26/04/2015 FlexiRents | adaptable futures

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FlexiRents is the final year project by Preet Panesar from DS17 (architecture and film design studio) at

University of Westminster.  The scheme explores adaptable live/work housing solutions.

Modern lifestyles changing needs

Project description:

I began by addressing a common flaw found in modern urban housing, such as dense terrace housing,

flats and apartments. These typologies fail to accommodate the constant change in people’s

circumstances. Having been born and brought up in London, I have had firsthand experience with space

negotiations in the home. Being one of seven living in a three bedroom house it never felt like a tight

squeeze yet we all constantly fought for our ‘own’ space. With the regular arrival of guests and

FlexiRents22.08.12toolkit

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Reflections on DAF2012

26/04/2015 FlexiRents | adaptable futures

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visitors we would often feel like we had reached the house’s maximum capacity. Yet space was always

found somewhere, beds were shared, floors doubled up as mattresses and we managed. As we changed

and grew, the house also grew and saw dramatic changes. We added an extension to our kitchen to

provide more living space, we had a loft extension to make our 3 bedroom house a four bedroom, and at

one time we also partitioned the master bedroom to carve out an extra space.

Techniques for expansion

These processes seen diagrammatically are very common changes that take place throughout London to

typical terrace homes. Yet in Bermondsey (our given site for exploration) , where the main housing

typology is an estate flat, the space for expansion is minimal and most likely nonexistent. Yet high

density high rise seems to be the planners/governments solution to the housing crisis, where there is

no room for expansion within the typology. Moreover, extensions such as those done in a house cannot

be done as easily in a housing block.

My design involves providing a core unit of space which can expand and contract over time as ones

needs change. The expansion is carried out using a giant sliding gantry crane on the roof of the building

and a series of add-on rooms that can be attached on to the facade or carved into the space within.

These rooms range from balconies and conservatories to spare bedrooms and meeting rooms. The

Building is lifted on columns that open up the ground floor. The space below will be used as workshops

by local labour to fit out and maintain the add-on spaces.

26/04/2015 FlexiRents | adaptable futures

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Extension Possibilities

The final proposal is a study of two typologies, a vertical tower and a horizontal block. The Work Space

is provided along the north of the site whereas the south facing rooms all belong to the Residential

Units. The individual units have been designed with partitions enclosed within the existing walls. These

can unfold and click out to form divisions of space internally . The Add- On spaces are designed to

accommodate different internal functions, clients can also order custom made add ons.

By designing these flexible Live/Work spaces in this way, the aim is to encourage integration between

the various members of the community that live and/or work in the building.This is achieved as spaces

would need to be constantly negotiated and compromises would need to be made regarding allocation of

additional rooms and who takes what space and for how long.

 

Component study for adaptable spaces

FlexiRENTS Vertical and HorizontalExplorationsfrom Preet Panesar

01:18

Adaptableextending the life of our built environment

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26/04/2015 FlexiRents | adaptable futures

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Exploratory model for an adaptable room

Exploratory model for an adaptable structure

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