PORTFOLIO

I have now completed the first part of my honours project which is the site analysis and from this I need to evaluate what is needed for the site to work. To fully assess what is needed I need to look at the surrounding area and the people who could potentially use the site. Their are many things that the mill could be used for and many parts that could be utilised but I will have to find the best possible use that combines practicality and design.

The first part of my site analysis was an overview of the site and its history. The mill is located in a small village with bigger towns and villages around it, all are fairly rural with a history of industry. There used to be two mills on the site employing loads of people in the area so it is a building that holds memories for a lot of people who are still part of this community.  There are also many people who work at the site now with varied businesses showing it has many potential uses and can have different purposes. This is a grade II listed building though and I would have to respect this with my design.

The exterior of the building is quite iconic and decorative with terracotta and yellow bricks used on the exterior. The exterior of the mill shows the huge amount of windows on the mill and the different sections hidden around corners of the mill as well as the more modern extensions. At first glance it does look quite simple but on further exploration the building is very complex with loading bays, towers and multiple entry points. The whole building isn’t used and with access all around the site you have to wonder why. The colours of the building are such a big part of this mill that I would definitely try to incorporate these colours and bold lines into my design.

The interior space is very confusing and varied. There is a mis match of styles similar to the varied uses but these aren’t well done and appear very dated and a to of the space seems neglected. As a whole building I think it could be done more cohesively but I understand the need fro different spaces and zones. A lot of heavy machinery, vehicles and products go through the industrial unit space so needs to withstand this on a daily bases but it is very simple and looks unused. The offices look temporary and don’t provide clear distinction for businesses and uses with a toilet and small kitchen in this area. It looks office like but very old and worn with a need for modernisation. The main area and busiest public space is a series of ‘shop fronts’ with only a few shops actually here anymore. They are quite modern but simple and lacks the character which the building itself has in abundance. This continues further into the mill where one fo the busiest businesses is however the ceiling is black and it make sit very dark and gloomy even though there is a child splay area here. I think the building would improve with a continuous interior scheme and more modern and trendy design to encourage more public use with a wider age range.

There are a lot of details that I like about the interior spaces which could contribute to the final design. Some old machines are it the main area on a raised platform with huge window as their background and I like that these pieces are framed in this way and want to make sure I incorporate the history of the mill into my honours project. I love the wood detailing on the ceilings and floor and think these natural materials will work well with most schemes, and they create something to look at in a place where there isn’t much to look at. There are small bricks around the mill with intricate details at eye level which you only notice when you are close to them. I think these would be great at a larger size or have the pattern copied in other ways around the mill to show off this original decoration.

When creating the floor plans, colour coding the uses and space planning, I really noticed how much of this building wasn’t used. I walked around the site to see what parts were office rooms, units and public space. Each floor seems to have a different use and I could therefore use just one floor for my design proposal. I would also like to create something that would encourage use of the whole site, even id that is through a boosted use from customers and causes more businesses to open in the building. The floor I would use would be the top floor as its an open space and currently not being used, by using this floor this also means that visitors will have to use the lower floors to reach it, increasing their foot fall.

As I started to research into the surrounding area at the moment, I came across a planning request which has been passed for the development of houses in the immediate  area around the mill. This may create an access problem as there is only one road onto the site but this doesn’t seem to be an issue for the houses being built and could potentially lead to new access roads. This will create a new target market for the mill and bring new needs for the site. There are also a lot of fields in the area, creating great views of English countryside with farms and moors. From the top floor these views would look great and could become a big part of my design.

To get a better understanding of the people who could use the site I looked at records showing the age groups and cultural differences nothing the community. The male/female percentage is fairly even and I think to base any design in the current climate based on gender would be a mistake and harder to do, although I would definitely consider case studies and real life examples of marketing to specific gender groups and different relationships to make my scheme work better and help this village become more of a diverse are. There are a few different religions in Coppull but mainly christianity so I don’t think I will use any aspect of religion in my proposal in terms of narrowing the design to fit certain traditions but I will once again keep in mind that this could change over time and creating diversity will be a good approach rather than not acknowledging a diverse community. The goes for the ethnicity if Coppull, it does show that Coppull is mainly made up of potentially the same families from the time the mills were open and a slight increase in time of different ethnic groups. The age of population is my main interest however as currently the mill is used by businesses of different ages however, the main public use is of younger children and the older age group. This could be because of the activities/groups at the mill at the moment and also because young adults are going elsewhere to bigger towns and cities for work and entertainment. Coppull isn’t a cosmopolitan place and doesn’t have much to keep this age group in the village even though 18-64 is the biggest age group. This is possibly not going to change soon either as Coppull is seen as a place for young families to come with many primary schools and new housing estates but no high schools, few restaurants and no bars, only puns. This is my target market as it is the group that isn’t using the site now but could bring in a lot of profit and further development for the site. I can’t forget about the other age groups and will include something for them during the weekdays and this is when they visit most often. The younger age group will also become the generation that the design will be mainly focused on so encouraging them to use it from a young age and letting them now about it will help for the future.

After looking at the village and what is happening there enow, I looked into its history to see what I could find out about the mill and other industries in the area. Coal was perhaps the biggest industry in Coppull along with farming, which continues today, and both played a big part not he development of Coppull. Some coal mines are still visible today and Coppull is surrounded by fields for livestock. Factories and ills have always been in Coppull and from this develop of industry came brick making schools. Industry has shaped Coppull and because of that I want to include this history in my design proposal in someway.

The mill is a very large building with different interior styles so I wanted to look at other industrial buildings to see how others had redesigned these iconic buildings. Any have been turned into apartments or gallery spaces which have worked really well for those sites. Botany Bay is a local site which has been tuned into a shopping centre with little independent shops selling varied products. I visited the Museum  of Science and Industry in Manchester which had an exhibition about mills on and gave me a lot of information about mills and the communities around mills but also inspiration of displaying this information and inviting interaction with elements of the exhibition from visitors. It is a very popular place but similarly to Coppull Mill it doesn’t have a specific interior style. Quarry Bank Mill is one of the most successful mill refurbishments and it is actually still a working mill. It combines the history of the mill and uses the buildings around the mill as part of the site which is an educational place but also has cafe’s and shops, combining the best parts of the other industrial building examples.

From my Site Analysis of Coppull Mill I have decided that I want to turn the top floor of the building into an interactive space with a focus on the history of Coppull. I also want to add a place for eating and maybe a bar to attract young adults and also provide somewhere for the businesses in the eluding to eat. I think keeping a design that is modern and trendy but still quite industrial with materials and installations. This site is very large so a space with multiple purposes would work and maybe being a place for events would also work as nowhere else has this scale of rooms and potential to fit more people in. I will do more research into these multiple use spaces and also look further into industrial design, specifically in large spaces.