MArch Project - Wiston Lodge by Michal Scieszka

University of Strathclyde Department of Architecture, Summer 2012

Wiston Lodge MArch in Advanced Architectural Design Michal Scieszka / Dale Smith Tutor: Michael Angus

Contents ________________________________________ Abstract Wiston Lodge Introduction Manifesto

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Estate Analysis Proposed Interventions Workshops Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut In Detail Precedents

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_____________ Wiston Lodge Estate, South Lanarkshire

Abstract __________________________________________

This Masters project is based upon Tectonics, where use, structure and experience are directly related to the materialisation and making of the built environment. This direct experimentation with the built environment, based around architectures material and social dimensions and the way in which architecture can alter peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of their environment, has been achieved through an engagement with a client, Wiston Lodge, as well as through experiencing and documenting several live build workshops which helped inform our work with this client. We have created an overall estate development plan for Wiston Lodge and a manifesto for how to design in relation to this plan. Firstly analysing the existing conditions at Wiston, then looking at current proposals within the estate and finally the potential for what could be implemented within the overall estate. This plan will incorporate varying levels of built projects, the existing listed buildings of the estate, some of which are to be adapted and transformed to better meet the requirements of the activities which occur there, the reuse of some existing structures so that they may better function within the overall plan and the creation of a series of follies or interventions in the estate which will change through time, some permanent, some temporary giving the plan a fluidity and allowing the landscape to have permanent and changing features. This potential includes materials which exist within the overall estate which are currently not being utilized within any structures being produced but which could be. These follies or interventions placed within the overall plan; act as architectural points of reference which allow you to orientate yourself within the landscape. Through the carefully considered composition of permanent, changing and temporary elements within the estate, the place retains its familiar existing character whilst continually evolving, allowing visitors to be challenged differently upon each visit, and experience the same place in many ways, enhancing the long term viability of Wiston Lodge.

As part of this experimentation with the built environment, we attended several live build workshops, of different natures, all of which directly relate to our proposal at Wiston Lodge. Firstly we attended a workshop in Gdansk based around the reuse of an existing structure, we then attended a workshop at Wiston building with an on-site sourced material, after this we attended a workshop creating a large temporary cardboard structure which involved an interaction with a large number of members of the public, finally we attended an Erasmus Intensive Programme Workshop in Gdansk, working with a group of other architecture students to create structures from wicker. Our documentation of these Workshops can serve as a template, and be used by Wiston, for such constructions within the overall plan for Wiston Lodge. This Project has the potential to have an impact upon on the wider community in that it will be a proposal for a charity, Wiston Lodge, designed through an engagement with them, and will hopefully have a long term value to it. It should also help strengthen the connection between the University and Wiston Lodge and it has the potential to connect into the Year 1 curriculum which involves a design project at Wiston Lodge. This overall development plan and the suggested interventions show the potential that exists at Wiston Lodge, which if tapped could not only completely transform the whole estate but also the experience of the end user, enhancing the long term viability of Wiston Lodge.

The first required structure or Folly as part of this overall plan is a Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut, which we have designed and visualised, so that funds can be raised for the project and ultimately it can be built. This will give Wiston Lodge a much needed facility which can tie into various aspects of their work and has definite long term feasibility. This will be built in accordance with the overall plan for the estate and will incorporate the use of Larch which is in abundance within the grounds of the estate. This will serve as an example of what our overall plan proposes and how if an intervention is designed in accordance with our manifesto, the positive impact it can have on the estate.

Wiston Lodge

Wiston Lodge Introduction

Wiston Lodge is situated in the village of Wiston, 8 miles South West of Biggar in South Lanarkshire. The Estate is primarily used as a residential centre, which specialises in Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) particularly relating to young people and at-risk adults, this being their main objective as a charity, but they also work with many other groups and on a diverse range of events across a year which contributes financially to the charity and which allows them to continue with their primary objective. Wiston Lodge, the Victorian hunting lodge, from which the charity takes its name, a B Listed building of over 1000m2, is set within a 52 acre estate, formerly run as a YMCA centre, which facilitates the diverse range of activities which occur at Wiston Lodge. The PSED which they try to encourage within their activities is based around experiential learning, learning through doing. The learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience; the learner must be able to reflect on the experience; the learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience; and the learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience. They attempt to change the lives of individuals and encourage the development of respect for oneself, others and for the environment and to encourage lifestyles which are simple, nonviolent and free from destructive dependencies. PSED can be broken down in to the following six categories: Dispositions and Attitudes / Self-Confidence and Self-esteem / Making Relationships / Behaviour and Self-control / Self-care / Sense of community It is important to consider these ideas when designing interventions or structures as part of the estate plan and how such interventions could facilitate the development of these ideas and the experiential learning which is undertaken at Wiston Lodge. Within the estate at Wiston we have identified what we consider the main areas of character which our development plan should address: Main House – Former Victorian Hunting Lodge, B Listed, focal point of the estate and first place people enter when visiting the estate, this is where much of the activities within the estate occur and most importantly where the social experience of dining occurs. Protected Woodland - These woodlands, surrounding the main house, consist of interesting and exotic trees and plantings. This creates a beautiful area in the immediate surroundings of the main house which is unique within the estate and which is currently under exploited as an asset. Regenerating Woodland - This area is undergoing natural regeneration, with pioneer species and some native broadleaf planting, this woodland has a light, vibrant character, teaming with life and growth, which helps to illustrate the cycle of growth and decay which occurs within nature and also within an individual as changes develop within them.

Wiston Lodge Introduction

Plantation woodland - three plantations: An area of Sitka Spruce which provides firewood and building material, a larch plantation approaching maturity, and a mixed plantation of young larch and ash trees, this has a much darker, barren character than the other woodland, with the striking verticality of the expansive trees, this commercial woodland is the perfect resource to exploit for building materials for interventions within the estate. Food Production – the organic vegetable and herb gardens of the estate provides food for guests and an environment to learn about the production of food, as well as having the therapeutic benefits associated with horticulture and agriculture. Camping Field – the large expanse of meadow comprising the camping field, with its large pond, is one of the main flexible activity areas which currently exist at Wiston Lodge, the landscape in this area is currently lacking in character or features of any significance, the only existing marker being the accommodation cabins which have been placed within it and which have little relation to their surroundings and are of questionable function or aesthetic. Tipi Site – this area, containing a sheltered meeting point and campfire, tipi’s, a wood store, a composting toilet and the newly built clay oven is a successful developed area within the estate, with an interesting character created by its position between areas of mixed broadleaf and pine woodland and whilst currently functioning well, there is the potential for this area to quickly become overdeveloped, and the overall plan should be careful to address this. The current facilities at Wiston whilst good could be adapted and added to, in order to increase the year round viability of the Estate, extending the length of the season across which their activities can occur. They have begun to address this recently and have undertaken several built projects which they have tried to execute according to their ideas relating to materiality and the environment, however with the application of knowledge and experience we have gained through our architectural education we feel we can add to and improve upon their existing ways of building and actually make these built forms more true to the spirit in which they were originally conceived, as well as functioning better and having a much more sympathetic aesthetic. In order to address this we have developed a manifesto for future development at Wiston Lodge. There is an intention within the overall plan and manifesto upon which to develop, to create spaces and areas which facilitate this learning experience by allowing various different paths to lead to the same event, allowing a sense of discovery which varies by individual. Therefore Wiston should have a clear plan for the future of the estate, however it should not be over developed, but proceed in such a way as to provide the framework for people to learn through choices and discovery.

Wiston Lodge

Proposed Current Activities Interventions

Wiston Lodge

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Manifesto

Tectonics [ Use, structure and experience are directly related to the materialisation and making of the built environment. All interventions should be designed from a similar process or language so that there is coherence to the overall estate development. Through the use of local materials, practices and techniques as well as the use of where possible, on-site sourced materials, a unifying construction palette will build up across the estate visually linking separate elements. ]

See the bigger picture [ When creating an intervention, its placement in relation to the overall Estate Plan must be carefully considered. Some interventions should create markers which help orientate you and also help to set the character of the areas in which they occur, others should blend into the natural landscape and have a minimal visual impact whilst having a maximum functionality, all interventions should however help to connect the exiting elements of the estate into a more coherent structure. The location of interventions within the plan does not have to be permanent, as they can move or change as the situation or season dictates and because of the mix of elements within the estate the landscape will constantly have an array of fixed, changing and temporary elements. ]

Designed Structures, Layered Functions [ All interventions should be designed and this process should be in accordance with the Estate Development Plan and with this Manifesto. Unplanned or roughly planned interventions, do not meet the full potential of their original idea and often do not function well either. All interventions should where possible have more than one function or at least have a degree of flexibility designed into them which allows for multiple activities to occur and increase their long term viability. Structures that are built to be solely functional can often not even fulfil this purpose; ideally they should not only function well but also have an aesthetic which is harmonious with its surroundings. This layering of functions could be as simple as an intervention which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing or as complex as the merging of typologies into a single structure. ]

Sustainability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Financial / Environmental / Social [ An approach to the environmental impact and future life cycle to the eventual deconstruction and possible reuse of structures should be incorporated into the design of all interventions. Efficiency both materially and financially, maximising usability and minimising waste should create spaces which get the maximum efficiency from the area and materials used. Interventions should incorporate a fiscal responsibility where they can either be made from on-site sourced materials, are designed around standard units of materials, can generate revenue or can be built with unskilled volunteer labour giving them a much greater financial viability. Where possible the footprint of interventions should be minimised, so as to make as small an impact on the ground vegetation as possible and as a consideration for the changing or temporary nature of many of these interventions. Interventions should where possible be fully accessible in order to allow them to be used by all of Wiston Lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clients and ideally should be designed in a way that anyone can be involved in their construction, regardless of skills or knowledge base. ]

Think Vernacular, Harness Innovation [ All interventions should have a relation to their context, whether through form, materiality, construction, orientation or use. Unpretentious and durable architecture which enhances its surroundings can be achieved through an understanding of and approach to the vernacular whilst incorporating modern techniques and technologies, possibly applying existing traditional materials or methods to a new scale or type of construction. ]

__________________ A. Permanent Development B. Semi-permanent / Changing C. Temporary

_____________

E. Willow F. Dead Hedge G. Pine Cones H. Ash I. Oak

J. Birch K. Larch L. Sitka M. Clay N. Stone

Wiston Lodge

Estate Analysis

Through an analysis of the existing estate at Wiston Lodge, we were able to formulate a strategy for development which would be most beneficial to the long term feasibility of the estate and which could have the most positive impact in giving the estate a common identity to bring together the rather disconnected elements as it stands currently. We identified areas of character within the estate, where this character should be preserved within the development plan and areas within the estate which had already been developed in a coherent manner which could be linked together to form an encompassing plan. The analysis was split into several categories looking at: Building types, Vegetation types, Woodland areas, Current activities and finally proposed areas of development. This analysis helped inform the types of interventions proposed, and how they could connect to existing activities, as well as their placement within the overall estate in order to form as coherent a strategy as possible for development within the Estate. The manifesto for future development at Wiston was also informed by this analysis, learning from successful elements within the existing estate and extracting lessons from the less successful interventions.

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Wiston Estate Plan As Existing

Estate Analysis

Wiston Lodge - listed Listed - to be conserved Wiston primary school Existing residential Canoe storage Lodges Greenhouses Water service station Planned eco-built homes 0 10

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Workshop / Storage

Buildings Within Estate

Willow plantation Clearing in wood Woodland Meadow Agriculture Soft landscaping Lawn Formal garden Pine Native deciduous

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Vegetation

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Mixed

Wiston Lodge

Commercial woodland Protected woodland

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Woodland Areas

Music room Football pitch Gathering space Volleyball Workshop Team building Archery Agriculture Climbing Swimming Canoeing Festival Camping Camp fire Clay oven Composting toilet Waterfall Discovery Hiking

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Current Activities

Estate Analysis

Proposed Areas of Development

Viewing platform

Clay oven shelter

Bonding

Building reuse

Landscape interventions

Fungus

Food production

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hut

Camera Obscura

Nomadic Sauna

Lookooterie

Wind Chimes

Crannog

Contemplation space

Maze

Temporary structures

Tree House Hotel

Wiston Lodge

Proposed Interventions

Moon Prism

The UK has some of the largest areas of Dark Sky in Europe, and Wiston is situated in one such area of Dark Sky. In order to exploit this geographical phenomenon, as well as the currently unused tower of Wiston Lodge, we propose to create an installation comprising: a moon light prism on top of the tower which will refract moon light onto plates imbedded within the lawn of the formal gardens at the front of Wiston Lodge. As the light is refracted through the prism, it will hit a different plate at the differing stages of the moons monthly progression. This installation will tie into the experiential learning, upon which the activities at Wiston are based, and create a facility which has the potential to begin a new activity/learning programme at Wiston. These plates will have no impact on the existing functions or activities which occur on the formal lawn, only revealing their function at night. Looking into the night sky and contemplating the mysteries of the cosmos can be extremely thought provoking, and could create an additional dimension and scale to the personal development work which takes place at Wiston. As well as being educational in a straight forward way, teaching those who interact with it about the lunar cycle, the installation also provides scope for the consideration of oneself as part of a much bigger picture and pondering the significance of an individual in an infinite universe which could be an extremely useful learning tool.

Proposed Interventions

Waxing Gibbous

Waxing Crescent First Quarter

90O

45O

135O 0O

Full

New

180O 45O 135O

Waning Gibbous

90O

Third Quarter

Waning Crescent

Lunar Phase Angle Diagram

Wiston Lodge

Crannog

A Crannog is a bronze-age wooden structure set upon an artificial island. This interpretation of the typology combines the functions of a Teahouse, Bandstand, Fireplace, Pier and Meeting Place into one compact but very flexible structure. Through a combination of sliding / folding doors and walls, an object is created which can easily be transformed for a variety of uses in all seasons. The form and materiality is respectful of the local agricultural vernacular, and the fenestration makes for a highly flexible pavilion, the openings extending the space, providing shelter, restricting / framing views or completely shutting down to become an enclosed private object depending upon the way and combination in which they are used. When used as a bandstand or space for the performance of music, it can be entirely open so that the performance is an audio visual experience or the bandstand can be only partially open so the performers are hidden from view, meaning an isolated audio experience for the audience, changing the dynamic of how they perceive the performance. With the folding walls of the structure fully opened they become an extended pier to the Crannog allowing further interaction with the pond and increasing the number of people who can be present in the structure.

Proposed Interventions

The construction is comprised of a timber frame, used in the round, timber clad facades with large timber sliding / lifting openings and a pitched slate roof with timber cupola on top. This small intervention creates a highly visible marker within the landscape and helps to define an area which is currently lacking in character or features of any significance. The entry sequence to the Crannog changes depending on the season, in summer access must be gained by negotiating a number of stepping stones leading from the edge of the pond to the structure, whereas in winter, once the pond has frozen, you may freely walk to and around it, and access it from any direction across the frozen water.

Crannog As Proposed

Wiston Lodge

Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tower / Nomadic Sauna

Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tower Each year Wiston Lodge hosts a summer music festival, where a temporary set up of tents and stages is put in place for the duration of the festival. This is the perfect opportunity to add to this event through the creation of further temporary structures which need a large group of people in order for them to be realised. One such example of this type of structure is the cardboard tower which we built in the Merchant City.

Nomadic Sauna The concept for the sauna relates directly to the idea that buildings do not necessarily have to stay in one place, but that they can move or change as the situation or season dictates. The sauna would be placed next to the lake, in close proximity to the main house, wooden cabins and camping field. This is a facility which they are already interested in building at Wiston, but which could be much more than they

Proposed Interventions

had imagined. The sauna allows people to come together in a space where all the social boundaries of everyday life are forgotten, and this small, intimate sauna would facilitate a level of bonding between those using it which might not otherwise occur. In summer the sauna rests on the edge of the pond, which one can wade into before or after using the sauna, unobtrusive in the landscape, having a visual connection to the Crannog across from which it is situated. In winter when the pond freezes, the sauna is moved onto the ice where the relationship between it and the pond as well as the crannog changes, a hole can then be cut into the ice creating a seasonal plunge pool, completely altering the experience of the sauna from other times of the year, one can move freely across the ice between the sauna, ice plunge pool and the warmth of the fire inside the Crannog. The sauna would be of a solid timber wall construction using Sitka from within the estate, painted green to become unobtrusive within the landscape during most of the year and slowly revealing itself and the seasons start to change. As the landscape turns from the greens of spring and summer to the reds and gold of autumn and the greys and white of winter, it is only then as the sauna moves within its site that it becomes an event in itself, sharply contrasting against the winter backdrop.

Sauna As Proposed

Wiston Lodge

Cocoon

Applying the knowledge of Wicker and weaving techniques learned from the Wicker Workshop and in order to utilise the growing wicker plantation which is in place at Wiston currently, we propose the creation of some Wicker Cocoons, which should act as an informal meeting spot providing a place to sit / lay but within the openness of nature. Situated under the shade of a large mature tree, in close proximity to both the Pond and Tipi Site the intervention is close to existing activity areas which it can compliment, but far enough away from them to have its own separate distinct character as a place. Underneath the canopy of the large tree is the ideal place to stop, rest and reflect. The use of wicker for the construction of these cocoons allows the creation of fluid organic forms which blend into the surrounding natural landscape and which create a real feeling of an interaction with nature whilst being man made. This intervention creates spaces to reflect upon and contemplate either alone or as part of a group, the activities through which one has been learning / developing at Wiston Lodge. This organic form in a natural setting allows an informal interaction and communication which is not always possible in a more formal space. Being with others within a wicker structure can foster togetherness, by being

Proposed Interventions

connected and protected by one structure, or if alone the wicker structure can stimulate feelings of security as it encloses you from your surroundings whilst still allowing you a connection with them due to the transparency that it is possible to achieve with the material.

Wiston Lodge

Love Seat / Bonding Bridge / Swing

The Waterfall within the woodland at Wiston Lodge has a unique character, created by the mix of water, pine trees and native broadleaf trees which occur there. This unique area of natural beauty should be celebrated with some small interventions which enhance the usability of this area in relation to the learning programmes of the estate. A bonding bridge where two different paths are connected and after ascending some steps two people from these different paths are connected, a love seat which creates an intimate space where two individuals can connect and are orientated towards each other and also to nature and a swing over the waterfall which can be used alone or with another individual. These small interventions facilitate a connection not just between oneself and oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surroundings, but also between two individuals, fostering trust and bonding, between individuals and with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self and nature. These structures and how they have been placed together in the landscape tie directly into the personal development and team building exercises which take place at Wiston and serve to enhance this beauty spot within the woodland.

Proposed Interventions

Through the use of unobtrusive natural materials sourced from within the woodland for the construction of these interventions, they can blend into the natural landscape and have a minimal visual impact whilst having a maximum functionality.

Wiston Lodge

Fungus

This intervention proposes a series of elevated vertical platforms set amongst the trees of the Sitka Plantation, adding to the existing adventure learning activities at Wiston, but within a different setting.

Changing from simply a platform in the trees to a habitable space as and when required, these platforms are a flexible adaptable intervention that can dramatically change the landscape at times throughout the year at Wiston Lodge, their many uses inhibited only by imagination.

The dark sterility of the Sitka Plantation with its strong vertical axis is transformed through the placement of these horizontal elements, which can be climbed up to and between and offer a unique vantage point from which to view the woodland. The ascent to and connections between the different platforms create scope for many different forms of learning to take place some requiring only individual effort and others requiring team work in order to succeed in moving between or to the highest of the platforms. The erection of a temporary tent structure over these elevated vertical platforms, transforms them into completely different objects almost instantly, changing not only the function but also visual impact of the intervention completely.

The temporary fungus like forms create a space, in which a new way of camping out can be experienced, elevated up above the ground and under the cover of the temporary tents set up over these elevated platforms. 2

Proposed Interventions

Wiston Lodge

Camera Obscura / Wind Chimes / Maze

Camera Obscura

Maze

The camera obscura gives an inverted view of the landscape, literally turning the world upside down. This visual experience should provoke one to consider light, image and reality. Bringing an inverted image of the outside inside an enclosed room is an almost surreal event, you are completely enclosed yet you have this almost magical view to outside, is what you see real? It allows the opportunity to reflect upon the way in which we relate to our surroundings and how by looking at a place or situation from a different place or perspective our view of it can be dramatically altered, linking to Wistonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiential learning programme.

We were interested by the complex Victorian patterns which occur in the tiles of the listed entrance hall of Wiston Lodge, and wanted to incorporate pattern into an intervention, but in a useful way. This coupled with the ideas of getting lost in order to find oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self and being challenged by choice, brought forth the idea of a maze. Mazes are mysterious, and people are fascinated by the unknown. By entering a maze you are consciously entering the unknown.

Wind Chimes Based on the concept of music and interaction as a catalyst for conversation and play, this intervention is at times, a nonvisual object. Hidden in the forest, it is revealed through the creation of sound either by the action of natural movement caused by the constant variation in wind conditions, or through interaction by people, allowing those who discover it to become performers and audience members.

Proposed Interventions

Maze As Proposed

Wiston Lodge

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut

The storytellers hut adds to the existing learning programmes as well as other recreational activities which currently occur at Wiston, it has been designed specifically as a space for meeting within and telling stories, however a degree of flexibility has been designed into the plan of the space so that a maximum range of further activities may occur there also. The material treatment of the building has been carefully considered in order to blend into its surroundings, respect the vernacular architecture and to allow the use of materials sourced on site. It is designed to incorporate 12 people plus a storyteller and has been designed to incorporate a wood burning stove as well as being fully insulated, allowing it to be used all year round, creating a much needed space for the activities which Wiston Lodge currently engages in. The design for the Storytellers hut is based loosely on the traditional Scottish Cottage or Bothy, although because of its simple form it is also reminiscent of any house or cottage in a story or tale, allowing it to become whatever the storyteller and their audience wants it to be.

Proposed Interventions

The expressed chimney like element of the structure is in fact an aperture allowing a shaft of light to illuminate the storyteller inside the structure when in use during the day, and at night affording a view to the moonlit sky. The fenestration within the design has been treated in such a way as to make the space as flexible as possible when telling stories, individual window shutters can be opened or closed to frame a particular view, all can be opened to allow in light or all can be closed to isolate you from your surroundings. Through the use of dead hedges, made of cuttings from coppicing and pollarding from forestry activities at Wiston, an intervention can be created which is not only a maze, but also a habitat which encourages bio-diversity.

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut As Proposed

Wiston Lodge

Canopy / Lookooterie Viewing Tower

Canopy

Lookooterie Viewing Tower

This simple intervention creates a canopy at different times of year catching falling leaves in autumn, snow in winter. It has a differing level of transparency as the seasons change and allows the same place to be experienced in a different way depending upon the time of year and time of day. The way light filters through it as hits the canopy with its varying levels of transparency creates intriguing and differing patterns which are constantly changing, drawing a parallel to the changing days and seasons.

This combined Lookooterie and Viewing Platform allows you to connect with nature and the landscape at different scales, from the top platform, having views towards Tinto and the surrounding landscape, and from the many levels between the top and ground level, allowing you to see nature and birds up close and from different vantage points. The structure provides a level of shelter from the climate as well as allowing you to be hidden from view, meaning flora and fauna can be viewed from much closer than would normally be possible.

This intervention should also help to demonstrate in an abstract way the continuing process of decay and growth which occurs in nature and indeed throughout life which is very much at the heart of the development that happens at Wiston Lodge.

Constructed of a combination of solid timber and wicker, all sourced from on-site, helping tie the structure to the place in which it is situated, the intervention should blend into the landscape slowly integrating further through time as flora and fauna start to grow on and colonise the structure. The structure should help those who use it to foster a greater appreciation for nature and recognition of human impact on the natural world.

Proposed Interventions

Wiston Lodge

Tree House Hotel

The current accommodation which they have created within the Camp Field at Wiston Lodge comes in the form of small cabins, which have no relationship with their surroundings, do not tie into the vernacular and are not aesthetically pleasing. Whilst they may provide the accommodation needed in addition to that within the main building of Wiston Lodge, they could do so in a way which has a much better impact on the overall estate at Wiston and which is more fun, encouraging people to return to Wiston, helping contribute to a long term viability for the estate. Taking the idea of a tree house to a more literal meaning, we propose to create accommodation which has a much stronger relationship with its surroundings, through both placement and materiality, elevating it from the ground and placing it within the interesting and exotic trees and plantings of the Protected Woodland.

Proposed Interventions

This proposed accommodation provides the possibility to stay within and experience nature but in a fun and interesting way, staying in a tree house, albeit it a more adult tree house in scale and facilities, and could be a greater revenue generator than the current accommodation, which in turn would allow investment in other areas of key interest to Wiston. This accommodation would be constructed using where possible materials which are sourced on site and if not then materials from sources which are environmentally responsible in line with the ethos of Wiston Lodge. These facilities could either replace the existing or could perhaps attract a different clientele to Wiston lodge by tapping into the eco-tourism market.

Wiston Accommodation Lodges As Existing

Wiston Lodge

Workshops

Blotnia Workshop

We attended a live build workshop in Blotnia, Gdansk, run by Gary Johnson from Gareth Hoskins Architects / Gdansk University of Technology, which took place from 1st â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3rd June 2012. The workshop involved the dismantling of an existing old railway carriage, and re cladding it / refitting it for a new use as a small accommodation cabin. This is the first step in an overall plan for the area of land in Blotnia, where the structure will act as a base for and facilitate future live build activities at the site. This was run alongside a workshop building a temporary structure made of pallets, by Erasmus students from Gdansk University of Technology, who also took part in the conversion of the railway carriage.

Our participation within this workshop provided us with some insight into the process of how a small live build project works, is detailed, can be constructed and the possibilities in regard to the re-use of an existing structure. It also helped serve as an example of how one structure could be the beginning / catalyst for a larger planned development, dovetailing into our proposal at Wiston Lodge.

Recladded Railway Carriage As Proposed

Workshops

Wiston Lodge

Recladding Potential Within Wiston Lodge Estate

Recladded Railway Carriage As Proposed

Workshops

Wiston Lodge

Cob Workshop

This workshop within the Estate of Wiston Lodge itself, took place across 2 days in July, where using clay taken from the grounds of Wiston Lodge, the estate sits on a large clay pan, we were able to learn the techniques and methods of making Cob, and apply this knowledge to the building of an external Cob oven. This served as an example of how existing assets found within the estate, could be used to create a building material. There is already a clear desire at Wiston Lodge to use sustainable natural materials and by using our base of knowledge gained from our studies of architecture, we are able to suggest to them how they may be able to apply this approach to building as part of a more coherent designed plan. The workshop also allowed us to participate in the experiential learning, learning by doing, which they promote at Wiston Lodge, the success of this method of learning becoming much clearer from our attendance at the workshop. Through taking part in a workshop within the estate which we are creating a development plan for, this allowed us to spend time within the estate in a different capacity, giving us a better overview of the activities that occur there and they way in which end users at Wiston Lodge use the facilities. Due to our involvement in and over view of a built project at Wiston Lodge, we were able to better understand the way in which they currently create structures / interventions, and then use this knowledge to inform our manifesto for how interventions should be created in the future, looking over their process from an outside perspective and trying to develop the ethos of their approach into a more coherent system that will give a commonality to future developments within the estate.

Clay Oven - Side/Front Elevation, Section

Workshops

Wiston Lodge

People’s Tower

Another live build project of a different nature which we attended involved constructing a temporary public structure made with cardboard. This workshop took place across 6 days in July, building up components for the construction during the first five days at the Briggait in Glasgow, then on the final day assembling and ultimately dismantling the construction on Brunswick Street in the Merchant city. It was a mostly non-skilled construction, allowing anyone to participate, fostering full inclusion. As a project, it encouraged people to engage with the built environment albeit for a short period of time, promoted working as a team – without enough people lifting the tower together it could not be built, promotes experiential learning – learning how to build construct hands on, establishes a sense of accomplishment in a short time frame, building a large marker within the landscape, dramatically altering the surroundings, highlighting the impact of man on the landscape and then finally it is dismantled.

This type of project fits into the environmentally conscious environment which they try to foster at Wiston Lodge, the use of cardboard introduces people to using materials in a responsible way, temporary structure built of cardboard made partly from recycled fibres, structure is dismantled, cardboard is then recycled. Our attendance at and participation in this workshop helped give us an understanding of how such a temporary type of structure is created and the way in which it can get people to interact with the built environment, as well as the possibilities of cardboard as a construction material. Our documentation of this project can serve as a template for such temporary constructions within the overall plan for Wiston Lodge.

People’s Tower Section - Brunswick Street, Glasgow

Workshops

Wiston Lodge

__________________ 1. Pre-construct complex elements 2. Divide into ergonomic sizes 3. Build from top to bottom 4. Keep adding until achieving full height 5. Enjoy your structure 6. Demolish and keep enjoying 7. Recycle

__________________ How to join boxes?

Scan to watch video

Workshops

1. Place boxes together 2. Tape horizontally across boxes on each side 3. Tape around boxes vertically three times

Wiston Lodge

Wicker Workshop

We attended the Erasmus Intensive Programme Workshop 2012 - Structures in Building Culture II: Skin and Bones, which took place across 11 days in August. The workshop was based around developing an understanding of wicker as a construction material from its production through to existing uses for construction, then moving on to a direct experimentation at various scales with the material. The use of weaved Wicker is associated with the traditional manufacturing of small utilitarian objects. This technique stands out for its potential to build complex and resistant shapes given by the flexibility of the fibre and rigidity provided by the weaving. Based on these properties, the workshop explored the production of weaved structures in relation to the landscape and architecture, exploring the potential of a natural raw material and the application of existing weaving techniques to a new scale and type of construction.

As Willow grows at Wiston in abundance and they have already built a modest structure using living willow, it seemed very appropriate to investigate further the potential of this material as a building resource, which we have then applied to proposed structures in our Estate Development Plan. Exploiting the Wicker plantation which has just been put in place at Wiston as a building material, which is renewable, on-site sourced, easy to work with and which requires minimal skills/tools, is the perfect example of the application of our manifesto for development potential at Wiston.

__________________ Examples Of Weaving Techniques: A. Crossed, warp and weft B. Crossed, warp and weft with diagonal C. Freestyle

Workshops

Wiston Lodge

__________________ Example A: 3.

1. Mark out 2. Begin weaving from corners 3. Push construction up from corners 4. Enjoy your shelter

__________________ Example B:

3. B

Workshops

1. Begin weaving top of dome 2. Continue to weave from bottom up 3. Pull bottom edges from outside to inside 4. Strenghten weave at base 5. Enjoy your shelter

Wiston Lodge

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut In Detail

Storyteller’s Hut

“Outside in the forest there was deep snow. The white snow had crusted the branches of the pine trees, and piled itself up them till they bent under its weight. Now and then a snow-laden branch would bend too far, and huge lumps of snow fell crashing to the ground under the trees. Then the branch would swing up, and the snow covered it again with a cold white burden. Sitting in the hut you could hear the crashing again and again out in the forest, as the tired branches flung down their loads of snow.”

- The Hut in the Forest, Old Peter’s Russian Tales, Arthur Ransome

The building rests on pad foundations so as to make as small an impact on the ground vegetation as possible and as a consideration for the changing nature of this intervention and the fact it will not permanently be on this site, whether through movement or coming to the end of its usable lifecycle.

Storyteller’s Hut In Detail

Within the woodland surrounding the structure would be small stories carved / etched into timber objects placed into the landscape, allowing these stories to be discovered and followed, leading to the Storytellers Hut. The structure and internal finish of the building is made entirely of standard building elements, working from a structural and material grid of 600mm in order to minimise waste within the construction. The use of standard building components was the most cost and labour efficient option in regards to the construction of the storytellers hut. Externally the building is finished in larch shakes and boarding, milled from the larch plantation within the estate, helping to contextualise the building and root it to the site as well as reducing the overall cost of the building.

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut As Proposed

Wiston Lodge

Detailed Section / Plan_Scale 1:50

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut In Detail

__________________ 1. Roof 12 mm plywood in 600 mm width sheets internal finish 100 x 50 mm / 150 x 50 mm Timber portal frame 150 mm EPS Thermal Insulation infill 12 mm OSB in 600 mm Width sheets Bituminous Waterproofing Building Paper 25 x 50 mm Batons and Counter Batons 600 x 300 mm Untreated Sawn Larch Shingles 2. Wall 12 mm plywood in 600 mm width sheets internal finish 100 x 50 mm / 150 x 50 mm Timber portal frame 100 mm EPS Thermal Insulation infill 12 mm OSB in 600 mm Width sheets UV Resistant Wind Diffusing Building Paper 25 x 50 mm Batons and Counter Batons 100 x 20 mm Untreated Sawn Larch Boarding 3. Floor 12 mm Marine Grade Plywood in 600 mm Width Sheets 50 mm EPS Thermal Insulation 100 x 50 mm Timber Joists 100 mm EPS Thermal Insulation infill Bituminous Waterproofing Building Paper

Structural Frame

Storytellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hut As Proposed_Scale 1:200 Wiston Lodge

Precedents

Haugen / Zohar Arkitekter

Fireplace for Children, Trondheim, Norway ____________________________

Precedents

Studio Weave

Freyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabin, Northumberland, UK ____________________________

Wiston Lodge

Paola Navone

Secret Garden, Botanical Garden, Milan, Italy ____________________________

Precedents

X-Studio

Inner Forest, Dals책sen , Norway ____________________________

Wiston Lodge

Tham & Videg책rd Arkitekter

Tree Hotel, Harads, Sweden ____________________________

Precedents

Haugen / Zohar Arkitekter

Cave for Children, Breidablikk Kindergarten, Trondheim, Norway ____________________________

Wiston Lodge

Michal Scieszka e: michal.scieszka@gmail.com i: www.michalscieszka.com Dale Smith e: dalemunrosmith@gmail.com i: www.dalemunrosmith.tumblr.com