Portfolio Application for MA Interior Architecture

2020 The Wicker, Sheffield

A construction skills centre that celebrates intergenerational storytelling

Aerial view of site

Surrounded by derelict spaces and rusty warehouses (in grey), the Wicker appeared a forgotten area of Sheffield since everywhere else outside the Wicker was regenerated.

The site also includes a 60s green concrete building known as Waverley House in which my design intends to retrofit with.

Forgotten Realms 1:500 Model

Before commencing the design project, our studio collaborated to explore aspects that made the Wicker a forgotten area. The model team identified buildings and detailed elements that represented remembered or forgotten.

The group exhibition also prepared a community engagement session with the U3A.

Visual Brief

When we approached the University of the Third Age (U3A), an informal learning programme for retired people, they disagreed that the Wicker was a forgotten area and shared personal memories and histories of the Wicker to illustrate the Wicker’s significance (e.g. Pablio Picasso arrived at the Wicker train station to attend a peace conference in 1950).

INTERGENERATIONAL STORYTELLING

Our interactions with the retired members ultimately developed my brief for a construction skills centre that celebrated intergenerational conversation and storytelling. The building provides the elderly a place to share their unique memories of the Wicker to younger staff/ students.

Consequently, the could remind the young people the significance of the Wicker as they learn construction skills to regenerate the Wicker in the future.

Construction Skills Centre

U3A SHARES WICKER’S SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUNG STUDENTS

[Oxidised copper with perforation]

The exterior’s materiality shows a contrast between the new extension and the existing building:

The existing building was already neglected, with peeling paint and redundant windows. Hence, the mass will have a simple, clean render to express the existing Waverley House.

Meanwhile, the green copper over the new extension signifies a bold contrast that pops out of the skyline so people can see the building anywhere in the Wicker.

High-Level View

The steel and copper fins on the facade represent Waverly’s existing grid. A colonnade also draws people from the park or high street into the building.

Colonnade

The colonnade provides opportunities for people to lean down to look at the construction training below. The projected curves also incorporate recessed speakers so people can listen to recordings of Wicker stories told by elderly members (e.g. Izzy the Elephant who pulled industrial carts during WW1).

Approach from Nursery Park

The design intends to remove the ground floor of the existing building to create a covered plaza for the public. The covered plaza also comprises enclosed seat pockets where the back shares the Wicker’s unique and forgotten histories.

(Sketch-Up and Photoshop)

[Cream white render]

Sectional Perspective (Sketch Up and Photoshop)

1:20 Initial Sketch of Pod

The Pod is an intimate, enclosed space where people can have a private chat or listen to an archive of recordings made by Sheffield elders sharing their memories in the Wicker.

After creating the timber pod, timber became the material that signified where conversations and storytelling take place.

Materiality Diagram

1:10 Detail Section

Hand-drawn detail to test out connection between (NEW) large construction workshop and (EXISTING) concrete structure.

[Existing concrete structural columns]

[Corrugated steel panels]

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Zoomed Covered Plaza from Sectional Perspective (Sketch-Up and Photoshop)

The covered plaza is part of the public realm where people can sit around the groundscape, converse, and share stories. Ultimately, the public are drawn to the sunken auditorium where they have a view of the construction training below.

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First Floor Locker/ Break Room (Sketch-Up and Photoshop)

Amidst the concrete structure, timber highlights the open locker room where people can come together and converse.

The pod also shows an elder sharing famous songs related to the Wicker.

Song by Richard Hawley (Lady’s Bridge)

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Initial sketch exploring the locker/ break room

“Take me with you when you go Lady’s Bridge is where we know...”

1:20 Detail of Roof Extension (AutoCAD, Sketch-Up, Photoshop)

Roof Extension Cantine

The cantine is the final storytelling space in the building where an elderly can focus on sharing with a student about Picasso arriving from the Wicker’s Victoria Station for a peace conference in the 1950s. Occupants can also look out and see the historical Wicker Arches and high street (where old cinemas previously showed X-rated films).

Storytelling Journey 16

Aerial Site Analysis

At the bottom of the site, Grassmarket is noisy from the bustling tourists and bagpipes playing in the shops. As you walk up the Granny Green Steps to the top of the site, you arrive at a quiet road where you can focus on contemplating while looking at the majestic Edinburgh castle.

‘Image of the City’ site analysis

This analysis allowed me to categorise various types of paths, nodes, edges, districts, and landmarks. Identifying the busy and calm districts, or zones, later prepared my response to the brief.

Inspired by the calm/busy dynamic from the site and salon precedent studies, the Youth Self-Expression Salon organises group talks and workshops to teach teenagers a range of quiet and vocal forms of expression. This helps teens develop confidence in expressing their voices and even to the public. Unique verbal forms include spoken word, news reports, or stand-up comedy. All these can be shared to the community along with the quiet expressions like written narratives, poetry, editorials, and graphics.

The introvert/extrovert concept translated into a upwards gradation from the busy Grassmarket to a quiet workshop at the top of the site.

Overall Site Strategy

Initial Extrovert/Introvert Strategy

Ink Sketch of Storytelling Court in Scottish Storytelling Centre

Introvert/ Extrovert Salon Study of the Scottish Storytelling Centre (Malcom Fraser Architects)

Eye Level Approach from Grassmarket

From the busy Grassmarket, secondary students walk towards the entrance cafe

High Level View of Salon

Teenagers should feel comfortable participating in discussions so the exterior materiality reflects domesticity and normalcy.

Public Cafe

(Sketch Up and Photoshop)

Entering from Grassmarket, the students arrive at the cafe where the public can browse the youth’s publishes e.g. magazines and catalogues. A TV screen shows videos of recorded news reports or poetry slams.

1:200 Hand-made Model

High level and Eye level approaches made from Photoshop and hand-made model

Development

Sketch of Verbal Hall and Arcade

Hand-drawn sketch explores arches and exposed timber structure as interesting thresholds entering the verbal hall.

1:50 Arcade Model

Created hand-made model to test timber beams and columns; later used for interior view of arcade.

Exploded axonometric (Sketch-Up, Illustrator, Photoshop)

The sketch inspired the concept that lime-washed timber beams, strips, and columns could lead the journey upwards from the busy Grassmarket to the public cafe, verbal hall, and finally, the quiet workshop.

The transition from timber flooring to carpet flooring also reflects the Extrovert/Introvert transition.

Arcade (Photoshop and hand-made model)

Daytime in Verbal-Expression Hall

Large windows are on the West facade to focus vistas of the landscape and castle as part of the teenagers’ reflection.

A multi-purpose space, the verbal hall holds a large gathering of teenagers who come to share the stories they read/ wrote while having fun. The open space also means groups that finished their discussions can play around as if in a school gym. Meanwhile, staff are carrying out foldable tables and chairs from the storage room for tonight’s Poetry Slam.

Night-time in Verbal-Expression Hall

(Hand-made 1:100 model and Photoshop)

“...built an army labeled it factory told the soldiers they are fighting for salary.

Aiya (Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Finals

Terraced Landscape

(Photoshop and Sketch-Up)

The terraced landscape also follows the concept of moving upwards to reflect while looking at the Castle. It also has an auditorium that can be accessed from the hall where the youth can practice their speech or just hang out with friends.

This is how they get away with legalised slavery...”

2019)

Second Entrance

Written-Expression Workshop

The upwards journey finally leads you to the quiet workshop. This is a cosy, casual space for people to comfortably learn, reflect, and write their own poems or stories.

A window seat pocket is the ultimate introverted, reflective space that angles views to the landscape and upwards Castle Rock.

(Photoshop and Sketch-Up)

The second entrance serves as a threshold between the verbal hall and written workshop. Timber strips are also part of the journey leading upwards the quiet workshop.

1:200 Section AA

The second entrance also matches an existing landing of the Granny Green Steps.

A0 1-20 monochromemonochrome

Counselling Room and Green Roof

Because the Ground Floor is built into the existing landscape, rooflights are placed for natural daylight.

77A Peak Road

PROFESSIONAL WORK FROM BEAN BURO LIMITED (HONG KONG)

77A Peak Road is a private residential house in Victoria Peak, consisting of 5 storeys and approximately 680sqm. The Clients were a family of three and approached Bean Buro to design the house interior and outdoor spaces. joined this project from RIBA Stages 1-2 Concept Design.

The house sits on a hilly landscape where lush trees envelop the property. When the Clients emphasised their love for traditional Chinese tea-drinking, Bean Buro wrote the home’s narrative as ‘A Teahouse on the Hillside’. Natural materials brought the outdoor nature harmonously indoors while neutral tones and curved designs created a soft and calm environment for people to join daily tea ceremonies, view arts and antiques, or enjoy views of Victoria Peak.

Ground Floor Living Room

The living space needs to be presentable and refined whilst sculptural ribbon walls and arches add a flowing energy into this social space.

1 Dining space

2 Lounge space (Rhino, Sketch Up, Twinmotion, Photoshop)

Revised Layout of Ground Floor (AutoCAD)

The clients collected artwork and antiques. As their designers, we were responsible for reviewing their artwork to integrate them into the new design. Since produced the revised layouts, I also proposed locations for their artwork and marked them in magenta for the Clients to understand our intentions.

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

PROFESSIONAL WORK FROM BEAN BURO LIMITED (HONG KONG)

This was a private residential project in which Bean Buro designed a flat in Marlborough House, a 1960s apartment building in Happy Valley. The clients were a couple who envisioned their newlywed life and potential family in this recently purchased property. The flat was approximately 128 metre square. I joined this project from RIBA Stages 1 to 4 Technical Design.

1 Conceptual eye level view of living room and corridor (Rhino, V-Ray, Photoshop)

Benches along the corridor reflected Montessori principles. These ‘in-between’ spaces provided a child freedom to move, explore and interact socially.

2 Conceptual axonometric (Rhino, V-Ray, Photoshop)

3 Conceptual mood board - to test mood-and-feel and explain design intentions to clients.

RIBA Stage 4

Note: This drawing demonstrates the Design Intent only. Contractor to provide shop drawing for designer's approval.

DEVELOPMENT OF MASTER BATHROOM

For this project, I was able to follow Bean Buro’s entire work progress from the first site survey to issuing the final tender package.

4 Conceptual axonometric - to communicate layout design (Rhino, Vray, Photoshop)

5 Coloured elevation - to develop room design and select materiality (AutoCAD, Photoshop)

6 Tagged technical elevation - to issue for tender package (AutoCAD)

Note:

This

Note: This drawing demonstrates the Design Intent only. Main Contractor to survey structural elements and adjust if necessary

FOR TENDER

- Technical drawings and joinery details produced for the tender package (AutoCAD)

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of bedroom headboard (1:10)

ANALYSES

PROFESSIONAL WORK FROM RYDER ASIA LIMITED (HONG KONG)

I was involved in institutional architecture projects, particularly in healthcare. The main project consisted of feasibility studies for two public hospitals, Medical Centre Hospital Authority planner to analyse the existing clinical services and site context, identify constraints, and propose strategies for the hospitals’ decant, refurbishment, and expansion.

AMBIANCES

I took AP Studio Art: Drawing in high school demonstrating a range of drawings and paintings in various mediums. For my concentration, I explored environments with unique ambiances that included an animal subject. Inspired by my interior staircase painting and interest in architecture, I wanted to discover the elements and techniques artists can do to influence an environment’s character, mood, and narrative.

VICTORIA LAM

MA INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER

victorian.nike@gmail.com

@vickthegreenplant