M ASTERS UNIVERSIT Y WORK ( 2012-2014 )
ABIGAIL BAIRD abirbdesign@gmail.com
UNIVERSITY WORK (2014) THE FASHION SCHOOL
My chosen inspirational person to model and develop my brief on was Rachel Carson. She is an American author, marine biologist, conservationist and wrote the ground-breaking book ‘Silent Spring’; raising awareness on environmental issues.
Therefore, in my full exploration brief (sample portfolio provided here only), I introduced each topic as a short piece of poetry, injecting both theatre and literature into my work.
Since the reform of London’s sewers network, countless rivers that were spread throughout the city have been lost. This project aims to reintroduce lost water bodies and celebrate nearby Wormwood Scrubs/North Kensington as a prominent park, ecological corridor and hub.
My Fashion school celebrates the site in a performative way by showing natural fashion production methods theatrically through the architectural fabric. Weaving colourful dyes, catwalks and growing materials in existing structures on this former contaminated, gasworks derelict site.
Desolate Pathways
Desolate pathways untold, once a busy industrial route of old Canal boats are moored afloat, glimmer in an otherwise archaic canal that appears remote
The nineteenth century gave birth to modernisation of landscape alterations
Constructed along today’s hidden Counters Creek, I fathom to take a peek Accelerated transformations, behind the trees later leaps railways clattering against the breeze
Today’s much the same, albeit constructed pathways left unclaimed
River-scape perpetually changing, the glistening rays of light by reflected moon at night
Flickering shadows and shades, colours are rich; whispering winds of different pitch
The waters may remain bewitched, if plants, animals and nature is beautifully rich
The waters edge prevail an elusive and indefinable boundary
and
Layers of activity
Existing map of London
Lost rivers
connections to green spaces
Secrets of the city, undoubtedly so pretty, Wildlife appears unscathed, is that so or will we unveil woes lathed?
Under the soils, do they rest or is their greater turmoil?
THE SANCTUARY BRIEF FORMATION
Brunel buried amongst other great minds, What else if their too find?
Chemistry, biology and anthropology, We’ve come along way, but barely do we understand man’s interplay. Sacred and divine, is their more hidden beneath the mud and vines?
The writing below is in response to the findings from the sites research, which included testing the sites soil and surrounding water bodies. The immediate context includes a graveyard and Kensal Gasworks that sits fronting the canal and ecological green corridor.
Crumbling torsos permeating, chemicals flowing embedding landforms falls, channelling toxins to aqua galls.
Unbroken life cycles mull.
Secrets of the City, undoubtedly so pretty Wildlife appears unscathed, is that so or will we unveil woes lathed?
Our prehistoric Neanderthal never threw the earth’s ordered balance. Nature’s careful equity, did not account for industrial man’s spree, albeit so ungracefully Terra firmas veins, infiltrated for man’s gains.
Under the soil, do they rest or is their greater turmoil?
Studying earth droplets may tell, whether nature is under our sacrilegious spell.
Brunel buried amongst other great minds What else is there to find?
Chemistry, biology and anthropology
We’ve come along way, but do we understand man’s interplay?
Sacred and divine, is there more hidden beneath the mud and the vines?
Landforms fall, channelling toxins to aqua galls
Unbroken life cycles mull.
Natures careful equity, did not account for man’s spree; albeit so ungracefully
Terra firmas veins, infiltrated for man’s gains
Studying earth’s droplets may tell if nature is under our sacrilegious spell
Contents PREVIOUS PAGE
Contextual and Historical Figure Ground Map (2013).
RIGHT
‘The Sanctuary’ Project’ - A research facility to formulate the sites brief. 3D drawing, section, montage and turbine design (produced in 2013).
BELOW LEFT
Wider context physical models via threads (produced in 2014).
BELOW RIGHT
Large physical site model and surrounding context(produced in 2014).
NEXT PAGE
The Fashion School 1st Floor Plan. Hybrid drawing - hand sketch and CAD (produced in 2014).
esting and research
Rachel Carsons retrear and private research facilitiy
UNIVERSITY WORK (2014) FASHION SCHOOL
The Fashion School - Front Elevation. Produced in Revit and Photoshop (2014)
The Fashion School - Internal corridor/catwalk. Produced in Revit and Photoshop (2014) The Fashion School - Workshops and Production. Produced in Revit and Photoshop (2014)
The Fashion School - Oblique Sectional Perspective View
Produced in Revit and Photoshop (2014)
The Fashion School - Catwalk Performance and Dye Facade Produced in Revit and Photoshop (2014)
The
The Sanctuary Project - Structural and Solar exploration models
Hand model with laser cutter
Kensal Green Site - Connections and Rail links Hand model