

JAMES CROOKSTON
Mainline Railway Museum, Leicester 2016 - Wilkinson Eyre Competition winning design for a Railway museum that is located at the terminus of Great Central Railway, the only operational heritage mainline railway in Europe. Located in North Leicester the museum will house a number of locomotives and other railway related exhibits as well as having an education centre and cafe. The ground floor will be the exhibition space with the upper floor housing the cafe with views back towards the city as well as across the main exhibition hall. The design also incorporated a masterplan that will allow phased construction and expansion with the current available budget in mind. In a team of four I partook in all the stages of design and had numerous responsibilities. These ranged from initial site analysis and design to final image production.
 
i. Visualisation of Courtyard ii. Visualisation of Landscaping
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i. Ground Floor Circulation + Layout Plan ii. Visualisation of Courtyard at night time iii. Axonometric
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iii. i. Photo of Model ii. Visualisation of Interior iii. East Elevation
Experimenta, Heilbronn (completion 2018) 2015/2016 - Sauerbruch Hutton Project for a Science Museum and Laboratories for children funded by a non profit organisation. Each floor consisted of a Raum-Zeit-Spiralen (ciruclation space), a Themenwelt (exhibition) and part of the Talentschmeide (specialised classroom) that runs through the centre of the building. Located in Heilbronn near Stuttgart on a peninsula on the river in the heart of the town with gardens (to be completed in 2018) being built near by. Had numerous repsonisibilites on the project working closely with the chief designer and then later with an interior architect on the fit out of the building (from conceptual to finalised ideas). For presentation I built a 1:50 model (including furniture options) for every floor for interior photos and to show the interaction between the floors.
 
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Render of the exterior (only image not done by me) ii. Perspective of 1st floor Raum Zeit Spiralen i.
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iv. Plan and circulation layout of 1st floor Photograph of 1:50 model Diagram of modular furniture system Aerial view of 1:50 model
Generative design - health spa 2015 - 3rd year STAGE 1 - Using the environment for inspiration to create an array of forms looking at various themes and using various modelling techniques including CNC Routing, 3D printing, laser cutting and also by hand. A study into cave formations resulted in the iterations pictured below.
Photos of the generative design iterations
STAGE 2 - Design a health space in the North West Wirral Peninsula. Using the forms in stage 1 I looked at creating a building with SHALLOW INCLINES AND DECLINES to ease people into pools and other areas. The building was SUBMERGED and INTERIOR MADE TRANSPARENT to keep the view / connection to the sea. This also keeps the land above accessible to the public with polycarbonate barriers to reduce risk of falling and increase privacy. There is also a series of COVERED + UNCOVERED COURTYARDS to relax in.

Section + Perspectives through building
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Developmental isometric Photo of 3d printed / CNC model (east) Photo of model (north) Photo of model (north)
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Generative design - ferry terminal 2014 - 3rd year
STAGE 1 - Using precedents to look at FORM FINDING with emphasis on material, structure and detailing. Created an array of form from the SAME 3 CUBOID SIZES. Looking at various themes (solids + voids, thresholds, structure integration, horizontal + vertical) moving towards the most complex form.
STAGE 2 - A ferry terminal for Liverpool with the option to demolish or incorporate the existing building. Using the forms + research from stage 1 I looked at using a steel lattice to create a MIST EFFECT for the terminal. MODULES WERE USED WHICH WERE AT HUMAN SCALE AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL SCALE. The existing building was kept with subtle interventions to the interior as well as the creation of retail space. The public space had a mix of soft / hard landscaping with enough space left so that it was FLEXIBLE FOR FUTURE INTERVENTION.
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i. Generative Design Work ii. Site Response ii.
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iii. Perspective of mist from ferry Original building entrance View at night View on Bridge
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Urban infill - library 2014 - 2nd year Design a library with cafe + offices. This project was in the centre of MANCHESTER’S NORTHERN QUARTER. With reference to the INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT I designed a brick building with metal mesh and skylights to allow light in. The building was L-shaped to create USEABLE / ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE which wasn’t in the original schedule of accommodation.
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iii. i. Model photo ii. Public Space iii. Elevation
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Urban infill gallery / community space 2013 - 2nd year Design an arcade with a gallery, cafe + offices. In the centre of Manchester’s Northern Quarter I referenced the neighbouring, abandoned fabric factories past using FABRIC in the gallery space. For the facade as you walk past things become clearer / harder to see using ANGLE LUMISITY FILM. This was a false facade with LOOSE UNITS BEHIND THIS SCREEN.
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i. Facade transition ii. Sections + Elevations iii. Perspective of units ii.
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