claire's dr draft

Social Housingcreating social and extended community living spaces for a more sociable housing strategy in Ampthill Square Estate, Somers Town

Claire Taggart

Unit 22BENVGA08 Design Realisation DRAFT

Claire Taggart Unit 22 Social Housing BENVGA08 Design Realisation

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Contents

Project Introduction

Unit 22 Brief and AgendaProject Agenda and AimsProject BriefBuilding Programme

01 Building Form, Systems, Planning and Context

-Site AnalysisSite LocationUse and HistoryLocal Development Plans HS2 Demolition PlansSite Issues to be addressed Design Pollution

-Planning Policies Unitary Development Plans Local Development Strategy

-Building FormUser ExperienceGround Floor PlanOverall Section Floor PlansTower Retrofit Scheme Order of Interventions into Existing-Building SystemsAccess and CirculationSystemsLightingFire Strategies and Escape RoutesHyperboloid Tower Structure Tensegrity systems Load Forces Diagram SkinsLandscape ConstructionEnvironmental Strategy

02 Building Construction- Area of Focus

Building Envelope Existing and Retrofit New BuildBuilding Materials Sourcing TreatmentProcess of Construction Site Works and DemolitionRetrofit Reinforcements Reinforcing Existing Building StructureResident Assembly and AdaptationMaintenance and ModificationWind LoadingEarth LoadingWater Ingress and Interstitial condensation

03 Building Performance

User Comfort and ExperienceCase StudiesThermal Performance Passive Cooling Thermal Mass and Earth InsulationAcoustic ControlShading and Day LightingNatural VentilationEnergy GenerationCase StudiesWind Energy HarvestingVibrational Energy HarvestingRain Water Collection

04 Building Delivery

Building DeliveryPlanning StrategiesFundingContractConstruction IssuesProcurement Stages

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Unit 22 Agenda

Vulnerability as Framework

As a general condition affecting many parts of our world vulnerability could be viewed in many different ways. As part of a design program our perspective will focus on how the protection of vulnerable realities re-quires a change in design habits.

International standards of design procedures are still having Modernity as a main conceptual and methodological framework. In this introduction, the definition of vulnerability will inevitably be linked to the evolution and influence of Modernity. We will first postulate Modernity has been an impor-tant source of vulnerability, extracting ideas from authors around “Risk Society” notions. But this production of vulnerability was not a part of Modernity’s set of goals. Therefore, while being a major cause, Modernity has not included vulner-ability as a language, as a cultural principle or as a sensibility.

Maybe only the technical rise of lighter materials and the use of previ-ously considered weak techniques could suppose an attempt to face vulner-ability as a main characteristic of the inhabitable world after Modernity. But this shy flirt with weakness did not mean Modernity could easily evolve to care for vulnerable realities.

The first reason we will uphold for this is that in fact Modern traditions are still fighting for a first set of objectives that has never been fully achieved. The second reason is that Modernity is not only lacking anthro-pological and ecological clues on its route but includes logic and thought principles that are directly incompatible with those perspectives.

Dare to Care, is a proposal to go beyond modern traditions on design and to face a new set of goals less “manifesto format” and more build up through others’ contributions and benefit achievements.

‘Dare to Care’ encourages design to empower identified ‘vulnerable communi-ties’ ignored by the ‘modern world,’ through regognition of human vulner-ablities and consideration of spaces of protection, intimacy and closeness. Condsideration of building merely as ‘construction’ is challenged and ‘good architecture’ is distinguished through use of different materials and meth-ods of construction as well as careful consideration of the impact of the building on all involved and affected and the environmental and social im-plications of programme and construction.

Somers Town Vulnerable Communities

The project starting point was looking at Vulnerable Communities in Somers Town as ‘Cut-Out’ communities, cut-out of previous environments and placed in a new one or having their environment cut-out from around them. The scheme aims to re-construct a new living diverse environment to connect these communities to benefit form one another.


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Social Housing Agenda

The project aims to create more “social” spaces in Ampthill Square Housing Es-tate, Somers Town, Camden, improving and extending existing private and public spaces and providing new community facilities on site, attempting to combat so-cial isolation through encouragement of community interaction.

The Social Housing scheme for Ampthill Square Estate aims to create model project for possible future housing strategies in other estates in the borough or nation-wide, creating direct access onsite community facilities and services on a small scale.

The project will focus primarily on community groups for which environmental and social isolation is a major problem, providing specialized spaces and services for their needs.

In particular the scheme aims to empower new migrant women in Somers Town from Bangladeshi, Somali, Ethiopian and other minority communities and combat iso-lation, mental health problems and depression through social opportunities and networks, development of language and working skills and involvement in the local community. The project aims to give them time off from family care responsibili-ties through care exchange services, giving more time for social and other ac-tivities.

These women make up one of the largest groups resident in the estate during the daytime and will play a key role in construction, management, running and mainte-nance of the facilities.

Key Project Aims:

-Empower the women and through increased social opportunities, community involve-ment and development of working skills

-Improve and extend social living spaces on a gradient from private to public

-Give opportunity for increased social interaction between neighbours whilst avoiding forced encounters

-Set up a network of time, labour and services exchange

-Provide easy access to otherwise inaccessible or inconvenient community facili-ties and services, providing specialised spaces for specific community needs

-Make the facilities as self-sufficient as possible through energy and water har-vesting and sharing of spaces and services.

Redefining Public/Shared Spaces:

Key Social and Architectural Aims in Simultaneous Project Stages:

improve social living spaces on a gradient from

private to public

give opportunity for increased social interac-tion between neighbours

set up a network of time and

labour share and exchange through

established connections

give access to-specialised

social and com-munity spaces for specific

community needs

social housing

extend existing kitchen and living room

spaces opened up to neighbours

create new garden spaces for social en-counters and connect towers

provide spaces within existing

towers for childcare and

home care exchange

construct li-brary, play and exercise centre, teaching rooms, gardens and com-

muntiy hall

Project Introductioncompletelypublicsharedspace

smaller enclosed shared spaces

forced interaction

withdrawal and

avoidance

brings strangers close to home

use and effects of communal spaces in housing

open to anyone

and over-looked

no feeling of purpose or ownership of space

motive to use space, not forcing interaction

spaces left unused

crime in disused spaces

comfortable setting to

meet neighbours

good community relation-ships

openly observed

interaction

isolation

unease and discomfort

fear of using spaces

spaces used and inhab-ited regu-

larly

designed for specific community needs

more human-scale spaces for smaller

groups

less intimi-dating, more attractive spaces

more private interaction

protected social spaces

feeling of security

natural surveillance through use

non-specific programme or

use


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Social Actions

Animating key social interactions of the project

chat

grow

share

connect

play/meet/chat

exercise

Zoetrope VIdeo


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Community Members

In conversations with members of Somers Town community it was clear that more social interaction between groups was needed.

Although the new project will be for the whole of Ampthill Square Es-tate community it will have a particular focus on the needs of new migrant women as a community group with specific social needs and a particular difficulty in regard to access and use of existing community facilies and communal spaces.

“there are children running around making so much noise. I am scared to let them play outside. In-stead they play indoors and fight with each other; sometimes that can really stress you out – I can’t

stand too much noise, my head just heats up”

“back in bangladesh she could just pop round to all her friends’ house and they did washing and swimming and stuff to-gether but here she stays at home. i think thats why she got depressed”

“i think that it’s true that men have taken

that space so it really doesn’t leave very much room for women to be able to use the space”

“My mum. She’s joined the gym recently. Every day she comes back and she’s

just like so excited. Oh I did this at the gym today. She gets to socialise ”

“a lot of these ladies go to sewing classes to learn how to sew. With my mum – She suffers from depression so it’s a way to escape and socialise and just get away from everything like just moping around at home and just

thinking”

“more and more these ladies are be-ginning to be allowed to take advan-

tage of these things like the classes, the gyms, opportunities to socialise and get out there and that”

“she would always be laughing with the other village ladies

when they went to the pond [back in bangladesh] but there’s no-

where to do that here”

“i was very lonely when i got here, at home with just my baby. now i have some friends but i

only see them at the [hopscotch asian women’s] centre”

hopscotch asian women’s centre:

ravenscroft primary school:

ampthill square estate:

Members of Somers Town Community were asked about issues/difficulties in their home/community life and how they might solve them...

Comments on problems with access to public space and services and social isolation from local Bangladeshi women


Zoetrope VIdeo


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Brief:

-Extend and optimise existing living room spaces

-Connect neighbours with shared balcony garden spaces

-Replace demolished community hall with a large flexible use space

-Flexible teaching rooms and function spaces for community cours-es, groups and societies

-Spaces for homecare and childcare exchange services for resident migrant women, their families and the wider community

-On site easily accessible play, leisure and sports facilities, catering for varying community requirements and needs, with sin-gle sex and private exercise spaces

-Library with community curating of cultural and language collec-tions with public and private reading rooms

-Protected private and public gardens with small scale community crop cultivation projects

-Minimise energy consumption and harvest solar, wind and vibra-tional energy from the site to cater for increased energy con-sumption of new facilities

Programmes, Spaces and Requirements:

Back GardensBalcony garden spaces on all floors of the three towersMicro wind-farm facadeOpenable extensions to existing living roomsSolar privacy curtains

ChildcareAccess from within towersBaby nurseryIndoor soft play space for 1-6 year-olds with adjoining enclosed outdoor deckClimbing and adventure play for 7-11 year-oldsSmall kitchen with dining area

Adult and children’s toiletWashing and baby changing roomOutdoor skate park space for teenagers

HomeCareAccess from within towersLounge and dining roomGames roomEnclosed outdoor garden/terraceSmall kitchen with dining area Bathroom with bath/shower facilitiesAdjoining to teaching space for courses

Fitness CentreAccess from within towersSingle sex changing roomsEnclosed women-only gym spaceMixed gym spaceCurtained games deckChildren’s play area

Lounge and Drop-InMixed soft-furnished loungeWomen-only soft-furnished loungeHidden garden spacesKitchen facilitiesAccess from within towers for residents and from Harrington Square for neighbourhood

LibraryMain collection spaceReception and Issue DeskLarge public reading roomSmall private reading roomsTeaching spaces for between 5-30 student class sizesComputer roomTeaching resources storage

OfficesSite office for community-buildFacilites anagement and maintenance officesAdjoining to women’s loungeConnected to all facilities

GardensOpen public gardenPrivate raised garden spacesVertical spice and vegetable gardens



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client, funding and users

encouraging development and integration amongst local asian women in camden

all-female run organisation, aiding integration, sport and eductation amongst

somali women and children

Ampthill Square Tenants Association

ampthill square estate management and residents

Compensation Scheme

funding:

compensation for loss of land and rebuilding of demolished

community centre

supporting self-sufficiency and city farming projects

funding renewable enrgy installationsfunding adult eductaion and employment

staff, up-keep and running of the cen-tre paid for by income from charges for use of the centre facilities by local

community

Gender and Employment in Local Labour Markets (GELLM) Comittee

eductaional courses and resources paid for by camden council

long-term financing and management:

local community

The client for the project is Camden Council and it to be funded by a mixture of different sources. Primary funding would come from Camden Council and the UK Department of Trans-port HS2 Compensation scheme for reconstruction of demolished-community and play area. Construction, management and running costs will be reduced due to community participation and in-

users:



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oxenholm

dalehead

gillfoot

Site: ampthill square estate, hampstead road, London

somers town

The project is sited in and around existing local author-ity and ex-local authority housing in three high-rise tower blocks (Gillfoot, Oxenholm and Dalehead) in Ampthill Square Estate, Hampstead Road, Somers Town. The estate also com-prises adjacent 5-floor housing blocks and in total houses 366 dwellings and over 1000 people.

Site History:The three existing concrete towers were built between 1965-1967 and re-clad with white plastic panels and red, blue and yellow rims in 1988. The towers have 21 storeys, with 4 flats on each floor, arranged around a circulation core. A renewal project by Sprunt Architects re-landscaped the green space around the site and fenced it off from public access and was completed in 2008. The towers are supported on concrete columns at ground floor level and these entrance spaces remained open until they were walled up in the 2008

ampthill square estate

Site Analysis


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Site Context Plan 1:2500


euston station

ampthill square community facility

hampstead road

mornington crescent

tube station

The site is positioned on the junction between Hampstead Road (A600) and Harrington Square (a400) in Somers Town, Camden.The existing 21-storey 1960s residential tower blocks over-look the trainlines leading into Eusaton Station. The pro-ject will be focused in and around the these blocks.

Site Analysis


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HS2 high speed rail demolition

current

proposed hs2 route


ampthill square community centre

buildings for demolition

site

The proposed HS2 route from London Euston to Birming ham Moor Street is set demolish Ampthill Square Estate’s cur-rent community centre and children’s playground.

The UK Department of Transport will be responsible for funding replacement of both facilities, as well as compen-sation to Camden Council for public land that is to be lost from the perimeter of the site.Construction is not set to commence until 2016. Consulta-tion processes are currently underway however to determine when compensation can be given.

Though the trains will be travelling at low speeds past the site, ground-bourne vibrations as well as mechanical noise from motors, fans and ancillary equipment on the trains as well as will contibute to the current noise pollution on the site. This should also be a consideration for the structural scheme.

estate land for removal

playground

ampthill square community centre

playground

Site Analysis


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design site issues to be addressed

crampt, under-used balcony spaces

site railings and locks

towers overlooking railway lines

small windows

under-used public space

Site Analysis

1:1000

Issues with the site and existing buildings that the new scheme aims to address


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Noise Pollution and Air Quality

site receiving up to 70 dB of rail sound pollution

site receiving between 60-75 dB of traf-fic sound pollution

Noise Pollution:

The towers overlook the train lines leading into Euston Station and as a result the site currently suffers from noise pollution from trains going in and out of Euston. The proposed new high-speed HS2 rail lines will increase this considerably. Busy Hampstead Road also contributes to noise pollution, as well as contributing to air pollution from car fumes.

Air Quality:

The site is positioned on a junction of main roads where the air pollution values excced the PM10 value for air-bourne pollutant particles for more than 50 days of the year

Busy Hampstead Road also contributes to noise pollution, as well as contributing to air pollution from car fumes. The site receives more than rrr50 g/mcubed of nitrogen dioxide and

Site Analysis

Site sir containing more than 50 µg/m3 Nitrogen Oxide

Site air exceeds PM10 value (50 μg m−3 pollutants) for more than 50 days of the year


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Planning Policies

Camden Planning Policies

Camden Unitary Development Plan:

Fulfilling UDP Overall Aims:-With reference to specific policies

-Making sure development meets our needs, now and in the futureIntroduced passive systems and energy-generating interventions will minimise energy useage from the grid for existing housing and new build structures will aim to be completely self-sustaining

-Meeting the housing needs of Camden’s populationImprovements and extensions to existing homes provide additional flexible use space for existing housing stock

-Producing an environmentally sustainable pattern of land use and reducing the need to travelCommunity services provided with direct access to homes on Ampthill Square Estate and easy access from surrounding Somers Town, Regents Park Estate and Camden Town communities

-Helping to improve and protect amenity and quality of lifeSafe, enclosed spaces are provided for back gardens, childcare and homecare services . Public spaces and services are made safer through natural surveil-lance with increased habitation of spaces

-Protecting and enhancing our environmentAny green space taken up in the construction of new buildings will be re-placed in elevated and vertical gardens. New gardens and planting, along with new landscaped public gardens will provide vegetation zoning and specific habitats for endangered and threatened species

-Providing facilities for all members of the communityNew community facilities will be designed to specfic community needs and be made easily accessible to all residents and members of the neighbouring com-munity.

-Improving economic prosperity and diversitySpaces for child and adult education courses and training catering for specif-ic access and design requirments creates an inclusive learning centre for all. This involves all members of the community and providing valuable knowledge capital and increasing employment opportunities. The migrant women will also be encouraged to develop management and employable skills through the running of the centre.

-Balancing the needs of residents with the Borough’s London-wide roleThe project will provide for the Ampthill residents and neighbouring commu-nities directly, as well as presenting a flagship model for sustainable and social urban living within the capital.


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Camden Local Development Strategies: Euston Planning Framework:

Specific area future planning framework, indicating how aspects of the Euston area may successfully and sustainably change in the future, highlights Ampthill Square Estate as a potential site for redevelopment and an important site affected by planned construction works.

4. Townscape Character:To the north of the station is the Ampthill estate, a 1960’s Camden housing estate which is somewhat divorced from the area by the current station and the sunken rail-way tracks, as well as the urban motorway character of Hampstead Road and circula-tory system.

A9. Significant sites, places and spaces:

Potential development sites and areas likely to experience change in the vicinity of proposed redevelopment of Euston station itself. Within this area there are number of large sites which may come forward for development in addition to any development on the station site itself.

These are:

1) The railway carriage sheds at Granby Terrace

2) The former BHS depot site at 132-142 Hampstead Road

3) The National Temperance Hospi-tal in Hampstead Road

4) The Euston Police Garage in Drummond Crescent

5) Phoenix Road School

6) Ampthill Estate

Planning Policies


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Building Form

The project involves two main structural strategies, which will connect at different points in the scheme. Main struc-tural frameworks will be constructed professionally and linings, skins and coverings will be constructed, altered and maintained by the women and resident community.

The extended living spaces and new balconies will be hung from the existing tower structure. Light weight steel truss supports will fix to existing concrete columns with ten-sioned steel cables keeping structural rigidity and mini-mising shear forces at the beams’ extremities by taking part of the load down through interior concrete columns. The existing foundations will be reinforced with micro-piles and the existing structural concrete columns will be frp reinforced to accommodate new loads.

New hyperbolic steel frame tower structures containing pro-tected social spaces as well as services and circulation will support bridges and garden platforms connecting balco-ny spaces to programmes within the new towers. Bridges will be supported by a steel cable and bar tensegrity structural system, tensioned from the new and existing towers with aluminium floor trays,

Skins of varying materials and properties will line the inside of the tower structures and create protected spaces for community programmes.

The structural reinforcements and new build primary steel framework structures will be constructed professionally but softer lining and skin materials and interior interventions in the existing are as lightweight and simple as possible to enable the resident community to construct their spaces themselves, giving opportunity to partake in design deci-sions as well as physical assembly. Training, supervision and tool and materials kits will be provided for this stage of construction.A tensegrity network of steel bars and cables will hold the outer ptfe skin of the façade in tension around the towers, which will act as a primary weather barrier. Under this first layer, a secondary layer of insulation.....

Building Form and Systems

steel frame towers en-close private func-tions, circulation, fire escape and ser-vices

raised decks connect towers and provide shared outdoor space

decks enclose existing trees

working 3d model


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User Comfort and Experience

Acoustics-As the project involves interventions within existing buildings with potentially noisy activities (e.g. play in childcare spaces) adjoining to residential spaces, sound insulation is important.Sound insulation from noise pollution from Hampstead Road and existing and proposed new high-speed rail lines will be essential in quiet spaces such as the library and teaching roomsCreating private spaces within a public landscape means that acoustic privacy will also be an issue

Thermal-Outdoor and semi-outdoor shared social spaces should be as comfortable and useable as possible both in summer and win-terExtensions and alterations will be made to existing flats; creating changeable facades that can be opened in summer, but also provide good thermal insulation in winter

Lighting-Shading should be provided to south-facing tower facades during summer, whilst maximising solar gain in winterMaximum daylight should be allowed all year round on all north-facing facadesDaylight needs to be brought in to under-landscape spaces through roof-lights and cut-in gardensDay lighting in all spaces should be maximized, whilst views between some spaces will need to be controlled and limited

Ventilation-Passive cooling should be achieved during summer by maxi-mizing airflow through residential spaces in the towersPolluted air should be filtered and cleaned to achieve maxi-mum air quality inside residential and shared work and lei-sure spaces


working model


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Fifth Floor Plan 1:200


21Section 1:200


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Floor Plans 1:1000

New towers rise out of landscaped garden, supporting shared communal decks connecting all new and old towers at differ-ent levels, providing connections between existing and new programmes

1

G


5

8 10



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living room extension

connecting balcony spaces

retractable living room wall opens social space to neighbours

greenhouse/ kitchen extension in winter and open garden in (nice days) in summer

Supports attach to existing carbon fibre-reinforced columns

green wall gardening trellis

Extensions to the Existing -working plan 1:100



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Back Gardens

Cantilvered steel supports fix to existing reinforced con-crete columns to support extended living rooms and new bal-cony garden spaces. Glass facade slides back to open entire living space to balcony.

shared balcony spaces

extended private living rooms

retractable living room wall

steel cable net bracing micro wind turbines

garden trellis

cable net ballustrade

cantivevered steel floor supports



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Order of Interventions into the Existing

Underpinning foundations, FRP reinforcement of structure, demoli-tion and insertion into the existing flats

existing structure

underpin existing foundations-

mini piling machine fits into ground floor to reinforce tower’s existing

foundations

concrete supports reinforced with frp

wrapping

additional floors constructed

Renovations floor-by-floor from top

down balcony extension cantilever supports fixed to newly re-inforced concrete

columns

roof truss struc-ture rested on col-umns and tensioned cables support bal-cony spaces (floor

by floor)

floor structure and new living room amd kitchen facades in-

serted



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Flat Interventions-Process of Construction

The interventions in the existing flats will happen whilst the residents are still living there, so should be carried out as quickly as possible with minimum disruption to resi-dents.

existing structure

strip plastic cladding

remove existing balcony walls

reinforce columns with frp fabric wrapping

demolish living room wall (insert temporary block-ing facade) and Fix steel balcony cantilever sup-ports to existing (rein-

forced) columns

fix strengthening tensile ca-ble network from beams (brac-ing and stiffening structure)

lay steel-frame flooring tray

Install Sliding wall rail system and panels


Carbon Fibre Rein-forced Plastic Wrap

FRP Wrap

Key

Pedestrian Access and Routes

Vehicle Access

Parking

School Run

Access from within existing

towers


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Access and Routes through the site

The main access to the scheme will be from within the tow-ers with ground floor access from under the towers and new balcony platforms connecting homes to the new scheme. There will also be general public access through the library and circulation tower connecting all floors containing fire stairs and lift.

Plan shows existing pedestrian access to towers, vehicle access, parking, proposed and current frequently-used pedestrian routes through the site (recorded from site visits at different times of day).


Key


Vehicle Access

Parking

School Run


towers

Access and Circulation

Key


Vehicle Access

Parking

School Run


towers


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Building Systems

Public toilets will be housed in a central circulation core, providing one cubicle per floor with an exit to a platform.

Existing services in own homes will be used by majority of users who will be residents.

Electricity supply will be from cir-culation core and cables fixed and enclosed under main platforms. Cables will run along underside of circula-tion spirals in towers


Key


Vehicle Access

Parking

School Run


towersKey

Water supply and drainage

electricity supply



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winter- low winter sun

reaches inside flats

solar energy gathered by day is used to light

spaces at night

summer sun

winter sun

sight

line

summer- balco-nies provide shading from

direct sunlight

ambient light

tower skins allow daylight to penetrate

library, reading rooms and teaching spaces shaded from

direct sunlight

ambient light

ambient light

balconies block view of rail tracks from inside

flats

lighting 1:500

Lighting

New balcony gardens provide shad-ing to south-facing facades and block views of railway with deep-er balconies

Tower skins allow diffused day-light into interior spaces whilst blocking direct sunlight and glare

Lighting


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Fire Strategy

Fire Strategies and Escape RoutesGround Floor 1:500

Spiral ramps within new towers connecting ex-ternally to facades of the exisiting towers provide alternative escape routes from existing flats as well as from new programmes.

A central protected fire escape stair provides escape routes from all raised platform spaces.

The estate currently operates a floor-by floor evacuation strategy, which will be maintained with the new scheme

Fire- May 2011

First floor flat facade destroyed and smoke dam-age to floors above due to fire started by a dis-carded cigarette in Gillfoot tower. Disconnect-ed fire alarms meant people were first made aware of the fire when smoke came into their homes.

Existing fire alarm system will be improved and and a sprinkler system will be fitted into all flats. Flats are fitted with 30 mins fire-resist-ant front doors and fire doors between corridor and circulation spaces.

Fire Engine Access


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Fire Strategy

Alternative Escape Routes

Balconies serve as external escape route

external escape from new towers

Exisiting fire escape

spiral escape route up or down to connecting platform

Spiral ramps serve as secondary escape route

Central access tower with lift and fire escape stair

Fifth Floor

Escape up or down to deck level

New steel structures will be treated with intumescent paint to protect it for up to 2 hours.

Fireproof fabrics and membarnes will be used in cladding and skins of the towers


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Hyperboloid Tower Structural References

The tower will use steel frame lattice construction to gain maximum structural rigidity and load bearing capacity with minimum material useage.

Floor slabs will be supported by these tower structures at meeting points as well as by additional steel suspension cables

Shukov Tower, Moscow, ShukovBuilt 1920-1922, Vladimir Shukov’s tower reaches 148.5m in height and

uses a lightweight hyperbolic perabo-loid form lattice steel frame. Due to

the structural integrity of its diago-nal lattice form, it uses a third of

the metal used per metre of height for the Eiffel Tower.

Killesbergturm Observation Tower, Stuttgart, Jörg Schlaich

40m high steel mast and prestressed tensioned cable net structure. The cable net is tensioned from the

top of the mast to grounded anchors, supporting the platforms and suspended staircases. As the cable net

compresses the four platforms against the central mast, thransferring the load, the cables take a re-

duced load, allowing their tiny diameter of 18mm.

Building Form- Structure

Sendai Meditheque, Sendai, Toyo ItoStructural steel frame cores support floor slabs whilst acting as building circula-tion cores, connecting floors

Tension

Compression

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Santiago Calatrava

40m high steel mast and prestressed tensioned cable net structure. The cable net is tensioned from the top of

the mast to grounded anchors, supporting the platforms and suspended staircases. As the cable net compresses

the four platforms against the central mast, thransfer-ring the load, the cables take a reduced load, allowing

their tiny diameter of 18mm.


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Tensegrity Cable network

Test ModelStructural principles of tensegrity will be used for addi-tional facade structures on the existing and for skin sys-tems applied to the new towers.

cables in tension

bars in compression

testing different configurations



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structure spreads load over wide area of ground through splayed structural members

Parametric Experiments for Towers and Cable Supports

Decks will be supported by hyperboloid towers. Pre-ten-sioned steel cables fix to structure along the perimeter of circulation spiral structure. This will distribute the load around the structure, mini-mizing issues with imbalance.

Experimenting with constructing paraboloid cable net struc-tures from spiral edge to platform edges

skin tensioned around structure

load

basic load forces

tension cables transfer load to structure

cables anchored at points of contact with reinforcing spiral

structure

parabolic crossed cable net hangs from structure to support

platform

other tower structures share platfrom load



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lattice structure gives rigidity

Hyperboloid Tower Structures

The tower will use steel frame lattice construction to gain maximum structural rigidity and load bearing capacity with minimum material useage. An outer bar and cable network system will act as a framework for adaptive skin systems to be applied on different areas of the facade by residents.

spiral circulation route braces tower structure

floors inserted into central spaces

spaces dressed with screens and skins by

residents to protect and adapt spaces

bar and cable network for skins or vegetation

thermal padding skin panels

weatherproof external membrane

climbing plants- e.g honeysuckle, ivy, jasmine



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Skins

Each of the towers will use a combination of three skin types at different locations and for different functions. These will be constructed and adapted by the women and other residents and will attach to a cable-stayed system as shown above. Central interior tower spaces will also be dressed and lined as required by the residents.

Cable Net Structure:Exterior anchor bars with tensioned cable net provide a framework for tensioning skins from. Lightweight skin pan-els can be applied and taken away by the women

Semi-Open:Tensile ptfe or other fabric panels stretch between exte-rior pin bars, providing a visual barrier or shading whilst allowing light in and free air movement through the spaces

Weather Coat:Complete tensile skin cover provides wind and rain-proofing

Quilting:Inflatable and lightweight thermal membrane-lined pillows to be provided as kits for self-assembly.

Gardens:The interior façade of the structure will be dressed in a lightweight clip-on steel cable net acting as a giant trel-lis for climbing plants, seasonal flowers and hedgerows. Planting pots will line the edges of the walkways to plant climbing berry plants, seasonal flowers and vegetables.

Climbing plants such as ivy and honeysuckle will be planted at the base of the framework structure and allowed to grow up the tower façade, creating habitats for local endangered wildlife such as hedgerow birds, bees and insects.Tensile …….fabric skins stretched across segments of fa-cades and walkways provide shelter from wind and rain in winter and shade in summer.

Library Spaces:Library, reading room and teaching spaces need to be well sound and thermally insulated. Exterior tensile cable nets will hold tensile skins

Play/Fitness Centre:Individual tensile fabric panels provide visual privacy

inflated pillow skin systems

lightweight high thermal performance fabrics

open tensile fabric screening and shading

trellis structures for clibing plants

bars and tension cable net

open tensile fabric panels



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bars and tension cable net

wall and land to be demolished

for HS2

constructing new landscapes with removed earth

recycling bricks in structure

Constructing a Landscape

Land to be removed and wall to be demolished for HS2 lines. Removed land to be used to construct a landscape for the scheme, as well as a sound and sight barrier along the site perimeter to protect from increased noise and disruption.

Bricks to be used in gabions for retaining walls for cut-in gardens in landscape



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Environmental and Energy Performance

Environmental and Energy Performance

Interventions in the existing building facade aim to increase thermal perfor-mance and energy efficiency in the flats.

The project will also collect rainwater for use in toilets and to water plants.

Small energy collecting and scavenging devices wille be encorporated into the existing building fabric as much as possible, e.g. photovoltaic solar cur-tains and micro-wind turbines.

These devices will be made and easily managed by the resident community and will not put strain on the existing or new structures, as larger solar panels or wind turbines might.

Current Energy Ratings for dwellings in Oxenholme Tower

small scale vibrational, solar and wind harvesting devices

claire's dr draft

Documents

design habits

design program

influence of modernity

postulate modernity

social housingcreating

world vulnerability

definition of vulnerability

production of vulnerability