Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. The Cultural and Architectural Background of the Research
2.2. Issue Connected with Energy Performance
2.3. Analysis of the State of the Art: The Working Sample
- Movable boxes, Yona Friedman, 1949
- Meudon, Jean Prouvè, France, 1950
- Jarnbrott Experimental housing, Tage and Anders William-Olsson, Sweden 1953
- Single-space house for four people, Gio Ponti, Italy 1957
- Kallebäck Experimental Housing, Erik Friberger, Sweden, 1960
- The adaptable house, Development Group of the MHLG, UK, 1962
- Extendible houses, J.H. van den Broek, J.B. Bakema, The Netherlands 1963.
- Neuwil, Metron-Architekten AG, Switzerland, 1962–1965
- E.C.C.S. Steel Housing, J.H. van den Broek, J.B. Bakema, Netherlands, 1967
- Wohnhaus Kronsberger Stasse, Bernhard Binder and Stefan Polonyi, Germany, 1969
- Diagoon Houses, Architectuurstudio Herman Hertzberger, Netherlands, 1971
- Wohnanlage Genter Strasse, Otto Steidle and partner, Germany, 1972
- Metastadt, Metastadt-Planungsgesellschaft mbH, Germany, 1974
- Les Anticonformes, Les Frères Arsène-Henry, France, 1975
- Flexibo, Flaellestegnestuen, Denmark, 1976
- Molenvliet, Frans van der Werf, Werkgroep KOKON, Nethelands, 1977
- Alexandra road, Neave Brown, UK, 1969–1978
- Adelaide Road Estate, Greater London Concil, UK, 1979
- Feßtgasse Housing, Ottokar Uhl, Austria, 1980
- Flexibele woningbouw, Volkshuisvesting Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1984
- Honor Oak Park, Walter Segal, Jon Broome and self-builders, UK, 1987
- Brandhöfchen, Kramm + Strigl, Germany, 1995
- Housing Graz-Straßgang, Riegeler Riewe Architects, Austria, 1994
- Kölner Brett, Brandlhuber and Kniess, Germany, 1999
- Ålekistevej, Hvidt and Mølgaard, Denmark, 1988
- Atelierhaus Sigle, Architekten Linie 4, Germany, 1998
- The Transformable Apartment, Mark Guard Architects, UK, 1996
- Silvertown, Ash Sakula, UK, 2004
- Flexible Housing in Almere, UN Studio, Netherlands, 2001
- Greenwich Millennium Village (II), Proctor and Matthews Architects, UK, 2001
- Fred, Kaufmann 96, Austria, 2000
3. Results
3.1. Designing Flexibility: Architecture, Society and Function
- First strategy: Plug-inThis strategy describes the possibility given to an occupant to expand or change a space by “plugging-in” a new part, increasing the possibility of usage.The modification can involve both horizontal and the vertical planes, and it should be planned already during the design phase, in order to define the best plan layout to accommodate additional units.Ideally, the new spaces should be use the same accessibility patterns, without interferences with the natural illumination.A key issue is that the plugging-in process should not cause disruptions to the existing dwelling, blending into it. This strategy offers many alternatives and opportunities for the current and future inhabitants, increasing the marketability of the property.
- Second strategy: Sum and splitThe technique considers the possibility to connect two individual adjacent spaces to form a single larger space, and vice versa. Multiple dwellings must be considered within this design process, in order to avoid dimensional limits.Other important considerations are connected to accessibility, to the efficiency of openings in different plan configurations, and to the design of services able to minimize the expenses.This approach is a convenient long-term strategy that provides flexibility and a variety of rental opportunities for different family units.
- Third strategy: Shared roomTwo adjacent dwellings can also share a non-specific room, negotiating its use, ownership and responsibility over the time in relation to the actual needs.This room is often a larger space that accommodates a small bathroom and kitchen, to be used separately or partially joined to the principal unit.The disadvantage connected with this strategy is the possibility of conflicts between the two tenants, if both require the extra space or none of them needs.
- Fourth strategy: Movable wallsIn this case, the space can be quickly and easily arranged and re-configured for new functions, on a daily basis or in a long-term vision.The design of the elements must allow fast and easy changes: Panels must be designed to disappear in open configuration and they do not have to interact with any structural elements.It is necessary to consider the practicability of the solution because of the moving and sliding of wall panels influence the positioning of the furniture, and whether or not the furniture itself requires to be movable.
- Fifth strategy: FoldingThe method allows the inhabitant to change the use of a room on a daily basis, hiding the elements of the furniture when not needed.A successful design considers the folding elements as integrated completely in the dwelling, disappearing and appearing giving in any case a coherent layout to the space. In some cases, the folding element can be fixed but with multiple uses over the day and over time.This technique is particularly efficient in very small dwellings.
- Sixth strategy: Unfinished spaceIn this space, the use has not been fully determined by the designer and can be defined by the inhabitants at any later date.This space owns the potentialities for different possibilities, so the designer must think of the possible ways in which the space may be modified, and then he has to design the space accordingly.
- Seventh strategy: Neutral spaceThe strategy concerns providing unlabelled rooms. The occupants can decide the most beneficial use of each space.The main strategy of functionally neutral rooms is to provide a number of equally sized rooms off a central hall or circulation space, with services possibly allocated to the smaller areas.By removing the hierarchical order contained in the labelling of rooms each space becomes an independent entity which can be used according to the needs of the occupants, inevitably changing over time.An added benefit connected to functionally neutral rooms is that the same housing unit can be occupied by a variety of different user groups.
3.2. Designing Flexibility: Structure, Technology and Construction
- First strategy: Dry-construction systemsA means to obtain flexibility is the selection of dry-construction systems, which reduce time and costs of construction, with less environmental impacts during construction and at the end of the useful life of the building organism, thanks to the high percentage of recovery of the individual components, assembled mechanically. The reversibility of lightweight dry construction processes confers also a greater life span to the building, in relation to the changing needs of the inhabitants [35].
- Second strategy: Structural optimizationEvery single part of a construction must perform a function with well-defined and measurable standards.Every component seeks for optimization, enhancing the lightness and the simplicity of the structure as a whole and exploiting the full potential of technologies, materials and design [35].A good structure is the one able to respond to functional requirements balancing the efficiency and economy of the design, reducing the amount of material and the constructive complexity at the same time improving quality and optimization [36].
- Third strategy: Frames and gridsThis strategy exploits technology to create structural systems, in form of expressed grid structures, able to accept further and progressive changes. These schemes require a service core, accessible and adaptable for different plant reconfigurations during which user activities should continue, preferably undisturbed.The method can be used in multi-family residential and mixed-use projects—in new construction or for the retrofit of existing buildings. This is particularly advantageous in large-scale real estate interventions, where simultaneous design of base building and user level is impracticable.The basic principle is again the division between structural fixed elements, with a long-life span, and movable components with a shorter life cycle.
- Fourth strategy: A new model of prefabricated housingWithin this model developers work to offer tailored solutions to individuals, architects create thousands of unique environments, manufacturers become suppliers of components, builders become installers and, finally, users become designers of their own unique living space. This model follows the social trends towards individualization.Contrary to the common belief, there is not necessarily a conflict between efficient production and variety of forms. In fact, the variety might be the logical outcome of efficient production [37].Systems and components that are not any longer useful for one building may be re-installed in another building. At the same time, if systems or components cannot be re-used as such, the materials from which they are made can be disassembled and reused for the production of new components or systems. The latter principle complies with the cradle-to-cradle concept such as described by McDonough and Braungart [38].Furthermore, it forms an extension of the concept of building manufacturing towards building re-manufacturing.This principle implies a structural design that considers more carefully the materials used and the way in which components are joined, to allow reusability and disassembly.
- Fifth strategy: Self-buildingPeople build individual homes for all sorts of reasons, but mainly because they want to create something tailored to their family’s unique requirements; or something architecturally appealing in all manner of styles; or because they want to live in a home that they might not be able to afford on the open market. There is something uniquely rewarding about building a home for you and your family, it harks back to the most basic of human instincts. Nowadays, however, self-build homes are not just about shelter and security, they are about expressing yourself and your lifestyle. For many, self-build is a chance to create the life they have always dreamed of [39].Self-builders create their homes through a variety of methods—and very few actually build it entirely themselves. The majority employ an architect to come up with the design of the new home and contract a builder to construct it; others use so-called ‘package’ companies to provide a one-stop solution. Many others find themselves managing building sites and dealing directly with planners, tradespeople and materials suppliers.Self-build in its wider meaning is an ordinary practice in many developing countries. It is also common among certain religious communities or subcultures.Over the years, self-builders have been at the forefront of advances in house design and technology, being responsible for the dramatic uptake in recent years in eco-features such as solar power and heat pumps; underfloor heating; open plan design and smart home technology. These features take many years to filter through to commercial housing developments.
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Economidou, M.; Atanasiu, B.; Despret, C.; Maio, J.; Nolte, I.; Rapf, O. Europe’s Buildings under the Microscope. A Country-by-Country Review of the Energy Performance of Buildings; Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE): Brussels, Belgium, 2011; pp. 35–36. [Google Scholar]
- Corbusier, L. Towards a New Architecture; Courier Corporation: North Chelmsford, MA, USA, 1931. [Google Scholar]
- Larson, K.; Intille, S.; McLeish, T.J.; Beaudin, J.; Williams, R.E. Open source building—Reinventing places of living. BT Technol. J. 2004, 22, 187–200. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Herbert, G. The Dream of the Factory-Made House: Walter Gropius and Konrad; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 1984. [Google Scholar]
- Power, A. Estates on the Edge: The Social Consequences of Mass Housing in Northern Europe; Macmillan: London, UK, 1997. [Google Scholar]
- Andersen, H.S. Urban Sores. On the Interaction between Segregation, Urban Decay and Deprived Neighbourhoods; Ashgate: Farnham, UK, 2003. [Google Scholar]
- Murie, A.; Knorr-Siedow, T.; van Kempen, R. Large Housing Estates in Europe: General Developments and Theoretical Backgrounds; Urban and Regional Research Centre, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University: Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2003. [Google Scholar]
- Chusid, M. Once is Never Enough. In Building Renovation; Springer: Heidelberg, Germany, 1993; pp. 17–20. [Google Scholar]
- Langston, C.; Lauge-Kristensen, R. Strategic Management of Built Facilities; Routledge: Abingdon, UK, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Preservation Green Lab. The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse; National Trust for Historic Preservation: Seattle, WA, USA, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Johnson, A. Rehabilitation and re-use of existing buildings. In Building Maintenance and Preservation: A Guide to Design and Management, 2nd ed.; Mills, E.D., Ed.; Architectural Press: Oxford, UK, 1996; pp. 209–230. [Google Scholar]
- Langston, C.; Wong, F.K.; Hui, E.C.; Shen, L.Y. Strategic assessment of building adaptive reuse opportunities in Hong Kong. Build. Environ. 2008, 43, 1709–1718. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Egbelakin, T.; Wilkinson, S. Factors affecting motivation for improved seismic retrofit implementation. In Proceedings of the Australian Earthquake Engineering Conference (AEES), Ballarat, Australia, 21–23 November 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Deloitte. European Construction Monitor 2017–2018: A Looming New Construction Crisis? Deloitte: London, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Construction Intelligence Center. Global Construction Outlook to 2022; Construction Intelligence Center: London, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Jaretti, S. Riflessioni sul riuso del patrimonio edilizio globale. In Riuso edilizio e rigenerazione urbana, innovazione e partecipazione; Lombardi, P., Ed.; Celid: Turin, Italy, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Lerner, J. Urban Acupuncture; Island Press: Washington, DC, USA, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Till, J.; Schneider, T. Flexible housing: The means to the end. Archit. Res. Q. 2005, 9, 287–296. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kronenburg, R. Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Change; Laurence King: London, UK, 2007. [Google Scholar]
- Kendall, S.H.; Teicher, J. Residential Open Building; Routledge: Abingdon, UK, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Groak, S. The Idea of Building: Thought and Action in the Design and Production of Buildings; Taylor & Francis: Abingdon, UK, 2002. [Google Scholar]
- Acharya, L. Flexible Architecture for the Dynamic Societies: Reflection on a Journey from the 20th Century into the Future. Master Thesis, Universitetet i Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Echavarria, P. Portable Architecture and Unpredictable Suroundings; Links International: Hong Kong, China, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Frampton, K. Modern Architecture: A Critical History; Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 1980. [Google Scholar]
- Friedman, Y. Architecture Mobile; ArchEyes: Madrid, Spain, 1960. [Google Scholar]
- D’Amico, A.; Currà, E. Urban Resilience and Urban Structure: Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Italian Towns. In Proceedings of the ANDROID Residential Doctoral School in Disaster Resilience 2014, Salford Quay, UK, 8–11 September 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Rogers, R. Cities for a Small Planet; Faber & Faber: London, UK, 1997. [Google Scholar]
- Itard, L. Towards a Sustainable Northern European Housing Stock: Figures, Facts, and Future; IOS Press: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2008; Volume 22. [Google Scholar]
- Dakwale, V.A.; Ralegaonkar, R.V.; Mandavgane, S. Improving environmental performance of building through increased energy efficiency: A review. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2011, 1, 211–218. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bogenstatter, U. Prediction and optimization of life-cycle costs in early design. Build. Res. Inf. 2000, 28, 376–386. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Di Giulio, R.; Bozinovski, Z.; Verhoef, L.G. Cost C16, Improving the Quality of Existing Urban Building Envelopes: Structures; IOS Press: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2007; Volume 3. [Google Scholar]
- Nemry, F.; Uihlein, A.; Colodel, C.M.; Wetzel, C.; Braune, A.; Wittstock, B.; Hasan, I.; Kreißig, J.; Gallon, N.; Niemeier, S.; et al. Options to reduce the environmental impacts of residential buildings in the European Union—Potential and costs. Energy Build. 2010, 42, 976–984. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Scuderi, G. Adaptive Exoskeleton for the Integrated Retrofit of Social Housing Buildings. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Schneider, T.; Till, J. Flexible housing: Opportunities and limits. Archit. Res. Q. 2005, 9, 157–166. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Scuderi, G. Adaptive building exoskeletons: A biomimetic model for the rehabilitation of social housing. ArchNet-IJAR Int. J. Archit. Res. 2015, 9, 134–143. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dooley, S. The Development of Material-Adapted Structural Form. Ph.D. Thesis, No. 2986. École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Habraken, N.J. The control of complexity. Places 1987, 4. [Google Scholar]
- McDonough, W.; Braungart, M. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things; MacMillan: London, UK, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Giddens, A. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age; Stanford University Press: Palo Alto, CA, USA, 1991. [Google Scholar]
- Russell, S.R. Metabolism Revisited: Prefabrication and Modularity in 21st Century Urbanism; University of South Florida: Tampa, FL, USA, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Thuesen, C.L.; Claeson, C.C. The Long Tail and Innovation of New Construction Practices: Learning Points from Two Case Studies. In Open Building Manufacturing Key Technologies, Applications, and Industrial Cases; ManuBuild: Rotherham, UK, 2009; pp. 49–64. [Google Scholar]
- Ridder, H.D.; Vrijhoef, R. From demand-driven supply towards supply-driven demand in construction: A “living building” experiment. In Proceedings of the 3rd International SCRI Symposium, Delft, The Netherlands, 3–4 April 2006; Hughes, W., Ed.; pp. 530–542. [Google Scholar]
- Cody, B. The Role of Technology in Sustainable Architecture. Wolkenkuckucksheim, Internationale Zeitschrift zur Theorie der Architektur 2014, 19, 239–249. [Google Scholar]
- Bennicelli Pasqualis, M.G. Case temporanee. Strategie innovative per l’emergenza abitativa post-terremoto. In Collana Ricerche di tecnologia dell’architettura, 1st ed.; Franco Angeli: Milan, Italy, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Zambelli, E. Ristrutturazione e trasformazione del costruito; Il Sole 24 Ore: Milan, Italy, 2004. [Google Scholar]
© 2019 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Scuderi, G. Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit. Designs 2019, 3, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010003
Scuderi G. Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit. Designs. 2019; 3(1):3. https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010003
Chicago/Turabian StyleScuderi, Giuliana. 2019. "Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit" Designs 3, no. 1: 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010003
APA StyleScuderi, G. (2019). Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit. Designs, 3(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010003