Copper Foundry
Hackney Wick, East London
The site in Hackney Wick has a rich history of industrial manufacturing along with a more recent influx in young artists claiming the area as the centre for a new artistic movement. However with the regeneration of the area after the Olympic Games, Hackney Wick is in danger of losing its creative heritage. The brief was to create a workspace that would re-industrialise the Hackney Wick area in a ‘post-digital’ world.
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My idea was to design a copper recycling centre that would reclaim this heritage and provide the area with a new industrial heart but with one that facilitates creativity and craftsmanship. The concept allows local industries to work with the material to produce goods and products whilst simultaneously enabling the public to view the copper recycling process up close
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The design enables the public to view the whole operation without disturbing the workers through a series of ramps, viewing platforms and windows. There is also the opportunity for the public to participate in some handcraft manufacturing. In addition private studios are available for corporations to hire. Also a public gallery and exhibition space showcases all the work that has been produced on the site, exclusively from recycled copper.
Section AA
Section BB
South Elevation
East Elevation
Copper Recycling Process
Unloading of the scrap copper onto the site. Recycled copper arrives on site from narrow boats and barges via the canal. Material is then loaded onto site by stationary E-Cranes.
Scrap copper is loaded into the foundry. Industrial furnaces are used in the smelting process to reclaim raw material from recycled scraps. The foundry is located adjacent to dock for ease of access and loading.
Once the products have been manufactured they can be dispatched either by the lorries and vans from the vehicle loading bay or shipped down the river on boats. There are also the faciltites to display and showcase some products in the gallery.
Unloading of the scrap copper onto the site. Recycled copper arrives on site from narrow boats and barges via the canal. Material is then loaded onto site by stationary E-Cranes.
1. Unloading Scrap Material
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2. Melting Down Copper
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3. Refinery and Purification
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4. Sculpting and Manufacturing
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5. Dispatch or Display
This series of axonometric drawings shows the recycling process in action from the delivery of the scrap material to the site up to its shipment or display in the gallery.
Context Map
The design takes advantage of the canal using it as a fundamental component in the transportation of materials to and from the site.
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Due the narrow roads surrounding the site, the canal can be used for transporting heavy duty materials and products. Bringing the canal physically into the site allows barges to moor up to deliver and collect materials.
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The proximity of the existing metal recycling centres to the north and south of the site like City Metals Recycling ensures a continuous supply of locally sourced copper for the foundry.