BA (Hons) Architecture, Oxford Brookes University
Year 3, Spring 2021
Studio, individual work
Year 3, Spring 2021
Studio, individual work
The following project allowed for shaping our own brief, and redeveloping an existing power station in the centre of Oxford. The proposed co-housing scheme is aimed at addressing a series of issues relating to affordability, loneliness, and sustainability.
Starting the second semester in my third year by looking at some of the key sectors of work in Oxford which included teaching, nursing, retail, and transport, I related this to my own semester project where I looked at housing shortage and affordability in Oxford. Finding that Oxford is one of the UK's least affordable cities to live in, I wanted to address the issue of housing shortage and how individuals in several work sectors within the city are affected. Relating this to the Covid-19 pandemic and loneliness becoming a more visible issue, I designed a low-impact co-housing scheme providing sociable living for working families and individuals, and focusing on how city living can become communal, affordable, and sustainable.
The given site, Old Osney Power Station, was built in 1892 with several extensions added over time. Due to the size of the site and to better suit my project, I chose to split the building in half and focus on one part. When deciding on what to retain, demolish and modify in the existing building, the retained elements included the original facades and the primary structure, to preserve the character of the existing building.
Proposed design
Sharing and privacy is an important consideration in shared living schemes, and this affected how the scheme was laid out. Within the building, I explored zones and created a gradual shift from private to shared. Looking at the site context, shared areas are located close to the river and open area, while living units are closer to the existing neighbourhood.
The existing building construction and materiality includes brickwork, steel and concrete. The proposal consists of a cross laminated timber construction using recycled timber, with polished concrete flooring and steel staircases for durability. Moreover, rockwool insulation and underfloor heating has been incorporated in all living units and shared indoor areas. As illustrated in the section detail below, the proposed CLT construction has been mechanically fixed to the existing brickwork.
West facing facade
East facing facade
Interior view
