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TIMBER: BUILT WORKS Students of Architecture & Design - Europe Compiled by Paul O’ Brien
Dublin School of Architecture
Timber: Built Works Students of Architecture & Design - Europe
Edited & Assembled by Paul O’ Brien
Dublin School of Architecture Press
1st - 5th Year Studio & External Projects. Dublin School of Architecture, Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. dublinschoolofarchitecture.com Head of School:
Orna Hanly
Timber: Built Works Students of Architecture & Design - Europe Dublin School of Architecture Press Issue No.3
ISBN 978-0-9568502-0-1 Design - Paul O’ Brien, Paul Kelly, Noel Brady © Dublin School of Architecture
Contents Writings Introduction by Paul O’ Brien
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Forestry in Ireland by Brian Attley
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The Construction Workshop Method as an Educational Tool by Kieran Donnellan
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Selected Projects Lunch Box Adapt-a-Bale Evolutionary Walk Timber Loggia Urban Furniture Tea House Avanzada Isin Chapel Biographies Credits
24 30 36 40 48 50 54 62 71 72
Paul O’ Brien
Introduction This book is the third in a series of publications by the Dublin School of Architecture Press. The intention of these books is to highlight and celebrate, in a variety of content and subject matter; the accomplishments of both students and tutors of the school. This edition focuses on the extracurricular research and experimentation carried out by current students and recent graduates of the Dublin School of Architecture and various other schools of architecture throughout Europe. The workshop method of construction is conducive to better design as it involves collaboration and skill sharing. The lasting effects of participation in workshops can been seen throughout the body of work students produce to thesis and beyond.
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The theme of this book centres around education, craft and workmanship. It is quite fitting that the release of this edition coincides with the amalgamation of the various departments in architecture and construction from DIT Bolton Street to the Linen Hall. The Linen Hall has served independently as the School of Trades for DIT for many years. With this new merging of disciplines and facilities, I believe, the way in which architecture is educated in our school will morph and evolve positively for the foreseeable future. This new direction will be bolstered by a greater understanding of tectonic elements and the creation of the 1:1 tactile model. March 2012
Writings
European Larch, Larix decidua (centre)
Brian Attley
Forestry in Ireland Timber is arguably just as desirable and beautiful as any precious metal and never has another material been so adaptable, especially for construction. Underlining its appeal is it’s ability to be worked with tools by the human hand. Architects’ are well aware of the forms timber can be fashioned into but it is worthwhile understanding how trees grow in order to appreciate the properties and uses of this natural resource. Seed-bearing plants (Spermatophyta) represent a substantial part of the plant kingdom. This group subdivides into Gymnospermae and Angiospermae. Gymnosperms are coniferous needle-leaved trees referred to as softwoods, while Angiosperms are broad leaved trees also known as hardwoods and can be either deciduous or evergreen. It is worth noting that whether timber is a softwood or hardwood has no consequence as to the softness or hardness of the wood. A cross section of the trunk will reveal the annual growth rings and in many cases the differences between softwoods and hardwoods are clear. The distinct banding corresponds to one year’s growth and accordingly a good year is marked by a wide ring. Drought and poor conditions result in narrow rings. Softwood conifers grow continually throughout the seasons albeit at a reduced rate across the winter months and thus have wider growth rings. In contrast, deciduous hardwoods have narrow growth rings as the tree mainly grows during spring and summer. Following the same principles tropical hardwoods growing along the equator do not produce growth rings. As the suns presence is consistent throughout the year, so is growth. Slower growth helps produce a harder and denser timber capable of being finished to finer tolerances. Joinery is therefore commonly reserved to hardwoods while carpentry to softwoods. Furthermore working hardwoods requires machinery not capable of being transported from site to site, joinery is generally confined to the workshop and carpentry to construction sites. In Ireland softwoods are readily available in comparison to hardwoods. As one of Ireland’s few sustainable building materials it comes with great relief that it is a rapidly growing industry. Recent studies found that production levels for all private plantations in Ireland were above the average for the UK, Canada, USA and Sweden. Coupled with the great service trees provide in storing large amounts of carbon (3.4tonnes/ha/yr) to help Ireland’s legal obligations under the Kyoto protocol, architects’ will begin to enjoy specifying more and more natively grown timbers for construction projects. This will further reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. However there is a considerably complex story to realizing this. Following the Ice Age, Ireland was left with a limited stock of native tree species, namely oak, beech, chestnut and elm. Over the centuries Ireland has experienced a near complete destruction of its forests due mainly to land-hunger. Ireland’s forest cover was believed to have stood at 80%, dwindling to 1% by the end of the 18th century. These historical events, particularly the latter, have made this country’s ability to produce timber very difficult. Presently Ireland has the lowest forest cover in all of Europe. Standing at 10.15% against the European average of 30%. The Government intends to boost this figure to 17% by 2030.
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Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii
Stemming Ireland’s near deforestation at the turn of the last century, the Irish State established state forests or plantations on sub-marginal, mountain sides and peat-lands. Plantation forestry, whereby young trees are planted rather than waiting for natural seeding to replace felled timber. This process produces more uniform growth, and is more amenable to control. These forests are now managed by Coillte, a state owned company. Only exposure tolerant fast growing conifers can survive in such exposed and rugged locations. Imported Sitka spruce is the most numerous; hence why the Irish countryside resembled a patchwork of Christmas trees. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) was the species best suited to the available forest sites across Ireland while Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) conserved for the poorest locations. Others include Scots Pine (Pinea sylvestris), Norway spruce (Abies alba also know as European whitewood or white deal), European larch (Larix decidua) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Native broadleaves such as oak (Quercus robur), beech (Fagus sylvatica), chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and elm (Ulmus campetris), which are highly prized for joinery and furniture making, simply do not thrive in the high-altitude marginal locations. High winds lead to stem breakage, forking and a reduction in the quality of timber. Subsequently coniferous species have become the mainstay of Irish forestry.
25mm
var. contorta
Pinus contorta
var. latifolia
Pinus contorta
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Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis
Following World War II, planting was understandably slow. There has however been a dramatic change in the ownership and species mix in Ireland’s forestry due to incentives from the State and European Union mostly in the private sector. An increasing amount of native forests are in private ownership and amounts of broad leaves are strengthening. Broad leaf planting has increased from 5% to 30% of annual planting in recent years, although conifers will continue to represent the backbone of Ireland’s timber industry. Notably these types of trees require a different environment to prosper, which would be land prime for agriculture. Sheltered areas such as valleys and locations lower in altitude are ideal for broad leaf growth. Unfortunately broad leaf forests are generally less than 25 years old. As most of these forests were established as recently as 20 years ago it is fundamental to understand that we will not see the fruits of these labours for yet some time. The economic viability of broad leaf forests is a timely exercise; it takes oak 120-140 years to mature compared with conifers, which come to maturity between 35-40 years. As the majority of broad leaf forests are in private ownership and are not of commercial sizes the availability of hardwoods will continue to be a difficult affair. As it stands Ireland’s developing timber and forestry industry is geared towards providing softwoods rather than hardwoods. Native conifer forests are juvenile by comparison to European standards and as such producing high-grade softwood timber is not possible, as a majority of existing conifer plantations possess only small sawn logs. Not surprisingly softwood exports are only suitable for pallet wood, fencing and packaging; with only 3.7% of all of Ireland’s softwood timbers before the millennium being of construction grade quality. I will admit that these facts are somewhat disheartening when you consider the thousands of homes that were built during the last decade. However there is another side to this coin. Ireland requires little imports of medium density fibreboard (MDF) or orientated strand board (OSB), Ireland is one of the main producers of these panel products in Europe. Although we produce very little construction grade timbers, there are definite signs Ireland makes the most of what is has. Similarly the demand for forest-based biomass increased by 35% between 2006 and 2010. Many of the modern coniferous plantations are currently being thinned, a process whereby selective removal of inferior stems benefits the growth of remaining trees. This is best done when the specimens are between 15-20 years old. This early harvest supports our indigenous biomass industry and makes an indelible impact on our landscape. Ignoring the punk tactics of Coillte and the shaven likeness of the hills across Ireland, forests and woods make a huge contribution, aesthetically and environmentally to our landscape. Even in architecturally impoverished surroundings a single tree can bring delight. Knowledge of both forestry and horticultural, is not an achievement I can boast however a small insight will add another dimension to stepping outside and appreciating this wonderful material.
Brian Attley, April 2012
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Kieran Donnellan
The Construction Workshop Method as an Educational Tool ‘Conceiving and designing space...are only possible when I know the conditions of realisation and can master them as well’
This essay is a brief explanation of the benefits of undertaking construction workshops to students in architecture related disciplines. The opinions expressed are based on experiences from my involvement with such workshops in the past. This involvement has transformed my understanding of architecture, and I only wish that I had come across the method sooner. I have been a tutor for four major student workshops in recent years, and the supervisor of one other. These workshops were always the most ambitious undertaken in each student assembly, and involved a far greater level of difficulty than most tutors experience at these events. Overcoming these difficulties has put me in a unique position to analyse and evaluate the construction workshop method in a very comprehensive way. Trying to predict and overcome the various issues that present themselves has become a passion for me in my attempts to harness and tame the problematic construction workshop method, so that it can be accessible to all young students. The lessons that I have learned from one SESAM (Rome), three EASA’s (Italy, Manchester, Spain) and one MEDS (Istanbul) form the core of my knowledge thus far, and are the reserves of experience that I will draw from in my aim to firmly establish the construction workshop pedagogy in Ireland. I know that the education offered by Ireland’s architecture schools can be greatly enriched by offering students the opportunity to participate in construction workshops. I have tested the validity of this method as an educational tool many times, and have never been disappointed. It is impossible for someone who commits their efforts to such a workshop, not to learn a great deal from the experience. Learning by Making The goal of most professional architectural endeavours is to create physically realized buildings at one-to-one scale. The architectural team must be masters of all parts of the design and realisation processes, in order to achieve the best results possible. It is the understanding of how to lead the physical realization of designs that ensures consistency with the original concept. This consistency, from concept to tectonic, is what lends a building, and thereby the architectural legacy of it’s designers, either a genuine or disingenuous quality. Unfortunately, the education of students in the field of architecture in Ireland is, for the most part, confined to the design process and associated architectural theory only. It is imperative that this theoretical bias be broken, by adding an accredited practical module
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where students build projects at one-to-one scale. Speaking from my own experiences, the act of building even modest structures has a major impact on a design student, whether it be their general understanding of their design discipline, their ability to detail other projects upon their return to the studio, or even their fundamental approach to a design process itself. Already, there are third level institutions around the world who incorporate fully accredited construction workshops into their curriculum. Their students can chose to elect themselves for such modules on a regular basis throughout their education. If we can achieve the same standard here in Ireland, our students can gain a clearer perspective of the goals of their studio based design exercises, and in so doing, dispel many of the myths about ‘aesthetic/functional/structural purity’ that occupy and confuse the minds of young designers at an early stage in their development. Physically realizing small design projects is a great real world test of spatial qualities. There is a certain permanence in the lessons learned from a built space, even temporary ones, that standard theoretical college projects seldom offer. Even after a good final presentation, theoretical projects can undergo more changes and be considered inconclusive even then. A built project serves as a much more stable developmental marker and proof of concept for the highly active mind of a young designer. Fundamentals of Construction The process of building something drives home the fundamentals of construction techniques in a way that standard Design Technology lecture modules cannot. I have reviewed many of the strategies used by lecturers of these modules in Europe, and found that the majority bear the same flaw. The words ‘construction’, ‘material science’ and ‘assembly processes’ feature many times in documents that describe the importance of promoting keen awareness of the fundamentals of construction. However, few of these strategies ever involve the act of construction itself, and even those that do tend to focus on small cut-away details of a project or on material science experiments. If a Design Technology lecturer really wishes to ingrain the fundamentals of construction and architectural tectonics in a student, the most logical means of doing this is to get the student to build something substantial enough to portray a spatial atmosphere that they can inhabit and occupy. Only then can they develop a thorough understanding of the construction detailing needed to support their conceptual ideas. Connecting Estranged Disciplines Construction workshops offer a great demonstration to students of the difficulties faced by professional builders when realizing a design. As project leaders, the architectural team should have a firm understanding of what they are asking a builder to do. In any walk of life, successful leadership skills are built upon strong grass root experiences. By exposing students to this concept, an attitude of mutual respect between collaborating construction disciplines is fostered from an early stage in their education.
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The issue of connecting estranged architectural disciplines is also paramount here. Most building projects are lead by a team of individuals from different architecture related specialities. Currently, the relationships between these specialities in colleges are quite poor, with little or no productive contact between them over the course of their whole education. In my opinion, there is little difference between what students from these various disciplines are capable of in a construction workshop environment during their early college years. Workshops undertaken during this period are a great way of creating cordial relationships that can result in much greater cross pollination of ideas in later years. Creating Harmonious Collaborations In traditional studio based group work scenarios, such as site analysis for example, students learn to cooperate to cope with large workloads. However, this process is most often seen as a temporary commitment to be left behind as soon as possible to allow each student to pursue their own designs. It is very seldom that these students engage in meaningful collaborative work in college, despite the high reliance on this process for the majority of their professional careers. A true collaboration is a meeting of minds and ideas, where an individual’s design methods and skills merge with those of another temporarily, often creating methods and results that neither party would consider otherwise.
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Most students in architecture related disciplines enter third level institutions having spent the majority of their secondary level education as part of an academic elite. The nature of the Irish secondary education has meant that in many cases, these students will have acted as a benchmark for high academic achievement, and as such are predisposed to high individual performances. When these students are introduced to the world of Architectural education, team work does not come easily to them because so many will have enjoyed a predetermined status as a leader of sorts. This is why traditional group work and ‘guerilla’ projects are prone to disharmony and therefore under performance. My experience with construction workshops has led me to believe that carefully supervised group workshops with a simplified pass/ fail grade based on commitment are a far more reliable and fair way of conducting successful group work exercises. Students must be thought how to undertake academic group work before they should be left to do it for themselves, particularly during their early college years of wrestling with the sudden shock of non objective grading and feedback. Non competitive workshops show students how to pursue successful collaborative processes. This teaches them how to find the type of collaborator most appropriate for them to work with following graduation, simplifying the process of establishing professional partnerships. A Fresh Perspective Construction workshops are an opportunity for students to break away from the traditional hierarchy of the studio environment. Different students respond better or worse to different educational stimuli, but the often isolating effect of the traditional studio based education tends to promote the ways of thinking established by the tutor group in control of that studio. While it is true that many students will respond well to the traditional studio environment, it is not true for all. Although the introduction of the construction workshop pedagogy will benefit everyone who participates, in some cases the positive response will be far greater in those students who will thrive on the new flexibility being added to their architectural education. I am dedicated to the aim of establishing the construction workshop pedagogy as a standard part of the education of Irish Architects in the future, and I look forward to working with the staff and students of interested Schools of Architecture to realise this goal.
Kieran Donellan, May 2012
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Selected Projects
Happy Sunshine Architect’s + EASA Students
Lunch Box Pavilion Location: Letterfrack, Galway, Ireland Construction Year: 2008 Area: 12sqm. Special Mention, Architectural Association of Ireland Awards, 2009
The Lunchbox pavilion was constructed as a permanent structure and showcase piece as part of EASA 2008 in Letterfrack. Letterfrack is a well established and renowned furniture and joinery college in Connemara. With this in mind, the pavilion was constructed of timber and employed a variety of joinery techniques, many of which were learned from a tutor’s father; a master cabinet maker. The pavilion sits in the college courtyard which helped define both it’s scale and geometry. The form of the pavilion was derived using the undulating landscape of Connemara as the principal reference. The major peaks of the Twelve Bens were emulated to create an exaggerated mountainscape. This mountain-scape was thus inverted in order to allow the ‘three peaks’ to touch the ground in a similar way to a traditional three-legged stool. The pavilion was successfully constructed by a team of international architecture students in a two week period; during one of the wettest August’s in recent history. Presently, the external cladding has ‘silvered’ in tone and now matches the cladding of the college café. The internal cladding still retains it’s vibrant yellow tones.
Scale 1:2500
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Site Section. Scale 1:200
Section aa 1:50 The super structure is constructed with glulam timbers. The external timbers are stacked with ties back to the super structure introduced every 4-6 layers. A sedum green roof system was laid upon the marine plywood sheeting to finish the structure. A secret down pipe draws water down via one of the legs.
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Plan 1:50 The glulam frame is bolted into three galvanised steel shoes, which are chemically anchored back to concrete pad foundations. An apex forms the central space to the pavilion.
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Dermot Ryan + EASA Students
‘Adapt-a-bale’ Birdwatching Shelter Location: Letterfrack, Galway, Ireland Construction Year: 2008 Area: 15sqm.
ADAPT-A-BALE started out as a straw bale workshop. The original intention was to experiment with the material and construct a temporary structure or structures which explored the potential and adaptability of straw as a building material. At the beginning of EASA 08 in Letterfrack, Connemara National Park were approached for permission to build a series of temporary structures on their property. Park officials expressed a desire for a more permanent pavilion and suggested the idea of a Bird Watching Shelter. A site was chosen and materials and tools were transported with the help of Park staff. While a wholly timber structure would have been more appropriate in such an exposed location, the decision was made to pursue the original intention of building using straw. The Park staff agreed to help in the completion of the project post EASA; especially in the application of lime render to the elevation, a crucial step in order to weather the pavilion and protect the straw. The resulting pavilion was constructed with load bearing straw walls on a suspended timber floor which was supported on low impact car tyre foundations. Timber ladder frames were used to brace the straw walls and a mono pitch timber roof was added. All openings were framed with Orientated Strand Board (OSB). The pavilion eventually succumbed to the elements on the exposed site and had to be dismantled. All timber used was salvaged and reused for other projects in the park; the straw was spread out over the site and allowed to decompose naturally, the seeds present in the straw encouraged the growth of a wild flower meadow which resulted in increased bird numbers in the area.
Scale 1:5000
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Section aa. Scale 1:50
Floor Plan. Scale 1:50
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Donnellan, Kelly, Murray, O’ Brien + SESAM Students
Evolutionary Walk Pavilion Location: Villa Borghese, Rome, Italy Construction Year: 2009 Area: 20sqm.
This pavilion was designed for the Small European Students of Architecture Meeting (SESAM) 2009 workshop in Valle di Canne, Rome. Each workshop group was provided with a metal U-shaped structure (4.8m square), in which to explore the theme of Evolution: Celebrating Charles Darwin. The concept of this project was to explore man’s physical, mental and spiritual evolution. The infill structure was constructed using domestic stud wall frames, no fixing to the metal frame was allowable. Each wall was clad with OSB to achieve an interesting surface internally. Visitors are led on a journey through the pavilion where they discover a variety of spaces articulated
presented with a view of the park in the distance. We become more aware of the world around us. Upon seeing ourselves we become aware of our own physical limitations. We are objects in space. the sky, we reflect on our experience.
Scale 1:2500
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Exploded Axonometric
Floor Plan. Scale 1:50
Conceptual Section. ‘The Process of Evolution’
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Attley, Donnellan, Kelly, O’ Brien + EASA Students
Loggia Location: Darfo Boario Terme, Angone, Italy Construction Year: 2009 Area: 45sqm. Special Mention, Architectural Association of Ireland Awards, 2011 Published in Plan Magazine no.234, Dezeen, Archdaily, Architecture Ireland, Casabella
Located in Angone, Northern Italy, this building serves as a meeting place and gallery for the local community group. Constructed of wooden post and beam structure with polycarbonate infill panels; Loggia was built by students of architecture during the annual European Architecture Students Assembly competition (EASA). The Loggia team, led by 4 Irish students, chose to respond to the assembly theme by re-interpreting the traditional Italian meeting/market place typology of the ‘Loggia dei Mercanti’. Loggia represents the most ambitious achievement of Irish students in an international design and build competition. Loggia is about Rhythm - establishing Patterns and then proceeding to break them. Pattern and Eccentricity are inseparable.
Scale 1:2500
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Exploded Axonometric
Joinery Detail
Typology Study The super structure is constructed with glulam timbers. The external timbers are stacked with ties back to the super structure introduced every 4-6 layers. A sedum green roof system was laid upon the marine plywood sheeting to finish the struc43 ture. A secret down pipe draws water down via one of the legs.
Section aa. Scale 1:50
Section bb. Scale 1:50
First Floor Plan. Scale 1:125 Ground Floor Plan. Scale 1:125
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The Office Of Social Intervention On A Small But Vital Scale
Urban Furniture Location: Temple Bar Square, Dublin, Ireland (moveable) Construction Year: 2011 Area: 7sqm. Excerpt from thesis: ‘Making Architecture as Social Furniture’ by Paul O’ Brien
The Urban Furniture Project was a short experiment carried out by three final year architecture students (The Office Of Social Intervention On A Small But Vital Scale) who share similar interests regarding the use of public space in Dublin. The intention of the experiment was to document and understand how people use public spaces when the established criteria has been modified. In this instance we presented a gift of furniture to the public; it could be manipulated in any way they chose. This was the last of a series of three experiments. The furniture was designed as an adaptable dais and was constructed in less than a week. At 11am on a busy Friday, the furniture was placed on Temple Bar Square. Temple Bar was chosen as an optimal location, the reason being: one can only sit here if one pays for the privilege. Hypocritically, the team spent a long time in a cafe, paying for coffee and observing people interacting with the new furniture. People used the boxes in their own ways, moving + shifting to suit their means. One particularly enjoyable event occurred when the furniture was configured as a stage, upon which, a bluegrass quartet performed for a half hour. The experiment was successful in urban terms but it also re-instigated the use of trades facilities for students in the Linen Hall after a long spell of noncooperation between various disciplines in Bolton Street.
Scale 1:400
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Conway, Chambers + Crowley
Tea House Location: Linen Hall, Bolton St., Dublin, Ireland Construction Year: 2011 Area: 6sqm.
The Teahouse was constructed in response to a fourth year studio brief. The program for the brief was open; the concept was to examine the existing empty studio space and to create sub-spaces on a human scale therein. It was stipulated that the spaces be fabricated from plywood and be used to display drawings and store models. Three students collaborated to create something which fulfilled their needs; on a scale otherwise not achievable by any student independently. The final design derives from the maximum dimension of a plywood sheet (2440mm). The outer passageway denies the user direct access to the inner space and forms a spacial threshold which contains a doorway at the end. Through the doorway, one enters the internal volume which contains a stair to the upper deck. Conceptually the structure is comprised of two intersecting volumes. The deck is notched together to keep the thickness to a minimum, allowing for maximum head height below and maximum balustrade height above. Again notching is used to support the outer walls without the use of screws and covers the profile of the cross notching of the upper deck. The inside of the structure is lined in translucent paper to create spacial autonomy inside, sculptural qualities on the outside, as well as giving the surface a unique animated appearance at night. The floor of the deck is retracted from the edge to allow natural light to play on the outer surface.
Scale 1:125
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Section aa. Scale 1:75
Exploded Axonometric
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Breathnach, Donnellan + EASA Students
Avanzada Location: Cadiz, Spain Construction Year: 2011 Area: 35sqm.
Published on: www.dezeen.com + www.archdaily.com
This temporary exhibition pavilion was built as part of the student event EASA, in Cadiz, Spain in July 2011 by a team of 29 students and two Irish Tutors. The concept for the pavilion was inspired by the maritime history of Cadiz, and in particular, the Galleon sailing vessel. Most people strolling trough Cadiz harbour would not be aware of the historical significance of the area: first that it was used as a launching pad for the Spanish colonization of the America’s; and second that the type of ship needed for the task was built on the very ground that they walk on. Our team saw the opportunity to highlight the history of the site, and created a pavilion whose design was partly inspired by the material palette of the Galleon. Rope, always relegated to servant duties, is allowed to relax and becomes a skin, expanding and contracting to reveal the artwork inside. The impressive carpentry of a Galleon hull is realized in the Pavilion through the use of exaggerated timber structural member sizes, along with fully revealed joinery. The inversion of apparent mass between rope and wood, from the typology to the Pavilion offers a welcome change to normal realizations of boat-inspired architectural concepts. The pavilion was to host exhibitions by young artists who would display their work during the course of the Pavilion’s lifetime. The artwork would respond to the maritime theme and in so doing would create a strong conceptual relationship between container and contained. The morphology of the project is based on a folded + stretched container, referencing the activities of the modern shipyard. Key axis, lines of sight, and shading opportunities determine the angles of the arms of the Pavilion.
Scale 1:2500
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Exploded Axonometric
Floor Plan. Scale 1:100
Section aa. Scale 1:100
Section bb. Scale 1:100
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Breathnach, Donnellan, O’ Brien + MEDS Students
Isin Chapel Location: Siliviri, Istanbul, Turkey Construction Year: 2011 Area: 6sqm.
Published: Plan Magazine no.234, Dezeen, Archdaily, Architecture Ireland, Casabella, Micro Architecture
This project was built as part of the MEDS, Meeting of Design Students, Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2011 by a team of 18 students and 3 Irish tutors, all of whom are recently qualified graduates. The concept for the pavilion involved the exploration of spatial concepts relating to religious typologies from the Western and Eastern cultures that have shaped Istanbul. This was in response to the event theme of ‘Bridging Cultures’. The name of the project is inspired by its origins in religious typologies, but the intention was simply to create a space that offers repose. The pavilion occupies its site like a Greek temple, boldly situated on a prominent rock outcrop that allows it to be seen for miles along the local shoreline. Particular natural characteristics of the site, such as small cliffs and areas of thick wild grass, are used to lead visitors on a journey around the pavilion, before gaining access. Upon reaching the entrance, the chapels’ rectangular form ceases to be the regular datum highlighting the irregularity of the surrounding landscape, and folds in upon itself to create an inviting portico. The interior leaves Greek Classicism behind in favour of the intimacy of the Turkish Mosque typology. Just like the low horizontal datum, and soft ornate prayer carpets of the Blue Mosque, the lower realm of the Chapel invites visitors to sit and relax, rewarding them with a stunning sea view. Beams of sunlight from a roof light bathe the visitor as they move to take their seat. At this point, one becomes aware of the meaning of the ring of baffles, as the slight views through them mimic that of looking through the wild grass beyond.
Scale 1:2500
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Floor Plan. Scale 1:100
Section aa. Scale 1:100
Section bb. Scale 1:100
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Roof detail of Tea House.
Biographies Paul O’ Brien Born in Dublin in 1985, Studied architecture at DIT Bolton Street where he graduated with a BArch (Hons) in 2011. One of the highlights of the academic experience was being “Highly Commended” in the RIAI Travelling Scholarship, 2010. He has worked with a series of architectural practices including Donal Hickey Architects and PAC Studio Architects whilst studying. During college, Paul was heavily involved in the architectural student workshop scene throughout Europe. To date he has been a tutor for three built timber construction workshops. The Loggia Workshop at EASA, in Northern Italy was awarded a “Special Mention” in the 2011 AAI Awards. The most recent project, the Isin Chapel, built in Istanbul as part of MEDS, has been well received by both National + International architectural media. Paul is a founding member of the post graduate NAMAlab initiative, and is heavily involved in the distribution of the NAMAlands publication. Currently, both Paul and a colleague are working on a feasibility study for DIT Bolton Street and its surroundings and has recently began work on a number of projects in Beirut with an emerging Architectural practice.
Kieran Donnellan Born in 1985 in Limerick City, Kieran studied Architecture at Dublin Institute of Technology, graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons). He has worked with Murray O Laoire Architects and is the first representative from the discipline of Architecture to join the County Clare based Ground Up Artists Collective (GUAC). Kieran has co-led some of the most successful design + build workshops for Architecture students of recent years in the international student organizations: EASA, SESAM and MEDS. These workshops include: EvoWalk, Loggia (Special Mention AAI Awards 2011), Avanzada and Isin Chapel. All of these projects have been published in national and international Architecture press. Kieran has given a lecture in the University of Architecture in Llubjiana, Slovenia, under the theme of Emerging Architecture. In 2010, he was invited to supervise the Hope Gallery project in EASA Manchester.
Brian Attley Born in Dublin in 1986. Studied architecture at DIT Bolton Street. Worked with Derek Tynan Architects and ODOS Architects before graduating from DIT with a BArch (Hons) in 2010. Following his final year, his thesis was awarded in the 2010 Opus Architecture Student Awards with a ‘Highly Commended’ nomination. His thesis design for a Traditional Boat Workshop was the genesis for Attley’s interest in wood based construction and domestic timber industries. Brian is currently working in Lotts Architecture, a design-led architectural practice, while undertaking a Professional Diploma in Architecture at University College Dublin. To date Brian has worked on several architectural and landscape design projects. Additionally he has worked on a variety of historic building projects, including measured surveys to conservation standard. Notable works include an extension to a public school, the restoration of a 19th century gate lodge and the modernisation of an 18th century church.
Kieran is currently working as an Architectural consultant for DIT Bolton Street. From the expertise gained as a tutor at various student workshops, Kieran aims to introduce this educational method into the curriculum of Irish Schools of Architecture.
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Credits: Photographs: Page: 1,4,72 Pages: 6 - 11
Paul O’ Brien Courtesy of Bioimages
All other images have been reproduced by the kind permission of Kieran Donnellan and all Tutors and Participants whose projects feature in this book.
I would very much like to thank Brian Attley and Kieran Donnellan for their excellent written contributions and enormous amounts of work that both have put in, in order to this book a success. A huge thanks is also in order for all tutors who submitted material for the projects featured that we have not had the privilege to work on. I would also like to thank Paul Kelly and the DSAP Committee members for selecting me to edit and assemble this book.