Notion of Picturesque Through Bricks_ The Bricks Institute

NOTION OF PICTURESQUE THROUGH BRICKSTHE BRICK INSTITUTE

S C H O O L : TU TO R : LO CAT I O N : K E Y W O R D :

T HE C HINE SE U NIVERS ITY O F H O N G KO N G P E T E R FE R RE T TO, IN GRID S CH RÖ DER NORT HIA M , RYE , EAST S US S EX #RU RA L #P ICT U RES QUE #BRICK AS PRO DUCTIO N #TH E TH IRD N AT U R E

NOTION OF PICTURESQUE THROUGH BRICKS: THE BRICK INSTITUTE N ORTH IA M, RY E, EAST SUSSEX #RU RAL #PI CTURESQUE #BRI CK AS PR ODUCTIO N #THE THIR D N ATUR E

Brickmaking was a common activity throughout the high weald area, situated in South East England with its richness of clay, sandstone and woodland. Initiated by the Industrial Revolution, brick craftmanship and its artisanal skill was written off by the mass manufacturing process for highly effective and low-cost production. In discussing the productive means of landscape, Ann Bermingham argues that the idea of factory leads to the re-organization of the rural territories which ensures the natural resources contribute to the formation of capital. Therefore, the rural territory was envisioned no longer as a productive space, but as empty space, a place of idyll, wilderness and rustic life. However, the role of rural in the future is an uncertain one and such scenographic approach to the landscape has changed radically in recent year. Thinking of it as merely providing temporary relief from urban life, rural territory can be now understood as a dialogic relationship between people and the environment. The craftmanship and building technique of the countryside were deeply rooted in its natural features- climatic, scenic and topographical condition of a given land, at the same time, formulated the ideas of romanticism and regionalism. But as shifting notion of the means of production, rural consist as the types of knowledge, craftmanship and experience that rural construct today are put into question.

The thesis locates in the fields of architectural and landscape heritage in East Sussex. It is driven through a historical research and theoretical analysis of brick making in the region. Meanwhile, by studying the history and theory of changing notions of landscapes, “as an aesthetic object” and “perfected forms of place-making “expressed by John Dixon Hunt, towards a dialogue understanding landscape as a cultural and productive form, by introducing brickmaking as a program attentive to the environment.

The design argues that the existing model of picturesque landscape is in need of change. The question more explores, to what extent an existing form of open- air context can introduce and play a role to curate an authentic past of the bucolic scenario, at the same time retrieving the important knowledge of brick craftmanship. Considering possible interventions and implementation changes to the rural, architectural artefacts are relocated to construct “ideal” representations of picturesque garden, more importantly, creating opportunities for the closer or more substantial perception of nature. “ En g l i sh Co u n t r y B r i c k w o r ks” C .1 8 4 0 , N i c h o l as Co n d y ( 1 7 9 9 - 1 8 5 7 ) ,p re c i se l y re cord e d th e g e nre o f t h e B r i t i sh r u ral l i f e b y h i s t h i n g l az i n g t e c h n i q u e i n t h e m i d - 1 8 t h c e n t u ry. I t sh ow e d a vari e d g ro u p o f w o r ke r s, i n c l u d i n g se v e ral f am i l i e s are e n g ag e d i n an o p e n - ai r b ri ckw ork i n front of a c o u n t r y h o u se .

East Sussex: Soil Information

Late 19th Century Brick Factory in South England

Tools for Brickcraft

The Kiln Typology

The Great Dixter, Rye

John Dixon Hunt: The Third Nature

Ha-Ha Wall in Pictursque Garden

The Narrative and Visual Connection of the Rousham Garden

Rura l E ngima : The relation ship betwee n Wild er n ess , Pro d u c t iv e La n d s c a p e a n d t he id ea o f Pict ures que

Th e I m ag i n at i o n o f Th e Th i rd N at u re , b y ar t i c u l at i o n o f t h e se c o n d n at u re a l l ow s th e th i rd nature b y p re se n t i n g as a m at e r i al n ar rat i v e t h at g o b e y o n d t h e p ro d u c t i v e l an d sc ap e .

A History of English Brickwork, Nathanial Lloyd

The Restoration of the Great Dixter by Edwin Lutyen: Existing House Structure

Brickwork and the Restoration of Lloyd Residence

Dismantled and Reconstucted Work

The Great Dixter Residence, 1921

The Materials

The Great Dixter Residence, Plan

The Great Dixter Residence, Section

“ The s pirit in whic h the wor k has been d o n e ma y b e s u m m ed u p b y s a y in g t ha t n o t hin g ha s b e e n d one w it ho ut au thor ity,”- Edwin Lu tyen o n t he res t o ra t io n a n d en la rg emen t o f Grea t Dixt er

Th e G rear D i x t e r : A v i si o n ar y i n t e r p re t at i o n o f an t i q u e En g l i sh b r i c k w o r k i n te rm of mate ri al s and st y l e s

TO KE NT-SU SSEX R AILWAY

T HE BRIC K IN STITUTE

T HE GRE AT DIXTER

NOVILLAGE RTHIAM

Conditioning th e Si te : The G rea t Di x te r, Wo o d land , v illag e, Th e B rick Inst it ut e and t h e Kent S uss ex Railway

N o r t h i am , Ry e , East S u ssex

A Scene of Picturesque_ Buildin g mass hide and merge in the nature

A void echoing the history of the Great Dixter, one of the famous art and craft garden repaired by the Edwin Lutyen and Nathanial Lloyd in early 20 century.

The building mass bridges the main axis of the existing villages, situated in the field nearby the Kent-Sussex Railway, is completely intergrated into linear, geometric texture of the context.

The massing merges with the landform in a minimal approach.

Conceptual programe inside Brick Institute

Like a Typical Ha-Ha Wall in English picturesque garden, the sunken bodies shine in the sunlight and init ally look more like the surface of water than a building.

Underground space are carved out for archive, labortory and storage for the reclaimed bricks.

A su b t l e , su n ke n b o d i e s l i ke a H a- H a Wal l , m e rg i n g w i t h t h e n at u re , re f l e cti ng th e i d ea of E ng l i sh Pi c t u re sq u e

Sket ch e s s t udyin g the section an d the li g ht o f t he s p a c e

St u d y m o d e l o f t h e B r i c k I n st i t u t e i n 1 : 2 0 0

Cont ex t pla n - The design proposes a br i c k in s t it u t e in - b et ween t he wild wo o d la n d a n d t he g reat d i x t e r. I n sp i re d b y t h e c o n c e p t i o n o f p i c t u re sq u e , t h e b r i c k i n st i t u t e as a su n ke n m ass, l i ke a h a - h a w al l i n d e si g ni ng g arden, merge with the lan dfor m in a min im a l a p p ro a c h, ec ho in g t he ho s t o r y o f t he g rea t d i x t e r, at t h e sam e t i m e , re v i t al i z i n g t h e n o st ag i a c o n d i t i o n o f t h e si t e b y i n t ro d u c i n g b r i c k m ak i n g atte nti ve to th e e nv iro nment .

We w o ndere d if t he histor y an d r u ral qu alit y o f t he s it e in Ry e, whic h ha s p a ra llels o f t he E n g l i sh p i c t u re sq u e g ard e n , o ff e rd an o p p o r t u n i t y t o m ake w o r k sp ac e t h at w e re u n u su al l y e n g ag e d w i t h th e cul tural and

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Th e Brick I n stitu te (Grou n d Floor Pla n )

THE GUILD HALL T H E C L AY P I T _ E N T RA N C E H A LL P LU G M I L L _ M I X I N G A S S E M B LY H A L L SERVICE AREA A R C H I VA L A R E A G A L L E R Y WA L L THE KILN THE CHIMNEY T H E WAT E R AT R I U M W O R K S H O P / E X H I BI TI ON

Th e asse m b l ad g e o f t h e p ro g ram m e i n si d e a m y st e r y b ox : t h e c l ay p i t , A ss e mb l y h al l i n th e l e ft, t h e g u i l d h al l i n t h e m i d d l e t rac i n g t h e g e o m e t r y o f g reat d i x t e r an d t h e k i l n and i nd usti al sp ace i n r i g h t h an d si d e .

The Interior of a Medieval Cottage House

The Concept: More than a Box...

Sketch: Diffusing the light through the Roof

Parti Model on the Development of the Roof

Section Model

Cra ft ing the room space u n der the ro o f

Th e Pe r sp e c t i v e V i e w o f t h e S o i l M i x i n g

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THE A S S E M B LY HAL L THE GUILD HA LL G A LLE R Y A R E A THE ATR IUM TH E KILN THE C HIM NE Y

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THE A S S E M B LY HAL L THE GUILD HA LL GA LLE R Y A R E A THE ATR IUM THE KILN THE C HIM NE Y

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UND ER GR O UND RE SE AR CH L AB ORTOR Y THE C LAY P IT _ E N T R AN CE H AL L P LUG M ILL_ M IX I N G A S S E M B LY HA LL_ T H E B R I C K W OR K SH OP SE R VIC E A R EA A R C HIVA L A R E A G A LLE Y WA LL R E SE AR CH L AB ORTOR Y UND E RRGR O UND

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THE C LAY P IT _ E N T R AN CE H AL L P LUG M ILL_ M IX I N G A S S EM BLY HA LL_ T H E B R I C K W OR K SH OP S ER V IC E A R E A A R C HIVA L A R EA GA LLE R Y WA LL

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The s ect io n- t he proj ec t proposes a poet ic mea n o f b r ic k p ro d u c t io n : c la y p it f a llin g d u e t o g rav i t y , m i x i n g w i t h w at e r i n si d e t h e e n t ran c e h al l , b y m o u l d i n g t h e so i l an d g au g e d w o r ks i n a b ar n h ouse l i ke w orki ng e nv iro nment , the assembly hall, br ic ks f o llo w a b u r n in g p ro c ess in t he kiln u n d er t he v a u lt, w h e re l i g h t i s d i ff u se d t h ro u g h t h e ro o f w i t h u n c e r t ai n i t y.

T IMB ER PLAST ER ED

S LAT E H ANGING

COB B LED WALL

TIMBER TIL E HUN G

SQUARE STON E

P EBBL ED STON E WAL L

BR I CK TI L I N G

I R R E GU L A R STO N E

CL AY

WE ATHE R BOA R D I N G

STR I ATE D STO N E

K N A P P E D FL I N T

Res ea rch o n t he r u ral bu ildin g mater ial: C la y , B r ic ks , Timb er a n d Wea t her b o a rd in g

Te r rac o tt a Fac ad e : A c o n t i n u o u s p att e r n e d , m o u l d e d su r f ac e s w i t h t h e i r r i c h and consi d e rab l e use of p att e r n sp eaks o f t h e i r m at e r i al s an d f ab r i c at i o n as w e l l as b e i n g i n c re d i b l e b eauti ful .

Mud cla dding with r hythmic patter n from o u t s id e ( b y p re- c a s t in g ) , b u t t he t ra d it io n a l b r ic k l ay e r i n g i n t h e i n t e r i o r w al l w h i c h re c e i v e s t h e d i ff u si o n o g l i g h t . I m ag i n e w h at a t h i rd n at u re c an b e : arch i te cture as symbio t ic int erac tion between arc hitec ture a n d n a t u ra l lo o k in g in b o t h p hy s ic a l a n d p o et ic m ean s: I t i s u n ex p e c t e d , i n b e t w e e n t h e m o u n t ai n an d r i v e r, an d w e l c o m e s b eau t y.