Concerns. Birmingham School of Architecture and Design Annual Review 2019-20 by Birmingham School of Architecture and Design

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CONCERNS Birmingham School of Architecture and Design Annual Review 2019-20

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Hannah Boland, MArch Architecture, Unit ERA

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BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN ANNUAL REVIEW 2019-20

CONCERNS Cover:

Mayce Aebi

BA (Hons) Architecture

Back:

Frederic Lacaze

BA (Hons) Product Design

Concerns Birmingham School of Architecture and Design Annual Review 2019 - 20 Edited and designed by Tom Tebby Text © Birmingham City University and the authors, 2020 Images © Birmingham City University and the authors, 2020 All rights reserved

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Brutalist Desk Tidies, Isabelle Uner, BA (Hons) Product Design

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Our modus operandi - best defined by the word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;concernsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - is centred on inspiring students to tackle specific contemporary design challenges of the world we live in. As a result, through their project brief scenarios and in their written work, our students are encouraged to investigate concerns that are as diverse as their backgrounds, focusing on the everyday; on theory; or current affairs; or other issues with social, cultural and political impact in the world around them.

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Lisa Gakunga, MArch Architecture, Unit Arena

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Contents Introduction Co.LAB Foundation in Architecture and Design BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture MA Landscape Architecture BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Pt. I) MArch Architecture (RIBA Pt. II) Pg Dip Architectural Practice (RIBA Pt. III) MA Conservation of The Historic Environment BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design MA Interior Architecture and Design BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design MA Product Design MA Design and Visualisation BA (Hons) Design Management

8 12 22 36 46 62 76 104 108 114 134 146 166 178 190

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Introduction

Welcome to Concerns, our end of year Annual Review which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, celebrating the work of our students under our School wide ethos of design through the scales. Obviously it’s been a very challenging year and history will look back at 2020 as an unprecedented time when we experienced a devastating global pandemic that sadly took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the world and made us re-evaluate how we live our lives and what is important to us. It is against this unique backdrop that our students and staff have embraced the words of the philosopher Plato that necessity is the mother of our invention, and have innovatively completed this academic year with such fortitude. Our students have been as remarkably resilient as the School’s emblem, the scarab, and have reminded me of a quote from former US President Bill Clinton, “It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.” They all fought on, despite the immense disappointment being denied those end of course moments that are as tense as they are wonderful, that include their final pin up, Summer Ball, Degree Show, and results day with their friends and tutors. However, I have no doubt that these

experiences will stand them in good stead for their careers ahead when they will represent the values of this amazing School and continue to make us proud. As ever, the School has been driven by our “what’s next?” attitude. We’ve been developing a number of new courses, including an M.Arch/Part 3 Apprenticeship route, and most notably, BA Design for Future Living in collaboration with TV Architect George Clarke and his educational charity MOBIE. We were delighted to have appointed George as a Visiting Professor in Architecture and Design and enjoy his inaugural Professorial lecture in February. Long standing staff Professor Mohsen Aboutorabi and Caroline Norman retired after years of great service to the School and University but we were joined by a host of new staff; the new Oscar Naddermier Professor of Architecture Rachel Sara, BA Interior Course Director Chris Maloney, BA Architecture staff Christian Nakarado, Max Wisotsky, Dr Matthew Armitt, and Rebecca Walker, MA Design Management Course Director Dr Mersha Aftab, internationally focused staff Normah Sulaiman, Dr Rasha Sayed, and Bruce Paget, and new members of our admin team Adam Davies and Hannah Spurrell who replaced the wonderful Rebecca Harrison who was promoted to the Deanery. We also

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celebrated promotions for Dr Jemma Browne, Dr Jieling Xiao, Dr Panch Suntharalingam, and most notably Professor Hannah Vowles. We had the tragic news that former colleague Richard Snell passed away after a short illness. Richard was known to many of us for this work on the Furniture Design course and then as Head of the Department of Fashion, Textiles and Three Dimensional Design at BIAD. Richard will be sadly missed. We were also saddened by the news that Dr Albert Hong, a graduate of the School of Architecture who generously donated $1million to set up the Oscar Naddermier Professor of Architecture post sadly passed away in Singapore. On a brighter note, I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the School this year including the core teaching team, our administrative team, visiting tutors, specialist tutors, volunteer critics, workshop staff, colleagues in ADM and across the University, and practices who have worked with us and supported student work placements. Finally, after 23 years at BCU I am leaving and moving on to a new challenge. I feel incredibly proud to have led this School for over 9 years, a School I studied at, and to have helped transform it to where it is today with a clear

identity, a fantastic sense of community, a talented and energetic staff team, a School that attracts, nurtures, and produces a diverse body of talented students, and a reputation for being a School that the city of Birmingham and its practices can be proud of. I’d like to express my thanks to my loyal staff team past and present, visiting tutors, external examiners, practices, businesses and collaborators, and the hundreds and hundreds of students past and present who’ve been part of this amazing journey. Thank you all, it’s been a blast! I hope you enjoy this review of this unusual year and the School looks forward to celebrating with you in person in our indomitable fashion next year.

Professor Kevin W Singh Head of Birmingham School of Architecture and Design (2011-2020)

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Top:Conceptual collage from Autonomy, Complicity & Ascension; Below: Video excerpt from La Cucina Futurista, Palate group

Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

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Co\\aborative Lab:oratory FIND US ONLINE W:

birmingham-colab.org

FB:

facebook.com/birmingham.colab

TW: @bham_colab IG: @birmingham_co.lab

ELECTIVE PROJECTS Knowledge Exchange partner: Various SME’s in the region Connected Chelmsley partner: B37 Project La Cucina Futurista partner: Kaye Winwood Projects Autonomy, Complicity and ascension partner: Kate deRight Earth Summit partner: BSoAD Design Mentoring partner: St. Edmunds School Forensic Architypes partner: BA Criminology Future Workplace. partner: STEAMhouse Hall of Innovation partner: Marywood School of Architecture Langley Hall Park partner: Solihull MBC Abiotic Gardens partner: Marshalls Shadown & Light for Diwali Mela partner: Art in the Heart CIC

The Birmingham School of Architecture and Design occupies a distinctive territory between the study and practices of the creative arts with the built environment professions. Links with the professional context and are reinforced through alumni, renowned tutors, events and live research projects. Equally, the School’s position within ADM means that students and staff are well connected to the creative scene of the city. Co\\aborative Lab:oratory is an inter-disciplinary design & research initiative within the school that seeks to directly engage students and staff with this dynamic context. We focus on ‘liveness’, or a relevancy, to current issues surrounding design and architecture with external collaborators to deliver outcomes across a range of scales and formats. This year, Co.LAB set up experimental projects with prominent arts organisations and practitioners in the city to develop new strategies in collaborative practice. There has been a focus on transdisciplinary creative processes - exploring the relationship between art and architecture, mentoring and consultation with non design-based stakeholders, and developing new lifestyle products based on material exploration. The final outcomes of each project were impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown before students could finish their final assignments. However, Co.Lab demonstrated its ability to innovate and adapt quickly using online conferencing software and collaborative workflow apps to keep the group dynamics going and a testament to the students’ commitment to their education and external partners.

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Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Circular graphs and soft mapping, Environment and Ecology group, Connected Chelmsley

Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Product development for Hall of Innovation

Conceptual development, Langley Hall Park

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Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Caption

Audience view of the installation at BEASTdome and outline drawings, Autonomy, Complicity & Ascension

Digital security interface, Urban Vigilante group, Forensic [Archi]types

Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Survey analysis , sustainability in design curriculum, Earth Summit group

Aerial view of rooftop garden design, Abiotic Gardens

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Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Cafe/lobby visuals and furniture design for STEAMhouse Phase 2, Future Workspace

Lectures and classroom demonstrations at St. Edmunds Academy, for Design Studio Mentoring

Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Students undertaking food experimentation with Kaye Winwood, La Cucina Futurista

Happiness report for Knowledge Exchange

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Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Waving Light group for Diwali Mela project

Poster for the Diwali Mela project

Chasing Shadow group for Diwali Mela project

Co.LAB - Collaborative Practice

Steven Zhe Zhu, Cucina Futurista [winner of the European Product Design Award

Christos Ververis, Cucina Futurista Project

Wendy Yanling Wen, Cucina Futurista Project

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Leigh Davies & Kieran Latham, MArch Architecture, Unit Modern Gazetteer

Foundation in Architecture and Design

DESIGN THROUGH THE SCALES Foundation in Architecture and Design Landscape Architecture Architecture Interior Architecture and Design Product and Furniture Design Design and Visualisation Design Management

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Kyle Brady - Pavilion Project

Foundation in Architecture and Design

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Tutors: Myles Cummings Tom Tebby Anastasia Luban David Baldock Max Wisotsky Dawn Parke Oliver Chapman Kathryn Jones Wayne Pottinger Natalie Cole

Design is both noun and verb; so design can be a thing eg. a beautiful vase design, or it can be an act / process eg. I am going to design a house. The Foundation in Architecture and Design course is also essentially two things; firstly, a base from which to build through an introductory grounding in the key skills, processes and principles of design. Secondly, a transformative process, through which you will begin to unlock your full creative potential as a designer a problem solver and decision maker. The Foundation course has been designed to provide students with the opportunity to experiment and develop creative expression across a range of complementary art and design skills and processes which maximize opportunities for creative exploration. It provides a supported learning environment to explore conceptual ideas through mapping and modelling and development to more detailed design. Work is assessed through mini design-focused projects and a major final project in your chosen design discipline pathway. Through a range of project briefs and using various differing media you will draw / paint / plan / model / sculpt / photograph / film / animate / make / break / build / write / present / analyse / critique and discuss. You will also develop your software skills and explore computer-aided design (CAD), modelling and presentation techniques. Whatever the media, you will learn the process of turning thoughts into material form and in so doing build confidence as a designer. Throughout, you will be supported through a structured dialogue with your tutors, practitioners, theorists and specialists. You will be encouraged to reflect on your process and progress and mentored in the preparation of a design portfolio and your choice of pathway for further study.

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Bauhaus Ballet

Finally, the course considers themes of context, culture, and contemporary living, with the aim of giving students the confidence and ability to meet the challenges of becoming a designer in the 21st century. You will have the opportunity to undertake site and study trips to visit notable exhibitions/museums and galleries, and to meet and interact with professional practitioners from a range of disciplines. This will enable your decision on choice of pathway for further study (architecture / landscape / interior / product) ensuring it comes from a place of clarity and with the solid grounding (foundation) required from which you can grow as a professional designer.

I am aware that for many students entering the course,

this will be your first experience of higher education, and with it the many challenges and opportunities this presents. I believe the Foundation Course is structured in such a way as to enable you to comfortably adapt to the rigors of University study in creative and nurturing environment, but at the same time you will find the course engaging, exciting and testing in its own right. Ultimately, I hope that you will also feel a sense of ownership and pride in making your time here the stepping-stone to future studies and employment in your chosen design profession. Myles Cummings Course Director Foundation in Architecture and Design

Foundation in Architecture and Design

Building Touchscapes

Spacecraft Project - Ready for take-off!

Spacecraft Project

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Framed Views

Exploration 1: Framed Views. Ferdosi Miah

Exploration 2: Touchscapes

Foundation in Architecture and Design

Exploration 3: Sonic Storyboard

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Exploration 4: Smellscapes

Exploration5: Exploration Finale

Foundation in Architecture and Design

Spacecraft Project

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

Fawad Hussain - Landscape Project

Damour Davichinci - Pavilion Project

Foundation in Architecture and Design

Naomi Nyembo - Place, Space and Object Project

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Foundation in Architecture and Design

AliArat - Pavillion Project

Nadine Burke - Interior Architecture Project

Foundation in Architecture and Design

Bazgha Asim - Pavilion Project

Musherraf Zubbair - Pavilion Project

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Abigail Jasvinder-Baines - The B: Urban Project – the new ‘urban’ way of life.

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Tutors: Core LA team

Lucas Hughes Eccles Ng Dawn Parke School of Architecture and Design

Dr Matthew Jones Tom Tebby Jason Taylor Studio Assistants

Daniela Teleku Lydia Glanville Kika Vernon Yuting Sun Visiting Tutors:

John Newman Claire Hunt Paj Valley Rebecca Skeffington Sam Roberts

BA Landscape Architecture Alumni 2017-20

Each project here, explores a unique challenge that faces our spatial environment, considering both nature and human centric perspectives. As our societies and ecologies strain from the global threats of growing population, pressure on resources, and climate change; we explore ways to better safeguard our shared future. The role of the Landscape Architect in this time has never been more important. As a team we believe in innovation across the many facets of the discipline, seeing theoryand practice as one and the same. We encourage our students to test boundaries, leading through their personal exploration, experiment and design application-led approaches. The work here, therefore celebrates the variety and dynamism of the current Landscape Architecture discipline. The speculative projects illustrated have embraced the themes of community, health and wellbeing, future living and sustainable landscapes. Students have risen to these challenges and provide great hope for our future. The final year Landscape Architecture students have been exploring integrated ways to drive design in ways that are critical and practical, that have a theoretical foudantion and real-world practice application. They have debated our most pressing contemporary topics, have explored collaborative ways of working and experimented with their own unique responses through highly iterative and reflective design process.

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Sam Brittain - The Precious Ground at Didcot Power Station

Before commencing year 3, students are tasked with defining a subject of personal, particular interest related to important issues in contemporary landscape architecture theory and practice. Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; research projects and theoretical explorations underpined their choice of site and inspired each design ideation. These concepts and strategies were rigorously tested and applied across the scales from regional, site and design detailing. Initially, students develop a broad idea for their own research opportunity and design project site options. They considered how ideas work both in theory and practice. These are ideas that connect their increasingly in-depth research (the questioning) to their

increasingly dynamic practice (the doing). Students innovated their own process, through experimentation and consideration of how to disseminate with a wider audience. They analysed the site at a large scale, understanding layers of physical and socio-cultural conditions to form strategic frameworks for their design. They compared and contrasted their own values and perspectives with those of likely project stakeholders. To create a vision for their site this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students were asked to create a concept through a kind of storytelling about the place, something meaningful about the site that would engage and inspire a future generation of visitors, which might take on multiple lenses of critical analysis; from the scientific to the artistic. They combined the abstract with the pragmatic, testing the

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

boundaries and the scope of landscape architecture. They defined the practical elements of their sites and imbued them with layers of meaning, intertwining both tangible and intangible aspects of the place, for example: â&#x20AC;˘ How would this place be experienced as a sequence of spaces? â&#x20AC;˘ What should the place reveal or hide of its social, cultural and historic roots? â&#x20AC;˘ How would the design impact on sensory human experience? Taking this forward, these ideas were refined and tested against a variety of needs relating to the site, with a desire to maximise the value based on a range of appropriate attributes. Sites were designed with dynamic experiences

Guoqing Zhang - Beijing Migrant Urban Village

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and functions, each underpinned by the conceptual framework defined earlier. Designs were realised in increasing detail, toward the human scale and the realworld experience of the end user. In the final stage of this process, students demonstrated how the material composition of their project would be realised. This included both the biotic and abiotic components of the soft green planting with the hard-constructed elements. Drawings and specifications were also included which could be taken by a contractor to move the project from its theoretical origins into a real-world physical outcome. Students will take these ideas, values and skills with them into their future careers in the landscape architecture profession.

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Roberto AlicĂ˛ - Beormingas Urbs Viridis

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Suleman Akhtar - Energising Walsall

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Yuanyuan Xia - Euston Station Park

Mingzhu Liu - a Human strategy for Huimin Street, Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;an

Karishma Keshwala - Rejuvenating Uppingham Road, Leicester

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

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Lan Xiong - Redevelopment of Birmingham Flower Market

Reuben McCalla - One Love, Marina Bay, Kingston

Robert Evans - Reconnecting Westside, Wolverhampton

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BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

Harry Silcock - Leeds=United

BA (Hons) Landscape Architecture

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John Clay

MA Landscape Architecture

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MA Landscape Architecture

Tutors: Russell Good Dr. Sandra Costa Prof. Kathryn Moore Ula Maria Rob Colbourne Joelle Darby Danielle Jeynes Dawn Parke Lucas Hughes Katriona Byrne Jason Taylor Studio Assistants: Anastasiya Luban Kika Vernon Ying Sun Daniella Teleku

Awards: Matthew Alebon, Landscape Institute John Knight Best MA Student Portfolio Lucie Titchmarsh, Pegasus Landscape Planning Russell Green, MA Studentship Award

Please join us to celebrate the talent of our students and their exciting and innovative creations. We could not feel prouder of the achievements of this hardworking community who relentlessly responded to the additional challenges posed by a time of unprecedented uncertainty, revealing their confidence, professionalism and resilience. The MA Landscape Architecture at BSoAD is one of the most innovative and forward thinking in the country. At its heart are the design studios with ambitious projects that respond to current global issues and real-life scenarios that relate to communities, landscapes and our environment. These have provided opportunities for rigorous design enquiry and in-depth exploration of visions and concepts. We showcase a sample of studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; socially responsive and imaginative Projects addressing current and global debates driven by nature and man-made ecosystems. They have taken part in a process of intensive research with ingenuity and critical mind and explore the interstices and opportunities for change and the holistic role of design and of landscape architects in addressing climate change, water, biodiversity and food sovereignty. We wish our students well in their future journeys and careers. Sandra Costa Course Director MA Landscape Architecture

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MA Landscape Architecture

Hannah Whitfield

MA Landscape Architecture (conversion year) Our 2-year Conversion Masters provide a great opportunity for those who want a career change to become a Landscape Architect. The first year is a transformative process that encourages exchanging of skills and ideas, understanding of the foundation principles of the profession, and an opportunity to develop a range of skills that facilitate the design of complex landscapes with thoughtful solutions. During the first year, students are encouraged to undertake a journey into design exploration and creative thinking. Designed Ecologies explores ecologies as a process driven philosophy that can be used to enhance value of the environment. The brief is underpinned by ideas of sustainability, therapeutic recreation and design interventions that improve the way habitats can be enjoyed all year round. Designed Geographies invited students to rethink the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x153;garden citiesâ&#x20AC;? and reimagine the garden city of the 21st century which meets the needs of the environment and of a contemporary society. The site, River Rea, is a construct that is disconnected from the city spatial structure due to its incised relationship with the ground.

Contour modelling

MA Landscape Architecture

Will Emberton

Jennifer Birch

Will Emberton

Daniel Shaw

Hannah Whitfield

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MA Landscape Architecture

Film and photography workshop

MA Landscape Architecture The extraordinary projects we showcase in this CONCERNS reveal ambitious designs that foresee the future of landscapes through the lens of Climate Change, Health and Wellbeing, Food Production, and Landscape Infrastructure, considering visions to the West Midlands National Park. Over the duration of 1 year, or 2 years if part-time, students are encouraged to develop their individual interests and take advantage of synergies and existing skills to develop their creativity and critical thinking on the complexities associated with the range of scales that the landscape architect. This year we have pushed forward the use of drone technology, photography and photogrammetry for landscape survey and 3D visualisation of the surveyed terrain. This was an excellent way to survey areas that are normally difficult to reach such as the Mawddach Estuary, in Fairbourne. Our full day filming workshop was another highlight of the year with students integrating the skills acquired immediately into user experience and site survey to capture sense of place for the Co.Lab projects. Estuary Drone Survey, Fairbourne

MA Landscape Architecture

Visions: West Midlands National Park Tutors: Kathryn Moore, Danielle Jeynes, Joelle Darby Inspired by the imminent arrival of HS2, the West Midlands National Park proposal seeks to establish a new kind of National Park for the West Midlands. This immense rolling landscape, the crucible of the industrial revolution, the nexus of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major agricultural regions, with its complex infrastructure of canals, highways and byways married to some of the most beautiful, forgotten areas in Britain awaits a reimagining for millions of people. Active Urban Landscapes Tutors: Russell Good, Sandra Costa Co.Lab challenged the students to endeavour redesign urban spaces to be civic active places and to encourage play, physical activity and healthy behaviour change.

Russell Green, Maryam Gohari, Shuchen Zhang, Chenyu Zhang, Nicholas Chandler (Active Urban Landscapes)

Lydia Glanville (Visions: West Midlands National Park)

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MA Landscape Architecture

The Thesis Design Project provides a forum for investigating Climate Change and encourages students to question and push the boundaries of contemporary design thinking. The macro-scale and planning intervention form the starting point of this project and requires students to consider the various landscape relationships, holistically and strategically, in space and time. This moves on to articulate the design vision at the human scale and using the materiality expressed in Landscape Architecture. Tutors: Russell Good, Sandra Costa, Rob Colbourne Fairbourne 2070 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Climate Change in Transit Climate change will nudge the bar continuously upwards for extreme weather events. Storm water will bring alive river valleys and flood plains and coastal landscapes transition to the tempo of active froth and frenzy of wild seas. Fairbourne investigates the

Connie Cliff

potential of Landscape Architecture to experiment with design led solutions for its climate change refugees, harnessing the power of designed geologies and ecologies imagineered in 2070. Productive landscapes in a changing world â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cities, like people, are what they eat.â&#x20AC;? (Carolyn Steel). This studio investigates climate change through the lenses of productive urban landscapes. It invites students to explore networks, notions and relationships between food and cities in order to reimagine the paradigm shift of current food production and consumption models, and propel the position of circular economies, ecosystems and resilience in this process. Birmingham, culturally diverse and young is an ideal ground for this debate and to address issues such as poor health and poor food habits, diets, deprivation and segregation, climate and food sustainability.

MA Landscape Architecture

Xuechun Zheng

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MA Landscape Architecture

Matthew Alebon

MA Landscape Architecture

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MA Landscape Architecture

Shuchen Zhang

Henry Knight

Xuechun Zheng

MA Landscape Architecture

Iain Candlish

Xuechun Zheng

Russell Green

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MA Landscape Architecture

Charlotte Williams

Jiayin Shi

Sona Maresova

Shuchen Zhang

Jiayin Shi

MA Landscape Architecture

Alexander Haylor

Chenyu Zhang

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Russell Green

MA Landscape Architecture

Lucie Titchmarsh

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BA (Hons) Architecture

Museum of Future Fossils - Exploded Axo

ploded axonometric drawing

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BA (Hons) Architecture

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BA (Hons) Architecture RIBA Part I

Tutors: Year 1 Victoria Farrow Ollie Chapman Miles Weber Thomas Trail Helen Chapman Year 2 Max Wisotsky Matthew Armitt Joan Chapman Year 3 Beatriz Gomez-Martin Christian Nakarado Matthew Jones Ian Shepherd Juliet Sakyi Ansar Holly Doron Rob Anable Paul Wakelam Matthew Hayes Tom Tebby

We began the new academic year with mobilising agendas and clear themes for Year 1, 2 and 3: Principles - Process â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Exploration. These themes would shape our starting studios and focus our attention on a complexity appropriate to each level of the course towards the latter part of 2019. From the beginning of 2020 across the year groups we looked to explore a wide range of projects, from small popup structures, to dwellings, urban infills, a range of residential buildings and dwelling spaces, public buildings and mixed use developments located in Birmingham and Nottingham. We saw a rich variety of investigations across the course, nurtured by collaborative practice and professional practice, two important strands, which feature heavily both inside and out of the classroom. The academic year concluded with modules in Design Resolution 1, 2 and 3 to evidence the students best work in final project outputs. Year 1 allows new students to gently embark on their journey into architectural education by learning and discovering its basic principles. Beginning with the module Design Apparatus, the first year students completed many exciting exercises and small projects to discover new design and communication techniques. Building skills and knowledge in hand-drawing, sketching, orthographics, model-making, ComputerAided-Design (CAD) in two and three dimensions, material crafts, plaster casting, video and rendering the students used these tools to analyse famous Precedent studies and built confidence in representing their ideas and their understanding of architectural conventions. The group gathered a range of different presentation and representation techniques through workshops and class exercises. Documenting this journey together with their design development process online via Mahara and also through digital booklets provided the group a good

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Sequel’ by Thomas Rowntree, Year 3/UNIT 2

foundation for portfolios and helped students embed good practice for the future. The quality of the students work was commended by external examiners once again this year, who described the work as “phenomenal for first year level”. The students’ presentations were also complimented widely on Twitter and Instagram @ bcu_des1gn Projects in Year 1 are intertwined with classes and workshops in Structures, environment and technical studies and History of Architecture and Design, with studio projects absorbing this knowledge and application. The teaching and learning pattern repeats itself at Year 2 and Year 3 where students are encouraged to feel confident having already practised similar ways of working in the previous years. As each student moves steadily through each stage of their course, building upon previously established ideals that continue to be reinforced and stretched. With new confidence, Year 2 students embraced the architectural design process. Students are exposed to real life practice scenarios, which are enriched by their time spent in work placements and modules such as Co.LAB, which provides a vehicle for collaboration

and experimentation. As a lively and active part of the year the cohort gained better understanding of their place within the world of architecture. In addition to CoLAB, the second year students engaged in an exciting live project working in teams for the Impact Hub. The students collaborated in to design, present and build models, which was then presented and critiqued by architects. This was a new project to Year 2, which required consideration of environmental design, structures, costing analysis, technical expertise as well as a high degree of professionalism, which created a further solid stepping stone towards Year 3. Year 2 also hosted the students work placements, which culminated in March with a Pecha Kucha and a celebration of the Praxis work, where both Year 1 and Year 2 students engaged in discussions about professional practice and work placements. In the Final Year, the course required more independence from students. The suite of modules included cultural context, technology and design studio, allowing students to discover their own values, set agendas and put forward more complex design proposals both conceptually and technically. The new design studio units encouraged production and the

BA (Hons) Architecture

exploration of architectural schemes, which have been detailed to an appropriate level for Year 3 students. Preparing the cohort further for professional practice following their experiences in Year 2, Year 3 promotes creative thinking, furthering confidences and constructs an environment for decision-making. This year we landed in Digbeth, Birmingham for the Year 3 site where students laid down their proposals following agendas informed by the 3 independent studios. Project development was supported by workshops in cv writing, creating and designing business cards, social media accounts and tips to help students gain a profile in the “real world” before leaving the university.

excellent efforts of both the cohort and staff in such challenging circumstances that have faced us this year.

From the beginning of the course, a high emphasis is placed on students making their own choices. Upon departure from the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design it is important to staff that our students feel “work ready” and set to embark on whatever challenge should present itself when in the world of work. Our degree show in July this year assisted the group in showcasing their best work and helped to spotlight the

Caption

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Caption

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Revival’ by Mayce Arebi, Year 3/UNIT 3

BA (Hons) Architecture

‘The Tower of Tales’ by Sophie Roper-Hall, Year3/UNIT 3

‘Crossing the Threshold’ by Laura Viterbo, Year 3/UNIT 3

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘DIGB[EARTH]’ by Harpinder Sihra, Year 3/UNIT 1

‘An Essay in Brick’ by Ryan Cooksey, Year 3/UNIT 3

BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Syncho[City]’ by Saylah Hussain, Year 3/UNIT 2

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Interstice’ by Sehama Nuur, Year 3/UNIT 2

BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Remaking Roofscape’ by Mark Ferreras, Year 3/UNIT 3

‘Symbiosis’ by Alexandra Ayrton, Year3/UNIT 2

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Designer Digbeth Outlet’ by Jordan Pardoe, Year3/UNIT 1

‘Duality’ by Jacob Doherty, Year 3/UNIT 2

BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Blurred Boundaries’ by Chiquita Hart, Year 3/UNIT 2

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BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Bricks and Mortar’ by Wiktoria Piotrowska, Year 3/UNIT 1

Lewis Jones, Year 3/UNIT 1

BA (Hons) Architecture

‘Seeing’ by Dea Arimbawa, Year 3/UNIT 2

‘The Obscurity of Women’ by Sadiyah Tijani, Year 3/UNIT 2

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MArch Architecture

Richard MacDonald

MArch Architecture

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MArch Architecture RIBA Part II

Tutors: Unit: ARENA Unit Leader: Alessandro Columbano Unit Tutor: William Gottelier, IF_DO Unit: EXTINCTION REBELLION ARCHITECTURE Unit Leader: Prof. Rachel Sara Unit Tutor: Aine Moriarty, Mitchell Eley Gould Unit: MODERN GAZETTEER Unit Leader: Michael Dring Unit Tutor: Luke Nagle, MW Architects

The MArch is founded on principles of ‘learning through making’ and ‘research by design’, We explore a long tradition of applied arts in Birmingham and the region, of a synergy between art and industry, culture and production, the students work drawing on this heritage and the creative context of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, as well as contemporary culture in speculating on future lives. We are interested in making connections within and beyond the academy, of sharing our position as an independent space to think, learn, act and make. We believe that our student’s research and design work has value and impact beyond the course, with relevance to contemporary issues, and opportunities for transdisciplinarity in the creation of traditional and non-traditional forms of knowledge. Presented in this publication is a selection of student work through the work of our three cross-level design units; Arena, the Modern Gazetteer, and Extinction Rebellion Architecture. This year we include work from our Advanced Praxis module, an innovative new module that integrates a live project brief provided by a local architecture practice with a group design resolved to a detailed technical specification. We hope you enjoy the work of our talented and committed students and all they have achieved in the most difficult of years.

Michael Dring Course Director MArch Architecture

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Unit: ARENA Unit Leader: Alessandro Columbano Unit Tutor: William Gottelier, IF_DO Acknowledgements: Birmingham Opera Company, Nevill Holt Opera, Witherford Watson Mann Architects

Unit: ARENA is named after the BBC TV series that captures the art, design, filmmaking and theatre scene since 1975. We explore the perception of the visual aesthetics of image and sequential space/s within the necessary function architecture needs to provide [camera]. This is in tandem with the political and cultural narratives contained within visual culture today [chapter]. The architectural process used by students is derived from the digital drawing techniques of cinemetrics by Brian McGrath and Jean Gardener. Camera and projections become instruments for drawing sequences of the imagined and re-imagined stories in spaces and structures. Cinema and scenography as a visual art form takes on an (architectural) sculptural dimension that we can use to design dramatic and evocative environments. ARENA wraps this in the context of our city, and its creative eco-system, with a mixture of events that enrich its cultural heritage. ARENA explores the typology of a festival – or the city as a festival. This year, we explored Birmingham Opera Company’s world

premier staging of Mittwoch Aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen in 2012. The event remains a renowned cultural moment for the city that was streamed across the world. BOC has been setting a new standard for contemporary interpretations in opera; “The most radical and challenging voice on the UK Opera scene” (The Times). BOC’s work reflects the city we work in with our diverse audiences, artists and the stories that we tell. Opera as an art form has always embraced innovative formats to depict emerging tastes and tales of our time. However, access to opera is limited and seen as elitist. But it can, and should be, relevant for our time to communicate ‘new narratives and timely topics’ in addition to the classical tales. Our studies have tested power structures and hierarchies that exist in society and the arts sector both here in Birmingham and with the Teatro Fenice in Venice. Design proposals challenge how architecture can contrast against these with transient and permanent performance venues that intersect established or unexpected civic spaces.

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Unit: EXTINCTION REBELLION ARCHITECTURE Unit Leader: Prof. Rachel Sara Unit Tutor: Aine Moriarty, Mitchell Eley Gould Acknowledgements: Birmingham Friends of the Earth, John Christophers (Associated Architects)

Unit: Extinction Rebellion Architecture (ERA) is a studio that takes extinction rebellion’s call to action as its starting point. In a state of climate emergency we cannot simply carry on designing ‘business as usual’ buildings. We need to radically rethink in order to develop a new architecture that does more than merely minimizing environmental impact. We need to rethink what architecture could and should be. This unit sought to push the boundaries of architectural production to explore architecture that aims to be an active part of the solution to the current climate crisis – a restorative architecture. We developed experiments with new carbon-absorbing materials, designs which restore the environment in a variety of ways including intensifying biodiversity, creating spaces which clean the air, clean water, recycle materials and generate renewable energy, provide intergenerational housing, bring human activity back into the skyscraper, challenge the way we build and more. Projects are located in a range of sites around Digbeth, Birmingham. The non-masterplan approach

is to propose a series of independent small-scale projects which knit into the existing fabric and act as a catalysers for subsequent incremental change. In the spirit of XR we have worked as a collaborative, participatory and inclusive unit that aimed to be supportive and nurturing. We began by producing a manifesto for the unit, undertaking research into the most radical emerging responses to the climate emergency, as well as developing an evidence base to identify the most pressing concerns. We exhibited our work at Birmingham Friends of the Earth as well as in a public exhibition at the Custard Factory, Digbeth, in order to respond to our ambition to work with real communities where possible as ‘to be truly visionary we have to root our imagination in our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond that reality.’[2] 1 Extinction Rebellion (2019) https://rebellion.earth/ the-truth/the-emergency/ [accessed 11.09.19] 2 bel hooks (2014). ‘Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics’, p.110, Routledge.

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Byron Chan

Emran Mayow

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Darius Walton

Hannah Boland

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Jack Shaw

Fatimah Mohammed

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Marcus Smith

Frances Chappelow

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Unit: MODERN GAZETTEER Unit Leader: Michael Dring Unit Tutor: Luke Nagle, MW Architects

The context for our study this year has been Birmingham, specifically the Inner Ring Road. Conceived in 1917 and constructed between 1954 – 74, the road fundamentally reconfigured the landscape of the city, apparently breaking with tradition in the form and culture of the city. The earliest impetus for change was one of bringing ‘communal order’ to the city in the wake of uncontrolled expansion, the horrors of WWI and new technologies. Civic improvements were to be achieved through new roads as well as municipal and ceremonial buildings to embellish and extend the historic centre, drawing inspiration from the Viennese Ringstraße around which we based parallel studies. The subsequent period post WWII saw change justified on grounds of bomb damage, of improving social welfare and of eliminating traffic congestion, the road ‘instrumental’ in catalyzing changes of use and promoting new modernist urban typologies and forms borrowed from Europe and North America. As a ‘city street of novel character, not an urban motorway, not principally a traffic street or a shopping street’, pedestrians were segregated from traffic, literally making new ground for new civic and commercial buildings. The Highgate Initiative (1988) and Big City Plan (2008) identified the ‘concrete collar’ of the road as a restriction to the growth of the city,

and since then key parts have been demolished and reconfigured at Paradise Circus, Mass House and Moor Street with plans for more change. Students of The Modern Gazetteer entered into a dialogue on topics associated with the spaces and buildings of the ring road/straße, drawing reference from past and present critical voices on the questions of architectural continuity, style and ornament, transport and urbanism, and attitudes to preservation and conservation in the modernist city. Workshops on techniques and methods of recording, collecting and archiving information through photography, modelling, drawing and bricolage guided the creation of a Gazetteer, a shared resource and provocation for our student’s work presented here. In doing so we ask; If architecture can be seen to represent our collective memory and endeavours, and the city is communicative space that tells us about the changing culture and values of society (creativity/participation, emancipation/production etc), what should our attitude be to conservation of twentieth century architecture and urban form? If architecture and construction is a main contributor to global warming, should we as architects pursue originality and novelty that resists change, or should we show greater concern for tradition, continuity and adaptability? Are they exclusive, or is there a middle ground?

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Adam Salton Mayers

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Indraj Bhachu

Holly Astle

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Lottie Barnes

Sandy Webb

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Architectural Tectonics As students resolve a design response in their units, their design development is supported further with exploration in Architectural Tectonics to develop a critical and reflective position on the construction, material and spatial possibilities of architecture. It strengthens the courses ethos on acts of making and to realise how material and context informs architectural language. Students fabricate tectonic elements of their design proposal at a scale that reveals something of the process of manufacture, assembly, and the influence of craft techniques on the wider scheme.

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MArch tectonics_Ankitha MUDIGERE-DYAVANNAGOWDA, Unit Modern Gazetteer.jpg

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Advanced Praxis The Advanced Praxis module is tailored to specifically combine complex, synthesised design skills with the collaborative, administrative, legislative and technical challenges of working within a live practice framework. Student groups develop a detailed architectural design proposal collaboratively, with strategic levels of integrated technical resolution. Students additionally analyse the architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility to society, the environment and the profession as they resolve their

Project: Umberslade Farm Praxis Partner: Intervention architecture Tutor: Christian Nakarado

scheme with detailed workshops by leading experts and consultants in the wider construction industry. Here is a selection of work from both the part-time and fulltime groups responding to the project briefs set by the partnering practices, carefully selected to give students different design opportunities; from conservation of historic buildings to rural architecture typologies to module construction.

MArch Architecture

Project: Moseley Road Baths Praxis Partner: Donald Insall Associates Tutor: Michael Dring

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Project: Deaf Cultural Centre Praxis Partner: D5 Architects Tutor: Alessandro Columbano

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Project: Reaside Academu Praxis Partner: Associated Architects Tutor: Ian Shepherd

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PG Dip Architectural Practice

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PG Dip Architectural Practice RIBA Part III

Tutors: Ian Shepherd Anthony Clerici Amanda Jones

This professional practice course can be commenced following 24 months’ relevant practice experience and includes personal reflection, a case study, practice and professional examination and an oral exam. The course duration is two years, however, can be completed within 10 months. Enrolment takes place in the autumn and spring of each year. The course that prepares students for the exams is delivered through a number of two-day modules at the School, and is delivered by a range of specialist speakers who are expert in their field. The modules are spread over several months and lead to the oral exam in either which can be taken in December or June This fully accredited course covers the criteria set down by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and adopted by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), giving exemption from the RIBA Part III examination. On completion, successful candidates can register with the ARB entitling them to use the title ‘Architect’. They can also apply for chartered membership of the RIBA.

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The course aims to provide education in architectural practice that provide skills, knowledge and understanding that are not only for the purposes of professional qualification but that can be taken forward in to practice to form the basis of life-long learning and professional development. To achieve this, the course provides students with:

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Knowledge and support for professional experience to enable students to satisfactorily complete the final examination and join the ARB. Ability to act in a professional manner and in accordance with the codes and standards of the profession. Critical understanding of the requirements of the legal framework for practice, practice management and construction procurement. Ability to identify good practice and excellence and adopt it in their professional life. Ability to identify their future learning needs and the opportunities of specialisation and diversification in their careers. The Course Director will provide guidance and support throughout the course.

Professional Examiners Helen Rea - Glazzard Architects Ltd John Norfolk - Associated Architects Daniel Mulligan - Glen Howells Architects Amanda Harmer - Harmer Fitz Architects Robert Hopkins – AHR Manchester Bob Ghosh - K4 Architects Simon Jesson – Glancy Nicholls Architects Martha McSweeney – McSweeney Architecture Satwinder Samra - University of Sheffield Natalia Maximova – Sheppard Robson Daniel Mulligan – Glenn Howells Architects Lucy Dinnen – Project V Architecture Dhiran Vagdia – Vagdia and Holmes Naomi Fisher – APEC Architects Ltd Tariq Shaikh – Gensler (Birmingham) Laura McMullan – Hayward McMullan Izzy Rhodes – Swain Architecture Brandon Buck – Perkins and Will

External Examiner Orla Hegarty – University College Dublin

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Beyond Graduation Our ‘Beyond Graduation’ programme provides support for those either working in practice or looking for work including those seeking to develop a career outside of architecture. The programme runs at both Post-Part I and Post-Part II levels as a non-credit based course to help support students through their early career choices.

As part of the Beyond Graduation programme, the School provides a Professional Studies Advisor (PSA) to guide students through the process as well as careers support in addition to validating practical experience through the PEDR’s. Students will also continue to be able to access to library facilities and IT resources. The School has a wide network of contacts to help support students into work.

Ian Shepherd - Course Director Anthony Clerici – Visiting Tutor Amanda Jones – Professional Studies Advisor

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MA Conservation of The Historic Environment

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MA Conservation of The Historic Environment

Tutors: Katriona Byrne Tim Lewis, PhD candidate, Guest Lecturer and Visiting Tutor

The postgraduate courses in Conservation of the Historic Environment recruited very well this academic year with students in Year 1, Year 2 and on a thesis-only module. The course is aimed at mid-career professionals or contractors with a delivery format of Friday and Saturday teaching, so most of the students are in full-time employment. It also attracts people who are changing careers and some newly-graduated students. This leads to a fascinating cross section of skills, interests and professional knowledge. The course fits in well with the expanded Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, with courses in historic landscapes and historic interiors, as well as a strong emphasis on conservation philosophy and understanding the significance of existing buildings and their sustainable futures. The course continues to offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for architects, surveyors, engineers, contractors or home owners. One of the important aspects of the courses is the number of specialist lecturers used to deliver the workshops, all experts in their fields and some at the forefront of new research. Officers from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, Historic England, English Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland were amongst those who gave an insight into the reality of the industry. Site visits and tours were led by conservation architects and conservation officers and demonstrated conservation in practice on the ground. In Year 1 there were tours of different conservation areas. The course leader brought students around Digbeth to undertake area characterisation; then we

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visited the world-famous Jewellery Quarter with David Mahoney conservation architect and we were guided around the chocolate suburb of Bournville by Andrew Fuller conservation officer, to consider planning and conservation issues. In Year 2 students learned to assess the defects of buildings and propose remedial measures. Visits were made to Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, known now as the grandfather of the skyscraper, to consider the radical structural solution there by Historic England; and to Christopher Wrayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emporium with James Phillips and the former Aston Central Fire Station to consider reuse and energy efficiency. Understanding and improving the financial and environmental sustainability of historic buildings is another important part of the course, and students have been working with Building Preservation Trusts to consider options appraisals for both redundant places of worship and secular buildings. An old cinema and a workingmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club were considered by the students.

Another is the practical nature of the course, with students getting hands-on experience and understanding of traditional building materials. The knowledge of lime as a mortar, plaster, render or limewash is the cornerstone of working with pre-1919 buildings and structures, and all students have a go at mixing mortars, as well as plastering onto lath, and repointing stonework at Llanymynech Limeworks in North Shropshire. Many of the practical workshops had to be delivered online over the Summer. There were several highlights to the Year 1 workshops this year, including films of blacksmiths forge-welding, online demonstrations by stonemason Matt Faber and a virtual tour of twentiethcentury buildings in Birmingham city by Joe Holyoak. For Year 2 students the workshops culminated in an inspirational guide to the Picturesque landscape at Hagley Hall by Joe Hawkins as part of the Estates, Parks and Gardens workshop. Awards to students included the Twentieth Century Society West Midlands Award given to Sian Bradley and the Milestone Society Award given to Anna Jacka; Anna

MA Conservation of The Historic Environment

Jacka also gained a prestigious Gus Astley Award from the IHBC; Alexa Woodward was given first prize in the Church Project by Camilla Finlay with commendations to Catherine Fenghour and Anna Jacka. Frank Coyne was granted the Donald Insall Award for best Conservation Management Plan and Caitlin Osborne the commended prize under the same award. Katriona Byrne Course Director MA Conservation of the Historic Environment

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