The Independent's "50 Great Ideas for the 21st Century"

I came across this whilst researching sheep's wool insulation (in at number 29) and there are some fantastic ideas on this list.

50 Great Ideas for the 21st Century.

Library Building - Developing the Architectural Language

Myself and Ed had a meeting with Steve yesterday which proved very useful and an important step in the project. Steve had us pin up drawings at the scale we aim to present them and it soon became clear where there were gaps in the design, for example certain areas of the site plan were more define than others and the main school entrance seemed insignificant. Besides tweaking the floor plans and site plan, the elevations needed a bit of re-thinking, particularly the elibrary elevation facing the school.

This is what I pinned up and presented to Steve:

This was directly developed from the model that I have previously posted images of and the general consensus was that there was no unified architectural language, there are three or four different styles forming and it makes the elevation untidy. The vertical timber boarding had promise but the differing window heights, horizontal boarding and most of all the 'Swiss Lodge' overhanging eaves to the entrance just don't work.

So, I revisited this and have developed a more uniform language, one I'm still working on but am substantially more happy with.. I have taken the vertical boarding and laid them in 250mm wide elements, the windows are now all the same height and the widths are all a multiple of 250mm (thanks for that idea Ed!); they have also been recessed 100m and give extended openings above and below. The roof has been made completely flat, with parapets and green roofs throughout. The colours have been toned down to become softer, pastel shades.

The two options below show one with vertical timber boards (top) and the other with the timber painted in 10 different colours (plus white) to create a pattern.


Personally, I find the elevation with the timber boards to be the more successful; the coloured boards seems disjointed and perhaps too overwhelming considering that this will face the school.

I'd be interested to hear what people have to say regarding these, any preference?

Facade refurbishment

Following my earlier post, here's an image which shows a first attempt at updating the school elevation which fronts the street and wall.

The majority of the building has been re-clad in vertically laid willow reeds, with the windows being made much smaller. The stair elements have been rendered white (the one shown connects to the new library building) and the new classrooms on the ground floor have been given a simple rendered finish, using the colour palette adopted elsewhere.

I'm not entirely convinced by this at the minute, I like the simplicity of it, I don't think it requires a complex resolution. It may just be that this drawing doesn't quite do it justice or perhaps I need to play with the proportions of the windows etc.

Existing building re-furbishment

As part of my project I am proposing a refurbishment of the existing school; this will be on a strategic level (i.e. proposing change of use, re-decorating) but one element that I am looking at in more detail is the external fabric.



As the above photo shows, it's currently a typically unpleasant 60's school building, enveloped by glass and blue concrete panels. From experience I know that classes on the South face (to the street and the new wall) are cold, due to the large expanses of glazing, and that the classrooms on the North side overheat drastically. The same treatment is used all the way around the building and I am planning to propose a solution to these problems. The way to do this is to propose alternative façade treatments for North and South facing elevations.

Looking for some options I found this school refurbishment in Schulzendorf:


Like a basket, the new façade is woven from willow reeds; this got me thinking. As part of my proposal I am removing two fairly large willow trees from the site, I could use these to create the new façade (or as much as it would cover, I guess around 50%). The South elevation could be very similar to the Schulzendorf school but with the inclusion of more colour, particularly where the re-furbished classrooms on the ground floor protrude. The South façade requires a little more thinking about, there needs to be solar shading incorporated. This could either be as canopies or woven (literally?!) into the cladding system. The diagrams below explore some of the options:

The North elevation facing Bricknell Avenue and the new wall:


Options for the South façade:

The image below shows an option using coloured panels rather than willow, which is an option for both elevations. The panels are curved in various forms to overhang the window openings to create the shading.




Considering the options, I think the willow panels may be the best option, for aesthetic and susainable reasons. I think the first skecth, showing a simple solution to the North elevation with a more playful element to the South elevation (with the curves to create shading) is the best way forward..

I've not been able to find much out about willow as a cladding material, so if anyone has any links or suggestions please let me know.

Celebrating 90 years of the Bauhaus

Enjoy this 2 part article about the Bauhaus, which is 90 years old this year.

Celebrating 90 Years of Bauhaus

Book Review: A Whole New Mind: Why Right-brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink

Something new for the blog, a book review; I'm not particularly one for reviewing books, especially in writing but I enjoyed this one so much I thought I should recommend it.



I came across Daniel Pink's book whilst looking for some books regarding well-being particularly in relation to community and economy. I started it three nights ago and by lunch time today had finished it (excessive train travels helps!), having been completely engrossed by it. Without wanting to spend too much time reviewing the book I'll outline the ideas that run through it.

Pink starts by introducing a historical narrative of the progression of human society through 4 main 'ages':

1. Agricultural Age (farmers)
2. Industrial Age (factory workers)
3. Information Age (knowledge workers)
4. Conceptual Age (creators and empathisers)

Number 4, the conceptual age is a new idea and is the focus of the book. Pink argues that logical, 'left-sided' thinking has got us to the stage of society that we currently find ourselves at but that this is no longer sufficient for us to survive and develop. What is needed is for 'right-sided' creative thinking to become more prevalent, to support the still essential linear and processing skills of the left-sided thinkers. Obviously this struck a chord with me, what with being in a creative industry, but Pink aims his book at everybody, from lawyers to architects. He identifies three trends that offer challenges to the future of Western industry, the "3 A's": Asia, Abundance and Automation. That is:

1. Can someone overseas do it cheaper? Outsourcing of jobs to Asia, particularly India and China.
   
2. Is what I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance? Our society has never been wealthier and more in possession of material goods.
   
3. Can a computer do it faster?

The book offers solutions to these questions, as an example whilst software programming may be outsourced to India, where similarly trained workers can do the job cheaper. However, someone still needs to have the intuition and creativity to create that software, that cannot be outsourced as easily due to local requirements, meetings, etc.

Pink offers 6 'senses' through which to deal with these new challenges:

1. Design - Moving beyond function to engage the sense.
2. Story - Narrative added to products and services - not just argument. Best of the six senses.
3. Symphony - Adding invention and big picture thinking (not just detail focus).
4. Empathy - Going beyond logic and engaging emotion and intuition.
5. Play - Bringing humour and light-heartedness to business and products.
6. Meaning - Immaterial feelings and values of products.

As well as offering an explanation of these terms, the book provides a 'portfolio', or set of examples through which you can practice them and increase your creativity. One of these suggestions is to join a 'Laughing Club'; I'm currently on the lookout for my local one!

From a personal perspective, it seems obvious to me that these 6 'senses' identify exactly what we're trying to achieve in the Grad Dip course and especially in our thesis projects. It certainly helped to focus my thoughts.

Anyway, a late night review cannot do this book enough justice; whether a creative type or not I fully recommend getting yourself a copy of this book, it may not change your life but it might just help it.

Developing the Architectural Language

Whilst tech. week has been happening I've been busy progressing the scheme in more detail. The plan below shows the latest revision of the site plan, I've labelled the different functions which are plugged into the wall and have also identified the external spaces (in shades of green), all of which are to have a different purpose (i.e. main entrance to the school, allotments, fruit trees, etc.); two key axis which need more reinforcement (in purple) and an example of a transition space (in yellow). This transition space could be a change in material, colour, smell, noise, level or anything, but this is a prime opportunity to amplify the difference between different spaces.


I have spent a considerable amount of time developing the library/cafe building; this forms the main building of the proposal and is also where I will be focusing my technical aspects. Alongside developing the floor plans, elevations and sections (not yet to be shared!) I continue to work in models and sketches. The photos below show the latest model.



I heeded Steve's advice to inject some colour into the models and also to look more closely at individual elements. Colour is used to accentuate particular areas of and routes through the building.

Along with the green roofs and timber elements, I feel like I'm developing an eco-De Stijl language! Not a bad thing in my view.

Along with the technology developments there are still design issues to tackle, following a discussion with Steve:

• Thresholds - reduce the extremity between outside and inside spaces, as Pattern Language number 166-Gallery Surround which was previously identified.
• Transition spaces, as mentioned above.
  
• A response to the identified axis on the site plan.
• Continue to develop the library spaces; make the study 'pods' more intimate; integrate shelving into the fabic of the building, design the children's section.
• Some precedents to examine are: the work of Hugo Haring, a house in Devon which uses rammed earth, developed with the LEDA; Le Corbusier's proposals for the use of rammed earth in several buildings; the work, particularly drawings, of Peter Salter. (Further posts to update on these)
  

Tech Week Review

This week has been a designated 'Tech Week' for the whole year; a chance to discuss the construction, details and mechanical & engineering aspects of my project. Below I have outlined some of the points I discussed with the 3 tutors (along with Martin and Yussef):

Glen McGowan, construction & overview:

• As part of the concept of 'Well-Being' it is important that the technology and strategies employed in this building reflect that. This means using natural materials as much as possible; 80-90% of natural (or from natural) materials creates a more harmonious relationship between building, user and environment and should therefore be the ambition of my technical studies.
  
• The [natural] materials of the building may well be dictated by their ability to allow for passive ventilation, solar heating etc. For example a certain timber cladding structure may encourage better natural ventilation than others.
• Would green walls to the street help to break the monolithic nature of the wall? Possibly, but then it's North facing so may not actually be suitable for green walls.
• Maybe used rammed earht for the wall.
  
• I should consider using pre-fabricated systems (i.e. SIPS) as much as possible.
• How are voids and variation in wall/ceiling thickness constructed?
• If I intend to have green roofs throughout, I need to detail how the supporting timber frame is constructed.

Professor Alan Newall, M&E:

• Generally, a straightforward scheme to develop. Single storey aspects require no mechanical extract or cooling. All needs to be heated.
• The library, cafe and kitchen building will need local mechanical extracts.
  
• Heating to be from a new district heating system (i.e. biomass boiler) that fulfills the energy requirement for not only my scheme but the existing school and 6th form perhaps?
• Buildings to have radiators or under-floor heating?

Neil Hooton, structures:

• Case of building up strategically from the foundations.
• There has been no previous development on the site and along with the low building height, this means I can use a shallow [pad?] foundation.
  
• If I use rammed earth I need to eradicate erosion/vandalism problems.
• Glulam beams to be used for the 3-storey main building frame. The detail into the rammed earth wall would be necessary. Junctions in steel could be very elegant.
  
• The cantilvered media suite needs columns to support it.

A lot to develop over the next few weeks, with the technology report in just before Easter.