Sophie Grace Collins Portfolio

20 21

1

SOPHIE GRACE COLLINS ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO 20/21 MA ARCHITECTURE NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVE OF THE COLLECTIVE INTERIOR

Contents

HOUSE OF RUIN

2020/21

4 - ARB Criteria 6 - Critical Introduction 8 - Execution 10 - Escape from Confinement 12 - Defining the Brief 14 - Deconstructing Domesticity 14 - Sequential Collage 20 - Hand Drawn Generative Image 22 - Working Methdology 24 - Gordon Matta Clark Precedent Study 26 - Significance of the Blue Planes 28 - Threshold Moments of Interest 28 - Secondary Stairwell 30 - Ground Floor Central Staircase 32 - Reminder of the Triptych 2

34 - Scaffold System Study 34 - Claremont House, Private Development 36 - Promoting Engagement of Silent Residents 38 - Triptych Illustrating Glimpses of Interaction 40 - Smoke and Mirrors 42 - Relationship Between Dialogue and Destruction Henrik Ibsen, Master Builder Gordon Matta Clark, Bingo 44 - Tools of Deception: John Cleater 46 - Tools of Deception: Adelbert Ames

Following on from Semester 1 the protagonist has escaped from confinement....

48 - Intervention

Covid-19 continues to disrupt everyday life and as a result the pent up frustration of the monotony of daily life and the ritualistic routines carried out within the dwelling subsequently results in the breakdown of the surrounding walls - allowing the figure to escape.

50 - Final Triptych 53 - Afterword 55 - Bibliography 56 - List of Illustrations

The reconfiguration and transformation of the complex shown in this portfolio enhances the work of Semester 1 and tells the narrative of how the building responds to the body in a performative way.

The work is more reminiscent of paper architecture which was never intended to be saleable, produced, or constructed. Instead this portfolio is a polemical critical enquiry highlighting the treatment of students during this period of time and documents a unique situation within architectural education.

57 - Appendix

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

3

ARB Criteria Relevant content responding to the relevant criteria is disclosed throughout the portfolio. I have been able to critcally assess which criteria I have met, and what I need to focus on in the remainder of my studies.

GC1 Ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements.

1. Prepare and present building design projects of

diverse scale, complexity, and type in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and in response to a brief;

2. Understand the constructional and structural systems,

the environmental strategies and the regulatory

requirements that apply to the design and construction

of a comprehensive design project;

3. Develop a conceptual and critical approach to

architectural design that integrates and satisfies the aesthetic aspects of a building and the technical requirements of its construction and the needs of the user.

4

GC5 Understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale.

GC9 Adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate.

1. The needs and aspirations of building users;

2. The impact of buildings on the environment, and the

precepts of sustainable design;

3. The way in which buildings fit in to their local context.

GC6 Understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors.

GC10 The necessary design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations.

1. The nature of professionalism and the duties and

responsibilities of architects to clients, building users, GC2 Adequate knowledge of the histories and theories of archi constructors, co-professionals and the wider society; tecture and the related arts, technologies and human

2. The role of the architect within the design team and sciences.

construction industry, recognising the importance of current methods and trends in the construction of the

1. The cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories

built environment;

and technologies that influence the design of buildings;

3. The potential impact of building projects on existing

2. The influence of history and theory on the spatial,

and proposed communities

social, and technological aspects of architecture;

3. The application of appropriate theoretical concepts to

studio design projects, demonstrating a reflective and GC7 Understanding of the methods of investigation and prepa critical approach. ration of the brief for a design project.

1. Principles associated with designing optimum visual, thermal and acoustic environments; 2. Systems for environmental comfort realised within relevant precepts of sustainable design; 3. Strategies for building services, and ability to integrate these in a design project.

1. Critically examine the financial factors implied in

varying building types, constructional systems, and

specification

choices, and the impact of these on architectural design;

2. Understand the cost control mechanisms which

operate during the development of a project;

3. Prepare designs that will meet building users’

requirements and comply with UK legislation, appropri-

ate performance standards and health and safety require ments

GC11 Adequate knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning.

1. the fundamental legal, professional and statutory

responsibilities of the architect, and the organisations,

regulations and procedures involved in the negotiation

and approval of architectural designs, including land law,

development control, building regulations and health

and safety legislation;

2. the professional inter-relationships of individuals and

organisations involved in procuring and delivering

architectural projects, and how these are defined

through contractual and organisational structures;

3. the basic management theories and business

principles related to running both an architect’s practice and

architectural projects, recognising current and emerging

trends in the construction industry.

GC3 Knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design.

1. The need to critically review precedents relevant to

the function, organisation and technological strategy of

design proposals; 2. The need to appraise and prepare building briefs of

1. How the theories, practices and technologies of the arts

diverse scales and types, to define client and user influence architectural design;

requirements and their appropriateness to site and

2. The creative application of the fine arts and their context;

relevance and impact on architecture; 3. The contributions of architects and co-professionals

3. The creative application of such work to studio design

to the formulation of the brief, and the methods of

projects, interms of their conceptualisation and

investigation used in its preparation. representation.

GC4 Adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process.

1. Theories of urban design and the planning of communities;

2. The influence of the design and development of cities,

past and present on the contemporary built environment;

3. Current planning policy and development control

legislation, including social, environmental and economic

aspects, and the relevance of these to design development.

GC8 Understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with building design.

1. The investigation, critical appraisal and selection of

alternative structural, constructional and material

systems relevant to architectural design;

2. Strategies for building construction, and ability

to integrate knowledge of structural principles and construction techniques;

3. The physical properties and characteristics of

building materials, components and systems, and the

environmental impact of specification choices.

Revised Work

Amendments made following the final review New pieces of work following the final review

5

Critical Introduction

Most recent newspaper articles referring to the treatment of students during the pandemic

6

Conditions of Covid-19 The 3rd lockdown which began 4th January 2021 exacerbated any prior frustration and anxieties during the pandemic. All sense of stability was destroyed as policies and agendas kept on changing, in light of the escalating number of cases. Students were expected to carry on with their respective degrees. The number of deaths in England from the beginning of Semester 1 to the beginning of Semester 2 rose 87% from approximately 9,005 total deaths in late September, to 16,845 total deaths in early January (Office for National Statistics, 2021).

My own dwelling which I presumed to be a place of safety is marketed as the ‘ideal’ place to stay during the pandemic; a space to ‘quarantine in comfort’ (Hello Student, 2020). This to my mind is simply capitalizing from a major public health, social and economic crisis.

According to Wagner (2020), companies are ‘using such crisis for shameless self-promotion’.

Responsibilities of the Architect An architectural firm has the capacity to ‘limit the human emotions, interactions and activities that take place’ within a building (Ritchie, p.124). Hello Student’s, remit in the provision of upmarket student accommodation seemed to prioritise high returns for its investors. The complex was obsessively compartmentalised into studio flats, which restricted the opportunities for social interaction for its residents.

The rich heritage of the buildings were selectively utilised as a marketing tool (only using images of the ornate House 21).

7

According to Historic England (2021), heritage is ‘all inherited resources which people value for reasons beyond mere utility’. However, it seems that the prevalence of functionality over its cultural heritage, has unfortunately created sterile living conditions within the complex. The experience of 3 lockdowns over the last year (and for some individuals forced ISOLATION), has for many, heightened their appreciation of the importance of visual stimulation within our lives.

The Theory Fine artist Francis Bacon continues to be the inspiration for the representation style of my work and the theories of escapism and entrapment of the protagonist are followed through. Gordon Matta Clarke’s destructive practices become a leading subject of enquiry which evolve into illusory studies questioning what is reality and what is an illusion.

The Self A key development from the work of Semester 1 is that my own personal experiences initially at a micro scale are being pushed outwards to a macro scale; creating opportunities for exploration.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

8

Execution - Chapter 01 -

9

According to Gilles Deleuze, (2003, p. xii) the ‘Figure’, characteristic of Bacon’s work can be interrupted as the

‘entire body trying to escape, to flow out of itself... entire body trying to flee, to disgorge itself through a tip or a hole’.

(Deleuze, 2020, p.45).

The two sets of triptychs opposite reflect the themes expressed within Bacon’s work. From left to right the figure (which represents myself) is bound to the corners of the cage.

Via an interaction with an awkward and weak joint in the building fabric - the figure, wrestles with the constraints placed upon her (metaphorically and physically), then bursts out and breaks free.

Remnants of constraints are left on the desk and the figure is left to explore.

10

In this composition I reappropriated materials found around my house including: tights, pipe cleaners, brown paper and an old shoe box. Therefore, not only does the output reflect Bacon’s representation style but also the methodology discussed within the previous portfolio - outlining the use of domestic materials to create his work.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

To be continued...

11

Defining the brief:

1.

the existing fabric of Claremont Place and

the realities of student life.

2.

fragments of this residential complex for a more discursive analysis

3. Utilisation of scaffold to act as the main architectural intervention 12

in exposing the building; breaking the conventions of the traditional spatial unit.

13

4. Deepening the level of into my own personal domestic circumstances; relating my current experiences to the wider context of the whole complex.

5. Redefining the spatial situations within these buildings; breaking down thresholds to uncover engaging

Gordon Matta-Clark: Conical Intersect, 1975

- GC1 - GC2.3 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Domesticity

Claremont Place Student Accommodation

House 25

14

15

The following three handmade collages represent firstly the complete façades of houses 26 to 19 (left to right) and the subsequent modification of the complex by the demolition of selective walls - triggered by the figure escaping the frame.

The last image corresponds with the detailed axonometric on pages 20-21

16

17

18

19

‘The scenographic house... excites a particular sense of the uncanny because a home, a ubiquitous place of solidity, shelter, tranquility and security, is suddenly positioned entirely out of its context on a theatre stage, an essentially ephemeral space where drama, intrigue, surprise and deconstruction reign.’

(Dixon, 2010, p.13)

20

21

Working left to right - selective aspects of Houses 26 - 19 with particular interest drawn to House 21. Here, details of interest include: the servants stairwell to the rear of the property; the celebratory grand staircase and uninhabited basement rooms that lie under House 22. These only came to my attention after close analysis of the original plans.

Hand drawn generative image that challenges conventional interpretations of architecture, by tearing down the walls to expose the self-contained isolated dwellings (as an expression of my desire to escape from my own restrictive domesticity). The drawing methodology made me subjectively question what should be brought to the viewers’ attention with regards to the internal obstacles. The blue planes represent the internal walls that have been manipulated or torn away to reveal a specific detail; taking inspiration from the work of Gordon Matta-Clark.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Working methodology

22

23

On reflection, after completing House 26 and 25 (furthest left) I knew I could convey the meaning behind the whole drawing without the need to fully execute the details of all seven blocks within the complex. I therefore went from a condensed and intricate representation of Houses 26 and 25 into a more abstract and spread out representation for the remaining houses: the realisation of the time constraints I faced became very apparent.

The working methodology allowed me to obsessively critique, analyse and understand the complex better.

Furthermore, it allowed me subjectively choose the features that I wanted to show - which would inform the subsequent drawings.

Transcript of an interview with Matta-Clark (Wall, 1976, p.79)

Gordon Matta-Clark

(Right) My handmade collage of House 21’s central staircase.

This reflects the spirit of MattaClark’s representation style (see left)- portraying the destruction identified in my A1 drawing (see below)

24

Splitting, 1974

Domestic space is where we presumably have greatest agency.

We can select objects that are useful and meaningful, and claim them as our own. However, as suggested by Gordon Matta-Clark the legacy of the notion of ‘home’ is unstable and should be questioned.

This destructive practice demonstrated to me that the home is perpetually an unfinished project and ‘offers a position towards architecture as a continuum rather than a finished article’ (Lucas, 2020, p.45).

In his piece entitled ‘Bronx Floors: Threshole 1972’ (see following page) Matta-Clark proactively demonstrated to Bronx residents the need to reclaim some form of control over the built environment, ‘even as the city was indifferently tearing (itself) down around them’ (Hilburg, 2018).

The physical tears (seen in Matta Clark’s work and my own) allows the viewer to pass through architecture. This should dilute the feeling of entrapment by observing a palimpsest of spaces.

25

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5.1 - GC6 - GC7.1 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Destruction of the existing fabric

26

27

Gordon Matta-Clark Bronx Floors: Threshole 1972 Initially I followed a nostalgic whim of tearing down the partition walls which had been installed during modern times (see blue planes). This in fact would reveal the building’s historic character and facilitate the demise of the isolated individual homes into a more wholesome, complete halls of residence.

I know by talking to the site’s night security, original Victorian features have been hidden behind false cupboards and walls. By stripping back the modern alterations, (following the work of Matta-Clark) the heritage of the building would be exposed and celebrated.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5.1 - GC6 - GC7.1 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

28

SEQUENCE 1A

House 21: Secondary Stairwell

29

The triptych seen above includes (from left to right) a current photograph of the servants’ stairwell in House 21 with a superimposed figure demolishing the plasterboard panel surrounding the recessed fire extinguisher cabinet which sits within the void. Via communication with the University porter of 2013, I was informed that a dumb waiter existed in this stairwell. This individual was invited to look around Claremont Place (still owned by Newcastle University) before it was acquired by Ziggurat Student Living. The photographs taken are a true representation of the condition of the building prior to its transformation into student accommodation.

Happy to share. I used to love exploring this building when I was portering at the Uni. It really was a beautiful set of buildings...it really has changed, but so good to see them getting used properly, There was a Dumb Waiter in there...we tried to get it working at one point, but it was too far gone. And those light switches...classics!

Message from the previous University porter: 4th April 2021

30

SEQUENCE 1B

House 21: Ground Floor Central Staircase

31

The triptych above shows the central hallway in House 21 with original ornamentation.

The primary photograph on the left shows the current positioning of postboxes on the rear wall. On analysis of the photograph provided by the University porter of 2013, (see right) these in fact hide a double set of doors with ascending stairs leading into the neighbouring house (Number 22). The former layout would have facilitated far greater connectivity between the dwellings and hence minimised feelings of isolation and lack of engagement between residents.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Semester One

Semester Two

32

33

My room suspended and isolated from the neighbouring exposed dwellings. The output from Semester 1, seen above, reiterates the importance of the triptych and the implementation of the spatial frame.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

R A D N A T S D R A D N A T S D R A D N A T S D R A D N A ST

Stage 3: Subsequent lifts follow the same pattern working up the facade. Standards are installed, fitting on top of the existing standards. Outriggers are added to widen the base to permit greater height with adequate stability.

Stage 4: Boards are transferred to the next lift. Guardrails are fixed to standards to fully enclose the work platform with toe boards fixed at the base to provide a lip for the platform. Safety gate is added.

GUARD RAIL

Stage 5: Pulley system is added to allow materials to be transported to the work station.

Stage 5

ABOVE APPROX. 1M RM WORK PLATFO M 38MM X 2.25M .9M LONG 3 .

X O R P P A H LENGT M SPAN MAX 1.5

TOE

D D R A R O B A D N A T S

BR

AC IN

3

TRA

34

Stage 4

Stage 3

4

G

NSO

SPA 1.5M N APP ROX .

2

35

M

D R A D N A ST

R E G D LE ERTICALLY V SPACED 2M D AROUN

D R A D N A ST

Stage 2

SPACING 1.2M - 2.4M CENTRES

Stage 2: Boards span on top of the transoms to create a temporary platform. Ledger bracing is added to join the front ledger at one level with the back one above (transverse bracing). Longitudinal bracing runs diagonally up the facade to provide stability along the structure and is connected with right angle couplers.

Independent Scaffold System Claremont House: Private Development February 2021

STANDARD

Stage 1: Two workers construct either end in synchronisation. Transoms are connected to the primary standards to form a bay (in this case a ladder truss is not required to support the bay due to a small span).

Projecting transoms are placed adjacent to standards, connected to ledgers.

1

Stage 1

It was fortuitous that I was in a prime location to observe the process involved in erecting a scaffold system. My subsequent understanding of its component parts helped to inform my design of the modification to Claremont Place.

1. Base plate with sole board 2. Right angled coupler 3. Brace coupler 4. Pulley wheel / gin wheel

Promoting engagement of silent residents

36

37

In response to the feeling of confinement and isolation during Covid-19, multiple scaffolding systems are used as the main architectural intervention. These support the existing structure - allowing the viewer to explore the various flats. Furthermore, the scaffold enables the residential spaces to become a spectacle with excavated walls; mobile access towers to climb up and cantilevered walkways connecting to existing floor junctions. Indeed, the scaffold provides a novel form of inhabitation and access - a pragmatic tool for engagement and enquiry, helping to dispel the monotony of daily life.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5.1 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Triptych illustrating glimpses of interaction

38

39

Acknowledging the work completed in semester one - which analysed the literal portrayal of the open frame, characteristic of Francis Bacon’s work. Here, the scaffold confines the figure within a cage-like structure representing the physical and metaphorical sense of entrapment. The figure portrays myself compelled to work at my desk in my studio flat.

Due to the temporary nature of scaffold as an architectural tool, the building fabric can be continually modified, responding to the body in a performative manner. Whilst some components remain static others are transient. For instance a mobile tower on runners, can be operated manually to either connect with the multi-level viewing platform looking down into Houses 26 and 25, or to act as an independent system.

40

Smoke and mirrors

41

- Chapter 02 -

Ian Tyson: Proximity Sculpture University of East Anglia (Right) Primary photographs taken of the sculpture whilst on a walk passing the Ziggurats accommodation owned by the University. I had never noticed the illusory qualities of the installation until recently walking around the piece to discover that each face presents a different volumetric design. The composition shown in red shows disjointed planes of square tubular steel creating a coherent object that appears to have fixed joints. The spectator believes that there is only one way of interpreting the visual pattern and one is ‘blind to any other possible configuration’ (Gombrich, 2014, p.210).

- GC1 - GC2.3 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Relationship between dialogue and destruction

Gordon Matta-Clarke: Bingo

42

Henrik Ibsen: Master Builder

At 349 Erie Avenue, Niagara Falls, New York the deconstruction of a home due for demolition took place.

Matta-Clark divided the facade into nine equal segments with the last central one to remain intact. Similarly to the Master Builder, the ‘process of subtraction and destruction, attributes that are conventionally associated with a house - domesticity, comfort, privacy - were displaced by a disorienting physical experience: the house became strange, a simple container for space now opened and incomplete.’

(MoMA, 2021)

43

The play Master Builder (written 1892) was developed in a 17,000 square foot industrial warehouse located in New York’s Chelsea district Aug-Dec 1994. The performance was set in a full scale, dilapidated three-storey house with a direct nod to the work of Matta-Clark. Indeed, the design of the set had very little to do with actual buildings; instead it focused on the transitory experience of place and how ‘space is a system that is ideologically configured’ (Laing, 2005) and perceived by its residents.

Within the play, the disintegration of the set mirrors the disintegration of the family. Through the course of the production, as the lives and secrets of an American family are painfully unravelled - according to Dixon (2010, p.12) the house is similarly stripped back to a ‘skeletal structure’. At the climax of the perfomance the house splits in two exposing the characters’ vulnerability and removing what was perceived to be a place of safety and security.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7.1 - GC8.1 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Tools of Deception: John Cleater (Master Builder)

02

01 44

45

A raked floor, used in stage sets, slopes upwards away from the audience.

Whilst conventionally a raked stage is used to create a faux forced perspective, the designer of ‘Master Builder’ John Cleater incoporated ideas of the deperspective of the stage. Along with the assistance of the unconventional walls (see right) the raked floor created the illusion that people were moving up and down rather than back and forth.

The walls of the set diverge from one another. Rather than having a clear vanishing point the walls appear to be continually going into space and would never meet. This unconventional perspectival trick is used in conjunction with the raked floor to create the illusion.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7.1 - GC8.1 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Tools of Deception: Adelbert Ames

03 46

47

Adelbert Ames invented a number of examples of trompe l’oeil (the ‘representation of an object with such verisimilitude as to deceive the viewer concerning the material reality of the object’ (Britannica, 2021)).

The ‘Ames chair’ demonstration (see right) is a classic example of an optical illusion. It uses three peepholes which we can peer into to view what appears to be three tubular chairs displayed in the distance (top row).

When the spectator steps away from the peephole, only one of the them is a chair (bottom left), the rest appear to be a random jumble of lines and a single plane depicting the seat of the chair.

As stated by Ames (1952), ‘perceptions are not disclosures’. Indeed, what we can see through the peephole does not directly and immediately reveal to us what is there, ‘we can only guess, and our guess will be influenced by our expectations’ (Gombrich, 2014, p.210).

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

Intervention Chosen area of enquiry

WHAT IS BEHIND THAT INFILLED DOOR?

48

49

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3.3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

50

51

LEFT-HAND SIDE PERSPECTIVE

FRONT PERSPECTIVE

52

RIGHT-HAND SIDE PERSPECTIVE

- Debris has accumulated over time and become exposed as the demolition procedure is carried out

- A blind is fixed to a shelving unit behind a stud wall to appear as the wallpaper decoration on the infilled door.

- A lighting rig illuminates a printed panel with multiple gradients to replicate a window. A cardboard cut out of a tree is positioned behind to create a silhouette.

- The door frame is positioned on a metal platform and the entablature feature is lowered down via a pulley system from above.

- The bed is placed on a ramp system and the brick wall is prised open to allow the spectator to look inside.

- GC1 - GC2 - GC3.3 - GC4 - GC5 - GC6 - GC7 - GC8 - GC9 - GC10 - GC11-

- A ceiling mirror forces the spectator’s gaze upwards to look at the skylight and not be distracted by the warning sign.

Afterword

March Stage 5, despite the unique situation, has been extremely enjoyable. Even though I did expect it to be challenging, within a short period of time the programme taught me to combine my own personal interests and values with the architectural design process, to facilitate engaging learning outcomes.

Consequently, this created bolder, more inquisitive outputs with the capacity to experiment. Given the limited availability of studio space within the faculty, I quickly had to adapt my living space to accommodate means of working effectively ‘at home’ within the student block.

53

In addition, the implementation of lockdowns (and the subsequent temporary closures of nonessential retail throughout the year) improved my versatility in using more unusual resources, including objects found around ‘the home’.

I was surprised how the production of architecture could fundamentally be inspired by artistic theory and directly take inspiration from fine art.

The thesis transformed into a deeply personal discovery and I am extremely grateful for all the help I received from Matt Ozga-Lawn, James Craig and Polly Gould.

To finish:

“ The spectator is left to question

the open mouth and that eternal selfmocking cry of anguish, laughter, pleasure or pain. Whichever of these, it may be the cry will never be heard as the figure is forever enclosed, isolated and silenced. ” Comment on ‘Study Velazqurez’ by Francis (Morel, 2015, p. 197).

after Bacon

54

Bibliography Printed Books: Ames, A. (1952) ‘The Rotating Trapezoid’, in Kilpatrick, F.P. (ed.) Human Behaviour from the Transac

tional Point of View. Hanover: N.H., p.65

The Builders Association. (2007) ‘Master Builder: 1994’. Available at: https://www.thebuildersassoci

ation.org/prod_master_venues.html (Accessed: 14/04/21) Wagner. (2020) ‘Coronagrifting: A Design Phenomenon’. Available at: https://mcmansionhell.com/

post/618938984050147328/coronagrifting-a-design-phenomenon (Accessed: 08/02/21)

Deleuze, G. (2005) Francis Bacon: The Logic of Sensation. New York; London: Continuum Gombrich, J. (2014) Art and illusion : a study in the psychology of pictorial representation. Lon

don: Phaidon Lucas, R. (2020) Anthropology for Architects : Social Relations and the Built Environment. Lon

don: Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Critical Introduction p.7 (Collection of Newspaper Articles) Jones, Owen. (2020) ‘University students feel bullied, tricked and imprisoned. They’re right to protest’,

The Guardian, 16th Nov

Morel, T. (2015) Francis Bacon and the Masters at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University

of East Anglia, Norwich. Belgium: Fontanka Publications

Adams, R. and Hall, R. (2021) ‘Lack of guidance for universities ‘deeply unfair’’, The Guardian, 7th April

EBooks:

Dacey, Ruth. (2021) ‘Living in a bubble of one: students and universities across Yorkshire speak out

about the challenges of isolation for young people’, The Yorkshire Post, 10th Jan

Turner, C. (2015) Dramaturgy and Architecture: Theatre, Utopia and the Built Environment, Lon

dond: Palgrave Macmillan

Defining the Brief p.13 (Gordon Matta Clark: Conical Intersect) Matta-Clark, G. (1975) Conical Intersect. Available at: https://artmap.com/culturgestlisbon/exhibi

tion/splitting-cutting-writing-drawing-eating-gordon-matta-clark-2017 (Accessed: 16/03/2021)

Journal:

Gordon Matta-Clark Precedent Study p.24 (Splitting) Matta-Clark, G. (1974) Splitting. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/160318920@

N04/30461079618/ (Accessed: 08/04/2021)

Dixon, S. (2010) The philosophy and psychology of the scenographic house in multimedia theatre, In

ternational Journal of Performative Arts and Digital Media, 6 (1), pp.7-24 Harris, C. (2021) England’s Cultural Heritage still at risk 30 years on, International Fire Professional,

(35), pp.20-24 55

List of Illustrations

Ritchie, I. (2019) The Public Role of the Architect: Architecture is the Medium – What is the Message?,

Architectural Design, 89 (6), pp.122-127 Wall, D. (1976) Gordon Matta-Clark’s Building Dissections, Artsmagazine, 50 (9), pp.74-79 Website: Britannica. (2021) ‘Trompe l’oeil: painting’. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/mu

ral-painting (Accessed 15/04/21) Cleater, J. (2007) ‘John Cleater: Presence Interview’. Interview with John Cleater. Interviewed by Nick

Kaye for the Builders Association, 9 Nov 2007. Available at: http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/pres

ence/presence.stanford.edu_3455/Collaboratory/50333.html (Accessed: 14/04/21) Hello Student. (2020) ‘Claremont Place’. Available at: https://www.hellostudent.co.uk/student-accom

modation/newcastle/claremont-place/ (Accessed 02/05/21) Hilburg, J. (2018) ‘Gordon Matta-Clark’s legacy comes home to roost in the Bronx’. Available at:

https://www.archpaper.com/2018/02/gordan-matta-clark-roost-bronx/ (Accessed: 08/04/21) Kaye, N. (2007) ‘Architecture and the electronic network’. Available at: http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/dra

ma/presence/presence.stanford.edu_3455/Collaboratory/4002.html (Accessed: 14/04/21) Laing, S. (2005) ‘Marianne Weems, SUPER VISION interview’. Interview with Marianne Weems and

others. Interviewed by Nick Kaye for The Builders Association, 5 Dec 2005. Available at: http:// spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/presence/presence.stanford.edu_3455/Collaboratory/831.html

(Accessed: 14/04/21) MoMA. (2021) ‘Gordon Matta-Clark: Bingo, 1974’. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/

works/91762 (Accessed: 14/04/21) Office for National Statistics. (2021) ‘Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional:

week ending 16 April 2021’. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommu nity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalespro

visional/latest (Accessed: 02/05/21)

Destruction of the Existing Fabric p.27 (Bronx Floors) Matta-Clark, G. (1972) Bronx Floors: Threshole. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/research/

publications/tate-papers/07/towards-anarchitecture-gordon-matta-clark-and-le-corbusier

(Accessed: 08/04/2021) Relationship Between Dialogue and Destruction p.42 (Bingo 5 and Master Builder) Matta-Clark, G. (1974) Bingo 5. Available at: https://whitney.org/collection/works/43331 (Accessed: 10/04/2021) Diserens, C. (2003) Gordon Matta Clark. London: Phaidon, p.89.

The Builders Association (2019) MASTER BUILDER (EXCERPT, 1994). Available at: https://vimeo.

com/338482576#_=_ (Accessed: 10/04/21)

56

Appendix

57

58

Key moments within my sketchbook for Semester Two

Key moments within my sketchbook for Semester Two

Top: Visualising the breakdown of the existing fabric on a macro scale. Playing with the notion of escaping out of the frame.

Top: Looking into assisted mechanisms on a micro scale.

Bottom: Researching the physical properties and characteristics of building materials - this would inform the axonometric drawing of the complex and subsequent technology studies

Bottom: Visualising the technological shift of the project and how to move the design thesis forward.

As shown below, the axonometric drawing progressed from left to right and cumulatively became more developed Each building had a unique identity and characteristics that I wanted to bring to the viewers’ attention. I worked schematically, analysing each house at a time, working originally from the plans given to me from the site manager

59

60

The skeletal framework of the site’s plan allowed creative flexibility when transposing the drawing from the ground up.

61

62

Draft drawing of the scaffold system