Brian Williams Portfolio Architecture | Design
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Brian Williams Architecture | Design Portfolio
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH BA (Hons) Architecture Graduated August 2014 QUATTRO DESIGN ARCHITECTS Gloucester, England Since February 2015 (onwards)
SĂŠbastian Del Grosso inspired digital sketch
Since graduated from the University of Plymouth, achieving my RIBA Part 1, I have spent time working in practice honing my skills and applying them within a professional environment. Having worked on numerous projects at varying stages of work, I feel I have now gained new knowledge within the field and a greater skill-set. I have enjoyed my time in working practice, and it has motivated me to complete my journey to become a qualified Architect. As a result, I now look to take my career to the next level by undertaking a Masters course in order to achieve my RIBA Part 2.
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Life Beyond The Facade Working Class Culture: A Deceptive Decline Beaufort Academy PDP Berlin: ‘Light Control’ Technology & Innovation Centre, Hereford St Blazey Culture Hub Brighton Affordable Homes Competition Salem Methodist Church Fairy Tales Competition 2016 Page Park Community Centre & Café Memory Linking Culture Somerdale Primary School + Nursery
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Table of Contents
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01
Life Beyond The Facade BA Final Project
Section 1 of this portfolio contains a slimmed down version of my final year project, from my bachelors degree. As such it contains highlights and not the project in it’s entirety. However, this should serve to illustrate my working process. I feel there is a distinct style developing within my work which I hope to develop further. The project considers the life of Plymouth’s rough sleepers, in a seemingly hidden world, nested beyond and in-between the shop facades of the consumer driven city centre. The outcome being a ‘residential’ educational centre in which the concept of breaking down the facade that conceals these homeless issues is explored.
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Plymouth’s Homelessness A Primitive Lifestyle
Third year studies at Plymouth University were undertaken as part of the ‘Ephemeral Worlds’ design unit; where there was a clear focus upon the transitional aspects of homelessness. We were asked to identify a specific type of homelessness to address in our design work. “In our modern day capitalist society, we are divided through a system of winners and losers, which produces a vast contrast in the way that people survive. As we look to the bottom of the ‘social ladder’ we expose the primitive lifestyle of the homeless rough sleeper and can begin to consider the lifestyle changes people make as they acclimatise to life within the modern day wilderness.”
Homeless Rough Sleeper Navigates The Modern Day Wilderness Concept Image | Digital Painting in Photoshop “The notion of survival can be seen as something which changes and evolves with us - both short term and long term.” - Charlie Carroll
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Mapping
A Concealed Environment The map illustrates how the city centre becomes isolated by the roads that support it. As consumers pack the high streets we see the emergence of ‘backstreet voids;’ the counter-space that sees the homeless rough sleeper indulge in the ‘waste’ of the consumer industry, a source of second-hand food, extracted warmth and reusable material. However, these pockets of in-between spaces are limited and the consumer high streets remain the driving force within the city centre, forcing all other to disperse beyond the peripheries. However, in a 21st century society that continues to move through the ‘Information Age’ we can begin to challenge the physical topography of the city.
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This project’s peripheral site is situated beyond the confinement of the city centre’s urban context. It is currently a piece of ‘waste’ land that has seemingly developed to house further depositories of ‘waste’ products. Like the backstreet voids of the city centre, the site appears somewhat neglected among it’s surroundings of commercially desirable sea-view homes and protected listed buildings. |7|
Potential in Perspective
Looking Beyond the ‘Facade’ By exploring the space beyond the facade, this project identified the emergence of counter-space within the back-streets of Plymouth’s consumer driven city. As shop outlets orientate themselves solely towards the flow of potential buyers they form in-between spaces between the shop facades. To the consumer, there is evidence of a flow from the seemingly pristine high-street of desirable produce to the neglected backstreet scene of unwanted waste. However, a change in perspective, allows this process to be viewed through the eyes of the homeless rough sleeper, where this process appears to mirror itself. As extractor fans pump out unwanted heat, they provide a source of warmth, waste packaging offers itself as building material to form shelters, and unsellable produce can be seen as a ‘gift’; the backstreet voids form a haven of potential through the eyes of the primitive.
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Concept Image Depicting the potential of the backstreet void from the perspective of the homeless rough sleeper
Homeless rough sleeper utilises wheelie bin to form shelter around the ‘waste’ heat of an extractor fan Physical Diorama | Digitally painted in photoshop
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Modern-day Predators A Primitive Lifestyle
Within the modern day wilderness of the city, the homeless are exposed to contemporary predators in the form of those unpredictable drug and alcohol abusers. Such people become very unpredictable, and have the potential to become ruthlessly violent. Within this primitive environment, the homeless are forced to seek out shelter from such predators in order to survive. During his workshop Charlie Carrol, Author of No Fixed Abode, highlighted the rough sleepers desire for a tent; admitting that he and others would often hijack vacant tents left behind by protesters in London. The tent masked his identity from the modern day predators, he could be anyone, someone to fear and so the predators would stay clear. Furthermore, the tents were often part of a wider community, a large group, a pack; safety of numbers. A common survival trait found in animals right through nature. These modern day manifestations of tribal life highlight the primitive human traits embedded within us. The tent as an aesthetic object is worthless, it is what the tent provides beyond its facade that makes it desirable; “the physical and physiological protection�
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Concept Model Material Exploration, the notion of being seen but not identified. Facade development.
The concept image below magnifies the way in which the homeless issues are being masked by the topography of the city. Set in a generic high-street coffee shop, consumers remain oblivious to the primitive lifestyle that exists just beyond the walls. This project recognised an opportunity to highlight this issue. By stripping away the curtain, we reveal the contrasting lifestyles which exist under the capitalist system, and realise the existence of a common goal; to survive.
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This project explored the way in which facadism could be used as a tool to link to its theoretical underpinning. The design development proposed an outcome in which the facade took on it’s own identity, appearing to be merely supported by the structure beyond it. This concept reflected the way in which the consumer shop fronts have taken on their own identity. The interchangeable shop facades appeal to a set group of consumers simultaneously disguising the neglected, counter-space beyond it, where capitalist waste is disposed and re-utilised by the homeless that inhabit the area. It is an environment the consumer will likely never see, maybe catching a small glimpse while peering down alleyways. This led to research of the facades surrounding the site, so that the concept could emulated in context.
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The design looks to facadism as a tool to highlight a contrasting space, a world beyond that of the front facade. From this facade the design will expand. Although we must not think of it as a restriction or a boundary, but as ‘pliable context’. Context which is open to change, and can be manipulated, to move in tandem with the design development. In order for the facade to take on it’s own identity the materiality of the structure beyond almost has to be seen as ‘secondary’, allowing the front facade to be the initial point of interest. Externally it will appear ‘basic’ but internally materials will be up-cycled to give an up market atmosphere, and reflect the way in which the homeless re-appropriate what others see as ‘waste’. The design will give passers by framed views in to the activities beyond the facade, and look to catch their interest. The street level will become public, with a public ‘alleyway’ which links back to the coastal footpath at the back of the site. Encouraging engagement and interaction.
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Artistic Impression of Internal Accommodation Space 3D model | Rendered in Artlantis | Digitally Painted in Photoshop
Facadism exists in many different forms, most commonly associated with retention schemes. Although this project itself is not a facade retention scheme, the key principal of the facade being somewhat separate to that which is beyond it remains; and we can reflect this concept within the building’s core, inner structure as well as its external skin. By applying a conceptual underpinning through facadism, this design is enabling a relation to it’s theoretical origin - specifically the way in which the consumer high-street shops conceal a contrasting space and lifestyle beyond, where the homeless rough sleepers nest themselves. This exploded assembly diagram illustrates the way in which the inhabited space beyond the facade is seemingly ‘basic’ and could easily be overlooked, it is ‘detached’ both conceptually and mechanically.
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02
Working Class Culture: A Deceptive Decline
This thesis concerns the significance of industrialisation in the south Wales valleys from the nineteenth century to present. In particular, it examines the coal mining communities that developed in the context of rapid industrialisation in Wales and their eventual problems arising from the decline of the industry. Conceived as a historical ethnography, the thesis draws from archival sources and personal accounts in order to examine and identify the growth and decline of these communities in relation to socio-economic events and access how architecture and cultural theory can be used to help transform these communities for the future. Achieved a first class grade
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03
Beaufort Academy Development Plan
This project was a bid process which was undertaken in working practice at Quattro Design Architects. As part of the design team, I contributed to the development plan in which we were asked to consider both the opportunities and challenges for Beaufort Co-Operative Academy, Gloucester. This included several site visits to undertake surveying and analysis as well as interviews with several members of staff and pupils. I was tasked with producing a 3D context model of the school and our outline proposals, providing a positive contribution to the overall design process.
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From our site analysis we recognised the need for a clear entrance point, as the existing was unnecessarily hard to find. The sketch above illustrates an outline of our proposal in which we gradually phase in changes, so that the school could spread the cost and develop as finances become available. Phase 1 addresses the lack of science facilities and provides a clear point of entrance, orientating itself to the main gate into the school grounds. There is potential to extend this block into the existing classrooms, and form a ‘STEM’ block of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Phase 2 addresses the lack of designated dining facilities or a suitable assembly space to host the entire school. Pictured right, the building fills the void between the existing sports hall and the learning resource centre, and creates a main gateway through the school channelling people from the ‘new street’ to the classroom blocks located at the back of the site. Phase 3 proposes that existing portacabins are replaced with new modular classroom blocks, based on the successful system of the adjacent english block. These modules can again be built in stages of modular strips, dependant on available funding.
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04
‘Light Control’
Berlin Field Trip Video
The title uses a play on words to hint at this projects exploration into the use of light to influence the behaviour of people in architectural design. The idea for the project developed while visiting the Reich-stag in Berlin, where I considered how the lighting conditions could restrict people from seeing down into the debate chamber. This made me consider whether this could be done purposefully, and lead me to look further into the influence of light in architecture as a whole. The outcome was a video which can be viewed right or by following the link below: https://vimeo.com/165365540
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05
Technology & Innovation Centre, Hereford
This is a large scale renovation project of a World War One ammunitions factory, situated in Rotherwas of Herefordshire. The refurbishment will re-use the existing structure, transforming the large internal space in to an innovation and development centre as part of the local enterprise zone. Individual modular pods will be located inside and leased out to business partnerships. The design will utilise Kingspan Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to form the pods while the remainder of the space will be ‘street-like’ covered public realm; giving an open, airy atmosphere. I have played a key role within the team on this project, involved in both the bid process and planning drawings as we look to submit in early June ‘16.
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Technology & Innovation Centre, Hereford The factory has remained redundant since the 1970’s as the area has become neglected and heavily overgrown as pictured above. However, the building has so much historic merit that it is vital that it is not forgotten. As part of the Shell Store’s re-development it is proposed that large scale canvases will be erected with images of the buildings history as an ammunitions factory. The materials used will also relate to buildings industrial past, with the strategic use of materials such as corten steel.
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06
St Blazey Culture Hub BA Second Year Project
During the second year of my bachelors degree I worked within the ‘Inhabiting the In-between’ unit which considered the way in which spaces that may have previously been overlooked, residing between others or on the periphery, seemingly become viable; providing new challenges to design. The main site for this years work was based in the ex tin mining town of St Blazey, Cornwall. Like many other ex-mining towns across the nation St Blazey is looking to re-develop to recapture the socio-economic success experienced in its not so distant history.
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Blazey was once, a hell of “ Sta thriving place � St Blaise Day Route ignores large region
Main Roads divide and fragment the town
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St Blazey Venue
BA Second Year Project During this ‘live project’ there was plenty of opportunity to consult with the public through workshops on site and allow an informed design to develop from real client input. Following the university ran workshops I took it upon myself to participate within the town’s St Blaise Feast Day celebrations. This is an annual event in which the townspeople unite in a colourful parade through the town featuring local music and an engaging lantern lit display. It was here I where I met one of the organisers, Zena, who told me of the towns need for a real venue. I saw this as an opportunity to treat Zena as this projects client, and her ambitions were key drivers within the design development.
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St Blazey Archive
BA Second Year Project Site analysis and public consultation revealed that St Blazey was some what of a ‘non-space’, struggling to compete with the larger local towns for a sense of identity. Within its parish borders exists the renowned Eden Project, yet people continue to simply ‘pass through’ St Blazey. The brief was to create an intervention which would create a point of interest within the town, thus providing a kick-start to the its redevelopment. The archive design proposes a space that not only acts as a reminder of the towns historic success, but also its present and future in a transient capsule that cycles with time.
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This project was undertaken in co-operation with Digital Art & Technology (DAT) Students. Together we came up with a design that conceptually allowed St Blazey to grow from its ‘roots’ as a successful mining town. The archive was literally taking inhabitants back under ground, where they were immersed in a world of digital content that informed them of the past whilst sub-consciously reminding them of the present. The journey was linear, moving from past into present and finally future. With this process in mind, the design began to play with people’s perception of time.
The Archive could be seen as a time-line of the town. Initially people would enter into a conventional space informing them of the towns mining past but as the inhabitants moved into the present section they would be encouraged to interact and even contribute to the archive with photos, stories etc. These depositories were to be ‘present’ for only a short time, before contributing to ‘the past’. They are seen to be ephemeral. The future section would then ask participants to deposit notes of what they would like to see from the future of the town. But what the project looked to highlight was the people’s subliminal contribution, unknowing that they are the town’s past, present and future. | 39 |
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Brighton: Affordable Homes Competition Entry
I have taken full advantage of the resources offered by Quattro Design to keep in touch with the creative process, through my participation in the ‘Design Party’. It was through this optional lunchtime meeting where employees are invited to part-take in a wide-range of design based discussions and activities, that the opportunity to work on this project arose. Working within a team of four, we entered the competition which sought creative design solutions for affordable housing across four pilot sites that were considered potentially challenging by virtue of their size, context or restricted access. This was an intial entry phase, with the chance to develop upon the design in later rounds of the competition.
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Constrained and urban sites such as Frederick Street offer unique challenges in terms of spacial constraints, over-looking and access. The primary aim of this residential design is therefore to create an intervention that can successfully overcome these constraints. The design principal is based on single occupancy and uses a 14sqm module separated into three uses and arranged in progressive layers, from the public street through to shared and communal living, and finally in to the fully private sleeping accommodation.
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Single occupancy living is a relevant model in Brighton and Hove, and with the use of a shared living space we can promote inclusivity and social interaction, encouraging the creation of ‘micro-communities’ within the urban fabric. Street frontage is proposed as a mirrored wall to reflect the immediate surroundings and the coastal sky of Brighton and Hove. By breaking through this wall you arrive in the sheltered arcade of the communal living space.
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Salem Methodist Church 3D Visualisation
This was a visual assessment in which the task was to produce an artist impression of the proposed redevelopment works to the church. The works were to be minor internal changes with the majority of the labour being complete by parishioners and friends of the church. I was tasked with producing a high detail 3D model of the church’s interior from existing plans, sections and photographs using Archicad. From the model I had to produce a series of views that visualised each option the church were considering carrying out. This would allow for easy, clear comparison between the proposed options and the existing when the work was to be discussed with the parishioners. Each view was exported out of Archicad and post-rendered using vray to visualise both natural and ambient lighting. | 46 |
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09
Fairy Tales 2016
Competition Entry
This was another project opportunity which came through my participation within the ‘Design Party’ at Quattro Design. Again working within a team of four younger staff members we were given the freedom to explore and be creative with the brief. The project was complete during lunch breaks and after normal working hours, requiring a commitment. The task was to produce a text based fictional fairy tale between 750-1500 words accompanied by five images. The outcome was a project which pulled together the teams individual working styles, strengths and interests.
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Conceptual Development Image Hybrid Drawing | Digital Painting in Photoshop Man Frustrated by his inability to interact with society trapped in a digitial world
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We decided to challenge the idea of what a ‘fairy tale’ is, producing a modern sci-fi story in which society begins to get drawn into a newly marketed real-time render device. As people get increasingly absorbed in their own individual view of utopia, the real world around them begins to degrade into a state of dystopia. The story revolves around one main character who seeks the attention of his friend who is overly immersed within his digital world. Written as a contemporary text conversation the story hints at an emphasised link to the way in which people submerge into a digital society, even today. As conversation breaks down between the friends, the text conversatrion resembles a blog entry, as Fred begins to document his plans and actions. | 50 |
The only way that I can think of making a difference, to you and everyone else that have forgotten what the real world is like, is to do something you all can’t ignore; something that will appeal to all your senses... Sent: 11.20 Sunday 13/June/2021
I’ve been planning this idea in my room now for over a week… Sent: 11.21 Sunday 13/June/2021
I will make something so tall it will block out the suns light; so wide you can’t walk around it. I will cover it in fur, spikes, anything that will awaken your skin. Burn incense on every corner, and build pools of perfume. Then I will fill this tower with every horn, stereo and speaker I can find. This is so no one will be able to ignore the real world anymore! Sent: 11.25 Sunday 13/June/2021
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Page Park Community Centre Bristol
This is a community project in Bristol, to construct a new building which will house a cafe, community room and much needed toilet facilities. The build will form an initial phase, with plans to extend into the existing pavilion and provide extra facilities including a nursery and changing rooms in the future. At the centre of the park is a clock tower that will see large renovation works taking place as part of the regeneration of the park as a whole. As the clock tower is granted ‘conservation status’ it also formed several constraints which ensured the new build doesn’t rise above the clock tower or be designed in any way that it is deemed to be in competition with the clock tower in anyway. The new build will actually take on a more ‘modern’ minimal approach as to not compete with the clock tower’s Victorian style. | 52 |
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‘Memory Linking Culture’ History & Theory Video
This project was complete as part of the History and Theory module within my second year of my Bachelors Degree. On this occasion we were given the opportunity to present our work in a format which broke away from the usual essay based submission. The outcome was a video which can be viewed right or by following the link below. I decided to look at the mining history of three small villages from home, in Wales. My research revealed how several towns were all linked by one escape tunnel used during the coal mining era. I wanted to use this physical link to potentially exploit something deeper. https://vimeo.com/165372286
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Key Sports Ancillary Space Offices and Admin
SEN Mtg 12 sqm
1100L Bin
Plant 26 sqm
Bin Store 14 sqm
Food / Science / D+T 34 sqm KS2 Classbase 55 sqm SEN Therapy 12 sqm Acc WC 3 sqm
WCr Bay 1 sqm
Staff 34 sqm
RL
Kitchen 40 sqm
Group Space 5 sq.m
R.L.
R.L.
Cloaks 4 sq.m
Welfare
R.L.
St 2 sqm
Cloaks 4 sq.m
Group Space 8 sq.m
St 2 sqm
WC 9 sqm PE Store 15 sqm
Servery + Chair Store 7 sqm
Working Area
Storage Small Group Room 9 sqm
WC 9 sqm
Cloaks 4 sq.m Ctrl Stock 6 sqm
Circulation / Flexible Teaching
RL
Food Store 5 sqm St 2.5 sqm
RL
Cloaks 4 sq.m
Toilet and Hygiene Kitchens and Preparation Plant Room
Group Space 7 sq.m Cloaks 4 sq.m
St 2.5 sqm
RL
St 2 sqm
Cloaks 4 sq.m
R.L.
Do not scale off this drawing, only figured dimensions are to be used. Any discrepancies are to be reported to the Architect as soon as possible.
Education / Flexible Teaching
KS2 Classbase 55 sqm
KS2 Classbase 55 sqm
RL
Server 4 sqm
This drawing is the copyright of Quattro Design Architects Ltd and should not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.
Group Space 7 sq.m
St 2 sqm WC 9 sqm
RL
CL St 2 sqm R.L.
KS1 Classbase 62 sqm
KS1 Classbase 62 sqm
KS2 Classbase 55 sqm
SEN Group 12 sqm
Somerdale 1FE Primary School + Nursery
Hall 180 sqm
GIFA = 1395 sqm GEFA = 1467.5 sqm
Reception Office 16 sqm
Sick Bay 4 sqm
Welcome sign
Canopy Over
FFL - 15.950
Acc WC 3 sqm
General Arrangement Plan
WCr Bay 1 sqm
LRC 20 sqm
Group Space 30 sqm
BW
1:200@A3 Interview 6 sqm
St 3 sqm
RL
RL
St 3 sqm
R.L. Reception WC 12 sqm
Nursery 62 sqm
Keynsham
Aug 2015
R.L. Hygiene 9 sqm
Somerdale Nursery + Primary
Reception Class 62 sqm
R.L. Nursery WC 15 sqm
1000 4780
This is a school project that has been proposed as part of the larger on-going residential developments in Keynsham as part of the developer’s obligation to meet section 106 planning conditions.
LRC / Group Space
19.675
19.675
15.950
15.950
Canopy Over External Play Area IMPERIAL CHAMBERS LONGSMITH STREET GLOUCESTER GL1 2HT
Lobby
R. 22 KS2 Classroom
22513
Section D-D
Corridor Space
DRAWING NO
5101-P-200
R. 35 KS1 Classroom
Section G-G
19.675
19.675
24.555
15.950 LRC / Group Space
20.875
15.950
Lobby
R. 22 KS2 Classroom
Corridor Space
R. 35 KS1 Classroom
20.315 19.675
Section D-D
I have been fully involved in the Somerdale Project from an early stage, overseeing and contributing to the design development process, attending design review meetings as the project progressed and produced a full drawing package to be submitted for planning, which has now been granted.
Section G-G
15.950 LRC Section F-F
24.555
20.875 20.315 19.675
19.675 15.950 LRC
15.950 Section F-F Group Space
Corridor Space
Central Stock
Staff Room
Section E-E
0
5 2
10m
NOTES
REVISIONS
This drawing is the copyright of Quattro Design Architects Ltd and should not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. Only figured dimensions to be used for construction. Check all dimensions on site. Any discrepancies are to be reported to the Architect as soon as possible.
19.675 -: 12.11.15 - BW - JRH: Drawing first issue
REV: DATE - DRAWN - CHECKED:
PROJECT
NOTES
www.quattrodesign.co.uk
CLIENT
Somerdale 1FE Primary School + Nursery
Taylor Wimpey
SCALE
DATE
1:100@A1
1:200@A3
DRAWING TITLE
DRAWING NO.
Proposed Sections D-D, E-E, F-F & G-G
5101-P-601
REV
-
Imperial Chambers, Longsmith Street Gloucester GL1 2HT T: (01452) 424234
Oct 2015
15.950 Group Space
Corridor Space
Central Stock
Staff Room
Section E-E
0
5 2
NOTES This drawing is the copyright of Quattro Design Architects Ltd and should not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. Only figured dimensions to be used for construction. Check all dimensions on site. Any discrepancies are to be reported to the Architect as soon as possible.
www.quattrodesign.co.uk
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JRH
Rooflight Over
Head Office 16 sqm
12
Ctrl Stock 6 sqm
Repro 5 sqm
Taylor Wimpey
10m
REVISIONS
REV: DATE - DRAWN - CHECKED:
NOTES
-: 12.11.15 - BW - JRH: Drawing first issue
PROJECT
CLIENT
Somerdale 1FE Primary School + Nursery
Taylor Wimpey
SCALE
DATE
1:100@A1
1:200@A3
Oct 2015
DRAWING TITLE
DRAWING NO.
Proposed Sections D-D, E-E, F-F & G-G
5101-P-601
REV
-
Imperial Chambers, Longsmith Street Gloucester GL1 2HT T: (01452) 424234
T: (01452) 424234 F: (01452) 383996 info@quattrodesign .co.uk www.quattrodesign .co.uk
REV
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Architecture | Design