CU Jan-Feb 2020

CASE study
Bewdley Art Gallery designs by Marina Georgieva at Birmingham City University
plywood strips used provided an insight
into the materials and the triangular
shapes where the decorative patterns
could be placed.
The conceptual model demonstrated
that two separate shapes helped divide
the various functions of the building.
These were refined later with the
separation of the floors and the height of
the building. The two different parts of the
building were connected with a bridge
between them, influenced by the curves of
the Bewdley terrain. The connection
between the two pods was strengthened
by adding a cable structure to support the
tension of the curvature of the bridge.
For the final design of the building, and
to prevent shadows being cast in the
seating area, the building was oriented to
face the sun.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY
As part of the environmental strategy, one
of the aims of the design was to
maximise natural light and ventilation,
and to create a healthy, happy
atmosphere. Window openings were
placed on each floor on all elevations,
and voids placed close enough to them
to encourage a stack effect and provide
natural ventilation, supported by
mechanical ventilation when necessary,
and cladding to enhance air movement.
Daylight penetration is provided by
glazing and the decoratively patterned
cladding throughout, which distributes
light to internal spaces, creating an
interesting atmosphere in the building.
This is supported by artificial lighting on
the ceilings and glulam columns - again,
only to be used when required.
Natural shading was achieved by
distinctive patterns on the façade, the
whole building creating a natural selfshading
function.
Rainwater management was provided to
direct the water into a pond which was
part of the landscape design, which then
runs into a rainwater harvesting system,
used for watering the landscape and for
the toilets.
The building has underfloor heating for
the winter, supported by geothermal
heating - a ground source effect which
pushes hot air into the building replacing
cold air, assisted by a generator in the
pump room.
FLOODING SYSTEM BARRIERS
The site has environmental issues as the
risk of flooding is very high next to the
River Severn. There are three barriers in
Bewdley but none to protect the site of the
building. The landscaping was designed
to stop water reaching the building, with
steps raised up towards the river to act as
a flood water barrier.
TIMBER FRAME
A 3D model of the building was created to
better understand its timber frame. The
model was exploded into different
components, focusing on the primary and
secondary structure for the columns as
well as the floor, and materials applied to
each components to provide more
accurate visualisation.
A physical model of one of the parts of
the building was also made to test the
structure of the concept.
The model was separated into two parts,
the structure and the façade, and the
stability of the structural timber frame
explored. Other buildings with similar
designs were studied to evaluate the
design of the timber frame structure: the
Chilean Pavilion designed by Undurraga
Devés Arquitectos and Maggie's Cancer
Centre in Manchester designed by Foster
+ Partners.
The gallery dimensions were quite
large - 22m high, supported by glulam
arches. The arches are 210mm wide
and 900mm deep spanning the full 22m
width. Each arch is supported by a steel
shoe, pinned to the ground, with spliced
plates welded to a 244mm diameter
support. The whole structure rests on a
cast concrete floor slab.
For the presentation, virtual reality renders
were created to better understand the
space within the building. Finally, to link all
of this together the galleries in both parts
of the building were named, 'Framing
Nature' and 'Sculptures of Nature'.
It was a pleasure going through Marina's
presentation again for this issue.
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January/February 2020 13