We design architecture for all: inclusive, barrier free and participatory


Small accessible home
You can contact us at:

Chambers Mcmillan
9e Bellfiled Lane
Portobello
Edinburgh EH15 2BL

t - 0131 669 5766
m - 07717131287

chambersmcmillan@icloud.com


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Archive for the ‘Portobello’ Category

Posted on: March 24th, 2020

Small accessible home

these options for a small accessible home on a narrow urban site can be developed for different briefs and sites. the core of the concept is how to live inclusively and accessibly in a small footprint, with enjoyable spaces that connect well, producing a home which has both variety and is a supportive environment

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accessible Georgian townhouse conversion

In 2015 we completed one of our first projects as chambersmcmillan: a conversion of the ground floor of a Georgian house in Portobello, to make an accessible lifetime home for a couple after their children had left home. The house already had a wonderful space which had been a working man’s snooker hall and an artist studio, so we worked to retain the character of this space whilst providing a new bedroom, wetroom, and living spaces which connect to the kitchen, dining and garden.

If you are living in a space which doesn’t work for your needs or current uses, please get in touch to discuss how our design could change this.

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Costa Rican Garden Shed makes the Guardian

Posted on: October 30th, 2017

Great to have our work recognised in an article in the Guardian weekend, and a great interview with our lovely clients Ina and James

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/21/edinburgh-garage-conversion-studio-play-space


Royal Scottish Academy Art and Architecture Open

Posted on: March 27th, 2017

Chambers McMillan will be attending the Private View for the Architecture open at the RSA this Friday. Our film (filmed by Bee and Greta) of the Route Through the Ramp House Features in the exhibitionIMG_5595


Creative workshops with children

Posted on: September 20th, 2016

An important part of the design process at Chambers McMillan includes consultation and engagement. Here are some of our creative workshops, which have informed the design process. 

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The Ramp House accessible home

Posted on: May 31st, 2016

The principle of the ramp house was to design and build a family home for a little girl who is a wheelchair user, where the whole house enables her to lead a barrier free included life. We are often confronted with the physical barriers that the built environment presents; in our own home we were able to design a fully inclusive place; using a ramp to access all levels, provides an equality of space to us all. We have designed spaces along the ramp, connecting both horizontally and vertically, so that the experience of the house changes as it unfolds.

The difference that the ramp makes is in how the spaces are experienced; this is both linear and sectional, and the opportunities to look back or forward into other spaces. The ramp contributes both width and height to each of the different pausing places along the way. As we inhabit the house, we can see how this provides variation, complexity, and flexibility in the everyday use of the house, how many spaces can be used concurrently and how it reaches its potential when it is inhabited: movement around it, by foot or on wheels brings the experience to life.

For us as a family, the design of this house has made a difference to our everyday life: for a child who cannot move around independently, the connectivity of the spaces becomes all the more important. If Greta is in the living room, there are six different spaces that we can be in and move between, and she is still able to see and hear us, and communicate with us. Because of the articulation of the different spaces within the open plan, there are many opportunities for privacy and seclusion whilst still being part of the life of the house.

It was important that our home should be a place belonging to the children as well as to us; to ensure this we included them in the design process; to enable this process we worked mainly with models helping the children to understand how spaces might feel and how they might connect.

It has been crucial to us that we remain in the centre of our community where Greta was born; building this house here has enabled her to remain a loved part of Portobello. Our accessible family home allows her friends to come and play in a built environment designed to enable her to play just like any other eight year old. The wider impact of an inclusive house like this, is that people who come to visit us experience a different way of moving around a house, and understand that accessibility does not need to be about constrictions, but can be a delight.

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Spring Newsletter

Posted on: April 28th, 2016

Spring Newsletter – sign up for future newsletters2016Q1T version 3 email.pdf-1 2016Q1T version 3 email.pdf-2


Doing Disability Differently: Vals Therme

Posted on: June 20th, 2015

Last year Doing Disability Differently by Jos Boys was published. My sensory description of Vals Therme, from Greta’s point of view, was included, as well as a critique of our Ramp House. I am now working with Katie Lloyd Thomas on Jos Boy’s follow up reader: our chapter The Ramp House: Building Inclusivity, will explore the planning, building and inhabitation of the ramp house as an ongoing process of inclusivity.

http://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/doing-disability-differently

http://www.architectural-review.com/doing-disability-differently/8668802.article

Thea MacMillan – Experiencing Zumthor

 The way that Zumthor’s spaces are perceived: in Vals Therme, each space has been considered sensorially; the searing heat of the 40° bath reflected by burning red terracotta walls, which change from highly glazed to porous rough at the line where the water laps, contrasted by the cool turquoise water of the central pool and the sharp air rolling down from the surrounding mountains to lie on top of the outdoor pool. Guided by the continuity of the touch of the changing stone in each changing space; offering different sensory experiences, using contrast and heightened touch, hearing, and smell.

Perception: coming into the space from above, the sound is first, then the weight of the leather curtain pushed aside, followed by smell. For anyone disabled who has learnt to use their senses differently to complete pictures, this place offers many different clues. The spatial configuration of open plan and smaller contained spaces and the connections between them, gives a complex aural feedback for the visually impaired to construct the space in their minds.

Movement through the spaces, whilst not supportive of all wheelchair users, with its slow long flat steps, provides added layers of sensory experience for those who can climb them. As this almost offers the inclusive experience of moving through changing space, it seems a missed opportunity not to have a ramp.

Thea McMillan 11/09/13

 

“Ultimately, of course, the aim is redefine what constitutes the normal [] ‘

The principle of the ramp house was to design and build a family home for a little girl who is a wheelchair user, where the whole house enables her to lead a barrier free included life. We are often confronted with the physical barriers that the built environment presents; in our own home we were able to design a fully inclusive place; using a ramp to access all levels, provides an equality of space to us all. We have designed spaces along the ramp, connecting both horizontally and vertically, so that the experience of the house changes as it unfolds.

The difference that the ramp makes is in how the spaces are experienced; this is both linear and sectional, and the opportunities to look back or forward into other spaces. The ramp contributes both width and height to each of the different pausing places along the way. As we inhabit the house, we can see how this provides variation, complexity, and flexibility in the everyday use of the house, how many spaces can be used concurrently and how it reaches its potential when it is inhabited: movement around it, by foot or on wheels brings the experience to life.

For a child who cannot move around independently, the connectivity of the spaces becomes all the more important. If Greta is in the living room, there are six different spaces that we can be in and move between, and she is still able to see and hear us, and communicate with us.’

“here, movement through the space is not separated out as ‘accessible circulation’ but formally interwoven with both how family life is lived, and with the multiple registers through which we engage with the material world simultaneously. Greta is neither a special case nor an unconsidered ‘anyone’: she is just one of the members of the family; as she says herself, ‘I am just a very busy eight year old and like everyone else, I just need a place which allows me to get on with things'” Jos Boys, Doing Disability Differently, Routledge.


new family room in the garden, submitted to planning

Posted on: June 19th, 2015

INITIAL CONCEPT R and D INITIAL CONCEPT R and D 2


Scotland’s first Corian clad building

Posted on: May 8th, 2015

We have nearly finished Scotland’s first external clad corian building: a play and painting room.DSC_0459


Biggar Artist Studio starts on site

Posted on: April 24th, 2015

v) the frame goes UP 5PERSP This week our artist studio extension started on site. Looking forward to watching this being built: it will provide a spacious light studio for the two artists, and connect the house to the garden.


SG Minister Breaking Ground

Posted on: August 21st, 2014

IMG_0861Last week we celebrated the ground breaking for The Rings wheelchair accessible holiday cottages, with Fergus Ewing Scottish Minister for Tourism, Energy and Enterprise. This project has been through quite a process with planning, despite having an SDRP grant for the Scottish Government’s Farm Diversification Project. The Minister spoke about the importance of accessible tourism and described the building as iconic and world class: we now look forward to these cottages being built, and offering people the chance to have a fully accessible and restful holiday in the beautiful Fife countryside.

A1 IMAGE RINGS 2in this rural setting the landscape becomes the inspiration for the forms of the building.CMcM = client at rings cairnChambers McMillan and our client Moira Henderson


Inspirational Design: Scottish Government

Posted on: December 19th, 2013


Good to be included in Scottish Government’s inspirational designs webpage

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/AandP/InspirationalDesigns/ProjectType/Singlehouseurban/TheRampHouse

 


one shiny saltire plaque on the wall of the ramp house

Posted on: September 10th, 2013
saltire plaque

saltire plaque

We are delighted to have won a Saltire Housing Award for our Ramp House – it is now shining on the caithness wall at the front door. Here is what Lesley Riddoch, Chair of the Judging Panel said:

“We admired your determination to fit a house round you – not the other way round. You took a pint pot of a site and cleverly built a house just high enough to “borrow” views of all the fabulous gardens around. You created a house with a common way of moving about – not isolating your daughter into lifts and hoists and it works beautifully. Connecting with one another via the ramps inside you also connect directly with the street outside via that lovely wee breakfast window. The whole house breathes confidence in its location, in one another and in your neighbours. Wonderful.”

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a magazine you can’t get in the newsagents

Posted on: August 23rd, 2013

lifestyle ability cover small
Every three months a magazine called life style drops through our letterbox. You can’t buy this in the shops for love nor money, but is sent out to the 400,000 motability car owners. Each issue has at least one story of people who have taken their circumstances and used them to make things more accessible for others as well as themselves. Ian thought that they might want to know about our story so emailed them, and we were interviewed by a lovely journalist who understood our situation through her own experience. Since the magazine came out we have had a number of really lovely comments and enquiries, just reminding us how many people are in similar circumstances to ours, needing inclusive environments designed for them. It seems we are becoming a specialist practice without trying. lifestyle ability 


Scottish Architecture Policy

Posted on: June 28th, 2013

 

The new architecture policy is called Creating Places, which immediately conjures an image of places which are inclusive and rich in design: unfortunately the document itself fails to discuss (let alone promote) both the necessity and the creative benefits of designing physically accessible places. Whilst Scotland is very keen to look to Denmark for inspiration, unfortunately this document doesn’t look hard enough at what would actually make these places successful.

Having been part of the consultation process for the new policy, and having been disappointed at the complete lack of any mention of accessibility in the finished document, I was very happy to be asked by the Architects Journal for my views on it:

Architects’ Journal

 

I was involved in the consultation process, and was also part of a focus group which met to specifically discuss accessibility (Consultation on inclusive access as part of the development of the Scottish Government’s new policy on architecture and placemaking) but as you will notice from reading the policy, very little of this is reflected in the finished document, even though it was a varied group, and we had a constructive and broad-reaching discussion.

 

So my comment on the new Scottish architecture policy is that in order to make ‘successful places’, physical accessibility and inclusion needs to be considered at every point in the process. Not only is this fair and necessary, but thinking differently, designing places where barriers are removed opens up opportunities of moving through spaces differently, particularly important with Scotland’s changing demographic. Design that starts from a base of inclusivity and accessibility offers a much richer environment for everyone. You only need to experience some of the public spaces in Copenhagen (eg. SEB Bank and Pension, otherwise know as the skaters park, or Snohetta’s Opera House in Oslo)

 

Accessibility is only really mentioned right at the end of the document, in passing, whereas it should both permeate everything that is written, and have its own section (just like sustainability, cultural connections, and engagement). This lack doesn’t surprise me really given that RIAS refuse to let our practice state accessible design as one of our specialisms, but if Scottish Government are going to bring together people to discuss accessibility and inclusion, and if they are going to continually invite people from Denmark as keynote speakers, because they admire their approach to place making, then they need to think about how accessibility effects both positively and negatively every space that we design and use. The front page mentions how architecture should “enrich our lives as individuals and as a society” and this would have been a perfect opportunity to introduce inclusive design as a constructive and forward looking idea.

 


Wood Awards 2013

Posted on: May 14th, 2013

A nice reminder that the wood awards are still open to submissions: not sure if they included our (already submitted) Ramp House as a challenge (beat this) or as a provocation (this is all we have so far). Either way its a bit of publicity, so we are not complaining. Ian’s entry was written from Greta’s point of view: the touch, sound and smell of the wood being just as important as how it looks: towards a sensory architecture.

Wood Awards Mailshot


chambersmcmillan

Posted on: January 11th, 2013

Having just built our accessible family home, now seemed like as good a time as any to start up : we see every day how important it is that the built environment is made accessible to all, and so this has become our aim. Since moving in, we have had so many comments from friends and visitors that the ramp makes the house: on the one hand that they are not aware of it being an obviously ‘accessible’ house, but on the other hand how wonderful it is to have a ramp in a house (and could they have one too?). I think it is because the ramp makes you move around the house differently, and also because of the way that we have designed spaces off the ramp, these spaces connect, both visually and physically, differently. Its is proving to be a great house for children and a great party house: so many different places to stand and sit, whilst always being able to see who is there, and who is talking to whom.

So the idea that we could design spaces which are not only accessible to all, but also richer because of it, is a beginning for chambersmcmillan, and at the moment a very exciting thought. Since building our work desk last weekend, I have photographed (and Facebook posted) an image of the desk every day: I hope that this will document our progression, starting from an empty desk, lets see where this takes us.

day 1

day 1



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day 4 cmcm

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day 1b day 1a

2 new colleagues

2 new colleagues


inside Squirrel Cottage

Posted on: December 21st, 2012

working model: conversation between client and architect

Posted on: October 2nd, 2012


so much happening, so little time

Posted on: September 14th, 2012

Greta upstairs!

Posted on: September 10th, 2012

Thanks to a temporary ramp, Greta can now get into her new room on the first floor!Whilst the build is racing on everyday (regardless of all the rain) I am spending most of my time sourcing and applying to charities for funding to help us build the house. Unfortunately, over a year ago our local council stopped funding extensions to make houses accessible, and are now only able to support a wet room and a ramp up to the front door. Quite how families are expected to carry on using their family homes, when they need to carry their ever heavier children upstairs daily, I’m not sure. As a family with a child with additional support needs, it can get very wearing to constantly focus on the difficulties of life: we like to celebrate and enjoy all the things, large and small, that we find Greta and our whole family able to do. So I don’t want to dwell on the lack of support that the Council is able to provide. But it does mean that I am having to be creative in finding ways of funding this build (any suggestions welcome!). It is a really interesting process, and I am finding out about so many wonderful charities and foundations which have been set up, often due to people’s experiences, who provide so much help support and understanding for so many people. Unfortunately, a lot of charities don’t help with building adaptations: again I’m not sure why not, people’s homes are so important to them, and they need to work well in supporting and enabling them. It may seem as if we are in a very lucky situation of being able to build our own house, which we are, and we really appreciate all the support (and kind wishes) which we get from everyone we encounter; for us this is not only the best possibility, but the only possibility. To find a house in Portobello (where Greta is known and loved) which we could afford, and which we could then adapt to make it barrier-free would be impossible. Building from scratch gives us the chance to provide a house which will carry on supporting us as a family, and helping Greta’s growing independence into the future, but it also gives us the joy of seeing Greta enjoying the spaces of our home inclusively.

Any suggestions of creative fund raising ideas, please comment below.


Designing with Children

Posted on: September 10th, 2012

One of the most important things about designing our accessible family home, was that it should be a place that belongs to the children as much as it does to us; the best way to ensure this is to include them in the design process

Greta’s bedroom

space for my toys

Bee making sure her bedroom is her bedroom

Bee’s fimo Chambers McMillan family

Bee describing the house

Bee looking in

T looking in

Greta red-lining plans


Stone: Caithness and Jura

Posted on: August 31st, 2012

first Caithness wall

Stone:  Jura and Caithness

On the ground floor at the front of the building and around the entrance we are using Caithness stone.  Although from the very north of Scotland, it’s used to pave the streets of Edinburgh.

The Stone itself is extracted from a 3m high bed which lies under 4.5 – 9m of overburden. Caithness Flagstone is quarried from 16 principle layers split into a total of 49 individual flagstones, ranging in thickness between 20mm and 80mm .  It is from the Old Red Sandstone of Devonian age (370 million years old).

Stone can be expensive as a raw material and also in its laying.  To try and negotiate this fact, we used offcuts from paving stones which are in effect the ‘trimmings’.  These still need to be sawn cut to regularise them, but are about a third in cost of the riven faced stone.  The difficulty in laying comes from the varying heights of the stone which is a by-product of the natural bed thickness and requires the skill of a stonemason to piece the wall together.  Given the typical paving thicknesses are 40, 60 and 80mm, we decided to use these thicknesses to form courses similar to brickwork but at varying random lengths.  Beatrice came up with 4 coursing patterns and chose her favourite – which is being built (She also chose the purple window).  We like the horizontality of this layering and it is reminiscent of paintings by Caspar David Freidrich the German Romantic Landscape painter.

Visiting a Jura quarry just north of Munich for a commercial office project, the ‘travertine’ cut blocks, which cut the stone ‘through the bed’, were an extraordinary visual cross section through the earth itself.

Jura Limestone (meaning from the Jurassic period) contains visual fossilised evidence of the natural world as it was in the Mesozoic age approximately 150 million years ago.  Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed by layers of marine organisms deposited on the sea floor and compressed to create a stone with a variety of surface markings, meaning it is normally bed cut to uncover these natural formations such as Ammonites, Belemnites, Quartz Veins, Sponges, Corals and Feather Stars.  There are 22 layers or ‘beds’.

We’re using this in the wetroom, which is unusual as the stone is porus, however the quarry were able to source a much denser stone for this purpose (apparently a much younger stone which seems counter intuitive).  As a finish it has a 220 hone on the walls, and an 80 hone on the floor to provide a good slip resistance.

Having visited the quarry and being able to see and understand the product and production process, allowed us to order direct, which kept the costs tight (saying that a considerable percentage went to the haulage firm) and afforded us the Jura for the price of a mid-range ceramic tile.  It should be arriving on site in the next week or so.


hidden spaces

Posted on: August 28th, 2012

I have always been interested in left over spaces in buildings: I have seen children delighting in using these spaces. Having a ramp meandering its way around a two story house, there are lots of left over spaces created. Some of these we are only becoming really aware of as the building progresses, despite having designed with models, which should have revealed them all, but the reality of this variety of people sized spaces is constantly surprising us. We designed so that every turn in the ramp would create its own unique pausing space: the reality of this, will only become clear once we use the space


Windows!

Posted on: August 17th, 2012

There’s something about windows that have a very finished feel to them. Something to look out of, at the very least.

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And a front door!

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Greta upstairs!

Posted on: July 27th, 2012

Thanks to a temporary ramp, Greta can now get into her new room on the first floor!Whilst the build is racing on everyday (regardless of all the rain) I am spending most of my time sourcing and applying to charities for funding to help us build the house. Unfortunately, over a year ago our local council stopped funding extensions to make houses accessible, and are now only able to support a wet room and a ramp up to the front door. Quite how families are expected to carry on using their family homes, when they need to carry their ever heavier children upstairs daily, I’m not sure. As a family with a child with additional support needs, it can get very wearing to constantly focus on the difficulties of life: we like to celebrate and enjoy all the things, large and small, that we find Greta and our whole family able to do. So I don’t want to dwell on the lack of support that the Council is able to provide. But it does mean that I am having to be creative in finding ways of funding this build (any suggestions welcome!). It is a really interesting process, and I am finding out about so many wonderful charities and foundations which have been set up, often due to people’s experiences, who provide so much help support and understanding for so many people. Unfortunately, a lot of charities don’t help with building adaptations: again I’m not sure why not, people’s homes are so important to them, and they need to work well in supporting and enabling them. It may seem as if we are in a very lucky situation of being able to build our own house, which we are, and we really appreciate all the support (and kind wishes) which we get from everyone we encounter; for us this is not only the best possibility, but the only possibility. To find a house in Portobello (where Greta is known and loved) which we could afford, and which we could then adapt to make it barrier-free would be impossible. Building from scratch gives us the chance to provide a house which will carry on supporting us as a family, and helping Greta’s growing independence into the future, but it also gives us the joy of seeing Greta enjoying the spaces of our home inclusively.

Any suggestions of creative fund raising ideas, please comment below.


Upstairs at last

Posted on: July 5th, 2012

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The designing of Squirrel Cottage

Posted on: May 18th, 2012

People are often amazed that two architects have managed to design a home together, not to mention including their two children in the design process, but I always tell them, it was easy. And it was easy for one reason: we had such a strong brief with a driving reason to build, that every design decision was a delightful realisation of a place that our daughter would be able to use without having to ask for exceptions to be made. So much of her life is frustrated by obstacles in her way; the main ones are physical, environmental, spatial ones, something which as architects we feel ashamed of, but also empowered to do something about. We are in the exceptional position of understanding through our family’s experience what hinders, and knowing, as designers, how to put that right. So when you turn this to the problem of designing a (barrier free) family home it suddenly becomes an enabling process rather than a problem.

Having to think differently around how we use spaces, and how we move around them starts to produce unusual places. I was already interested in how children move around in, and perceive spaces through my PhD research (link), and had often noticed that children will choose to run up a ramp (then often jumping down the stairs if they are on the other side). For our daughter this movement through spaces is just as important, and the way for her to be able to access this experience is by designing a ramp that she can negotiate in her many wheeled vehicles (link bike, 4 wheeler, wheelchair). But once you calculate the ramp needed to climb from a ground floor to a first, it quickly becomes apparent that the ramp will need to do more than just that. So we have designed a ramp which unwraps to connect to a number of different spaces, each of which can be used along the way.

Unfold

By designing the house as spaces arranged around a ramp, we have enabled Greta to join us in a full experience of the spaces of our everyday lives. Whilst many public and private spaces still act as a barrier to her full inclusion, this house provides an environment which she and her friends and family can experience, learn from and enjoy together. Designing all the spaces to work as part of the movement along the ramp, with the ramp as central to the spaces, allows the architecture to develop in a rich spatial unfolding, whilst also enabling us all to use the house together.

Involving the children in the design allows them to explore creatively what they need and what they desire. It also means that their occupation of the spaces once built will become another part of this process.


Two Houses

Posted on: May 11th, 2012

Whilst all the excitement of the steel structure was happening, we were also flat out getting our current house ready to sell. This meant many late nights painting and organising, and then finally last weekend we were ready to let people in.

blossom living

Sitting, waiting in our very tidy house was a bit like waiting for a party to start, but without the food and drink. We had no idea if anyone would come, and what they would think. Fortunately the house was soon buzzing, and at one point Bee had to take on the role of tour guide for us: her main aim was to show the viewer all the best climbing places in the house. So now a total of fourteen sets of people have viewed the house, and we have had some really lovely comments, now we just have to wait and see.

snow blossom

This house has been a very lucky house for us, and we would not be moving if we didn’t have to. I still remember the first time we came to see it, where everything was painted dark brown and green, the front garden and back lane were just tarmac, and all the doors opened out onto the crowded landing: and Ian and I stood upstairs and discussed whether we could make it work: I’m so glad we took the risk.

blossom lights

I remember coming here with Bee when it was a building site, with our ridiculously ambitious 5 week schedule, and she was most fascinated by the whole in the bathroom floor which looked down into the living room. I also remember sitting on our red velvet sofa in the kitchen with my feet up, knitting, 8 and a half months pregnant with Greta, whilst Ian unpacked every single box we owned, which filled the whole space of the sitting room.

squirrels

Greta was born in this house, and we were lucky enough to have been able to keep her, and to be able to carry on living here and making more good memories. This is a house that has both wonderful family memories, and also wonderful family rituals of yearly parties, birthdays and anniversary celebrations. We can take those family rituals with us to our next home, and we hope to be able to hand the house on to somebody who will cherish it and enjoy it just as much.

http://m.espc.com/?saleType=Sale&beds=3&locType=text&area=Portobello&radius=0.5&longitude=0&latitude=0&house_type=12&min_price&max_price&search=Search&sort=price-ASC&propref=312736&cs=1&img=0#propDetails

blossom living

blossom family

blossom globe

Blossom Bee

blossom

blossom 360º


photosynth week 13

Posted on: May 7th, 2012

week 13 photosynth outside

 


cottage pie

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

squirrel pie

Cottage Pie

Guest Blogger Ian McMillan writes:  Working on projects where the Net/ Gross efficiency of the floorplates and the extent of circulation versus usable space is paramount,  And having a ramp through the house, I was somewhat reluctant to crunch out the figures.  Our current house is very tight with space, but we’ve optimised it to 50% living accommodation, smaller bedrooms and a quirky ‘open plan’ bathroom  – and all in 72m2, which is below the 78m2 standard UK house size for a 3 bed house.  The new proposal, although 140m2, sounds absurdly huge but it’s just the size of a standard Danish family house.  Which is still well below the States and Australia.  So where is all this extra 62m2?

The figures below show that we’ve still kept the bedrooms at a standard size (but have carved the space away above them and introduced rooflights to make them feel brighter and more spacious), and like our current house we’ve tried to optimise the space for the living accommodation.  But rather than one single space, it’s fragmented into different levels which come off the various levels of the ramp.

Squirrel Cottage Areas m2                    UK Cottage Areas m2

Sleeping  (x3) 33.5 Sleeping  (x3) 31.0
Living Space 21.4 Living Space 14.0
Kitchen/ Eating 22 Kitchen/ Eating 12.5
Circulation 41.3 Circulation 8
Therapy 7 Therapy 0
Ancillary 4 Ancillary 1.2
Wetroom 5 Wetroom 4

Average Pie

The ramp itself is the biggest space user being 41.3m3 and accounting for 31% of the building, as opposed to the typical house where the stair and any corridors would account for 11%.  This is a big spatial investment, however as the ramp is integrated into the house (as opposed to being a ‘bolt on’), it will spatially become part of the living accommodation.  Saying that, It will be interesting to see how we physically use this sloped surface aside from its primary purpose of circulation!

Rem slope

rem slope 2



Build a house in 3 days

Posted on: April 27th, 2012

just a week ago there was nothing on our site but hidden drains and foundations. Then Johnstone Rigging arrived, with their cherry picker and 35ft crane (see previous post for how they negotiated it into the lane!), and ten ton of steel, and within three days we have the structure of our house .We can now stand in the tea drinking space and look across, through the sun room, to the garden. We can imagine how we will run up and down the ramp, and we can stand at our front door. Obviously this still takes a certain amount of imagination (and still needs months of filling in), but for the first time we can really believe that this will be the house where we will live.

steel frame

for the best effect, use photosynth on your iphone or iPad to view these images three-dimensionally


how to steer a crane round a (tight) corner

Posted on: April 23rd, 2012

this photo was taken from our neighbours’ (konishi gaffney) window, as the crane was being gradually manouvered through the twists and turns of our lane: people have commented that it must have been airlifted in.


The designing of Squirrel Cottage

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

People are often amazed that two architects have managed to design a home together, not to mention including their two children in the design process, but I always tell them, it was easy. And it was easy for one reason: we had such a strong brief with a driving reason to build, that every design decision was a delightful realisation of a place that our daughter would be able to use without having to ask for exceptions to be made. So much of her life is frustrated by obstacles in her way; the main ones are physical, environmental, spatial ones, something which as architects we feel ashamed of, but also empowered to do something about. We are in the exceptional position of understanding through our family’s experience what hinders, and knowing, as designers, how to put that right. So when you turn this to the problem of designing a (barrier free) family home it suddenly becomes an enabling process rather than a problem.

Having to think differently around how we use spaces, and how we move around them starts to produce unusual places. I was already interested in how children move around in, and perceive spaces through my PhD research (link), and had often noticed that children will choose to run up a ramp (then often jumping down the stairs if they are on the other side). For our daughter this movement through spaces is just as important, and the way for her to be able to access this experience is by designing a ramp that she can negotiate in her many wheeled vehicles (link bike, 4 wheeler, wheelchair). But once you calculate the ramp needed to climb from a ground floor to a first, it quickly becomes apparent that the ramp will need to do more than just that. So we have designed a ramp which unwraps to connect to a number of different spaces, each of which can be used along the way.

Unfold

By designing the house as spaces arranged around a ramp, we have enabled Greta to join us in a full experience of the spaces of our everyday lives. Whilst many public and private spaces still act as a barrier to her full inclusion, this house provides an environment which she and her friends and family can experience, learn from and enjoy together. Designing all the spaces to work as part of the movement along the ramp, with the ramp as central to the spaces, allows the architecture to develop in a rich spatial unfolding, whilst also enabling us all to use the house together.

Involving the children in the design allows them to explore creatively what they need and what they desire. It also means that their occupation of the spaces once built will become another part of this process.


Squirrel Cottage presentation board

Posted on: April 13th, 2012

This is the board we were asked to submit for the exhibition Input and Ideas at the Lighthouse Glasgow, which is part of the Scottish Government consultation on its Architecture Policy. In the end only the photo of Greta designing and Bee’s fimo models of the family made the cut – brilliant for them (I think it’s their first exhibition) but a real shame that there was no sign of the ramp and the design that inclusion had produced – my whole point when asked what should be included in the policy was architecture for all.


foundations done – now just waiting for the steel frame

Posted on: April 12th, 2012


Ramps, slopes, gradients, inclines and levels

Posted on: April 1st, 2012

Guest Blogger Ian McMillan writes:  Week 8 was about levels.  Scraping back the (apparently) flat site to incorporate foundations, pads, ground slab and domestic drainage.  Given that the site is only 250m2, the 260 cubic metres/ 130 tonnes that has to be removed off site does seem incredible.

However the levels are the key to the design.

With the house design, rather than 2 levels with a ramp ‘bolted on’, we had looked at various early C20 European architects, particularly Adolph Loos, and how they arranged spaces and events around the circulation to create a journey through the space.  This not only breaks down the (apparent) ramp/ circulation length, but also converts it into a usable space.

We looked at various ramp configurations, but the ‘Z’ formation gave the longest length within the site confines, but also suited the spatial demand and program.  This curiously formed more solid edge of smaller ancillary spaces to the street, and opened up the larger living spaces onto the garden.  We had originally hoped for a 1:10 ramp, but mainly as this was a round number, however in reality this developed into a 1:9 gradient.  We were uncertain of this gradient primarily as we are used to working within the building standards of 1:20, 1;15 and 1:12, and all with their incredibly short flight lengths, however where did these figures come from and why?  From our European travels we have seen countless example of ramps within public buildings which are steeper, and importantly practical and manageable.  Recently in London we were in the Turbine Hall of the Tate, and measured the 80m long single flight ramp at 1:12.  Those non-compliant European architects!  In reality we navigate these gradients in the everyday in Edinburgh, where most of the streets in the Newtown are sloping at between 1:12 and 1:8.

The City of Edinburgh Council were concerned about our proposal, and asked us to demonstrate why we thought the ramp was practical, and how we could future proof the design by the provision of a lift space.  It was eventually accepted albeit reluctantly.

It went as follows:

The report follows on from a meeting with The City of Edinburgh Council on 8 October 2011, where the following two key points were raised:

1 – Is there future and spatial provision for a lift within the house?

2 – Is the ramp an acceptable gradient?

Introduction

We are designing and building a home for our daughter who is a wheelchair user.  The intention has been that it should be fully accessible and barrier free and allow Greta to take part in all of our everyday activities.  The house should also be as adaptable and as future proof as possible.

As we are both architects we wrote the brief of all the spatial and user requirements and designed the house from the inside out.  We also took advice and design development guidance from Tom Lister from People Friendly Design who is an accessibility consultant, and has cerebral palsy himself, and also contributes to policy on accessibility for the Scottish Government.

The site where the house itself is situated is in central Portobello, the community where we live.  It was key that we continued to live in and around the people Greta knows and the school she attends.

In order to achieve the above, the design has incorporated a ramp to connect the levels.  This is important for a few key reasons:

1 – No reliance on mechanical equipment.  Although the ramp does take up space within the house, the non reliance on mechanical equipment is a great benefit, and make the house more ‘normal’.

2 – Cognitive development.  Research shows that movements through spaces allows a greater understanding of them

3 – Connectivity. The ramp has been designed in sections which breaks up its length and connects spaces along its route.  This makes it more integrated and purposeful.

Other key features that the house offers are:

Future lift provision.

Although we designed the building to function without the provision of a lift we have considered the possibility of requiring one in the future.  The building has a steel frame which allows it flexibility within its layout and plan.  There are two possible and practical locations for a lift to be incorporated the design.

Option 1

The lift would be located at the bottom of the existing stair as shown.  This would give direct access onto the first floor landing outside the bathroom.  The staircase is easily removed from the surrounding steel frame and would be reconfigured to either come up from the small living space adjacent to the kitchen, otherwise the main ramp itself could be used.  The main ramp could be also easily converted into a stepped ramp if required. Flat timber treads could be added over the ramped surface and these would be 1.2m long and the step rise would be 150mm.  This would be an acceptable and compliant stair within the technical handbook (Scottish building standards)

Option 2 – This would enter the lift from the small living space adjacent to the kitchen as shown, and it would exit on the upper level outside the bedroom but within the circulation area.  Again the main stair could be reconfigured within the space but be a more spiral like design, or the ramp could either be used or adapted.

Proposed ramp design.

The ramp within the house is deemed non-compliant in terms of the Scottish Building Standards.  We were unable to design in a compliant solution due to the building plot  not being large enough.  The proposal does make the ramp length as long as possible and has been designed to break the ramp into small sections.

Although it is technically non compliant we believe it is in the spirit of the design guidance.

Ramps are not normally incorporated within domestic buildings primarily as they take up more space than stairs of a lift, but are often incorporated within public buildings.   Scottish building standards have to therefore write the guidelines specifically for public usage of ramps where they have to be able to cater for all abilities, rather than the specific individual.  They also make no distinction between an internal and external ramp although the external ramps have to deal with rain, wind and snow which will require them to be shallow.

Therefore the guidelines deem any gradient greater than 1:20 to be a ramp.  They suggest that the ramp is broken into sections to assist the ambulant disabled to have flattened  pausing spaces. This is covered under the building standards.

Scottish Buildings standards

Building standards suggest that a ramp up to 1:12 gradient is acceptable in terms of safety for public usage within public buildings. Gradients of more than 1:12 are considered too steep to negotiate safely and are not recommended..

That said this is guidance only and is not legally enforceable.

Technical standards have accepted our proposal of 1:9 gradient as there is an alternative and compliant  means to access the upper floor.

British Standards BS-8300

These are the guidelines from which the building regulations are based and from which the Technical standards reference, hence recommend the same ramp gradients..

Research on the subject does come up with some worldwide alternatives on the issue.

Neuferts New Metric handbook – This is a german publication and is the basic guideline to building design.  They recommend that the steepest ramp gradient should be 1:8, and above that the walking pace of a pedestrian is slowed down.

Independent living

This is a UK website and asks what is the steepest gradient acceptable for a wheelchair ramp.  They recognise that the ideal ramps gradient is 1:12, but this cannot always be accommodated.  They suggest that the steepest practical gradient is 1:6, which is that of portable ramps.

ADA American Disability Association

This again verifies the above.  The standard accessible ramps with the USA is recognised as 1:12 within all the states. This ramp can be an unbroken single flight up to 30 feet/ 9 metres.  They suggest that shorter ramps can be used up to 1/6 gradient with the maximum steepness being 1:4 which is an unoccuoied chair being loaded into an accessible vehicle.

European examples

Looking at built examples within Europe we have used the book ‘housing for all ages’ again a german publication, which has drawings, specifications and photographs of ramps

This has a built domestic examples of 1:6 ramps without landings for wheelchair users.

Ramp Summary

The UK and US authorities will permit a 1:12 recommended gradient, with the US allowing much longer unbroken lengths.  Both the UK and US will accept 1:6 as the maximum gradient.  However Germany and other mainland European countries have many built examples of long unbroken wheelchair ramps within private residences of 1:6.

Conclusion

Our proposal lies within the middle of these ranges at 1:9.  This figure came from the maximum practical length of ramp we could fit within the site.  We then built a full scale model of this to verify our finding and to ensure that we were comfortable with this gradient and that we found it manageable. Europe has give us many built examples of accessible houses with much steeper wheelchair ramps of 1:6, with the UK and the US accepting these as permissible gradients but outwith any guidance and legislation.  Ultimately the decision is up to the individual as it is within a private house and not within a public building.  However if the ramps is above 1:12 the individual must satisfy themselves that they have considered the risks.  We feel we have done this as:

1:9 is just outside the 1:12 recommendation

1:6 is an acceptable gradient for shorter sections within the UK and US

1:6 gradients have been successfully built within accessible houses in Europe.


Designing with Children

Posted on: March 22nd, 2012

One of the most important things about designing our accessible family home, was that it should be a place that belongs to the children as much as it does to us; the best way to ensure this is to include them in the design process

Greta's bedroom

space for my toys

Bee making sure her bedroom is her bedroom

Bee's fimo Chambers McMillan family

Bee describing the house

Bee looking in

T looking in

Greta red-lining plans


IMG_7741

Posted on: March 20th, 2012

Week 5 still just drains: look at this photosynth on your iPhone / iPad for 3D

Photosynth Week 5


where are those drains?

Posted on: March 6th, 2012

drainage collage

the last few days have been taken up with looking for existing drains, which seem never to be where they are meant to be on paper: this included digging up the neighbour’s garden (with permission, obviously) and of course the usual divining rod, as well as a technological version (which didn’t seem nearly as effect as the old hazel twig, or could have been willow or peach. In the end the thing that worked was just digging up lots of earth until we found them, and of course now that we are actually building on the site, this is something that we can do, and is in fact what we will be doing for the next few months! So now I am looking down at our newly installed drainage, thinking that this is the system that will take away all of our family’s ablutions for years to come (not to mention that it looks capable of serving the whole of Portobello!)


Week 4 photosynth

Posted on: March 3rd, 2012

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belt and braces

Posted on: March 3rd, 2012

steel frame

Guest Blogger Ian McMillan: The first issue of the steel contractor’s drawings have come in for checking after only 22 Formal TQ’s and 14 phone call queries (whilst on holiday in Cheltenham).  There are one or two minor issues we’ve picked up from the drawings – as usual it’s cross bracing (engineers like a lot of this and architects never want any) and connection details.
We had looked at a timber frame, with steel sections – which became a hybrid solution which started to become overcomplex, so we investigated an engineered timber solution which couldn’t be guaranteed to achieve what we needed, so we had to bite the bullet and go for a full steel frame.  It’s not so uncommon on mainland Europe where steel and in particular concrete framed solutions are the norm – but then again they do expect their housing to last more than 25 years.
There are 8 tons of steel being used, which is much more than you would normally expect for a new build this size.  The primary reason is that the ramp cuts through most of the structural lines, and the extend of glazing and large open plan spaces which we needed to do in order to maximise the daylight and spatial flow and connectivity within such a small plot size.  Then when you have a steel frame you might as well use it to its full potential – and introduce cantilevers.


Designing with Children

Posted on: February 3rd, 2012

One of the most important things about designing our accessible family home, was that it should be a place that belongs to the children as much as it does to us; the best way to ensure this is to include them in the design process

Greta’s bedroom

space for my toys

Bee making sure her bedroom is her bedroom

Bee’s fimo Chambers McMillan family

Bee describing the house

Bee looking in

T looking in

Greta red-lining plans


roof like paper

Posted on: November 23rd, 2011

Today,

a JCB came big

and blundering into our home

and tore the

roof like paper

[wpvideo bu2cIAT2]


Kapow!!!!!

Posted on: November 14th, 2011

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