Architecture Residential RightSizer at Meridian Water A sustainable MMC strategy aspiring to the highest levels of sustainability Enfield / London Overview RightSizer is a regenerative MMC strategy aspiring to the highest levels of environmental, social and economic sustainability. Our vision for a flexible and sustainable construction system was set out in our winning submission for Meridian Water’s ‘Placemaking with Purpose’ competition in 2020, which was launched in response to the ambitious aims of Meridian Water’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy (ESS). The essentials Client London Borough of Enfield Location Enfield / London Services Architecture Sectors Residential Awards 2021 AJ100 - Shortlisted for Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award The driver for building layout flexibility is the dynamic physical and operational requirements of a senior living community underpinned by a comprehensive ‘care continuum’. People’s physical and care needs can change significantly over time and we need a building that can adapt to this. Drawing an analogy with our residents, we want to extend building longevity by enabling an active life with plenty of scope for reinvention, in other words, flexibility. Since the competition-winning commission, RightSizer has evolved beyond ‘later living’, and the team has expanded the functionality of the system to become a universal construction solution for multiple uses, including office, light industrial, parking and meanwhile uses. RightSizer at Meridian Water now offers a vision and how-to guide to designing buildings for 2030 and beyond, heralding a low carbon world. Our RightSizer system is inspired by John Habraken’s Open Building movement from the 1960s, which espouses the idea and discipline of support / infill layers. Habraken was preoccupied with remedying the generic nature of 20th century mass housing. The system comprises a long term ‘support’ layer, the superstructure, which has been designed for disassembly and reassembly. The support layer allows layout reconfiguration and optionality in terms of ongoing service riser locations. An ‘infill’ layer comprises non-load bearing partitions, panels and components, the ‘stuff’ making up the accommodation inside the ‘support’ system. Central to our vision for the RightSizer system, and set out by the Meridian Water Sustainability Statement, is an ambition to minimise embodied carbon, targeting whole lifecycle embodied carbon emissions below 300kgCO2e/m2, closely aligned with LETI 2030 guidance. his metric is achieved through: a structure that is entirely demountable, with components designed for complete disassembly and reuse; by maximising locally-manufactured components where possible; and through new technologies, including low carbon cement. For our competition submission, we presented a comparison between a reinforced concrete building with concrete made in London, and a CLT building with CLT transported from Finland. The proposition is that the embodied carbon of the concrete building is on par with the CLT building when the transportation carbon has been factored in. As featured in NLA’s Resilient London: Confronting Climate Change research paper, RightSizer is an emerging framework to encourage the construction industry to work together to respond to the biggest challenge of our time. The system sets out a roadmap to circular MMC, net zero buildings and a new construction ecosystem through the standardisation of component sizes, interoperable connection and component digital passports. Meridian Water and Enfield Council have identified a land plot at Meridian Water Phase 2 to develop a pilot project using the RightSizer system. The project is currently funded by Enfield Council and has attracted funding from ReLondon and the EU’s Horizon fund; preliminary discussions have also taken place with MHCLG and the GLA to assist with funding to develop the pilot. Through collaboration with the UKGBC, CIRCuIT, and Futureground, this project sets a precedent for achieving net zero on large-scale developments. RightSizer has been conceived to extend a building’s life beyond 100 years, a longevity underpinned by the inherent system flexibility that can accommodate various use scenarios over the years. Assael has been collaborating with a large team to develop this concept: London Borough of Enfield / Meridian Water AECOM ArchitectureDoingPlace Exterior Architecture Hatch Regeneris Knight Frank Competition stage: Jo Wilson Origin Project details Scope of works RIBA Stage 0 – 1 Project status Concept design Share Team leaders Félicie Krikler Director Rory O’Hagan Director You might also like.. Portfolio Millet Place, Pontoon Dock Read more Portfolio Garratt Mills – The Collective Earlsfield Read more Our offices Assael Architecture 123 Upper Richmond Road London SW15 2TL +44 (0) 20 7736 7744 info@assael.co.uk Assael Australia 66 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia +61 1300 489 038 info@assael.com.au Assael Gulf States 74 Building 1301 Road 4026 Block 340 Manama / AlJuffair Bahrain +44 (0) 20 7736 7744 info@assael.co.uk Contact us Call us, email us, find us. It’s all here Get in touch Client log in Client services log in area Client log in Terms of Use Privacy Policy Quality & Environmental policy COVID-19 risk assessment For any press enquiries, please contact Blackstock Consulting on 020 3137 6361 or at team@blackstock.co.uk. © Copyright Assael Architecture 2021 Read how we use cookies and how you can control them in our 'Cookies Policy'. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Read More