Adaptable Architecture: Theory and Practice

✍ Scribed by Robert Schmidt; James Pinder

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 319
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Adaptable Architecture provides thought-provoking and inquisitive insights into how we can prolong the useful life of buildings by designing them to be more adaptable, and hence create a more sustainable built environment. The book provides a theoretical foundation counterpointed by the experiences and ideas of those involved in the design and use of buildings. It explains many approaches to designing for change, with lessons from history, and case studies including The Cedar Rapids Public Library, Kentish Town Health Centre and Folkestone Performing Arts Centre, which stretch our thinking beyond the conventional notions of adaptability. The authors reveal the many conditions that make it a complex design phenomenon, by considering the purpose, design and business case of buildings as well as the physical product.

Full of summaries, diagrams, reference charts, tables, and photos of exemplar solutions for use as conversational tools or working aids, this book is for any professional or student who wants to research, question, imagine, illustrate - and ultimately design for - adaptation.

In addition, further information and resources are available through the Adaptable Futures website www.adaptablefutures.com which includes additional case studies, videos, information about industry events and up-to-the-minute developments.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I Introduction
1. Motivating observations
1.1 Unravelling the ‘what’
1.2 Clarifying the ‘why’
1.3 Expanding the ‘how’
Part II A history of adaptability
2. Historical overview
2.1 Prehistoric and pre-modernism
2.2 Modernism
3. Strands of designing for adaptability
3.1 Spatial
Loose fit
Open plan
Spatial summary
3.2 Physical bits
Industrialised architecture
Kinetic architecture
‘Unfinished’ design
Component design and capacity summary
3.3 Building configuration
Levels
Layers
Systems design
Building configuration summary
Part III A theory for adaptability
4. Developing the concept
4.1 Defining the word
4.2 Time
4.3 Unpacking change: recognising the demand
4.4 A building: what is it?
4.5 Context: situating the building
4.6 Concepts summary
5. Common takes on adaptability
5.1 Level of specificity: tight fit vs. loose fit
5.2 Strategic focus: technology-driven vs. planning-driven
5.3 Object of adaptability: building-centric vs. human-centric
6. Buildings as layers
6.1 Layer definitions
6.2 Influence of change on the layers
6.3 Understanding dependency: DSM explained
6.4 Cellophane House, part I: clustering analysis
7. A typology of adaptability
7.1 AT1 – Adjustable
7.2 AT2 – Versatile
7.3 AT3 – Refitable
7.4 AT4 – Convertible
7.5 AT5 – Scalable
7.6 AT6 – Movable
7.7 Occurrence of the types
7.8 Cellophane House, part II: impact analysis
Example scenario
Implications of analysis
8. Design strategies, characteristics and tactics
8.1 Design strategies
8.2 Building characteristics
8.3 Design tactics
8.4 Relationship between strategies, characteristics and tactics
9. Building characteristics in detail
9.1 Descriptions
DS1 Modularity
DS2 Design ‘in’ time
DS3 Long life
DS4 Simplicity and legibility
DS5 Loose fit
DS6 Spatial planning
DS7 Passive techniques
DS8 Unfinished design
DS9 Maximise building use
DS10 Increase interactivity
DS11 Aesthetics
DS12 Multiple scales
9.2 Relationship of CARs to building layers
9.3 Links between CARs and adaptability types
10. Unravelling contextual contingencies
10.1 Stakeholders
Client mindset
Architect mindset
End users
Other stakeholders
Culture
10.2 Rules
Building regulations
Taxation
Heritage protection
Planning regulations
Industry standards
10.3 Phases
Fragmentation
Brief(ing)
Procurement
Management
Occupation
10.4 Economics
Business models
Valuation practices
Market forces
Funding methods
Risk
11. Design resources
11.1 Design guidelines
Components
Component relationships
Spaces
Spatial relationships
11.2 Critical (design) parameters
11.3 Scenario planning
11.4 Other time-based resources
11.5 Benefit mapping
11.6 Evaluation tools
11.7 Other resources
12. Meta-models
12.1 Adaptability types, layers and stakeholders
12.2 Framecycle
12.3 Sources of know-how
12.4 Design process
12.5 Causal links
12.6 Cost certainty
12.7 Pathways
12.8 Summary
Part IV Adaptability in practice
13. Linking theory to case studies
13.1 Design strategies and building characteristics
13.2 Linking adaptability types
14. Primary case studies
A1 Kentish Town Health Centre
A2 85 Southwark Street
A3 Folkstone Performing Arts Centre
A4 Cedar Rapids Public Library
A5 PS340 Manhattan
A6 Dato Onn International Medical City
A7 Bio Innovation Centre
A8 Carl Jacobsens vej
A9 Islington Square
A10 The Cube
A11 Oxley Woods
A12 CPC
A13 The King’s School Theatre
A14 Vodafone Headquarters
A15 Kettering Old Persons Unit
15. Designing for adaptability
B1 Industrial Democratic Design
B2 An adaptable building app
B3 An emporium for education
B4 Leicester Waterside
B5 Adapt and survive
B6 An approach to adaptability
B7 Adaptability through hybridity
B8 Ad hoc urbanism
B9 The adaptable primary school
B10 Adaptable apertures
16. Designing for adaptable futures
C1 New Addington’s Village Green
C2 Adaptable Street
C3 Factory Home
C4 Designing for Sport
C5 How to grow a city
C6 Inside and out of the box
C7 In response
Part V Conclusions
17. A living thing
17.1 A manifesto for adaptability
Proposition 1 – We need a broadened scope for adaptability
Proposition 2 – Adaptability is context specific
Proposition 3 – Adaptability is supported by simplicity and familiarity
Proposition 4 – Adaptability stresses process over product
Proposition 5 – Industry’s short-termism hinders adaptability
17.2 Designing for adaptability in practice
Glossary
References
Index