PRINTING HOUSE RECONSTRUCTION

Reconstruction competition project

Architects: Oleksandr Nikitenko, Danil Kopeikin

Project Area: 2059m2

Project Year: 2023

Location: Kamyanets-Podilskyi, Ukraine

architecture building reconstruction Competition Urban Design structural design rennovation

ABOUT

Our team participates in architectural competitions, one of which we would like to share with you. The competition for the reconstruction of the Historic Printing House was held in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi as part of the Printing House of Changes program. Our specialists were tasked with ensuring the effective filling of the building with public and social functions, to create a comfortable and economically attractive space that meets modern standards of inclusiveness and energy efficiency, and takes into account the nature of the historical environment. The approach of @snaar.group is based on preserving and reinterpreting authenticity without losing historical value. At the same time, we worked on this project looking at the broader context of the city.

LANDSCAPING

Continuing to talk about the aspects of the reconstruction of the printing house, namely the aspect of the surrounding space and landscaping. We developed a landscaping proposal based on the Album of Barrier-Free Solutions by BIG CITY LAB. In accordance with the recommendations, we separated temporary car parks from the sidewalks, in turn organising an inclusive car park. We have divided the sidewalks near the building into 3 main functional zones: transit, frontage and buffer.

By making changes to the architecture of the building, we made the front sidewalk area more attractive for interaction by creating showcase windows and planting a cafe. The transit zone is separated by tactile guide lines and warning paving elements. The buffer zone contains street furniture and street greenery, which is critically lacking now. We also devoted a lot of time to the matrix of materials for the landscaping elements. Paving different functional areas visually and tactilely separates them and makes the space more intuitive.

FACADES

One of the tasks of the building reconstruction was to work with the facade solutions of the printing house. In its current form, the building visually loses out to the aesthetics of the surrounding historical buildings, so it was decided to refer to historical photographs and surrounding structures to improve the building as delicately as possible and give it more visual meaning. If we look at the historic photos, we can see that there were 2 block-type houses on the site of the building, so we can bring the details of the former buildings into the current situation. So, having studied the windows, we developed two typological solutions for implementation in the building. This combination of a window frame with a gypsum frame and a curly window sill, which we can see in historical photos from a century ago, will become an organic addition to the facade, a kind of laconic reminder of the neo-classical past of the building.

The roof slope is formed by sectional steel frames with a section spacing of 3-4 metres. This solution will provide spatial rigidity and enable the installation of more energy-efficient roof layers, while maintaining the original slope. In the process of replacing the roof, we will dismantle the roof windows and the technical room with the lift, as modern lifts do not require additional space for the mechanism. Once the structural integrity of the building is restored, we organise functional premises on 3 floors + technical floor. The exterior of the building is also being reconstructed to include facade elements such as porches, stoops and porches in accordance with accessibility and inclusivity standards

STRUCTURE

As part of the reconstruction project, we explored the possibilities of using the entire building. More detailed conclusions require the conclusion of specialised expertise, but based on the visual analysis, we have identified a number of defects that directly affect the functioning of the building as a whole, and their solution has become an important task before organising the redevelopment and organisation of functional areas According to the available initial data, the third floor of the building is in a state of emergency, which poses a threat to the entire structural integrity of the building. The existing photographs reveal visual defects in the beam system, namely an abnormal deflection of the beams. We propose to solve this problem by reinforcing the columns of the 1st floor and installing unloading beams under the existing beam systems. The design beams are made of rolled steel sections and are supported by round steel columns with internal concreting. They are supported by the reinforced columns of the lower floor in axes 2 and B'. The cross-sections and selection of the assortment are selected after the conclusion of the expert examination and detailed analysis at next stage .

The roof slope is formed by sectional steel frames with a section spacing of 3-4 metres. This solution will provide spatial rigidity and enable the installation of more energy-efficient roof layers, while maintaining the original slope. In the process of replacing the roof, we will dismantle the roof windows and the technical room with the lift, as modern lifts do not require additional space for the mechanism. Once the structural integrity of the building is restored, we organise functional premises on 3 floors + technical floor. The exterior of the building is also being reconstructed to include facade elements such as porches, stoops and porches in accordance with accessibility and inclusivity standards

ROOM PROGRAM

While working on the functional layout of the building, we developed a scheme of interaction between the premises required by the original course data and additional ones at the discretion of the designers. To maximise the use of space between different functional areas, we developed the concept of common spaces. Thanks to this, the spaces have a flexible layout that can be used in different scenarios. This has reduced the potential number of corridors and transits, which improves the economic attractiveness of the building

PHOTOVOLTAIC

The southern façade of the building is oriented to the south, with a roof pitch of approximately 25', which is optimal for installing a PV panel system on the roof slope. With the maximum use of the roof surface for the installation of the solar electric system, we will get 211 m2 of useful area for the panels. This square gives a nominal power of 21 kW (calculated using the formula P pk = A*eff nom (1)) The basic calculation of the output power gives 22323 kW of annual energy production, in the most favourable conditions in July the system produces 2906 kW per month.