GRASSROOTS URBANISM
GILLETT SQUARE, LONDON
Terminal Studio Project - 2016
Gillett Square is located in Dalston, London—a district that is currently trying to find a balance between preserving its authentic community and developing as a top business destination. The construction of the Dalston Junction and the Dalston
Kingsland Station in 2012 connected Dalston to London’s center. While the government sees this as a great success, many local people fear
gentrification.
The goal of the redevelopment of Gillett Square is to enhance its authentic character and give creative businesses the opportunity to thrive along with the new business class.
Professor Howard Davis
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
Since the focus of this project was grassroots urbanism, a ten minute walking radius site analysis was important. It provided information on what locals have access to and where people populate. Based on this map, a projection of what new programs could benefit the community was made.
BUILDING PROGRAMS
A grassroots project needs to come from the opinions of the local people; therefore a series of interviews were part of the design process. Through these interviews, the program for the new structure was developed. It is a combination of enhancing the businesses that the locals currently utilize and bringing in new businesses to support them.
REBUILDING CENTER
The Rebuilding Center is a non-profit organization, in Portland, OR. Recycled building materials are collected by surrounding neighbors and then sold at 50-90% of their original price. The concept of the Rebuilding Center is brought to Gillett square to strengthen the environmental, economic and social fabric of the local community.
P.O.N.D. RESTAURANT
P.O.N.D. is an existing, Hawaiian/Asian fusion restaurant within Stamford Works. It is important to keep a restaurant, such as P.O.N.D., in the square because it promotes night life and financial stability. The redevelopment gives P.O.N.D. a new space with a stronger presence on Gillett Square. It will be accessed through the main atrium and have an outdoor balcony.
KAFFA COFFEE
Kaffa Coffee exists in one of the temporary pods on Gillett Square. They roast their own beans and serve authentic, delicious coffee. Many of the local people refer to Kaffa Coffee as the beating heart
of the square. The redevelopment of Stamford Works has a larger, permanent shop space for Kaffa Coffee to move-in to.
DALSTON STUDIOS
Dalston Studios is a perfect example of a grassroots business that currently exists in the Stamford Works factory. It is where local musicians and artists can rent out space to produce their work. Currently the rooms are tucked away from the square. Their presence will be enhanced in the new construction, with floor to ceiling
windows that overlook Gillett Square.
BUILDING MASSING
Stamford Works is the name of an existing factory building located in Gillett Square. Part of the redevelopment of Gillett Square is to bridge the new and the old. This is done by keeping some of Samford Works’ existing structure and eclectic architectural features.
EXISTING
TO REMAIN
NEW
ENTRY
ATRIUM
SITE SECTION
Analyzing how the new structure could be passively vented was part of the initial design process. The solution was to use stacked ventilation. The central atrium serves as the stack for majority of the building. Smaller stacks were designed into where the new and old buildings meet in order to vent the offices.
Designing how the new and old structure would be bridged together was a critical element to the concept of this grassroots urbanism design. A concrete curb with silicon sealant is one of the solutions to allow for multiple materials to meet. The multiple layers of connections were analyzed and designed to have an elegant and industrial appearance.
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