p + hs: 36 the calls

british firm p + hs’s proposal for the 36 the calls design competition

british firm p + hs was a short listed entry for their proposal of international ’36 the calls competition’. their design consisted of four simple elements; yellow skin, a glass box,  floor plates and a core.  

the yellow skin has a dual role, acting as the superficial ‘iconic’ wrapping and contextualising the building with its form; it has been manipulated to reference the surrounding industrial roof-scape, and to dip down and connect the site with the water. the river aire has played a defining role in the history of leeds, and particularly the calls. the connection is a stepped link that enables barges to moor up, creating a transport link, a summer garden or the start of a future walkway along the river.

the glass box creates a flexible space that the developer can inhabit as required. it encloses the floor plates without detracting from the strong form of the skin. the building could simply be office space, but there is potential to create a ground floor restaurant with a stunning terrace over the water and above are luxurious apartments with balconies.  

the different levels

the core is a key element of the scheme: whilst the core physically links the building together, the services housed within it link the building with the surrounding site. the building draws/rejects heat from the river through a series of heat pumps to control the internal temperature. pipes submerged in the water like roots rise up though the core, pass through heat-exchangers, and spread out under the floor screed at each level, forming a direct relationship between the building, its occupants and the water.

section above water and below

the concept and how it all fits together

model

model