A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY CLIMATIC PERFORMANCE & STRUCTURAL STUDY
NET-ZERO NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTRE, KOREA
CONFIDENTIAL PROJECT COMPASS HOUSE, CAMBRIDGE HANGER LANE, LONDON
INTRODUCTION
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Introduction
The Re-Imagined Distillery project was my final-year studio project. The brief was to create a new whiskey distillery next to Manchester Airport. This project aimed to create a transformative endeavour that redefines the traditional distillery experience. It seeks to create a dynamic and engaging environment where visitors can immerse themselves in a multisensory journey. Additionally, it aims to create community integration by providing a space for both the local community and visitors to socialize, exercise, eat, and relax—all while celebrating the art and craft of whiskey production.
The design was inspired by the whiskey-making process and the user experience, aiming to create a one-way system. Guided by the stages of whiskey production, the journey immerses visitors in a multisensory and fluid experience.
Site analysis
The project site was located near Manchester Airport, encompassing a large overgrown field dotted with old barns and four small Grade II listed buildings. Adjacent to the site is Manchester’s Runway Visitor Centre, a popular attraction for aviation enthusiasts to watch planes take off and land. Integrating the listed buildings and the aviation centre was essential to achieving an optimal design.
Site boundary
Existing access
Listed buildings on site
Runway visitor centre
Existing runway visitor parking
Existing structures on site
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Massing
The massing is also shaped by both the production process and the visitor experience, breaking into smaller, human-scaled arched buildings. This design allows heat from the whiskey-making process to escape naturally, enhancing sustainability, while also creating a dynamic and engaging journey for visitors
Split
into different process stages
Create one way system informed by process
Structural and sustainability sketches
Create large factory
Vary massing size depending on building typology
Shape building to fit function
massing
Spread massing around site
KEY DRIVERS ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Key Drivers
To achieve the desired design outcome, establishing key design drivers was crucial. These drivers guided the design process toward the desired result. Key drivers for this project included:
Fluidity & user centred
To ensure fluidity, service areas will follow a separate route from visitors. The buildings will be arranged to establish a one-way system, creating a seamless and engaging journey through both the production process and the visitor experience.
Human scale
The design will prioritize creating a series of smaller, thoughtfully distributed buildings across the site rather than maximizing the site area, fostering meaningful interaction with the surrounding environment while maintaining a more intimate experience.
Multisensory experience
The design will aim to interact with all of the visitors senses to create a multisensory experience.
Destination
Combine with the existing runway centre to create one large destination, as well as incorporating the listed buildings for a holistic design that benefits both the locals and visitors.
MASSING & PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Process
To achieve the desired design, various research and visualization methods were employed to explore diverse possibilities and view the project from multiple perspectives. The process began with the use of physical models and sketches, emphasizing a playful and intuitive approach over precision. This exploratory phase aimed to stimulate creativity and organically shape the design.
The first step involved researching the spatial requirements for the whiskey production process. This informed how the facilities could be efficiently arranged on the site, ensuring a streamlined workflow for production while also creating an engaging and enjoyable journey for visitors.
Next, studies were conducted to explore the desired look and feel of the interior, ensuring alignment with the project’s key design drivers.
A structural strategy was established from the beginning, ensuring seamless integration with the design to enhance both functionality and aesthetics
Offices
Massing models & sketches
Interior vignettes
Structural models
Concept sketches
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Refining the design
To refine the design, more attention was given to material choices and how the spaces would come together. Both digital and physical models were used to explore ideas in more detail. Glulam timber arches were chosen to increase the projects sustainability while staying true to the key goals and the program. The images below show how different elements of the design were tested to create a balanced and practical result.
facade
and
Materiality and light models
As the design evolved, various digital models were utilized to determine the optimal materials and lighting levels that best complemented the design.
Spatial models
A 1:200 physical model of the entire scheme was crafted to provide a clearer vision of the design and to refine the spatial layout into a more finalized concept.
This physical model was created to explore the interplay of materials
design elements, specifically the timber structure and metal skylights inspired by Enric Miralles’ Scottish Parliament.
Structural and
concept models
The final design
The final design reimagines the traditional whiskey distillery, creating a dynamic space where visitors, workers, and the public can interact, relax, and engage. It smoothly integrates the building’s structure, program, and sustainability, all while ensuring the whiskey-making process remains the focal point of the experience.
Play area
Restaurant terrace
A safe space for kids to play, interacting with the parametric brick walls as well as with each other. The kids’ area is located near the restaurant, allowing them to play while waiting for their food.
The restaurant’s terrace is created by the space between the existing listed buildings, covered by timber arches that unite the old and the new.
The process house celebrates the machinery, transforming it into an intriguing space where mechanical equipment is suspended from the arches, adding visual interest and character.
The design also includes a botanical garden, enhancing the multisensory experience while contributing to biodiversity and adding lush greenery to the space.
Process house
Botanical gardens
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Distillation + Fermentation
ouse
Ground floor plan
1st floor plan
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
STRUCTURAL STRATEGY
ACADEMIC STUDY I A RE-IMAGINED DISTILLERY
Rockwool
Openable Louvres
Terracotta Cladding
Secondary Timber Beams
Tertiary Timber Beams Primary Glulam Arch
Vees Service Pipes
Triple Glazing
TECHNICAL STUDY
ACADEMIC STUDY I TECHNOLOGIES MODULE
Brief
A comprehensive series of detailed studies aimed at analyzing and enhancing a specific building fragment. The focus will be on optimizing structural integrity, improving environmental performance, and enhancing constructability to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and feasibility in the construction process
Testing passive ventilation with butterfly in Grasshopper.
Maximising sunlight hours using parametric terracotta bricks & ladybug in Grasshopper.
Testing Pivot methods to improve constructability and interactive shading
300mm x 300mm Glulam Column
Triple Glazing with Argon Gas
50mm x 50mm x 1800mm Terracotta Baguette Cladding Rail
Steel Bracket & Brace
50mm x 50mm
Terracotta Tiles
Galvanised
Underslab
Location - South Korea
Date - March 2024 - April 2024
Project leader - HaenSuk Yi
About the project:
This project is dedicated to creating a new workspace for the field and support departments of the National Meteorological Center Korea, with the objective of establishing a world-class, carbon-neutral national weather center. Drawing inspiration from fundamental meteorological principles, the design emphasizes a commitment to combating climate change and sets a benchmark for carbon-neutral policies through the implementation of passive design strategies.
Net--zero strategy
Sustainable design
The design minimizes embodied carbon through a timber structure and a “box-in-box” concept, enhancing thermal efficiency while shaping a versatile, cohesive space. This approach also creates a controlled microclimate, allowing a vibrant Four-Season Garden to thrive year-round, reinforcing sustainability and promoting well-being through biophilic design.
L02 plan
Location - Confidential
Date - September 2024 - October 2024
Project leader - Andrei Martin
About the project:
The project establishes a new prototype for a sustainable, residential-led mixed-use destination that efficiently integrates architecture and landscape with state-of-the-art sustainability and wellness practices. The design was based of the following principles:
CITYVIEWS
COMPASS HOUSE PLP ARCHITECTURE I COMPETITION WINNER
Location - Cambridge
Date - November 2024 - Present
Project leader - Andrei Martin
About the project:
Compass House is a cutting-edge laboratory in Histon, Cambridge, designed to provide modern and advanced research and writeup spaces. Beyond its core function, the project integrates green spaces for the local community and includes housing, fostering a well-balanced environment. Aiming for BREEAM Outstanding certification, the design process began with in-depth lab research to ensure both efficiency and a high-quality user experience
Facade design
The façade draws inspiration from the historic Chivers Jam Factory, which once stood on the site and played a key role in shaping Histon’s identity. As a major local employer, the factory contributed significantly to the town’s growth and character. This legacy is reinterpreted through a contemporary design that enhances sustainability, featuring a selfshading façade and strategically placed skylights to improve natural lighting and energy efficiency in the write-up spaces.
HANGER LANE PLP ARCHITECTURE
Location
Date
Project
Location - London
Date - November 2024
Independent project
Mycelium
Mycelium has been gaining popularity as a sustainable alternative for building materials. To explore its potential, set out to create a product that would allow me to study its growth process and durability under regular use. For this experiment, I chose to design a jewellery holder. The piece features organic shapes, pushing the material’s limits and testing its structural and aesthetic potential.
Initial designs
The initial design variations evolved in response to the constraints of the 3D-printed wooden framework, which serves as the structural base for the mycelium to grow into.
Initial “hanging” design Thicker variations to allow mycelium to grow better
Final iteration
Process
The process began by mixing an organic substrate with mycelium, then carefully adding the mixture to the 3D-printed wooden structure, ensuring it was evenly distributed for optimal growth. Maintaining sterility was crucial to prevent contamination from unwanted moulds. Once the individual pieces were filled, I assembled them and placed them on an acrylic base. The final piece was then left in a dark, humid environment—a sealed box with a cup of water—for three weeks to allow the mycelium to fully develop.
Substrate mixed with mycelium 3D printed wood structure being filled with mixture Final piece ready to be left in the dark for mycelium to grow
INTERACTIVE ART - ART BY MOVEMENT
PERSONAL PROJECT
Art by Movement
Art by Movement is a series of interactive art experiments that use motion tracking and gesture recognition to generate dynamic artworks in TouchDesigner. By integrating a MediaPipe component, the system employs machine learning to detect hands and gestures, transforming movement into a visual expression.
Below are two examples from the series:
Time Grids (Top)
This installation captures movement over time to create a unique visual composition. A camera, combined with real-time filters, records the creator’s movements. The process is triggered by closing a fist, signalling the system to begin recording. It then captures an image every second, arranging them into a grid to form the final artwork.
This piece explores the relationship between time, space, and movement, ensuring each composition is entirely unique.
Particle Behaviour (Bottom)
In this installation, hand position and gestures directly influence the behaviour of a particle system. Moving the hand to the left makes the particles drift apart and move calmly, while shifting it right brings them closer together and increases their speed. A closed fist triggers erratic and unpredictable movements.
This piece simulates organic, responsive behaviour, demonstrating how movement can shape digital environments in real time.
