tom gibbons part 1 portfolio
A place for contemplation undergraduate 1st year
howard street registry office undergraduate 2nd year
latent dynamo undergraduate 3rd year
BRIEF To create a ‘place for contemplation’ in an urban environment. Without an specific site intially, the main design aims were to understand what features would be appropriate for a contemplative program and how they could become a physical structure. Once a design had been specified, an urban site was introduced. This required a significant amount of adaptation, while maintaining as much of the original design intent as possible.
ADAPT
FLOAT
OBSERVE
SAFE
FORM The form evolved from a series of sketch models, each introducing new concepts appropriate to the theme of contemplation. A secure place from which to observe the world, yet be able to seperate from it was the outcome. To enhance this, a continous water wall surrounds the lower level of the structure, creating the effect that the upper level is floating. The sound of rushing water also dampens the urban sound track
view corridor Despite being in a tight urban environment, the site has an unobstructed view corridor to the hills surronding the CIty. This was incorporated into the design to provide a visual relief from the immediate surroundings.
BRIEF To design a new registry office in the city of Sheffield. The previous registry office, nicknamed by the local community as ‘The Wedding Cake’ was demolished in 2003 and has been temporarily rehoused in Sheffield City Hall. The Wedding Cake was an iconic building in the City, not only for its brutalist style and unconventional form, but the memories that it held for many of Sheffield’s citizens. The new design will need to continue the legacy of the old, whilst creating an identity of it’s own.
FORM A registry office is a place that records the key moments in life: birth, marriage and death. It has a strong foothold in the lives of those who come into contact with it. To reflect this visually, the building’s form references local icons within Sheffield that are held in high regard by the local community.
LOCATION The site for the new registry office sits adjacent to the ‘Golden Route,’ which leads from the train station to the heart of Sheffield. As such, this area is the first impression many newcomers are afforded of the city . It is a well maintained thoroughfare with high standards of design that reflect the city’s wider characteristics, such as expanses of green space and a link to Sheffield’s heritage. To ensure this design would fit within the locality, these elements were at the forefront of the design concept.
LOCATION The site for the new registry office sits adjacent to the ‘Golden Route,’ which leads from the train station to the heart of Sheffield. As such, this area is the first impression many newcomers are afforded of the city . It is a well maintained thoroughfare with high standards of design that reflect the city’s wider characteristics, such as expanses of green space and a link to Sheffield’s heritage. To ensure this design would fit within the locality, these elements were at the forefront of the design concept.
ROOF GARDEN
UPPER FLOOR
GROUND FLOOR
BASEMENT
LIGHT
The proposed site is relatively small in comparison to the required program, meaning that some of the internal spaces are tight. In order to alleviate this and create a spacious atmosphere the design uses light in a creative way, mimicking more religious typologies often associated with marriage.
howard street registry office
garden terrace
public archive
wedding dome
office
night Boasting two Universities, Sheffield is a city with a vibrant night life and the local architecture reflects this. The Golden Route area in particular uses public lighting displays and techniques after dark to maintain the visual quality apparent during the day. The proposed design has its own integrated lighting that works within the wider city plan. The steel and copper panels that make up the facade both reflect the city’s industrial heritage and create a unique visual effect.
BRIEF
To design a building that reinvigorates the industrial heritage of New Mills and makes use of the local resources. New Mills is a small town in Derbyshire, England. It was once a thriving hub of industry, consisting of half a dozen cotton mills spread along the river to harness its energy potential. Today it is primarily a commuter town as well as being a destination for walkers, making the most of its natural beauty. In 2007 the community banded together to invest in an Archimedes Screw System, converting the natural power of the river into electricity. It currently runs the local cooperative store, with any excess being sold back to the grid and the profits slipt amongst the locals. This design will attempt to incorporate all of these aspects, combining the towns historical significance with its community spirit and local resources.
site analysis The town of New Mills is split into two parts by the River Goyt and River Sett. The gorge carved out by the river is known by the locals as ‘the town below’. Previously the site of numerous cotton mills, the area is a picturesque destination for hikers, with many walks passing through or starting in the town. It is also the location of the recent‘Torrs Hydro’ system implemented by the town The proposed location for this project is at a point of convergance of all of these factors. Set beside the bridge that connects the two halves of the town, the site overlooks the coming together of the Rivers Sett and Goyt, the Torrs Hydro and a crossroads of all of the walking routes that pass through the gorge. These aspects are all important to the design proposal, particularly the strong connection with the river and the journeys to and from the area.
journey One of the walks that passes through the New Mills gorge is the Sett Valley Trail, starting at the Kinder Reservoir approximately 5 miles away and following the River Sett downhill all the way to the site. As part of this scheme, a pipeline will be brought from the reservior along the path connecting the two visually. A series of gyros installed within the pipe will create electricity to power the building, with any excess diverted to the town or sold back to the grid. The pipe will have transparent sections and information boards along the route to give the users a more intergrated experience.
program To make further use of the water brought to the site, the proposed design is for a distillery. As all of the ingredients can be sourced within a 50 mile radius, which will make it a uniquely local product and process, working within the strong community spirit already apparent in the area. Once the ingredients have reached the site, they too go on a journey of their own through the process of distilling. This is a central theme within the design, as every stage of the procedure will be visible to visitors. The system is an almost entirely closed loop with any waste materials able to be recycled or reused, including being able to power an anaerobic digester to supplement the electrcicty supplied by the pipeline.
design evolution The design was developed using a series of physical models exploring first the form as a whole and then the planes and elements individually. The existing typology of the old factory buildings and town houses is integrated with more modern elements.
mass and void
circulation route
vertical suspension
internal and external
Represents the immediate topography of the gorge and cliff sides.
Represents the different routes to the sites and follows the ‘journey’ of the distilling process from start to finish
Represents the connection between the town above and the gorge below. Provides access to the distillery from both areas.
External space creates a closer connection to the gorge creating a more integrated user experience with the environment.
lift
atrium
still
testing and innovation lab
viewing gallery
3rd floor lift suspended stair atrium
distillers office
still
meeting room
2nd floor lift
atrium
still
bottling room
viewing gallery
Lower ground floor 1st floor
lift suspended stair
glazed roof
barley store
6th floor lift
atrium exhibition room
viewing gallery media room
5th floor lift suspended stair atrium
dry storage cold storage
storage
4th floor
still
upper ground floor
section a-a
section b-b
c
a section c-c
b
b a
c
LIGHT and materials The use of reclaimed and local materials, alongside some more modern items, reduces the inherent carbon footprint of the design. Casting the light in different ways onto these juxtaposing textures and colours creates dynamic internal spaces.