In order to understand the missing design issues, it is important that I reflect on the process in various scales. By taking a step back and reminding myself of the very first design decisions I made and why I made them. Another 'big draw' day charrette to overlay the design with new ideas and solutions. First off, let's go back to the basics..
What's next?
Macro
|ˈmakrō | noun | a network of knowledges; overall
Apartments
(4 storeys)
Housing
(2 storeys)
The Ribbon
The Site
Community vs. student
relationship
|ˈmɛsəʊ | prefix | the places and spaces; intermediate
Meso
2 Bedroom apartments
Circulation systems
3 Bedroom housings
Courtyard gardens
Courtyard expressing unity of the apartment units. A place of high privacy to escape, to socialise and unite.
Highlighted in red is the circulation system containing the elevator and stair cores of the apartment blocks.
Floating foundation can be used for the apartment blocks due to its massing. A raft is placed deep enough into the soil that the weight of the excavated soil is greater than the weight of the construction supported.
Strip footing can be used for the foundation of each of these housing dwellings. A continuous spread footing of a foundation wall can allow all loads to be distributed down to the soil equally.
Micro
|ˈmīkrō | noun | structural materiality; small scale
An alternate route would be to use pile foundation for a portal frame covering each ends of the apartment units as shown in the micro section. The main load is then distributed through the collumn into the pile block and piles.
OR
Howick’s Framing machines can be used to produce light weight portal framed buildings. These machines have the added advantage of being able to produce in the required design form and integrating it into the structure of the building. The light weight frames reduce foundation requirements.
Source: http://www.howickltd.com
Isolated footings; a single spread footing supporting a free standing pier formed from a portal frame. This type of foundation costs less.
As the apartment blocks rise to only 4 storeys high, these steel portal frames can support the span of each unit without any support of extra collumns.
Red bricks of Manchester: local material therefore cheap transportation and stays part of the community
Wooden panels; oak, red cherry and burnt brown. Warm feeling for interior and aesthetically satisfying for exterior.
Concrete for circulation system solidarity and security.