Sarah Alcock | MArch: Academic Portfolio

SARAH ALCOCK 2019-2021

Academic Portfolio: Part Two Masters of Architecture Univeristy of Edinburgh S1518176

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

Throughout the two year course, my skills both broadened and developed thanks to the courses undertake. The year long modular design programmes undertaken in both years allowed for in depth research phases, an emphsise on identifying a question, testing solutions and then producing proposals. I found this a design process that allowed me to really explore conceptually, bringing new layers to my designs. AMPL as a supporting course was one that I felt in particular grew my enthusiam for architecture in professional practice, the subject as a career and how the design skills learnt through this programme and my Part I programe could be implemented in the future. It also allowed for a gaining of the role of an architect outwith the design process. Alongside this, the ATR courses broad research question helped to develop my own field of interest, discovering new materials that were later used in design proposals.

Due to the heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandamic in MArch 2020, I was forced to rethink my modes of working out of necessity, but this led to a more exploratory and freeing approach to project representations. Not being able to rely on rendering softwares and physical modelling, new avenues were explored such as photo collaging, film making and working with archival images. Through doing so I developed new skills and ways of exploring projects also. While home working did have its advantages, it came with the loss of studio culture which was felt both academically and socially, leading us all to analyse what it was specifically that studio offers solo working does not, which was identified as the collective sharing of ideas and perspectives.

GENERAL CRITERIA The ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both the aesthetic and GC1 technical requirements.

Adequate knowledge fo the histories and theories of architecture and the GC2 related arts, technologies and human sciences.

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

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

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

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

Understanding of the methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a GC7 design project.

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

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

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

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

GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES With regards to meeting the eleven general criteria at Part Two, the Part Two will be awarded to students who have...

2.1: The ability to generate complex design proposals showing understanding of current architectural issues, originality in the application of the subject knowledge and, where appropriate, to test new hypotheses and speculations.

2.2: The ability to evaluate and apply a comprehensive range of visual, oral and written media to test, analyse, critically appraise and explain design proposals.

2.3: The ability to evaluate material, processes and techniques that apply to complex architectural designs and building construction, and to integrate these into practicable design proposals.

2.4: A critical understanding of how knowledge is advanced through research to produce clear, logically argued and originally written work relating to architectural culture, theory and design.

2.5: An understanding of the context of the architect and the construction industry, including the architects’ role in the process of procurement and building production and under legislation.

2.6: Problem solving skills, professional judgement and ability to take the initiative and make appropriate decisions in complex and unpredictable circumstances.

2.7: The ability to identify individual learning needs and understanding the personal responsibility required to prepare for qualification as an architect.

11 12 2 1 2 2 ST

ST

ST

ND

ND

ST

ND

Year

Sem

Year

Sem

Year

Sem

Year

ND

Sem

Architectural Design Studio C (Modular) ARCH11089

Architectural Design Studio D (Modular) ARCH11090

Architectural Design Studio G (Modular) ARJA11003

Architectural Design Studio B (Modular) ARCH11096

Architectural Technology Research ARCH11075

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory ARCH11070

Architectural Management, Practice and Law ARJA11002

Design Report ARCH11069

Academic Portfolio Two ARJA 11001

MATRIX OF CRITERIA, ATTRIBUTES & COURSES

GC8

GC9

GC10

GC11

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Architectural Technology Research

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Architectural Design Studio D

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Architectural Design Studio G

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Architectural Management, Practise and Law

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Architectural Design Studio B

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Design Report

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

Academic Portfolio Two

GA7

GC7

1 2 3

GA6

GC6

1 2 3

GA5

GC5

1 2 3

GA4

GC4

1 2 3

GA3

GC3

1 2 3

GA2

GC2

Architectural Design Studio C

1 2 3

GA1

GC1

Analysis of how each individual course developed general criteria and graduate attributes.

YEAR ONE

Architectural Design Studio C

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Design Studio D

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

COURSE REFLECTION This was the first course in which the research phase of the design project was heavily emphasised, something I struggled to grasp initially. I saw the projects as a method of production, used to get to a known destination, Once I had loosened this definition, taking them more as explorations around the topic, a path to find an area I found interesting and wanted to develop upon, the process flowed much more organically and was more fruitful.

11

It was also my first experience of working within a mixed year group studio, something I found to be extremely useful for learning from my peers, the way they approached the researching process and particularly discussions around how to represent concepts graphically.

ST

ST

Year

Sem

Architectural Design Studio C (Modular) Fire Space: London ARCH11089 Course Organiser: Adrian Hawker Tutor: Liam Ross and Tolulope Onabolu Project Title: [Draw]ing Smoke; The Great Smog of London, 1952 COURSE SUMMARY This course focussed on fire as a producer, a creator of space through destruction, regulation and legislation. It can be a stimulus that destructs the old and opens opportunities for new, intentionally or accidentally. Studio C looked at the Archaeologies of fire, conducting a historically based investigation into a fire related event between 1660 and 2017, accessing the consequences of said event on both regulation, the urban fabric and architectural culture of London.

Framed through four chapters of investigation; event, archive, trace and apparatus, the aim of the semester was to set up a framework, based on the consequences of a single events, with which to design interventions in Studio D.

Houses of Parliament, London. Photographed by S. Alcock, 2019

LO1:

The ability to develop and act upon a productive conceptual framework both individually and in teams for an architectural project or proposition, based on a critical analysis of relevant issues.

LO2:

The ability to develop an architectural spatial and material language that is carefully considered at an experiential level and that is in clear dialogue with conceptual and contextual concerns.

LO3:

A critical understanding of the effects of, and the development of skills in using, differing forms of representation (e.g. verbal, drawing, modelling, photography, film, computer and workshop techniques), especially in relation to individual and group work.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

Written historical accounts of the London smoke and its character in the city.

UK Government

Clean Air Acts of 1954, 56 and 68.

Through the gathering of historical documents, photos, reports and images, explore the impacts of the event of the city, society and architectural development.

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Design Report

John Evelyn

Brief + Response

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

Architectural Design Studio B

Text and Drawings of a proposed adjusting ventillation system, one of the first experiements in air conditioning

ARCHIVE

The Great Smog was an extreme occurrence, but the poor air quality of London was a consistent feature of the city, with many authors and politicians writing about its effects visually, poetically and health wise. Smog was the undefinable architecture that formed the space and experience of the city. The Great Smog was the catalyst that started a governmental regulation of air quality, that continues today, with the Clean Air Act of 1956. This extended to the evolution of architectural design to control emissions in new ways, improve ventilation systems and providing clean, fresh spaces for its occupants.

The archive was presented as a bound document in an archive folder at the final exhibition.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Fumifugium

Architectural Design Studio G

This short one week project was presented to the studio to promote discussion and spark ideas for areas of investigation through the archive project.

The Lost {First} Chamber of the House of Commons

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

David Boswell-Reid

Architectural Design Studio D

The selected fire event must have taken place in London between 1666 and 2017 (between the Great Fire of London and the Grenfell Tower tragedy). I chose the combined fires of the industrial furnaces and domestic fires throughout the city that contributed, along with the weather pattern, to the worst air pollution in the history of London - The Great Smog of London in 1952.

Architectural Technology Research

ARCHIVE

Brief + Response

Architectural Design Studio C

EVENT

Written legislation dictating new smoke clean areas, putting limitis on what could be burnt, where and how in the city.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro The Blur Building

GREAT SMOG OF LONDON - 1952 Over the course of four days in the winter of 1952, the City of London was plunged into a deep fog. The pollution emitted from city centre coal power stations, trains, cars and coal fire places was trapped by an anticyclone, containing it at a low level and preventing dispersal. Visibility was reduced to less than a meter, with the poisonous fog leaving and estimated 100,000 ill and 1012,000 dead.

The event created a pivot point in the history of industry in London, promoting the creation of several clean air acts, restricting where and what could be emitted. The consequences of this, and general poor levels of air quality in the city, on architecture were wide and varied, from the first installations of air conditioning, to ornate chimneys and the creation of large out of town power stations.

Mark Dorrian Clouds of Architecture

Great Smog of London, 1952 at the Houses Parliament. Unknown Photographer.

Accessed via https://www.history.com/news/the-killer-fog-that-blanketedlondon-60-years-ago

Written article on the use of clouds in architecture and the implications of doing so.

Steven Connor

Unholy Smoke and Smog Unholy Smoke was a talk given on BBC Radio 3s’ ‘Nightwaves” to mark the 50th anniversary of the Great Smog.

Smog was a talk given at Battersea Pump House Gallery for the Art Workers Guild

Images taken from the named sources

TRACE

Y1 Y2

Architectural Design Studio C

Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

POLLUTION TRACE FACADE ANALYSIS

TRACE Brief Coinciding with a trip to London, this project looked at finding traces of the event and its consequences still visible in the city today. Following this, we were to investigate how these lasting impacts can be felt in the spacial forms of the city and its’ architecture. This work was to form the majority of the exhibition at the end of the semester.

Typical Town House

Houses of Parliament Central Tower

Heron Tower

Smog Traces The traces of the Clean Air Acts can be seen at the city wide scale of London.

Pre 1952, the build up to the Great Smog, industry was spread throughout the city, with emitters present throughout, leaving no where clear for the residents to breathe fresh air.

Response The traces of the Great Smog and all of Londons air pollution since is visible on their facades, where years of dust and grime build up in a blackened layer on brickwork and crevices. By analysing areas where this isn’t visible, you can start to build a picture of how the architecture has changed, with the scars of old additions still visible. Areas that have been cleaned show what is important to the users or newer extensions. The story of the building can be read through the traces of the cities pollution.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Battersea Power Station

With each new Act, more regulations were put upon these polluting industries and the areas in which they could operate became more and more restricted. This lead to more and more of them moving to the fringes of the city, in clustered zones that left space for fresh air to flow through the heavily populated centre of the city.

This continues to be enforced through legislation today with the Low Emission and Ultra Low Emission Zones that limit the levels of emissions allowed to be released in the most populated areas of the city through financial penalties and investments in public transport.

Movement of Emitter Locations with Clean Air Acts Photographed by S.Alcock, London, 2019.

Y1 Y2

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Design Report

More recent fire and emission regulations lead to the commercial Heron Tower being designed to deal with the worst case scenario - an accidental internal fire. The ventilation systems are not only capable of expelling naturally occurring polluted air, but smoke directly from fire can be contained within a designated strata of the ceiling cavity, then being exhausted at a safe rate.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

Architectural Design Studio B

FACADE TRACES

Big industrial power stations saw their demand drop, with Battersea Power Station eventually being decommissioned in the 1980s after being replaced by cleaner power production methods further out of the city centre. While still in use, they had minimum chimney heights and pollution reduction systems added internally.

Evolution of heating strategies in a domestic setting

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Ventilation systems were added to historic civic buildings such as the Houses of Parliament to allow for internal environments to benefit from fresh, circulated air, exhausting polluted air through a decorative tower.

Architectural Design Studio G

EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

On a domestic level, financial incentives were offered by the government to encourage house holds to move away from the heavily polluting coal fires to heat their homes and towards central gas powered heating. This changed the way spaces were used, allowing heat to be spread more evenly and internal space to be fresher and cleaner.

Architectural Design Studio D

The architectural response to the regulatory changes was not only visible in the typologies of architecture within the city centre, but the way architecture controlled the emissions produced within them.

Architectural Technology Research

EMISSION PATHS

Architectural Design Studio C

ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE TO THE REGULATING OF EMISSIONS

EXTERNAL CONTAINERS INDUSTRIAL

CIVIC

COMMERCIAL

DOMESTIC

APPARATUS Brief

Y1 Y2

Architectural Design Studio C

Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

The Apparatus project was the hinge project between Studio C and Studio D, the mechanism that takes the data gathered in a research phase and makes it a tool for design. It was to be a structure that carried the projects already completed into a structure for design.

INDUSTRIAL Battersea Power Station

SMOKE MOVEMENT SIMULATIONS

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

CIVIC Houses of Parliament Central Tower

COMMERICAL Heron Tower

After exploring how the architecture of London has adapted emission control through chimney forms following various regulation changes, I started to look at how this could be reverse engineered. How would changing the form of buildings effect the way smoke and other pollutions move through the space.

I first ran smoke simulations through the chimney forms of the four case studies studied before, lining these chimneys with paper to produce a drawing of the trace left behind from this movement. These were then repeated through computer modelling simulations, looking at how they move emissions from one container to another. I then adapted and combined these forms to create more complex movements and manipulate the smoke into particular paths, dwelling in some places and moving fast through others.

DOMESTIC Town House

Response

Y1 Y2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Design Report

10.2 11.2

Architectural Design Studio B

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

Apparatus

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

10.1 11.1

Architectural Design Studio G

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

FORM GENERATION - Houses of Parliament

Architectural Design Studio D

I then looked at this on a spacial level, taking the forms of the whole of the Houses of Parliament, converting them into a series of primitive chimney forms from the catalogue of forms previously analysed. This was then converted into the traces that would be created by emissions through these spaces over time - giving a mapping of the atmospheric environment within each space.

By working in reverse, deciding on the atmosphere wanted in spaces by selecting a trace net, then using the associated form gives an apparatus for designing new spaces.

Architectural Technology Research

ATMOSPHERIC ANALYSIS - Houses of Parliament

Architectural Design Studio C

CONTROLLING MOVEMENT| Trace - Path - Emissions

11 ST

ST

Year

Sem

Architectural Technology Research

ARCH11075 Course Organiser: Kate Carter Tutor: Eirini Atmatzidon Partnered with : Ellie Hindle Project Title: Mycelium In Use With Construction Waste & Mycelium as a Retrofit Insulation

An ability to appraise the technological and environmental conditions LO1: specific to issues in contemporary architecture, eg. sustainable design.

LO2: LO3:

An ability to analyse and synthesise technological and environmental information pertinent to particular context (eg. users, environment).

An ability to organise, assimilate and present technological and environmental information in the broad context of architectural design to peer groups.

LO4: An understanding of the potential impact of technological and environmental decisions of architectural design on a broader context.

Mycelium Spores. Unknown Photographer. Accessed Via https://buildabroad.org/2016/10/12/mycelium/

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. COMPOSITES EXPERIMENTS: Assessing how receptable mycelium is to growth on proposed aggregates.

3. RESULTS: Analyse changes in mass of the experimental aggregate bricks to understand if the mycelium has grown.

4. CONCLUSIONS: Establish whether the research provides evidence that the bricks would be used for in construction.

Unknown Photographer. Images taken from the Mushroom Tiny House Blog https://mushroomtinyhouse.com/

Hy-Fi: David Benjamin and The Living The Hy-fi Tower was built in Queens, New York as a temporary, experimental pavilion for the MoMa PS1 concert series. It was the first externally built project that has used Mycelium bricks as the primary material and intended to establish the bounds of use for the material.

The project started experimentation through rudimentary measures, with an engineer standing on a test brick. After seeing that the brick held its form, calculations where then made with the engineers’ weight concluding that the brick could safely withstand the weight of a 40-foot structure.

Once the project was commissioned, this then escalated to include engineers from Arup conducting fluid dynamic testing and accelerated ageing simulations. Although too late to have influence on the pavilion design, the experiments found that the bricks were able to withstand the weight of 4 cars and to be 200,000 times more flexible than steel, but that its weakness lay in compressive strength.

Graph showing the total waste arising in England by sector in 2007, showing the construction and demolition sector to be the biggest source of waste.

Design Report

• A Frearson, Tower of "grown" biobricks by The Living opens at MoMA PS1 (Dezeen, 1 July 2014) https:// www.dezeen. com/2014/07/01/towerof-grown-bio-bricks-by-the-living-opens-at-moma-ps1-gallery • F Pomponi, C De Wolf, A Moncaster, Embodied Carbon In Buildings : Measurement, Management and Mitigation, (Springer 2018) • M Jones, T Bhat, T Huynh, E Kandare, R Yuen, C H Wang, Waste derived low-cost Mycelium composite construction materials with improved fire safety (2018) 42 Fire and Materials 816

1. CASE STUDIES: To establish where current mycelium research is and the extent of its known capabilities.

Architectural Design Studio B

Key References

The following methodology was created to facilitate this:

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Can Construction Waste be Reused as a Host Material for Mycelium Growth to Create a Composite Material with a Closed Life Cycle?

The aim of this research was to see to what extent construction waste could be used in the production of mycelium bricks in order to create a material that was structurally sound and biodegradable. In doing so, the aim was to establish whether this would create a viable building material that could reduce overall construction waste while still creating safe, strong and comfortable architecture.

Architectural Design Studio G

Response

Whilst the majority of products that Ecovative produce are for packaging, a recent venture into construction materials lead the company to experiment with a ‘Mushroom Tiny House’.

Mycelium is placed within the wall panels and allowed to grow, creating an air tight, continuous thermal and acoustic insulation with minimal thermal bridging. Once it has dried, it creates a strong structure that requires no timber studs for support. It also has very good fire resisting properties which cause it to char rather than melt, unlike its synthetic counterparts.

Mycelium insulation is not without its faults. Due to its organic nature, variables in density and performance may be problematic, especially on large scale projects. Ecovative have acknowledged that further research is required into the durability and the longevity of the product, however the Tiny Mushroom House provides an interesting prototype.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Form a research question, under an area that appeals to personal interest, that addresses a contemporary technological strategy in response to the climate emergency. In pairs, produce a technical report that answers this question, with a maximum of 2000 words, using contemporary examples, case studies and own conducted research.

The Tiny Mushroom House: Ecovative

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

STAGE 1 | Case Studies

Architectural Technology Research

Can ConstructionWaste be Reused as a Host Material for Mycelium Growth to Create a Composite Material with a Closed Life Cycle?

Architectural Design Studio C

GENERIC STUDY: Partnered with Ellie Hindle

The project massively progressed the development of the material by giving engineers extensive data from trial bricks to analyse and then identify the possibilities and limitations of the material.

Photographed by K. Graves, New York, 2014 for Dezeen

Y1 Y2

Woven Fiber brick with evidence of mycelium fibre growth after 7 Days

Hard core brick with minimal evidence of mycelium fibre growth after 7 Days

Wood fibre aggregate brick with evidence of mycelium fibre growth after 7 Days

HARD CORE WOOD CHIPS WOVEN FIBRES

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

All images photographed by S. Alcock in 2020.

PURE MYCELIUM

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

These conclusions are based on a short time scale experiment and would need the experiments to be repeated over a longer time scale to be able to draw firm conclusions.

Design Report

From the results above, although fairly preliminary, we can conclude that construction waste can be bioreceptive to mycelium and therefore aggregate bricks are feasible to grow. Organic aggregates offer greater biodegradability for the brick overall and are more receptive to growth, but are likely to produce less strength than the non-organic hardcore that would be slower to grow. This shows that there is a possibility for mycelium to be used as a structural element in the future. However, in order for this to happen, there would have to be deeper research, allowing for full bricks to be grown, strength tested and analysed in comparison to industry standard bricks. There would also need to be a weatherproofing system, stopping degradation of the bricks until a desired time.

Architectural Design Studio B

Currently, there is not enough data on mycelium for it to be used as a load bearing element in architecture, leaving it to be used as internal cladding, insulation or temporary structures. This researched aimed to investigate whether the addition of aggregates could, not only aid the reduction in construction waste going to landfill, but also provide a new biodegradable building material by adding strength to the mycelium.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

STAGE 4 | Conclusions

Architectural Design Studio G

Once mycelium spores were sourced, 150g were mixed with 20g of aggregate, with each aggregate being used in three samples and three control samples of 170g of pure mycelium also being made. Each sample was then placed in a sealed plastic container for one week. As nothing was added to the boxes throughout this time, any mass gained could be attributed to mycelium growth, therefore proving the aggregates to be bio-receptive to the mycelium.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

The results found when we weighed the bricks after seven days were unexpected, instead of the expected increase in mass, there was actually a reduction. Further research following this find suggested this could be due to the breaking down of mass into mineral form and therefore it suggested some growth. This was present in the pure mycelium bricks, but not in any of the aggregate bricks, and it was such a small change even in the mycelium bricks that we also decided to assess through visual observations - seeing if we could see any growth in the bricks when compared with initial photos taken at the start of the experiment. Based on this, slightly less rigorous methods of analysis, we found significant growth in the organic aggregates (woven fibres and wood chips) and less growth in the non - organic hard core. All changes were fairly small and so to be able to draw firm conclusions they would need to be left to grow for a longer period of time.

Architectural Design Studio D

Mycelium is grown from spores, cut from mushrooms, that then grow around a host material in dark damp conditions. Initially, the spores were to be grown from mushrooms as part of the experiment, However, the first attempt at this failed, believed to be because the mushrooms dried out before they could produce spores. The decision was then made, based on time constraints, to work with bought mycelium that had already spored, allowing the research to progress to the next phase and ensure some result could be gained.

Architectural Technology Research

STAGE 3 | Experiment Results

Architectural Design Studio C

STAGE 2 | Composite Experiments

Y1 Y2

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1. CASE STUDIES: Two case studies were chosen, the first a historic house in Scotland that gave information on the priorities and considerations key to retrofitting insulation in historic buildings. The second, a prototype house looking at how mycelium can be grown insitu.

The chosen solution was to enter the cavity from the top at the attic level and insert expanding foam through a rod system. This allowed for a minimally invasive application process and reportedly reduced heat loss by 50%.

This project helped us to establish the four key priorities when assessing possible insulation materials to be: 1. Moisture Control and Breathability 2. Removal Possibilities 3. Fire Resistance 4. Post Lifespan Prospects

This example showed that the growth of mycelium had minimal effect on the structural timbers, suggesting it wouldn’t damage any historical structures. They managed to stop the growth of the mycelium by exposing it to the air and letting it dry out. Keeping the mycelium air tight until this point could be difficult with minimal cavity access.

Design Report

• Critical Concrete, Building With Mushrooms, (Critical Concrete, 23rd April 2018) <https://criticalconcrete. com/building-with- mushrooms/> Nov 2019 • Alex Wilson Greensulate – A fungus-based insulation material that’s grown rather than manufactured, (Building Green, Jan 2011), <https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/greensulate---fungus- based-insulation-material-thats-grown-rather-manufactured> accessed Jan 2020 • EFFESUS, Santiago de Compostela, (EFFESUS) <https://www. effesus.eu/about-effesus/case-studies/santiago-de-compostela> accessed Nov 2019 • Interview with Victor Lopez Coltelo, Madrid Technical School of Architecture (Santiago de Compostela, Oct 2019) • British Listed Buildings, Fasque Bogendollo, (October 2009) <https://britishlistedbuildings. co.uk/200400273-fasque- bogendollo-fettercairn#.

XhuaKFP7TPA> accessed October 2019 • Ecovative, You Grew A House? (Yes and so can you), (Mushroom Tiny House, Nov 2013) https://mushroomtinyhouse.com accessed December 2019

Mycelium as a material is currently still being developed so this was one of very few case studies that could help us establish the process of insitu grown mycelium. However, as a temporary movable structure it didn’t cover areas such as damn proofing and pest control that would need to be considered on a permanent, historic building.

Architectural Design Studio B

Key References

The following methodology was created to facilitate this:

The Bogendollo House was part of a Scottish retrofitting programme that looked to make the countries historic building stock more sustainable and habitable, much like the projects in Santiago. It was chosen for an insulation feasibility study due to its hard to access wall cavities.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Can Mycelium Be Implimented Within the Historic Buildings of Santiago De Compostela As A Non-Invasive, Biodegradable, Retrofit Insulation?

TINY MUSHROOM HOUSE - ECOVATIVE

Architectural Design Studio G

Response

After discovering mycelium to be currently more suitable for insulation than structural elements, we focussed on the possibilities of this being grown in situ within walls. Santiago De Compostela was the site of Ellies’ design studio and, while on a field trip there, she visited a historic building that had recently undergone a retrofitting. The building was insulted between the roof rafters and floor cavities with rigid boards, but accessing the wall cavities was impossible without damaged the protected, historic fabric. This reduced the sustainability of running the building. We wanted to test whether it would be possible to grow the mycelium spores within this cavity, allowing it to eventually fill the whole cavity with minimal damage to the existing historic fabric.

BOGENDOLLO HOUSE, ABERDEENSHIRE

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Develop a deeper understanding of the chosen technology topic within a specific context, recommended to be to related to the parallel running design course. In doing so, establish an understanding of the role research plays in the design process.

Present this research in a 2000 work illustrated report that critically analyses and synthesises key issues of technology, relating to and considering the impact on, the chosen context. Alongside this, a verbal presentation will occur before the written report hand in to create

Can Mycelium Be Implimented Within The Historic Building of Santiago De Compestela As A Non-Invasive, Biodegradable, Retrofit Insulation?

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

Architectural Technology Research

STAGE 1 | Case Studies

Architectural Design Studio C

CONTEXTUAL STUDY: Partnered with Ellie Hindle

2. MATERIAL COMPARISONS: Analysing myceliums’ insulating suitability according to the desirable properties establish in the case studies, in comparison with other available materials.

3. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIMENT: Exploration of material implementation within a typical Santiago historic building, with analysis of resulting U-Values.

4. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing whether mycelium insulation would be suitable in historic Santiago building retrofits.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Unknown Photographer. Image accesed via https://projectscot.com/2018/03/amodern-touch-for-historic-buildings/

Unknown Photographer. Images taken from the Mushroom Tiny House Blog https://mushroomtinyhouse.com/

Y1 Y2

STAGE 2 | Material Comparisons

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

While in-situ use is less predictable, being made in pre-fabricated panels that have been waterproofed and pest proofed creates panels that could be used, in as much extend as other insulations, and provide a better level of performance. In the case of the The Public Research Centre, this would allow mycelium to be used in both the roof and the rafters, improving the overall thermal performance of the building and making the internal environment more comfortably habitable.

Implementation Details

Design Report

10.1 11.1

The research centre retrofitted with mycelium grown within the rafters, joists and in the walls cavities. This is how we propose to add more insulation to the building, growing mycelium within the hard to access cavities as well as in the joists and floors.

Architectural Design Studio B

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

The research centre post retrofit with cement bonded wood fibre panels. When visited by Ellie on a site visit, the building had recently undergone a retrofit, with CBWFP added between the rafters and joists to provide some insulation. The same could not be used because of the lack of access to them, allowing heat to escape more readily through the walls and reducing the sustainability and comfort levels in the building.

Mycelium as a material has greater thermal insulating and fire retardant properties than man made and naturally available materials on the market. Its’ ability to grow in insitu also gives it the potential to offer minimally invasive retrofits on historic buildings. However, at the point of research, not enough is known about the rate of degradation, pest control or impact on its surrounding structures when grown in-situ for it to be used readily. The rate of degradation is particularly important in Santiago due to the high levels of moisture in the climate.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Axonometric of a typical Santiago Historic Building, The Public Research Centre by Victor Lopez Coltelo. Rough faced granite stone walls, stone or slate slabbed ground floor, timber beamed floors and pitched timber roof clad with clay pantiles or rough cut slates. The wall cavities are thin and hard to access without damaging the rest of the walls.

STAGE 4 | Conclusions

Architectural Design Studio G

Details of the application of mycelium grown both in situ (left) and applied as pre-fabricated panels (right).

This investigation showed that the mycelium grown in situ creates less thermal bridging, therefore providing a greater level of thermal insulation. However, the in-situ grown mycelium has the potential to cause more damage to the existing building fabric if it grew into the granite walls. Therefore, pre-fab boards are more likely to be a suitable solution. Through U-Value comparisons, the mycelium application in this form of construction will provide a greater thermal performance in both the roof and the walls than that of the retrofit that was carried out previously.

U-Value Insulation Comparisons

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Comparison of Materials with Desirable Qualities

Architectural Design Studio D

STAGE 3 | Implementation Experiment

Architectural Technology Research

Myceliums’ ability to control moisture levels is one of the negatives of the material, while it is capable of absorbing lots of water, this starts to degrade it, reducing its insulating properties. Other, man made, insulators do this much better. All of the other materials studied come either in rigid boards or rolled sheets, allowing for installation and removal with nothing more than a few screws. If grown in situ the mycelium may bond with the historic building fabric, making it very difficult to remove. For this reason, pre made mycelium sheets may work better. Myceliums fire proofing abilities is top rated, much like the man made materials, which is an improvement on all of the other more sustainable options. Mycelium outshines all others on post life span prospects, although the other natural materials can also biodegrade, mycelium has the added bonus of cleansing and fertilising the soil it degrades in. Thermal capacities show mycelium to massively out perform the other sustainable options and even be better than the man made materials.

Architectural Design Studio C

Taking the generic comparison points of insulation materials, thermal performance, and the four historic retrofit specific factors established from the Bogendollo House case study, Mycelium was compared against other commonly used insulation materials and other sustainable options to see how its performance compares.

COURSE SUMMARY This course built upon the historic analysis of a fire event to develop an architectural proposal. Through three stages, design a proposal that reinvents a historical brief in London, followed by a computational analysis of egress routes to inform this design, both stages of which being highly resolved in a detailed investigation of a fire related element of the building. The course was taught primarily through weekly tutorials, 1-1 alternating between tutors, but also through presentation reviews with guest critics and was assessed through a digital exhibition at the end of the course.

12 ST

ND

Year

Sem

Architectural Design Studio D (Modular)

ARCH11090 Course Organiser: Adrian Hawker Tutor: Liam Ross and Tolulope Onabolu Project Title: Battersea Garden Cemetary

While this project was in progress, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, creating unprecedented circumstances in which we had to quickly adapted to working completely remotely with very limited access to facilities and materials. As someone that regularly uses model making to explore design options and concepts, this effected the manner in which my project progressed. It did however result in me becoming a more adaptable worker and learning new presentation skills due to be unable to rely on those I have The ability to develop and act upon a productive conceptual framework used before.

LO1: both individually and in teams for an architectural project or proposition, based on a critical analysis of relevant issues.

The ability to develop an architectural spatial and material language that LO2: is carefully considered at an experiential level and that is in clear dialogue with conceptual and contextual concerns.

The ability to investigate, appraise and develop clear strategies for LO3: technological and environmental decisions in an architectural design project.

A critical understanding of, and ability to present complex design LO4: proposals through appropriate forms of representation (eg. verbal, drawing, modelling, photography, film, computer, installation, performance and workshop techniques).

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

Ghosting of the Past Architectures

The response continued to use the archive developed in studio C to inform the work progress.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Historic sketch og highgate victorian garden cemetary.

Accessed via http://midnightsocietytales.com/

Siting of Chapels and Resultant Site Plan

Battersea Garden Cemetary as a New Oasis in the City

Design Report

As a contemporary interpretation of this, the landscape will provide a calm oasis of contemplation away from the business of the capitol city.

Architectural Design Studio B

My response was to work with an existing building that was an icon of Londons past of poor air quality - Battersea Power Station and turn into into a pair of atmospheric lungs for the city with the expulsion of clean fumes with poignancy.

An overall landscaping strategy was also derived of this ghosting, using the elevation levels to reflect intensity levels, allowing some areas to flood creating pools, others are used to grown reeds as a clean renewable fuel source for the crematoriums.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

The surrounding landscape will be purposed in a similar manner to the Victorian Garden Cemeteries - created to be lungs for the city - open places with lots of greenery to provide an oasis of clean air in a polluted city.

Architectural Design Studio G

The output was in the form of drawings, physical models and additions to the existing archive as appropriate to each individual project.

When working with a big site, there was many options for the cities of chapels within this space. To do so with significance, I took the old floor plans of Battersea Power Station, grading the spaces with intensity of use. For example the areas that once held the boiler rooms were of most intensity, circulation of least. These were then overlaid to give a ghosting of the sites past. Through doing so, three areas were seen to be of highest historical intensity and so these areas became the sitings for the new chapels.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

The brief created looked at working with the famous Battersea Power Station, which until recently was lying redundant. As an architecture, synonymous with London Smog past, it holds strong power as a site for new investigations that work with clean air systems. The programme looks to bring significance to the new emissions of the site, creating a crematorium that uses the smoke as a signifier of memory.

Architectural Design Studio D

Having spent a semester analysing the occurrences and consequences of fire events in the city and the influences this has on architectures, this brief looks to offer an alternative architectural narrative to that currently in London. We were to create a brief, possibly based on the briefs of existing buildings in London that allows for the logical deployment of the established apparatus.

Response

SITING

MEMORY AND LUNGS

Architectural Technology Research

Brief

Architectural Design Studio C

ALTERNATE HISTORY

Y1 Y2

FORM FINDING Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

This lead to a double skin strategy, designing internal skins to manipulate pgimentation within the rooms, and an external skin to do so at a building scale..

Architectural Design Studio C

A spacial programme was developed through the deployment of the smoke apparatus estalished in the previous research studio. The spacial footprint was establihsed from the needs and artefacts contained within the spaces. These were then tranformed into physical forms using the apparatus, using the pigmentation to reflect the emotional intensity of the activities the spaces are designed for. For each of the three chapels, these individual room forms were combined into one overall building skin. This designed not only the shape of the architecture, but the internal and external pgimentation patterns and emision control paths

Resultant Form Maquette Experiments

Resultant Forms

Service Space

Urn Collection Office

Officiants Room

Waiting Room

Chapel Tribute Space

Entrance Hall

Plant Room

Resultant Smoking Control

INITIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL

Architectural Design Studio G Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

North West Chapel

1:100 @ A2

North East Chapel

Architectural Design Studio C

South Chapel

Chapel Section Floor Plans with Intensity Nets

Site Section Through Two Chapels

Site Axonometric Initial Site Plans | South Chapel (Top) North West Chapel (Middle) North East Chapel (Bottom)

Y1 Y2

Y1 Y2

3

5

4

Design Report

2

Architectural Design Studio B

The output would be a series of drawings that super impose the results of these tests onto the previously designed proposal.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

1

Architectural Design Studio G

The floor plate levels for each individual room differ to give a sense of journey though the space and extends the processional aspect of the design. The allocation of heights took precedent from the Thermadynamic House in which the warmest spaces are placed at the highest level in order to take advantage of the natural movement of warmer air rising. In this case, the crematorium and office are the lowest levels, being occupied by only a few members of staff. The chapel is the highest area, being the space that guests will occupy for the longest amount of time and so their floor levels are determined accordingly. In doing so it is hoped the building will be able to run more sustainably with less mechanical environmental interventions.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Using the design as proposed at the end of the alternative histories brief, an egress analysis was conducted using computational simulations in MassMotion. The resultant drawings showed a variety of intensities even within each room. Equating people movement to the exhaustion of emissions through breathing and movement, it was considered that these places will need higher volume of space to continue the same atmospheric intensity - their containers will need to be larger. Therefore, the internal skins have their forms dictated by the egress intensity levels.

Architectural Design Studio D

Test the structural and fire-safety performance of the design proposal. Take the established design and, through a computational simulation workshop led by Arup consultants, test either the structural performance, egress paths or smoke control analysis. Through doing so, it is hoped that the design will actually fail the tests in some manner, allowing for it to be informed and adapted in respect of the results and therefore to have an element of accidental design.

THERMADYNAMIC FLOOR LEVELS

Architectural Technology Research

Brief

EGRESS ANALYSIS

Architectural Design Studio C

ACCIDENTAL DESIGN

Response Having already worked with smoke control analysis, I felt that there was little more to gain by repeating this process again on the same project and so analysed egress paths and routes instead.

1) Chapel 2)Tribute Room 3) Enterance Lobby 4) Staff Office 5) Cremetorium and Plant Room

Plans of egress analysis

I combined these with the results of previously conducted smoke analysis that created the Apparatus in order to determine the form of the inner skins of the chapels.

1

2 3

5 4 1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Form heights developed from the places of highest egress intensity

Floor levels dictated by thermal environmental needs

Y1 Y2

Architectural Design Studio B Design Report

Corbel Brick Fixing Details

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

The outcome would be 1:1 to 1:50 detailed drawings of this area as appropriate to the individual project. As well as changes to the overall design, physical models and additions to the ongoing archive.

Architectural Design Studio G

The Tate Switch House in London has a brick facade skin that acts as a continuous surface that surrounds the internal. The system of the facade uses corbeling bricks to provide a structure that does not need mortar and can cope with openings between the bricks that allow light into the building.

Adapting this ‘concrete structure - corbeling - brick’ system to allow for even more flexibility in the removal of bricks will allow for more light to be allowed into the chapel so that, even after the second controlling layer of the internal skins, there’s sufficient light for occupation.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

The external skin needs to allow a gradiated level of lighting into the void and room spaces and therefore needs to have a variety of openings. Bricks offer a solution to this that allows for rhythmic, repeated openings that can be adjusted to allow some level of gradiation.

Architectural Design Studio D

Resolve the detailed design of an aspect of the architectural design proposal that relates specifically to fire or fire safety.

By rigorously investigating one area, it is hoped that greater clarity can be gained on the areas specifically relating to fire or fire-safety and can therefore inform the overall design project. The higher resolution of investigation is achieved by limiting the scope to a smaller area.

Architectural Technology Research

BRICK CORBELING SECOND SKIN

Brief

Architectural Design Studio C

PYRO - TECTONICS

Response I looked in more detail at two smaller areas, the outer skin, the construction of it and the lighting and ventilation strategy it facilitates. This then enabled a further investigation specifically into the chapel room, how light, ventilation and exhaustion function in the space in response to the candles and fumes used in the space.

These spaces then connect to the main central chimney exhaust system.

Key Buidlings: Switch Building at the Tate Modern London by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia The Florence Duomo by Filippo Bruelleschi

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Central portion of the brick coursing skin and concrete frame

The Tate Switch House by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia Photographed by J.Stephenson for Dezeen on 2016

Y1 Y2

Architectural Design Studio G Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

Alongside this, they acted as a ventilation strategy, with greater openings allowing for greater expulsion of warm air. As the chapel spaces aim to make use of these exhaustions to create graining and pigmentation, the lack of openings also helps with this.

Architectural Technology Research

The flexibility of the external skin allows for an extra layer of lighting control, helping to orchestrate an atmosphere of calm and contemplation. Working with the floor plans. I used the external skin to moderate lighting levels, with solid wall in places that are non occupied, large amounts of lighting in the communal areas and more controlled light in the chapels to give a calming contemplative effect.

Architectural Design Studio C

LIGHTING STRATEGY

Axonometric and External Skin

Concrete Frame Axonometric

Development of Lighting Strategy Design

Brick Corbelling Openings

Cut Axonometric and External Skin

Y1 Y2

Design Report

Detailed Section 1:50

Architectural Design Studio B

|

DETAILS | Section

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

CHAPEL ROOM

DETAILS | Plan

Architectural Design Studio G

DETAILS | Sectional + Plan

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

EXHAUSTION | Ventillation Louvres

Architectural Design Studio D

CIRCULATION | Stairs

Architectural Technology Research

DWELLING | Seating The design of an external skin, brick facade creates a void between the internal forms established through egress analysis and external forms derived form the smoke apparatus. The using of these spaces took precedent from St Brides Church in East Kilbride by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia and The Florence Duomo by Filippo Brunelleschi, using them for dwelling, circulation and mechanical systems.

Architectural Design Studio C

VOID OCCUPATIONS

12 ST

ND

Year

Sem

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

ARCH11070 Course Organiser: Ella Chmielewska Tutor: Fiona Fanley Project Title: Thinking in Movement: Body, Place, Gesture COURSE SUMMARY This course offered an opportunity to pursue a topic of architectural theory with a more intense rigour, with a choice of five topics of wide variety. The course was based on a weekly texts that were to be studied closely and then discussed at the weekly seminar, This allowed for an interactive discussion on the topics each week, giving different perspectives, space for clarifying ideas and discussions. The emphasise lay, not only with the content of the texts, but also the writing styles, layout, design and formatting, taking a more holistic approach to the work.

My chosen topic was “Thinking In Movement” that explored thought having space and place, and how written text can use movement to influence meaning. As well as weekly reading seminars, this featured a movement seminar, allowing us to explore the consequences and thinking movements on spacial perceptions.

Images of Daniel Lepkoff and Steve Paxton practising contact improvisation; a form of thinking in movement.

Shot by Steven Christiansen, June 1973, published in “Still Moving” journal in November 2010.

LO1:

LO2:

LO3:

A capacity to research a given theme, comprehend the key texts that constitute the significant positions and debates within it, and contextualise it within a wider historical, cultural, social, urban, intellectual and/or theoretical frame.

An understanding of the way theoretical ideas and theories, practices and technologies of architecture and the arts are mobilized through different textual, visual and other media, and to explore their consequences for architecture.

An ability to coherently and creatively communicate the research, comprehension and contextualisation of a given theoretical theme in relation to architecture using textual and visual media.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

1. To What Extent Can Michel Serres’ Theories of the Human Skin Be Applied to Architetural Skins?

2. How does Edwards Caseys’ Use of Dynamic Language Foreshadow his Theories on the Nature of the Glance?

3. How Does Moving Our Primary Spacial Perception Reliance From Sight To Touch Change the Way Spaces Should Be Designed?

The human veil is a canvas not only capable of recording past interactions, but a sensory veil that can visualise the present. Take the following extract as example; “the women has turned pink, probably from the smell of the rose”2 . Here we see Serres exploring the instantaneous reaction of the veil in response to the woman’s sense of smell detecting the flower, documenting this to the world through the reddening of the veil. This information was received by the senses rather than through interaction with the veil itself, so the veil returns to its’ original colour soon after the stimulus is removed with no permanent record. Stimuli for architectural skins also provoke reaction. The presence of people detected in movement sensors send information to doors and windows that consequently open, distorting the skin, distorting the veil, to create openings. These movements are then reversed once the detected movement has been removed like the removal of the roses. The presence of sensory data triggers a response in both cases, and in both cases the veil outwardly expresses this gathering of data for those outwith the veil to see.

4. Thinking In Movements’ Relationship to the Past, Present and Future.

5. Essayistic Thinking As a Mode of Learning to Open Futher Exploration.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 Michel Serres, The Five Senses; a Philosophy of Mingled Bodies (1), trans. Margaret Sankey and Peter Cowley (London New York; Continuum; 2009) pg 21.

2 Michel Serres, The Five Senses; a Philosophy of Mingled Bodies (1), trans. Margaret Sankey and Peter Cowley (London New York; Continuum; 2009) pg 60.

“Tattooing” of the facade of the Natural History Museum, London. Photo by Sarah Alcock, 2019

Design Report

According to Serres, our interactions with the world, physical or otherwise, can be traced through our veils. The human face in particular visualises the ageing of the veil upon the veil itself through wrinkles, frown lines and weathering, each becoming more and more ingrained as time passes. Interruptions to this documentation of ageing, injuries and accidents are shown as scars. These fresh areas of skins are new surfaces on the veil, they glisten free from the years of ageing that effected the surrounding areas but proceeded their creation. Building facades have their own methods of documenting ageing, emissions tarnish the external surface, building up layers of dark pigmentation; its own wrinkled lines of time drawn upon the surface. Chips, engravings, graffiti and scratches speak of the veils interactions with the external world of its existence, showing their youth through the exposing of untarnished surfaces; the glistening scars of injury.

Journal Titles:

Architectural Design Studio B

Response

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Michel Serres descriptions of the human skin within his work The Five Senses are based on the principal that the skin acts as a veil; a boundary, a point of interaction between internal and external. It’s a canvas that, amongst other things, outwardly documents the internal reception of the senses, mapping both the past and the present of the wearers life to the viewing world. While Serres’ work continuously references this mapping, named by himself as “Tattooing”1, with regards to the human skin, there are elements of his descriptions of the veil that can also apply to architectural skins for these are the buildings boundaries, the point at which the internal and external interact. If we consider these to be architectural veils they, as with human veils, are the most outwardly surface of the entity to which they are bound and therefore also have the ability to outwardly communicate.

The nature of what is being communicated by these two differing veils has the possibility to pose an interesting insight into the extent of the role the human senses in Tattooing the veil.

To create weekly reading journals, 500 words in length, that critically reflect on the weeks readings and discussions.

They are aimed at sustaining the discussion in relation to architecture and the urban environment, exploring ideas rather than drawing conclusions. They were submitted alongside the Essay in a curated, illustrated documents that explored ideas through formatting as well as text.

Architectural Design Studio G

Brief

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

JOURNAL ENTRIES

Architectural Design Studio D

“The internal sense is draped in its tent, a new veil, a new fabric,

but the same carpet and the same skin. The internal sense is veiled in the skin”1.

Architectural Technology Research

1

Architectural Design Studio C

To What Extent Can Micheal Serres’ Theories of the Human Skin be Applied to Architectural Skins

Y1 Y2

The seated now no longer has the possibility of falling to the floor, they can no longer roll forwards, these were the possibilities of a past present. New possibilities have arisen, they can now lie down, they can roll over to their front, they can curl into a ball - all of which wouldn’t have been possible had the previous movement not lead to the grounded situation.

The prolonged present has moved to a new situation, a new present. But this new present is informed by the movements that occurred in the past present, the movements that put the body in their new present situation. Thinking in Movement can only occur in the present and can only ever exist in that exact present, it cannot be repeated or represented. It does however rely on a relationship with the past and the future.

The present situation is only capable of existing because of all that has come before it, therefore thinking can only occur because of all that has come before it. The past gives the thinker previous knowledge of how they can move their muscles, how to control movement, it provides previous explorations of space and proprioception, it gives strength to muscles that have been trained over years. The past provides a point from with to think, it builds the starting point from which the present and all thinking within the present to exist.

But it also cannot exist without the possibility of an open future, one that the movement can continue into, a future for the present to exist in. The present needs somewhere to move to.

1 Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, The Primacy of Movement, (John Benjamin Publishing Company, 2011) pg 421 2 Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, The Primacy of Movement, (John Benjamin Publishing Company, 2011) pg 421

If the architectural presentation is considered as an essayistic mode of learning, we can see how this may lead to further explorations being opened up to both the writer and reader. An architectural presentation never consists of a single drawing, it doesn’t show a plan drawing and expect the viewer to understand the whole building, or even a single element of a building. Plans, Sections, elevations, maps, narrative illustrations, details - they are all needed in order to portray the building in its entirety. They each show the same building, the same idea, but do so from different viewpoints, angles using a variety of methods and number of dimensions. Only by studying all of the drawings would an outside viewer be able to gain a full understanding of the building, with some areas always being open to some degree of interpretation. But by studying all of these drawings, the viewer can gain enough understanding to enable them to interact with the building, to offer redesigns, to progress the design or critique areas.

This opens the ‘idea’ up to further exploration, further thinking and development much like the essay does with the idea it is trying to explore.

1 Joan Retallack, The Poetical Wager, (University of California Press, 2003) pg 48 2 Joan Retallack, The Poetical Wager, (University of California Press, 2003) pg 170

Key Readings: • Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, The Primacy of Movement, (John Benjamin Publishing Company, 2011) • Edward Casey, The World at a Glance, (Indiana University Press, 2007) • Joan Retallack, Wager as Essay in The Poetical Wager, (University of California Press, 2003) • Michel Serres, The Five Senses; a Philosophy of Mingled Bodies, trans.

Margaret Sankey and Peter Cowley, (London New York; Continuum; 2009) • Rebecca Solnit, Tracing a Headland: An Introduction in Wanderlust, (Verso, 2000) • Ann Cooper Albright, Disorientation in How to Land: Finding Ground in an Unstable World, (Oxford University Press, 2018)

Design Report

As soon as something changes, the first situation becomes the past, the present moves forward to its new situation presenting new opportunities for thinking in movement. The present becomes a fluid situation, ever changing, ever posing more possibilities and constraints, a concept referred to as the “prolonged present” by Gertrude Stein2.

Architectural Design Studio B

Edward Casey, The World at a Glance, (Indiana University Press, 2007) pg ix Edward Casey, The World at a Glance, (Indiana University Press, 2007) pg xi Edward Casey, The World at a Glance, (Indiana University Press, 2007) pg xi-xii Edward Casey, The World at a Glance, (Indiana University Press, 2007) pg xiii

Therefore, if spaces were designed with the intention of being perceived without sight, how would design techniques change to reduce this disorientation and allow for comfortable occupation and perception? In order to reduce disorientation more contact points between the occupier and the boundaries would be needed to gather more information. The proportions of space become prescribed by the reach of a person, their boundaries of proprioception. Ceilings would be lowered to just above head height, reachable with outstretched arms, the distance between walls would become shorter to allow the occupier to touch both at the same time and perceive their inter-relationship, windows become obsolete and sight lines redundant. The same numerical footprint of space becomes segregated by the finite reach of the occupant. Instead of the space having the luxury of visual perception limitations being prescribed by its own boundaries, space designed for touch has the perceptual limitation prescribed for it by the reach of the occupier.

As soon as this situation presents itself, something changes. The thinker rolls forwards to the floor.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

1 2 3 4

The floor - when perceiving the space with our eyes - is an uninteresting element. It provides the continuous datum from which other more features arise that can provide more information and so the eyes are draw elsewhere. When sight is removed, the floor becomes of much greater importance for the fact that it provides this constant, it is the only continuous contact point between the viewer and the spacial boundaries, the only aspect that can be relied upon for a continuous information. In contrast, the ceiling becomes redundant. The ceiling provides a visual boundary that can affect the comfortability of the entire space, but as the ceiling is usually beyond the physical reach, when sight is removed the boundary does not exist. The vertical element of space becomes infinite.

If thinking took place seated in a chair, all movements from this would be reliant upon the positioning of the chair within the room, how the thinkers’ body is placed upon the chair, how light it is, how fatigued they are is, how far they can reach with their limbs and the strength they possess. From here, the possibilities for thinking in movement include standing, reaching to the floor, rolling forwards, falling off the chair amongst many others.

The essay introduces us to a topic, allow us to gain a basic understanding of it by applying it to a situation or context, much like one would ask for a new word to be used in a sentence as well as having it defined when hearing it for the first time. The essay then progresses to explore the idea in different situations, different sentences, to allow for different approaches to be made to the topic. These different approaches could offer new perspectives on the idea, opening up the possibility of new information being gathered and new understandings to be gained, as Retallack says “nothing is self-sufficient”1, not even ideas can exist without reliance on other ideas or concepts . By creating new routes into the topic, it is possible that new routes out of it will also be created. This allows for a denser understanding of a single point of the topic with the possibilities for further explorations being opened up rather than a single definition which by nature closes off the questioning nature of the boundaries of the topic2.

Architectural Design Studio G

This contrasts to Caseys’ language use in describing other forms of visual perception like the gaze. The word “stultifying” in particular leads more towards an investigation based on repetition without change in outcome, an action that lacks the ability to inspire and move forward, but instead lingers on a subject in a sedentary, lifeless manner4. This foreshadowing prepares the reader subconsciously for what they’re about to read, sets up their mind to envisage the two visual investigations in different ways.

When our eyesight is removed and we occupy even a familiar space, there is a feeling of disorientation created as the less trained senses are relied upon to define the space and inform movement. The immediate reaction of those who become blindfolded is to outstretch their arms in front of them. They instantaneously switch from perceiving their spacial boundaries using their eyes, to relying on their hands and sense of touch. The area in which one can perceive becomes reduced. Visual perception is limited by the physical boundaries of the space, but when relying upon touch the limitation comes from our personal boundaries, how far we can reach with our limbs and how we can move our bodies, our own proprioception. The area in which one can perceive space becomes reduced.

Thinking in movement can only ever exist in the present. A thought expressed through movement relies on the physical positioning of objects around it, lighting to be of its exact nature, the positioning of the body within space and with respect to others, and many other aspects that can never be repeated. Without these exacting conditions, other possibilities of movement would be available and some opportunities closed off - resulting in a different series of movements being untaken.

Essayistic writing, as Retallack explores, does not set out with the aim of defining, it doesn’t exist to constrict the writers’ (or readers) understanding of an idea, or to condense their knowledge down to a single definition. Essayistic thinking is an experiment, an exploration into the different approaches to understanding a single idea. Essayistic writing creates density of thought, density of understanding through a layering up of thoughts over a single point. They have the possibility to open up further exploration in a way that defining parameters if less effective at.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Casey also alludes to the investigatory nature of the glance with words such as “discover”, “exploratory” and “adventuresome” throughout the prologue3. They suggest an element of the unknown, the surprise, and uncontrollable outcome - of risk. The viewer does not start a glance with an intended direction of investigation or conclusion in mind, it takes its own path, forms its own direction based on its singular contextual situation. The viewer takes the risk that the jounces the glance is taking them on produce dead ends or double back to known paths, but in doing so they open themselves up to the possibility of new lines of enquiry.

The physical boundaries of space like walls, ceilings, floors, doors and windows are all visible boundaries. Someone within the space, capable of seeing, will be able to perceive all the boundaries of their surroundings by simply looking in all directions. When designing space that feels most comfortable, we therefore design for the eyes first. We create sightlines that make guide the occupant through the space, place windows specifically to provide desirable views beyond and arrange the physical boundaries at the furthest possible distance in order to create at much space as possible because we feel comfortable in large spaces, the boundaries are still perceivable. The perception of the space is limited by the placement of the physical boundaries, not by the sensual limitations.

Thinking in Movement is reliant upon situation, it can exist solely in its exacting present situation, yet situation itself relies on the accumulation of past situations and gives rise to future situations. Thinking in Movement has a duality with situation in which it cannot exist without it, but also informs the situation of the “prolonged present”1.

5

Architectural Design Studio D

The language Casey uses in reference to the glance is often inferring speed, creating ideas of short periods of time in which great changes are made. If one were to consider the choice of the words used in the following “This happens by the actions of leaping from the zone of the familiar to very edges of the unfamiliar…and then leaping back again”2 . Here the word choice leaping could feasibly have been replaced with the word step, but leaping implies a great change in physical location made in a single pace, in contrast to a step which implies a manageable, controlled, considered and therefore smaller change in location. The leaping suggests therefore that the unfamiliar zone is far from the familiar and could not be reached with a controlled, considered step. New locations far from that which one started suggest a new perspective, new information to be explored and new ways in which to view the surroundings. From this inference, the glance can be seen as a tool to unlock theses new perspectives and new information.

Our perception and experience of space relies upon our senses to find its boundaries, and guide our movements through it. Our eyes find the edges of walls, our feet feel the top surface of the ground, our ears feel the sound waves bouncing off surfaces.

4

Architectural Technology Research

The roots of Western epistemology regarding visual perception and investigation go so far back as Greek mythology, where the placing of the all-seeing human in a central, stationary position from which they gather information through sustained investigation1. Edward Casey challenges this in his writings and theories of the glance, instead proposing that visual exploration gathers information that actually provides a continuously changing stand point from which to base thought. Edward Casey uses the prologue of The World at a Glance to establish the placement of the theory of glance within these traditional concepts but also to introduce the glance as a concept and distinguishing it from other forms of visual investigation. In doing so, his specific choice of language use to describe the glance in comparison to that of the gaze for example help to foreshadowing his explorations that follow and differentiate his thinking from that which has come previously.

3

Architectural Design Studio C

2

Y1 Y2

Key References

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

• Casey, Edward. “Regaining the Glance” and “The Singularity of the Glance”. In “The World at a Glance”, xi-xv and 256-275. Indiana University Press, 2007.

• Solnit, Rebecca. “Tracing a Headland: An Introduction.” In “Wanderlust”, 3-13. Verso, 2000.

• Robertson, Lisa. “Seven Walks.” In “Occasional Work and Seven Walks from the Office of Soft Architecture”. Clear Cut Press, 2004.

• Retallack, Joan. “Wager as Essay.” In “The Poetical Wager”, 47-61.

University of California Press, 2003.

• Flusser, Vilem. “The Gesture of Photographing,” Journal for Visual Culture 10, no. 3, (Dec 2011), pg 279-293

Design Report

The glance is a short, surface level mode of thought in movement, giving small snippets of information then moving quickly, onto the next thought, allowing for a breadth of knowledge to be gained. This is something embraced and encouraged at a younger age, with architecture responding to this by creating opportunities for the glance to be engaged through changes in situation. Sounds, sight lines, textured surfaces, all extended and available to be explored. In comparison, architecture for adults stifles the glance, removing ‘distractions’ that could spark new glances and move thoughts at a quicker pace. Adult libraries are built to allow sustained, rigours thoughts that dwell, linger and move slower than the glance. Architecture is capable, and in many cases designed purposefully to, influence the modes, speed and intensity of thoughts that the thinkers within it its spaces.

Architectural Design Studio B

Summary of concluding thoughts:

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

The process of thinking involves movement which can both initiate, and be in response to, changes in the situation.

There is a relationhsip between thinking and situation that means movement on the part of either one effects the other.

For example, changes in situation move thinking in a new direction, the progress of thinking changes the past experiences of the thinker and so changes the situation once more, creating a cycle of constantly moving thought. Architecture as a mode of creating experiencial space therefore has an influence over the movement of the thoughts of those that occupy it. By looking at libraries in particular, the most obvious of spaces created specifically for the stimulation of thought, we can begin to see how this is being manipulated in order to create a the desired mode of thinking.

Architectural Design Studio G

Taking an area of interest that has arisen from the weekly readings or seminar discussions, explore in more depth and rigour within a 3000 word essay. The document would be curated and illustrated where applicable and submitted with the weekly journals as one holistic document.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Abstract:

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

Architectural Technology Research

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Thinking and Situation and the Role Experience Plays in Moving Them Both.

Architectural Design Studio C

ESSAY

Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Management, Practice

Architectural Design Studio B

Design Report

YEAR TWO

2 1 ND

ST

Year

Sem

Architectural Design Studio G (Modular)

COURSE SUMMARY

ARJA11003 Course Organiser: Chris French Tutor: Suzanne Ewing and Andrew Brooks Partnered With: Kevin Ching and Yuquian Ouyang Project Title: The Role of Water in the City

This course focussed on archival historical research into the New Club, Edinburgh as an entrench into a world of routine, ritual, etiquette and hierarchy.

Through doing so, design tests were then developed to establish how architectural spaces can instil experiences of home within the city. The course was framed through three stages, an initial self-reflective film to consider the nature of home within the city, a rigorous group investigation into a specified area of the New Club, finalised by testing these researched outcomes in a design intervention of a housing within the city.

It was conducted through weekly tutorials, in groups, and review presentations, concluding with a digital exhibition. This was conducted through a mixture of distanced learning and face-to-face tutorials due to the changing pandemic situation, it was a hybrid course that allowed exploration of new methods of design and representation that would otherwise have been overlooked.

LO1:

The ability to develop and act upon a productive conceptual framework both individually and in teams, for an architectural project or proposition, based on a critical analysis of relevant issues.

LO2:

The ability to develope an architectural spacial and material language that is carefully considered at an experiential level and that is in clear dialogue with conceptual and contextual concerns.

LO3:

The ability to investigate, appraise and develop clear strategies for technological and environmental decisions in an architectural design project.

LO4:

Unknown Photographer. Accessed via http://www. mypennines.co.uk/pentlands/walks/110409.html#st-

A critical undersanding of the effects of, and the development of skills in using different forms of representation (eg verbal, modelling, photography, film, computer and workshop techniques) especially in relation to individual and group work.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio G Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

To create a 2 minute film and a 1:1 physical housing to curate the viewing of the film. This should reflect where and how I feel at home in the city, what represents home to me and how I connect that to the city.

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

Architectural Technology Research

WEEK 1 - 2

Architectural Design Studio C

At Home | At Hand

The housing is a physical reflection of the films contents and concepts to give a holistic viewing experience.

Response My focus for the project was the boundaries of the city accessible to me, looking at the spaces I occupy when I am walking through the city, when I am running and when I am cycling and how the mode of transport creates limitations on where I occupy, dwell and move through.

The housing looks at viewing in these environments, locating my phone in a map of where the shots were taken. It also highlighted how the net curtains in my flat separate myself from the city, creating a veil between the two.

Key Source: Margaret Taits’ Film-Poem “Where I am Is Here”

https://vimeo.com/463749841

Film Housing

Film Concept Drawings

Y1 Y2

Apart | At Hand

Response For the most comprehensive analysis of such a large, complex, building, each salon took a segmented area. Our designated area was that of the Laundry Room and Guest Bedrooms.

We started our analysis by looking at the roles laundry plays in this and how it interacts spatially with the laundry room and associated spaces.

Choregoraphy of Ceremony

We then looked beyond the boundaries of the New Club, at how laundry moves throughout the city, how it has done so in the past. This expanded to explore the cities relationship with water in general, the powers water processes to provide cleansing.

Key reference: Canmore National Record of the Historic Environment, 8487 Princes Street Edinburgh.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/salon. Taken from S. Ewing briefing document

Taking just the laundry room and a guests bedroom as a small initial analysis, it became clear that the routines and movements of the laundry artefacts are dictated through daily ceremonies, from making the bed, to turning it down, times for meals and the rooms these occur in.

Representing these movements in drawing form is an interesting challenge so I investigated them as forms of choreography - using choreographic notation as a form of translation between something moving to something static.

Artefacts of Laundry

Choreography of a Guest Bedroom Linen

Design Report

The results of this phase of exploration should be; 1:50 spacial arrangement axo, axo in city context, related objects and artefacts at 1:20 in their environment and a mapping of a city filed that set up siting for future design interventions.

Architectural Design Studio B

Laundry Movement Paths

Architectural Design Studio G

Laundry Movement Through Rooms of Ceremony

The end destinations to the movements are spaces of transition, where the laundry goes from wet-dry, clean-dirty and vice versa.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Key Rooms of Ceremony as Clean and Dirty Spaces

The placement of the laundry rooms effects the circulation paths throughout the whole club, easy access with heavy laundry laden baskets and trolleys are needed between it and the rooms that use the laundry in order to facilitate these ceremonies.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

This stage of the project we were working in assigned trios, named Salons, to investigate how architectural space orders, segregates and choreographs through analysis of the New Club Edinburgh. Through research, rigorous redrawing and mapping we were to identify how the New Club acts as a home away from home.

Spaces of Ceremony and Transition

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

The aspect of the laundry room which we found initially is that it is a space of transition, items enter the space as dirty/wet and leave and clean/dry. The room forms part of a journey for these artefacts, connecting itself to all rooms and spaces of the club. This one room that is hidden away from guests and visitors is seen through its consequences rather than its physicality.

Architectural Technology Research

WEEK 3 - 7 | Kevin Ching and Yuqian Ouyang

Architectural Design Studio C

MOVEMENT AND TRANSITION

Y1 Y2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio G Architectural Design Studio B Design Report

The Steamies were the equivalent of the steam laundries for those who did not make the exclusive guest list of the New Club and its counterparts.

Key reference for this research was S. Robb. Public Washhouses of Edinburgh. 2014. Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, New Series Vol 10. Pg 127-150.

Original New Club building plans of service areas. Accessed via Canmore Collections

Craigmillar Steam Laundry Looking out-with the buildings bounds, the historic New Club, like many other clubs and hotels at the time, outsourced a lot of its laundry to the Craigmillar Steam Laundry. This meant there was movement of laundry around the city as well as around the building itself. It was part of a wider system of water roles within the city.

Images by various authors accessed via Capitol Collections

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

The Edinburgh Steamies were public washhouses and laundry facilities sited throughout the city, established in the late 1800s and finally closing in the 1960s, with much backlash. They offered the lower classes spaces for cleansing they did not have access to in their own homes. As a consequence they became social centres, particularly for women, having creches and offering opportunities for conversations, bonding and interaction through the necessity of using the spaces.

The current New Club building is not its only spacial existence. The current building has only been in existence since 1969, so analysing how the laundry moved and was distributed in previous iterations of the building, In the 1934-63 iteration of the building, the laundry facility was sited in the basement of the building, far from the guest rooms and dining space above where the laundry was used. This shows how this system have been adapted in the later version of the building, where it was moved higher into the building, closer to the guest room where the highest intensity of laundry movement was sited.

Architectural Design Studio D

Steamie Network

Pre-1969 New Club Laundry Movements

Architectural Technology Research

Laundry in Edinburgh Archive

Architectural Design Studio C

LAUNDRY IN EDINBURGH: Historical Analysis

Images by various authors. Accessed via Canmore Collections and Capitol Collections

Steamie locations and city wide laundry movements

Y1 Y2 Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

Supplying the City

Architectural Technology Research

EDINBURGHS WIDER WATER RELATIONSHIP

Architectural Design Studio C

CITY OF STEAM AND LAUNDY: CITY | FIELD

Beyond laundry, the city of Edinburgh has been sculpted by water. From the Nor Loch (now Princes St Gardens) to the Forth of Firth and the Pentland reservoirs, they have created boundaries that limit evolution of the city, supplied amenities and allowed industries such as breweries and mills to flourish.

The Pentland Reservoirs were the biggest man made hydro intervention for the city. They allowed it to grow by creating a consistent fresh water supply for drinking and cleaning, supplying both the Steamies and the public water fountains. Several of the reservoirs were designated as specifically to supply industry, ensuring there is sufficient flow through waterwheels to keep the mills turning, but also that the breweries have enough fresh water to supply the city and beyond.

Steamie Vernacular photographed by S. Alcock 2021

Key Source Archive - S. Robb. Public Washhouses of Edinburgh. 2014. Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, New Series Vol 10. Pg 127-150.

- Captiol Collections. Craigmillar Steam Laundry. Accessed Via https://www.capitalcollections.org.uk/view-item?key=T3siUCI6eyJ0eXBlIjoxLCJpZHMiOls2ODM0XX19&pg=11&WINID=1620561808439#BOQlwLtn7L4AAAF5UQLK6g/12020 - The New Club. Accessed Via https://www.newclub.co.uk/ - CANMORE National Record of the historic Environment. Edinburgh, 84-87 Princes St. Accessed Via https://canmore.org.uk/site/74031/edinburgh-84-87-princes-street

Pentland Reservoir Mapping. Images by unknown photographers. Accessed from Capitol Collections

Y1 Y2

Existing location movement analysis

Response As a salon, all working in different time zones and without any ability to meet physical, we found working together very difficult as it created a great deal of separation between the work rather than a project that built homogeneously together. For this reason, we decided to create individual series of housings, each working to the areas we found most interesting.

Once the area for intervention was located, I then worked with the landscape, key views, environmental conditions and spacial needs to sculpt forms for each of the housings. Due to the limited time of 3 weeks to produce a design test concept, further development was limited to one of these housings. For this, I chose to develop the ‘Bothy’ as it provided a home from home environment for exploration of the qualities of home, but also allowed for the manipulation of movement on a large scale to create gathering through access to a shared amenity.

I chose to work in the hinterlands of the city, identifying the reservoirs as a key asset to the city that needed protection and building on the history of the poets glen to create a CityPoet housing.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Sculpted Forms

https://vimeo.com/478469947

Design Report

Movement of people to steamies as gathering points

Architectural Design Studio B

By creating the video, I discovered the connecting nature of waterways like the canal and the Water of Leith that bring the precious resource of water from the source in the hills to an area of utilisation in the city.

Architectural Design Studio G

This brief takes the drawing and historical bases of research into an architectural design test. Working within our city|field of research, we were to design housings for a; - CityPoet, a civic appointed role with a home working environment for a 2 year period of time.

- CityCaretaker, a protector of a chosen archive, monument or resource who has an accommodation attached to the role that explored the boundaries of home and work.

- City Artefact, a selected item with public value.

- CityEvent, a group of people with routines, commonality and characterises that define its spacial requirements.

To open up concepts for designing inhabitations and identification of the key areas in which I wanted to work, I explored areas of water and relationships with water throughout the city through the making of a film. This was a new mode of working I first engaged with during the At Home | At Hand brief, where I found it to be a great source of producing new avenues of exploration and new ideas.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Brief

I then conducted the same analysis with Glencourse Reservoir, the most commonly visited reservoir and most easily accessible to a wide range of visitors.

By identifying already established routes of movement, it provides a starting point from which to design interventions that work with these routes and manipulate them into creating a gathering point. In doing so, an area to the northern corner of the reservoir was located as an area that already had a high degree of convergence that can be worked with.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

THE MOVEMENT OF WATER

With the initial intention of creating a series of inhabitations surrounding the Pentland Reservoirs, then connecting these with outposts within the city, I started by analysing these two environments by using the previously established choreography notation to map movements. I looked at how movement paths were converged on a single point by Steamies, creating gathering through a need to visit a place.

Architectural Design Studio D

WEEK 8 - 11

How Can Destination be Created at Glencourse Reservoir?

Architectural Technology Research

City | House(s)

Steamies Creating Destination

Architectural Design Studio C

LOCATION ANALYSIS

Environmental Sculpting

Y1 Y2

Architectural Design Studio C

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Design Studio G

Architectural Design Studio D

Architectural Design Studio B

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Design Report

BOTHY DESIGN DEVELOPMENT The design developed out of a want to replicate the vernacular of the Steamies, using the chimney form to act as a signifier of destination, turning what was previously a functional architectural form into an occupied space.

It was placed strategically to interrupt both the walkers flows (offer no alternative but to follow the path through the buildings lower level) and the water flow, adding turbines in the lowest level of the inhabitation to provide power.

The manipulation of flow and journey continues once visitors are instead the inhabitation - transitioning visitors from dirty to clean and wet to dry the further up the tower visitors progress. Each storey houses an amenity, not available currently in the Pentland landscape, that provides a home from home experience. This includes showers, places for communal eating and cooking and a reading room harnessing the best views from the highest level. At all levels, a large fireplace dominates the space, signifying this home experience.

Alongside this, a network of drinking fountains was developed in the city centre working on places where gathering can take place when users fill water bottles or access the amenity.

Reflections Drinking fountain placement and gathering movements

Both Perspective Section

Upon reflection, I found this testing of a design concept difficult, with the tight turn around in time I felt that quick decision making and choice in mode of working was important. As the COIVD-19 pandemic was still on going, I like many others was adapting to working remotely , without access to workshops and model making facilities. As my developed working practice involved using models and maquettes to explore ideas, especially at the initial stages of design processes, I was slow to construct a new route and this left my overall design lacking in depth.

The process did however allow me to lay groundwork for a more in depth and considered intervention in the Studio B course.

Floor plans with movement analysis

2 1 ND

ST

Year

Sem

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

COURSE SUMMARY The role of an architect in professional practice is subject to legal regulations, codes of conduct and relationships with the wider built environment industry.

This course introduced these concepts, giving an understanding of the requirements of an architect and the path to becoming fully qualified. Alongside this, the regulatory drawing exercise drew example to how building processes and designs are influenced by regulatory frameworks and legal requirements.

This was a first introduction to the contractural obligations and methods of curating relationships with other parties of the construction process, one I found to be eye opening and greatly useful in the latter stages of a vocational degree programme.

The course was structured through weekly lectures introducing a wide varied of topics involved in professional practice, tutorials in the production of drawings to assess the effect of regulations, a contractual simulations exercise and an online exam.

ARJA11002 Course Organiser: Iain Scott Tutor: Chris Frech Partnered with: Caitlin MacLeod and Theo Shack & CSE Group 6 Project Title: The Contemporary Colony LO1: An understanding of practice management and codes of professional conduct in the context of the construction industry.

An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of individuals and LO2: organisations within architectural project procurement and contract administration, including knowledge of how cost control mechanisms operate within an architectural project.

LO3: An understanding of the influence of statutory, legal and professional responsibilities as relevant to architectural design projects.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

FIRE REGULATIONS

PLANNING REGULATIONS

Means of Escape

Distance between openings (front doors to dwellings) exceeds 2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using the balcony to egress are at reduced risk from flames contained Distance between openings (front doors to dwellings) exceeds within the property spreading without fire proofing doors.

20cm

In doing so, there were three areas in which the design of the Leith Fort colonies differs from the original typology design; means of escape, compartmentalisation and fire engine access routes.

Protected Compartments

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3

1.2m Meets minimum stair width according to 4.3.3 Meets minimum stair width according to

1m

1.2m

1m

4.3.3

1.2m

1.2m

A large part of the external visual language of the colonies is the external staircases that lead to the upper dwellings. In order for these to be used in the Leith Fort development, their dimensions had to be adjusted in order to accommodate the inclusion of landings, a reduction in flight length and the separation of front doors to at least 2 meters apart to allow for safe egress under regulation 2.2. This lead to a change in visual language, with a longer staircase and balcony making the staircase more of a dominating visual feature for the whole facade.

1.2m

In order to comply with the planning regulations while doing so, materiality was heavily considered, replacing expensive stone with metal railings that could be found at other iterations of the colonies.

The layout of gardens in relation to the upper and lower flats was revised to avoid overlooking, retaining privacy and dormers were removed on the basis of cost - a key visual difference with the original colonies.

Design Report

Minimum landing area for breaks in flights and enterances to dwellings 4.3.3 1.2m

Response The chosen case study was the Leith Fort housing development, a re-imagination of the famous Edinburgh Colonies that looked to harness the societal successes of the design strategy within a contemporary development. The project was chosen as we had strong contacts with Collective Architecture that realised the project, but also because the development took historical designs and adapted them to comply with contemporary regulations. There was also interesting contractural arrangements as the project was initiated by another architectural practice before it was transferred to Collective.

Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

Architectural Design Studio B

Reduced maximum number of rises in a flight reduced to 11 to comply for 4.3.3

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

To produce two analytical drawings that scrutinise how a selected precedent responds to two regulatory frameworks.

The drawings should combine original analytical drawing elements, alongside explanatory texts and diagrams. This was undertaken as a trio.

Continuous flight of 18 rises without landContinuous flight of 18 rises without landing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4 ing to provide rest breaking 4.3.4

Architectural Design Studio G

Brief

1.58m

1.58m

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

REGULATORY DRAWINGS

Balcony does not accomodate current day

minimum landing area requirements Balcony does not accomodate current day minimum landing area requirementsoutside doors as is only 1m deep outside doors as is only 1m deep

Architectural Design Studio D

We split the two drawings between us, with myself focussing on the impacts of modern fire regulations on the design. I took the initial strategy of analysing the original Abbeyhill Colonies approaches to fire and escape and whether this approach meets current fire regulations.

After identifying areas in which the original colonies were non compliant, I then compared these to the Leith Fort solutions that were built subject to the current regulations.

Architectural Technology Research

2.9m

Architectural Design Studio C

The planning regulation drawings were undertaken

by Caitlin and Theo, investigating areas of privacy, materiality and value engineering that comply with material consistencies dictated by the regulations.

Many of the key difference between the Leith Fort and Abbeyhill Colonies were due to a large scale value engineering.

2m which means, in accordance with regulation 2.2, those using the balcony to egress are at reduced risk from flames contained 2.9m within the property spreading without fire proofing doors.

20cm

Fire Engine Access Routes

45m

45m

Area of

Area of

non com

pliance

non com

pliance

45m

45m 45m

45m

To ensure that there was a welcoming entrance to these spaces, the designers at Collective detailed half walls for the top of the staircase and no door into the dining room. This however means there isn’t a protected enclosure for egress from the upper floors.

The fire engineered solution created by Astute Fire was threefold:

The Abbeyhill site consists of 5 dead-ended streets, each around 125m long with no turning provisions (defying regulations 2.12.2) which means that although wide enough (6.8m) they are inaccessible to fire engines. The site has a cena) Install a better than suggested LD1 early detections system tral belt of dwellings that are not within 45m of b) Escape windows on the first floor of the upper the fire engine accessible roads, making them non c) Inclusion of 30 minute fire wall around the kitchen and bathroom compliant with regulation 2.12.1. to protect the rest of the stories from the most high risk fire areas.

This lead to a different site plan at Leith Fort.

This was deemed equally effective as the provisions explicitly de- The site plan, supplied by Collective Architectailed in the regulations in 2016. ture, show rows of dwellings are split by engine accessible roads and for any of these roads that is longer than 20m, a turning facility is provided in accordance with 2.12.2. There is only a small area in accessible to fire engines and that this area falls over a low fire risk area of garden space.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Scottish Government. 2013.

Technical Handbook: Domestic.

2. Scottish Government. 2017.

Technical Handbook: Domestic.

3. Nicola McLachlan. 2015. Experience Based Analysis at Leith Fort.

4. Astute Fire. 2016. Leith Fort, Edinburgh - Issue 2 RIBA Stage 3 Fire Strategy Report.

5. Nicola McLachlan. 2020. Interview with S.Alcock, C.MacLeod and T. Shack.

Y1 Y2

Response - An Analysis of the Effect of Using a Management Contract in the Case of Bullgate House, Cityburgh The obvious alternative to a traditional contract would be a Design and Build, but having previously studied these in my Part I programme I chose to analyse a management contracts effects as a way of expanding my range of knowledge on building contracts.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Contract Simulation Exercise Report

2) Lupton, S. and Stellakis, M. (2019). Which Contract? Choosing the Appropriate Building Contract. Sixth Edition.

London. RIBA Publishing.

3) Joint Contracts Tribunal. (2016). Standard Building Contract with Quantities for use in Scotland. Scottish Building Contracts Committee Ltd.

Design Report

The use of a management contract on the project would have offered the client a quicker commencement on site and a reduced project time span while retaining a constant design team relationship throughout, with the added benefit of specialist contractor knowledge being able to be included in the latter stages of design. It would also have given simpler solutions to the specification and subcontracting of finishes in comparison to the standard building contract. While the two contracts offer similar levels of protection against contract sum fluctuation, the management contract creates greater risk initially with less surety in sum and contract length until later in the project. The suitability of the management contract therefore comes down to the level of risk the client is willing to undertake, whether there is a suitable candidate to undertake pivotal role of Management Contractor the client fully trusts and whether their financial situation facilitates later confirmation of costs.

1) Rashid, R.A., Taib, I. M., Ahmad, W.B.W., Nasid, M.A., Ali, W.N.W., Zainordin, Z.M. (2006). Effect of Procurement Systems on the Performance of Construction Projects. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Architectural Design Studio B

CONCLUDING SUMMARY OF REPORT

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Key Bibliography

Architectural Design Studio G

In response to this exercise, we were to write a 1500 word reflection on how a different form of procurement route and contract type (the CSE was conducted with a traditional contract and procurement route) would have a consequence in these scenarios in reference to time, quality and cost. Evidencing through the scenarios, we were to analyse cost control mechanisms available with this contract type.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

I found this to be a fast and efficient way to gain experience with the use of contracts and only by being in those situations could the questions about it arise. The key knowledge gained was how to approach a contractural relationship, considering if and when to implement the contract and where discretion should be used to protect relationships with other parties in the construction process and therefore the smooth running of the build. Alongside this, it highlighted how important it is for an architect to have a keen eye for detail when carrying out site visits and inspections to ensure that the client received the architecture they anticipate.

The contract simulation exercise built upon one of the lectures. It involved assigned groups of 6 working through 34 given scenarios occurring in a construction project. We were given the role of architect and contract administrators, the building work particulars and set documentation. In each scenario, we were to find the related course, discuss appropriate actions and produce any associated documentation for those actions. We were to keep a log of decisions, actions and any differences between those and the given answers.

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

Architectural Technology Research

REFLECTION ON THE SIMULATION EXERCISE

Architectural Design Studio C

CONTRACT SIMULATION EXERCISE

4) Royal Institute of British Architects. (2020).

RIBA Plan of Works 2020. London. RIBA Publishing.

5) Glover,J., (2013), Management Contracting – the JCT Management Contract: a review [online].

Fenwich Elliott. [21.11.2020]. Available via: https://www. fenwickelliott.com/research-insight/annualreview/2013/management-contracting-jct-review

Y1 Y2

FORM OF BUSINESS

RESPONSE SUMMARY

The proposed form of legal structure was a Limited Liability Company, based mainly on its flexibility for growth in the future. At the current, the business is formed of just the three of us, but we hope to extend and start employing people in the future and so the agreements of a limited company offer us the flexibility to transition into a co-operative, Employee Owned business when that time comes. This form of business also allows us to have a flat structure, creating a shared and equitable working environment for working, reflecting our working interesting of social housing and urban regeneration.

The business will have a policy of setting aside time and assets to gain new work. The practice will work on a 20:80 non billable to billable hours and half of the non billable hours will be dedicated to finding work. This benchmark will be flexible depending on the market but will be a measure by which to assess. In order to asses this, accurate time sheets and an office diary shall be kept. The key principles for finding work shall be;

Alongside these considerations, it offers a limited risk financially, with partners only liable for the stake they have put into the business rather than personal assets as would be the case in a sole trader business.

The perception of the business is also important to us winning work, the structure of our business being flat, the possibility of a co-operative with growth, gives the perception of ethical, fair and democratic, appealing to the sectors we wish to work in.

- Networking through regular attendance of public lecture series and industry events to share our brand and expertise.

- Chose a physical studio location with a shop front that we will use to showcase our work.

- Enter our work into awards and publications.

- Establish ourselves in the sustainability market as this is a growth sector, making our branding and media reflect this.

- Keep our website and social media channels up to date and showing our best visuals.

- Working with other practice where possible, allowing ourselves to gain knowledge but also to build relationships of sharing work.

- Limit our working at risk. Competitions and feasibilities studies are a great way to develop, grown and gain work but do not guarantee work at the end of this. For that reason we shall limit this to one competition and one feasibility study a year, the rest of our work shall be billed to ensure we are not devaluing ourselves or risking the success of the business.

- Ingrid Petit, Associate at Feilden Fowles, in conversation with Theodore Shack. 15 May 2020.

Design Report

RESPONSE SUMMARY

- Foxell, Simon. ‘Getting Noticed’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 99-106 - Foxell, Simon. ‘Winning Work. Starting a Practice.

RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 107-112

Architectural Design Studio B

- Dickson, Bruce. ‘The Economic Context’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

- Dall, Neil. ‘Starting Up an Architectural Practice’.

AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 2 Oct 2020.

Response The two chosen question topics were “Form of Business” and “Getting Work’.

-Stewart, Chris & McLachlan, Nicola. ‘Getting Work!’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020

Architectural Design Studio G

Initially a 48hr online exam, due to uncontrollable circumstances this changed to become a two week coursework piece.

- Foxell, Simon. ‘The Business Plan’. Starting a Practice. RIBA Publishing (2015). pp. 25-53 Various colleagues including Nicola McLachlan, Christ Stewart and Jude Barber at Collective Architecture, in conversation with Caitlin MacLeod. 2018-2020.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Between the three of us, we were to answer tow out of the three posed questions, within a 1200 word limit, basnig our answers on the lecture series.

- Dall, Neil. ‘Starting Up an Architectural Practice’.

AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 2 Oct 2020.

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

3)

Obviously we are delighted to have won our first commission and we look forward to working on this in the coming months. We have also been approached by a family member to design a house extension in the Borders, including some internal alterations to the existing Victorian property. All new work is welcome! But we need to now ensure that we continue to attract more work on a regular basis and we need to devise a set of clear and carefully considered methods for getting that work in. I wonder if you could write a short memo on the development of a ‘Getting Work’practice-strategy. It should include both general points on good practice and any specific targets we should have.

Architectural Technology Research

1)

Note from Practice Formation meeting: We need as a fledgling practice to consider clearly our form of business options. Our accountant has suggested three potential business forms for us to consider, without particularly going into detail on any. Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Company or a Co-operative. Can you investigate the above ‘form of business’ options and provide a brief critical appraisal of their advantages and disadvantages. Should we be considering a hierarchical or flat organisational structure? Are there any ethical issues we should consider in deciding on a form of business? Look at key factors, such as business structure, professional liability, tax and administrative duties etc. A suggestion for an analytical framework might be Overview/ Ownership-Legal Structure/ Risk/ Tax/ Perception and Future development, feel free to add any other critical terms you might think appropriate. Conclude by making a recommendation as to which ‘form of business’ we should adopt and how this might shape the future direction of the practice

Bibliography Architectural Design Studio C

ONLINE EXAM

GETTING WORK

- Scottish Government. Policy: More Homes. Gov. scot (2020). Online. https://www.gov.scot/policiesmore-homes/.

- Scottish Government. ‘Reducing greenhouse gas emissions’. Policy: Climate Change. Gov.scot (2020).

Online.https://www.gov.scot/policies/climate-change/ reducing-emissions/.

- Scottish Government. ‘A National Mission to Create New Jobs, Good Jobs and Green Jobs’. Protecting Scotland, - Renewing Scotland: The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2020-2021. Gov.scot (2020). Online. https://www.gov.scot/publications/protecting-scotland-renewing-scotland-governments-programme-scotland-2020-2021/pages/5/ - Stewart, Chris & McLachlan, Nicola. ‘Getting Work!’. AMPL Lecture Series. Online Lecture. Edinburgh University. 6 Nov 2020.

2 2 ND

Year

ND

Sem

Architectural Design Studio B (Modular)

ARCH11096 Course Organiser: Chris French Tutor:Suzanne Ewing and Andrew Brooks Project Title: The Power of Water | Negotiating a Cities Relationship to Water A sophisticated approach to the programmatic organisation, arrangement and structuring LO1: of a complex architectural assemblage in a loaded contextual situation (eg built, social, historical, technological, urban and environmental context).

A knowledge of how to develop the structural, constructional, material, environemntal LO2: adn legislative aspects of a complex building to a high degree of resolution, with reference to discussions with a team of specialised consultants.

LO3:

An understanding of issues relating to the questions of sustainability and its concomitant architectural, technological, environmental and urban strategies.

A critical understanding of, and ability to present complex design proposals through LO4: appropriate forms of representation (eg verbal, drawing, modelling, photography, film, computer, installation, performance and workshop techniques).

COURSE SUMMARY Using the city|field developed in studio G, this course opened up exploration through the production of maquettes and drawings, which then developed alongside technical resolutions to produce a highly resolved architectural project. As the final design project, it also created a large portion of the design report to follow and was the accumulation of the entire courses learnings. As with previous design modules, this was primarily taught through 1-1 tutorials with alternative tutors, but also included input from technical consultants, a seminar with the welsh school of architecture and presentation reviews

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

STUDIO G TO B TRANSITION WORK

THE RIVER AS A BOUNDARY

Week 0

The river follows the path of the softer sandstone through the city, the canal being man made does not respond to geology but to necessity - the journey the goods need to travel on. The more interesting investigation occurred when analysing how the city responded to the presence of waterways.

Using Edinburgh City Map data, I compared the Community Council Boundaries with the Natural Neighbourhood perceived boundaries. These different greatly in their edge placements, only aligning where there is a waterway. This indicated that the river takes on a boundary quality in the city, separating both legal and perceived neighbourhoods and social spheres.

Brief Transitioning from a phase of archival based research and topic exploration to one fo a design proposition needs a choice of specific siting. Working with an existing drawing of our own making, within our city |fields developed in Studio G, we were to identify a specific point of interest. From this, we then worked outwards again, looking at geologies, movements, transport links or any other site feature that influenced this single point, at the scale of the city field. It is hoped that this is to provide a starting position.point from which to explore design possibilities.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL BOUNDARY

{Areas defined by Edinburgh City Council that it considers to be the areas of

community in the city} NATURAL NEIGHBOURHOOD

{Area defined by those that live within it as the boundary of where they feel

their neighbourhood lies}

Response My starting point was the intersection of geological changes between Craiglockhart Hills and the Slateford Aqueduct.

At this point the area of hard basalt rock are interested with soft sandstone, but is also a place where multiple city waterways interact with the ground on their journey from source to use.

I then expanded out to look at the cities relationship to these waterways, how their paths cut through both the geology and the architectural fabrics.

Point of further interest

Definitions of boundary and their location data references:

Artificial Tuff- Volcanic Basalt - Volcanic Sandstone Clay Silt Clay +Sand SandandGravel

1 | Edinburgh City Council Maps. Community Councils. July 2020. Accessed Via https://data. edinburghcouncilmaps.info/datasets/da44854d46c44a76b 9b1160fc609738a_25?geometry=-3.753%2C55.845%2C-2.768% 2C55.980 in January 2021.

2 | Edinburgh City Council Maps. Natural Neighbourhoods. August 2015. Accessed via https://data.edinburghcouncilmaps.info/datasets/4082b44746eb 4da8b5935be2d3a00185_27?geometry=-3.

754%2C55.844%2C-2.769%2C55.979 in January 2021.

Till

Geological mapping of Slateford and Craiglockhart area

Boundary mapping of community councils and natural neighbourhoods alongside the city waterways

Y1 Y2

Boundary crossing drawing investigations

Response Building on the work I conducted during the studio transition period, I investigated the role of waterways in the city, how they connect the city to its source water, the types of waterways and the relationship between the city and these waterways.

Initially this started with investigations of boundary qualities at water and city scale, then progressed to how people and water interact.

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Design Report

Each week the maquettes informed a series of drawings that translated resulting ideas and informed maquettes for the next week. This brief then concluded with a review in week 4 (design lines), where initial architectural ideas, language and programme were discussed.

10.1 11.1

Architectural Design Studio B

The smaller scale models aim to identify methods of crossing the waterways at the places where they have developed into boundaries, identifying them as bridging, underpasses and suspended walkways.

1) 1:1250, 1:20 Site Conditions 2) 1:500, 1:20 Spacial Arrangement 3) 1:200 1:20 Approach to time

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

The areas of exploration resulting from this was the interaction between water flow and people flow, how the the two interact of mutually exist, particularly in the case of the lock when the flow of water is interrupted to allow pedestrian flows and vice versa.

Architectural Design Studio G

Having established the modes of boundary crossing, the further detailed maquettes look to identify the spacial and experiential qualities each provides, the relationship to surroundings and journey they provide.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

This opening brief was more prescribed than those we have worked towards before offering a weekly structure to frame and provide resistance to our investigative works. Each week we produced scale specific maquettes, made with explorative purposes, not with a preconceived end point. The investigations were to take precedent from Cadwells Four Conventions, each week with a specified scale and area of investigation.

The identified site of interest was the area surrounding the Slateford Aqueduct as this allowed for the river and the canal to be analysed as a comparison. The first comparison was in the manner of construction, how the river is dependant on the cities geology and the canal is heavily constrained by its construct. While the river has been subject to human manipulation since the establishment of the city, its boundaries have been defined by its own flows, movements and interactions with the surrounding landscape. The canal, on the other hand, is completely dependant on human intervention to orchestrate its path, being made with the specific purpose of transportation.

Boundary Crossing Methods

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

CONSTRUCT LINES |

Analysis of Waterway Typologies

Architectural Technology Research

SITE LINES |

Week 1-3

Architectural Design Studio C

DESIGN LINES

Boundary Crossing Methods

Location investigation Boundary Crossing Experiential Investigations

Y1 Y2

Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio B Design Report

The programme derived from the study of historical river map archives, assessing past river-city relations where the river was less divisive. The conclusion from this analysis was that industry was sited directly on the river, relying on a physical connection for resources and energy, therefore encouraging residential spheres to grown around the river ,with crossing points at their centre. The river was the focal point of work and living - it was depended upon.

Architectural Design Studio G

The language for these interventions developed from the lock studies, using heavy supporting elements and more lightweight, flexible substructures. In doing so, the hope was to ensure a continuous relationship between the users of the buildings and the river. The programme of the buildings reflects this, housing water exhibitions spaces to celebrate the resource, research centres to work with the river and develop its future, and map archives storing the history of waterways and the role of water in the city.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Translating these investigation into a design proposal focussed on the boundary crossing investigations, using architecture as a method for crossing the river. Taking three sections of river bank, converting them into canal pieces that withstand river erosion, used these as foundations for bridges, connecting across the river and between architectures that develop around the groundings of the bridges. The exploration was based in maquette making as I have found this process freeing, with the lack of detail opening up more conversations.

Architectural Design Studio D

The final week of this stage looked at combining canal constructed pieces within the river, creating areas of the river that withstand time and stand strong against the forces of the river. It also looked at the site in more rigour, considering the siting of these canal pieces to provide foundations for new crossing points between neighbourhoods that start the break down the river as a boundary in the city.

At a more detailed level, I looked at how the lock interventions could be an architectural language or support an architectural inhabitation.

Eroding Boundaries

Architectural Technology Research

DESIGN LINES |

Withstanding Erosion

Architectural Design Studio C

TIME LINES |

Initial design maquette

1:500 site exploration

Canal Piece Foundations

Canal pieces within river explorations

Architectural language investigation

Ground Floor

First Floor

Roof Plan

Slateford Aqueduct. Photographed by S. Alcock, 2021

Y1 Y2

TECHNICAL BRIEF AIMS

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Design Report

Alongside this, the ventillation and glazing strategies were centred around being as passive as possible, while still engaging users visually with the river.

Architectural Design Studio B

The siting of my inhabitation was the overwhelming consideration for the technical strategy, needing foundations that could withstand the soft geology and influences of the river, waterproofing strategies and using the river to create a spectacle for gathering and provide the buildings with a renewable energy source.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Response

Architectural Design Studio G

To do this, we were to develop a brief with technical aims, specific to our projects, using these to create a framework for discussions with industry professionals. Using these conversations as idea generations as well as points of resolving issues, we were to produce a comprehensive technical report for the project and a 1:20 perimeter section and associated drawings to explore these principles.

Precedents

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Having developed the basis of a design intervention, this next phase aimed to developed the design ideas alongside a technical specification to result in projects with a high degree of buildability as well as a structural and environmental strategy that synthesised with the conceptual design.

Architectural Design Studio D

Brief

Timber Cladding | Sympathetic to the wooded environment in which the building sits while also being removable and adaptable.

Architectural Technology Research

Week 5-9

• To create a visual architectural language to emphasises the heavy weighted anchor walls and lightness of a timber structure support by this.

• The inclusion of canal pieces within the river banks • A passive heating and ventilation strategy that enables a comfortable living environment.

• High levels of wall and roof insulation using a natural, breathable material.

• On site production of hydro energy to physically connect the architecture to the river.

• Multiple footbridge across the river • A spectacle made from the water to encourage gathering.

• A glazing strategy that enables high levels of visual connection with the river.

• Adaptable structure that can be changed as user needs evolve.

Architectural Design Studio C

TECHNICAL REPORT

STRUCTURAL LANGUAGE

Lightweight Timber Structure | providing the adatable framework for the internal spaces Timber Walkways | Cantilevered from concrete anchor walls providing connections to merge neighbourhoods

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND| Hoskins Architects • Using structural elements to frame specfic views

JERWOOD LIBRARY, CAMBRIDGE | Freeland Rees Roberts Architects • Heavy structural elements intracting with the water.

• Timber structure explosed internall and externally • Promimity to river

Concrete Mill Lade | Providing a water flow manipulation strategy to power water mills, provider users with a connection to the river and to create spectacle.

Concrete Anchor Walls | Long lasting water resistant elements that have carved openings to frame three key views. Provide key structural support elements

DARWIN COLLEGE STUDY CENTRE | Dixon Jones • Overhanging timber elements increasing proximity to river.

• Expansive river views • Homogenity between river water intervention and building.

Wet-Dry Exploded Axo of Hydro Research Centre

The creation of a sustainable building doesn’t usually rely heavily upon the use of concrete, but due to the high levels of interaction with water, there were minimal other choice of materials and so instead it was decided this was be used sparingly and strategically. The concrete was used for elements that has interaction with he water due to its resistance to erosion, but also elements that had lots of longevity.

The anchor was were therefore designed to a modular system, with pre cast notches to allow for the timber structure to easily interact with it and be extended and remodelled as the users needs dictated. In doing so, the high levels of embodied carbon in the concrete are offset by the lack of rebuild need and high strength means only a lightweight substructure is needed. The concrete also provides damming possibilities, providing the structure for the renewable energy systems. The placement of these long lasting walls was used to preserve the walkway connections as these would reduce the boundary nature of the river even beyond the lifespan of the buildings. It took established walking flows ( analysed through choreography movements once more) and manipulated them to cross the river and intersect with one another.

ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SPECTACLE The conceptual aims of the design intervention are to reestablish a relationship between the city and the Water of Leith, blurring it as a boundary, and creating gathering to promote social interaction. The energy production played a big part in achieving this.

Two water wheels were positioned on the site, reflecting the history of the river as an industrial resource, and an Archimedes screw as a reflection of the use of water in agricultural watering systems. Although these are not common sources of energy production, not the most efficient in terms of cost of output energy, they have the added benefit of creating spectacle. They create a lot of sound as the water crashes through them, as well as splashing water. This enables people close by to experience the water through more than a visual experience, as well as creating a spectacle to create a gathering point, aiming to promote social interaction as the use of water in the Steamies did - replacing gathering through necessity with gathering through intrigue.

The concrete walls manipulate the flow of the river into the systems, then continue on to create the structural walls of the inhabitations - creating a physical link between the architecture and the river.

Placement of anchor walls and energy systems

GLAZING STRATEGY The positioning of the glazing within the building was completed with three principle aims - the engage users visually with the river, to regulate internal passive heating strategies, to create passive ventilation paths. For this reason, glazing was only used on the northern facing facades where it was important to frame a key view to allow users to engage with the river and to use minimally in these cases. The facades along the river bank are predominantly glazing to allow visual connections with the river and between buildings, as well as framing the spectacles of water. Roof lighting was employed as a solution to naturally lighting areas with only north facades, reducing heat loss but also aiding the exhaustion of used air and (as a majority are placed next to the concrete walls to light the walkways) allowing solar energy to be stored within the concrete walls so that they can act as solar reservoirs.

Further heating and ventilation came from a groud source heat pump and mechanical heat recovery ventilation system. The building relied heavily upon passive systems but would use the mechanical strategies to supply the surplus.

Technical Glazing Strategy

Internal Visualisations, top in museum, botton overhanging reading rooms

Y1 Y2

PERIMETER SECTION AND DETAILED DESIGN

Box Gutter and Glazing 1:20 @A3

1:50 Technical Section @ A2

Design Report

Roof Light Detail 1:20 @A3

Architectural Design Studio B

External Walkway Through Building 1:20 @A3

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Farrat Plate Detail 1:20 @A3

Architectural Design Studio G

1 | Waind Gohil Architects. Morton Boathouse. AJ Buildings Library. Accessed via https://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/ display/id/4609 3 | NORD LONDON. Knole Gatehouse, SevenOaks. AJ Buildings Library. Accessed via https://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/display/id/7250 4 | Adam Knibb Architects. Bluebell Pool House. AJ Buildings Library. Accessed via https://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/ display/id/6142 5 | OMA. Residential Tower in Stockholm. DETAIL 1.2 2020. pg 56-63.

6 | A, Deplazes. Constructing Architecture: Concrete. Birkauser. 1997.

Protruding Anchor Wall Detail 1:20 @A3

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Key detail strategy references:

Architectural Design Studio D

The section uses piled foundations to avoid slippage in the soft geologies and to stand strong against the waters erosions in the future. The design of the spaces uses the elevation of the ground to provide further insulation, as well as where ever possible only designing one room deep to allow for passive ventilation.

Architectural Technology Research

The concentre anchor walls also run as both internal and external elements, protruding beyond the boundaries of the envelope to give visual significance as well as allowing for future building evolutions.

To ensure a consistent warm enveloped, the thermal resistivity of the concrete was used, with the roof cladding and insulation extending upwards to stop heat escaping or water entering. At the bases, Farrat plates were used to continue the thermal line above the foundation slab.

Architectural Design Studio C

The detailed deign of the perimeter section negotiated the internal and external environments, with external walkways running through the buildings, surrounded by internal environments this made the envelope complex. To ensure comfortable internal environments and reduce the need for heating systems, two layers of mycelium insulation (investigated in the earlier ATR course previously detailed) are used in the external wall build up.

Craiglockhart Hydro Research Centre

Y1 Y2

Where I Am Is Here Week 10-15

Architectural Management, Practice and Law Architectural Design Studio B Design Report

The finishing stages of my project looked to nuance the interior spaces, carving the timber boxes to frame views, connect to the river and create spaces of more architectural interest.

It was also the stage at which I looked beyond the boundaries of the building and at how the concepts tested and developed through the creation of this intervention can be distributed in outposts throughout the city.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Architectural Design Studio G

Carving of timber boxes to frame view

Response

GA

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

This has the added consequence of engaging occupants in their surroundings, rooting them to the resource of the river, encouraging engagement with it and therefore reducing its role as a boundary.

While this is a suggested framework, there was space and opportunity to adapt and manoeuvre within this to best represent our specific project - for example the number and dimension of sheets in the Studio Atlas.

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

Architectural Design Studio D

Studio Atlas | a highly resolved proposition for inhabitation’s within the city.

Technical Report | As created from the last brief and updated to any design moves made post its creation Supporting Portfolio | Collation of development and explorative work to support the Studio Atlas final pieces.

This was something I wanted to promote in the educational setting of the inhabitations, promoting new chains of thought, being a place of exploration rather than in-depth investigation. To this end, the glazing panels were carved out of the timber boxes, reforming the spacial qualities of the interiors, to engage with other interior spaces, walkways, the hydro energy systems and the river. All these areas have lots of movement, changes in conditions and objects of interest - prime places for the engagement of the glance.

Architectural Technology Research

As the final stage of a year long design thesis, Where I Am Is Here was a process of clarifying and distilling the project into a final resolved City|Field scheme that synthesises the years explorations. This project is then to be represented in a choreographed digital archive formed of three parts:

This stage of the project built upon the theory reading of the SCAT course in the first year, exploring the use of the glance as a mode of thinking, as a source of promoting thinking in the broadest sense rather than promoting sustained investigations of thought.

Architectural Design Studio C

Brief

DESIGNING TO ENGAGE GLANCES

Views in designed in section Designed views in plan

Y1 Y2

JOURNEY OF SPECTACLE

LOCK 7 | Pooling

LOCK 6 | Crossing Additions and Pooling

LOCK 5 | Flow Manipulation

LOCK 4 | View Framing Additions

LOCK 3 | Flow Manipulation

LOCK 2 | Crossing Additions

Design Report

LOCK 1 | Flow Manipulation

Architectural Design Studio B

River Scale Lock Placement Drawing

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

Mountains of Scotland. The Howe Waterfall. Image Accessed Via https://www.mountainsofscotland. co.uk/TripReports/20111203.htm in April 2021. End images photographed by S.Alcock

Architectural Design Studio G

POOLING

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

FLOW MANIPULATIONS

Architectural Design Studio D

SCULPTURAL ADDITIONS

Architectural Technology Research

To do so, 7 ‘lock’ interventions were made along its 40km length, so name because they took site in places where there is a large pedestrian and vehicular crossing point, and created an water flow intervention - reflecting canal locks that manipulate both people and water flows at a single point. Each lock looks to create gathering, drawing people to the river and to each other. The three methods for doing so were through sculptural additions, manipulation of flow and pooling of water. The journey of the river was then explored through a video, working along the whole length of the river, analysing how it has worked with the city through history, how it do so at present, and how it could in the future.

Architectural Design Studio C

Having tested the concepts of gathering through spectacle, manipulating river flows, and connecting neighbourhoods at the Hydro Research Centre, the ground work had been laid to explore these concepts at city scale to re-establish a city wide relationship with the river.

FLOW MANIPULATION EXPLORATIONS

COURSE SUMMARY While studio projects materialised in an exhibition installation output (this year online due to the ongoing pandemic situation), the design report synthesises this work in a book form. Using a heavier weighting on text, it creates a holistic representation of the studio work conducted over the course of the whole final year, producing a cohesive report of all considerations and explorations.

2 2 ND

Year

ND

Sem

Design Report

ARCH11069 Course Organiser: Adrian Walker Tutor: Suzanne Ewing and Andrew Brookes Project Title: The Power of Water | Negotiating a Cities Relationship to Water LO1: The ability to communicate, critically appraise and argue the rationale of a design proposal using text and image in the context of a printed report.

LO2: Demonstration, through architectural design, of the integration of knowledge in architectural theory, technological and environmental s trategies, and an understanding of architecture’s professional and economic context.

LO3:

The development of transferable design skills and techniques through the preparation of a sophisticated graphic document.

1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1

10.1 11.1

1.2 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 9.2

10.2 11.2

GC 1.3 2.3 3.3 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 8.3 9.3

10.3 11.3

GA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Y1 Y2

Design Report

V) Glimpsing and Glancing

Architectural Design Studio B

IV) Anchoring Against Time

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

III) A Power To Gather

Architectural Design Studio G

II) The River As A Resource

The production of a presentation of the project, whilst working on the project, aided me in the clarification of the concepts of the project, identifying the trajectory and therefore distilling the project into a more focussed direction. This was especially prevalent in the last review in week 9 where it enabled me to think about the overall project concept at a time when I had been focussed on details and design production.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

THE POWER OF WATER {RIVER} I) The River As A Boundary

The design report charted the work undertaken over the two semesters, synthesising them into one cohesive project. This was structured to follow the path of the river, reflecting the journey proposed in the concluding stages of the design proposal.

Architectural Design Studio D

INTRODUCTION {BURN}

Architectural Technology Research

SUMMARY {SPRING}

Architectural Design Studio C

Contents

CONCLUSIONS {DOCKS}