Architecture portfolio - Kalia Charalambous

academic & professional & personal

portfolio 2018 kalia charalambous

contents

ACADEMIC

01 02

ACADEMIC - FLOODED RIVERSIDE 2015

4

ACADEMIC - NEWPORT SHIP MUSEUM 2015 - 2016

6

PROFESSIONAL

03 04 05 06 07 08

ORME ARCHITECTURE - RAGLAN, LEIGH ON MENDIP 2017

34

ORME ARCHITECTURE - 7 FAIR CLOSE, BATH 2017

35

ORME ARCHITECTURE - BLACKFORD GRAIN STORE 2017

36

3BD ARCHITECTS - THE WHITE COTTAGE 2017

38

3BD ARCHITECTS - HAMPTON LANE GARAGE 2018

39

3BD ARCHITECTS - 344 GLOUCESTER ROAD 2018

40

PERSONAL

09 10 11 12

COMPETITION - REFLECTIVE LANTERNS 2018

42

MODEL - MAKING SAMPLES

46

ART SAMPLES & PHOTOGRAPHY

47

EXTENDED ESSAYS

48

01

FLOODED RIVERSIDE

ACCESSIBILITY

PUBLIC PRIVATE

moderating tides and views 2015

UWE design studio

BRIEF: Newport is a depived city in Wales with many opportunities for improvement.

The aim of this short introductory project was to look almost exclusively at the issues of the city and design a 100m2 maximum building which passively moderates the environment of Newport’s riverside.

PROPOSAL: Tides are a major issue in Newport that can lead to flooding most of the times. So my idea was to find a way to moderate the tides. Currently in the Tidal lagoon, between Cardiff and Newport, there are people working on creating a tidal energy station that could power every home in Wales and thus taking advantage of the fact that the tide in the area is the second highest worldwide. As Newport is trying to be more sustainable with its new plan for 2020, my proposal includes a riverside energy research centre located on the south east side of the Newport Bridge to analyse and measure the tidal range in the area and gather all the necessary information for the station that will soon be opened. What would be interesting about the structure is that it will be built into the ground on the side of the river so that researchers can observe from below the tide height but also the top part of the structure (roof) which will act as an observatory for the public that will offer them apart from great views of the Castle and Newport in general, a unique experience with the river.

Depending on the height of the tide each day, the building will purposely flood when on high tide so people can have an experience to walk on water, similar to Venice, and create a relationship with the river that is part of their welsh culture. So the idea will be that people will come with boots and enjoy a nice day walking on water and enjoying the amazing views across with access from all around the structure whereas downstairs researchers will moderate tide and views in a different way and from a different angle.

VIEWS

PUBLIC PRIVATE

02

NEWPORT SHIP MUSEUM designing on the back of history 2016 - 2015

UWE design studio

BRIEF: Our graduation project was located in Newport, Wales, an industrial and dull city but with a lot of potential for improvement. The aim of our project was to look into how any future developments can transform the city, taking into account the possible risks involved with future change. Also building proposals were to be set around a specific theme.

PROPOSAL: My proposal for this building centres around the development of historic culture. This is accomplished by housing a 500 year old trading ship, also called as the Newport Ship found back in 2002 at the banks of the River Usk, in a museum. The building proposed brings together the acts of learning and making to attract tourists from all over the world to see such a ship being rebuilt. The museum is divided up into the three stages of learning - learn, experience and interact, in order to offer to the people a unique and socially interactive and educational experience.

Following the principles of the novelty architecture, where buildings and other structures are given shapes to represent different things, the proposed museum follows the said principle and is formed in a way around the exhibited ship. The general architectural approach of the design is the one of concreteness as for such a big structure; concrete is the most versatile material which I will be using to make the structure a representation of the ship. The concept of revealing versus hidden is dominant in my design as in my proposal, the structure is partly buried in order to position the ship in its natural habitat (it was found approximatelly 7 meters underground) and also as the ship will need a constant temperature to be preserved, windows and other openings around the ship are not efficient. The only natural light that will enter the buried part of the structure will be from different small heat reflective windows at the ground floor of the open courtyard in the middle of the structure, looking directly to the ship. This dappled light shining on the ship will not only create a more atmospheric feel in the atrium but also will act as an engagment game for the public, to be able to look down to the ship and to get intrigued to get inside.

The Historic Environment is Central to Wale’s Culture and its character contributes to the sense of place and cultural identity. It enhances the quality of life and adds local distinctiveness as it is an important economic and social asset. It is vital that the historic environment is appreciated, protected and made accessible for present and future generations.

The identity of a city is one of the most important aspects of a place and even though Newport has a unique character, a big part of it is neglected and lacks a heart and an identity making it a place you just pass through rather than dwell.

Culture challenges our preconceptions and compels us to perceive the world differently. We learn through culture. We grow with, from, and through it. For Newport, culture is tied to the city’s unique identity and since Newport seems to lack one at the moment, such a plan whould be ideal. For the purposes of this plan, the focus of culture in Newport is going to be on the natural and cultural heritage of the city and how to use that to culturally educate the public thus giving Newport a new Cultural Identity with its main focus being the new Museum for the Newport Ship.

On the West side of the UK there are many cities that have developed a similar plan and are even considered as cultural hubs. Newport being in the middle of this link fits directly into this ‘spider web’ of cultural cities and in this way when this cultural plan will be completed, it will become part of this regional agenda of cultural cities.

The scheme proposed is a cultural route along the River Usk, totally pedestrianized as an alternative way of transportation with educational activities and public spaces that the public can engage to, leading to a museum for the Newport Ship and thus celebrating the City’s culture and history and in this way giving Newport a new cultural Identity.

clinker construction

carvel construction

During the Summer of 2002, a truely remarkable archaeological discovery was made at Newport on the banks of the River Usk. Building work for the new Riverfront theatre at the time revealed the substantial remains of a fifteenth Century merchant ship which after studies it is now placed in the period often called the ‘Age of Discovery‘.

The evolution of ship design can be traced through other important discoveries. For example, a forteenth century merchant ship known as the Bremen Cog, the sixteenth century warship the Mary Rose, the seventeenth century warship Vasa and many others after these show different construction techniques. The Newport Ship fills a gap for the fifteenth century.

She was a clinker - built ship, with the hull planks fastened together overlapping, unlike a carvel vessel, where the planks are fitted flush, edge to edge and not fastened together.

Newport is located on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, approximatelly 12 miles northeast of Cardiff and it is the third largest city in Wales. Newport has been a port since medieval times, when a castle was built by the Normans. The city grew significantly in the 19th century, when its port became the focus of coal exports from the eastern valleys of South Wales and even though during the 20th century, the docks declined in importance, Newport remained an important manufacturing and engineering centre for a certain amount of time until slowly its identity faded and it is now considered a Gateway City.

River Usk is the most important asset of Newport as it flows right through its heart. As a river, it plays an important role in the history of Wales, as the discovery of the Newport Ship back in 2002 confirms that Usk was an important trading route to many towns and villages.

Now, the river sits in the middle of the city, dividing up the two sides of Newport without having any specific purpose.

Through the years, new developments emerged on its banks that attempted to give it a more cultural identity that linked to the castle, like the University, the Riverfront theatre and the wave - the steel installation next to the castle, but the river remained dull and with no particular life.

Like many other cities with cultural plans that have been developed or are currently developing, the riverside is often the most obvious choice of regeneration. In Newport’s case, River Usk seems to form a connection to the culture of the City as it was the most important part of its identity when it was an industrial city, one of its natural resources. After the decline of the industry though, Newport lost most of its resources, but the River is still there. Focusing on the riverside for this plan seems like an opportunity to celebrate its existance and finally making people use it in an educational and fun way.

The river passes through many areas above Newport, and some of these areas have a strong cultural character. On the map on the left, you can see the study I undertook that made me realise that the River forms a cultural route along areas from Caerleon to Breacon. Each of these places, celebrate their history one way or the other through their Museums and other cultural assets with the river Usk linking them together.

In this sense, even though Newport is already part of this route with the Newport Museum and Art Gallery, it can make an even stronger impact on this route with the new Ship museum that will be of international importance and like in this route, Newport feels like the destination of a journey, I will try to mimick this idea into my scheme to make the Ship Museum feel like a destination.

Uskway

Castle

Sports Stadium

Riverfront Theatre

High Street/ Commercial Road University

1 Km

1 Km

Cathedral

2 Km

2 Km

Southerned Distributor Road

3 Km

3 Km Transporter Bridge

Existing Transportation Infrastructure

Key Cultural Assets

Newport has three major transportation links, from which two of them pass through the study area.

The A4042, or else called Uskway road, is the main route that passes vertically through the city and links Newport to Northern areas in Wales. As this road is parallel to the River, its busy everyday traffic pollutes the riverside with noise and gas and thus making it harder for people to enjoy a nice day by the river. Also, historically, the path of the Uskway road used to be the path of the Monmouthshire Canal that used to pass through the area and was used to transfer coal back when Newport was an industrial city.

The Southerned Distributor Road is the second main link that connects to the third one which is the M4 motorway which does not pass through the study area. The SDR Road is a very important access link to the city as it connects Newport horizontally to Cardiff and Bristol thus contributing to Newport’s Gateway City profile.

Even though Newport has really good vertical and horizontal access links thatjustify the fact that it is characterized as a Gateway city, its lack of public transport through the area could discourage many. It is not that public transportation is non existent, it is the fact that it is not reliable in any way apart from the trains which are now housed under a newly constructed train station right in the city centre.

The key Cultural assets of the city are focused mainly around the Castle area so that would be the most obvious space to place another part of Newport’s culture. The old Town dock area though which is a very important part of the city’s character seems to be neglected as its position makes it not worthy for people to walk to.As my idea is to form a journey - experience for the people towards the museum, the old Dock/ Maltings fits into this journey and might be the ideal space.

Culture Sports

Residential Shopping

1 Km

1 Km

Residential

Culture

2 Km

2 Km

Industrial Industrial

Zone C1: Served by significant infrastructure, including flood defences

3 Km

3 Km

Zone C2: Without significant flood defence infrastructure

Flooding Areas

Identification of the Areas

Flooding in Newport is considered as a major issue, not just because of the risk of the public when the water level is at its highest but also because when it is at its lowest, the mud seperating the land and the water that is visible is very unpleasing to the eye.

According to the map showing the areas affected by flooding, most of the area is served by flood defences apart from some spaces down south which will definitely need protection.

Newport seems to have many identities in different areas but in the end they do not sum up in one big one which is what the city lacks. The culture areas seem to focus around the medieval castle area and down south where the old Dock is but they are completely seperated. A good idea would be to find a way to connect the two for the people to be able to experience both as they both form together the historic industrial heritage of Newport.

University Site

Jack’s Pill Site

Old Lock and Maltings Site

After undertaking these scale tests on the left to understand better the space in different sites in Newport, I concluded that the Malting Building site, right below the historic Old Dock is the site for the new Museum as it has a cultiural character that is not taken advantage of and the structure in the middle can be used for workshops for the construction of the ship and other outdoor activities.

Housing Development

Housing Development

proposed parking space for cars and buses

proposed parking space for cars and buses

proposed parking space for cars and buses

Example of sight from Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal northern of Newport

Example of riverside publick space (deck) Dundee Waterfront Development

Cultural Regeneration areas City Centre proposed parking space Treasure Hunt Trail public transportation (bus) boat tours cycle/ pedestrian routes vehicle access

Axis of Development

MASTERPLAN PROPOSAL

Example of embankment walls in Leine, Hanover

Strategic Framework The masterplan has been designed to accommodate a growth in tourism and culture in Newport whilst supporting the Wale’s Planning policy of Tourism, to grow in a sustainable way and to make an increasing contribution to the economic, social and environmental well-being of Wales.

Axis Following the Site analysis, there is a strong vertical development axis along the main transport routes in which the proposed developments will be aligned.

Zones As Newport is divided in distinctive zones, like culture, residential and industrial, the proposal of the new riverside development will try to ease the transition between the areas by creating a space for all that will run vertically along the zones.

Links The masterplan includes a variety of new green transportation methods from the centre of Newport all along to the proposed Museum connecting the centre to that area in an educational and cultural way.

PROPOSAL - VIEWS OF THE SITE

PROPOSAL - VIEWS OF THE SITE

PROPOSAL - VIEWS OF THE SITE

pedestrian circulation bicycle circulation

SITE PLAN

L

K

J J

I H

H

G F

E G B D

C

A B C D E F G H

Lobby/ entrance Seating space Storage Staff private space Staff Toilets Kitchen Kitchen Storage Toilets

A

LEVEL 1

A B C D E F G H I J K L

Entrance/ reception Reception Storage Staff Toilets Meeting space Kitchen Office Space Informative Exhibition Shop Shop Storage Toilets Mechanical Room Entrance for staff

F

E

A

D

B C

LEVEL 0

F

E

F

E

E

A

D

C

D

A

B

C

B

B

A B C D E F

Artifact Exhibition Gallery Ship Exhibition Gallery Ship Hall Auditorium Storage Toilets

A B C D E

LEVEL -1

Interactive Dispaly Room Boat Exhibition Space Ship Hall Timber Room Toilets

LEVEL -2

NORTH EAST ELEVATION

SOUTH EAST ELEVATION

SOUTH WEST ELEVATION

NORTH WEST ELEVATION

LONG SECTION

As the most important section through the building, we can see all the important spaces, from the upstairs cafe, to the different exhibition spaces above and below ground, the auditorium at the back of the building and of course the ship right in the middle. This section will be pulled open over the next two pages in order to show how different parts of the building interact while giving a basic understanding of how it may come together.

A

A

HOW THE SHIP STANDS

The ship hull will be held up 3.5 meters by 16 columns, 8 from the right side and 8 from the left with the distance from one another being 4 meters. The reason I decided to put the hull in an elevated position is because like the Cutty Sark Museum, I wanted people to be able to move around as well as below the ship easily so they will be able to study and enjoy the amazing exhibit from all its angles. The structure holding the hull will consist of 16 concrete columns of 3 meters each with an additional 50 cm steel column on top that will hold a curved steel structure that will have the shape of it so the ship will be positioned on. In order for the concrete columns not to collapse though, I adjusted an I beam horizontally, below the curved structure to hold the two columns together and preventing it from collapsing inwards. I decided to use concrete columns at the bottom for more safety as for the height I wanted to elevate the ship on, concrete columns rather than steel seem more stable. The curved steel beams below the ship will not only focus on holding the hull from its middle point which is the heaviest but also they will enhance the visibility of the ship from below thus enabling people to view it in a better way.

B

B

The materiality of the building is set to be both dominant and also fit within the general context and idea of the museum. Each material was chosen to reflect and mimick the idea of a ship in the architecture by using different forms and ideas of wood as the trading ship was also made of wood in a clinker construction.

EXTERIOR MATERIALS

SHERA Planks

Board Marked Concrete

Glass

Shera Planks - Decking

Glass

Polished Concrete

Timber Planks - Ceiling

INTERIOR MATERIALS

Beige wall Paint

flashing

150 mm thick polished concrete finish

reinforcing strip cap sheet

40 mm screed

granular fill around the edges of the roof planting

EI30 rated glass

100 mm of soil/ substrate drainage mat and root barrier waterproof membrane 200 mm insulation to achieve the required thermal performance inside the structure vapour control layer screed laid to falls

Powder coated mild steel frame

200 mm concrete roof slab

150 mm insulation to achieve the required thermal performance inside the structure

Ceramic fibre bedding around perimeter

100 mm thick timber planks used for the ceiling to give a feeling you are under a ship deck

25mm wide x 50mm thick Superwool board

50 mm thick timber planks used with a decorative purpose around the parapet anchor bolt used to hold the timber planks on the concrete

Green Roof and Parapet Detail

Floor Window Detail

GREEN ROOF AND PARAPET DETAIL

FLOOR WINDOW DETAIL

Designing an extensive green roof tends to require little upkeep and maintenance and that is why I followed this choice. The extensive green roof usually consists of sedum type planting and I wanted to go with this type of plant as it does not grow bigger often rather that spreads on a surface. The roof will offer high performance while keeping the weight of the roof low.

Designing a green roof for the museum was to ease the brutality of the concrete exterior and make the structure more green and sustainable. This detail demonstrates the protection of the waterproofing layer by the capping sheet. The flashing to the parapet does not only protect the finish of the waterproofing but also keeps water out. The insulation exists to retain the heat inside the building with a wooden ceiling as a finish in the interior.

The granular fill around the edges of the roof is used to reduce fire risk and is also used to put the drainage pipe inside for the water to get out of the roof easily.

The idea to use glass panels on the floor of the exhibition spaces so people will look down at the boats directly came to me from the new Acropolis Museum in Athens. In the museum, there are glass panels on the floor showing different artifacts in the natural habitat (where they were found). Even though the boats were excavated and already put in display in the museum, the idea to enable the public to have a direct view not only of the ship but also of the boats made sense as the museum would be accessible from all floors and people will be able to engage to everything in there wherever they are. In order to put people walk on the glass though, I had to make sure that it is strong enough structurally. On the detail on the left, I tried to develop a glass floor that is fire resistent for up to 30 minutes in order to offer time to the people to get out safely in case of an emergency and also I tried to connect it as realistically and strong as possible to the slab so accidents would not be an issue.

anchor bolt used to adjust firmly the steel frame structure to the steel column curved metal frame structure with dimensions 200 mm x 50 mm x 5000 mm that will take the form of the ship so the ship can sit on

500 mm x 200 mm x 200 mm steel column

angled mortar fillet to eliminate pooling

base plate with dimensions 250 mm x 250 mm to adjust the steel column on the concrete column below

steel rod in the reinforced concrete slab

anchor bolts to keep the base plate adjusted to the concrete column

400mm Raft Foundation with downstand beams to add stability tanking slurry for protection from water leakage 150mm closed cell insulation to achieve the required thermal performance angle clip for the framed connection of a steel beam to the concrete column

studded membrane to prevent blockage shingle to allow suitable drainage

Beam holding the concrete columns together to avoid the chance of collapsing from the weight

perforated drainage pipe Concrete column 300 mm x 300 mm used to create strong foundations for the ship to sit on 50mm concrete blinding to seal platform

Ship Frame Detail

Raft Foundation

SHIP FRAME DETAIL

RAFT FOUNDATION DETAIL

As the ship is the most important thing in the museum, I had to create a frame that will hold it and at the same time not disrupting the views of the public. For a stronger foundation and protection that will be able to hold the hull, I decided to use the concrete columns so as to minimise the risk of any possible accidents as people would move below as well as around the ship. Then, I adjusted a 500 mm steel column to give more height to the frame and also to be able to create a steel frame to frame connection between the two.

The framed structure that would sit on the steel column will be formed in a way that it will have the shape of the hull so the ship can sit properly and safely. As the columns would eventually collapse inwards though because of the weight of the chip, I positioned an I beam below the structural frame to push the columns and therefore keep the entire structure intact and strong to hold the ship.

The reason I decided to use a composite construction for the frame is because concrete is good in compression and steel is good in tension. By joining the two materials together structurally their strengths are exploited to result in a highly efficient and lightweight frame for the hull.

Choosing to use Raft foundations for my structure was something I needed to do for a more stable construction. Firstly, my building is so big that by using raft foundations its weight is spread over a large area thus creating a more stable construction. The soil on the site I have picked, does not have a high bearing capacity and these foundations are usually used in such sites. Also the fact that the foundation and the Floor slab are combined, it saves time and materials and of course costs. And also, the fact that my building is underground means that there is already a lot of excavation that will take place and by using these foundations, less excavation on the site.

DETAILED 1:1 CONSTRUCTION DRAWING

CONCRETE FRAME Concrete Frame is an extremely versatile method of building, as the frame itself can be dimensioned to exactly suit the specific requirements of the building layout and site geometry. Furthermore, there are a wide range of options for infilling the frame and cladding of the exterior as well as the interior, making it a good choice for the museum as The whole idea is to create a structure that will become a representation of the ship, through the materials as well as the form. As concrete can be casted in any form, the idea is to cast the exterior as a board marked concrete to replicate the timber exterior of the ship.

In the CAD diagram I show the beams and how they need to sit on the ground floor/ roof in order for the structure to remain still and stable. Because of the shape of the building, the beams on the edges need to be adjusted in this position in order to hold the rest of them. The above ground frame shown on the diagram shows the main beams (300mm) that sit at the edges of the structure holding it and in between 150mm beams to form the entire building.

03

RAGLAN, LEIGH STREET householder planning & demolition MAR 2017

ORME ARCHITECTURE

The brief for this project was for an extension to the south and east side of the dwelling , following the demolition of the existing garage and other external and internal walls in order to facilitate an extension fitted for a modern family life.

The extension allows for a larger dining area, kitchen and living room space, all together in an open plan to generate a natural flow throughout and allow the family to enjoy larger spaces in their house like the new bathroom, snug and utility room. Additionally, the extension at the rear of the dwelling will serve as a rejuvenated entrance to the beautiful back garden. A new en suite master bedroom will be created on the first floor of the new extension in order to give to the family the additional bedroom space they need and also give them access to the amazing Mendip views from the proposed balcony.

This project was the very first one I worked on in the office where I was involved from stage 1 to stage 3 of the RIBA Plan of work. From carrying out a full survey, drawing up the existing and proposed drawings and create all the visuals and planning documents, the project has now been granted full planning permission and is ready to start contsruction.

04

7 FAIR CLOSE, BATH householder planning & demolition FEB 2017

ORME ARCHITECTURE

The existing bungalow was nearly restroyed with most of the roof fallen into the building and so the owner wanted to create a modern future home for him and his family.

The brief for this project was for the restoration of the existing bungalow with an addition to the building’s footprint at the rear of the property. For this project, I did the full planning drawing set along with my first attempt at the general arrangement drawings for the construction phase. After several site visits and following meetings with the client, the project is now complete and it is my first finished project which I got to work on throughout its process.

05

BLACKFORD GRAIN STORE Full planning permission: new build APR 2017

ORME ARCHITECTURE

This project proposes the demolition of the existing Grain Store in Church Farm and replace it with a new residential dwelling (C3 Use Class).

The proposed dwelling will be designed based around a ‘rural farm’ vernacular. This concept looks at forms based around a collection of barns as the aesthetic. The design looks to remove the existing barn and water tower to replace with a new dwelling to improve not only the entrance/approach to the village (from the South), but also the setting of the Grade II* listed Church and other nearby listing buildings.

The proposed dwelling is set back from the public highway and also has a large private drive (approach) to further reduce its impact on the setting. The proposed ground floor is arranged with the entrance positioned in a glass box (pink), leading to an open living/ dining/kitchen space (purple) with big windows facing east and west sides. Furthermore, three en suite bedrooms (red), a snug (green), a utility room (orange) and a bathroom (grey) are also located on this floor, carefully positioned in a way that maximises the use of space and lighting in every room.

The new dwelling will also benefit from an outside garage (blue) and storage (yellow) space. The proposed first floor is laid out on top of the northern wing of the dwelling, with two bedrooms (red), one of them being a master en suite bedroom with a Juliet balcony facing west, and a family bathroom (grey).

My involvement in this project was to provide the client with a proposed scheme he would be happy with and draft all the changes until we agreed upon a finalised design. Also, I was involved in designing all the visuals and the relevant planning documents. The project is now in for planning.

06

THE WHITE COTTAGE Household extension and renovation OCT 2017

3BD ARCHITECTS

This project proposes a small extension at the front of the house with a patio in Long Ashton and a complete renovation of the kitchen area so that the family would be able to have a more comfortable space to spend their time.

On this, I was involved from the very beginning, from the site survey, the full planning drawing package and my first detailed drawings in the practise and it helped me understand a lot about how a building works and is built and understand more about the lighting, heating, electrics and drainage analysis of such a project.

07

HAMPTON LANE GARAGE Full planning permission: new build JAN 2018

3BD ARCHITECTS

The brief for this project is for a new built, four apartment building in Clifton, Bristol. The problem with this project from the beginning was that the planning department felt that building a new structure in the place of the existing garage would have an impact on the listed building further down the road and the series of houses at the back.

Apart from the set of drawings I completed for the planning application, other tasks included creating a visual impact assessment in sketchup to prove to the planning department that after several changes and reductions in scale to the design of our proposal, we managed to minimised its impact to the area.

The project now awaits for approval.

08

344 GLOUCESTER ROAD household extension FEB 2018

3BD ARCHITECTS

This project proposes an extension on the site of a building with flats to add two more one bedroom flats on Gloucester road in Bristol.

The proposal includes a common bins and bikes area at the ground floor of the site, complying with Bristol’s regulations. On the first and second floor two one bedroom flats.

The problem with this design was that from the beginning the client wanted to get either three one bedroom flats or two bedroom flats so he will be able to rent them at a higher price. As we realised after the first design reviews, the space we had did not comply with the area regulations so we had to scale the entire project down.

After we submitted the proposal, it was rejected because of the impact the planning department thought it would have on the street.

On their comments they felt that the extension would impact the sunlight and shadows in the neighbour’s garden and the told us to rethink the proposal.

So I put together a shadow study throughout the seasons to prove that our impact on the neighbouring property was minimal. Also we moved our proposal back so it would follow that natual building curve of the road and therefor not have the impact that they were concerned with.

I was involved throughout the entire process for this project. I did the site survey, the full planning application drawings as well as all the changes and extra justification work the planning department needed to see. Also for the design of the extension, me and the partner architect worked together to provide the client with a design with minimal cost as requested.

The project is still under development before we resubmit it again for planning permission.

09

REFLECTIVE LANTERNS architecture competition MAR-MAY 2018

PERSONAL

This competition tasked us with envisioning a concept for a guest house, where visitors can privately observe and directly engage with the beautiful northern lights in Iceland. The chosen location adjacent to Mývatn lake, is a site of 9 hectares in the northeast region of Iceland.

The brief was to deliver design proposals for accommodations to house permanent hosts and up to 20 temporary guests. Submissions were asked to include host facilities in addition to a series of simply-designed single and double transportable guest room modules, with the capacity to sleep up to four, and a skylight through which to view the northern lights at night. In order to be relocated on site, these guest rooms are to moveable, without permanent foundations. Due to the delicate nature of the region no permanent construction is to take place within 200 metres of the lake.

APPROACH TO THE BRIEF “Aurora Borealis” one of the natural wonders of the world; it is a phenomenon worthy of a place in everyone’s bucket list. It offers a glimpse beyond the veil, makes you feel the harmony of the natural landscape and entices you to ponder and wonder. Iceland is one of the lucky few places due to its geographical position, allowing visitors and locals witness the colourful luminescenceof the ‘Aurora Oval’ This project endeavours to celebrate the culture and beliefs of Iceland. Taking a beautiful piece of land and turning it into a journey for the travellers which not only can enjoy the weird stone figures, the mossy landscapes, bubbling geysers and the angry volcanoes of Iceland but step into the local lore of “Huldufólk”. Roughly translated as “hidden people” the Huldufólk are”near mirror-images” of humans legends recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries and carried on until today from the oldest way of passing knowledge, storytelling.

Locals describe them as ‘lights that move around on the ground and on hillsides. Sometimes they appear out of nowhere. Sometimes they are very close to you – other times very far. The old people say this is the light of the Huldufólk’s lanterns as they walk around at night or the lights from their little houses’ What better way to immerse yourself in a culture through belief. Locals strongly believe in Huldufólks as you will see in almost every garden tiny houses just in case they come along. These beliefs should be celebrated and not suppressed though. With this in mind, my design approach is driven by the celebration of the Icelandic culture. The designs of the project transfer us to a mythical world with a glowing sky, introducing the northern lights phenomenon, a shadow at the edge of your vision pondering and stepping into a fairy tale.

APPROACH TO THE SITE DESIGN The village will be designed in a hierarchical way in order to create partitions and give the guests as well as the host and his family the privacy they require. The idea is to use retaining walls to level up the site in order to make the construction process easier and create visible site levels, seperating the private and public spaces.

Entering the site, the guests will be able to find a car park. In the small entrance hall across the car park, the host will meet the guests to give them their keys and show them around the site and the facilities offered. Following the footpaths, the guests will arrive in the middle of the site where they will find the dining area, a campfire place with the purpose of gathering around the fire at night and socialise with the other guests, and a roof terrace. Around, saunas cladded with polished aluminium will be scattered with the idea that the small structures will blend into the environment and reflect everything around them, including the people in the area, and thus creating the illusion that the mirrored images are in fact the Huldufolk walking amongst them.

Towards the north of the site, little timber cladded pods will be distributed across the lowest level. Their one way glass facade will not only offer amazing views to the guests, but also allow the guesthouses to become camouflaged with their surroundings. The mirrored images of the guests will be thought of as the figures of the hidden people.

With the aid of the sunlight during the day, the guest houses reflect everything around them, making them almost indistinguishable from their surroundings. Come sunset, the guest houses are transformed into light emmiting lanterns resembling to the local’s idea for the mythical hidden creatures.

On the South Side, the host will be able to enjoy the amazing views of the Aurora Borealis with his family from their new house as well as enjoy their privacy as there will be a dinstinct division between the areas. On the South-East side, the host will be able to keep ten icelandic horses in the new barn proposed with enough space for the horses outside the barn as well.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Traditional Icelandic form

Optimising the form for a stronger silhouette

Combining the forms to create a modern approach

Form that enhances views and deals with environmental issues

Increase the height to make the space more habitable

DESIGNING THE LANTERNS The main aim for the design of the guest bedrooms was to make them as easy to assemble and to transfer as possible. My proposal includes tiny timber frame structures sitting on the temporary foundations proposed throughout the site. The structures will be versatile and easily transferable with the idea that if the owners decide that they want more quadruple bedrooms or even bigger pods, they will be able to order the seperate units and assemble them together in a matter of hours.

Their construction will comprise of the temporary foundations as the base where the insulated floor will sit on, a timber frame with a cavity, rigid insulation in between and a vapour layer to keep the internal space as warm as possible, and timber cladding boards. Large panels of one way mirror glass on the sides and part of the roof will complete the construction. The panels will be specified so that during the day the external part of the glass will have reflective properties and during the night it will emit light like lanterns, creating an aestheticly pleasing exterior and a cosy and habitable interior.

Internally, the room design is simple, with a shower room, a small kitchenette, a bed and a big skylight from where guests can experience the unobstructed views of the Northern lights and views of Lake Myvatn while enjoying their privacy.

EXTERNAL VIEW - THE REFLECTIVE VILLAGE

PROPOSALS - ELEVATIONS

TYPE1&2 - EAST

TYPE 1 - SOUTH

TYPE 2 - SOUTH

TYPE1&2 - WEST

TYPE 1 - NORTH

TYPE 2 - NORTH

PROPOSAL - ASSEMBLY

temporary foundations INTERNAL VIEW - GUEST BEDROOMS

DESIGNING THE HOUSE The proposal for the Host’s House revolves around the idea of the pitched roof houses you can find in the gardens of the locals. With a more dynamic twist, making it an A-frame structure in order to enhance the views, the host with his family will be able to enjoy this two bedroom house with all the necessary facilities.

The house will benefit from large double glazed panels of glass as well as the unique velux rooflights on the first floor, offering the family a chance to stand on a balcony and gaze at the magnificent sky dancing.

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MODEL MAKING academic samples of model making

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ART & PHOTOGRAPHY personal samples of work

ART SAMPLES

PHOTOGRAPHY SAMPLES

CAPE TOWN - PLANNING FOR DEMOCRACY CAN DEMOCRACY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH URBAN PLANNING? South Africa’s Mother City, Cape Town is one of the few cities in the world that can easily capture people’s hearts. From the Majestic Table Mountain to its bountiful vineyards and golden beaches, it manages to distract a visitor’s attention from the visible discriminations that divided the entire city since 1948. Amandla magazine is referring to Cape Town as the Mother City of Inequality, but is this still the case? For the past two decades, this apartheid face of Cape Town is on the road to change and it wasn’t until the past couple of years that the city’s politicians and planners initiated an actual revolutionary design agenda to overthrow this legacy and build a more inclusive and equitable Cape Town. This paper will inform the reader of the new urban design plan of Cape Town and oppose questions like ‘can this urban plan contribute to achieving real democracy after all these years?’

‘We consider that the history of the races, especially having regard to South African history, shows that the co-mingling of black and white is undesirable. The native should only be allowed to enter urban areas, which are essentially the white man’s creation, when he is willing to enter and to minister to the needs of the white man, and should depart therefrom when he ceases to so minister.’

Through these words, we understand that the history of Cape Town has proven several times that the apartheid establishment was enforced in every part of people’s lives, from the structuralized social hierarchies to the segregation of the build environment of the city.

When in 1948 the apartheid policy came to power, all residents needed to register their race according to a legislation so they would firstly be categorized by their color and then controlled as if they had no freedom in their own city. By 1950, the division of the city into ‘Black’, ‘White’,

‘Colored’ and ‘Asian’ was made official by the Population Registration Act and the use of identity cards was made mandatory to specify each group.

The discrimination continued to grow with new ideas, one of them being the ‘Grand Apartheid’ that focused on the separation of homelands, and another the ‘Petty Apartheid’ that focused on everyday facilities. Following these two systems, they came at a time when the government was allowed to provide white people with better facilities. In the meantime, different urban plans were assigned to different cities of South Africa, with Cape Town following the ideology of the Stallard Commission (1922) that stated that black workers and consumers should be brought into the city but they would be kept separately from the white. When in 1990 though the racial segregations started to fall apart with the release of the future president Nelson Mandela, it was too late for the divided city to move on

from its apartheid ‘façade’. Years later, on December 31 2013, after Nelson Mandela’s death, his face was projected in Cape Town’s City Hall to remind everyone there about the importance of unity, an action that was made to inform the city that it was up to them now, that with 2014 on the way the changes Mandela was fighting for needed to be made. But after the celebration ended, people left the same way they came, ‘miles apart from each other’ towards their homes that were mostly segregated by race, colored families heading to their Cape Flats, Indian families to Rylands Estate, Black families to Gugulethu or Khayelitsha and White families to their big and luxurious homes nearby. Almost twenty years after the supposed end of the apartheid era, Capetonians are still moving into gated communities with security guards and perimeter walls around the area so if we are discussing about whether it is possible to plan a democratic city, Cape Town seems to be the best example since during the 20th century, the exact opposite outcome was achieved.

The fact is that great urban planning is not just about improving the physical state of an area. Of course we design parks because trees are lovely to look at, but we should also consider that they offer open and inclusive spaces, where hierarchical matters between people are not an issue. After Cape Town was nominated for the World Design Capital - an honor that celebrates the accomplishments of a city that uses design to reinvent themselves in any way, many say it found an identity to strive towards by using urban design as a tool to get to the long-awaited democracy. Cape Town’s bid book for the project, called “Live Design, Transform Life,” is a demonstration of the city’s dedication to accomplish these principles, illustrating the actions the city has taken to attain the desired results, with their motto being ‘separated by apartheid, reconnected by design’. As the Urban Designer who works on the World Design Capital project of Cape town, Lindsay Bush said ‘Modernist design and planning was used by the apartheid government to perpetrate the largest social experiment in the history of mankind, and provided the perfect ‘top-down’ device to order, separate, divide and control the populace. That’s why design is the perfect apparatus to undo those wrongs.’ Changes like rebuilding the communities, reconnecting the infrastructure and repositioning the future are included into the bid document that was submitted and will be analyzed and discussed to understand whether they will form permanent solutions to the city’s problems.

Being in Cape Town will turn out to be a life changing experience, either good or bad. When you are on the N2 motorway, you can see on the one side beautiful views, the endless plots of green areas but when you look on the other side you get frightened by the massive neighborhoods full of shacks ready to fall apart. That’s when you understand that you are in Khayelitsha - the so called ‘black’ area. One of the new projects in Cape Town that is said to bring democracy amongst the races is the ‘Violence Prevention through urban upgrading’, an integrated approach to urban

planning that includes all forms of development in the area, not just the physical and conceptual ones. Through the years, Cape Town has been known for its dangerous and violent crimes, the extensive unemployment, the poverty of certain races and the rigid conditions of specific areas and all these because certain races weren’t accepted as part of the city’s residents leading them to a life of poverty and crime. So when they faced the opportunity to reinvent their communities, Khayelitsha was an ideal place to transform into a beautiful and safe neighborhood, but most importantly to a place that would be environmentally, socially and economically viable. When the innovative VPUU project was initiated in 2006, a partnership with the German Government was also formed with the aim to reduce crime and improve the living conditions and safety regulations in the suburbs as well as giving to the local residents the power they deserved for

so long. A set of safety principles was produced by the leadership of the project to be used as guidelines through the process, including surveillance and visibility, territoriality, access and movement, image and aesthetics, physical barriers and maintenance and management. And that was just the beginning.

If you take one look around the poverty areas in Cape Town, you can understand that the living conditions are in an urgent need of upgrading and that this situation does not only concern the poor and helpless people in these neighborhoods but also the government of Cape Town since this is part of the picture they project to the outside world. So when they decided to do something about it, they used the Design Indaba Expo in 2008 to promote a new ’10 x 10 Low – cost Housing’ competition to come up with the best affordable design possible and with ‘innovative responses to the urgent need to house the urban poor’ and start the change of their image. The proposal was initiated by the Design Indaba Trust which is committed to create designs for educational and development projects in Town and South Africa as of now has a noteworthy test in using minimal resources to produce for its residents facilities like these and turn difficult situations into imaginative alternatives. The Design Indaba 10 x 10

task united the several people from the Design Indaba graduated class for their abilities, aptitudes and goodwill to design a new project for a community where design and usable facilities haven’t been expected. The architectural group’s winning design was a 54m² house that would require no tools or any specific knowledge on construction to build it and it was effective enough that it managed to use the right amount of budget with local materials and most of all made sure that the community would be involved in the project. Proposals like these are important to the city since it’s a way to show that the Apartheid era is now coming to an end and the city’s council is willing to give everyone the rights they deserve.

In order to address the inequality and achieve democracy, the city needed various projects to reach the desired result. Then an idea called ‘Dignified Places Programme’ became the main focus of this implementation and brought up a plan - to assemble new vibrant public spaces that would also contribute to the development of the City’s sustainable Future. For decades there has been a very clear contrast between the ar-

-eas for the white, wealthy residents and the quality of the spaces for the poor so public spaces were not – existent in the gated communities leading to miscommunication and segregation even in such concepts.

But after 1999, measures had to be taken in order to create more spaces like these so public spaces were selected as a demonstration of the post – apartheid era to be used as a tool to reconnect people from all around the City. Areas were aligned in a specific order and so places that could benefit as many people as possible and were close to transportation junctions would qualify first as one of the main goals of the project is to provide people with safe and permanent places. At the same time the fundamental aspiration of the project is to develop a feeling of respect in the public realm, focusing on the poorest and generally burdened parts of the City. The goal is to give every neighborhood a spot where poverty wouldn’t be noticeable and where people would be able to meet or simply sit in a space which is as captivating and enjoyable as any other newly developed, innovative and democratic place in the City.

In 2009, what seemed to be an ignored, underutilized and generally aloof place for Capetonians turned up to develop into a district with a beautiful struc-

structure with international recognition known as the Cape Town Stadium.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup in mind, the city’s government decided that it was a way to promote themselves and their breathtaking places so they came up with the idea of a new stadium that would soon become a symbol of the city.

‘After the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we can now dare to image a more walkable and legible City, a safer City, a more entrepreneurial City, a more welcoming City for Capetonians and visitors’ Andrew Boraine, Chief Executive, Cape Town, Partnership From the people’s opinions, we are led to an idea that the stadium which is located in Green Point, between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean and close to the city center, did not just provided Cape Town with an amazing landmark but it also gave to the communities an open and public space - the recently developed Green Point Urban Park to learn, reproduce and gain knowledge about the original inhabitants of the area, the Khoisan from the recreations of the huts they used to build as decorations in the park. So this newly developed precinct provides the city with a world class broadly functional, worldwide known venue that is considered as the vision of a reconnected and democratic city.

The Racial segregation did not only bring ideological “detaches” to the City of Cape Town, it additionally detached entire communities in terms of the facilities and infrastructure in the areas, and in this way it separated them from business opportunities and different assets. Various activities have however grown in the course of recent decades since the start of democracy when a large portion of the challenges on these matters are beginning to be addressed with some authoritative help at both City and Provincial levels, one of them being the Public Transportation - a crucial part of any city’s system. In Cape Town, several modes of transportation including Metrorail, road services, bus services, minibus and taxis as well as pedestrian and bicycle routes are part of an integration project called ‘Integrated Rapid System’. A bus Rapid System is the idea to develop the transportation and connections of Cape Town, a fast, comfortable and relevantly cheap way to move around where racial segregation wouldn’t be an issue since the system will include all parts of Cape Town and every race will be allowed to use it. The main aspect of the system would be to keep the customers happy with a new rapid, low-cost transportation method that would not only contribute to a more sustainable future for Cape Town, since it will reduce the use of cars but also it will give an opportunity to people from different races to communicate while being on the same place at the same time. The City’s vision

for this project is to create a place where all people feel safe and secure to walk and cycle around with no danger of motorized transport systems and where everyone has access to mobility and public spaces all around Cape Town.

When Cape Town’s main train station was built 50 years ago, it was during the period of discriminations so it was implied that even their transit systems would be built in the same way of their ideologies. From its inception, that lowslung and sprawling construction was built this way because it’s really two separate train terminals – one for white and one for everyone else, causing the different races to arrive into the city from segregated ways and thus preventing them from crossing paths. Through the

years, the station became the most obvious symbol of the city’s ideology at the time. But in 2010, with the World Cup in the city, a deadline was imposed in order to renovate the racially segregated station to a new construction that would promote new ideals for a new Cape Town. Having this idea in mind, the architect Khalied Jacobs, whose designs were mostly about social justice, tried to come up with a design that would be one of the most cherished structures of this post – apartheid era. The architecture team decided to open up and democratize the station, making the ability to move freely the key concept of the new structure. The outcome was a big station forecourt that led straightaway to a focal concourse open to light along its city-confronting side leading to a major pedestrianized shopping road. A recent development of the city’s transportation system into Cape Town’s fundamental road, Adderley, runs along the most distant side of the forecourt. Even its rooftop is dedicated to supporting small local shop owners who offer the commuters fresh fruits and vegetables, fast food, hairdressing services and even shoe repairs. With several places to rest on the grass and under the shade of the trees or gather together with friends, the area is giving space to the city’s poor showing them that they, who were abused under politically-sanctioned racial segregation are now part of Cape Town’s most valuable and effective example of segregated infrastructure. The impact of the new station has been to promote public transportation amongst races and in fact what’s impressive about it is its uninhibited grasp of a publically democratic space that effectively attracts the city’s wealthiest and poorest, white people as well as black.

The fact is that there are massive spatial as well as racial injustices in Cape Town and people were just staring without taking up a stand for more than 20 years.

When Nelson Mandela came into power, it was an amazing opportunity for change but still 2 years after his death and the issues are not yet resolved. All these changes the past few years have led us to the start of this revolution, and when you are on the N2 motorway you now see that the town shacks are not there – instead they are replaced by the new brick houses. But if we look beyond this thin layer of newly constructed homes we can still see an entire community of shacks stretched endlessly into the distance. It is good that now the government realized that the need for regeneration is urgent and in the long run it might bring up legitimate results if everyone keeps trying for the long – awaited democracy but for now, it is just another step in Cape Town’s history of efforts.

Because as the architect Heinrich Wolff said, ‘Mandela may have postponed revolution with his death – but for how much longer is the question’.

PLAY AND THE CITY How can a Playable Bristol contribute to achieving the well – being of the urban environment and its citizens?

‘All children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate.

Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity, and is fundamental to the healthy development and wellbeing of individuals and communities.’

(Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group 2005) Defining the word ‘play’ can be both a complicated and disputed idea.

Due to the recent technological advances that we face, technology – based play has increased the past few years leading to further confusion among people about its nature and meaning and we can understand that the term is now, somehow compromised (Lester and Russell 2008). One thing is clear though. Play is an instinctive impulse that we get from a very young age and it is not only enabling us to have fun but also contributes in our development as human beings (PlayWork 2005). Nobody can teach you how to play simply because there is not a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way (Josie Gleave and Issy Cole-Hamilton 2012, 4). For most people, playing acts as a tool of pleasure, deviation from our everyday lives or even as a way of relaxing. But what if the general concept of the word ‘play’ would start causing more than these, promoting not only amusement to the people but also enabling them to think and express their feelings more creatively, think more conceptually and therefore improve their way of life? (Flanagan 2009, 1) Studies in the UK and other countries have shown that even though our well – being is a multi – dimensional concept, our needs, rights and quality of life are just some of the reasons it is affected in the first place (Axford 2008). As the concept of play though exists in our instincts from our very first childhood memories, it’s normal that most studies about play in our everyday lives are conducted on children. So, in 2007, when UNICEF conducted a report on the well – being of children around the world, United Kingdom was ranked one of the last ones and that started a noticeable debate in the country on how to deal with it. ‘It is widely understood that play is crucial to children’s healthy development and quality of life’ (Foley 2008, 6), and the same applies to adults. Everyone needs some time to just relax, have fun and communicate, especially if it can contribute to his well – being. Many cities have tried over the years to adopt a more active profile in order to help their citizens achieve a better, more sustainable and creative way of life, and Bristol is now one of them by introducing new projects to the city that will hopefully contribute to a better future for its citizens and its urban landscape. If you’ve been in Bristol in the past few years, you can understand that the concept of ‘play’ has been number one in their ‘to do’ list. Last year, we had the chance to dive down a 300 feet water slide on Park Street, run around the city to save our lives from the zombies that were following us, randomly play an old vintage piano in the middle of nowhere and even have a conversation with a lamp post

through text messages. Of course these activities were fun, but the people responsible for making these happen believed that they meant so much more than just a good laugh. Bristol’s government believed that play was a necessity in the city since the living problems and the well – being of the communities could only be dealt with promoting something that would bring people together - a public activity, in order to achieve a more united urban future. So in the past few years, they came up with all these activities to include play in their everyday lives, and of course the Playable City award – a way to challenge anyone to be creative and submit new and fascinating ideas for a more playable Bristol. As very well said by the Guardian’s journalist, ‘the Playable City movement can be seen as a creative response to the coldness and anonymity of the urban environment, which technology threatens to make even worse’ (Julian Baggini 2014).

As mentioned before, the Playable City Award in Bristol is a concept that has captured attention of global range and anyone can submit ideas for a chance to see them become true. What is interesting about this movement is that apart from the public’s gain from the

projects, the artist who wins first place, not only gets £30,000 and a trip to Japan, but they also become part of a new active and vigorous community of artists, contributing to their need of fitting in. Part of this incredible movement was also Tom Armitage and Gyorgyi Galikfor who won in 2013 with their innovative and creative idea, ‘Hello Lamp Post!’, a project that was meant promote communication and play between the citizens of Bristol as well as with the objects and had received so much attention at the time that now is installed in Texas as part of SXSW (British Council 2015). The project allowed human being to communicate with lamp posts through text messages and in this way, people felt engage with one another since it was a way to get together and have fun. The movement has gained a huge amount of interest, in applications and requests to use the work in other cities since it is a way to highlight everything that is interesting, collaborative and innovative about our city (Clare Reddington 2015).

According to Verity McIntosh, one of the producers behind the Playable City project, ‘It is amazing to see the enthusiasm and even more amazing to think this is something which Bristol has started. The city is now a leading player in the trend of making cities ‘playable’’. Because of Bristol’s

reputation with the Make Sunday Special Movement and now this, it is time that the city can be seen by other countries the way its citizens see it, a fun and lively city’ (Verity McIntosh 2014). For people to live in such a city and have the opportunity every once in a while to be part of such projects, was rewarding, a way for the citizens to communicate and develop their way of life.

Many projects followed after the Playable award, one of them being a unique idea of Bristol’s mayor. When George Ferguson heard about the so called ‘Sunday Streets’ in Bogotá and ‘Ciclovía’ in Colombia, he thought it would be a nice way to introduce and promote play in the city so the citizens of Bristol would enjoy a day of free, healthy activities once a month and enjoy the countless games and carnival atmosphere.

So starting two years ago, the

movement ‘Make Sunday Special’ captured the people’s attention making them to embrace once a while a day of freedom around the city. There were many types of public activity throughout the years but one was proven to be very significant as far as Bristol was concerned. From as early as World War One, there was a widely known attempt to promote play in different areas, the ‘Artists’ Locative Games’. This was a way for artists to use their artwork as part of an event so they would move the performance into a public location to attract the masses. (2009, 189). This type of play was first used by Luke Jerram in 2009 when Bristol was suddenly filled with pianos in the most unconventional areas, in parks, streets and neighborhoods, causing an estimate of over 140,000 people to play or listen to music from these pianos. Music is considered to let people ‘Grow in self-confidence, self-esteem, social and communication skills, emotional intelligence, discernment and being able to articulate individual opinions’ (Raymond MacDonald 2002, 33). So making people play or even listen to someone playing is a way to let people engage, communicate and claim ownership of their urban landscape. As the artist says, ‘the idea for ‘Play Me, I’m yours’ came from visiting my local launderette. I saw the same people there each weekend and yet no one talked to one another.

I suddenly realized that within a city, there must be hundreds of these invisible communities, regularly spending time with one another in silence.

Placing a piano into the space was my solution to this problem, acting as a catalyst for conversation and changing the dynamics of a space’ (Luke Jerram 2009). Of course, after the project’s huge success, the artist did not stop there.

Five Years later, the same artist created something even more amazing from his previous project, when he turned Park Street into a giant waterslide, which was part of the ‘Make Sunday Special’ Movement and the

Bristol Art Weekender. A project that was meant for one day only, made everyone, young and old, head to the famous Bristol road to enjoy the sunny day, communicate with their friends and family and have fun watching or even plunging down the slide. With this piece of art in use at that day, the artist gave people a chance to navigate through this street in a new and exciting way, where the slide was not only an architectural intervention but also a playful response to the urban landscape of the city (Luke Jerram, 2015). At the time, the person turns into the performer and when the experience has ended, he will end up with lots of stories and memories that will remember forever. As Luke said later on, ‘This massive urban slide transforms the street and asked people to take a fresh look at the potential of their city and the possibilities for transformation. Imagine if there were permanent slides right across cities?’

Of course, there are countless types of public activities that can engage the people and grab their attention. One of them being the ‘urban exploration’, a method that has to do with discovering the geographical construction of your city by moving around (David Pinder 2005, 388), also known as derive, ‘the technique of locomol-tion without a goal’, in which ‘one or more persons during a certain period drop their usual motives for movement and action, their relations, their work and leisure activities, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there’. The dérive acted as something of a model for the ‘playful creation’ of all human relationships’ (Sadie Plant 2002, 58). This word has been a significant symbol of public activities, with different critiques from important people for several years.

According to Guy Debord (1956), one of the most influential people in the history of Situationism, the dérive, also known as the classic Situationist mode of exploring the city is ‘a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances’ involving ‘playful-constructive behaviour and awareness of psychogeographical effects’(Max Cafard 2008, 1). So by having proof from the past we can understand that a playable, more active space can actually achieve more than just fun. A game of this concept in Bristol is the ‘2.8 Hours Later’, a zombie – themed run. The story is that in five years after the outbreak, zombies are trying to infect and extinct humans. Some people are acting as zombies and some as the last survivors on earth who try to save their lives by finding the laboratory in the city and bringing

back your discovery without getting infected. It might sound scary, but if you really think about it, it is a great way for people to engage with others and get a better understanding of the urban landscape of their city. This game has been taking place in several cities for years now and the participation of people has been crucial since discovering cities on foot can sometimes set aside social differences (David Pinder 2005, 388) and improve the way of life of the citizens of Bristol by promoting physical activity combined with fun. Physical activity is essential in someone’s life even though lately we seem to have forgotten about that since most people have gotten lazy and use public transportation to move around, even for short distances (Active Bristol 2011, 4).

Even though most of these projects might sound like false and unreal ways to actually help people and urban living in the long run, they are not.

If you think about it, cities can be considered in a sense unreal, and they require the same type of interventions to affect them. People need such projects though. According to the Playing Out’s director Alice Ferguson, ‘over the past few generations, the idea of the whole city being a child’s playground has been lost and outside play is now generally restricted to designated times and places and managed by adults. The ability to ‘play out’ independently, to discover one’s own city and develop skills, resilience and self-reliance cannot be replaced by this type of ‘managed’ play (2014). There are always going to be projects that will work better than others but what a playable city is worth can easily be seen by the effect it has on its citizens, whether it engages people and helps them improve their well – being and way of life, and Bristol does exactly that. All these projects, give to our dull world a ‘friendlier face’. After all, ‘the city that plays together, stays together’ (Julian Baggini 2014)

References Online Baggini, J. (2014). Playable Cities: the city that plays together, stays together. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/04/playable-citiesthe-city-that-plays-together-stays-together [Accessed 7 Apr. 2015].

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Bristol Post, (2015). Bristol artist’s ‘Play Me I’m Yours’ piano project unites people across the world - see amazing pictures and video. [online] Available at: http://www.bristolpost. co.uk/Bristol-artist-s-Play-m-piano-project-unites/story-25887653-detail/story.html [Accessed 16 Apr. 2015].

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Vcn.bc.ca, (2015). Arnstein’s Ladder. [online] Available at: http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/arnsteinsladder.html [Accessed 14 Apr. 2015].

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Cafard, M. (2015). “Deep Play in the City: From the Situationist Dérive to Surregional Exploration†(by Max Cafard). [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www. academia.edu/2542472/_Deep_Play_in_the_City_From_the_Situationist_D%C3%A9rive_ to_Surregional_Exploration_by_Max_Cafard_ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2015].

MacDonald, R. (2002). Qualitative Methods in Music Psychology Research: Musical identities & Music Health and Wellbeing. 1st ed. [ebook] Glasgow, p.33. Available at: http:// www.cmpcp.ac.uk/RMcDSlides.pdf [Accessed 15 Apr. 2015].

Books Flanagan, M. (2009). Critical play. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Fox, k., Grant, M. and Davies, A. (2011). Active Bristol Physical Activity Strategy. 1st ed. [ebook] Bristol, p.4. Available at: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/ health_and_adult_care/health_and_medical_advice/Bristol’s%20Physical%20Activity%20 Strategy.pdf [Accessed 14 Apr. 2015].

Pinder, D. (2005). Arts of urban exploration. cult geogr, 12(4), pp.383-411.