UNIT B
Penzance / Pennsans Stephen Baty, Alex Scott-Whitby
As a new studio we looked at the historic harbour of Penzance and its connections by rail, sea and road. We observed and recorded in detail to understand this historic place. A place where the land ends and the sea begins. A place derived from the Cornish language word ‘Pennsans’ meaning ‘a holy headland’. We undertook three projects over the course of the academic year, each related to the other. The first was set in Greenwich at Indigo Jones Queens House and was used to prepare the students for the year ahead. We learnt to look closely, discuss ideas, acquire skills, gain confidence, research precedents, and formulate a design thesis. With sponsorship from Great Western Railways we then travelled by sleeper train to Penzance travelling overnight and arriving into Isambard Kingdom Brunel station terminus. For the second project we explored Penzance and headland with purpose. We walked from the north coast to south coast in the rain, wind and sun. We recorded site, clarified the brief, initiated a response and researched relevant precedents to inform architectural proposals to reinvigorate the town. The third project was concerned with creating an architectural proposal in Penzance and was progressed through three iterations; concept, development and technical. At each iteration the proposal was reviewed and refined by the studio and invited critics. The process placed an emphasis on model making, drawing to create a contextual architectural response.
The ambition was for each student to learn to look closely, translate ideas, develop interests and gain a set of skills relevant for practice. The student projects that have emerged are testament to this.
‘We must discover things and let them unfold their own forms’ Hugo Haring
