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Great Yarmouth, a small town on the Norfolk coast, was once a thriving Victorian seaside destination. However, it has suffered from a decline in tourism, resulting in the closure of many local businesses. The Artist Exchange project aims to address these challenges by revitalising tourism, supporting local businesses and providing a hub for the growing artist community in Great Yarmouth. This is achieved by repurposing the site of the disused Victorian Gas holders into a welcoming community space that includes a meeting hub, gallery, art studios and communal workspace. The buildings are designed to attract visitors and encourage engagement, with a gridshell canopy arching over and surrounding the structures. This canopy creates an intermediate space where people can gather year-round, benefiting from passive heating through ETFE cushions that enhance comfort during winter and providing shaded outdoor space in the summer.
The investigation explores the properties of various crochet patterns to determine their potential for maximising strength and stability.
Four iterations of the gridshell form were analysed and compared using Karamba to examine the resulting displacements.
The project was designed to utilise the roof canopy as a heating method, along with other passive design measures, to reduce operational energy and minimise carbon footprint.