Li, Jamie
(s)
0. Community Diagram 1. Thesis Project
2. Placement Finding
3. Hypothesis
4. Working with Reimagine
4.1 - Office Dynamic
4.2 - QGIS and Mapping in Design 4.3 Norwich Market Project
5. Application(s) 6. Appendix
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE DIAGRAM
Thesis Project 1
will introduce the thesis project as it is pivotal to my decision on placement hosts and the types of placement reached out to facilitate my holistic design proposed scheme. The thesis project is a year-long project that I see as a collective effort to display experience, execution, and design thinking and theory to produce a work that becomes the core of the accumulated years in the architecture world thus far.
This introduction serves as an important anchor to how selectively present findings and observations throughout my placement(s), and how they could strategically be of application to my work. I am focusing on a chaos-theory-related approach to architecture situated in central Hong Kong, the home have long known and am witnessing its takeover by consumerism and modernism that rips it away from its romantic, intimate past with its people; seeing a growth in inorganic town planning, reflecting it’s fall as a once “politics-free” society.
The focus of this societal phenomenon, if not an urgent issue, drives me to propose a design work that would gather attention and debate towards this overlooked issue while also suggesting a more efficient, yet barbaric way to design, with the use of negative spaces within the urban fabric to generate building footprints, maximizing plot area to create a highly compact “city” within another city.
Ultimately, this work is meant to be a reflection on how cities are conceived and aims to spark debate and philosophize the need for rigidity in city planning, and whether, if it should, intervention by anarchist approaches should be embedded into the fabric to enrich our cities. The following divisions of this report deliberate all decisions and rationale behind each process of the placement system and offer insight as to how it could be applied to future work.
Placement Finding 2
The essence of my proposed thesis project brief revolves around key architectural elements of placemaking strategies, infrastructural and structural technicalities, and identity/social construction both positively and negatively. With this wide scope in mind, I applied to a plethora of firms ranging from local. Niche research labs and colleges to corporate studios with resources and connections to arge, infrastructural projects on scale to impact and intervene with cities.
Although argely unsuccessful in part due to the current economic state most were willing to reply with alternative studios and some offered helpful directions and tips as to where could find such practices. The action of searching and researching these institutions also gave me insight into what really falls into which category of architecture, and ultimately, whether needed to be so adamant about my choices to be in architecture. I began to branch out my search to landscape architecture firms, civil engineering firms, as well as material research labs, to ultimately find myself at my very own Knowledge Exchange Report tutor’s company, Reimagine.
Located on Goldhawk road, Sheperds Bush, Reimagine is a relatively small company that focuses on urban strategies that provide solutions to urban issues about architecture. Mapping, Operations surveying and a deep sensitivity to the site and people were necessary widely within my work to understand what kind of work would appropriately be done in respect. During my time there, I was lucky enough to work on more than one project, all of which had different programs and sites that broadened my skillset through observation, as well as software learning. I was also introduced to a very welcoming team, where I was then split off to do design work for a sub-team that worked within Sheperds Bush market, where the company also oversees operations. It was extremely eye opening for me to work within the stretch of the market, where I also got to walk around during break times and be broken into lots of cultures that populate the market. It's truly rare to work within a site, and to develop relationships and tensions with the people you design and think for, and to be able to experience such another level of intimacy really inspired and confirmed my thesis project's direction.
Hypothesis 3
Prior to the placement, I had set out some potential elements I had wanted to look out for and learn from during my time there.
These hypotheses helped guide my focus on objectives during work and also helped me understand the value of a placement and how it resonates with the learning outcomes of Unit 4.
These objectives would be posed as questions:
To develop a better understanding of what the Urban fabric could consist of culture, contextual history, the people who inhabitate and traverse the space, or the planning from which the fabric will be conceived? What is more important - what gives a space its identity?
How are Urban interventions able to help people? How do we as architects and spatial practitioners develop tensions and these dialogues with the people we design for?
How could these observations be applied to my current work? In what way do they resonate with my views?
How should the ideal team be working? What system or policy should a cohort adopt to achieve efficiency and good communication?
While not fully covering all the questions have, I believe going into Reimagine with a set of potential observations and revelations was particularly important to be quite extractive and critical about how it could impact my learning, and also to be conscious of what I could offer to the team.
Learning outcome Objectives
Working with Reimagine Office Dynamic
I was introduced to the front of house and shortly to the managing individuals of the company. particularly enjoy reflecting on the dynamic being in a corporate job for my first experience in Hong Kong really changed my initial romanticization of how a company would be. However, it was really refreshing to be able to have conversations with everyone, and to understand and feel like you really mattered - and it became more than just a position in the company, but more of a new member of a family.
My sub-team consisted of my supervisor
Sven, who also ran a tight ship with a surveyor, another part-time architectural designer like myself, and a content manager. I was working out of an abandoned food festival site; with containers for rooms and most of the site locked away behind gates that you would come in from the main road of Shepherds Bush market. Rather quiet, but it provided just enough noise from the outside to stimulate the mind, a memory that vividly stays with me as another 50 paces away was the bustling market of Sheperd bush. Because of this peculiar workspace, the dynamic often felt welcoming and motivating for me, coupled with the homeliness of the space, which was decorated with mugs, drawings, and an arsenal of personalities that often wouldn t be found in your everyday office bikes, lots of random free food.
The colloquiality of this passage reflects the joyfulness of being in that office, and once again ties back to the pursuit of how an office should be, and what kind of dynamic it should offer. Although everyone was working, there would be times when some people were out of the office, or we would be called into the main front of the house building to talk or enjoy some free food from a potential new stall owner in the market. The rapport, and dialogue intrinsically between employees and extrinsically between the market and Reimagine body shone through these moments and for me is the embodiment of a well-working team with a great attitude towards work and a refreshing space to work in.
Work was given lenient deadlines and pressure was little to none. I felt very understood in times of urgency and was allowed to learn new software during work time while exercising my skills learned in school to produce graphics and illustrations for the team to present, to which I was invited and CC d on all of them. This tight-knit dynamic empowered my sense of belonging and gave me the responsibility to be disciplined at work, which is extremely hard to find in myself, and I commend my team for being so supportive then
First day at work; enjoying the natural sounds of the office while learning about QGIS, a mapping system that is often used during my placement.
The office is contained within a container erected boundary that offers a "courtyard" for other container uses to dwell and gather.
QGIS and Mapping in Design
To supplement my work, QGIS was a necessary tool to learn and understand. It’s able to map and accurately pinpoint geographical locations against a set of data that is inputted by the operator, thus allowing for visual understanding, comparison, and analysis of data on a top-down level. Although I had never heard of or utilized QGIS in my previous work, it is becoming a catalyst for more precise, and supportive work as real, tangible data sets allow for different ways to look at spaces. Often in my practice and even my previous placement, such initial intuition about sites and approaches would be much more two-dimensional. Having the ability to reflect and visualize multiple approaches changes the way we as architects can design and foresee users potential interaction with sites, as well as how effective spaces are in their objective of impacting the urban fabric. It took a reasonably long time for me to get settled up with this program, but during the process of learning how to operate, the New York borough template which was part of my training allowed me to play and test different category settings that allowed me to pinpoint the exact type or tier of building within Manhattan. This example serves as a powerful reason as to how QGIS could be used in a regenerative matter for the wider architecture industry, being able to selectively view different layers of building data against each other, and reinforces my observation about it s ability to catalyse supportive and precise decisions.
Preliminary testing of the borough setup allowed a grasp on the system and how it could be a powerful tool for design and data driven decisions in Architecture that isn't widely seen.
Norwich Market Project
The Norwich market project is a consultancy case whereby we performed operational and spatial analyses as a way to improve the exposure and accessibility of the medieval town’s market. The market is considered a historical centerpiece of Norwich history and it s settled in a square flanked by gentleman’s walk, the guildhall, and the city hall. I was invited to join a consultancy meeting held in the city hall with the governing body for the market, as well as an architectural consultant and several council employees who worked on the older market development schemes with experience with the Norwich market. This came as a surprise as this came a day after I was added to the consultation team, and I was naturally excited to be able to have insight into the UK system for architectural and general work, one of the objectives that I had previously set out before the placement.
I needed to understand exactly how many parties operate on an architectural project, and it proved impervious as I learned that it was quite similar to my own experience in the sense there was a selection of relevant consultancies for the project and an overall managing party, in this case being the Norwich City Council.
Throughout the project, we coordinated with Greig and Stephensons to assist them with visualizations of data we collected through primary and secondary means, head counts on-site at different periods as well as historical data on how people populated the area. These were mapped and represented in QGIS to illustrate the issue of stalls being too close in proximity with one another, creating voided, or less sought-after corners within the market which overall disrupts the experience of the market. Post preliminary site meeting, our team sat down with Greig and Stephensons (consisting of 2 architects and an Architectural Assistant) to discuss our mapping findings as well as points within the market stall leases we could refine. With input from their side, a set of objectives for this case was concluded:
needed to understand exactly how many parties operate on an architectural project, and it proved impervious as I learned that it was quite similar to my own experience in the sense there was a selection of relevant consultancies for the project and an overall managing party, in this case being the Norwich City Council. Throughout the project, we coordinated with Greig and Stephensons to assist them with visualizations of data we collected through primary and secondary means, head counts on-site at different periods as well as historical data on how people populated the area. These were mapped and represented in QGIS to illustrate the issue of stalls being too close in proximity with one another, creating voided, or less sought-after corners within the market which overall disrupts the experience of the market. Post preliminary site meeting, our team sat down with Greig and Stephensons (consisting of 2 architects and an Architectural Assistant) to discuss our mapping findings as well as points within the market stall leases we could refine. With input from their side, a set of objectives for this case was concluded:
Objectives:
(a) Explore architectural possibilities to improve the appeal of the market, mostly to the Norwich population, but also visitors.
(b) To keep the heritage of the market typology by use of a similar layout, the roofing method
(c) To enrich the experience of the market, whereby strategies could be implemented to evenly distribute categories of stalls (such as food, retail, misc), encouraging people to explore the market.
(d) Identity using QGIS and collected data, the densest spots within the market, and to derive from that, potential courtyard/pockets of spaces to allow for rest/gathering. This would be a direct observation from the many unused “seating areas” within abandoned/unleased stalls that would be quite architecturally awkward.
(e) Identity how we could, operationally on the lease(s), change monopolies and misconduct found in the present. Such would be the takeover of other stalls, resulting in unfair advantages of more space, more selling power, as well as being more visible which begins to form the monopolies/factions within the market. A lease could objectively be useful to more strictly reinforce policies.
(f) How the market could respond more sensitively to the influx of visitors, not necessarily through architectural interventions, but more so about making the market accessible to more people.
A series of maps were conceived for the project to illustrate stall categories. Aside from convenional Cad illustrative maps, I thought it would be good to presen them in model format which would make the presentation more compeling.
Tables & Chairs (Vacant stalls)
Site water points (Rise cupboards)
Small bins/Eurobin
Canopy control box
From this wide scope of objectives, we set out within a 2-week timeframe to develop strategies and proposals both operationally and architecturally, taking concepts from the Norwich City Council consultancy discussion and developing them in supplement to G&S work. In this timeframe, we came up with answers for each objective:
Proposals:
Voids would be injected into the market, allowing for “breathability” - the relief of congestion as the corridors were uniformly 1.5-7m wide, and at times became difficult to walk through creating traffic that would otherwise repel visitors.
a) Roof typology refinements could be considered. Water leakages, rust, as well as difficulty in maintenance have accumulated problems for the market over the years, and in this proposal, easier maintainable roofs were considered. These came in the form of letter-A roofs, as well as a large overspanning roof above the market footprint. While it might not be the most cost-effective option, these strategies were necessary to test reactions from the council as well as allow tweaking, keeping in mind these were all practical measures that reacted to our on-site findings and our objectives that were erected from the data collected.
- A “beacon” structure is suggested as an overlooking point for the market. We came to this conclusion as there was a seeming lack of identity for the market. This is not only due to the lack of visible signage a frontage is not seen in the market and it disorients users in this way. Taking a quad (of 4 stalls) begins to relieve this problem, while also suggesting it to be more iconic and accessi-
ble to newer generations of users that seldom visit the market.
- Navigation through the grid-formed market quads could be applied by painting the aisles in respective colors, making it easier to locate types of shops as well as exit/entry, which are currently lacking and discourage visitors from exploring the market.
b) The preservation of context and historical value is apparent for it to resonate with the overall site. This could be achieved through the roof typologies which are historically a trademark of the market. Similar materials could also be purveyed to preserve the ambiance of the space.
c
) Relocation of stall groupings could be effective in reducing congestion, as well as revisiting the type of stalls the market wants to offer. We considered the popularity/critical likability of stalls and whether they played well to the market s faction dynamics as well as consulting insiders about previous experiences with stalls. We also reviewed what kind of stalls were lacking within the market that could it make it more well-rounded. From this line of thinking, the placement of seating areas was also considered in reaction to different contextual moments of the market, the initial being the bars on the west side of the market that didn’t have any seating and created congestion.
d) Through QGIS mapping findings, we were able to identify where in the market were the most and least popular at different times. These data were inferred from hand-counting tallies on a plan.
QGIS allowed us to visualize the density of these points to supplement architectural strategies. This also further goes in conjunction with my own goal of being able to apply mapping system software in a more precise way, and in this, it becomes effectively generative for the design work. It was also crucial as it facilitated our presentation points, making it clear for other people to understand in a layman's fashion.
e) Lease management was something foreign to me, but I learned it was about listening and being sensitive to people and also understanding what they (stall owners) wanted to ultimately come up with a compromise. John Burton, our surveyor, suggested day-trading, as well as clean up of isles as well. Day trading creates more accessibility and could be enforced through leases. However,
trader talks would be necessary to create unity and foster a holistic commitment among traders. These could come in the form of trader workshops held by our team. This is an example of the often lost dialogue between people and place, as a lot of times in practice and design thinking, we neglect the need to become sensitive to the DNA of the place, which generates top-down thinking rather than compromising and designing with the users. Surveying and operational management have become a key focus I want to improve on; a further objective I can work on in my coming work.
f) The market lacked exposure to the people. It has become an invisible structure resembling white noise for many residents. The main issue is its lack of events and sparks of innovation, which our joint consulting teams thought would be beneficial for the identity, as well as the economy of Norwich to adopt marketing campaigns, whether these be in the form of flyers and brochures put up around the town, but also social media outreaches to attract younger generations. As students were extremely lackluster, one of our holistic objectives was to also bring a younger demographic, which would also create chain effects for deriving newer categories of stalls as well as spreading the popularity of the market.
Working through these objectives allowed me to critically reflect on the role of an architect in a project, and how important other roles are in assisting design. This project is exemplary in demonstrating that although formal architectural elements were needed to revamp the market, at its core, its people needed to be understood to foster a better market for the years to come. It also furthered my objective of collaborating with different kinds of people, and learning how to work as a team player - and that sometimes offering ideas out of the box could be rewarding for the whole team. Each objective came with a different set of problems and to tackle them all required both my architectural and project management experience, and I felt extremely fulfilled from the overall thinking process.
Applications
The lessons learned from the entire experience, from it s inception as a placement opportunity, brainstorming the type of placement to go, to undergoing the process of understanding the work and the motivation behind the work. It’s valuable to myself as an aspiring architect, and even more important in terms of a human scale, what it means to manage, delegate, and work with people of different disciplines; and how it’s pivotal that everyone in a team is working as a unit. In my Community of
Practice diagram (0), i ve noted how it’s interesting that my timeline has already been written, and i m currently simply going through the preset. This matrix of reality allows me to “fill in” the gaps between now, and my ultimate goal of starting my own studio one day with my business partner, who is also in a masters of architecture right now. I feel like this experience is especially valuable to me both as a student but also as an future entrepreneur, as the aspect of humanities really shines out, especially during the consultation talks when the stall people and the Norwich population are constantly at the forefront of all considerations - It s the sensitivity that I truly believe makes a good designer. Adversely, the aspect of drawing, observation, and the concept of “representation” was also one of my objectives, and to communicate more clearly in my work, I have started to return to a more illustrative way through sketches, outlines, as well as diagrams and mindmaps to consolidate ideas. Part of the process of my placement is about observing what is there in the current, and for my upcoming thesis, ’ve begun work for supplementing my brief proposal with sketches and rough illustrations. As an international student this experience has really opened my perspective about user driven design, and I believe it continues to impact my philosophy and work through a processional and representative manner, and I would love to have another opportunity at Reimagine to continue work with the lovely people on the team for whatever work is to come. //344
