Johanna Richard

Redeveloped Centre Square Millennium Mills Building, Royal Victoria Docks, Silvertown, London

Johanna Richard grew up in Vienna, Austria and has completed her BSc in Architecture at the Technical University of Vienna in 2021. Last year in ADS10 she focussed on social injustice and the rise of homelessness within Central London by designing a Soup Kitchen and Homeless shelter offering council and other support within the heart of political London as a form of protest.

Coming from a city which has a long history of Social Housing she takes a great interest in the socio-political, ethical, economic and of course in the architectural dynamics of housing developments. So, this year, in ADS01, her focus lay with the current housing crisis and economic situation in London, trying to develop a prototype for a new kind of social housing, a housing reform which is in line with historical reforms and projects. The social, ethical, egalitarian and economic aspects of this branch of architecture interest her most severely in relation to urban developments, an intrinsic consciousness of the climate crisis and the quality of life. Architecture has a responsibility towards the people who use it, the environment, its surroundings and its political and economic framework, and due to this responsibility it is the duty of architects to point out topics where these crucial points are not met. Social housing is embedded within all these topics and should not be neglected, this is why Johanna intends to focus on this not just in this project but also in her future career.

„It takes a village is a project about life in the 21st century, humanity, and social connection. It is situated within the Millennium Mills building on the Royal Victoria Docks in Silvertown. After a turbulent history of nearly a century, the Mills, having been one of the best equipped mills in Europe, were closed in the 1990s and stood empty since then.

Over the years, many of the surrounding industrial buildings have been torn down. So finally, in 2015, Lendlease proposed a new development project for the building and its vast surrounding area. Is has already received planning permission. The project aims to create office, leisure, and community space and approximately 6350 apartments of those 25-30% are aimed to be affordable. The restored mills building itself will provide work, retail, entertainment, and social space.

The developers advertise the project as a new home for all Londoners, but this is a paradox considering that they are aiming at 25% of affordable housing.

Factors of change - The London Housing Crisis

The housing situation in London is far from ideal and the ethics and actions of developing firms can be strongly questioned. Due to the searing rent and property prices, they make it hard to find affordable housing. This is enhanced by the current cost of living crisis and the high inflation rates. Living in London with dignity has become a luxury.

Another crucial element of change should be the consciousness of the climate crisis. Acting against climate change is in many ways also a financial privilege. So, a social housing project of the 21^st century should offer solutions that could make it easier to lead sustainable lives and of course the building itself needs to be as sustainable as possible.

Finally, the role of women within the home needs to be addressed in relation to social housing, as household chores and child rearing are still primarily female tasks. It should be the aim of a contemporary housing to offer opportunities to make these tasks easier and something communal rather than the solitary work of a woman.

All these factors ask for a housing reform, a new way forward in line with historical reforms, exhibitions, and projects, like the Werkbundausstellung in 1927.

The project will be situated within the context of the development project. Through the spatial relationship between the social housing scheme and the development project, the different approaches will be visible and the importance of people, life, and community will hopefully be acknowledged.

The ground floor is shaped by a large multifunctional market hall, which is at the disposal of the inhabitants of the building. It can be a market hall, a cinema, meeting place, theatre, or party venue.

On the square south of the building, there is a timber arcade structure which can extend the flexible functions of the market hall onto the centre of the area. It supports the other functions of the ground floor like the kindergarten, maternity counselling centre, a doctor’s office, pharmacy, grocery store

The building is shaped by three very distinctive vaults which were originally used for grain storage, now after some alterations they are used for the public functions of the building.

Another important element of the project is the rooftop landscape. It is connected with the public ground floor through the green and communal atrium. It is shaped by timber arcades which offer many possibilities. They create a structure for greenhouses which the inhabitants of the building can use. But also for the rooftop Café where they can recuperate.

There are different elements integrated within the grid. Planters are assembled between and on top of the grid and plants are aided by rank guides to create a pergola atmosphere. Smaller cross beams create the foundation for shades. Furnishing elements are integrated within the grid and flower beds which can also be used as seating possibilities are placed under the open sky.

The original vault was opened up to the top level and to the first floor to bring more light into the heart of the 28 metres wide building. To generate a reminder of the original shape of the vault and to maintain static stability, the original beams remain in place as a suggestion of the old shape. In addition to that the slaps terrace back from the original starting point of the vault. This creates more space for community and connection. The atrium was also opened up to the west of the building.

The heavy concrete structure is set off against the delicacy of nature and the grid will be the supporting structure for the ranking plants. This space the green circulation and communal atrium brings together the communal functions on the north side with the apartments in the south. It also connects the different vaults, and all the different levels. It is the glue that holds all the different functions together. It is a place of community and connection, a place where the old architecture meets the new.

The Western vault is dedicated to wellness and physical health. It is largely shaped by the swimming pools and its gallery. But it also offers physiotherapy and massage rooms, a sauna, steam bath, a juice kitchen and the necessary facilities for the wellness area.

The east vault is dedicated to work, education and the arts and crafts. There is a library on the lower level, a workshop space on the level above, a tutoring space, creative drawing area and a little coffee shop with a light pocket on top.

The communal building blocks consist of the working area, which can be used for home office, personal projects and tranquility and should play an important part in making life easier for young families and professionals.

The playing area is particularly aimed at young families and the challenges of early family life. Here children can play together, while their parents can find comfort in the conversations and support of other parents.

The laundry lounge very much aims at the unequal distribution of domestic chores and turns them into a communal activity.

The light pockets are outdoor spaces, loggias, which create a connection with the surrounding landscape, the waterfront and nature and create a little oasis for rest and recouperation in a sheltered and secure environment.

The north façade of the building is shaped by communal functions. It is important to consider the level of privacy of these functions to create a true feeling of conviviality and safety. So these functions will be used by the inhabitants of the same floor and will be distributed according to the apartment types on the south side of that floor.

To help our ageing society there are shared apartments for the elderly with the possibility of 24 hour medical and pastoral care which can be found on the first floor. The main part of the building has more traditional apartment borders. The north end and the south end of the west corridor are always shaped by communal functions. There is a laundry lounge on the north end of the corridor and a community kitchen in the south.

The Corridor in the west block is very much part of the communal living approach and should not be the anonymous stereotypical corridor of a social housing complex, but rather a place where life happens as well. Inside the timber frame walls, shelves, hanging and seating possibilities are integrated into the wall in relation to every apartment door. The corridor is lit up through light pockets.

The Thermal Buffer Zone

The apartments are shaped by thermal buffer zones. The buffer zone is used as the corridor of the apartment. In front of the living area it widens and becomes a wintergarden. The outer envelope of the thermal buffer zone is the uninsulated external wall of the existing building, combined with the single glased original windows.

The internal envelope of the wintergarden is a double glased sliding wall. The buffer zone has great advantages regarding the thermal qualities and adds to the climate efficiency of the building.

Heating costs can be greatly reduced through the increased insulative layer of the buffer zone. In summer it has the additional advantage of being a ventilated space which cools the apartment. In winter the corridor can be used normally and the wintergarden becomes a sheltered outdoor space.

The newly built elements are timber frame walls filled with hemp insulation and paneled with timber. Both materials are CO2 neutral and will be resourced from the UK. Their delicate and light aesthetic will be set of by the heavy concrete and masonry structure of the existing building, proclaiming its heritage but showing its way forward into a CO2 neutral future.

The thermal treatment of the building is shaped by the buffer zone which creates the outer envelope of the building which encloses the heated apartments which then again enclose the unheated centre atrium. The temperature of the central atrium is aided by the light pockets, especially on the south side of the facade which create direct sunlight access, which is beneficial in winter. In summer the extreme verticality of the space creates a chimney effect whihc is extremely beneficial for ventilation.

The apartments are shaped by thermal buffer zones. It's used as the corridor of the apartment. In front of the living area it widens and becomes a wintergarden. The outer envelope of the thermal buffer zone is the uninsulated external wall of the existing building, combined with the single glased original windows. The internal envelope of the wintergarden is a double glased sliding wall. The buffer zone has great advantages regarding the thermal qualities and adds to the climate efficiency of the building

The temperature of the central atrium is aided by the light pockets, especially on the south side of the facade which create direct sunlight access, which is beneficial in winter. In summer the extreme verticality of the space creates a chimney effect whihc is extremely beneficial for ventilation.

Society of the 21st century does not only have one generic living model of the nuclear family. There is so much variety in living situations and conditions of day to day live and all need to be considered in a social housing complex. Different living situations and stages of life need to be considered, which is why a variety of shared and "private" apartment types have been created. They are distributed across the building in relation to their compatibility. The west block is shaped by shared apartments.

Johanna Richard

Factors of change - The London Housing Crisis

The Thermal Buffer Zone

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