DEVELOPING PLAN
KURVE 7, PLAN FROM PRECEDENT
Beginning to manipulate the plan in accordance with the original strageties laid out. The plan became two axis which were then seperated out from each other. As public space is of key importance in this scheme I wanted to widen the span between the buildings giving more generous room for circulation. Opening the axis up onto Stretford Rd was also a key decision, highlighting the importance of the transport network and inviting people into the space.
CHANGING AXIS
ALIGNING PLAN
Stragetically placing the plan onto site was key. The surrounding building context and the key transportation networks Leaf St and Stretford Rd needed to be considered. I aligned the plan with the building context and had the circulation of the plan running perpendicular to Streford Rd so that passers by would have viewpoints directly down the centre of the site and circulation would be encouraged through the site.
KEY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
After looking at the Kurve 7 through my Big Draw 2 study, the end result of the charrette allowed me to have a basis of beginning my plan development. By overlaying the Kurve Plan onto site I could begin imagining what my spaces will become.
Transport Links
- Roads are the means by which people travel, therefore connecting them well creates ease and views onto the site, plus additional economic value of visitors.
Building Context
- Surrounding the site is mainly residental buildings. Connecting and placing the buildings well within this environment is key in designing well.
Alley Space
- An initial design issue came up in this stage of the plan in the spacing between the buildings. In order to design securely and create welcoming spaces these alleys need to be at least 4000mm from building to building.
Circulation
- Creating circulation through the geometry of the buildings is a simple way to encourage flow through the scheme. The space towards the end of the retail space will become the main 'meeting space' with the flow of the retil units connecting to that.
CREATING RETAIL UNITS UNIQUE FORMS
GEOMETRY INSPIRING PLAN
Sketching out the master plan, connecting buildings through geometry
After stragetically analysing where the plan was to be placed I drew over the Kurve 7 plan even further to create the desired retail units. I created seven retail spaces, all of which will be further broken up to hold more stores. Each unit has the same structural stragety, using CLT structural panels. The width of the alleyways have been widen to make sure they are more than 4000mm, and the units slightly altered to sit well within the context.
I began to explore what these retail would look like in model form, using the structural strategy to aid me in creating these designs. Further moving forward from the Big Draw 2 modelling, I began to create spaces derived from the creation of the plan and also begin to imagien what the spaces are like internally with relationship to structure.
SOLAR GEOMETRY SUPPORTING PLAN
The geometry of the plan has also been layed out with consideration to geometry of the sun on site. Stretford Rd runs along the south side of the site naturally creating a southern facing focal point. The avenue which runs down the centre of the site captures the sun throughout the day, with the rooflights on the retail units strategically placed to capture sun into the storage rooms. The training centre has been angled to face south whilst also doing so to gain views down the site. This relationship between sun geometry and Stretford Rd being a focal point means that the plan gains the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day.