Some visuals in the making

We decided to summarise the stage that we are at to Sheffield Homes at our final meeting with them before our exhibition and document handover next week. We wanted to give a flavour of the range of activities that we have undertaken over the past 5 weeks, the process of research and consultation and how our ideas are developing into final proposals.

Developing ideas

We've been busy developing the 7 pod proposals that we had chosen to focus on; drafting initial plans and sections and creating 3d visuals to explain the concepts.

As a group we decided to all work off a common base model to show our pod ideas in occupation.

Inside a garage

Today we got a chance to finally look inside some garages. We'd been given a set of keys from Sheffield Homes and returned to Derby Street and Daresbury Drive to explore the vacant garages.

We started at Derby Street where we had been given one key to a double garage. Interestingly the garages and railings were being painted as we arrived. The door was a bit sticky, but we managed to get it open and all filed in to see what the space was like. It was as deep as we had hoped/guessed, but a bit narrower than we had expected. Interestingly 2 out of the three blocks offered the potential for openings to let light in at the rear of the space, as it turned out only one of the blocks was earth sheltered.

From Derby Street we walked onto Daresbury Drive to look in a selection of garages there. We had several keys for the vacant garages in the block, and had a look in a couple. We found a beehive in one and some rubbish in an other but came to the conclusion that were on the whole pretty much the same space inside.

Inspiration? Detail/Constrution

With regards to facade design/construction, a cheap yet effective solution would suit the nature of 'garage renovation' best.

In designing a facade for studioPOD a repetitive solutions/elements were inevitable.

A viable economical and efficient method would be a prefabricated facade solution. This would reduce site labour to a bare minimum, ensuring a high quality finish on the facade which would be quick and easy to install.
http://www.barbourproductsearch.info/telling-file009850.html

Design design design

Once we had the activities that could take place in a garage. We split into three groups to explore each of the ideas. After brainstorming their feasibility we came together as a group to make a decision on six key ideas to develop.

We have decided to call each idea a "pod" and the six uses we will focus on are:

• "Skills pod" - IT facilities with support on use along with baby care facilities to look after young children whilst parents use the facilities.

• "Studio pod" - this looks at the possibility of a large scale, long term solution of converting many garages into studio apartments to provide extra revenue and address issues of housing need in Sheffield

• "Swap pod" - here you may come to exchange your unwanted items with someone who might want them, swap toys etc.

• "Activity pod" - this is primarily for activities which benefit the local community in terms of providing something to do for youth, the elderly etc.

• "Cycle pod" - garages converted for this use would provide secure lockable storage for bikes, buggies and other such items which might not easily fit inside the home

• "Plant pod" - this explores the possiblity of an allotment type garage where you grow your vegetables but can also then set up a 'market' maybe once a week

We are currently at the stage of developing these six ideas in more detail making sure we assess them in terms of:

1. cost
2. detailing of the structure
3. how they will be used
4. step-by-step guide to show how you achieve them
   

Activities matrix

Once we had brainstormed the possible activites that could take place in garages, we put these together into a matrix assessing them in terms of:

• cost - low/ medium/ high
• scale - small (one garage) / medium (row of garages) / large (garges in a particular area)
• time - short term/ medium term/ long term
  

Starting the design process

We spent some of the morning reflecting on Saturday’s consultation; what we learnt from it, the characters we met and some of the ideas that we got from it for new uses for garages.

We brainstormed a list of the ideas that had come out of the two engagement exercises, and those ideas that we have come up with as a group from our research into the area. Then we devised a system for categorising the cost, scale and time period of the different ideas. This was a little tricky to start with, but forced us to consider the requirements of each idea, and start to make assumptions about practicalities and cost. We plotted these in a kind of gant chart (see working drawing below). At the same time the idea of management of the garages was recurring. Would the garages be managed by Sheffield Homes, the community, local organisations or some kind of co-operative?

'the great garage hunters tea party' (take 2)

We had our second engagement today and it turned out to be much more successful than the first! Being in a prominent public place made a big difference, and our installation/stalls attracted lots of children, families and older people. Members of the public seemed suprised at the offer of a free cup of tea - especially the children who expected that they would have to pay to decorate a biscuit.

We only asked for ideas and suggestions for alternative uses for garages, in exchange for the refreshments - and we had a positive response. Several people suggested activities for children, playgroups and youth clubs, while others suggested storage, workshops and studio flats.

The kids were keen to test their memory with the memory card game and decorate biscuits.

The sun shone as the two hours flew, and even though there hadnt been much wind we were releaved that we had opted for tables instead of the poles!

Come along to a tea party (take 2)

We returned to Gleadless Valley to check out the site for tomorrows engagement, flyer the housing blocks where we were on Sunday and the shops along Newfield Green Parade.

We split up and tackled the blocks…

with a smile…

and Hannah braved the betting shop…

Unfortunately the manager of the bakers was not too keen on the idea of us giving away free tea and biscuits tomorrow. He also pointed out that the site we are planning to use is private land. We consulted with our client, offered to buy biscuits from the baker concerned, and the engagement is still on for tomorrow.

Our plan for a 3D mock-up garage to engage members of the public in, has had to be adjusted after an unsuccessful practice run in the courtyard in the Crookesmoor building. We hadn’t take the force of the Sheffield wind into consideration, and after a few attempts and falling poles we decided it was too much of a risk to set up tomorrow. This was disappointing – but we decided it was more important to consult people safely than be constantly on ‘pole watch’ avoiding disaster.

So instead, we’re hoping to create a sense of enclosure with tables and the reams of green fabric we have… watch this space to see the results.

Inspiration? was this really a garage?

http://www.yatzer.com/1626_a_unique_garage_transformation

Inspiration? an outdoor room

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/outdoor-rooms-00400000055349/page8.html

Client Meeting 02

We had our second client meeting today at the Sheffield Homes offices. We updated Richard on our progress to date, the challenges of our first consultation exercise and what we hoped to achieve in the remaining few weeks.

We suggested that we thought that we would have more luck engaging people in a more public place – such as Newfield Green or the Moor, in town, and asked whether he thought that this would be feasible. He agreed that we would have more luck in Newfield Green and said that it shouldn’t be a problem going ahead with this on Saturday.

We explained to Richard that although we were looking at the Newfield Green area in more detail now, we were hoping to produce a range of site specific and more generic proposals. We aim to look at three conditions; garages under blocks of maisonettes, stand alone garages, and garages recommended for demolition.

Inspiration? Another lofty garage

http://www.sunset.com/home/before-after/before-after-home-makeovers-remodels-00400000049841/page31.html

Inspiration? a garage/studio

I stumbled across this transformation of a detached garage in Seattle into a functional, loftlike apartment online. Apparently the 320-square-foot space features a faceted ceiling, which is designed to guide warm air to the triangular vent window for passive ventilation. Partners Prentis Hale and Thomas Schaer devised innovative space-saving strategies throughout: a support beam functions as a kitchen pot rack, and a bookshelf is tucked in the interior eaves.

Read and see more pictures: http://www.remodelista.com/posts/house-call-garage-studio-by-shed

Mapping and a mock-up

We decided to focus on site analysis and mapping this week, looking at amenities, demographics, typologies, and occupation of garages.

We also started to think about how we could create a 3d garage space for Saturday’s engagement.

Back to the drawing board

Following on from our first engagement exercise yesterday, we’ve been thinking about what we learnt from the day, and how we can do things differently in our next consultation to make more of an impression, and attract more people.

The children we spoke to on Sunday told us about the lack of space for children to hang out, and how if it was up to them they’d transform the garages into a youth centre/gym/computer room or games space. But what would their parents want, and what about other members of the community.
It seemed that we had a few choices for another engagement at this stage –

1_Return every Sunday to the same site and find a way of bringing more people there
2_Set up in a community centre
3_Set up in Newfield Green close to the shops
4_Try a different context, for example Windy House Lane which is on the demolition list
5_Set up in a central public place, such as the Moor, to get general ideas about garages

After talking things through as a group, we decided to try option 3 on Saturday…and attempt to mock-up a 3d 1:1 scale garage to conduct our activities in.

'the great garage hunters' tea party

We arrived on site in the School of Architecture van (re-named the FUN VAN for today), and unpacked the elements of the tea party.

We marked on the ground with yellow chalk the size of a garage, and inhabited this space, with a table and chairs, tea, biscuits and twister. Inside the van we papered the sides for people to draw/write ideas for empty garages, and stuck some pictures of various ideas for ways to use/re-use garages inside.

The tea party didn’t draw as much attention as we had anticipated, and very few people even passed by in the time that we were on site. Two young boys stopped to find out more, and spent the rest of the afternoon with us, and even went off to fetch a friend. The three told us their ideas for how the garages could be put to better use; as a place to stash bikes, a youth club, and a skate park/gym. They told us about what there was to do in the area, what was lacking and what they usually did on their weekends. We played twister, and a memory game and they asked if we would be back next week with the van.

Despite the lack of people, we were glad to have attempted our first public engagement and got the opinions of some local children. Now we have to decide how we can attract more interest/footfall if we return to the same site, or if we would be more successful by contacting local community groups.

Invitations

We put flyers through the houses and flats surrounding the site that we had chosen this afternoon, hoping that advance warning may result in more people at the tea party tomorrow. We were surprised at some of the initial responses we had about the event, and the enthusiasm from a small boy.

What could a garage be?

Re-thinking the plan

After the challenge of locating garages that had been recommended for demolition yesterday, we had a rethink about our strategy for developing proposals for garages.

We discussed with Cristina how to define and clarify the brief and how site specific our proposals should be. We decided to continue to pursue the three sites that we had already identified – the two close to Arborthourne and Newfield Green with void garages according the audit, and the row of four garages we managed to find from the demolition list. Different strategies could be explored and developed for each site, with generic proposals for similar contexts/constraints. At the same time one site, could be investigated in detail through rigorous site analysis and consultation.

It was decided that the first community engagement would take place on Sunday, as originally thought, on the first site in Arborthorne. It would be an experimental tea party with a series of activities – ranging from drawing to games and tea and biscuits.

A race against demolition...

We set in the afternoon today in search of some of the garage sites awaiting demolition, heading back in the direction of Gleadless Valley and away from the city centre.

Sadly we were too late. Some of the sites had already been demolished, and all that remained were concrete bases where garages had once stood. We were starting to get a little desperate when we stumbled across a lone garage as the sun was setting over Sheffield.

And, before it was dark we found a few more, and potentially an interesting site to engage with the surrounding community. A row of 4 garages stood on the corner of Windy House Lane and Queen Mary Road, with some grass surrounding them. Apparently one is vacant and they have all been recommended for demolition.

With 3881 garage plots and sites across the city, it’s amazing how hard they are to track down. It seems like a race against time to find them before demolition, and we need to think creatively, constructively and practically to save them/reinvent them or replace them.