Managing Flexibility Programming and Overall DesignAdaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures Eindhoven [The Netherlands] 03-05 July 2006 TT01-000,

Adaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures Eindhoven [The Netherlands] 03-05 July 2006

TT01-000, [abstract code], Title and authors

1-27

Managing Flexibility Programming and Overall Design

A. Saari, J. Raveala Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Construction Economics and Management P.O. Box 2100, 02150 TKK, Finland [email protected]

KEYWORDS Building construction, design systems, building flexibility, open building 1 Introduction The practice of starting a construction project before the user requirements are specified is increasing and thereby changing the construction market. Also, modern implementation planning is increasingly utilizing the knowledge of the bidders and the partial component suppliers during the procurement phase [Kiiras et al. 2002]. This paper introduces a model for flexible systematic facility programming and for the presentation of an adaptable overall design developed in the TKK research project “Developing a Design System for CM contracts” (FinSuke). The objective of the ongoing FinSuke research project is to develop solutions for late user requirement and overlapping problems. The suggested solutions have been tested either retrospectively or through prospective implementation in actual projects. The present number of cases evaluated in the research project is approximately 50. The focus of this paper is on the overall design phase. The implementation phase of the model is presented in Kruus et al. [2005]. An application of the programming model is illustrated through an adaptability and flexibility testing project for undefined communal services and exhibitions: Polo Tecnologico for the City of Quarrata in Italy. The project was based on a Finnish architect team’s winning proposal in an international architectural competition. The preliminary phase began in 1996 and the construction works were completed in 2004. The project size is roughly 4,500 m2, which was divided in the final solution into two separate, but connectable buildings: a 1,500 m2 library building designed by an Italian architect group and the Polo Tecnologico Project, a 3,000 m2 multipurpose building. 2 Project scope for flexible buildings Past traditional Finnish project briefings included an evaluation of the site, condition surveys (in refurbishment projects), preparation of the facility program and charts, budgeting, and overall project scheduling. Such a project was traditionally designed for a predestined use with a fixed facility program, which indeed didn’t support the concept of flexibility i.e. the principle of the open building. In addition, the Scandinavian tradition of defining the exact use for a building in the local detailed plan (town plan) may also be an impeding factor. The flexible programming is based on a systemic definition of the scope of the building’s modifiable spaces. The scope is defined according to the divisibility (divisibility for separate users), and to the properties of the facilities (space flexibility). The key idea in the FinSuke model is to define the range for the chosen facility program and for the chosen variation of

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Flexible programming and overall designing of buildings. Arto Saari and Jarmo Raveala

the uses of the spaces. The scope of the modifiable spaces is by definition [Saari 2002]: (1) the divisibility for separate users i.e. the number, the sizes and the definitions of the premises, the separability of the premises, and the conversion time; and (2) the space properties i.e. flexible programming; special facilities; interior requirements; adaptability, and conversion time. The base building (the core) includes the fixed parts that remain unchanged within the predefined range of user variation. The definition of the fixed base building is by definition [Saari 2002]: the fixed facilities, the fixed body, and the fixed HVAC components. In the preliminary phase, the City of Quarrata couldn’t define an exact program for the project. The city could give only an open functional scope ranging from communal and cultural services to temporary and permanent exhibitions. In addition, the scheduling was extremely obscure, and in contrast to modern overlapping, the phases were hardly linked at all. Still, a fresh architectural impact on the townscape of Quarrata was expected. Hence, the project scope was demanding [Formichella 2003]. 3 Fixed overall design of buildings The overall design consists of both the base building designs and the modifiable interior designs. The modifiable interior is designed by laying alternative interior concepts at the beginning of the overall design stage; additional alternative layout solutions are examined for the base building. The solution that best meets the flexibility goals is selected, and the final overall design is completed for the procurement of the base building (the core) and for further detailed designing. The fixed base building is designed, procured, and built irrespective of the infill variation. For the infill, the agreed number of different interior solutions (concepts) is designed. The implementation planning of the infill is started after the user requirements are specified (e.g. through lease agreements).

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Figure 1. Ground floor: the base building

The range of the proposed functions in the case project was solved by dividing the base building into two separate local interior areas; one section for more flexible functions such as classrooms (Area 1) and the other section clearly meant for exhibitions (Area 3). Exhibition space differs essentially from other functions in lightning, height, and other interior requirements. Because of the height differences, the modular system was three-dimensional using 0,8 m high vertical modules, which lead to a junction area (Area 2) consisting of a semi-heated glazed entrance space (Piazza Coperta) that is also suitable for exhibitions and for a multipurpose area in two floors corresponding to the height of the main exhibition hall. The floor structure was a plane carpet reinforced concreted plate with no beams, which allowed a free HVAC layout. Several interior concepts were designed for Area 1 with different weightings: didactical, exhibition, and communal services. The didactical version included class rooms and educational laboratories. On Area 2 the focus was more on multipurpose use and office rooms, and additionally, the natural skylight system designed for exhibition use was extended on the first floor of Area 2. On the other hand, for Area 3, the exhibition section, no interior concepts were designed, but the adaptability of the base building was improved e.g. by including a modular hanging system for items such as acoustic panels and exhibits to be hung from the structural ceiling system.

Figure 2. The section: vertical modular (40 + 40 cm) and skylight systems.

The overall design had more open space and a mediatheque (an extension of the library) on the ground floor. The scaffolding structure (“la scaffalatura”) was an experimental flexible structure designed for exhibitions, information screens, temporary cultural events and the like. The structure can be modified as scaffoldings and it serves also as an extension for the square (Piazza A. Fabbri).

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Figure 3. A semi-public flexible structure (“la scaffalatura, scaffolding”) for temporary exhibitions and informative items

Figure 4. An illustration of the flexible scaffolding structure space in exhibition use compared to

the constructed realization.

4 Implementation phase When the construction was completed in 2004, the city suffered from a lack of communal office space. Thus, the concept taken in use was that which maximized office space and the rest was left for temporary exhibitions in Local interior area 1 and Piazza Coperta – part of Local interior area 2.

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Figure 5. Ground floor: the infill option 1, partly taken in use (red)

5 Conclusions The project size and a wide range of functions don’t seem to limit flexibility. The principle of open building can be applied also in cultural and communal services [Kendall 2005]. The changing age structure of society is extending the demand for flexibility even to buildings such as kindergartens. The case project also implies that when modifiable systems become too sophisticated, they may become less utilized than planned, as was the case with the flexible schools of the seventies in the Scandinavian countries. In the case project, the complicated scaffolding structures have not been utilized and the modular hanging systems have been used only for permanent hangings. This may be also an information problem to be solved in facility management. Further, an interesting observation is that the Italian design tasks, especially between the structural engineers and the architects, are less integrated in respect to the base building and the infill than is the case in Finland.

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Figure 6. The east elevation: the “scaffolding” (view axis) and north elevation: vertical modules,

6 References Formichella A. 2003, ‘Learning from Quarrata’, Opere, rivista toscana di architettura, December

2003, vol. 3, pp. 32–37 (in Italian). Kendall S. 2005, ‘Open Building: An Architectural Management Paradigm for Hospital Architecture’,

in CIB W096 Architectural Management Symposium, CIB Proceedings on Designing Value: New Directions in Architectural Management: Publication 307, eds. S. Emmit & M. Prins, November 2005, Lyngby, pp. 273 – 284.

Kiiras, J., Stenroos, V. & Oyegoke A.S. 2002, Construction Management Contract Forms in Finland. TKK/CEM Paper No. 47. Helsinki University of Technology, Construction Economics and Management: Espoo.

Kruus M., Kiiras, J., Hämäläinen A. & Sainio J. 2005, ‘Managing the Design and Delivery Processes of Building Services under Construction Management Contracts.’ A paper to be presented at Adabtables 2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 03-05 July 2006.

Saari, A., Kruus, M., Hämäläinen A. & Kiiras, J. 2006, ‘Flexibuild – a systematic flexibility management procedure for building projects’, A paper to be presented at CIBW70 International Symposium, June 2006, Trondheim.

Saari; A. 2002, ‘Systematic procedure for setting building flexibility targets’, in CIB W070 Facilities Management and Maintenance Global Symposium, CIB Proceedings: Publication 277, eds. J. Hinks, D. Then & S Buchanan, September 2002,Glasgov, UK, pp. 115-122.

Managing Flexibility Programming and Overall DesignAdaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures Eindhoven [The Netherlands] 03-05 July 2006 TT01-000,

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