Kieran Withey Job Application Portfolio 2023

Kieran Withey

Seed Gallery, Masters Yr 2

Final Individual Project

All Roads Lead to Turin 2050, The Greenest City in Italy

Turin 2030, Masters Yr 2 Masterplan Project

Victoria Road, Frome Phase I, Context Planning.

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Pylle Manor, Context Planning.

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Victoria Road, Frome Phase II, Context Planning.

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Utopia, Undergrad Final project.

*please view portfolio as spreads.

Profile:

Kieran Withey, Curriculum vitae

Having graduated from the University of Bath with a Masters in Architecture (MArch, Part II RIBA), I am seeking to secure a position in a design or project team. My education and work experience has provided me with core skills in architectural design, urban design and construction, as evidenced by my portfolio of work. Furthermore, my experience has taught me to appreciate the importance of working collaboratively within a team when designing. The opportunities I have had in my professional and educational life have developed me into a motivated, open-minded and passionate young designer.

My ambition is to become an architect who develops sustainable practices alongside design decisions, focusing on design that is durable in terms of both materiality and social change.

Contact: Email: kieranwithey@yahoo.co.uk

Telephone: (+44) 07878431601

Education: Masters of Architecture MArch (Honours)

University of Bath 2021-2023

Bachelors of Architecture BSc (First Class)

University of the West of England, Bristol 2016-2019

Extended Diploma Construction, Design and the Built Environment. Bath City College 2014-2016

Achieved A*A*A* (Triple Distinction) and awarded Student of the Year

GCSE - Art, History, Music, Maths, English, Science and IT, Sexeys School Bruton 2009-2014

Work: Part I & Part II Architectural Assistant at Context Planning Ltd., Bath, UK

October 2019- Present

Architectural assistant working as part of a team on a variety of projects at different stages. Assisting at all stages of the project from initial sketch designs, through design drawings and illustrations to construction details. Much of the work has been in the domestic sector. This has included adaptations of historic properties such as Grade II* Pyle Manor, bespoke houses and medium scale developments such as 11 houses in Victoria Road, Frome.

Work: Key responsibilities included:

• Meeting and communicating with primary client.

• Liaising with construction professionals regarding construction details and mechanical and electrical plans.

• Working closely with senior planning consultant.

• Producing planning documents including Design and Access statements and heritage statements.

• Producing working construction drawings.

• Lead on several small scale domestic projects.

• Multi-managing several projects at once.

Key Achievements:

• The completion of several projects from initial client meetings through to handover.

• Take the lead on several design projects.

• Working on Pyle Manor a grade II* protected manor.

Lakeside Garden Centre, Crockerton 2014-2021 Garden Centre assistant. Various roles including customer service and horticultural knowledge.

Skills: • AutoCAD,

• Vectorworks 2D,

• Sketchup (with endscape add on),

• Revit,

• Adobe Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator,

• Model making.

My visual communication skills, both in terms of architectural visuals and graphic design, is one of my strongest skills. This has been highlighted by several visiting architectural critics and tutors during my architectural education. I have also developed excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and client satisfaction throughout my Masters degree and professional career. I also flourish in a collaborative team environment, either taking the lead or working as part of a team.

Interest: Analogue photography, both 35mm and 120 (medium format), is my other main passion. I think film photography, like architecture, has given me a different insight into how I view the environment around me. It has taught me that if you look closely, there is always a beautiful moment and story to be framed, even in the ordinary. It allows you to engage with the image in the same way that good architecture should engage with its surroundings and people.

References: Mark Reynolds BSc MSc MRTPI, Context Planning. Email: mark@contextplanning.co.uk

Ms Jayne Barlow, University of Bath, Design Tutor. Email: jb816@bath.ac.uk

Professor Alexander Wright, University of Bath, Design Tutor. Email: absaw@bath.ac.uk

Po Valley Seed Gallery Master Individual Project

The project premise is that the future climate models forecast both a temperature change as well as a precipitation change between 2023 and 2050. The future predictions illustrate a need to improve our existing agricultural model moving away from the monoculture and look to implement a more biodiverse regenerative model. Additionally, these future climate concerns coupled with the tendency to follow a monoculture of biodiversity could result in the loss of local varieties of fruit, nut and vegetable as well the traditional artisan techniques that accompany them.

The Seed Gallery will look to develop the work of The Slow Food Movement’s Ark of Taste, developing the virtual seed bank into a physical one. In addition, the Seed Gallery will take an active role in the future preservation of these traditional varieties and techniques through seed research and agricultural development. To further promote the preservation of these varieties and artisan techniques, The Eataly Seed Gallery café will showcase their taste to the public.

Seed Gallery Campus,

1. Seed Research

2. Seed Preservation

3. Eataly & Market Gallery

4. Greenhouse

5. Test beds

6. Orchard

Eataly and Market Gallery:

The Market Gallery and Eataly building is located at the Western point of the site, serving as the gateway between Parc Nuova and the Seed Gallery. Its purpose is to showcase the gallery’s work and engage the public in conservation efforts. The building consists of two main types of spaces: Eataly, which highlights traditional products and artisan techniques through food, and the Market Gallery, a space for sharing knowledge and products. The architectural design emphasizes the transition from darkness to light, guiding and intriguing visitors as they enter the courtyard. These features, along with a break in the orchard, aim to create a clear and atmospheric entry into the world of seeds.

Light Diagram

Seed Gallery threshold

Eataly and Market Gallery Entrance

Eataly and Market Gallery Isometric illustrating the transition from the orchard to the controlled courtyard beds.

Eataly Exterior Orchard Seating

Detail A-A

1. 90mm lightly reinforced concrete screed with underfloor pipes.

200mm Rigid Insulation

Block and Beam floor

2. 356 x 127 x 33 Mild Steel Universal Beam RSJ

Timber blocking

Preformed 150mm insulated panel mechanically fixed to timber blocking and rafters.

3. 250mm x 75mm c24 timber rafter @ 600mm centres.

Wood fibre acoustic panels

Vapour control

150mm insulated plywood panel

Breathable membrane

50mm timber battens

Corrugated metal roofing sheets

*all rafter to be mechanically fixed with cleats to steel eaves beam.

Seed Preservation Building:

The Seed Preservation Building is designed to fulfill the brief of creating a physical archive for the Ark of Taste. It serves the purpose of cataloguing and preserving seeds, following a strict process for proper storage. The building plan reflects this process, with a significant portion of the floor area dedicated to two laboratories for seed cleaning and sorting. The Seed Gallery employs three methods of seed preservation: long-term storage at -20ºC, shortterm storage at 5ºC, and a living seed bank showcased in the inner courtyard. While the public is welcome to enter the building, they can only observe from a distance due to the rigorous process, which allows for the framing of views that connect the process, seeds, and storage.

Seed preservation process

Seed preservation process on Ground plan

Seeds and dried plants enter drying room one: 15ºC with 15% Humidity.

Seeds are taken to first lab to be cleaned and x-rayed.

Seeds are taken to drying room two: 18ºC with 15% humidity.

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Seeds are taken to second lab to be further cleaned x rayed and sorted ready for storage.

Seeds are taken to short term 5ºC storage

Seeds are taken to long term -20ºC storage or

The concept of walking over and looking down in the Seed Preservation Building serves two purposes: a better visual connection with small seeds on the table and an elevated view that connects all processes within the building. A significant visual link is established between the walkway, the 5ºC seed storage area, and the external living seed bank. The displayed seeds inside correspond to those in the living seed bank, creating a coherent connection. Moreover, the visual connection to the lab process offers a complete picture of the Seed Preservation Building.

Seed preservation isometric illustrates the three types of preservation adopted and visual connections.

Seed Research Building: Growing chambers are controlled environments where botanist can carry out a variety of growing experiments. Each chamber can control how light, wet, dry or humid the environment is. The scope of these chambers is that they can be used for the replication of future environments.

Seed Research Building: Growing chamber isometric illustrates the technical build up of each unit, as well as how visitors look into the space and out over the test beds.

Common Language:

Eataly and Market Gallery

Seed Preservation Building

Exterior wall to Parc Nuova

Greenhouse

Seed Research Gallery

Seed Research Gallery Wall Via Nizza

Proposed Wall

Existing Wall

The broken brick work on the proposed wall stems from the concept of reusing the piles of bricks left on the site after the demolition of the previous railway sheds. Rather than discarding or crushing these bricks, they will be used as a feature, adding a second layer of texture to a plain wall and celebrating the patina of the site’s history.

All Roads Lead to Turin 2050, The Greenest City in Italy

Overall Ambitions

Turin Masterplan

Master’s yr2 Group Project

Turin is currently the most polluted city in Europe, discounted from its surrounding nature and is failing to champion anything. The masterplan therefore looks to rectify these three identified problems as well as sow the seeds for Turin to become the greenest city in Italy by 2050. To sow the seeds for the future of Turin the masterplan looks to implement its future ideas into a small test bed area before being rolled out across the city. The first phase of the Turin 2050 goal looks to redevelop the redundant Porta Nuova and surrounding area into the Monferrato Hills. By subdividing this area into the following sections: cultivate, germinate, and innovate, there is a greater opportunity to test solutions to the three problems identified earlier.

The overall ambition of the masterplan is by 2030 Turin, that has seen an increase in it’s population due to it being a place for young professionals wanting to live, has become a destination for people to visit and is on track to becoming the greenest city in Italy by 2050.

Identity Crisis Polluted Valley Disjointed City

The three main identified problems with the city and the areas interventions will be developed to solve.

Turin 2050:

Turin 2050

The 2050 Plan looks at the overall strategic steps that would need to be taken to make Turin the greenest city in Italy, as well as solutions to the three problems we identified. The first phase would be the small local area, which would act as a test bed before other areas of the city are developed to follow the same interventions.

Proposal Concepts:

Train Station Redevelopment:

By re-routing the train lines a new development zone is created that can act as the heart of the city. The historical old train station building will be preserved and used as a mixed use facility. The train tracks will then become the base for the new Parco Lineare (linear park) and innovate zone.

False Sprawl:

Turin, like many other developing European cities, grew around a historic core. However, due to Fiat’s dominance and control in the 20th century, Turin’s urban development differed from other cities. Fiat created a false sprawl by developing a large industrial zone on the city’s perimeter, which is now abandoned. This led to unfocused growth and a struggling low-density sprawl around the historic core, resulting in a lack of functional purpose and identity for the neighborhoods. While housing stock is not an issue in Turin, the struggling low-density zone is functionally unsustainable and lacks a clear identity.

New City Threads:

To address the issue of Turin feeling like a disjointed city we aimed to reconnect the city to nature, specifically the Monferrato hills and River Po. We noticed that currently the city only has routes focused in a singular direction, therefore we are proposing to add more perpendicular routes and create green avenues throughout the city and back into nature.

The Local:

Cultivate:

Cultivate aims to reconnect the city to nature, specifically the Monferrato hills and River Po. This is implemented by introducing a new bridge and removing the two main roads along the river. The riverside park has been adapted to allow for a wide variety of activities and range of age groups.

Germinate:

Germinate aims to embrace the Italian culture of Turin whilst enhancing the existing conditions. The repeated courtyard typology allows for individuals to implement retrofit strategies, whilst the removal of cars allows for new green avenues and public realms to be created. Both of which push Turin’s towards being Italy’s greenest city.

Innovate:

Innovate provides a strong characteristic that aims to inspire and educate the local community. This then allows the residents and students to test and share their ideas with a focus on creating resilient agricultural test beds, whilst working in partnership with the engineering university and start ups.

To test our ideas a section of the city that we identified as having potential to be redeveloped was selected. This Local would act as a test bed for ideas that could then be rolled out across the city in phases.

Cultivate:

A key part of the redevelopment involves transforming Parco Del Valentino. Currently, the riverside park is underutilised, lacks purpose, and is uninviting. The main issue is the presence of a busy road alongside the northern edge of the River Po, effectively isolating the park from the city due to the need to cross eight lanes of traffic.

To address this, the main road will be removed, and an additional footbridge will be constructed to cross the River Po. This aims to improve the connection between the city and the 70km of underutilized hiking and cycling trails. By enhancing the connection with nature and promoting outdoor activities, the goal is to make Turin a more attractive place for young families to live.

Water Sport Centre

Natural Swimming Area

Natural Playground Rifugio- Mountain Hut

The redevelopment of the park will provide a variety of spaces for play, sports and social activities. These sports include a new pump track, skate park, outdoor gym and upgraded kids play park. As well as upgrade to the park there will be a redevelopment of existing water sports, these include new rowing facilities and swimming area.

In the Germinate Area, the focus is on infrastructure improvements and retrofit strategies due to the high number of existing buildings in the masterplan scheme. Currently, the streets are dominated by cars, resulting in air and noise pollution that creates an unpleasant and unsafe environment for pedestrians. The redesign of public transport and street design is crucial to address these issues. By prioritizing public transport, improving the tram network, and replacing on-street parking with bike lanes, a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative can be promoted. These interventions, along with the application of healthy street calculations, have shown a significant positive impact, with the overall score improving from 53 to 92.

Adopt a 20 minute walkable city within this area.

Developing the idea of the Tram Pavilions becoming a social and community centre for local people, focusing on growing. The tram stops would become centres of information for both local people and visitors, as well as places of refuge.

Retrofitting existing housing stock is a vital component of Turin’s green strategy. The typical apartment typology within the city centre is ideally suited to retrofit on a large scale, and small interventions can be made that can drastically improve the environmental efficiency of each building.

Additionally, the strategies were developed for the reuse of underground car parks.

Tram Stop Tram Pavilion

Routes

Districts

Nodes

Innovate:

The masterplan focuses on redeveloping the old railway station and surrounding tracked area, aiming to establish a new startup and industry zone. Businesses and startups associated with local universities and agricultural advancements will be encouraged, with agricultural test beds facilitating experiments within the city. The new west Turin train station will serve as a gateway, showcasing innovation as visitors travel toward the old city. A green corridor, the central spine, will feature nodal points or micro-hub centers that provide areas for pausing and experiencing different aspects of the city. These micro hubs were initially designed to address the challenge of removing delivery trucks for local cafes, restaurants, and the community.

Micro-hub Concept Drawing

Central path design.

The extendible canopy utilizes the existing train tracks as rails, increasing the flexibility of the space by infilling the covered area. This structure can be used as a pavilion for diverse activities such as outdoor cinemas, markets, and planting workshops.

Victoria Road Development: Part I

Placement

The brief for the project was to create seven, three bedroom houses aimed at young families. The site was previously a lorry repair depot and due to it being an employment site the local council stated that it had to provide a form of employment on the site. This was achieved by incorporating office space at the entrance to the site.

The architectural form took inspiration from both its surroundings in the form of red brick Edwardian terrace town houses, as well as the sites industrial past and usage. The design queue incorporates both the traditional form and scale of the Edwardian red brick terrace houses, together with a nod to the sites industrial past, by incorporating a north light design to the roof structure. This has allowed us to form additional accomodation within the roof space at second floor level as well as a light well down the central stairs.

As homage to the brick detailing on the edwardian terraces we have incorporated simple brick detailing to the facade. In addition to this, we have constrasted the brickwork with a metal roof, again taking its design queue from the original industrial buildings on the site.

Second Floor

First Floor

Ground Floor

Victoria Road Site Plan

1. Seven 3 Bedroom Dwellings

2. Office Block.

3. Victoria Road Phase 2.

65mm Screed with underfloor heating piping laid within Vapour Barrier

125mm Insulation

DPM

Beam and Block Floor

102.5mm Brick

46mm Queens Closer

70mm Cavvity

10mm Plywood

140mm Rigid Insulation

140mm Timber frame

25mm Plasterboard and Skim

Fixing Clip

18mm Plywood

40mm Battern creating a vented airspace

140mm Insulation protected by VMZ

Membrane

Fixing Clip

18mm Plywood

40mm Battern creating a vented airspace

200mm Insulation protected by VMZ

Membrane

200mm Joist

25mm plasterboard and Skim

25mm Parka Flooring

VMZINC Plus Standing seam

VMZINC Plus Standing seam

Time spent on site with contractors working out brick detailing.

Regular time spent onsite at key phases of construction.

Pylle Manor (Grade II*):

Working on Pylle Manor was as much detective work as architectural. Entering the crime scene to see and understand how the building had developed from when it was first constructed, in the late seventeenth century, to today. To also see how previous owners had added and developed the building to meet their requirments.

The owners of the property would like to refurbish and restore the building to its former glory. To remove modern additions that are not in keeping with the character of this fine Georgian house, whilst adapting the building to meet the needs of a 21st century family.

The information given to us about its past was only limited to a series of old photos and historical survey maps. So to better understand the history of the property we spent the day walking around trying to date aspects of the building. It was clear the building had some questionable adaptations and repairs carried out during the 20th century.

The proposal for the project is to remove elements that detract from the original building as well as make sympathetic repairs, all with the intention to protect the Grade II* manor house for future generations whilst meeting the demands of the 21st century.

Mystery of the ages. Portra 160

The first record of Pylle Manor dates back to the Mesolithic era, as indicated by an archaeological recording carried out in 1997. While not visible today, the site is believed to have been part of a medieval moat due to its large dimensions. During the recording, flint cores from the Mesolithic or Bronze Age and pottery sherds from the 15th-17th and 16th-17th centuries were discovered.

The oldest part of the manor is the two-storey Georgian manor house attributed to Sir Edward Berkeley. Below the house, there is a cellar whose purpose remains unclear as there is no evidence of a range, making it unlikely to have been used as a kitchen unless any evidence has been removed.

In the 19th century, the east and west wings were added to the manor. The entrance to the east wing remains intact, discovered during an on-site survey behind a false wall in a cupboard. The hipped roof of the east wing is still present, although concealed by a modern extension.

Photographic evidence reveals minimal changes to Pylle Manor’s front facade from the early 19th to the early 20th century. However, significant alterations occurred at the rear, including the addition of a chimney and a greenhouse. These modifications resulted in the blocking of a window and the loss of symmetry. The greenhouse was adapted to fit the property, noticeable by its offset ridge and back gutter.

In the late 20th century, a Tudor-style extension was added to the east wing of Pylle Manor. It is uncertain whether the extension was designed to look Tudor or if it is an authentic Tudor structure brought to Pylle and adapted. During this time, there was likely a chimney fire, leading to significant charring of the original roof trusses in the main house. The roof was subsequently refurbished, with the addition of a dormer and cornicing. Around the same time, a small lean to was added to the rear of the property.

The proposal aims to remove elements of the building that negatively impact its original form and symmetry, including the 20th-century leanto, redundant chimney, and greenhouse. This will restore the Georgian character and fenestration, significantly improving the historic asset. The plan involves reopening existing doorways and implementing sympathetic repairs to rectify poorly executed alterations. For example, the chimney on the north elevation will be rebuilt in ashlar stone to match the one on the east side. Additionally, poorly repointed stonework will be replaced with lime pointing to match the existing. None of these changes will result in the loss of original historic fabric.

My involvement in the project initially focused on historical mapping of Pylle Manor and assisting with the heritage report that accompanied the planning permission documents. During the construction phase, considerable time was spent on site assisting the contractor with detailing and structural investigations, as well as assisting the client with interior design decisions.

The affect of Death watch Beatle.

Reed Plastering.

Victoria Road Development: Phase II

Victoria Road Phase 2, commissioned by the same developer as Phase 1, the client was looking for two marketable homes, aimed at the family market. Both houses were designed to create a private rear garden with an open plan living space with a kitchen and a separate snug / media room.

As part of the brief the developer asked for sustainable services to be incorporated into the design. These included MVHR, solar panels and air source heat pumps.

I was heavily involved in this scheme from the development of the plan and elevations through to the design and finally the working drawings.

Ground Floor Plan

Street Scene Site

North East Elevation

North West Elevation

New Wharf: New Dawn Traders Masters Yr 1 Final Project

The project is located in Bristol on the edge of the historic floating harbour. The project aims to provide a new centre for a small organisation called New Dawn Traders, who want to reintroduce the concept of sailing quality raw produce from around the world back to Bristol. The brief looks at the process of storing large quantities of bulk produce as well as the process of converting bulk raw produce into smaller sizes for sale.

The nature of this first year was about the exploration of the design process and the rapid testing of different ideas through the use of weekly exercises and design games.

Development of project through sketches, exploring detail along side the massing of the project.

Final itteration at submission.

Initial modeling of scheme.

Further development using models.

Exploring the timber facade through scaled models.

New Wharf

Exploring the language of the timber walkway and how this can be applied across the site.

Walkway and accomodation

Neutopia: Post Brexit Society

Undergraduate Final Project

“Arrival To Neutopia” explores a society born from the aftermath of Brexit. Amidst the uncertainty caused by the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the project envisions a dystopian scenario where a ‘No deal’ Brexit has occurred.

Drawing inspiration from Sir Thomas More’s book “Utopia,” written in 1551, the project explores how More’s vision of a perfect society could influence architecture in a postapocalyptic, post-Brexit UK. The core spaces required for this new society reflect its emphasis on purity, communal living, self-sufficiency, craft, and academia. The goal is to design architecture that aligns with the values of this society.

The Arrival to Neutopia

All items brought to Vtopiae by either the nomadic scavengers or from within the district are catalogued, recorded and stored so the society can see what they have too little or too much of. Resources and items that are useful to the society e.g. books, batteries and tools must be requested out. General items can be traded within the society.

The Arrival of goods into wharf

Developing from the narrative of revival of old knowledge, the classical orders have been followed to determine the proportions of the columns and thus the room heights. The dimension of the single brick determins the dimension of the brick column. The height of the column and the room height is then determined by the classical order.

Tectonic Purity

The pods orientated north west are done so to ensure that first light enters the building to wake the occupants.

Creation of a new daily routine as described by More.

Cluster of living pods.