AC ADEMIC PORTFOLIO
M A S T ER S IN A R CHI T EC T UR E NE WC A S T LE UNI V ER S I T Y 2019 -2021
DAN HILL
AC ADEMIC PORTFOLIO
M A S T ER S IN A R CHI T EC T UR E NE WC A S T LE UNI V ER S I T Y 2019 -2021
DAN HILL
TA B L E O F CO N T EN T S ARB Criteria Tabular Mapping Microamplify: Macroactivate - Design, Stage Five, Semester One
1 2
Urban Study
5
Sounds of the Metropolis: Part One
6
Acoustic Sequencing Automatic Idiophone (ASAI)
7
Socio-cultural Context
8
Site Context Sounds of the Metropolis: Part Two
9 10
Pavilion Development
11
Festival Route
12
Kettenbruckengasse Pavilion
13
Karlskirche Pavilion The Hegemony of the Eye - Tools for Thinking, Stage Five, Semester One
14 16
Abstract
19
NSOW - Design, Stage Five, Semester Two
20
Urban Study
23
Precedent Study
24
Sonic Agency
26
Building Programme
27
Concept Refinement
28
Site Strategy
30
Scale and Public Realm
31
Economic Programme
32
Building Layout
33
Outdoor Performance Space and Workshop
34
Indoor Performance Space
35
Self recording Pod
36
Function/Event Space
37
Storage Crane
38
Detailed Facade Strategy NSOW - Technology, Stage Five, Semester Two
39 40
Precedent Model
42
Accessibility
43
Materials and Sustainability
44
Daylighting
45
Ventilation
46
Acoustics
47
Strip Section Details
48
TA B L E O F CO N T EN T S (CO N T INUED) Ecoacoustic Identity - Dissertation, Stage Five/Six
50
Abstract
53
Acoustic Perception
54
Soundwalking
55
Volunteer Participation
56
Identity and Traffic Underpassing - Design, Stage Six
57 58
Abstract
61
Metrocentre Underpass
62
Underpass Exhibition
63
Underpass Guidebooks
64
The Archive
67
Bedside Table (Film)
68
The Inevitable Decay of Matter (Film)
68
Men of Renown
69
Dirty Old Town
70
Who Needs the Flowers to Grow?
71
Motorway Dough
72
Politicians, Planners, Madness, Machines
73
We’ll Tear You Down
74
Underpassing (Film)
75
Measured Survey
76
Drawing
76
Modelling
78
Film Photography
79
Alginate Impressions and Casting
80
Micro Photography
81
Acoustic Measurement and Simulation
82
Assemblage Architectural Practice - Stage Six, Semester Two
85 86
Business Plan Presentation
88
Project Report - NSOW
89
Critical Reflection
90
Bibliography
94
Criteria Mapping Form
96
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SELEC TED PROJEC TS
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Stage 5 Design Semester 2 ‘NSOW’ pg 20-39 Stage 6 Architectural Practice ‘NSOW Report’ pg 89
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A R B C r i t er i a M a p p i n g
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M icro A mplif y : M acro A cti vate D E S I G N , S TA G E F I V E , S E M E S T E R O N E
Map of Newcastle highlighting places of personal significance.
4
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Sketched places of personal significance around Newcastle.
UR B A N S T UDY In order to ground a cohesive
of the Stage Five, Semester One
As a means of beginning a
thesis, it was critical to first
Portfolio were reused and adapted
mapping process of Newcastle, I
experiment and test interrogation
in order to analyse Vienna.
chose to visit places of personal
methods.
Using Newcastle as a test-bed
significance
to
me,
stopping
In the case of this project, the
allowed me to make educated deci-
to sketch at each location as I
urban test subject was Newcastle
sions in my process before visiting
travelled.
Upon Tyne, a city I have become
Vienna, and therefore made the
greatly familiar with. Many of the
task of analysing a new city far
processes used in the first part
more approachable. M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
5
Q U
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AMPLITUDE
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AMPLITUDE
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TIM
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Visualisations of the sound recording, sampling and refining process. Please click the following to listen to the composition, Sounds of the Metropolis: Part One: 3. link ISOLATED SAMPLE 1. RAW RECORDING https://soundcloud.com/user-165807406/sounds-of-the-metropolis-1
S O UND S O F T HE ME T R O P O L I S : PA R T O NE At each location whilst sketching,
been a great source of reference
sounds like when its architectural
I recorded the ambient sound for
in my research into Vienna and
and urban fabric are interpreted
the duration of my stop.
its musical culture. The experi-
as musical elements, as Johann
With all the sounds collected
mental musical work of John Cage,
Wolfgang von Goethe speculated in
and curated, I was able to produce
particularly the piece ‘Branches’
his famous quote likening architec-
Part One of a musical piece I have
(1976), served as a reference for this
ture to frozen music (Eckermann,
entitled Sounds of the Metropolis,
composition.
1839).
after Derek B. Scott’s book of
The
the same name (2012), which has 6
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
piece
serves
as
an
authentic portrayal of what a city
Cage, J. (1976). Branches. [EP] Peters Edition. Eckermann, J. P. (1839) “Conversations with Goethe In the Last Years of his Life.” Specimens of Foreign Standard
Literature. Vol. IV. Translated by S. M. Fuller. Boston, MA: Hilliard, Gray, and Company. Scott, D. (2012). Sounds of the Metropolis. New York: Oxford University Press.
(Top left) A functioning simplified, single-note prototype of the full octave thirteen-note ASAI design. (Bottom left) A block triggering the prototype’s hammer mechanism. (Right) A visualisation of the final ASAI design, showing blocks positioned on the belt to create a melody.
ACO US T I C S EQ UEN CIN G AU TO M AT I C ID I O PH O NE ( A S A I) interest.
The conception of this instrument
cost of lessons and equipment, the
was born from both my experience
prospect of learning to digitally
playing real musical instruments
produce music is becoming far
I
and producing music digitally.
more alluring.
simplified protoype which played a
Learning a musical instrument
I
saw
the
opportunity
to
is becoming less and less appealling
create an instrument which made
for beginnners in the instant-grat-
use of features from both sides of
ification-demanding culture prev-
the figurative tuning fork, in the
alent today, and together with the
hope that it could ignite a mutual
To test the design of the ASAI, successfully
manufactured
a
single note, tuned to D4.
M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
7
Composer Mapping Key: Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Joseph Lanner (1801-1843) Johann Strauss Sr. (1804-1849) Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899) Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
(Left) A map showing places of signifcance for some of Vienna’s composers. Locations include cafes, apartments and performance venues, amongst others. (Right) ‘Kultur Gabel’ (Culture Fork) collage. The collage illustrates the divide in critical opinion of Viennese music during the Popular Music Revolution. A tuning fork rises from the twin headed eagle crest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with composers on either side.
S O CI O - CULT UR A L CO N T E X T Vienna has a rich and illustrious musical history, proud to claim itself
home
Haydn,
As early capitalism and indus-
the
composers
trialisation
their
I chose to research and map
Mozart
and
Beethoven
grasp on western culture, many
some locations of significance for
industries were subject to vast
a selection of composers who lived
structural change, including that
in the city slightly before, during
of music.
and
This project’s interest however lies in a slightly later period; the
years
strengthened
1800-1900,
I chose to symbolise the divide
the time often referred to as the
in musical taste at the time of the
8
cultural tuning fork.
to
amongst many others.
between
Popular Music Revolution as a
Popular Music Revolution.
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
slightly
after
Music Revolution.
the
Popular
Musical Style Mapping Key: ‘Low-art’ Music Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Joseph Lanner (1801-1843) Johann Strauss Sr. (1804-1849) Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899) ‘High-art’ Music Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) (Indicates locations where both styles co-existed)
(Left) A map showing selected sites as part of a curated Festival Route. (Right) A Situationist-style model of the five selected sites (Karlsplatz is shared between Musikverein Wien and Karlskirche) . As the route is to be followed sonically, connections between the sites have been abstracted and simplified from the typical visual street map.
S I T E CO N T E X T Following the fork in musical style,
with advancements in sheet music
This project is investigaing
‘high-art’
production and a growing popu-
the opportunity to create a signif-
larity amongst the proletariat.
icant
music
experienced
a
decline in popularity, regarded
the
intervention
to
celebrate
achievements
of
Vienna’s
as elitist and accessible to only
I derived a route linking a
the well-educated ear, an opinion
closely clustered group of loca-
composers, by embodying their
many continue to uphold.
tions, selecting sites from both
musical
In stark contrast, ‘entertain-
sides of the stylistic divide in the
tial,
ment’ music thrived in the new
hope of bringing back a mutual
architecture.
capitalist
sense of reclamation.
economy,
especially
heritage
sensory
and
in
experien-
participatory
M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
9
Sketches of the five locations used as nodes on the festival route. Please click the following link to listen to the composition, Sounds of the Metropolis: Part Two: https:// soundcloud.com/user-165807406/sounds-of-the-metropolis-part
S O UND S O F T HE ME T R O P O L I S : PA R T T WO of
and although heard, in reality
still expected to hear the pictur-
Sounds of the Metropolis: Part One
Following
the
production
those were far outweighed by the
esque sounds marketed by the
for Newcastle, I decided to repeat
sounds of clammering tourists and
media; a sub-concious form of
the
urban traffic.
selective hearing.
found-sound
composition
This
process for Vienna.
process
served
to
by
the
enlighten my perception of the
I
had
city, especially considering I had
expected to hear the sounds of
been there by this point, heard
horses’ hooves and cafe culture,
these sounds in real-time, and yet
Perhaps
influenced
tourist-targeted
10
media,
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Development sketches of two pavilions and the ASAI. The pavilions respond to the sounds extant at the location to amplify and activate the space.
PAV IL I O N D E V ELO PMEN T the
participant
with
the
true
In the same way the ASAI
order to reuinte them with the city.
instrument fuses the democratic
The pavilions used as nodes
sounds and atmosphere of each
world of the digital and the often
for an urban intervention take
place, instead of the marketed
impenetrable world of the musical
reference from the mechanical,
characteristics
through ease of participation, an
sensory and tactile elements of the
advertised.
urban intervention must amal-
machine’s design at an architec-
gamate the rich yet divided cultural
tural scale.
context each of the Festival Route sites find themselves a part of, in
The responses
so
aggressively
contribute to
the overall project aim of reuniting M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
11
(Left) Indicative in-app view of audio trail. (Right) A mixer diagram explaining the shift in volume of each location’s assigned sound as one moves along the route. (Bottom) Festival Route map showing the sounds dominant at each location.
FE S T I VA L R O U T E The
be
become more or less prominent
followed not visually, but aurally; a
Festival
Route
would
depending on the phone’s geolo-
trail of sonic breadcrumbs leading
cation, a Vienna-specific game of
from place to place.
“Marco Polo”. As one reached the
Using Sounds of the Metropolis:
vicinity of a destination, the sound
Part Two, together with a dedi-
specific to that destination would
cated Festival smartphone app, the
be the only one audible.
different sound elements in the mix of the sound piece would gradually 12
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Visualisation of the pavilion proposal for Kettenbruckengassse.
K E T T ENB R U CK EN G A S S E PAV IL I O N The
proposed
intervention
Kettenbruckengasse
forms
at
wind generated by passing vehi-
in the shape of the structure and its
an
cles,
openings onto the road, allowing
manipulating
a
typically
ample light to reach the windows.
informal shield against road traffic
unpleasant sound into one more
noise, creating an amenity space
inkeeping
outside the front elevation of the
space the new intervention is
enough space in plan for a tree
museum.
attempting to reflect, as well as the
to grow, further screening the
sombre nature of the place.
entrance via sound absorbtion.
The chimes hung from the perforated metal act as tuned leaves, moved by the torrent of
The
with
formal
the
courtyard
arches
of
This
geometry
also
allows
the
existing ground floor are reflected M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
13
(Top) Axonometric section through the Karlsplatz pavilion. (Bottom) Short section through the stair down to the subterranean pavilion.
K A R L S K IR CHE PAV IL I O N The elliptical pool on Karlsplatz
preserve the front elevation of the
outer walls, whilst concealing the
serves as another site for inter-
landmark cathedral it sits in front
space below.
vention. The water acts as both a
of, and the second, to create a
The water becomes an all-en-
sound absorber and generator.
distance for water to fall and hence
veloping entity, with its sound and
be heard.
presence
In order to best celebrate
amplified
from
every
the water’s sonic properties, I
Water is pumped up through
proposed the burial of a pavilion
the centre of the structure, and an
The space has been designed to
below the pool. This served two
infinity pool detail allows the water
allow a narrow ring of light around
key purposes, the first being to
to gently cascade down the sloped
the central structure’s perimeter,
14
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
direction.
Visualisation of the pavilion as viewed from inside . The darkness broken by the light, and its refraction through the water creates an intense sensory experiece.
Fox, M. and Kemp, M. (2009). Interactive architecture. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press. Pallasmaa, J. (2012). The Eyes of the Skin. 3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley.
in order to focus both the ear and
the space is more populated, the
driver in this way results in a
eye on the water’s entry point
pump increases the rate of flow,
dramatic, tactile atmosphere to be
into the space. Juhani Pallasmaa’s
balancing the noise of the water
lost within, whilst also making use
multi-sensory architectural peda-
with the increase in foot traffic
of Michael Fox’s theories on partic-
gogy was influential in the devel-
noise. When the space is less popu-
ipation (Fox and Kemp, 2009).
opment of this concept (2012).
lated, the rate of flow is lessened to
The
footway
which
encir-
cles the central column is fitted with
pressure
sensors.
When
a softer, more self-reflective fall. The
amplification
and
use
of the sound of water as a design M i cro A m p l i f y: M acro Ac t i vat e
15
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THE HEGEMONY OF THE EYE: A DISCOURSE ON ARCHITEC TUR AL O CUL ARCENTRISM IN A N I N C R E A S I N G LY V I S U A L P R O F E S S I O N T O O L S F O R T H I N K I N G , S TA G E F I V E , S E M E S T E R O N E
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A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
A B S T R AC T In this essay I introduced some key ideas encircling phenomenology and ocularcentrism in philosophy from a variety of different sources, crossing disciplines, eras and ambitions. In particular, I became interested in the ways and means these concepts have, do, and may continue to impact architecture and the built environment. Ocularcentrism is a term used to describe the hierarchal dominance of the human eye above the other senses. Architecture as a whole is a vulnerable target of ocularcentric bias, in that it is an industry heavily reliant on the transmission and communication of sometimes solely visual information in all aspects of the design and construction process. There are both physiological and cultural explanations for why ocularcentrism has been granted such a keen grasp on human life, and it is the objective of many of the writers and thinkers I have referenced to attempt to reverse its effects, or at least loosen its grip. Phenomenology in broad terms is the study of the human existential state in relation to the “living-body” and the “other”, as defined by Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1962). The living body or “body-subject” is the sum of all experience that constitutes a sentient life, and the other, or world, comprises the experiences themselves. The challenging nature of this branch of philosophy is that to be able to understand the phenomenological, the reader must be able to think in a phenomenological manner, an ability difficult to grasp when approaching the topic for the first time. David Seamon, a Professor of Environment-Behaviour and Place Studies in the Department of Architecture at Kansas State University, writes “I consider Merleau-Ponty’s interpretation of perception as a foundational phenomenon not easily grasped intellectually and, in fact, existentially preceding any conscious awareness or conceptual definition.” (Seamon, 2010) Merleau-Ponty is widely regarded as the philosopher who has most significantly developed research and thinking on phenomenology since the concept was introduced in the work of Franz Brentano and Edmund Husserl in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Holl, Pallasmaa, Perez-Gomez, 2006). His extensive texts on the topic are widely referenced in the field and have come to be considered some of the most influential philosophical writings of the twentieth century. Steven Holl and Juhani Pallasmaa are two architects who have collaborated on several texts, and both have Fox, M. Kemp, M. (2009) Interactive Architecture . New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Holl, S. Pallasmaa, J. Perez-Gomez, A. (2006) Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture . Tokyo: Noboyuki Yoshida.
Phenomenology of Perception. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Merleau-Ponty,
M.
(1962)
Schafer, R. M. (1988) Gamelan. Washburn, J. Vancouver Chamber Choir (Published 2000). A Garden of Bells. [CD]. Vancouver: Grouse Records.
Carnal Echoes: Merleau-Ponty and the Flesh of Architecture. Published online as a book chapter. Seamon,
D.
(2010)
also contributed architecturally to the built environment. Both Holl and Pallasmaa have taken great reference from the teachings of Merleau-Ponty and have actively applied his philosophical concepts to their own written and designed praxis. Michael Fox is also a practising architect, and together with Miles Kemp, produced the book Interactive
Architecture (Fox, Kemp, 2009), which highlights many examples of how some of Merleau-Ponty’s, Holl’s and Pallasmaa’s pedagogies might be put into practice in a contemporary digitally and technologically infused form. I have also looked at educational methodologies for architecture and the built environment from a sound-based approach to design, rather than the traditional visual-based approach taught and practiced in the majority of schools and practices, using three landscape architectural design studios taught at RMIT University in Melbourne as examples, as well as the compositional work of soundscape researcher and theorist, R. Murray Schafer (1988). Key themes flowing throughout this essay and its associated research include the dissemination of perception, its importance in relation to the senses and human emotion, and what significance that bears upon the learning and practising of architecture in contemporary society. T h e H eg emo n y of t h e E y e
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N EU E S S TÄ D T I S C H OR CHES TER WIEN (NSOW)
D E S I G N , S TA G E F I V E , S E M E S T E R T W O
Map showing Vienna and planned Festival Route from Semester 1.
22
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
3. 2.
4.
1.
Key 1. 2. 3. 4.
Stadtpark Palais Coburg Singerstrasse pavilion site (Schubert frequented a bar here) Ringstrasse
Map of central Vienna in relation to the Ringstrasse. (Top right) Aerial perspective showing the scale and mass of the built fabric surrounding the site.
UR B A N S T UDY Following on from the urban inter-
of significance to composers from
the welcome green relief of the
vention based project of Semester
either side of the ‘art’ vs. ‘enter-
Stadtpark; and several significant
1,
was
tainment’ divide that emerged in
former and current civic buildings,
in
classical music towards the end of
including the grand Palais Coburg
the nineteenth century.
located immediately to the west.
this
located
semester’s on
the
project
Ringstrasse
Vienna. planned
Key considerations for inter-
during the course of the previous
vention were the site’s proximity
project included this site along its
to: the busy carriageway encircling
path. The route connected sites
central Vienna, the Ringstrasse;
The
festival
route
NSOW
23
Isometric drawing of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, designed by architects Diller Scofidio and Renfro.
PR ECED EN T S T UDY To help engage with the technolog-
and the external stair/terrace,
ical requirements of the brief, the
which wraps around the west and
studio were encouraged to study
north elevations.
a precedent of a civic building,
The building actively engages
in this case, the ICA in Boston by
with its site by using a generous
Diller Scofidio and Renfro.
cantilever
Of particular interest to me was the interconnection between the internal performance space 24
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
balancing
over
the
water’s edge to protect and enliven the public space created below. The structure grows outwards
1:25 model of the ICA gallery skylight diffuser system with overlay of drawn detail and diagrammatic explanation.
from a central spine (indicated
skylight diffuser system used in
externally
the top floor gallery of the building.
by
the
raised
roof
access mass on top of the building).
From photographs and found
The cantilever is made possible
partial drawings, I was able to more
through a pair of huge floor-to-
fully draw and subsequently build a
ceiling trusses spanning the entire
working model of the system at 1:25
length of the top floor.
scale, shown above.
To engage with the building at a closer scale, I chose to examine an
architectural
detail
of
the
NSOW
25
(Left) Early sketch showing the concept of collection/projection diagrammatically. (Right) Sketch perspective showing a view from inside the performance space at the base of the projector.
S O NI C AGEN C Y The pavilions designed as part of
to this agency, likening the inter-
project that work out into the city.
last semester’s project acted as
ventions
The building, like the pavilions,
agents, managing or enhancing a
moderated to the musicians and
local sound through architectural
their instruments in an orchestra.
intervention.
and
the
sounds
they
would provide a sonic agency. To connect the performance
To continue this theme, I began
space to the public space outside
Neues
experimenting with the concept of
and the Stadtpark, I created a
Städtisch Orchester Wien (transla-
creating a building which would
glazed slice through the mass
tion: New Urban Orchestra Vienna)
serve to collect artists, curate and
shown in the sketch above.
or NSOW for short, is in reference
nurture their work, and finally
The
26
project’s
title,
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Isometric diagram highlighting the proposed programme for the scheme.
B UIL D IN G PR O GR A MME During
this
stage
in
the
ultimate
studio as a typology, I was able
function of the proposal began
to more clearly decide on a full
project, I worked mostly in section,
to take shape. I found it useful to
programme for the building and its
as I found the programme could be
think of the building’s programme
responsibilities to its users.
more easily divided vertically than
The
programme
and
horizontally.
being similar to that of a conven-
Once the programme of the
tional artist in residence studio
proposal had been decided upon,
facility, but for sound rather than
it became far easier to generate a
best illustrates a culmination of
the visual arts.
more functional diagram for the
all of my work on the building’s
building.
programme.
By using the artist in residence
The
diagram
on
the
NSOW
right
27
1:200 sketch model. This model explored the relationship between the void above the performance space and the practice spaces surrounding it.
CO N CEP T R EFINEMEN T Following the midterm review, I began transforming the diagram I
was essential to the refinement process. In order to investigate the
had into a physical structure. Through study models, eleva-
spatial qualities of the projector, I
tion studies and sketches, I made
modelled the space at 1:200, using
design
boxes of varying width, length and
decisions
which
remain
largely unchanged in the final
height.
clear
These represented the prac-
brief and programme at this stage
tice spaces surrounding the void,
proposal.
28
Having
such
a
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
1:200 elevational study model focussing on the public space at the foot of the elevation.
varying
accommo-
explore the possibility of moving
date varying styles of music and
in
size
to
the performance space to the
numbers of participants.
facade of the building.
In the model pictured left,
This
allowed
for
a
more
the circulation was inverted to
inviting public facing elevation,
the centre of the void, providing
and was more in line with the
partial screening between practice
most appealing feature of the ICA
spaces.
Boston precedent, the interaction
In a major decision following the midterm review, I decided to
between performance space and public realm.
NSOW
29
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
0
100
500
1000
2000 mm
0
200
1000
2000
4000 mm
0
1
5
10
20
N m
0 0
5
5
25
50
100 m
Site Plan showing the proposed building and landscaped public realm in context.
0 0
S I T E S T R AT EG Y
10 10
50
south west of the proposed site.
the main building, leaving much of the site for public realm, shielded
into the city from the Stadtpark.
As part of the site strategy,
The main topographical feature
I have incorporated a crossing
constraining the site however, is
connecting the Stadtpark and the
the Ringstrasse.
proposed building, which would
responds well to the courtyard
also
typologies
The main road can be difficult to cross in places, and the nearest
benefit
the
festival
route
designed in Semester 1. The proposed design uses only
the adjacent block immediately
the south east corner of the site for
SK STUDENT VERSION
crossing point lies to the south of
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
100
100
200 m
The site serves as a key entry point
30
50
from the noise of the Ringstrasse. The
open-sided of
the
courtyard surrounding
structures, as well as providing a welcome green space in the city centre.
25
Visualisation showing the north-west elevation of the proposal, associated public realm and landscaping.
S C A L E A ND PUB L I C R E A L M The proposed structure is a six
I designed in Semester 1. The giant
the abundance of road traffic and
storey building, far more in keeping
two-octave idiophone serves as
frequently having to cross major
with the older six and seven storey
an activator for the public space
roads in the city centre.
buildings surrounding the site than
by encouraging interaction with
the existing fourteen storey tower.
music in an easily accessible form.
Instead,
the
proposal
will
provide a rent-able shuttle service,
The public realm shown in the
In order to preserve tranquil-
where a vehicle can pick up a musi-
image above shows a permanent
lity in the courtyard space, I have
cian and their equipment, which
musical sculpture installation; an
decided to omit parking from the
can then be stored in one of the
adaptation of the ASAI instrument
brief. In visiting Vienna, I noticed
storage crates, or shuttled back. NSOW
31
+€
resident subscription +€
+€ function hire
one-time session
equipment -€
workshop -€
+€
storage
shuttle
+€
-€
bar/cafe
+€
ticket sales
staff -€
Isometric drawing showing economic balance according to programme.
ECO N O MI C PR O GR A MME was
visualise the building’s programme
finalised, I decided to illustrate
as a business in order to decide on
my financial balance diagram on
the best programme for the brief.
Once
the
programme
top of a programmatic isometric
The NSOW would operate in
benefits the facility has to offer. Other
financial
incomings
would include the cafe/bar on the ground floor, ticket sales for
a similar way to an artist in resi-
performances,
hourly
The drawing shows the key
dence studio facility, where artists
practice
recording
drawing.
and
rental
of
spaces
spaces in colour and their associ-
would be asked to pay a weekly or
from non-residents, and hire of the
ated expenditure or asset as anno-
monthly subscription for a length
top floor function space.
tation. For me, it was important to
of time, entitling them to various
32
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
mm
0
1
10
5
20
Key Section
m
0
5
5
25
N
0
20.
Key
25
100
50
m
1. Main entrance
0
2. Welcome desk 3. Office
0
4. Cafe/Bar
10 10
50
50
100
100
200 m
5. Cafe/Bar back of house
19.
6. Indoor performance space 7. Seating terrace 8. Performance space store 9. Main stair
16.
10. South west fire stair
15.
11. North east fire stair 12. Lift 13. Plant/service 14. Library PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
15. Workshop 16. Workshop store 17. Outdoor performance space 18. WC 19. Cycle Parking 20. Idiophone Sculpture
8.
17. 11.
18.
Detail Section
5. 18. 3.
6.
4.
2. 7.
9.
13. 14.
12.
1. 10.
Annotated Ground Floor Plan
B UIL D IN G L AYO U T The public realm created to the
‘projector’ referenced earlier.
the ICA Boston.
north west of the building is
To the north west of the plan
To the south east of the plan,
shielded by the building’s mass
lies a small workshop for members
there is located a cafe/bar for use
from the Ringstrasse, creating a
of the NSOW to design, build and
both during a performance and in
quiet courtyard pocket.
repair musical instruments and
down time.
entire
plan
grows
outwards from the centre of an
apparatus. The indoor performance space
performance
feeds directly out to its outdoor
space, the base for the sonic
counterpart, taking reference from
informal
outdoor
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
The
NSOW
33
Visualisation of the outdoor performance space in context.
O U T D O O R PER F O R M A N CE S PACE A ND WO R K S H O P The view to the right best shows
as a more free architectural form,
serves as a welcoming and active
the scheme in context with its
whilst also remaining an integral
space, both servant to and served
closest existing neighbour.
part of the new development in its
by the new building.
From this view the building’s restrained, civic facade propor-
radial planning. The
outdoor
performance
tions are seen in conversation
space is intended for use mainly
with its neighbours. The workshop
as a public amenity, with casual
offers an interesting counterpoint
performances taking place there
to this dynamic by asserting itself
for free and for anyone to enjoy. It
34
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Visualisation of the indoor performance space from the mezzanine level.
IND O O R PER F O R M A N CE S PACE The indoor performance space serves as the key performance
forms the backdrop for the indoor performance space. The remainder of the circula-
space for the building. place
tion space in the building is homo-
here would remain in a somewhat
geneous with this space through
casual tone, but would likely be
the void to the south east of the
organised in advance and ticketed.
building. The stair can be seen
The
public
climbing up through the structure
the
outdoor
Performances
space
taking
surrounding
performance
area
to the floor plates above. NSOW
35
Visualisation of one of the recording pods.
S EL F-R ECO R D IN G P O D The
recording
pods
which
permeate the north west eleva-
spread of vibration from other parts of the building.
tion of the building are acousti-
The interior walls of the pod
cally isolated elements, completely
are equipped with Helmholtz reso-
separate from the main structure
nator perforations. These help to
of the building.
trap reverberated sound to create
The pods sit on top of the floor plates on a rubberised acoustic isolation 36
layer,
preventing
the
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
an acoustically ‘dry’ environment.
Visualisation of the top floor function space.
FUN C T I O N / E V EN T S PACE The function space at the top of
art exhibits or open day events
the building has its own bar and is
for musical artists resident in the
well-suited for after-show events.
building
The radial elevation offers an interesting perspective out to the
to
meet
professionals
interested in their work, or other musicians interested in joining.
city to the north west, and the elevation to the south east offers views over the Stadtpark. This space would also be ideal for visual NSOW
37
Visualisation of the storage crane system in operation.
S TO R AGE CR A NE The storage crane comes from one
As this project is confined
duration of their membership. The
of the key selling points of Pirate
by a tight urban site where space
crane removes the crate from the
Studios, a global chain of music
is luxury, I designed a storage
wall and deposits it at the required
practice and recording facilities.
and distribution system using as
floor, saving artists the effort of
offer
little space as possible, utilising a
hauling heavy equipment around
equipment,
crane similar to ones designed by
the building, or to and from vehi-
which I saw as being a fundamental
Assimakis SA for industrial storage.
cles failing any storage at all.
Pirate storage
for
Studios artists’
also
benefit to anyone who uses their
artists
would
be
given a storage crate to use for the
service. 38
Resident
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Full strip section from roof to foundations through the north west elevation. (Cropped - see full section in NSOW portfolio.)
D E TA IL ED FAC A D E S T R AT EG Y The facade of the proposal plays
expressing a modern music facility
expressive structural concepts, I
an important role in situating the
suitable for the needs of modern
was able to create an interesting
building within the theory that
musicians.
architectural
surrounds it.
By creating an ordered and
The proportions and material
rational facade, I feel I was able
treatment had to remain restrained
to respond to the local physical
and civic in order to relate to the
and cultural context of the site
context of the surrounding formal
and city as a whole, and by intro-
architecture of Vienna, whilst also
ducing radial geometry and more
environment
for
contemporary music production.
NSOW
39
GC1.1 GC1.2 GC1.3
GC5.1 GC9.1 GC5.2 GC9.2 GC5.3 GC9.3
GC2.1 GC6.1 GC10.1 GC2.2 GC6.2 GC10.2 GC2.3 GC6.3 GC10.3 GC3.1 GC7.1 GC11.1 GC3.2 GC7.2 GC11.2 GC3.3 GC7.3 GC11.3 GC4.1 GC8.1 GC4.2 GC8.2 GC4.3 GC8.3
N EU E S S TÄ D T I S C H OR CHES TER WIEN (NSOW)
T E C H N O L O G Y, S TA G E F I V E , S E M E S T E R T W O
1:200 sectional model of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.
PR ECED EN T M O D EL
GR O UP CR ED I T S :
The sectional precedent model of
huge floor-to-ceiling trusses span-
the ICA above shows more clearly
ning the entire length of the top
the link between the internal and
floor.
external spaces. The structure grows outwards from a central spine (indicated by the raised roof access mass on top of the model). The cantilever is made possible through a pair of 42
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Harashadeep Kaur Malgorzata Szarnecka Dan Hill
mm
0
1
10
5
20
Key Section
m
0
5
5
N
0
20.
Key
25
100
50
m
1. Main entrance
0
2. Welcome desk 3. Office
0
4. Cafe/Bar
10 10
50
50
100
100
200 m
5. Cafe/Bar back of house
19.
6. Indoor performance space 7. Seating terrace 8. Performance space store 9. Main stair
16.
10. South west fire stair
15.
11. North east fire stair 12. Lift 13. Plant/service 14. Library PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
15. Workshop 16. Workshop store 17. Outdoor performance space 18. WC 19. Cycle Parking 20. Idiophone Sculpture
8.
17. 11.
18.
Detail Section
5. 18. 3.
6.
4.
2. 7.
9.
13. 14.
12.
1. 10.
Annotated Ground Floor Plan
ACCE S S IB IL I T Y
1000 2500
parking has been planned for this
in my opinion is a far more appro-
possible to accommodate under-
scheme.
priate and sustainable solution
ground parking via a ramp down to
for a relatively tight city centre
a sub-level, I have decided against
1000
42000
1000mm generous build up
4500
4500 clear height allows for most vehicles
location.
Although
it
is
just
accommodating one as I feel it
ment and building users to the
I have also accommodated a
would negatively impact the public
site. As part of a membership or
generous space for cycle parking,
realm I see as being key to this
as a one-off fee, a driver will taxi
as the site is situated on one of the
project’s success. NSOW
+0.000
about
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
1000mm generous build up 2500 clear height allows for most cars
1:12 gradient
66000
their city home to the facility. This
hire-able shuttle to deliver equip-
If the access ramp was a single, straight 1:12 slope, it would have dimensions similar to this.
1:12 gradient
equipment and passengers from
cars from the city centre, no car
Instead, I have included a
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
main cycle routes around the city.
In an active decision to discourage
43
25
Visualisation of the NSOW and surrounding public realm.
M AT ER I A L S A ND SUS TA IN A B IL I T Y The structural columns of the
structural options for a building of
the scheme several methods of
been able to provide a generous
building will be slip formed, cast
this scale and purpose.
offsetting concrete’s poor carbon
public space which includes a large
footprint.
area
Concrete
in situ concrete, whilst the floor
is
also
incredibly
plates will be traditionally cast in
durable, ideal for a civic structure
situ.
used by the public every day.
Concrete has been specified
bio-diverse
wildflower
whereas
traditional
ously is the omission of any car
Viennese civic buildings are often
parking from the proposal, and in
landscaped with expansive lawns
particularly
its place providing a shuttle system
that do not provide the necessary
and cycle parking.
variety of plant species to support
a
preventing structural sound trans-
eco-friendly material in its produc-
mission than steel, the two main
tion, however I have designed into
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
of
planting,
Of course, concrete is not
because it is more effective in
44
The first as mentioned previ-
sustainable
or
In omitting any parking, I have
local wildlife.
Visualisation of the south-east facing elevation, highlighting the area of glazing.
DAY L I GH T IN G north, as light penetration is not as
the
The building is planned so
building could be simplified as a
that the main public spaces are lit
brick and aluminium grid with
from the south opening onto the
The top floor event space is top
glazed infill.
Stadtpark, maximising the amount
lit during the daytime by a skylight
of sun light penetrating the main
diffuser system taking influence
volume of the building.
from the ICA Boston.
The
proposed
facade
of
As the main internal spaces of the building are deep with plenty of volume, the glazing must be
In contrast, the smaller, more
tall enough to allow light into the
cellular and more private recording
spaces further from the elevation.
and practice spaces are oriented
important to their atmosphere.
NSOW
45
Key Section showing implemented passive stack ventilation strategy.
V EN T IL AT I O N As a method of passive ventilation,
air from the shaded courtyard is
top of the structure and escape
I have designed the building to
encouraged in by the low pressure
through a venting system.
maximise stack effect ventilation.
in order to maintain equilibrium,
The use of concrete for the
in accordance with the laws of
internal columns and floor plates
thermodynamics.
further contributes to the passive
In this process, the air in a south-facing void is heated by the sun on a hot day. This causes the
As a result, the space is cooled
air particles to become excited
and replenished with fresh air
and in turn causes low air pres-
from outside. The hot air, as it has
sure. The cool, higher pressured
become less dense, will rise to the
46
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
ventilation strategy.
Visualisation of one of the recording pods.
ACO US T I C S of the building. They would be
have chosen to design the pods to
of the pod would also be filled
should
constructed either on the ground
be disconnected from the struc-
with high quality acoustic insu-
always be a consideration, and this
or off-site, and lifted into place as
ture completely.
lation to further shield the space
scheme is no different.
each floor plate is constructed.
In
any
programme,
music-orientated acoustics
The most significant display of
As
I
mentioned
earlier,
To further reduce any possibility
of
transmitted
vibration,
this consideration is shown in the
concrete is far more resistant to
each pod would be placed on top of
design of the recording pods.
structural noise transmission than
an acoustic isolation layer, essen-
completely
steel, however to ensure the best
tially a rubberised mat.
separate from the main structure
quality of recording possible, I
The
pods
are
from non-structurally transmitted vibration.
The floors, ceilings and walls NSOW
47
Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
102.5mm facing brick (5o profile) Damp proof membrane 85mm rigid insulation In-situ concrete edge beam (to S.E. specification) Aluminium coping
6. Roofing membrane lapped with DPM 7. Roofing membrane 8. 85mm rigid insulation 9. 300mm in-situ concrete roof slab (to S.E. specification) 10. Steel ceiling truss (aids support of slab above and suspended ceiling below) 11. Steel angle (supports truss) 12. Steel profile (supports steel angle 13.) 13. Steel angle (supports concealed soffit angle 15.) 14. Weep hole 15. Concealed soffit angle 16. Brick slip soffit 17. Timber batten support 18. Triple glazed floor to ceiling window
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
0
100
500
1000
2000 mm
Sectional detail of the adjoining of the roof and external wall.
0
S T R IP S EC T I O N D E TA IL S
200
1000
4000 mm
The facade of the proposal plays
expressing a modern music facility
expressive structural concepts, I
an important role in situating the
suitable for the needs of modern
was able to create an interesting
building within the theory that
musicians.
architectural
surrounds it.
2000
By creating an ordered and
environment 0
1
for 5
10
The proportions and material
rational facade, I feel I was able
I wanted the building’s eleva-
treatment had to remain restrained
to respond to the local physical
tion to have a certain weight and
and civic in order to relate to the
and cultural context of the site
depth, which I believe is best
context of the surrounding formal
and city as a whole, and by intro-
architecture of Vienna, whilst also
ducing radial geometry and more
achieved through the 0use 10of real
0 0
5
5 25
brick. The slight imperfections 0
10
50
20 m
contemporary music production.
50
100 m
50
100
100
200 m
48
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
25
Key 1. 102.5mm facing brick (5o profile) 2. Damp proof membrane 3. 85mm rigid insulation 4. In-situ concrete edge beam (to S.E. specification) 5. Timber floor finish 6. 110mm rigid acoustic and thermal insulation 7. Steel C-section framing system 8. Facing aluminium cladding 9. Rubberised acoustic isolation layer 10. 440mm in-situ concrete floor slab (to S.E. specification) 11. Rubberised acoustic isolation layer 12. Steel profile (supports steel angle 13.) 13. Steel angle (supports concealed soffit angle 14.) 14. Concealed soffit angle 15. Weep hole 16. Embedded LED rim light
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
0
100
500
1000
2000 mm
Sectional detail of the adjoining of the fourth floor slab and external wall.
0
200
1000
2000
4000
in the mortar joints on incredibly
extruded from the face of the
close examination reveal a ‘true-
building.
ness’ which I believe is sometimes lost in brick slip clad buildings. 0
1
5
The brick itself is a material reference to the plinth of the Palais
0
5
mm
As is evident, the pods are completely isolated from the main 10
concrete
structure,
20
sitting
m
in
between the floor slabs.
25
Coburg to the north west of the site, a significant civic building. 0
5
25
m
This detail best shows the 0
10
depth of the cantilevered pods 0
10
100
50
50
50
100
100
200 m
NSOW
49
GC1.1 GC1.2 GC1.3
GC5.1 GC9.1 GC5.2 GC9.2 GC5.3 GC9.3
GC2.1 GC6.1 GC10.1 GC2.2 GC6.2 GC10.2 GC2.3 GC6.3 GC10.3 GC3.1 GC7.1 GC11.1 GC3.2 GC7.2 GC11.2 GC3.3 GC7.3 GC11.3 GC4.1 GC8.1 GC4.2 GC8.2 GC4.3 GC8.3
E co A coustic I dentit y : A S O U N D WA L K M E T H O D O L O G Y F O R E S TA B L I S H I N G T H E RECO GNISABILIT Y OF THE SOUNDSC APE D I S S E R TAT I O N , S TA G E F I V E / S I X
My workspace in close proximity to the boiler cupoard.
52
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
A B S T R AC T As I sit to write this paper in the ground floor bedroom of my temporary student home, I hear the boiler beside me activate for its pre-programmed evening period. I recall the first occasion it did so, and how it startled me. Its gurgling is a sound I encounter in the same place and time every day that passes. It has become a part of my own personal soundscape, a rhythm that announces itself only to me. I think also of the previous tenants who once occupied this room and were subject to its rhythms, wondering if they too shared such an intimate relationship with their home’s boiler. Probably not.
The boiler’s sparking to life is not only a sound; and although in knowing its daily rhythm, I have
been made aware it is approximately half-past six; nor is it simply an imprecise clock. The sound is indicative of activity, the beginning of a warming process of the space I occupy. Though I considered it a disturbance at first, it reassures me of the proximity of thermal comfort in my near future. An hour or so from now, I will at last be warm. Sound and activity are intrinsically linked, for they are fundamentally two outputs of the same physical process: the vibration of matter. In the context of the city, there is such a difference between these two scales of vibration that we often fail to observe or accommodate for their affiliation. Dedicated to studying this connection is the discipline of Acoustic Ecology, sometimes referred to as Ecoacoustics or Soundscape Studies, pioneered by R. Murray Schafer in the late 1960’s as part of the World Soundscape Project (Schafer et al., 2007). The movement sparked huge scholarly interest, resulting in a vast amount of diverse literature from fields ranging from art and architecture to geography and the medical sciences. I have looked at significant works from as many of these diversified sources as possible, in an attempt to deliver a comprehensive methodology for analysing Newcastle’s soundscapes. Motivated by the soundwalk method produced by one of Schafer’s most prominent students, Hildegard Westerkamp (1978; 1989), I invited volunteers to listen to pre-recorded virtual soundwalks around the city and asked them to map out their perceived journeys in real-time based on the sound environments they encountered. By isolating the ear from the other sensory organs, I hope to discover the significance the soundscape has Schafer, R. M. Truax, B. Westerkamp, H. Broomfield, H. Davis, B. and Huse, P. (2007) “Information.” The World Soundscape Project . Available at: https:// w w w. s f u . c a/s o n i c - s t u d i o - w e b d a v/ WSP/index.html [Accessed: 04 March 2021].
on perceived space and orientation, and furthermore, establish the strength of Newcastle’s acoustic identity.
Westerkamp, H. (1978) “Fantasie for Horns I.” Hildegard Westerkamp, Inside
the Soundscape . Available at: https:// w w w.hildegardwesterkamp.ca/sound/ comp/4/fantasie-1/ [Accessed: 3 February 2021]. Westerkamp, H. (1989) “Kits Beach Soundwalk.” Hildegard Westerkamp, Inside the Soundscape . Available at: https://www.hildegardwesterkamp.ca/ sound/comp/3/kitsbeach/ [Accessed: 3 February 2021]. Eco Aco u s t i c Id en t i t y
53
Shieldfield House located near City Stadium; and the bank of the River Ouseburn.
ACO US T I C PER CEP T I O N the
stream on the field trip entered the
identity of Newcastle’s soundscape
Metrocentre Underpass, it was this
through a soundwalk-based meth-
cognitive process which allowed
odology.
me
My
dissertation
Acoustic an
active,
examined
perception cognitive
is
process
to
appreciate
its
acoustic
presence. I
wanted
to
explore
this
requiring experiential memories
phenomenon in detail, and so I
and a myriad of complex stimuli
devised a methodology to investi-
(Oliveros, 2015). When the live
gate the city’s Ecoacoustic Identity.
54
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Oliveros, P. (2015) “The difference between hearing and listening.” TEDxIndianapolis. Available at: https://www. y o u t u b e . c o m/ w a t c h? v =_Q H f O u R rJB8&ab_channel=TEDxTalks [Accessed: 2 March 2021].
‘Skywalks’ from the east into the city.
S O UNDWA L K IN G I selected my routes carefully,
envelop the listener in high-fidelity
directing one through Ouseburn
spatial sound. I then asked volun-
towards the Tyne, encompassing
teers to listen to the recordings
many natural sounds, and one into
whilst mapping their perceived
the city centre via the network of
journey in real-time with a given
aerial pedestrian routes, towards
start point.
the university. I
recorded
the
soundwalks
using binaural microphones, which Eco Aco u s t i c Id en t i t y
55
Volunteer Combined Route Map (Hill, 2021e).
VO LUN T EER PA R T I CIPAT I O N The results were, as expected,
I scored each of the volunteers’
highly sporadic in nature, for a
routes by breaking them down into
species that has grown accus-
one-minute
tomed to navigating with its eyes
them as accurate, partially accu-
and little else.
rate or inaccurate.
The map above shows the results from the seven volunteers, as well as the correct route in the bolder line. 56
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
segments,
marking
Plotting Accuracy / Traffic Noise Map (Hill, 2021e).
ID EN T I T Y A ND T R A FFI C From the chaos of routes, there
traffic noise level was lower than
intrinsically linked to its unique
emerged
65dB (the approximate level of a
mixture of sonic stimuli; a balanced
normal
accuracy
diet for a healthy body. If one stim-
was much increased, with one
ulus in particular dominates the
average plotting accuracy of the
minute-long
scoring
soundscape, the resulting effect is
volunteers
100%. For areas above 65dB, accu-
a loss of acoustic identity. Such is
racy diminished considerably.
the expansiveness of Newcastle’s
one
very
significant
trend. The study showed that the
inversely
was
approximately
proportional
to
the
volume of traffic noise. In areas where the ambient
conversation), segment
I arrived at the conclusion that the acoustic identity of a place is
road network, much of the city’s Ecoacoustic Identity has faded. Eco Aco u s t i c Id en t i t y
57
GC1.1 GC1.2 GC1.3
GC5.1 GC9.1 GC5.2 GC9.2 GC5.3 GC9.3
GC2.1 GC6.1 GC10.1 GC2.2 GC6.2 GC10.2 GC2.3 GC6.3 GC10.3 GC3.1 GC7.1 GC11.1 GC3.2 GC7.2 GC11.2 GC3.3 GC7.3 GC11.3 GC4.1 GC8.1 GC4.2 GC8.2 GC4.3 GC8.3
U nderpassing
D E S I G N T H E S I S , S TA G E S I X
Sandyford Road Underpass, northern aperture. The first underpass I photographed became the springboard into an exploration of the acoustic properties of underpass spaces.
60
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
A B S T R AC T It is no secret that the Earth is rapidly approaching a critical point of no return, beyond which it will no longer be possible to sustain existence as we have come to know it. Architecture’s carbon footprint accounts for a great portion of the damage done to our planet throughout the anthropocene, and it is essential that we begin to unlearn the habits and systems that have been guiding this profession’s practise towards the end of the world. Of course, I do not expect that this project alone will, or ever could, save the planet. My aspiration for this thesis is to begin a discourse surrounding how architecture might use some of the tools and techniques it employs, as well as some it typically does not, to seek value in that which we have already extracted and placed upon the Earth’s surface. I have focussed attention on the practise of condition surveying, a process typically initiated to establish the tectonic condition of a structure, either as a means to modify it or condemn it for demolition. By unlearning the methodologies behind these practises, I have been able to determine a new approach that does not necessarily seek to change the fabric, but rather prioritises a far deeper understanding of urban space. The typology through which this process has emerged is the pedestrian underpass, an indiscreet relic of extractivist cultures and construction. Their very existence is a result of the influence and domination of the car over our cities to the greatest detriment of the pedestrian. Consequently, underpasses have become regarded as unsuccessful parts of the city; dark, dank, neglected and ultimately avoided by many in fear of their own safety. In other words, they too, face extinction. The methodology I propose is principally based around an appreciation of the built form as an assemblage of artefacts from a huge range of contextual scales, from the political and social, all the way down to the microscopic. Viewing space in this way allows an understanding of the complex stories, entangled in time and experience, that are held in the physical matter of all things. It is my hope that promoting a deepening of attentiveness towards our existing fabric will help slow the extractivist processes we are all unquestionably a part of, but at the very least, I am certain this thesis has and will continue to guide my own more ecologically responsible practise.
U n d er pass i n g
61
Visiting the underpass after the Covid-19 isolation period had ended.
ME T R O CEN T R E UND ER PA S S During the first weeks of semester
stream from the comfort of home.
the audio unclear, I could appre-
lay hundreds of messages imposed
space
ciate its darkness, hear the rever-
over one another, some politically
attend a socially-distanced field
amongst the sea of parking and
beration of sound in my head, feel
powerful and others apparently
trip to the Gateshead Metrocentre.
featureless façades that truly felt
its presence.
meaningless.
Unfortunately, due to a posi-
interesting to me; the underpass
tive Covid-19 test, I was unable to participate in person. However,
one, the studio was invited to
thanks to Ed and the tutors, I was able to attend the trip via video live 62
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
There
was
but
one
in
More importantly though, the
on the outskirts of the sprawling
person, I was able to document
messages shared an ignored envi-
site.
On
return
to
the
site
in more detail the nature of what
ronment, free of rule or regulation;
internet
had taken my attention. In the
simply existing.
connection was at times shaky and
tunnel carved through the earth
Even
though
the
(Top) External view of the exhibition within the underpass. The exhibition is set inside the Metrocentre underpass, the location from which the meat-free revolution began. (Bottom) Group collage . This image represents a non-human reading of the Metrocentre and its surrounds.
GR O UP CR ED I T S
UND ER PA S S E X HIB I T I O N
Natasha Rice Josh Knight Gosia Szarnecka Dan Hill
As part of a group work project,
looking
we simulated an exhibition within
decades,
the underpass, documenting the
abandonment of meat and animal
history of the Metrocentre and an
products towards the ‘present’.
imagined future for each of our
back
at
the
observing
previous
the
global
Animal rights are far advanced carnivorous
still continues. The
underpass
serves
as
message-bearer, much as it does in its extant state, to attempt
protagonists: the underpass, the
from
cow, the pigeon, and the relics of
history before the 2030’s, with
animals by educating their human
infrastructure.
many animals now given rights to
co-habitors.
The exhibition is set in 2060
humanity’s
fight for equality with humankind
to
preserve
a
future
for
the
democracy and education, but the U n d er pass i n g
63
(Top) Newcastle Underpass Map. The map shows the key infrastructural interventions within the city, each necessitating several underpasses for the pedestrian. The coloured overlays correspond to the covers of each walking guidebook. (Bottom) Collection of Underpass pedestrian guidebooks. There are four books documenting the underpasses around the city, and a fifth with a focus on Eldon Square, which has its own underpass spaces.
UND ER PA S S GUID EB O O K S Intrigued by the spatial memories
Birmingham and Glasgow.
noticed a specific quality to the
around
induced by the virtual tour of the
I collated the underpasses in a
acoustic environment that many of
internal surfaces.
Metrocentre Underpass, I began
collection of walking guidebooks,
the underpasses share. The narrow
This low frequency noise is
mapping others in and around the
attempting to connect such spaces
passages and vertical proximity to
incredibly unsettling, a phenom-
city centre.
for the pedestrian to highlight the
the road generate a bass-heavy,
enon
compromises made to prioritise a
low-frequency rumble as a result of
horror films to unnerve the viewer
steady flow of vehicular traffic.
The underpasses have become a necessity in a city severed by vast
the
underpasses’
intentionally
exploited
the tyres’ and engines’ vibrations
before
On photographing the first
transmitting through the struc-
terrors that lay immediately ahead.
post-war period, similar to that of
underpass for the collection, I
ture, and subsequently reflecting
The low frequencies prevalent
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
them
to
in
motorways put in place during the
64
exposing
hard
the
Sandyford Road Underpass, northern aperture and access.
Carr, D. (2017). Muff the Police. Self Published. Available at: https://www. daphnecarr.com/policesound/lrad/
in the underpasses are also felt with
high-frequency sound at incred-
the body as vibrations or ‘infra-
ibly high pressure, usually used to
sound’ (sounds which are below
disperse large crowds (Carr, 2017).
the frequency threshold of human
Moreover, the most dominant
hearing, around 20Hz for an adult).
peaks of sound amplitude within
Infrasound is utilised in less-lethal
this space (see Part Six of this
weapons such as the LRAD (Long
thesis) tend to occur at around
Range Acoustic Device), which are
100Hz, around that of the male
capable of propelling both low and
human voice. U n d er pass i n g
65
Newcastle’s Underpasses. The fifteen underpasses (and one internal space) I have documented across five issues of Underpass: A subterranean pedestrian guide to Newcastle Upon Tyne.
66
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
T HE A R CHI V E The
photographic
archive
of
underpasses is fully detailed in the series of Underpass Guidebooks I have published as part of my thesis, entitled: Underpass: A
subterranean pedestrian guide to Newcastle Upon Tyne . I also published the archive online, hoping to reach people more frequently walking around Newcastle during the pandemic. It became apparent that the people I did reach were more interested in the individual photographic works than the urban research behind it, with some offering to buy framed prints. There are many artistic bodies dedicated to the study and preservation
of
brutalist
architec-
ture, however this project is about more than gazing at concrete forms through spectacles tinted with nostalgia. With the worldwide
increase
in
pressure
to
vastly reduce our carbon footprint, architecture must become more responsible for its past failings
towards
the
environment,
mainly in its reliance on fossilfuelled construction, and more importantly, what to do with that construction when it is no longer fit for purpose. We must learn from these failings in order to ensure a sustainable practise for the future. This thesis proposes a methodology which can help to extract a greater value and an appreciation of the bed we have made, with the ultimate aim of helping establish whether we should have to lie in it.
Underpass Collective Instagram Feed. I published the walking routes as well as the key photographs from each underpass location in order to guide the pedestrian around the city.
U n d er pass i n g
67
Bedside Table (Film). Please click the following link, or copy and paste it into your browser window: https://youtu.be/XFr_AovaFus The Inevitable Decay of Matter (Film). Please click the following link, or copy and paste it into your browser window: https://youtu.be/1xXwDoH65lw
B ED S ID E TA B L E (FIL M)
T HE INE V I TA B L E D EC AY O F M AT T ER (FIL M)
As well as providing me with some
of the filming and sound recording
I made a second film to test yet
The film takes much inspira-
grounding for an object-centred
techniques I learned in making
more techniques for film making
tion from Alvin Lucier’s I am Sitting
narrative,
and sound recording.
in a Room (1969), where the artist
of
this film were of huge value when
the table and making of the film
the
modification
I set about making the thesis film,
offered other invaluable resources.
Underpassing.
This film was recorded in a
re-records the human voice rever-
single take using multiple camera
berating around a space. This film
angles and diverse sound recording
takes that concept and applies it to
The little timber I removed
It has been hugely rewarding
from the table has been used
to make use of my musical practise
methods,
binaural,
the bedside table in order to high-
later in the thesis to build certain
during a design thesis, something I
shotgun condenser and contact
light the agency it has over its own
surveying instruments, and many
plan to continue in the future.
microphones.
sonic output.
68
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
including
A mapping of the corruption scandal.
MEN O F R EN OWN Post-war Newcastle was consumed
planning in the sixties and seven-
by a corruption scandal, impli-
ties were primarily the responsi-
cating
bility of Wilfred Burns, Newcastle’s
Council
Leader,
T.
Dan
Smith, and Architect, John Poulson at its core.
His
Smith ran a PR Firm which accepted
underhand
Waterhouse, R. (1993). “T. Dan Smith (Obituary)”. The Guardian . 28 July.
destructive
and
favour of road traffic, resulted in the city we know today. In his
contracts, acquired through his
Development
connections in government, to its
wrote, “the city centre must cater
most generous donors.
to the maximum extent possible
once
gifts
overtly
approach to planning, heavily in
returned public work and building
Smith
City and County of Newcastle upon Tyne. (1963). Development Plan Review. Newcastle upon Tyne.
Chief Planning Officer at the time.
wrote
Plan
review,
he
for cars” (1963).
“Thatcherism, in an odd sort of
Smith trusted Burns’ well-ed-
way, could reasonably be described
ucated judgement, which I would
as
argue was perhaps his greatest
legalised
Poulsonism...
the
handing over of public assets for
mistake
private gain.” (Waterhouse, 1993).
redevelopment.
For
the
corruption,
Smith
regarding
Newcastle’s
is
undoubtedly to blame. However, Newcastle’s motorways and town U n d er pass i n g
69
Central motorway under construction. (Photograph: Newcastle City Council, 1974) (Source: Peacock, 2016)
D IR T Y O L D TOWN The city these men inherited was
The city, like much of the north
in industrial decline. They believed
east, relied on its mining infra-
a new motorway network would
structure to generate income. As
bring economic prosperity to the
that source of affluence began to
two or even three layers of traffic
city, and establish a new finan-
shrink, it was thought that new
stacked vertically in parts. This
cial powerhouse for the north, a
industry needed to find a place in
decision was made to minimise
sentiment more recently burdened
the city.
land take, albeit at the cost of a
primarily unto Andy Burnham’s Greater Manchester, my home. 70
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
The central motorway carved a great divide between the city
centre and the east, decimating the southern corner of Jesmond. The
motorway
comprises
huge visual and acoustic barrier.
Peacock, L. (2016). “Eight images of Newcastle as seen from the air between 1947 and 1991”. The Chronicle . 7 May.
Jesmond Railway Station with an award-winning flower garden. (Young, 1948)
WH O NEED S T HE FLOWER S TO GR OW ?
Young, A. (1948). “Jesmond.” Disused Stations. Available at: http://www. disused-stations.org.uk/j/jesmond/
There was a huge culture shock in
this ideology; the liberty to travel
road plunged Jesmond Station into
Britain during the sixties, across
wherever
obsolescence, before the line was
the entire spectrum of society,
desired.
and
whenever
one
re-purposed for the Metro in the 1980s.
from music, film and the arts, to
The motorway was put in place
the political agendas of those in
to serve this new generation of
Not only did the motorway
power. Following the wars in the
car-consuming travellers, driving
create its own wealth of issues, it
first half of the century, it was time
between cities for business and
also drained the life out of other
for freedom.
pleasure.
infrastructure.
The private car encapsulated
The cultural shift from rail to U n d er pass i n g
71
(Top) Filled in underpass from the centre of Swan House roundabout beneath its northern quarter.. (Bottom) Mid-air termination of a pedestrian route into the city centre, with Swan House shown in the background.
M OTO RWAY D O U GH As well as the numerous under-
are no maps. No landmarks. So it’s
this thesis calls in to question. Not
passes beneath the infrastructure,
incredibly easy to get lost, and to
only did the motorway infrastruc-
also introduced were a network
be disorientated.” (Whitney, 2017).
ture severely impact the accessi-
of
‘skywalks’,
aerial
pedestrian
Since their introduction, the
bility to the city for the pedestrian,
routes into the city centre across
skywalks, underpasses, and even
it continues to do so actively as
the motorway’s chasm. Professor
parts of the actual motorway, have
these compromises are removed,
Stephen Graham speaks of them,
been disassembled, filled in, or
or even worse, wasted. City plan-
“everything looks like everything
gated off.
ning must become more respon-
else. There’s no legibility. There 72
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
It is this exact situation that
sible for the city of the future.
Whitney, K. (2017) “ ‘A brave new world’: what happened to Newcastle’s dream for a vertical city?” The Guardian, 7 February. Available at: https://www. theg uardian.com/cities/2017/feb/07/ br ave-ne w-world-ne wc a s t le-d re a mfor-vertical-city
Bandstand Underpass. This tunnel is broken by daylight in the centre to allow access to a solitary bus stop on the Great North Road.
P O L I T I CI A N S , PL A NNER S , M A D NE S S , M ACHINE S The men who put this infrastruc-
divert their journey around the
ture in place were first and fore-
new city-scale toy of the high-
most exactly that, men; in positions
flying businessman.
of influence
with easily enough
wealth to afford a personal car.
This underpass for instance, below
the
great
north
road,
Those who could not afford
provides the only access to a bus
their own car; women, children
stop used by a local school, far
and people from low-income back-
from an ideal space for young chil-
grounds; would be expected to
dren to be directed. U n d er pass i n g
73
Councillors, magistrates, men of renown, Who needs to live in a dirty old town? Yes, go on, tear it down.
Who need the trees and the flowers to grow? We can have a motorway with motorway dough. I know I know I know, they’ve got to go.
Tear them down, mess them round, Make a mockery of all of the ground, And if you ever have a sleepless night, Just count out your money, it’ll be all right.
Politicians, planners go, look what you done, Your madness is making a machine of ev’ryone, But one day the machine might turn on.
We’ll tear you down, mess you round, And bury you deep under the ground, And we’ll dance on your graves till the flowers return, And the trees tell us secrets that took ages to learn.
We’ll tear you down, mess you round, Bury you deep under the ground, And we’ll dance on your graves till the flowers return, And the trees tell us secrets that took ages to learn. We’ll tear you down.
Lindisfarne (band). Much loved Alan Hull (second from left) is commemorated with a plaque on Newcastle City Hall. (Photograph: Lindisfarne, date unknown) (Source: Orr, 2008). The lyrics to Lindisfarne’s “All Fall Down” (Hull, 1972). I used these lyrics as a structural tool in the composition of Underpassing , the film supplementing this design thesis.
WE ’ L L T E A R YO U D OWN Of course, the motorway did not
Lindisfarne, released the song All
come into existence unchallenged.
Fall Down (Hull, 1972) in satirical
Environmentalist SOC’EM!
(Save
Environmental booklets
Our Mess!)
arguing
group
opposition to the plans. I used the
from
lyrics from the song to construct
produced
the narrative for the thesis film to
City
against
the
proposals, as well as various public transport unions (Fenwick, 2012). The much loved local band, 74
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
be watched alongside reading this document, Underpassing.
Fenwick, P. (2012). The Newcastle Central Motorway East and Other Plans. The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. Hull, A. (1972). “All Fall Down.” Dingly Dell. UK: Charisma Records. Orr, C. (2008). “A history of Lindisfarne pt IV: what happened next?” Lindisfarne. ht t ps:// l i nd isfa r ne.co.u k/a-h ist or yof-lindisfarne-part-iv-what-happenednext
Underpassing (Film). Please click the following link, or copy and paste it into your browser window: https://youtu.be/w13t-n_7eg0 Sandyford Road Underpass, southern aperture.
UND ER PA S S IN G (FIL M) I returned to the first underpass
history of this underpass from its
This underpass in particular finds
through ever-deepening levels of
I archived in the guidebooks, the
conception right through to my
itself in a unique existential crisis.
attention.
one in which I began to appreciate
proposition for an appended tool
the spatial and acoustic experi-
kit for the ecological surveyor.
ences also found in many of the others.
The film is narrated through the voice of The Underpass, a
Since Jesmond Station was
The aim of this work is not to
decommissioned, it serves little
decide whether existing struc-
purpose, connecting one side of
tures are to remain in place; it is to
Sandyford Road to the other.
propose a refined process to learn
To document my methodology,
melancholic character concerned
As such, it acts as the ideal
and experience as much about
I created a film (also, in itself part
about the stability of their and the
test site for a methodology aimed
the existing before reaching that
of the method) which traces the
planet’s future.
at seeking value in the existing,
decision. U n d er pass i n g
75
(Left) On-site survey sketches. First I roughly (very roughly) sketch the space, before measuring and annotating the drawing. I then label the drawing with callouts to areas in a higher level of detail. (Right) 2-point sectional perspective of the underpass.
ME A SUR ED SUR V E Y
D R AWIN G
Most surveys begin with measure-
surveys, when conducted in this
Most architects appreciate the
and its relationship with the body,
ments, and this one is no different.
level of detail, help the surveyor
power of drawing, and an impor-
more so than I believe two-dimen-
understand
tant part of that lies in hand drawn
sional drawings would have.
I ensured I carefully meas-
the
relationship
ured every part of the space, from
between
its tectonic form to the detail of
present. The pattern on a tile is
Before I began any refined
screws and graffiti on its walls.
the
scales
of
detail
representations of space.
I then set about drawing the underpass in context.
very different to the size of an
drawings of the space, I first drew
This section drawings on the
Apart from the obvious objec-
opening, for instance. It is impor-
this perspectival section of the
opposite page help to show the
tive of determining the shape
tant to record all of this informa-
southern aperture. This helped
underpass in relation to its closest
and size of the space, measured
tion equally.
me to initially visualise the space
infrastructure; the Metro line to
76
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
(Top) SRUP-DR-00-01301 Key Section AA (originally drawn at 1:50). The underpass is shown in relation the motorway infrastructure in the background. The grid overlay on the drawing is used later in the survey as a cross reference tool for other investigations conducted on-site. The graffiti was drawn using the measurements taken on site and a 2D photo-stitched mapping. (Bottom) SRUP-DR-00-01302 Key Section BB (originally drawn at 1:50). The drawing shows the difference in level between the layers of infrastructure as well as the dominant figure of Sandyford House in the background.
the east and the roadway above.
wall extrudes from the under-
underpass.
the darkness.
Both of these are sources of a
pass’ elevation. With the towering
The confinement of the space
Shown in the background is
huge amount of noise within the
Sandyford House seen in the back-
is shown again in the perpen-
the dual-deck motorway, which
space, the Metro rhythmic and
ground, the confinement of the
dicular plane, with the tall wall
crosses Sandyford Road further
intermittent, the road more ubiq-
space either side becomes clear.
continuing
west.
uitous and droning.
around
the
corner
Key Section AA (top) shows the
along the southern edge of the site
To prevent trespass on the
length of the space, and offers an
and Sandyford House’s minimal
line and to shield some of the
appreciation of the length of time
easement between its exterior wall
noise from the Metro, a 3.7m
it takes to pass from end to end in
and the northern entrance to the U n d er pass i n g
77
Site Model showing the underpass in context (modelled at 1:100). The layers of infrastructure can be seen, with the Metro line in the foreground and underpass beyond, with the road passing over both.
M O D EL L IN G Once I had accurate drawings, I
House,
was able to build a model of the
bedroom is only so big.
underpass
and
its
immediate
surrounds.
but
unfortunately
my
The modelling is detailed and meticulous in its approach; hand
In a year outside the confines
cutting and scoring the paving
of a pandemic, I would have liked
slabs on the ground and the bricks
to extend the model over a much
on the walls, as well as soldering all
greater area, so that it included the
of the guarding and the Metro line.
motorway and more of Sandyford 78
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
SRUP-MP-D71-01 Interior Light Ducting (to overcome sharp incline), east wall. A macro photograph (MP) showing this unusual intervention to connect the pre-assembled lighting panels across the most sharply inclined part of the underpass. Canon EOS 600 Film Camera (1989) and black and white film processing equipment and chemicals.
FIL M PH OTO GR A PH Y Modern
takes
Photos, again, are not unusual
instead of my experience with
situations, but I believe a close
photography for granted. It has
in the context of a survey. However,
digital photography, which usually
tending to the medium and subject
become so easily accessible, it is
using a film camera influenced me
involves sorting through reams of
have proved far more rewarding in
seldom considered a skill.
to approach the task with much
exposures to select the best few.
the formation of this thesis.
Using
society
film
often
to
more consideration. Without the
The latter method is one this
To further this, I learnt how to
appreciate the work that modern
aid of digital technology, I was
thesis, and through forming it I
develop my own film from home,
cameras
and
allowed phones
me
have
encouraged to rely on my own
personally, have become opposed
another
removed from the shoulders of the
skill. This resulted in photographs
to. The ‘spray and pray’ method I’m
again a removal of the agency of
photographer.
which were already pre-curated,
sure has its advantages in certain
technology or an expert.
fulfilling
process,
U n d er pass i n g
and
79
Alginate impression taking and casting process.
A LGIN AT E IMPR E S S I O N S A ND C A S T IN G Thus far, the methods of this survey
is completely biodegradable in as
beyond representations for the
the surfaces, before applying a
have remained largely within the
little as a year (Baker, 2019).
eye, and the same too could be said
‘texture’, usually a flat image with
confines of the orthodox. Algi-
These
ecological
properties
the computer-generated illusion of
of architecture in general.
nate impression taking is the first
make it suitable for environmental
method to depart from that.
use, and its usage by dentists
textures
easily
Once the alginate has been
speaks
detail
missed in drawings and models,
formed, the plaster must be poured
achievable in replicating surface
flattened for ease. The digital
quickly, as the alginate begins to
texture.
modelling and rendering process
shrink as its water content evapo-
requires the designer to flatten
rates (ibid.).
Alginate by
dentists
is to
used take
primarily impres-
sions of teeth for treatment. It is extracted from algae, and as such 80
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
volumes
of
the
Surveys do not usually go
The study of a structure’s reveals
details
texture.
SRUP-UP-I17-01 Reconstituted Concrete Brick, west wall. A micro photograph highlighting the tiny particles of rock within the brick. The small blue chip is measured at approximately 108um (micrometers).
MI CR O PH OTO GR A PH Y So far, the survey has addressed
this
micro
This level of detail is imper-
investigate in this detail, yet doing
the scales of: the social and polit-
photography (UP) being the next
ceptible to the naked eye, as it is
so can reveal so much undiscov-
ical through research; the tectonic
step.
physically impossible to focus on
ered information about the mate-
through drawings and models at
taken using extension tubes to
a surface at such close proximity.
rials and processes used in the
1:100/1:50; the human experience
a 40mm lens. The gauge at the
The resulting images reveal
through film photography; and the
bottom of the image shows 0.5mm
other-worldly landscapes of over-
surface through casts at 1:1.
increments. Using this scale, 1 pixel
looked detail, colours and textures
of information represents approxi-
that lay invisible to the passer-by.
Moving closer and closer in levels of attentiveness is key to
methodology, These
with
photographs
mately two micrometers.
were
Architectural surveys do not
construction of space. Baker, C. (2019). “Alginate - Biodegradable?” Accu-cast. Available at: https:// accu-cast.us/blog/alginate-biodegradable/ U n d er pass i n g
81
(Top) Applying an adhesive contact microphone to the eastern interior wall of the underpass. (Bottom) DIY recording studio setup. Using an absorbent blanket enclosed around the microphone on three sides helps to minimise acoustic reflection and reverberation. Albeit a crude and low-tech interpretation of techniques employed in actual recording studios to isolate sound, it was incredibly effective.
ACO US T I C ME A SUR EMEN T A ND S IMUL AT I O N The acoustic presence of this space
well as video footage and piezo
environment,
to
I recorded the same tone sequence
was one of the parts of it that first
microphones.
understand how and why it induces
all the way along the space from
such poignant acoustic memories.
aperture to aperture.
to
allow
me
drew my interest, and so I consid-
I wanted to understand why
ered it imperative that I investigate
this space in particular felt so
its phenomena.
sonically oppressive, so I set about
within
a
sequence in a DIY recording studio
recording it in as many ways as I
Kalimba (or thumb piano), pictured
set up in my bedroom (pictured
had means.
above. I chose this instrument as
above)
to
it is easy to reproduce the same
sound with minimised reverbera-
recreate the underpass’ acoustic
tone with consistency every time.
tion and ambient sound.
I used a variety of recording methods and hardware, including binaural, and 82
shotgun
contact
condenser
microphones,
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
as
I
wanted
to
be
able
I recorded a tone sequence the
underpass
with
I then recorded the same tone
to
provide
a
reference
Spatio-acoustic Frequency Model . This model shows visually the sharp increase in low-to-mid-frequency dominance aurally perceived within the space.
I then compared the dry signal
mates, who were unable to differ-
This reveals to a large extent
(recorded in the DIY booth) with
entiate between the simulation and
why these spaces feel so oppres-
the wet one (on-site) using spec-
the recording.
sive. R. Murray Schafer regards the
tral analysis (shown above) within
I used the software to export a
human voice as the ideal module
Ableton, a music production soft-
peak-amplitude / frequency graph
for acoustic design (1994), and this
ware I use often in my musical
of the recording along the length
space (and I suspect many other
practise.
of the underpass at 800mm incre-
underpasses) is in direct acoustic
show
ments, which I then traced two
competition for that range.
frequency on the x-axis and volume
dimensionally and layered propor-
on the y-axis, forming a real-time
tionally
representation of the sound being
length. This allowed me to form the
played.
three dimensional spatio-acoustic
The
By
dynamic
adding
ambient
traffic
along
the
underpass’
model shown above.
and
This model is hugely useful in
applying digital filters and effects
interpreting the acoustic profile of
to the dry signal, I was able to
the space visually. The peak which
match the two signals’ spectra.
rises from each aperture towards
sounds
recorded
on
site,
an
the centre occurs between approx-
approximate match, I used my ears
imately 100-150Hz, the approx-
to fine-tune the simulation and
imate
tested it on some willing house
human voice.
Once Schafer, R. M. (1994) The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World . Rochester, VT: Destiny Books.
graphs
I
had
achieved
frequency
range
of
the
U n d er pass i n g
83
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16
17
18
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100
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
+6.195
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
A
PAVEMENT LEVEL (SOUTH)
B MP-A14-01
1211
C
D
MP-D16-01
146
MP-E18-02
146
E
MP-E22-01
MP-F22-01
610
5 195
5 106
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369
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106
3715
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UP-I17-01
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95 95 95 95 95 5 5 5 5 5
AC-J17-01
65
UNDERPASS LEVEL (SOUTH) 10
+2.567
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688 30
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13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SRUP-DR-00-01311 Section AA-1 Reference Section (originally drawn at 1:25). The reference sections act as a tool to identify the other survey elements and where they are located in space, as well as key dimensions and details. SCALE IN MILLIMETRES
0
A C250 A D EM I500 C P O R T F O L I O1000
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
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MP -A14-01 PL A NT GR OWTH, S OUTH EXTER IOR WAL L
M P - D16- 01 KEY STO N E , S O UTH EXTE RI O R WA LL
M P - E 18- 01 EXTE RI O R- I N TE RI O R WA LL- SOFFIT JOIN, WE ST WAL L /SOFFIT
MP -E1 8 -02 WAL L-SOFFIT JOIN, COBWE B D E TAIL , E AST WAL L /SOFFIT
MP -E2 2 -01 SE R VICE COVE R , WE ST WAL L
MP -F 2 2 -01 INT E R IOR L IGHT FIT T ING , E AST WAL L /SOFFIT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
PAVEMENT LEVEL (SOUTH)
B MP-A14-01
1211
C
D
MP-D16-01
146
MP-E18-02
146
E
MP-E22-01
MP-F22-01
195
5 106
5
195
G
369
5
610
195
5
106
3715
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MP-E18-01
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430 32
2258
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495
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UP -I 1 7-01 R ECONST ITUT E D CONCR E T E B R ICK, WE ST WAL L
5
1709
195
AC-J1 7-01 MA NHOL E COVER , GR OUND ADJACENT TO WEST WA LL
+6.195
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
A
5
195
UP-H24-01
5
195
I
5
195
UP-I17-01
J
500
150
95 95 95 95 95 5 5 5 5 5
AC-J17-01
65
UNDERPASS LEVEL (SOUTH) 10
+2.567
103:1
688 30
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SCALE IN MILLIMETRES
S PAT IO -ACOUSTIC FR EQUEN CY PEAK G R ID L INES 15 - 25
0
250
500
1000
2500
SRUP -D R-00-01 31 1 1 :25 @A 2
SECTI ON A A - 1 R E FE R E NCE SECT ION
UP -H24-01 B LUE SPR AY PAINT ON WHIT E T IL E , WE ST WAL L
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION
SRUP-DR-00-01401 Sectional Assembly 1, Ontology Report. The full assemblage of information is shown on a set of six sheets covering the length of the space, of which this is the first.
A S S EMB L AGE
Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information - Code of practice. British Standards Institution.
BSi.
(2016).
The organisation and collation of
to its position set out by the grid
an appreciation of the connection
all of the data is equally as impor-
overlaid on the reference section,
between the scales of attentive-
tant as collecting it.
which is devised from the spacing
ness given to each constituent part
I devised a system based on
of acoustic measurements taken
of the survey.
the BS 1192 Naming Convention
to form the acoustic model. These
(explained in further detail in the
codes are mapped on to the section
next part of this document) (BSi,
accurately to their point of origin,
2016). Each drawing, photograph
to enable the viewer to easily
and cast is given a code relating
locate points of interest, and thus U n d er pass i n g
85
GC1.1 GC1.2 GC1.3
GC5.1 GC9.1 GC5.2 GC9.2 GC5.3 GC9.3
GC2.1 GC6.1 GC10.1 GC2.2 GC6.2 GC10.2 GC2.3 GC6.3 GC10.3 GC3.1 GC7.1 GC11.1 GC3.2 GC7.2 GC11.2 GC3.3 GC7.3 GC11.3 GC4.1 GC8.1 GC4.2 GC8.2 GC4.3 GC8.3
A rchitectural P ractice
S TA G E S I X , S E M E S T E R T W O
ORGANIZATION + MANAGEMENT:
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:
SERVICE DIAGRAM (FUTURE):
• Fo c u s s e t o n p r o f i t a b l e wo r k , w i t h t h e o p t i o n t o rotate core architects to community jobs when necessary or when r e s o u r c e s a r e av a i l a b l e .
COMMUNITY WORK
Community Capacity Building
ty
Local Growth a n d D e ve l o p m e n t Re s e a r c h
• A l l s t a f f a t t e n d ke y d e s i g n meetings for both branches o f wo r k
NBR HUB
neighbour hub
community architecture practice
P a i d Wo r k
Client Growth
C C o o p e r a t i ve Construction
NBR HUB
neighbour hub
community architecture practice
Diagram: Author
Community Engagement Wo r k s h o p s
Design Id e n t i t y Growth
Design
Na t i o n a l l y Re c o g n i s e d Design
• After 5 years of practicing, the community side of the practice will become less reliant on the Ouseburn Trust. W h i l e s t i l l c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h t h e m , o u r o w n e x p e r i e n c e a n d d e ve l o p m e n t w i l l m e a n we w i l l b e m o r e c a p a b l e o f m a n a g i n g t h e p r o j e c t s o u r s e l ve s • P r i v a t e wo r k w i l l d i ve r s i f y a s w e g r o w i n s i z e a n d r e p u t a t i o n o u t s i d e o f t h e r e g i o n
NBR HUB
neighbour hub
community architecture practice
Diagram: Author
MARKET RESEARCH:
COMPANY OVERVIEW:
DEMOGRAPHIC: Fig 1
Re l a t i o n s
a c ti c e Pr
• Community Outreach M a n a g e r m ay a l s o f i n d t i m e to contribute to primary wo r k p r o j e c t s .
Local Clientele
Local Business
Strateg y
muni om
PRIMARY WORK
OUR SERVICES:
THE HUB:
Fig 3
Fig 2
Fig 4
NBR HUB
NBR HUB
community architecture practice
community architecture practice
neighbour hub
neighbour hub
F i g s . 1- 4 : T h e A u d i e n c e A g e n c y R e p o r t
FUNDING:
FUNDING:
LOAN REPAYMENT:
WORKING CAPITAL :
NBR HUB
NBR HUB
neighbour hub
neighbour hub
community architecture practice
Diagram: Author
community architecture practice
Diagram: Author
Screenshots from NBR HUB Business Plan Presentation.
B US INE S S PL A N PR E S EN TAT I O N The business plan presentation for
allowed us to engage with a part
our theoretical architecture prac-
of the profession we had not yet
tice, NeighbourHub (NBR HUB),
encountered.
was a sharp learning curve for a
Our community-based prac-
group of students who had little
tice was sited in the Ouseburn. The
business experience.
practice offered its community
It highlighted the real-world
service in part as a marketing tool,
challenges involved in starting a
to embed within the community
practice from the ground up, and
and help secure future work.
88
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
GR O UP CR ED I T S Nick Honey Mark Laverty Alec McCulloch Rob Thackeray Ben Taylor Dan Hill
Visualisation showing the north-west elevation of the proposal, associated public realm and landscaping.
PR O JEC T R EP O R T - N S OW I selected to address my fifth
recommending the public client
year, semester two project, and
down a route which prioritised
went into detail surrounding the
quality and value over construc-
procurement
tion speed.
strategy
for
the
project. As a civic building, governments ment
often
offer
guidance.
The
procurereport
critiqued some of this guidance, A rc h i t ec t u ral Prac t i c e
89
C ritical R eflection
CR I T I C A L R EFL EC T I O N I returned to study at Newcastle after completing the BA and working in Manchester for two years, and have continued working remotely during some of my time studying. I came to understand that my experience of working in practice was relatively well-rounded in comparison to some of my peers, with many gaining most of their experience in one particular part of their practice’s architectural process: planning applications; technical design; rendering; competition work; and so on. As I grew into my role, I became entrusted with more self-sufficiency, at first completing quick tasks and drawings for senior colleagues, and eventually progressing to inherit most of the design responsibility over several small projects. The learning curve was initially steep and challenging, but in fulfilling those responsibilities was also incredibly rewarding. Around the time I began applying for a place on the MArch course, a senior architect at the practice referred to my friend and colleague as ‘ just a technologist’. Though it was said in passing and with little direct thought, the comment offended me; firstly because the colleague in reference was an incredibly valuable and talented member of architectural staff, and secondly because it served as a reminder of the bigotry that too often arises from the assumed superiority of ‘The Architect’. If I were to return to complete my education, would I too become associated with this supposed elite? This was not a club to which I wanted to belong, but would I even have a choice? The event raised the question of the purpose of returning at all; I was already fulfilling roles usually beyond that of a Part One and I seemed to be progressing at a much faster rate than I had felt before. I decided to have a conversation with one of the directors of the practice, where he told me that although a career without a Part Two qualification could be fruitful, it could also become a psychological ceiling, if not a professional and financial one. In the end, the decision to return was made for me by a completely unrelated change in my personal life, and as such I thought it best to get away and start afresh. On returning to university, it quickly became evident during the Semester One Design Project in the Cultural Assemblages Studio that I was no longer up to pace with academic architectural study. My professional instincts took hold, persistently deflecting me towards producing and designing over reading and researching as if there were a time-constrained client hovering behind my shoulder. Everything was a rush because I alone had made it so. I had also never worked, either at university or in practice, on a project at an urban scale. It felt uncomfortable to be pushed so far outside of what I had so far learned of the responsibilities of the architect. As a result, I rejected the process entirely and focussed on designing manageable pavilions instead of the citywide intervention. It was not until participating in the study trip to Vienna that I felt things begin to fall in to place, by which time there were only three or four weeks remaining of the project. My presentation in the final review was undeniably disastrous, which I attribute to a combination of the knock in academic confidence from returning to study and being well out of practice of the review-style presentation method for over two years. At this point, the return to study certainly felt like a poor decision. The Tools for Thinking Essay was for me, the turning of the tide for my work in Stage Five. The freedom to select a topic and allow myself to become passionate about it was exactly what I required in order to fully engage with the course on the whole. I wrote about ocularcentrism and the neglect of polysensory stimulation within architecture, a topic which has served as a springboard for virtually all of my subsequent work. In particular, my engagement with environmental sound and ecological listening during the Dissertation and Stage Six Thesis Project was initiated in this essay, which I am hugely grateful for. Though the essay’s impact on the overall result I will eventually achieve is quite small, its importance in helping define my architectural interests and specialisms has been invaluable. 92
A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Semester Two brought about a new design project centred around a more technical, building-focussed brief, something I was altogether far more comfortable confronting. The project encouraged the critical analysis of a precedent – the ICA, Boston in my case – and exploring its links between programme, structure and detail. Working in this way was new but greatly beneficial in gaining an understanding of a detail-focussed architectural process. It supported me in synthesising issues of structure and detail from an early point in my own design, which I think was poignant in the resulting images of the project. In many ways, the project’s brief was very prescriptive compared with those of other studios, specifying particular drawing and model types and scales, and particular areas of design importance. It has only been very recently, in completing the tabular criteria mapping (attached to this report as an appendix) that I have been made aware of the value of these directives. Without them, I surely would have had to divert my Thesis Project’s direction in order to ensure that I met all of the necessary ARB Part Two Criteria by the end of my time in education. Semester Two also spelled the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, which it goes without saying had an enormous impact on studying architecture. In light of the considerable changes to learning and teaching online during this time, I am definitely pleased with the work I was able to produce. I selected the Dissertation module over Linked Research or Urban Planning for several reasons. The first was that I felt the undergraduate Dissertation was one of the weaker pieces of work I had completed during my study at Newcastle, and I wished to prove to myself I was capable of better. The second was that the Dissertation encouraged a depth of research I would be unlikely to undertake otherwise in my future career, whereas Linked Research seemed more focussed on learning through practice, something I believe I already have a good understanding of and will be required to continue improving throughout my career regardless. As mentioned earlier, the Tools for Thinking essay had a great influence on my topic of focus for the Dissertation. I hesitated at first to pin down exactly what I wanted to study but knew I wanted to engage with some primary research methodologies. Once I had located the foci of the research, once again I found myself becoming incredibly invested on both an academic and personal level. From here I began to appreciate academic writing in a completely new light; driven by oneself rather than the requirements of the marker. My original supervisor fell absent during the first semester of Stage Six, and so my deadline was extended to allow me time to find a replacement. This subsequently caused the submission to collide with several others, which was far from ideal but for the most part I felt really proud of the written work I produced. Though short in duration and relatively small in mark weighting compared with other modules, the Architectural Practice assessments at times have been disproportionately useful. The process of devising a theoretical business plan gave an incredible insight into how an architectural practice might operate from its very conception. It offered a real appreciation for how many difficulties a fledgling practice would have to overcome to be able to remain successful. Moreover, it presented ideas of the kind of architectural practice I might want to be a part of, and where I might see myself operating within the profession. The ongoing Stage Six Thesis Project is perhaps unsurprisingly the deepest dive of my education into research, methodology and design practice so far. The open brief has been hugely accommodating in permitting my musical practice to become essential as a design tool, something I thought would always remain separate. The combination of one of my favourite pastimes into a design project has been rewarding in that it has allowed me to see the thesis as a project I both enjoy and am challenged by. I have also built upon my photographic skills, working more with black and white film than I have before, including developing my own film. This has opened doors for me outside of architecture, with some interest online for my standalone photographic work, a completely unexpected by-product of the thesis. The project has encouraged me to use near enough every skill I am equipped with, as well as some that were totally new, such as filmmaking. In its purest essence, the thesis has served as a celebration of my entire education, which I see as being far more important in relation to the rest of my future architectural career than whatever mark I achieve for its submission. The purpose of the Part Two assessment in my view is not about proving one’s intellectuality, overcoming ‘ceilings’ or ensuring future financial stability, and it certainly does not grant one authority to debase others within the profession. I have come to learn that the last two years of study have been less about progression in a linear fashion as I once viewed it, but rather deepening and widening an understanding of my own methods and practices, as well as the profession as a whole. For this, I am thankful for my decision to return, for I feel I have developed beyond that which I could have achieved within practice alone. C r i t i cal R efl ec t i o n
93
B IB L I O GR A PH Y (CO MB INED) Adhitya, S. (2017) Musical Cities. London: UCL Press. Affectiva. (2020) Affectiva Homepage . Available at: https://www.affectiva.com/ (Accessed: 20.01.2020). Allen, S. (2012). Points + lines. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Assimakis SA. (N.D.) Automated Storage Systems. Accessed 24.04.2020. Available at: http://www.assimakis.gr/products/automated-storage-systems/ Baker, C. (2019). “Alginate - Biodegradable?” Accu-cast. Available at: https://accu-cast.us/blog/alginate-biodegradable/ Barclay, L. (2017) “Listening to Communities and Environments.” Contemporary Music Review. 36(3), pp. 143-158. Barthes, R. (1991) Responsibility of Forms . Translated by R. Howard. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Bello, J. P. Silva, C. Nov, O. Dubois, R. L. Arora, A. Salamon, J. Mydlarz, C. and Doraiswamy, H. (2019) “SONYC: A System for Monitoring, Analysing, and Mitigating Urban Noise Pollution.” Communications of the ACM – Contributed Articles . 62(2), pp. 68-77. Blankenbehler, B. (2014) Architecture Revived. Available at: https://www.architecturerevived.com/how-greek-temples-correct-visual-distortion/ (Accessed: 14.01.2020). Blesser, B. and Salter, L. R. (2007) Spaces Speak, Are You Listening? Experiencing Aural Architecture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Bowers, J. and Shaw, T. (2020) “Ambulation: Exploring Listening Technologies for an Extended Sound Walking Practice”. Birmingham: NIME-20, pp. 21-25. BSi. (2016). Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information - Code of practice. British Standards Institution. Cage, J. (1976). Branches. [EP] Peters Edition. Carr, D. (2017). Muff the Police. Self Published. Available at: https://www.daphnecarr.com/policesound/lrad/ Carrol, R. Harper, C. and Perry, J. (2014a) “Newcastle East Central Plan.” Something Concrete and Modern. Available at: https://www.somethingconcreteandmodern. co.uk/building/newcastle-east-central-plan/ [Accessed: 15 December 2020]. Carrol, R. Harper, C. and Perry, J. (2014b) “Newcastle Central Development Plan.” Something Concrete and Modern . Available at: https://www.somethingconcreteandmodern.co.uk/building/newcastle-central-development-plan/ [Accessed: 17 December 2020]. City and County of Newcastle upon Tyne. (1963). Development Plan Review. Newcastle upon Tyne. Dickerman, L. and Doherty, B. (2005). Dada. Washington: National Gallery of Art. Diller Scofidio + Renfro (N.D.) Institute of Contemporary Art. Accessed 02.02.2020. Available at: https://dsrny.com/project/institute-of-contemporary-art Eckermann, J. P. (1839) “Conversations with Goethe In the Last Years of his Life.” Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature. Vol. IV. Translated by S. M. Fuller. Boston, MA: Hilliard, Gray, and Company. Fenwick, P. (2012). The Newcastle Central Motorway East and Other Plans. The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. Extrium (2019a) England Noise and Air Quality Viewer. Available at: http://www.extrium.co.uk/noiseviewer.html [Accessed: 2 November 2020]. Extrium (2019b) England Noise and Air Quality Viewer - FAQs . Available at: http://www.extrium.co.uk/noiseviewer/FAQs.pdf [Accessed: 2 November 2020]. Fox, M. and Kemp, M. (2009). Interactive architecture. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, p.153. Fowler, M. D. (2013) ‘Soundscape as a design strategy for landscape architectural praxis’, Design Studies , Volume 34 (Issue 1, January), 111-128. Fuller, R. B. (1966) “The Music of the New Life.” Music Educators Journal . 52(6), pp. 52-68. Gaver. W. (1993) “How Do We Hear in the World? Explorations in Ecological Acoustics”. Ecological Psychology. 5(4), pp. 285–313. Gibson, J. J. (1950) The Perception of the Visual World . Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Gibson, J. J. (1983) The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems . Second Edition. Westport: Greenwood. Hagood. M. (2011) “Comfort: Noise, Otherness, and the Mobile Production of Personal Space”. American Quarterly. 63(3), pp. 573–589. Hall, E. T. (1969) The Hidden Dimension. Second Edition. New York: Doubleday. Holl, S. Pallasmaa, J. Perez-Gomez, A. (2006) Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture . Tokyo: Noboyuki Yoshida. Hull, A. (1972). “All Fall Down.” Dingly Dell. UK: Charisma Records. Jay, M. (1994) Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century French Thought . Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Jones, S. J. (2019) “If electric cars are the answer, what was the question?” British Medical Bulletin . 129: pp. 13-23 94
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Jütte, R. (2005). A History of the Senses. Cambridge: Polity. Lefebvre, H. (2004) Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life . Translated by S. Elden and G. Moore. London: Continuum. Lucier, A. (1969). I am sitting in a room. MA: Brandeis University. Mattern, S. (2020) “Urban Auscultation; or, Perceiving the Action of the Heart.” Places Journal, April 2020. Available at: https://placesjournal.org/ article/urban-auscultation-or-perceiving-the-action-of-the-heart/?cn-reloaded=1#0 [Accessed: 5 February 2021]. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962) Phenomenology of Perception. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Newcastle University (2021) “Facilities.” Culture Lab. Available at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/culturelab/facilities/#theballroom [Accessed: 2 February 2021]. Oliveros, P. (2015) “The difference between hearing and listening.” TEDxIndianapolis . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8&ab_channel=TEDxTalks [Accessed: 2 March 2021]. Ong, W. J. (1982) Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the World . New York: Methuen. Orr, C. (2008). “A history of Lindisfarne - pt IV: what happened next?” Lindisfarne. https://lindisfarne.co.uk/a-history-of-lindisfarne-part-iv-whathappened-next Pallasmaa, J. Holl, S. (2012) The Eyes of the Skin. Third Edition. Chichester: Wiley. Peacock, L. (2016). “Eight images of Newcastle as seen from the air between 1947 and 1991”. The Chronicle . 7 May. Pirate Studios (N.D.) Pirate Studios Homepage. Accessed 13.05.2020. Available at: https://pirate.com/en/ Ripley, C. (2007) In the Place of Sound: Architecture|Music|Acoustics . Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Roland (2012) “CS-10EM Binaural Microphones/Earphones.” Roland. Available at: https://www.roland.com/uk/products/cs-10em/ [Accessed: 22 January 2021]. Schafer, R. M. (1988) Gamelan. Washburn, J. Vancouver Chamber Choir (Published 2000). A Garden of Bells. [CD]. Vancouver: Grouse Records. Schafer, R. M. (1994) The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World . Rochester, VT: Destiny Books. Schafer, R. M. Truax, B. Westerkamp, H. Broomfield, H. Davis, B. and Huse, P. (2007) “Information.” The World Soundscape Project . Available at: https://www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio-webdav/WSP/index.html [Accessed: 04 March 2021]. Scott, D. (2012). Sounds of the Metropolis. New York: Oxford University Press. Seamon, D. (2010) Carnal Echoes: Merleau-Ponty and the Flesh of Architecture. Published online as a book chapter. Silver Bullet (2016) “If Christmas shopping is going increasingly online, why do shops like Fenwicks invest so much in their Christmas windows?”
Silver Bullet , 2 December. Available at: https://silverbulletmarketing.co.uk/news/view/139-if-christmas-shopping-is-going-increasingly-onlinewhy-do-shops-like-fenwicks-invest-so-much-in-their-christmas-windows [Accessed: 8 February 2021]. Smithson, A. and Smithson, P. (2005). The Charged Void: Urbanism. New York: Monacelli Press. Truax, B. (2001) Acoustic Communication . Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) “What noises cause Hearing Loss?” Loud Noise
can cause Hearing Loss . Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html [Accessed: 23 February 2021]. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control (1974) Information on Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to
Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety. 550/9-74-004. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. Vergo, P. (2005) That Divine Order: Music and the Visual Arts from Antiquity to the Eighteenth Century. London: Phaidon Press Limited. VIENNA – Now. Forever. (n.d.). Musicians’ walks. [online] Available at: https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/city-of-music/musicians-walks-download [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019]. Waterhouse, R. (1993). “T. Dan Smith (Obituary)”. The Guardian . 28 July. Westerkamp, H. (1978) “Fantasie for Horns I.” Hildegard Westerkamp, Inside the Soundscape . Available at: https://www.hildegardwesterkamp.ca/ sound/comp/4/fantasie-1/ [Accessed: 3 February 2021]. Westerkamp, H. (1989) “Kits Beach Soundwalk.” Hildegard Westerkamp, Inside the Soundscape . Available at: https://www.hildegardwesterkamp.ca/ sound/comp/3/kitsbeach/ [Accessed: 3 February 2021]. Whitney, K. (2017) “ ‘A brave new world’: what happened to Newcastle’s dream for a vertical city?” The Guardian , 7 February. Available at: https:// www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/07/brave-new-world-newcastle-dream-for-vertical-city [Accessed: 18 December 2020]. Young, A. (1948). “Jesmond.” Disused Stations. Available at: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/j/jesmond/
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Architectural Design ARC8060
Academic Year 2020-21
Student Contract Form
STUDENT NAME Daniel Hill
STAFF EVALUATORS Prue Chiles, Claire Harper, Jack Mutton
The Student Contract Form is designed to be read alongside your Academic Portfolio, a key component of ARC8060 Architectural Design. The Academic Portfolio is worth 10% of your overall ARC8060 Architectural Design mark, and this mark will partly be based on the clarity and completeness of this document. You are required to develop the form over the course of the academic year in tandem with your Academic Portfolio. The form will act as a key for assessors to understand where in your work you have addressed the ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2, as mapped by our own nine criteria: Thesis, Design Development, Context, Criticality, Representation, Technological Strategies, Climate and Environment, Non-design Thinking and Personal Practice. The first five of these criteria are used in the assessment of your design work in reviews, and should be familiar from Stage 5. The final four extend and clarify criteria you are engaged with in your broader M.Arch education. The form asks you to indicate where in your Academic Portfolio you have addressed these criteria, with space to demonstrate this with evidence from your portfolios. There is also space against each criteria to include a brief written commentary allowing you to indicate how you believe the evidence cited addresses the specific attributes and criteria in question. You are able to update this commentary as the year progresses, along with the other fields. There is also space for evaluators to do the same. You are required to meet (remotely) with your tutors and a central group of evaluators three times over the course of the academic year - in October 2020, January 2021, and April 2021. Before these meetings, you will need to carefully go through your developing Academic Portfolio in order to complete the following form. You should indicate areas where you think you have covered the criteria, and areas where you haven’t. The evaluators will then talk you through their impressions of what you have covered and indicate criteria that you should focus on in Stage 6. For Meeting 1, you should evaluate the criteria based on your Stage 5 portfolio (including all non-design elements such as Tools for Thinking or other modules). For Meeting 2, you should have a draft Academic Portfolio that incorporates Stage 5 work alongside developing Stage 6 design work and completed modules (Dissertation, Linked Research, Thesis Outline, etc.). For Meeting 3 you should have a full draft Academic Portfolio summarising your MArch work. Further guidance will be given on the completion and formatting of your Academic Portfolios over the course of the year. It is intended that although fulfilling a crucial administrative role, these forms can also be enlightening for your own sense of personal development and a helpful indicator of where to concentrate your efforts in Stage 6. On the penultimate page is a Criteria Map for easy reference throughout the academic year. The final page lists the ARB/RIBA Criteria for Part 2.
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1. THESIS How logically do project briefs follow on from research and studio briefs? How coherent are responses to this, from analysis to intervention, from urban strategy to programme and from site to building and detail? THESIS covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p4-44; S2: p1-14
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair
Staff Assessment Fair/Strong
January
Fair/Strong
April
Fair/Strong
Fair/Strong
Student Commentary: More in-depth reading could be done during research. Brief established from research is stronger. Urban strategy could use more understanding and research. Good research response to studio brief.
Starting point is strong for this project with the underpass as protagonist. Continue this throughout and make sure not to lose sight of the original thesis drivers. Thesis is strong with bolstering from readings - these could be deeper - need to make clear in presentation and portfolio what the purpose and aims of the project are,
Staff Commentary: Good analysis above, very aware of finding appropriate starting point and research to develop an attitude to the whole project that will drive it.
Second review: Yes, Dan has developed a strong thesis from interests close to his heart and from the studio agendas. He needs to think carefully how to bring the thesis together with a broader contextual understanding of the underpasses as well as his own interpretations
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
Yes
C r i t er i a M a p p i n g F orm
97
2. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT How rigorously have urban strategies and building designs been tested, analysed, and refined? How resolved is the design across all scales, and in terms of technological strategies? DESIGN DEVELOPMENT covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 2.3, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio; Technology report
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p28-62; S2: p18-70 Meeting
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Fair/Strong
April
Fair/Strong
Staff Assessment Fair Fair/Strong
Student Commentary: Design development flows naturally without need for post-rationalization. Design resolve in S2 far stronger than S1 - urban scale more challenging. Technological strategies strong and sensible, perhaps not innovative/ambitious enough?
Not much design development shown so far, although use of film and music has proven fruitful as a means of deepening thesis?
Design development is more about the redesigning of the survey process - a more considered approach taking into account social, political and environmental aspects of the survey as well as the physical condition. Far deeper than a tick box exercise.
Staff Commentary: A stronger set of issues driving the project at a large scale can provide a good starting point for this year and developing strategies or tactics at a larger scale. this could be a key part of your thesis this year. Second review: yes the schedule of condition and surveys are a rich and thoughtful way of developing relevant and future skills of the architect in the world today.
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
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A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Yes
3. CONTEXT How thoroughly are various contexts (e.g. material, historical, cultural, social, political, environmental, professional, technological, etc.) investigated? How critically and creatively have design approaches responded to these contexts? CONTEXT covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p4-47; S2: p1-41
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Strong
April
Strong
Staff Assessment Strong Strong
Student Commentary: A good variety of contexts analyzed, particularly in S2, would benefit from more in-depth research, statistics, numerical data? Strong response to civic context of Vienna, project well-suited to context.
In-depth first hand research and documentation of underpasses shows good appreciation of context, physical, political and material. This project doesn't yet have a specific site. The project does now have a site, research is detailed and grounded in first hand methods. Some more historical and social context could be useful in deepening understanding.
Staff Commentary: A good approach and development of context is good. Second review: Dan's work is very contextual, but he could broaden the context further to really push the big agendas of today and political social and cultural.
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
C r i t er i a M a p p i n g F orm
99
4. CRITICALITY How thorough is the research, and precedent analysis? How successfully and originally has this been responded to and embodied in architectural forms, in order to question existing conditions and propose alternatives? How reflective is the work? CRITICALITY covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p4-45; S2: p1-17
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair
January
Fair
April
Staff Assessment Fair
Fair/Strong
Fair/Strong
Student Commentary: Research in build-up to generating a thesis could be stronger in both projects. Precedent analysis in S2 strong. Implementation of learned technologies and methods also strong in S2.
Still need more reading - perhaps dissertation research methodologies could prove a useful source of information for design too? Reading is progressing although more specific references would prove beneficial. Using methodologies from dissertation and external musical practice are contributing.
Staff Commentary: Again this is a good reflection. Continuing a political interest and looking for a set of key drivers critically and intellectually that feed the project is key this year. Second review: Dan's thesis is developing well critically but as above some further connection to the big issues of the day are still developing.
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
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A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Yes
5. REPRESENTATION How clearly and appropriately is the range of exploratory drawing/modelling techniques used to investigate and communicate the driving ideas and design proposals across scales? REPRESENTATION covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 1.1, 3.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p48-62; S2: p32-70 Meeting
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Fair/Strong
April
Strong
Staff Assessment Fair/Strong Strong
Student Commentary: Representation in both projects fairly strong, stronger in S2 as the increased level of detail in design helped to make convincing imagery. Line drawing and more experimental drawing methods could could improved.
Use of photography is strong, although flies below the radar. Film has proven more engaging, continue this. More experimental methods still sought - alginate castings? As above, there is now a greater diversity of representational methods used, photography, film, film photography, casting, hand drawing, computer drawing, physical modelling, and of particular interest - acoustic modelling/simulation.
Staff Commentary: An interesting and well developed portfolio. Second review: some great new drawings and the instagram pages - showing an engagement with the city aswell as the project
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
C r i t er i a M a p p i n g F orm
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6. TECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES How thoroughly are technological stratagies implemented and considered in design processes? How clearly have technical specialisms informed design moves? TECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 1.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 2 Portfolio; Technology Report
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S2: p1-17; TR: all
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Fair/Strong
April
Fair/Strong
Staff Assessment Fair/Strong Fair/Strong
Student Commentary: Strong references to existing technologies found in precedent study. Made use of 'add-on' technologies - these could be incorporated more architecturally. Convincing and buildable design - perhaps too buildable and not exciting enough?
Technological strategies not yet addressed in this project, perhaps as the brief develops these will become clearer? The acoustic considerations of the project could prove fruitful as a source of technological exploration - I have created an active simulation of the acoustic environment in the underpass.
Staff Commentary: good reflection, exciting not always the best option! subtlety might be a way forward to create something nuanced and appropriate. Second review: the acoustic study as an in-depth study is a good compliment to the 5th year portfolio.
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
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A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
Yes
7. CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT How has the ongoing climate crisis been addressed in the work? How have sustainable strategies been considered and implemented critically and materially? ENVIRONMENT covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 1.2, 4.3, 5.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2] Key work that addresses criteria:
Technology Report
See Academic Portfolio pages:
TR: p6-13
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair
January
Fair/Strong
April
Fair/Strong
Staff Assessment Weak/Fair Fair /Strong
Student Commentary: Although constantly a recurring thought in the back of the head, climate and environmental challenges were considered less than some other foci of the project. Some measures were put in place through design and others by byproduct of something else.
Focus on carbon irresponsibility shows strong concern for the environment and climate. Processes of slowing down and 'tending-to' also show this. Make more relevant as thesis progresses. Again, as above, the considered approach speaks more to the idea of preservation or modification than smash and rebuild - this will need to be focused more clearly for the submission.
Staff Commentary: Again good reflection and something to take seriously as a central part of the thesis this year. Second review: yes as described above Dan need to show how he is thinking deeply about this - which he is demonstrating verbally but still to be codified within the drawings and other output for the project. The re-use and
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
Yes
C r i t er i a M a p p i n g F orm
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8. NON-DESIGN THINKING How has knowledge about the histories and theories of, or relevant to, architecture been demonstrated? In what ways has an understanding of cultural, social, political, intellectual, and theoretical elements been demonstrated in non-design modules, or else around design work? NON-DESIGN THINKING covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Tools for Thinking; Dissertation
See Academic Portfolio pages:
TFT: all
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Strong
April
Strong
Staff Assessment Fair/Strong Strong
Student Commentary: My writing ability is fairly strong, hence opting for the dissertation module. My ability to research is good, however in the context of a design project I have a tendency to jump ahead too quickly to development.
Dissertation is now complete, I would like to present my findings to the group if possible. The sources and methodologies used could prove useful to myself and others in the studio. Completed and presented dissertation to the studio group, this helped me to concise some of the wider themes of a long piece of work into a short, 10 min delivery, which will be a helpful process when approaching the end of year interviews. There has also since been some crossover in methodology and process.
Staff Commentary: Again something to work on this year where perhaps more time to extend and develop the critical thinking and themes this year. second review: Yes, a good continuation of the dissertation by disseminating to the studio .
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
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A C A D EM I C P O R T F O L I O
9. PERSONAL PRACTICE In what ways has a personal architectural practice been demonstrated, integrating knowledge of the profession with a reflective understanding of the architect’s role in society? PERSONAL PRACTICE covers the following ARB/RIBA General Criteria for Part 2 (see index): [GC 6.1, 6.2, 10.1, 10.2, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3] Key work that addresses criteria:
Semester 1 Portfolio; Semester 2 Portfolio
See Academic Portfolio pages:
S1: p17-23, p46-47; S2: p6-7, p14-17
Evaluation (label as Strong/Fair/Weak):
Meeting
Student Self-Assessment
October
Fair/Strong
January
Strong
April
Strong
Staff Assessment Fair/Strong Strong
Student Commentary: I attempt to incorporate other skills such as music making in to my design process which can produce some critical work. I would like to develop this further and make it more prominent if possible. I also work privately for friends keeping a toe in practice from time to time which helps me relate my academic work to professional practice.
I have actively made use of music in my thesis, which I am pleased with and believe has shown interesting new methodologies for design development. I would like to continue this alongside the film-making. Though I have paused working in practice for the moment as I finish my studies, I have incorporated music methods in my design and am continuing to use film as a means of presenting ideas.
Staff Commentary: Good. Thinking at a broader scale of the role of the architect in socirty and where Dan wants to place himself within this would be great. Second review: Dan's project thinks at a detailed level about the role of the architect, just make sure this is presented as part of the project.
Prioritise developing this in Stage 6:
Yes
C r i t er i a M a p p i n g F orm
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CRITERIA MAP
Criteria 1. Thesis
2. Design Dev. 3. Context
4. Criticality
5. Repres.
6. Tech. Strategies 7. Climate and Environ. 8. Nondesign Thinking 9. Personal Practice
Meeting 1 October 2020 Student Staff
Meeting 2 January 2021 Student Staff
Meeting 3 April 2021 Student Staff
Fair
Fair/Stng
Fair/ Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair
Fair/ Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Strong
Strong
Strong
Fair
Fair
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/ Strong
Strong
Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/ Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair
Weak/Fai Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Fair/Stng
Strong
Strong
Fair/Stng
Fair /Stro
Strong
Strong
Strong Fair
Fair/
Strong
Strong
Prioritise in Stage 6? yes
yes
yes
yes
I believe my thesis has progressed naturally and consistently throughout the year. My biggest concern at present is that the current trajectory of the work is headed towards a non-propositional 'end-point'. The thesis aims to unlearn the process of condition surveying as a tickbox exercise to justify architectural modification. In doing so, I am designing a new, more in-depth approach to address existing structures, which I hope in its completion will be enough to comprise a thesis project. Wider still, the thesis is questioning the role of the architect in demolishing/modifying structures at all, in light of themes surrounding embodied carbon and extractivist cultures, and so proposing an architectural design may undermine this to some extent.
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ARB/RIBA CRITERIA GC1 Ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements. The graduate will have the ability to:
GC7 Understanding of the methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project. The graduate will have an understanding of:
.1 prepare and present building design projects of diverse scale, complexity, and type in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and in response to a brief; .2 understand the constructional and structural systems, the environmental strategies and the regulatory requirements that apply to the design and construction of a comprehensive design project; .3 develop a conceptual and critical approach to architectural design that integrates and satisfies the aesthetic aspects of a building and the technical requirements of its construction and the needs of the user.
.1 the need to critically review precedents relevant to the function, organisation and technological strategy of design proposals; .2 the need to appraise and prepare building briefs of diverse scales and types, to define client and user requirements and their appropriateness to site and context; .3 the contributions of architects and co-professionals to the formulation of the brief, and the methods of investigation used in its preparation.
GC2 Adequate knowledge of the histories and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences. The graduate will have knowledge of: .1 the cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories and technologies that influence the design of buildings; .2 the influence of history and theory on the spatial, social, and technological aspects of architecture; .3 the application of appropriate theoretical concepts to studio design projects, demonstrating a reflective and critical approach. GC3 Knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design. The graduate will have knowledge of: .1 how the theories, practices and technologies of the arts influence architectural design; .2 the creative application of the fine arts and their relevance and impact on architecture; .3 the creative application of such work to studio design projects, interms of their conceptualisation and representation. GC4 Adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process. The graduate will have knowledge of: .1 theories of urban design and the planning of communities; .2 the influence of the design and development of cities, past and present on the contemporary built environment; .3 current planning policy and development control legislation, including social, environmental and economic aspects, and the relevance of these to design development.
GC8 Understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with building design. The graduate will have an understanding of: .1 the investigation, critical appraisal and selection of alternative structural, constructional and material systems relevant to architectural design; .2 strategies for building construction, and ability to integrate knowledge of structural principles and construction techniques; .3 the physical properties and characteristics of building materials, components and systems, and the environmental impact of specification choices. GC9 Adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate. The graduate will have knowledge of: .1 principles associated with designing optimum visual, thermal and acoustic environments; .2 systems for environmental comfort realised within relevant precepts of sustainable design; .3 strategies for building services, and ability to integrate these in a design project. GC10 The necessary design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations. The graduate will have the skills to:
GC5 Understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale. The graduate will have an understanding of:
.1 critically examine the financial factors implied in varying building types, constructional systems, and specification choices, and the impact of these on architectural design; .2 understand the cost control mechanisms which operate during the development of a project; .3 prepare designs that will meet building users’ requirements and comply with UK legislation, appropriate performance standards and health and safety requirements.
.1 the needs and aspirations of building users; .2 the impact of buildings on the environment, and the precepts of sustainable design; .3 the way in which buildings fit in to their local context.
GC11 Adequate knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning. The graduate will have knowledge of:
GC6 Understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors. The graduate will have an understanding of:
.1 the fundamental legal, professional and statutory responsibilities of the architect, and the organisations, regulations and procedures involved in the negotiation and approval of architectural designs, including land law, development control, building regulations and health and safety legislation; .2 the professional inter-relationships of individuals and organisations involved in procuring and delivering architectural projects, and how these are defined through contractual and organisational structures; .3 the basic management theories and business principles related to running both an architect’s practice and architectural projects, recognising current and emerging trends in the construction industry.
.1 the nature of professionalism and the duties and responsibilities of architects to clients, building users, constructors, co-professionals and the wider society; .2 the role of the architect within the design team and construction industry, recognising the importance of current methods and trends in the construction of the built environment; .3 the potential impact of building projects on existing and proposed communities.
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