Riverside House


Type: Research
School: Kingston University
Location: Woolwich
Status: 2023-24


 As part of our work at Kingston University Becoming X developed a year long research project where students were asked to tackle issues surrounding a former office building in Woolwich temporarily occupied by artist studios (SET Space) whilst awaiting redevelopment in housing under Permitted Development rights. 

The research studio put forward innovative material and spatial solutions that tackle the challenges presented by existing structures and deep commercial floor plans. They presented work that relished the existing but was critical, whilst still finding areas to intervene with elegant alterations that improve the building's thermal performance. 




The current proposal (approved by Greenwich Council) was appraised - taking into account the benefits of re-using the existing structure. 

The embodied energy represented by the concrete frame of the building is something to be preserved. It represents the large volume of carbon taken in its construction, not to mention the many hours of human labour in design and construction. How can we utilise this as a resource whilst still creating buildings that are fit for our future (NETZERO) needs?

However, the existing floor plans priorities 1 bed and studio flats with only a handful of 2 bedroom flats and no 3 bedroom flats or even appartments suitable for more than 3 people. 


Students' proposals sought to address the years of ill-considered alterations to the layout and arrangement of the building and its ground-floor civic presence through playful collages that test.

A key focus of the research was readdressing the proposals for the typical tower block floor plates -  what could be done with a more imaginative approach to the diversity of apartment types, sizes and living arrangments. 

With a clear understanding of the structural limitations and opportunities of the existing concrete frame, a forward-thinking and lower-impact material pallet was put forward. The physical models were exhibited alongside the structural analysis and a fantastic array of drawn proposals.













With special thanks to Raphael Arthur (guest critic) and SET Space for granting access.





Students
Ahmad Farokh
Avani Dhivare
Grace Ramirez Prieto
Ivan Gourgel
Jakub Podemski
Leila Meidany
Lizzie Lukenuk
Pui Ching Mak
Radoslava Petrova
Ryan Ahn
Samuel San
Sumayyah Nasar
Verena Sander
Yan Lee
Yaqub Williams

Siddharth Gadhia
Jake Delaney
Andrii Busiiok
Saba Wahid
Raymond Goh
Maram Mohammed
Destiny Peprah
Vidhi Brahmbhatt
Alex Coombes
Charline Ghaheri
Giulia Messina
Ali Hannah
Rayyan Issimdar
Chiara Lelli
Isabella Wheatley
Yizhen Wang
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