Architectural Record 2003 11 Dunster

7/30/2019 Architectural Record 2003 11 Dunster

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T h i s s c h e m e s h o u l d n e e d l i t t l e

i n t r o d u c t i o n . B u t a p p a r e n t l y i t

d o e s . W h i l e t h e a s p ir a t i o n s o f

B e d Z E D ( B e d d i n gt o n Z e r oE n e r g y D e v e l o p m e n t ) h a v e b e e n

w e l l d o c u m e n t e d 1 (A R June

2 0 0 1 ) , 1 8 m o n t h s a ft e r t h e f i r s t

r e s i d e n t s m o v e d i n i t i s t i m e t o

t h i n k b e y o n d t h e s t a t i s t i c s t h a t

q u a l i f y i t s c o n c e p t i o n . T h i s i s , l e t

u s n o t f o r g e t , a p i e c e o f r a d i c a l

a r c h i t e c t u r a l d e s i g n , a n d

d e s e r v e s t o b e s e e n w i t h i n a

w i d e r c o n t e x t a s a m o d e l f o rf u t u r e v o l u m e h o u s i n g .

B e y o n d r e d u c i n g e n e r g y

c o n s u m p t io n t o 1 0 p e r c e n t o f

s i m i l ar s u b u r b a n h o m e s b u i l t t o

1 9 9 5 r e g u l a t i o n s , i t i s a m o d e l o f

p l a c e m a k i n g , a n d o f h i g h - d e n s i t y

s u b u r b a n u r b a n i z a t i o n . A m o d e l

o f a r c h i t e c t u r a l i m a gi n a t i o n a n d

m i x e d - u s e i n t e g r a t i o n . A n d

a b o v e a l l o f o p t i m i s m a n d

p r o g r e s s . B u t b e f o r e t h i s , i t i s

p e r h a p s e q u a l l y p e r t i n e n t t o

s t a t e w h a t B e d Z E D i s n o t . I t i s

n o t a h i g h b u d g e t , h i g h l y r e f i n e d

s h o w p i e c e . I t i s c e r t a i n l y n o t

a r c h i t e c t u r a l w a l l p a p e r . I t i s

i n s t e a d an e x e m p l a r y w o r k i n g

e x p e r i m e n t : t h e k i n d o f m e g a -

p r o t o t y p e e s s e n t i a l t o t e s t

i s s u e s c o n c e r n i n g f u t u r e h o u s i n g

g e n e r a t i o n s . So t h o s e w h o

c r i t i c i z e t h e e c c e n t r i c i t y o f s o m e

o f i t s d e t a i l s c le a r l y m i s s t h e

p o i n t . A f t e r a l l , w i t h o v e r t e n

years as a key assoc i a te o f

M i c h a e l H o p k i n s a n d P a r t n e r s ,

B i l l D u n s t e r g r a d u a t e d f r o m o n e

o f t h e b e s t s c h o o l s o f

a r c h i t e c t u r a l r e f i n e m e n t . S in c e

l e a v i n g M H P h o w e v e r , h e n o wc h o o s e s t o p r i o r i t i z e o t h e r

b r o a d e r f a c e t s o f a r c h i t e c t u r e ,

o f w h i c h t h e r e a r e m a n y .

M e e t i n g h i m o n t h e B e d Z E D

s i t e r e c e n t l y , w h e r e h e r u n s h i s

o w n d e s i gn s t u d i o ( Z E D F a c t o r y ) ,

D u n s t e r c o n s t a n t l y d r a w s

p a r a l l e l s b e t w e e n B e d Z E D a n d

t h e a d j a c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t , t h e

l i k e s o f w h i c h h e s e e s a s

o b s o l e t e . H e r e h e p l a y s

d e v e l o p e r s a t t h e i r o w n g a m e ,

a d o p t i n g t h e i r l a n g u a ge a n d t h e i r

c u r r e n c y – t h a t o f e c o n o m y .

T h r o u g h a n i n t e g r a t e d a p p r o a c h ,

B e d Z E D p r o v i d e s t h e s am e

d w e l l i n g d e n s i t y a s t h e a d j a c e n t

s p e c u l a t i v e d e v e lo p m e n t , b u t

w i t h a 3 5 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e in

s p a c e a l lo w a n c e . T h i s i n t u r n

p r o v i d e s v a l u a b l e r e v e n u e

e a r n i n g b e n e f i t s in t h e f o r m o f

a d d i t i o n a l l i v e - w o r k u n i t s , an d

c o m m u n i t y f a c i l i t i e s su c h a s

s u r g e r y , a c o m m u n i t y h a l l a n d a

b a r . I t a l s o r e s u l t s i n a v a s t l y

i m p r o v e d p u b l i c r e a l m , w i t h a

r e d u c t i o n i n n a k e d t a r m a c a n d

v i r t u a l l y n o u n u s e d ( a n d

t h e r e f o r e u n l o v e d ) r e s i d u a lspace. T h i s i s a p r i nc i p l e tha t

D u n s t e r d e s c r i b e s a s u si n g

p l a n n i n g g a in t o f a c i li t a t e c a r b o n

t r a d i n g . I n o t h e r w o r d s , n o t o n l y

d o e s m i x e d u s e b r i n g t h e s o c i a l

a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l b e n e f i t s o f a

W AKE UP CALLAs government s around the world struggle to provide

sufficient affordable homes in cities, BedZED has much

to teach architects, developers, and residents alike.

HOUSING, SUTTON , ENGLAND

A R C H I T E C T

BILL DUNSTER ARCHITECTS

1Wi th south-facing sun spaces,BedZED’sterracesestablish analternative suburban prototype ...2... a stark contrast to the low-density, car-dominated streetscapeof the conventional existing housing.3Each one-bedroom loft apartmenthasits own entrance and sky garden,set within the site’sdisti nctiveroofscape.

site plan

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4While perimeter 3 bed maisonetteshave more conventional front gardensand balconies.. .5... mewsmaisonettesaccesstheir skygardensvia bridgesthat lead fromfirst-floor living rooms.

2 4 h o u r o p e r a t i o n t h a t s u s t a i n s

d i v e r s e c o m m u n i t i e s a n d

b a l a n c e s e n e r g y l o a d s a r o u n d

t h e c l o c k b u t , m o s t s i g n if i c a n t l y ,

t h e i n c r e a s e d c o m m e r c i a l

r e v e n u e r e l a t i v e t o t h e c o s t o f

t h e l a n d c a n b e o f f s e t a ga i n s t t h e

n e c e s s ar i l y f r o n t l o a d e d c o s t s o f

p r o d u c i n g a c a r b o n n e u t r a l

d e v e l o p m e n t .

I m p r o v e d d e n s i t y i s a c h i e v e d

t h r o u g h t h e r e s o l u t i o n o f

D u n s t e r ’ s in t e g r a t e d c r o s s

s e c t i o n . D e f i n e d b y s o l a r a c c e s s

c r i t e r i a , a f e w s i m p l e g r o u n d

r u l e s d i c t a t e t h a t a l l d w e l l i n g s

f a c e so u t h w h i l e w o r k s p a c e s

f a c e n o r t h . T h i s i n t u r n

g e n e r a t e s f o u r v a r i a n t t e r r a c e s ,

t h e c r o s s s e c t i o n s o f w h i c h

c o m b i n e s p a c e s f r o m u p t o f o u r

s e l f - c o n t a i n e d u n i t s , e a ch w i t h

t h e i r o w n e n t r a n c e a nd e x t e r n a l

g a r d e n . B y i n t e r l o c k i n g l i v e -w o r k s p a c e s w i t h m a i s o n e t t e s ,

l o f t a p a r t m e n t s a n d t w o s k y

g a r d e n s , t h e c e n t r a l t e r r a c e s

a c h i e v e a d e n s i t y i n e x c e s s o f

1 0 0 h o m e s p e r h a , p r o v i d i n g 4 0 0

r o o m s a n d 2 0 0 j o b s p e r h a , an d

2 6 s q m o f p r i v a t e g a r d e n

c o m p a r e d w i t h 8 s q m o f p u b l ic

s p a c e p e r h o m e . A t a r g e t t h a t i f

r e p l i c a t e d w o u l d r e d u c e u r b a n

s p r a w l t o a b o u t 2 5 p e r c e n t o f

t h e p r o j e c t e d f o o t p r i n t o v e r t h e

n e x t 1 0 0 y e a r s , r e s u l t i n g i n a l l

o u r h o u s i n g n e e d s b e i n g

a c h i e v a b le o n b r o w n f i e l d s i t e s.

F o l l o w i n g T o m D y c k h o f f ’ s

s t i r r i n g r e v i e w i n t h e n a t i o n a l

p r e s s , D u n s t e r ’ s Z E D F a c t o r y

h a s b e e n i n u n d a t e d w i t h p e o p l e

w a n t i n g t o d o a Z E D ( a z e r o

e n e r g y d e v e l o p m e n t ) . W i t h a li s t

o f o v e r 7 0 0 p e o p l e i t i s c l e a r t h a t

B e d Z E D i s r e s p o n d i n g t o a r e a l

n e e d , a n d w h e n s u f f i ci e n t

c l u s t e r s o f p e o p l e e m e r g e o t h e r

d e v e l o p m e n t s w i l l b e b u i lt .

I t i s f o r t h e s e r e a s o n s a n d

m a n y m o r e 1 t ha t i t i s espec i a l l y

d i s a p p o i n t i n g t h a t B e d Z E D d i d

n o t w i n t h e r e c e n t R I B A S t i r l i n g

P r i z e f o r A r c h i t e c t u r e ; B r i t a i n ’ s

p r e m i e r a w a r d , t h a t b e i n g

b r o a d c a s t o n n a t i o n a l t e l e v i si o n ,

h a s t h e p o t e n t i a l t o s e n d a

typical crosssection through loft apartm ent accessstair and ventilation shafts(scale approx 1:200)

typical crosssection

typical north mewselevation showing ground level live-work units, accessstairsto loft apartments, sky gardensand bridges

4

5

a l iv e -w o r k u n i tb 3 b e d m ai so n e tt ec o n e b e d l o f t a p a r tm e n td s ky g ar d e ns

c

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d

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48 | 11

m e s sa ge f a r b e y o n d t h e

l i m i t at i o n s o f t h e a r c h i t e c t u r a l

w o r l d . W h i le t h e w i n n er ,

H e r z o g & D e M e u r o n ’ s L ab an

C e n t r e i s t r u l y e x q u i si t e , it i s

w i t h r e s p e c t j u st a n o t h e rb e a u t i f u l b u i l d i n g , h i g h l y r e f i n e d

i n b o t h i t s c o n c e p t i o n a n d d e t a il ,

i n r e sp o n se to a g if t o f a b r i e f .

B u t , a s w e a r e face d w i th a n

i n te r n a t i o n a l h o u s i n g c r i s i s , w e

m u s t s e e t h a t B e d Z E D i s s o m u c h

m o r e t h a n a c o l l e c t i o n o f w e l l

i n te n d e d g r e e n h o u se s, an d i f we

r e a ll y w a n t t o b r e ak d o w n t h e

m a r g i n al i zat i o n o f g r e e n i su e s , i t

c e r t a i n l y s h o u l d h av e w o n m o r e

than a speci f i c susta inab i l i ty

a w a r d .

So i t c o m e s d o w n t o u s. If y o ua r e r e a d in g o u t th e r e , h e r e i s a cal l

t o d u ty fo r M e ssr s Ma ss H o u s i n g :

ta ke n e x t w e e k o f f , an d sp ar e u s

th e t h o u sa n d s o f so u l l e ss h o u se s

th a t yo u co u l d b u i l d d u r i n g th a t

t i m e . P u t d o w n yo u r sp e cu l at i ve

h o u se p l an p a t te r n b o o ks an d

co n s i d e r th e g e n u i n e p o te n t i al o f

y o u r p r o d u c t i v i t y an d

p r o f i t ab i l it y . I n v e st i n f r o n t e n d

d e s i gn a n d i n ve s t i n d i ve r s i t y .

W i t h o u t y o u , li t t l e w i l l b e

a ch i e ve d , as yo u a l o n e h a ve th e

m e a n s t o r a d ic al l y im p r o v e t h e

l a n d scap e o f o u r b u i l t

e n v i r o n m e n t . So , go t o B e d Z E D .

T h e n w a ke u p a n d h e l p u s a ll l i vet h e d r e a m . R O B G R E G O R Y

1 F o r f u r t h e r d e t a i l e d a n a l y si s

w w w . z e d f a c t o r y . c o m

B e d Z E D ( 2 0 0 2 ) . B R E C S U B e s t P r a c t i c e

P r o g ra m m e , C r o w n C o p y r ig h t .

S u st a i n a b l e U r b a n D e s ig n – A n E n v i r o n m e n t a l

A p p r o a c h ( 2 0 0 2 ) . R a n d a l l T h o m a s , S p o n P r e s s .

Architect

B i l l D u n s t e r A r c h i t e c t s , L o n d o n

Client

T h e P e a b o d y T r u s t

Environmental consultants

B i o R e g i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t G r o u p

M&E and building physics

O v e A r u p P ar t n e r s

Structural and civil engineerE l l i s & M o o r e

Quantit y surveyor

G a r d i n e r & T h e o b a l d

Photographs

D e n n i s G i l b e r t / V I EW

HOUSING, SU TTO N , ENGLAND

A R C H I T E C T

BILL DUNSTER ARCHITECTS

BedZED funds carbon-neutrality by integrating live work units and dwellings

6Mews str eets prioritiz e pedestr iansover the car.7Centr alized CHP plant is a prominenton-site feature.875 sq m live-work unit s, ideal for smallstart up businesses.

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Architectural Record 2003 11 Dunster