Joel Richardson David Kohn Portfolio

+44 7736375855 richj066.jr@gmail.com

Volume Zero Tiny House 2022 Architecture Competition

Completed not long after graduating from university. I tried to use this competition as a way to put to test the skills I had built upon and improved throughout third year but not had the opportunity to implement in my work completely. Designed as a tiny home for a retired couple, the project had to be no larger than 27 square meters. enjoy using fast physical models as much as possible, but felt these, quickly produced with balsa wood and pins, to demonstrate particularly well exploration of unfolding and sliding design elements explored in the project.

“Garden Living” (Second Year of Undergraduate)

A co-living scheme aimed specifically at young adults and retirees, “Garden Living” aimed to fight loneliness and isolation associated with inner city living. Inspired by Moisei Ginzburg’s concept of the social condenser, the design focused on providing high quality social spaces to prioritise communal activity over insular private living. All residents received access to garden space and multiuse outdoor spaces.

Through this project I began to develop a stronger interest in apartment design and thinking more carefully about interiors.

Light coloured ceiling and walls contrast with a darker floor to give a wider sense of space. They should reflect light as well, keeping rooms well lit without needing to turn on artificial lights.

Space for plants on the inside of the apartment as well as dedicated outdoor garden space blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor.

Neutral tones and prioirtising wood and natural materials should create a calming atmosphere for any older residents who appreciate a slower pace of life.

Plenty of floor space to allow wheelchairs through. It also provides opportunities for a rearrangement of the space with more seating for guests.

Large windows prioritse daylighting opportunities and provide a view through to garden spaces outside the apartments.

Statement furniture such as a red sofa could be implemented in the apartments to draw viewers’ attention and highlight the connection to outside as the most important part of the living space.

Sonic Journeys took the shape of a music themed community centre with dedicated spaces for performance, education and a small local museum. The project attempted to integrate the ongoing Mayfield Park redevelopment scheme into the area of Ardwick, a deprived, cut off district of Manchester, while attracting new users to the site.

I researched local understandings of the area’s history, current uses and future needs by engaging with locals through street surveys and storytelling exercises. Using this as a basis for any major design decisions, tested what might interest local users and activate a state of change through small interventions and gathered feedback from locals.

Shown below is a sketch of an initial temporary structure drawn in response to my research and to the right is a final 1:20 section.

Click on the link to listen to the 30 second clip of one partiular interview that informed my project: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0SoJ1eeTt20

“Sonic Journeys” (Third Year of Undergraduate)

(Third Year of Undergraduate)

To encourage movement across the boundary of the large road alongside the site, the building turned the sound of traffic into an atmospheric effect for users to engage with. No longer was the road a barrier but now a curiosity that attracted visitors who would then be enticed into the building, and the park nearby. The style of the plan drawing was part of a investigation into the possibility of incorporating more accessible, cartoon style, graphics into architectural drawings.

“Sonic Journeys”

(Third Year of Undergraduate)

The 1:200 site model below is made entirely of recycled materials and was used to test massing iterations. The model to the right explored lighting and materials. Not glued together, but instead cut to slot in and out of the frame, I could swap materials to quickly test how users might experience the space. The pattern on the facade, inspired by Xenakis’ work at Sainte Marie de La Tourette, is a visual representation of rudimental drumming rhythms, advertising the music education programme to passers-by.

“Sonic Journeys”

Recycled material model

Journeys” (Third Year of Undergraduate)

Attempting to produce a building that connected users to nature, advertising the nearby new park development to visitors and amplifying needed green spaces for locals, I worked a lot with the existing trees.

Trees were used to filter the southern afternoon sun and produce comfortable dappled light all around the building. Testing interior lighting through Sefaira analysis and sketch models, the large section here hints at the different qualities of light I wished to capture for each space.

Performance space: Soft ambient lighting inspires a sense meditation and focus.

Museum: Mesh layer and blinds produces a darkened space for controlled museum lighting, apertures offer opportunities to glimpse site history.

Listening/reading pod, cafe and outdoor greenspace: Semi public realm with focus on natural daylighting and outside greenery.

“Sonic

Lighting tests for museum space with mezzanine.

End of Year Show (Third Year of Undergraduate)

This was a two week project, involving the entire atelier, where we designed and constructed our own exhibition space. With a limited budget, a brief that required easy deconstruction and only materials that we could ourselves source, it was a very fast paced and intensive design project. I was part of the construction and finance team, where I was involved in sourcing materials, designing the stands and helping to construct the space itself. The renders to the right were produced to quickly present a sense of the space.

Steps in the construction process documented.

Arup Solihull Case Study (Third Year of Undergraduate)

This case study sought to examine Arup’s Solihull campus and explore the building’s construction and passive and active systems as an example of sustainable design. Built as a mission statement for the company, there is a strong focus on ease of construction, recyclability and passive daylighting and ventilation. This selection of work from the case study looks at the construction system used and junction details, as well as diagramming the passive ventilation system behind the defining pod roof structure.

Standing

Roof frame bays are braced with diagonal steel rafters

I beam steel rafters and purlins, and Y frame central columns are all non composite steel to facilitate easy recycling

Precast hollowcore concrete planks support first floor

Ground floor junction detail

First floor junction detail

Roof junction detail

seam, alunminium zinc alloy roof supported by precast hollowcore concrete planks

Western Red Cedar rainscreen cladding with window boxes and shutters for shading

Apartment Design (Under - Consruction Architects)

Through a 3 month internships at Under Construction Architects in Prague, was able to gain experience on projects from the concept stage through to realisation. had a variety of roles, including site analysis, precedent research and producing iterative designs to be presented to clients. The work to the right shows examples of this from a residential apartment building project worked on.

In addition to this I helped work on a competition bid for a large scale mixed use housing estate. I worked on façade iterations and vector illustrations to aid the presentation we submitted.

Below is a photo of me measuring a house that was being worked on to produce updated plan drawings, and a photo of the type of 3d printed models I helped produce to show clients.

The experience gained from working as part of an office team and the opportunity to visit sites was very beneficial. I had a range of roles, rather than gaining expertise in any one area, but feel I have a better understanding of the workflow and environment of an architectural practice, and am excited to gain further experience.

Personal Interests and Additional Skills

In my own time enjoy producing 2D and 3D art, exploring a range of materials and learning about new mediums to work with. Through this I have learnt additional skills such as casting, screen-printing, woodworking, using power tools etc… I enjoy implementing these skills into model-making or visualisations within architectural related work wherever possible.

I have a strong interest in art and architectural history, exploring, sketching and photographing a range of buildings. The 3D printed model below is a replica of a tubular steel drain fixture from one of the Bauhuas Master’s Houses in Dessau. I am always eager to learn as much as possible about architectural history.

Alongside this I play the drums and enjoy producing music with other people. have also tutored drum students part time. found myself incorporating this passion for music and sound into my final year project, and would like to explore the role of acoustics in architecture wherever possible.