A Hybrid Neighbourhood Built on Kith

Semester one began with an imaginative primer project which allowed me to explore the themes of industry. This led to the design of an intimate space for a single type of small-scale industry. I chose to explore a family of makers who shaped the brief based on their needs, The Goodman’s. This led into more investigations into my thesis and Stroud.

. Research led me to investigating the family business model which led to inquiries into its success and how it might serve industry. This was applied to Stroud and how the town operates as a family through networks of familial roles. This led to my thesis which will explore how industry can enhance the experience of connection and kith in Stroud. I investigated this further in an industrial context in semester two. Stroud has a rich history with industry having relied heavily on its woollen mills in the industrial revolution.

My site is located between the river and the canal and is currently in use as an industrial site predominately for the construction sector, as a travis parker yard. I chose the site because of its size and location. After the working day, industrial districts are long forgotten and left abandoned. Hybridity and inclusion is my solution to this. The final scheme involves mixed use development such as housing, eateries, bars, and services which are going to drive this industrial district from the hubbub of the working day, through the night. I have created some design principles that have influenced my brief 1. Access throughout the district via level surfaces, ramps, and lifts creates an inclusive, connected environment 2. High quality space between buildings Street widths are determined by rules that keep the user engaged with their environment such as alternating street widths and corners. Sheltered outdoor workspace drives social connection 3. Mixed use development such as housing, eateries, bars, and service sector uses are going to drive this industrial district from the hubbub of the working day, through the night A mixed-use manufacturing district has been developed by a people centred programme. Public spaces such as a manufacturing school, nursery and canteen support people and families. Residential units support keeping the district alive after the working day and shorten

An important aspect of the scheme is sustainability and a circular economy. Industry produces a lot of waste, so the construction of my scheme is focussed on using recycled materials. Expanded cork blocks use waste cork from wine corks. The foundations use rubble from demolition of structures on site. The bricks are low carbon and recycled. The structural and energy strategy follow a similar concept.