The Hybrid High Street Retail Store : An Optimisation Method for Retail Store Conversion to Community Use

Fagan, Des (2021) The Hybrid High Street Retail Store : An Optimisation Method for Retail Store Conversion to Community Use. In: SPACE International Conference 2021 on Architectural Design and Theory Proceedings :. Studies of Planning and Architecture Consulting and Education, GBR. ISBN 9781916284197

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Abstract

The research addresses the decline of UK high street retail by providing a methodology for the multi‐objective optimisation of existing retail stores to generate the most efficient layout for a new hybrid community‐use model. The work involves a live test case in Wigan, converted into a series of diverse hybridised community spaces. A unique Grasshopper and Rhino definition tested fitness values including cost, shelf space and efficiency of retail area in parallel with optimised conversion layouts for a diverse range of community uses in the same space including as a cooking school, baby room and art gallery. The work goes on to evaluate the success of different community use cases and demonstrates the viability of the method through the testing of a unique 1:1 multi‐adaptable modular furniture system.