Academic Portfolio by Douglas Walker

DOUGLAS WALKER ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH S0811464 10 May 2012

CONTENTS YEAR 1 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 1A/1B ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 1

YEAR 2 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 2A/2B

YEAR 3 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 3 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THEORY ARCHITECTURAL PLACEMENT

YEAR 4 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PLACEMENT REPORT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DISSERTATION

YEAR 1 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 Head in a window Place in the city Montage of a setting Historical precedent study Retreat Home and work place TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 1A/1B Universal Access Construction and Materials ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 1 Historical precedent study William Morris essay Jewish Museum essay

HEAD IN A WINDOW September 2008 ‘Head in a window’ was the introductory project of first year. Looking to create a stylized representation of a familiar figure; in my case, a self-portrait, it aimed to combine the evocative nature of sculpture with an architectural approach to design. My piece explored the abstraction of facial features through the manipulation of a digital image to create areas of high contrast which were then simplified through sketching to create a segmental build up of defining features. These were cut from sheet metal and fixed with bent wire which followed the profile of the face to add depth to the final piece.

SKETCH DESIGN

THREE DIMENSIONALITY OF MASK

ABSTRACTION OF DEFINED FACIAL FEATURES ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

PLACE IN THE CITY October 2008 The ‘Place in the city’ group project site was a small staircase passage at the junction of India Street and North West Circus Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh. The aim of the task was to measure and produce accurate drawings of the space whilst using less conventional methods to represent the experiential qualities of the space; in our case, the cavernous, damp nature of the staircase. The strong shadows cast by the flying staircases to the flats became an important aspect of the project along with the complexity of movement through the site . This group project developed representational skills in physical model making, orthographic drawing and resulted in a heightened appreciation of unconventional architectural spaces.

PHYSICAL MODEL

AXONOMETRIC OF STAIRS Group work by Vsevolod Kondratiev-Popov, Alexandra Kuklinski, Ophelia Lau, Daryll Leslie and Douglas Walker

PHYSICAL MODEL

ELEVATION OF STAIRS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

MONTAGE OF A SETTING

November 2008

This project celebrated the act of reading in bed and relaxing on a Sunday morning. It was intended that the final montage represent some of the spacial, material and experiential qualities of the imagined space. My space took the rituals of reading, seclusion and nature as the key generators for spacial arrangement and resulted in a niche with glazed elevation looking towards a wooded landscape .

MONTAGE

INITIAL SKETCHES ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

HISTORICAL PRECEDENT STUDY | MAISON DE VERRE

November 2008

The precedent study gave an opportunity to research Pierre Chareau’s Maison de Verre. Through academic research and a series of drawings and models, our group was expected to absorb and portray to an audience the richness of the design and the main design features, symbolic themes, materiality and technological advancement of the scheme. This was presented as a group presentation with an exhibition of drawings and models.

Brief overview of Maison de Verre Background -Located in the Saint Germain district of Paris, on Rue Saint Guillaume, in an 18th century courtyard. -Constructed 1928-32 by Pierre Chareau for Dr. Dalsace as a private house and medical clinic. -The uncooperative resident on the top floor of the existing building meant it could not be demolished, and so the new house was inserted into the old. Materials -Glass block was used as the prime protective skin, which was extremely uncommon at the time. Technical insecurities about the material meant even the manufacturers were not prepared to give a weatherproof guarantee. -Steel I-Beams were used as the structural support of the building, in order to keep up the existing 18th century townhouse on top. However, industrial materials had never been exposed in this way in a domestic situation before.

PHYSICAL MODEL

Module -The front façade is made up of panels that are four glass blocks wide, this width of 91cm has been taken as a module and applied to the rest of the house. -Interior and exterior doors, partitions, and storage units are all part of the modular order. -Industrial materials and the standard dimensions of all these units mean that they can be massproduced. However, Chareau’s intention to create many houses, based on Maison de Verre as the prototype was never realised due to the high quality of the craftsmanship required to create it.

DETAIL OF INNOVATIVE GLAZED FACADE Group work by Carin Nakanishi, Niall Patterson, Robert Sedgwick and Douglas Walker

GROUND FLOOR PLAN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 1

WILLIAM MORRIS | ESSAY

November 2008

SHOW HOW WILLIAM MORRIS WAS INFLUENCED BY JOHN RUSKIN’S IDEALS.

With the industrial revolution just beginning to gain momentum and general popularity, the majority of renowned names from this period are related to new feats in engineering. To be known for going against the inevitable growth of the industrial revolution, then, was a bold and generally naive statement to make. None the less, a small movement known as the arts and crafts movement intended to do just that. Fronted by William Morris and John Ruskin, this movement made the admirable attempt to reject the mass production of things like furniture. The idea behind the movement was to get the skills of real craftsmen back into normal everyday things such as furniture. Though the name of William Morris is probably the most synonymous of the arts and crafts movement, without the influence of John Ruskin the movement may never have even taken place in Britain or if so would never have had the same following. Morris first came into contact with the work of John Ruskin, an accomplished writer, art critic and social critic, in Oxford while studying theology at Exeter College. As part of ‘The Brotherhood’, a group of students infatuated with the medieval way of life in the arts and poetry, he was introduced to the essays of Ruskin which also held his similar praise for the medieval ways. The essay explores how he was influenced by by Ruskin’s work and the lasting effect it has had on art and architecture since.

MORRIS PATTERN FABRIC

WILLIAM MORRIS ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 1

UNIVERSAL ACCESS

November 2008

The universal access coursework required an analysis of how user friendly a chosen Edinburgh building was; looking specifically at universal access for those with disabilities or impairments. My assigned building was the commonwealth pool (pre-refurbishment) and the research covered four main areas of the building; ENTRANCE – how well does the entrance announce itself to the street, are steps part of the experience, is there an alternative flush access route? How do people arrive at the building/accessibility of transport links? MOVEMENT – are stairs part of the essential experience of the architecture, are there alternative routes for vertical circulation and how are they experienced, are there any areas which are inaccessible to wheelchair users?, FACILITIES/MANAGEMENT – are there toilets which are accessible to all, are they appropriately positioned? Can families use the facilities / sit together? how well does the signage work and is it readable by all, are there any audio guides to the building. Are there any managerial problems? ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN – when was the building designed, who was the architect, how well does the design of the building respond to the challenges of providing universal access and use of the facilities by all users?

COMMONWEALTH POOL STEPS

DETAIL OF FLOOR JOISTS ON SLEEPER WALL

COMMONWEALTH POOL | EDINBURGH Group work by Pria Lad and Douglas Walker

TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 1A

CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS

1 December 2008

As a component of the technology and environment course, we were required to conduct a technological study of a building looking at construction details and the materials used. For this I studied my family home in Bo’ness, Scotland. Through a written description and technical details of the construction method, I gained a better understanding of Victorian building techniques. The study also looked at the later 1980’s extension to the house to see how the construction method differed and what approach had been taken to integrating the two periods of building . This was presented through the four key headings of; walls, roof, floor, and openings.

DETAIL OF FLOOR JOISTS ON SLEEPER WALL

67 DEAN ROAD, BO’NESS

REAR ELEVATION

DETAIL OF ROOF EAVES TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 1A

THE RETREAT January 2009 Designing the retreat brought together two parts of the project; the narrative of the journey and the ritual within the retreat space. The journey through the landscape became as important as the retreat itself and the semisubmerged nature of the retreat was a response to the need to integrate with the surroundings while also merging the journey in to the physical form of the retreat by gently cutting in to the contours of the hillside from a distance, opening up the footprint for the building as it carves deeper into the hillside. The retreat took on an evocative but introverted form; being unobtrusive from a distance but visually striking close up.

ROOF PLAN

ARTHURS SEAT JOURNEY MAP

RETREAT ELEVATION ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

RETREAT PLAN

RETREAT END ELEVATION THE RETREAT January 2009 Situated in Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh; the retreat project explored the nature of the journey to and from the retreat concentrating on the final destination as a culmination of the experiences witnessed along the way.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

PLAN VIEW OF RETREAT MAQUETTE

RETREAT MODEL ELEVATION

ENTRANCE TO RETREAT THE RETREAT January 2009 Situated in Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh; the retreat project explored the nature of the journey to and from the retreat concentrating on the final destination as a culmination of the experiences witnessed along the way.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

HOME AND WORK PLACE

1 February 2009

The ‘Home and work place’ brief called for an artists studio and residential dwelling for an artist on Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh. The site had a challenging series of changing levels which led to a proposal in which public and private separation was driven by the changing levels. The concept of a ‘thick threshold’ that acts as a transition space between home and work place, public and private, was implemented to separate the artists studio from the residential area.

NORTH AND SOUTH ELEVATIONS

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC OF THICK THRESHOLD

GLAZED CORNER. THICK THRESHOLD

MODEL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

SITE SECTION SHOWING BUILDING IN CONTEXT HOME AND WORK PLACE February 2009 Studio and residential dwelling for an artist on Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh. A series of changing levels and public and private separation drove the design concept.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1

JEWISH MUSEUM | ESSAY

March 2009

HOW DOES DANIEL LIBESKIND’S JEWISH MUSEUM IN BERLIN REPRESENT IT’S SUBJECT AND PROGRAMME? Jewish history in Berlin is a very contentious subject and at the very centre of this struggle is the Jewish museum. The Jews as a race have been persecuted by many religions and world powers throughout history and, although far from all encompassing, the Jewish history is largely made up of persecution and anti-semitism. How then, can a building be expected to represent such a tragic past? The essay explored this under the main elements of; interpretation of the site, the form of the building, the layout and journey, the ‘Voids’, the Holocaust Tower and the ETA Hoffmann garden. Libeskind derives form through topographical lines which connect the addresses of Germans and Jews from around the site in an attempt to meaningfully integrate the built form of the museum with Jewish presence in Berlin. One of Libeskind’s personal challenges was trying to show the scale of loss that has been felt by Jews over the centuries. He does this through the use of Voids, of which there are six, all lying along the central axis. He explains, “The voids of the museum provide a setting for nothing really to be displayed, because there is nothing really to be seen. It is just an emptiness that will never be eliminated from this city” The essay elaborates on the worth of such an integrated approach to design eventually concluding that the building performs well above just a building to house the remaining artefacts of Jewish history. Through the building,spacial planning, the design process and the programme, the Jewish Museum delivers an experience more than an education and as such is an excellent example of building design contributing to historical representation.

AERIAL VIEW OF JEWISH MUSEUM

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Fleming, J. Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Fifth Edition (1998) Libeskind, D. Daniel Libeskind Breaking Ground- Adventures in Life and Architecture (2004) Libeskind, D. Jewish Museum Berlin, G+B Arts International (1999)

HOLOCAUST TOWER

HOLOCAUST TOWER AND MEMORIAL GARDEN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 1

YEAR 2 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2 Skills Seminars Reading Seminar Body Survey Chair Room Collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House Dance Centre TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2 A Well Tempered Environment Adapting Environments Timber Structures Structural Model and Competition ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 2A/2B Brunelleschi and Florence Cathedral Dome essay Glasgow City Chambers essay The Parisian Hotel

SKILLS AND READING SEMINAR Throughout second year, a series of skills seminars were undertaken to provide guidance on many of the basic representational skills required in the course. The subjects covered were; hand drawing, 2D and 3D CAD work, computer rendering, and photoshop. One building was chosen to be the subject of each seminar. My building was Eric Owen Moss’ Lawson/Weston House. The reading seminar looked at the Straw Bale House (Sarah Wigglesworth Architects) and its unconventional approach to design and construction. This was given as a verbal presentation and essay submission.

“Table Manners” celebrates mess and the lack of conformity between intended use and actual use. From the disarray comes a true reflection of life; a carbon copy of the imperfections which personify a person or place. The process of taking a study such as this through into a final design addresses many similar issues to my own work and it is interesting to observe how literally the topic of another system of order has been dealt with, by breaking from the grid of ordered architecture and creating a seemingly messy floor plan.

While the ‘Straw bale house’ could be passed off as nothing more than an experimentation with unconventional building materials, it also blossoms from a very interesting design process which in itself is worthy of discussion. It may not be universally well received but its clarity in design intent and reasoning make it a fascinating study.

LAWSON WESTON HOUSE SECTION

AXONOMETRIC DRAWING

TABLE STUDY SARAH WIGGLESWORTH ARCHITECTS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

BODY SURVEY AND CHAIR

September 2009

The design unit began with a body survey in which students worked in pairs to record the quality of a bodily gesture. Our chosen topic was motion and the capturing of movement through analytical methods. The body trace took the form of a golf swing and from this initial trace we developed a method of plotting the position of limbs and joints during the duration of a golf swing. From the resultant image, the asymmetry of the body was present in the trace and this became an integral theme of the later design work. The representational method of circles and lines used to show limbs and joints in the body trace fed through to become the design aesthetic of the chair design which used slender metal rods and solid metal ball joints to connect the members. The asymmetry of the body trace was afflicted on the chair to create an image of restlessness with a visual nonconformity.

BODY TRACE Group work by Gerald Chu and Douglas Walker

CHAIR DRAWINGS

PHYSICAL MODEL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

ROOM October 2009 The room project, following on from the chair, developed the concept of asymmetry in the human body and based the design around this asymmetry. A similar analysis of body movement, this time a desk study, informed the scale and form of the room. The walls were angled and distorted to create an enclosing space for the study which was raised to create an uplifting effect of rising from the artificially lit library space to the sun drenched study space above.

DESK MOVEMENT SURVEY

SECTION SHOWING RELATIONSHIP OF BOOKCASE TO STUDY Group work by Gerald Chu and Douglas Walker

MODEL STAIRCASE

PLAN OF STUDY SPACE

VISUALISATION OF STUDY SPACE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

BRUNELLESCHI AND FLORENCE CATHEDRAL DOME | ESSAY

November 2009

CONSIDER BRUNELLESCHI’S SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF FLORENCE CATHEDRAL’S DOME IN TECHNICAL AND HISTORICAL TERMS. Florence cathedral dome is to this day an engineering marvel and of it’s time it was unparalleled in its technological innovation. It stood for 120 years with no dome because the diameter was deemed too wide to span. Through the pioneering genius of Brunelleschi, this was proved wrong. The essay discusses the early life of Brunelleschi, attributing it to some of the innovative solutions which were later implemented. It also raises the importance of his rumoured travels to Rome where it is expected he studied the ancient Roman ruins which unlocked the potential of building methods which had been lost for centuries. Technological inventions such as the ox-hoist, the castello, compression rings, a double skin dome and sandstone chains to restrain outward pressure are explored after highlighting the main problems faced by the proposed design of the dome. The essay concludes by asserting the importance of the dome in the later advancement of architecture and its place as a forerunner of renaissance architecture. It briefly evaluates the influence the dome has had on later architects highlighting Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral as an example of this. It finally closes by acknowledging the important role this building played in the advancement of the profession of the ‘architect’ raising it from a low ranking position to the respected role that it has since maintained.

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Murray, P. Renaissance Architecture, History of World Architecture, Faber and Faber, London, 1986 King, R. Brunelleschi’s Dome, The Story of the Great Cathedral in Florence, W F Howes, Leicester, 2003 Conti, G. & Corazzi, R. The Cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore as told by its creator Filippo Brunelleschi, Sillabe s.r.l., Livorno, 2005 FLORENCE CATHEDRAL DOME ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 2A/2B

THE PARISIAN HOTEL

November 2009

The Parisian Hotel group project was completed as a verbal presentation and essay. We were required to design a residence for a selected patron, using the given character profile to develop a historically fitting Parisian hotel for the client. Our client; Le Marquis de Bellegarde was an old soldier and the given date was 1725. I oversaw the garden design and turned an awkward wedge shaped garden site in to a fitting formal garden of typical 18th century fashion. It was planned along two axis; one dominant and the other, a transition from the garden entrance to the main garden space. The central fountain displays wealth and turns the user onto the main axis whilst creating a focal point from all views. The second pond runs along the axis to the end of the garden. It tapers to distort perspective and create the illusion of greater space. The design task implemented the course studies of 18th century Paris in a creative manner rather than a conventional essay. KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Hunt, John Dixon. Tradition and Innovation in French Garden Art, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002 Fazio, M. & Moffet, M. & Wodehouse, L. A World History of Architecture, 2nd Edition, Laurence King, London, 2008

Thompson, Ian. The Sun King’s Garden: Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre and the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles, Bloomsbury, London, 2006

LOCATION Group work by Liam Bonnar, Gerald Chu, Kyong Lee and Douglas Walker

VISUALISATION OF GARDEN

GARDEN LAYOUT PLAN

HOTEL FACADES ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 2A/2B

COLLECTOR’S HOUSE December 2009 The Collector’s House combined the programmatic requirements of a museum with that of a residential dwelling. Situated on a steeply sloping site on Advocates Close in Edinburgh’s Old Town, the design housed a collector and his/her permanent display of chairs. The space was required to be partially open to the public and so the relationship of public and private spaces became crucial. The connection of two public footpaths through the site created axis of public, private, and semi-private movement through the site. A light prism became the linking point for these axis of movement and the spacial arrangement and layering of the spaces was directly informed by this.

ADVOCATES CLOSE SITE MODEL

SECTION SHOWING LIGHT PRISM AND LAYERING OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE SPACE

VIEW DOWN ADVOCATES CLOSE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

3RD FLOOR PLAN

1ST FLOOR PLAN

EXHIBITION PLAN (GROUND FLOOR) ENTRANCE LEVEL PLAN (2ND FLOOR) COLLECTOR’S HOUSE December 2009 A residential dwelling and permanent exhibition space for the residents chair collection in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

DISPLAY SPACE

KITCHEN/ LIVING SPACE

ELEVATION IN CONTEXT

MODEL IN CONTEXT COLLECTOR’S HOUSE December 2009 A residential dwelling and permanent exhibition space for the residents chair collection in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

ADAPTING ENVIRONMENTS

December 2009

This project collaborated with the Collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House project to create a developed proposal which considered the technical and environmental issues of the design. It assessed the requirements of environmental performance for the design and justified the selection of materials and systems (constructional and services) specified in the design. The project was required to consider how to design for flexibility, re-use and disassembly and this was presented under the four titles of; Shearing Levels The constructed environment The de-constructed environment The conditioned environment

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC SHOWING BUILDING COMPONENTS

RAIN WATER HARVESTING

SHEARING LEVELS TABLE SHOWING COMPONENT LIFESPAN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2

A WELL TEMPERED ENVIRONMENT

January 2010

The brief was to design a simple pavilion building to house an administration office in the arid climate of Cairo, Egypt. The proposal had to be fully resolved in its response to microclimate and building programme. An adaptive and responsive building skin was to be designed which helped to condition the interior space. This took the form of a tented outer skin with thick rammed earth walls and a glazed double skin facade. The group project was located in George Square, Edinburgh but had the imagined climatic conditions of Cairo to respond to. This obviously had strong implications on the siting, the building materials and the response to conditioning the interior space.

MICRO CLIMATIC STUDIES

DAYLIGHT STUDIES

CONDITIONING FACADE DETAIL Group work by Gerald Chu, Khushboo Gupta, Keranie Theodosiou, Xiaoyun Wang and Douglas Walker

PLAN

ELEVATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2

DANCE CENTRE

February 2010

The Barcelona study trip conducted in December 2009 formed the basis of our site investigation for the dance centre. As our first project situated outside Edinburgh, it offered a chance to interpret new cultures and surroundings and also design for a different climate. The project was cited in Placa de les Camarelles, Barcelona; a small public square with underground parking, one block away from the MACBA contemporary art museum. The project enjoys the gesture of a rising ground plane, extending from the ground to allow the elevated performance of dance. This derives from the image of a dancer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;En Pointeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rising to limits enforced by nature and gravity. The element of rising is apparent in the whole building beginning with the preparation of dancing. The changing rooms are located below ground at car park level from which the journey towards dance is a constantly raising and uplifting affair. This is continued in the materiality of the studio where light elements such as glass, wood and slender metal components are used. These are used in contrast to the heavy concrete foundations prevalent on the site. The car park is a heavy, dark environment while this studio is intended to sit lightly just kissing the surface of the raised plane. The manual louvres allow the user to define the qualities of the studio, allowing it to be bathed in light and visible to the public or closed off with diffused light.

VIEW OF DANCE CENTRE

GROUP SITE MODEL

PERSPECTIVE SECTION OF PRIMARY DANCE STUDIO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

SECTION A-A

VIEW OF DANCE CENTRE

SECTION B-B

SECTION C-C

SITE PLAN DANCE CENTRE February 2010 A centre for dance situated in a public square in the heart of Barcelona. Connecting to the car-park below and the act of rising through the building became the signature moves in the design concept.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

VISUALISATION OF STUDIO 1

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

RECEPTION FROM BALCONY

RECEPTION FROM ENTRANCE DANCE CENTRE February 2010 A centre for dance situated in a public square in the heart of Barcelona. Connecting to the car-park below and the act of rising through the building became the signature moves in the design concept.

VIEW UNDER CANTILEVERED STUDIO

PHYSICAL MODEL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

GLASGOW CITY CHAMBERS | ESSAY

March 2010

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE GLASGOW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS (CITY CHAMBERS) OF 1882-90 IN GEORGE SQUARE BY WILLIAM YOUNG HAVE NOT ACHIEVED PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE IN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY? As a frontispiece to Glasgow, the Municipal Buildings, positioned at the east end of George Square, are hard to overlook. The scale is matched only by its luxury and exuberance and the effect of such a grand building on a visitor to the City of Glasgow must have been overwhelming. It is under this pretence that the question is asked ‘Why have the City Chambers not achieved particular significance in architectural history?’ The building boasts a number of claims; housing the largest marble staircase in Europe, one of the greatest displays of architectural sculpture in Glasgow, one of the largest municipal buildings to be built at the time and also one of the most expensive . How then can a building like this have gone relatively unnoticed in the history of architecture? To appreciate this, the essay looked to the competition process which was drawn out over four years. Of the notable entries, William Young’s entry received very little academic attention unlike other proposals. The approach was conservative and it is perhaps because of these more unconventional and exciting proposals that the subdued refinement of Young’s work has gone relatively unnoticed. It has been remarked that the building is ‘in many ways backward looking and might seem dull and weak’ For this reason it can be said that the other competition entries may have overshadowed or diluted the response to Young’s design and because of this it never really achieved particular significance in architectural history. Another of the reasons discussed is that it was not innovative or forward thinking. It is merely a studied accumulation of a number of exceptional elements from a variety of past examples. Such comparisons are drawn with the tower of St Vincent St Church (Alexander Greek Thomson), the Arch of Constantine, and St Pauls Cathedral. The essay then concludes that the banking crash and pick up of the same era led to other fields of architecture advancing in Glasgow leaving the trend of large civic buildings behind.

GLASGOW CITY CHAMBERS FACADE

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Cunningham, Colin.Victorian and Edwardian Town Halls. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981 Glendinning, Miles, R. MacInnes, A. MacKechnie. A History of Scottish Architecture from the Renaissance to the Present Day. Edinburgh University Press, 1996.

McWilliam, Colin (ed.) The Buildings of Scotland: Glasgow. Penguin, 1990. GRAND MARBLE STAIRCASE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 2A/2B

TIMBER STRUCTURES

March 2010

A new visitors circulation platform for the archeological remains within the Tron Kirk church, Edinburgh, formed the basis of the timber structures course work. The platform had to fit discretely within the historic building fabric and provide a new viewing platform which was sympathetic to the existing structures. The load transfer from columns was restricted to the perimeter and select designated spots of the archeological dig. The structure was designed entirely of solid timber sections with steel connections and the specification, design justification and sizing of the timber members had to be shown.

Entrance platform – Use of Cowley Connector Cowley Connector support • The Cowley Connector is a versatile device for the end grain jointing of structural timber to other beams, columns or steelwork. • High load transfer with minimal slip • The Cowley Connector is deeply bonded into beam ends to provide strong fixing with negligible slip

section

1 2 3 4

Hammer beam Structure 1. 2. 3. 4.

200mm Floor beam Tie (100mm x 100mm) Post (100mm x 100mm) Brace arch (aesthetic value only in this structure) 5. Primary Column (100mm x 100mm)

5 STRUCTURE DETAILS

VISUALISATION OF VIEWING PLATFORM Group work by Gerald Chu, Stefan Dopierala and Douglas Walker

PLATFORM PLAN

SECTION OF TIMBER PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2

STRUCTURAL MODEL AND COMPETITION

May 2010

The bridge design competition brought together the objectives of designing, building and testing a timber and steel structure. We were provided with a set quota of materials and a fixed span and testing rig that the bridge must fit. The competition determined who could design and build the bridge with the highest failure load to weight ratio. Through basic calculations we had to predict the performance of the bridge and after testing, had to evaluate the failure of the structure and possible ways of improving the bridge performance. Our team finished third in the competition.

PLAN AND ELEVATION DRAWINGS

COMPETITION TESTING REQUIREMENTS

FINAL STRUCTURAL MODEL Group work by Liam Bonnar, Robert Sedgwick and Douglas Walker

INITIAL SPAGHETTI STRUCTURAL MODEL

SECTION OF TIMBER PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 2

YEAR 3 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1 Art Space Network introduction Site study Design progression Final design Pavilion details Environmental and material studies

TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 3 Pavilion details Environmental and material studies Sustainability report ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THEORY Russian constructivism and utopia ARCHITECTURAL PLACEMENT Forms of building contract essay Health and safety report Design report

ART SPACE NETWORK INTRODUCTION

December 2010

The Art Space Network course focussed on designing a contemporary art gallery in line with the £3m Edinburgh Arts Prize. Through an understanding of art culture and an informed knowledge of the function specific architecture of galleries, at a global and local scale, it aimed to create an expressive and functional gallery; embodying some of the energy and dynamism of the current contemporary art scene. The course began with a collection of seminar presentations which we were required to research and present. These came under the titles of Art, Space, Network and acted as an educational immersion into the existing art scene both in Edinburgh and globally. The work was carried out in pairs and small groups and presented formally to the unit and visiting critics. ‘Art’ reviewed the work of a chosen artist. For me, this artist was Ian Hamilton Finlay whose poetry and art garden ‘Little Sparta’ went on to become an important inspiration in my final design. ‘Space’ researched an internationally renowned gallery. In my case, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Newcastle. There also followed a group trip to the gallery to research the handling and storage of large exhibitions pieces and how to design with this the curation and maintenance of these exhibits in mind.

ART | IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

‘Network’ reviewed a local gallery which is part of the established network of galleries in Edinburgh. My group studied the Ingleby Gallery designed by Edinburgh architect, Helen Lucas.

SPACE | BALTIC

NETWORK | INGLEBY GALLERY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

SITE STUDY

December 2010

The overgrown site by The Water of Leith, in Canonmills, Edinburgh, was selected as a viable location for a proposed new gallery. Immediately, the interaction with nature became an interesting design consideration due to the abundance of plant life and wildlife on site. The adaption of a design to sit within the existing weave of life on the site stood out as an interesting concept to design through. The site offers an excellent location with regards to travel from the city centre, situated at the bottom of Dundas Street, yet at an adequate distance to enjoy the tranquil surroundings of the Edinburgh new town and suburbs . There is also the possibility of creating a unique artistic/creative community between the city centre and the site with a multitude of smaller galleries and design-based shops forming a network leading out of the city centre to the edge of the city. The long, narrow site presents an engaging design challenge and also utilises a formally redundant space on a lovely stretch of land along the edge of the water of Leith. The river itself creates a link to the national portrait gallery and the river serves as a popular area for walkers, runners and dog walkers. The rich history of the area could provide an inspiration for design as it was once home to a number of mills and tanneries.

PANORAMA VIEW OF SITE AERIAL VIEW OF SITE

SKETCH; SPECIES OF TREE ON SITE

ABSTRACTION OF SITE Group work by Graham Black, Justin Jing Liang, Murdo McDermit, Wynne McLeish and Douglas Walker

GALLERY NETWORK MAP ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

DESIGN PROGRESSION

December 2010

The design progression began with the formulation of a basic site approach to determine how best to utilize the waterfront position and length of the site. After an initial sketch design it was decided that the gallery should exist as pavilions rather than one large building. The initial rectilinear gallery shape was fragmented and altered to become site specific pavilions which integrate with the land to create one internal/external gallery. Each fragmented pavilion exists not only within its own confines, but also as a part of the larger gallery experience. The fragmented nature of the display spaces means the exhibition can either be of one large body of work linked by the external spaces (also used for exhibiting suitable work) or a series of small exhibitions, each housed in their own private gallery space.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;That which joins and that which divides is one and the sameâ&#x20AC;? IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

SITE APPROACH

SITE LAYOUT SKETCH

By separating and scattering the pavilions, the garden and gallery become one, offering the experience of art both internally and externally. The garden both joins and separates the pavilions and becomes an integral part of the gallery experience.

DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

DESIGN PROGRESSION

December 2010

For the pavilions to meaningfully integrate with the site, they have to work with the existing trees rather than sit in openings. I experimented with situating the pavilions and weaving between trees; framing and navigating the site. As influence for this I looked at the ‘Juvet landscape hotel’ by Jensen and Skodvin Arkitektkontor and Steven Holl‘s ‘T Space’

PAVILION MAQUETTE

RECEPTION BUILDING SKETCH

The reception building takes on a different aesthetic to the pavilions to make a distinguished change between the gallery space and the wider context of Edinburgh. The building acts as a buffer or transition space between the reclusive/ tranquil confines of the garden/ gallery and the hectic life of the city. The roof line appears to fold up from the ground, housing the reception underneath the fold.

SKETCH OF JUVET LANDSCAPE HOTEL

JUVET LANDSCAPE HOTEL- JSA

T SPACE- STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS

SKETCHING PAVILION IDEA ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

FINAL DESIGN

December 2010

ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

STEPPED SECTION ALONG THE WATER OF LEITH

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

PAVILION 2- SECTION ON B-B ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

PAVILION 3 INTERIOR MODEL

EXTERIOR VIEW OF WALKWAY AND PAVILIONS

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

PAVILION 3 MODEL

SITE MODEL SHOWING PAVILIONS IN CONTEXT

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1

PAVILION DETAILS

3 December 2010

While maintaining a simple aesthetic, the pavilions are less so in their design. One of the issues brought up repeatedly by artists was the importance of easy access to the gallery for moving work. With this in mind, both galleries are situated close to the road so that work can simply be shifted from the delivery vehicle into the gallery. There is also a large height storage room in the reception building capable of storing anything suitable for the pavilions. Large 4x4m doors (shown opposite) allow art to be easily moved between exhibitions. Each pavilion is designed to have a low impact on site. The pavilions are stilted to avoid the need for concrete floor slabs and to work with the existing contours of the land rather than have extensive excavation on site. The pavilions are intended to be partly pre-fabricated and quickly erected on site- a delicate operation when working within the existing trees. The detail drawing shows the timber frame with thin steel stilts.

VENTILATION DIAGRAM

ART TRANSPORTATION AND INSTALLATION

INTERIOR VISUALISATION OF PAVILION 2

EVENING VISUALISATION OF PAVILION 2

DETAIL DRAWING ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 3

ENVIRONMENTAL AND MATERIAL STUDIES

3 December 2010

Careful consideration has gone into the selection of materials for the project. The chosen materials maintain a dialogue with the natural surroundings and also give the gallery a visual identity unique to the existing gallery network in Edinburgh Pre-cast concrete panels will form part of the cladding system used on the reception building. To give a distinctive finish and to tie in with the wooded site, the concrete panels are cast with the profile of a branch. This is repeated throughout. The sample panel shown here is a test I conducted to explore the possibilities of evoking natural imagery in concrete form. Scottish Larch cladding is used on all three pavilions; exploiting the durable, hard nature of the wood. The red- brown colour of Scottish larch was specified as I wanted an untreated timber for a natural look which would blend and age well within the site. The timber is also locally grown and milled in Scotland meaning it has a low carbon footprint and is fully renewable offering an environmentally friendly solution to cladding the pavilions.

WILDFLOWER SEDUM ROOF BUILD-UP

CONCRETE TEST PANEL

GSHP HEATING DISTRIBUTION CYCLE

LARCH CLADDING ART SPACE NETWORK December 2010 An art gallery in Edinburgh city centre. The long site on the Water of Leith houses three small pavilions woven between the trees creating a gallery both inside and out.

A green roof has been specified on pavilion and entrance building roofs. This has been chosen to blend the pavilions in with the surrounding garden when viewed from above. The site is overlooked by a number of flats so care has been taken to ensure the view isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compromised. A ground source heat pump has been specified to provide a sustainable source of heating to the pavilions. Vertical bore holes will be drilled at the same time as the reception ground work is being done. 30m bores at 5m spacing will provide enough heat to sustain the pavilions when required. The pump and thermostats will be located in the plant room in the reception and will feed out to the pavilions, each being separately monitored and controlled from the reception. A heat loss of 10% will be expected in the transfer to the pavilions. The heat pump combines with under floor heating to control temperatures in the pavilions.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 1 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 3

RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM AND UTOPIA | ESSAY

January 2011

USING ONE OR TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, DISCUSS SOME OF THE AIMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF UTOPIAN THINKING IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. In this essay I discussed the utopian aspirations, successes and downfalls of Russian constructivism between 1917 and 1932. The paper concentrated particularly on the work of Vladimir Tatlin; namely his Monument to the Third International, more commonly known as Tatlin’s Tower. This was the defining image of the utopian dreams of constructivist Russia and although never built, it had a lasting impression on both Russian and international architecture. This utopian vision of constructivist Russia wanted to create a new and better every-day life. Many of the projects carried out were on workers clubs or communal leisure facilities and the idea of merging social classes was intended to break down social barriers and create a unified living arrangement. New advancements in technology were also utilized to make everyday life easier and it was hoped, would emancipate women from the kitchen. The names most commonly associated with this movement include El Lissitzky, Kasimir Malevich, the Vesnin brothers, Konstantin Melnikov and Alexander Rodchenko . The most influential artist/architect of the time though was Vladimir Tatlin, head of art in the commissariat of enlightenment (ministry of education) and architect of the famed ‘Monument to the Third International’. Where many movements had one key factor which drove the change towards utopian ideals, constructivism had a multitude ranging from the upheaval of the political scene to the new freedom and creativity of the art scene. Propaganda, industrial advances and technology played a vital role along with the unity of social classes. Possibly because of this volatile mix of inspiration, the movement split off into the two sub genres of individualism and utilitarianism but each formed their own utopian vision and in the case of Tatlin’s Tower, they were united as one. At the peak of constructivism, Russia was a source of inspiration, even jealousy, to the western world and can be linked to many of the modernist architects of the time such as Le Corbusier. The essay further develops the role of utopian thinking behind the design of Tatlin’s Tower and concludes by highlighting the recent interest in constructivist architecture in Russia which has for decades been out of fashion with most notable examples being left to ruin and often demolished.

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lodder, Christina. Russian Constructivism. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1983 Lynton, Norbert. Tatlin’s Tower; Monument to Revolution. Yale University Press, 2009 More, Thomas. Utopia (1516). Cambridge: CUP, 1989.

TATLIN’S TOWER ARCHITECTURAL THEORY

SUSTAINABILITY | NATURAL MATERIALS

January 2011

There are many aspects of sustainable building construction which can be improved to reduce the negative impacts that building has on the environment. Throughout the report I focussed specifically on the materials used in construction, looking at the material from point of extraction to disposal and assessing its place in the future of construction. Many man-made composite materials boast high efficiency therefore credit themselves as crucial in sustainable design. While they may be excellent insulators, many come with the burden of very high embodied energy. A product such as an aluminium sandwich panel is a good example of this so if we aim to be truly sustainable in our construction we have to consider more alternative methods of construction. With this in mind the report looks solely at natural building methods and examines the most contemporary versions of these ancient techniques. While some may view them as backward and inefficient, if applied properly they can produce very good results at relatively low cost and with no detriment to the environment. The two materials concentrated on are rammed earth and straw bale construction also giving mention to other natural methods on the way. Both materials are deeply routed in the history of building, having been used for thousands of years. But not until recently has the technology and construction method advanced enough to make them feasible for use in modern western buildings in the 21st century. The report assesses each material under Environmental, Technical, and Aesthetics sections before providing case studies for each material. STRATIFICATION OF RAMMED EARTH WALL

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Minke, Gernot and Mahlke, Friedemann. Building With Straw; Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture, Birkhauser, Basel, 2005 Walker, Peter. Rammed Earth; Design and Construction Guidelines, BRE Bookshop, 2005 Elizabeth, Lynne. Alternative Construction: Contemporary Building Methods,Wiley, 2005 NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS | STRAW BALE, RAMMED EARTH, SEDUM, TIMBER TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 3

PLACEMENT | WORKING LEARNING THE STANDARD FORMS OF BUILDING CONTRACT – THEIR RELATIVE BENEFITS, AND EFFECT ON DESIGN PRACTICE Although many forms of procurement exist in the industry, the three most common in the UK are traditional, design and build, and management. Within these three broad headings are a few sub-forms of procurement. Each one has its relative advantages in terms of cost, quality and time and because of this each one has grown to become favourable for a certain build scale or type of project. The industry standard documents for these forms of procurement are JCT (Joint Contracts Tribunal) and NEC suites (New Engineering Contracts) although many more exist and non standard adaptations of these forms can be used in special circumstances. The scope of the essay covers only a fraction of the procurement types available (looking at traditional, design and build, and management) and gives only a general view of each discussed contract. In reality, each project is bespoke and there is no set way of using contracts. In their very nature they are flexible to accommodate the inevitable differences in each project and through time every architect, contractor and client will create their own unique contract profile- a form of procurement, pricing scheme, and schedule of works that they find is suited to them. The basic rules of thumb are as such; Traditional procurement for small projects and good quality control, Design and Build for medium projects and price control/speed, and Management for large/ complex projects and speed. The recent trend of faster completion has boosted the use of design and build but whether architects, clients and contractors are willing to step out of their comfort zone and move to newer procurement methods is yet to be seen.

February-march 2011

HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT The health and safety report required two health and safety forms to be filled in documenting the risks and procedures in place in the workplace. These were the Health and Safety Policy and the Workplace Risk Assessment. Following this a short report was required on CDM regulations. CDM REGULATIONS REPORT An architect assumes many roles and responsibilities throughout the design and construction process. One of the less alluring yet equally important responsibilities of the architect is to assure that all aspects of a project adhere to the health and safety requirements set out in the CDM regulations. These regulations shouldn’t just be viewed as more paperwork. A careful consideration and understanding of the common problems and unique risks posed by each project, if dealt with at the design stage, can greatly improve the safety, construction time and even cost management of a project also leading to a safer and more user friendly building after completion. the CDM regulations exist to protect all workers and end users from possible health and safety risks. The role of the designer is to eradicate these risks before they ever become an actual threat to anyone. If this can’t be done then the designer is responsible for reducing and highlighting any remaining risks. The best application of health and safety regulations isn’t a building plastered with danger and warning signs on every door and wall, it is one in which the architect has anticipated the risk and solved it before going to the construction stage. The regulations should be looked upon as guidance for good design rather than an annoying requirement and that is something which can only be realised through architects working with the regulations throughout the design process rather than trying to fight them and force a solution later on.

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Clamp, Hugh. Cox, Stanley. Lupton, Sarah. Which contract? Choosing the Appropriate Building Contract. Fourth Edition. RIBA Publishing, London, 2007

Clark-Provelio, Paul I. Meeting the Requirements of the CDM Regulations: 10 Tips for Architects. RIBA

Speight, Anthony. Architect’s Legal Handbook: The Law for Architects. Ninth Edition. Architectural Press, Oxford, 2010

Office of Government Commerce. Procurement and Contract Strategies: Achieving excellence in Construction Procurement Guide.

HSE Press Release http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-sw-739sww09.htm

ARCHITECTURAL PLACEMENT

DESIGN REPORT | FOUNTAINPARK SOUTH

April 2011

The design report I developed was for an ongoing project adjacent to my flat called Fountainpark South. At the time of writing, the project was still in its preliminary stages but it has since begun on site. The report helped me to familiarise myself with the methods of presentation used by architects when seeking planning approval. The basic introductory details of the report are shown here. It then went on to discuss the site and area appraisals, the design approach and the design development. 1. Introduction Masterplanners- Allan Murray Architects Planning and development Consultants- CB Richard Ellis Cost consultants- Faithful and Gould Ecology, geo-environmental and utilities consultants- AECOM Environmental consultants- Environ Transportation Consultants- WSP Heritage consultants- Hurd Rolland 1.1 Applicant LTSB (fountainbridge 1) and LTSB (fountainbridge 2), part of Lloyds Banking Group and landowners of the site. 1.2 Client Brief The Fountainbridge Development Brief was prepared by the city of Edinburgh council in 2004 following the closure of the Scottish and Newcastle brewery site. The brief asked for new streets to link into existing fabric and to create a canal-side quarter. The development is planned in compliance with the Edinburgh City Local Plan 2010 and the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan 2015. A number of other guidelines were considered such as Daylighting, sunlighting and privacy, Protection of key views, High buildings and roofscapes and Parking standards.

ILLUMINATED SITE MODEL OF PROPOSAL PLACEMENT | WORKING LEARNING April 2011 As part of the placement year we were required to write three reports of matters concerning professional practice.

VISUALISATION OF NEW DEVELOPMENT

CITY PLAN SHOWING CONSERVATION AREAS ARCHITECTURAL PLACEMENT

YEAR 4 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2 Facade, Urban link, Inhabited bridge in Durham Preliminary studies and site research Initial site ideas Design Progression Final design Technical Study ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PLACEMENT REPORT Diversity in the small practice ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DISSERTATION Distillery architecture

PLACEMENT REPORT

November 2011

BRANCHING OUT: IS DIVERSITY KEY TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE SMALL PRACTICE? At a time when many if not all practices are running on reduced staff or reduced working hours, the ever ominous question of how to survive the recession is being asked everywhere. Whilst writing the report, the media were predicting a double dip recession which has since been formally declared. This renders the question of how a small practice can survive in the current economic climate ever more pertinent. The report was inspired and structured around my time spent at Oliver Chapman Architects in Edinburgh from May to December. Whilst gaining experience in the working environment I was lucky enough to be involved with the company’s sideline venture ‘Schop Institution’ which runs evening classes and a summer school in parallel with the successful architecture practice. This outfit strengthened my belief small practices must diversify in order to survive the current economic crisis. Through an exploration of the varying approaches to diversifying the architecture practice and an analysis of OCAs’ approach to setting up and running the evening and summer school I assessed why it is important both financially and for the industry as a whole that we diversify in tough times, also commenting on how this may change the future role of the architect. The report argued that rather than simply cutting employment and re sizing the office, small architectural practices should diversify and alter the perceived role of the architect to survive the economic downturn. I began by bringing to attention the shortfalls of the profession over the last 15 years and acknowledged how the worsened state of the economy has already begun to push change within the industry. The report examined a few approaches of diversifying and reflected on their long term benefit to the industry. I looked at my time spent at OCA as an example of diversification; analysing the approach to setting up, running and expanding the venture. This then fed into a larger argument of how the industry must diversify and how this might ultimately change the perceived role of the architect.

Statistics from Waite, Richard Journal. 26 September 2011

Confidence drops as unemployment rises. Architects

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Awan, Nishat & Schneider, Tatjana & Till, Jeremy. Spatial Agency; Other ways of doing architecture. Routledge. 2011 Whitaker, J. AFTER REDUNDANCY: Architecture has been one of the worst affected industries in the recession. Blueprint -London- Peter Murray. 2010;(286): p.28-31. Pearce, Martin & Toy, Maggie. Educating Architects. Academy Editions. 1995 DIVERSIFICATION | ARCHITECTURE 5 CENTS

OCA EVENING CLASS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PLACEMENT REPORT

FACADE, URBAN LINK, INHABITED BRIDGE IN DURHAM

May 2012

THE BRIEF The site stands at the convergence of the historic Durham market place and the modern development of Millennium Square, Claypath. At present there is an urban rupture between the two which will be eased by the careful design of a new transitional building which can relate to the historic area of Durham whilst providing a vitality to the transition space between these two contrasting environments. This will hopefully help to stitch the two areas together and create a successful new public space. The design is for a collection of craft workshops and a visitor centre. This is acknowledging the rise of large retail units which are homogenizing the face of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s towns and cities and so a program of sustainable small businesses with high visitor appeal is hoped to alleviate the problem. Our site is on a bridge over a busy road into Durham and as such, inventive strategies are required to integrate the new inhabited bridge with the existing fabric and pedestrian and vehicular routes.

EVENING VIEW OF BRIDGE

VIEW WEST FROM BRIDGE

VIEW OF BRIDGE FROM BOTTOM OF RAMP ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

PRELIMINARY STUDIES AND SITE RESEARCH

May 2012

SITE HISTORY Claypath has a rich tradition of glass making dating back to the medieval period. Britain’s largest collection pf post-medieval glass was uncovered in an archaeological dig at Claypath in 2003 and is expected to be of great relevance in years to come. THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGES The significance of bridges in the present day has diminished significantly from that held in medieval times. Modern iconic bridges are often wonders of engineering such as Le Pont De Normandie or even Scotland’s Forth Bridge. The importance of a well built bridge in medieval times cannot be overstated. Bridges held strategic, social and economic importance in the medieval city and with Durham being built on and around a peninsula, the bridges hold special significance within the city. The bridges of Elvet, Framwellgate, Prebends and Kingsgate formed the basis of a study which culminated in a short presentation of the history and significance of the bridges within Durham.

FACADE STUDY The facade study allowed us to get acquainted with varying approaches to addressing the street front. Through presentations and facade relief models, a wide knowledge of both historical and contemporary approaches to facade design was achieved. My allocated building was Le Corbusier’s Maison Plainex, Paris. Maison Plainex is not a typical Corbusien villa. It does however possess many of his typologies of the time such as the free façade, open floor plan, pilotis and ribbon windows. It documents a purist phase of Corbusier’s work and is an interesting example of a reinterpretation of the Palladian villa. The facade is one of the richest examples of Corbusier’s urban projects as it addresses the context of the adjoining buildings whilst remaining faithful to his modernist typologies. KINGSGATE FOOT BRIDGE Group work by Khushboo Gupta and Douglas Walker

INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

INITIAL SITE IDEAS

Move 1. Relocate the road on the bridge; moving it from the centre of the bridge to the South side. This priorities the pedestrian and establishes the pavement as the primary route over the bridge. Move 2. Close off the slip road to the North. This becomes a pedestrian area, punctuated by an extended wall which acts as a buffer to the busy road running directly underneath the bridge and effectively dissecting the site. I propose this area will become an extension of the nearby market of market square. Move 3. Only inhabit one side of the bridge to maintain the novelty of crossing a bridge which nominally separates the historic centre of Durham with Claypath.

INITIAL SITE SKETCH

May 2012

Move 4. Create a landmark building which punctuates the convergence point of a number of main public routes (from the train station up the ramp, from Market Place, from Millennium Square and from Claypath)

REASSESSING THE BRIDGE The bridge as existing; with a two lane road dominating the site and pedestrian access on either side.

The general proposal was to extend the bridge on either side and build on both sides. In this case, the road severs the public movement between the buildings creating a potential weakness in the success of any craft workshop that might rent the space. Although this is the common historical approach to building on a bridge I feel there is more justification for a single sided development.

My proposal is to relocate the road from the centre of the bridge to the South side. This priorities the pedestrian and establishes the pavement as the primary route over the bridge. The new workshops now have a concentrated footfall of potential visitors passing by and the visual interest and increased space for the pedestrian will make the journey over the bridge altogether nicer. Because of this extra space it will hopefully provide a place of inhabitation rather than just movement.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

DESIGN PROGRESSION | THE BUFFER WALL

May 2012

Create a wall which separates the pedestrian route from the main road and adds interest for the visitor when walking up the ramp towards the bridge. Segment the wall to reduce its overpowering presence on the ramp.

Rotate the segments to create a spatially interesting journey.

Mould the wall to create pockets of inhabitation such as seating and planting areas. Use the layout to dictate movement along the ramp creating pockets of slow movement and areas of high footfall.

The area would become an extension of the nearby market in Market Place. The buffer wall is designed with this weekly event in mind; dictating the layout of the market and the placement of the stalls. Brass connections link the temporary stalls with the permanent structure and storage space is provided for the dismantled stalls in the glass centre.

Offset and rotate elements to harness interesting views to distant church spires and towards the glass workshops.

EXISTING DURHAM MARKET INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

DESIGN PROGRESSION | THE GLASS CENTRE

May 2012

The design of the glass centre aimed to create a marker building which could be recognised from a distance therefore requiring a visually assertive form and scale. As such, the design began by looking at church spires and the Durham Cathedral tower which are the most recognisable features of a townscape. This was combined with the abstracted form of a glass vessel taking inspiration from the large collection of medieval glass found in the claypath area.

The initial design featured a large light well display case which penetrated the centre of the building, reminiscent of a glass bottle.

The light cone moved to the edge of the building to assert its prominence externally on the facade and to gain more natural light to display the historic glass.

SKETCH DEVELOPMENTS OF GLASS CENTRE | EARLIER DESIGN The display of historic glass is an important aspect of the design, although not specified in the brief. I feel that due to the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich history of glass making and nationally important archeological finds, that the inclusion of a dedicated display area for the collection is required. As the artefacts are often small and fragmented I considered the display to be interpreted at two levels; firstly, as a large collection. This is apparent upon entering the room as the wall with its illuminated apertures of glass appear as one large display. The light filtering through these displays will address the visitor as one large display which can then be examined in closer detail at a more intimate scale. This would be at the scale of one display window. The deep puncturing of the wall allows a recessed display case for the glass which will be partially lit by natural light. The openings were dictated by internal viewing preferences and the external slate cladding modules.

Eventually the design progressed to incorporate the display within the facade creating small apertures which display each artefact individually while still uniting them as one large wall display.

INTERIOR OF GLASS CENTRE | EARLIER DISPLAY DESIGN INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

FINAL DESIGN

May 2012

January 2009

The final design consists of three glass making workshops which are attached to the glass centre. This educates visitors on glass making and displays the Claypath historic glass collection. The workshops consist of a hot glass workshop for glass blowing, a cold glass/ cut glass workshop for etching and cutting and a stained glass workshop. Above each workshop is a studio apartment for the crafts person to live. A Durham visitor centre is located across the road and this houses visitor facilities such as an audiovisual display, a cafe, tourist information services and internet access. A new market strip is located next to the glass centre which will integrate with the existing Durham market at Market Place. This will help to integrate the proposal with the surroundings. The facade treatment of the workshops are glazed and staggered at ground level to be inviting to visitors whilst also providing display pockets for the work. The covered arcade provides shelter as well as creating an interstitial space between the workshop and roadside which blurs the boundary between pedestrian thoroughfare and visitor space. The glass centre asserts its presence on the corner of the site and forms the point of convergence between four main routes through the site.

SITE PLAN INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

GROUND FLOOR PLANS

FIRST FLOOR PLANS INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

SOUTH ELEVATION INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

NORTH SECTION

SOUTH SECTION INHABITED BRIDGE | DURHAM May 2012 The final design project was based in Claypath, Durham. An inhabited bridge was designed with glass making workshops, a glass centre and studio apartments to house the crafts-people.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

FACADE MODEL IN CONTEXT

WEST ELEVATION

SECTION SHOWING ARCADE AND BED BOX

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

MARKET PLACE VISUALISATION

BED BOX VISUALISATION

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

PHYSICAL MODEL | BIRDS EYE

PHYSICAL MODEL | STREET HEIGHT

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2

TECHNICAL STUDY

May 2012

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 4

TECHNICAL STUDY | DETAILS

May 2012

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OPTION 2 TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 4

DISSERTATION

May 2012

DISTILLERY ARCHITECTURE: HOW WHISKY MARKETING AND THE TOURIST INDUSTRY IS CHANGING THE FACE OF THE WHISKY DISTILLERY.

Scotland is renowned for many great things; chief amongst this is whisky. As one of the great proponents of Scotland, many whisky drinkers worldwide are drawn here each year in search of the birthplace of their favourite dram. As such, the distillery is developing to become more accommodating to visitors; marking a change in nature from a purely industrial unit to a tourist orientated attraction. The visitor centre is now commonplace in distilleries and this dissertation will assess the current approaches to designing and altering a distillery focussing mainly on the integration of the visitor centre. As the distillery is a working environment, many considerations have to be given to the integration of the tour and the visitor centre. The dissertation will question the best method of doing this through case studies and will also highlight areas where architecture could enhance the experience. Part of the visitor centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role is to accurately portray the brand image and create brand awareness. For some brands that have developed a more contemporary image, the traditional aesthetic of the distillery can be at odds with this image and as such a new architecture is required to accurately portray the progressive nature of these distilleries. The dissertation questions whether the new architectural statements of the winery industry would be a fitting alternative to the existing traditional style; ultimately concluding that the future architectural style has to be deeply rooted in the unique aspects and heritage of each whisky in order to provide a new language which is a valid and meaningful addition to the distillery and the industry ahead of being a bold architectural statement.

TRADITIONAL DISTILLERY IMAGE | STRATHISLA

We are currently at an interesting moment in history as the relatively untouched architecture of the traditional distillery is faced with a wave of modern designs which mimic, pay homage to, and only occasionally move away from, the picture postcard image of a whisky distillery; the architectural expression of which seems stuck in the past and unwilling to change. While the architecture of this time is in its infancy (and therefore not of wide discussion in the architectural community) it is undoubtedly an area of growth and so this dissertation acts as an early discussion of the future of whisky distillery architecture in Scotland.

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHY Banks, Iain, Raw Spirit; in search of the perfect dram, London: Arrow books 2004 Hume, John R. & Michael S. Moss, The making of scotch whisky; a history of the Scottish whisky distilling industry, Edinburgh: Canongate books LTD 2000 Riewoldt, Otto. Brandscaping. Worlds of experience in retail design (Berlin: Birkhauser, 2002) CONTEMPORARY DISTILLERY IMAGE | DALMORE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DISSERTATION

DOUGLAS WALKER ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH S0811464 10 May 2012