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year design report Learning Objectives/ Outcomes A key theme laid out in the learning objectives this year in both design projects (‘Can Ricart’ and my Graduation project ‘Light_ness’_ has been working at a large range of scales, implementing my conceptual ideas across all of them, from city scale, right down to the details. This was particularly the case in ‘Can Ricart’, a project in Barcelona to design an intervention to an old textiles factory building. Working at different scales allowed me to gain a convincing, cohesive narrative throughout my scheme. After reconnecting the site back to the Cerda grid with bold line making creating a central ‘street’, I continued this idea creating lines and planes across my design. This took the form of thin walkways intersecting each other at a 90 degree angle at the building scale, down to slender glass fins and ‘C’ section steel beams at micro scale. I extended my working of working a range of scales in ‘Light_ness’ where I built on the understanding that different scales are more than just different sizes, but opportunities to work in various levels of detail, or with the wider context. Developing my scheme in models throughout the projects allowed me to design a building that both reacted to the site which is clearly shown in a cast 1:500 model, and show light and the embodying of concepts at up to a 1:20 scale, shown in detailed sectional drawings and a model. (below)
Feedback The main feedback I received for Can Ricart was that my plans could have read more clearly, and that my entry sequence was perhaps a little unclear, both in design and representation. I
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understood both of these points clearly and have reacted to them by altering my both my design and my work for my portfolio. I was also keen not to make the same mistakes in my graduation project, researching plans heavily, looking at precedents and understanding the way they work and convey information. I have come to understand plans as ‘coded’ drawings that show more than just a basic layout, but can also clearly represent different materials and levels through line weights and tone, as well demonstrate the way people circulate and use the building through inhabitation. By doing this in my own plans, as well as subtly using two colours to differentiate between public route and private space, my final plans for Light_ness were much improved and highly readable - which I feel is a key skill to have going into my placement year. I also worked hard in my graduation project to achieve a strong entry sequence, which I recognise as such an important aspect of successful architecture. The site for Light_ness had two entrances, with reasonably equal footfall. Therefore, I worked hard to produce a single public entrance to unify the site, with each one having an atmospheric approach, journeying under the building before emerging into the central light well where the entrance is positioned. I also went back to my Can Ricart project and introduced a vertical plane to clearly indicate the entrance, I then re-positioned the admission kiosk in to the main plaza where it has clearer access to the entry lifts. The main feedback from my Light_ness project was pushing me to consider further how my gallery space works, especially for exhibiting smaller works, as at the stage of my final review the main gallery space was relatively large and not divided up in any way. This was a good size for the space as I wanted it to be flexible and be able to house larger installations too. What was important was devising a way of exhibiting smaller work as well, that reinforced my conceptual narrative of layers. I designed a set of hung panels and cabinets that could be used to show works in more controlled lighting conditions, an aspect that my scheme had before lacked. Making these changes made me realise that it was not only important to consider
the building’s micro scale as its constructional details, but also in furniture layouts, to shape and enhance the visitor’s experience. Personal Improvement As well as reacting to tutors’ feedback, I have also found it important to critique myself throughout the degree, both my final presentations and the way in which I work and develop. Presenting work had been a weakness for me in first and second year, but identifying this has lead me to improve it, collaborating with my peers as well as using computer software such as InDesign, to create more engaging layouts that communicate my ideas in a more structured, coherent way. Doing this has complemented my strong verbal presentation of work, which has always been one of my strengths, to make my final presentation of work in reviews very cohesive and convincing. Something that I struggled with and never enjoyed when I was at school was researching and writing essays, which I found difficult and uninspiring, and had given me a negative attitude towards written research. However, by working hard on my dissertation I changed this, not only achieving a First for the writing itself but also thoroughly enjoying the research for it. As the dissertation was on conservation in architecture, I found my extended knowledge on the subject particularly helpful for the Can Ricart project, with the ideas of my tight-fit insertion well rooted in ideas of what has gone before. Through this, I identified the importance of research to inform my design work, and continued to strive to do so in my graduation project, where I researched precedents not only through reading literature on them, but also visiting some first hand, to get a real sense of how the buildings feel and work. Extended research fuelled by my increasing passion for the subject, has been key to my improvement in third year. The Degree as a Whole My progress throughout the degree has obviously been immense, and I feel like it has been guided in an extremely helpful way for me. Starting off in first year by producing everything by hand instilled in me a way of designing by hand, with a pencil and
tracing paper. I have identified the importance of this way of working as the best for me, as I feel like the hand can often work out problems by sketching much more effectively than can be done on the computer. As I have moved up through the school I have started to use more computer software to produce, render and layout my work. Although at first my computer work did not look as good as I wanted to, my skills have now begin to catch up with my hand sketching (shown below), and I am now comfortable using a mix of the two in my presentations, understanding when a sketch can convey something a Photoshop render cannot, and visa versa.
As well as adding numerous computer skills to my repertoire, I have also layered more and more complexity into my designs as I have developed, producing not only more complex designs but also more fully resolved ones, implementing more thorough and accurate technical and environmental strategies in my buildings. Overall, I have identified over the three years my particular interests in the field of architecture, and started to discover what kind of architect I want to be, constantly striving to gain the skills I want - both in producing convincing architectural narratives and resolving them to a high standard. By doing this, I believe I have equipped myself very well for my year in employment and also become a very strong candidate for doing a masters in architecture.
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My graduation project was entitled ‘Light_ ness. It focused on exploring the relations of light and lightness in architecture and photography. Specifically, we looked at the conditions of natural light, as well as investigating lightweight materials, that capture the fragile, ethereal and delicate nature of light. The outcome of the project was to be a ‘Light Institute’, a photography school positioned in Grainger Town, Newcastle.
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Development exposures
1 : 1 sectional drawing
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During the initial stage of the project, we designed a built a pinhole camera, to take photos on 5” by 7” photographic paper. My photographic explorations took place in the polycarbonate addition to the Tyneside cinema (top). After a long process of calculating and testing exposure times, as well as framing the best shot, I took my final photograph (right). I was particularly intrigued by the depth of layers in the material that was captured over the exposure time of 40 minutes, as well as the perspective in the image, that drew the eye through it. I was also intrigued by the fluid form and translucence of the polycarbonate itself. The image has lead to the formation of my key concepts in the project, and has remained a touchstone throughout. The photograph was also translated into a 1:1 sectional drawing (left), showing light penetrating through the material. For more information on the building of the camera, and the process of developing the photographs, consult the separate ‘Pinhole Camera’ booklet. pinhole camera concept photograph
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These photos show the High Bridge Street Entrance, from the street itself (far left) to inside the archway (left). I also took an image looking back at the entrance from the site emerging through a brick terraced house (right).
In the site itself there were three building types, the Baltic 39 Gallery at the north of the site (left), residential brick terraced housing on the east and south sides (right) and the side facade of the TJ Hughes building (far right) on the west. My opinions on the architectural value of these buildings was key in positioning my building. The other entrance to the site was from Bigg Market. Again, it was cut through a mostly residential building (far left), and had an large, attractive threshold (left). There was also a service access road from this side (right).
Initial site photos
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The site for the building was enclosed on all four sides by buildings varying in height from 16m to 21m. I chose to position by building in the north corner of the site, where it would the most access to natural light during the day. This positioning also allowed me to partially block to TJ Hughes facade, which had no openings and little aesthetic appeal. I was also close to the Baltic 39 facade, which had more visual appeal but only one window. I wanted my buildings north facade to have conversation with that of the Baltic 39, with the rest of the residential terraced housing on site left with their own space and access to light. In early model and sketch studies, I explored the best way to link up the site’s two entrances, which were on split levels, intending to use a slope down from the Bigg Market, to create one unified entrance to the building, as well as incorporating public space along it.
1. : 200 development models
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After developing the volumetric form of my building in a series of polystyrene and cast models (bottom left and previous), I started to explore how to bring light in to my building through semi transparent façades. Using the Laban Dance Centre in London by Herzog and De Meuron (far right) as a precedent, I produced a layered facade model at 1:50, and photographed it in a number of different lighting conditions (far right) to explore how the transparency changes throughout the day. I produced a conceptual ‘postcard’ for my scheme (right). In this, I captured a sense of the diffused light effect that polycarbonate would create as well as the idea of a person being drawn round the building by seeing someone of the other side of a central light well.
concept postcard
1 : 200 cast development model
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1. : 50 facade model
The Laban Dance Centre by Herzog & De Meuron was a key precedent for me, not only did I take inspiration from the double skin polycarbonate facade, I was also interested in how the architects positioned windows at the end of corridors, to draw people through the internal spaces of the building. laban dance centre, london
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facade concept
layer diagrams
sunny day, 'reflection'
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I continued to consult precedents in developing my facade, looking at the New Walsall Art Gallery by Caruso St. John (left), where the punctuations on the facade seem scattered and almost random from the outside, but on the inside serve the building in clearly rationalised ways, providing light and views in key places, an approach I adopted for my façades. I further researched polycarbonate’s effects in different lights as well as its technical specifications in my ‘Material Diary’ (see separate booklet). I ended up layering materials behind the polycarbonate, inspired by the layers in my pinhole photograph, which gave the building a sense of mystery from the outside, revealing clarity on the inside, where the layers were exposed and visible. Renders from the Bigg Market approach show how the facade would change during the day in different lighting conditions, with different levels of the façade’s layers revealed.
new walsall art gallery, uk
overcast day, 'hint of depth'
nightime, 'clarity of layer'
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1 : 500 cast site model : shown at 1 : 1000
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In a 1:500 cast model (shown at 1:1000 scale far left) I showed how my building fitted in to context, taking lines from buildings on the site to form my scheme in plan. I also made it a similar height to the surrounding buildings so that it did not look out of place in its context. However, due to the site being so enclosed, I made the height slightly higher than the other buildings, so that the building had a strong presence, and so glimpses of it could be seen around the city. In a city section (below) I showed how my building would fit with both the skyline of Newcastle and how its scale in relation to some of the important public buildings of the city.
proposal in site amongst existing building
1 : 5000 city section
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alignment to baltic 39
In the set of diagrams (above) I have clearly demonstrated my exact response to site, as well as how the program is inserted. The full organisation can be seen in an exploded isometric (left) which differentiates between public, private and service spaces as well as showing the layered facade, and where the windows punctuate it. The image also starts to convey the public route up through the building, inspired by OMA’s Dutch Embassy in Berlin (right) which featured one single route or ‘trajectory’ from the ground to top floor. In a 1:200 model I produced (bottom right) I have summarised three key aspects of my design. The completely public realm at ground level throughout the site, the spiralling route through the building, and the windows in the polycarbonate facade; drawing people through the building, as well as providing views to the public plaza and entrances below.
program determined
dutch embassy, berlin
model of dutch embassy, oma
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Organisational isometric
program organised
public realm at ground level
landscape formed
light well inserted
public spiral route
circulation cores added
full 1 : 200 model
materiality defined
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1 : 200 long section A : A showing bigg market entrance & light well
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The plan (right) and section (left) on this page both show the wider context of the site, how people approach it from the two entrances and how they are compelled to pause on the flat plaza in front of the south facade when entering from Bigg Market. The section cuts through the light well and shows how it brings light not only in the ‘back’ of the building, but also down to where the two entrance routes convene in a meeting point, where my public entrance is naturally situated. The section starts to convey the different soffit heights within the public space, with high, light gallery spaces and lower, more intimate spaces along the way, marking compression and release along the route. The perspective (bottom right) shows the entry from High Bridge Street, being drawn into the building by the flexible gallery space on the right as well as the light streaming into the centre of the building via the light well. It also shows a subtle private entrance in the concrete wall on the left.
high bridge street approach perspective
1 : 500 ground floor & site plan
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1 : 200 back section b : b through high bridge street entrance
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new walsall art gallery
drawn by views
views across light well
As I move up through my building in plan to the first floor (right) the rationale for the position of my windows become clear. As the Laban Dance Centre did, I place the windows at the end of a line of site, in this case up the first set of stairs, to draw people up through my building. I have also positioned panels of clear glass amongst the sandblasted glass of the light well to provide views across it, providing engagement between different people at different levels, creating intrigue that again encourages people to progress up through the building. The windows at the end of the stairs can be seen in the section (left) which also shows how the frosted finish of the light well distorts and blurs vision across it, but still provides enough transmittance to give the viewer a clue of what is on the other side. Also viewable in this section is the visual connections with the private spaces, which can be seen on the left. One of the circulation cores can be seen on the right of the drawing, inspired by the New Walsall Art gallery (above) , where the lift/stair core works in conjunction with the main stairs, to unify the movement of people using the lifts, and those who are not. 1 : 200 first floor plan
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1 : 200 section c : c showing private spaces
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As the route continues upwards, there are strong moments of connection between the public and the private spaces, with a research space to be used by all, with magazine and journal achieves mostly intended for private users of the building, and interactive screens available for the general public. As you turn the corner, there is a brief visual connection with the top of the projection space, which also provides a second entrance the lectures open to all. These two spaces are shown in the private space section (far left) along with the studio, dark room spaces and second circulation core. The lower ceiling heights and use of timber panelling in these spaces give them better acoustic qualities and a more intimate feel. The final space on this floor is a gallery space, specifically to be used to display photographs of those visiting the school for week-long courses similar to the one that we undertook for the first week of the project. This space aims to attract friends and relatives of users of the school to visit the building, therefore giving it a much broader appeal. This space is shown in the 1:20 detailed model (left) which starts to show wall make up and how photographs are displayed - hung on cables. Also seen in this model are the exposed beams, that draw people through the building, just like the lines on my pinhole photograph.
1 : 20 sectional model showing gallery space
1 : 200 second floor plan
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Specifications of display panels
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isometric of movement through gallery
On the third floor is perhaps the most important space of the institute; the main gallery space. This space is the largest and highest space in the building, making it flexible to host a wide range of exhibitions, from large to small scale work. Screens and blinds on the south facade allow the light, open space to transform and have a completely different feel. Work that needs to be shown on a smaller scale, or in darker conditions can be exhibited in one of the infinite layouts (left) enabled by movable hung screens and wheeled cabinets that fit in the adjacent store cupboard. Detailed drawings of the size and design of these units (far left) as well as an isometric of how people move through the space when they’re in use (right), were produced to give a realistic impression of how they would work.
1 : 500 possible gallery layouts
1 : 200 third floor plan
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1 : 100 model south elevation
1 : 100 model east elevation
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view up light well
small gallery space
The final plan (far right) shows the fourth floor of the building and the end of the public route, with a cafe overlooking the main gallery space. It demonstrates how visitors will be able to reconnect with the lift/stair core to be taken straight back down to reception. The diagram (right) summarises the anti-clockwise circulation through the building, broken up by stairs. This aimed to replicate the slow, step-by-step process of pinhole photography, with quicker moving places such as the stairs, and slower places to stay in like the galleries. By encouraging people to pause in the galleries, the aim was to allow people to observe the ethereal, diffused light penetrating the polycarbonate, celebrating the qualities of the materials that I did in my initial photograph. Photographs of my 1:100 model (left) give glimpses of how my building would work and feel. Further photographic studies of this model were used for a later piece of work that was submitted for the Principles and Theories module.
journey diagram
1 : 200 fourth floor plan
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gallery perspective
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beams reinforce journey
hung pane;ls
cabinets
panels & cabinets
The key perspective of my gallery space (left) shows it exhibiting large work, with all the panels pushed back and positioned just off the faรงades. This creates a light, airy feel perfect for exhibiting large photographs, which in this instance are hung on floor to ceiling cables. The ability to move the panels along the facade throughout the day means that different parts can be shaded as the sun progresses, and also means that the facade will change throughout the day, activating it and making it more interesting from the outside, especially on darker and more overcast days, where the depth of layers in the facade start to be revealed. Also clear is the grid of exposed steel beams, the perspective of which draw people through the spaces as I mentioned before.
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The build up of the steel columns and beams, with cast in situ concrete floors are shown in a macro scale exploded axonometric (left) which also show the glass and polycarbonate facade, which will connect to the concrete floor slabs. This is shown in detail in the 1:100 construction section (right) as well as how the flat roof and double skin facade work. I used a double skin facade as polycarbonate transmits a high amount of radiation, by layering a glass facade behind it, I created a solar chimney and reinforced my narrative of layers. The environmental strategies enabled by the double skin system for summer and winter were then represented in sketch sections (below).
summer : stack cross ventilation hybrid
environmental strategy
macro scale axonometric
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winter : solar chimney assists ahu
1 : 50 roof & stack exhaust
1 : 50 double skin wall
1 : 50 stack intake
1 : 100 technical section through gallery spaces
1 : 50 foundation detail
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This final image is an image that summarises the final scheme I designed for my graduation project. It embodies many of my concepts and shows how the building works. Due to this, it was submitted for the Principles and Theories module, (full submission in separate booklet). The drawing takes the form of an unfolded plan, inspired by Rem Koolhaas’ drawing of the same nature of the Dutch Embassy in Berlin. It shows the full public route through my building, from ground to fourth floor, journeying through all the different public spaces, experiencing the stepby-step, linear nature of pinhole photography. The white dotted line indicates a route a visitor might take and the circles mark turning points, where the plan has been ‘unfolded’. Along the image, I have shown photographs of my 1:100 model, taken in natural lighting conditions, and demonstrating some of my concepts, including depth of layers, been drawn through by windows and the intrigue across the light well. I wanted to record the views as model photographs, not only due to the nature of my studio, but also so that they acted as a realistic test of how the spaces would work and feel, and whether my ideas implemented in the building had been successful.
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‘Can Ricart’ was a conservation project in Barcelona, the brief of which required one of the existing buildings of the old Can Ricart textiles factory to be engaged with, in a scheme that was intended to be resolved on a wide range of scales; from the wider city scale, right down to the micro detail scale. A key part of the project was taking a stance on the old buildings, before deciding the nature of our interventions, and how much of the old fabric they would use or reject. The program of the building was to accommodate ‘La Machine’, who produce large mechanical creatures and host dramatic parades that feature them.
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city photographs
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During the week long visit to Barcelona, we spent a lot of time exploring the wider context of the city, as well as our site. This was particularly important as I felt it was key to understand the differences in culture and architecture there, and translate these ideas into my scheme, as the themes and priorities of design in Barcelona vary vastly from north-east England, where all of my previous buildings were designed. I took photographs and sketches of old and modern architecture, as well as ones capturing how the people of Barcelona use public space, the articulating of which was key to my design. I also looked at the city on a wider scale, particularly at how the Cerda grid and rolling boulevards dissect the more organic layout of the Medieval city.
city map
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The visit to the site was an intense day of photographing, sketching and surveying, the key images of which are featured here. On site, I decided to use the building with the clock tower, based on a number of factors. The main thing that drew me to focus on this building was my love for the spaces within it, particularly the central space (pictured below) which featured a dramatic set of concrete columns in the centre, with more slender scarlet red steel beams spanning off them. The beauty of the shadows in this space along with the rustic, exposed layers of the walls inspired me to adopt the intent of maintaining as much of the original building fabric as possible. Reading regarding conservation for my dissertation has embedded a respect for existing fabric in me, and a desire to conserve what is possible, whilst still creatively engaging with it. I also thought about how the building might work on a macro scale, where I wanted to reintroduce a street through the middle of the block (middle right) to link the building up to the rest of the city, as well as intending the open space on the other side of the building to be a large public plaza (far right), which could accommodate a large range of activities as well as the oversized creatures of La Machine.
panoramic view from the top of the old clock tower
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existing building photos
site decision and mapping
intended 'street'
intended 'plaza'
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On returning back to Newcastle, I set about looking at how my macro scale intentions would actually work. I began a process of bold line making, first on the city scale (below), where I drew lines that created two streets, one connecting the building back to towards the centre of the city, and the other linking it to the park orientated to the south east of the site. These provided two strong public entrances to the before isolated site. In a group of two, I then produced a 1:50 sectional model (far right) of our chosen building, in which we captured some of its intrinsic qualities; the large height of the tower, the rough textures of the existing fabric and dramatic shadows cast in the central space. In the model, we also laid out initial intentions for our schemes, which involved drawing people through this central space from a busy street on one side, to an active plaza on the other, inspired by some of the ones we had come across in Barcelona. Again, this was done with bold line making, but this time on the building scale to create the scheme’s axis.
1 : 25 000 city map
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1 : 2 000 city map
1 : 50 conceptual site model
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concept sketch of planes
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I developed my scheme on a variety of different scales, much of my designing focusing on how I could draw people through the old walls of the existing building. I used a concept sketch featuring intersecting planes (left) as a touchstone for development of the building scale. In plan (below) I worked out the exact points that my new insertion would penetrate through the windows of the old walls. In section (below left), I considered the different levels I wanted visitors to be at to gain strong visual connections with the large creatures of La Machine. As the project developed, I considered further how the details of my scheme worked, particularly where my the addition connects to the existing. I wanted the join to be minimal, with windows simply pinned over the openings with four steel bolts (right). I did a perspective sketch (far right) from the plaza showing the interaction between my intervention and the old building, in which I particularly highlighted the planes of my lifts and roofs. It is also clear to see how I’ve left the old fabric as untouched as possible, with all the walls of the old building still completely intact.
Concept perspective from plaza
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bullring
santa caterina market
The exploded isometric (left) shows not only the constructional build up of my scheme - with cast in situ concrete columns and 400mm waffle grid floors, but also embodies my building scale intentions of aligning planes next to the old building, respecting the old fabric and drawing people through the old windows and doors of the untouched walls. This process of aligning planes alongside the old building derived from Richard Rogers’ scheme at the Bullring in the city, which I was heavily influenced by, where he placed a vertical element featuring a lift on the outside, something I took inspiration from for the exterior lifts in my building. The cross section of my scheme (right) shows how people are drawn through the building and engage with the mechanical creatures at different levels. The way the tight fit insertion spans over the old building can be likened to another building in Barcelona - the Santa Caterina Market by EMBT, which has a flowing roof supported by its own steel structure.
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Macro scale axonometric
1 : 200 cross section b : B showing lifts and visual connection of visitors to elephant
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local use of public space
The ground plan for my building shows the public entry sequence into my scheme, which goes through the central space of the building, which has been almost completely untouched, to leave it as an open courtyard, for the public to flow through from the street to the plaza (below far left). I made this decision as I saw how well local people inhabited such spaces across the city (above). This would create a central meeting point in the site, for people to relax and spend their time without having to pay to visit any of the centre. The plans and diagram (below left) also show how the central space creates opportunities for interaction between the general public and the La Machine workers, whose workshop and offices are situated on the ground floor. The public route around the building takes place via thin platforms and lifts, and is illustrated in a diagram (below).
central courtyard links street & plaza
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la machine workers also linked by courtyard
journey of visitors via lifts
1 : 200 ground floor site plan
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The first floor of my plan (right) shows the public journey through the building, with the option to go straight to the cafe, or to move through to the workshop viewing platform. This being situated 5m above ground enables the public to connect with the large scale creatures as well as having a good general overview of the whole workshop space. Being a separate level also means that the public won’t interfere with those of the La Machine workers. The perspective intermediate scale technology (left) shows how the cafe terrace on this floor works, bridging through one of the existing windows out to an area enclosed by just a glass fin wall, which is braced back to the wall via a ‘C’ section beam. The panels of glass that make up the wall follow the same rhythm as the existing windows but expressed in different geometry, inspired by a monastery building in Barcelona (above). The sectional piece also shows how the concrete foundations are positioned away from the suspected original brick foundations of the existing building. The perspective (right) shows how it would feel to be drawn through the old existing windows of the building, with clean, smooth concrete insertions juxtaposing the rough textures of the original fabric.
perspective section of terrace
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glass addition behind existing frame
threshold from workshop view to large assembly space
1 : 200 first floor plan
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MUHRA Museum
The second floor of my building features a long plane along the north side of the building, which acts as a long viewing platform for watching the parade of La Machine’s creatures that would happen daily. The visitors would them move into a generous exhibition space that would be right under the roof, with north light flooding in to the space. The public could then finish the journey by taking the lift to the top of the tower for panoramic views across the city, or by taking the same lift down to spill out into the public plaza. A series of model photos (left) show the dramatic lighting conditions of my building, some of them existing ones from the old columns and windows which I have left untouched, and others created by the roof, slender columns and walkways. The light touch nature of my intervention is evident in the photos, with my subtle planes aligned next to the old building, supported by its own structure. This was a similar approach to the one taken MUHRA museum which is roughly 500m from my building. I wanted to capture the same light, airy nature of this building in my own, and so went about the project in a similar way. cafe terraces and exhibition space
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triple height workshop space with dramatic shadows
central space pillars seen from first floor walkway
1 : 200 second floor plan
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cross stack hybrid ventilation
rapid ventilation
environmental strategy
Barcelona pavilion
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A long section through my buildings (far right) shows my delicately and precisely positioned planes, like those of Mies Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona pavilion (left). These planes shape dynamic movement throughout the building, as well as enabling them to connect to the existing fabric as well as the large mechanical creatures. The planes of the roof appear to have been slid away from the middle to open up the central courtyard to receive the abundant natural light that we visited the space in, casting dramatic shadows and creating a beautiful space. The saw-tooth roof not only fills the workshop and exhibition spaces with north light but also evokes the aesthetic of industrial buildings which reflects the building’s past. The roof also enables rapid ventilation to keep the spaces well aired even on hotter summer days. The glass fin walls outside the old walls begin to create a stack/ cross hybrid ventilation system for the cafe, office and exhibitions spaces on the west end of the building, which need to be fully climatically controlled.
1 : 200 long section a : a showing public flow through the building
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exploded wall bracket connection
complete wall bracket connection
In a project that aimed to resolve the scheme on all scale, it was important to convey my conceptual narrative in the micro scale technical details. For this, I produced a 1:20 section al model (right) showing one of the terraces of my public cafe space, and showed how the glass fin wall would connect back to the walls of the existing. I then produced 3D details for this part of the building (below), showing the components for each detail separately and then pieced together. Both the glass fin detail and the connection back to the original wall feature strong lines and planes, taking my concept from the macro scale right through to this one. I thought it was important to have an honest, exposed connection back to the original wall, to show how lightly I intended to fix to it. Even the balcony rail for the terrace adopt the subtle planes feautred throughout my scheme.
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exploded glass fin wall connection
complete glass fin wall
1 : 20 model showing terrace
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street approach perspective
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central courtyard space perspective
To give an atmospheric feeling of the entry sequence into the building, I produced two perspective sketches, one showing the approach from the west on the main street (far left), the other showing how the central open courtyard space feels (left), with my minimal intervention shown subtly aligned against the rustic old fabric. The passageway into the plaza where the admission kiosk is now situated is shown in the drawing, with people naturally flowing towards it. I imagine the space to be constantly active all day, with people inhabiting it in all the ways I saw when I was in the city. A 1:100 model photo (right) articulates how the roofs sit above the old building, with the slender columns sitting subtly behind the walls. Also shown on the photo are the two vertical lift planes aligned next to the tower and the central space receptively, the latter serving as the beginning of the public journey around the building. perspective showing roof plans as well as lift aligned with tower
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The 1:500 site model (left) produced for the project not only allowed me to show how my building looks in the site, but also allowed me to develop the form of my roof, to fit in with the wider context. Here, I have indicated the parade route of La Machine’s creatures from my building, which will occur once a day. The parade will circulate in a loop, activating both the key streets I created as well as the park to the south of the site. The large nature of the machines allows the scheme to connect with the wider context in a meaningful way, hopefully drawing people into the site. The 1:100 model photos (right) show the emerging and disappearing of the elephant on the main street, and capture a sense of the drama the occasion will posses. 1 : 500 Closer context model
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Elephant emerging at beginning of parade
Elephant disappearing at end
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My charrette project was entitle ‘Animate Space’, the brief was to design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine that went through numerous rooms of the Architecture building. We were then to produce a video of the whole contraption working, from start to finish. The aim of the project was to explore mechanics and kinetic energy in space, to explore different ways of movement and transfer connections.
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series of stills depicting full video
Qr code link to video
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We were in a large group of around 100 people for the project, split in to groups of around six. Each group had a theme that their section of the machine had to convey, from reflection and light to water and technology. From this, we could use architectural concepts at a starting point to drive the form of our sections. Collaboration between the groups was key in the project, determining the connections between different sections of the machine, syncing it as one, and fusing different ideas together. The final video was uploaded to the website ‘Vimeo’ to be shared worldwide.
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initial diagram of machine
The theme for our group was ‘light’. For this we wanted the kinetic movement of the machine to be almost unseen, with just a series of lights being seen illuminating in sequence. To enable this, we chose a dark space and installed our section of the machine. Using marbles on a track to turn on lights, connected the first part of our design to the previous one. The marbles then tipped a jug to pour glowing liquid down a tube, this filled up a bucket which tipped a pivot, knocking over a domino to transfer into the next section. Building our section in a dark space enhanced the affect of our sequence, which was practised and refined countless times to make sure it ran perfectly. our section of the machine
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switch and light
glowing liquid in light & dark
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