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Daniel Booth: A chance encounter

Folio

Residential living with social interaction at the forefront of every scale

The existing structure allows for varying functions; a school, studio and offices, residential space etc. A consistent bench at ground level encourages people to socialise without the need for a cafe.
The colonnade encourages dwelling and for shops/cafe/restaurants to spill out and adopt the space as their own. Market stalls can be erected on the inscribed grid with subtle changes in floor texture giving different functions.
Whilst the existing structure starts to divide the site into quadrants, the relationships of the quadrants, to one another and their adjoining spaces becomes prevalent. By overlapping the functions of spaces, the chance of a neighbourly encounter is greatly increased.
Access into the residents quadrants is through varying underpasses, creating an understanding of where a visitor can and can’t visit. South facing steps encourage people to sit late into the evening, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Benches opposite gardens encourage public use and interaction whilst also acting as a shoe store to encourage residents to put their shoes on outside, furthering a chance encounter. The curved glazing at the entrance to each home acts as a moment for personality, allowing visitors to recognise houses.
The winter gardens are able to open up to the street, encouraging neighbours to engage with one another but also for the garden to spill out and start decorating the street, in the typical way that a front garden contributes to a street’s aesthetic.
Triple aspect views and adjoining flexible walls allow the houses to engage on all sides. Views onto the street from the kitchen allow a parent to watch their child play. The windows into the street have a privacy screen which further wraps and shelters the kitchen, allowing residents to find privacy.
The Existing office Tower has an external brick structure allowing for internal flexibility. The modules developed are made of a series of components that can be adapted to form varying sized units and fit within a multitude of existing conditions.
Inside a resident’s home, looking through to a shared garden beyond.
A long section through Stratford Heath ponds/Lido through to the growing garden. The street into the site shows the two courtyards adjoining the upper level, allowing residents free roam around the site and encouraging walks and exploration.

Location
Stratford Shopping Centre, London Borough of Newham 

Objective
To transform a redundant shopping destination, The Stratford Centre, into a busy residential community in Newham with a focus on neighbourly relationships and dependencies.

Motivation
Time and time again structures are demolished to create private residential developments that eventually generate feelings of isolation for the inhabitants. Reduced shared space and limited neighbourly interactions can easily alienate city dwellers.

Strategy
The structural elements of the redundant shopping centre are retained and the spaces are reused for residential purposes. Densification is achieved by adding massing on top of the existing structure to create a central plaza and four further gardens. By overlapping key spaces and shifting the balance between private and shared space, neighbourly interaction is the focus at every scale.

Impact
To reduce the environmental impact of increasing population density by repurposing redundant structures as well nurturing social interaction to positively influence mental wellbeing in the city. To create a versatile structure that allows flexibility and generational changes.

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