FHGraham | BA Hons. Architecture, Newcastle University | Part I

ARCHITECTURE Academic Portfolio Florence H Graham

“Monoliths….are compact architectural objects which appear to be hermetic and reveal nothing of their content. They are stand-alone, often remote structures, but may well form points of orientation in themselves. They are objects without scale which have an imposing characteristic, [and] individual form… Their materials are often confined to a thin envelope which has nevertheless to demonstrate the appearance of a certain homogeneity. The design of the volume should suggest mass, which is mostly achieved by heightening a plastic deformation, preferably under the apparent influence of gravity or some other force.”

Andrea Deplazes, Constructing Architecture: Materials, Processes, Structures, a Handbook (Birkhäuser: Basel, 2005), p. 256

7 arette Week: Charette Week: Drink the Bar Dry Drink the Bar Dry

11 Project One: Phase One: Monoliths

23

Project 1: Project One: Projec

Phase Two: Phase One: P Monoliths Time Capsule TimeSanctuary Capsule

65

71

Graduation Project: Week: Light Thinking ThroughTech Making Capturing The Light and Institute Matter Tech Week:

Graduation Project:

Thinking Through Making

Charette Week: Drink the Bar Dry

Brief: During this week, my group created an installation to map how content residents are with their surrounding architecture, and how safe they feel across the city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Gateshead. The data collected, was then recorded as an ephemeral and dynamic visual spectacle. This was done through the use of 20,000 paper cups on a 1:1000 scale map of the city. This sculpture was then used as the bar for the exhibition,adding a practical element to the design, and reducing the amount of waste produced. Throughout the event, the landscape began to diminish and was no longer an accurate representation of its data. However, this was the intention of the Charette, as the title states, the bar was to be drunk dry by the end of the evening.

Project 1: Phase One: Monoliths

Monolithic exercise to begin to understand Richmond, North Yorkshire’s urban grain, and begin to contextualize the location of the time capsule sanctuary through reinterpreting the archetypical forms of the town’s historic architecture. Through doing this, I began with modelling the existing, and went on to create a series of models that further abstracted the original forms into a more monolithic form.

Project One:

Phase Two: Time Capsule Sanctuary

I began by focusing on the routes and movement across and around the site. The proximity of the market square, Richmond’s hub, means there are opportunities to bring people through via the small passageways that create links throughout the town’s urban fabric.

I created a conceptual model of possible routes that could be brought in and through the site.

To further develop this concept, I continued investigating through the development of conceptual models, where I began to create walls that would force directionality around the site, and pull visitors from the road to the view across the embankment.

While also additionally, pushing people throughout the length of the site. To begin to create a mass I created a ascending heights and frequencies of walls to represent building forms.

This conceptual idea was then developed through creating a study model that began to focus more on form, and function rather than concept, to begin to create a more realistic, and practical proposal.

This would still keep the elements of the conceptual models, aiming to develop a more structurally fluid form, that would then contrast to the mass of the monolithic.

This then lead to the development of two separate elements that would interact at various points. One element being the monolithic, smooth, concrete mass, that makes up the exhibition space for the artist’s of Richmond; and the other being the fortification wall, mimicking that of the Castle , and referencing the use of rough stone; thus setting the contemporary design more in tune with the context.

Used to show the movement around, and through the site, both in plan and in three-dimensional form

Innovation Centre UC Alejandro Aravena | ELEMENTAL Simple monolithic form in appearance, however has design complexities. Influence taken from the openings, which give a false impression of mass externally.

30 Pieces of Silver Cornelia Parker Display technique of a variety of small elements, collated together to create an exhibition used within the time capsule sanctuary.

Brooklyn Bridge Pier 6 BIG Architects Influence taken from the innovative way of creating diverse and interchangeable public space externally, as well as opening up an otherwise awkwardly tight corner.

Charcoal Atmospherics

Charcoal

Atmospheric

Charcoal

Atmospheric

Overlaid with Technical Details Used to give a feel of the intended structure

Concrete pitched roof construction axonometric, supported by steel joists, and reinforced concrete elements.

Tech Week:

Thinking Through Making

Graduation Project:

Capturing Light and Matter

Photography Workshop:

Mapping Richmond through photography and aiming to encapture and observe ‘Light and Matter’

I began by looking at the context of Richmond, of which I got a real feel for through the photographic mapping exercise.

To follow on from this, I continued to investigate the context of the town through further mapping exercises. From this I took lines from various points across the site, that immediately reacted with the site in some way. The horizontal lines depict the stepped levels of the existing site, showing the topographic changes which required attention. While, the vertical lines are a continuation of the edges of the buildings North-West of the site, replicating the linear qualities of the surrounding area. I then, noted the diagonal lines between the two large trees on the site, and the gap between the two buildings below, to create an abstraction and move away from the rigid form of the previous lines.

From this I created a series of cast tests, where the form was depicted from these lines. I continued to develop the massed result into a series of intersecting forms, all divided by courtyards; none much bigger than the other.

As a continuation from this conceptual beginning, I began to divide these separate masses into zones, according to their location in reference to their requirements. This resulted in a division between the community and the ‘Light Institute’, allowing them to be tailored to their individual needs. The communal forms are placed nearest the town centre, resulting in a more direct relationship and connectivity. Through doing this, these spaces also create a less intimidating threshold to those entering the space by creating a dialogue between ‘the local’ and ‘the professional’; enabling the institution to run more efficiently and harmoniously, and creating a dually beneficial scheme.

In relation to the form, the two main entrances are a physical manifestation of the dual usage, connected by transitional zones.

The two receptions promote routes that encourage this dialogue and create a permeable and clear relationship between the two zones.

The two top terrace elements protrude out and over the lower courtyards, creating sheltered thresholds, but also links of communication internally between each building element. To further add to interlinking the forms, the top terraced forms additionally puncture under the existing terraces to link the forms vertically, and horizontally, through an underground tunnelled route.

Within the construction of these underground spaces, photographic dark rooms were also created for the photography institute. These series of design actions, resulted in further developments to the monoliths, all adding to the complexities of reasoning and response to the necessary requirements set out by the inhabitation of the brief.

1:500 Cast Model Development

1:500 Cast Model Development

Starting with simple monolithic shapes derived from the lines set out from mapping and the initial contextual study.

A further development into a casting test of progressing into pitched roof forms and continuing to investigate the interlocking monoliths.

1:100 Cast Model Development

1:100 Cast Model Development

Moving up and into a larger scale, to look more in-depth at the pitched roof form, and continue to look at its contextual links in a 3-D form.

Beginning to investigate the interlocking links between the monolithic forms and how they can begin to slot together to create internal links.

To display how the buildings are designed to create protected, and sheltered courtyards.

To show how light reacts within the external courtyards in the morning. The central courtyard is used at this time for the cafe to optimize the use of the available natural light.

To demonstrate the way inwhich the light is diffused across the majority og the site during the afternoon hours.

To explain the way in which light in the evening highlights the opposing courtyard spaces, in comparison to the morning and so the cafe used the upper terrace in addition to the lower one, to follow the light.

Upper Terrace Plan

Lower Terrace Plan

-1 Lower Terrace Plan

Main routes surrounding the site, consisting of the roads linking to the market square, and the A1 (for external access to the town).

To show the main access routes into the building. The communal access, nearest the town centre (the market square) and the institution to the east, nearest the A1.

Used to show the movement through the internal space on this level. Primarily through the central access corridor that then splits off into more specialised areas.

To display the way in which the central spine of movement is followed through on the lower level, underneath the terrace to interlink the building forms.

Permeable Spaces

The natural lighting strategy across this design varies according to directionality, and level. On the upper level the two forms, and route are lit by panelled end walls, that also create permeable spaces, and express the movement through the site to by standers.

While on the lower floors, a long strip of the wall is removed and replaced by glass panelling, to open up the interiors to the external courtyards, and vice versa. The exhibition is broken up by a series of light wells, used for light, displays, ventilation, and heat gains.

The library also has an additional envelope lighting scheme to create a hazed light effect.

Charcoal Atmospherics Section through courtyard between library and exhibition space. Then overlayed with technical details to add to the representational potential of the drawing.

Concrete Envelope with a Zinc Roof Structure, to create a seamless finish within the appearance of the expressed materiality.

Perspective Render of Exhibition Form Used to display the way in which the space would be used, and the opportunities of use of the light wells (either as a Japanese garden to add experiential qualities, or to be used as a lnaturally lit display case.

1:50 Cast of Exhibition Form Cast in one piece, to reiterate the monolithic form. Used to show the way in which the light wells work, and the atmospheric space, and lighting qualities created.