Peter Garfath_Y4 | Unit 14 | Bartlett School of Architecture

LETLHAKANE MINE

PETER GARFATH

All work produced by Unit 14

Cover design by Charlie Harris

www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture

Copyright 2021

The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

@unit14_ucl

PETER GARFATH

p.garfath@gmail.com @petergarfath_

LETLHAKANE MINE

LETLHAKANE MINE

Letlhakane, Botswana

This project aims to position itself as an alternate afterlife to the Letlhakane open pit diamond mine in central Botswana. The wider context for the site is that it is positioned between the countries population centres, and the two natural tourism hotspots (Okavango delta and Makgadikgadi salt pans).

The central program reflects on the ending management lease of the now closed open pit mine (2017), and proposes a bioremedial approach to transforming this quite ‘epic’ human-made geological feature into an occupy-able space, as well as capturing the historic and contemporary practises of diamond mining in the context of Botswanas development / economy.

Architecturally, the focus of raw timber stems from the relatively underutilised invasive families of acacia trees in southern Africa, in this case acacia mearnseii (often referred to as black wattle). Its primary uses are small-scale structures such as fencing or lattice shading, and despite its extreme widespread has not been considered for more practical architectural uses - this project aims to utilize it as a primary structure and defining character.

The program focuses on water treatment and bioremedial planting as a method of combating the heavily contaminated landscape of the wider mine site, with heavy metals, chemical leaching and a decimated topsoil being the bigger culprits.

The project aims to create a unique water-rich microclimate within the open pit, which heavily contradicts the surrounding water stressed landscape, and can take on a myriad of programs such as niche agricultural functions, freshwater reservoir or further contributing to the spectacle of natural tourism - with the architecture remaining as an exhibit and educational beacon to this bioremedial transformation, as well as the history and significance of mines and the wider industry in Botswana.

ARTEFACT INVESTIGATION / ANALYSIS

SILINDOKUHLE PRESCHOOL

BY COLLECTIF SAGA

CORRUGATED ROOF FORM WITH CHANNELS TO PREVENT OVERHEATING

STRUTTED ROOF STRUCTURE

LOW-TECH CANTILEVERED / TENSIONED JUNCTION FOR ROOF FIXING

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA

TIMBER POSTS

CANTILEVER STRUCTURE

PIVOTING ON POST

ACACIA MEARNCEII

4M 6M 10M

MECHANICAL COUPLINGS / FRICTION INTERLOCKING

ESTABLISHING THE EXTENTS OF WORKABLE MATERIAL LENGTHS AS PER TYPICAL ACACIA GROWTH WITHIN THE SITE CLIMATE

ACACIA MEARNCEII SPREAD MAPS, ORIGINATING IN AUSTRALIA.

CHOSEN SITE

EXPERIMENTING STRUCTURE AND FORM WITH TIMBER BUNCHING CLUSTERS AND NODES AS A MEANS TO CREATE OCCUPY-ABLE SPACE

TESTING OCCUMPANYING ELEMENTS TO THE TIMBER AS A MEANS OF ENCLOSURE

PROGRESSING THE IDEA OF INTERWOVEN JUNCTIONS / FRICTION JOINS FOR A UNIQUE AND EXPRESSIVE USE OF THE WOTTLE TIMBER BUNCHES

PRINCIPLES OF STORED TENSION IN THE BEND WITH FRICTION INTERLOCKER THE SPINES

THERMAL LAG BALANCES HEAT / COLD THROUGH DAY AND NIGHT CYCLES

GABION BASKETING

THERMAL MASS

SPECULATING STRUCTURE WITH SECTIONS OF WATTLE BUNDLING AND EARLY NODAL CONNECTIONS

INVESTIGATING THIS LANGUAGE OF TIMBER INTERLOCKING AS A PRIMARY MATERIAL AND STRUCTURAL DRIVE TO PROGRESS

CONSIDERING TRUSS PRECEDNESE AS A DIRECTION TO GENERATE ARCHITECTUREAL FORM

TAPERING THE FORM - TIMBER BUNCHING THINNING OUT TO SUIT STRUCTURAL SUPPORT NEEDED

EARLY BEND TESTING WITH SCALE OF BUNCHES VS CLUSTER PATTERNS

CANTILEVERING STRUCTURE OFF AN ANCHOR POINT ( STONE OUTCROPPING / GABION CAGE FROM MINE AGGREGATE WASTE / ETC..)

SCALING COLUMN AND STRUT AS LOAD TRANSFERS

TIMBER BUNCHING

AND ETHOS

SCALE HIERARCHY OF BUNCHES TO SUIT

SITE CONTEXT / ANALYSIS / PROGRAM

LETLHAKANE MINE

LETLHAKANE DIAMOND MINE

LETLHAKANE

NGAMILAND

CENTRAL

GHANZI

KWENENG

KGALAGADI

SOUTHERN

SOUTH EAST

KGATLENG

KIMBERLITE FIELDS / MINES

WIDER CONTEXT / CONSIDERATIONS

FRANCISTOWN

LETLHAKANE

GABORONE

MAKGADIKGADI PANS

MAUN

MINE

OKAVANGO DELTA

CONTEXTUAL TIMELINE

AERIAL STUDY OF DRAMATIC CHANGING

GEOGRAPHY OF THE SITE

AERIAL

AERIAL PROGRESSION OVER TIME, CHANGES IN:

DEPTH OF MINE

WASTE AGGREGATE PILES

TRIAL POOLS FOR DRAINING VEGETATION GROWTH / CUTBACK

MINE OPENS / EXCAVATION

21°32’12.2”S 25°43’00.4”E

21°32’12.2”S 25°43’00.4”E

21°32’12.2”S 25°43’00.4”E

21°32’12.2”S 25°43’00.4”E

FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

POLLUTANT WATER FROM THE PIT

AFFECTED BY VARIOUS POLLUTANTS SUCH AS HEAVY METALS, SUSPENDED SOLIDS, AND DISSOLVED SALTS / MINERALS. EXCAVATED WASTE ROCK AND ORE, CAN EXPOSE SULPHIDIC MATERIALS TO OXYGEN AND WATER, RESULTING IN ACIDIC CONTENT.

SETTLE TANK / FILTER

PUMPING WATER FROM THE FILING PIT INTO A SETTLING TANK / DEBRIS FILTERS TO REMOVE IN DIRT AND PARTICLES

SETTLING TANKS ALLOW SUSPENDED PARTICLES TO SETTLE OUT OF WATER OR WASTEWATER AS IT FLOWS SLOWLY THROUGH THE TANK, THEREBY PROVIDING SOME DEGREE OF PURIFICATION. A LAYER OF ACCUMULATED SOLIDS, CALLED SLUDGE, FORMS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK AND IS PERIODICALLY REMOVED.

THEY ARE TYPICAL CIRCULAR IN SHAPE FOR VOLUME TO STRUCTURE OPTIMISING, AS WELL AS TO FUNCTION WITH THE SLOW CURRENT - THROUGH THE CURVATURE.

ALGAE TREATMENT

INFUSING THE WATER WITH ALGAE GROWTH TO ABSORB AND NEUTRALIZE POLLUTANTS SUCH AS AMMONIA, PHOSPHATE, NITRATE, AND PRIMARILY HEAVY METALS FROM THE MINING PROCESS

THE FILTERED WATER CAN THEN BE TREATED WITH ALGAE, WHICH ARE MICROORGANISMS THAT CAN ABSORB AND ACCUMULATE HEAVY METALS FROM THE WATER. THE ALGAE CAN BE GROWN IN PONDS OR BIOREACTORS, AND HARVESTED PERIODICALLY FOR DISPOSAL OR RECOVERY OF THE METALS. THE ALGAL TREATMENT CAN ALSO IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY BY INCREASING THE DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND REDUCING THE ACIDITY.

BIOREMEDIAL ENVIRONMENTS

TRANSFERRING TREATED WATER TO MARINE ECOSYSTEM TANKS TO FURTHER MANAGE / BALANCE THE WATER CONTENT

SOME MARINE ORGANISMS, SUCH AS SEAWEEDS, FILTER FEEDERS, AND ALGAE, CAN ACT AS NATURAL WATER FILTERS, PURIFYING WATER AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THEIR TISSUES OR SURFACES. THEY CAN REMOVE EXCESS NUTRIENTS, SEDIMENTS, PATHOGENS, AND HEAVY METALS FROM WATER

SOME MARINE ORGANISMS, SUCH AS PHYTOPLANKTON AND ZOOPLANKTON, CAN HELP MAINTAIN WATER QUALITY BY PRODUCING OXYGEN, CONSUMING CARBON DIOXIDE, AND REGULATING THE PH OF WATER.

CALCIUM (CA)

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

OXYGEN (O2)

NITROGEN (N)

PHOSPHORUS (P)

SULPHUR (S)

CHLORINE (CL)

FLUORIDE (F)

PROJECT GENESIS

SITE CONDITIONS

EXTREMELY FLAT AND DRY LANDSCAPE, WITH THE CONTRASTING GEOGRAPHICS OF THE MINE

GROUND CONTAMINANTS THROUGH EARTHMOVING (REMOVED TOPSOILS) AND MINERAL / CHEMICAL BY-PRODUCTS OF THE PROCESS

NEARBY POPULATION CENTRE BUILT AROUND THE WORKING MINE - NOW AT END OF LIFESPAN

RELATE TO THE COUNTRIES CAPITAL AND ITS TWO PRIMARY POINTS OF NATURAL TOURISM

STRUCTURAL HIERARCHY

LANGUAGE OF TIMBER BUNCHING USED THROUGH HIERARCHY OF SCALE AND LOAD TRANSFER

MATERIAL DRIVEN CONNECTIONS AND NODES FOR A DYNAMIC HABITABLE STRUCTURE

CONSTRAINT OPPORTUNITIES

SHADING / MICROCLIMATE OF THE 250M DEEP PIT THAT GREATLY CONTRASTS

PERPETUAL FILING OF THE PIT THROUGH GROUND WATER AND ANNUAL RAIN COUNTRY

A PASSIVE APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE AFTER EFFECTS OF MINING THROUGH PROMOTING VEGETATION GROWTH

PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT TO LETLHAKANE POPULATION AS MINES FROM 70S

PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS

WATER TREATMENT - M&E / ALGAE / BALANCING

PLANTING / PROPAGATION HUB

RESEARCH / LEARNING SPACES

EXPERIENCE - THE SPECTACLE OF THE PROCESS IN THE CONTRADICTING DESERT INTO A LUSH ENVIRONMENT ON-ROUTE TO THE OKAVANGO DELTA

CONTRASTS THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE

RAIN SEASON - WATER SCARCITY IS A RISK IN CENTRAL REGIONS OF THE THROUGH BIOREMEDIATION - FIRST THROUGH CLEAN WATER THEN 70S / 80S STOP DIGGING

RESPONSIVE FORM

CONTRASTING THE LANDSCAPE WITH A VANTAGE FOR OBSERVATIONS OF THE NOW PROPOSED CHANGING LANDSCAPE FORM DRIVEN BY SOLAR / HEAT CONSTRAINTS THROUGH SHADING, VENTILATION, ETC.

GLOBAL FORM CONNECTING THE DEVELOPING PROGRAM WITHIN THE PIT TO THE SPECTACLE OF EXPERIENCE FROM THE RIM

PRECEDENCE / TIMELINE

WATER RESERVOIR

NICHE NATURE RESERVE / SANCTUARY

LEISURE / WATER-SPORTS

DESERT LANDSCAPE / WILDING OF THE APOCALYPTIC LOOKING MINE SITE

AQUACULTURE / AGRICULTURE

HELIOSTATIC POWER PLANTS

CONVEX SATELLITES

BASIN

USER / SPACIAL REQUIREMENTS

FRAMED PROCCESS

WINDOWS INTO WORKING PROCCESS

ELEMENTS OF PARTICIPATION

LONG / SHORT OBSERVATIONS

GUEST REQUIREMENTS

ARRIVAL

WORKER REQUIREMENTS

ARRIVAL

FRAMED PROCCESS

FOOD / DRINK AMENITIES

WC FACILITIES CANTEEN

MINE EXHIBIT

LONG EXPOSURE EXHIBIT

PASS-THROUGH EXPERIENCE

LOCKERS / CHANGING

MANAGEMENT SUITE

WC FACILITIES

RESTING SPACES

PROCESS

EQUIPMENT STORAGE

LEARNING

MATERIALS STORE

TEACHING SPACE EXPERIENCE

WIDER PROGRAM CONCEPT

1

GROUND WATER / ANNUAL RAINFALL NO LONGER BEING PUMPED OUT AND EVAPORATED AS PER THE MINING PROCESS, WOULD BE ALLOWED TO FORM A NATURAL RESERVOIR

5

CONTAMINATED WATER TREATED THROUGH THE PROPOSALS PRIMARY PROGRAM FUNCTION / STABILISED INTO ITS OWN ECOSYSTEM OVER TIME. DECIMATED TOPSOIL CAN REFORM OVERTIME THROUGH THE BIOREMEDIAL GROWTH - DECAY OF LOW LEVEL GRASSES AND SHRUBS WITHIN THE MICROCLIMATE OF THE MINE

10

THE HUMAN-MADE GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN OCCUPYABLE AND EXPERIENCE-ABLE SPACE, WITH TIES TO THE COUNTRIES SECOND LARGEST INDUSTRY (NATURAL TOURISM) WITH THE ARCHITECTURE REMAINING AS AN EXHIBIT AND EDUCATIONAL BEACON TO THIS BIOREMEDIAL TRANSFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MINES AND THE WIDER INDUSTRY IN BOTSWANA

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

FORM THROUGH MATERIALITY

EXPLORING FORM THROUGH THE LOW TECH COMPOSITE OF VERNACULAR MATERIALS

MODULAR SYSTEM FOR EXPANSION JOINTS AND MOVEMENT TIMBER STRUCTURE

LIGHTWEIGHT CASSETTES / POTENTIALLY FIBROUS CEMENT COMPOSITES

GABION BASKETING / COMPRESSED STONE AGGREGATE

GABION FOOTING FOR A SATELLITING FORMATION OF STRUCTURES

HIERARCHY OF BUNCHES TO SUIT

SCALING COLUMN AND STRUT AS LOAD TRANSFERS

ARRIVAL

EXPERIENCE

OBSERVATION

SEPARATING THRESHOLDS OF PROGRAM AND USE

CREATING MOMENTS WITH STRUCTURES / OUTDOOR OCCUPYABLE SPACES

CLUSTERING STRUCTURES AROUND A CENTRAL PROGRAM SPACE

RADIAL ORIENTATION / DIVISION OF PROGRAMMATIC FUNCTION

STAGGERING PROGRAM SPACES, CREATING A DYNAMIC BETWEEN ARRIVAL AND THE MINE

UNIFORM

EXPLORING MATERIAL CONSTRAINT / TERMINAL MASS

PRIMARY STRUCTURESSUPPORTING / DISPERSING LOAD OF PROGRAM PLANES

MINE AGGREGATE / CONCRETE COMPOSITE FOOTINGS

SECONDARY STRUCTURE - AGAINST POINT LOADING TO GROUND TRANSFER

CIRCULATION

BIOREMEDIATION / WATER TREATMENT

EXPERIENCE SPACES

LEARNING / RESEARCH SPACES

CIRCULATION

BIOREMEDIATION / WATER TREATMENT

INITIAL PROGRAMMATIC MASSING STUDIES

INTERESTING THRESHOLDS OF APERTURE / EXPOSURE FROM INTERIOR THROUGH EXTERIOR

DEVELOPING MASSING STRATEGY THOUGH PROGRAM AND EXPERIENCE OF PROGRAMCONSIDERED SHORT AND LONG TERM USERS

EXPERIENCE SPACES

LEARNING / RESEARCH SPACES

CIRCULATION

BIOREMEDIATION / WATER TREATMENT

TESTING TIMBER TO-GROUND CONNECTION

CONTRASTING THE SPECTACLE OF PROGRAM AGAINST THE TIMBER / ORGANIOC QUALITIES OF THE BUNCHING

EXPLORING FOOTING / RECEIVING ELEMENTS TO AVOID POINT LOADING AND TIMBER COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND

ITERATING RECEIVING FORMS

RETAINING THE IDEA OF A MONOBEAM STRUCTURE, EXPLODED TO SPAN A GREATER AREA

TESTING SYMMETRICAL TIMBER BEAM AND POST FORM AS A PRIMARY STRUCTURE

EXPLODED COMPONENTS

DIAGRAM

SUPPORTED FLOOR PLATE PIVOTING OFF A CENTRAL MASSING ‘ANCHOR’

DEVELOPING THE IDEA OF A SUPPORTED FLOOR PLATE PIVOTING OFF A CENTRAL MASSING ‘ANCHOR’

LOOKING TO IDENTIFY A GLOBAL FORM THAT IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE MATERIAL

ITERATING BASE AND ROOF FORMS

BIOREMEDIATION

OBSERVABLE DRAMATICS OF THE HIGHLY CONTRADICTING WATER TREATMENT - TO THE ARID SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE

EXPERIENCE SPACES CIRCULATION

BIOREMEDIATION / WATER TREATMENT LEARNING / RESEARCH SPACES

APPROACH APPROACH

SPECTACLE

OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY EXPERIENCE THE FRAMED VIEW OF THE CHANGING MICROCLIMATE WITHIN THE PIT, BUT THE POSITION TO LOOK BACK WITHIN THE BUILDING

REVERTING TO MATERIAL-LED

INVESTIGATIONS AND DIRECT

CONNECTION TO THE OPEN

MATERIAL EXPRESSION AND OVERHANG

DEVELOPING THE TRUSS AS A PRIMARY STRUCTURE, WITH PROGRAMMATIC MOMENTS WEAVING BETWEEN

THRESHOLD FRAGMENT CONTEXT WITHIN WIDER STRUCTURE

CORRUGATED SHEETING / POLYCARBONATE CLADDING

THRESHOLD ATMOSPHERE / LIGHTING CONDITIONS

TESTING INTERNAL / SPACIAL CONDITIONS OF A CONTAINED TRUSS STRUCTURE

INTRODUCING A PRIMARY ACCESS TO THE PIT

UPWARD TERRAIN INTERVENTIONS

ESTABLISHING THE PRIMARY STRUCTURAL STRATEGY AND THE CONNECTIVITY OF PRGRAM / LAYOUT WITHIN

EXPRESSING THE MATERIALITY OF THE TIMBER TRUSS AS IT CONNECTS DELICATELY / HORIZONTALLY TO THE BASE

FRONT ELEVATION

COORDINATED THE NEGATIVE SPACES WITHIN THE STRUCTURE ALONG WITH THE SPACIAL REQUIREMENTS OF PROGRAM

EXPRESSIVE MATERIAL THRESHOLDS

THERMAL LINES \ PARTITIONS

DEFINING PROGRAMME SPECIFIC SPACES

EXPRESSIVE TERRAIN INTERVENTIONS

SOLAR RADIATION

BACK-DRAFT EFFECT PULLING AIR THROUGH VENTILATION ROUTES

HEATING OUTER LAYER AGITATES AIR WITHIN CAVITY FUELLING STACK EFFECT

BENEFITS OF THERMAL MASSING / EFFICIENT MATERIAL USE FOR TIMBER STRUCTURE FOOTING, AND THE DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURAL EFFECT ON THE SURROUNDING FLAT TOPOGRAPHY

DEVELOPING INTERNAL LAYOUTS / AND SPACIAL / EXPERIENTIAL CONDITIONS WITHIN THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF REMEDIATION

TESTING MATERIAL CONDITIONS OF FRAGMENT STUDY

BI-LATERALLY SYMMETRICAL STRUCTURE

BALANCED LOAD CASE FOR THE DYNAMIC / CHANGING PROGRAM SPACES (IN THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION SENSE)

ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

THE DIAGONAL BRACING WANTS TO DISPLACE VERTICALLY, AND IS OPPOSED BY THE ADJACENT BRACING, SPREADING THE LOAD CASE ACROSS THE STRUCTURE HORIZONTALLY BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO THE GROUND

NODAL CONNECTION TESTING

NODAL CONNECTION TESTING

THIS EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF LOAD MAKES USE OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE CONCEPT, AND ALLOWS FOR OPTIMIZING THE THICKNESS AND SCALE OF THE TRUSS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PROPOSAL

TAPERING STRUCTURAL SYSTEM ALIGNS WITH THE WITH THE PROJECTED LOAD REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE BUILDINGS USE / PROGRAM

EVENVERTICALLOADAPPLIED

SHEERING / DISPLACEMENT WHEN BUNCHING IS NON-LINEAR. POTENTIALLY RELYING MORE ON THE BINDING THAN THE TIMBER CARRYING THE LOAD

THRESHOLD FRAGMENT CONTEXT WITHIN WIDER STRUCTURE

EXPRESSING MATERIAL CONNECTIONS

A CLOSER ANALYSIS OF THE TIMBER TO BASE UNIONS AS DESCRIBED IN THE GLOBAL FORM AT EARLIER STAGES

STEEL RATCHET STRAPPING

STEEL RATCHET STRAPPING WITH GASKET LINING TO AVOID CUTTING INTO TIMBER ELEMENTS

USING A COMBINATION OF FRICTION INTERLOCKING, AND MECHANICAL BINDINGS TO JUNCTION BUNCHING COMPONENTS

EXTENDING THE SIZE OF THE WORKABLE MATERIAL TO EXPLORE THE CONSTRAINTS OF SCALE / SPAN LIMITATIONS

STEEL PLATING CONSTRICTS AND BRACES

TIMBER ELEMENTS WITHIN THE BUNCHES TO A UNIFORM JUNCTION APPROACH

POLYMER CANVAS STRAPPING

STEEL PLATING PROFILE

MATERIAL / COMPOSITION STRATA

THE SYMETRY OF THE ‘NESTED’ CHARACTERISTICS CARRIES THROUGHT VARIUOSE SCALES WITHIN THE PROJECT

COMPOSITE BASE BUILDUP

CORRUGATION OPTION 01

DEEP / WIDE CORRUGATED EXTRUSION, HANGING ON RAFTERS - STRAIGHT SURFACE SPAN OR MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEFORMATION

CORRUGATION OPTION 02

CONCAVE / CONVEX EXTRUSION MORE RESISTANT TO VERTICAL DEFORMATION, ALBEIT LARGER SPANS COULD BUDLE SIDE TO SIDE

CORRUGATION OPTION 03

COMPOSITE OF HANGING THE METAL EXTRUSION, WITH THE CURVATURE IN TENSION - FOR A MORE RIGID / STABLE FORM TO ACHIEVE LONGER SPANS

SELF-SUPPORTING ROOF SPANS

COMPOSITE BASE / JUNCTIONS

ENVIRONMENTAL

INTERNAL SPACIAL ELEMENTS

EXPLODED FRAGMENT ELEMENTS

TRUSS SPANS / NODES

BARRIERS

DYNAMIC MATERIAL THRESHOLD CARRYING FROM GROUND / EXTERNAL CONTEXT UP TO THE SKY-TONE REFLECTING ROOF

ALGAE POND FRAGMENT STUDY

SPATIAL / PROGRAMME COMPOSITION

TANKS

MICROCLIMATE

CIRCULATION / EXPERIENCE DRAWS

PROPAGATION / RESEARCH BAY WATER TREATMENT PLANT / ALGAE FILTERING

PROPAGATION / PLANTING BAY

MODEL

PROPAGATION / PLANTING RADIATING FROM SHADED ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION IN THE LANDSCAPE

REMEDIAL PROGRAM

PROPAGATION AND RE-WILDING RE-ESTABLISHES A TOPSOIL FOOTHOLD

OVERTIME, WHIST THE SIMULTANEOUSLY HELPING TO REMOVE / ABSORB A

NUMBER OF THE GROUND CONTAMINANTS

THE PERPETUAL APPROACH OF TREATING AND RETURNING THE WATER TO THE PIT IS A VERY MUCH LONG-TERM APPROACH TO TREATING / STABILISING IT,

HOWEVER THE IRRIGATION ON THE WAY DOWN EXCASERBATES THE GROWTH WITHIN THE SHADED SLOPES, HELPING THE FORMATION OF THRIVING MICROECOSYSTEM

TRICKLE-DOWN IRRIGATION ON SHADED SLOPES - RETURN TO RESERVOIR

EXACERBATING NATURAL GROWTH WITH IRRIGATION / PROPAGATION WITHIN THE MICROCLIMATE OF THE MINE

THE ROOF OVERHANG AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF ENCLOSURE WORK TO CREATE THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ( I.E. THERMALLY / WEATHERING ) AS WELL AS THROUGH APERTURE, USING HEAVY SHADING TO GENERATE DYNAMIC THRESHOLDS BETWEEN SPACES BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY

EXTENDED

NEGATIVE SPACE WITHIN OVERHANG

THE EXTERNAL THRESHOLD PROGRAM / OCCUPYABLE SPACES BLEED OUTWARDS INTO THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTIONAL ARCHITECTURAL NARRATIVE

DESCRIPTIVE ELEMENT BREAKDOWN

ARCHITECTURAL AND PROGRAMMATIC AXIS

CONCEPT PROPOSAL

PROJECT AXIS

CONTEXT OF FORM AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPACT ON THE DRAMATIC SITE CONDITIONS

EXPRESSING THE RELATIONSHIP OF SCALE FROM AN UPWARDS PERSPECTIVE WITHIN THE OPEN PIT

ELEVATIONAL APPROACH

IDENTIFYING THE ELEGANT HORIZONTALITY THROUGH FORM, AND THE DYNAMIC FACADE CONDITIONS OF EXPOSED TIMBER

APPROACH

DESCRIBING THE CONTRASTING OPENESS OF THE ‘ARRIVAL’ FACADE - CARRYING INTO AND THROUGH TO THE LEGNTH OF THE BUILING

PERSPECTIVE PEEL-AWWAY

PEELING BACK THE ROOF STRUCTURE TO REVEAL THE INTRICACY OF THE TIMBER BUNCHING AND INTERNAL SPACES - AS A CONTRAST TO THE SIMPLICITY OF ROOF FORM

RENDERED PLAN

CONTRASTING PROGRAM SPACES

APERTURE THRESHOLDS

USING LIGHT AS A STRONG DESCRIPTOR OF INTERNAL / EXTERNAL SPACIAL DIVIDES WITHIN KEY POINTS OF THE PROPOSAL

INHABITED STRUCTURE

SHORT SECTION

HIGHLIGHTING THE PERPENDICULAR AXIS OF THE EXPANDING / CHANGING PROGRAM CONDITIONS RELATIVE THE ARCHITECTURAL FORM

LONG SECTION

PEELING BACK AT THE DELICATE EFFECT OF ELEVATIONAL VIEWS - TO REVEAL THE MASS STRATA AS THE ‘ANCHOR’ TO THE PERCHED CANTILEVER

EVENING PERSPECTIVE

EXPRESSING THE OVERHANG AND THE ARCHITECTURE AS A VISUAL DRAW / POINT OF ARRIVAL FROM THE OTHERWISE CONSTRASTING LANDSCAPE

MIDDAY PERSPECTIVE

EXPRESSING THE OVERHANG AND THE ARCHITECTURE AS A VISUAL DRAW / POINT OF ARRIVAL FROM THE OTHERWISE CONSTRASTING LANDSCAPE

All work produced by Unit 14 Unit book design by Charlie Harriswww.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture

Copyright 2021 The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmited in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retreival system without permission in writing from the publisher.

CRAFTED HORIZONS 2024

At the center of Unit 14’s academic exploration lies Buckminster Fuller’s ideal of the ‘The Comprehensive Designer’, a master-builder that follows Renaissance principles and a holistic approach. Fuller referred to this ideal of the designer as somebody who is capable of comprehending the ‘integrateable significance’ of specialised findings and is able to realise and coordinate the commonwealth potentials of these discoveries while not disappearing into a career of expertise. Like Fuller, we are opportunists in search of new ideas and their benefits via architectural synthesis. As such Unit 14 is a test bed for exploration and innovation, examining the role of the architect in an environment of continuous change. We are in search of the new, leveraging technologies, workflows and modes of production seen in disciplines outside our own. We test ideas systematically by means of digital as well as physical drawings, models and prototypes. Our work evolves around technological speculation with a research-driven core, generating momentum through astute synthesis. Our propositions are ultimately made through the design of buildings and through the in-depth consideration of structural formation and tectonic. This, coupled with a strong research ethos, will generate new and unprecedented, one day viable and spectacular proposals. They will be beautiful because of their intelligence - extraordinary findings and the artful integration of those into architecture.

The focus of this year’s work evolves around the notion of ‘Crafted Horizons’. The term aims to highlight the architect’s fundamental agency and core competency of the profession to anticipate the future as the result of the highest degree of synthesis of the observed underlying principles. Constructional logic, spatial innovation, typological organisation, environmental and structural performance are all negotiated in a highly iterative process driven by intense architectural investigation. Through the deep understanding of constructional principles, we will generate highly developed architectural systems of unencountered intensity where spatial organisation arises as a result of sets of mutual interactions. Observation as well as re-examination of past and contemporary civilisatory developments will enable us to project near future scenarios and position ourselves as avant-garde in the process of designing a comprehensive vision for the forthcoming. The projects will take shape as research based, imaginative architectural visions driven by speculation.

Thanks to: ALA, Boele Architects, Daab Design, DaeWha Kang Design DKFS, Heatherwick, Knippershelbig, NK3, RSHP, Seth Stein Architects, ZHA, Expedition Engineering.