EXAMPLE
WORKS
JONATHAN
HARKER
BSc Architecture [RIBA Part 1] +44 [0]7729 421172 harker.jwh@gmail.com
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY Welsh School of Architecture
Cultural Exchange Forum_ Masterplanning_
FINDING
SYNCOPATING
The Furnace Danceworks_
THE CITY Brecon, Wales
FIGURE
RUSSIAN
FORUM Trieste, Italy
GROUND Aberdare, Wales
DOLL REFUGE Cable Drum Shelter Solution
MEASURE An Objective and Subjective Study
OTHER
PROJECTS
Installation for Sustainability Awareness Event Uplight Plywood Side Table ‘Peel.’ Mixed Media Portrait
WORK
IN
PRACTICE
SPACEAGENCY Architecture, Environmental Graphics and Interiors Wayfinding and Supergraphic Projects Private Residence Design Projects
finding forum_
CULTURAL
EXCHANGE
FORUM
Trieste, Italy The main design concept stands on a political basis of relations, to dispel the notion of division between highly developed Western Europe and the former Yugoslavian states of Eastern Europe. Many factors have given case to Trieste becoming realised as a pivotal moment at the centre of this imbalance.
A 1950 media piece entitled ‘Life rides the Simplon-Orient Express’ gave a case study to this narrative. It also allowed me to personify the opposing sides as the ‘Diplomatic Courier’ mixing with the ‘Yugoslav Peasants’. The Simplon-Orient Express line was operated by each European state it travelled within and I use the depleting of the services at Trieste down to merely luggage and sleeper cars to metaphorically suggest a lack of destination. It could be said of Trieste that whilst enjoying a 20th century of prosperous imports and exports; this coastal town has been stuck in a historic equilibrium of struggling national determinism and identity.
continental position_
This clash of varying stages of development and prosperity can also be seen at a neighbourhood scale around the site as well as on the political continental scale. The close proximity of the site to the rail transport hub offers the ability to generalise the opportunities of the site further afield. The formerly flourishing Porto-Vecchio however stands somewhat dysfunctional amidst abandoned warehouses and sections of abandoned rail. A section taken from the site down to the waterfront encounters many ‘behavioural vignettes’ or snapshots following similar themes to those explored in international relations.
neighbourhood position_
the programme_ The brief continues the focus of human relations and requires the intervention of a cultural exchange forum. This aims to embrace differing cultures and nationalities under several common assets provided through a multi-use public building and outdoor spaces. This will be focused primarily in education through a language school, visual arts school and extensive media library to promote a cultural dialogue as well as simply a spoken one. The site is divided to form a ‘block’ which is given over to the main built volume in order to maintain the language of the urban fabric. The nature of the built volume is to provide a working of the floor plates that escapes an orthogonal stacking of the functions. The design instead aims to achieve a level of enticement that guides the users between the levels which flow into one another both in form and function. This functional and inhabited circulation is wrapped around a procession of voids that constitutes a cinematic atrium. This houses a projection sized cinema screen and flexible lecture theatre seating. In order to maximise usable and adaptable floor spaces, the design is set within a standardised structural grid of ‘platforms’. These enclosed volumes offer teaching spaces and editing suites geared towards the visual arts as well as other facilities within the media library. A hostel occupies the top floor of the scheme offering those the chance to seek a few days of experience and education rather than to seek asylum.
The remainder of the site is left with limited harsh interventions. It is landscaped on the same continuation of the structural platform grid set on the existing plinth. This is realised as interspersed ‘cultural pavilions’ and outdoor public spaces some of which are open for temporary and future built interpretation. A link to the rail infrastructure is provided with the scheme culminating in a departure lounge on the platform. This returns to the notion of human interactions in line with the almost cinematic romanticism of highlighting arrival/ leaving.
Reference to the abandoned edge Initial concept of relations, behaviour and scale Ever changing ‘behavioural’ facade of the existing urban fabric
HOSTEL common spaces/ lounge, kitchens and dining
LANGUAGE school teaching spaces and resources
MEDIA library platforms/ silent study areas and IT labs
VISUAL arts teaching spaces and editing suites
Third floor teaching spaces and media library
Cultural exchange departure lounge and view to forum building
View of south west facade
Media library platforms
Atrium
THE MASTER
PLANNING
CITY.
Brecon,WALES
The project programme requires the master planning regeneration of a narrow strip of land adjacent to the river Honddu in the Welsh town of Brecon at the heart of the Brecon Beacons national park. My initial reading of the site and Brecon as a wider entity was to provide mediation between two clearly contrasting rhythms. The ordered, orthogonal and almost monastic Christ’s College public school lies to the west boundary of the site and possesses these qualities both in form and culture of educating. Over the river, Brecon town centre itself has a much more organic and ingrained urban fabric. As a visitor to the town you are lead by intrigue through a meandering of narrow streets encountering undefined break out spaces. The typology is far removed from the ordered notion of the collegiate square.
Syncopating is a term typically used in music to describe a rhythm that has been taken off the underlying beat.
The masterplanning interventions aim to adhere to the formal rhythm when addressing Christ’s College yet shift this sense of order when addressing the town centre along the river bank. The river edge is followed by a syncopated ribbon in form and materiality that dissipates towards the greenbelt land at the bottom of the sites. The disjointed nature allows for break out public spaces down to the water as well as views through and carved out shelter/ balconies. The scheme is based on two contrasting typologies at differing densities as well as a centrepiece at the pivotal bottleneck which links the activity on ‘Site A’ with ‘Site B’.
Sectional model through the Vocational Edcuation and retail ‘Serve’ culture of the Site A typology with housing above
SITE SITE
A B
Sectional model through the South of the Market Hall facing the Smokery
Sectional model through a typical Site B housing typology and the commercial Salmon and Brown Trout farming bay
SITE
B
At the heart of the site there is a Smokery which forms a relation to the vocational education and market culture on Site A, as well as the commercial fish farming on Site B
Construction Detail and Elevation
View of the Smoke House Keeper’s Cottage and Smokery
SITE
A
Figure Ground the furnace danceworks gladys ironworks
aberdare, wales
sensitivity in responding to the existing_ textures are important to the rich fabric of the site. preserve, enhance and complement these through obsessive modern detailing aim to maintain/ restore an element of the sites important gladys ironworks heritage sense of proportionality and reflection of the regulated permanence of the engine house whilst not overpowering one of aberdare’s aesthetic highlights embracing the stunning uninterrupted views onto the cynon hills_ axiality in glazed circulation channels tackling the vast height change on site. achieved through the progressive motion of rising dance studios leading you up through a journey hierarchy of public use spaces from those for performer use. low and high level entrances in line with this
Precedent analogy_ The Russian Babushka Doll: Each component is contained within its preceding larger scale copy in order to be space efficient and offer a variety of outcomes
Russian Doll Cable Drum Shelter Solution
The design is based on creating a modular shelter for people in dire situations providing basic needs. The cable drum is a globally used mechanism that is produced to regulated sizes. The system uses these with minimal to no waste along with rubber waterproofing and simple furnishings and inserts created from cable drum timber. The units are highly adaptable and can expand and contract in volume to give space or ease heating. They also have no permanent floor and so they can be revolved so that the openings maximise the sun path.
the brief was to objectively and subjectively measure a space of personal meaning or enjoyment. i chose to analyse the camper van that i travelled down the east coast of australia in that summer. the final drawing aims to show how the functioning and flexibility of the space allowed the opportunity to subjectively measure the space beyond merely its confines
SAWSA [student’s association of the welsh school of architecture] eco ball 2010
i sourced a large supply of floppy disks; a digital storage device which has become largely obsolete over recent years due to their very limited storage capacity and poor compatibility compared with cd’s, dvd’s, usb flash drives and external hardrives. i deconstructed each disk down to its individual components. i then tested the sustainable possibilities in line with the eco awareness nature of the ball to diversify its use and form into a physical storage function. the final outcome i produced was 34 individual table numbered holders for the event menu and booklets. tea lights were placed behind each cut out table number so that they were illuminated through the disks inner leaf under the low level event lighting.
UPLIGHT PLYWOOD SIDE TABLE
The side table is constructed from 4 and 6mm birch plywood, hollow steel rods and toughened glass. The three legs are solid to half their height with LED lights sunken into the base pieces. The hollowed out upper half allows up lighting and the possibility to create feature shadow play by partially obscuring the glazed table top.
Feature light created by obscuring the table top or positioning by a wall
‘PEEL.’
A MIXED MEDIA PORTRAIT PIECE USING 0.5MM SHEET ALUMINIUM AND ACRYLIC ON BOARD
During my time at Spaceagency; an architectural practice specialising in environmental graphics and interiors, I worked as project co-ordinator on graphics and wayfinding packages for two high profile international airport projects.
Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 London, UK
Potential Branding and Supergraphics
London, UK
Gatwick Airport North Terminal Pier 5
Wayfinding and Signage Work Package
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Masterplan Wayfinding Schematic Design
THEMED CHILDREN’S Maida Vale, London
BEDROOM
Arundel Gardens Private Residence Notting Hill, London
Interior Renovation