PG 2015

PG 2015

PG 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9933986-0-5 Cover image: Maryam Masoudi Designed by Clare Hamman First published June 2015 Printed London Copyright Š University of Westminster

Contents PG 2015 Introduction

2

Masters Introduction

4

Architecture MA Introduction

6

Research Lab 1 Cultural Identity & Globalisation

8

Research Lab 2 Digital Media

24

Research Lab 3 History & Theory

40

Interior Design MA Introduction

50

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc Introduction

102

Research Introduction

126

Research Groups

128

Department AmbikaP3

136

Fabrication Laboratory

138

Staff

142

Firms

144

Architecture Department Restoration Plans

145

Sponsors

146

PG 2015 celebrates the achievements of the Department of Architecture’s Masters students and the staff who support them.

This year is a notable year for our postgraduate studies as it is the first year of the MSc. Architecture & Environmental Design, led by Rosa SchianoPhan. The course offers students the opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary architecture, and architectural approach, capable of facing the challenges presented by the unfolding environmental catastrophe. The course is not only timely, but is also the first explicit manifestation of the Department’s wider commitment to a renewed sense of stewardship that makes understanding physical and social ecologies, and resilient low carbon design, central to our architectural approach.

It also fits neatly with our other MA courses – the Interior Design MA, and the three specialist pathways of the Architecture MA in Cultural Identity & Globalisation; History & Theory; and Digital Media.

An array of postgraduate courses that reflects the breadth and depth of the Department of Architecture – the diversity of which this catalogue of student work illustrates is underpinned by rigorously high standards, clearly argued values, and imagination.

The last year has seen the opening of the Fabrication Laboratory, giving the Department an unprecedented set of opportunities to prototype and manufacture architecture, the results of which will resonate through our work in the coming years.

The Department’s restoration and expansion of 2

its studios, adding 40% more space, and upgrading environmental performance and comfort, are being completed for the 2015–16 academic year. They are now the most dazzling studios in London, running for 110-metres from one end of the Marylebone campus to the other.

Most importantly, over the last year our students and staff have continued to grow and prosper. Our students have won a number of major international awards. The teaching staff of the MA and MSc courses continue to undertake groundbreaking research, the benefits of which feed directly into the courses, and new practitioners and critics have also joined the staff, adding to the students’ engagement with live practice, theoretical and critical issues.

In September 2014, after many years of remarkable leadership, Katharine Heron stepped down as Head of Department, and in the New Year we were delighted when she was rewarded with the MBE for her services to architectural education. Since I took over as Head a year ago, I have been overwhelmed by the endeavour and invention of the Department’s students and staff. Please enjoy the show, and join me in congratulating all those involved in it.

Harry Charrington

Head of the Department of Architecture

Welcome to PG 2015

Studying for a Masters degree is a valuable opportunity. For some students, part way through their architectural education, it is a chance to specialise and develop their own design identity; for others, it is the first step towards a PhD and an academic career. But for all those engaged in master’s level study in the department of Architecture, a masters provides the context in which to reflect on their work as architects or designers and to enhance their design skills.

the courses are designed to support a variety of approaches to the thesis project. An exciting mix of people from different design and technical disciplines, and from many different cultural backgrounds, come together to study on our courses and each individual brings with them their own particular mix of interests and experience. The thesis allows each student to direct their research towards areas of study that will build on their previous education and can shape their future career.

This year has seen some important changes to our courses:

The following pages feature work from all three programmes. The work has been organised by course with a short introduction by each of the course directors. Each section contains synopses of all this year’s thesis projects. These brief accounts provide a fascinating insight into the nature of research in architecture. Ranging from the intellectually challenging world of critical theory to the many exciting possibilities of research conducted both for, and also through design, every project presented here and in the accompanying exhibition, results from the dedication and hard work of all the students and staff involved.

The Architecture MA has, for example, been redesigned to offer more flexibility and a more extensive range of options – including specialist pathways in History and Theory, Cultural Identity and Globalisation, and Digital Media. The Interior Design MA, meanwhile, continues to build on its successful mix of conceptual ideas and practical design skills to provide a valuable grounding for professional designers. But perhaps most significantly, this year also sees the introduction of a new Architecture and Environmental Design MSc which offers technical knowledge and skills along with a critical perspective on energy efficient design.

Each course has its own individual character and subject-specific content but importantly all

4

Richard Difford Department of Architecture: Coordinator of Postgraduate Study

MASTERS IN ARCHITECTURE

Masters | Architecture MA

Davide Deriu, Richard Difford, Samir Pandya (Course Leaders) John Bold, Nasser Golzari, Jon Goodbun, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Dirk Lellau, Clare Melhuish, Filip Visnjic Burcu Balaban, Noha Baruti, Oliver Beasley, Mihail Bila, Iuliana Claudia Bila, Jianfeng Chen, Jue Chen, Hoda Chizari, Dena Davani, Anna Ekonomova, Stepan Grigoryan, Jiaxin Han, Amna Khalid, Anna Kirnos, Maryam Masoudi, Cristina Ortiz Zamorano,

Santiago Rizo Zambrano, Grace Skinner, Ana Lucia Trincao Tomaz Serrano, Vaida Venskune, Diksha Wahi, Danielle Elena Zacharia, Luka Zautashvili

Architecture MA The Architecture MA course offers a unique opportunity to pursue advanced postgraduate research combining high-level theoretical investigation with innovative design approaches.

The programme is both wide ranging and flexible, facilitating alternative modes of study and a range of options, including the choice of either a written or design-based thesis.

on the basis of their research and critical judgement, and to use these insights to produce high-quality written work in a scholarly manner. In parallel, a set of design-oriented activities encourages students to develop their artistic, aesthetic and intellectual vision through the use of different media, in order to produce individual proposals with a high level of spatial, material and formal resolution.

The course also allows for specialism through its three designated pathways: Architecture (Cultural Identity & Globalisation); Architecture (Digital Media); and Architecture (History & Theory).

Alternatively, students can also create their own pathway by selecting and combining relevant modules that meet their individual requirements.

The range of optional and specialist modules offered allows students to develop their individual learning trajectories through the in-depth study of specific subject areas, involving theoretical components as well as practical applications. A series of theoryrich modules stimulate students to analyse current trends in architecture, design theory and practice

The course is taught within a dynamic learning environment that comprises seminar-based sessions along with studio-based activities, suitably integrated by a wide range of lectures, tutorials, site visits, research training sessions, and independent study periods. The primary emphasis, however, is on the thesis project or dissertation which is explored in the context of one of three tutor groups or “research labs” aligned with each of the designated pathways.

The projects described over the following pages are grouped according to research lab and provide a glimpse of the possibilities presented by this programme.

Guest Critics: Hélène Binet, Lindsay Bremner, Amy Butt, Eray Çaylı, Laura Englezou, Francesca Gelli, Josephine Kane, Chiara Mazzoleni, Andreas Michaelides, Ciarán O’Brien, Paola Piscitelli, Yara Sharif, Camila Sotomayor, Maria Veltcheva, Tim Waterman, Victoria Watson 6

Maryam Masoudi

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Noha Baruti

Maida and I: Reflections on London’s Gleneagle Road Somali Community I was born in the 1980’s, the daughter of Somali parents who belonged to the youth of the newly independent state of 1960’s Somalia. Underpinning the use of modernist design to assert the post independence identity of Somalia were the values of individual autonomy, freedom of thought, and tolerance of other and new cultures. My identity has been profoundly influenced by these values.

This thesis sprung from my recent involvement in an Outer London Fund (OLF) 2013 project in Streatham (a Greater London Authority funded short project) as part of the Mayor’s plans for improving shop fronts across London. The project brief, aimed at a number of Somali shops in Gleneagle Road, called for a ‘culturally sensitive designer’ from the discipline of graphic design. I became involved as a mediator between the Somali community and the council, and to help the designers access the community. In an increasingly globalised world with people fleeing from conflict stricken countries and finding their way to London, the need to mediate between ‘insider and outsider’ (and I feel I am both)

8

often surfaces. This thesis is being used as a vehicle to critically reflect on and extend the OLF project.

The thesis investigates the role of the architectural and spatial settings within the site, and focuses on ‘Maida’, a Somali restaurant on Gleneagle Road. The project draws upon conversations, photographs, film, one-on-one interviews, and diary entries from site visits with the aim of analysing and deconstructing the social and cultural dynamics at play in the site and its wider networks. At the same time, the project was seized as an opportunity to examine my own subjectivity, and the extent to which I bring my own cultural bias and resources to bear on the project.

The critical framework of the thesis was informed by a critical reading of the concept of ‘Third Space’ as developed by Homi Bhabha, as well as theories formulated in the fields of sociology, human geography and developmental psychology which examine the relationship between structure and agency.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Jianfeng Chen

Iconic Identities Driven by particular political and commercial forces, iconic buildings have come to represent more than symbolic and aesthetic meaning.

Through globalisation and attendant technological advancement, the processes and rationale for architectural production has shifted dramatically.

What does or could this mean for the image and identity of our cities?

The Crystal Palace, London (which burnt down in 1936), was the epitome of British industrial achievement, symbolising the latest advancements in technology during the industrial revolution, as showcased in The Great Exhibition of 1851. Recent attempts to examine the feasibility of rebuilding The

10

Crystal Palace have failed, for one reason or another.

These have included proposals for a near-replica to be built by an international developer which has met with local community and political opposition.

This scheme aims to recall the ‘spirit’ of The Crystal Palace, and at the same time explore what the role of iconicity could be today, and in the very specific context being examined. It will do this, in part by utilising glass and the medium of light. Ultimately, the exploration of the iconic will be used to allow issues of heritage, criticality and representation to cohere.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Jue Chen

‘De-Mapped’: Dispossessed and Repackaged Communities in Shibati The contemporary phenomenon of Chinese city demolition and rebuilding is recognised as a natural process in the aggressive course of globalisation. The socio-political, spatial issues and consequences that have arisen through this process have gone largely unacknowledged. By taking Shibati, in the Central Chongqing City, as its site, this project seeks to understand, critique and represent the aforementioned issues.

As the dominant port of arrival for Chongqing, and the only way to enter the city centre in the past, Shibati was historically and culturally significant during the formation and expansion of Chongqing City. Since 1997, rapid development and expansion has been taking place in Chongqing and, as a result, Shibati has gradually shrunk into a closed and isolated district with complex social and architectural layers.

Using a carefully conceived process of analytical and creative mapping, this thesis uses research

12

through design as a method for creating a critical representation of the context being examined. The mapping is embedded in a rigid system of ‘layering’ that addresses issues such as social inequality and displacement. At the same time, it extracts and repackages hidden relations and identities, exposing the reality ‘on the ground’. Every decision to inscribe into, engrave onto, or to peel back a layer is neither neutral nor passive. Each layer mediates between the map and reality, exposing, critiquing and representing the decisions which have led to entire communities being displaced. The critique of these decisions through mapping (which has a latent urban strategy in mind) attempts to distil the impact of the related demolition. It is imperative that these issues are carefully considered in the future rebuilding of other cities where widespread and rapid demolition may occur. Hopefully, then, we may mitigate dispossession and the traumatic repackaging of existing communities.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Hoda Chizari

Archiving Jolfa The rapid development and modernisation of cities in Iran brings with it many challenges. These challenges, stemming from both globalisation and from internal change, can be seen to have impacted greatly on the everyday life, cultural practices and the collective memory of many communities.

One such example of an historic neighbourhood undergoing rapid change is Jolfa, located in the historic city of Isfahan, and one of the first planned neighbourhoods in the historic cities of Iran. In the 17th century, during the Safavid era, the Iranian Armenian community were forced to migrate from other parts of Iran to Jolfa. Although it covers only 2% of the area of Isfahan, it was the heart of the social and cultural life of Isfahan. Historically, water has played an interesting role socially, economically, and in a morphological sense, initially helping to form the means and manner by which a community settled.

14

The sense of place and belonging, formed over successive generations in Jolfa, is placed at risk by a combination of rapid development and apathy from heritage organisations which are meant to offer protection. In response, this project proposes the design of an archive on multiple sites and of varying scales and type. After substantial analysis, twenty of the most important spaces and buildings in Jolfa were identified. These include Mudies (streams and brooks), churches, and abandoned houses in the region. These sites were then engaged through design, with interventions ranging between simple programmatic classification, to urban-scale landscape architecture. Collectively, these sites represent an act of resistance against the cultural trauma brought about through rapid and insensitive development.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Jiaxin Han

Celebrating Fakeness Much traditional Chinese architecture, as can be exemplified in the remaining ancient architecture of Beijing, deployed various techniques of illusion (of enclosure, of weight, of depth, etc.).

In London’s Chinatown (an explicit material representation of ‘Chineseness’) this ‘illusion’ has transmuted into a form of fakeness motivated by particular commercial needs. Fakeness, regulated inpart by government planning policy, could be seen to have led to reductive representations of both Chinese architecture and of Chinese culture.

Interestingly, Chinatown sits among a variety of sites dedicated to theatre. Taking this into account, and

16

using the theatrical stage as metaphor, the project aims to expose, celebrate and express fakeness.

The design is urban in scale, with a number of interventions and connections being made on, between, through, and within particular buildings and spaces in and around Chinatown. The project, therefore, is concerned with developing a kind of ‘urban infrastructure’ which could be seen as a way of adding structure to a series of ‘fake’ sites. The project at a wider as well as a more abstract scale, seeks to examine questions of authenticity and translation in relation to the term ‘Chinese’.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Maryam Masoudi

Architecture with Two Desires Istanbul is changing radically. Urban renewal projects target inhabitants of slum neighbourhoods as state-sponsored and marketled gentrification processes are forcing the poor to leave the city centre. Social housing is giving way to luxury hotels, holiday resorts and shopping malls, of which Istanbul now has the highest number in Europe. These developments are happening in order to feed the economically successful tourist industry.

A critical issue within this development is the negation of the rich cultural heritage and identity of Istanbul’s neighbourhoods, communities and traditional architectures. In response, the design of this project focuses on the modification and adaptation of an existing building as a way of reflecting, in an intensive and experiential way, some of the negated aspects of the cultural identity of Istanbul. This would in addition be aimed at attracting tourists and, as such, would contain a subversive dimension. The building chosen as the site is ‘Buyuk Valid Han’, which is now abandoned, and is one of the iconic ancient buildings of Istanbul. It used to be a ‘caravansary’, a centre of trade and accommodation for businessmen, and

18

host to a variety of cultural events. At one level, it used to represent the identity of Istanbul to foreigners.

An important aspect of the new programme will be the integration of sound-based experiences and exhibits. Sound is an inseparable and distinctive part of Istanbul’s identity. The site-specific sounds of Istanbul were captured and include birds, the sea, street protests, backgammon betting, Azaan, vendors, Sufis, prayers, construction sites, nightclubs, an airline welcome speech upon landing, passport control, drinking tea, the arrest of an illegal immigrant, glass-blowing, weaving workshops, and multi-lingual tour guides. The decision to design a sound-themed building to reflect Istanbul’s identity is supplemented by designing or reshaping particular spaces and forms within the building to augment the experience of hearing the selected sound recordings. Overall, the sequence of spaces and sounds represents a narrative which is concerned with dialogues, between the visitors and the spaces, between the spaces and the sounds, and the sounds and the city.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Vaida Venskune

A Meta-Reflection on the Cultural Identity of King’s Cross This speculative design-based project seeks to examine the major development in King’s Cross, London. It seeks to identify, analyse and critique the development’s goals, particularly with respect to the cultural identity of the area and the so-called ‘greening agenda’. King’s Cross is a controversial and contested area. It serves as an international transportation hub while at the same time having a highly local neighbourhood with distinct community groups. This has led to multiple boundary conditions being created.

Inspired by the ideas of Wolfgang Muller-Funk, this project defines and analyses some of the physical (walls, railways, streets and blocks), invisible (community, cultural, social) and planned future

20

boundaries (gated communities and news forms of cultural identity). Through this analysis, the project aims to examine why, where, and how the planning and development of our cities tends to negate (in a qualitative sense) such criteria as cultural identity, social connectivity between communities, and the meaningful integration of nature.

Ultimately, the project is trying to reveal the character and potential of King’s Cross, which may help to discover ways to design cities which reflect existing identities and create socio-positive communities.

Furthermore, and at a methodological level, a ‘meta-reflection’ has been conducted on the design process to ascertain the value of such a speculative form of practice to ‘real-world’ sites.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Danielle Zacharia

Drawing the Line: Memory, Identity and Presence in the Famagusta Ecocity This thesis examines the use of architecture for the purpose of establishing identity, ownership and power in the Cyprus conflict, following the division of the island in 1974. Drawing the Line contextualises the agenda of the bi-communal Famagusta Ecocity Project among ecocity trends and its ultimate goal to turn Famagusta into Europe’s model ecocity whilst building peace between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

The premise of the thesis is that the ecocity project does not consider socio-cultural aspects to the extent required for sustaining communities.

To broaden the knowledge base of the thesis, the driving forces that dictate rapid development and impact city identity in comparable contexts were analysed. This emphasised the site-specificity of particular issues, and revealed that the political objective of unbiased decision-making in contested contexts can lead to ‘neutral’ or culture-poor cities, and a reductive understanding of community. The anticipated re-inhabitation of the ‘ghost town’ Varosha, and its transformation to an ‘ecocity’, will inevitably impact the wider district of Famagusta

22

due to the significant changes in demographic and local distinctiveness. The leading actors and underlying currents of this dynamic context are revealed using data collected from maps, existing research and physical traces; indicative elements of the past lend to its divergent identities, subjective memories and layers of presence. A return to the city would involve reconciling areas in dispute and the relocation of Turkish settlers who are currently a dominating presence in Famagusta.

Defining the inclusion and accessibility of the ecocity by drawing the line at legal ownership could contradict the ethics of socio-cultural sustainability.

Thus, the increasing and intensifying division of inhabitants, sustained for political and economic purposes by means of architecture, presents complexity when attempting to contrive an ethical master plan for Famagusta.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Burcu Balaban

The Invisible Geography of London Our experience of the city has always consisted not only of the physical design of urban spaces but also of the dozens of stories circulating about each place. In today’s world, however, it is often digital media that functions as the ‘experience maker’.

Even if we do not actively participate in social networks, we passively leave traces behind in digital platforms. This all means that everyday experiences have a double life in the digital world. Our cities now include many layered geographies both visible and invisible.

This project aims to show the invisible geography within the city through a process of psychogeographical mapping and visualisation.

The inspiration comes from a group of people called the Situationists. Pioneered by Guy Debord, Situationism sought to capture the city as it was experienced by actual people, not as it was designed from the top down by architects and planners. In the light of this movement, the built environment is no longer an issue, instead it is the way we experience

24

it that becomes important. Maps today built from Foursquare check-ins, Twitter traffic or Bikeshare usage, stem from this same tradition. This project sets out to make a present-day interpretation and adaptation of the Situationist movement by utilising today’s high-tech equipment and social platforms to visualise the hidden geography of the city.

Situationist strategies, such as the dérive (to drift aimlessly through an existing urban environment) and détournement (the appropriation and adaptation of exiting material) have therefore been reinterpreted in the context of digital media technologies and equipment. The process is one of turning experience of the city into data and turning that data into a new kind of experience through a virtual world.

The result is a digital model of the city built using Unity (a platform for creating computer games) that can be experienced using a stereoscopic virtual reality device (Oculus Rift) and reflects the visions gathered from the city in real time.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Dena Davani

Generative Form Making - A 3D Bio-Printer New technologies such as conventional 3D printing, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Stereolithography (SLA) all now offer convenient ways to produce complicated forms. However, the procedure is often divided into two stages, with the digital-design phase of generating the form independent from the physical phase of production.

This separation of the generation and production phase of design is not one that is evident in nature.

Inspired by the way in which nature produces its artefacts, this project aims to utilise natural processes in the creation of form by combining the procedures of form generation and form production into a single system. This comprehensive system allows for material properties and the immediate environmental conditions to be the driving elements in the creation of the artefact.

The proposed device provides an opportunity to investigate the ways in which design can be informed

26

by the properties, limitations and natural processes of materials through the design and fabrication of a comprehensive system that uses a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast [SCOBY]. The process of form making starts at the very basic molecular level and continues on the journey of the bacteria being formed into a shape. A camera is programmed to follow the form as it develops and to capture an image at set time intervals, documenting the process of form making as an artefact in itself. The camera is an integrated part of the system that performs as the communicating agent between the machine and the maker. In the end, the designed form, the produced artefact, the environment in which the growth of the form takes place, and the documentation of the life and the journey of the form become one comprehensive system that embodies the entire process.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Anna Ekonomova

Storytelling: A Study in Machine Behaviour and Communication In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we rarely notice the peculiarities and subtleties of communication. It can be difficult to pay attention to the small visual details of our behaviour during conversation. The theme of my project describes part of our daily communication – storytelling. Not a day goes by in human society without stories being exchanged. Body language, sight, intonation and emotional perception helped me to form a system of four physical machines, each of which draws on the aforementioned principles. The main aim was to program these machines to respond to a “language” of sounds which would affect each model in a different way. This interactive system became a part of abstract storytelling, responding to our words, sounds and intensity of intonation. In other words, it gave the ability to look at the process of storytelling from another angle.

This system consists of four models: 1. Imitation: A reflection of expressive physical gestures used while communicating.

2. Breathing: A n integral part of life. Throughout the course of one’s life, one has the ability to be exposed to new experiences and then share them with others through stories.

28

3. Sight: T his refers to visual perception. This can be connected to Model 1 (Imitation) since these two aspects are closely linked. When someone is expressing themselves, what we perceive with our eyes can alter the interpretation of what we hear.

4. Feeling: A s individuals, we all react differently depending on the nature of the story. The same story can evoke one emotion in one person, and completely different emotions in another.

Although divided in an analytical way into four models, this composition should be regarded as one complete piece, a machine of story-telling. Perhaps the subtleties in the models will encourage all of us to be more attentive in recognising the nuances of communication that normally go unobserved.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Stepan Grigoryan

The Forum This project attempts to study the urban fabric using the concept of “flows”. The term “flows” adopted here includes media data of various kinds, different physical processes, social and internet activity. For the purposes of the study, the different phenomena were divided into a series of categories.

Each group was arranged with four criteria: scale, speed, time and predictability. All these flows are collected and are projected on to the map of the city. The geographical position of each event is therefore used as a point of connection between the visible and invisible layers of the city.

During the work various experiments were carried out including Processing scripts that can analyse visible transformations and interact with the data.

The final demonstration piece, which is simply called the The Machine, is a printer-based device that can transform the collected data into a pattern made

30

on a bed of sand. The Machine uses its own visual language which turns the way it interacts with data into an independent performance.

The aim is to create a process that simultaneously reveals all the patterns of the city, consisting of all the events happening there. It reflects an idea of the city in terms of fluidity and the importance of media as a communication, control and responsive tool. It shows the invisible field of urban communications between people, machines and other parts of the city. Somewhat like the historical notion of a forum, this is a place of mass urban conversation where the whole city is represented.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Amna Khalid

Responsive Spaces This thesis is about exploring the nature of spatial experience and incorporating that knowledge into an interactive design tool. Employing algorithms designed specifically to read a user’s body language, the proposed device responds to movement and transforms the space within the device accordingly.

The primary purpose of this investigation is to find better ways of adapting spaces to the needs of the user. The transformed space suggests a more flexible environment and possible improvements to the functionality of the space.

Studies made of our perceptual experience as compared to the objective spatial setting have greatly informed my research. Key to this is the relationship between spatial perception and the way we engage with, and navigate, the space. Multiple experiments and observations made of a particular test space were also central to this investigation. As

32

part of this process, analytical drawings of my own spatial experience helped me to understand these hidden dimensions.

The proposed algorithms work on the principle of reading the user’s movement and calculating the typical movements within an existing space.

As a result the cube – which is actually the digital representation of the speculative space – transforms itself into different geometrical arrangements based on the actions of the user. Since the cube responds to the physical movement of the user, this technique can be employed by designers to speculate on the nature of a user’s movement in any given spatial context and give them an opportunity to design spaces more efficiently.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Cristina Ortiz Zamorano

Bringing the Weather Inside Technology is now an important element in most people´s daily life, it is capable of connecting people around the world. But what if technology could also be used to connect people to their surroundings, to break physical barriers, and to make people feel like they are somewhere else?

This is a phenomenon known as ‘telepresence’ and is currently being explored in many different ways.

Technology is capable of connecting people visually; the age of Skype has been one of the biggest social factors of globalisation, where you are able to talk to, and to see, a person who is on the other side of the world. Potentially, however, you might not only see them, but feel the conditions they are in. Weather is one of the main elements that influence people, and it is also one of the main elements that connect them, not only in a social way of communication but also as a desire to be connected to other places.

34

This project intends to use weather data as a means to create an active environment that will react and change in response to a remote location.

Altering according to the weather of a particular place chosen by the user, the device reacts to temperature by changing colour, and cloud cover by opening and closing the “flaps” to fill the space with more or less colour and light intensity. By creating a physical representation of weather data and by creating new atmospheres within the space, this project also therefore explores the effect of creating a changing inner space. But rather than attempting to imitate or simulate the weather conditions, it uses the data to create new atmosphere and thus change the perception the user has of the current space.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Ana LĂşcia TrincĂŁo Tomaz Serrano

Haptic Perception and Interaction Reflecting on how much we rely on the sense of vision in comparison to other senses, this project aims to highlight the importance of haptic perception and interaction in the world of architectural design and digital technologies.

The main emphasis of the investigation is on understanding the role played by touch sensitivity in the experience of architectural environments and in the perception and manipulation of objects.

In search of a way of capturing haptic interaction, my research into the subject of touch perception began with an investigation of many different kinds of sensor technologies. Disappointed by the options available, I decided to focus on a new kind of custom-made malleable sensor that allows for a more direct interaction and manipulation, with a relatively high degree of control. The result is a

36

composite made from a soft conductive material with an external exoskeleton to give it structure.

Whether we are trying to control a highly complicated application or a simple design tool, this new sensory object, which becomes a new kind of technological interface, facilitates an intuitive and responsive interface. Here the device is tested with an array of LEDs which can be controlled by manipulating the hand-held sensor. While at first sight one might be intimidated by the look of all the wiring, one can easily interact with the display and have total control of its response.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Diksha Wahi

Designing Shadows A shadow can be harnessed but can never be possessed. We must accept its state of existence as it is and allow it to mutate. We meet it for a brief period when it comes and watch it go when it leaves.

Seock Jae Yim: The Traditional Space: A Study of Korean Architecture (2005)

Shadows play an important role in how we perceive the world. The position, colours, textures and shapes of shadows provide strong cues about the formal properties of the objects casting them. As a result, our visual system interprets the information provided by shadows to help build a mental picture of the shape and relations between objects and their environment. By understanding what these cues are and how they operate, it is possible to use shadows to accentuate form and

38

to enhance spatial experience – or even to create illusory or misleading appearances.

Architects and designers over many centuries have taken advantage of shadows in their work, but with the use of digital technologies and lighting effects it becomes possible to control and falsify shadows in various ways – making them dynamic and interactive. This project investigates the nature of shadow perception in humans and poses a number of questions about their design potential. Along the way shadows are explored in psychological, technological, social, cultural and aesthetic terms.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Oliver Beasley

In Search of Distraction: Representing Benjamin’s Everyday Experience of Architecture In 1936, Walter Benjamin in his celebrated essay, ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’, contributed, somewhat incidentally, to the theory of architectural experience: suggesting that buildings were “appropriated” primarily in a state of “distraction”, of which little could be known from the tourist-like state of “attentive concentration”.

However, this latter condition comes to characterise practically all forms of architectural representation and so, I ask, can we come to represent instead the converse of this, architecture in a state of “distraction”?

In spite of the apparent paradox of such an intention – to focus on architecture, as it exists outof-focus – I begin my thesis by critically interpreting the complex context of Benjamin’s hypothesised state of “distraction” and then, following a broader investigation of representation, come to establish two isolated methods capable of capturing this enigmatic condition: the first, “narrative”, aims at shifting the attention away from architecture

40

and on to the user (to whom buildings exist in a state of “distraction”); and the second, “montage”, comes to mediate the reception of architectural representation by disrupting the attention of the spectator.

Through such hypothesised methods and their retroactive occurrence in existing sites of representation, the “distracted” experience of architecture is deemed possible to capture, yet only to varying degrees. My study suggests that the greatest opportunity for this comes from the repurposing of existing media formed outside the remit of architecture. I recognise that, due to the opportunities afforded to us by the Internet, unorthodox forms of representation (such as “distraction”) reflecting marginal(ised) realities of architecture may now come to be distributed in a way that was not previously possible. This may lead, on one hand, to a diversification of architectural thought, yet, on the other, to a decline in conventional critical authority.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Anna Kirnos

Grappling with Density: Visualising High-Density Residential Developments in London and Moscow The design-based thesis project is focused on comparing densities of residential developments in London and Moscow. To determine the different densities in these cities, the research investigates two case studies: Nine Elms in London and Garden Quarters in Moscow respectively. Furthermore, it aims to shed light upon the high density difference between these cities and the opportunities and conflicts resulting from this. Density was chosen as a research subject because it is a vital issue in urban development, especially in global cities such as London and Moscow.

The thesis develops a series of diagrams to represent comparative data analysis from the two case studies.

Diagrams as a methodology to represent data were chosen for their ability to provide critical insights

42

into the meaning of data as well as creative ways of visualising figures and numbers in an easily understandable form. In summary, the thesis shows that diagrams are a suitable means to evaluate and compare the data of high-density residential developments.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Santiago Rizo Zambrano

From Representation to Simulation: The Role of Virtual Reality in the Promotion of Architecture The dissertation investigates how virtual reality changes the way digital content is perceived by means of features such as interaction, immersion and motion. Currently, digitally-created content dominates the field of architectural representations, and the shift from representation to simulation poses a challenge to the use of new media. Therefore, the thesis project sets out to explore possible applications of the re-emerged field of virtual reality in the promotion of architecture.

Promotion is understood here as a twofold action: pushing forward a project with a financial aim, a process that is closely related to the architect’s ‘salesmanship’; but also, being an advocate of ideas which aim to generate public awareness about not only a project but the profession as a whole.

A thorough analysis of virtual reality showed that spatial simulations provide a new degree of accessibility to representations that aim to depict

44

architectural space. However, this comes with an important limitation regarding what can be conveyed through them, given that an experience in virtual reality is very subjective. By considering other fields, the research revealed the use of narrative structures as a key element to create a balance between the freedom of exploration and the information received by the user.

A case study approach was used to analyse the applications of virtual reality to the promotion of architecture. Due to the aforementioned limitations, virtual reality did not appear to improve the architect’s presentation skills, and even challenged the architect’s role as a relevant agent in the process of representation. Conversely, the medium did prove its ability to establish innovative debates about architecture, and to promote accessible discussions regarding the role of the profession in current societies.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Grace Skinner

The Experiential Photographic Image: Exploring how the Experience of an Architectural Place is Represented The communication and retelling of an architectural place is rooted in its visual representation and is influenced by both tangible and intangible factors. The intention behind this work is to consider the possibilities that the experience of an architectural place encompasses through photographic means. A fleeting yet everyday moment inherent within the entire experience of a place is a driving force in this photographic portrayal.

A shift away from the photograph acting as a beautified or carefully constrained version of reality is stressed through exploring alternative ways that photographic methods are utilised. This shift in how the photographic representation is perceived seeks to provide the viewer with a deeper understanding and sense of how the architectural place actually exists.

A series of techniques are involved within this exploration of how the photographic image represents the experience of architecture. These techniques are primarily grounded on how individual images are collectively ordered, sequenced and composed to create a narrative which speaks to how one may experience a place through the realm

46

of the photographic image. In conjunction with framing, composition, depiction of presence, and interaction play a crucial role in representing the experiential qualities of a place. The thesis seeks to show how an architectural place acts and is experienced by photographing such a place under varying conditions that reveal multiple moments constituting the experience.

The research considers how the viewers of a photograph envision and locate themselves in either a familiar or unfamiliar setting. This allows a closer connection to be present within the construction of the photographic image and the manner in which it will be perceived. Ideas presented within this project examine how the architect not only perceives the built architectural place as an object but as an experiential place which the user will engage with, perceive, and imagine themselves in at a particular moment. The thesis seeks to define how the place will potentially be used and inhabited rather than simply as an inanimate entity. A concern for how the photographic image represents this experience in an honest, informative and charismatic manner is a concurrent notion.

Architecture MA | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Luka Zautashvili

Atmospheres: De-Contextualisation Through Light and Colour This thesis investigates the possibilities of atmospheric qualities of space, in particular light and colour. The focus is on producing a space that changes atmosphere and alters the user’s perception through the introduction of light and colour from a different context.

Theories of phenomenology and de-contextualisation have supported my research. The study of techniques by which colour affects the viewer’s perception provided a possibility to experiment with changing atmospheres in specific ways. Precedents that portray de-contextualised atmospheres – through light, colour, materiality, air, movement and frame – were researched. The specific analyses of James Turrell’s ‘Projection Pieces’, ‘Aten Reign’ and ‘Light Reignfall’ informed my investigation and enabled me to conduct a series of experiments on light and colour.

48

The final installation that forms part of this thesis is an enclosed space similar to a cube, where the atmosphere is transformed by flashing lights that deprive and further activate the senses: a pulsating, uniform field of colour that flattens and deepens the space, bringing the sensation of calmness and sudden disturbance. A walk from Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus recorded on video is taken as the source of the aforementioned light design sequence. The lights pulsate in such a way as to enable the visitor to experience a known colour sequence in an unknown way. The thesis suggests that de-contextualised light and colour enable the user of space to experience a perceptual shift away from the common experience of the everyday. The intention is to question and drive attention towards the habitual automatism of everyday life.

Masters | Interior Design MA

Dusan Decermic (Course Leader), Ian Chalk, Debby Kuypers, Michael Guy, Filip Visnjic, Joe King Amani Aljohani, Sara Alrashed, Chloe Azara, Angsana Boonrit, Anna-Kaisa Brenig Jones, Kerry Brewer, Natapol Chuengwerawan, Thelma Constantinou, Camelia Ali Zaki Ewiss, Goneta Heta, Claire Jones, Sepinood Kakooei, Ka Kei Lai, Shih-Chi Liu, Meshael Malloh, Maryam Mansouri, Rhyana McKay, Theresa Obermoser,

Bhakti Oza, Siret Ozcin, Rohit Raka, Mayura Ramakrishnan, Crystel Salame, Irena Stankovic, Catia Fernandes Teixeira, Riya Thomas, Adriana Vela Alonso, Chong Wang

MA Interior Design EMBRACING the material and intellectual complexities and contradictions magnified by the psychological agency inherent in the subject of interiority, our students, like wayfarers, are tracing their own paths through this ever changing palimpsest-like topography, unearthing traces of history over which they weave and manipulate contemporary obsessions. Interiors are elusive by nature: both inviting and conspiratorial, sometimes dark and brooding, but always strangely alluring. As a reflective example bearing these complexities, Retail and Decoding The Interior modules are set up in this context and seen as both antagonists and attractors, offering professional vocational action and active intellectual reaction.

Our thesis projects are exemplars of these manifold concerns, embracing ambitious conceptual strategies but also focusing on delicate, intricate material renderings. As the static, indulgent “expert” gaze is being augmented and supplanted by the contemporary democratic idiom of the omnipresent

cinematic “measuring” of time and space, the course is immersed in these new responses through film and animation components built into the Case Study and Introduction to Design Computing modules.

We are indebted to a tight-knit group of dedicated teaching staff, drawn from the sharp edge of London’s dynamic practice battleground, mirrored by the presence of their no less vibrant, multifaceted academic counterparts, whose own histories have been informed by the rigours of practice. As the contemporary metropolitan dynamic shifts and changes in front of our eyes, so does the course, not satisfied to be frozen in any kind of cultural or practice framework. We will always rigorously question the established norms. This is reflected in the ambitious, diverse, multicultural creative works communicated by our students.

Guest Critics: Willemijn Geldorp, Nicholas Hockley, Susan Lawson, Claire Richmond, Reza Shuster 50

Kerry Brewer

Interior Design MA

Camelia Ali Zaki Ewiss

221B Baker Street Reimagined In a so called Post-modern era, we face several uncertainties regarding future changes in our societies, where opinions vary widely on the nature of the current culture.

Meanwhile situated across from this very campus lies the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ museum depicting the iconic literary character as an entity of the past.

The imaginary nature of such ‘literary designs’ is seldom mentioned, its ability to adapt to time and place and being constantly reinterpreted.

‘Sherlock Holmes’ becomes a threshold to a complex system of perspectives, ideas and values that influence society and its institutions on different levels.

The project undergoes a decoding process of the detective genre, and 221B Baker Street is reimagined as an interior spatial narrative parallel to that of Western European societies.

52

The initial step in this study was an empirical research through mystery novels of Western European culture which paved the way to an analysis of the structure of the mystery genre. Relations between main character identities linked the detective case to what Jacques Lacan calls ‘The case of the Borromean Knot’ (the complexity of human reality).

The second step was an heuristic approach which generated a ‘theoretical structure’ of society: an interior of fantasy that narrates four social cases (from the earliest primordial to the current postmodern) and is envisioning the reality we live in, held in suspension between the void of the real and the hidden imaginary.

During the final phase 221B Baker Street undergoes another metamorphosis, offering itself as a cinematic set. It is re-imagined as an epic film set structure that brings the world of fantasy into cinematic reality.

Interior Design MA

Amani Aljohani

The City of Eve This project focuses on the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In 1947, the gates and remaining portions of the old city walls were demolished and the city began to expand outside the city walls. Since then the city has extended uncontrollably beyond its old boundaries. The expansion was mainly to the north along the Red Sea coastline, reaching the new air terminal nineteen kilometres from the city centre in the mid-1990s; and has since edged its way around it toward the Ob’hur Creek, about twentyseven kilometres from Albalad (the old downtown area).

This kind of expansion is typical of many cities around the world but in Jeddah it is different: the citizens have abandoned Albalad. As people started to occupy the new parts of the city they forgot the original Albalad. As a result the old town has become nearly obsolete. But hidden within this forgotten area is an invaluable jewel – a location believed by many to be the site of Eve’s Tomb. The city’s name is even understood to be derived from “Jaddah”, the Arabic word for “grandmother”. However, in 1928, the tomb was destroyed and in 1975, the site was sealed with concrete to prevent pilgrims praying at the tomb. Since then the tomb has been hidden and partially forgotten, with many remembering only that the city of Jeddah was named after her.

54

Ignored and not taken care of, the old city is slowly declining and despite its heritage and the history, ancient Jeddah is dying.

The aim of this project is to revive the city by employing new ways to educate people about Jeddah and attract them to visit Albalad. It also attempts to bring life back to the old town by designing an area inspired by the traditional Saudi tent and developed in the shape of the flower that symbolises Eve. The “petals” of this flower will house an exhibition providing guidance and information about Albalad.

Interior Design MA

Sara Alrashed

The Edge of the Interior of Saudi Arabia: The Travelling Exhibition This Exhibition presents some highlights of external architectural influences that have affected the boundaries of Saudi Arabia but have not reached the interior. Five houses from different cities touched by external influences are selected to ‘show’ the historical architectural development of Saudi Arabia and the diversity of interior methods.

Each area of the exhibition is dedicated to a home within a city, and each section will include chosen drawings, images, a 3D model and a 3D print. A sample of the research is shown in the exhibition catalogue.

This edge is a boundary line that encompasses the interior of Saudi Arabia. Any area within this boundary has common features of architecture, interiors and a way of living. These features are known to be indigenous to the area and have not been affected by influences. The border line indicates the start of external influences on these different aspects.

56

This Exhibition is a travelling exhibition. It can be packed up easily and moved from one place to another. The idea behind the exhibition originated from the nomadic nature of Arabs. Until recently in Saudi Arabia when woman got married her dowry and all of her belongings are packed into a chest and moved from her family’s house into her husband’s house. These chests were very important in Saudi culture and are inherited within generations.

The travelling exhibition is made from a modern style crate with Arabic details embedded in it.

This crate can be wheeled into any space and it will transform it into an exhibition. Once the crate is stabilised, panels and objects are removed from the box and displayed. Once the exhibition is over everything is placed back in the chest and it is rolled on to its next destination.

Interior Design MA

Chloe Azara

Urban Garments London is a big city with millions of people passing by each other every day and sharing public spaces. How can one keep his private space in public areas as crowded as London? But what exactly is personal space? The limits of personal space can be very subjective depending on personality, location and time of the day.

The purpose of the project was to explore and create adjustable garments to be used in different locations. The garment itself has to be adaptable, easy to open when needed and carrying it closed when the wearer is out of the public space. The aim was to create a personal space generator tool.

The methodology used involved research in public and private spaces throughout history and geography.

Even if a universal personal space dimension has been demonstrated as proxemic, it is still subjective in certain cases. The research also includes mapping

58

of public spaces, their characteristics and the feelings related to it. The shapes and the materials of the garments were also an important point in the design as they needed to be easily open and closed.

There is no unique site for this project but multiple ones, therefore there are multiples designs. All locations are in the public domain in London and can be indoors or outdoors. They have all been selected when more personal space in those locations was needed.

The project includes six garments as well as research, technical drawings and elevation drawings to see the garments in the locations. We also look at sketches, model prototypes and one-to-one models.

Interior Design MA

Angsana Boonrit

Klong Toey Slum: Inside-Out Upgrading and Intergration “Trees need watering” is a phrase that represents the whole idea of Klong Toey’s rehabilitation project. The slum is a tree, waiting to be watered, therefore the project will be symbolically seen as water which will feed prosperity to the Klong Toey slum in Thailand. Roots of trees will be a methodology of the project accomplishing an improved quality of living from the internal dwelling, wide-spreading to the outside community.

The project proposes a role model of Klong Toey slum, handling social community by providing education, knowledge, workshops and skills, in

60

cooperation with the Thai government, students from universities, volunteers and staff from public organisations. The workshop buildings which will be built on the outskirts of the slum, will provide space for local workshops, educations and productions.

Rows of houses will be lifted to provide spaces beneath for the workshop buildings. Creative usable products will be created in the workshops which will upgrade the quality of living in the community, building social activities and public spaces as well as representing the products as local goods distributed to local markets for making a local income.

Interior Design MA

Kerry Brewer

ART FOR APOCALYPSES. The Mighty Miniature – The Pocket Haven: A Space for Solace in the Palm of your Hand Maybe we have always lived under the threat of extinction – everything dramatically extracted, only fire, floods and horrors to follow. Maybe profound fear is simply part of the human condition, embedded in our psyche.

But these threats and fears are now more multilayered and complex than ever.

Contemporary art suggests ‘The Apocalypse is Nigh!’

So this is not about the Apocalypse, it is for the Apocalypse.

This miniature, secreted in the pocket, is a transportable haven, an object of empowerment, an escape hole for reverie and a portal to a sublime state – this miniature might just be the thing to get us through.

Therefore the proposal is to create a self-contained and transportable unit, requiring no extra parts or power supply, offering totality in ownership.

An enclosed lens views a constructed interior or space (conveyed or actual), employing laws of

62

perspective and/or relationships of colour and tone, to give the interior the appearance of a scale much larger than the exterior would suggest it is capable of holding.

The two prospective routes of exploration of depth/ scale are: 1. A miniature domestic room, potentially specific in representation, i.e. a bedroom in existence.

or 2. A n infinite three-dimensional aspect on a twodimensional plane, incorporating depth in terms of distance, space, time and in metaphor i.e. creating an uncanny resonance currently possible in Fine Art painting by applying the same theories on a miniature scale.

The function for the interior is to create an intimate place of solace.

The proposed site is the palm of your hand.

Interior Design MA

Natapol Chuengwerawan

Traditional Thai Values Exhibition: Sensibilities of Thainess at Victoria and Albert Museum The project arose from my personal motivation inspired by a word “Reflection”. What will be reflected is about sensibilities of being Thai. Generally, when we visit exhibitions, external appearances of the objects are considered at the first sight regardless of the aspects of its true identity. In the world obsessed by external appearances, those superficial qualities are automatically embedded in our minds. Eventually, this would lead to a deterrent of perceiving new experiences of an exhibition especially in a Thai exhibition. This is the reason why Thai houses and Thai traditional dance have been recognised as a symbol of what Thai appearances are, and so are always shown in Thai exhibitions.

Therefore, the project proposes to generate a new perspective of Thai exhibition that would be more interesting and sophisticated for visitors.

The project aims to reflect “traditional Thai values”, exhibited at the Victoria and Albert museum, London. The museum is a global organisation which has engaged with international contacts, cultural partnerships, trading, touring exhibitions, loans, professional consultancy, advice and skills-sharing, and as such it is the appropriate place to host such an exhibition.

64

Through an analysis of being Thai, six senses of ‘Thainess’ have been selected carefully, consisting of a sense of hierarchy; consciousness; holiness; creation and sophistication; playfulness; temporariness and lightness; all senses will express deeply how Thai people actually are. These will be presented through a wide range of installations and spatial designs in Victoria and Albert museum.

The challenge of the project is to manage how a Thai exhibition can be curated and organised, adapting and reforming traditional Thai values to the spatial design as well as reflecting ‘Thainess’ in the substantial British building.

Interior Design MA

Thelma Constantinou

Lost in Mythology It is not enough for some people to live in reality. They are dreaming themselves into an unrealistic world. This unrealistic world for ancient Greeks was the real world, the Greek mythology.

Even though only museums and libraries are the best places to gain accurate and detailed insight into mythology, most of the time they cannot compete with the flawless animation that characterises films.

Many movies and TV shows have been influenced by various parts of ancient myths.

This design project is a facility based in Battersea Power Station in London, that combines the influence and excitement a movie offers in order to attract visitors, but will also incorporate the accurate knowledge which characterises museums and libraries. The facility will be divided into two parts: the installation, which contains platforms and columns, based on the fundamentals of ancient Greek mythology. The atmosphere is defined by smoke machines and lighting control.

More and more of such stories are being released every day, which shows that the world of fantasy generally appeals to people of all ages. Many people fantasise through these stories, transporting themselves to an unrealistic world. They want to escape from the stressful realities of the real world by living in a fantasy world of power, beauty and passion. Movies and TV shows are the only medium that present myths in an attractive way. They manage to present the stories in a realistic way, prompting people not only to watch them, but also to ask for more.

However, even though movies are the fastest way of learning about mythology, they rarely follow the original story to every detail.

66

The other part of this facility is the learning centre, which includes a theatre, a workshop and a library.

The aim of this facility is to provide the best knowledge of Greek Mythology for all generations.

Interior Design MA

Claire Jones

THE SUBLIME: An Exploration of the Unpresentable

- Considering the sublime through the lens of a melancholic state of mind -

Throughout the thesis, different scales are considered – from the universe, to the stars, mountains, forests and the oceans, to urban landscapes and individual rooms, finally to the selected micro-scale object – a piece of silk thread.

Split into two, the first part of the thesis considers the sublime in nature, while the second part considers the emotion of melancholia. Both parts show that the sublime is subject to the viewer’s engagement, own memories and imaginations.

Sublime in Nature The first part of the project explores the theoretical discourse of the sublime, in particular the ideas from 18th century philosopher Edmund Burke. Through model making and photography, characteristics of the sublime are explored: infinity and mystery, the extremes of light and darkness in a space.

68

Melancholic Sublime Departing from the idea that the sublime is unpresentable (part one), the second part seeks how to induce a melancholic mood in an interior space, with the hope of creating a sublime moment however fleeting. Having considered nature in part one, the Melancholic Sublime considers an individual’s state of mind. The postmodern ideas of Lyotard and Žižek are drawn upon. Concentrating on the notion that the sublime may be experienced at any scale, the focus moves to silk weaving in Fournier Street, Spitalfields.

In a melancholic approach, the history of silk weaving is reflected upon. Following this, the narrative of this room evolves and an abstract landscape is created. This fantastical exploration is symbolic of melancholia: how one person’s memories can turn into fantasy, sometimes verging on the ridiculous. In this case, the micro-object of a silk thread changes in scale to create ambiguous environments and melancholic moods in which to continue exploring the sublime.

Drawings seek to explore the relationship between the mind of a melancholic interior and the outside world, both physically and psychologically.

Interior Design MA

Sepinood Kakooei

House As A Social Incubator In Iran The restrictions on freedom of expression and religion imposed by the government of Reza Shah Pahlavi resulted in people of Iran heavily utilising their private dwellings for both social gatherings and religious practices away from the watchful eyes of the state police. Ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iranian domestic houses have experienced swift transformation mostly due to the rapid changes in socio-political conditions. Over the years in which the Islamic government has enforced a strict religious ideology, people have clung to the secular way of living. In particular, many of the young generation – even those with a conservative background – who lived under both regimes, were seeking a sense of individuality due to the historical and still powerful influence of the modern lifestyle, introduced by the Reza Shah Pahlavi regime. This led to the birth of

70

novel architectural designs within private and public spaces unique to post-revolutionary Iran.

This thesis is concerned with an investigation into the socio-physical features of the house in contemporary Iran with a particular focus on the City of Tehran. The main purpose is to study and chart the historical, theoretical and physical aspects of the traditional house, as well as the underlying factors that altered the social behaviour of Iranian people since the revolution in 1979 away from the traditional Islamic ideology of the past.

Interior Design MA

Ka Kei Lai

Tokyo Stories: Mind Spa Japan is known for being one of the leading countries in the world, including technologies such as automotive, robotics, super fast trains, as well as fashion, architecture and design. It is also a country that brims with thousands of years of unique traditions which still exert a very strong influence.

However, behind all these fascinating factors, the society in Japan, particularly Tokyo, is underpinned with many extreme trends that we do not see from the outside world. It is also marked by the hectic working lifestyle and social issues that is a product of very influential traditions. These factors are causing problems in everyday life. Basic communication between people for example. Of course there are other roots causing these problems, but the important solution is to make people communicate better.

72

This project focuses on the issues mentioned above.

These cases cannot be simply solved, but the idea would be to improve their living quality, not based on the materialistic objects, but the connections, everyday interactions and trust between each other.

Another problem this project emphasises is the stress that people deal with on a daily basis, both from the society and from work. The designed location is a place for people in need, who are engrossed in escaping from the manic reality for a period of time.

The readjustment of an existing building on a busy Tokyo street proposes a kind of “Psychic” spa – with it’s intricately linked interior spaces and specially chosen materials – which soothes and promotes relaxation and open communication.

Interior Design MA

Shih-Chi Liu

Illumination: Light and Physical Being Sunshine — one of the most significant elements for humans. It can also be described as a basic right for everyone nowadays. However, in Taipei City currently, a large number of residences lack sunshine during the daytime as the city did not have comprehensive landscape planning in the early period. According to related research, humans in a space which lacks sunshine would have considerable negative physiological and psychological impact.

Worst of all, most people are short of such knowledge and have never noticed it. The origin of this project sprang from my brother who is now living in a windowless room, which does not allow in any sunshine or natural light. This is just one case in this city as there are countless old buildings in Taipei City suffering the same problem.

74

I chose an old community in Taipei City as my site, which is comprised of a few typical Taiwan council flats built in the 1980s and it can be seen in many other cities as well. Therefore, this project could be a prototype and be applied to other communities. The weather conditions and people’s attitudes to sunshine are quite different in Asia and Europe, so architectural styles are distinct as well. How I choose to bring the light into the space would affect the appearance of the building; hence, I would do research in both architecture and interior design. Therefore, this project seeks to find the best solution and strike a balance between sunshine and a comfortable interior space for the people in Taipei.

Interior Design MA

Meshael Malloh

Unveiling Islam: The Pavilion Of Insight In a world where Islamophobia is increasing by the minute, due to extremists and terrorists falsely representing the religion, the need to educate and attempt to correct the common misconceptions about Islam is crucial. This project is aimed at creating a design proposal for a pavilion in a prominent London location that houses various activities among which highlight the true peaceful nature of Islam in an effort to overcome those misconceptions that are fed by public media. Such exhibitions are important to help promote community harmony and aids in allying prejudice.

76

The site is on London South Bank and envisages a pavilion with integrated gardens based on Islamic patterns. Internally, the building offers exhibitions, debating rooms and educational facilities. The experience has been designed from “inside out�, with interiors taking centre stage.

Interior Design MA

Maryam Mansouri

Understanding Marginal Living Spaces The ever-growing nature of slum dwelling has become a serious issue within the last few decades. Slums are very diverse in settings, forms and characteristics in different parts of the world, but they all emerge from an urge for immigrating to the cities in a quest for a better life. And since the formation of slums is driven by poverty, the lack of financial resources to provide the basic amenities is the main issue which leads to deprived and inhumane conditions.

The purpose of this thesis is to gain a better understanding about the existing and ever-growing trend of marginal living spaces and get an insight into the psychology of spaces as such. This is to

78

provide a foundation for further investigation and problem-solving in this field. The project will take a look at the global scene of slums then moves to ‘Ghale Sakhteman’, an impoverished neighbourhood in Mashhah/Iran, and it finally will have a deeper look into some deprived living spaces in London, a pump house squat and a squatted 1930s house.

The Methodology applied in this work are theoretical research, field work, photography and filming.

Interior Design MA

Rhyana McKay

Queens Market: Urban Disturbance Our society is failing to provide suitable spaces for young people to hang out it in, and London councils continue to close down the little space that is available. This project is about re-appropriating an area for street sporting activities, specifically breakdancing, roller-skating and skateboarding. The design itself was influenced by an observation made in the area I have grown up in and continue to reside, Stratford, East London. Stratford Shopping Centre is a public walkway; after the shops close youths in the area use the space to skate and dance. So after seeing this over many years and hearing of the protests to remove them from the site, it became apparent that they need their own space.

The design is based on the realistic need which was identified through numerous correspondence with the youths themselves. The site I chose is an underused indoor market, which is also based in East London. Parts of the space have purposely been left

80

untouched to allow it to have similar characteristics to places which are already in use. The only part of the space which is permanent is the skate ramp area.

This means half of the market is still in operation during the day, which not only helps to integrate the youths with society but prevents the market from being permanently closed down.

Due to the time of day the existing spaces are used, the new space has an artificially created twilight condition, which provides a continuous effect throughout the night.

Interior Design MA

Theresa Obermoser

Hotel Tiefenbrunner: A Family’s Story......A Building’s Study This study is about my family´s history, my home, my past, my present and my future.

It is all about the building “Hotel Tiefenbrunner”.

The building has been owned by my family for over 200 years.

Since I grew up there I know all about the work that goes into the daily routine in a hotel. I think a hotel can be compared to a theatre. You need to understand the functional backstage area to create the flawless perfect fictional world on stage.

Following my studies I had a vision to design the perfect hotel in the alpine area. I studied the building, its history, the solar movement, the area, the history of the area, other hotels, the snow development and the different routes and paths used by people in the hotel.

82

All this research helped to create a plan. With the experience that I have from all the years living and working in a hotel including the research that I did and the things I learned during my studies and in the interviews, I redesigned my mother’s hotel.

I changed the design, the corporate identity, the business plan and the layout. As there are numerous well designed 4-star hotels in this area, it is not enough to only change the curtains. The hotel has to cater to very demanding international clientele with exceptional interior design, food, service and leisure time activities that Kitzbuehel does not offer anywhere else. To create a very special feature I found a way to link all three public floors with an indoor waterfall. Hotel means home to me. So please enjoy discovering my home.

Interior Design MA

Bhakti Oza

A Beautiful Mind Imagine that you’re standing in a field surrounded by a forest. It is spring, and all of the plants and trees are just beginning to come alive.

Baby shoots of pale green surround you, and the smell of fresh grass and plants fills the air. Now imagine you stand there so long that spring passes and summer comes into full swing. The trees are darker green now, and flowers are in full bloom, with a mixture of many different colours. Bees buzz around, and the warmth of the sun pounds down on you and everything in the meadow. But as you continue to stand there, the landscape changes again, as autumn moves in. The trees change colour to red and gold, and eventually they lose their leaves altogether. The flowers die, and the ground becomes covered with snow. Just like the seasons, the psychotic disorder of schizophrenia goes through different phases. Schizophrenia is characterised by hallucinations, delusions, disordered thoughts

84

and loss of motivation and emotion, among other symptoms. It has three main phases: prodromal, active and residual.

The Thesis comprises of a narrative on Schizophrenia.

For men, schizophrenia often develops in early adulthood and for women it has later onset. The aim of the thesis is to create an Outpatient Service for prodromal phase (initial phase) of the disease, located in Central London, a threshold space between the home and the hospital. This is done through offering three types of spaces: open spaces, semi-private spaces and private spaces, including three therapies: Behavioural therapy, Family therapy and Art therapy. Environmental factors such as lighting, colour response and natural environment have been taken into consideration for building calm interior spaces for these patients.

Interior Design MA

Siret Ozcin

#occupy Ataturk Cultural Centre (AKM) in Istanbul shut down in 2008 for structural reinforcement and remains closed to this day. It was the base for State Opera and Ballet. Officials declared they would reopen soon but then announced the need for monetary support. After a sponsor volunteered, they stated their wish to demolish it to build a centre with an architectural style to their taste.

This outraged the citizens of Istanbul who oppose the government’s ideologies, which also include distaste for western art such as opera and ballet.

During Gezi Park protests, the vacant AKM became a symbolic building once more as protesters displaying their opposition used it as a form of expression.

86

After the Gezi Park protests, generations known as Y and Z became highly politicised. These deep clashes with the government and its supporters divided the people of the nation.

This project acknowledges the deep divide and tries to use the AKM building to be the voice of the people who protested against totalitarianism, who became known as ‘Geziciler’.

Interior Design MA

Rohit Raka

Theatre of Interaction The main objective of the project was to establish and reinforce the social interaction amongst the people and the environment within a normative public space. The proposed objective was to be achieved by selection of five unknown (yet known) characters from the site, that is Paternoster Square, and instituting interaction between them by choreographing their movements through subtle and bold design elements by setting off their conscious and sub-conscious mind. The whole theatre of the selection of the characters and their movements was conceptualised on the basis of one of the two epics of India called ‘Mahabharata’.

The project focuses on various research methodologies which helped to understand different activities, functions and types of public spaces in an urban context. The research was also carried out to understand private space that is proxemics and social behaviour of people in the public space.

Mapping of the movements of the people and recording of the videos served as tools to identify the five characters and also movements of other people in the context of the site.

88

I belong to a country which culturally, traditionally and historically possesses extremely strong attributes.

India is the second most populated country in the world. Cities, streets, trains are crowded and thus personal space is smaller leading to public interaction frequently. Like India, London too as a city is culturally diverse yet tolerant towards all the people around the world. The activities are carried out in cohesion and the city’s ability to balance entire ethnic diversity is significant. Having stated that, various ‘so-called public spaces’ of London can accommodate numerous people at the same time but social interaction seems to be inadequate resulting in hum-drum city life.

Social media’s rise in popularity has increased the connectivity amongst the people. However, increase in each other’s virtual lives creates superficial connections. Thus there seems to be a desperate need to incorporate design solutions which could cater to the social interaction within the people and its surrounding environment that will pull them from their digital world and bring them back to physical space.

Interior Design MA

Mayura Ramakrishnan

Petrichor Project “Petrichor” is set to suggest a set of regenerative measures for a long-neglected Ulsoor Lake, located at Bangalore, India. Nature has gifted it to be a beautiful lake, dotted with several islands and modern urban population which look upon it as the lung space in a growing city. The present state of this water body is describable as neglected, uncared for with city sewage making its inroads into it.

Petrichor, meaning the smell of fresh raindrop

on a parched land, is the project that aims at exploring the concept of “detachment“, seeing it as a result of technological advancement on the built environment. How does one design to connect the physical, cultural and emotional elements of the lake and its surroundings to the community? The project suggests parallel strategies, by creating a hybrid concept that encompasses preservation of culture, community needs and revival of the urban courtyard space.

90

Although appearing to be programmatically different from the concept of the traditional Indian courtyard, this project is poised to be one great opportunity to create an “open interior” within the city. It will introduce the variance of scale as in the public and private separation and the overlap found in the traditional courtyard. Centred on the courtyard as the key aspect of Indian architectural space, revival will be explored and investigated to transform the existing space into a seamless transition that lies between the ancient and modern cultures of the city of Bangalore.

Interior Design MA

Crystel Salame

Safe Haven While the Syrian conflict enters its fifth year, millions of refugees endure situations that are alarmingly degrading. In the absence of a political solution in sight for the conflict, most Syrian refugees see no prospect of returning home in the near future.

Looking at the living conditions these people have to live in after escaping the horror and terror of their home country, one wonders if they are being welcomed in a sheltered environment or an open sky prison. With deplorable living conditions, a lack of employment opportunities and no means of producing food, people living in these camps are barely living at all.

For my thesis project, I decided to work on the interior of the valley in Aarsal Lebanon, on the Lebanese Syrian border, where an existing nomadic refugee camp is in ruin.

92

The camp will be composed of five types of installation, ranging from temporary units made of tents and recycled shipping pallet structures, to more permanent ones made from recycled shipping containers. Refugees would be able to choose the type of lodging that best suits their needs. The camp will include: shelters, an administration unit, a clinic, a pharmacy, a market, an orchard and an oasis for refugees to escape the reality for a while; a place to relax and meditate.

This self-reliant camp, would be a place not defined by the authoritarian character of existing refugee camps; it will be a place where refugees are treated as human beings and not as numbers; a place to heal and get back on their feet before reintegrating the society.

Interior Design MA

Irena Stankovic

The Regeneration of Perast The topic of this project is Perast, a town on the maritime coast of Montenegro. Perast is a part of the Bay of Kotor. In the past, Perast’s citizens were famous sailors and navigators. They travelled all over the world, bringing interesting and valuable cultural and material artefacts to Perast. This area is now under UNESCO protection because of its rich and various history.

As the time passed, Perast lost its strategic role, being a city that controls the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, the strait Verige. People were leaving the town in search of a better life. Today in Perast there are about 300 native people, and all of them are oriented to tourism. However, tourism does not provide enough opportunities for Perast’s citizens.

Therefore, the idea of the project is to propose a festival that would attract tourists from all around the world, bringing them closer to interesting and mythical parts of Perast. The complete analysis of

94

location and form of the festival is proposed in the thesis. The aim is to use modern technologies to achieve this and enable people from the area to prepare and organise the festival. During the festival, there would be screenings of short films, telling myths and history of Perast on the square of St Nicola. This would bring the visitors closer to the spirit of old Perast. Other smaller locations will be used for specific events and for children who will be able to learn how to draw and write.

In addition, the Palace Mazarovic, which was proclaimed a ruin in 1882, is redesigned with the purpose to host writers from all around the world.

This Palace was a typical example of baroque architecture. The reconstruction plan has been done with the materials which have been used in history, but with modern technologies and designs for the interior.

Interior Design MA

Riya Thomas

Exercise: One Step At The Time The UK Fitness Industry Report 2014 tells us 12.6% of the UK population is a registered member of a health club or gym – that’s only a 0.5% increase from 2012. This is simply for the reason that they are alone or working out is too painful due to which half of the UK population are considered obese, leading to a number of diseases and death at an early age.

Parks and green spaces punctured along the urban fabric designed as a recreational space are presently under-utilised and its existence is almost ignored.

While thinking of this issue I started designing these semi indoor-outdoor spaces with an element of art and fun in the mixture.

My design started with dividing exercising into subtle and obvious ways of movement. This further helped me design the site and the extended landscape, created as the removal of existing car parks developing an oasis between buildings where people can be bonded more with nature. The site

96

contains an outdoor gym with kitchen, a community hall, ice rink/pool (flexible landscape), multi-purpose grounds, art spaces and restaurant that together forms the ‘healthy hub’.

The existing car parks were removed and proposed a block away such that their journey time to reach their destination could be increased. The extended spaces are uneven surfaced land that required more effort to walk over than flat, but also with low and gentle ramps making it wheelchair friendly.

Collection of rain water from the roofs is used for watering the plants and for washing cars. Allotments on the rooftops enable people to grow their own crops saving money and losing extra calories.

Harnessing solar and wind energy converted to electricity is used to light the street lights in the site.

Interior Design MA

Adriana Vela Alonso

The Child Inside The project attempts to analyse different aspects related to the line that separates the adult world and infant world. What differentiates them?

Is the distinction simply one of age or it is based on something else? When do we lose the capacity for spontaneous creativity? Are today’s schools damaging creativity? How to capture the creativity of the childhood? How is this term related to curiosity? How is the relationship between children and grown-ups? Do we really take care about the population of the future?

We live in a world where the rhythm of life and work relates to the lack of connectivity between parents and children. Relationships are the most important thing in life and thus to cultivate them.

Imagine a place where children and adults can interact and learn from each other. A place to create connections between the two worlds and which allow us both to improve learning. William Wordsworth once said: The child is the father of the man. Therefore, we all know that adults have an important role on children’s learning but we never remember that it also works in the opposite way.

98

A place that invites everyone not to forget that once we were children and reminds us to pay attention to tiny, everyday pleasures and beauty, and to make time for people, and not to worry too much about the non-important things. A place for freedom, creativity and imagination. The basics of the learning process.

The chosen site for the study is the traditional middle class London Victorian house, since the majority of families with children live within this dwelling typology. The thesis analyses and studies the domestic cell, considering that it is the place where they spend most of the time. Adults tend to think about houses as a “show home” and less as a life cell. Challenging the traditional house layout/distribution in order to make an impact on adult-children interactions and to create a learning/ interactive/creative environment.

My aim is to look beyond the obvious and get to the essential! (A lesson that I learnt from the fox).

Interior Design MA

Chong Wang

Holomemory This project is about an exploration of the holographic process of exhibition and communication. Studies for an interior exhibition technique have been given a humorous narrative.

[Holo]
Holographic display is a type of display

technology that has the ability to reproduce depth cues including: binocular disparity; motion parallax; accommodation; and convergence. In other words, here the holographic technology will be used to show the theme as a 3-dimensional art exhibition.

Not only will the high-tech like 3D projection be utilised, but also some physical art installations are presented such as layout art and carved art.

[Memory]
Naturally as foreigners whose first

language is non-English, on our first time of living in London, my friends and I were faced with culture shock and communication problems. As a result,

100

episodes from various encounters have been recreated utilising 3D methods to make emotional effects and stimulate deeper thinking.

Kenya Hara said that humour is the highest understanding. If people do not understand the content, they will not laugh out. Not only do they fully understand the meaning, but also appreciate from various points of view so that they can laugh.

A proficiency of communication could understand the humorous nature of information.

Overall, Holomemory is an experimental process where installations of holographic simulations and hologram technology are used to tell the stories that happened in the author’s life in London.

Masters | Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Rosa Schiano-Phan (Course Leader), Colin Gleeson, Nasser Golzari, Jon Goodbun, Juan Vallejo, Zhenzhou Weng, Mike Wilson Mosaab Alaboud, Dani Craig, Peng Ding, Apurva Gadkari, Manisha Katial, Sharmeen Khan, Trong Duc Nguyen, Aakashi Patel, Gaurav Pershad, Talia Quesada, Yutaka Sato

MSc Architecture and Environmental Design The Architecture and Environmental Design MSc offers a comprehensive programme

responding to the needs of current and future professionals for a deeper understanding of the principles of environmental design, and their effective application into architectural practice worldwide. The course reacts to recent developments in the discipline, responding to new research and experimentation, addressing the lack of environmental criteria in the creative design process and of comprehensive performance prediction and feedback protocols. Students gain the knowledge and tools to make informed design decisions based on post-occupancy feedback and performance analysis, towards a new paradigm of environmental architecture, which is environmentally and energy conscious, yet sensitive to the contextual and sociocultural landscape we live in. The course teaches environmental design methods which relate to

the various stages of architectural design, enabling the evaluation of existing buildings and the design of new ones following a combined bioclimatic and building-occupant focused approach. The core design modules follow an evidence-based design approach where the acquisition of specialised software and analytical tools will be directly applied to an evaluation and design project.

The course is interdisciplinary and international, providing the skills that can be applied to diverse building typologies and global climatic, environmental and contextual issues. The modules focus on the understanding of the principles and methodology of environmental design and on the development of critical thinking to challenge established practices, positively driving change towards a better and sustainable future.

Guest Critics: Harry Charrington, Eric Gilbert, Joana Goncalves, Shashank Jain, John Moakes, Despina Serghides, Filippo Weber Special thanks: Alexandra Andone, Pedro Aughspach, Meytal Ben Dayan, Klaus Bode, Kevin Burchell, Camilo Diaz, Danah Dib, Catherine Harrington, Michael Hutchins, Ripin Kalra, Chris Leung, Tony Lloyd-Jones, Phil McLlwain, Fergus Nicol, Isis Nunez-Ferrera, Vera Sarioglu, Zoe Shattock, Ben Shaw, Fred Stewart, Becci Taylor 102

Peng Ding, Talia Quesada, Yutaka Sato: Building Form as Microclimatic Modifier - Wind Studies Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Mosaab Alaboud

Applying Adaptive & Natural Cooling Methods to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Makkah, KSA The project to expand Makkah’s holy mosque and the new planning regulations allowing residential towers to be built in some of the main streets of the city has dramatically increased the price of land, which is the most expensive in the world (65£/m2).

From 2017 to 2025 the annual religious pilgrimage of the Hajj will fall in the summer season, when the daily average air temperature is anticipated to be 35.9°C and the relative humidity 35.6%.

Considering the influx of millions of people that the Hajj brings each year in conjunction with the unfavourable summer conditions, it is anticipated that cooling loads and the associated electricity loads will soar to unprecedented highs, as most of these buildings rely mainly on air conditioning. This will increase considerably the risks of peak electricity loads exceeding generating capacity. The Ministry of Hajj has initiated some studies to consider the effect of overlapping of the summer time with the Hajj season and how visitors might be protected from the high air temperatures during the summer.

104

In this context, the aim of this dissertation is to explore how high-rise residential buildings can be retrofitted to reduce cooling loads and to encourage the use of less energy intensive methods to achieve thermal comfort in the hot-dry climate of Makkah.

The methods are formulated based on identifying the use of enormous amounts of subsidised electricity by conducting fieldwork on a case study building and examining the built precedents, and analysing alternative ways of achieving thermal comfort in buildings. Performance analysis using dynamic thermal simulation is employed to quantify the impact of the proposed environmental design strategies, with cooling demand being the main indicator. The study illustrates how existing buildings can be retrofitted to improve the building envelope and use passive and mixed-mode cooling strategies that reduce energy demand and improve thermal comfort of the occupants.

(top) Case study building in the Shisha district in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; (bottom) The holy Mosque in Makkah during the Hajj religious festival

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Dani Craig

Limitations of Environmental Assessment Methods (LEED) for Bioclimatic Building Design Bioclimatic design proposes to improve the environmental performance of buildings through the development of passive strategies based on user comfort, local climate and contextual conditions.

Although criticised for its inability to adapt to local contexts and promote genuinely sustainable construction, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) assessment method is used as a tool for marketing high-performance buildings, and is rapidly being incorporated into regional building policies in North America.

The aim of this research is to explore indications related to the incentives, understanding and integration of bioclimatic concepts. This research seeks to identify the contextual forces and projectlevel dynamics which influence the overall building performance, and assess the ability of LEED to acknowledge bioclimatic integration. Further, this study will improve understanding of the potential of EAMs to communicate a measure of bioclimatic design to the public/property market and contribute to sustainable development on a global scale.

Environmental assessment methods (EAMs) have been successful in bringing sustainability to the mainstream of building design and construction, and in communicating a measure of environmental quality; however, there is a tendency in both the literature and construction industry to use EAM scores as a proxy for high-performance design.

Project-level differences in (a) environmental philosophy, and (b) organisational, environmental, and market context, and the effect of these dissimilarities on post-occupancy performance has not been well understood.

The findings of this study suggest that driving forces related to collaborative approaches; design priorities; operation and use; and engagement with LEED are indicative of post-occupancy building performance, and are not accounted for by the LEED framework.

Further, by failing to account for how energy efficient technologies and passive strategies are considered and integrated into design, the ability of LEED to accurately indicate a building’s capacity for high performance is limited.

106

(top) The inability of the 8 LEED categories to assess context-specific climatic-user relationships and socio-economic impacts of building designs (bottom) Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability south façade (photo by University of British Columbia)

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Peng Ding

Lessons from the Past: Architectural Delight and Environmental Performance of Classical Garden of Suzhou Chinese traditional architecture was strongly influenced by the concept of a harmonised relationship between nature and the man-made environment. One of the most representative testimonies of such conceptualisation is the classical gardens of Suzhou. Amongst various Chinese classical gardens, the ones of Suzhou stand out for their beauty and historical significance, being listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Based on Heschong’s theories of thermal delight in architecture, this study aims to explore the architectural delight and environmental performance of Suzhou Lingering Garden over time. The study aims to characterise the environmental performance of the Garden, not just in the present time but also, through a meticulous iconographic, socio-historical and climatological review, as originally intended for the XVI century occupants, and as projected for future climate change scenarios. Through the use of environmental fieldwork and thermodynamic simulation, an exercise of ‘environmental archaeology’ was undertaken by which the current performance of the indoor and outdoor enclosures of the gardens was compared to that of the past

108

and of future climatic projections. Due to the absence of specifically formulated data for the site, ancient literature, drawings, prints and photographs were analysed to derive crucial information on the lifestyle, clothing, activities and environmental preferences of the original occupants. These were used as inputs for the simulations based on historical climatic records of China.

For the Gardens’ outdoor spaces, the study highlighted how the different proportions and combinations of multiple courtyards with tall boundary walls, transitional spaces between courtyards, vegetation, water bodies and extended eaves work together for an optimum microclimate.

For the indoor, golden-brick tiles, solid external walls for winter, increased air permeability in summer, curtains, metal burners and adaptive clothing contribute to the architecture delight. Overall, the study demonstrates how environmental delight and improved microclimates can be achieved without the use of energy intensive systems. The study also attempts a fresh interdisciplinary approach that can be called the history of environmental performance.

Courtyard at the Lingering Garden, Suzhou, China

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Apurva Gadkari

Eco-friendly Holiday Homes in Maharashtra, India The concept of second homes has always been around, though often restricted to the extremely affluent. It is those who could afford to have a home away from home, for vacationing or for an occasional weekend relaxation. With the demographic rise as well as improved socioeconomic conditions, in the last few decades India has seen a surge in the internal tourism sector and a fast increase in the demand for second homes, at a rate of 15-20% per annum. However, this comes at a price both in energy and environmental terms.

Areas where some second homes are located show promise of further development in the near future but the implications of increased urbanisation, change in land use and increased energy demand and generating capacity are scarcely understood by developers and local authorities. The harnessing of natural and climatic resources in the design and operation of such homes becomes one of the first steps towards a sustainable response to the

110

problem. The reduction of the building’s energy demand is one of the basic steps towards making the use of renewable energy a possibility.

This study aims to understand the potential for new second home developments in the region of Maharashtra, India to adopt bioclimatic and sustainable strategies, minimising the energy demand and maximising environmental comfort. The study starts with an understanding of climate responsive strategies and their integration into the design of typical middle-spec holiday homes. Design guidelines for building sustainable and environmentally and economically affordable second homes in the hot-humid climate of Karjat are given as the final outcome of the project.

Redhouse Resort, Maharashtra, India

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Manisha Katial

Improving Building Performance of Medium-rise Residential Buildings in Suburban New Delhi Delhi lies in the landlocked Northern Plains of the Indian subcontinent. Its composite climate is greatly influenced by its proximity to the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, causing it to experience both weather extremes. Summers peak with a maximum temperature of 45ºC and winter minima can reach 5-10ºC. Due to these extreme weather variations, the thermal performance of the living spaces is greatly affected, often causing an imbalance in the comfort conditions of the indoor environment, with overheating being one of the raising concerns nowadays.

Delhi is the second most populous city in India with 16.3 million inhabitants, of which 97.5% live in urban areas. In the bustling life of ever-growing Delhi, rapid urbanisation is a steady trend. However, as the need for living space increases, its quality diminishes.

According to the city’s Masterplan of 2021, Delhi will need to accommodate a population of 24 million just in the National Capital Region (NCR) allocated to expansion. However, in this process, the quality of the indoor and outdoor environments is often compromised, contributing detrimentally to

112

the environmental and energy performance of the city, and to the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

This dissertation aims to understand the thermal and visual performance of existing living spaces in Delhi’s suburban areas, with specific focus on the issues of overheating and cooling demand. The objective of the study is to characterise typical performance of existing medium-rise apartment buildings through fieldwork and simulation and to find solutions on improving thermal comfort and reducing energy demand. The final output is summarised in the form of guidelines for the implementation of passive and hybrid strategies in the existing stock of residential buildings in Delhi to improve the quality of the living spaces.

Environmental challenges in Delhi

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Sharmeen Khan

Strategies to Improve the Thermal & Visual Comfort of the Informal Settlements in India One third of the world’s population currently concentrates in the urban areas of the middle income nations. Cities are growing and so is the number of cities, especially in developing countries.

Hence, the need to provide basic requirements for shelters is increasing. The lack of provision of affordable homes in urban areas leads to encroachment and unplanned development. One such city, currently experiencing massive haphazard development over a vast area of land, is Mumbai, India. Most of these developments are considered ‘informal’ and include not just housing typologies but also workspaces, which contribute substantially to the nation’s economy. More than 50% of India’s population live in such developments, where a room with a roof is considered habitable. It is of utmost importance to understand the shelter requirements of such unplanned developments where, while the land values are soaring, the quality of life of the urban population cannot be neglected. The thermal and

114

visual comfort of these spaces is never taken into consideration since they seem unaffordable to its users. Thus, the aim of this thesis is to study the current spaces and to suggest affordable strategies in order to improve the living conditions. This was attained by testing various natural ventilation strategies and calibrating several aperture percentages in order to achieve optimum ventilation rates required for human comfort. This exercise led to the design and proportioning of windows in order to achieve the desired amount of daylight and minimise the solar gains simultaneously. The fieldwork and the analytical work aided in concluding that a slum rehabilitation scheme of providing pigeon-hole apartments in tall towers was indeed not a solution. On the contrary the retrofitting of the ‘informal’ developments demonstrated a high scope for implementation, hence adopting careful strategies would considerably improve the habitation condition of its users along with sustaining its socio-cultural importance.

(left) Simulations of daylight illuminance for various window sizes in existing self-made units (Illuminance levels, Radiance) (top right) Social spaces in the alleys of Dharavi; (bottom right) The Informal Settlement of Dharavi, Mumbai

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Trong Duc Nguyen

Environmental Retrofit of Tube House Typology in Hai Phong, Vietnam This dissertation focuses on the environmental problems of the “tube house” typology in Hai Phong, North of Vietnam. Characterised by a tube-shaped deep and narrow plan, the multi-storey houses can reach a depth of up to 20 metres. This typology is now very common in Vietnam but only started to appear in the 1980s.

Many problems have been identified with tube houses in terms of environmental performance.

These include: i) insufficient daylighting due to high urban density and overshadowed by neighbouring properties opposite the narrow alleyways; ii) poor natural ventilation and inefficient fresh air provision due to low wind permeability under the dense urban tissue; iii) a considerable degree of overheating risks during the hot season due to high air temperature and low air movement.

Poor daylighting and overheating have led the occupants to use large amounts of energy for artificial lighting and air conditioning, with detrimental

116

impacts on Vietnam’s energy consumption and carbon emissions, which directly contribute to climate change. In this study, environmental design strategies have been developed for a case study building in Hai Phong as part of a retrofitting project.

The design strategies include reducing window-tofloor ratios on the solar exposed façades and adding openings on the back elevation to improve solar control and daylighting. Re-design of the staircase and creation of a chimney stack is proposed based on flow analysis to enhance natural ventilation.

Low wattage ceiling or desk fans are also placed to improve thermal perception over the human body through local air movement during hot and humid periods.

The thesis demonstrates that the environmental performance of the tube house typology can be improved, contributing to the reduction of energy use, minimising the environmental impact and helping improve occupants’ comfort.

(top left) Case study building in Hai Pong : photo of the interior from the front door (bottom left) Path of air movement from the dining room to the roof termination (Computational Fluid Dynamics, Autodesk CFD) (right) Proposed design: rendered view of the interior from the front door

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Aakashi Patel

Vernacular Architecture in the Hot-Dry Climate of Ahmedabad: Studying Thermal Performance in the Traditional Pol Houses Vernacular Architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural, technological, economical and historical context in which it exists. The traditional Pol houses of Ahmedabad, the typical urban centres of Gujarat, India, are the residential precincts of a certain group of inhabitants. The built-form can be characterised as densely packed clusters of attached rows of houses, lined around the lively streets. They are often analysed and documented in terms of understanding land use, activity patterns, culture and people’s behaviour, but less attention has been paid to how the building performs thermally.

This study investigates the effect of the indoor environment on human comfort, as well as the individual and combined effects of parameters such as: context, form, function, construction materials and climate on the indoor environment. The aim is to explore the role of occupant’s behaviour in respect

118

to natural ventilation strategies and to characterise the building’s thermal performance in the various seasons. Particular attention will be placed on the understanding of changes in lifestyle and occupants’ habits and use of space and of the building which might have changed the building’s originally intended strategies and climatic response.

Fieldwork and thermal dynamic calculations on a case study Pol house have highlighted indoor temperature stratification and variations due to both: a) the specific microclimatic conditions created by rainwater cisterns located below the ground floor; and b) the way that courtyards have been covered and modified to suit different expectations and lifestyles of the occupants. Alternative strategies to improve the current performance of the building have been suggested and tested against current and future climatic scenarios to demonstrate the advantages that such building typology still hold.

Wooden façade in traditional Pol house of Ahmedabad, India

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Gaurav Pershad

Spatial Environmental Rejuvenation in the City of Hyderabad Like in many developing nations, the Indian city of Hyderabad is facing the potential crises of climate change, over-population and resource scarcity. The lack of affordable homes and rural to urban migration has led to encroachments and unplanned settlements, which often involve improper construction practices, misuse of conventional building materials and fail to provide acceptable living conditions. An alarming increase in such informal settlements calls for local designers to use innovation, architecture and ecology to create sustainable and low cost spaces and help rejuvenate the city.

Escalating energy and resource consumption define modern lifestyles. To address this consumption the building practises of conventional structures are adjusted instead of aiming at minimising the building’s operating energy. Identifying the absence of any sustainable guidelines or target, the Sustainable Hyderabad Project (SHP) was formed which aims at developing a sustainable framework for Hyderabad by prioritising mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change and energy efficiency. Responding to

120

an informal development targeted by the SHP, this study aims to help relocate the dwellers by proposing a sustainable, low cost and off-grid building design founded in the site-specific relationships between urban-rural context, user function, and architectural expression. Understanding their lifestyles through background studies, exploring sustainable and off-grid living options in the Earthship model and identifying planning criteria in Vastushshtra (local ancient science of Architecture) became the main strategy adopted to create a sensitive design approach. Ventilation, daylight and passive cooling strategies were developed with the help of dynamic simulations to neutralise the intense solar radiation and reduce the cooling demand. Showcasing reused materials in construction and passive strategies, the final proposal used multifunctional shared spaces to incorporate communal living to produce a building typology that would meet occupant comfort in current and future climatic scenarios.

(top) Ground floor layout of proposed residential unit in Hyderabad, India; (bottom) Precedents study: Earthship

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Talia Quesada

Sustainable Conservation and Retrofit of Heritage Buildings in La Habana’s Historic Centre In the Caribbean, South America and even North America, fortifications are a recurrent topic in the field of conservation of historic buildings. In this typology every architectonic element has historic value, therefore very few interventions are allowed, making the conversion of fortifications a very challenging task. In the last two decades in Cuba, there have been examples of refurbishments and conversions of fortifications into museums, some of them with dire consequences for the collections and the structures. Moreover the accommodation of modern functions and the preservation of the structure heavily rely upon the balance between various environmental parameters of the interior spaces.

This study explores the challenges and opportunities of an environmentally driven conservation approach to the refurbishment of one of La Habana’s most iconic XVIII century defensive structures, Santo Domingo of Atares’ Castle. The dissertation illustrates the development of an architectural proposal for the conversion of the castle into a museum and associated energy and environmental strategies. The museum function is particularly

122

demanding due to the rigorous standards for the preservation of the collections, conventionally accomplished by mechanical equipment. Recently, however, there has been a major concern in the conservation scene about energy consumption and sustainable practices in historic buildings, with examples worldwide. Therefore, the work aims at identifying the characteristics of the existing climatic and environmental conditions affecting the interior spaces of the thermally heavyweight fortress, in order to devise passive and hybrid strategies for the new function. This led to an analysis of the requirements of the collection in a hot-humid climate in conjunction with the parameters for human comfort, in order to identify to what extent the original conditions can be passively modified to adapt the building to the conversion. Finally, with the help of computational dynamic simulations, passive strategies and zoning options were tested for the achievement of suitable interior environmental conditions and energy savings.

(top left) Render of an interior space of Atares Castle’s Museum) (bottom left) Daylighting illuminance distribution in Vault 7, under existing roof-light conditions (Radiance) (right) Detail of main entrance at Atares Castle, La Habana, Cuba

Architecture & Environmental Design MSc

Yutaka Sato

Daylighting Design for Live-Work Apartments in Tokyo Tokyo’s recent urban development is promoting density in many aspects of city life with particular focus on the improvement of facilities, transportation and greater availability of housing.

This trend towards higher densification, however, does not consider other crucial aspect of people’s life and comfort. In fact, recent buildings in Tokyo are often built too closely, causing lack of daylight and completely negating access to sunshine.

Therefore, this leads to dissatisfaction of daylighting conditions in residential buildings and complete dependence on artificial lighting, with negative consequences on lighting energy consumption, electricity bills as well as health and well-being.

This project focuses on the indoor environmental design for visual comfort and daylight availability, in the apartment building of “Maison Fuji” located in one of the densest districts in Tokyo. The study of the context included a climate analysis where the Japanese seasonal sky conditions are considered

124

and the Japanese regulatory benchmarks for indoor illuminance are discussed and critiqued. Other climatic factors such as temperature are also regarded for the assessment of thermal performance associated with the proposed daylighting solutions.

Specific attention was given to the apartment typology and to the study of the occupants’ use of the space which can sometime hinder the daylighting performance, when interior space is scarce.

Following fieldwork and analytic work, proposed improvements are tested and integrated into a final design proposal which looks at the impact of small detailed intervention on the improvement of the daylighting and overall performance of the space.

The study highlights the importance of daylight for domestic buildings, a design approach for the improvement of daylighting in small apartments, and its application in dense cities.

(top left) Plan with overlay of daylighting simulation for existing scenario (% Daylight Factor, Ecotect); (top right) Section illustrating existing scenario; (bottom left) Plan with overlay of daylighting simulation for improved scenario (% Daylight Factor, Ecotect); (bottom right) Section illustrating improved scenario

ARCHITECTURE AND CITIES is a research

umbrella covering the strong and diverse research, scholarship, teaching and practice undertaken in the Department of Architecture at the University of Westminster. The Department has an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, for attracting award winning staff and students, and for a wide range of scholarly activities. As contributors to the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment’s submission to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the department’s research was placed in the top 50% of the 45 submissions in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning. 20% of our publications and research effort were deemed to be ‘world leading’ (4*) and 45% ‘internationally excellent (3*). The four case studies of our research impact also scored very highly. This significant endorsement of our research capability will provide the foundation for expanding and enhancing our UK and international role

126

over the next five years. Architecture and Cities is represented by Kate Heron and Ben Stringer at ARENA, a new European-wide Architectural Research Network: www.arena-architecture.eu

ARCHITECTURE AND CITIES includes five

research groups:

Architectural History and Theory Environment and Technology Expanded Territories Experimental Practice Representation, Fabrication and Computing

For the latest news of research activities go to:

www.openresearchwestminster.org

RESEARCH: ARCHITECTURE AND CITIES

Research

Architectural History and Theory Academic Staff: John Bold (Co-ordinator), Harry Charrington, Darren Deane, Dusan Decermic, Davide Deriu, Richard Difford, Elantha Evans, Josephine Kane, Constance Lau, Olivia MunozRojas Oscarsson, Samir Pandya, Andrew Peckham, Shahed Saleem, Gordon Shrigley, Douglas Spencer, Christine Wall, Victoria Watson, Julian Williams,

The Architectural History and Theory group includes scholars engaged in a wide range of research into architectural history and theory, cultural studies, urbanism and heritage.

These explore the ‘what, why, how and for whom?’ of architectural and building custom and practice, and the various changing meanings and interpretations which have been placed upon them both in the past and in contemporary culture. In a broad reading, architecture may be viewed as artefact, manifestation,

Current PhD Students: Noha Alahmadi, May Aljamea, Samra Khan, Sarah Milne, Emilia Siandou

Associated Courses, Modules and Studios: DS11; History &Theory/Dissertation modules; MArch Architecture; History and Theory pathway of the MA Architecture

symptom and agent of change, fundamental to our understanding of where we have come from and critical to the future development of the built and social environment. Members of the group teach and conduct ground-breaking research in a number of key areas, host symposia and conferences, edit journals, curate exhibitions, and publish books, book chapters, journal articles and reviews.

Research Initiatives and Projects Vertigo in the City: Conversations between the Sciences, Arts & Humanities Prompted by the rapid growth of cities around the world, this exploratory research project examines the phenomenon of vertigo in relation to the urban environment. The project is led by Davide Deriu in collaboration with Josephine Kane and funded by a Wellcome Trust Grant in the Medical Humanities.

The term vertigo was often used to describe the maelstrom of the twentieth-century metropolis.

What is its significance today? And how can this

concept – with its inherent tension between thrill and anxiety – help us to interpret the contemporary urban experience? These questions have informed a series of field trips and other activities conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers. They will culminate in a two-day symposium that draws on perspectives from the sciences, arts and humanities to discuss how sensations of dizziness and disorientation are variously analysed, treated, evoked, induced, and represented (FABE, 29-30 May 2015).

website: www.vertigointhecity.com twitter: @vertigo_city

128

Environment and Technology Academic Staff: Rosa Schiano-Phan and Will McLean (Coordinators), Scott Batty, Nasser Golzari, Jon Goodbun, Anna Liu, Virginia Rammou, Pete Silver, Mike Tonkin, Juan Vallejo, Zhenzhou Weng, Mike Wilson

Environment and Technology brings together two overlapping fields of research in the Department of Architecture: environmental design; and practice-driven research into the history and on-going technological development of architecture. Within the context of the global environmental and energy challenges facing current and future generations of architects, the foci of the environmental design research agenda are the generative potential of environmental design as a practice; the shortfalls between predicted and actual performance of buildings; the socio-cultural and physical interaction between inhabitants and their built environments and the integration and effective application of environmental design into architectural practice. A variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods are used to address these questions. Research into the history and on-going technological development of architecture includes research into atypical construction technologies; the innovative use of materials; bioclimatic design; human comfort and the environmental envelope; systems building design; passive cooling; day-lighting; and acoustics. Research activities and outputs include authored and edited books; regular journal and magazine articles; and practice-driven and funded research into the historic and contemporary relationship between architecture, design, culture, the environment and technology.

Current PhD Students: Izis Salvador Pinto, Philippe Saleh Associated Courses, Modules and Studios: DS17, DS18, MSc Environmental Design

Research Initiatives and Projects Latitudes Network is the first global educational network that puts design at the heart of how we tackle global climate change. Using crowd-sourcing methodology, the latitudes network aims to connect people in different climatic regions, sharing ideas in order to innovate in the field of environmental design. The network is led by a ‘design-led thinking’ approach that includes social dimensions and policy options for addressing climate change and built environment solutions. It is supported by innovative tools and software that allow the creation of a ‘global classroom’ with real-time interactions and screen mirroring. The expanding network of partner universities are based in different latitudes around the world, including Rovaniemi, Tromsø, London, Sao Paolo, Kuala Lumpur, Bologna, Istanbul, Ankara, Delhi, Chennai and, most recently, the Maldives. www.latitudesnetwork.com For more information contact: Isis Nunez Ferrera: i.nunez-ferrera@psi.org.uk

Research

Expanded Territories Academic Staff: Lindsay Bremner (Co-ordinator), Clare Carter, Davide Deriu, Julia Dwyer, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Natalie Newey, Lara Rettondini, Ben Stringer

Expanded Territories is a group of scholars, designers and teachers working on architecture in an expanded field. It brings into dialogue the work of those critically probing sites and practices previously considered outside the realm of architectural and urbanism – global mobilities, rural landscapes, resource extraction sites, energy infrastructures, big data, the underground, the ocean, the atmosphere etc. – as valid sites of architectural research and speculation. This is framed by an emerging awareness of the planetary scale of urbanisation, the trans-national scope of urbanism, by the discovery of the anthropocene and by the ethical imperative to work with the

130

Current PhD Students: Lilit Mnatsakanyan, Duarte Santo Associated Courses, Modules and Studios: DS02, DS06, DS12, DS14, DS18, DS19

agency and rights of human and non-human actants (animals, plants, minerals) in the shaping of built environments. The group seeks to find new ways to conceptualise, speak about and design architecture and cities in line with these conditions and objectives.

Its members are engaged in research-led practice and produce inter-disciplinary work between architecture, landscape architecture, critical studies, urban studies, infrastructure, cultural studies, science and technology studies, philosophy, geography and politics. It hosts regular seminars, symposia and conferences to engage in dialogue around these questions.

Expanded Territories Seminars posters

Research Initiatives & Projects Reimagining Rurality A major academic event, the ‘Re-imagining Rurality’ conference took place in February 2015 on the Marylebone campus. It drew attention to the ways that the highly contested and changing characteristics of rurality are conceptualised and represented in contemporary society. In so doing it questioned the role of designers, architects and planners in shaping contemporary perceptions and experiences of rurality and explored ways of re-thinking the city’s relationship with the rural. It also learnt about new settlement formations and how rurality, in contrast to popular misconception, should be seen not only as a site of tradition, but also of great experimentation and change. Reimagining Rurality included 75 speakers from around the world including 6 outstanding keynote speakers, and was accompanied by an exhibition of work by about 30 international artists, photographers, filmmakers, academics and architects. It was organised by Ben Stringer, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Sarah Milne and Andy Colley.

Interim Spaces and Creative Use This research project by Krystallia Kamvasinou assisted by Sarah Milne aims to investigate whether vacant spaces can be beneficial for local communities if officially brought into interim creative uses. It builds upon a historical review of interim spaces (UK and international) to focus on London in the current downturn. Recent initiatives in London are being examined through an empirical study of local creative use in 5 interim sites representative of such initiatives. The research design comprises on-site filming and interviews with initiators, volunteers and users, site surveys, a web blog, and a public workshop open to all participants, while research outputs include academic publications and short films. The project makes an original contribution to key debates including: how to introduce incremental and adaptable planning in development and how to engage communities during the process; worries over the standardisation of space and the search for alternative types of urbanity; and the need to acknowledge everyday practices and the social and ecological value of places. It is recipient of a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (RF-2012-518) interimspacescreativeuse.wordpress.com

Global Mobilities Seminar Series posters

Research

Experimental Practice Academic Staff: Kester Rattenbury (Co-coordinator), Peter Barber, Anthony Boulanger, Nasser Golzari, Sean Griffiths, Eric Guibert, Katherine Heron, Gillian Lambert, Andrei Martin, Stuart Piercy, Shahed Saleem, Jane Tankard, Maria Veltcheva, Camilla Wilkinson, Julian Williams, Andrew Yau Adapt-r Fellows: Sam Kebble (New Zealand), Colm Moore (Eire), Johannes Torpe (Denmark), Anahita Razmi (Iran)

Current PhD Students: John Walter, Isis Nunes Ferreira, Annarita Papeschi, Jason Pomeroy Associated Courses: DS09, DS14, DS15, DS16 Awards: N asser Golzari and Yara Sharif:

Holcim Award Acknowledgement Prize 2014

Yannis Halkiopoulos:

Commendation, RIBA President’s Silver Medal Awards

Stuart Piercy:

RIBA One-off Architect of the Year Award 2014

Experimental Practice (EXP) was set up in 2003 to support, document and generate major experimental design projects that have acted or act as laboratories for the architectural profession, including built and un-built design projects, books, exhibitions and building works. It is known for major initiatives such as the Archigram Archival Project, the Supercrit Series, and the major artsarchitecture venue AmbikaP3. It initiates and runs projects, events and publications, collaborating with individuals and organisations, acting as an umbrella body for design architects who are developing their own design- or practice-based research. EXP has strong links with the RMIT PhD by Practice programme, and leads Westminster’s membership of its European partner organisation ADAPT-r. This exciting and rigorous new form of design research is done by practitioners undertaking PhDs on their own design work, analysing and developing their own work as they do it, and can be accessed through the University of Westminster.

Research Initiatives and Projects Archigram Archival Project: archigram.westminster.ac.uk Supercrits: www.supercrits.com

132

Adapt-r/ PhD by Practice model invites practicing architects (and other design practitioners) to contribute to growing research into how designers work, by developing a PhD in the medium of their own practice: analysing, developing and questioning and improving their own work as it is in progress.

This rigorous and innovative programme, originally developed by Leon van Schaik at RMIT, is structured by the twice-yearly Practice Research Symposium events, including high-profile ‘crit’ sessions for all candidates. ADAPT-r (Architecture, Design and Art Practice Training-research) is an EU-funded partnership extending this programme through seven European institutions – the University of Westminster, where it is led by Katharine Heron; Aarhus School of Architecture; the Estonian Academy of Arts; Glasgow School of Art; KU Leuven Campus Sint-Lucas (LUCA); RMIT Europe; and the University of Ljubljana. Kester Rattenbury is a regular contributor to the programme. ADAPT-r is funded by an €4M Marie Curie Initial Training Network, and includes Fellowships, training and research conferences, web and print publications, and a major exhibition, to be held at Westminster as part of the P3 programme. http://adapt-r.eu

Other Research Initiatives and Projects

AmbikaP3 The impressive design events initiative P3, of one of London’s leading alternative arts venues, is located in the former Engineering Halls underneath the University of Westminster’s Marylebone building. It was founded by Katharine Heron in 2007 and is directed by her, working with Curator Michael Maziere, Reader in Film and Video, at the School of Media Art and Design. The astonishing venue plays host to a range of ambitious art and architectural installations, music performances and events, as well as being available for private hire. Many exhibitions have been made up from research outcomes generated by substantial grant funded projects such as Elizabeth Ogilvie’s ‘Out of Ice’, or Christie Brown ‘Ceramics in the Expanded Field’, and some with a parallel research conference.

AmbikaP3 forms a cornerstone of the School of Architecture’s commitment to the study and production of experimental work in practice. www.p3exhibitions.com

Centre for the Production of the Built Environment (ProBE) ProBE is a university recognised research centre spanning the faculties located on Marylebone campus: Westminster Business School and the Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment (FABE). It focuses on researching the social processes producing the structures and spaces that frame the urban and rural environment both nationally and globally. It has developed a rich programme of research and related activities, including projects, oral history, film, exhibitions and seminars providing

a research hub, a forum for debate and discussion, and a focus for interdisciplinary and international research projects. ProBE also welcomes visiting fellows and scholars. www.westminster.ac.uk/probe/about-us

SCIBE: Scarcity and Creativity in the Built Environment The SCIBE project was a 3-year research programme funded by EU HERA. The project was led by FABE and involved partners in Vienna and Oslo, and was finally wrapped up this year with the publication by Strelka of The Design of Scarcity (coauthored by Jon Goodbun, Michael Klein, Andreas Rumpfhuber and Jeremy Till). This book concludes (together with a German-language book to be published in Vienna later this year) a significant series of publications to come out of this project, including an AD issue on Scarcity. The key conclusion to come out of the research is that resource scarcity is not a natural result of limited quantities, nor is it simplistically produced by over-population.

Rather, scarcity is produced as an inevitable effect of our current global economic system. However, a study of scarcity reveals the workings of this system, and opportunities to intervene in the production of scarcity, in new ways. The project team included funded PhD positions across Europe, and at Westminster Isis Nunez-Ferrera successfully completed her doctoral work looking at ‘Territories of Scarcity and Creativity’ in Ecuador and Kenya. http://www.scibe.eu/

Research

Representation, Fabrication and Computing The extent to which drawing and making techniques, tools and conventions either inform or reflect the nature of architecture has long been debated. But in an age in which digital technology has facilitated a wealth of new opportunities for creative practice it has never been more important to question the role of architectural representation.

Scholars, teachers, designers and practitioners in the fields of representation, fabrication and computing set out to explore the nature of drawing and making in their broadest sense, as tools for research and as the vehicles for creative practice. Intended to cut across disciplinary boundaries, the work of the group encompasses a range of activities from historical analysis and the science of visual perception, to design based research and the exploration of innovative new fabrication technologies. This research is divided into three sub-groups:

(1) Body, Space and Representation Academic Staff: Alessandro Ayuso, Ro Spankie (Co-ordinators), Natalie Newey, Kester Rattenbury, Allan Sylvester, Richard Watson, Fiona Zisch Associated Courses: Interior Architecture; DS15

Body Space Representation is a sub-group of

Representation, Fabrication and Computing – unified by an interest in drawing as a vehicle for spatial imagination. This shared interest focuses on the subject: the user (both real and imagined) and the role of designer, as opposed to the object: architecture. We see hybridisation as a fertile ground for new discoveries and seek to combine genres, disciplines and techniques to challenge and test assumptions. We view research as an open-ended process delivered through a variety of outputs including publications, collaborations, exhibitions, and stand-alone works.

134

(2) Design through Fabrication Academic Staff: David Scott (Co-ordinator), Toby Burgess, Guan Lee, Arthur Mamou-Mani, Stuart Piercy Associated Courses: DS10; DS16

The Design through Fabrication sub-group comprises academics and practitioners interested in the role materials, making and new fabrication technologies play in the design and production of architecture. It draws on the extensive capabilities of the faculty’s new Fabrication Laboratory that combines a wide range of CNC machines and robot arms with traditional craft-based workshops.

(3) Spatial Interface Academic Staff: Richard Difford (Co-ordinator), Roberto Bottazzi, Filip Visnjic, Victoria Watson Associated Courses: D igital Media pathway of the MA Architecture

Spatial Interface considers a range of issues broadly relating to representation, media technologies and the science of visual perception. The work of this sub-group combines an eclectic mix of history, philosophy and digital media, and its members engage in a range of activities, including design research; participating in and organising exhibitions and festivals; speaking at conferences and symposia, and publishing in journals and edited books.

Architectural Research Forum The Architecture Research Forum is a monthly research seminar at which staff, visiting professors or visiting research fellows present work in progress for discussion and debate. This past year speakers have included Shahed Saleem on ‘Unpacking Muslim Architecture in Britain’, John Sadar on ‘The Magic of Ultraviolet Health Glass’, Victoria Watson on

Architectural Research Forum posters

‘Some Like it Hot’, Samir Pandya on ‘Architecture and its Discontents’, Davide Deriu and Josie Kane on ‘Vertigo in the City’, Julian Williams on ‘Design Studio Culture’, and Paola Piscitelli on ‘Mapping Transactional Spaces in the City’. All staff and students are welcome to attend.

Department | AmbikaP3

AmbikaP3 With special thanks to colleagues: Curator Michael Mazière, Reader of Film and Video; Venue Manager Niall Carter; Administrator Heather Blair; and all participants.

Recently named one of London leading Arts Venues, AmbikaP3 has developed its acclaimed varied programme since opening in 2007. The spectacular venue plays host to a range of ambitious art and architectural installations, music performances and events, as well as being available for private hire. It is part of London’s cultural scene and creative economy during Fashion Week, London Festival of Architecture, Design Week and Frieze. Many exhibitions have been made up from research outcomes generated by substantial grantfunded projects such as Elizabeth Ogilvie’s ‘Out of Ice’, or Christie Brown ‘Ceramics in the Expanded Field’, and some with a parallel research conference.

AmbikaP3 forms a cornerstone of the Department of Architecture’s commitment to the study and production of experimental work in research and practice, working with colleagues in Media Art and Design.

In the past twelve months a travelling exhibition brought a group of interactive displays under the heading Schizophrenia Taiwan, and most recently “Potential Architecture”, guest curated by David Thorp, brought new commissions from four architects for installations in P3. Alexander Brodsky

from Moscow, formerly of Paper Architects, Joar Nango a Sami Norwegian from Tromsø, Slovenian installation artist Apolonija Šušterŝič, and Sean Griffiths formerly of FAT and now Modern Architect, all made new work for the space. It was recognised as one of our most experimental and innovative exhibitions, challenging architecture to take a critical position. The exhibition played host to a number of lively discussions in the ‘Underground Discussion Club’, and to a new sound event entitled ‘Wayward Geometry’ performed for one evening.

Forthcoming exhibitions include World Architecture Festival (June); a short workshop to build an inflatable as a film set for Huw Wahl to make a documentary about; Action Space using historic documentation and new footage (July); ongoing research by artist John Walter entitled ‘Alien Sex Club’ in summer 2015 (July / Aug); a video installation on wild diving by artist Martina Amati (September); and in October a major installation by the renowned feminist Belgian film maker Chantal Ackerman.

www.p3exhibitions.com Katharine Heron Director

(top left) Apolonija Šušterŝič: Underground Discussion Club An elegant modular formal sculpture in which visitors to the exhibition can sit and watch the documentation of a panel discussion filmed in front of an invited audience, concerning current politics of development and the resultant hard-core social and cultural discrimination. (photographer: Michael Mazière)

(top right) Sean Griffiths: Piece for 53 Door Frames and 10 Mirrors Sean uses multiple doorways augmented by mirrors and suspended off the ground to create a series of labyrinthine spaces and endless corridors in which visitors encounter the physicality of the work. (DF)

(bottom left) Joar Nango: Nomads Won’t Stand Still for their Portraits A beautifully atmospheric video and felt sculpture made in the Ger settlement in Ulaan Bataar this year in collaboration with a small family-run felt factory – a model for a proposed community cinema. (photographer: David Freeman)

(bottom right) Alexander Brodsky: Five Towns A pavilion is made from local construction materials to fill the height of P3’s vast space, and within this atmospheric space, a series of tiny unfired clay sculptures sitting on five plinths provide the poetry of material decay on a macro and micro scale. (DF)

136

Department | FabLab

Fabrication Laboratory

This year saw the launch of the faculty’s new and very exciting Fabrication Laboratory. The new facility represents a huge leap forward from our already extensive traditional and digital workshops.

Over the past twelve months we have built two new purpose-built spaces designed to house a wide range of cutting edge digital fabrication equipment.

As well as expanding our collection of laser cutters and 3D printers, we have added a large-scale CNC router and a CNC cutting table, giving us access to precision machining of full-size sheets of material. We now have an industrial CNC mill, allowing us to work with metals and larger models. For the first time we now have also introduced 6+ axis industrial robot arms, greatly expanding our capabilities. Students, staff and researchers can now not only access predefined and determined computer-controlled machines, but also have the ability to design and construct their own custom-made digital fabrication tools. The mid-sized robot of our three, operating on a five-metre rail overlooking Marylebone Road, not only gives us a striking public presence for our students’ projects, but offers a machine with a unique capability amongst schools of architecture in the UK. Over the next year we plan to continue progressing in the same vein, integrating our traditional craft

138

workshops, so that they may work seamlessly with our digital fabrication machines, and equipping them with new tools to match the specification of the new equipment.

We will continue to operate the workshops as we have before, emphasising self-fabrication and encouraging and facilitating students and researches to make projects for themselves. This allows them to engage with and learn from the machines, materials and processes. They are then in a position to feedback what they learn into their design in an iterative, experimental process of design through making. We continue to encourage students to work in new ways and at all scales, building not only design and site models, but also 1:1 components, prototypes, installations and, if desired, complete pavilions. We are very pleased to now be able to offer this fantastic new set of opportunities to our students, and look forward to seeing the results realised next year.

David Scott

Director, Fabrication Laboratory

140

(top) Fabrication Laboratory; (bottom) Robotic arm, Fabrication Laboratory;

(top) Anna Ekonomova; (bottom) Kapani Kayina

Staff

Staff

142

Wilfred Achille

Rita Darch

Adam Holloway

Yota Adilenidou

Dusan Decermic

Steve Jensen

Alessandro Ayuso

Darren Deane

Andrei Jipa

Peter Barber

Davide Deriu

Krystallia Kamvasinou

Scott Batty

Richard Difford

Josephine Kane

Lamis Bayar

Leftos Dousis

Joe King

Stefania Boccaletti

Julia Dwyer

Maria Kramer

John Bold

Christian Ducker

Debby Kuypers

William Bondin

John Edwards

Gillian Lambert

Roberto Bottazzi

Anthony Engi Meacock

Constance Lau

Anthony Boulanger

Elantha Evans

Guan Lee

Lindsay Bremner

Barti Garibaldo

Dirk Lellau

Stephen Brookhouse

Colin Gleeson

Chris Leung

Willem de Bruijn

Nasser Golzari

Anna Liu

Toby Burgess

Jon Goodbun

Arthur Mamou-Mani

Clare Carter

Sean Griffiths

Andrei Martin

Ian Chalk

Eric Guibert

Will McLean

Harry Charrington

Michael Guy

Alison McLellan

Alain Chiaradia

Claire Harper

Sarah Milne

Tom Coward

Katherine Heron

Rebecca Mortimore

Richa Mukhia

Jonathan Schofield

Christine Wall

Olivia Munoz-Rojas Oscarsson

David Scott

John Walter

Clare Melhuish

Gordon Shrigley

Elly Ward

Natalie Newey

Jeanne Sillett

Richard Watson

John O’Shea

Pete Silver

Victoria Watson

Samir Pandya

Giles Smith

Zhenzhou Weng

Amanda Pawliszyn

Ro Spankie

Andrew Whiting

Andrew Peckham

Douglas Spencer

Camilla Wilkinson

Sue Phillips

Joanne Stevens

Julian Williams

Stuart Piercy

Bernard Stilwell

Mike Wilson

Alicia Pivaro

Ben Stringer

Jonathan Wong

Anthony Powis

Gareth Stokes

Andrew Yau

Virginia Rammou

Allan Sylvester

Alessandro Zambelli

Kester Rattenbury

Alison Sylvestre

John Zhang

Thomas Reinke

Jane Tankard

Fiona Zisch

Lara Rettondini

Mike Tonkin

Michael Rose

Alkis Tsavaras

Shahed Saleem

Juan Vallejo

Alex Schramm

Maria Veltcheva

Rosa Schiano-Phan

Filip Visnjic

Architectural Practice Links

Practice Links 2015

2bm architekten

Crossrail Architects

Kennedy Woods

PUP Architects

5 Studio

CZWG Architects

LaMa

Ramboll and Format

Aberrant Architecture

Design Solutions

Loyn & Co Architects

RFK Architects Ltd

Adamou Landscape Architecture

DK-CM

Mae

RHWL

Alan Higgs Architects

East

Make Architects

Robin Partington & Partners

ech2o

Matthew Lloyd Architects

RTKL

Eckersley O’Callaghan

MLM Consulting Engineers

Sens

Emil Eve Architects

Mobile Studio

Sheppard Robson

Eric Parry Architects

Morph Structures

Sonnergy

Facit Homes

Neri & Hu Design & Research Office

Structuremode

Newtecnic

Studio S&M

th

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects Amos and Amos AOC Architype Arup Assemble atelierdomino Atelier One Atelier Ten Aukett Swanke AZC Architects Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects BuroHappold Cass Projects Office Cazenove Architects Chapman+BDSP Coldham and Hartman Architects 144

FBM Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Feilden Fowles Fleet Architects Flying Hut Form_art architects

Optima Projects Ordinary Architecture Papa Architects Penoyre & Prasad Architects

Foster and Partners

Platform 5

FWA Gerald Eve Gort Scott

PLP Architecture Pollard Thomas Edwards

Henley Halebrown Rorrison

Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will

Honey Architecture

Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects

Houchell Studio Jason Bruges Studio Johnson Naylor

Poblete Black Grout

PRP Architects PSI

Studio Iris Studio Weave Surman Weston Tim Ronalds Architects Tonkin Liu Ullmayer Sylvester Architects Universal Design Studio Vola Waind Gohil Architects Wilkinson Eyre Architects WSP

Architecture Department Studio Restoration, 2015

Sponsors

Thanks to the following firms for their sponsorship:

146

PG 2015

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

University of Westminster 35 Marylebone Road London NW1 5LS Tel 020 7911 5000 x3165

www.westminster.ac.uk