Grace Wardle-Solano | Undergraduate Portfolio

Grace Wardle-Solano

BA (Hons) Arch. Cantab

00 - Overview of Undergraduate Projects

Selected Works

01 - There’s No Place Like Home

University of Cambridge Studio Project

02 - Retrofitting the Judge Business School: Ther-

mal Comfort

University of Cambridge Architectural Engineering Project

Research

03 - Thinking Outside the Bullring: Re-imagining

Spain’s Socio-cultural Arenas on a Challenging

Modern Stage

University of Cambridge Dissertation Thesis

Extra-curricular

04 - Observational Drawings

00 Overview of Undergraduate Projects

The Grafton Play-scape University of Cambridge

January - March 2022

Retrofitting the Judge Business School University of Cambridge

October - November 2022

There’s No Place Like Home University of Cambridge

January - June 2023

A Regeneration Scheme for Grytviken Whaling Town University of Cambridge

May - June 2021

A Study of Abandoned Whaling Towns University of Cambridge

March - April 2021

Outdoor Market Structural Design University of Cambridge

October - November 2020

A Study of Urban Loneliness in Basildon University of Cambridge November - December 2022

Thinking Outside the Bullring University of Cambridge

January - April 2023

01 - There’s No Place Like Home: Inclusive Residential Design for Ageing in Place

University of Cambridge Studio Project

January - June 2023

The word home means something different to Everyone. For many ageing people it can be crucial as a familiar space that provides comfort and security. But this sense of home is taken away when relocating to a care facility, and yet, as a society, we continue to marginalise the elderly, making it all the more challenging for them to remain in their own homes. With care facilities over-crowded and understaffed, we must reflect on the ways that residential design could delay or even avoid the need for relocation. My final-year project, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’, explores how a more inclusive design process could help elderly people to age in place, and how this could be mutually beneficial for other household groups.

Using the retrofit of a run-down estate in Basildon as an opportunity to address this issue, the project first looks at a larger neighbourhood scale, focusing especially on the issues of disorientation and isolation. It then zooms in on an intermediate scale, encouraging smaller clusters of neighbourliness through shared outdoor courtyards.

Rather than building new estates exclusively for ageing people, which further marginalises them, the project questions how a new scheme can incorporate the needs of the various household groups already residing there. Hence, on a residential scale the project introduces three types of accommodation. These then have a series of shared spaces creating a partial co-living scheme to encourage a multi-generational family-like environment and the sharing of everyday tasks.

The aim of the project is to encourage a design process that goes further than the guidelines, with ageing people at its core rather than as an afterthought. For me, the project was largely guided by my experience of living with someone with dementia, which I paired with the requirements of design guidelines. I believe that the project demonstrates a potential for architects to help the elderly to remain living independently or assisted from home, in turn improving quality of life and relieving pressure on care facilities.

Examination Result: 79

Site Analysis: The Five Links Estate, Basildon

The project begins with an analysis of an existing housing estate that reflects the ways that many developments are not suited to the ageing population. The Five Links Estate in West Basildon, consists of 1400 homes. Approaching the site, it’s clear why it is referred to as a ‘brick maze’ by locals. There is very little distinguishing one courtyard from another, resulting in a labyrinth of residences that lack a sense of place and visual cues to aid navigation. The repetition of brick courtyards, tunnels and dead ends makes circulation more disorientating.

Another key issue is a lack of variety in housing types, all being designed based on the nuclear family. Each unit has a living room and kitchen on the ground floor, and 2 or 3 bedrooms at first floor level. Each house then has a private garden, but the site visit suggested that these are largely unmaintained. This model not only overlooks the needs of ageing people, but also other household groups and family units.

Whilst the site is built up of several iterations and combinations of courtyards, it can be summarised by three courtyard forms. Within these iterations, the same formula is used across the site (see following page).

A large green paddock runs through the centre of the site, but a harsh boundary and parking isolates it from the residences. Despite the sheer scale of the development, there is little encouraging a more proximate method of socialising amongst neighbours. Studies show that people find it difficult to coordinate and form relationships in a neighbourhood of this size. Hence, encouraging different scales of social interaction will be another key driver of the intervention.

Alongside the ‘brick maze’ nature of the site, lack of maintenance has lead to anti-social behaviour within the neighbourhood. Archive images from the 70’s demonstrate the key role of intermediate spaces such as the courtyards for community use. However, with the councils increased neglect of the neighbourhood, these have now become dumping grounds and crime hot-spots. A local stated that ‘the council have washed their hands of us and hope we will keep quiet and put up with it.’

The sites state of disrepair is highlighted by a resident who said ‘Elderly people like my parents are finding it harder to go around the estate on their mobility scooters because of the state of the paths.’

Ground Floor Layout

A Series of Courtyard Renders

West Basildon

Section Showing the Existing Composition

A Communal Planted Landscape

To re-direct circulation away from the sequence of courtyards, gardens will be removed and replaced with a more open, shared planted landscape, with paths to make the site easier to navigate. This strategy also enables the courtyards to take up a more intimate shared function without privatising them.

Some of the planting will consist of fragrant vegetation to create a landscape of memory association. Other areas will form grass for activities; vegetable and herb gardens; and woodlands that require little maintenance. Residents will choose the level of maintenance they are able to provide for their assigned planting area, and tasks will be distributed accordingly by a neighbourhood committee.

Social Interactions at a Neighbourhood Scale

A core aspect of the project is to encourage different scales of social interaction, which in the broader site will be achieved by integrating shops and amenities within the familiarity of the site to make everyday life more accessible. It will help to form habits where people within the wider community regularly bump into each other. These will expand from areas of the site that have already begun to undertake commercial or community functions.

The planting weaves in and out of the residences, erasing the harsh boundary

A planted landscape inspired by the work of Piet Oudolf. The landscape design plays on ideas of memory association and sensory stimulation as a subtle way of distinguishing different areas in the site.

The site will have two paths differentiated through textural qualities and a subtle change in colour as cues. The continuous path that cuts through the planted landscape always leads back to the site, encouraging a more experiential form of circulation.

The existing site is mostly pedestrianised, so the road will be simplified into one main route and a central parking area to reduce dead ends and traffic. This will also provide a bus route through the site, alleviating the pressure to drive.

The linear path will connect the courtyards and other areas of the site in axial directions. Where paths meet the peripheries of the site, the walkway will be sheltered to act as a cue and provide spaces to rest when walking.

Clusters of Neighbourliness: The Courtyard

The courtyards will provide a more intimate scale of social interaction, with a gradient of shelters providing smaller community hubs across the site. With time these spaces may adopt a specific community function or become associated with a particular activity. Courtyards that open to the centre will be left unsheltered to allow the greenery to diffuse into the residential areas. Others will have partial or retractable shelters. In some courtyards the roof will be completely covered, providing an outdoor space for residents in rainier months. By inhabiting these spaces, the courtyard becomes an extension of the surrounding residences for shared use. The courtyard roofs, alongside colour coding achieved through the timber cladding, will also form a part of the strategy to aid with navigation. This will give each courtyard an individual character to act as markers across the site.

Site Axonometric

Model image with truss roof

Model image with a retractable canopy

Truss roof render

The project explores the residential scale through a unit that combines all three courtyard iterations, creating a prototype for the development of the rest of the site. To cater for a variety of household groups, the existing units will be reconfigured to provide three types of accommodation as well as common houses, each with different levels of co-living. Minor demolitions of timber stud partitions are a key strategy for all reconfigurations, minimizing the frequency of cramped spaces and narrow corridors to reduce disorientation and use space more efficiently. A portion of units will become reconfigured three bedroom homes for larger families. The two bedroom flat will provide an intermediate residence. I used the model to imagine how a single parent household may occupy this space. On the ground floor, some units will be converted into single bedroom, accessible apartments. The interior finishes of walls and floors follow a similar principle to the master-plan in terms of subtle colour schemes and changes in floor texture to help characterise and distinguish different rooms, a strategy based on the dementia design guidelines.

Single Bedroom Studio

Two Bedroom Apartment

Accessible Studio Apartments

In this type of accommodation, the reconfigurations not only focus on opening up cramped spaces, but also ensures a clear line of sight between the bedroom and the accessible bathroom, a guideline which is essential to helping with issues such as disorientation at night and incontinence. Basic kitchen facilities and a small lounge provide the option for more independence, with the common house offering a broader range of shared facilities. These bedrooms are linked directly to the winter garden, with one way glass for privacy when the sliding doors are closed. Internal lightweight sliding doors offer different levels of privacy, and residents with memory loss can choose to remove barriers between rooms entirely.

Proposed Floor Plan: Accessible Studio Apartment

A Shared Library of Things

The Common house

Rectangular units will become common houses. The ground floor will offer spaces for cooking, eating, a shared laundry room and an accessible bathroom. Shared by all residents, different generations can learn from and support each other with everyday tasks. It accesses the winter garden through an existing opening (previously used to access the gardens),

Shared Kitchen and Dining Space

which can be used to control internal temperature through the year. The first floor will have a smaller kitchen bar and a multifunctional community space. I imagine this to be a room where neighbours can have meetings; people can carry out hobbies that they don’t space for at home; children can play and learn together.

Proposed Ground Floor Plan: Common house

Model Photography: A Multi-functional Community Space

The Winter Garden Corridor

The addition of a winter garden corridor, which meets the planted landscape through a timber and polycarbonate façade, connects the different residences and common house. My own experience living with someone with dementia drove the design of this space with the idea of togetherness through shared experience and spontaneous interactions as people move from one space to another, relieving the pressure of conversation, whilst reducing isolation.

A sliding shading system with panels of different translucency and perforations will allow residents to control privacy and lighting. During the day, shadows cast patterns on the brick façade, whilst at night, the building becomes lantern-like, projecting light onto the paths.

Model Photography: the Winter Garden Facade

Model Photography: Experimenting with Perforated Shading Panels

A New Building Envelope

The insulation strategy retains the existing structure where possible for material preservation. Pour fill insulation will be injected between the inner and outer skins of the existing cavity walls, with a layer of hemp insulation added between the brick and timber cladding, forming a continuous envelope around the building. The winter garden also contributes to the insulating strategy. The polycarbonate façade meets the new warm roof build up, where the existing trusses will be retained with a new layer of insulation and a clay tile finish.

Intervention

Section Through the Insulation Proposal

Model Section Demonstrating Wall and Roof Build-up

Construction Detail: Wall to Roof Connection

02 - Retrofitting the Judge Business School:

Thermal Comfort University of Cambridge

Architectural Engineering Project

October - November 2022

This architectural engineering project focused on improving thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in the Judge Business School, Cambridge. Thorough analysis of the school, alongside various stakeholder interviews, identified thermal control as a critical issue for the retrofit. Given the significance of thermal comfort in educational settings, the project aimed to align with ASHRAE standards and recommendations from organizations like the World Health Organisation and CIBSE, which advocates a maximum temperature of 24 degrees Celsius in working conditions.

The group report explored various categories, including shading devices, natural ventilation, heating systems, and building envelope insulation. Working as a group posed various challenges, such as coordinating diverse ideas and schedules, but it ultimately provided valuable learning outcomes in collaboration, problem-solving, and project management.

Individually, I worked on the proposal for shading devices on the façade, contributing to the broader project’s objectives to create a comfortable and adaptable environment; reduce glare; enhance concentration; and align with carbon-efficient principles. Throughout the design process, collaboration with the team was -

essential to ensuring a cohesive group proposal.

The shading devices aimed to block direct sunlight during the summer while allowing sunlight penetration in the winter. Solar analysis and shading calculations were used to determine the most efficient shading strategy. The building’s grade II* listed status posed a unique challenge, emphasizing the need for interventions that aligned with the building’s fabric with a low embodied carbon footprint.

The research explored various shading strategies, resulting in two distinct shading panel proposals: BIPV Panels and Timber Panels. Following embodied carbon estimations, the more cost-efficient and environmentally mindful option was the Timber Panel strategy. While BIPV panels may eventually become carbon-positive, the analysis suggested that roof solar panels alone were sufficient for the building’s energy needs. Timber panels offered a longer life span, potentially double that of BIPV panels. Their discreet, natural aesthetic integration and sustainable design aligned with the building’s character. Considering these factors, the timber panels emerged as the optimal proposal.

Examination Result: 75

Iteration 1: BIPV Shading Panels

BIPV panels integrated into the shading system aim to harness solar energy on the south-facing side of the shading fins. These panels will convert solar energy into electricity, simultaneously blocking direct sunlight penetration. Additional PV panels on the roof will contribute to a renewable energy source.

This system allowed for customization options to match the façade’s playful colour scheme. Efficiency calculations indicated a high average efficiency of 17.02%, making it a commercially viable PV option. Another advantage was its potential to not only provide a sustainable energy source and reducing energy bills, but even generate profit by feeding unused energy back into the grid.

The disadvantages of this option included a high initial cost and a high embodied carbon due to the steel structural supports needed. The lack of precedents for BIPV shading devices contributed to the uncertainty on -

outcomes. The initial investment would only be economical with sufficient energy absorption, and with effectiveness of the system hinging on consistent solar energy, this increased uncertainty.

Iteration 2: Pivot Timber Shading Panels

Solar incident radiation analysis using a Rhino model indicated that the roof received substantially higher incident radiation than the shading devices. This challenged the cost-effectiveness of installing BIPV shading devices, which would increase retrofit costs and construction-related carbon emissions.

An alternative strategy proposed the use of sustainably sourced pine wood for the shading devices, with solar cells limited to the roof, The adjustable shading system permitted angle changes for extended shading in summer and optimized solar penetration during winter. The material choice for this option resulted in much lower embodied carbon, as well as increased creative freedom in the shape of the panels. The reduced weight of the panels when using timber also minimized the material required for the load-bearing structures. Aesthetically, the natural finish offered a more discreet intervention, in compliance with the building’s Grade II* listed status.

The main concern with timber was its susceptibility to weather damage and colour changes, which would necessitate regular re-treatment with waterproof sealants, potentially increasing the carbon footprint across its lifespan. In addition to this, adding the Dynamic shading system would incur a higher initial cost than its static alternative.

Shading Analysis on Sun-Path Diagram

Analysis of Incident Solar Radiation Using a Rhino Model

03 - Thinking Outside the Bullring: Re-imagining Spain’s Socio-cultural Arenas on a Challenging Modern Stage

University of Cambridge

Dissertation and Research Thesis

January - April 2023

Bullfighting, a long-established Spanish tradition, gave rise to the urban typology of bullrings, which for centuries have served as lively hubs for community activities and social exchanges. UNESCO’s refusal to classify bullfighting as “cultural heritage in urgent need of protection” in 2020 reflects changing global perspectives on the tradition. Preserving Spain’s 1700 bullrings is essential, not as bullfighting arenas, but as centres of community engagement. With the pandemic accelerating their abandonment, a coherent strategy for adaptive reuse is imperative.

So far, bullrings have received limited attention in architectural discourse, with existing studies primarily focused on aesthetics and historical aspects, neglecting their sociocultural significance. The dissertation aimed to rectify this by examining the overlooked ‘ordinary’ rural bullrings, drawing on theories from both conservation and the social sciences, to propose a broader framework for understanding the societal role of bullrings and inform their future adaptive reuse. While examples such as the conversion of ‘Las Arenas’ into a shopping centre offer insights into adaptive reuse, questions persist about whether such conversions adequately preserve the bullrings’ previous communal significance.

The methodology involved a comprehensive review and analysis of existing literature, identifying three -

primary categories: National identity and culture; National Architectural style and aesthetic value; and architectural form. Alongside this, a qualitative research approach combined a survey and several site visits. A survey was conducted with 176 participants representing nine different autonomous communities in Spain, as well as individuals outside of Spain. This sample ensured a broad spectrum of opinions and values, reflecting the importance of public participation in heritage preservation decision-making processes and providing those most affected by the future use of bullrings with a voice in the matter.

“This dissertation begins to fill a lacuna in architectural-urban scholarship on the Spanish bullring, and advances a strong argument for the unique building type’s adaptive reuse in both urban and rural settings, in the wake of the decline of bullfighting as a spectacle, sport, and lived tradition. It delightfully fulfils its self-proclaimed ambition to enrich the limited English-language corpus of architectural bullring scholarship.”

(Examiners Comment)

Examination Result: 70

1. Meaning and Social Significance

Chapter 1 delves into the multifaceted meaning of bullrings, highlighting the importance of public perception and societal values in the context of heritage preservation and adaptive reuse projects. It explores the shared cultural values held by bullrings and how they contribute to the collective memory of communities. While historical typologies such as churches have been extensively examined in this light, bullrings have remained relatively unexplored, leading to many misinterpretations of their significance.

The contextual differences between urban and rural bullrings are evident, with the latter having a more pronounced social significance. Hence, the shift in 20th-century architectural theory from a focus on monumentality, to an interest in the broader built environment is key to providing a theoretical framework for assessing their sociocultural value. Scholarly perspectives on “sociality” within public spaces provide a lens through which we can begin to understand how bullrings contribute to the public sphere. Despite the ethical debates surrounding bullfighting, historical evidence and survey responses highlight the bullring’s role as a venue for communal gatherings and social activities.

A significant proportion of survey respondents viewed the bullring’s function as a public space as the main driver for its preservation. The importance of these spaces in fostering social interactions among different generations is further emphasised by the formation of social groups known as “peñas”, which are tied to bullrings. These social dynamics are depicted in paintings by artists like Jiménez Aranda and Van Gogh, who highlight conversations and interactions amongst the crowd. The survey confirms that the atmosphere and social interaction often outweigh the spectacle itself, with responses reflecting a range of motives and values associated with these spaces. Considering the principles of successful public spaces, there’s a need to identify the current social relationships within bullrings to facilitate adaptive reuse projects that align with contemporary needs and values.

The survey revealed diverse memories associated with bullrings. Importantly, even those in favour of abolishing bullfighting still held positive memories associated with these spaces. The variety within survey responses underscores the complexity of public perception and the evolving nature of the meaning attributed to bullrings.

Torrejoncillo Del Rey Village Square Converted into a Temporary Bullring by the Local Community, 1980 (Carceller, J.M.)

Photograph Of A Peña In The Pamplona Bullring During ‘Los San Fermines’ (Source: Diario de Navarra)

Analysis of Survey Responses: Recurring themes in the outstanding memory of the public in a bullring

Survey results: How is the experience of bullring festivities in the city different from that of a rural location?

Architectural heritage

Important public space

Sustainability

2. Typological Evolution

The evolution of bullrings has both influenced and been influenced by the changing values and needs of society. Their origin in town squares, known as plazas mayores, demonstrates how these squares were directly influenced by the festivity of bullfighting, underlining the role of societal values in shaping architectural forms. This evolution can begin to shed light on the symbiotic relationship between architecture and culture.

with community-built structures. Hence, rural structures are rooted in a history of community engagement, local craftsmanship and social relationships.

Survey results: Considering that bullrings, either due to lack of public support or prohibition of bullfights, could end up in disuse, what do you think is the driving factor for preserving these structures?

The contrasting roles of urban and rural bullrings could be attributed to the social constructs of the medieval period. In the Middle Ages, bullfighting was a spectacle shared by different social classes. Urban bullrings emphasized social hierarchies and displays of wealth, while rural areas embraced community participation and different forms of bull-related games. Urban expansion, amongst other factors, prompted the construction of fixed bullrings in capitals and affluent cities, while rural areas continued-

The rural traditions’ influence on community-focused bullring forms, is juxtaposed with the urban bullrings’ more glamorous and spectator-oriented designs in a study of form shown above. A key distinction in form that highlights their contrasting roles is the urban bull ring’s use of the spaces underneath the stands for social gatherings. The distinction is also exemplified by the opulent façades of contemporary urban bullrings compared to their more modest rural counterparts.

These variations within the typology accentuate the importance of context-specific adaptive reuse strategies for bullrings. Hence, in the event of adaptive re-use each bullring should be approached individually, considering its unique history, social role, and architectural features.

It attracts more people

It has a closer link with religious tradition

It emphasises the glamour and quality of the spectacle

It is more affordable and accessible to all

It is less cruel The atmosphere is more family oriented

Diagram comparing the layout of a city and rural bullring

Survey results: Most appropriate functionality in the event of adaptive re-use: Rural bullrings (three options selected)

Survey results: Most appropriate functionality in the event of adaptive re-use: Monumental city bullrings (three options selected)

3. Adaptive Re-use

The final chapter investigates how the values associated with these structures can guide adaptive reuse. Researching the historical context of heritage conservation in Spain revealed that the Venice charter marked a key shift in conservation approaches following the Spanish Civil War, shaping national legislations to this day. Hence, the thesis used this framework as a reference point, alongside more modern conservation principles, such as that of the Getty Institute, to examine the approach to conservation in the ‘Las Arenas’ project.

The motivations of the project arguably favoured economic impact over heritage value, undertaking an often-criticised facadism approach, gutting the interior and filling it with a shopping centre. The extent to which this new function mirrored its previous community role is debatable. But, it is important to acknowledge that the end of the bullfighting industry will leave a gap in the economy, meaning that adaptive reuse projects are an opportunity for urban regeneration and local economic benefits. The projects approach revealed-

a tension between preserving tradition and adopting a useful function, highlighting the challenge of balancing the many components of a building in adaptive reuse. Rogers’ fusion of modern technology and architectural heritage results in an iconic, contemporary stamp, symbolizing a shift in societal values, and setting a precedent for the bullring typology.

I believe that the successful reuse of bullrings relies on collaborative decision-making processes, alongside a comprehensive evaluation. Involving stakeholders and locals to strike a balance between preserving heritage and introducing a new function ensures that the new use aligns with community needs and values. The diverse roles of urban and rural bullrings calls for a case-by-case analysis to determine the best approach for adaptive reuse projects. While no one-size-fits-all approach exists, a general framework is essential to informing future adaptive reuse projects and avoiding further abandonment.

A Bullring Abandoned 10 Years Ago Taken Over by Nature, Oviedo (Source: El Pais)

Las Arenas Bullring Conversion: Digital Drawing

04 - Pen and Watercolour Drawings

Travel Sketchbook

Extra-curricular Observational Drawings

March - September 2022

I started this travel sketchbook on an academic trip to Venice. Whether it be sat in a cafe by the canal, or hiding from the rain on the steps of the Doges Palace, I used these sketches to record my favourite architecture. I continued to draw in the journal on travels to various European cities and Cairo. Following a travelling award from the University of Cambridge to carry out research about the influence of the Moors on Spanish architecture, I was able to visit several Spanish Cities, where observational drawings were key to conducting my research. Here I have displayed a selection of my drawings from the book.

Awards and Features

University of Cambridge Worts Traveling Scholar Award, June 2022

The Leaves Literary Magazine, May 2023

The Heong Gallery, June 2023