Unit 9 – Stephen Taylor

AAD Portfolios Architecture

Unit 9 2015–23 Stephen Taylor Han Wang Giles Townshend Architecture MArch RIBA 2 London Metropolitan University

Unit 9 Stephen Taylor, Han Wang & Giles Townsend 2015–23 The work of Unit 9 explores how housing density, proximity and intimacy can create an architecture of conviviality in a range of different contexts. The unit is concerned with continuity, coherence and character of a place, and how new ways of living and working can be negotiated within changing economic and ecological frameworks.

Proposals engage with the specific genius loci of a place at a range of scales from that of the wider landscape and city to that of the individual room.

Research and design work has focussed on a diversity of urban and suburban areas of London, towns and villages in the UK and recently urban proposals in the Cévennes region of France.

Research focuses on typological studies of ‘high’ and ‘low’ architectural precedent as well as more site specific surveys and readings of urban structures, vernacular living and building cultures. Subsequent design proposals aim to translate these inspirations into an architecture of formal exuberance, complex density, urbanity, and spatial richness.

Sketch model, Gigantism and the Baroque, Tottenham Hale, Han Wang.

House and Garden 2022–23

Housing and work ateliers on former carpark site, Florac-Trois-Rivieres, Benoit Rawlings.

Hill house typology, Florac, M.Dodd

Riverside block at the entrance to Florac, Hilton Murrel

The Artful Vernacular 2021–22

Saint-Germain-de-C

Saint-Germain-de-Calberte

Urban study sketches, Saint-Germain-de-Calberte

Main Street View

Main Street View

Narrow

The medieval Saint-Germain De Calberte is overflowing with inspirational,

Further

The medievaland Saint-Germain DeThroughout Calberte isthe overflowing withareinspirational architectural urban languages. village, terraces the bea architectural and urban languages.

Throughout village, terracesCalbert are serving the function of gardens.

As a unique feature of the these gardens, one canthe depict that they fully paved owners the gardens, serving function ofare gardens.

As adepriving uniquethe feature ofofthese ability directlythat plantthey their are greenery earth,depriving thus pots the and planters one cantodepict fully on paved owners of the are used for that purpose. ability to directly plant their greenery on earth, thus pots and planters are used for that purpose.

Exhibition poster on site

Site Model, Shuning Zhu

Shuning Zhu La proposition vise à Theb proposal aims to GHQVL¿HU OH YLOODJH HQ densify the village by proposant des maisons providing family houses and apartments adjacent familiales et des appartements jouxtant to the public square. la place publique. La The scheme’s design conception du projet s’est has developed through développée en étudiant carefully studying the architecture and urban attentivement l’architecture et le tissu urbain du village fabric of the existing existant, en particulier village, especially the la dimension artisanale sense of craftsmanship a et artistique présente and the artistry present dans ses bâtiments. cPar in its buildings. Through a. ��isting terraced house ne�t to the site, the long facade are more rigid l’utilisation formes et the use of familiar forms with repetitions of elements, while the gabled facadede is more playful b. Initial sketch showing the enclosed �ring� idea and potential openings in the volume d’aménagements spatiaux and spatial arrangements, c. Mijas, Spain d. ����� Site model with the proposed scheme inserted on site familiers, la proposition the proposal aims to vise à revitaliser la place revitalise the town square du village en formant by forming a new set of �he �rban �lan thresholds, public spaces un nouvel ensemble de and communal gardens. seuils, d’espaces publics �epetitions and alterations happen when several houses or units form a terrace, the terraced houses then form the street. �he et de jardins communaux.

The new development urban plan of the scheme considers the proposed clusters of buildings as the continuation of the e�isting fabric of the town. �roposed buildings are designed to be built on terraces, where the piece of plot should be �attened, and allowing them to Ce nouveau lotissement celebrates the strong gradually step up or down following the topography . �here site � and site � meets, a new public space is created between the housing blocks. célèbre la forte tradition vernacular tradition of In terms of public access, a few passages are designed part of the architecture public access throughand the clusters the village, promotes vernaculaire du asvillage et to allow on the ground level. favorise une croissance sustainable urban growth for the future of St Germain urbaine durable pour d l’avenir de St Germain de de Calberte.

Calberte.

Facade Studies, Saint-Germain-de-Calberte

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b

a c

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a. ��isting terraced house ne�t to the site, the long facade are more rigid with repetitions of elements, while the gabled facade is more playful b. Initial sketch showing the enclosed �ring� idea and potential openings in the volume c. Mijas, Spain d. ����� Site model with the proposed scheme inserted on site

�he �rban �lan

�epetitions and alterations happen when several houses or units form a terrace, the terraced houses then form the street. �he Site model, above,& Facade and house typology studies, Shuning Zhu urban plan of the scheme considers the proposed clusters of buildings as the continuation of the e�isting fabric of the town. �roposed buildings are designed to be built on terraces, where the piece of plot should be �attened, and allowing them to gradually step up or down following the topography . �here site � and site � meets, a new public space is created between the housing blocks.

Rus in Urbe 2020–21

Ethan Loo, Interior, Hampstead Gerden Suburb

Oliver Reynolds, Hampstead Gerden Suburb

Naomi Cohen, site elevation, Hampstead Garden Suburb

Seongyoung Oh, Hampstead Garden Suburb

Ethan Loo, site plan, densification, Hampstead Gerden Suburb

Gigantism and the Baroque 2018–19

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Thesis Project, Tottenham Hale, Han Wang

Unit 9 Summer exhibition, 2019

Baroque Staircases, Study trip to Naples

Gigantism and the Baroque 2015–16

Aaron English, Alms House 36

Thesis for Mansion Block, Albert Hall Mansions, Alex Nacu

Early 1:200 Study

Model Study, T.J. Boulting Building, by H.Fuller Clark.

Made by Aaron English

A collection of ideas at 1:500

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A Collection of ideas, 1:500, Marc Vasvari

Thesis for Mansion Block, Albert Hall Mansions, Rob Leechmere

Precedent Study models, The Gigantism and the Baroque

Surveys of La Roquette, Arles, 2022.

What and how we teach

Group projects carried out during a week long design charette in the first semester are centred around the construction of large scale models to test, develop and refine proposals. Each year a different brief is set to explore Innovative materials and assemblies or whole tectonic and environmental systems.

A comprehensive design report is followed by a more analytical costing or environmental report with an emphasis on material economy and efficiency. The less visually apparent factors of embodied and operational carbon dioxide are further examined and fully integrated into the design process with speculative strategies to improve the performance of the built artefact.

Projects are developed at different scales, and are drawn with a high level of technical resolution in two and three dimensions. We teach an iterative process of refinement to instill students with the confidence to realise built projects with conceptual and technical consistency.

Exhibition and presentation at the Town Hall, Florac-Trois-Rivieres