PORTFOLIO by L P Markham

MARKHAM ARCHITECTURAL

STAGE

STUDIES

14/15

C O N T E N T S L E A R N I N G L I G H T T I M E

C A P S U L E

S U M M A R Y

I N S T I T U T E

S A N C T U A R Y

C H A R R E T T E

AT THE END OF STAGE 2 I CONCLUDED THE END

ATE IN TERMS OF LOCATION, CONTEXT, USE AND

(LIGHT INSTITUTE) WERE SITED IN THE HISTORIC

OF YEAR LEARNING SUMMARY BY STATING MY IN-

ENVIRONMENT, TO NAME JUST A FEW THEMES. THE

TOWN OF RICHMOND, NORTH YORKSHIRE. THIS LED

TENTION TO EXPLORE AND UTILISE CAD IN ORDER

WEEK WAS EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE, AS A GROUP WE

TO AN ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE

TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE DRAWINGS, AS I HAD

CHOSE TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUE OF CONSTRUCTION

OF THE TOWN, THUS ALLOWING US TO CREATE AN

PREVIOUSLY DRAWN AND RENDERED EXCLUSIVELY BY

WASTE AND HOW THIS COULD BE TAKEN TO INFORM

APPROPRIATE CONTEXTUAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSE IN

HAND. I ALSO FELT THAT MY CONFIDENCE IN BOTH

THE COMPOSITION AND DIMENSIONS OF OUR 'NEW

TERMS OF DESIGN FOR BOTH PROJECTS. THE TIME

PRESENTATION SKILLS AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

BRICK'. THE MAIN ASPECT I TOOK FROM THE WEEK

CAPSULE SANCTUARY BEGAN WITH A MASSING EX-

HAD IMPROVED AND WANTED TO CONTINUE AND IM-

WAS THE PROCESS OF CASTING CONCRETE, WHICH

ERCISE, IN WHICH WERE REQUIRED TO GATHER IN-

PROVE ON THIS THROUGHOUT STAGE 3.

IS SOMETHING I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE BUT

FORMATION PURELY FROM SECOND HAND RESEARCH,

FLECTION I BELIEVE I HAVE ACHIEVED THIS AIM

ENJOYED IMMENSELY AND CARRIED THROUGH TO THE

FOR EXAMPLE EXISTING SITE MAPS AND ONLINE IM-

OVER THE COURSE OF THE FINAL YEAR, ESPECIALLY

SEMESTER 1 PROJECT.

AGES, IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A MONOLITHIC MOD-

UPON RE-

WHEN REVISITING STAGE 2 PORTFOLIO AND REAL-

EL. THIS PROCESS LED TO INTERESTING INTER-

ISING THE PROGRESSION IN THE QUALITY OF WORK

AT THE BEGINNING OF STAGE 3 WE WERE PRESENT-

PRETATIONS OF THE SITE, AS WELL AS ENFORCING

PRODUCED, OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVING THAT THE

ED WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF YEAR LONG DESIGN

THE PROCESS OF THINKING IN TERMS OF EXTERNAL

STEP UP IN WORKLOAD AND EXPECTATION OF QUAL-

STUDIOS, ALLOWING US TO REFINE THE SCOPE OF

MASS AND FOOTPRINT WHICH WAS A KEY PROCESS

ITY FROM STAGE 2 TO 3 HAS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY

THE ROUTE WE WANTED TO TAKE OVER THE UP-

IN BOTH PROJECTS. WE WERE THEN ASKED TO

TO MY DEVELOPMENT. MY MAIN AIM AT THE START

COMING YEAR, EACH GROUP OFFERED ITS OWN FO-

CONCEPTUALISE OUR READINGS INTO AN ABSTRACT

OF STAGE 3 WAS TO PUSH MYSELF BEYOND MY

CUS AND STYLE, MEANING THAT EACH STUDENT HAD

OF THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION OF OUR GIVEN

COMFORT ZONE TO LEARN NEW SKILLS AND PRO-

INTENTIONALLY MADE A DECISION TO BE IN THEIR

SITE, I BELIEVE THE MODEL I PRODUCED AT THIS

DUCE WORK WHICH I WOULD BE EXTREMELY PROUD

CHOSEN GROUP BASED ON THEIR INTERESTS AND

STAGE WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND SHOWED A

OF, WHICH OF COURSE IS EVERYONE'S GOAL, BUT I

SKILLS. BEING SURROUNDED BY A CONCENTRAT-

STRONG INTERPRETATION OF THE UNIQUE TOPOGRA-

FELT LIKE I HAD NOT UTILISED THE UNRESTRICTIVE

ED GROUP OF LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED

PHY OF RICHMOND. I ALSO ENJOYED THE OPPOR-

NATURE PERMITTED TO US IN STAGE 2 AND SO HAD

TO THE SUCCESS OF THE STUDIOS IN MY OPINION,

TUNITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS,

THE MOTIVATION TO PROGRESS MYSELF AS MUCH AS

ALSO ALLOWING US TO CREATE A CLOSE RELATION-

AS I CHOSE TO PRODUCE MY MODEL OUT OF WAX,

I COULD.

SHIP AND UNDERSTANDING AMONGST THE GROUP

WHICH WAS EXTREMELY COMPLEX AND FRUSTRAT-

AND WITH THE TUTORS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE

ING BUT ULTIMATELY VERY REWARDING AND IS NOW

THE YEAR BEGAN, AS ALWAYS, WITH CHARRETTE

PLACED IN MY FIRST CHOICE DESIGN STUDIO -

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PIECES OF WORK. AT THIS

WEEK, WHICH IS A STIMULATING INTRODUCTION TO

MATTER OF LIGHT, THE FOCUS REVOLVED AROUND

POINT WE HAD OUR FIRST SITE VISIT TO RICHMOND

THE START OF THE UPCOMING YEAR. IT ALLOWS YOU

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ITS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH

AND CONDUCTED A MAPPING STUDY OF THE TOWN

TO MEET AND COLLABORATE WITH A WIDE VARIE-

LIGHT AND MATERIALITY. PHOTOGRAPHY IS SOME-

IN ORDER TO DICTATE OUR OWN SITE. THE PROJECT

TY OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS GET BACK INTO THE

THING I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED AND FELT WAS ONE

BRIEF WAS TO DESIGN A 'TIME CAPSULE SANCTU-

CREATIVE PROCESS WITHOUT TOO MUCH FORMALITY.

OF MY STRENGTHS AND SO WAS EXCITED TO DE-

ARY' IN ORDER TO HOUSE AND DISPLAY THE TOWN'S

THIS YEAR I WAS PLACED IN THE 'BRICK' CHAR-

VELOP THIS SKILL FURTHER IN AN ARCHITECTURAL

3 TIME CAPSULES, WITH CAREFUL INTENT TO REMAIN

RETTE, IN WHICH WE WERE RESEARCHING THE DE-

CONTEXT.

SENSITIVE TO THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES AND

FICIENCY IN BRICK PRODUCTION AND WHETHER THIS

CONTEXT. THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT I STRUGGLED

COULD BE USED AS A CATALYST TO DESIGN A NEW

BOTH THE SEMESTER ONE PROJECT (TIME CAP-

TO DICTATE A CLEAR INITIAL CONCEPT AND SUB-

BRICK/WALL WHICH COULD BE MORE APPROPRI-

SULE SANCTUARY) AND THE GRADUATION PROJECT

SEQUENTLY A COHERENT NARRATIVE AND THUS THE

L E A R N I N G

S U M M A R Y

JUSTIFICATION FOR LATER DESIGN DECISIONS SEEMED

WITH THE LOOSE GUIDELINE OF PRODUCING A CEN-

SUPERFICIAL, AND THIS WAS REFLECTED IN MY MARK.

TRE FOR LIGHT AND PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT WITH THE

I ALSO FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO CONVEY MY DESIGN

PRIMARY SCHEMATIC PROGRAMME BEING DICTATED BY

WHEN IT CAME TO THE FINAL PRESENTATION AS I

OUR OWN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. WITH RE-

WAS ONLY NEWLY EXPERIMENTING WITH CAD RENDER-

SPONSE TO THE SEMESTER 1 PROJECT I WAS AD-

ING AND PROCESSES, BUT ALSO DUE TO THE LACK

AMENT TO STATE AND DEVELOP A CLEAR NARRATIVE

OF DEVOTION TO THE PROJECT. I WAS NOT HAPPY

EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT, AS THIS WAS SOMETHING

WITH THE WORK I PRODUCED AT THIS POINT OF THE

I HAD ALWAYS ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY, LEAD-

YEAR AND WAS KEEN TO REWORK MY FINAL DRAWINGS

ING TO SUPERFICIAL DESIGN DECISIONS, I THINK THIS

AS WELL AS REVISITING EARLIER PROCESS MODELS

IS THE MOST CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THE DESIGN PRO-

- I BELIEVE THE MODELS I PRODUCED THROUGH-

CESS I HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE OVER THE YEARS

OUT THIS PROJECT WERE DEFINITELY THE STRONG-

AND AFTER DEVELOPING A CONCEPTUAL NARRATIVE

EST ASPECT OF MY DESIGN, THE HANDS ON TACTILE

FOR THE GRADUATION PROJECT, I CANNOT IMAGINE

APPROACH TO CASTING REALLY INSPIRED ME AND IT

HOW I BEGAN TO MAKE DESIGN DECISIONS IN PRE-

IS SOMETHING I DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE AND

VIOUS PROJECTS WITHOUT ONE. FROM THE PROJECT

DEVELOP.

FEEDBACK THIS WAS HIGHLIGHTED AS ONE OF THE STRONGER ASPECTS OF MY WORK, BUT THAT PER-

MOVING THROUGH TO THE SEMESTER 2 PROJECT, THE

HAPS IT WAS NOT COHERENTLY CONVEYED AND UN-

FOCUS SHIFTED MORE TOWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY AS

DER-DEVELOPED. THIS FEEDBACK WAS EXTREMELY

AN EXPRESSIVE MEDIUM AS OPPOSED TO INFORMA-

DISAPPOINTING FOR ME, BUT ON REFLECTION WAS

TIVE DOCUMENTATION FOR SITE MAPPING ETC. THE

JUSTIFIED, THE WORK I PRODUCED WAS NOT IN-

TRIP TO TENERIFE REALLY FURTHERED THIS STUDY OF

FORMATIVE AND ALTHOUGH I HAD A CLEAR NARRATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE PROCESS OF PERCIEVING

IT WAS NOT PORTRAYED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE FI-

SPACES IN TERMS OF HOW THEY MIGHT PHOTOGRAPH

NAL DRAWINGS, WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAVE WORKED

IN BLACK AND WHITE FORMAT WAS KEY. THIS AL-

HARD TO DEVELOP FOR THE PORTFOLIO.

LOWED US THEN TO FOCUS ON THE LIGHT AND MATERIALITY OF THE SUBJECTS, AS OUTLINED IN THE

LOOKING FORWARD, I FULLY INTEND TO COMPLETE MY

DESIGN STUDIO BRIEF. CAPTURING AN ETHERIAL/EX-

PART 1 YEAR OUT AND WISH TO PROGRESS AS FAR

PERIENTIAL QUALITY OF SPACE AND TRANSLATING IT

AS I CAN, CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING AND LEARNING,

'ONTO FILM', THE TRIP WAS ALSO EXTREMELY PREC-

HOWEVER DISHEARTENING OR DIFFICULT IT BECOMES,

EDENTIAL AND INFORMATIVE OF MATERIAL APPLICATION.

I HAVE PROVEN TO MYSELF THIS YEAR THAT I HAVE

I PARTICULARLY ENJOYED THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY TO

THE PASSION FOR DESIGN AND I AM EXTREMELY

TAKE THE TIME IN ORDER TO EXPLORE A PHOTOGRA-

PROUD OF THE WORK I HAVE PRODUCED.

PHY STYLE, AND LATER IN THE PROJECT, COLLATING THE IMAGES TO PRODUCE A PHOTOBOOK REPRESENTING THE STUDIO AND THE PROJECT INTENT. THE PROJECT BRIEF WAS TO DESIGN A 'LIGHT INSTITUTE'

L I G H T

I N S T I T U T E

TO DESIGN AN INSTITUTE FOR LIGHT AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE HISTORIC TOWN OF RICHMOND, NORTH YORKSHIRE. THROUGH THE STUDY OF LIGHT AND PHOTOGRAPHY WE WERE ASKED TO DEVELOP A PROGRAMMATIC RESPONSE TO THE SITE AND TO THE INITIAL PROJECT BRIEF OUTLINE AS STATED ABOVE.

THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER EXPLAINS THE PROCESS UNDERTAKEN IN ORDER TO ENVISAGE

A PRIMARY NARRATIVE AND CONCEPT; AND HOW THIS WAS DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO CREATE A COHERANT AND APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.

P H O T O G R A P H I C

S T U D Y

R I C H M O N D

THE INITIAL STAGE OF THE PROJECT INVOLVED A VISIT TO THE SITE IN ORDER TO PRACTISE AND EXPERIMENT WITH KEY FUNCTIONS ON OUR DIGITAL CAMERAS, DISCOVERING THEIR POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STUNNING IMAGES AWAY FROM POINT AND SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY. THE STUDY WAS FOCUSING ON THE FOLLOWING FOUR THEMES AS GUIDANCE WHEN SURVEYING.

SHADOWS AND SILHOUETTES

REFLECTIONS, GROUNDSCAPES AND TAPESTRIES

TIME AND FLOW

TRACES OF INHABITATION VS ABANDONED PLACES

ASSESSING WHETHER A SCENE IS ACTUALLY MORE INTIGUING IN ITS NEGATIVE FORM, ALSO POTENTIALLY MEANING CAPTURING SPLIT SECOND IMAGES IN THE FORM OF SHADOW.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TEXTURE OF THE MATERIALS WHICH SURROUND US AND WHCI ARE FOR THE MOST PART OVERLOOKED, DUE TO THEIR PERMANENT PRESENCE.

EXPERIMENTING WITH LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ATTEMPTING TO CAPTURE MORE OF AN ETHERIAL QUALITY IN THE IMAGE, WHICH MAY NOT BE PERCEIVED WITH THE NAKED EYE

RECOGNISING THE AFFECT OF HUMAN INHABITATION AND HOW OVER TIME THE SPACE HAS BECOME UNUSED AND FORGOTTEN, IN SOME CASES CREATING A DISTURBING PRESENCE OF THE PAST.

THE AIM OF THIS TASK WAS PRIMARILY TO INCREASE A FAMILIARITY WITH OUR CAMERAS, THIS SKILL WOULD BE TRANSFERRED FOR THE MAIN STUDY TRIP TO TENERIFE, IN WHICH WE UTILISED THE MEDIUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO NOT ONLY CREATE A COHERENT MAPPING AND RECORDING OF THE VISIT, BUT ALSO TO COLLECT IMAGES WHICH WE WOULD EVENTUALLY COLLATE ALONGSIDE THE IMAGES FROM RICHMOND, INTO THE FORM OF A 'PHOTOBOOK' WHICH WOULD ACT AS A REPRESENTATION OF OUR VISIT AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SKILLS. MY PHOTOBOOK IS PRESENTED SEPERATELY WITHIN THE PORTFOLIO BOX.

ULL

SAN BERNARDO CULTURAL MUSEUM

SACRED ART MUSEUM

P H O T O G R A P H I C

S T U D Y

T E N E R I F E

THE IMAGES BELOW SHOW A SAMPLE OF THE BUILDINGS WE VISITED ON THE PRECEDENTIAL STUDY TRIP TO TENERIFE AT THE START OF THE GRADUATION PROJECT. AT THIS POINT IN THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WE ONLY HAD A VAGUE IDEA AS TO THE BRIEF AND SO THIS TRIP WAS INTENDED TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THE PRACTICE OF PHOTGRAPHY AND THEREFORE EXPANDING AND IMPROVING OUR SKILLS IN THE MEDIUM.

SEGAI

MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOL PLAZA DE ESPANA

TEA

EL SAUZAL

BOTANICAL GARDENS

MAGMA ARTS AND CONGRESS

P H O T O G R A P H I C

S T U D Y

S O L A R G R A P H Y

UPON UNDERTAKING THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY STUDY I WAS KEEN TO EXPERIMENT WITH LONG EXPOSURE CAMERAS, AND PRIMARILY THE PROCESS AND MAKING OF THE CAMERAS. I CHOSE TO MAKE A SERIES OF SOLARGRAPH CAMERAS, SOLARGRAPHY IS SIMILAR TO THE PROCESS OF PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY BUT THE APPARATUS IS MUCH EASIER TO ASSEMBLE. THE PROCESS IS SHOWN SIMPLY ABOVE, AND IT IS EASILY ACHIEVABLE TO PRODUCE A LARGE SERIES OF THESE CAMERAS VERY CHEAPLY AND QUICKLY. SOLARGRAPHY IS THE PROCESS OF EXPOSING LIGHT SENSITIVE PAPER THROUGH A PINHOLE OVER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN USING THIS PHENOMENA TO DOCUMENT THE MOVEMENT AND PATH OF THE SUN THROUGH THE SKY OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY ARE SHOWN IN THE NEXT FEW PAGES,

1 | (5) LARGE ALUMINIUM CANS 2 | USING A CAN OPENER REMOVE THE TOP OF THE CAN. EMPTY + CLEAN. 3 | USING A PIN, PIERCE THE CAN, ROUGHLY CENTRAL TO PRODUCE BETTER RESULTS 4 | INSERT LIGHT SENSITIVE PHOTO PAPER INTO THE CAN, BEING CAREFUL TO AVOID OBSTRUCTING THE PINHOLE 5 | CUT A STRIP OF BLACK CARD AND TRIM THE EDGES SO IT CAN BE EASILY FOLDED AROUND THE CAN 6 | WRAP THE CARD AROUND THE OPENED TOP OF THE CAN AND COVER WITH A ROUND PIECE OF CARD TO BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT 7 | SECURE THE CARD TOP WITH STRONG WATERPROOF TAPE ENSURING THAT NO LIGHT/WATER CAN ENTER AND THE PINHOLE IS NOT COVERED 8 | THE SALVAGED SOLARGRAPH CAMERAS RECOVERED AFTER THE EXPOSURE TIME

P H O T O G R A P H I C

S T U D Y

S O L A R G R A P H Y

ONCE I HAD MADE THE CAMERAS I THEN TOOK THEM TO THE SITE AND PLACED THEM IN AREAS WHICH WERE NOT ONLY INFORMATIVE TO THE MAPPING AND CONTEXT BUT ALSO TRYIN TO FIND SCENES WHICH MIGHT CREATE AN INTERESTING SILHOUETTE AGAINST THE SOUTH LIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS ARE NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE INTENTION IS APPARENT, WITH THE PATH OF THE SUN OVER TIME CLEARLY BEING TRACKED AS IT MOVES ITS WAY HIGHER UP IN THE SKY. IT WAS EXTREMELY EXCITING UNCOVERING THE PAPER AFTER WEEKS OF ANTICIPATION, IT MADE ME REALISE THAT WE HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT ON OUR DIGITAL LIVES, IN ALL SENSES OF THE WORD, AND THAT THIS PROCESS WAS QUITE CONTRADICTORY DUE TO THE POST PROCESSING OF THE IMAGES USING DIGITAL SOFTWARE, IN ORDER TO CONVEY A LEGIBLE IMAGE.

S I T E

A N A L Y S I S

THE SITE IS CURRENTLY IN USE AS A COUNCIL CAR PARK. THE CHALLENGE OF THE SITE WAS HAVING TO NEGOTIATE THE THREE PLATFORMS WHICH RATIONALISE THE 12M SLOPE ACROSS THE SITE. THE SITE HAS CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MARKET TOWN CENTRE AS WELL AS ACTING AS A MAIN THOROUGH-FAIR ROUTE FOR TRAFFICE AROUND THE TOWN.

SITE BOUNDARY

SURROUNDING ROAD AND ACCESS ROUTE

LEVELS

PUBLIC/KEY BUILDINGS

SOUTH LIGHT

PRIVATE BUILDINGS

M A S S I N G

S T R A T E G I E S

THE PRIMARY DESIGN TASK INVOLVED OUTLINING THREE MASSING STRATEGIES, UPON WHICH WE WOULD DEVELOP AN EXTERNAL PROGRAMME. AT THIS STAGE WE WERE PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE SITE ACCESS POINTS, LANDSCAPING OF THE SITE AND THE DECLARATION OF INTERESTING AND REASONED EXTERNAL SPACES, INDEPENDENT OF INTERNAL FUNCTION. BELOW ARE SOME SKETCHES OF MY INITIAL THREE PHASE MASSING PROPOSALS. THE SKETCHES OPPOSITE SHOW SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT/INITIAL REACTION TO THE SITE PROGRAMME BASED ON STRATEGY ONE, WHICH UPON DEVELOPMENT AND REFLECTION, EMPLOYED THE MOST VERSATILE AND APPROPRIATE REACTION OF THE THREE PROPOSALS.

1 | RATIONALISATION

2 | FOOTPRINT

3 | CONVERSATION

FOLLOWING THE EXISTING PLATFORMS OF THE SITE, THIS STRATEGY TAKES THE DIRECTIONALITY OF BOTH THE HOUSES ON THE UPPER STREET AS WELL AS THE FLOW OF THE SITE AND THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TOWN/CASTLE AND THE CHURCH.

TAKING THE MOVEMENT OF THE SITE FROM THE TOP ROAD THROUGH THE TREES AND FLOWING DOWN THROUGH TO THE CHURCH THIS STRATEGY WAS THE LARGEST IN TERMS OF FOOTPRINT AND SEEMED TO BE THE LEAST FITTING.

THIS STRATEGY TAKES THE CONVERSING RELATIONSHIPS OF THE THREE SURROUNDINGS ASPECTS OF THE SITE AND ATTEMPTS TO COMBINE THEM INTO ONE. THE ISSUE WITH THIS STRATEGY WAS THE ALIEN ABSTRACT SHAPE OF THE PROGRAMME.

3 25

DIRECTIONALITY OF SITE + LEVELS

TWO STRUCURES + SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP

EXTERNAL STAIR PROGRAMME

EXTERNAL SPACE LAYOUT

RATIONILISATION OF SLOPE

RELATIONSHIP TO CONTEXT SCALE

3 INITIAL PHASES

INTERIOR DELAGATION

STRUCTURAL STRATEGY INTERNAL LAYOUT

3 1

2 28

EXTERNAL ENVELOPE

ROUTE

EXTERNAL SPACES

FROM THE SOLARGRAPH CAMERA LIGHT STUDIES I CHOSE TO TAKE THE NARRATIVE OF A DEVELOPING FILM. AS A FILM DEVELOPS YOU CAN PHYSICALLY SEE THE CHANGE FROM DARK TO LIGHT, FROM INSTITUTE (PRIMARY AMBIGUITY) TO CLARITY AND THIS IS THE CONCEPT FOR ALL ASPECTS OF MY BUILDING. AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE SITE YOU FIRST ENCOUNTER THE INSTITUTE (1) WHICH IS SEEMINGLY ENTIRELY CONCRETE FROM THE UPPER STREET LEVEL ENTRY ROUTE. THE FUNCTION OF THE BUILDING IS AS THE DEVELOPMENT/PRIVATE STAGE OF THE SITE, WHICH ACTS AS A SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS WILL PHOTOGRAPH AND DEVELOP THEIR WORK. THEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE TRANSITION STRUCTURE (2) WHICH SYMBOLISES THE DEVELOPING IMAGE COMING INTO FOCUS AND STARTNG TO HAVE A MEANING AND A FAMILIARITY. THIS IS THE ENTRY POINT TO THE BUILDING AND WHERE THE STUDENTS WILL ENCOUNTER MEMBERS OF STAFF IN ORDER TO PROGRESS THEIR WORK, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO AN ARCHIVE. THE STRUCTURE IS U-GLASS WITH A MESH OUTER STRUCTURE TO SHOW TRANSITION AS WELL AS PROVINDING A SHELTERED ACCESS TO THE STRUCTURE. ALTHOUGH THIS BUILDING IS CENTRED AROUND THE PUBLIC COURTYARD IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT A ROUTE TO THE LOWER LEVEL IS PROVIDED REGARDLESS. FINALLY YOU REACH THE CLARITY BUILDING (3) THIS IS ENTIRELY PUBLOIC ACCESS WITH AN ENTIRE GLASS FACADE TO ENCAPSULATE THE IMAGE COMING INTO BEING WITH COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING. THIS STRUCTURE HOUSES THE GALLERY REFLECTION SPACE AS WELL AS A PUBLIC CAFE ON THE GROUND LEVEL.

TRANSITION THE INTERNAL STAIRS WILL BE VISIBLE TO THE PASSING PUBLIC DUE TO THE MESH AND U-GLASS FACADE. THE STAIRS SEEM AS IF LEVITATING BUT ARE IN FACT SUPPORTED BY THE STEEL FRAME AND CONCRETE LIFT SHAFT.

CLARITY THE CLARITY BUILDING IS ENCAPSULATED WITH AN ENTIRE GLASS FACADE WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY A STEEL FRAME STRUCTURE, THE CAFE FLOOR RESTS ON THE FACETED GALLERY SPACE BELOW WHICH HIDES THE STRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR INLETTED GALLERY SPACES.

D C D

LOWER GROUND

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

SECTION A-A

SECTION B-B

SECTION C-C

STRUCTURAL STRATEGY - TRANSITION BUILDING THE ISONOMETRIC IMAGE SHOWS THE STRUCTURAL LAYOUT OF THE STEEL FRAME OF THE TRANSITIONAL BUILDING, THE FRAME WILL SUPPORT THE EXTERNAL MESH AS WELL AS THE INTERMEDIATE FLOORS AND INSULATING U-GLASS. IT ALSO PROVIDES AN AESTHETIC QUALITY OF AN IINTERUPTED FACADE, CONTRIBUTING TO THE NARRATIVE OF THE SITE.

SECTION D-D

T I M E

C A P S U L E

S A N C T U A R Y

THE SEMESTER ONE PROJECT ENTAILED OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH RICHMOND, THE PROJECT BRIEF WAS TO DESIGN A SAFE HAVEN AND VISITING PLACE FOR THE TOWN'S EXISTING AND FUTURE TIME CAPSULES. THE MAIN ASPECT OF THE PROJECT INVOLVED CASTING AND MODEL MAKING WHICH I BELIEVED WAS MY STRONGEST ASPECT IN THIS PROJECT. IT ALSO LED ON NCELY TO THINKING THROUGH MAKING WEEK AND GRADUATION PROJECT. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DICTATE OUR OWN SITE WHICH WAS ALSO AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING BUT EXCITING POINT OF THE PROJECT.

THE FIRST TASK OF THE PROJECT, WITHOUT HAVING VISITED THE SITE WAS TO PRODUCE A MASSING MODEL BASED ON SECOND HAND IMAGES. THIS WAS AN INTERESTING EXERCISE IN READING A SITE WITHOUT FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WHICH IS A COMMON OCCURENCE IN MOST ARCHITECTURAL JOBS. IT ALSO LED TO SOME INTERESTING INTERPRETATIONS OF THE SITE, FOR ME THIS LED ON TO THE MAIN STARTING POINT OF THE PROJECT. I WAS LOOKING AT THE SLOPE IN TERMS OF ITS RATIONALISING OF UNDERGROUND SPACE, AND HOW WHAT IS PERCIEVED ABOVE GROUND MAY NOT BE WHAT IS OCCURING BELOW. THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ATTEMPTED TO SHOW THIS RELTIONSHIP.

THE SKETCHES ON THE LEFT HAND PAGE SHOW THE PROCESS FOR CREATING THE MOULD FOR THE CONCEPTUAL MASSING MODEL. I CHOSE TO MAKE THE MODEL OUT OF WAX WHICH AT THE TIME WAS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING BUT ULITMATELY VERY REWARDING. I CHOSE WAX IN ORDER TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE LIGHT QUALITIES OF THE MODEL. AS THIS WAS AN EXERCISE IN CREATING A MONOLITH IT WAS INTERESTING TO CONTRADICT THAT WITH NATURE OF TRANSCLUCENCY OF WAX, CREATING A LIGHTNESS.

THE IMAGE OPPOSITE SHOWS THE MODEL IN THE CASTING PHASE, IN A WAY THE CAST WAS JUST AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE MODEL IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY, CREATING A SIMPLE SHAPE, HELD TOGETHER BY A LOT OF TAPE, BUT IN TERN WARPING AND DISTORTING THE CAST DUE TO ITS WEIGHT AND THE FLUID NATURE OF WAX AT POURING TEMPERATURE.

MODEL PROCESS THE IMAGE OPPOSITE SHOWS THE FINAL MODEL. THE BASE ACTS AS SUPPORT BUT ALSO CONCEALS THE ABSTRACT LAYOUT OF THE FORM BELOW, THIS IN TURN CREATES INTERESTING NEGATIVE SPACES IN THE BASE. ABOVE, SHOWS THE PROCESS OF MELTING AND POURING THE WAX INTO THE CAST, AS WELL AS THE UNVEILING OF THE MODEL. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CAST IT WAS QUITE AN INTRICATE PROCESS TO REMOVE THE WAX FROM ITS MOULD. DUE TO THE SLOW POURING TIME, NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WAX DID NOT SEEP THROUGH ANY WEAK JOINTS, THE MODEL HAS A HORIZONTALITY DUE TO THE LAYERS CREATED AT DIFFERENT SETTING TIMES. THIS COHERANT LAYERED EFFECT LINKS THE 'TURRETS' OF THE MODEL INTO ONE COHERANT PIECE.

HERE THE COMLEX NATURE OF THE UNDERNEATH OF THE MODEL CAN BE SEEN, EACH ELEVATION IS DIFFERENT AND THE WEIGHT OF THE MODEL IS HEAVIEST AT ITS RAISED POINT, SO THAT WITHOUT ITS BASE IT IS RENDERED USELESS STRUCTURALLY. WITH THE MAIN WEIGHT OF THE MODEL RESTING ON THE SMALLEST POINT. THE CLOSE UP OF THE BASE ALSO SHOWS HOW THE WAX CRACKED AND SCRAPED TO SHOW THE UNCOMFORTABLE FIT OF THE MODEL IN THE BASE, AS THEY WERE CAST SEPERALETY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM IS NOT COMPLETELY HARMONIOUS. YOU CAN ALSO SEE WHERE THE PRESSURE OF THE CONCRETE IN THE CASTING PHASE CAUSED THE LINEARITY OF THE MOULD TO DISTORT.

MAPPING OUR FIRST VISIT TO RICHMOND WAS A PHOTOGRAPHIC SITE MAPPING PRACTICE, WE WERE TO NEGOTIATE THREE DICTATED SITE BOUNDARIES IN ORDER TO LOCATE POTENTIAL SITES FOR THE TIME CAPSULE SANCTUARY. IT ALSO PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIARISE WITH RICHMOND AND THE AESTHETICS OF THE HISTORIC TOWN.

LOWERGROUND PLAN 58

GROUND PLAN

WALKWAY PLAN 59

IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THE NATURE OF THE STAIRS RUNNING ALONG THE RETAINING OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE BUILDING I CONSTRUCTED A FOLDING SECTIONAL MODEL WHICH WORKED ON A HINGE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE WALLS TO FOLD OUT COMPLETELY SHOWING THE CONTINUITY OF THE STAIR SYSTEM. ONCE AGAIN THIS WAS AN INTERESTING PROCESS DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE MOULD. THERE IS SOMETHING QUITE POETIC ABOUT CREATING SUCH AN INTRICATE CASTING SYSTEM ONLY TO DESTROY IT IN THE PROCESS OF REVEALING THE RESULTANT MODEL. THIS AGAIN I FEEL IS ONE OF MY MOST SUCCESSFUL PIECES OF THE YEAR.

THE IMAGE TO THE RIGHT SHOWS AN INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SECTIONAL STAIRS AND CONTOURED WALL FOR HOUSING THE CAPSULE. ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE EXTERNAL SECTIONAL STAIRS AS WELL AS THE PITCHED ROOF SYSTEM TO MIRROR THE NATURE OF THE SURROUNDING 66

STRUCTURES.

C H A R R E T T E THE AIM OF THIS YEAR'S CHARRETTE GROUP WAS TO COMBAT THE APPARENT BRICK CRISIS, IN THE WAY THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH BRICKS BEING PRODUCED TO SUPPLY THE DEMAND. THE TASK WAS TO DESIGN A NEW BRICK OR WALL WHICH WOULD IMPROVE THE CURRENT SITUATION. IN OUR GROU WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION WASTE AS THE ISSUE AND USING THE CONSTRUCTION WASTE IN THE WALL.