Student Journal of Architecture 2008-2009
The Architecture of Identity
The Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture is published by the University’s architecture students with the support of the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG. © 2009 Queen’s University Belfast All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photo-copying, recording or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. This publication is also available in alternative formats on request, including large print, Braille, tape, audio CD and Daisy CD. For further information, please contact the University’s Publications and Website Unit on +44 (0)28 9097 5332. The opinions expressed in this journal are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. ISSN 2042-1591
Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture 2008-2009
Credits Editorial Team: David Rushe, Emma McCartan, Erl Johnston Contributors: Bram Bijnens, Martin Delaney, JP Feeny, Jonathon Gannon, Adam Joyce, Rory Keenan, Julian Manev, Laura Martin, Sean McGee, William McGonigle, David Montgomery, Jenny Montgomery, David Rooney, Scott Todd, Lindsay David Totten, Ronan White, Tim Williams, Lana Wilson. Special thanks to Prof. David Cleland for his kind sponsorship of this publication, and also to Dr. Sarah Lappin and Prof. Ruth Morrow for their encouragement and support.
Cover Illustration: Site Analysis of Tyrella Beach - Julian Manev & Sean McGee, Stage 1
Laura Martin - Nicosia
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... Community
Introducing a new journal to showcase the work of architecture students at Queen’s University Belfast.
Communities play an important role in shaping the built environment. We look at some projects exploring how communites and architecture interact.
... Editorial
... The Arts
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Exploring this issue’s key theme of the role of identity in creating architecture and the role of architecture in creating identity.
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Artistic expression helps us shape our built environment and imprint it with our identity. We look at some arts-related projects that explore this aspect of design.
... Ways of Life
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The patterns of our lives together determine the architectural forms that we favour and that favour us. We see how Queen’s University Belfast students address this key concept.
... Shared History
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Architecture provides an enduring and visible record of our past and allows us to engage with a historical narrative. We look at some projects in this area.
...contents
08-09 The Architecture of Identity
... Foundations
Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
A New Student Journal for Architecture at Queen’s ‘’Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society....Literacy is a platform for democratisation, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.” (Note 1) Kofi Annan
While Annan might be specifically speaking of literacy in its purest and simplest form, one can extract from this the importance of being well read in one’s environment. Efforts toward comprehending and appreciating one’s built environment create a feeling of place and sense of understanding. The ability to read one’s place gives a meaning to one’s character and as Annan says, becomes a ‘’vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity’’. Our aspiration for this journal is that it will define a meaning of place and identity that can be represented in the language of architecture. Our aim is to give students a stronger sense of identity within the University and within the wider architectural community;. This is particularly important in providing and strengthening a forum for peer learning, for cross-cultivation and for crosscommunication across all years. At present there is a void in this area, with limited facilities to express and develop this common identity and inter-relationship. The journal will provide a platform with the intention of filling this void and become an important forum, not just through reviewing work but also through its compilation throughout the year.
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What makes this publication unique is the central underpinning that the journal is a publication for students by students from the cultivation of studio and written work, to its writing and to its publication. Addressing the theme of Identity in the first issue of this journal defines, quite clearly, both it and its purpose. It is the first chapter of what will become a continuing story at Queen’s University, contributing to the architectural students’ lives a compendium of their collective work and aspirations.
Note 1: Taken from a U.N. Press Release on the Occasion of International Literacy Day, 8th September 1997. Ref SG/SM/6316 Queen’s University - Lanyon Building
...foundations
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
The Identity of Architecture In introducing the first of what will become an annual Student Journal of Architecture, one must be conscious to the origins of this publication. The journal idea arose from discussions I had with my dissertation tutor Sarah Lappin during the autumn of 2008. These conversations brought to the table the lack of a student critical voice within the school. What arose from these sessions was the idea to create a means of giving students in the school a voice to review and present work, along similar lines of that of the Mac Mag at the Mackintosh School of Architecture. At the time of entering the Postgraduate course the department was entering what can be best described as a renaissance. There was a new feeling around the studio and it felt appropriate that the students become part of this rebirth too. The Journal began life in early 2009, several students responded to a call-out for journal writers and the tone of these meetings began to ask questions as to our place, belonging and role within architecture not only within the confines of the city of Belfast but beyond. It was from here that we arrived at our theme for the journal; Identity. For many of us students being educated in an Ulster society that is one in transition we embody a kinship towards its yearning for a sense of place and reason. For us the issue of Identity is one that is very topical indeed and one that is most prevalent in our architectural lifetime. We decided that in order to uncover the identity of ourselves we would look toward the ‘’Identity of Architecture’’.
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In organising the broad spectrum of work cultivated for further scrutiny before potential publication, we (journal editors) had to discuss and understand the work that lay before us. What we concluded from our early studies was that the theme of Identity was far reaching and could be interpreted in many ways. In order to make sense of the Identity of Architecture for the reader, we identiďŹ ed that the work compiled could be broken down into sub categories; Shared Identity, Community, Arts and Way of Life. In doing this we were able to create tangible links to the work chosen, allowing the reader to cross reference the projects in each category for a critical approach to the work, and create an opportunity to appreciate each architect’s own understanding and personal execution of the Identity theme in comparable margins.
David Rushe
Rory Keenan - Stage 2
...editorial
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
Community As individuals we hold our own interests, feelings and personalities but if we were to chose a life of solitude then existence would prove to be listless. The theme of identity is explored in the context of community ...
Clifton House, Belfast
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Housing Plus - David Montgomery - Stage 5
... through Integration noun. incorporation as equals into society or an organisation of individuals of different groups
“The Project was located in one of four sites in Rotterdam. Due to the site’s size, physical and social context, the solution attempts to combine building and landscape in a way that will provide an interesting relationship between interior and exterior space,that links the site physically and socially with its surroundings.”
Elevation
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture Upper deck of workshop/market area showing possible vertical expansion of units in the future
With an isolated site, unfavourable social and economic pre-conditions, this is a project that addresses many challenges. The response suggests a reinvigoration and perhaps even a reinvention of the local identity, with key elements helping to create and sustain a sense of community. The proposed scheme can be seen re-uniting the elements of local life that are now often separated, and provides a positive vision for the future development of the area.
Diagrammatic model showing route across site with modular workshops and courtyards either side.
David sees a “housing typology based on affordability and adaptability” and the addition of “a series of workshops and markets which combines the ideas of education and arts with skills and commerce.” View across shared garden courts.
“The brief was to develop a range of affordable housing which will cater for the differing needs and circumstances of people in the early stages of adult life” “The site is located to the south west of Rotterdam City Centre in the Schiemond area along the Vierhavenstraat. It is adjacent to a large industrial area on the Nieuwe Maas. Once boasting an even greater industrial presence, this has since gone into decline. The now derelict tram lines which turn on the site are a reminder of a time past and pose a threat of the site becoming bypassed. The site lies in front of a large social housing area which has experienced high rates of crime,drug problems and anti social behaviour linked to a low socio-economic immigrant population.” View along main market route.
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The shifting grid allows the modular workshops to align with the changing site boundary geometry.
Pedestriam movement across site and car parking.
Public, semi-public and private use.
Live/work arrangement.
Elevation
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Exploded axonometric showing arrangement of duplexes, apartments and workshop spaces.
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Housing + - William McGonigle - Stage 5
... through Continuity noun. uninterrupted duration or continuation especially without essential change
“The project called for the design of 24 housing units, situated near the docks area in Rotterdam. A further personal contribution to the brief, (a ‘+’ element) was required in order to introduce a more public emphasis to the design (alongside the more private housing). In this case the plus function was a swimming pool, with the intention of providing a welcome social amenity, to improve residents health and aid social cohesion. “
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“...the plus function was a swimming pool, with the intention of providing a welcome social amenity, to improve residents health and aid social cohesion.” A project that acknowledges the importance of retaining established features of local life, this scheme is based around a landmark cafe. Recognising its importance to the local community , William makes the cafe an integral part of his redevelopment plans, reinforcing the sense of a defined local identity. The proposed scheme adds considerable significance to the Café de Sport’s naming, with the addition of a generous swimming pool for the local community. 14
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity “A small existing café, currently occupying the site was to be retained and renovated, this building was the only one of any note (in terms of character) in an otherwise largely run down and deprived area of the city. The café has survived on this site for at least the last 30 years and still provides a vital function to local residents, the building has even proved to be something of a landmark for commuters travelling along the adjacent ‘Vierhavensstratt’, which was why it was felt necessary to retain this piece of history and local identity within the scheme.”
“...The cafe has survived on this site for at least the last 30 years and still provides a vital function to local residents” “The development of the housing block very much stemmed from the retention of the existing Café de Sport, with a strong juxtaposition emerging between the two. An open air ramp running the entire length of the housing block was proposed, with the intention of both residents and non-residents using the building as a ramp to gain access to a landscaped park area to the North.”
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The Bookhouse - Laura Martin - Stage 6
... through Literature noun. exploring identity through the medium of literature, evoking the senses, inspiring creativity.
”A library is a particularly apt vehicle for exploring the theme of identity. Antonio Panizzi, Keeper of Printed Books of the British Library in the 1800’s, had described his library as being ’a portrait of the national soul’, acting as a showcase for the nation itself. A national library for Cyprus therefore needed to be an interpretation of the Greek and Turkish (Muslim) traditions of library building instead of applying the 20th century standard typology, that acts primarily as a storehouse for books.” View from Phaneromeni Square
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Citing references of light and shadow from the ancient library of Alexandria alongside the gardens and fountains of 10th century Islamic public libraries, The Bookhouse endeavours to create something more than merely a “storehouse for books”. Instead it seeks to provide a “physical experience designed to stimulate the senses”. In conjunction with this, the library combines historical civic elements such as workshops, studies, café and bathhouse. To this end, Laura has introduced a series of spatial hierarchies informed by explorative studies of the existing historic grain of Nicosia.
From these studies Laura has identified three main areas; the courtyard, the dwelling and the salon. The largest volume or `courtyard’ forms the core of the building, housing the National Collection which acts as a “showcase for Cypriot literature” . The `dwelling’ or intermediate space consists of smaller volumes and contains the Universal Lending Collection. Aimed primarily towards the local population the smaller volumes are reminescent of the crumbling dwellings which previously occupied the site. The `salon’ , the smallest volume, becomes an intimate study space located at first floor level overlooking the street, a reference to a typical Nicosian courtyard dwelling. National Collection, Reading Area
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Ground Floor Plan
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
In terms of form and materiality, Laura has again attempted to “create a sense of familiarity” through the use of traditional techniques and materials. The “heavy exterior walls” are consistent with the heirarchy of a typical block within the city. The introduction of the vaults not only assists ventilation, they also house the aforementioned study spaces. The choice of narrow brick creates a homengenous appearance reminiscent of mud brick construction whilst their pale colour reflects the high clacium content in Cypriot clays.
First Floor Plan
21. Lobby 22. Issue 23. Information 24. Adapted books 25. Children’s Collection 26. Multi-lingual collection 27. Reading area 28. Magazines 29. Newspapers 30. Periodicals
31. WCs 32. Universal lending collection 33. Administration 34. Director’s office 35. Acquisitions, cataloguing, book plating and sorting 36. Delivery and unpacking 37. Retail unit (proposed) 38. Book Cafe 39. Kitchen
Collonade on South of the Building
40. Staff 41. WC 42. Lobby 43. E-Centre 44. Workshop 45. Store 46. Staff library 48. Publisher’s office 49. Staff room.
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”A national library for Cyprus therefore needed to be an interpretation of the Greek and Turkish (Muslim) traditions of library building instead of applying the 20th century standard typology.”
Book alcoves of the universal lending collection
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Section
View from one of the bath-house pools
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
Armagh Town Hall - Scott Todd - Stage 3
... through Politics noun. questioning public identity and the role of democracy in today’s society.
“The project is a proposed town hall for Armagh. The new building seeks to provide a centralised base from which the county of Armagh can build political and social agendas for the future. Located on the site of the previous town hall that now only remains in historical reference there is an immediate connection to the routes and memories of this area of the city“
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture This project investigates identity on a number of levels; cultural, political, social and aesthetic. The cultural aspect is explored through the cities history with particular reference to the ‘orchard county’. This orchard theme is incorporated within the project where apple trees are planted throughout the site for use as outdoor rooms. Through the medium of politics, the proposal not only explores the social identity of the cities inhabitants but also serves as a forum for their input towards a future identity. “The ambition is to create a new building of power and responsibility for the community to take pride in and identify with.” Large social spaces inside the town hall are replicated on the exterior where open green spaces provide communal areas for both public and civil servant use.
“The ambition is to create a new building of power and responsibility for the community to take pride in and identify with.“ 22
Ground Floor Plan
Aesthetically, this proposal seeks to acknowledge the existing scale and form not only within its immediate context but also that of the city. “This is achieved through simple yet powerful design decisions such as allowing the front façade to reflect the strong chimney elements of the buildings neighbour.” The town hall also respects the surrounding streetscape ensuring that visual connections of the cities cathedral remain uninterrupted.
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
The building providing a connection through the site to a market square overlooked by the cathedral
Inside the Council Chamber
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The Arts The Arts can often be misinterpreted as a pastime for the elite, but their broad scope in dealing with issues of language, craft, design and music makes them intrinsic to our daily lives. The Arts bring much to society, and as a creative activity they are open to much debate and scrutiny on matters of taste. But, they shape our society - marking the identity of an era, mood or period... Waterfront Hall, Belfast
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A Craft Academy for Nicosia - Adam Joyce - Stage 6
... through Craft noun. the making of objects, the making of a city’s identity.
“The proposal is a Craft Academy for the centre of Nicosia, Cyprus. The buffer zone has created a duality within the city, either side distinguished by religion, nationality and language. The thesis is an investigation into the importance of craft and making of objects within the city; the relationship between the traditional skills and the imapct of industry/manufacture, and the idea of craft as a basis of rectification between the two communities within Nicosia and Cyprus.“
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
Masterplan Proposal
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Aerial view from North
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Internal view of foyer area
Ground Floor
First Floor
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
In the Nicosia Master Plan carried out by several Stage 6 students showed that the two markets within the core act as an important link between the north and south of the city. These markets were not just noted simply as city landmarks, but also for their major social and economical attirbutes to the community. The abandoned housing and former merchant units are to be used for the industrial and craft areas. The thesis project asks many questions about the role of the craft academy within the city of Nicosia and how through craft can a shared identity emerge to bridge the gap between the divided city.
Perspective view
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Internal view of student workshop
The thesis in tackling the issue of the buffer zone in Nicosia asks many question; by removing the buffer can the two markets be expanded? How can the academy aid those in the core under threat of relocation?
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
as Adam ultimately asks ...
�... how can there be a familiarity continued within Nicosia, with this idea of craft within the city?�
View of building from the South
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... through Performance noun. a visual form of expression via the medium of music and song.
National Concert Hall, Dublin - David Rooney - Stage 6 “Inspired by the intimacy of the traditional Irish kitchen session, the main concert hall uses a less formal vineyard terrace formation, allowing the audience to be closer to the performer, whilst also benefiting from early lateral reflections. The hall uses slightly asymmetrical front upholstered benches rather than individual seats, and disabled spaces are dispersed evenly throughout the stalls to increase the sense of social inclusion and accessibility. “
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture “The proposed site for the National Concert Hall is a new chapter in the history of Tara Street which during the 19th and early 20th Century had many public amenities, with the proposed site previously being home to four different concert venues, including the Theatre Royal, once one of the largest concert halls in Europe.”
Concept painting
“Inspired by the intimacy of the traditional Irish kitchen session, the main concert hall uses a less formal vineyard terrace formation, allowing the audience to be closer to the performer, whilst also benefiting from early lateral reflections. “ 32
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The history of music in the city of Dublin part of the fabric of the city. If one visits the city of Dublin, one can see this is evident from the street buskers on Grafton Street to live performances in Temple Bar. Statues and street names reflect a musical past, making it an accessible and identifiable property of the city. In harnessing this ever accessible identity, the student during the early design stage made the decision that the new National Concert Hall should be accessible as possible if the building is to function as a true representative as a people’s building. Externally, the form of the National Concert Hall acknowledges the significance of its surrounding context. Whilst the majority of the building’s physical form is in similar scale to Dublin’s Georgian architecture, the main concert hall’s massing extrudes past the height of the main building to signify its importance.
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“The brass surface will slowly turn a greyish brown before evolving into a dark brown anthracite colour which should act in harmony with the Georgian brown brick buildings which Dublin is famed for.�
View from public square
Section of main concert hall
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... through Design noun. a creative medium of expression through artistic endeavour and creation
North Belfast Art College - Martin Delaney - Stage 3 “It would be naive to suggest that Architecture, or the ‘Building’, can alone possess a solution to burgeoning problems such as social degradation or economic recession; it is not the space that forms the identity of an area, rather, those who use it. The Crumlin Rd. master plan (in particular the North Belfast Art College) aimed to address this notion via an investigation into how the concept of identity and possibly more importantly collective identity is shaped through memory.“
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In looking at the College, one notes that the occupants and users of the building will add their story to the building and encourage an understanding of the identity of the area. The student looked at the character of the tall windows of the mill context and distorted these as a means of conveying a plethora of human emotion. This concept was closely linked to the building’s program. The inverted windows facilitate what the student hoped would be an inspirational place during the day for art students with natural lighting effects. At night these inverted windows would become animated by the building’s artificial lighting to facilitate the art students and ad hoc artists’ creative endevours.
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’’ The final result would hopefully be a venue, informed by the various emotions and collective identities of Belfast, that would not only help educate local individuals and those further afield, but also, with the aid of time, add to this sense of identity as well’.’
Second Floor
Third Floor
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ArcSoc SocietyStaff
ArcSoc Year Reps
President: Secretary: Treasurer:
Julian Manev, Erl Johnston Rory Keenan Cheryl Gourley Verity Faith
David Rushe (Stage 5) Cheryl Gourley (Stage 3) Rory Keenan (Stage 2)
(Stage 1) (Stage 2) (Stage 3) (Stage 5)
ArcSoc Activities 08-09 We have had a successful year for ArcSoc at Queen’s University this last year; the society had 130 members joining as Students and as Associate members. The lecture series has been hugely popular this year, and we had five visiting lectures from practices. Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio spoke about projects such as the Stirling Winning Accordia housing project and a 2 mile long milking shed in Dubai. Graeme Massie Architects spoke about work in their native Scotland and several projects they are designing in Iceland such as their Town Centre Urban Plan in Akureyri and their design for Vatnsmyri Urban Plan in Reykjavik. Prue Chiles spoke to the students on the design of teaching spaces in her ‘’Classrooms of the Future’’ presentation as well as discussing her work at the University of Sheffield’s Architecture Department. Annual Lecture Series 2008-09 ArcSoc has once again been able to attract some of the most innovative and creative architects working today for the ever popular lecture series. This years lecture series was incorporated into the studio teaching sessions this year with many of the lectures given with studio sessions in mind. The lectures included; Alex Whitbread of Felden Clegg Bradley Studios on Masterplanning and Sustainability, Prue Chiles of Prue Chiles Architects on School Design, Stuart Dickson of Graeme Massie Architects, Kevin Logan of MacCreanor Lavington Architects on Housing and Hans Hammink of CIE Architecture on Dutch Design, with the lecture series tying into the School’s teaching. 40
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
Formal 2009 Last year’s ArcSoc Formal was held in the Wellington Park hotel on Wednesday 22nd April 2009 and saw a great turn-out from students and staff with over 125 in attendance. The Formal was a huge success for the society as all in attendance had a great night with the party going on into the early hours. The Formal’s success was not just in terms of the enjoyment by all and the money raised for the society, but the formal was also featured in NI magazine.
Objectives for 2009-10 We have many exciting plans for the forthcoming year; we are in the process of working out our new Lecture Series for the forthcoming year. Once again we will be aiming to have lectures that are integrated into the framework and structure of the teaching curriculum. ArcSoc are also looking to organise ArcSoc Movie Nights, by showing architecture related films like Blade Runner, Metropolis and Heavy Rain to name a few. Details have yet to be confirmed for this but we are hoping to have it running sometime in Semester One. The 2010 Formal has already begun its planning, and we are hoping to increase last year’s attendance and better last years night by making it bigger and better.
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... through Prose n. a creative expression of architecture and place through the medium of language
The Poetry of Place - Jonathon Gannon - Stage 6 “The Patrick Kavanagh centre will hope to tell many contrasting tales with the view of constantly revitalizing Kavangh’s writing. The proposal was originally conceived as the meeting of poetry and architecture.“
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2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity In the thesis Jonathon aims to address the need to regenerate a rural part of Ireland using the medium of local wordsmith Patrick Kavanagh. The project deals with the themes of scale between the village and the town and attempts to deďŹ ne these using the identity of language. Jonathon looks at the role that a small rural space plays in the creative process and how this can then be communicated to the public using a larger public space in an urban context. Consideration was given to issues of the project brief, construction and environment in the choice of location of town and village. The village is Inniskeen, the birth and resting place of Kavanagh. The town of Carrickmacross is where the poet attended the market as a farmer. In his thesis project Jonathon creates spaces that will create solitude, silence and coalescence that will allow the public to engage with Kavanagh the poet and his life’s work. 43
Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture
Town - Carrickmacross The site is in the heart of Carrickmacross in the old market area of the town, which is at present a storage yard. The site is of great importance to the thesis as the old market saw Kavanagh visit as a farmer.
’’ Therefore any new proposed building would hope to take over the role of the old market as an exchange of ideas rather than goods.’’ Three main lines are drawn for the site, the urban strategy first consists of a new civic space, a new route connecting the civic space to the church and the creation of a new main street to the civic space.
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Village - Inniskeen The village link to the town setting is created through the exisitng Patrick Kavanagh Centre at St. Daig’s with the curator at the centre acting as the client for the student’s thesis. Jonathon felt that the reinterpretation and reuse of the church would be vital in the realisation of the thesis. The church is to be used as a catalyst in the creative process, with writing rooms providing writers with views to the local landscape as means of inspiration. A new upper floor inserted into the building will enable the surrounding views to inspire.
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Ways of Life One’s Way of Life is a unique and personal experience that only the individual can hold true. Each way of life can take many forms, from the ways of growing and preparing food, from the ways we are educated and from the ways we heal ourselves both mentally and physically. The Identity of our way of life can be best described as a fingerprint, each unique to the user.
St. George’s Market, Belfast
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Urban Agriculture - Tim Williams - Stage 5
... through Agriculture n. the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock
Exploring the theme of agricultural activity in the urban setting of Schiemond in Rotterdam, Tim Williams’ project is “Inspired by the disused urban spaces between the housing blocks”. Forward looking and optimistic, the project goals include the hope that “the practice of cultivating food will enhance Schiemond’s potential to becoming a self-sustaining community and reinforce its community spirit.”
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture “The proposal is of a cultural specific café/restaurant. Turkish and Moroccan food will be on display that will express the variety of different nationalities within the community. The housing + programme will allow each family within Schiemond to acquire an allocated plot that will serve the practice of cultivating their own food. They will also be given the opportunity to then sell their own produce back to the programme where it will be used in the preparation of dishes to be served in the café/restaurant.”
“The new square will become the showcase, celebrating Schiemond’s new identity away from drugs and violence.” 50
“The proposal will take into the account that every person has different needs and desires and that immigrants settling in the area, vary in family structure and size. Six different house types will make up the complete housing block. The configuration of these houses types will break away from the typical hierarchy mode represent in most developer housing schemes today.”
Schiemond, 2008
Phytoextraction uses plants or algae to remove contaminants from soils.
Nitrogen fixation from legumes ... allows the land to be reused annually.
Cattle can graze in areas of the rotation of crop.
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity
Cyprus Academy - Lyndsay David Totten - Stage 6
... through Education noun. a forum for the pursuit of common identity through research and learning
“This thesis project explores a number of issues pertaining to building in (the) desolate and dividing ‘Buffer Zone’, based upon the current vision of the Nicosia Master Plan to reunify the city, and the fundamentals of designing within the typology of research and education institutes”
East Elevation
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture The project occupies the site of what was once a British primary school in the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus. The site also contains the crumbling remains of several listed neo-classical buildings in danger of collapse. Out of this, the academy was conceived both as a response to the severe climatic conditions on the island and as a platform to provide bi-communal facilities for the divided city. The thesis draws inspiration from “the shared synergy between contemporary laboratories and historic monasteries” in order to explore “the creation of a space for the singular and the collective.”
Environmental Strategy
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The scheme challenges current practices in design and living whilst seeking to reinstate the communal outdoor lifestyle previously enjoyed within the city. This is demonstrated with the inclusion of vernacular elements, reinterpreted as a ‘climatic response’ to the ongoing lack of rainfall and rising annual temperatures. The student also revisited traditional building methods and materials whilst the inclusion of such outdoor elements as public parkland, plaza and historic boulevard re-prioritizes the importance given to outdoor living.
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View from Walkway
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Housing + - Jenny Montgomery - Stage 5
... through Inclusion n. relation between two classes that exists when all members of the first are also members of the second
“The project’s objective was to create place and neighbourhood improvement, through the inclusion of housing, a community centre and a living landscape to improve quality of lifestyle. The proposal responses to both the urban and local challenges; assigning practical and social functions to an already claimed landscape through the introduction of garden allotments, within which the built fabric nestles”
Location Plan
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This project, set in the challenging urban environment of Schiemond, looks to the residents as the chief force in defining local identity. With a plan to see the ‘in-between’ spaces in the locations turned over to urban agriculture, the residents will be provided with ‘socially engaging and edible landscapes’.
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“urban agriculture can be a powerful catalyst of community mobilisation, counteracting existing predjudices against the area and giving Schiemond a renewed identity amongst the overall cityscape.�
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Sligo Cancer Centre - JP Feeney - Stage 6
... through Healing noun. the ability to heal the physical and spiritual of the self in a holistic architectural approach
“Healing is a process that can only be initiated from within ourselves, this process can be triggered by the spaces we inhabit. We find ourselves in spaces we can associate with, in this act we direct all our energy back to our body and spirit. This desire to express a relationship with these spaces stems from our innate need to express our relationship with the world; assuring our identity and existence.’’
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture The site chosen by J.P. Feeney is in Sligo as a reaction to the downgrading of Sligo’s Cancer services by the Irish government’s Centralisation Plan. Drawing influence from the UK’s ‘Maggie’s Centres’ J.P. wishes not only to provide services for physical healing but also accomodation. J.P. aims to create a space that is less institutionalised, a building that removes some of the dread and fear that cancer diagnosis can create, replacing it with a space that is, as the student says:
“more identifiable and spirit strengthening.” Site Plan
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Ground Floor
First Floor
J.P. Feeney has a strong understanding and interpretation of identity in the thesis project, in choosing the site of the Sligo Abbey, he choose a building unique to Sligo in that at 750 years of age it is the second known building built in Sligo. He notes that the history of the chosen site makes the location identiďŹ able to the people. In examining the site the student proposes that the Abbey site which is a nationally recognisble heritage site should have more to enhance its beauty than high density apartments and single storey lawnmower repair shops to its perimeter. The identity of the site and the project are intertwined and realised further as one notes that the history of the monastery has close links to medicine and the body, with many of these monasteries housing herb gardens and inďŹ rmaries within their walls.
Section
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“The design draws on various features found throughout the Abbey. These features include the stone masons’ scaffold holes in the Cloister. The proposal is designed with local craftsmen in mind. They may leave their mark on the structure just as the stonemasons did before them.’’
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Shared History Through the realm of history a society is able to look back to the past and chart its ongoing deve lopment. The role that a Shared History can play is to give a sense of purpose, solidarity and a direction for the development of future generations. It promotes a sense of meaning, uniďŹ cation,purpose and identity to a tribe, a people, a nation...
Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast
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Bram Bijnens - Stage 5 ERASMUS Student
...through Learning Each year at Queen’s University Belfast the Erasmus programme offers students from other European universities a chance to study at the uiversity, either for a semester or the complete academic year. Belgian architecture student Bram Bijnens took up the offer for the ďŹ rst semester of 2008/2009 to study alongside the stage 5 students in SPACE. The following project undertaken by all stage 5 students incorporated: Light and experience, School design, Structure and Construction, Heat and air and Sustainability.
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Queen’s University Belfast Student Journal of Architecture “As an Erasmus student, showing my true identity in just four months was really important to me. No one had any idea who I was or what I was capable of. As an architecture student, my identity could therefore be shown in my personal style of architecture. Every small decision an architect makes has to be well thought out and it has to have a good reason why he or she thinks it should be like that. Because some of these choices could be very personal, it really shows who you are. It not only shows your identity as an architect, but as also as a person. Even going against your professor is sometimes what is needed because defending and believing in your own personal decisions is crucial.”
“The school project I worked on in Belfast in the first term of 2008-2009 was the best project I have ever done so far. In the first four of years of being an architecture student, you have to discover your own style as a designer. Designing your first projects is like a kind of adventure where every experience shapes your identity. After all these years, I finally feel like I have made something that expresses myself. The building shows how I think about architecture. The experiences I gained during the design of the school have truly given me an understanding of what architecture really is about.” 66
2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity “For me, the shape of a building can be really simple, yet still look really interesting not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. It’s not just about designing one room next to the other. The spaces itself must be interesting as well. As my teacher once said to me during my period in Belfast: “We don’t walk though hallways, we walk through spaces.” This is the line, which has truly given me an understanding of architecture and of who I am as an architect.” “Other architects may find my style unexciting or shape of my building too boring though, but this could be because his or her identity of architecture is truly different to mine. It’s what makes architecture so interesting. Different identities are coming together, which also leads to interesting discussions.”
“An architect also needs to realize that they can’t please everybody with their project. If somebody doesn’t appreciate it, it does not necessary mean that he or she is a bad architect. It could be that just the personalities are different from each other. The world would even be boring if everybody had the same style. We must therefore learn to respect each other’s identity and personal opinions.”
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East Elevation
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A Cultural Facility to Celebrate Solidarity Lana Wilson - Stage 6
... through Solidarity n. capturing the spirit of a nation and the struggle to retain its identity.
“This thesis focuses on Identity and the part it plays in the design of a European Solidarity building for Gdansk, Poland. The building is envisaged to be an international cultural facility, combining the functions of a Museum, Auditorium, Research and Academic facilities. It will document various aspects of the existence and activities of the democratic opposition in Poland and other excommunist countries. The building is intended to enrich the City’s identity by adding a new landmark identifiable with Gdansk.”
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Lana wanted to experience the diversity, culture and identity of somewhere other than the UK. Gdansk was chosen not only for its immense history as the birthplace of Solidarity but also for certain parallels with the city of Belfast. “In common with Belfast; Gdansk suffered a turbulent past and shared a history of ship building and associated industries which have had to adjust to the changing times.� North facing view
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Lana states that “the principle aim of the thesis was to investigate identity and how it can inform design’” She continues, “The identity of a city or a nation is associated with its culture, its history, its values and the way in which the community relate to one another.’” To this end the student investigated the city itself, its people, the proposed site, construction methods and materiality. In conjunction with this, Lana examined the history of Poland with particular reference to the ‘spirit of Polishness’. It is this ‘spirit’ exemplified by the Solidarity Movement, which the student hopes to capture in the essence of the building.
Location
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2008-2009 The Architecture of Identity The transition of identity into architecture relates to the way in which Solidarity brought people together. Lana sees this as “the most important source of inspiration for re-affirming identity in Gdansk.” The site is key to this, located within the shipyard where the workers strikes took place; it contains many references, which may be drawn upon. The backdrop of cranes for example, a reminder of the industrial history of the site whilst the large forest to the west of the site evokes memories of crowds that once gathered in solidarity. Lana has incorporated these elements throughout the design highlighting four main themes, movement, connections, repetition and transition. Movement, she refers to as traffic on site as well as movement from the cranes themselves whilst connections are introduced between city and site, building and park, building and history and building and people. Repetition pertaining to the continuous strikes on site is represented both in the landscape strategy and within the structure of the building itself. The transition achieved as a result of the solidarity movement is expressed in built form as transitional spaces throughout the building.
Front entrance
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Enhancing Regional Identity An excerpt from: ‘An investigation: how to build contemporary domestic projects within the physical landscape specific to rural Ireland - a quest to enhance our regional identity.’
Emma McCartan - Stage 5
“The four points opposite are informed by, and are the results of, my research into the work both written and built of my chosen architects, Alan Jones Architects, LiD Architecture and Dominic Stevens Architects. Initially concerned by the proliferation of modern bungalows throughout northwest Donegal and inspired by Frampton’s seminal essay ‘Towards a Critical Regionalism’ (2007), I sought to discover how their collective attitudes towards building in the landscape could inform contemporary Irish rural domestic architecture.”
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Vernacular
Materials
An understanding of traditional landscapes and building strategies is essential, specifically why they were sited and built the way that they were. An understanding of the origins of the form will avoid the temptation to replicate existing solutions – which leads to a stagnation of ideas. Strike a balance between traditional techniques and technical know-how; resist the use of modern technology to overcome climatic conditions. Critical Regionalism seeks to avoid repetition of form whilst endeavoring to achieve a place-orientated culture. My research has shown that this can only occur when an understanding of traditional landscape and building strategies, along with an inherent knowledge of the context, informs contemporary design. Whilst Critical Regionalism is concerned with the use of modern technologies, all three practices have shown that a balance can be achieved between the use of traditional landscape strategies and modern technologies.
Where possible, local materials should be sourced. Block, plaster, timber, straw and corrugated metal can all be used in a resourceful way. Local labour should also be considered to perpetuate regional skills on the one hand and avoid specialist trades where not available locally on the other. Local people therefore have the ability to understand the results. However, one cannot ignore the techniques, expertise and skills present in immigrants who may come to live and work in the area. Critical Regionalism does not mention materiality specifically, however its prevalence in the work of all three practices necessitates its inclusion when considering a rationale for building within an Irish rural context. The notion of local labour and available skill is also important when considering a placeorientated culture, as this culture ultimately emanates from its people. Counter to this is the need to acknowledge lessons learned from other cultures. These experiences are equally valid and where solutions are present, they should be embraced.
Landscape
Leadership
It is imperative to understand local site conditions such as climate, topography, prevailing winds, light, vegetation, views in/out and access. An inherent understanding will inform one’s intervention, thus house and landscape should function together, where the building becomes an operative part of the landscape. Critical Regionalism introduces a sensory response to the landscape and it is one, which the three practices advocate. The ability for the physical landscape to inform and shape their designs, to introduce elements of surprise, to experience is present throughout their work. I feel this point bears relevance where it enables a continuance of the landscape. Rather than subtracting from the landscape, its retention informs both interior and exterior spaces maintaining a relationship between the two.
Question your reasons for living in the countryside. What is your contribution to that community? Is it sustainable? When building in the rural Irish landscape, architects should show leadership. One is building into a community of others; therefore, any intervention should acknowledge both the physical and built landscape. This need to show leadership is vital when advocating a critical regionalism. By showing what can be done, by creating strong arguments for in planning, architects can lead by example through the creation of precedents. Although Frampton doesn’t mention this quality, it exists in the work of all three practices. Each of them combines practice with research, and subsequent publications. This ethos of a shared knowledge is inherent in our tradition of accumulating and transferring experience from one generation to the next. Its inclusion is therefore imperative to an ongoing discourse of building contemporary domestic projects within the rural Irish landscape.
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“Frampton believes that Critical Regionalism is more likely to prosper in areas of self-sufficiency. However, my initial concerns were with regard to areas in Donegal, which are no longer selfsufficient. This would suggest that regionalism has not survived, or at the very least, it is struggling. Therefore, I have to ask how communities can remain self-sufficient. I will admit at this point that I have steered away from this debate; I feel it is an issue deserving of its own investigation, one for future research.”
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Future research “My research was somewhat limited in the respect that I had only three case studies. If time had permitted a broader study would have yielded more in-depth results. However, as they stand this text represents an introduction to the wider topic of building in the landscape. I have highlighted throughout the text areas, which I would like to research further. Firstly, I would like to study rural life in Ireland both historic and contemporary. Specifically, I would like to research several areas including the sustainability of rural life, the demise of the thatched cottage in rural Ireland and settlement patterns of communities within rural Ireland. On the subject of cottages, I would like to carry out an analytical study of existing cottages throughout Ireland. Finally, I would like to investigate some of the areas of interest Stevens has researched, namely self-build communities and the work of Walter Segal in this regard.” “This list is a personal reaction to the research contained within this dissertation. Every question asked, begged another question. So, whilst I feel that I have least attempted to answer my question, I have in fact uncovered so many more. The subject has become broader. I look forward to the next round.”
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Ronan White - Stage 5
The Architectural Identity Badge An excerpt from: ‘How influences from abroad have impacted the design process of practicing contemporary Irish architecture in Ireland.’
The Betsky Influence
Photo: Cincinnati Art Museum
As a foreign assessor of the AAI awards in 2004, Aaron Betsky composed an article, ‘Dublin from a Bird’s Eye View’. Although Betsky’s visit was short, and he never travelled beyond the sprawling suburbs of Dublin, his article was a devastating critique of contemporary Irish architecture.
“What grandeur there is present still feels imported – They borrow bits and pieces and pieces of the past, create fragments of civic grandeur abstracted to meet modern demands, and never come together into a coherent and strong shape.”
from Irish to internationalism was not through ignorance as previously suggested. Rather, had Irish architects accepted that the way forward meant becoming more aware of internationalism; seeking inspiration from and using influences from abroad, whilst challenging them and adapting them to become regional within an Irish context?
“While opposed to the sentimental simulation of local vernacular, Critical Regionalism will, on occasion, insert reinterpreted vernacular elements as disjunctive episodes within the whole. It will moreover occasionally derive such elements from foreign sources.”
Aaron Betsky
It could be argued that on a philosophical level, Irish architects knew Betsky was correct. Their quest to find a true Irish identity had been hindered by influences from abroad. Were Betsky’s comments a ‘wakeup and smell the coffee moment?’ One could be of the opinion that this shift
If this method were adopted, Irish architects would have nothing to hide. They would not merely be taking influences from abroad and slavishly copying them, but rather promoting them. 77
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The Architectural Identity Badge One could surmise that Betsky’s criticism left Irish architects sceptical as to how their architectural identity was perceived. The specificity of being declared Irish and being an Irish architect is no longer of great importance. Rather than a quest for a collective architectural identity, each architect appears to be on a quest to achieve his or her own identity. Which identity badge you wear, certainly is not a result of how you are feeling on any given day, but rather it is based on the nature of your practice, the project and the client. Focusing on three architectural practices that have studied within the Republic of Ireland and with a large portfolio of work located within Ireland, I hope to gain insight into how influences from abroad have impacted the design process of practicing contemporary Irish architecture in Ireland. These are: LiD Architecture, McCullough Mulvin Architects and Niall McLaughlin Architects. 78
LiD (Landscape in Design) Architecture
McCullough Mulvin Architects
LiD (Landscape in Design) Architecture was established in 2002 by partners Deidre McMenamin and Dougal Sheridan. The practice has built a portfolio to include architectural projects within Ireland, Germany and New Zealand. They have also undertaken research projects in Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. The practice admits that they do not consider their architectural design process to be Irish. When questioned in relation to this McMenamin responded, “Not only or especially Irish.” Such an approach can be expected from architects who constantly practice from different locations, as their design approach needs to be regional to suit a range of different contexts. When asked if there was one piece of architecture in which their design process was clearly visible, McMenamin responds, “I think I hope our design process is legible in the work we’ve completed.” Such a desire is a clear indication that their practice has nothing to hide in relation to their identity, and their ‘architectural badge’ is worn with pride and true to their identity.
McCullough Mulvin adapts a similar process to that of LiD in admitting that their design process is influenced from abroad. Established in 1986 by Niall McCullough and Valerie Mulvin, McCullough Mulvin Architects are located in Dublin. The practice has a large portfolio of work within Ireland including both architecture and urban design projects. With such a deep connection to Irish architecture in the past, an international ‘identity badge’ now is certainly a change. Could this be as a result of Betsky’s comments? When questioned about their design process, McCullough responds, “I believe it’s always visible - for the good or not.” In this sense their design process may be considered as honest and they are prepared to admit that it’s honest.
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Níall McLaughlin Architects In contrast it could be argued that McLaughlin of Níall McLaughlin Architects, changes his architectural ‘identity badge’ to suit the particular context. Founded in 1990 and Located in London, Níall McLaughlin Architects have a large portfolio, which includes projects in Ireland, the United Kingdom and America. When asked whether there was one piece of architecture in which the design process of their practice was clearly visible, McLaughlin responds, “I think that your design process is the most important thing, but the measure of success of your design process is that you should render it invisible in the finished piece.” One could suggest that he is hiding his identity through doing this.
Conclusion The outcome of my research indicates that influences from abroad have impacted the design process of practicing contemporary Irish architecture in Ireland through several methods. These include practical experience abroad, architectural field trips, precedents through media and influences that are passed from one generation of architects to the next. One could be of the opinion that architecture in every country is influenced to a greater or lesser extent by foreign influences. As architects we are not trying to reinvent the wheel, and many architects would argue that whatever you design, there will always be something similar located in another corner of the world, therefore why shouldn’t we be influenced from abroad? However through further analysis I soon realised that influences from abroad were not the problem. The problem was how Irish architects were using them. Rather than taking influences and promoting them to a regional level, many Irish architects were taking ideas directly from abroad and inserting bits and pieces inspired from different countries into one piece of architecture. In a sense these influences were being ‘slavishly’ copied. After reading this study one might believe that Irish architects are only interested in contributing to and creating architecture in Ireland through stealing inspiration from other countries. However, consideration has to be given to the number of Irish architects who have travelled abroad, and the contribution they have made towards architecture in other countries. Níall McLaughlin Architects, although they continue to practice in Ireland, a large portfolio of their work is located throughout England and Scotland, with two projects also in America. Remaining with the contemporary figures, Grafton architects have recently left their mark in Milan with their design for Università Luigi Bocconi, and Heneghan Peng will soon make their mark on Egypt, with their design for the Grand Egyptian Museum. Looking back at the modern era, Kevin Roche made a greater contribution towards American architecture. Roche was a principle associate in the office of Eero Saarinen and became a partner in the office after Saarinen’s death. Therefore one could suggest that a future study may look at how Irish architects ‘leave traces of their identity abroad’. 79
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