BUILDING STORIES
Buildings have been marked by their age and their occupants and have survived their usage and longevity through constant change and repair, leaving a lasting impression on the collective memory of the community around the building and its users. Building Stories considers the repurposing of Ladywell Public Baths, bringing this long-abandoned heritage building back into contemporary life and continuing to write the stories that have taken place in and around it.
BRANDING SPATIAL CIRCULAR FUTURES
The Historical Dockyard has brought a significant economic benefit and reputation to the local area, attracting people to live and work here and creating a deep collective memory for countless locals and their generations to come. Since closure, the dockyard's chain of industries has been disrupted, its population has declined, its community values have faded, and a sense of alienation has developed between the Historical Dockyard and Chatham.
In the Historical Dockyard, many factory-scale and construction buildings remain from the days when it was a bustling manufacturing location. Despite its transformation into a tourist attraction, it still lacks appeal to locals. Based on surveys, the dockyard is frequented by tourists, dockyard enthusiasts, and students on school trips, but not by those who live nearby. Meanwhile, people feel that community life in Chatham is dull and homogenous and that they need an extra open space.
The building is designed as a multi-purpose space that integrates recreation, entertainment, education, and production.
The water source near the Medway River and the equipped rainwater harvesting system are utilised to satisfy the water needs inside and out of the building. There is an aquaponics growing system set up in the building, which is grown in a sustainable and recycled way, supplying fresh produce to nearby restaurants and schools, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. There is also a farmer's market on the exterior of the building, which community residents are invited to run, creating a platform for socialising and fostering the hobby of growing.
As an integrated community centre, the building also serves an educational function, providing opportunities for the public to practice and increase environmental awareness.
People of all ages are encouraged to visit and participate in activities in this public space, combining green space with nature to create a sustainable ecosystem. This project aims to contribute to Chatham's future by fostering innovation and community development.
THE LOCAL CONTEXT OF CHATHAM
This map analyses the density, distance and accessibility of the dockyard and its surrounding area. We worked in a small group to interview three residents of different careers and ages on the streets. We found there are the single recreational place they can go to in their leisure time, the fact that they don't go to the historic dockyard much for their activities There is a clear sense of severance between the neighborhoods where people main ly engage in activities and the dockyard.
THE MAP OF
THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM
ANALYSIS OF EXISTING
MAP OF THE HOST BUILDING IN THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM
THE EXISTING BUILT FABRIC MATERIAL
INTERIOR VIEW
ATMOSPHERIC DRAWINGS
SOUVENIR & DEVICE
THE DESIGN OF SOUVENIR
A souvenir can embody the character and identity of the experience and communicate something important about the place or event. So I use the idea of a souvenir as a means to show my initial research and analysis, intended to stimulate thought about the connections between the Dockyard and the area.
The basement of my souvenir is modelled on the bow of a ship, with three removable supports in the middle representing two population areas (Gillingham and Rochester) in the Chatham district and the Dockyard, which only collapses when the user pulls away from the Dockyard section. Expressing the significance of the dockyard as an integral part of the area sets the stage for how the design will next reinforce the dockyard's connection to the community and entice people to visit the place.
THE DESIGN OF DEVICE
The concept of my device design is rainwater harvesting and rainfall speed measurement, inspired by researching the climate of Chatham.
Designing and creating devices while considering the natural environment around existing buildings enhances designers' engagement and experience, evolving their skills and sensibilities as creators. I researched Chatham's climate, where the host building is located, and found that average monthly rainfall in Chatham is consistently categorized as heavy.
Furthermore, based on advice from local environmental organizations and charities like Medway Climate. It's feasible to install a rainwater collection system in the building. This system can not only be used for household purposes but also for irrigating plants and crops, making rainwater a recyclable resource.
Data collected by Weather Spark shows the accumulated rainfall over a 31-day sliding period centred on each day of the year. There is some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall in Chatham. The month with the most rainfall is October, with an average of 57mm. The month with the least rain is March, with an average of 30 mm.
Device in Dockyard
(Nearby the riverside and Armour Plat Shop)
Orignial Drainage system of
Armour Plat Shop
PROJECT PROGRAM
Caretaker
The caretaker works at a high school in Chatham. He goes to sports clubs and motorbike clubs frequently in his spare time. He felt that Chatham lacked places to have fun, so he joined clubs and organisations based on his interests and made many friends there. He thinks that people his age and above prefer this recreational mode.
Volunteer
The volunteer has been proud of Kent's green landscape and has been actively involved in activities to preserve the local natural landscape and urban green spaces. He urges the government to preserve as much of the city's green space as possible while implementing development projects.
The Teacher
The teacher works at a secondary school in Chatham and has seen that the children don't have a lot of after-school activities, so they often hang out around the school or in the town. He wants to see more places in Chatham where children can play safely and cultivate their interests.
LOCAL AUDIENCE
The Commuter
The Commuter works in London and lives in Chatham. He says that choosing to live here rather than in London is not only benefits from avoiding high rents but also the ease of commuting. Many commuters take the morning train directly to London Victoria Station and return in the evening. However, since work and commuting require a lot of management and physical effort, commuters generally spend their free time at home and do not get involved in too many community activities.
Construction workers
Chatham has several new residential building projects being developed to attract more people to live, work and visit the area. He says that these new projects are providing jobs for many people. Chatham is undergoing a major renovation, not only in terms of new buildings, but there are also several government projects to repair and renovate old buildings, so it will be some time before the projects are completed, but he is looking forward to the day when he sees the new face of the city.
Gardening Enthusiast
A planting and gardening enthusiast, she grows some plants and vegetables at home and is quite successful, so she would like to try growing them in an allotment. She has applied for an allotment near her home address in Chatham, but she is still on the waiting list.
WHAT KIND OF NEW PUBLIC SPACES ARE RESIDENTS LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Local people go to a relatively homogenous range of recreational sites in their spare time, and they seldom visit the historic dockyard for their activities. There is a clear sense of disconnect between the community where people primarily engage in activities and the Chatham Dockyard.
Chatham's authority district, Medway, is highly focused on the local natural environment and climate change. To address these concerns, it has organized and planned a series of actions, including:
- Ensuring high-quality green space in the new Local Plan for developments.
- Implementing systems to reduce energy consumption and promote low-carbon practices in building retrofit programs.
- Increasing awareness of climate change issues.
- Engaging residents, students, and workers in Medway communities in decision-making processes.
- Supporting community action to bring about positive change.
CONCEPT COLLAGE
FUNCTION AND PARTICIPANT COOPERATION DIAGRAM
CONCEPT
SYNTESIS MODEL
I chose 6 elements from precedencies that relate to my proposed use of the building to create a digital synthetic model. The spatial narrative of the model evokes my approach of the major project.
STRATEGY & PLANNING
DESIGN ITERATIONS
SPATIAL ZONING
SPATIAL DIAGRAM
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC VIEW
MATERIAL PALETTE
1. Corrugated Aluminium
2. Steel
3. Red Brick
4. Plaster
5. Fabric
6. Glass
7. Wires
8. Timber
9. Bio Board
10. Pattern Floor Tiles
11.Sand & Stones
12.Concrete
PLAN & SECTION
THE GROUND FLOOR
1. Market
2. Reception
3. Main Entrance
4. Book Shelf
5. Storage
6. Office
7. Auditorium
8. Meeting Room/Workshop
9. Seating Area
10. Storage Room
11. WC
12. Staircase
13. Aquaponic Farm
14. Fish Tank
15. Equipments Room
16. Cafeteria
17. Staff Changing Room
18. Kitchen
19. Cafe Bar
20. Ingredients Storage Room
THE FIRST FLOOR
SECTION AA
SECTION BB
