UCA 3D Design 3: ‘Rethink’ Brief
Idea generation
Chaucer Road
Researching Other Options
Chaucer Technology School
The Chaucer technology school was one of the most promising alternatives I came across whilst researching abandoned Canterbury spaces. Built before the 2nd World War, the school was closed in 2015 following falling standards (Wright, 2020). The large open spaces, abundance of natural light and relatively central location made it seem a practical candidate for renovation, rather than demolition.
Images courtesy of the report by ‘Dragon Temper’ that led me to the site (Temper, 2020).
The site, however, was demolished in early 2020 (Wright, 2020), following Asbestos removal (Temper, 2020). Asbestos is a recurring theme for the structures I looked into.
Asbestos
I wanted to include a brief note on the prolific hazard and barrier to redevelopment that is Asbestos, used widely for electrical wiring, insulation and other construction forms. My original plans for all the sites I researched included a physical investigation, but after exploring the range of protection needed to safely explore these often unmaintained, crumbling structures, I decided to limit myself to external photography and modelling. Asbestos is the largest threat to urban explorers (Swantek, 2020), but this risk would also translate to any theoretical redevelopment, as Asbestos removal is costly. This is a driving factor towards demolition over redevelopment, as to make a building safe can be pricier than to build new over the old site.
St Thomas’ Hill Water Tower
Another 28dayslater report led be to the currently uninhabited, but still standing, water tower at St Thomas’ Hill. Built in the 1920s, and currently used as a mobile phone mast, the holding tank at the bottom of the tower is under redevelopment but the tower itself remains unused (Llama, 2020). Here are some images of the interior (I was unable to gain access, so these images come from the report author, ‘Llama’).
(Llama, 2020)
Artist and Other Research
Water Tower Home in Antwerp, Belgium
This concrete water tower was repurposed into a small home by Crepain Binst architects using large glass facades, preserving the tank at the top as a usable space. By restyling the exterior, the building is transformed from its original function into a structure that is much more homely, by distancing itself from the original.
Bird Watching Tower by Johansen Skovested Architects
In this article (Norlander, 2019) the photographer Rasmus Norlander shows the work of Johansen Skovested Architects, who had built a bird watching tower in Tipperne, Denmark. It highlights the many possibilities that tall structures can have beyond housing or other typical tower designs. The minimal steel frame gives way to flat panelling, enabling large views for bird watching and data collection.
’Water Tower Utrecht’ — Zecc Architects
For their redevelopment project in Utrecht, transforming a water tower into an observation point, Zecc replaced the old staircase with a new one, which, however, preserves the open style, allowing views up and down throughout. “The strength of this plan lies in a combination of extreme restraint on the exterior and an architectural statement on the inside of the tower," the design team are quoted as saying by Choraria (2022). This drove me towards the spiral staircase I later decided on when remodelling the St Thomas’ Hill water tower, as the spirit of the interior is kept whilst modernising it.
Abandoned structure documentation
Photographs and 3D Modelling
For my two final chosen structures, I began by creating a 3D model of the exterior to act as a concrete, multifunctional reference image of each building. The use of a UAV allowed me to document each without posing risk to myself or the buildings themselves, and without breaching trespassing laws.
Chaucer Road
View post on imgur.comtakeoff
3D model
Although I liked the way the model came out, the issue of detail came up fairly quickly. Having spoken to my mother, who specialises in renovating old buildings, she had highlighted that this structure, likely built in the 1930s, was a high asbestos risk. The burnt out roof emphasised that any present would have been disturbed, and that the structure itself wasn’t sound either. To remodel this structure seemed strange when the floor-plan already had a clear function, and I could not access the building to explore it. Any remodelling would have been speculative, and I felt it would be more interesting (and less counterproductive) to find a space that did not already have a current purpose. I therefore chose the next structure to work with instead.
St Thomas’ Hill Water Tower
Although access was again not possible, I had the interior images to work with here, and a new purpose for the building had more possibilities. I took a series of stills using my digital camera, and then moved on to collecting images with my drone for modelling.
I tried two tools for creating the models from the data I collected across both locations. The first, opendronemap, required setting up a remote server for processing, as I don’t have a powerful enough computer. The results were intriguing, but not as cohesive as I was looking for, and the algorithm missed details. I decided to use a simpler solution that required less tinkering, and went with Polycam, whose web interface provided a simple drag and drop process for combining images into a model. It’s the results I got from their tool that feature in this sketchbook.
3D Model
3D Model, cropped
Recreating Water Tower in CAD
Having decided on the water tower, I began the remodelling by recreating the exterior structure roughly in a mobile CAD software called SHAPR3D.
Ideas for Redevelopment
I had a few ideas as to what the interior could be repurposed for. The neighbouring water tank was already being developed into residential housing, so I decided to go for a public space instead. The idea of a community arts centre made sense, given the proximity to Canterbury and UCA.
Camera Obscura
Speaking to a tutor during peer review, we discussed the idea of the camera obscura, and the way it brings the outdoors in. Instead of just using large windows, a darkened room with a small aperture on the wall would fill the space with an immersive image of the outside world. This would both provide an interesting view and give the space a sense of creativity, triggering ideas of image and projection in a viewer’s mind. The space could also be used to show videos on a screen, given it would have to be possible to darken it for the camera.
Tutorial review sheet.
Interior and Exterior Panels for Artwork
To fulfil its function as an arts centre, panels hanging down the centre of the tower could be used to display images, which would be seen from the spiral staircase as a viewer walked up. The tower is located next to an A road, which gave me the idea of having projections or other images on the exterior of the building, turning it into a sort of creative billboard. It would have pieces of work as well as timetables for exhibitions visible to passers-by.
Interior Redesign
With these ideas in mind, I used the same CAD software to add key internal elements like the image panels as well as the new staircase. This is best shown by this technical drawing:
The staircase can also be seen from the outside of the building in new exterior renders:
I was unable to decide a specific material for new interior elements, so in renders used the same concrete as the original tower (without the white paint coating). Given the severe environmental impact of concrete, elements such as the staircase could be made from a local material such as sustainable MDF, or light gauge non-virgin steel, but this would depend on budgetary restraints and other factors.
Final Renders
Using SHAPR3D renders, followed by procreate editing, I used some of my own images, as well as the names of friends and their work to create mockups of the theoretical space.
Interior as seen from ground floor.
Works as seen from halfway point on staircase
Projection screen, then a mock-up of the camera obscura, with edges blocked to fill only the screen.
Exterior with images of work and timetable for exhibitions.
Reference list
Chaucer (disambiguation) (2020) At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChaucerSchool (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Frearson, A. (2014) Zecc Architecten Transforms a Water Tower into an Observation Point. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2014/05/02/viewpoint-sint-jansklooster-observation-point-staircases-zecc-architecten/amp/ (Accessed 07/02/2023).
Lee, H. J. (s.d.) 빛 그리고 빛(Light Green Leaves with Light), 2012. At: http://www.hyunjeanlee.com/works/eachpage/LightLight.htm (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Llama (2020) Report - - St. Thomas Hill Water Tower, Canterbury, Kent - July 2020 | Other Sites. At: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-thomas-hill-water-tower-canterbury-kent-july-2020.124819/ (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Norlander, R. (2019) Johansen Skovsted Arkitekter, Rasmus Norlander · Tipperne Bird Sanctuary. At: https://divisare.com/projects/370357-johansen-skovsted-arkitekter-rasmus-norlander-tipperne-bird-sanctuary (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Nunheim, A. (2012) Watertower. At: https://www.ignant.com/2012/09/20/watertower/ (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Swantek, B. (2020) Asbestos Exposure Is No. 1 Danger for Urban Explorers. At: https://www.asbestos.com/blog/2015/12/21/asbestos-exposure-urban-explorers/ (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Temper, D. (2020) Report - - Chaucer Tech College, Canterbury - September 2019 | Other Sites. At: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/chaucer-tech-college-canterbury-september-2019.121923/ (Accessed 30/01/2023).
Wright, J. (2020) School Reduced to Rubble as Bulldozers Move in. At: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/school-reduced-to-rubble-as-bulldozers-move-in-227553/ (Accessed 30/01/2023).