Project: Gasholder Village
Type: Academic
Year: 2019
Location: London, United Kingdom
Team: Allen Lai, Patrick Monfort, Valeria Chairopolou
Gasholder Village aims to rethink affordable housing developments in London. As an alternative solution to the conventional housing approach, this project intends to subvert the traditional static tower block typology by introducing adaptability and flexibility to urban dwellings. The Slope Village is set in an abandoned gasholder site in Bethnal Green on the edge of Regent’s Canal. The goal of this project is to offer affordable housing without compromising environmental performance, such as daylighting and natural ventilation. Three core concepts shape this project: Community Integration, Modular Flexibility, and Seasonal Adaptation.
The team proposes a mixed-use development with public plazas and community programs that will create a new community hub while connecting various existing pathways, resources, and the canal. Existing historical gasholders are preserved, restored, and reintegrated into the site. The building mass was optimized based on shadow and solar analysis in order to maximize daylight, natural ventilation, views, and density while minimizing overshadowing on neighbouring buildings and the canal. Units are modular and prefabricated off-site using CLT construction to reduce construction time. A responsive, breathable facade was developed to provide better solar control and minimize heat gain, allowing the building to dynamically regulate its temperature based on climate condition.