Merchants House Woodstock
Mixed-Use | Live-Work Typology | Social Housing - Workshop & Retail
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Gentrification. A sea of change that affects most residents (whether tenants, homeowners or squatter) and businesses – some will may seem to benefit in the short-term. Although, the reality is that the existing social cohesion will be challenged and fractured.
As a study into living in dense urban environments that are transforming into new urban hubs, Woodstock is currently developing in imposition. That is against to appropriate models urban planning. With little acknowledgement of cultural norms which are not unsuccessful over the long term.
This project investigates and prototypes a model upon the Merchants House typology,
also known as the shop-house, or mixed-use building.
The site for the project is Erf 143836 (bounded by Albert Road, Aberdeen Street, Tay Street, and the parking area of Woodstock Foundry), and is 2166sqm in area. The property is being converted to a sectional title development of 9 private use sections and the remainder in common property.
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In section the Merchants house is driven by the spatial mechanics defined through testing and process. In consideration of buildings that are in the spectrum of being a high rise, the architecture needs to be considerate at each floor-level to its context, environment, structure and spatial ambitions.
On ground floor the ambition was to activate the retail component with the use of acceptable basement - drop level. This level change was a means to shift scale in the new retail component, between the exterior pavement environment and the usual mono level retail typology. An activation in the floor place an activation in the way in which the building meets the ground. There is 1.6m level change between Tay Street and Albert street. Each level change presents itself as a threshold moment, defining room essentially.
This spatial logic carries over to the Mixed income housing. Separated with a 1.6m half level between each floor plate, the housing follows the helix movement of the common exterior staircase. Each apartment forms out as an extension of its landings. This also raises the height of the store front, giving the shop more exposure to Albert Road. On Tay street the merchants hose take the form of a saw tooth roof structure as a means to capture views and allow inlet of soft South light. In section the scheme devised stem that would not substitute the architecture for a good living environment. Visa Versa. Accommodation is needed, but it need to be be technically, environmentally and formally apt. The architecture allows for punctures in the building to allow for light to enter, streets to be activated and manage enclosure and privacy of each space.
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Space as a Resource
An often unappreciated aspect of architecture that is the value that is placed on space, both as an element in giving expressive value to an artistic form, or / and as a resource to be carefully rationalized in circumstances where the architecture needs to be critical. Thereby arguing that architects and planners need to understand the importance of space and value of it in relation to people and the human scale. This is in greater importance when designing mixed income housing / merchant’s house for people from many walks of life. Density adheres to the human scale as a minimum base. This also allows for complexity when manipulated. The Density required through the scheme is very much standardized in component. This here was utilized as a means to house people on a small footprint, whilst allowing adequate contact with the outside environment. The idea expanded and shrank where the needed allowing a spatial diversity in plan and section Spatial diversity was acquired in landing each apartment of every half level. This was a view on / an exercise of looking at large scale housing as a volume and not at the area (SQM) as an only valued item.
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