S049
The New Dutch House
PROJECT TEAM:
Liam Cooke
Harshit Singh Kothari
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The New Dutch House is a project at the intersection of multiple briefs: It is a net carbon zero building. A biodiverse high net gain ecological development. A dense, multigenerational residential community. A rich, public-activated land use mix. An ambitious engineering feat of a tall structure with sky gardens over a water source heat pump station. A modular design maximising prefabricated MMC techniques that is repeatable but arranged as a unique and site-specific landmark for one of Bristol’s most significant central, public open spaces.
The New Dutch House takes its name and design cue after the building that once stood at the diametrically opposite corner of what is now Castle Park, the Old Dutch House that was destroyed in the 1940 Bristol Blitz. Just like its predecessor, the New Dutch House expresses its structural intentions and modular design on its façade, merging aesthetics and function. The modularity is aimed at maximising efficiency of construction and materials, ultimately resulting in a reduced carbon footprint and increased quality. This approach also provides flexibility during the design process allowing for adaptation of the scheme to programmatic and engineering refinements.
The form of the building is a response to the required amount of residential units, the size and context of the site, and the creation of large, meaningful open green rooftop spaces. The latter is the driving reason behind the large steps formed by the building blocks. Each of these steps is a planter floor with a 1.5m depth of soil that can allow for trees and small park environments to be created even at the highest floors. These large green gestures of vertically distributed parks form the semi-private Community Gardens that are accessible to all residents. They are the central of the 3 open space typologies in the building, sitting between the larger Public Park Deck at the base of the building that connects it with the park, and the smaller Private Green Balconies belonging to the flats. The intention is to connect the building to the park and bring its green and biodiversity vertically up with large and pronounced community managed elements that do not depend solely on individual initiative.
The steps culminate with the highest point of the building on the west and widest end of the site and the furthest away from neighbouring buildings, surrounded mostly by open space and the floating harbour. At the base of the building, a serviceable area is reserved around the Heat Pump Station with a dedicated Energy Visitors Centre. The space over the culvert that requires access is protected from development but is given over to a periodical performance space and circus training area relating back to the activities observed at Castle Park. At park level, an entire floor of creative workspaces, studios and co-working offices is proposed that stretches across the building to seek views over the Floating Harbour. Above them, overlooking the park and the water, café-bar and restaurants utilise the exterior and interior areas of the public green deck.
