James Cotton BA(Hons) Architecture Part 1 Portfolio 2016

University of Kent

Architecture Part 1

J A M E S

CO T T O N

PORTFOLIO

ABOUT ADAPT + EXTEND URBAN LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES PHOTOGRAPHY

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JAMES COTTON 12/05/1994 james-cotton@hotmail.co.uk 07443585357 74 Stowmarket Road, Needham Market, Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8DX

Third year Ba (hons) Architecture student from University of Kent.

Currently available for architectural and photographical work around Suffolk, Canterbury and London. Versatile and efficient, with a passion for utilising a range of media and processes as well as exploring the working relationship between architecture and photography and the way in which the two mediums can symbiotically be enhanced.

Education University Of Kent 2013-16 RIBA Part 1 (Ongoing) Stage 2 (Acheived 2:1) BA Honours Architecture Notable Projects: -Aviation Museum in old dockyard church, Sheerness -Urban Housing, situated in Faversham -Gallery, situated in Barcelona -Dissertation focusing on the impact of colour photography when compared to monochrome in capturing architecture

Suffolk New College 2012-13 UAL Level 3 Diploma Foundation Art & Design (Distinction) Stowmarket High School Sixth Form 2010-12 A-LEVELS Mathematics (B) Design (B) History (C) AQA Baccalaureate Notable Awards: Received three external awards, including a special award from Suffolk County Council, for my A2 major project in Design, proposing and designing a modernised sixth form centre

Professional Experience REES PRYER ARCHITECTS, BURY ST EDMUNDS

JULY 2015

Experienced working life in an architecture office.

Tasks included presenting design proposal sketches for clients, applying amendments to CAD drawings per client feedback, as well exploring disabled design within my own design for a four bedroom bungalow.

INFINITY ARCHITECTS, BURY ST EDMUNDS AUGUST 2015 Further experience in an architecture office with a more active role in site visits and client consultations. Key site visits were to projects in construction phase as well as meeting a client on a newly bought plot, discussing recent designs and his input on the utilisation of the site.

Vectorworks was heavily used on not only my interpretation of the scheme, but on other CAD projects in development. The time working there benefited me with a realistic view of architecture in a small, close practice and client relations.

Skills Skilled in technical drawing as shown in first year work; experienced with all forms of orthographic, perspective and detailed constructional drawings.

As shown in all major projects, skilled in physical modelling in a range of disciplines such as card, wood acrylic and metals. Within my last project for urban, 3d printing was utilised to create a double curved lattice.

II and projects

presentations skills with the following

are shown programmes

throughout my being utilised: Revit Autocad Photoshop Sketchup Indesign VectorWorks 3ds Max

Interests Photography Long-time interest in photography, particularly in an abstract form and part of the Kent Photographic society. Very much interested the role it can play in forming and interpreting the built environment.

Kent Raise and Give Raising money through promoting and participating in sponsored events; recently did a skydive, supporting Dementia UK , while currently fundraising on behalf of Breast Cancer Now; supporting their cause through participating cycling from London to Paris.

Key member of the media team, advertisements for upcoming events and

creating graphics and fundraising opportunities.

References References upon request from: Dr. Timothy Brittain-Catlin and Mrs Chloe Street Tarbatt

Currently hold a full clean UK driving licence

ADAPT + EXTEND SHEERNESS - ON - SEA Extension of Former Dockyard Church into an Aviation Museum Located in Sheerness, the brief asked for a refurbishment of an existing church, transforming it into an aviation and maritime museum.

First impressions of Sheerness and of the existing church were of its immediate relationship to the industrial aspects of the dockyard, as well as for its need for support. Support in regards to the economy, through the relatively poor education and work prospects, and support culturally, with the physical embodiment of this this being the need to restore the communal qualities of the dockyard church. Linked with the buildings current representation as being supported by scaffolding, due to fire damage, as well as the poor state of the education system in Sheerness, the key design principle of the project become one of “support”. Support in the sense of adding additional elements to the brief to enhance the education and construction skillsets of the population, as well as support in the sense of supporting the original structure itself and visually emulating the industrial focus of the surroundings.

Visually, the idea of utilising a glulam timber roof as a

means of representing this structural aspect of scheme became appealing. This structure spans over the original church and the added extension forming a gridded link between old and new. Encasing the building, this structure is visible internally and provides a visual link between the old and the new.

Socially, the design aligns itself with the community of sheerness, maintaining the ground floor of the church as an open, special –event communal space, allowing the changing use of the space to continue through time and be utilised by the community how they see fit. More importantly however, the new development opens up the potential for educational purposes, both in terms of learning of the social history of the dockyard and the people who occupied, as well as teaching various construction techniques and skills for work through the integrated construction workshop.

Supporting the community, history, and education of Sheerness, while emulating the support given by the community to the war efforts.

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External Perspective

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Conceptual Diagram “Supporting the Existing Church

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Ground Floor

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4 5

8 7 3

6

1 2 12

10 9

North Elevation

Long East Elevation

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First Floor

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1. Entrance Foyer 2. Reception 3. Shop 4. Dockyard Model in Four Sections 5. Cafe 6. Staff Room with Kitchen 7. Meeting Room 8. Managers Office 9. Storage 10. Flexible Comunity Space/Temporary Gallery 11. Event Entrance 12. Cloakroom 13. Construction Workshop 14. Storage 15. Naval Museum 16. Avaiation Museum 17. Social History of Sheerness

Circulation Paths

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10m

Old to the New

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New to the Old

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Copper Roofing Air gap with secondary studs Insulation Plasterboard Glulam Beam Tension cable for lateral support of arch

Gutter Plasterboard Insulation Steel Connecting Plate

Timber Fin

Reinforced Concret Slab Existing Church Wall

Connecting Plate

Internal Roof Structure

Roof Junction Detail

Insulation (wrapping around stucture to meet window) Tripple Glazed Window

Window Detail 0

1m

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Copper Roof

Glulam Lattice

Internal Roof Stucture

First Floor Structure

Main Load Bearing Elements

Wall Detail 0

2m

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URBAN SHEERNESS - ON - SEA A Connected Sheppey - Sheerness Aquatics Centre

Redeveloping the existing Beachfeilds site; replacing the current sports and aquatic facilities with an urban landscape of new commercial opportunities.

Taking precedent from the lack of connectivity around tourist potential, the fundamental aspect underpinning the project became that of cycling and opportunities to expand the Sustrans National Cycle Network across the island, around the coastal path and subsequently onto and integrating with the site. Maintaining the defensive sea, the landscape would be contoured up to its height, with a series of paths connecting the network to key urban nodes within the town, the major architectural masses where then formed in the negative spaces.

This overall ‘active site’ is divided into separate elements; aquatic, sports, commercial and public with additional facilities such as an amphitheatre and skate park as well as additional underground car parking.

Located logically for access from both the train station and from the town centre the form of the main aquatics centre comes again from the principle of cycling, with its form coming from the geometry of wheel emerging from the landscape. Integrated with the landscape, the building comprises of a green roof transforming into a timber grid shell with ETFE panels that covers the main pool areas. Internally the planning is formed around this central pool area, guiding the user into the space, either to the unisex changing rooms or to the upper floor viewing and restaurant areas. Further connecting to the outer site, are integrated cycle hire and storage facilities within the main building.

Connecting Sheppey, the proposed aquatic centre and additional facilities provide ample social, commercial and economic opportunities to the people of Sheerness, while provided much needed tourism potential.

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SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

AQUATICS

SPORTS

With a key hub of sheerness being the train station, the first aspect of the proposed site the tourist will encounter is the main aquatic centre with the main entrance angled to both this approach and the approach form the town.

Entering the building, the curved walls guide the visitor towards the main view of the central pool area, guiding them into the changing and in to the space.

Mirroring the design and form of the aquatic centre, the sports centre is positioned to form an outdoor sports area, combining with the external pools.

This Integrated within the building are cycling hire and storage facilities, rendering the building the key hub of the proposed site.

The access to the cycling hire is strongly linked with the path network, with users cycling past and alongside the centre on the paths down from the sea wall.

SITE ELEVATION

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COMMERCIAL

SPA

Public space on the site includes a sea facing restaurant and community spaces namely a skate park.

Key the appeal of the site, the reasoning for users to cycle off of the coastal path and into sheerness are not only public and sporting opportunities but also commercial outlets. A commercial building is featured, allowing for a number of shops to be brought on to the site, with the main cycle paths going over the roof of the development.

Separate to the main aquatic and sporting facilities, a spa/sauna is featured. In order to maintain the view of residents in current buildings, the area will be maintained as a public green space with integrated underground parking

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THE ACTIVE SITE

PUBLIC

Roof Plan

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27 29

First Floor

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External Perspective

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7 8

4

3

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11 12

1 2 13

Ground Floor

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20m

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1. Entrance Foyer 2. Reception 3. Creche 4. Cycling Hire 5. Repairs 6. Teaching Rooms 7. Toilets 8. Dry Changing for Gym and External Sports

9. Family Changing 10. Toilets 11. Unisex Changing Room 12. Showers 13. Meeting Room 14. Staff Room 15. Offices 16. Plant Room

17. Service Entrance 18. First Aid Room 19. Storage 20. Main Pool 21. Learner Pool 22. Sauna Facilities 23. Folding Doors to Exernal Pools 24. Dance Studios

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25. Sports Room 26. Sevicing/Storage 27. Gym 28. Seating 29. Gallery Seating 30. Restaurant 31. Bar 32. Event Hire Seating

Summer Stategies

Passively ventilated via side windows, with warm air rising and being released through small opening in the ETFE joints

Underground spaces such as changing rooms are mechanically ventilated with outlets at the base of the wall connected to the plant room

Fresh air is collected and cooled via an earth tube relative to the ground temperature.

This is then taken to the plant room with it can be distributed through the building, working alongside the existing passive system

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A heat exchanger unit is integrated into the inner ring of the roof, where the concrete portion becomes glulam The ring encompasses the main pool areas, connected to the plant room and preventing a build-up of warm air in the humid area.

During winter periods, the warm air captured by the heat exchanger is taken to a heat recovery system within the plant room where it is then returned to the main building

Openings for natural ventilation are reduced during winter periods, with mechanical ventilation form the plant room being more heavily reloied upon.

Underfloor heating is utilised. Geothermal heat pumps aid in warming the building during this period, alongside mechanical means

Winter Stategies

Earth tubes would again be utilised in these periods warming the cool that is utilised to ventilate the building

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Extruded Aluminium Clamp with outlet for Ventilation Fixing Clamp Three layer Inflated ETFE Cushion Air Tube Glulam Node Aluminium Flashing

Soil

Heat Exchanger Unit

Roof Detail

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ETFE Panels

Glulam Lattice

Concrete Roof

Permeable Supporting Plate Stone Layer

Concrete Structure

Copper Lining Structural Column

Mechanically Operated Window

Central Columns

Aluminium Flashing

Upper Flooring

Window Detail 0

1m

Load Bearing Elements

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LANDSCAPE DEAL, KENT Gardening and Cooking School

The brief was for a gardening and cooking school located in Fowlmead Country Park, East Kent. People would come here for a day or an evening, to take courses in gardening and/or cooking, or in some cases just to have dinner or lunch by invitation. There would also be a shop open to the public during the day, which would sell plants, produce, and prepared foods.

My concept from the beginning was to explicably link the design of both of the building and the landscape into one form, by utilising intersecting arcs that would define elements of the landscape, as well as massing the building and its major internal walls. Key inspiration for the landscape came from the “garden of cosmic speculation” by Charles Jencks.

Given the sites prior history as a coal mine from the 1920s up till 1989, I chose to reflect this in the building design and materiality. With a green undulating roof and slate clad walls, the concept was to “peel” the landscape back revealing the materiality of the slate and thus history of the site.

Integrated within the project were environmental concerns and strategies, with passive cooling and ventilation methods required within the building. Earth tubes, placed three metres below ground, would be used to cool the building and replace stale air. Other strategies, shown in section, include a wind catcher, bringing air into the building, cooled though an eighty metre long tube.

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Ground Floor

Lower Floor

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10 9 7

8 6

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1/ Entrance (Shop) 2/ Office 3/ Conservatory 4/ Bar 5/ Kitchen 6/ Library 7/ Female Changing 8/ Male Changing 9/ Central Hall 10/ Dining 11/ Exterior Decking

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1

Masterplan Concept

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Sectional Axononmetric

STRUCTURES Bricks on Sticks (Below)

Roof structure (Right)

The spanning structure needed to support a single standard format, fired-clay brick at mid-span over a clear span of 450mm. The aim was to achieve this with as limited material as possible.

The task was to get under the skin of a building; to get behind the finishes; to identify the skeleton and musculature which under-pin the architecture. Calculation loads, resistances and deflected shape were imbedded within the project.

The design utilised the strength of its trusses, by consisting of two components, that when placed on the corners of the boundary and with the brick in place, formed a structural stable “arch” effortlessly supporting the load of the brick.

The roof was required to span an area of at least 400 square meters, with no internal columns or supports permitted within this area. Clear headroom under the roof of at least five meters was also necessary.

Testament to the success of the design was the fact that more than supporting a single brick it continued to support subsequent bricks, eventually buckling under the load of 4 ½ bricks.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Berlin

Ipswich

Falkirk, Scotland

Berlin

Barcelona

London

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www.james-cotton.net