Sunday 16 January 2011
Friday 14 January 2011
Lime Mortar - Restoration of Historical Buildings
Mortar composed of lime, aggregate (sand), plus water. It is one of the oldest known types of mortar, (4th century BC) known to be you in Ancient Rome and Greece.
When ordinary portland cement (OPC) was introduced during the 19th century the use of lime mortar in new constructions declined, largely due to portland's ease of use, quick setting and compressive strength. However the soft, porous properties of lime mortar provide certain advantages when working with softer building materials such as natural stone and terracotta. For this reason, while OPC continues to be commonly used in brick and concrete construction, in the repair of older, stone-built structures and the restoration of historical buildings the use of OPC has largely been discredited.
When ordinary portland cement (OPC) was introduced during the 19th century the use of lime mortar in new constructions declined, largely due to portland's ease of use, quick setting and compressive strength. However the soft, porous properties of lime mortar provide certain advantages when working with softer building materials such as natural stone and terracotta. For this reason, while OPC continues to be commonly used in brick and concrete construction, in the repair of older, stone-built structures and the restoration of historical buildings the use of OPC has largely been discredited.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Contemporary Conversions - Church Ireland
A chance encounter, childhood memories and a desire to split their time between Dublin and County Mayo was all the inspiration Andrew and Jackie Lohan required to go about buying and restoring a derelict church.
Built in 1835 and abandoned for 101 years, since it was struck by lightening and burned to the ground in 1902, the church was in a dreadful state of disrepair when the Lohans and their two children stumbled across it on a family holiday to the area in the west of Ireland in 1998.
Rather than being put off by the church's poor condition and the amount of work ahead, architect Andrew and boutique owner Jackie were motivated by the challenge to faithfully restore the building to its former glory, while at the same time creating a modern, comfortable home that would be uplifting with a sense of drama.
Setting a six-month timeline to complete the work, Andrew himself drew up the plans and was to project manage the job, driving the eight-hour round trip from Dublin to County Mayo every second weekend, working with local builder Padraig O'Malley and stonemason Cathal Cregg.
By its very nature, being tall, narrow and not overly long at seven metres, the church posed unique problems to be overcome: how to insert a modern interior, comprising a kitchen, living room and bedrooms, within a vast, open shell and not have it feel chopped up and lose its sense of drama.
Built in 1835 and abandoned for 101 years, since it was struck by lightening and burned to the ground in 1902, the church was in a dreadful state of disrepair when the Lohans and their two children stumbled across it on a family holiday to the area in the west of Ireland in 1998.
Rather than being put off by the church's poor condition and the amount of work ahead, architect Andrew and boutique owner Jackie were motivated by the challenge to faithfully restore the building to its former glory, while at the same time creating a modern, comfortable home that would be uplifting with a sense of drama.
Setting a six-month timeline to complete the work, Andrew himself drew up the plans and was to project manage the job, driving the eight-hour round trip from Dublin to County Mayo every second weekend, working with local builder Padraig O'Malley and stonemason Cathal Cregg.
By its very nature, being tall, narrow and not overly long at seven metres, the church posed unique problems to be overcome: how to insert a modern interior, comprising a kitchen, living room and bedrooms, within a vast, open shell and not have it feel chopped up and lose its sense of drama.
The solution, lighted upon by Andrew, was to build a lightweight self-supporting timber structure that would form the individual rooms and allow them to build upwards into the cavernous roof area. The second floor would feature a gallery leading to two bedrooms and two bathrooms, while below, accessed by a lobby leading from the front door, a full-height sitting room, kitchen/diner, underneath the vast altar window, and two further bedrooms and bathroom are on the ground floor.
The plans drawn, and with only slight reservations expressed by Jackie regarding the potentially too small kitchen, the work began. The first job was for the stonemason, Cathal, to restore the lightening damaged and century-long neglected tower - it was to prove such a tall order that in his 25 years' experience Cathal had never seen a structure whose brickwork was in a worse condition.
Waiting in the wings while Cathal and his team finished a job that was ultimately to take several weeks longer than scheduled, the builder, Padraig, who having lived in the area all his life had long hoped for the challenge of working on the church, planned his approach to a restoration job that for him would become a labour of love.
In consultation with Andrew, Padraig laid a concrete floor (the original floor was timber laid over earth) to provide the necessary support for the internal wooden structure that, in turn, would double up as the scaffolding to enable the builders to reach and prepare the brickwork with a consolidating ring of concrete to take the considerable weight of the roof.
While the use of concrete on top of brick is not in itself good conservation practice, the decision to utilise yellow-coloured brickwork around the concrete ring is as it draws attention to rather than attempting to hide the changes made. Such a strong conscious decision to restore the church sympathetically is central to Andrew's architectural philosophy and is reflected elsewhere in the painstaking attention to detail demonstrated.
The plans drawn, and with only slight reservations expressed by Jackie regarding the potentially too small kitchen, the work began. The first job was for the stonemason, Cathal, to restore the lightening damaged and century-long neglected tower - it was to prove such a tall order that in his 25 years' experience Cathal had never seen a structure whose brickwork was in a worse condition.
Waiting in the wings while Cathal and his team finished a job that was ultimately to take several weeks longer than scheduled, the builder, Padraig, who having lived in the area all his life had long hoped for the challenge of working on the church, planned his approach to a restoration job that for him would become a labour of love.
In consultation with Andrew, Padraig laid a concrete floor (the original floor was timber laid over earth) to provide the necessary support for the internal wooden structure that, in turn, would double up as the scaffolding to enable the builders to reach and prepare the brickwork with a consolidating ring of concrete to take the considerable weight of the roof.
While the use of concrete on top of brick is not in itself good conservation practice, the decision to utilise yellow-coloured brickwork around the concrete ring is as it draws attention to rather than attempting to hide the changes made. Such a strong conscious decision to restore the church sympathetically is central to Andrew's architectural philosophy and is reflected elsewhere in the painstaking attention to detail demonstrated.
Externally, the brickwork has been repointed using traditional lime mortar; internally the bricks around each window have been repaired using hand-cut fillets of yellow brick. Elsewhere, in the building, over 300 original holes in the brickwork have been filled manually - all jobs undertaken almost single-handedly by Padraig.
Andrew and Jackie are quick to praise Padraig's skill and devotion to duty that saw him work seven days a week for several weeks in his quest to complete the job well and without too much of an over-run. Padraig, himself, was only too happy to work on a job that many other craftsmen no longer have the time for and one that he feels has helped breathe new life into a local landmark.
Andrew and Jackie are quick to praise Padraig's skill and devotion to duty that saw him work seven days a week for several weeks in his quest to complete the job well and without too much of an over-run. Padraig, himself, was only too happy to work on a job that many other craftsmen no longer have the time for and one that he feels has helped breathe new life into a local landmark.
Kevin McCloud:
'Rarely have I seen a successful church conversion and, initially, I was concerned that in dividing up the space by inserting a modern interior this great, epic shell would lose its sense of theatre and feel chopped up'.
'But I needn't have worried because ten months on, and completed, it looks magnificent. Outside, Padraig's labour of love, the pointing, is perfect, and inside it's romantic and rich with so much to look at'.
'Andrew and Jackie have achieved a delicate balance in maintaining the theatre of space but at same time they have made a comfortable, practical home of an uncompromising building, and it has to be the best church conversion I have ever seen'.
Contemporary Conversions - Textile Mill
A derelict woollen mill in a Yorkshire village may not say 'modernist' to everyone. But Chris and Gill - who, fortunately, run their own specialist joinery business - saw it as the perfect opportunity to create a visionary home. They liked the traditional brick of the building and opted to keep the exterior virtually untouched. Inside, they would strip everything out and make a home of fluid spaces, based around an open-plan ground floor, an atrium and a galleried upper floor.
Then came the radical stage of their design - a giant custom-made steel framework fixed inside the building's shell. Like a great 3D noughts-and-crosses grid, it gave structural support and defined the internal spaces. The building would grow around this.
High-Tech But Not Stark
On the ground floor, the single vast living area was given a suggestion of divisions by the upright columns of the framework. Above, the central area - the atrium - was left open to the glass-paned roof, and bedrooms were built around the edge of the building, leading onto a galleried landing.
The architecture is modern and high-tech, but not stark. There are curved shapes and irregular spaces. High up in the atrium, a tubular shower unit juts from the wall like some weather-sculpted rock formation. The free-standing sink unit in the kitchen billows like a boat.
Industrial And Organic
Materials are a deliberate mixture of industrial and organic. Natural wood floors give a warm feel, while the steel frame is left exposed as a design feature. The kitchen mixes wood, chrome and polished black granite. And Chris and Gill built comfort into their plans: they installed underfloor heating and the many windows are double-glazed, conserving heat in winter.
Glass panes in the roof, also double glazed, provide a constant play of natural light, which pours into the atrium and picks out the details of the interior.
The Detail
Spaces are carefully designed. The ground floor is a single, flowing space with smaller areas within it, marked out by architectural features and furniture.
Colours are neutral downstairs - black, beige and white. Art has been painted directly onto walls to keep them smooth.
Furniture has elegant lines (squared-off sofas, rectangular tables) and no single piece is dominant.
Natural light is an active player in this design. A long line of windows set into the ground floor brings light into the living area, and glass panes in the roof flood the atrium with Yorkshire's ever-changing patterns of light and shadow.
Internal walls and wood timbers are boxed with plasterboard and painted white for a sleek look. The exposed steel frame was sanded smooth and spray-painted white.
High-spec electronics, installed for maximum comfort, were integrated into the design. Sophisticated control panels offer instant control over heating, hot water and lighting.
The TV, DVD player, VCR and stereo are set into one wall in specially made steel-and-glass cabinets. The stereo speakers are wide, flat and mounted on walls like paintings.
The TV, DVD player, VCR and stereo are set into one wall in specially made steel-and-glass cabinets. The stereo speakers are wide, flat and mounted on walls like paintings.
In the kitchen, organic shapes and surfaces offset the futuristic chrome. The boat-shaped sink unit is topped with polished black granite, which glows in the light. Kitchen stools have scooped-out seats resembling shells.
Chris and Gill fitted thin 'ship's-rail' steel banisters around the galleried landing, emphasising the openness of the space.
Shallow stairs lead from the ground floor to the landing. The pale wood and black detailing of the steps reflects the colour scheme of the living area, while the steel banisters prepare you for the airy coolness of upstairs.
The tubular shower unit is decorated with dark blue tiles inside, and its outer wall, visible from the atrium, is painted white. A line of glass bricks is set into the wall to allow light to filter through.
This house is more than half way to being eco-friendly without even trying. By renovating an existing building, Gill and Chris are minimising the need for new materials.
Their meticulous restoration of old bricks and slates wins them green points and breathes new life into a piece of local architecture. And while they could have used more materials with green credentials (such as insulation and plaster), Chris and Gill have opted for energy-conserving double-glazing and underfloor heating.
Kevin McCloud:
'This is the classic Le Corbusier white 1920s and 1930s look, brilliantly adapted to the building'
'...It's a wonderful space, with pleasing smaller spaces within it, and constant plays of light.'
'You feel a cleaner, better, healthier human being just sitting there.'
'You feel a cleaner, better, healthier human being just sitting there.'
Ground Source Heat Pump
Ground Source Heat Pump
Ground source heat pumps collect low-grade heat from the ground and increase it in temperature via a heat pump to supply heating loads. The ground source heat pump system consists of ground loops, which are loops of pipe buried at shallow depth in ground adjacent to the building and a heat pump, which is installed in the property replacing the boiler. The efficiency – or Coefficienct of Performance the ratio of useful energy out to energy into a system – of such systems can exceed 350% due to the relatively high temperature of the ground.
The average ground temperature just below the surface in the UK is between 8°C to 13°C and remains constant throughout the year. Water circulated through the ground loops is at lower temperature than the surrounding ground so warms up slightly, picking up energy from the ground. In the heat pump, this low grade heat is transferred to a refrigerant which is then compressed to increase the temperature, allowing a supply of heat to the building at approximately 50 – 55°C.
The temperature of heat supply from a heat pump is ideally suited for use with a wet underfloor heating system, but is lower than that traditionally provided by a boiler for a radiator based system. For this reason, it is important to plan for the installation of a ground-source system early in the design of the building’s heating system, so that appropriate emitters can be installed for the temperature of supply.
Ground source heat pumps collect low-grade heat from the ground and increase it in temperature via a heat pump to supply heating loads. The ground source heat pump system consists of ground loops, which are loops of pipe buried at shallow depth in ground adjacent to the building and a heat pump, which is installed in the property replacing the boiler. The efficiency – or Coefficienct of Performance the ratio of useful energy out to energy into a system – of such systems can exceed 350% due to the relatively high temperature of the ground.
The average ground temperature just below the surface in the UK is between 8°C to 13°C and remains constant throughout the year. Water circulated through the ground loops is at lower temperature than the surrounding ground so warms up slightly, picking up energy from the ground. In the heat pump, this low grade heat is transferred to a refrigerant which is then compressed to increase the temperature, allowing a supply of heat to the building at approximately 50 – 55°C.
The temperature of heat supply from a heat pump is ideally suited for use with a wet underfloor heating system, but is lower than that traditionally provided by a boiler for a radiator based system. For this reason, it is important to plan for the installation of a ground-source system early in the design of the building’s heating system, so that appropriate emitters can be installed for the temperature of supply.
Monday 3 January 2011
Contemporary Conversions - Hillcott Barn
Grand Designs Episodes
Hillcot Barn 5/5
Hillcott barn an old Herefordshire threshing stone barn located in the village of Hope Mansel near the forest of Dean featured on Channel Four's Grand Designs series in April 2006. The project started filming in 2004.
Hillcot Barn 5/5
Hillcott barn an old Herefordshire threshing stone barn located in the village of Hope Mansel near the forest of Dean featured on Channel Four's Grand Designs series in April 2006. The project started filming in 2004.
The barn located on a vantage point of a steep hill adjacent to open farmland and woodland was a raw canvas unspoilt by progress. The construction of the roof was in rustic timber using elm for the trusses and rubble stone with lime pointing and lime washing to the walls. The roof was in blue riven slates.
As a threshing barn the structure had narrow arrow slit windows to provide natural ventilation to the stored grain and two large openings opposite each other to facilitate the threshing of the wheat. The structure was all about wind and shelter using the high vantage point to great benefit.
The designs employed expert conservation techniques that have been developed by RRA Architects over many years. A radical plan to facilitate phased construction and off site manufacture was adopted principally as a cost saving measure.
The essence of the design was to rest lightly on the fabric of the old barn and insert modern accommodation standards in the form of pods that created the kitchen, dressing room, bathroom, ensuite and tv snug. Each of these were made off site and lowered into a pre prepared position ready for connection.
The essence of the design was to rest lightly on the fabric of the old barn and insert modern accommodation standards in the form of pods that created the kitchen, dressing room, bathroom, ensuite and tv snug. Each of these were made off site and lowered into a pre prepared position ready for connection.
The raised roof was the ingenious architectural design, featured on the show. This method of introducing ventilation and daylight into the building without the need for new windows or enlarged arrow slits, which would have destroyed the delicate historic fabric of the walls of the barn was the key to the success of the project and good conservation technique.
Hillcott Barn looked more like a Tuscan monastery than an English barn. When the farmer put it up for sale, most people who viewed it walked away. It was dark and isolated and could only be reached by a half mile farm track with a steep gradient.
But furniture designer Robert Ellis had had his eye on it for some time. For years he'd been jogging past the barn and always thought one day he'd like to live there. Against all advice, Rob and his wife Jane, a textile designer, went ahead and bought the barn for £210,000 and proposed to convert at £250,000.The couple had radical ideas for their new home. The barn was so dark all their plans were designed to get as much light into the space as possible. By adding a new slate roof and building a narrow window all the way around the top of the building between the walls, thin shafts of light filter into the building mirroring the slashes of light created by the old slit windows.
But furniture designer Robert Ellis had had his eye on it for some time. For years he'd been jogging past the barn and always thought one day he'd like to live there. Against all advice, Rob and his wife Jane, a textile designer, went ahead and bought the barn for £210,000 and proposed to convert at £250,000.The couple had radical ideas for their new home. The barn was so dark all their plans were designed to get as much light into the space as possible. By adding a new slate roof and building a narrow window all the way around the top of the building between the walls, thin shafts of light filter into the building mirroring the slashes of light created by the old slit windows.
The large threshing doors on either side of the barn have been replaced with two huge full height glass doors which pivot at the centre so that the barn can be opened up completely to the elements. Downstairs, a polished concrete floor extends outwards through the large glass doors on either side of the building so that the whole structure looks like a cross from the air.
What inspired you to take on this build?
We had seen this barn with its red doors from the vantage point in the village over the years and jokingly said we would love to live there - never thinking it might happen. In 2002 Robert was very ill and one of the images that kept him going was the barn in the early morning - he had a photo of it beside the bed.
The site is outstanding, the first time we went up to the barn battling through 68 old vehicles and nettles and brambles and stood looking out over the view to the south it was a coup de foudre! A 360 degree view in an area of outstanding natural beauty, no pylons, no chance of buildings, just sheep.
We came to the decision slowly - barn conversions are not taken on lightly and we had been involved in two smaller ones earlier. We knew the problems and had said after the last one never again.
The project was like riding a tiger, you stay on to the end or he might eat you.
We had decided that the barn and its site demanded the best we could give it, an opportunity like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
We wanted to conserve the structure, changing or interfering with it as little as possible. We wanted to create a departure from a normal barn conversion but find an exciting but enduring solution to turning the barn into a dwelling. We saw it as spaces and activities, not rooms.
The project was life changing, after a wrong start with a builder who turned out not to be what he said he was, I took the huge decision to manage project myself. This meant putting any other life on hold for 18 months, as I also did my own subcontracting. Most smaller builders these days don't employ anyone, you then know who you will be working with. We had to get a planning change to build the road and the utilities gave problems from the outset.
The project was challenging, exhilarating and exhausting, keeping so much in your head and bringing in the concept at a price you can afford and the quality you want.
Which design features are you most proud of and why?
English Heritage in a recent article state that they worry about the domestic clutter incorporated in and surrounding many agricultural developments. I think we have created, an evolution of the building - hiding nothing of its history, its patina of age and use and adding only what is necessary to conserve the fabric for the next 200 years.
I love the fact that all our structural works interfere so little with the natural materials and look. The barn has been there hundreds of years and still looks that way - I didn't want 'pub' pointing and farm house 'tweeness'. This is a strong powerful building, like a Tuscan hill farm. I wanted to retain this mass footprint in the landscape.
The design was to incorporate old with new, light with dark. The special layout of the spaces within the barn work! Deliberately our new interior additions are separated from the old structure by a light grey margin, this is in varying materials according to the position, steel mesh, grey steel , deliberate gaps, glass and space.
I enjoy using a variety of materials; stone, steel, oak, walnut, glass, lacquer. Their visual appearance is satisfying to the eye and creates an experience of calm. Creating this look of simplicity has been the most difficult aspect of the barn however we think the hard work has finally paid off.
What room is your favourite and how do you use it?
The sitting room upstairs has for us the main wow factor. The space incorporates the impressive timber and steel roof structure juxtaposed against glass and the oak floor. We adore the views - to sit in the early evening looking out over this wonderful landscape is heaven.
'How do you measure the success of a building? Well if it's according to how well it comes in on budget and schedule then this place is an abject failure. But great architecture is not about meeting targets. All that stuff gets forgotten about in five years time.'
'It's about how a building makes you feel now and in ten or twenty years time. It's about how far it pushes ideas to the very edge. And of course that means problems and difficulties along the way. But if you are prepared to invest in great ideas just look at what you get.'
'It's about how a building makes you feel now and in ten or twenty years time. It's about how far it pushes ideas to the very edge. And of course that means problems and difficulties along the way. But if you are prepared to invest in great ideas just look at what you get.'
DDA Compliant Building
DDA Compliant Website
The DDA aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face. This Act gives disabled people rights in the areas of:
Fully DDA compliant Engine House
DDA Toilet Layout
The DDA aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face. This Act gives disabled people rights in the areas of:
- Employment
- Access to goods, facilities and services
- Buying or renting land or property.
S.W.O.T Analysis
STRENGTHS
· Holds true to the ideology of diversity and access for all
· Inclusive design
· Future proofing
· Large majority of the public would be able to use the building
WEAKNESSES
· Expensive - lift access, ramps, DDA machinery, structural integrity
· Intrusive to the original building structure, if the obvious solution is used. i.e. original chimney shaft is used for vertical circulation to each floor, a large opening would need to be made, which would severely disturb the original structure
· Not in keeping with the sensitive nature of the development
· Can often take over a design and become main driving force
· Designing for the minority not the majority of public
OPPORTUNITIES
· Advertising inclusive design experience
· Business expansion
THREATS
· Budget overrun – proposed user group would not be able to afford to build
DDA Toilet Layout
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