CALTON CREATIVE CENTRE
The foundation for the developing of the Urban Building is to provide a place where culture and knowledge are presented to the people of Calton.
The area is currently lacking education facilities and most of the residents do not possess any school qualifications. By attending the classes and workshops offered by the Centre people will have the opportunity to learn something new by sharing experiences with other individuals. A place where performance is an act of sharing the knowledge of one with many, in which the performer and the spectators are both active participants during the performance, by giving and receiving.
The building is strategically orientated on the site to maximise the solar exposure throughout the year with most of the windows facing south as well as skylights most efficient during the winter months. This system was designed not only for sustainable reasons but also for the comfort of the users creating brighter and airier spaces.
The atrium, the space at the centre of the proposal, will be the highest in the building to receive natural light from the top. It will be the point of connection from which people can access the facilities, visit the exhibition, and enter the performance space.
The choice of materials that evoke a sense of calmness and heaviness is key for the design. The building will be an institution for Calton and wider Glasgow and a sense of place and identity following the traditions of masonry, particularly stone, is the more appropriate approach.
The overall palette of materials will comprise locally sourced materials, like timber and sandstone to implement the production and use of the Scottish natural resources as well as reducing the carbon emissions produced by the transportation of overseas materials.
The production and use of sustainable energy and resources has been considered with the possible installation of solar panels into two of the roofs and a rainwater collection and harvesting system. The water will be collected through channels in the roofs and stored in tanks located at ground floor level. Each tank will serve one part of the building to reduce the horizontal surface of the pipes.
