Winter Portfolio 2014 by Arc1o1

Kevin Ferris

Masters of Architecture Portfolio 2014

My final concept incorporates all that I have researched and investigated in order to create an architectural delay which has meaning far beyond the object itself. In order to understand the object, one mus not only engage with it but follow and accept rules and order. The object when approached from the front, appears as a simple cube resting on a surface, but approach the object from any other angle creates a whole new meaning. Behind the two front surfaces of reflective black material, is a wooden form which works and interacts with the light in order to create a depth and imply further space. The idea being that if you approach the object from the front, you may believe that it contains what ever may be inside. But as you move around the object you become aware that what is inside has overcome and taken control of the cube. Once you have reached the other side you can see into the depth of the object, the beauty and form. It is not just a simple cubic shape, but instead an evolving and intelligent form. The object grows as you walk around it and leaves you with something beautiful. If man wishes to see, he can. If he cannot understand he can attempt to. But if he wishes to only see what he wants, he can stand at the front and stare at his cube...in ignorant bliss.

Concept Model

Final Model.

Presentation Model

Concept Drawings These sketches were my first idea for my final scheme. The depict the development of shape depth and line of sight.

My process is a development on the architectural theory of two dimensional and three dimensional spaces, using light and dark to create depth and illusion. My project, rather than reveal everything in layers in order for the mind to create an object within a space, conceals each of the layers and the delay exists within the process of discovery. Human nature and bahavioural patterns are the basis of the approach. The project is only viable if it is approached head on, therefore the placement of the display was as important as the display itself.The object appears to be a simple and solid black cube, rising out of a surface of the same material. The light reflects off the materials creating either complete darkness or a reflective pattern. Whether in a large room displayed alone or surrounded by other exibits, the form draws you towards its simplicity; its depth leaving you unsure, its simplicity leaving you cautious. Facing the entrance to the room, central to the door frame, the object conceals its contents and as you approach. The projects core is only revealed once the user moves off the invisible path of approach.

The Broken Clock - the past gone but not out of sight.

Conceptual Group SIte Model “The Industrial Landscape of Carnlough”.

The group site model was completed by Wayne Funston, Feidhlim O’Neill and myself, with input from the rest of the group. The final model “The Industrial Landscape of Carnlough” is a minimalist model depicting the affects of the past on the current village. The concept of the model focuses on the limestone quarry situated 3 miles from the main town. The town used to focus solely on the quarry with most of the residents working there and the harbour being used to transport the limestone through out the United Kingdom. When the quarry was decomissioned in 1965, the village in an essence stopped, and it was almost as if the entire village was decomissioned. The model, which started as a physcial representation of the valley in which the town is situated, was gradually stripped back until only the quarry, the village and their single connection remained. We felt that even the landscape inbetween had become so manmade with farming that it no longer was a part of the town. The final image depicts a bare and silent valley. At the tallest part; the quarry, made up of items we found in the quarry which represent the abondonned atmosphere as well as the symbolism of the quarry being the height of the villages accomplishments. The Train tracks link the quarry to the village, a broken clock. A village stood still, and stuck in the past.

The Carnlough Lime Company Ltd. more commonly known as ‘The Company’ exported limestone from the quarry to all over the United Kingdom, with one of the main destinations being Scotland.

My valley section focused on the break down of land and land usage in order to come to a deeper understanding of what this village has become. Looking at the history of the village I took my valley section along the original gravity train track, from the quarry to the harbour. Looking at each individual section, I examined the boundaries of the village, their usages and the tried to express a feel for the areas through colour. What became apparent through research and obsevation was the “Old Town’s” connection with the harbour but its lack of connection with the natural landscape existing behind the village. The Newer more modern builds had a much stronger connection with the landscape. These boundaries and connections reflect the history as well as the development of the existing village of Carnlough. The idea of boundaries and area usage later became very important in the design of my public house and the understanding of how the village came from a quarry town to its current condition. I travelled between perils, the towering cliffs, which seemed to loom over with a fragile composure and the aroused sea, which thundered against the coast. As the path turned out of site the cliff face rouse to an indistinguishable height and became engulfed in the clouds, the waves were more ferocious and as I approached the point of the paths bend there was a tension as if it this would be it. Suddenly it was over. The path relaxed spreading out and along the coast flowing along the carved out land and there on the horizon rested Carnlough. A small village which filtered its progressive entrance, first a house, then two, then a few more, and before long the 3 story lime washed structures were lining my journeys route. At the centre of the village Stood an old bridge, it stood out with its revealed stone and dark dominant presence. The gentle flow along the coast was interrupted by the sharp turn up the steps and as I rose to the rooftops of the town, I was met with a view from the harbour. The manic waves were calmed against its strong and worn walls. The tall cliffs were nothing but a sight from here. As I turned I noticed a path, lined with the rooftops of the town leading into the wilderness, and naturally as a man out to discover, I took it. The path wound left and right but with the destination always in sight, the tall trees and plant life grew steadily wilder as it loomed over, shading my face from the now intrusive sun. A large boulder, twice my height and soft from the weather marked a boundary, as I stepped from the town into the landscape beyond. The path was Wider now, growing wilder as the grass became apart of where I ventured. The slope was steeper, and the rocks and boulders became more than a common sight. With one last push, I Propelled myself up a slope and at that moment I new I had arrived. Standing on a worn down viewing space, I spotted a solitary bench and as I took my place on that bench I looked out over Carnlough. The valley expanded before my eyes the green fields ran down to the sea, which merged with the sky above. The sun reflected off the many windows in the small village below reminding you of its presence, its place and where it belonged.

+150.0m

+150.0m _tullyoughter limestone quarry

_waterfoot

+00.00m

+00.00m +0.0m

_00.00min

_dismantled limestone railway

_03.34min

_low tide _high tide

_irish sea

_09.01min

_harbour

_cranny falls

_carnlough

_carnlough river

_12.46min

_sea wall _n

_n _glenarm

Regional Map

The Carnlough group consisted of 6 members and together we researched the past and present of the village. The following lays out our individual tasks and some examples of the groups work. Ann Catherine Dennemeyer - Historical research Caroline Nogueira - Factual Research Feidhlim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill - Site visit, Mapping and Site Model Kevin Ferris - Site visit, Mapping and Site Model Mark Hackett - Site Visit and Regional Mapping Wayne Funston - Site visit, Mapping and Site Model

Soft Spaces

Views

Tidal Patterns

_18.59min

Time and Distances

Smells

Research into the sedimentary sequence of carnlough has indicated that the ground is made up of nine beds of material. 1. Glacial till (boulder clay), basalt and chalk fragments. 2. 8 metres of finely laminated silts and clay. 3. 20 - 30cm beach gravel chalk and basalt shingles. 4. Blue sticky clay. 5. 45 cm of sand with clay partings. 6. 10cm sandy silt. 7. Lower peat bed, 15cm - 25cm black compact peat. 8. 20cm blue - grey sandy silt. 9. Upper peat bed, woody, dark, brown and compacted.

Upper Peat Bed

300mm +

Grey Sandy Silt Lower Peat Bed Sandy Silt

500mm + 750mm + 850mm + 1300mm + 1500mm +

Sand with Clay Parting Stick Clay

1800mm

Beach Gravel Chalk and Basalt Shingles

What I took away from my site, was not an object but an observation. Standing within the 4 walls of the derelict structure which currently rests upon the site, I examined the awkward angles of the old structure which had been roughly fitted into a space. The old techniques and stone walls dictation its angles and form. These angles seemed to add to the strcutures deteriorating state as they closed off a space, creating shadows and darkness. They controlled your approach pushing you away from the structure and leading you along external walls, never letting you in. My Artifact or â&#x20AC;&#x153;site delayâ&#x20AC;? captures the affect of an angle, how it can create or reduce space, control approach and direction. The five elements show a progression from derilect to creation of space, height and depth.

Derelict

Deterioration

Space

Growth

Creation

10.

1. 3.

Upper Floor

Ground Floor

1:100

Basement Level

1. Main Chamber 2. Snugs and Private Seating Area 3. Sanitary Accommodation 4. Cellar 5.Entrance Space 6. Double Height Main Chamber 7. Antechamber 8. Publicans Study 9. Publicans Toilet and Shower Facilities 10. Publicans Resting Space

1. Publicans Shower and Toilet Facilities 2. Kitchen Facilities 3. Main Chamber 4. Publicans Private Quarters 5. Publicans Seating Area 6. Main Chamber 7. Lower Level Main Chamber 8. Entrance Space 9. Sanitary Accommodation 10. Cellar

10.

1:100

Concepts of Delay

Delay

Mapping

Xray and Artifact

Public House

05 Kevin Ferris ferris-k5@email.ulster.ac.uk B00555437

concepts of delay Introduction to Delay Transparency Terraine Vague

The following is an extract of my notes on “Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal” Transparency - On first reading ‘Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal’, an image, similar to the one on the next page, entered my mind. It is quite a crude interpretation but sometimes simple is best. Imagine each of the horizontal “slabs” are individually transparent. Now imagine I am passing light through one, and another and so on. Do they maintain their transparency? Individually they hold a certain quality, a similar or even identical quality. But in groups, they create a new form, a new visual for us to approach and view. Robert Slutzky starts this section by analysing the meaning of ‘transparency’ in literature. The term is used to describe many objects, people or pieces in a rational, positive or negative manner. A man may be transparent in his thoughts and manner - he is easily read and worked out. But to be transparent in his writing can be a positive trait, allowing the reader to fully understand his will and his way. But finally to use the term transparent in his writing can leave the reader or the writer vaguely assuming of the writers intent or meaning. Either party can become decided on the true meaning, without analysing its content. Rowe and Slutzky centre their interest in and around the idea of transparency and ‘our’ analysis of this term. As they state “the would be analyst is at a disadvantage” and rightly so. We, as a race or species tend to over complicate matters and attempt to make vast and irregular comparision, rather than taking a much simplier approach and analysing what is infront of us.

The following is an extract of my notes on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal, Part IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Part II takes a deeper look at the idea of phenomenal transparency. Rowe and Slutzky make a rather interesting observation, relating how we see things at first and the changes which occur over the period of time we look at them; almost like a camera focusing and adjusting to light. If you are to view a a number of elements and they all appear on one plane, this is an exmaple of literal transparency. But if we were to view a structure and be able to select vertical, horizontal and deep elements individuall, placing them on their own plane of existence, this is phenomenal transparency. What we would call a facade or elevation in architecture, is inevitably made up of many pieces but we shall view it as one piece. The facade may consist of glazed areas which are obviously transparent and are physical. But each detail, material and layer may exist on their own plane, creating a phenomenal transparency. Rowe and Slutzky use Algiers Sky Scraper Project as an excellent example. First you may become engaged by the three horizontal bands, then as your eyes adjust, the grid pattern of the brise soleil may start to embed itself into your vision. This pattern will seem further back than the bands due to its weight and depth. From this, the viewer may start to view the brise soliel as vertical channels and link these with the lower levels. The are all very simple observations but it is the compensation and explaination the mind provides which act as new levels of transparency.

The following is an extract of my notes on “The Skull and the Mask.” Thomas L. Schumacher dives into architecture of the 1900’s and looks at how structural development affected the idea of interior and exterior design, as well as the facade concept. With steel construction breaking the previously set boundaries for construction and internal /external layouts, the design aspect of architecture changed rapidly. With structure not setting a grid for internal layout and steel frames producing large spans, internal space no longer corresponded with external facades. The external facades also became clean and stream lined, and in some cases gave no reference to which spaces resided where. This new arrangement or style lead to the removal of all decorative elements and the breakdown of elements to their simpliest form. This idea, interestingly links in with the idea of transparency; the break down of decoration left architects working with the mass and form but sadly reliant on literal transparency. Glass has its practical properties, letting light into a structure whilst keeping it ‘airtight’ and watertight. But it has a greater much more hierarchical meaning. It is a spiritual and eye opening material which comes in many forms. It can open a structure to the elements whilst containing its interior. A material which is unified with the modern movement, glass is still viewed as a futuristic material, its fluid and clear surface, matched with its seamless appearance gives off an idea of perfection. It can become a wall or a window, an opening or a view.

constructing delay Final Delay Concept Influences

Mans view of an object relies on what he can see, what he attempts to see and what he wants to see.

Concept Model

Concept Drawings These sketches were my first idea for my final scheme. The depict the development of shape depth and line of sight.

Final Model.

Presentation Model

When Saul Golden, head of design, introduced the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion, I was firstly unimpressed by this solid, black cuboid resting in the landscape and suddenly enthralled by the depth and beauty created from the soft wood. In one twist of the structure, my mind, my emotions and my though process had change; I was physically and emotionally delayed. Stopped dead in my tracks whilst I tried to accept and to come to terms with this change. I took this idea on board and decided to investigate it further. I not only wanted to convince someone of a form and shape before unraveling this idea to create another, I wanted to engage them. In architecture the form, space and atmosphere depends on were a person stands, what height they are, how they approach the structure and begin to engage it. But what if I was to interfer with this free will?

Henrique Oliviera, a Brizilan artist famous for his installations and concepts of growth and decay, perfectly depicts my delay and was very influencial through out the project. Olivieraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work bares no subtlety in regards to the growth of nature within the rather fragile form. There is an essence of distruction in his work. Playing upon this idea and incorporating my thoughts on the Norwegian Pavilion, I wished to develop an evolving element which at least appeared contained by the form in which it was cooncealed. The form unlike Olivieraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was to appear strong and seamless. The choice of a black reflective material gave the material anonymity and strength. The light pine was obvious and a stark contrast to the external shell, allowing for the process of discovery to develop from a slow approach to a sudden excelerated knowledge.

mapping Site Analysis of Carnlough History Personal Journey

The Broken Clock - the past gone but not out of sight.

Conceptual Group SIte Model “The Industrial Landscape of Carnlough”.

The group site model was completed by Wayne Funston, Feidhlim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill and myself, with input from the rest of the group. The final model â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Industrial Landscape of Carnloughâ&#x20AC;? is a minimalist model depicting the affects of the past on the current village. The concept of the model focuses on the limestone quarry situated 3 miles from the main town. The town used to focus solely on the quarry with most of the residents working there and the harbour being used to transport the limestone through out the United Kingdom. When the quarry was decomissioned in 1965, the village in an essence stopped, and it was almost as if the entire village was decomissioned. The model, which started as a physcial representation of the valley in which the town is situated, was gradually stripped back until only the quarry, the village and their single connection remained. We felt that even the landscape inbetween had become so manmade with farming that it no longer was a part of the town. The final image depicts a bare and silent valley. At the tallest part; the quarry, made up of items we found in the quarry which represent the abondonned atmosphere as well as the symbolism of the quarry being the height of the villages accomplishments. The Train tracks link the quarry to the village, a broken clock. A village stood still, and stuck in the past.

Carnlough is a small quarry village on the north east coast of Antrim, Northern Ireland. Carnlough translates to ‘Cairn of the lake’ and lies at the outflow of Glencoy (’Glen of hedges’). The area is ideal for human settlement, due to its close proximity to the water for fresh food and the fresh water which flows from the Glens of Antrim via Cranny Falls, to the ocean. There has been recorded history of humans settling on this site since the Neolithic period. The villages focal point is the harbour which fronts the village and now acts as a marina for small marine vessels. The first official harbour was constructed between 1795-1806, although a make shift harbour did exist long before this. The Lower Pier was constructed by a Phillip Gibbons who through marrying Ann Stewart, the daughter of the 5th Earl of Antrim’s Land Agent, became a local land owner. The pier was 200 feet long and constructed of stone, it was the introduction of this pier which started the first major exporting of goods, such as potatoes, grain and limestone, from CarnLough. The Second and more prominant pier, the Hight or New Pier was constructed by ‘The Company’ many years later in order to export limestone from the Tullyoughter Limestone Quarry.

The Carnlough Lime Company Ltd. more commonly known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exported limestone from the quarry to all over the United Kingdom, with one of the main destinations being Scotland.

Population Sphere

Vacant

Tourism Funded

Derelict

Tourism Areas

Sphere of Influence

Vacant or Derilict Buildings

Tourist Areas

I travelled between perils, the towering cliffs, which seemed to loom over with a fragile composure and the aroused sea, which thundered against the coast. As the path turned out of site the cliff face rouse to an indistinguishable height and became engulfed in the clouds, the waves were more ferocious and as I approached the point of the paths bend there was a tension as if it this would be it. Suddenly it was over. The path relaxed spreading out and along the coast flowing along the carved out land and there on the horizon rested Carnlough. A small village which filtered its progressive entrance, first a house, then two, then a few more, and before long the 3 story lime washed structures were lining my journeys route. At the centre of the village Stood an old bridge, it stood out with its revealed stone and dark dominant presence. The gentle flow along the coast was interrupted by the sharp turn up the steps and as I rose to the rooftops of the town, I was met with a view from the harbour. The manic waves were calmed against its strong and worn walls. The tall cliffs were nothing but a sight from here. As I turned I noticed a path, lined with the rooftops of the town leading into the wilderness, and naturally as a man out to discover, I took it. The path wound left and right but with the destination always in sight, the tall trees and plant life grew steadily wilder as it loomed over, shading my face from the now intrusive sun. A large boulder, twice my height and soft from the weather marked a boundary, as I stepped from the town into the landscape beyond. The path was Wider now, growing wilder as the grass became apart of where I ventured. The slope was steeper, and the rocks and boulders became more than a common sight. With one last push, I Propelled myself up a slope and at that moment I new I had arrived. Standing on a worn down viewing space, I spotted a solitary bench and as I took my place on that bench I looked out over Carnlough. The valley expanded before my eyes the green fields ran down to the sea, which merged with the sky above. The sun reflected off the many windows in the small village below reminding you of its presence, its place and where it belonged.

+150.0m

+00.00m

Regional Map

Soft Spaces

Views

+150.0m

+150.0m _tullyoughter limestone quarry

_waterfoot

+00.00m

+00.00m +0.0m

_00.00min

_dismantled limestone railway

_03.34min

_low tide _high tide

_irish sea

_09.01min

_harbour

_cranny falls

_carnlough

_carnlough river

_12.46min

_sea wall

_n _glenarm

Tidal Patterns

_18.59min

Time and Distances

Smells

Site 3

Site 2

Site 1

Chosen Site

1:1000

1:500

Mapping is more than just technical information in order for architects and planners to refer to when deemed necessary, mapping is and can be an enriching agent which not only guides planners, architects and society but allows us to further understand and make use of the world we occupy. Mapping is often viewed as technical presentations of the land and society but as stated by James Corner in the Agents of Mapping, this is more closely related to ‘tracing’1 than mapping. The idea of taking already existing information and repeating it in different forms is how mapping is viewed in modern day society, but this reduced and derivative idea is why mapping is often perceived as preceding, and their for becoming a tool to rationalize, planning. Certain elements of mapping cannot be changed, the physicality of data is defined by codes, techniques and convention but this only represents what can be unified and confined within these boundaries. Beyond that it is then the data, which is selected, focused on and prioritized which is then presented and defines the landscape. If mapping comes before planning in order to rationalize the decisions made, then the data, which is chosen, has a massive impact on the planning and further more the design; in essence mapping is the foundations and catalyst of construction. Carnlough with its history, modern development and people has a number of different elements in order to focus on and map. If I was to focus on people, form, or 2 land individually, the outcome of the final projects would be each other’s extremes; and yet all in the same context. Mapping therefore is not just about “repeating what is already known” but rather understanding what exists at that moment in time and understanding the hierarchy of each element. In order to do that, it is important to be involved, mapping is not defined by the final outcome but the act and physical action, which bring you to that point. Participation is apart of the process, knowing a place, understanding its ways, being familiar of its smells and colours are the most important maps you can have. A physical representation of a place is pointless, when you have the real thing and it is this realization that allows you to understand that a place is more than the shape of its land and the number of structures 3 placed upon that land. Thomas de Quincey’s opium fuelled meanders through the London streets of the early 20th century capture the essence of mapping . Although his route was not planned he created his own path and through his insight and personal point of view we become aware of so much more than the basic layout and plan of the city. We discover the many layers and how they interact with the person, how the materials, the people and the surroundings all respond to the individual. Andre Breton once again takes a similar approach, although Bretons journeys were the journeys of a drifter rather than a drug addict, leading to a much less scenically and clearer response to his surroundings 4. This is not to say that Bretons opinion is worth more than Quincey’s, it could be said that Quincey’s approach is much darker due to his mindset at the time or it could be a visual, unsugar coated representation of the city.

In the same idea, Bretons approach could be brighter and more romanticized due to the fact that he was sober and mentally secure, or it could be due to the fact that he was in one of the most beautiful cities in France. It is this personal touch and approach that can be juxtaposed with the individual journey I was asked to take into Carnlough. Carnlough is not a place I know and therefore my ideas and senses were easily influenced by what immediately greeted me. I was not walking to a destination but walking to get around the next corner or obstacle. I let the village tell me where to go and my destination was not chosen but rather defined by the town. The focal point or direction in which to focus is reminiscent of habitual techniques set forth by mapping conventions. In Corners, Agents of Mapping he makes light of mapping on a global scale and the unquestioned convention of ‘north’ as a focal point and its affect on spatial and socio – political structures. Refer5 ring to The Mercator Map , which faces north with all compass directions parallel, the map stretches the surface of the globe without excision, onto a flat surface, leading to gross distorting of land area and shape. This conceptual visualization of course provides special, economical and political favour to the countries at the “top” of the map, and in turn reduces those at the “bottom’ quite significantly.

My journey to Carnlough concluded at the quarry 3 miles outside of the town, a piece of the towns history and the physical remains of what the town once was, it has become the “north” of Carnlough. If we are to apply my journey of Carnlough to a global scale, it can be said that North is unquestioned as the primary focus because it is natural. We are all naturally led to this point and therefore it is the global destination. Alternatively, we can apply Mercator’s global concept to Carnlough and wonder, does the quarry distort the town? It is more than possible that the once important quarry has left an impact on the town, which distorts its current status. Dominating its skyline it has become distorted in shape and size appearing larger and more dominant. Following the same focus, this would place the village of Carnlough at the bottom, appearing insignificant, small and powerless. The set boundaries of what is upwards create new boundaries in regards to spatial relationships. 6 The ‘Inverted map of Australia’ by Uruguayan artist Joaquin Torres – Garcia challenges the idea of orientation and its affect of spatial hierarchy and power relations. This simple image reminds us of how focal points can alter our view of a place and how people, forms and voids interact with it. Inverting the focal orientation of Carnlough would apply focus to the harbor, with the village appearing larger in size and power and reducing the now decommissioned quarry. What Joaquin Torres – Garcia has demonstrated is that the time has a major influence on mapping. What was ideal for Carnlough 50 years ago is now leading to be its downfall. Mapping is constantly changing, constantly new and developing. Understanding the bigger picture and all factors of place allows you not only to design something functional but something historical that will last. Considering a theoretical and broader approach to mapping has allowed me to not only understand Carnlough as a village resting upon a particular formation of land but also consider what the town needs in order to thrive and survive. Mapping involves more than knowing facts and figures in relation to a place, it is in knowing what makes that place, and it is a story to be told. As Sadie 7 plant explains in her explanation of Aragon, he “created architectural spaces in words, describing thresholds, doors, the spaces between and the dereliction of the city” . Carnlough has its own story based on a thriving past and broken future, in reading and understanding this story, we are able to write the next chapter and map out its future. 1.James Corner, “The Agency of Mapping; Speculation, critique and Invention”, in Mappings, Ed. Dennis Cosgrove, (Reaktion Books, London, 1999), 215 2. Ibid, 216. 3. Merlin Coverley, Psychogeography, (Oldcast Books, 2012), 18 4. Ibid, 19 5. Corner, Agents of Mapping, 217 6. Ibid, 218. 7. Coverley, Psychogeography, 19

xray and artifact Site Xray Artifact Site Delay

Upper Peat Bed Grey Sandy Silt Lower Peat Bed Sandy Silt Sand with Clay Parting Stick Clay Beach Gravel Chalk and Basalt Shingles

300mm + 500mm + 750mm + 850mm + 1300mm + 1500mm + 1800mm

Derelict

Deterioration

Space

Growth

Creation

Artifact

Taking into consideration its position between the town and landscape, this site has two forces being contemporary version of a traditional typography.

public house Concept Materiality Final Design

The Public House was importantly, not to be viewed as a nightclub, social club or a themed bar. It was extremely important that the spaces within the Public House existed for a reason. These spaces were for meeting and sharing, to be enjoyed alone or with friends and I believed that once you stepped into the boundaries of the Public House, you should feel a release from the outside world and a force drawing you deeper into the structure. Using minimalist and extremely raw materials I wished to create a spiritual atmosphere, one which aroused your senses and settled your mind. Using light and materials my project focuses on the concept of light and dark. Rather than creating light using large windows, I wished to use the darkness to highlight the light and create a depth to the material and the space. The raw material is honest and rugged. The natural light which filters down into the spaces connects the user with the world above but reminds them that they are in a hidden and speical place beneath it all. The natural light plays with the rugged and raw materials showing its imperfections; this building is far from perfect.

10.

1. 3.

Upper Floor 1. Main Chamber 2. Snugs and Private Seating Area 3. Sanitary Accommodation 4. Cellar 5.Entrance Space 6. Double Height Main Chamber 7. Antechamber 8. Publicans Study 9. Publicans Toilet and Shower Facilities 10. Publicans Resting Space

Ground Floor

Basement Level

1:100

10.

1:100

Doors and Openings 900mm 2100mm 1500mm 1000mm

mm 00 80

- Door Width - Door Height - large opening Width (lower Level) - Stair Width Seating and Bar Space

700mm 300mm 300mm 1000mm 450mm 450mm 500mm Variable

Windows and RoofLights 300mm Variable 1500mm 300mm 300mm 1500mm

mm 00 16

- Ceiling Light Depth - Ceiling Light Length - Light Chimney Depth - Light Chimney Width - Window Width (First Floor) - Window Height (First Floor)

15 60 0m m

- Bar Upper Surface Depth - Bar Lower Surface Depth - Wall Ledge Depth - Circular Table Width - Moveable Chair depth - Moveable Chair Width - Fixed Seating Depth - Fixed Seating Width

Site Plan

lower Level

Ground Level

Presentation Page

Upper Level My last review saw the near completion of my design. My layout, Spaces, process and materiality were all considered and developed. I recieved a lot of positive and critical feedback and this lead to a long and interesting discussion between myself and my reviewers. My choice of materials and their relationship to light and atmosphere was a central topic of conversation. Even those who were not a fond of concrete design were able to understand and appreciate the ideas of “a material which absorbs light leaving depth in its surface texture.” Contrasting this with “dark slate; on its own a very fragile material but one which gains strength in mass. It becames a solid made up of light and shadow rather than a material”. Although my concept of darkness and materiality was considered interesting, it was met as over complicated when combined with the amalgamation of the typographical form I was attempting to illaborate on. As stated by Jim Mulholland “If something cannot be explained in one or two sentences, it is either too complicated or not fully understood”. Although the control of the form was considered simple with depth, it was suggested that I detach myself further from the traditional typography of the existing buildings, developing on the hidden aspect of the design rather than a space within a structure, which is something to be expected.

My initial review allowed me introduce my interest in the forces which acted upo the micro site. I was interested in how these forces would act if applied to the site and decided to introduce the existing tradtional typography in order to visualise this. My initial idea was applying these forces along the axes of the structure in order to create a contemporary version of a traditional typography. This idea was met with emphusiasm although their was a critical response when addressing my design. As stated by Jane Larmour, â&#x20AC;&#x153;your process is indepth and interesting, but you may wish to relax the angles in order to reduce the strain on your structure and make the flow more comfortableâ&#x20AC;?. Their was also a general agreement that my idea of a secret or descreet entrance was not quite suitable for a public building. Although I was happy with some of my existing spaces, I took these comments on board in order to develop my project further.

Presentation Page

lower Level

Ground Level

Presentation

Upper Level

Issues Now;

The affects of practical and theoretical issues on the built environment Issues Now concentrated on the current issues in todays politics and economics and how they affected the built environment and the architectural profession. Through out the semester I attended a mixture of debate sessions and lectures which looked at practical issues affecting our current built environment and theoretical issues, respectively. The module evoked a lot of discussion, based on the debate layout and therefore was designed to encourage the students and guests to get involved. This lead to an insight into how cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories and technologies influence design now and further insight into the correlation between these design issues and the built environment.

Course Work Assignment 1 - (30%) Issues Debate The assignment asked us, in pairs, to consider the issues which are being considered by the participants in this module and to present our case to the class group in an “Issues Debate”. Wayne Funston and I worked together on this assignment focusing on “play in the City”, the affects of city life on the mental and physical well being of children. Assignment 2 - (70%) Theoretical Argument The assignment required me to reconsider the issues which had been raised by professional institutions (the practice) and those presented by the academic researchers (the theoretical approach). I was asked to consider how they parallell with or affect one another. I concentrated on Peter Walkers Lecture “The Only Way is Ethics” and paralleled his approach to architectural ethics with Saul Goldens insight into Citizen Place Making.

PLAY IN THE CITY Kevin Ferris and Wayne Funston

Play in the City Wayne Funston and Myself worked together in order to produce our Theoretical Debate. We chose the topic of “Play in the City” concentrating on the affects city life has on the mental and physical and mental well being on a child. The Following is an extract of my original debate presented on Wednesday, 16th October, 2013.

Argument for Play in the City Hello, my name is Kevin Ferris and as previously mentioned I will debating in favour of more permanent and child friendly play areas in the city. In todays modern Cities children are often forgotten about during the planning process of the built environment. Because of this children are left to either play on the streets or stay indoors. I believe now, more than ever, is the time to start taking children into consideration during the design process by creating open, green and play spaces. Space is a valuable commodity in a modern city but if we do not act now in order to help our younger generation and future society develop it may become too late. Sadly, taking future action in planning does not help those who are already living in crowded areas. With over crowding becoming an issue inside and outside the home, our younger generations are at serious physical and mental health risks such as; Obesity Teenage depression and anxiety Poor social interaction Low educational achievements Cognitive development Behavior and socio-emotional problems. I propose that green, social and play areas; more specifically directed at the youth of today (and the future) become a key focus of city planning. My opponent will argue that the space and funding is not readily available but to me that just shows a lack of creative thinking. Nobody is asking for the entire city to become a playground but to allow play and the needs of children to be incorporated into the cities in order to create a healthy society, now and in the future. (Refer to slide) As you can see, incorporating play into the urban environment does not involve restricting or altering the city in any way but simply taking spaces which are readily available, as they are unsuitable or difficult for certain uses and with a little creative thinking turning them into somewhere exciting for children to investigate and explore. Any area which may seem out of the way and difficult for an adult, can be seen as a secret hide away or a place to explore in the eyes of a child. These creative ideas actually encourage children to take healthy risks and become inventive themselves. Vacant or abandoned plots of land are something which can be found in any city, and here in Belfast, due to our past political issues and religious troubles, it is a common sight to see an

empty plot of land where a building once stood. With a small amount of funding and some creative thinking these areas could be come multifunctional areas which not only help the children of the city develop in a healthy environment but also help revive previously run down areas. (refer to slide) Here we can see an example from Copenhagen, the installation adds an interactive infrastructure, which not only encourages exploration and play but also helped revive an area, which was previously a void in the city. This is the sort of risks that the United Kingdom must start to encourage. (refer to slide) this is a plot of land central to the Mount in East Belfast, an area which is predominantly from a blue collar background. With a number of housing executive properties in the area and a high level of unemployment this plot would be a prime example of a potential area for youth development. I am aware that these suggestions have an air of permanence to them, which can take planning time, and money but the cities can still move forward in youth development. In all cities, performance and multifunctional areas have been developed and created in order to cater for the performing arts, festivals and markets. Examples of these areas in Belfast are the likes of corn market or st. Georges market. These events, all though culturally significant and economically positive are examples of “symbolic Play” focused on an adult society, which involves little to no interaction. The same areas have the potential to be used for child friendly events, which encourage social interaction, positive communication and healthy risk taking. (refer to slide) Last year Belfast healthy city developed kids space, exploring child friendly spaces in the city Centre. This allowed children and their parents to be heard and as you can see, the reaction was extremely positive. We must take the steps now to develop and evolve our cities to incorporate a younger culture. Children are the future society and if it was your future or your children would you take the risk?

Play in the City - Online Blog

Play in the City

Kevin: In todays modern cities Children are often forgot about during the planning process of the built environment, resulting in children playing on the streets or indoors. Now is the time to consider helping children get out and play otherwise they may be at serious risk of physical and mental health issues such as;

In todays modern Cities children are often forgotten about during the planning process of the built environment. Because of this children are left to either play on the streets or stay indoors. I believe now, more than ever, is the time to start taking children into consideration during the design process by creating open, green and play spaces. Space is a valuable commodity in a modern city but if we do not act now in order to help our younger generation and future society develop it may become too late. Sadly, taking future action in planning does not help those who are already living in crowded areas. With over crowding becoming an issue inside and outside the home, our younger generations are at serious physical and mental health risks such as; Obesity, Teenage depression and anxiety, Poor social interaction, Low educational achievements, Cognitive development and Behavior and socio-emotional problems. I propose that green, social and play areas; more specifically directed at the youth of today (and the future) become a key focus of city planning. First and foremost it is important to define play and its importance. Play is the creative and physical act of imagining. Play is rarely real life and involves communication, healthy risk taking and expression of freedom. Although I am focusing on play for children, the social aspect is much greater. Play introduces children, at a young age to a social construct, in which they must learn to communicate, listen and agree. This idea not only provides for physical and mental health but also prepares our youth for adult life. Defining space for play is as important as the act itself. Nobody is asking for the entire city to become a playground but to allow play and the needs of children to be incorporated into the cities in order to create a healthy society, now and in the future. Applying the fundamental ideas of civic stewardship, there needs to be a sense of ownership applied to these spaces. Ownership not only provides a degree of care for a place but also introduces the idea of security. If children feel secure and comfortable then they are more likely to thrive and develop. Another adaptable aspect of stewardship is the idea of “doing more with what we have got” and “very small changes to happen immediately”. Incorporating play into the urban environment does not involve restricting or altering the city in any way but simply taking spaces which are readily available, as they are unsuitable or difficult for certain uses and with a little creative thinking turning them into somewhere exciting for children to investigate and explore. Any area which may seem out of the way and difficult for an adult, can be seen as a secret hide away or a place to explore in the eyes of a child. These creative ideas actually encourage children to take healthy risks and become inventive themselves.

• • • • • •

Obesity Teenage depression and anxiety Poor social interaction Low educational achievements Cognitive development Behavior and socio-emotional problems.

Incorporating play into the urban environment does not involve restricting or altering the city in any way but simply taking spaces which are readily available, as they are unsuitable or difficult for certain uses and with a little creative thinking turning them into somewhere exciting for children to investigate and explore. Last year Belfast healthy cities developed ‘kids space’, exploring child friendly spaces in the city Centre. This allowed children and their parents to be heard and as you can see, the reaction was extremely positive. Copenhagen was used as an example of how existing buildings can be turned into urban playgrounds for children. Wayne: The government have created the organisation NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) to research the effects the playing have to children. The government has also launched a publication called ‘By Design’ which is designed to allow regional Planning Offices to make more informed decisions when it comes to approving urban schemes. Locally, Belfast Healthy Cities have have released a publication ‘Shaping Healthier Neighborhoods that promote green spaces in a Urban Environment. When we consider Belfast, we realise that we actually have no shortage of urban spaces, i.e. the City Hall, Custom House Square and Writers Square. The Irish Government have defined playing as being: • Freedom of choice; • Spontaneity; • Absence of imposed rules. When we consider these points further its clear that the government cannot take such risks to let children roam free at their leisure. In regards to using existing buildings and vacant sites, we realise that the land is more valuable as building space that children's playgrounds. To overcome this, many community centres have been set up in Northern Ireland to allow children to socialise and play in a controlled environment. Encouraging symbolic play in Belfast has grown form strength to strength with Culture Night attracting over 40,000 people per year. Perhaps large-scale temporal playgrounds like this are enough to encourage people flow into the city, leading to economic growth. So in summary, we encourage children to play but they must do so in a controlled environment.

Figure 1.

As we can see from figure 1, something as simple as some white paint (or white tape if you wish to be even less permanent) and a blow up swimming pool, full of £1 footballs can transform a space into a place for play. This example demonstrates the creativity of this idea. The football pitch doesn’t fit in the traditional sense? Continue it on a vertical surface. What is most important about this example is that these small alterations do not change the space. With a few chairs and tables it can become a place for meeting or an area at night for adults to relax. In Northern Ireland, actions have already been set in motion in order to incorporate play and the youth, into the city. Last year Belfast healthy city developed kids space, exploring child friendly spaces in the city Centre. This allowed children and their parents to be heard and as you can see from figure 2, the reaction was extremely positive. Using already existing spaces in the city (such as St. Ann’s Square and St. Georges Market), which may be used for festivals, culture nights and performances, we can actively encourage play. Northern Ireland is a city with a difficult past, which has lead to social and religious boundaries. Using the idea of play along side the ever evolving idea of place making, can help communities come together, removing those boundaries.

Endnotes 1O’kane Boal et al. , Civic Stewardship ………doing more with what we’ve got (Ministerial Advisory Group, 2013) 2 Ibid. 2. 3 Play in the city; Images of Play, Last accessed 28th December, 2013, http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/think/theme/4/8 4 Laura McDonald, Issues Now, Coffee Debate; Child friendly spaces, (Black Box Café, 4th December, 2013) 5 CABE Space, Start with the Park, (Comission for architectyre and the built Environment, June, 2005). 6 Abid. 1. 7 Emily Smyth, Issues Now, Coffee Debate; Ministerial Advisory Group, (Black Box Café, October 9th, 2013)

Illustrations Figure 2.

Figure 3.

On a more long-term approach, incorporating play friendly spaces into a city, not only develop the aforementioned ideas but also start to build on the construct of Sustainable cities. The Commission for Architects and the Built Environment address this idea in their report “Start with the Park”. Looking at incorporating green spaces, that people will want to use and respect once again touches on the idea of ownership. Creating spaces that we can all be a part of and proud on can develop sustainable communities which others will want to be a part of. These spaces once again can become multifunctional and create a positive development within the city. Planning for our future, we can start to develop the city in order to offer “lasting economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits”. I would actively encourage the incorporation of play into the future plans and development of our cities but I believe a lot can be done here and now with very little resources. Taking the same principles of civic stewardship and applying them to a younger generation can help turn a relatively dull public place into a colourful and happy play space. If we build a park in a neighbourhood full of anti social behavior and no community values, the affect will be limited and may lead to vandalism and actually creating another anti – social place. It is much more important to incorporate the community and allow their needs to guide our future development. “If people believe in a place, value and care for it, invest time and resources and management into it, it will endure always evolving with the priorities of the people.” We must take the steps now to develop and evolve our cities to incorporate a younger culture. Children are the future society and if it was your future or your children would you take the risk?

Figure 1. Photo: Lucy Musgrave – Design and Landscapes for People. Play as gentle subversion – modification of both the game and the city to explore play. (http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/think/theme/4/8) Figure 2. Photo: Laura McDonald - St. Ann’s Square, Play Space. (Issues Now Debate, 4th December 2013).

Bibliography CABE Space, Start with the Park, Comission for architectyre and the built Environment, June, 2005 Foster, christ and Lane, Sophia, The built environment: how city design impacts child health, University of Western Ontoria Medical Journal, 2012. McDonald, Laura , Issues Now, Coffee Debate; Child friendly spaces, Black Box Café, 4th December, 2013 Neuner, Kailee and Hall, Jessica, Do Kids Want to Play in the Queen City?, Buffalo’s Built Environment and its Impact on Youth Physical Activity, 2012. O’kane Boal et al. , Civic Stewardship ………doing more with what we’ve got Ministerial Advisory Group, 2013 Play in the city; Images of Play, Last accessed 28th December, 2013, http://www.buildingfutures.org.uk/think/theme/4/8 Smyth, Emily, Issues Now, Coffee Debate; Ministerial Advisory Group, Black Box Café, October 9th, 2013

Architecture: The Power of Ethics By comparing the theoretical approach to ethics with the physical practice of ethics I aim to show a correlation between professional responsibility and public involvement. I also wish to analyse professional language and communication with the public on a personal level. Kevin Ferris

Illustrations

Contents Introduction

Discourse Theory

Ethics

Professional Ethics Stewardship: An Ethical Relationship

The Catalytic Conponent

Conclusion

Endnotes and Illustration

Bibliography

Play in the City

Endnotes and Illustration

Bibliogrsphy

Figure 1. “Holding Public Office” brings co-workers out into the streets, re-framing work as a mechanism for building social capital / Photo: Lisa Burnell, Graphic Studio Shelf. (http://www.pps.org/blog/how-to-be-a-citizen-placemaker-think-lighter-quicker-cheaper/) Figure 2. Vibrancy does not need to be limited to a few ‘unusual’ areas; vibrancy is people / Photo: PPS, (http://www.pps.org/blog/placemaking-as-community-creativity-how-a-shared-focus-on-place-builds-vibrant-destinations/) Figure 3. “The lesson for me from this process was the importance of recognizing and reacting ﬂexibly to key opportunities and people as they presented themselves.” / Photo: Saul Golden. (Starting With the Patunias, Saul Golden). Figure 4. Golden & his collaborators capitalized on existing plans for a poetry reading at the nearby library, convincing organizers to bring the event out into the public realm / Photo: Saul Golden. (Starting With the Patunias, Saul Golden).

Introduction

“If people believe in a place, value and care for it, invest time and resources and management into it, it will endure always evolving with the priorities of the people.” Emily Smyth

Using discourse theory I wish to analyse the architectural language in order to demonstrate the relationship between the language and the profession. Developing on this idea I aim to show how architectural knowledge feeds this language and gives architects a sense of power and hierarchy with which they are trusted to act ethically towards the society they serve. I will be referring to The Only way is Ethics… by Professor Peter Walker of The University of Ulster, along side a number of other texts, in order to support my theoretical argument. In order to demonstrate a comparison between the Academic (or theoretical) approach to this issue and the affect of this issue in practice I will introduce the topic of Civic Stewardship and the incorporation of society into the built environment. As a further insight to Place Making and community incorporation I shall also look at Saul Golden’s debate, Architect’s knowledge and critical practice. By comparing the theoretical approach to ethics with the physical practice of ethics, taking into consideration the history of architectural practice, I aim to show a correlation between professional responsibility and public involvement. I also wish to analyse professional language and communication with the public and focus on the delicate balance between ethical approach and the architectural profession. Is it possible we are placing the profession at risk by reducing our own status in order to evoke our ethical requirements; are we a profession or a function?

Discourse Theory First and foremost it is important to understand what discourse theory is and how it can be applied to the architectural language. Discourse Theory is the study of communication, whether it is through linguistics or semiotics (or semiology)1. Discourse is the structural formation in which communication exists, different theories come into existence when the boundaries of this structure is debated or challenged. This in turn creates new factors, which affect the discourse, in question. Professor Peter Walker of the Belfast School of Architecture makes reference to the postmodernist work of Michael Foucault when applying the idea of discourse to architecture, and in particular the architectural language. Foucault developed the notion of knowledge and power, and the succinct connection between the two 2. He proposed that power was not only created by knowledge but also the creator of knowledge. Iara Lessa summarizes Foucault's definition of discourse as; “systems of thoughts composed of ideas, attitudes, courses of action, beliefs and practices that systematically construct the subjects and the worlds of which they speak."3 Foucault summarised that discourse was contained by three main factor’s; objects, what can be spoken of; ritual, where and how one may speak; and the privileged, who may speak. In The archaeology of knowledge, Foucault compares each of these restraints to the professional body of Medicine. Asking the very powerful questions of “Who is speaking?”, “Who […] is 4 accorded the right to use this sort of language?” and most importantly, “who is qualified?” 5. The idea of language being reserved for only those who have earned it is an extremely utopian idea but one which can be justified and rationalised. A Medical professional who approaches you and can speak confidently about the situation will transfer that confidence to you, leaving you with “ […] the assurance, at least the presumption, that what he says is right”6. Additional, if this situation took place in a medical environment, it may increase your confidence in the professional. Alternatively, if these scenarios were inverted it could have the opposite affect. The idea of, what can be spoken of, the object, refers to not a physical object but “ […] sites from which the doctor makes his discourse”7. The sites refer to hospitals, private practice, laboratories and libraries, which provide insight and research in order for the doctor to base his discourse on. If this idea can be applied to one profession then the concept is more than applicable to the profession of Architecture. Language is built up of terminology’s, which are accumulated and understood through out one’s training. Professor Walker suggested that if you were to

analyse the language used by a group of students from their first year to their sixth year, that each year the language would not only 8 be similar but would evolve . This knowledge, which feeds our language, is gathered from other architects, researchers, sociologists, planners, Landscape architects, urban designers and more. Looking at our previous evidence that a professional, be it architect or doctor, must earn his right to use a style of language or “proffer such a discourse” then it is fair to say that discourse is the social representation of knowledge and the basis of professional power. How one uses this power is based on their moral code and introduces the idea of professional ethics.

Ethics

“Man is nothing else but that which he makes himself”.

Human feelings and morality form the basis for ethics within our society. Through out history there have been many different approaches to the theory of ethics, each of which makes light of individual human traits. Aristotle produces one of the oldest theories and one, which forms the foundations for future theories. He argues that; “ […] we are social and rational animals and should therefore live virtuous lives controlling our feelings rationally.” 10 Aristotle makes light of the fact that we are animals and therefore have instincts to protect and take care of ourselves. But we are developed with the ability to think rationally and therefore should be able to control our feelings and make our own choices, which do not conflict with others. David Hume and Jean Jacque Rousseau develop this idea concentrating on morality as a matter of feelings. Hume based his theory on the basic premise that “humans are innately good […] 11 and this is what gives us common ground” . This common ground gives us a base in which to start but with all cultures, there must be a series of levels of power. Concentrating on the hierarchy of these feelings, they ask the extremely pertinent questions of “whose feelings take precedence and how do we agree which feelings are right?”12 These questions are reminiscent of Foucault’s review of power in society. There is a subtle over lap of these two ideas; who can ask, “whose feelings take precedence and how do we agree which feelings are right?” With out someone responding “Who is speaking?”, “Who […] is accorded the right to use this sort of language?” From this idea we can extract that with power and status there must be a balance of morality and ethics. These ideas force us to look at ethics on a much wider scale. Jeremy Bentham and John-Stewart Mill look at ethics on a scale, which could be applied globally. They argue that ethics are based 13 on the greatest good for the greatest number of people . This extremely utilitarian stance is solid in theory but can easily lead to abuse of power and corruption within the system. If this was to be applied to professional ethics, a profession could become a super power, with medical professions making life or death decisions, Architects designing cities in their own image and lawyers deciding social boundaries and limitations without a word from the people who live in this society. Professions need ethical guidelines and boundaries in order to thrive within in their limitations. Jean-Paul Sartre Argued that;

On a very basic level this approach is self involved but he elaborates by explaining that as adults (and not children, as their morals are based on the morals of their parents, peers and society), we are free to choose are own morality and ethical code. However our parents, our community, our professions and our state have vested interest in ensuring that we agree and show a common 15 moral code . As individuals we have an ethical responsibility to others who have invested their ethics into us. If we agree to live within in a particular society then we must agree to adhere to their moral code and ethical practice. If we apply this to a profession such as architecture we can see that we as architects have free will and our own ethical approach but we also hold an ethical responsibility to the clients who trust us, to the profession who has accepted us and to the society we serve.

Professional Ethics

Within any profession, there is a relationship with the public, which is based on knowledge and power. Referring back to the medical profession as a comparison, there is a sense of trust when interacting with a doctor, as you trust that he has the knowledge to treat you but more importantly that he will be ethical in his approach and act in your best interests. You also trust that the knowledge he has gained is thorough and from all relevant sources in order to provide you with a competent and thorough service. This same principle can be applied to the architectural profession. There is a fiduciary relationship between the Architect and the client based on trust and ethics; this is due to the amount of hidden knowledge and actions, which take place during the relationship process. The client can assume that the architect’s knowledge is not only correct but also being used in their best interests. The power the architect holds is not only in the knowledge he has but how ethically he uses it; he must have an ethical relationship with the client, with his profession and with himself. “Any body could do our job… say somebody who’s technically competent […] but they do not necessarily have the same values as an architect.” 16 Professor Walker provides an excellent example of how this power can be abused in a term he has coined Smithspeak17. Referring to an anonymous practice, lead by a Mr Smith, he lays out a situation in which the client felt that Mr Smith had unethically lead the client into a project he did not want. The client suggested that Mr Smith used his knowledge to enforce his own ideas and create a negative atmosphere around the clients preferences, therefore creating a project the architect wanted and not what the client needed. This concept of Smithspeak is a prime example of not only the ethical responsibilities of the architect but also the power of the architects discourse.

Stewardship: an ethical relationship So far I have investigated the idea of discourse as a social representation of knowledge. This knowledge is power and lead to the analysis of ethical responsibility. Carrying on the idea of ethics and power in architecture I wish to correlate these theories with practical examples in order to analyse their effects. The belief that knowledge is power is only sustainable if that knowledge can be trusted. We have already looked at an example of how this power can be abused in Professor Walkers SmithSpeak, and this leads us to the reality of when theory is applied to practice. The architectural hierarchy began with the post war boom, providing a wealth of opportunity for the profession and the birth of the “gentlemen Architect”. The architect soon became associated with being pretentious and ethical compromised using his power to produce products he wanted and not what the client needed. In 1960 a report was commissioned to investigate the profession, by the profession, after a number of committees discovered issues surrounding practicing architects. In 1962 the report “the architect and his office” was released as a general over view of the profession and how modern practices should be managed. A small section of this report focused on quality of service and how this affected public relations. Although this was only a spark, it was the beginning of a problem forming within the profession. The expansion of the profession was brought to a stand still in the 1970’s due to the 1973 oil embargo and the rise of the thatcher government. By the late 1980’s, early 1990’s the profession was in a consistent decline, with public client and peer views at an all time low.

ideas have been re-introduced into the industry in the form of Civic Stewardship, which is described as, “Active caring for people and places”. 20 Civic stewardship addresses the ethical responsibility of architects and the building industry to incorporate the society they serve into their design process. It also addresses the positive outcomes of the integration of civic stewardship. The act of incorporation not only starts to rebuild a relationship with the communities that we serve but can lead to a helping and co operative society, who want to make their communities, cities and societies a better place to live; and are willing help maintain this idea. A number of organisations have made positive steps towards the awareness and enforcement of civil stewardship, such as the RIBA and CABE. On a local scale, in northern Ireland, The Ministerial Advice Group (MAG) are a key organisation21which have started to build stepping stones in the awareness and positive outcomes of this movement. Former Chair of MAG Barrie Todd approaches the idea of stewardship by addressing two fundamental factors; ownership and abandonment. “Ownership is […] key to achieving peoples care and respect.”21

“They constantly demonstrated an outstanding intellectual arrogance.” 18 The government’s attack on professions questioned the ethical and practical limits of a self regulating body and forced the profession to take action. The profession produced the strategic study of the profession (1992 -1995) which investigated (over four phases) the over all public perception of the profession, closing the gap between architect and client and the their response to these findings. With the architect being viewed as untrustworthy, unethical and arrogant, their relationship with the society they served deteriorated and thus so did their power.19This brief history demonstrates that although in theory something should work, does not mean it will when combined with those human emotions and traits which were previous discussed when analysing ethics. The architect’s relationship with society and the communities he serves is core to the professions survival. Investing time into the people they serve creates a healthy connection, one that not only benefits the people but also the profession. In recent years these

Figure 1.

Todd makes light of the basic instinct to take care of what we own, because what we own is usual something we have worked hard to achieve and maintain. This is a basic human trait, such as ethics, and approaches the spaces, within our communities and cities as somewhere to not only own but to be a part of. Todd states that, “Those who claim ownership […] rarely give a chance to those who use a space to become involved. […] inclusion leads to a sense of 22 ownership and a want to maintain”.

The Catalytic Component

Figure 2.

What I find to be extremely interesting about this idea is how truly humane it is when compared to the previously mentioned ‘gentlemen architect” who hoarded his knowledge and held hierarchy even over his peers in the industry. Civic stewardship makes light of the fact that the society does not consist of people who need to be controlled but rather people who need to be guided and incorporated. Active steps are being taken in Northern Ireland to incorporate and inform the surrounding communities, which is not something which would have taken place even ten years ago. James Hennessey reviewed the draft of Living Places Guide, produced by the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland. This document is significant in the physical practice of the built environment due to its combination of urban design (lead by Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban designers, Planners, Environmental Specialists and the public), and stewardship. The living Places Guide is the first time urban design and urban stewardship has been combined in order to highlight an ethical approach to urban planning and to fulfil an ethical responsibility to directly communicate with the public the built environment serves. The living places guide looks to not only inform the public of what the profession is doing for them but of how they can become involved.

This approach is quite interesting when paralleled with Professor Walkers insights into the profession. Walker describes the profession as a higher power, which must perform an ethical duty due to the power it has earned. He also successfully theorises that this power is a combination of knowledge and language. These ideas seem to correlate with past ideas of architectural institution and therefore we must ask if they are maybe out dated in comparison to the modern advancement of wanting to involve, rather than having to involve the public. What we must consider is if we are to incorporate the public into our profession on an interactive level, are we fulfilling a duty or diminishing the profession? In order to gain further insight into the idea of public incorporation into the architectural profession I will look at Saul Golden’s debate, Architect’s knowledge and critical practice. Saul Golden from the Belfast School of Architecture gives an excellent insight into the development of the traditional architecture practice, from the 23 “stable mid-twentieth century” into the 21st century in which the architect’s role has become less about his instrumental skills and more about his artistic input into the much wider built environment. What I wish to look at is Golden’s insight into his work as a Citizen Place Maker. As a Citizen Place Maker Saul Golden’s soul focus is to create vibrant and open spaces within a community. He wishes to make people feel attached to the places within the community they live in. These places are not just for aesthetics or to fill a void but in order to help people get more involved in the wealth in their community. There is a direct relationship between the places and the people who use them but the involvement does not stop there. The community is directly involved as the vibrant spaces develop 24 from the vibrancy of people . Golden now sees the architect as a traveller who brings his knowledge to communities in order to help them interact and evolve. The architect is still important, he is the catalytic component and the bringer of knowledge but now reaction takes place along side the public rather than another architect. His ethics are now no longer a theoretical idea but a physical action.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Conclusion

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. Mageret Meed

The theoretical approach to ethics, states that with knowledge comes power, and those who hold the power, have the responsibility to use it ethically. As architects we are required to not only follow our own ethics but the ethics of the society we serve and the profession we are apart of. With architects connecting with the public on a much more personal level, such as communicating on a colloquial and less professional level, it will come into question the power the architect holds. Using The Living Places guide as an example, the guide has been written so that it is a guide for 25 everyone . After acknowledging that our power comes from the transferal of knowledge through our discourse and language it could be said that we are reducing our own status as a profession. This calls into question the balance between ethics and professional power. The involvement of the public on an extremely personal level moves away from the traditional architect, who used his power to design for the public rather than with the public. It is clear that the public involvement is increasing and seen as a new ethical approach of keeping the public informed. The architect is no longer separated from the public, as a separate entity of power, but instead a valued member of a community. He is no longer the keeper of knowledge, but rather the bringer of knowledge. “They’re seen now as much more, I think, more ordinary people and it’s probably, you know, perfectly sensible that they should be seen like that …” 26 I believe that in the 21st century the architect must adapt and communicate in order to survive. The doctor no longer marches into a ward, diagnoses a patient and then leaves. He will speak to the patient and take into account surrounding factors and issues, developing new information. In the same way the architect in sharing his knowledge will in turn learn new knowledge to feed back into the profession, allowing it to move forward and develop.

Endnotes 1 Kate, Nesbitt Edit., Theorising a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 – 1995, (Princeton Architectural Press, 1996), 13. 2 Peter, Walker, The Only Way is Ethics…, University of Ulster, Nov. 1, 2013, Slide 5. 3 Ibid. Slide 5. 4 Michael, Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge, (Routledge, 1972), 50. 5 Ibid. 50. 6 Ibid. 50. 7 Ibid. 51. 8 Peter, Walker, Ethics 9 Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge, 50. 10 Sheila, Harvey, , ken, Fieldhouse Edit., The Cultured Landscape: Designing the Environment in the 21st Centry, (routledge, 2005),31 11 Ibid. 31. 12 Ibid. 31. 13 Ibid. 31. 14 Ibid. 31. 15 Ibid. 31. 16 Laurie, Cohen, Et al., Remember I’m the bloody architect!: Architects, organisations and discourse of the profession, (British Sociological Association, 2005), 783. 17 Peter, walker, Ethics. 18 Part C of Strategic Study of the Profession, Volumes 2, (Royal Institute of British Architects, 1993), 28 19 Information gathered from my dissertation, Ferris, The Value of Architecture: A modern study of the profession (University of Ulster, 2013) 20 O’kane Boal et al. , Civic Stewardship ………doing more with what we’ve got (Ministerial Advisory Group, 2013), 6 21 Ibid, 3

22 Ibid, 3 23 Golden, “Issues Now” coffee time debates; Architect’s knowledge and critical practice, Black Box Café, 2nd October, 2013 24 How to Be a Citizen Placemaker: Think Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper, Last modified April 7, 2013, http://www.pps.org/blog/how-to-be-a-citizen-placemaker-think-lighter-quicker-cheaper/ 25 The Living Places Guide: An Urban Stewardship and Design Guide for Northern Ireland ( Draft), Department of the Environment Northern Ireland, 2012, accessed November 12, 2013, http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/policy/supplementary_guidance/guides/livingplaces.htm 26 Cohen, Et al., Remember I’m the bloody architect!, 790

Bibliography Books and Journals Cohen, Laurie Et al., Remember I’m the bloody architect!: Architects, organisations and discourse of the profession, British Sociological Association, 2005. Foucault, Michael, The Archaeology of Knowledge, Routledge, 1972. Hays, Michael k. Edit., Introduction to Architecture Theory Since 1968, MIT Press, 2000. Harvey, Sheila, Fieldhouse, ken Edit., The Cultured Landscape: Designing the Environment in the 21st Centry, routledge, 2005. Nesbitt, kate. Edit., Theorising a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 – 1995, Princeton Architectural Press, 1996. O’kane Boal, Marrianne et al. , Civic Stewardship ………doing more with what we’ve got, Ministerial Advisory Group, 2013. Lectures and Debates Golden, Saul, Architect’s knowledge and critical practice, Belfast School of Architecture at the University of Ulster, October 2, 2013 Hennessey, James, Living Places – 10 principles for urban design and stewardship, The Paul Hogarth Company, September 25, 2013. Walker, Peter, The Only Way is Ethics…, University of Ulster, Nov. 1, 2013. Online Articles and Websites All Placemaking is Creative: How a Shared Focus on Place Builds Vibrant Destinations, Last modified March 4, 2013, http://www.pps.org/blog/placemaking-as-community-creativity-how-a-shared-focus-on-place-builds-vibrant-destinations/ How to Be a Citizen Placemaker: Think Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper, Last modified April 7, 2013, http://www.pps.org/blog/how-to-be-a-citizen-placemaker-think-lighter-quicker-cheaper/ The Living Places Guide: An Urban Stewardship and Design Guide for Northern Ireland ( Draft), Department of the Environment Northern Ireland, 2012, accessed November 12, 2013, http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/policy/supplementary_guidance/guides/livingplaces.htm Place Blog: “Issues Now” coffee time debates. accessed November 12, 2013, http://blog.placeni.org/2013/10/issues-now-coffee-time-debates.html Stronger Citizens, Stronger Cities: Changing Governance Through a Focus on Place, Last modified March 4, 2013,, http://www.pps.org/blog/stronger-citizens-stronger-cities-changing-governance-through-a-focus-on-place/

Green Building;

passive/low energy design and energy efficiency Green Building looks at the history of building design creating a correlation between exterior conditions and interior design. Focusing on low cost and practical energy saving solutions which are incorporated into the design process rather than added as an after thought to the build. Additionally the module introduces the affects of positive and negative design on the user. This module lead to the discussion and understanding of applying building technologies, environmental design and construction methods to human well - being, the welfare fo future generations and the environment. It was also important to show the ability to intergrate the knowledge we had learnt in regards to climate design and its relationship to built form construction, life style, energy consumption and human well being, to our own designs.

Course Work Assignment 1 - (50%) Essay: critical review of the influence of energy on architect - a historical perspective. The assignment asked us to undertake a critical review of the hisory of how energy has influenced the deisgn of buildings. Concentration on the Industrial Era as a focal pivot I provided examples of pre and post industrial architecture. Creating a clear comparison of how the Industrial boom had altered architectural design. Assignment 2 - (50%) Application of low energy design to Year 5 Brief. The assignment asked us to apply what we had learn through reading and research, and critically assess the application of low energy design to the year five project, with an aim to achieve a low/zero carbon building. I concentrated on harnessing natural solar and wind power in order to heat and cool my structure. Using massing walls as a heating techniques and harnessing coastal winds to cool the structure, I then balanced teh affects using earth sheltering techniques.

Sustainable Architecture;

A Critical Review of how Energy Impacts Form My essay aims to look at the current developments of sustainable architecture and how they have been influenced by the energy usage of the 18th century. My aim is to demonstrate how traditional architecture is still influencing modern design in the 21st century in order to reduce energy usage and create more sustainable design using passive energy. Kevin Ferris

Contents

Illustrations Illustrations

Figures

Introduction

Traditional Passive Systems

The Technology Dependent Age

Case Study; Kaedi Regional Hospital

1.1. Matmata Settlement - Diagram demonstrating internal and external temperatures. 1.2. Matmata Settlement - Diagram demonstrating the dissipation of solar heat from the ground. 1.3. Matmata Settlement - Diagram Demonstrating cooling of air through step pool. 1.4. Photo of Matmata Settlement from Grant. “The troglodyte dwellings of the matmata berbers.” 1.5. Photo Of Greek Island Settlement from Santamouris, M., Asimakopoulos, D. Passive Cooling of Buildings. 1.6. Greek Island Settlement - Diagram demonstrating the dissipation of solar heat from the ground. 1.7. Greek Island Settlement - Diagram demonstrating cooling affect of solar winds. 2.1. Kaedi Regional Hospital floor plans from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 2.2. Kaedi Regional Hospital dome elevation and section from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 2.3. Kaedi Regional Hospital vaulted corridor section and dome Plan from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 2.4. Kaedi Regional Hospital, image showing ventilation on top of dome, from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 2.5. Kaedi Regional Hospital, image showing light wells in corridor, from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 2.6. Kaedi Regional Hospital, image showing use of glass bricks in central Domes, from Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” 3.1. Villa F., Image showing natural stone wall which boards the site, from Hornung and Jacobi Architects 3.2. Villa F., Image showing step pool used for passive cooling, from Hornung and Jacobi Architects 3.3. Villa F., Image showing intergration of form into site topography , from Hornung and Jacobi Architects

Case Study; Villa F.

Conclusion

Endnotes

Bibliography

Introduction

“Sustainable development is the kind of development that meets the needs of the present generation without comprimising the ability of future generations to suit their own needs”

Sustainable architecture may be viewed as a fairly recent endeavor and if we look at architecture on a smaller and more condensed scale, 50 years ago the concept of sustainable architecture didn’t exist.1 On a more recent view of architecture, the idea of sustainable design did not come into question until 1987 when the Brundtland Commission released their report entitled “Our Common 2 Future”. After this point we can see an increasing interest in sustainable architecture, and a more permanent link between buildings, energy usage and the surrounding environment. In order to understand what sustainable architecture is, we must look briefly at what determines unsustainable architecture. The growth of unsustainable architecture began at the end of the 18th century with the height of the industrial revolution. With more and more technological advances allowing their modern day building to be controlled ‘mechanically’ it became essential to incorporate these advances into the buildings fabric.3These modern heating, cooling and lighting techniques ran on the use of cheap and readily available energy source known as fossil fuels. The ability to control the climate through heating, ventilation and illumination not only opened the door for ‘new’ and ‘modern’ designs but also provided a service and selling point to the buildings occupants. In a sense unsustainable design was the new must have in the architectural community and sadly lasted longer than the common fad. Taking this into account, we must assume that all buildings before the end of the 18th century were in fact sustainable due to the fact that they were able to control the heating and cooling of a structure with the sole use of passive energy. They may not have been sustainable in regards to measures we have in the 21st century but they were built from appropriate materials and formed in order to best suit the environment around them, looking at the situation broadly, these buildings were sustainable. Therefore modern sustainable architecture may create a body of theory and practice which influences and informs 21st century

contemporary design, but in order to understand the short history of sustainable design we must look at how the longer history has influenced the design of sustainable architecture.4 Looking at different elements of sustainable architecture I wish to show a correlation between historical buildings (i.e. pre-18th century), which have influenced the design of more recent structures (i.e. Post 18th Century), and the connection between the two on a sustainable level.

Traditional Passive Systems Historically humans have searched for shelter in order to shield themselves from the elements and create a stable environment in which to live, though this is not always an easy task. Further more humans aim to create a comfortable environment. What classifies as comfortable depends on the temperature, humidity, light availability and air quality as well as what the building is used for. The internal environment of a structure can be influenced by a number of factors, including external conditions, daily and seasonal changes in climate as well as building type and occupant capacity.5 In the 21st century technology and design has developed many ways to harness the climatic elements in order to naturally create a comfortable user environment whilst reducing the energy usage as much as possible. These steps forward in environmental and sustainable design are positive but were not always an option in the past; though using the surrounding external environment in order to manipulate the internal environment was common practice. An excellent example of naturally regulated environments within a structure is the Troglodyte dwellings in Matmata Tunisia. Dating back to the 15th Century, the old Matmata Settlement was constructed in the Sahara Desert, an extremely hot and dry climate. The Troglodytes constructed their dwellings within the earth itself. One of the main reasons for this was for shelter 6 against attacks and the sand storms of the desert. But they also built into the earth in order to create habitable and comfortable living conditions. The Troglodytes discovered that the 7 earth consisted of hard and soft dirt; this allowed them to build down into the soft dirt whilst using the hard dirt as a structural support. The dwellings were constructed by building a central ‘pit’ roughly 9 metre's deep, by 12-15 metre's wide.8 They then would construct ‘cave’ like rooms off the central pit in order to use as a living space. All dwellings would then be white washed. The central ‘pit’ would act as a central circulation area and would provide fresh air to the surrounding ‘caves’. The white washed surfaces would reflect the heat during the day

50°C

SUN PATH

24°C

Most heat reflected whilst some is absorbed into the earth

Figure 1.1.

Excess heat from ground dissipates back into building at night

Figure 1.2.

Well acts as a step pool, cooling the air and structure

Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.4.

keeping the revealed exterior surfaces from transferring heat to the interior space. In figure 1.4 1. You can see an example of a Matmata settlement; if this looks familiar it may because the Old Matmata city was used to film the scenes in Star Wars, which were set on Tatooine. Building into the earth kept the interior at a comfortable temperature during the summers, which could reach 50 degrees whilst the surrounding earth kept the interior warm during the cold winters. The central pits would sometimes also accommodate 6metres deep well, which would not only tap into the water supply but also create a small step pool, which would cool the central pit as the water evaporates. As you can see the Matmata Settlement of Tunisia was sustainable three centuries before the industrial revolution, using simple methods in order to harness the natural elements, they were able to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. The “white villages” of the Greek islands use similar methods as the Matmata settlement, in order to regulate the buildings internal environment. Built on a coastal location, the cooling affect of the ocean winds creates a steady circulation of cool air. Semi-buried buildings allow natural heat regulation from the surrounding earth and reduce infiltration during the cold and warm seasons, creating a more stable environment. The exposed areas of the building are white washed in order to reflect heat and reduce solar gain keeping the structure extremely cool during the day. The excess heat gathered by the surrounding earth is then released into the structure at night when the clear sky’s lead to a much milder climate.9As you can see in figure 1.5. The semi buried, white 3. The semi buried, white washed buildings not only work as a sustainable building but also are quite aesthetically pleasing. These are just two examples of pre-18th century sustainable design but the point I wish to make is that using passive techniques it was possible for man to produce sustainable design by analysing and harnessing the individual climates in which they lived. In the 21st century design is much more complicated due to the constant developments in technology and how they influence how we live and work. This issue first arose at the start of the 18th Century, when mankind advanced at an accelerated rate, in what is now known as the industrial revolution.

Figure 1.5.

Figure 3. 5.

Excess heat from ground dissipates back into building at night

Figure 1.6.

Coastal Winds Cool structure by creating positive and negative openings.

Figure 1.7.

The Technology Dependent Age “the Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”

As previously mentioned, the 18th century brought with it a new era in architecture, with the beginning of the industrial revolution creating a divide between architecture and its climate. The technological development along side the cheap and readily available energy sources created a rift, which swallowed all previous architectural rules. The production of glass and steel introduced new capabilities and excited architects with the new possibilities and reduction in design restraints. Buildings no longer had to be constructed in regards to the surrounding climate, which made it far too easy to remove historical, cultural and sociological authority. New shapes and forms developed, as a buildings mass was no longer controlled by its orientation or passive structural systems. This lead to the mindset that anyone who believed in traditional design was backwards or old fashioned; modernism was the way forward. Ideas, which would not have previously worked due to climatic conditions where now possible as the interior climate could be managed via mechanical systems, this lead to unsustainable designs being seen as revolutionary rather than harmful. Modernism soon became a trending style with architects such as le Corbusier, Mie’s Van Der Rohes and Walter Gropius being seen as revolutionaries. They believed in creating architecture that was functional and free from constraints, ideologies and particular place. Creating the idea that buildings were production line products, perfected and ready for use. The term ‘International Style’ soon became the collective term for their modern movement and their tall, sleek high-rise structures of concrete, steel and glass were a shining example of the industrial age. The idea of international style was solid and with good intent as Le Corbusier stated, “I want to create one single building for 10 all nations and climates” but the idea that man, rather than nature, could govern architecture was an unsustainable idea. They believed that Air conditioning units (or Man-made weather11), heating units and lighting systems liberated man from nature but they did not take into consideration the disastrous effect this would have on the eco-system.

The industrialization of architecture affected much more than a structural approach to design, on a much wider scale it changed society and how it functioned on a global scale. With the industrial International Style spreading worldwide (hence its name), the need for materials and transportation rose. This in turn increased the energy usage through the increase of machinery used to make or extract these materials, and the transportation of these goods. With natural energy sources in demand, their costs rose and inevitably they eventually started to reduce. In 1973 the oil crisis marked the decline of 12 industrial architecture as the prices skyrocketed and the movement, which relied solely on the consumption of cheap and readily available fossil fuels, came to an end. There was an attempt to keep alive the idea of modernism in an unsustainable context but with the energy sources now running low and the environment damaged by high levels of carbon dioxide due to the industrialization of architecture and transport, the growth of unsustainable architecture was finally in decline. In 1987, at the height of the Thatcherite attack on the profession the Brundtland Commission (who’s sole purpose is to unite countries in the pursuit of sustainable living), produced the Brundtland report. The Brundtland report focused on the critical issues in environmental development, raising awareness and general knowledge on the environmental issues of the time, and highlight the limited growth of an 13 industrialised society. The report was a turning point in architectural design in regards to sustainability. From this point forward, the profession started to focus on how to make design much more sustainable in order to sustain the environment of now and the future, using a combination of traditional methods and the new technologies developed over the past century.

Case Study; Kaedi RegionalHospital Situated in Macuritania, the Kaedi regional hospital project was a 120-bed extension on an already existing building. Completed in 1989, the project aimed to extend on already existing facility, which served the population of the remote Gorgal province, with its main focus being affordable and sustainable design and construction. Using locally sourced materials and labour the project was developed using appropriate structural systems and traditional techniques in order to construct a low cost and sustainable structure well suited to the dry and hot climate in which it was situated.

Local Climate Kaedi is situated in North Africa and consists of a dry and hot climate, almost identical to the previously mentioned Magmata settlement in Tunisia. The dry desert climate can range from 15 - 45 degrees Celsius and has a limited rainy season in July, followed by regional winds which 14 produce dust storms during the autumn months.

Materials and Local Influences

Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.2.

The availability of soil, which was suitable for fired bricks, made this a viable and economic material despite the fact that it was not a traditional building material. The bricks were produced by three kilns which could produce up to 3000 bricks each, per week. These kilns were run by locally trained workers, which not only boosted the local economy but also introduced a new skill and building technique to the area, which could be used in the future. The kilns were fueled by rice husks, which were a waste product that remained from locally cultivated rice. Ventilation openings and rainwater disposals are designed from terracotta elements; this touches on the local tradition of using ceramic items for household use.15 Imported concrete is used for the mortar between the bricks and the foundations. Although this wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a local material it is Figure 2.3. estimated that the amount of concrete used is only a fraction of what would be used in a conventional public building.

Passive Techniques

modernized and unsustainable techniques of imported materials, mechanical climate control The structure harnesses its surrounding climate and artificial lighting. The fact that even after construction Kaedi Regional Hospital has in order to create a sustainable user minimal maintenance costs16 makes it a perfect makes it a perfect environment, which has minimal maintenance costs. The open sided domes used by families example of how looking at traditional techniques and considering the surrounding climate can of patients follow the traditional technique of produce cheaper and more sustainable buildings encouraging a cross ventilation through the for our future. structure for cooling and fresh air. Enclosed spaces once again encourage cross ventilation by using low level ventilation openings in larger spaces. In smaller spaces terracotta pipes which lead to openings above the domes are used to create a passive ventilation technique. In the corridors, gaps in the brick arches allowed allow light to filter in and allowing the arches to over lap mean no direct sunlight. ThisThis meantthere thereiswas no direct sunlight. removes removed the issue of glare and over heating of the internal space. In larger spaces glass bricks are used toto allow natural light into the were used allow natural light into the structure. The glass bricks were easily incorporated into the structure of the building and due to their thickness reduce reducedglare glareand and Figure 2.4. heat transfer. Water is pumped from deep was pumped from deep wells and stored in elevated tanks that are supported by brick stilts. The water is pumped using a wind pump, taking advantage of the regional winds. Landscaping was a high priority, taking into consideration that the area had been previously damaged by mass deforestation. Using trees to influence the micro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; climate by controlling dust and providing shade provides provided a function whilst replenishing the damaged eco system.

Environmental Success

Figure 2.5.

The Kaedi Regional Hospital is an excellent example of affordable architecture, which is environmentally and culturally sustainable. The building takes into consideration the social, economical and practical needs of the population and uses appropriate building t echnologies to provide a functional building in such an extreme climate. The massing is derived from choice of material, structural systems and functional requirements and shows no reference to the formal architectural vocabulary used by the architects of the industrial revolution. Considering and Figure 2.6. incorporating the surrounding climate and culture allowed the designers to see beyond the

Case Study; Villa F.

Passive Techniques

Villa F. situated in Rhodes, Greece, is a holiday home designed by Hornung and Jacobi in 2011. The client asked for a destination for themselves and guests, with an emphasis on the guests living accommodation being separated from the main living area. Using a mixture of traditional techniques and modern technology, Villa F. is a perfect example of how 21st sustainable design has been influence by pre 18th century design and post 18th century technological advances.

Local Climate Villa F. is situated on Rhodes, one of the largest Greek islands to the south – east of Greece. The climate of Rhodes is mild with adequate rainfall, which produces a large amount of vegetation. The seasons are mainly reduced to spring and summer due to the high temperatures. The yearly average is 25 degrees Celsius though temperatures can rise to 45 degrees Celsius in the summer months. The cooling of the coastal winds offsets summer heat. The Etesion winds are strong and dry northern winds which are prominent all year round. These winds are generally stronger during the day.

Materials and Local Influences The site is bordered by a natural stonewall which preserves the culture in the area as well as setting a boundary for the site. The structure is manufactured from a timber frame, which is then coated with white plaster. The wooden framework is lightweight and suitable for the climate whilst the white plaster reflects heat and reduces solar gain. This touches on traditional Greek architecture, which were white washed for the same reason.17 The local influences have been taken into account further into the design of the interior space. The design of the bed in the master bedroom touches on traditional Greek carpentry with a modern influence.18 The guest accommodation is integrated into the existing topography of the site, creating a minimal impact to the surrounding eco system and form.

Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.3.

The structure is semi-buried into the earth allowing the structures temperature to be to naturally allowing the structures temperature be regulatedregulated by the surrounding earth. The earthThe naturally by the surrounding earth. reduces heat gain the in warmer months whilst earth reduces heatingain the warmer months releasing heat into theinto structure during during the the whilst releasing heat the structure cooler seasons. This is reflective of the previously mentioned WhiteWhite Villages that used the previously mentioned Villages that used same technique century’s prior. the same technique century’s prior. The The buildings shape is peculiar the outside buildings shape is peculiar fromfrom the outside but but this is due to the orientation of the internal this is due to the orientation of the internal elements, which are orientated based on the sites location in order to make the most of the sites light and natural cooling. The natural The naturaland vegetation and tree’s surrounding vegetation tree’s surrounding the site are the site used shade of the strucused to are shade thetoback of the back structure whilst a ture whilst pool onfloor the second is used pool on theasecond is used floor to cool the airto cool the air the as itbuilding. enters the The evapoas it enters Thebuilding. evaporation of the ration of the the water the airthe as main it enters the water cools air cools as it enters living main living Thisistechnique is very similar space. Thisspace. technique very similar to that used to that used by the Matmata when settlements by the Matmata settlements coolingwhen the cooling ‘pit’ the of central of their homes. central their ‘pit’ homes. A mechanically A mechanically controlled roof opening controlled roof opening is used to createisaused to createaffect a chimney affect to cool the structure chimney to cool the structure whilst it is whilst it is not in use. A base in the garage not in use. A base plate in theplate garage houses houses integrated cable ductslead which lead integrated cable ducts which fresh airfresh 19 air through building. through thethe building. Photovoltaic are installed Photovoltaic installed onelectricity the roof intoorder on the roof inare order provide the provide electricity to the building and allowing the building and the mechanical cooling, the mechanical cooling,self-sufficient. allowing the building to building to become become self-sufficient.

Environmental Success Environmental Success

Villa F. is an outstanding example of how Villa F. is an outstanding example of how traditional techniques, modern design andtraditional techniques, modern andtomechanimechanical technology candesign be used create a cal technology be used to create a sustainasustainable andcan beautiful piece of architecture. ble and into beautiful piece of cultural architecture. Taking Taking consideration history and into consideration cultural history and traditional traditional techniques Hornung and Jacobi were techniques Hornung and Jacobi were able to able to create a sustainable structure, which createtoathe sustainable structure, which adds to the adds landscape rather than takes away landscape ratherfunctional than takesorientation away fromtoit.create Allowfrom it. Allowing ing functional to structure create thecreated shape a the shape andorientation mass of the and mass of unique the structure modern and modern and design.created Finally a incorporating unique design. Finally modern modern technology toincorporating cool and provide power to technology cool and to the the building to allowed theprovide buildingpower to become building allowed the building to become self-sufself-sufficient. ficient.

Photovoltaic Panel Mechanical Roof Opening Figure 3.4.

building form and natural passive cooling technique.

Figure 3.5.

Passive cooling technique of step pool.

Figure 3.6.

Conclusion

Endnotes

All forms of energy used to construct and maintain a building govern sustainability in architecture. The 18th century demonstrated a massive increase in the use of energy and in turn created a new age of design. With new technologies maintaining the internal climate of a building, along side developments in materials, the design and aesthetics of a building changed. The affect this had on the environment was seen as unsustainable and this lead to a growth of sustainable design in the 21st century. But what I aim to show is that sustainable design is not just a modern idea, which has developed over the past 50 years. Sustainable design has existed for centuries, creating passive techniques to heat, cool and light a structure by harnessing the surrounding climate. Many technological advances have been made in recent years in order to harness the natural elements such as photovoltaic and wind pumps but the influence of traditional passive techniques are still in use to this day. Traditional techniques and structural systems were the means of massing pre-18th century buildings and this is an idea that has returned in the 21st century. The 18th century and 21st century are more than turning points due to the amount of energy used and the focus on environmental impact. They are turning points because of the change in architectural style and form. These two ideas did not change simultaneously due to coincidence, but rather that a change in one will impact the other; energy impacts form.

1“In brief: a history of sustainable architecture.” Accessed 10 October 2013. http://www.architec ture.com/SustainabilityHub/Designstratgies/Introduction/1-0-5-Inbriefahistory ofsustainable architecture.aspx 2 World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, c1987) 3 “In brief: a history of sustainable architecture.” 4 “In brief: a history of sustainable architecture.” 5 M. Santamouris and D. Asimakopoulos. Passive Cooling of Buildings. (Earthscan: Reprint, 1996) 1 – 2. 6 Stanley Hallet. “Mountain Villages of Southern Tunisia,” Journal of Architectural Education 29, no. 2 (1975): 22. 7 Abid. 22. 8 Grant. “The troglodyte dwellings of the matmata berbers.” Scribd. May 12, 2009: 3. 9 Santamouris, Passive cooling of a building, 3. 10 M. Yilmaz. “Sustainable Design In Architecture.” (Paper presented at A International Design Conference, Croatia, May 15 – 18, 2006) 11 M. Yilmaz, “Sustainable Design In Architecture.” 12 Ivan Cusini. “Towards a Sustainable Architecture; The raise of the smart grid network” (University of Stockholm, 2010) 13 World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. 14 Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” Paper presented to the Association Pour Le Developpement Naturel D’une Architecture et D’un Urbanisme Africains for The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 1989: 2. 15 Abid. 6 – 7. 16 Abid. 10. 17 Hornung and Jacobi Architects, “Villa F.” Accessed 1 November 2013. http://hornungjaco \ bi.com/projects/villa-f/ 18 Hornung and Jacobi Architects, “Villa F.” Accessed 1 November 2013. 19 Hornung and Jacobi Architects, “Villa F.” Accessed 1 November 2013.

Bibliography

Yilmaz, M. “Sustainable Design In Architecture.” (Paper presented at A International Design Conference, Croatia, May 15 – 18, 2006)

Books

World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1987)

Boon Lay Ong, Trans. Beyond Environmental Comfort. Routledge, 2013. Butler, Reginald. Tunisia: Cave Dwellers of Matmata. Nabu Press: Reprint, 2012 Dahl, Torben, Edit. Climate and Architecture. Routledge: the University of California, 2009. Golany, Gideon. Earth Sheltered Dwellings in Tunisisa: Ancient Lessons For modern design. University of Delaware press, 1988. Hawkes, Dean. Architecture and Climate: An Environmental History of British Architecture, 1600-2000. Routledge Chapman & Hall, 2012. Santamouris, M., Asimakopoulos, D. Passive Cooling of Buildings. Earthscan: Reprint, 1996.

Journals Azim, Nanji. “Aga Khan Award for Architecture.” Arts and the Islamic World, issue 27 – 28: 65- 79 “For Architecture: Buildings and City Panning, 1995.” Architectural Review, September 1995, Vol 62: 62 – 86 Bravo, Amber. “Design Among The Dunes.” Metropolis Architecture Design, January 2011, vol 30 issue 6: 34 – 36 Cusini., Ivan. “Towards a Sustainable Architecture; The raise of the smart grid network” (University of Stockholm, 2010) Fabrisio, Carilo. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” Architecture and Urbanism, February 2011, issue 485: 34 – 37 Grant. “The troglodyte dwellings of the matmata berbers.” Scribd. May 12, 2009: 1 - 14 Hallet, Stanley. “Mountain Villages of Southern Tunisia,” Journal of Architectural Education 29, no. 2 (1975): 22-25. Jak Vautherin et Al. “Kaedi Regional Hospital.” Paper presented to the Association Pour Le Developpement Naturel D’une Architecture et D’un Urbanisme Africains for The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 1989. Perego, Elizabeth. "Beneath the Surface in Matmata." The Middle East Institute Encounter 19 (March2009): 1-3. Smith, Russell J. "The Desert's Edge." Bulletin of the American Geographic Society (American GeographicSociety) 47, no. 11 (1915): 813-831.

Newspaper "Matmata What Lies Beneath." North Africa Times, Febuary 29 2008, Online Edition. Stubbs, Ben. “What lies beneath.” The Sydney Morning Herald, November 13, 2008, Online Edition

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Application of Low Energy Design to Year 5 Design Brief A critical review of the environmental impact of my Public House project, located in Carnlough. My report looks at the application of low energy design, comfortabilty and the environmental impact of my design. Kevin Ferris

Illustrations

Contents Illustrations

Figure 1. Image of Carnlough from the bay. Figure 2. Macro Site Map, Carnlough group work (kevin Ferris, Wayne Funston, Mark Hackett, Tony Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Neill and Ann Catherine.) Figure 3. Valley Section of Carnlough. Figure 4. Diagram demonstrating bed layers on Carnlough.

Macro Site Analysis Micro Site Analysis

Figure 5. Micro Site Map. Figure 6. Internal photos of the current structure on the site. Figure 7. Rendered Section of proposed design. Figure 8. Floor Plans of the proposed design.

Concept

Figure 9. Cross Sections of the proposed design.

Building Design Materials and Construction

Green Building Comfort

8 10

Figure 12. Sun path on the site.

Figure 14. Photos demonstrating light strategy for the main chamber.

Passive Heating Passive Cooling

Figure 11. Material Source map.

Figure 13. Light Well or Light Chimney Diagram.

Lighting Temperature

Figure 10. Construction Detail Section.

Figure 15. Section and Plan demonstrating light strategy for the first floor. Figure 16. Massing wall Diagram.

Earth Sheltering

Endnotes

Bibliography

Figure 17. Ventilation Diagram.

Introducing the Brief The Public house is the central focus of the project, which looks at a “third place” for a community to gather without stress or obligation, and to relax and communicate. The brief requests eight main spaces to be incorporated into the project, these spaces consist of: • • • • • • • •

“Sustainable development is the kind of development that meets the needs of the present generation without comprimising the ability of future generations to suit their own needs”

An entrance – Threshold space Main Chamber Antechamber W.C. Cellar Publicans Study Publicans Space External Yard(s)

Although the project is in essence a ‘pub’, it is to be approached as a “humanist spiritual place”, a place to meet, relax and exchange stories, rather than a theme bar or night club. With this came a number of restraints, or rather conditions, in regards to the design of the Public House. The project is to be stripped back, not reliant of mechanical atmosphere or surface decoration; materials and how they influence the internal and external space are very important. The spaces are also to focus inwards, rather than advertise externally. This severs the very real relationship made between internal and external space, which is brought about through the use of clear transparent glass. This design factor relates very closely to the design of the structure in a green context and so passive heating and cooling are to be considered a lot more carefully when large windows are not an option. Each internal space is different and therefore must be considered in relation to its orientation and position on site. The brief asks for naturally lighting and ventilation whilst still maintaining focus on the idea of internal spaces with indirect lighting to create a quality of space rather than a brightly lit room or a dark room lit with electric lighting. This leads us to the consideration of comfort and the careful balance between an atmospheric space and a dark, uncomfortable space.

- Stacked Slate - Airtight Membrane - Insitu Concrete - Stacked Slate

150mm 50mm 150mm 200mm 150mm

15mm 15mm - underground heating 80mm 1mm - Impact Sound Insulation 40mm 200mm

Figure 1. - Over Laid Slate - Airtight Membrane

150mm 50mm

Research into the sedimentary sequence of carnlough has indicated that the ground is made up of 1 9 beds of material. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Glacial till (boulder clay), basalt and chalk fragments 8 metres of finely laminated silts and clay 20 – 30cm beach gravel chalk and basalt shingles Blue sticky clay 45cm of sand with clay partings 10cm Sandy silt Lower Peat bed, 15 – 25cm balck compact peat 20cm Blue – grey Sandy silt Upper Peat bed, Woody, dark, brown and compacted.

Micro Site Analysis. 2

Figure 2.

Macro Site Analysis Carnlough is a coastal town, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated below the glens of antrim, carnlough was originally a quarry town for the now decommissioned limestone quarry situated to the west of the main settlement. The town inclines up towards the quarry which is approximately 3 miles from the coast. The main harbor and central area of the village is part of the original settlement, constructed of limestone buildings finished with a white wash; these buildings date back to the 1750’s with some predating. The town then extends along the coast and to the northwest with more modern developments, the most recent being a large influx of housing executive builds constructed in the late 20th century. Between the town and the quarry is a natural landscape which has been altered for farming use. To the south of the decommissioned quarry, now a nature reserve is Cranny falls, a large forested area. A river runs from this point, down through the south of the town and into the sea. What is now the nature reserve was once the limestone quarry which was the focal point to the town of Carnnatural growth. Most of this land has been altered for farm land becoming an almost man lough. The now abandoned quarry has become a thriving land with only a small percentage of the land being used for growth and vegetation. As the natural habitat, as the limestone mixes with the earth it has created a natural fertiliser and has boosted the natural the horizon and out of sight. eco-system creating a unique landscape. Surrounded by

Nature Reserve

Farm Land and Natural Landscape

A modern extension to the original town of Carnlough, these modern developments are immediately noticeable and create a clear boundary between themselves and the original settlement. These new communities feel seperate from the historical settlement and more than double the population of the small town.

The original settlement consists of only a very small part of what is now carn lough. Fronting the coastal road, the ‘old town’ consists mostly of historical limestone buildings which have been modernised to compliment the tourist industry.

High Density Urban

Old Town

Figure 4.

The site is located on Waterfall Road, Carnlough and is approximately 220 square metres. The site rests upon a threshold between the landscape and the town with an existing structure currently on the site. The current structure originates back to the birth of the town, in the 18th Century. Constructed from 600 – 800 mm thick limestone loadbearing walls, the structure is now derelict and in poor state, as can been see from figures 6. For this reason it was not a viable option to maintain or reuse any of the existing structure. The buildings surrounding the site range from original 18th century structures to modern, late 20th century structures. These buildings are 2 -3 story residential buildings and are all in use at this moment in time. Access to the site is along a narrow lane, 4 metres in width, off Main Street. The site can also be accessed from a northwest direction but this is pedestrian access only. The lane has no street lighting for nighttime access, although many of the residential buildings are illuminated along the path, making access reasonable safe. Beside the main site is a rectangular shaped plot of land, which can also be used for additional development of the project.

The harbour is the focal point of the town, and with the quarry now closed the harbour hosts a number of tourist attractions as well as being an attraction itself. A beautifully landscaped and maintained piece of history, with a stunning view, this harbour displays only a small part of the town. Although a pleasing scene, the harbour in its current state does not represent its original aesthetics or function. Its aesthetics are complimentary of that of the rest of the original town and create a historical ambience.

Harbour

Figure 3. Figure 5.

Figure 6.