William Dewar's Sample Portfolio

Portfolio

William Dewar

(Sample)

Summary of Work

PROFILE

I believe that every culture and environment generates its own unique architecture and the buildings around each of us have a significant influence on our emotions and quality of our lives.

E: william.r.dewar@googlemail.com

WORK EXPERIENCE

Part 1 Architectural Assistant KLH Architects, Ipswich, Suffolk

February 2020 - September 2021

June 2022 - September 2022

Master of Architecture (RIBA Part 2)

Oxford Brookes University

Sepetember 2022 - May 2023

Architecture - BA (Hons) (RIBA Part 1) - 2:1

University of Kent

September 2016 - May 2019

EDUCATION SKILLS

Photoshop

Illustrator

Sketchup

Rhino

Revit V-ray

Indesign

Microsoft

Autocad

Grasshopper Midjourney

Stable

Working on a wide variety of projects covering RIBA Stages 1-5 across a number of different sectors including, commercial, academic, residential, and healthcare projects. Primarily using Revit, Autocad, Indesign and Photoshop. Led a pro bono project up to successful planning approval for a sports venue in my free time.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Academic Scholarship, University of Kent Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

Photography Exhibiting, The Kiln, Farnham Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award

Annual Reigate Choral Society Young Artist Charterhouse Art Scholar Graphic Deisgner for Oxford Architecture Society

Summers 2016-22

Summer 2017

VOLUNTEERING REFERENCES

The British Golf Open - Worked on the 18th scoreboard.

English Teaching - lived in Luang Prabang in Laos teaching English to Buddhist monks at the Wat Siphoutthabath Monastery.

Adam Holloway - Lecturer at Oxford Brookes

Elliot Rogosin - Lecturer at Oxford Brookes

Bryan Wybrow - Director at KLH Architects

Fiona Raley - Lecturer at University of Kent

01 Arboreal Euston

Tutors: Adam Holloway | Elliot Rogosin | Esther Madroñal

MArchD Year 2

2022 - 2023

Applying biophilic design principles to a sustainable glulam timber structure and experimenting with the application of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion AI in the design process, have created a forestlike environment within a mainline railway station in great need of rejuvenation, fusing with Grimshaw’s HS2 design and integrated with the surrounding neighbourhood, creating a sense of arrival, providing garden refuges to reduce the stress of travellers and encourage wildlife, respectful of the station’s grand past and yet looking forward to a biophilic future.

PERSONAL APPROACH TO USING AI WITHIN MY DESIGN PROCESS

My personal approach has been to go back and forth between AI and Rhino modelling. Using AI images for the initial ideas, developing those ideas in Rhino and then using Image2Image in Stable Diffussion to develop the design further.

Dynamic and Diffuse Light:

Voronoi Pattern in the windows will create dynamic shadows throughout the day. Positively effecting ones 24 hour cycle and can improve attitude and overall happiness.

Biomorphic Forms and Patterns:

Voronoi Pattern is used within the window structure. Tree-like structures creating a canopy above. Down to personal preference, but could stimulate feelings of AWE

Using AI to test what a train station concourse that is influenced by biophilic design might appear. I then developed the design futher through sketching, integrating further biophilic design patterns into the proposal. Below have highlighted the patterns in a render.

Material Connection with Nature:

Prodoominantly constructed and cladded in timber. Combined with the use plants, creates a warm sense of place and might reduce blood pressure.

Visual Connection with Nature:

Planters are spread around the concourse, giving commuters visual connection to nature. This will hopefully reduce commuters blood pressure and cortisol (stress) hormone production.

Prospect:

Upper level over the concourse will give visitors an unimpreded view of biophilic patterns that will make viewers observe the sense below and might improve mental engagement.

Refuge:

An area where commuters are protected from behind and to the sides and feel more sanctuary from the main flow of people in the transport hub.

Midjourney Rhino Modelling Design Ideas

Stable Diffusion - image2image

Rhino Modelling

Rhino Modelling

Stable Diffusion - image2image

Ai Image

Sketching

Original Euston Station

Relocated bus station and taxi rank will reduce visual impact of taxi rank on the surrouding streets.

New public squares in front of both new stations, giving a sense of arrival to the proposed entrances.

New underground station entrance.

Integrate Grade II listed guard houses and war memorial into Euston Station Gardens plan.

Retain Cardington Street with walking and cycle route to continue connection with Hampstead Road. Euston Station Gardens will be re-established and enlarged, integrating the war memorial and fountain.

Desire lines from the outer edges of the site, minimising the walking distances to the entrances of HS2, Euston Station and the bus station.

Ventilation through Euston Station

THE JOURNEY

Overhanging roof and shading panel within the column will reduce overheating during the summer months. Vertical shading fins behind the mullions on the curtain wall will also reduce overheating.

Downpipe From hidden Gutter will deliver excess rainwater into a main tank below ground level, which will be used to water Euston Square Gardens.

Direction of load bearing force through columns.

Lightwell through second floor office, allows plenty of light to filter into the concourse.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE COLUMN

Slot Joints

Cambridge Mosque, Cambridge UK (2019)

Architect: Marks Barfield

The columns use slot joints to create strong connections and discrete joinery within the structure.

Hierarchy of the Column

Primary Structure

Secondary Structure

Outer Ring Beam

Stainless Steel Base Plate

Stainless Steel Slot Plate

Stainless Steel T Connectors

Outer Ring Beam

Stainless Steel T Connectors CLT Roof Deck

Using stainless steel joints at the base of each of the glue laminated timber beams and connecting them to the ring beam at the top of the columns. Slot joints are used within the body of the column to create strong and discrete connections within the structure.

Stainless Steel Slot Plate Glue Laminated Timber Beams

Stainless Steel Base Plate

TRAIN STATION PLATFORMS - CONTROLNET

Where one’s jouney either begins or finishes. The platforms have also been inspired by biomorphic forms, the shape and ratio of butterfly wings. Starting with AI images, the canopy was developed through back and forth between sketching and AI.

Sketch

Developed Sketch

Rhino Modelling

AI Image - Stable Diffusion - Controlnet

Koloman Moser - Golden Butterflies AI Image - Midjourney

First Semester Spacial Development Sketch

02 Timber Fluidity

Tutors: Adam Holloway | Elliot Rogosin | Elliot Mayer

MArchD Year 1

2021 - 2022

Situated at Grymsdyke Farm, a research facility and fabrication workshop offering creative thinkers the opportunity to live and work on the farm, this project explores the potential of applying the ancient craft of steam bending in the context of traditional timber gridshells. Whilst highlighting the wider architectural possibilities arising from the steam bending technique, this research also studies the possibilities of creating openings within a timber gridshell, breaking the rules of a lattice or digrid system by replacing laths with steam bent pieces and assessing the possibility of lattice structures being constructed in their entirely using steam bending.

After cutting the piece of ash into strips using a bandsaw, the strips were placed inside the steam box.

Rings were made around a pre-made mould for the horizontal structure.

At the same time, other strips were steam bent and clamped around a pre-made mould for the vertical structure. The strips are then left clamped for 24 hours to fully set into the desired shape.

After 24 hours had passed, the rings were carefully spaced out and joined together with the vertical structural strips.

The other vertical structural strips were spread equally around the rings, leaving a larger gap for the entry access.

Strips were steam bent on a different mould for the bench structure and left clamped for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, the strips were removed from the mould and screwed directly on top of the vertical structural strips already in place.

Further strips are then steamed and immediately bent and attached diagonally into postion on top of the structure.

Strips were positioned diagonally in both directions to create the gridshell.

Curved strips are laid on the bench frame to complete the bench. A window opening in the gridshell will be made adjacent to the entrance to frame the installation/artwork inside.

Step 01

Step 06

Step 07

Step 02

Step 08

Step 04

Step 03

Step 05

Step 09

Step 10

After experimenting with a number of different hardwoods, decided to use ash for it’s combination of flexibility and strength.

Before steam bending the gridshell, a mould had to be made. Three rings of different sizes were steam bent into shape and twelve pieces were steam bent to form the structure between them.

then directly steam bent the gridshell onto the steam bent mould, equally attaching the pieces of ash between each ring.

I had planned to steam bend one direction of laths first and then steam bend the other direction of laths on top. However, due to unforeseen torsion, the structure began to twist as the first set of laths were pulling the structure unequally around. solved the problem by alternating between both directions of the gridshell.

Sectional Perspective (AA)

Exhibition Community Garden Café Vapeur

Workshops

Dining Hall Dormitory

Hexagonal Opening

Twisted Opening

Diagrid laths (Oak)

Steam bent laths (Ash)

Gridshell Node Joint

Exhibition & Café Vapeur

The existing kitchen is currently the central communal space. As the farm expands, an enlarged dining area and gathering space will be required. Replacing the current workshop extension is the new communal dining hall that foresee becoming the main social gathering space at the farm.

Dining Hall

Above images: Vitra Campus, Weil am Rhein, Germany &W Gasklockan, Stockholm, Sweden

Garden Designer: Piet Oudolf

Perspective from near the existing farmhouse looking back at the steam bent garden and gridshell.

Central Courtyard

Park House

www.klharchitects.com

Status: RIBA Stage 5

A one storey leisure building housing an indoor pool and a two storey gym set forward of woodland on a private curtilage. From the very outset, we encouraged the client to focus on the use of natural materials and a sustainable building design. The Project Architect gave me the opportunity to propose various designs for the front facade of the leisure building, one of which then developed into the final proposal. Materials have been carefully chosen to tie in with the adjacent vernacular brick and timber boarded outbuildings, whilst providing a contemporary design. Once the scheme received planning permission, I was then tasked to prepare technical drawings.

Suffolk University

www.klharchitects.com

Status: RIBA Stage 2

A £100 million expansion of Suffolk University including student residences, educational spaces, hotel and car park. Replacing another architecture practice, was given less a week to turn their sketch concept plans into realistic renders for the university to present to the board. Due to the lack of detail, had to improvise with the building forms and work efficiently. Modelled in Revit, rendered in 3ds Max and finalised in photoshop.

Glemsford Village Hall

www.klharchitects.com

Status: RIBA Stage 6

Two single storey extensions and internal alterations to a village hall to provide additional space for community activities in order to continue its ongoing success. It is one of the largest gathering points in the local area and therefore the extensions will provide significant benefit to the surrounding community. The main extension incorporates three equally sized gable roofs, with the materials chosen to blend in with the existing building, whilst still giving the extensions their own identity. used Revit to produce drawings for the scheme’s successful planning application. was then tasked to prepare technical drawings taking into account the relevant building regulations. The project is under construction.

Ipswich BMX Club

A proposal for a new BMX track and clubhouse. volunteered to lead this pro bono project for ProHelp Suffolk. The 40 year old Ipswich BMX Club has the oldest BMX track in the UK. Unfortunately, the track became very difficult to maintain. The new track will be materially larger, more durable and easier to maintain. I prepared drawings and a planning statement for the planning application. This has been an exciting opportunity to lead a project on my own and challenged me to learn quickly about how to manage a project and a client. The project had significant backing from the local community, and in particular local MP Tom Hunt, who emphasised the importance of the project in Parliamentary Questions.

Hadleigh Rugby Club

A new two-storey clubhouse to replace a smaller existing building which the club had outgrown. As well as providing larger changing rooms and storage facilities for the rugby and tennis clubs, the client required a large gathering space to facilitate club events with a balcony in order enable spectators to look down on the main rugby pitch. I was tasked with creating three options on Revit for the club board. Each proposal stretched the length of the field, creating a connection with the rugby pitch below.