Design Statement :
The brief is to design a new type of progressive factory on behalf of a client who is looking to re brand their business as one that focuses on the social and economic context of responsibility and sustainability. The factory will make garments along a production line and will be located within the city centre of Nottingham.
Research was conducted by looking at past and contemporary factories that stand out as being socially progressive. These are the Cadbury Bournville factory built in 1880 in Birmingham, Boots D10 factory building from 1930 in Beeston, and the contemporary Charlie Bigham’s food production factory in Summerset. Despite their historical context, several common design priorities were identified that would be adopted to inform the design of this brief. Each has been designed with the health and well being of the workers, provision of progressive amenities, and transparency of relationship to the public as key principles. Additional research suggested that our current model of production in the UK is unsustainable and lacks social responsibility. It relies heavily on low cost and often unethical over-seas manufacturing, requires a large transport footprint, and is eroding key skills across UK industry. Specifically, the textile industry is highlighted as an example that lacks sustainability, promotes a ‘throw away’ consumer behaviour, and is poorly equipped to adopt recycling on a large scale.
Nottingham has been selected as the location for the new textile factory. It is centrally located in the UK, which is good for distribution, and it has a rich history of textile production. Nottingham was once the largest lace manufacturer in the world. The scheme aims to be fully integrated within Nottingham city’s past, present and future. The design priorities of transparency, continuity, and utility, have informed the proposal that includes combining a civic facade with production spaces.
Continuity is achieved both in bringing back textile production to Nottingham, and in the playful design of the facades. The facades are defined by the historic lace market urban fabric with quirky brick forms, arch windows and red frames, whilst references are also made to the Nottingham contemporary museum, through the use of a ‘embroidered’ concrete ribbon, running around the building.
The building focuses on bringing the public and production spaces together. Large windows allow views into the factory, from both the public exhibition space and retail units. This transparency symbolises progress within the textile industry. Having production spaces adjacent to retail units and public spaces highlights the company’s transparent and open ethos.
Initially red brick was chosen as the facade material as a cultural link to Nottingham’s textile history, however brick was unsuitable for the construction of the large spanned production space and tall tower. Rather than choosing the more conventional combination of concrete and steel, cross laminated timber has been proposed. It offers the required structural characteristics and is derived from a renewable source. CLT has recently been used in the construction of the Vitsoe furniture factory in Leamington Spa, creating an airy, warm, contemporary feel to a traditional industrial pitched form. The large atrium is located between other spaces which act as a thermal buffer to the large space. Large roof glazing allows sunlight directly into the middle of the deep plan reducing the demand for power whilst allowing the workers access to daylight.
The proposal has eight units on the 1st and 2nd floors that will be rented out, encouraging small incubation business within the industry. These businesses will be able to share resources with the factory, encouraging an overall collaborative environment. One of these units will be a repair and up-cycle shop, where old clothes can be mended or repurposed. This process is important as the new ‘responsible and circular economy’ demands lower quantity of higher quality textiles.
A textile recycling unit is included in the design. This will act as a place for the public to bring back unwanted cotton, linen and denim clothing where they can be stripped back to fiber and rewoven into a recyclable textile. This textile can then be used to make garments in the factory.
Research and development spaces will be located on site, aimed at further developing the technology required in the fabric recycling process.
Retail units will be provided to sell stock directly from the factory, with additional spaces for other local businesses.
Public spaces will be provided to further integrate the production spaces into the city. One of these spaces will be a public ideas library.
With the future in mind, the nature of the new factory with its open planned spaces and large span will allow for future building re-purposing if needed.
Today many businesses in the UK are under pressure to become more socially and environmentally driven, and not prioritise shareholder profit. Thesis research showed manufacturing companies can use their factory’s image to showcase a socially driven ethos. An ethos that can then be associated with their products. The design proposal of this building symbolises care to all stakeholders, including the workers, the public, small local businesses, the wider environmental aspect, and to the historic and contemporary context of the city of Nottingham.
