Josh Sparks
BArch & Professional Projects 2020-2021
Portfolio
Selected Works University
1.0 - 1.6 University
2.0 - 2.6 Private, Professional
3.0 - 3.1 Professional
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
The Migrant Civic Centre
Repatriation Landscape
Wiltshire Cottage
Work in Practice
Delhi, India
Carterton, Oxfordshire
Binfield, Berkshire
London & Home Counties
4.0 - 4.5
You do not need to read everything. The images and diagrams give you the picture, the text tells you the whole story.
| 1.0
The Migrant Civic Centre Delhi, India
The Brief Over 16 weeks, my cohort and I turned our attention to the concept of Ephemeral Cities - the notion that the urban landscape is in constant flux giving rise to ever-changing conditions. The brief challenged us to analyse and disseminate the fabric of Delhi (the fastest growing city in the world) and uncover issues caused by its ephemerality. Using the typology of a civic centre our architecture was to satisfy the current urban problem as well as withstand the evolution of that problem in a rapidly changing environment.
My Research By firstly investigating the slum typology of Delhi, my research led me to investigating seasonal migration - a cultural and cyclical ritual wherein rural workers move to the city whilst their crops grow in search of further employment. This push and pull puts a massive stretch on the resources of Delhi, namely on the supply of clean water. Whilst the state benefits greatly from this cheap workforce, very little is given back to their well-being.
Final Outcome The Migrant Civic Centre is a sanctuary for the unsupported and underappreciated migrant workers of Delhi. The architecture focusses primarily around the provision of clean water for bathing and drinking. Secondly, a space for learning, teaching new skills to uneducated migrants to enhance their employability. Thirdly, a future-proof typology where educated migrants are brought closer to the future of employability - teaching the use of artificial intelligence which would otherwise threaten their potential future jobs. Finally, the centre provides temporary accommodation and an introduction to the city for new-comer migrants.
Planometric Digital Collage | Sketchup & Photoshop
Seasonal Migration | 1.1
Typical Migration Cycle | Illustrator
Migration to Cities Migration Home & Crops Sown Monsoon Season - 82% of annual rainfall Harvest
Digital Collage Diagram | Photoshop
Each year it is thought that 120 million Indians migrate from their rural homes and head for the large cities in the search of work. They do this not always as a means of survival but in some cases to merely boost their income in the months outside of harvest. The interesting condition this creates is the expansion and contraction cities like Delhi experience. This cyclical pattern, which is on average every 6 months, puts the city in a state of constant flux. The city benefits greatly from seasonal migration as it brings cheap labour for the middle and upper classes to benefit from. The sad reality is that the migrants working to build Delhi up experience no return from its social and economic growth. The Delhi Pyramid | Digital Collage
Since the location of slums in Delhi is so sporadic, my various sites of choice were born at the intersection between employment and transportation in order to entice as many migrant workers as possible. The town hall is the boundary between two juxtaposing contexts. To the south of the building is the incredibly dense, unplanned settlement off Chandni Chowk. To its north is an open public park. The building therefore provides a unique opportunity to play off both these contexts and forge a harmonious connection between the two. Chandni Chowk is more than just a street of commerce. It is the argued to be the oldest street in Delhi, connecting three main hubs of the city. On the East is the famous Red Fort which once served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. To the West is the 17th century mosque, Fatehpuri Masjid. Interconnection these two monuments is the town hall.
Site Map | Photoshop & Illustrator
The Site | 1.2
Abstracted Site Section | Photoshop & Illustrator
Exploration | 1.3 Sketch Exploration | Finer Liner and Marker
Like the rest of the world, during the pandemic, I could not visit Delhi to understand my architecture’s context at a human level. An added difficulty of remotely exploring the city is that Google has not yet mapped a streetview of the city. My answer and methodology of understanding the city became solely reliant on watching ‘point of view’ Youtube videos of tourists exploring the city for me. I enjoyed rolling out some trace and sketching what I saw as the video was playing which resulted in tapestries of messy data which when put together resulted in a fairly conclusive understanding of the city.
Typology | 1.4 Public vs Private
Entrances
Entrances | Hand-drawn
21st Century
Floor Plans | Photoshop & Illustrator
City Hall
Keynsham Civic Centre
Marin Civic Centre
Säynätsalo Town Hall
Dallas City Hall
Liverpool Town Hall
New York City Hall
Manchester Town Hall
<19th Century
20th Century
Civic Centre Cristalleries Planel
My mapping of the public and private spaces of these civic centres over time highlights the progressive move towards a more open or public typology. This is perhaps a conscious change to symbolise a more transparent residence of power. To further investigate this transparency I analysed the entrances of each typology. My method of analysis was sketching - picking up on scale, materiality and positioning.
This exercised furthered my findings from my Public Private study, highlighting a progression towards more permeable civic structures over time. As such, the civic centre I designed was rooted in three concepts: Fragmentation, Asymmetry and Permeability (as seen left).
Plans & Model | 1.5 Floor Plans | Autocad & Illustrator
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First Floor Plan
10m
Key 7. Lecture Hall (dark) 8. Library 9. Staff Room 10. Saraswati Shrine 11. Cleansing Pool 12. Private Washing
13. Vanity / Towel Room 14. Individual Prayer 15. Collaborative Studio I 16. Workshop 17. Robotic Storage System 18. Public Cafe
19. South Entrance 20. Market Space 21. Collaborative Studio II 22. Outdoor Food Court 23. Cafeteria 24. Kitchen
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Ground Floor Plan
1. Accommodation Entrance 2. Registration Desk 3. Classroom 4. Individual Study 5. Recreation Room 6. Lecture Hall (light)
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25. Enterprise Stores 26. Amphitheatre
1. Accommodation 2. Showers and WC 3. Recreation Room 4. Balcony 5. Atrium 6. Meeting Rooms
7. Bookable Workspace 8. CAD Room 9. LAB 10. Digital Fabrication 11. Private Courtyards
Visualisations | 1.6
Visualisations | Sketchup, Photoshop, Illustrator & Clay
| 2.0
Repatriation Gardens Carterton, Oxfordshire
The Brief This first semester brief centred itself around the nomad. Our challenge was to analyse UK-based rituals and uncover a space where an architecture could exist to support it. As an introduction to remote exploration, due to the pandemic, the brief also asked students to create a short film exploring themes, concepts, problem spaces and an overall narrative to establish an architecture.
My Research My initial research looked into funeral procession practice in the UK which eventually led me to investigating the repatriations that took place during the Afghanistan war through Royal Wootton Bassett. My research uncovered the media frenzy these organic ceremonies attracted which ultimately soured the ritual for many families and friends of the deceased soldiers.
Final Outcome My final architecture provided a private haven for family, friends and locals to practice the ritual in a space designed to guide grievance without the heavy presence of the media. By analysing the current ritual I built up an image of the ceremonial landscape which then became the foundation for designing a more purpose-built landscape.
Prayer Elevation | Sketchup & Photoshop
Royal Wootton Bassett | 2.1 During the conflict in Afghanistan, a small town in Wiltshire became subject to welcoming home fallen British soldiers. The town sat between RAF Lyneham, where soldiers where flown in to, and John Radcliffe’s Hospital in Oxford. The town soon took it upon itself to take this opportunity to show their respect for the ultimate sacrifice others made for their future. What began as an impromptu turnout by the locals in their tens eventually evolved into a structured ceremonial procession through the high street which welcomed thousands from across the country. Once the conflict finally came to a close, Queen Elizabeth II saw fit that the town should be recognised for their extraordinary efforts, thereby officially renaming it Royal Wootton Bassett.
Digital Collage | Photoshop
Ceremonial Landscape | 2.2
Somewhere to pray
The landscape over which the ceremony takes place is a simple one. The ceremony is made up of two interdependent elements, the fallen soldier (and the team moving them) and those paying their respects (family, friends, locals, etc). The diagram (right) illustrates the formality of the journey undertaken by the fallen soldier compared to the informality and variety of journeys taken by those onlooking. The way in which this variety is created is through the three landmarks in the town: the church, cafe and memorial.
Something to remember
Something to conduct
Somewhere to eat and drink
Somewhere to think
These individually shape the paths taken by those visiting the procession. Each landmark presents a differing gravitational pull for each individual thereby shaping their movement before the arrival of the hearse. From the point at which the hearse arrives at the bottom of the high street these informalities cease and those onlooking take up their positions in respect of the procession.
Icons and Landscape Diagram | Photoshop & Illustrator
Short Films | 2.3
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2.
Studio Set-Up
3. (1) Storyboarding; (2) First Scene Still; (3) Filming Process; (4) Clocktower Scene Still
Film 1 Film 2 https://youtu.be/W9H0mH_GRsQ https://youtu.be/PvJBfAb4Mwg
4.
My research uncovered a serious issue with the media’s presence at the ceremonies so when it came to making my film it felt wrong using their footage to stitch together my understanding. Instead, I decided to create my own footage by filming a stop-motion animation. This painstaking process was incredibly rewarding and gave me an excuse to re-watch some incredible films, from the likes of Wes Anderson, in search of inspiration.
Public Outdoor Space
Carterton | 2.4
Business
Farmland
Development sites
Residential
RAF Base
The Site (highlighted) and the Surrounding Scales | Photoshop & Illustrator
Town Composition | Photoshop & Illustrator
RAF Lyneham has since closed down and the new route for repatriations is from RAF Brize Norton, conveniently situated next to a town in which the ceremony can be continued. The town of Carterton has housed the RAF base Brize Norton since 1937. The diagram (left) illustrates how the camp accommodates about half of the town with very little separation between itself and the civilian realm.
Visualisations | 2.5
(Above) Prayer Internal Perspective, (Below) Section Through Landscape | Sketchup, Photoshop & Illustrator
(Above) Pedestrian Entrance | Sketchup, Photoshop & Illustrator
Visualisations | 2.6
(Above) Garden Past, (Below) Pergola Garden Bridge | Sketchup & Photoshop
(Above) Main Entrance, (Below) Conduct Elevation | Sketchup, Photoshop & Illustrator
| 3.0
Wiltshire Cottage Binfield, Berkshire
The Brief Wiltshire Cottage was my first solo project I was hired for just a couple of months after finishing my degree. The property is a Grade II listed, 16th Century cottage which was recently bought by Mr and Mrs Hedderly. The clients really wanted to create a new extension housing a kitchen living space and took me on as Lead Designer to guide them through planning.
My Research In my first meeting with the clients I visited the site. It was very obvious to me that the property was already over-developed and the likelihood of planning and conservation officers granting yet another extension was very slim. Instead, I suggested we took the existing 1980s garage and convert that into their dream kitchen living area.
Final Outcome The final design is a clever re-use of existing space which pleases both the clients and the officers involved in granting permission. I drew and collaged this elevation to the left as a final piece to the planning submission to help the officers visualise the image I had put together with the clients. Overall, I had a fantastic time designing this space and was incredibly lucky to have been trusted with this so early on in my career.
Collaged Elevation | Autocad & Photoshop
Proposed Drawings | 3.1 Here are three selected drawings from the full planning set I put together for the clients. The main design concept was to provide a modern standard of living for this couple and their young family. They have the most beautiful rose garden which was not appreciated internally from the house, by introducing large sliding doors we could create a seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle allowing the rose garden into the heart of the home.
BOILER
As a contradiction to this the couple wanted the space to feel like a snug. I suggested we put a stove in the corner of the space and form a window seat in the existing garage door opening.
Plan and Sections | Autocad
ORIEL WINDOW SEAT TO LIVING SPACE
WINDOW OPENING MADE LARGER TO ACCOMMODATE NEW EXTERNAL DOOR
| 4.0
Work in Practice London & Home Counties
The Practice DRY Architects is a small practice based in Fitzrovia, London specialising in listed buildings. Run by two managing directors, the practice has an incredible track record of achieving some of the most challenging planning and listed building consents in London and the Home Counties. They have a beautiful sensitivity towards historic features whilst also balancing clean contemporary design.
My Experience I first joined the practice in my placement year sandwiched between my second and final year at university. I have now rejoined the practice since leaving university. I have been exposed to the most amazing variety of experiences, including drafting, 3D modelling, designing plans and details, client meetings, site meetings, sourcing, D&A statements, Heritage Reports and lodging planning applications.
What Next? Whilst I have loved my time at DRY, I want to gain as much experience as I can in as many sectors as possible. High-end residential will always be close to my heart but I see myself designing more than just homes.
Proposed Section | Autocad & Photoshop
Drawing | 4.1 102 Pavilion Road Proposed Elevation and Section | Autocad Existing Neighboring Roof Garden
70 Cadogan Gardens Existing Elevation | Autocad
All dimensions to be checked on site prior to construction or manufacture. Do not scale from this drawing. Refer also to written specification of works where applicable. Any discrepancies to be verified with Architects prior to commencement of works.
Planted Roof Garden
New Glass Balustrade Matching 104
All dimensions to be checked on site prior to construction or manufacture. Do not scale from this drawing. Refer also to written specification of works where applicable. Any discrepancies to be verified with Architects prior to commencement of works.
This drawing is the property of DRY Architects Limited. They reserve copyright, and the drawing issued on the condition that it is not retained by any unauthorised person. It may not be reproduced or disclosed, either wholly or in part without written consent from DRY Architects Limited.
REVISION:
DESCRIPTION:
DATE:
Rev.
Description
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Handrail continued after break in roof This drawing is the property of DRY Architects Limited. They reserve hatch copyright,
and the drawing issued on the condition that it is not retained by any unauthorised person. It may not be reproduced or disclosed, either wholly or in part without written consent from DRY Architects Limited. All dimensions to be checked on site prior to construction or manufacture.
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Do not scale from this drawing. Refer also to written specification of works where applicable. Any discrepancies to be verified with Architects prior to commencement of works.
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REVISION:
This drawing is the property of DRY Architects Limited. They reserve copyright, and the drawing issued on the condition that it is not retained by any P1 unauthorised person. It may not be reproduced or disclosed, either wholly or in part without written consent from DRY Architects Limited.
P2
REVISION:
DESCRIPTION:
DATE:
Rev.
Description
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DESCRIPTION:
DATE:
PREPARED FOR PLANNING
11.11.21
PREPARED FOR ROOF PLANNING
12.11.21
Key: 1. Rooflights flush to roof 2. Flat conservation rooflight above stairwell 3. New double door to terrace
New storage reusing existing in Bedroom
New tread added and landing raised by 200mm
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FEASIBILITY
DRYARCHITECTS PROJECT:
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Rear Elevation
Proposed Section C
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38 Lennox Gardens Proposed Elevation and Axonometric | Autocad & Sketchup
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Kim Oxenham Proposed Section C
DATE:
Scale: 1:50
Proposed Front Elevation
DWG. NO:
Scale: 1:100
1 New Glass Balustrade Matching 104
Facing building - line approximate
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PLANNING
DRYARCHITECTS PROJECT:
DRYARCHITECTS
October 2021
5313-012
SCALE: 1:50 @ A3 REVISION:
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CHARTERED ARCHITECTS ADDRESS: 48 Charlotte Street, London, W1T2NS TEL: 0207 221 6161 FAX: 0207 243 6134 EMAIL: info@dryarchitects.co.uk WEB: www.dryarchitects.co.uk
Scale: 1:50
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102 Pavilion Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 0AX
CLIENT: DRAWING:
102 Pavilion Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 0AX
PROJECT:
Top Flat, 38 Lennox Gardens, SW1X 0DH
CLIENT:
Kim Oxenham
CLIENT:
Monica Pignal
DRAWING:
Proposed Elevations
DRAWING:
Existing & Proposed Front & Rear Elevations
Design | 4.2 Poolhouse Concept | Sketchup
OBSERVATION TOWER
ROOF TERRACE
Working in such a small practice has allowed me to have an input on the design stages of some of our projects. This has grown more so since rejoining the practice. I am often given free reign to design new floor plans, elevations and even things as large as poolhouses in one instance!
COURTYARD BELOW
ROOF GARDEN
OUTDOOR RESTAURANT
BEDROOM 5
EN SUITE
BEDROOM 4
BEDROOM 3
EN SUITE
BEDROOM 2
EN SUITE
DRESS
EN SUITE
KITCHEN
CANOPY
EN SUITE
NEW ESCAPE STAIR
BALCONY
GLAZED LANTERN BEDROOM 1
BAR
DINING
PRIVATE ROOF TERRACE UNIT 5.1
LIVING CL
UTILITY
Proposed Roof Garden & Penthouse | Autocad
BALCONY
KITCHEN
283
3159
Detailing | 4.3
440
771
Tile adhesive with tiles on top
RWP
STEEL MESH WELDED TO PERIMETER TO ALLOW LIGHT BELOW
6mm Ditra heat matt + electric underfloor heating
air outlets (high level)
1973
18mm WBP ply RW40 insulation between battens
18mm WBP ply
50x50 tantalised timber battens with acoustic strips on top
2No layers of 12.5mm plasterboard with plaster skim coat and finishes
Self leveling latex on existing concrete floor
METER AND MESH PLAN 'Isover' insulation
Scale: 1:20
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12mm WBP ply with 6mm wedi board between studs
TIMBER MILLBOARD DECKING RUNNING AT SAME ANGLE AS INTERIOR FLOORBOARDS
Concealed cistern zone 10mm tiles + adhesive
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TERRACE PLAN WITH PLANTERS, DECKING AND FURNITURE
Lightwell Terrace | Autocad
Scale: 1:20
Base metal stud 12.5mm plasterboard on dabs with plaster skim finish Existing concrete floor Line of slab to form opening for new stair
Sauna floor and wall build-up | Autocad Steel Staircase | Autocad STEEL CUT AROUND DOWNPIPES
Brick wall of existing extension of adjacent property
Fake living wall fixed
Existing footing as exposed on site
150x75mm steel channel
Concrete wall
AIL Scale: 1:2
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SECTION THROUGH DECK Scale: 1:20
3229
25mm thick Millboard to sit on steel grid flush with internal floor level
Photography | 4.4
Public to Private | Double Exposure Photography
Documents | 4.5 Design and Access Statement Mockup | Indesign and Photoshop
I really love writing and formatting documents used during the planning stage of projects. These are usually either heritage or design and access reports and require a detailed understanding of the project and existing building. I am a strong believer in all aspects of our output reflecting our contemporary beliefs at DRY and therefore designed this template (right) for all of our subsequent documents to follow.
Outside of Work Sketch | Graphite
A1 Stippled Architectural Concept | Fine Liner
Stippling Experiments | Photoshop & Illustrator
A Window Home | Oil Painting Stippling Experiments | Photoshop & Illustrator
joshua.sparks@hotmail.co.uk +44 777 593 8662 @studio__sparks