2. West elevation South elevation North elevationEast elevation
Literary & Philosophical Society
Durham Site: Drury Lane
Cultural Heritage
The Literary & Philosophical Society is the largest independent
library outside London, housing over 150,000 current and
historical texts, with the collection covering every field of interest.
From its outset, The Society was enterprising, inquisitive and liberal
in nature: the first female members were admitted in 1804 and the
society has trialled a number of ground-breaking technologies, start-
ing with George Stephenson’s “Miners Safety Lamp” in 1815.
The Young Lit & Phil will be a specialist library. While
maintaining the social focus of the original Lit & Phil, the
new building will capture the cultural heritage of Durham.
Community groups from across the region will be encouraged to use
the Young Lit & Phil as a learning resource. It will re-establish the act
of thinking as well as the pursuit and exchange of knowledge
as a rewarding pastime and as a social experience.
Considerations:
- topography - the levels of the site informed the initial response
- accessibility - specific routes through the site were a result of limited access
- conservation - integrating light wells around the existing trees (influences from Louis Kahn) and a complex pile foundation allows all trees to be preserved
- culture - materiality, atmospheres and organisation was informed by the traditional culture of the site and the original Lit & Phil
Elevations
Site Plan
4. Staff room 8
Lobby, meeting area & reception 9
Lift to all floors 10
Male, female & disabled toilets 11
Stairs to -1 floor 12
Integrated light wells around trees 13
Cafe, store & cleaning area 14
Social seating 15
Group seating 16
Stairs to debating area 17
Social seating & viewing terrace 18
Plant room 19
Archive 20
Lift to all floors 21
Catalogue search 22
Philosophy social shelving 23
Stairs to ground floor 24
Meeting area 25
Integrated light wells around trees 26
Study area 27
Politics integrated shelving 28
Economics integrating shelving 29
Flexible storage space 30
Study, hire, exhibition, flexible space 31
Disabled access to roof 1
Lift to all floors 2
Debating/performance space 3
Trees integrated into study area 4
Social seating on rooftop 5
Stairs to ground floor 6
Social seating and viewing terrace 7
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Plans Roof plan
Ground floor plan
Basement floor plan
6. Technical Detail
WALL 1 - 225mm Retaining block-work wall
2 - Damp Proof Course
3 - 50mm Kingspan rigid insulation
4 - 15mm Gyproc acoustic wallboard
5 - 10mm Oak skirting-board
FLOOR 6 - 10mm carpet finish
7 - 25mm acoustic underlay
8 - 45mm underfloor waterpipe heating
9 - Vapour control layer
10 - 18mm plywood boarding
11 - Cavity within joists for wiring and services
12 - 150mm mineral wool insulation
13 - Damp proof membrane
14 - 18mm plywood boarding underside of joists
FOUNDATION 15 - 225 x 400mm concrete groundbeam reinforced with 12mm
dia rods and A142 steel mesh
16 - Specified concrete piles to be cast insitu with reinforced A142
cage and integrated geothermal piping for ground heat exchange
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Both axonometrics show the construction of the standard components
used throughout the building. The use of double timbers with
noggins allows for integrated services to be fitted into the void
within the beams or columns. This significantly reduces waste
as any lengths cut producing excess from the standard ‘off the shelf’
lengths can be reused to create the noggins to build the finished members.
Structural Strategy
Foundation Detail
