-road as a main artery, this green belt has certain pockets of land in and around London that have great potential for our ever growing popu-

lation. Sites that would not interrupt the green belts original integrity of urban sprawl but unlock meadow-like fields which could be sensitively recognised as new development opportunities.

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The area we were looking at was on the periphery of Central London, mainly investigating the East London / Essex region. Many pockets of greenbelt are underused here, and being in zone 4, the transport links mean the area is only a short tube ride away from the city.

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One area which stood out was a site in North East London, bordering Essex. The area from Chadwell Heath up to Hainult contains a vaste expanse of open fields of not much ‘aesthetic value’. The majority of this site is considered green belt as seen above.

Redbridge council has identified this land for a possible revokation as ‘green built designated’ in their 2015-2030 development plan. In addition, the western portion of the site is also supported by four Central line tube stations. The area is 12.22 sq km.

Comparatively, The City of London is 2.9 sq km.

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Chosen site

After examining the current built environment in and around London a number of potential sites have been highlighted within the current London green belt area. Each site has been specifically chosen to still obey by the green belt rule of preventing huge urban sprawl out into countryside.

The sites highlighted in green integrate with both the surrounding built environment and the countryside. Rather than proposing on serene green belt land these sites allow for architectural enhancement. The sites selected are in close proximity to major nodes of transport (i.e Heathrow).

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Appropriate development?

Surprisingly there have been many quarries across the same strecth of land over the years. According to Redbridge council quarrying started in 1959, with 4 million tonnes of sand and gravel excavated since 1985. Just 100,000 tonnes remain under planning permission. According to Government guidance,

minerals extraction on green belt land “need not be inappropriate development” due to temporary activity. These quarries have been in operation for 50 years and add little value to an area over 10 times the size of Barking Riverside (site for 11,000 new homes). Could it actually be considered brownfield?

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Surrounding context

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Land acquisition

Five Oaks Lane, Hainault, will be a new community comprising 425 private and affordable new homes, Countryside was able to acquire around half of the land required for the new scheme by agreement.

However to ensure comprehensive development could proceed Redbridge Council decided to utilise its compulsory purchase powers to acquire the remaining land and property. Countryside, working in partnership with housing association L&Q, are now preparing to commence development of this new

community and Country Park in 2015, having received full planning permission in 2005.

The existing buildings will be demolished and the contaminated site remediated. The scheme claims to substantially improve the quality of the area and restore the integrity of the Green Belt setting. But is the scheme really tackling the housing crisis? Or is another development where the majority will be priced out?

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Adjacent sites

Selection of photographs showing views across the chosen site during a grey Tuesday morning.

Top - looking onto the site from west to east Bottom - looking towards Fairlop Waters from east to west

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Adjacent sites

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Site photos

Selection of photographs showing views across the chosen site during a grey Tuesday morning.

Top - looking onto the site from west to east Bottom - looking towards Fairlop Waters from east to west

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Meadowland - Barking riverside

A project that has had the go-ahead from councils is Meadowland, a huge residential master plan situated on a green belt site. It has been used as an example project for us in order to back up our plans for green belt building. Ours will remain sensitive to the green belts original aims of minimising urban

sprawl and looking after green spaces. Together with afordable mix of homes.

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Meadowland - Barking riverside

The development has a series of plans up on it’s website. Useful for us in terms of comparison to similar sites within the vicinity.

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Master planning

Fairlop Waters and it’s surrounding green land offer an exciting mix of empty fields that do not necessarily prevent urban sprawl. Our chosen site (a few fields just east of Fairlop Waters) has urban development to the north, east, south and west. A prime example of parcels of land with no specific use and

no property of reducing urban sprawl.

Although our proposal from the outset is to create a framework with the possibility of fitting into any surroundings we have considered our immediate context for full design integration. A number of iterations were sketched to compile all our initial ideas

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Sketching ideas

and understand where to go in terms of an overall master plan. Our ideas consisted of a central ‘knowledge hub’ for the community to interact with, learn and teach - a sharing space. Branching off from this hub would be specialised civic buildings, residential dwelling plots and landscaping. We took into

account the Fairlop Waters pond to the west, local landscaping to the north and east and a farmyard accompanying a workshop to the south.

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Sketching ideas

Our initial ideas stemmed from the idea of creating a central node, a community hub, from which civic buildings would branch. The housing would then sit on a branch like system connecting all back to the root of the community.

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Chosen site

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Radial rings

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Seperating space

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Branching out

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Civic buildings

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9-bay housing

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Landscaping

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Green spaces

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Meadow planting

An example of the ambience of the site is alluded to above. Piet Oudolf and the beauty of his planting is an example of the meadow we are referring to. The landscaping on site breaks down into reed planting , agriculture and horticultural zones.

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Community hub

Central to our proposed master plan is the idea and notion of spreading/giving/receiving knowledge throughout. For an organic and equal plan the community hub will be a hive of activity and placed in the heart of The Meadow. Beginning on iterations of layouts and massing Elliot sketched through some

ideas and crafted a quick model. Taking precedents such as Peter Zumthor’s serpentine pavilion and Norman Foster’s Marseilles pavilion he worked on a rectangular shape as the basis. The quick model shows the idea of interchangeable panels that could be built/edited by community members.

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Community hub

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A few quick sketches of initial ideas and how the form could stack or wrap within the heart of the community along with a first concept amalgamation montage of precedents - shown left. Above is an internal visual of how the hub’s courtyard could look.

Flexible spaces with translucent partitions.

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Civic Buildings

The Meadow is to be a thriving community with endless possibilities from it’s community hub space sharing knowledge to the homes being customisable by its user. A number of civic buildings can be dotted around the site for economic and agricultural purposes.

Bucky Fuller’s Dymaxion house and the Good Chance theatre in Calais refugee camp have influenced the civic buildings shape. A circular domed space gives the impression of inclusion and integration as there are no corners to be lost or hidden in.

King Arthur’s analogy of a round table giving equality rather than a rectangular table giving a sense of head and hierarchy can be used.

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Geodesic Examples

Civic Buildings

ICOSAHEDRON DOME

OCTAHEDRON DOME

EDEN PROJECT, CORNWALL

Nicholas Grimshaw - super sized hexagonal dome - large scale public inhabitation A set of 6 biomes encompassing different global climates, tropical and mediterranean

CUBE DOME

CUBOCTOHEDRON DOME

GOOD CHANCE THEATRE, CALAIS

Two British playwrights - medium sized octahedral dome - community gatherings Venue for refugee’s to share their stories, perform poetry slams, stand up comedy and film nights

MONTREAL BIOSPHERE, MONTREAL

Buckminster Fuller - large sized icosahedron dome - membrane shell The dome itself is used as a second skin to the museum beneath, used to control the temperature within

INTERSHELTER, WHERE NEEDED

Intershelter - small sized modular dome - emergency sheltering Used for disaster relief, polar expeditions, military huts, homeless communities

RHOMBICUBOCTAHEDRON DOME

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Opposite is a selection of example domes used around the world, ranging from Intershelters disaster relief shelter to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Many forms are possible and with a relatively simple construction method - these will be explored further to develop the, as yet, concept idea.

Above are a couple of photos by Elliot during our trip to Calais within the theatre. Built by a couple of British play-writes the dome feels extremely welcoming due to the shape and height.

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Buddy-up network

mic use only]

[Academic use only]

mic use only]

[Academic use only]

The buddy-system works on a modular 9 grid system. The first three bays are allocated to a UK resident i.e. a student unable to afford a home at current London prices. When financially able more than one plot is able to be built on. The back three bays are allocated to a socially disenfranchised individual

who is paired based on age, interests or proffession.

The three middle bays are shared spaces between the two neighbours and can be used for outdoor areas or amenity spaces.

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mic use only]

[Academic use only]

mic use only]

[Academic use only]

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Buddy-up network

Model describing how the buddy-up system works, snapshots taken from our competition video where we briefly explain the premise.

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Home pod

To begin we looked at various precedents to get an idea of the ‘feel’ of our proposal. We wanted the house to be of the best quality, with shared spaces, transitional zones, all incorporating greenery and lots of daylight. The pinterest page really allowed us to push on with our design as constant inspiration

through example was used to ensure the refinement of our work. We then conducted various sketch studies to display how our modular system could be grown over time.

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Furthermore, ideas of altered windows were constantly played with and as our infill panels were adjustable, this allowed us to investigate with floor and roof lights. The pergola also allows for an outdoor seating area, covered in flowers and planting to allow for a smooth transition from meadow to home.

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Home pod development

Our initial strategy was to develop a basic module based on standard material sizes. We looked at articulating the post and beam frame for architectural emphasis and a flexible internal layout. On critique, we were advised to make the pod smaller and therefore our reworked design aimed to create the most

spacious feel without comprising on storage spaces and functionality of the home. To do this we incorporated a shelved staircase, half-height mezzanine, green roof for outdoor space in addition to many further possibilities.

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Home pod plans

The two and three pod modules show the adaptability of the pods when put together. The transitional spaces allow for outdoor seating as well as creating more private spaces for the other residents i.e. children. The possibility of creative design and relevant spaces is of great importance here.

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Home pod elevations

The elevations show a simple facade with a plywood exterior. The pergola attached then allows for the transition, so the pod is not too imposing but fits in a more subtle manner within the context.

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Home pod elevations

Here the interchangeable windows are played with to demonstrate how the user could alter the incoming light as required. One thing we realised was the need to reduce the thickness of the timber posts, to create a more refined architectural feel in addition to a lightened structure, key for self-building.

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Home pod elevations

The developed elevations utilised a thinner structural frame, offset windows, stone foundations for less impact on the greenbelt and the balcony for the green roof.

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Home pod axo

The exploded axo shows each element of the construction materials. The plywood, damp proof membranes, windows and cassettes and shown to clearly fit. The ease of build is one of the main features for the home, essential for the community self build.

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Home pod sections

Some of our initial sections aimed to make clear the spatial quality of the half height mezzanine. In addition the double height space within the interior brings about huge opporunities for adjustements according to family needs.

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Home pod render

One of our final images shows the exterior of one complete home,whilst the other structural bays, in construction are used for outdoor amenity spaces.

These are key for the interaction with neighbours and a greater level of social cohesion.

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Pod construction

Taking some of our inspiration from the Walter Segal approach, we learn that building via a post and beam structural frame, allowed for flexible interior living options. Whilst the framing system might not be the most efficient in use of timber as panel construction, it decreases the costs of foundations. Foundations and ground-works are reduced to a minimum. The first step in planning the house is working out a basic modular ‘tartan grid’ on which the frame and infill panels sit. In addition, spaces and heights are generally based on the dimensions of common building panels - typically 600mm or 1200mm with a timber thickness of 50mm. The floor used in the housing is a tongue and groove softwood board, is raised above the ground to allow for cables and pipes, with insulation between the joists to prevent heat loss.

Walter Segal designed house, Lewisham

The use of standard, readily available materials; assembled on site as far as possible in their market sizes. Building board materials such as plywood and insulation in softwood casing are combined to form the enclosure of the building within a framework of standards sections of timber. The method can produce many types of one-and-two storey buildings, incorporating, for example courtyards, flat roofs. Our proposal allows for various external cladding options with the default plywood cladding, interchangeable with copper or aluminium cladding.

Some issues we are trying to resolve are the finer detailing of the joints, especially for the post and beam structure. We are deliberating using either a mortise and tenon joint or a steel bracket system. We also hope to resolve issues relating to our roof structure, which is intended to retain a green roof, in addition to a section for rainwater harvesting.

3rd Space bespoke garden room

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Initial sketches at the beginning of the project Elliot was looking into how a potential foldable structure could manifest, following on from his studies into the woven home by Abeer Seikaly. Not used in the end but the idea of a modular system was taken from it - sparked also by Google’s new modular phone.

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Construction sketches

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Detailed two-pod plan Within the actual home itself, the articulated timber bays allow for ease of separation between spaces. We have incorporated a halfheight mezzanine floor, where the bedroom will be situated. Our open plan means the ability for the user to change the interior spaces according to their needs.

The internal courtyard is a key architectural feature which, when connected to the second module, allows for extra light and an outdoor space to be developed.

A final feature we have tried to express is a green roof, to maximise outdoor space and enhance private areas within the small building footprint.

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Construction process

frames assembled flat on the ground

stacked in order of erection

pushed up into position

temporarily braced together

panels assembled on site

panels nailed into place

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1:10 model The development of the construction process are as follows: 1. A post and beam frame giving strength, clarity, flexibility and openness 2. A simple building process and easily understood techniques 3. Non-load bearing walls set out on a grid to keep waste to a minimum 4. Readily available materials in their market sizes and finishes 5. Foundations and ground-works kept to a minimum

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Detailed sections

84 Modularity and adaptability is at the heart of our project, allowing the user to create a home that works best for them. It can be seen as our foundational, simple structure will act as a machine. With this in mind a number of the houses building elements can be chopped and changed with ease. 18mm treated external plywood could be interchanged with a cladding sheet of aluminium or copper, western red cedar panels or handmade concrete tiles

Detail 01 1:10 section detail // wall - floor

Detail 02 1:10 section detail // wall - mezzanine

As The Meadow will be a transient community playing with the idea of temporality and permanence we have chosen a gravel bed a rock foundation as our houses ‘shoes’. Influenced by houses in Scandinavian countries, the rock foundations will be levelled on the one side and slightly carved on the other for the load bearing posts to slid onto. These give the impression of an untouched landscape with a house that can be carted away when necessary.

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1:10 details Detail 03 1:10 section detail // wall - roof

Detail 04 1:10 section detail // roof - internal courtyard

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Detail 05 1:10 section detail // wall - window

Detail 06 1:10 plan detail // wall - structural post

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1:10 details Detail 07 1:10 plan detail // wall - window

Detail 08 1:10 plan detail // wall - wall corner

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1:10 model

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Technical axo

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Roof, wall and floor build up

Roof build up (inside to outside): - 12mm treated plywood - 5mm breather membrane - 50mm woodwool insulation with 50mm x 40mm softwood stud infill’s - 12mm OSB over-sailing edges to fix to structural beams - 5mm waterproof membrane - 50mm drainage reservoir mat slightly angled to lead water to downpipe, with 50mm x 40mm softwood stud infill’s - 10mm waterproofing filter layer - 50mm soil and grass - flowers scattered Wall sandwich panel build up (inside to outside): - 12mm treated plywood - 5mm breather membrane - 85mm woodwool insulation with 89mm x 38mm softwood stud infill’s - 12mm OSB over-sailing edges to fix to structural posts - 5mm waterproof membrane - 25mm air cavity with 25mm x 50mm softwood stud infill’s - 18mm treated plywood

Floor sandwich panel build up (inside to outside): - the same as wall panel - cut at sizes of 535mm x 1220mm - fixed to timber floor joists with steel angled bracket

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Interior feel

The interior design of the home is based upon the key factor of light. We have incorporated inner courtyards, large windows and roof lights all to ensure maximum daylight. We have also taken inspiration from many Japanese designs, focusing on clean and pure materials to emphasize the outdoor

landscape. The transitional spaces will be filled with planting and greenery, allowing for serene areas of seating and tranquillity.

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Interior feel

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Refugee design competition

The What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge is a global design competition in search for game-changing ideas for accommodating, connecting, integrating and helping the personal development of refugees. The challenge specifically focuses on refugees in urban areas, as nearly 60 percent of the world’s 20 million refugees now live in urban areas.

The Refugee Challenge is a joint initiative of What Design Can Do (WDCD), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the IKEA Foundation. The call for entries has now ended, but you can still participate by sharing your thoughts and giving feedback on the submissions.

Simply register on the platform,

comment on the ideas entered and help make them even better. (as per the website) This competition gave us the opportunity to submit our proposal in a real life situation as it opens up to the public for feedback and review. The Meadow tackles brief number 3 (out of 5) to perfection - ‘what design can do to bring refugees and host communities closer to one another.

The folowing pages show a few of our competition boards and snapshots from our introduction video.

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Refugee design competition

Snap shots from the video.

Now uploaded onto YouTube and can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECUet3iG3Kw High res versions of the boards can be found at http://designead-blog.tumblr.com/

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Exhibitions / talks

As part of our research we visited and were inspired by the Walter Segal Exhibition at the AA. A full scale prototype of many parts of the house were on show, allowing us to see the ease and simplicity of build, with a clear aesthetical value. More importantly was being inspired by the self-build community ethos.

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Exhibitions / talks

In addition, we attended the citizens UK debate with the two mayoral candidates. The key topic was affordable housing with the development of community land trusts a hot topic. Furthermore the RIBA exhibition on creation from catastrophe was also of interest to our project.

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