Belfast City Centre Hybrid
The main issues that this hybrid design tackles are; congestion around the site and lack of green open outdoors spaces. This design provides a resolution to this. The sculptural shape, orientation and position on the site provide a means of travelling round it and through it on ground floor level. The design has maximized the routes and paths in and around the site whilst offering an environment for members of the public and users of the building to enjoy, relax and socialize in. The ground floor design brings a calming garden atmosphere which is perfect for a city center, as it gives the ability for people to get away from the busy bustling streets and step into an environment almost not city like. Whilst sitting in the peaceful garden spaces surrounded by beautiful green walls the user is able to look up at what is a sculptural glass and steel façade that has a domino like affect as it moves up each level. This staggered affect offers shade and an element of shelter to the floors below it whilst also providing terraces for office workers to break the barriers between indoor and outdoor with the movable glazing.
The internal space on the ground floor occupies an entrance to both the offices above and also a separated entrance and access point to the restaurant and roof top café/bar in on the top two floors. This was important to separate and the access's to both these areas is opposite from one another making sure workers are not disturbs or have to interact with people socializing. The ground floor also provides small pods, which are for small business' to occupy in particular cafes and food shops/stalls. These businesses share a communal staff building, which is located near the covered garden. This brings a sense of community to the business workers of this site. The workshop level (Level 1) and the office levels all offer communal areas to relax in, occupy meetings and prepare and eat food. The internal lay out offers a simplistic approach as it is all open plan with small pods located within the central points which occupy printing rooms and office rooms. The reason the rest of the space is not partitions is to leave the natural means of light and air to flow naturally in and around the building. The building includes voids around the staircases to encourage natural light and air ventilation as well as offer a characteristic value. There are two sets of fire escape staircases throughout the building as well as the central. The restaurant and roof top bar are only accessible through elevators and do not share any means of access with the office workers, as it would be inappropriate to have these mixed. Overall the building offers a characteristic and artistic value to its surroundings in Belfast city center, it offers an area for socializing, somewhere that supports local businesses, and gives an escape from the busy city center streets.
