exhibit!08 - Yearbook 2008 by UoN - Department of Architecture and Built Environment

exhibit! 08

THE NOTTINGHAM DECLARATION

exhibit! 08 Design Yearbook School of the Built Environment University of Nottingham ISBN: 978 0 85358 246 5 Design, Layout and Edition by Guillermo Guzman Dumont Published by the School of the Built Environment, University of Nottingham Printed in England by Eight days a week printing solutions Ltd. Copyright 2008 ÂŠ School of the Built Environment, University of Nottingham. 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. The views expressed in the included articles are those of their authors and may not reflect the views of the publisher, as well as the responsibility for copyrighted content supplied for those articles. School of the Built Environment University of Nottingham University Park Nottingham NG72RD UK Tel: 44 (0)1159514184 Fax: 44 (0)115 9513159 www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe www.exhibotnottingham.com Cover images: Matthew Hayhurst Inner back cover image: Bill Chan

THE NOTTINGHAM DECLARATION

exhibit! 08 1

exhibit! 08 contents The Nottingham Declaration

Tour de Pasenville

Breathing Spaces

Treptow Crematorium

Making Architecture: Learning through materials

Towards Zero Carbon Sustainable Homes

Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate Studios

Year One Design Studio

Year Two Design Studio

Year Three Design Studio

Year Three_Unit One (Guillermo Guzman)

Year Three_Unit Two (Ulysses Sengupta)

Year Three_Unit Three (Jonathan Nichols)

Year Three_Unit Four (David Short)

Year Three_Unit Five (Nicola Gerber)

118

Year Three_Unit Six (Julie Richards)

141

Year Three_Unit Seven (Phil Watson)

158

Overseas Study Oportunities

175

Field Trips

179

Diploma in Architecture Course Overview

195

Diploma Year Five Modules

196

History & Theory Essay

203

Studio Year Six

207

Master Courses

246

Research at the SBE

248

Working with Practice and Industry

249

Diploma Student Bursary Scheme

250

Industrially Sponsored Studentship Scheme

252

School Staff

253

Exhibit! 08 event presentation

255

Exhibit Pavilion Project

256

Exhibit! 07 prizes awarded

258

Exhibit! 08 official prize list

264

Sponsors & Aknowledgements

268

The Nottingham Declaration The annual yearbook is a celebration of the work of our students. It reflects their diverse responses to the challenges of designing the built environment in today’s rapidly changing world. With an emerging global consensus on climate change, it is clear that future development of our towns and cities must be ‘sustainable’, and that architects and engineers have a huge role to play in achieving this in practice. The School recognises its responsibility in this regard, and we have taken the slogan ‘the Nottingham Declaration’ for our end of year exhibition to reflect our commitment to addressing the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability within our taught courses. This theme is also apparent in many of the prizes awarded by our sponsors to students this year. While primarily showcasing the achievements of our students, the yearbook also provides an opportunity to review some of the high points of the year, including: - In September 2007, a successful two day Symposium was held on the theme ‘Towards Zero Carbon Housing’, anticipating the Government’s commitment to all new housing being ‘zero carbon’ by 2016. - Work on the ‘Creative Energy Homes’ project has continued, and in January the BASF sponsored low carbon affordable house, designed by Derek Trowell, was opened by the Vice Chancellor Sir Colin Campbell. In February this house was the focus of a seminar at the London ‘Eco-Build’ Exhibition at Earls Court. - Also in February, Edward Cullinan (Special Professor and creator of the very successful ‘Tour De Pasenville’ design workshop in the School) was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture.

We celebrated this event through a public lecture by Ted, followed by a reception for nearly 500 students, staff, practitioners, and industry representatives. - At the end of May, the Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies at the University’s Ningbo campus in China, (designed by Mario Cucinella Architects) was opened by the Chancellor Professor Yang Fugia. This represents a significant engagement by the School in China, and is the first step in an ambitious programme of joint courses and research. - In June the School is exhibiting work by graduating students at the Bankside gallery in London. This will make their work accessible to a wider audience, and link up with colleagues and alumni based in London The School has continued to grow this year and this growth is matched by an ambition to not just maintain, but to improve standards. The University Management Board have agreed to invest in new staff appointments (including a Chair in Architecture and Tectonics, and a Chair in Sustainable Energy technologies). We have developed proposals for a ‘Creative Construction Centre’ a digital modelling and fabrication facility which will be used for teaching, research and for public outreach activities. We hope to realise this in the coming year in collaboration with our partners in industry and practice. In August I will be handing over as Head of School to Professor Tim Heath, and Professor Michael Stacey will take over as Head of Architecture. The School is in an excellent position to consolidate its international reputation for the quality of its graduates and for its research, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to teaching and research within the School. Professor Brian Ford Head of School 3

Tour de Pasenville

“Jump in and splash around!” is the ethos behind the University of Nottingham’s very successful ‘Tour de Pasenville’ project run by visiting professor Ted Cullinan of Edward Cullinan Architects, who we are delighted to say received the RIBA Gold Medal this year in recognition of his lifetime of contribution to our profession.

their hosts replied; “Nottingham.” “Nous ne comprendons pas,” said the French cyclists. “It’s easy,” said their friendly hosts; “First you say NOT which is like PAS in French; then you say ING which is like EN in French; and finally you say HAM which is Anglo Saxon for the French VILLE; NOTINHAM see, or in French PASENVILLE.

More often than not Architects are prone to procrastinate at the start of a project giving reasons such as I haven’t had time to collect all the information yet, I haven’t got a good enough idea yet, I might get it wrong or my ideas are too advanced or extreme to be released to the public yet! As an antidote to this procrastination and to encourage the students to “Jump in and splash around” the ‘Tour de Pasenville’ was born!

“In our fabulous land we have the most wonderful competition known to mankind” said the cyclists. “This competition is a cycle race called Le Tour de France and we wish to introduce you to the concept of this race.” A stoney silence followed. After a while representatives from the school approached them saying “We are more interested in becoming architects than professional racing cyclists therefore would you help us to devise an event which will help us in our perception of forms and places?” “Oui, we will” said the two cyclists. So they sat down together and devised the event to be known for all time as: Le Tour de Pasenville, and what they devised is broadly described here.

The ‘Pasenville’, as it’s affectionately know is a fast paced racing game which takes place over two days at the start of each academic year. The story behind the ‘Pasenville’ is that two French cyclists upon arriving at the School of Architecture asked “Où sommes nous?”; in English “Where are we?”; to which

The participants are the incoming first and fifth year students (known as the debutants) and the sixth year students (the Peletonistes or

trainers). Students from each year (1, 5 and 6) are evenly divided into eight racing teams. Five students from year six are also assigned the roles of Project Manager, IT Manager, Film Maker and Official Tour Photographer. Each Racing Team (of 40 students) then divides itself into five mini teams: Brief (fact finding), Draw (drawing and illustration), Form (model making), Cad (IT and CAD) and Video (movie making and still photography) and the teams devise a fantastically sparky name, such as ‘Kung Foo Fighters’ and ‘Two Left Feet’. The teams have two days in which to design an intervention for a specific client and site on campus. Previous briefs have included a Circus School and a Dance School. This year it was a Martial Arts Dojo and two Akido Masters from Sudokan Academy in Nottingham came along to demonstrate their skills and help out with the judging. The project has stages in keeping with the ‘Tour de France’. In the first stage half the team start analysing the brief and the site while the rest design and paint a team t-shirt for each team member to wear throughout the project. Stages Two and Three are all about the

evolution of the design with Stage Four bringing everything together for the final presentation. Each of the four stages are judged through the presentation of a five minute movie and assessed by a the panel on the quality of the proposals illustrated, the sheer quality of the movie making, performances of participants, humour and reality. The prize for winning a stage is not in fact the Yellow Jersey, but a coloured ribbon, with the overall winners being awarded free membership to the student run architecture society, Tongue and Groove. The ‘Pasenville’ was conceived by Ted Cullinan and developed for The University of Nottingham with input from Brian Ford, David Nicholson-Cole, Antony Wood and Liz Bromley-Smith. It’s an exciting project and an enjoyable introduction to the world of Architecture for the year 1 students. The ‘Tour de Pasenville’ was created to encourage students to “pass on the experience of the older students to new ones; to think fast, get on with it, not be afraid of failure, be brave, love architecture and to learn to ‘Jump in and splash around”. Thanks Ted – it works beautifully. Text by Liz Bromley-Smith Images by Martin Spencer 5

BREATHING SPACE Biomimetic Design in the Built Environment

Annual Research Symposium

Images supplied by the “UK-China Joint Laboratory on Biomimetics of Functional Surfaces with Fluids Interactions”, Yuying Yan (Nottingham) & Jianqiao Li (Jilin).

Wednesday 23rd April 2008 This event featured an international line-up of senior academics, engineers and designers working in the area of biomimetics - the application of biological methods, structures and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering, architecture and technology. Focussing on the possibilities for innovation in sustainable structures, environments and materials, guest speakers explored the future implications for the built environment of ‘design inspired by nature’. The event was organised jointly by Jonathan Hale and Yuying Yan and included the following contributions: Julian Vincent, Professor of Biomimetics and Director of the Centre for Biomimetic and Natural Technologies at the University of Bath, is a biologist, having spent most of his life studying the physiology of insects; but he has also investigated the mechanics of many other animals and plants. He currently holds a professorship in a department of mechanical engineering, where he studies the interface between biology and technology. His talk was entitled Biomimetics and creativity in architecture, and looked at the ways in which biology has contributed to the design and structure of buildings. It described techniques that ensure the

best use of concepts from biology and enhance the design process in general. The lecture showed some of the mechanisms and structures being introduced into buildings and show how programmed methods of thinking can enhance technology transfer and creativity. Rupert Soar, Consortium Project Manager in the Rapid Manufacturing Research Group at Loughborough University, heads the highly publicised TERMES project, featured in Sir David Attenborough’s ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ series in November 2005. Rupert’s team of international experts, within the field of entomology, simulation, construction, physiology, as well as commercial sponsors and government organisations, are performing the world’s first full 3D digital scans of the massive termite mounds located in Namibia, South

Africa. These structures hold the key to adaptive capabilities within our own homes through highly complex geometries and channels which impart homeostatic capabilities and regulation of internal mound environment to remarkably high tolerances. Having built and shipped the world’s largest slice and scanning machine to Namibia in summer 2005, the team now has a remarkable dataset from which simulation and modelling of homeostatic function is taking place. The geometric rules which emerge will then be reproduced by freeform construction machines. Youhong Sun, Professor and Vice Dean of Construction Engineering at Jilin University, China, has been leading a research group in renewable energy (solar & geothermal) applications and biomimetic design of drilling tools at Jilin Univer-

Philip Beesley: Hylozoic Soil, Montreal Beaux Arts Museum, 2007

sity since 2002. His talk was called Self-Repair: Biomimetic design of anti-wear drilling tools, and looked at biological non-smooth morphologies in the natural environment. Various superficial shapes of biological living organisms, regardless of whether they are on land, in the sea, or in the air, often have a non-smooth morphological surface which has evolved for selfrepairing and adapting to different living conditions. Such non-smooth surfaces, which have the characteristics of reducing resistance, anti-adherence, and anti-wear, have successfully been applied to reduce aerodynamic drag on aeroplane surfaces, reduce build-up on plough surfaces, etc. This talk focuses on an innovative design for a self-repairing biomimetic anti-wear drilling bit. Lars Uno Larsson is Founder and President of Swedish Biomimetics 3000. In 1988 he founded and developed Swedish Orphan International AB into an internationally recognized organization specializing in the development and distribution of orphan drugs, ie, pharmaceuticals for the treatment of rare diseases. He spoke about The V2PIO Consortium Model as an Innovation Carrier in Biomimetics. It is well recognized that working over interfaces between various organisations is a consistent challenge to accelerating new innovative technologies through to commercialisation. Swedish Biomimetics 3000® is addressing this opportunity by operating under its radical new V²PIO model, (Virtual, Venture, Philanthropic, Intersectional, Organisation) which provides a wide portfolio of business support, including financial, technical, and management functions, all through “intersectional means”. Andy McIntosh has been a Professor at the University of Leeds

for over 20 years researching into Combustion related themes and in Dec 2003 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has published papers in the areas of mathematics, energy, aeronautics, combustion, and more recently biomimetics, the latter being due to the remarkable study made of the bombardier beetle, which led to an experimental rig being built simulating the ejection mechanism. The innocuous looking bombardier beetle is one of the most remarkable creatures around. This tiny insect is endowed with a defence mechanism that would be the envy of any comic-strip superhero - it can fight off any spider, frog, ant or bird that comes too close by blasting the attacker with a powerful jet of hot, toxic fluid. Furthermore, the beetle can aim its weapon in any direction (even over its head) with pinpoint accuracy, and can reach distances of up to 20 cm with its spray. The bombardier beetle, which is rare in Europe but common in Africa, Asia and warmer parts of the US, forms its noxious spray by reacting small amounts of hydroquinone with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the catalysts catalase and peroxidase in a pair of combustion chambers in its abdomen. This exothermic reaction produces a toxic solution of benzoquinone, other chemicals and water, and heats the solution (which is mainly water) to above its boiling point. Philip Beesley is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and practices art and architecture in Toronto. Previous to entering architecture, he served apprenticeships in instrument making and machining. He maintains

an experimental practice that combines sculpture with public buildings. Past projects have focused on immersive digitally fabricated lightweight ‘textile’ structures, and the most recent work features interactive kinetic systems that use dense arrays of microprocessorcontrolled systems. His talk: Hylozoic Soil: kinetic architectures and geotextiles: focussed on recent architectural installations embedded with responsive behaviour and dynamic interaction with human occupants. The textiles in these installations have recently taken the form of interlinking matrices of mechanical components and arrays of sensors and actuators that respond to occupants moving within the environment. Seething qualities build up from intensive repetition of miniature parts. The work tends to be dominated by practical technology while at the same time poetic cadences are latent: blood, soil. The large-scale field structures offer bodily immersion and wide-flung dispersal of perception. Lightweight lattice and geodesic organizations form a structural core, employing digitally fabricated lightweight scaffolds that contain distributed interactive networks. The structures are designed at multiple scales including custom components, intermediate tessellations composed of component arrays, and hybrid structural systems.

breathing space Research Symposium

Wednesday 23rd April 2008

Biomimetic Design in the Built Environment

1:00pm – 6:00pm » School of the Built Environment » The University of Nottingham This symposium brings together senior academics, engineers and designers working in the area of biomimetics – the application of biological methods, structures and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering, architecture and technology. Focussing on the possibilities for innovation in sustainable structures, environments and materials, speakers will explore the future implications for the built environment of “design inspired by nature”. Speakers include: Professor Julian Vincent, Chair in Biomimetics, University of Bath Philip Beesley, School of Architecture, University of Waterloo, Canada Dr Richard Bonser, Centre for Biomimetics, University of Reading Dr Rupert Soar, Rapid Manufacturing Group, Loughborough University Professor Youhong Sun, Jilin University, China Lars Uno, Swedish Biomimetics 3000 Registration fee: £20 (including lunch/refreshments) To book a place please contact Ms Lyn Shaw at: lyn.shaw@nottingham.ac.uk » 0115 951 4184 http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe/

Further information on many of the above topics can be found at: http://www.biomimetics.org.uk 7

Treptow Crematorium Baumschulenweg, Berlin Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank

The crematorium as seen from the original gatehouse

The new Treptow Crematorium by German architects Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank, lies on an axis with the original 19th century gatehouse. On approach, the crematorium emerges from below the archway, through an avenue of trees to affirm its presence as a modern day monument to the transience of human life. The design of the crematorium is resonant with the assertive forms and symmetrical organisation of traditional mausoleums; however it manages to resist any association with specific religious values as it remains devoid of any figurative ornamentation. This place in which members of all faiths are welcomed to mark the transition between life and death enriches a city as culturally diverse as modern day Berlin. Spatial composition and function The Crematorium and its surrounding landscaped areas stimulate a sense of reflection and meditation, achieved through careful detailing within the programme and conEssay by Emma Matthews, 3rd year BArch student, for SCALA Magazine 8

struction of the building. This is subtly experienced from the point at which you first physically connect with the building. The low and deep structure of the concrete steps leading to the entrance doors unconsciously slows the rhythm of your walking pace and prepares you for an encounter with the contemplative spaces inside. Whether intentional or not, it is these delicate features that transform the Crematorium from a mere building into a piece of architecture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a device which informs your understanding of a place through the thoughtful articulation of its elements. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior is introduced at each front entrance door through the adjacent full height window, which offers a visual link through the vestibule to the gardens that lie behind it. From the moment that you enter the Crematorium past a slow, rumbling, sliding door youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re immediately at the heart of the building. The Vestibule can accommodate up to 1000 people and exists as a space in its own right

Vestibule space accomodates both thoughtful individuals and large groups

without any specific function but providing an opportunity for both thinking and discussion space. The lack of a formal entrance lobby and manned reception area allows you to make a discreet entrance and remain inconspicuous when visiting alone or as part of a small group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just one example of how this building successfully maintains sensitivity for the privacy of visitors who may be experiencing emotional difficulty and bereavement. Smaller rooms and ceremonial halls surround the vestibule, the largest of which is directly opposite the main entrance. These smaller rooms achieve a sense of intimacy with low ceiling heights and the diffusion of day light via mechanical louvres fronting any glazed areas. As with the rest of the building, these spaces may be booked for ceremonies by larger groups or used freely by individuals during weekdays.

Entrance steps with full height window

The two main functions of the building as a crematorium and ceremonial space are completely separated as the visitor is denied any visual contact with the bodies and ashes that remain hidden below ground level. The only subtle reminder of the furnace rooms is in the three chimneys that sit flush with the South East elevation. It seems that Schultes and Frank intend to focus our attention away from the physical reality of death Entrance steps

and towards the promise of new life and fresh beginnings. Time and being On entering the vestibule, the large vertical columns immediately establish a sense of scale with the visitor. Their vast height produces a high-contrast quality of daylight that pours into the space through a distinctive cantilever connection detail between the column tops and ceiling. This strong dialogue with the surrounding exterior environment makes visible the passage of time; a notion which is continually symbolised at various levels of scale throughout the building in the careful articulation of materials, construction detailing and the manipulation of natural daylight. The proportions of the main hall and its random arrangement of the tall columns like memorial towers successfully affords an individual a place to reflect at a distance from others and remain anonymous without feeling isolated. The acoustic performance of the main hall is enough to induce a state of recollection and an appreciation for the ephemeral as any sounds generated in this space decay slowly in their reverberation between the highly reflective concrete surfaces. The messages that are written in the piles of light sand that line the perimeter of the main hall similarly reinforce this notion when they fade as the sand shifts over time. The sand also displays the architects intention to encourage us to engage with the building on a tactile level, as the architecture arrests our senses and heightens our awareness of our place within it and by extension; our existence in the physical world. Tectonic articulation The material continuity between exterior and interior surfaces is most clearly defined in the expres-

Intimate service room with louvres for a subtle daylighting effect

The chapel layout reinforces the symmetry of the building

sion of exposed pre-cast concrete panels on both exterior and interior walls. Where a junction with glazing exists, a clean thin frame allows the glazing to appear as a thin veil between interior and exterior when compared to the thick heavyweight construction of the primary concrete structure. It may be assumed that Schultes and Frank intended this tectonic gesture to symbolise the fine boundary between life and death, with the building envelope as representative of the transition space between each state. It is in this way that our experience of form and space in the Crematorium is constantly enriched - through the deliberate articulation of material qualities within the building. The shameless expression of each

joint in the concrete panels, articulates a sense of order in conjunction with the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symmetrical floor plan which is partially responsible for the calming and settled character of the building. Conclusion This crematorium is subtle in its symbolic references, but extremely successful in creating an experience appropriate for supporting the rituals and actions associated with the passing of a life. This piece of architecture - through immaculate attention to detail on various scales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; makes us aware of our place within the physical world whilst providing a place for us to say goodbye to those who have departed it.

Making Architecture: Learning Through Materials Presented at Tectonics: Making Meaning, International conference, Technical University of Eindhoven, December 2008 by Professor Michael Stacey, RIBA, FRSA and Sheldon Brown, BArch, DipArch Designing architecture is more than problem solving, it is a creative process within which ideas can be explored, tested, realised and evaluated. The focus of this paper is the making of architecture and the poetics of construction, Fig 1. The current generation of architects and architecture students has at its disposal several millennia of constructional technology, including the fruits of the industrial revolution and the products of the inventive twentieth century. It is possible to learn form architecture and technology of all eras, to take inspiration from an eleventh century Norwegian wooden church which was crafted by hand and maintained by its local community. Every ten years the local people would ‘pitch in’ and re-tar the church to preserve its fabric, a demonstration of collective action that has become a synonym for working together, Fig 2. Timber is not inherently the most durable of materials from which to make architecture, however durability, a key aspect of sustainability, comes as much form the relationship between buildings and society as it does from our understanding of technology. It is equally relevant to take inspiration from new technology such as the friction welding of wood, a technology that appears to defy the very essence of timber, Fig 3. However technology in itself is not poetic. Aluminium can be anodized to a delightful finish on say a curtain-walling mullion or it can be used to enhance the destructive capabilities of a blast bomb. It is humankind’s decision whether to forge swords or ploughshares or supports for say a glazing system. Technology, humankinds’ knowl-

edge of how to transform matter, can be use to denude or enhance planet earth! The architectural profession is also in danger of failing the ordinary and every day, architects should be able to undertake everyday projects. There is more to architecture, be it a one off project or and every day contribution to a cityscape than pragmatic function. However too much of today’s architecture has become iconoclastic, form led and intellectually empty. This appears now to be the norm in ‘world’ architecture. There is much more to architecture than branding1. It is vital for architects today to possess a detailed knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes. This is not to suggest a new specialism, quite the opposite. In response to the breadth of material science and the potential contribution of technology to human ecology the contemporary architect needs to be sufficiently well informed and knowledgeable to collaborate with other disciplines and to be able to procure buildings wisely. Research therefore has a key role to play in the pursuit of quality and we are surprised that more practices do not collaborate with their local schools of architecture, commissioning research that will inform their practice and the quality of the built environment. We believe that in making contemporary architecture one should strive for authenticity. The potential of technology is fascinatingly finite and understanding the potential of materials and inherently their limitations and weaknesses that poetic construction can be invented. At present there is not a single architectural cannon but it is possible to strive to produce architecture that is purposeful and profoundly beautiful. The planning approval processes implemented in the twentieth century, in countries such as Britain,

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

are predicated on construction being inherently harmful. Whereas Stacey has found in a range of projects including the Boat Pavilion, Streatley, that architecture can enhance the quality of a site, in this case a semi-rural site on the banks of the Thames, which was a reputedly a Roman crossing point of the river. The completeness of the spatial composition suggests, metaphorically, that site had always expected or needed this particular building, Fig 4. Craft and industrialization The relationship between craft and industrialization is changing, moving from hand-making towards digital fabrication, with the need for mass industry and mass production in question.2 In the nineteenth century William Morris and John Ruskin articulated a dichotomy between handcraft and manufacturing industry. William Morris started his design career articled to G. E. Street, in 1856, but this lasted only a year. Graeme Shankland observes of Morris: ‘Architecture, he found, had to be done at second hand. To achieve what he sought he needed control of the whole process of design and production that first-hand experience afforded.’3 Morris did not enjoy being a remote fabricator of the built environment. He did not, however, fundamentally object to machinery as stated by Nikolaus Pevsner in Pioneers of the Modern Movement.4 Shankland notes that ‘where he could find a manufacturer prepared to take the trouble needed to achieve his own exacting standards he contracted out the work’ – Jeffery & Company, for example, printed all of his wallpaper. Morris observed in his lecture Useful Work Versus Useless Toil (1885) that ‘a manufacturer means a person who makes with his hands’.5 What Morris vehemently objected to, and dedicated his political and creative

life to opposing, was useless toil and ugliness – both of which he perceived as the normative state of late nineteenth century Britain. Digital design and digital fabrication offers the total control of the process that he sought. It is analogous to the medieval craftsman who Morris believed ‘has control over his materials, tools and time’,6 offering a route to beauty and fulfilment. Morris, like Ruskin, believed that work should be enjoyable and fulfilling. Digital design and fabrication offers the architect the potential to be the master builder or master craftsman – the direct fabricator. Repeatable craft techniques can now be used to provide a rich level of quality within an architecture that is also affordable. ‘The new fabrication equipment and tooling are, in fact, an explosion of the notion of the crafts as we understood them in the past. The extraordinary revolution in manufacturing that has come with the introduction of automation and computerized systems has not, in this country at least, touched the construction industry,’ observed Carles Vallhonrat in 1988.7 It is pertinent to note that the country he is writing about is the USA and, despite the subsequent fame of Frank Gehry, America should not be considered the primary site of the development of digitally based architecture.8 What is clear is that the development of digital architecture in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century has led to a re-engagement with the means and methods of construction and resulted in a renewed engagement with making, craft and industry. The dichotomy presented by Morris and Ruskin in the nineteenth century between handcraft and manufacturing industry no longer exists. There is in essence a convergence whereby crafts people can become

an industry of one, as Emily Campbell observes: ‘Many Designers are “industries of one” – engaged in production and sales of their own products These practitioners invent new and entrepreneurial forms of distribution, especially through the internet, eliminating agents and middle men. Maintaining the integrity of product, source and consumer continuity in a new craft which deliberately thwarts the conventional channels and media of commercial production.’9 The architect, once a remote fabricator, can now directly control the manufacturing process. Digital design and delivery can transform the working relationships in the making of architecture, placing the architect at the centre of this creative process as exemplified by my own practice’s rebuilding of Ballingdon Bridge in Suffolk. This is a project based on an explicit research methodology, which sought to reconcile the apparently conflicting demands of the brief into a realisable form and produce a trunk road bridge that would uphold the constructional heritage of this beautiful English county. The digital geometry was produced by an evolutionary process of tested design iterations, which generated a unique and site-specific geometry that fulfils the complex functional and cultural requirements, Fig 5. This project is also characterised by direct engagement with the specialist subcontractors and attention to detail, and is an example of fast construction and slow architecture, combining rapidly deployable contemporary technology and the immutable qualities of architecture. Arguably it was the professionalization of construction that distances

12 Fig 5

the participants, including architects, from the process of making architecture. Helen Castle asks the question whether ‘Can learning ever make up for the shortfall of immediate experience?’10 We would recommend from experience that immediate experience should be part of the contemporary education of architects. Edward R. Ford, in his book Details of Modern Architecture suggests that the process of specialisation within the design team had a greater influence on twentieth century architecture than prefabrication. He suggests that ‘detailing was born when craftsmanship died’ 11and it is evident that construction has been compartmentalised. Within education in Britain there has developed a false dichotomy between handcraft and academic subjects, presumably with it route in a class-based society. It is our view that craft should be considered an inventive tradition and the restrictive practices of some guilds has been over stated in the history of technological development. John Harrison, the eighteenth century carpenter, from Lincoln, England. Over his lifetime developed precision chronometers and transformed navigation - is an excellent example of a maker who developed a very sophisticated understanding of materials. Harrison is a craftsman who should be considered one of the fathers of mechanical engineering. Caroline Roux, (2007) observes ‘At their best, crafts in the twenty-first century are not trapped out on a peninsula barely connected to the creative world, but can be found at the heart of every conceivable area of creative practice’12. Twenty-first century tectonics should form part of that creative practice. The impor-

tance of direct engagement, making and learning through materials will be examined via two projects situated in the realms of teaching and practice. Design as Research: Learning Through Materials The second degree undertaken by students seeking the title of architect in the United Kingdom, which have a diversity of titles but when accredited provide exemption from RIBA Part 2,13 should in our opinion be based on rigorous postgraduate study focused on architectural research. At the University of Nottingham, the final year is focused on a thesis project which is self generated. Sheldon Brown’s starting point for his thesis entitled Learning Through Materials was dissatisfaction with the quality of much of contemporary construction and in particular the poor quality of projects that are populating many British cities under the banner of regeneration. Many of these projects can be characterised by two aspects: firstly in the initial stages no one stopped to investigate the potential of the project and site. Little or no critical thinking has been employed. Secondly this apparent thoughtlessness is often then carried through into the construction where there is little engagement with the means and methods of construction and no sense of craftsmanship either ancient or modern. Based on his own experience of construction Brown sought to demonstrate that this does not have to be the case and should not be the norm for architecture in contemporary Britain and a key starting point was the need for a reengagement and reinvigoration of craft traditions within archi-

tecture, Fig 6. The relationship between design and the need for a detailed understanding of materials and construction is explored by Brown as a body of design research focused on the construction of an Institute of Masonry in a post-industrial landscape. The programme of the institute combines scientific research into stone with direct experience of using the materials. The symbiosis facilitated by the institute emphasises an understanding of materials that only arises from direct engagement as epitomised by craft traditions. Humankind learned about materials through experimenting and working with them. In early canonical buildings the master mason acted both as architect, foreman and contractor. He performed the difficult procedures himself, from setting out to carving stone, whilst supervising the works. Masons were able to construct some of the most remarkable structures ever built, their overwhelming size combined with their appearance of lightness and fragility have led people to believe that medieval masons had some magical secret, but this was actually just an understanding of proportion, basic geometry and the material itself. Frazer (2006) notes that sophisticated geometry is not a new phenomenon. ‘The highly developed techniques of projective geometry were capable of describing any complex curvature from a Baroque vault to the hull of a 74 gun man-o’-war. And this designing and drafting skill was accompanied by a series of techniques from stereotomy to lofting thus making the transition to cut stones and curved timbers.’14 This institute combines scientific research into stone and related materials with exploration of the design techniques appropriate to

Fig 6

13 Fig 7

Fig 8

such materials and direct hands workshop experience in using the materials. The technologies within the workshops are inclusive from hand tools to digitally controlled mechanical processes. The symbiosis facilitated by this institute is ‘traditional’ techniques developed in tandem with new technologies. The depth of understanding that arises from the engagement with a material as characterised by craft traditions is extended into new technologies and new possibilities. As part of his research Brown undertook work experience as an apprentice stonemason with the National Trust at Hardwick Hall. One of his first tasks was to remove 20mm from a block of sandstone, using only hand tools, and form a new level plane. An apparently abstract task that is so characteristic of the learning of a handcraft. He undertook such tasks to engage directly with the material and crafts to be contained and forming the architecture of his project, Fig 7. At the core of the thesis is the conception of an institute as a carrier of a new architectural education and can therefore see it being part of a multi-disciplinary University School of Built Environment. Set in the valley of the Cheesden Brook, just North of Manchester, the institute is conceived of layers in a post industrial landscape; the first being from the hewn rock face that forms the rear edge of the spaces, this allowed the rock to be seen in its natural state, showing its grain and accentuating the solidity and density of this material. This layer also contains the research laboratories, buried into the landscape creating a controlled environment. The next wall is formed from ashlar stone constructed ‘traditionally’ in-

cluding relieving arches to take the weight from the crane above that runs across the wall. The relieving arches allow the openings below them to rely on stone lintels and flat arches to produce linear openings. This wall, like ancient castles, houses small rooms within it. The stone is monolithic and only used in compression. It provides the backdrop for the workshops of the institute, these workshops are the hub of the institute, the research labs and design studios all look onto or are part of the workshops, Fig 8. The outer edge of the building, which includes the digital design and digital fabrication facilities and design studios, is formed of smooth monolithic in-situ concrete with an intrinsically low U-value with slender pre-cast concrete cantilevered forms that understands and overcomes the weaknesses of masonry by using it as only aggregate bound in a cementitious matrix and reinforced with steel. This is the fundamental idea behind the project, how the making, designing and research are not isolated aspects but all combine into a greater whole and go hand in hand. As the material of the building defines its construction, the function defines its form, every room is placed specifically, engaging with ideas that inform the institute, Fig 9. Brown’s thesis is an excellent example of design as research, through his understanding of material, he has carefully researched the quality of the spaces and the appropriate method of construction via a series of study models. Unlocking the poetic potential in the project and its landscape setting. This project is based on a rig-

Fig 9

orous and intelligent exploration of the tectonic potential of stone as a setting for workers using ancient or modern crafts and technologies. Ballingdon Bridge The setting of Ballingdon Bridge as it crosses the river Stour is a wonderful combination of a water meadow that surrounds Sudbury and the listed buildings that form the village of Ballingdon and town of Sudbury. Completed in 2003, the new trunk road bridge is the first to be built in Britain with an architect leading the design team. The previous bridge, built in 1911, could not sustain 42 tonne articulated lorries and its closure would have resulted in a 35-mile diversion from the A131. The RIBA competition for a new Ballingdon Bridge was the result of public protest against the design proposed by Suffolk Highway Engineers, the local people thinking their proposal both ugly and disruptive – it would have taken 3 years to rebuild the bridge with the conventional engineering methods proposed. The rebuilding of Ballingdon Bridge was conceived by Stacey as an act of cultural continuity, which can be considered to have been the norm for architecture before the industrial revolution and is an important aspect of sustainability. There have been bridges on this site since the twelfth century and the brief called for a bridge that would last at least 120 years. Frampton (1995) discussing tradition and innovation observes ‘Unlike technoscience that regards the past as a series of obsolete moments along the ever-upward trajectory of hypothetical progress, the so-called human sciences cherish the live past as an Erlebnis that is open to

being critically reintegrated into the present.’ 15 The setting of the bridge is beautiful, viewed along the river it appeared to be a rural site, and is designated a site of special scientific interest. From Ballingdon Street, however, the bridge appears to be in an urban context. The logistical constraints of reconstruction included the need to keep the traffic flowing – achieved via a moveable bailey bridge; the safe temporary support of services; and the need to keep the river Stour flowing and unpolluted. The project was specified and constructed on a sustainable basis, the earlier bridge was recycled, and the wild life and river environment was carefully protected during the construction. It was vital to respect the ecology of the site during the construction process and in the completed project. The soffit of the new bridge incorporates bat bricks, which provide nesting sites for pipistrelle bats and a timber otter run on one bank. The bats need the darkness under the bridge whereas the otters are afraid of it, and if an otter run is not provided they will cross the road and risk becoming road kill, which is unacceptable in contemporary Britain. The landscaping of the Boathouse Hotel, was reinstated on completion, including daffodils and river irises. The materials of the new bridge were carefully selected to respond to the local context and fulfil the performance requirements of a road bridge, which combine engineering, urban design and architecture. The primary structure is formed from precast concrete, and the mix was selected to match the

limestone of All Saints, a twelfth century Norman Church. This palette of materials also included granite, stainless steel, aluminium and English Oak. Even the aggregate within the tarmac of the roadway was agreed with the planning officer. The design of the new bridge is visually calm, respecting the historic context. Designed using a research-based evolutionary technique the bridge has an everchanging and site-specific geometry, Fig 11. Ballingdon Bridge was conceived as a post-Ford and post-Egan project. John Egan’s report Rethinking Construction (1998) with its advocation of standardisation was factually out of date - the construction industry had started to engage with the use of digital fabrication to deliver non-standard or project-specific components. The precast units were manufactured by Buchan in timber moulds, which were beautifully crafted from the architect’s digital geometry. The moulds were in essence hand crafted using Jelutong (Dyera costulata) and checked with laser-cut templates. Although only a precursor of the final architecture the moulds were very beautiful forms. Buchan used a total of seventeen pattern makers and carpenters to fabricate the moulds, working to an accuracy of ±2mm. The design for Ballingdon Bridge has a gently curvilinear profile and a dynamically morphed soffit. Within this everchanging geometry no two adjacent sections are the same. It was designed using an iterative lofting technique. The geometry morphs from slice to slice. The design files were a common digital resource for the complete design team. Without this digital geometry, generated by

the architects, it would have been very difficult to realise this bridge. Ballingdon Bridge is an example of the holistic digital delivery of a project with the architect at the centre of the process. This is the opposite of the marginalisation experienced by many architects in the recent past. The balustrade was designed to be visually open so that the views of the landscape are as uninterrupted as possible. It is capable of arresting a 42 tonne truck yet appears to be an elegant pedestrian handrail, its strength being achieved by a combination of stainless steel castings, stainless steel wires and purpose made aluminium extrusions. The illuminated bollards were designed for the project to avoid the need to use lampposts on the bridge. Cased in anodised aluminium, the core of the bollards is a galvanised circular hollow steel section, which will stop cars from crossing the pavement but shear off if hit by larger vehicles. The top rail of the balustrade is a combination of extruded aluminium and English oak. This point of human contact is key to its design; to a pedestrian the vehicular safety role of the balustrade is intended to be an unseen quality. The enlarged oak walkways create a generous provision for pedestrians to enjoy the views of the river and meadows. People enjoying the river and the urban spaces of Ballingdon and Sudbury are the priority within the design of this road bridge, Fig 12. By careful study of the construction and phasing of the bridge, and extensive prefabrication, disruption to Sudbury and Ballingdon was minimised and two-way traffic on

the Bridge was maximised during reconstruction. Ballingdon Bridge is an example of fast construction yet ‘slow architecture,’ analogous to the slow food of the slow food movement. The bridge was rebuilt in 18 months and has a design life of 120 years. It is now possible to combine robust, rapidly deployable contemporary technology and the immutable qualities of architecture. Architecture made of fine ingredients designed to be purposeful, durable, savoured and enjoyed. The architect sought to uphold the rich architectural traditions and construction quality of Suffolk. Sudbury was the home of Gainsborough and the landscape of the river Stour is set in Constable country. The quality of design and the quality of thought embodied in this project represent key components for the creation of a built environment that will help to sustain human ecology. A full copy of this paper can be found in www.tectonics2007.com

1 - Jonathan Glancey, ,”Brave new welt”, (Guardian G2, 22 October 2007), p 26. In this review of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s design of BMW Welt he observes ‘In the press hand out the word “brand” is used, if I have counted rightly, no fewer than 35 times. … To woo new buyers, or to keep old ones loyal, BMW must stamp its brand into their hearts, minds and souls. BMW welt is nothing more and nothing less, than an architectural branding iron.’

9 - Emily Campbell, “Personal Touch”, (Crafts Magazine, Issue no. 200, Crafts Council, May/ June 2006) pp 54- 55.

2 - This section is a development of an article in ARQ, Vol.11, No.3/4 (Cambridge University Press), pp210-222, by Michael Stacey entitled “Searching for Excellence: Ballingdon Bridge”.

12 - Caroline Roux, ed, “Frontispiece”, (Crafts Magazine, Crafts Council, Issue 209, Dec/Nov 2007), p 3

3 - Graeme Shankland, “William Morris: Designer”, in Asa Briggs, (ed.), William Morris Selected Writings and Designs, (Penguin Books, 1962) 4 - Nikolaus Pevsner, Pioneers of the Modern Movement: from William Morris to Walter Gropius, (Faber and Faber, 1936) 5 - William Morris, “Useful Work Versus Useless Toil”, (1885) in Asa Briggs, (ed.) p.126. 6 - Ibid. 7 - Carles Vallhonrat, “Tectonics Considered: between the presence and the absence of artifice”, (Perspecta 24, Yale, 1988) pp 122-135.

10 - Helen Castle, AD Special: Design Through Making, Bob Shiel ed. (Vol 75 No.4, 2005), p 4. 11 - Edward R. Ford, The Details of Modern Architecture, Vol 1, (MIT Press 1990) p 7.

13 - The title architect is protected in British law and is conferred on successful completion of an examination in professional practice, RIBA Part 3, after an appropriate period in practice, typically a minimum of one year post RIBA Part 2. 14 - Frazer, 2006, “The Generation of Virtual Prototypes for Performance Optimization” in Kas Oosterhuis, Lukas Feireiss (eds.), The Architecture Co-Laboratory: Game set and Match II, (Episode Publishers), pp 209 15 - Kenneth Frampton, Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture, (MIT Press, 1995), p 24.

8 - Although covered by numerous publications, the recent history of the rise and use of digital design in contemporary architecture has yet to be unpicked and clearly articulated.

Fig 11

Fig 12

Towards Zero Carbon Sustainable Homes

18-19 September 2007 The two day symposium focused on the current debate on the recent shift in design culture and legislative climate reflected in a number of existing and developing low energy and zero carbon standards in the UK and Europe. Day 1 was concerned with strategic issues whereas Day 2 was a technical workshop. The results of a recently completed EC dissemination project on the wider application of the Passivhaus standard: “Passive Homes for Warm and Warming Climates” was presented and delegates received a copy of the guidance document arising from this project. The event included displays from manufacturers of components and new products that have been developed for the emerging market of energy efficient homes and gave the opportunity to visit the ‘Creative Energy Homes’ project, which is on site at the University. Topics included: - Government Legislation - Government Sustainability Agenda - Code for Sustainable Homes - Passive Housing in Europe - Passivhaus Standard for Warming Climates

The event attracted key speakers from Industry, Academia, Government and policy makers, and it was a valuable opportunity for architects, engineers, and members of the construction industry and the public sector to attend a flagship event at The University of Nottingham. Public, commercial and global research interest in the delivery of zero carbon housing has never been higher. The government promises that all new houses in 10 yrs time will be ‘Zero Carbon’. In recent months work conducted at the Institute of Sustainable Energy Technologies in The School of the Built Environment at The University of Nottingham has been reported extensively. The unique ecohouses at University Park have attracted the attention of BBC News, television and radio stations in the US and Asia, and in publications worldwide. The event focused on: - Delivery of zero carbon in housing – case studies. - The shift in design culture – latest views. - The legislative climate - UK and Europe.

Speakers: - Andrew Pindar, Polytechnic of Milan - Bill Dunster, ZED factory - Simos Yannas, Architectural Association - Steff Wright, Gusto Homes - Jon Broome, Jon Broome Architects - Ian Manders, A.C.E. - Sue Wolff, Foreman Roberts - Martin Liddament, Veetech - Jayne Lomas, English Partnership - Ben Spence, Sustainable Homes - Miles Attenborough, Faber Maunsell - Alan Simpson, MP Nottingham - Rosa Schiano-Phan, SBE UoN - Prof. Brian Ford, SBE UoN - Stephen Platt, SBE + Cambridge - Mark Gillott, SBE UoN - Barry Stickings BASF AG - Thomas Fröhlich, Internom - Mark Brinkley, Journalist - Chris Tinker, Crest Nicholson - Bill Gething, Fielden Clegg

Organising committee: Professor Brian Ford, Dr Mark Gillott, Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan  More information on the event can be obtained at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe/ confer/sustainable_homes_07/index.htm

Code for Sustainable Homes: cracks appearing Just got back from a two-day symposium run by Nottingham Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of the Built Environment. There were a number of very interesting and cogent presentations given mostly by academics, architects and materials suppliers, and unusually for an event such as this, an overall theme emerged which could perhaps be best summarised as Code for Sustainable Homes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Whoaaahh, steady on, not quite so fast. Many experienced voices expressed disquiet about the turn of events over the past twelve months, ever since the government published the Code and announced that it intended to move all new housebuilding to zero carbon by 2016. In particular the Codeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost wholesale adoption of the PassivHaus standard came in for questioning: its apparent insistence on mechanical ventilation with heat recovery came in for a lot of flack, as was its insistence on heavy and expensive triple glazing and almost excessive zeal in which it promoted airtight construction. There was a feeling that this repre-

sented a degree of over-engineering for houses in a relatively mild (and getting milder) climate, where many people still routinely sleep with their windows open. The event saw the launch of a set of different proposals for low energy housing in Mediterranean climates, but the question of whether these were more applicable to the UK than the German PassivHaus standard was left for another day. There was also a healthy debate about how best to power these post-2016 homes. The Code explicitly calls for the homes to generate renewable energy to cover their own energy requirements, but it remains unclear just where or how it can be produced. The preferred solution would seem to be onsite, but everyone agrees that many homes will be completely unsuitable for onsite production. But once you accept that the energy harvesting can move offsite, you run into all manner of problems of definition. District heating systems? Shares in windfarms? Or just buying power from a green energy supplier? All are possible, but they

are either technically challenging (CHP) or are just another version of carbon offsetting (widely derided). There was also a good deal of discussion about the water saving proposals contained in the code. The idea is that we should aim to be reducing our water use from around 150lts/day each down to just 80 lts/day at Code Level 6, the 2016 standard. That is surprisingly challenging: even if you fit every water saving device, ultra low flush toilet and lo-flow shower, you still struggle to get below a notional 100lts/day. To get right down below 80lts/day requires on site water harvesting or recycling which again was felt to be fine in principle but the thought of rolling this out into 250,000 new homes a year appears to be fanciful at best. But this is what the code demands after 2016. Published by Mark Brinkley, Journalist at: http://www.housebuildersupdate. co.uk/2007/09/code-for-sustainable-homes-cracks.html

exhibit! 08

Undergraduate Courses Barch (K100) Bachelor of Architecture Meng (K230) Architecture & Environmental Design BA (KF28) Sustainable Built Environment BA (K902) Architectural Studies Beng (K240) Architectural Environment Engineering

Barch (K100) Bachelor of Architecture

The undergraduate BArch Course is the first building block in the lifelong process of engaging with and learning about the practise of architecture. The course at Nottingham is built around a holistic approach to architectural education based on the two fundamentals of creativity and technique. At every stage the design process is informed and tested against the critical rigour of technique. The studio work, which is so fundamental to the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training, is informed at each year by the humanities modules of history and theory and the technical modules of construction, structure and environmental design, in particular sustainable design. Urban design and practice and management modules are also introduced into the process. Each student moves through the course on a trajectory. Students are increasingly able to map out their own pathway through unit-led programmes set against ARB/ RIBA criteria. Year 1 studio consists predominantly of a series of skill building and knowledge gathering short programmes. These are brought together in a final short design project at the end of each semester. All students are working to common programmes ensuring basic skills are taught and learnt. A practising or academic architect leads one of five units in the year. Year 2 studio continues the skill development programmes in se-

mester one. Working within one of six units, students follow common programmes. In the second semester programmes are unit based and led again by practising or academic architects. Students elect to work in a unit of their choice at this stage. Year 3 studio builds on the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals by allowing each to select to work in one of 6 units led by a practising architect. These units develop particular ethoses and interests and create an opportunity to work with individual students through the year. Students are, however, free to move units between Semesters. The final project in Semester 2 is seen as a rounding up of the undergraduate course by way of a major design project. Inserted within the more formal programme of each year are short sketch exercises, which allow students to free up their approach and be more experimental. Within years 2 and 3 the studio programmes are in addition infused with a series of workshop days where guest lecturers are brought in to enrich the course further. Artists, product designers, materials specialists, structural engineers, landscape architects and practising architects make contributions here. These days usually begin with a lecture followed by a studio-based workshop when appropriate.

. 20

MEng (K230) Architecture & Environmental Design

Today we have at our disposal a staggering array of systems that allow precise control to be exercised over the environment within buildings. Mechanical ventilation, refrigeration, and electric lighting are but a few of the inventions that have liberated designers from the constraints imposed by climate. No longer do building form and materials have to be painstakingly manipulated to moderate external conditions. In principle it is possible for architects to design anything they want, safe in the knowledge that mechanical systems can be relied upon to impose comfortable conditions within. Divorcing building design from climate comes at a cost however. The energy required to operate building environmental systems is responsible for the consumption of finite fuel resources and represents one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. A major challenge faced by our industry is how to design buildings that rely less on mechanical systems, yet still keep occupants healthy, comfortable and productive. It is unlikely that in the short term we will revert to purely traditional forms of architecture with their inherent passive environmental strategies. Occupant expectation demands high levels of comfort. In addition, the range of materials from which buildings may be constructed and the development

of energy efficient technologies, provide a far richer pallet for crafting solutions than was hitherto the case. Holistic design, where the building, its environmental services and its occupants are considered as a system, requires new ways of thinking and it is clear that neither architects nor engineers can continue to practice in the manner that most do today. The MEng in Architecture and Environmental Design seeks to develop some of the new interdisciplinary skills that might make a difference. The 4-year course is built upon the School’s Architecture degree, making use of the additional year of study to develop expertise in environmental design. The course is recognised by both ARB/RIBA and CIBSE. Joint accreditation provides graduates with wider career prospects. They may pursue the route to becoming professional architects by gaining industrial experience and completing the Part II and III examinations. Additionally, graduates have the opportunity to obtain chartered engineer status by successfully completing a period of appropriate experience and professional review. The course is supported by key players in the building design industry and its graduates are sought after by both architecture and engineering practices alike.

Internal Tutors: Rabah Boukhanouf, Ed Cooper, David Etheridge, Guohui Gan, Mark Gillott, Matthew Hall, Andrew Howarth, Hao Liu, Yuhong Su, Robin Wilson, Shenyi Wu, Yuying Yan, Xudong Zhao, Jie Zhu. 4th Year MEng Matthew Alvey Salim Bamakhrama Sara Bertinussen Amy Bettison Natasha Dobson Thomas Donald Keith Drury Christopher Hlaing Melanie Horbury Samie Iqbal Anthony Lee Ross McKnight Anna Menezes Bradley Moore Kathleen O’Carroll Christopher Osborne Peter Phillipps Liam Powell Harry Sculthorp Samuel Wilkinson Richard Woods

BA (KF28) Sustainable Built Environment

The BA Sustainable Built Environment is a specially designed course that deals with sustainability issues in the building sector. The development of our built environment without considering the environmental and social contexts is not sustainable. The concept of the course is to interconnect the built environment with the community and the health of the people in order to create buildings with minimal environmental impact. Creating a sustainable environment is a complex task which requires a wider range of knowledge and experience than the conventional practices, a multidisciplinary approach combining effective technologies with strong new directives on policy, market and user uptake. Therefore, the sustainable built environment is a multidisciplinary, practical subject aimed to deal with the issues of sustainability through the aspects of technology, humanities and management involved in the building development. This goal can only be achieved from the cooperation of architects, engineers, building owners and developers, for which an effective coordinator is very much needed. It is a new and high quality course which will contribute to improved sustainability by bringing together fundamentals of architectural humanities and environmental technologies. It explores renewable energy application in buildings, and highlights the social, economic and policy issues

that underpin the successful implementation of sustainable designs and technologies. This 3 year modular structured course offers modules covering: - Architectural Theory and History, - Building Energy, - Renewable Energy, - Economics, Policy and User Behaviour The final year also features studentcentred research projects, concerning the application of fundamental knowledge and skills acquired previously for assessing, planning and managing sustainable built environments. The students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to deal with the issues of sustainable development for the built environment through the training of this course. BA Sustainable Built Environment has been accredited by the Association of Building Engineers (ABE).

BA (K902) Architectural Studies

This course offers an attractive option for students who are interested in Architecture and the building industry, but do not want to follow the vocational-professional route to becoming an architect (offered by the BArch course). This undergraduate-level course thus offers a wellrounded degree which engages with a wide range of interests. The three-year course introduces at a theoretical level the humanities, sciences and technologies that influence the built environment and allows students to acquire an awareness and understanding of the issues involved with the creation, sustenance and maintenance of the built environment. This course uniquely allows students to chart a particular specialization according to their interests in light of the wide-ranging supporting services and businesses in the Architectural and Building Industry. In the first part of the course, students pursue core studies in the wider context of human settlements and environmental concerns and elect to do elective modules within the University leading to their specialization in the second part of the course. In this second part, students are able to programme their course â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;specializationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the selection of further elective modules, which eventually leads to a topic for a supervised dissertations. A selection of areas of specialisation / dissertation titles are shown on the page opposite. The Architectural Studies course

prepares students for a wide-range of employment positions in the Architectural / Building Industry and related supporting services. Graduates of this degree go on to work in industries such as planning, property and project management, estate and building development, building technology, the architectural and building press, interior design, product design, graphics and multi media, etc. Some graduates also pursue post graduate studies in a specialisation developed within the Architectural Studies course, such as urban studies, history and theory, conservation or environmental studies. Graduates may also continue on to do Law conversion courses or an MBA and with their background in Architectural Studies are able to offer a unique combination of legal, management & architectural studies skills to potential employers.

BA dissertation summaries What is the true nature of the Gothic? Dictionary definitions tell us it is concerned with the use of such features as flying buttresses, or has pointed arches and windows, high ceilings and tall, thin columns. A proliferation of books on the subject enlighten us, often in minute detail, on the evolution of the structural elements of the genre. However, the Gothic is a style so complex in meaning and experience that it seems a shame to narrow it down merely to construction and decoration. Architecture is about an entire phenomenological experience, concerned with more intangible elements such as space, light and symbolism. As an architectural style, the Gothic does not disappoint. The richness and diversity of symbolism, which underlies every part of the Gothic cathedral, and the attention paid to it by medieval architects, creates a space in which we feel transported to another world. Structure is not merely a hidden feature, intended to form the foundations for more elaborate expression, but becomes part of the experience of the whole work of art. Medieval architects pushed the boundaries of construction, to reach ever greater heights and challenge gravity. In this way, they created magnificent spaces, outside the realms of the everyday. Light, one of the most important factors of phenomenological experience, is a key component of experience in the Gothic. The qualities of both absence and presence of light in Gothic spaces creates a varied journey, with contrast playing a pivotal role in the quality of light present. The role of the stained glass window is important in the creation of a transcendental light, as the patterns on the glass disable the ability to see outside, causing the windows themselves to appear to be the source of the light. The light seems to be at the will of God and its presence is dependent upon him. Further attention to detail

is exhibited in the decorative programmes of the great cathedrals. These spaces contain a myriad of decorations, each with a symbolic meaning, no element is present arbitrarily. As they say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;God is in the detailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and in this case the saying may be taken literally. The vast facades of the cathedrals are covered in iconographic statuary and carvings, intended to be a reminder to those who enter, of the sacred importance of the space. Thus this constant bombardment from all angles enriches our experience of the holy space. Experience is not only important in Gothic cathedrals. A study of Gothic literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth century alongside that of the great cathedrals can be highly rewarding, and unearths some interesting parallels. The elements mentioned above are also integral to the experience of the literary spaces of these novels. Much of the impact of the Gothic cathedrals was intended to remove the visitor from the realm of the corporeal; the same can be said for Gothic novels. In order to transport the reader fully into the plot, and ensure they are susceptible to the fantastic events, which occur there, authors manipulated aspects of space, light and structure to enhance the experiential nature of the works. With the intention of representing the heavenly city on earth, the great Gothic cathedrals inevitably intended to elicit strong experiential responses, through the constant spiritual connotations of light, space, structure and decoration. Even to this day, the cathedrals maintain their experiential qualities and it is these, which come to define the style. The experiential nature of Gothic novels is also a defining characteristic; the works offer not only a gripping plot line, but an entire sensory experience, whereby one feels transported to another world and completely at the will of the author. by Emma Penny

The changes in the significance and role of Religious Architecture: a look at converted religious buildings and modern spaces within Christianity and Islam Religion is an unavoidable integrated part of our lives. It has been among us from the time of pagans to the first religion of Judaism. A religious building and its elements have more significant meaning then most people can appreciate. During the years of Islamic conquest, many buildings were converted into their own use and it made me wonder why and how that was possible. Surely every religious building is purpose built by its commissioner to represent its religion, and with that there incorporates elements that make the space unique to that particular religion. By converting the building, would this mean that the building is no more then a shell disconnected from the activities which it houses? Thus, the purpose of my dissertation hopes to answer the question: how significant is the architecture to its practicing religion? Focused around two main case studies of Hagia Sophia and Mezquita of Cordoba, I explore the history of how these two monumental buildings came to be. The reasons behind itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction, the atmosphere it created and the influences that affected it. We can begin to understand the significance the building was to its original building, and the identity it had imposed. These two buildings were both converted later on; Hagia Sophia from a Christian Church to a Mosque, and Mezquita of Cordoba from a mosque to a Catholic Church. Which shows conversion was a two-way situation. By analysing what was done to convert the spaces in comparison to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original counterpart, it was possible to identify the key elements that made the converted building into a

serviceable religious building. The final chapter leads onto a look at two more religious buildings but of a more contemporary style. Many people can recognize a traditional church or a cathedral from its exterior facades. However, becoming common within our modern society are those religious buildings that are iconic in their design. They stand out from their surroundings, irregular in their forms, and not easily identifiable from a glance. Theoretically, these new designs should function in the same manner. Yet, the drastic experimentation of forms will evidently create a different experience for the worshippers. What are contemporary trying to achieve? To explore and to establish whether the key elements are still present within the modern designs, I have chosen two case studies: The Church of Light by Ando and The Metropolitan Cathedral of Liverpool. These two designs are a big contrast from each other; the Church of Light is a small local cuboid church, with only light as its ornamentation, while the Metropolitan Cathedral is a massive circular planned structure with plentiful ornamentations. The difference in the two case studies will help to identify how churches have changed. Not only in the orientation of sacred space, but also how new interpretations of elements of religious significance has shaped these modern designs. And so, ends with a summary and the conclusion that on the extreme case, religion does not actually need the architecture in a sense, but can no longer be separated from it.

By Sharon Yung 25

BEng (K240) Architectural Environment Engineering

Architectural Environment Engineering is recognised as an important engineering discipline of the Building Service Industry and for many years demand for graduates in this area has outstripped supply. Architectural Environment Engineers are involved with the design of energy efficient buildings, renewable energy, green architecture, ventilation, heating & cooling, thermal insulation, lighting, acoustics, electricity and control, many or all of which are necessary in modern buildings. Architectural Environment Engineering has also diversified to meet demands for building energy management systems, fire/ smoke control, indoor air quality standards and environmental pollution control. The course aims to provide a programme that is academically stimulating and relevant to current industrial needs, to train the candidates aiming for Chartered Engineer status in the above areas as well as the associate areas including management, communication, health & safety as well as legal and environmental issues. This unique course of study provides an environment in which Building Service Engineering, Environmental and Architecture students can work alongside each other with the aim of achieving better building design and construction. The innovative and internationally leading researches carried out at the School are channelled into lectures and student projects, particularly in the area of sustainable and renewable energy tech-

nologies. The three-year full time Bachelor course of Engineering (BEng) in Architectural Environment Engineering involves the use of modern and environment friendly technologies to create comfortable and efficient indoor environments. Engineers in this field apply their skills to design energy efficient buildings incorporating renewable energy, green architecture, ventilation, heating & cooling, thermal insulation, lighting, acoustics and electrical/control systems. Environmental design for buildings is multifaceted and each project is likely to present new and often unforeseen challenges. The role of the design team is to ensure that on each occasion the client receives a building which is on time, within budget and meets the requirements of those who use it. This role has always been challenging, but never more so than now. This is largely due to much greater awareness of the impact of buildings in the global context in addition to their effect on the local environment they serve. As buildings currently account for up to 50% of all energy consumption, today architectural environment engineers will play a major role in bringing down future CO2 emissions. The course has a modular structure: Year 1 deals with fundamental subjects such as the interaction between people and the environment, computer aided design, maths, thermofluids and professional issues. Year 2 focuses on

more specialised and advanced subjects including the designs of building space heating system, airconditioning & ventilation, acoustics and lighting, introduction to renewable energy, engineering applications of IT and management studies. Year 3 is characterised by student-centred research and on design projects and optional modules which students select according to their needs and interests. The Year is concerned with the application of fundamental knowledge and skills acquired previously, to major design projects, and with development of the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design capabilities. The BEng course has been awarded the CIBSE President Award in 2005-2006 and student best achievement award in 2006-2007. The course has also received bursary supports from CIBSE Patrons, East Midlands CIBSE and leading building serve companies such as Hurley-palmer-flatt, etc. The Times Good University Guide which was published in October 2006 has ranked the BEng Architecture Environment Engineering course at the University of Nottingham as the 1st in the league table for courses in the Building category in the UK. The course has also recruited students from the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s China Ningbo campus since 2007. With its high standard and unique features, the course have drawn much attention from international candidates and has become one of the most popular engineering courses at the campus.

BEng dissertation summaries Richard Arroyo Title: Basis for the design of a Biomimetic Solar-Tracking system Abstract: This research project has the objective of evaluating the feasibility of designing a biomimetic solar-tracking system for photovoltaic solar panels. Following the research carried out on the field of biomimetic design, the photomorphogenic reactions of plants and contemporary solar-tracking technologies it was considered that a biomimetic design of this type of system was viable. Utilising the research performed it was decided that the best way to convey biomimicy into this system would be to imitate ability of certain plants to inhibit certain morphological processes until optimum light conditions are reached in order to save on their available resources. This was imitated in the solar-tracking system through the use of an additional photoelectric sensor, which measures levels of illuminance and deactivates the tracker when these readings are too low. The outcome of this research project was the creation of a basis on which to develop a prototype for this biomimetic system. Ayumi Hatakeyama Title: Optimisation of asphalt materials for solar collection Abstract: In this project, it was aimed to investigate the optimisation of the thermal properties of solar road materials using alternative aggregates and fillers. Literature reviews were carried out to study the basics of the road constructions, designs and solar roads, followed by background studies to determine the most suitable materials as the test materials for this project, therefore best materials for use in solar roads.

CEM1, a conventional grout material for road constructions, silica fume and pulverised fly ash were chosen from available high thermal conductivity materials as grout materials for this investigation. In order to quantify the effect of use of alternative materials as grout material, tests such as thermal conductivity tests and heat transfer tests were carried out. The results showed that, in most cases the density and the thermal conductivity were in linear relationship where higher density meant higher thermal conductivity for majority of the tested samples. The thermal conductivity of the samples depended highly on the grout materials, which were designed to occupy most of the air voids in the manufactured samples. The performed thermal conductivity experiment demonstrated that 4% TAV ungrouted sample and PFA grouted sample had the highest thermal conductivity, thereby stating bitumen has higher thermal conductivity than any of the chosen alternative materials for this project. The results from the heat transfer test showed that PFA grouts had favourable effect on the rate of heat transfer to the tested sample. As an alternative material to solar roads, it is preferred to have a fast heat absorption rate, and slow heat loss rate. This was seen to be achieved by the PFA grouted sample, although the curing time and the surface colour of the samples, which could be easily altered, had some effect on the results. Cara Humphreys Title: ‘The application of phase change materials to provide thermal comfort in lightweight structures’ Abstract: A large number of energy efficient houses are to be built in the UK,

and while new EU Regulations express the requirement to cut CO2 emissions from both heating and cooling of buildings, it is simultaneously imperative that they are erected quickly and constitute fully optimised thermal performance and high standards of insulation and air tightness. Lightweight materials offer the opportunity of rapid construction, however, while thermal mass is inherent in heavyweight structures such as masonry and concrete, lightweight materials such as timber and steel lack thermal mass. This, in combination with high air tightness preventing heat from escaping the building, can increase the overheating problem of lightweight structures during warmer seasons. New lightweight materials including thermal mass have therefore been explored, resulting in innovative technology such as phase change materials (PCMs) incorporated in lightweight building components. The advantage of PCM over conventional massive construction materials is that the use of PCMs in building fabric enables lightweight structures to comprise the sensible heat storage capacity of heavyweight structures, as well as the latent heat storage capacity of PCMs during the phase change. The purpose of this dissertation was to study the use of Smartboard™; a plasterboard containing Micronal® PCM in the form of paraffin wax encapsulated in microscopically small polymer spheres, developed by BASF – The Chemical Company. Through testing it was investigated how PCM can add thermal mass to a building, thus proving the advantages of Smartboard™ over conventional plasterboard. Furthermore, the effect of the Fire Regulations1 requirement of placing plasterboard on top of the Smartboard™ was investigat-

ed. And finally, the significance of night ventilation was established, through adding a fan during the cooling period of the PCM. The experiments were carried out in an environmental test chamber, where different scenarios were set up over a period of four months. The results of the experiments clearly show the latent heat storage capacity of the Smartboard™ and provide empirical evidence that the material possesses the ability to store heat energy in hot periods and release it in colder periods, hence reducing the need for both mechanical heating and cooling. The latent heat storage phase of the PCM in the Smartboard™ can be seen in the accompanying Figure, both during heating and cooling of the room, where the temperature remains constant during the melting and solidifying of the wax, though still absorbing heat. The experiments also provided evidence that the plasterboard alone lacks heat storage capacity. The testing that took place also aimed at establishing the significance of the temperature to which the room heats up to makes. By comparing the scenarios of different heating temperatures with the same room conditions to one another, it was concluded that the heating temperature makes a considerable difference to the performance of the PCM. When the room was heated to 35°C the absorbing, and especially releasing, of the latent heat was very prominent. It was also apparent that this occurs at 23°C, which is the melting or transition point of the wax. When the room was heated to 25°C on the other hand, the PCM had stored notably less heat and the temperature barely stayed constant at all during the temperature cycle.

Further findings prove that there is minimal difference in the performance of the PCM when covering it up with plasterboard. This was established for different temperature conditions as well as different ventilation conditions. If anything, it was found that the plasterboard covering the Smartboard™ can potentially prevent overheating to a larger extent than Smartboard™ alone. With night ventilation and the room heated to 25°C with Smartboard™ only, the temperature stayed at 23°C for much longer, while with both boards it reached 23°C and turned immediately, thus proving the reduced need for cooling. The effect of using a fan during the cooling process was also investigated, simulating the scenario of leaving a window open at night and hence examining the ‘night cooling’ strategy. High ventilation rates at night ensure that the air is cooler than the adjacent walls and so the stored heat in the PCM leaves the Smartboard™ by convection. The principles of the strategy were evident in the results, and the corresponding graphs visibly showed that the PCM has more effect when a fan is on during the cooling process. Essentially, thermal mass and hence PCM works best when large day-night temperature swings occur. This was expected, and successfully proved. The results were also satisfactory in enabling the conclusion that the use of PCM within lightweight building materials can decrease the need for mechanical heating and cooling and that the performance is not reduced by covering the Smartboard™ up with plasterboard.

Fatema Patel Title: PV Technology and roof-integrated Building Design Abstract This literature-based report investigates the use of renewable energy to provide energy efficiency in buildings. The main focus of renewable energy within the report is photovoltaic technology and its integration into buildings. A typical PV system consists of solar cells connected electrically to form a module. In the case of roof-mounted photovoltaics, the module would be a single roofing shingle. All of the shingles are connected together to form an array. The purpose of this array is to generate electricity by the sunrays in the form of a direct current. An inverter is used to convert this current to an alternating current. With current technological advances in the field of photovoltaics, these roofing shingles can now be integrated as part of the roofing construction. The amount of electricity created by a single PV system is based primarily on the size of the system, but the output of electricity generated depends on the geographic orientation of the building and its roof. In addition, the amount of sunlight available at the location, the tilt of the roof, orientation of the roof with respect to due south, shadowing and the temperature are various other criteria that the output will depend on. A review of case studies, particularly on Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), is included in the report as part of the research displaying the past successes of projects and its efforts in decreasing CO2 emissions. In addition to this, the report includes the recent and current status of photovoltaics in the market, the economics of PV and the impacts it has on the environment.

Saba Raeisi Title: APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INCLUDING SOLAR PV WITH CONCENTRATORS Abstract: Sun is a promising non-finishing source of energy that could have considerable effects on stabilizing the escalation of energy costs. Our energy has been supplied by the fossil fuels for over centuries; as they are more convenient to be extracted and employed. However our reliability on these sources could not last more than 60 years. Therefore clean renewable energy sources particularly high temperature heat from solar concentrators is required to supplement and eventually replace these fossil fuels. Regardless of having accepted solar power as a technical feasible form of electricity generation, efficient and cost-effective production is still a major challenge facing the industry: There are basically two approaches in collecting solar energy: 1. The flat plate and associated non-concentrating collectors 2. Concentrating collectors The flat plate collector is simply a photon absorber, converting the photon to a phoJlon (heat). A concentrating collector- on the other hand, focuses the incident flux upon a receiver that is smaller than the aperture of the -collector, thereby increasing the concentration of flux on the receiver. In this project the structure, characteristics and developments regarding to each of them has been monitored.

Elizabeth Ray Title: Phase change: materials, theory and current applications in the built environment Abstract: This research project is an exploration into phase change materials (PCMs), the theory behind them and the state of current applications within the built environment. The subject of PCMs was chosen in recognition of the awareness that needs to be raised in the development of renewable technologies to reduce the unsustainable demand on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources. The two main aims were to gain and increase knowledge on PCMs, the theory behind them and the progression of applications using PCMs up to the current situation, and also to explore a sample of PCM in order to observe and try to understand the properties of the PCM and how it affects its behaviour throughout the phase change cycle. This exploration aimed to develop the understanding of the theory behind PCMs, and so form a greater appreciation of how current applications work. In so doing, a broad evaluation of the potential for future savings of energy usage and the reduction in demand for costly peak- period energy could then be made, with suggestions for widespread use of PCM technologies on a domestic scale. The thermal energy storage of PCMs is looked at, including both sensible and latent thermal energy storage and the important properties that need to be considered when selecting a PCM for an application are discussed. The materials, availability and history of PCMs are covered, leading onto the three main applications of PC Ms within the built environment. These applications are: their use within building components, their integration into the building fabric itself and thirdly, their use in hot and cold

storage units. Specific research examples are discussed further so as to inform possible suggestions for future domestic applications. To complement the literature research and gain first hand experience of how a PCM behaves in practice, a simple experiment was devised, A sample of PCM was repeatedly heated and cooled by an electric heater and cooling coil respectively. The flow rates of the water within the copper coil were varied to see the effect on the absorption and release of heat energy to and from the. PCM, The PCM was found to absorb heat quicker with a higher flow rate, but a lower flow rate when releasing the stored heat. The explanation for these results is due to the differences between laminar and turbulent flow and also due to hysterisis. With the experience from the testing and knowledge gained from the literature review, furtherÂˇ suggestions are then made for the use of PCMs within a range of situations in a residential building. Overall, the potential for PCMs to reduce the current state of energy usage and to improve energy demand patterns is high. The experiment was successful as an exercise in grasping how exactly a PCM sample behaves during the phase change cycle. Also, the iterative process of learning how to set up an experiment, carrying out tests to find out which were the best quantities of PCM or arrangements of equipment to use were very valuable as a method of learning about PCMs. The experiment complemented the understanding gained from exploring the theory behind PCMs and so a deeper appreciation of the current and future applications was developed, The knowledge gained can definitely be used in a future career in building services engineering.

Deborah White Title: Research Project: Investigation of Dynamic Demand Control Technology with the use of Phase Change Material in a Refrigeration appliance. SUMMARY The report aimed to identify the potential implementation of using Dynamic Demand Control (DDC) technology in the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Grid and how Phase Change Material (PCM) technology could enhance this implementation. The Dynamic Demand Control (DDC) technology is an innovative solution that can be incorporated into time-flexible electrical appliances to stabilise and smooth out electrical demand fluctuations that occur daily in the National Grid. The report addressed the timeflexible electrical appliance of a domestic deep freezer refrigerator and analysed the theory of improving the thermal storage capacity of the refrigeration unit that the smoothing demand could potentially be enhanced; refrigerator on/ off cycle periods increased. Two substances, water and PCM were experimentally explored recording the effects on the internal temperature behaviour and refrigerator on/ off cycle periods with varying positions and volumes. Additionally the effect on a food substance, peas, was recorded. From this investigation it was found that by increasing the thermal storage capacity with water or PCM the on/off cycle periods of the refrigerator system did increase, with more of significant results from the PCM. If the utilisation of PCM in refrigerators across the country were executed, the concern of counter demand peaks occurring would be lowered. Therefore enhancing the Government incentives to implement DDC in refrigeration appli-

ances, subsequently reducing the requirement for the carbon dioxide intensive back up systems and additionally DDC could increase the potential of connecting renewable power to the National Grid in the UK. Xuan Ye Title: Building thermal insulation and heat transfer Abstract: Climate change has become a serious problem; the whole society is looking for ways to control the environment damage due to global warming and air pollution, and looking for renewable energies that can replace the non- renewable fossil fuels. Thermal insulation is the easiest and most effective way to save the everyday energy used in buildings. The topic of the project is building thermal insulation and heat transfer, the objectives of this project are to understand the basic theory of building insulation and heat transfer, the current situation of building thermal insulation materials and types; find out how insulation works to reduce carbon emission and ensure human comfort and further benefits. Afterward a case study would be carried out to make the research practical.

Victoria Kate Burrows BSc Architecture and Environmental Design An assessment of the current energy consumption of the UK housing stock, and their potential to achieve zero carbon, with a focus on 1930s housing This paper examines the current energy consumption of the UK housing stock and identifies a need for stringent legislation to enforce improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability, in order to meet Government targets for reductions in associated carbon dioxide emissions from the built environment. Using a University demonstration project as a Case Study, refurbishment measures are explored to determine if a typical 1930s dwelling can achieve the energy targets set in the Code for Sustainable Homes. The findings of this research have been drawn on to propose the development of incentive schemes for homeowners, including a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Code for Sustainable Existing Homesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that will allow the holistic sustainability of existing buildings to be directly compared with new-build housing.

exhibit! 08

Undergraduate Studios Year One Year Two Year Three

Year One Design Studio

The first year is a foundation and qualifying year at the University of Nottingham for both Architecture (BArch) students and Architecture and Environmental Design (MEng) students. It is a studio based module within which the fundamental principles of architectural design are taught, tested and developed through a series of design projects. The studio module is a year-long module. It runs for 25 weeks, with two full days of tutoring per week. The year is divided into six units with each unit being led by a fulltime Unit Leader, assisted by visiting practitioners, PhD students and 6th Year Diploma students (listed below). The students entering year one, each have very different sets of skills and levels of understanding related to the study of Architecture. The foundation year is designed to be a gradual process of learning and development with each project building on the project before, and designed to test the students’ skills in each of the key areas of architectural education. The academic year starts with the ‘Tour de Pasenville’ project run by visiting professor Ted Cullinan of Edward Cullinan Architects. The ‘Pasenville’ is a fast paced, action packed design project in which students from years 1, 5 and 6 work together to produce the design for a building in two days (see page ? for details). It’s an exciting project and a great introduction to the world of Architecture for year 1 students. The Studio programme comprises five stages. Stage 1 - ‘Foundation One’ is an initial 7 weeks of observation, drawing, sketching and

skills development, based on short practical exercises, culminating in a six day field study trip to Paris. Stage 2 – ‘Design Integration One’ applies and tests the skills acquired in ‘Foundation One’ in a 4 week exercise to design a ‘life-pod’, an optimal living space for a given client. Stage 3 - ‘Foundation Two’ is a further 7 weeks of skills building through 3 projects: the Construction Project (to renovate a derelict stone building), the Cad Project (learning to use computers to create 3D Cad models) and the Typologies project. Stage 4 - ‘Design Integration Two’ is the final project of the year. It is a 7-week design project which integrates all the knowledge and experience all of the previous stages, in the design of a building on the University Park Campus for Students and Staff of the University. Stage 5 - ‘The Portfolio Review’ assesses how well the students have progressed throughout the year and whether they have acquired the skills needed to pass to the second year of their course. In addition to learning the fundamental architectural principles of creating a building that responds to the needs of a specific client and a given site the studio module entitled ‘Design and Communication’ also places great emphasis on teaching students to communicate their ideas and design intentions clearly and effectively through drawings, models and verbal presentations.

Studio Leader: Liz Bromley-Smith (with Valeria Carnevale as Acting Studio Leader during semester 1) Unit 1: Liz Bromley-Smith, Dhiran Vagdia, Paul Thomas, Genine Daniels, Gayle Monaghan, Ehab Kamel, James Jeffries, Anna Davies Unit 2: Valeria Carnevale, Neil Price, Rob Scott, Jeffrey Keays, Salvador Rodriguez, Simon Chiou, Sarah Fish Unit 3: Rachel Grigor, Michael Ellis, Chris Fletcher, Lizzie Webster, Rachel Yi-Wen Wang, Martin Spenser, Gemma McConnel. Unit 4: Mark Alston, Justin Ziegler, Inga Sievert, Stephen Workman, Tom Osborne, Shishi Lin. Unit 5: John Edmonds, Yan Zhu, Michael Dahlke, Tom RidleyThompson, Amy Tang, Hannah Surl, Lois James. Unit 6: Patrizia Riganti, Ricardo Martinez, Stephen Brown, James Alison, Martin Coyne, Catherine Wilson.

The integration of taught modules within Studio plays an important role in Year one with Environmental Design, Contemporary Debates, Construction, Structures, and History of Architecture contributing to and being tested within the studio projects at various points throughout the year.

op page: projects by Li Gan and Marcus Todd

Year Two Design Studio Our theme for this year was based on the archetypal ‘house’ and it’s derivatives, from bathhouse to lighthouse, art-house to knowledgehouse. Our goals were to immerse in the complexity of the subject and discover new architectural sciences and angles of investigation. The year’s projects were sequentially programmed to allow us to always return to this core theme and to enable each student to develop a personal approach to housing. Project 1, the first and shortest, was to create a city in a day’. Project 2 asked each student to create a future vision for the redundant coalmining town of Ollerton, Nottinghamshire based on the 21st Century idea rich economy. Project 3, a house set in the West Midlands lock-making town of Willenhall, allowed exploration of spatial expression created by the architect-client dialogue. Projects 4 asked students to work in teams to re-imagine the School of Architecture cafe. Project 5 was a Unit specific brief that introduced notions of archiving, nomads, street markets, social enterprise, train spotting, landscape and concepts of time to determine an architectural programme. Each unit, examined one of six building typologies that included a contemporary factory, caravanserai, cemetery, town hall, and city / landscape additions, then tested this varied programme. All projects were injected with aspects of cyclic behavior, recycling, ecology and ethical action and reaction. Year 2 Interdisciplinary Workshops The workshop programme injected diversity into the project briefs created by the interdisciplinary practice of visiting filmmakers, artists, architects and designers. Leo Fitzmaurice Artist Leo Fitzmaurice ran a work-

shop looking at the architectural application of graphic typeset from collected copies of the Liverpool Herald. Fitzmaurice typically works on a small scale with ephemeral materials and forms and this project shared a similar approach to his latest work with consumer packaging, collected, decoded and recycled as supremacist pieces of sculpture. Advertising, consumerism and excess are the basis of Fitzmaurice’s examination of the contemporary situation of the object. Andrew Cross Self-confessed trainspotter turned artist and filmmaker, Andrew Cross, ran a workshop asking students to reveal the hidden identity and world beyond Nottingham after playing his film ‘An English Journey’. Andrew Cross’s visual journeys are simultaneously about travelling and dwelling, departures and arrivals, passing through and passing by, the near and the far, the close at hand and the distant. As viewers of his work we locate ourselves between these opposites, engaging with their inherent tensions, like a psychological equivalent to the points of intersection that dominate his transport images, where lines converge and diverge. Indeed moving between these often contradictory positions almost seems his prerequisite for living in our age of global, transnational networks whilst maintaining some sense of the local and immediate.

for granted in a typical student flat and showed the lack of evolution in kitchen and bathroom design over the last 100 years. Studio Leader Adrian Friend Unit 1 Martin Shirley assisted by Gian Luca Amadei and Mike Hudson Unit 2 Matthew Butcher assisted by Alisdair Russell and Robin Wilson Unit 3 Tony Swannell assisted by Mo Wong and Tim Hardy Unit 4 Adrian Friend assisted by Rashiid Ali and Kruti Patel Unit 5 Zoe Quick assisted by Melissa Appleton and Thomas Millar Unit 6 Bradley Starkey assisted by John Newbury and Tony Davies The work is from Le Li and is the Unit 4 Caravanserai project in Southwark.

Tom Karen Car designer Tom Karen famous for designing iconic cars such as the Scimitar GTE, Bond Bug and the Raleigh Chopper bike questioned the current housing standards and if the prefabricated housing industry could learn a thing or two from the ergonomics and production technology of the car industry. Karen’s workshop made students question what they take

Year Three Design Studio

The Year 3 Design Studio is characterized by a strong unit based organisation. A distinctive profile of each of the seven units reflects on the diversity of unit leaders and creates a wide and diverse spectrum of individual themes and methods, distinguishing the units from each other and allowing the student to choose a unit according to his/her personal interest. While the content of the studio work is determined by the practicing architect or member of staff leading each unit, while an overall organisational and review structure applies to all units. Over all the year’s structure is made of three individual projects, firstly the narrative project ‘Start with Art’, relating to literature, painting, sculpture, music or film. The second project is a shortterm project called ‘Make Matters’, which has a distinct objective, e.g. the making of an object, the production of a prototype etc. Finally ‘Without title – SO FAR’ is forming the main studio project. Within these year-wide themes each unit leader develops his or her own framework and approach. The three projects could either stand-alone or thematically relate to each other. Each unit challenges the students to define their own brief within the unit’s framework; this task of individual brief writing clearly develops the student’s contextual responsibilities and furthers individual and personal work. Project deadlines and review dates are generally identical to achieve an even rhythm within the school.

experience built architecture in its local, social, cultural and physical context and form as well as by encouraging independent research; some units have even introduced workshops with students abroad. To support the diversity and independence of the units, the unit leaders have the opportunity to invite GUEST LECTURERS and technical staff to expand the unit’s discussion; these guest lectures are open to all students. A continuous display of work within each studio space may set examples of good work, challenge the student’s ambition and allow a glimpse into each unit’s working process. An intense studio environment supports our effort to engage the students with their work. The studio space is the focus of the student’s life and communication. The principle of the INTEGRATED STUDIO is implemented through the introduction of two technical modules into the design process, Structures and Construction and Environmental Design. These modules alert the student to think laterally, introduce the concept of interdisciplinarity and define those subjects as essential elements of the creative design process.

The students are encouraged and challenged to look beyond the classroom investigating farther aspects of architecture by introducing FIELD TRIPS as a means to

Year Three_Unit One Young poets   Say whatever you want  Pick your own style   Too much blood has gone under the bridge   To still believe -I believe-  That there’s only one way to cross the road:   You can do anything in poetry.

For the final project we wanted to integrate all knowledge and experience achieved so far and concentrate our efforts in understanding the issue of the uniqueness of the project site, therefore we identified a paradigmatic case of study: the city of Habana and Cuban culture in general.

Extract from LETTERS FROM A POET WHO SLEEPS IN A CHAIR by Nicanor Parra* * Chilean Poet, known as the creator of “Anti-poetry”

The chosen name of the project: “Real Utopias” addresses the fact that this is a unique and exemplary case in the world, in which the current socio-political model imposed since the 1959’s Revolution has faced serious difficulties due to the US embargo and the fall of the soviet block, which has threaten the fragile economical and social stability and put a massive pressure to the heritage values and its rich cultural wealth.

The general theme of our studio unit is sustainability in its widest expression (integral and appropriate), focusing on contemporary society’s challenges, which are far from being resolved. We explored the conflicts and contradictions that involve dealing with the environment and society, individual freedom v/s regulations & common sense, autonomy v/s coexistence, etc. The initial project was based in the study of the contradictions between individual freedom and restrictions and regulations, autonomy and choice, specifically focused in the smoking ban in public spaces in the UK. The intervention was based in the adaptation of University halls of residence bars, in order to transform its function rather than generating the traditional solution of adding a smoking shelter to it. The second project was called autonomous co-existence, and it was aimed to generate settlements in natural reserve areas, assuming that current high urban densities will force its expansion into these areas in the near future. Inspired by the ideas of Voluntary simplicity and laws of simplicity the students developed small self sustained communities that engaged smartly with their context.

The pressure to join the world’s global trade and exchange has set a great challenge to the Cuban Society. How will they keep their beloved integrity? During a 2 week stay in Havana we tried to understand the issues that surround the Cuban reality: the embargo, the time stopped, the aging of the buildings, an identity that has been kept in spite of pressures, a particular situation that have forged a culture, a way of seeing life and projecting to the future, a future that is uncertain, but can be forecasted, with a sensible eye, an informed & creative eye.. The project: During the stay in Havana, the students focused their studies in the detection of a latent conflict, plus the identification of a potential to be exploited in both scales (urban and architectural) The specific project brief (theme and location) was driven by the aim of combining the solution of such conflict plus the enhancement of

the potential detected. The approach also had to consider the current global situation regarding the balance of power, the shortage of energy, and the global warming/ climatic change. The projects considered an Urban and Architectural intervention (Masterplan and specific building). In relation to the urban scale, the intervention wasn’t meant to be extended physically but would generate a larger impact by presence/ influence in the urban context (a landmark or a semantically relevant intervention) A real contribution to the community, proposing a new and appropriate functional typology, employing sustainable design strategies (Passive Environmental Design and Renewable energy technologies referred to two scales: the Cuban challenge towards the embargo and the global challenge towards global warming) Studio Tutors: Guillermo Guzman Dumont (unit leader) Nina Hormazabal Mark Gillott Visiting tutors: Ricardo Martinez Samuel Wilson Vivian Pashiali (6th year student) Critiques: Liss Werner Claire Moore David Senerman Catalina Yutronic Special tutors in Cuba: Dania Gonzalez Couret Anyelsis Zorrilla Mario Coyula

Project 1 (the mix, the window) This project was tackling the issue of smoking ban in the UK and how this will affect the pub culture in the UK. “the mix” is a bar in the university park campus, and the intervention was focused on “the window” to enable the interaction between smokers and non-smokers. Project 2 (Complex Simplicity) This intervention was about solving the environmental problems as simply as possible in the design process. The environmental problem was the challenge of handling waste paper and pollution, because the site is by the University of Rio de Janeiro. The proposed solution is to eliminate waste in the first place using the model of cradle to cradle and the design laws of simplicity. Project 3 (Diverse Individuality) Havana is a library with restrictions. The buildings of Havana resemble books in the library. The diverse nature of the books textures, titles, stained covers, authors, age and others overlaps with the city of Havana architectural character. Buildings and books both tell something that is truer than truth! They both tell a story! Likewise in the streets of Havana artist also have stories to tell. Therefore, this intervention is about creating a street market (feria), which places the emphasis on the artist. Highlighting his or her individual talents via a, weaved, blend of diverse individuality. MEng

Diverse Individuality

Unit 1

Salim Bamakhrama

Unit 1

Yiu Kwan Chan

forgetting the world I live my life around these people I talk to these men every day And pieces of my life are scattered on these streets I get confused under that treeI laugh with this woman, take my clothes off My will stems from these rocks The waters of nostalgia, the place I can never abandon The country belongs to us more and more every minute And life begins to flourish

axonometric

Kid, you’ve got to learn to sing Man, you’ve got to walk alone The sun comes up when night is darkest My project aims to provide the sun at the darkest night.

Shelter for the “Happiless”

axonometric

Unit 1 I want to create a streetscape within a building. It will be a place away from the dust and smell of the street, it will be protected from the cars by the facade, an open space in contrast to the long trapping streets. It will allow liveliness and diversity and will be a twentyfour hour space that allows all ages to use it. It will be free. It will take the social away from the street and

place it within the safeness of the facade. It will be simple but enjoyable, somewhere that you belong and somewhere that encourages you to contemplate, somewhere that children can play and adults can talk. It will be somewhere to go. It will be the beauty of walking beneath a canopy. It will connect with the outside horizontally, defined by the vertical fac ade that leads and defines, separating but allowing to penetrate, and be penetrated.

Amelia Eiriksson

Cultural Fragility

Unit 1

Lauren Hunt

Mercado Del Prado, La Habana, Cuba

The infrastructure and society of Havana in Cuba are both connected and fragmented. The crumbling faÃ§ades of colonial buildings which line the city are nostalgic, speaking of a difficult past, whilst construction and development provide small glimpses into a hopeful yet uncertain future. The griddednetwork system conveniently connects the city and its different districts, a platform of hectic transition for both local Cubans and tourists alike. Activity on the street unifies the social and economical happenings of Cuban life. It is a place to watch the world go by; a place to ‘hang out’, a place to live; a playground; a carnival; a stage; a market; and where one makes a living. The marketplace is not just a place of transaction; it is filled with dy-

namic colours, textures, sounds and smells. Mercado Del Prado promotes a structured and sociable working environment for local Cubans, where they can work, craft and sell their goods, which in turn provides interaction and engagement from and with tourists. The proposal enhances the connectivity of its site and homogenises the dense urban fabric of the city with the park areas to North. Mercado Del Prado’s concrete form is sympathetic to the tropical climate; internal spaces are shaded and natural ventilation is encouraged through internal bamboo walls. Externally, natural vegetation and trellis walkways shelter its occupants for a pleasant journey through the space.

Thomas Jagger

Unit 1

The final project is in Havana, buildings are evolving due to weathering. As concrete is eroded and new elements are added the essential activity and structure is exposed. The project will move and adapt to the necessities of function and climate. Concrete portals which echo the structural remnants of the surrounding buildings are used to create a landmark on the MalecÃ³n and a route through to Centro Havana, bridging the road. The building provides a space for Cubans to develop, practice and perform their own dance culture instead of portraying the stereotypes of Caribbean dance for tourists. Visitors will be drawn out of the fake tourist areas of Old Havana and into Centro Havana where the real raw beauty of the city lies. The first project of the year dealt with the change in pub culture due to the smoking ban. The project takes an existing bar and renovates it to make a social space which accommodates smokers within the new regulations. The project consists of a series of strips. These strips create a beacon and draw people to the bar like a cave in a cliff. One of these strips is an extension to the interior and the other two provide shelter and wrap around and into the ground to create intimate ‘nests’. All of the strips act as machines, naturally ventilating the indoor bar and extracting smoke from the outdoor space. The new layout requires both smokers and non smokers to go outside as the toilets are there.

Havana Dance Factory

Unit 1 Located in a highly depleted area of Centro Habana, this project consists of a vast complex dedicated to the practice of sport, aiming at providing a source of hope and national pride to the locals of Havana. Providing Olympic-standard training facilities for a variety of sports, the project aims at supplying local schools with an expansive infrastructure for physical education as well as the opportunity to develop the talent of young athletes.

Encouraging children to practice sports not only as an academic requirement but also as a social and recreational activity, the complex is to expose the benefits of sports as a means for a healthy lifestyle, as well as a great opportunity for social distinction. Through the integration of an urban square into the main building structure, the project shall provide a unique relationship between the athletes and the general public, providing an extensive approachability yet ensuring the comfort and safety of the athletes.

Anna Carolina Menezes MEng

Sports Training Complex in Centro Havana, Cuba

Unit 1

Balveer Mankia

Cuba is a country exposed in so many aspects but an illusion remains in society. Free public expression is very much restricted and a sense of belonging between people and their architecture is non-existent. Through revealing these hidden elements in society my project will instigate an inversion of power and ownership within the city of Havana. I am creating an evolving public gallery of free expression. The design generates an extension of the public realm and a ‘blank canvas’ for society to mark, both visually and aurally. The frustrations and contained thoughts of the people can finally be set free in a new

revolution. Its location bridges the social divide between tourists and locals, and forms a new landmark for the city. The public artwork produced is continually recorded and then projected within abandoned buildings across the city. These visual and acoustic installations transform the entire city into a gallery for its people’s artwork. Derelict spaces evolve into vibrant public places, engrained with culture and politics. A foresight into the future is always seen in relation to a memory of the past. To engage with the city’s forgotten architecture is to understand its society’s forgotten messages.

Gallery of Lost Souls

Unit 1 Cuba is unique in many aspects: culturally, economically and socially, yet in my mind there is one factor that connects it. It seems to exist in this balance, void or tension between contrasting elements. It exists around fragmented connections, both in a social and physical context: a link or a relationship. Disintergrated transport systems, diffused communication

links alongside seperated famillies and social divides.My series of links and interventtions across the site fill the void or cut the tension between these intertwined, yet parallel physical and social boundaries. And, like a ripple what intervention happens on the local scale can have a larger effect, as Casto himself states Cuban architecture is its traditional link to the rest of the world

Urban Stitching

Laura Spence 48

Unit 1 Peeling back the layers of history allows us to learn the original uses of the voids between architecture. Cubans occupied these spaces as a place for social interaction and in most cases it was in the form of a bar, where they could relax and watch the world pass. The intent is to revive the site back to its original purpose of a social core, using the agricultural and social history of Cuba to influence the building function. Additionally, allowing barriers between horizontal and vertical activity to be broken by merging the boundary between internal

and external spaces. It will create a place of discovery where the structure grows to reveal the layers which build up to educate the Cubans of the processes of the past. This will provide an opportunity for the Cubans to interact with the tourists and show them the ・€・inner beauty・€・ and history of Cuba which they cannot experience by themselves. Alongside regenerating the space, it will be a process of discovering the layers underneath revealing the perfection of the past.

Nisha Vekaria

The Beauty Of The Forgotton Space

Unit 1

Kitti Wong

The Haven

Architecture is a vital penetration of a multi-layered, mysterious and structured reality. It is no longer a 2D expression but becoming experience of corporeal and spatial realityÂŚ this building â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, aims to emphasise this bodily experience, by allowing the user to identify and orientate himself in that space and creating understanding and meaning with the environment. The Haven is built for the residents of Central Habana, it aims to provide a safe learning environment for the young and a peaceful getaway escape for those who want to take a step back from their busy lives.

This retreat/oasis features reading rooms, which encourages silence and the reflection of the mind, aspiring and highlighting spiritual thoughts. It also features a gallery and exhibition space displaying the works of the local artists in Cuba. During holidays and the weekend, main courtyard space is used as a performance stage, providing evening entertainment for local families or tourist who want to experience true Cuban culture and traditions. The minimalist qualities give the building a sense of monumentality. Light plays a large role in the building, each room features a different function, and each defined by the quality of light that passes through the space.

Unit 1

Ka Yi Cheung Separation between Cubans and tourists leads Cubansâ€™ desire to acquire new information and communication. Cuban always stay outside their door, because there is lack of free social and communal spaces in Havana. They are used to gather under shade only. This project aims at bringing two communities together and interacts with each other. Shadow is used to be the tool to achieve interactive communication. Shadows affect human behaviours, affect human activities, and thus define spaces. Three spaces are dinfined by different qualities of shadows: 1)dancing spaces; 2)circulation spaces and 3) service spaces. Different shadow intensity leads to different people response, and eventually enhance the interactive communication.

Collage of programs

INTERArchTIVE spaces to enhance interactive communication abstract proposed design 51

Ross McKnight

Unit 1

Project Description: People in Cuba are incredibly passionate about sport. In Havana there are children playing sports in the street on every corner; yet there are almost no facilities dedicated to practicing sports. Looking across the entire top level of the site

Cuba also has a great history in professional and amateur sports, predominantly in the Olympic games. Again, this passion and the achievements of the people are not recognised and celebrated enough. The aim of this project is to give the local people a place to practice sports, learn about their country’s history of sport and dream about their possible future in sport. The site is located in the heart of a predominantly residential area of Havana. The project includes baseball, basketball and football facilities, an exhibition of sporting memorabilia and two view points.

Bridges overlook all the sports areas on the site

MEng

Hop Skip Jump

The ‘showcourt’ in use at night creates a landmark 52

Unit 1

Charlotte Freeman

Proposal for a Vertical Plaza

I aim to create a vertical plaza for the people of Havana, which will address the need for ‘safe’ social spaces in the centre of the city. Most plazas are situated in Habana Vieja, and are intended for tourists, with stalls, entertainers and beggars. Such plazas do not reflect the reality of Havana, becoming tourist ‘safe’ zones.Local plazas are few and far between, mostly in Centro Havana and Vedado. Sited between busy roads, they feature only benches, walls, and trees which provide shade. However, it is obvious that such spaces are valued within the community; they are always filled with families, or groups of friends, dancing, singing or just watching the world go by.Also, there are no playground facilities for children, and the streets

become their play area. They use objects such as turned over bins to create music, and roads as football pitches. The older generation can only look on from balconies above, creating a social hierarchy within the city’s structure.The proposal needs to be welcoming and fresh, and it is important to consider how this will be achieved. Climatic changes can be quite severe, with clear sunny days followed by those of intense rain. It is these climatic changes that can draw people into the building. Using the movement of air, spaces can be manipulated. Air can transform circulation, carrying the sounds of music, laughter and chatter with it, bringing happiness and tranquility

Unit 1

Chris Hlaing It all started with a neglected building. A building that either no one cared about or had been forgotten completely. Neglect is something that repeats and recurrs all over Havana. It is apparent, not only in the state of the structures, but also the people. It seems that the people of Havana are missing something that they yearn, something that provides inspiration, ambition and excitement. Focusing on this neglected building can seem a negative approach to providing something for the local people. However, this act of neglect has solely presented an opportunity through nothing short of an accident. Nature has wrapped her arms around that which needs care, offering a completely organic aide, and it is this natural occurence that has turned a negative aspect into a positive neglect. This, in turn, has sparked inspiration through the very element which started this process This project will take direct inspiration and precedent from the concept of growth, which is needless to say a fundamental part of this object. The intervention that is to be integrated with the existing structure will appear to grow from the ground, just as the vines and plants that have consumed the scaffolding that supports the building envelope. The design will explore all aspects of natural growth, looking at the upward, downward and outward movement. MEng

A Positive Neglect Inspired by Growth

The Site

Plans and Sections

Unit 1

Marcus Andren

A Call to Existence

This project is concerned with providing an escape for Cubans out of their everydayness. This is achieved through the transcendental power of poetry and music, temporarily allowing the listener to become part of a unified really projected unto them, allowing a shared experience and vision to drive their need and desire for change. Nature has been introduced into the building in various ways to illuminate and ventilate, but also to act as a reminder of ones temporality and exaggerate escape into a poetic alternate reality.

Unit 1

Robert Streather

Design model

The intervention aims to re-establish a balanced social dynamic within Havana, exploring the potential of the plaza to become the new contemporary urban centre. Its role as a unique urban space within the dense fabric of Havana allows for a great diversity of activities such as memory, leisure, education, culture and social. It is a type of ‘playground’ where participants can congregate without fear of reprisal, and an attractive destination for the tourists and locals alike that they can transiently share. It combines various public and private programs in a series of radically different environments, open versus enclosed, sun-seeking versus shadow-rich, and integrates infrastructure, landscape and recreational facilities. Its mixed use character will initiate a dynamic development for culture in the heart of Havana, attempting to revitalise the area and define a new relationship between the historical and contemporary city. I have re-invented the community centre and created environments dedicated to learning and â€˜playâ€™. It is essentially a new social hub, a place for meeting and exchange, to be enjoyed by all people, all ages and all creeds, one that encourages playâ’ and thus any form becomes an impromptu performance for passersby and where the journey tells a story of the current condition of the community and its endeavours.

PlayScape

Unit 1

Matthew Bishop

Central Havana is the most densely populated district in the Caribbean. Its people live in poverty, packed into old, decrepit and deteriorating buildings. My project aims to provide for the local community, who have been over-looked by the government in its aims to pander and facilitate the tourist trade. Within the district there is a severe lack of free or green space. However, the historical architecture of the district is extensively flat roofed, providing ample opportunity to utilize rooftop space. Increased housing, open green space and a community centre will dramatically enhance living conditions in Central Havana. This vertical expansion, combined with integrated public and personal areas, will significantly improve the local environment, whilst relieving the prevailing housing density problem. The provision of a community centre within this project will further enhance local participation, public ownership and civic pride. My intervention will maximise the potential of the rooftops, creating a much needed community focused space, right on their doorstep.

Las Azoteas

Unit 1

Cultural Framework

Sam Holt

The void left by a neglected building in central Havana has been transformed into a cultural centre for public enjoyment. Considering the ecological delicacy that has engulfed the site during its dereliction the project uses the space whilst maintaining the shell of the building which occupied the site previously. The project was based on observations of the streetscapes and cultural life of Havana as well as the evident structural and environ-

mental system existing on the site. The building considers the conversation between solids and voids, public and private, and internal and external and the elevated nature of the private areas allow public life on the street to filter into the centre. The project concentrates on experiential qualities, especially touch, sound and vision, to transform the rawness and massive scale of the existing construction into a very human space.

Year Three_Unit Two With a diverse range of skills (from Digital Technologies to Urban Design) between the tutors and a wide background in the built environment ranging from designer shops to city regeneration, we like to think of ourselves as a laboratory developing a series of techniques to explore the most complex of real world situations i.e. urban territories. We attempt to use a series of open ended techniques and processes to explore, map and react to the opportunities within complex urban flux territories as they disperse and recombine over time. A method of abstraction and reassociation is developed through the year. Abstraction formulates the link between space, time, culture and experience. We explore spatiality as the interface between meaning and culture/society without the need to lightly borrow symbols borrowed from Art, Philosophy or Language. Space becomes the material that shapes Experience. We propose an Architecture that responds to discovered tangencies. An emergent Architecture that is the result of an open ended rule based process that leads from a large complex context, through rigorous development, to a proposal that has the potential of having Meaning.

A HEIGHTENED EXPERIENCE (a ‘temporal’ public space) The concepts of space, perception and experience are the Architects palette. More direct than the theoretical and more immediate than the conceptual – shape, volume, material and movement – are what we control. Light, dark, contrast, ambiguity and memory are the references we use. Students were asked to explore the possibility of enhancing the experience of space by making a ‘transient’ domain that members of the public will want to enter, explore and experience. FLUX TERRITORIES (3 Scales, 1 Min) “Environments include patterns ‘lines of force’ – meanings!”, Ponty Time and Space have an interdependent relationship, and with the constantly advancing speed of communication and motion, complex situations can be studied and organised through the use of networks, events, program and accident. Animation Software like MAYA, originally developed for special effects has allowed designers to directly experiment with rule based design set against a time line. Students were asked to explore time based design methods

through the use of MAYA and VIDEO (real world film), manipulating and animating objects, events and territories at 3 scales, culminating in a produced and edited minute of screen time. MEGA-CITY vs IDENTITY (Territory, Architecture, Culture) Investigating and interrogating a layered unknown context – Istanbul – using processes of abstraction and by developing personal externally referential techniques and ending with Architecture. Students were asked to show the ability to a start a dialogue within the context of a new site. To be able to propose interventions that react spatially and sociologically with consideration for History, Geography, Culture, Sustainability and an understanding of related Wider Global Issues. They were asked find their own sites within a wider study area, develop their own briefs and to design experience within the context of a city.

The Unit Tutors are: Ulysses Sengupta Laszlo Fecske Luke Olsen Additional specific tutors are: Thilo Aschmutat Anurag Verma Henning Klattenhoff Rutger Snoek

The sense of culture and community within Istanbul is undeniably strong, especially within the older community; their society is defined by their kinship, religion and nationalism. The younger generation is beginning to diverge from this ethos, creating a gap between the two generations. As the younger generation grows, out numbering the older, there is a danger that the latter may become neglected. The older community are fearful and intimidated by the progressive changes to their ancestral land, they need to be made aware of the positive attributes of change whilst still keeping the fundamentals of their culture alive; Proving change to be exciting rather than unnerving. My architecture aims to create a connection that will help to exchange information and lifestyle ideologies; helping the community to feed off one another, growing in both directions. The design will depict the story of land torn between two worlds, excelling as a united front.

Project 3: Istanbul, Cultural Exchange Centre

Project 2: Flux Territories, Maya Movie Poster

ISTANBUL- Cultural Exchange Centre

Unit 2

Anseela Ali

Unit 2

Blackpool Archive

Blackpool Archive Internal View

Robert Buhler

Istanbul

Blackpool Archive View

1:1 Built Public Installation

The great mystery of artistic impact is that a fragment is capable of representing the whole.

Animation Storyboard

Unit 2

Urban Interface

Balloon Shelter Project One - “Balloon Shelter” Spatiality shifts through interaction on both sides of the balloon wall, a tension created by removing balloons from the structure. The shelter retains a playful language in both the daytime when it invites intrigue and at nighttime when it becomes a glowing element. Project Two - “Walk in Progress” The scales of territory, space and object are explored in a 3 minute movie which draws inspiration from Edwin A. Abbott’ novel “Flatlands”. The protagonist enters a world in flux from the two dimensional through to the fourth dimensional which only becomes apparent to the viewer by the constant change of scale. The seer and seen share this spatial journey which ultimately culminates in a collective experience. Project Three - “Urban Interface” The district of Cibali, Istanbul has evolved from a central part of the old city to a peripheral part of the new city. Urban migration out of this neighbourhood can best be traced by the varying levels of erosion to the tangible edge which sits astride old and new, the ancient wall of Constantinople. The project aims to interpret an interface between the member groups of the area by using an old piece of the city to unite people together in a city defined by division.

James Byles

Walk In Progress

Urban Interface 63

A uniting promenade allows vistas of city and sea

Unit 2

Wall and Sea

Istanbul is a city of contrast. This site and programme reflects the fusion of cultures and experiences that change be found easily throughout the city. The site lies in the heart of ‘local’ Istanbul, besides an ancient mosque and having a view of the sun saturated sea. This provides a unique opportunity to explore ‘distinctions’ and ‘links’. The building is a complex of shops, apartments and hotel. The segments are all distinct from each other, but united by a promenade that allows framed vistas of the city and the sea.

Arham Daoudi 64

A complex of shops, apartments and hotel

Investigating changing space over time

Natasha Dobson

Waterfront_ISTANBUL

A new waterfront intervention has been developed responding to and enhancing the existing site characteristics; a transitionary, rigidly disjointed yet busy nodal point upon entering the commercial side of the city. The architectural proposal seeks to engage locals, tourists, commuters young and old with the waterfront by creating a natural extension to the city. A ferry terminal link creates the main volume interwoven with a shopping promenade, restaurant space, open-air cinema and recreational sports court. The sense of water is resonated through the building both through environmental strategies making use of water evaporation to provide freshly cooled space, and a flowing roof structure aims to accentuate the a water sensation, draping down at points of entrance or exit.

Flux Territories

MEng

waterfront_ ISTANBUL

Istanbul Navigations 65

Unit 2

The complex urban situations and social conditions of Istanbul were explored and mapped through a variety of media stimulating a new understanding of the city.

Unit 2 Prodi’gium

Historic Gateway

“Uncontrollable” Space Through the creation of a transient domain we sought to manifest mayhem through a structural movement independent of public interaction. The structural elements consisted of a piece of resistant cloth, which was floated by balancing balloons filled with air and water. Its exposure to air changes created changes in the overall structural relationships. Prodi’gium The gods have provided men with an indication of a future event, good or evil. We travel through distinct spatial phenomena where relationships between time and space are manipulated and abstracted with

“Uncontrollable” Space

qualities from the real world. We succumb to a state of flux, weaving in and out of dimensions, with our only constant being the trainers we walk with. Historic Gateway A transport hub for commuters coming into a historic part of Istanbul, with the Metro, Tram, Bus links and a huge highway junction. The close proximity of three mosques, a varied and distinct topology of raised motor-ways and underground bazaars create a meeting of different socioeconomic backgrounds. A gateway will rise above the chaotic skyline through verticality and speed, creating distinction and appreciation.

Steven Hektor

Three Blind Mice

Unit 2

Long section showing underground auditorium

Site strategy - redefining facade, sunken mass

A new arts hub for Istanbul, on a steep linear site acting as a junction between a successful public realm and dilapidated housing. The proposed building is intended to be permeable to the public and to penetrate its enlivening influence into the surrounding abandoned areas. The building acts as a defining but permeable facade for the outdoor space behind it (a rare retreat in Istanbul), and plays its part in recording the rapid changes of Istanbul as they are instilled in the arts of the pupils and performances. The theatre experience is influenced by the descent down into the earth through a â&#x20AC;&#x153;vertical

foyerâ&#x20AC;? carved into the existing landscape. Layers of creative spaces (drama, dance, art) stack above a sunken auditorium. The creative products are then made available to the public in integrated display spaces - artwork is displayed in public galleries, performance in the auditorium. The theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flytower defines a void through the upper floors and its facades can be opened and closed to reflect or admit light into the atrium and surrounding spaces, or onto the stage for daylit performances.

Underground carving form

Lizbeth Hicks

Istanbul Beyoglu Arts Hub

Unit 2

Regenerated Garden Courtyard Behind The Building

Duplex Internal View

Johnny Kamolvisit

Mix-Use In Urban Context

Aerial View

Project 2 - Flux Territories

Creating a piece of architecture in the dense urban context of Istanbul on the busy high street leading up to Taksim square. A fusion between retailers, theatre, residential duplexes and a regenerated old garden courtyard is located next to an old classical building. The existing site consists of a ground floor occupied by retailers, an abandoned residential tower block above, and an unused hidden garden courtyard to the rear. The aim of this project is to establish a building with a mixed use by locals and tourists, as well as having the only entertainment attraction, in the area; a theatre. The residential units on the top floor have views which overlook the Golden Horn harbour; the Asian side of Istanbul and the old part of the city. Also,

to create a relaxing/peaceful environment; a garden cafe, so people can escape from the chaos of the high street. The building consists of two main segments, the bottom 4 floors are commercial and the top 5 floors are residential. Within the residential part, a tree is planted in the middle of the courtyard creating an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oasisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 20m above ground. The general shape of the building is 2 boxes stacked vertically; with the commercial segment facing the high street and the residential facing the Golden Horn harbour.

Project One - The Finished Construction

Project One - Construction Details

Project One - ‘Vulnerability’ The 1:1 intervention creates a spatial quality that, when experienced, explores and manipulates the feeling of vulnerability. The intervention’s exterior provokes a feeling of unease as the visitor questions the structural integrity of the space. The heavy, black mass supported by the seemingly lighter and smaller three legs evokes a sense of vulnerability when crawling through the small opening. The negative space of the interior provides a confined, contemplative space, personal and removed from the city centre. Project Two - ‘Doors Closing’ A short film combining real life video footage with Maya particle fields. Using Maya as a scale-less tool, 3 phenomena were identified within an unregulated, animated chaos: schism, reflex and enclosure. These were then translated and explored through the film. ‘Doors Closing’ tells the tale of the protagonist’s journey in a lift that transports him to different spaces, different times, other worlds. Project Three - ‘Market & Urban Park, Istanbul’ Using the analytical techniques developed in Project Two, a brief was developed that addresses the need to turn a disused central space in a residential area of Istanbul to a new heart for the community. A mixeduse development consisting of a market and an urban park takes the form of two ribbons that take separate routes of participant and observer.

Project Two - ‘Doors Closing’

Project Three - Massing and Development

Time. Architecture.

Unit 2

Yashin Kemal

Unit 2

Long Section

The Vefa region of Istanbul should be an area of vitality and an area seen as great importance within the city. The site is a major interface between retail and residential, resourceful amenities and run-down corner shops, young students and the withdrawn elderly, historical beauty and modern construction sites. It’s a region segregated from the rest of Istanbul, bounded by university buildings and two mosques. There’s a clear boundary between the vitality of the student life and the stale provisions for the local residents. This should be an area of great social networking, when in fact it’s a large unsafe building site struggling for an identity. By proposing a spatial stitch, the fragmented parts of the site are connected back together through the use of industrial workshops, night schools and galleries. It provides the students with new nonacademic skills, and provides the employment opportunities for the

older uneducated generation. There are two main routes through the building, starting with production in the workshops, drawn towards display in the higher galleries. The two routes cross in the heart of the building, marked with a coffee bar. The stitch weaves around the existing buildings, having direct connections with an architect’s office, art gallery and university buildings. The industrial spatial stitch essentially brings identity and animation to the region.

Jessica Kirby

Two stitch routes through the building

Spacial Stitches

Industrial Spatial Stitch

Karakoy Fishmarket/Ferry Hub, Istanbul

Karakoy Fishmarket

Ferry Station on apporach

Project1: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Uncontrolable Spaceâ&#x20AC;?

Martin LeowClifford

On the 10th of January, I along with others, embarked on a field study to Istanbul. The brief we were set encouraged us to produce findings that would enable us to propose interventians that would react with sites both spatially and sociologically.

tradition from 4am to 4pm. And on its heels is the smallest of ferry stops, yet one of the busiest on the coast of the Golden Horn.

Karakoy Fishmarket/ Ferry Station, Istanbul

Just to the side of Galata Bridge (a bridge that links the historic side of European Istanbul to the more commercial side) is a small strip of fishmarket stalls.

My design explores the future of the ferry stations in Istanbul, and how they have the potential to be more than just a get on/get off system. It also envelopes the existing fishmarket allowing it to become a city known system where everyone will be able to see its availability.

Selling fish from fishermen both on the bridge itself and out at sea, it is a simple place of community and

Unit 2

Reinhabiting the Wall

Project 1 - Disorientating Space A physical space that disorientates the occupier gravitationally and visually. Project 2 - Extraction A short film extracting the movements of lizards and crickets into an urban context confusing the views sense of scale. Project 3 - Istanbul A contemplative space along the old Byzantine Sea Walls, with the aim to inspire creativity and thought in a site which is inspiring but currently overwhelmed by the rush of traffic. The sea walls run along the whole of the east side of Istanbulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic peninsula, separated from the rest of the city by the palace and railway behind and separated from the waterfront by a main road. My project aims to bring people back to the walls by renewing them and reviving them with the addition of new to old, creating a playful contrast of materiality and scale, touching and wrapping around the walls gently. Some of the new spaces are strong and bold while others hide behind in secrecy bringing people over, under and into the ancient wall.

Disorientation

New Scheme Design

Extraction Video

Sinead McAteer 72

Existing Wall

Through the barrier

Opportunities and Constraints

My site is the Old Street (Ordu caddesi, which divides the historic peninsula of Istanbul into two) and its surroundings. The two significant public spaces on the site are the Old street and the Bayezid Square. In past, Kulliye were extensively used by the public for commercial assemblies and various events. Historical significance of the old street lies in the fact that it was the only main street that lead to the Hagia sophia and also the only straight street amongst the irregular winding alleys of the Islamic street system. Today in Istanbul’s modern society, people have lost the roots of their former tradition in terms of how the public spaces were used. They seem to be proud of their city; however the younger generation do not appreciate the importance of the city’s historical elements. Women in the city generally stay at home and do not spend much time outside. There is a lack of functional public spaces especially for women, old men and families. The city needs a place where people can socialise and value the gem stones of their city. My innovation strategy is to redevelop the Bayezid Square and the Old Street by designing a building that is usable by all the different groups of city’s population. The main aim of the project is to create a Permeable Barrier that clarifies the relationship between the street and the square and offers a comfortable environment for the people of Istanbul.

A Permeable Barrier

A Permeable Barrier 73

Unit 2

Priyanka Nagpal

Floor plan for turkish baths

Unit 2

Public Baths Istanbul

Section

Cone

Sash Reading 74

Flux Territories

Unit 2 Interior planes of “winter” school

Investigations within the historic peninsula of Istanbul, focused on views, framing views, and watching people and their movements within their context. Within a disjointed community I have looked at changing perceptions, creating views and creating a neutral public space. Through the notion of observing movements and opening up views, I proposed a fashion campus on the borders of this residential area. The campus is designed to be a landmark within the community, a

space which stands apart from the dense and disorganized buildings which surrounds it. Two buildings are created, each capturing elements of the fashion seasons Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer; one heavy, solid and inward facing, the other light, translucent and outward facing. Completely raising the buildings up from ground level allows free flow and gathering of the general public below, and creates a shaded plaza. Investigations into facades and skins influenced

by high fashion were carried out. These material inspired skins both reveal and conceal the buildings, creating an alluring shelter for the space within. “Both fashion and Architecture are based on the human body and on ideas of space, volume and movement. Each functions as shelter or wrapping for the body - a mediating layer between the body and the environment - and can express personal, social and cultural identity” - Skin + Bones.

Sarah Touzeau

Kirazli Fashion Campus, Istanbul Project 2 - Movie Poster for Maya animation

Unit 2

Pui Chung Wong

Vulnerability

Group project with Yashin Kemal.In the very heart of the busy Nottingham city centre, this project aims to provide a space which delivers a feeling very different from what the surrounding suggests - a feeling of vulnerability.Standing on three legs, the only entrance to the giant box is on the side of which it will seemingly fall towards. It takes some bravery to discover the relatively tranquil space inside.

Will YatesJohnson PROJECT 1, a group project, involved the design and creation of a 1:1 instillation in Nottingham town centre for a day in order to communicate one specific spatial quality, in this case ‘disorientation’, to the public and to encourage interaction. The finished piece consisted of thirteen progressively rotated timber frames that, when put together, encouraged the user to journey through and experience a feeling of disorientation. PROJECT 2 evolved the idea of spatial quality to that of scale through a short movie using a combination of live-action footage and created elements from the programme Maya: I created a short film noir in which the heroine is chased by a mysterious pursuer through a disorientating city of shadow and light. Juxtaposition between the scale-less world of Maya and the scaled physical world enabled the exploration of ideas of ‘object’, ‘space’ and ‘territory’. PROJECT 3 began in Istanbul with explorations into this ‘organic’ city; the area that particularly interested me was the waterfront of Sultanahmet: here exists a dichotomy between people alone (waiting, contemplating) and people together (friends, families). My proposal aims to address this through a duel programme of library and cinema: two buildings and functions are crisscrossed and overlaid, creating interactions between the shared experience of watching a film and the solitary one of reading a book.

Concept image, view along the waterfront

Disorientation/Noir/ Palimpsest

Unit 2

The spatial quality of ‘disorientation’

Unit 2

Fragility. Distortion. Regeneration.

Project one involved the design and construction of a 1:1 intervention representing a chosen spatial quality, to be exhibited in Nottingham city centre. 10,000 clothes pegs were clipped together to form a complex archway .The inherent weakness of the pegs was used to create the illusion of fragility. The combination of the brightly coloured pegs and instant recognition of this everyday object was successful at attracting public attention. The second project combined real life footage and Maya animation in a short film exploring scale. My film represented the distortion of space and time one experiences when in a car park. The oppressive architecture synonymous with car parks was represented through the vertical compression and horizontal lengthening of the interior spaces as the subject searches for his car. Simultaneously, on a territorial scale, the homogenous experience of the car park is explored through the convergence of car parks from all over a cityscape. My final project involves the design of a botanical garden complex to regenerate the disused Taksim park in the heart of Istanbul. My proposal sprawls from busy street into the park and beyond. The design focuses on experiencing nature within the urban context, by using spaces of differing heights to enhance tree canopies and the verticality of tree trunks, as well as zones of planting with differing climatic requirements.

Jami CresserBrown 78

A Fragile Space in Nottingham City Centre

Diagramatic Site Configuration of Taksim Square

The Distortion of Time and Space in a Carpark

Istanbul

Exploration of fragile space

Project 1 : exploration of fragile space. exhibited in Nottingham city center. beginning with the abstraction of a key word from a spatial narrative, this project developed to become an exploration of fragile space. almost 10,000 clothes pegs were used to construct an organic double curved arch tall enough to walk (or skateboard) through. the complete contradiction of both the associated form and limitations of this every day material block create the notion of fragility within its space. Project 2 : flux territories. short film. this project used time based media, mainly Maya particle animations and real video footage, to distort the perception of the urban scales of object, space and territory. this film depicts a deep-seated but unknown entity rising up to take over the urban landscape. Project 3 : istanbul. large scale urban project. using the abstract analytical skills relating to complex organic systems gained from project 2, this project began by performing abstract mapping walks through selected territories in istanbul. from the resulting findings we were able to initiate an appropriate and relevant architecture for istanbul. the project establishes three distinct layers of workshops, commercial spaces and urban roof park. each layer is gradually removed from the urban grain in both form, function and scale as the layers rise up from street level.

Flux territories

Istanbul

Unit 2

Jack Munro

Unit 2

project1/2/3

p r o j e c t 1 : Heightened Experience Group project involving design and fabrication of an installation to be explored by members of the public. Concieved as a set of door frames rotated incrementally to create a spatial experience that is continually chan ging and that is DISORIENTATING, without becoming overly uncomfortable. A space was created which the body must move through, continually readjusting and evaluating its relationship to gravity by having to navigate a

Amy GasparSlayford

changing surface underfoot/hand (and over head/body). p r o j e c t 2 : Flux Territories’all together now’ This short film looks to explore three different scales : object, space + territory.Lights abstracted from original fottage explore and convey the differences between the scales as a narrative, linked using animated luminous objects. Visually blended, the film journeys through the scales, looking to give the viewer a spatial experience defined by light.

p r o j e c t 3 : leisur(e)scape(i s t a n b u l) A public building open at ground level, providing a space for cultural events which mediates between the new metro station which is soon to connect this part with the rest of Istanbul, and a nearby square. An artificial landscape, it emerges from the cityscape blooming, giving the public a controlled visual introduction to the wider context once inside, impossible to experience in Istanbul’s ravine-like streets.

Year Three_Unit Three Local, Global or Glocal? Unit 3 considered how as architects and designers we are confronted with an ever-increasing challenge to respond to global concerns and events. How we are faced with the significant opportunity to deliver not only practical design solutions to environmental problems but to heighten the awareness of these issues through design. Through a series of projects students explored how architecture, which traditionally has such specificity to site and local context, might engage in a ‘glocal’ social, cultural and environmental dialogue. The projects bridged scales from a constructional level to a conceptual and ethical one. Using the relationship between the micro and macro to understand their corresponding cause and effect. Project 1 - Objects on an (air)plane We began the year by making an individual reflection on a ‘glocal’ issue, concern or problem chosen from the press. The resulting visual essays ranged from subjects such as global politics to consumerism and environmental disaster. They were presented as an exhibition of objects and ideas. Project 2 - Active Ingredient Designs were created for a component of a building or development in an extreme environment. The choice of sites ranged from being extreme in a political, social or climatic way. The resulting designs were modeled as prototypes and pitched to relevant companies and charities for further critique (International Red Cross, SIFE Nottingham, Beevelop, Oxjam etc). The components performed a range of functions. Some developed from a structural necessity (stable foundations, shelter and protection against a harsh environment), functional requirement (irrigation, water purification, waste disposal and collection) or social

need (religiously sensitive forms of shelter, teaching aids and equipment for protestors). Case Study/ Field Trip - Mumbai In keeping with the unit’s theme of study – the effects of environmental change on people and their forms of shelter – the unit traveled to Mumbai, India, one of the world’s Megacities. A collaborative workshop with students from KRVIA School of Architectural (http://www.krvia.ac.in/) in Mumbai, led to proposals on the theme of ‘Transience – Architecture of Impermanence’. Studies of behavior in 5 key sites across the city led to design proposals which addressed the issue of dwelling. Project 3 - Elasti-City – ‘a space of ones own in the city of tomorrow’ Projects based on the notion of dwelling explored the flow of people and ideas across a diverse range of sites individually chosen by students. The basis of these investigations was the link between architecture and society within the context of development, migration and urban growth, questioning the notion of home as traditionally associated with permanence and stability. Ideas for the projects developed from individual studies of site history and context. Sites and programmes were chosen to further research and develop ideas and design methods explored earlier in the year. Unit 3 would like to thank: Nick Beech- UCL, Luke Skrebowski, Nick Hayhurst- Tyler Hayhurst, Rosemary Wallin, Brodie Neill, Tom Robertshaw- Techniker, Asif Khan, Samson Adjei, Alison CrawshawMuf, Sally Quinn- FAT, Simon Tucker- Cottrell Vermeulen, Ros Diamond, Cany Ash- Ash Sakula, Pierre d’Avoine,

Unit Tutors: Jonathan Nicholls, Nicola Antaki, Sarah Moore

Unit 3 transient street layers

A transient care centre for street children in Mumbai situated at Victoria terminus railway station, the busiest in Mumbai with the highest population of street children residing there. The centre acts as a bridge between street children and the society that shuns them. It provides them with layers of informal platforms of activity, to discover what skills they wish to learn and helps them develop these. It gives them the chance to use and adapt their environment to learn to become self sufficient and enables them to use their time productively to make an income for which they can learn to save. With continu-

ous interaction with the public the centre acts as a extension of the street, the platforms of activities, act as the backbone of the building and are linked by ‘sleeping street connections’. Growing from these platforms are enclosed private â€˜cavesâ€™, which can be closed and locked up so that the platforms and connections become a public urban frame. It is playful with contrasting between informal spaces for the children to have control over and are adaptable, as well as more formal spaces for the functioning of the building, this reflecting its setting in the diverse eclectic city of Mumbai.

Louise Armour

Research, development & transient care

Unit 3

Project 1 - Highlighting Burma protests

Matthew Barnes During third year, my work has concentrated on how architecture affects day to day lives and how a good response to a social problem or obstacle can change the lives of all involved.For Project One we were asked to produce an individual reflection on a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glocalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; issue. I interpreted this as an issue which affected a small amount of people directly and affected the rest of the world indirectly. My piece was an installation that represented the plight of protestors and monks in Burma who were given a five minute ultimatum to retreat or be fired upon. My piece represents a tense standoff between the monks and the ruling army.

For project two we were asked to design a component for a extreme environment. Leading on from project one i chose the socially extreme environment of the protest. I designed a rucksack for protestors which inflates to form a shield which can connect with other shields allowing protestors to protect themselves and their message. For my final project i am looking to break down social barriers in a market area in Mumbai, India, which lacks a community and social infrastructure. This new social level will bridge the gap between the community and also the market below.

Project 2 - protestor packs

3rd year portfolio

Unit 3 Homebital

The glocal issue of animal disease and the development of a building component to help reduce indoor air pollution in China were the starting points for my final third year project. DISEASE + POLLUTION = HEALTH NHS beds are being taken up by the ‘bed blockers’ (elderly) who do not want to return home straight after treatment claiming that they want more time to recover. I was also concerned by the decreasing length of time a woman stays in hospital after giving birth due to the extensive problems that can occur even 72hrs later. ‘Homebital’ is a transition space between hospital and home for elderly women, mother and baby. A stress pre-

venting architecture to stimulate physical and mental strength after an anxious time. Social spaces are created through corridor junctions and courtyards enabling experience and encouragement to be exchanged. For the elderly woman, the architecture encourages motivation, giving the patients a reason to get out of bed and be active in preparation for returning home. For mother and baby the space allows them to bond and relax before returning to reality. Extensive glazing allows patients to receive natural light, enjoy a view of the beautiful surroundings, and easily navigate the space. Timber prefabrication would enable replication of this new building typology around the UK, acting as a satellite for a regions hospitals.

Emma Blake

Homebital

Architectural

Unit 3

response to humanitarian crisis

Jisoo Han

The greatest challenge we face today is that of providing shelter. One in seven people live in slum or a refugee camp. Many do not have access to clean water or adequate sanitation. Their living conditions are poor not to mention those with no shelter. Many whom live in deprived areas suffer from ill-health and have low selfesteem, consequently experiencing social exclusion. Designing for humanitarian crises have undergone for many years. Many in the form of

repeated modular shelters, forming a temporary community for the people in desperate need. For this project I have challenged to design components for building quick and efficient shelters (in addition to cost saving). Dealing with communities impacted by natural disasters by serving collaboration and consensus in humanitarian transitional settlement and reconstruction response. Also responding to environmental issues, eco-friendly and sustainable shelter solutions.

Unit 3

The inspiration from the body movement

This is troubled times for Beijingancient hutong laneways, which once fanned out around the city to form a graceful network of passageways lined with traditional courtyard houses- grey, Mingdynasty environs filled with atmosphere.In recent years, the houses in many hutongs have been pulled down and replaced by modern buildings due to the increasing population. Many hutong dwellers have to move to new housing. The hutong today is fading into the shade for both tourists and inhabitants.The areas to be demolished are marked with the character for chai, which means â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;demolishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, demolish the slum, and demolish all the old things.The ideal housing form of the future should bring traditional street life to the tower building, in order to create continuous spatical flow from public to less public.Everything has to be gathered: space, sun, view and communication in both vertical and horizontal direction.

Peng Lian 87

Unit 3

Central section showing grape harvest and lido

Inhabiting the road to bridge the community

Georgia Neesham

Pinot Milton Keynes

What is the exact nature of Milton Keynes which has confirmed itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status as a continous semi rural nowhere? At over just 40 years of age Milton Keynes is a new city which is entirely designed around the use of a car. The wobbly masterplan of 1km x 1km grid squares attempted to create a utopia of distinct communal villages. Instead a vast stretch of homogenous housing has arisen, muffling itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way through partially landscaped roads, roundabouts and underpasses. With no prominent landmarks, the journey of travelling the grid becomes more memorable than the supposed destinations it encompases. The monotinous journey of Home > Car > Elsewhere > Car > Home

is kept churning by the continous form of the roundabout. These journeys, which are always experienced by car, gradually manifest to ignite an intangible boundary which cuts through the neighbourhood. This boundary must be broken > The road will be dissassembled to form a new topography for the pedestrian, the cyclist, the neighbour not the driver. Communal harvesting will be the catalyst for change to create the suburban destination it has been craving: A community vineyard.

Unit 3

Concrete Borders

Shop Deployment

Materialistic Section

MEng

Fashion Street Identity

Liam Powell

Located on a pedestrian commuter route between Victoria and Cross Gate Station in Mumbai, the site has hundreds of visitors each day. These commuters cross perpendicularly MG road, nicknamed Fashion Street due to its high number of once illegal stalls. These sell various western branded clothing goods at cheap prices. The walk between the stations also passes more formalised street food vendors in Khau Gali and across the recreational ground Cross Maidan. This site contains a rare interaction between classes, a divide which is so strong through the rest of Mumbai. The relationship between vendor and consumer as well as the communal sporting events on the Maidan makes this a relatively

unique site. Whilst this social interaction should not be forced through design it should be considered. Following a spatial study of the site in which detailing the fashion street stalls; the project aims to provide an uninterrupted route for the commuters from one side of the site to the other. They shall be given them more integration with Fashion Street by allowing vendors to run parallel to the route. Amenities for the recreational grounds shall also be provided along with residential space for the Fashion Street vendors. The building will give the site union and identity which will benefit all users. The building is designed around a strong environmental strategy and is constructed from locally sourced bamboo. 89

Unit 3

Sharon Edgar

Fast Pace Living - A ‘Slow’ Response in Mid Wales

The ‘Slow’ movements sprouting from the Slow Food initiative, born in the 1980s, are challenging the prevalent culture of the developed world where convenience is mandatory to fuel a highly productive society focused on economic growth. ‘Slow’ suggests that quality of life suffers in this world and, as reports dominate of a slowing UK economy and a world food crisis amidst the challenges of climate change, it is high time to reconsider priorities. In Mid Wales, Ceinws village has the rare opportunity to redevelop a two hectare disused Forestry Commission site which contains several corrugated steel buildings. The village is set in a beautiful valley but relies heavily on the nearest town since its only amenity is a pub. The proposal

uses a ‘Slow’ agenda, responding to best serve the community by meeting its basic needs. The majority of the site is landscaped to implement a community fruit and veg growing project that moves Ceinws towards self-sufficiency. A sculptural form reusing the corrugated steel from the site provides a focal point, housing a farm shop and facilities for the community gardeners. New affordable housing sits delicately within the landscape with minimal environmental impact. Heulfryn site, meaning ‘Sun Hill’, is a unique rural setting that is approached with a sustainable response to global issues at a local level, utilising its south facing properties and responding to the landscape.

Unit 3 Angola rural village context

Water is essential to life. However, what we also need is a safe water source. This is a project for rural villages in Angola where they have limited access of safe water source. This project demonstrated a prototype of a water distillator which distillate unclean water to clean water using solar power. ‘’Solar Water Distillator’’ Prototype Model

Nai Hang, Gary Chung

‘’Solar Water Distillator’’

Unit 3

Ways to use Waste

In our modern western society we gain our sense of self from the products that we utilise. Unfortunately, we often forget where these products originate from, how they are made and what the consequences of their production and disposal are. The story of the production and disposal of mobile phones is not well published. Many of the topbranded mobile phone manufacturers require the metal Columbine tantalite for their products. This metal is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its trade is fuelling a bloody civil war. 5 million mobile phones are discarded every year, yet when they are recycled, mobile phones can provide an amazing source of income for people in the developing world. The beehive project was developed to provide a free source of income for people in the poorer parts of Ghana. The beehive is made entirely from re-used materials (jerry cans, rope and timber from buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pallets). As elephants are scared of bees the hives are currently being tested as a new fencing system for Kakum National Park in Ghana, to keep the elephants in the park lands. The hive is now being successfully used by the charity SIFE in Ghana.

Elle Stevenson 92

the origin of your mobile phone

a monkey-proof jerry can hive

jerry can hive testing in Accra, Ghana

Unit 3

A Transient Community System in Mumbai: Sectional Study

A Transient Community System in Mumbai

Luke A. J. Smith Modular communities built on disused railway owned land provide a means of integration with the city for the poor and homeless.

Community development for slum dwellers in Mumbai Does escape result in collapse? 93

Unit 3

Emma Elston

Glocal Issue

The concept of cause and effect at both the micro and macro level creates a constant state of flux. Within this contradiction is the concept of the GLoCal; architecture which is both monumental and microscopic and which interacts with the user on every level.The projects have found form the with the Ciudad Del Disposeido, a sculptural representation of the NonSpaces created by migration and constrictive border control; and the ShelTration, a collapsible privacy capsule intended to

alleviate issues of hygiene, dignity and privacy within refugee camps. The conclusion of the project is an intervention in the illegal and informal spaces within the black market area of Chor Bazaar, Mumbai. Here the concept of the facade as an interactive space which bridges both the external and internal areas is key. ElastiCitySkin uses facade space to create a series of new trajectories and dynamics across the streetscape and redefines the facade in a way which is conceptually and physically relevant to all.

Unit 3

front elevation

axonometric

Grant Giblett

Warp + Weft

The ever increasing demands from the western fashion industry force Mumbai inhabitants to work in large sweatshops where the environments are cramped and overheated. My project is based on Fashion Street Market in South Mumbai where the stall owners will build better conditions for themselves allowing many to escape from the need to work in large machine powered factories. Cotton spinning is a large part of Indian culture and therefore the building is designed for traditional processes to be carried out. A framework positioned between stalls is erected and the owners are provided with a kit of components

to build the manufacturing and living spaces above as they so wish. The intention of the project is for individual modules to be primarily self-sufficient taking ideas from the Swadeshi movement, and then as specific units begin to weave their own facade, new spaces are created. Over time, elements will become linked and create a linear space ideal for the production of cotton garments. Daily movements within the modules produce the twisting and turning faĂ&#x192;Â§ade, thus minimising added work for the user. The woven skin is then fed through the framework with rollers and acts as an advertising platform for the shops beneath.

Unit 3

Sleep-Street Theatre

Over the past year, my approach to architecture has been socio-cultural. I believe in the human aspect in architecture, a thorough research process, understanding how people interact with their surroundings and with each other, and a clear grasp of culture. In component project 2 I focused on social problems in suburbia. Understanding the severe lack of communication, especially within family units led to the creation of a landscaped dining table. This Tablescape makes plates redundant, so family members sit and eat in the table; serving and sharing food to encourage dialogue within the family. The context of my last project is very different- a site in Mumbai, India. However the same communication issue occurs here, with castes, religious racism and no inter-class relations causing huge social rifts. The aim is to address a specific group: street children, and find a way of integrating them into the community through a buffer zone of informal theatre, from IndiaĂ˘â&#x201A;Źâ&#x201E;˘s powerful street theatre history. Theatre groups come to this beach location to put on promenade shows and teach the kids their skills. Hopefully these stories told together within one space will begin to encourage a more tolerant community..

Maelle Doliveux 96

Unit 3

Portal to the City, Path to the Sea

Traditional Indian architecture is essentially experiential, where space is conceived on the basis of movement through it. Design principles are based on philosophical tenets which underlie the view of architecture as a celebration of life, able to nourish both emotionally and spiritually. The generating force of this project is the interconnection between an open market area behind Juhu Beach in Mumbai, a ferry terminal out at sea, and the path that links them. While each area is self-contained, it is the holistic experience of space that is the defining principle. Indian architectural traditions are reinterpreted and find their resolution in a contemporary idiom. The city space emphasizes the cycles that govern urban life, symbolizing both the excitement and chaos of the environment. The area at sea is more open with ample places to look out or gaze back and see the city from a new perspective. Here, patterns found in nature are emphasized. The distinct juxtaposition of the urban and natural environments generates a dynamic synergy. The areas contrast with each other structurally, mirror each other philosophically, and relate to each other visually. As one space gradually emerges into the other the visitor can appreciate their role in a larger context, gain a new insight on where they have been, or feel beckoned to discover a new destination.

Frederik Dolmans 97

Unit 3 Tube house is one particular housing type in Old Quarter, Hanoi. The building have narrow frontage and average depth of 40 to 50 meters. Due to population increases, one tube house could accommodate many families living together, even

need to transform the courtyard into living space. This project aims to improving people living condition by better space allocation, better natural light and ventilation strategies.

Reinventing the Tube House

Ngoc Phan Minh 98

Year Three_Unit Four Dancing Shadows – Essential Spaces (2)

Programme 2007-2008: (A)Contextual Journey The unit this year again focussed on the duality between imagination and reality. The unit’s pluralist approach, allowing individual thought and direction, seeks to give students confidence to pursue their own vocabulary and not to glibly follow or make ‘set–piece architecture’. Our aim is to support original work of high quality. In the first project, the city was studied from afar: Readings were taken from three texts concerned with the city Georges Perec: ‘The Species of Spaces and Other Places’ - Louis Aragon: ‘Paris Peasant’ - Italo Calvino: ‘Invisible Cities’. All students were then asked to find

lines of enquiry and investigation to really begin the journey through a city.

in the first stage were placed into a real context and given new energy and relevance.

“...I spend a lot of time walking around the city... The initial concept for a project often emerges during a walk. As an artist, my position is akin to that of a passer-by constantly trying to situate myself in a moving environment.” (Francis Alÿs, Mexico City 1993).

From this work each student then produced a hybrid brief for the final concluding stage of their journey, a personal building project. The hybrid brief contains at its core reality but also requires something of the fictitious or peculiar. As an example four tiles for projects this year include the ‘Fly Fishing School for Fallen Women’, the Diary of a Squid, The Grieving City (The Saving Embrace) and Bristol Temple Reeds.

The unit began by drawing, designing and making prototypes to represent their ideas and then to place these within a long sectional drawing of their journey or line of enquiry thereby enhancing moments or memories along it. In the second project this journey was given a context of the city of Bristol. The interests and lines of investigation and research started

The long sectional drawing was continued and has played a major role not only as an important means of investigating and testing the project but eventually as a means of representing it: the section becoming the context for the

building project. The making of prototypes out of real stuff continued as a key part of investigation and presentation. The unit has tried to conceive and explore work that is not only rigorous in its formation and outcomes but remains firmly rooted in the poetic. The unit also visited Zurich, Basle, Lucerne and Bregenz. Weekly Unit Tutors: Amanda Harmer, David Short, Hugh Avison and Jenny Melville. Review Tutors: Rob Adamski, Henry Kong, Luke Jackson (yr 5) Mike Russum, & Tim Robinson (yr.5) Technical Tutoring: Steve Wickham & Sarah Fawcus Price & Myers) Peter Rutherford and Robin Wilson SBE Environmental

100

Textures - water, stone

Harriet Palmer Superstition: an aid for the acceptance or denial of misunderstanding and lack of knowledge; ritualistic attempts to rationalise the irrational. Causes of infertility are widespread, but is it possible, in Bristol, to expel those of psychological origin through architecture, punctuated by superstition?With a focus on salt and natural fertility treatment, the project, driven by superstition and ritual uses the cyclic nature of the tide and features of Bathurst Basin in an attempt to approach this issue.

Superstition section

Vessel form - water and boat

The Bristol Fertility Ritual

101

Unit 4

Project 2: section through conversation

Unit 4

Tai chi and wall climbing

Climbing on glass walls

Stretching towards the light

Physical Model

Soraya Baharum

Tai Chi and Climbing Centre

102

The final project, Project 3, continues the theme of movement of the nature of the building and the activities contained. The centre for tai chi and wall climbing is sited near the City Centre of Bristol, allowing the users to pop out from their workplaces during lunch hour to engage in some physical activity. The two activities are different in nature but both are forms of exercise to obtain fitness, calmness and focus. The spaces allow practitioners of each to observe the other. They come together in a bar overlooking the climbing area and the river.

Movement forms the principal nature of the building. Sliding vertical panels frame views of the river and entice movement through spaces. They also direct morning and evening sunlight into the building, when tai chi is traditionally practiced. Horizontal panels slide through towers of stacked wood strips to change the angle of climbing walls. These are decided by the users themselves, giving a sense of control and excitement in the reconfigurable climbing landscape.

MEng

tire psyche, striving towards unity, wholeness and integration, uninfluenced by the wider social environment. According to psychoanalysis, the shadow must be sought before progression and unity within can occur. Through the spatial journey the three archetypes of Persona, Ego and Self are tested and deconstructed so that the confessor may determine its Shadow. The route is set out in a linear arrangement of purification rituals consisting of; Undress, Scrub, Shower, Steam, Plunge, Dress, and Cut.

Unit 4

A linear Journey of emotional and bodily purification by the ritualistic process of archetypal confession. Four archetypes govern the personality; Persona, Ego, Shadow and Self. The outermost is ‘Persona’, the subjects’ view of itself as a perception to the outside world, a false image. Then there is ‘Ego’, the centre of consciousness and the ‘I’. The ‘Shadow’ is formed of thoughts repressed by the subject who deems them not acceptable within the social framework of its society. The innermost is ‘Self’, the totality and centre of the en-

Purification by Archetype

Amy Bettison

Section of Purification Journey

Unfolded Section of Journey

Preparatory Section 103

Unit 4 The idea of shadow catching was inspired by “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki, the idea of seeking beauty in Darkness as light never ceases. The shadow catcher is designed to capture the shadow of a particular space in a particular period of time. The shado w captured creates an alternative perspective to the space and increase sense of curiosity and allow the viewer to contemplate and admire the hidden beauty lies within the space. Birth . Growth . Emergence . Maturity . Death.

A landscape near the Avon Gorge in Bristol inspired by the life cycle of a dragonfly and its reed habitat allows one to flit between a series of memorial spaces, allowing one to reflect on the shadows of life and contemplate whilst visiting it. With the rich dragonfly heritage in Bristol, the landscape will also allow dragonfly breeding in the ponds of reed beds within these memorial spaces. Amateur dragonfly spotters can observe and record the different stages and kinds of dragonflies hidden in this landscape. The records kept by the dragonfly spotters are logged building up an archive of dragonflies within the landscape.

Vickie Cheung

The Shadow Catcher

Perceptual Exploration of hidden spaces in Bristol 104

The Loom cross section

Exploration around the mechanics of the loom

Through the weaving of a largescaled tapestry, significant events such as births, deaths and marriages are recorded and celebrated within the new registry office of Bristol, celebrating the inhabitants of today in a rich and vibrant city. Sited on the corner of the Floating Harbour, the design of the registry is based on the existing building shell of the derelict Bristol Brewery, in which the gathered data grows from within the building remains, acknowledging and retaining the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory for future generations. The recorded information contributes to the basic form of the registry, informing the different spaces for users to explore. The most celebrated space within the design is the Chapel where events such as marriages and citizenship ceremonies take place. As the Bristol tapestry grows, they eventually become collected and stored in a tapestry library for the general public.

The Registry interior

The three conceptual spaces within the registry

The Bristol Tapestry

105

Unit 4

Yan Yan Cheung

Unit 4

‘Animadversor-Urbis’: Bristol’s Urban Muse

Development Renders

Bristol was forensically analysed for the subversive users of the city; mark-makers; ostracised smokers. Inhabiting new spaces, the mark-maker’s debris-ridden habitats respond as fractured solutions within a new vernacular architecture; unique to the observer species; the Animadversor-Urbis.The habitats become the auditoria of the city and the act of smoking, a legitimate authorisation to observe; negating confrontation with event actors. The re-establishment of Bristol cigars translates the act of smoking into a conscious event; it becomes a ritual where one transforms into Animadversor-Urbis and through observing the city-theatre, relaxes into the threshold-zone between reality and imagination-the muse.Reinforcement of the found

habitats result in resolved, musing habitats. The parasitical solutions highlight the presence of the species, involuntarily thrusting them into the theatre as the species too become event: â€œWho Watches the Watchmen?â€ The need to purify the lungs and cleanse the mind of surreptitious observations by the Animadversor-Urbis recall Bristolâ€™s Victorian steam baths. Those ritualising within the sanctuary become viewed as peepshow theatre; becoming the narrative and the watched. Obscured by steam, the movement of the ritualising become transfigured as a reincarnation of the Greek Muse. Embodied as the Musai they become instruments through which the Musai Goddesses impart inspiration into the city.

Development Drawing of Cigar Rolling Room

City Architecture as Theatre

Philip C.L. Etherington 106

Briefing Document

Unit 4

Language Section

Water and People

It is a common modern urban perception - nature is dirty and we are clean. We walk beside the water but we avoid contact with it. We do not drink from waterways, and we do not bathe in it. There seems to be an invisible barrier between the land and the water, built by layers of misconception. Yet the floating harbour has been the major natural resource for Bristol but recent regeneration movements ignores the need for regenerating the water. It is tragic that the modern city treats a substance so familiar to her residents biologically and historically with such foreign attitude. This project aims to clean incoming water to the Floating Harbour and

cleanse illogical initial perceptions to the water. Situated at Cattle Market near Totterdown Lock, the water is cleaned via various natural processes which is then used by the building users or returned to the harbour. Visitors will experience close proximity with the filtering process which will allow for a greater understanding of the water they come into contact with. As they journey through the building, the water filtering process allows for a psychological revision of their own perceptions of the water, creating a state of calmness and an opportunity for renewal to their mental states.

Lester Fei

Bristol Temple Reeds

107

Unit 4

A Centre for the Modern Pilgrim

The mediaeval pilgrim could complete a pilgrimage by travelling to the pilgrimage site or sending a proxy, as well as by crawling about a cathedral labyrinth. Today,visitors to Bristol will be confronted by a vibrant and eclectic mix of historic and contemporary interest. However, without foresight and purpose, the modern tourist may gain an often superficial understanding of the city, that is lacking in detail and supplementary information which could give them a fuller understanding of the city. However, the Modern Pilgrim seeks a deeper understanding, by looking for the hidden meaning and the stories behind its history as well as the more subtle nuances that help to develop a personalised and evocative experience. Thus the Modern Pilgrim seeks to understand a city, and in turn finds rewards through this knowledge and the experiences it gives, whether religious, devotional, scholarly or consolatory. The Centre for the Modern Pilgrim provides an arrivals and departures point for the city. Inclusive in the Centre is a labyrinth that explores key visual, tactile, and auditory links of the qualities of Bristol city centre. Enabling an experience of the city without a physical sojourn,the Centre addresses needs for the 21st Century pilgrim.

Michael Garber 108

Books and Site Model

Study of Thresholds

Lemon and Tequila Processes

Project 1

I started this study from a very personal position - studying the impact of grief. When trying to find a space for solitude in Bristol I found the Wesley Chapel, a space of tranquillity in the bustling city. My proposition is that the grieving and scarred city should be acknowledged and allowed to heal over time, instead of being demolished and forgotten. We must not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cleanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the city of its scars, but they should be embraced for the richness and history that is hidden behind them. The Wesley chapel that lays silently in Bristol draped in history, it is somewhat hidden and overlooked, yet by studying the beliefs and cures of the founder John Wesley and incorporating them with the city, can the consumer, the cure seeker and the pilgrim come together and cure the grieving city? The old brewery site on the bend of the floating harbour lays in ruin as the diggers tear it apart. Why could it not be saved? It links closely to the chapel and draws people along the axis to study where the Methodist religion began. Offering spaces to distil its own mescal, council the grieving, learn from the pilgrims and consume the bitter tequila. Can it heal us and enable us to open our eyes, to change the negative perception we have of the scars within our city? It will make us save them, and in turn save ourselves.

The Lemon Pilgramage to the Saving Embrace

109

Unit 4

Anna Michael

Unit 4

Bristol Intervention Model. Exploring the plan

An interactive landscape

Stuart Mills

Live Lounge Promenade

110

Centre Promenade is described by Bristol City Council as a busy, dynamic, 24hr city centre space. The site is designed to accomodate seven event spaces running from north to south toward the harbourside, also containing three water feature pools. Whilst this is a novel design in theory it has failed to attract the audience perhaps anticipated and in day to day life fails to enagage the public on a level which creates a vivacious, exciting and interactive environment. This project focuses upon the realisation of our city and the spaces in which we move through. Through architectural intervention Bristol will rediscover Centre Promenade as the celebrated space it should be. Moving forward from my Bristol street intervention and having stud-

ied peoples movement through space and the effect that handheld technology can have upon this, focus falls upon removing the public from the headphones of their mp3 players which void us of an interactive relationship with the street. The ethos of this project centres around the understanding of space and music. Essentially starting as a tool with which to understand space, the issue of digital and live music can be explored. The two realms shall aid in the realisation of each other as space informs music and musicinforms space in order to gain a greater and much more appreciated understanding of both.

Unit 4

Bradley Moore MEng

A Manual of Downfall, A System of Recovery

As a society we make an effort to appear to care about the proportion of people living on the streets but more often than not the only proposed solution is to herd them away in sub-standard shelters. These people make up the diverse tapestry that is our society, they may need some guidance to advance their position but their stories should not be lost, hidden behind a wall of charity and buried under a roof of handouts. I propose to develop an architecture to pilot the homeless of Bristol towards a stronger future whilst preserving their stories within the city and capturing their messages for the city to hear. The scheme will act as a pilot for a dual user; The homeless as a physical pilot, guiding from the city and along the river Avon to find a

place of shelter for the night and as a life pilot helping them to improve their situation within society if they so desire. The leisure seeker as a physical guide along the beauties of the Avon gorge and as an enlightenment pilot culminating with a meal and story in the schemes restaurant. These two acts will be facilitated by the art of writing. As the homeless stay in the shelter for an extensive period of time at no cost to themselves, the only charge being asked of them is the production of their story with their final act being the discarding their story into the river, to give it to Bristol as it were, and to rid themselves of it.

111

Unit 4 Model showing spatial investigations of movement

Kate Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Carroll MEng

Alluvium Nexus

112

This project is based on a study of the migrating swan in and around Bristol. An interest in the push and pull factors involved in migrancy led to the investigation of migrating people. To try and address the currently racially fractured nature of Bristol, a proposal is made which tries to facilitate and encourage understanding of the dual migrancy of people and birds. This is done through the introduction of a small

scale urban wetland, swannery and sanctuary for cultural exchange. There is provision of short term accommodation for legal economic migrants, so they can gain knowledge of Bristol, fortifying them so they can thrive in the community. This facility is a nexus point; as much about arrival as departure, it is cyclical and ever changing.

Christopher Osborne Inspired Keeper - He is reclusive. He wishes to shut off the world and be involved only with his Enslaved. His path his secretive too, weaving through the garden to find his special place. It is a place of memories, of escape. Enslaved - The Enslaved watches the other characters. It swims around throughout the building, catching glimpses of the different people. He sees his Keeper watch over him; he sees the Conventionals down underneath, knowing they are unaware of him. He sees the poets in their hiding places. Causality Poet - He wishes to discover, to explore. Moving over and through the spaces he finds one that suits him, one that is specifically for writing. His space is hanging in the air, or balanced on the water. It moves in the wind, with the light and changes in the rain. Reader - Sitting in a quiet place for reading; reflecting. The book is his world; the space around him is irrelevant. The poetry fascinates him, the poetry of the landscape. As he reads he looks up, sometimes glancing at the poetryâ€™s subject, spaces and movements revealed to him. The city suddenly comes alive; he sees the hidden characters. Conventional Patron - He yearns for a place to sit in comfort, to look out at the city, the river. He wishes to eat, to talk. MEng

The Life of a Squid // Poetry of Bristol

113

Unit 4

The Characters:

Unit 4

The Theaspa

The ‘Voyeur Chamber’ wrapped in a skin of cob

The Glazed Exhibitionist Steam Chamber

The drama and tension between the ‘Exhibitionist’ and the ‘Anonymous Voyeur’ are captured in the ‘Therapeutic Theaspa’. Designed primarily for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School students, the Theaspa offers an alternative Green Room. In addition to the healing qualities of the steam, water and mud, these skins offer an opportunity for the Viewer and the Viewed to reveal and conceal themselves. Set beneath the Carboniferous Limestone

of the Clifton Downs, the building is at once concealed. Sculptural cob and glass steam chambers emerge above the ground, only to offer a suggestion of the poetic events occurring inside. The Theaspa eventually emerges beyond the dramatic cliff face, to reveal the performance of the theatre students to the surrounding city.

Payal Patel

The Therapeutic Theaspa

The Exhibitionist and the Anonymous Voyeur 114

Unit 4

Parking Machine - The Event Journey Generator

Event Machine, An Arm Of Signal Taking

The Journey Between Reality and Imagination

The story starts from the thinking of the TWIN journey between reallity and imagination. The first drawing describes that by feeling of the movement and routes through one’s journey, there is not a boundary between reality and imagination, but a link. Then, the journey has been taken further to Bristol. I looked at the real objects as the generators of events. And with the idea of ‘no architecture’, everything is based on the event (time ,movement, people), even the born of buildings. Finally, I brought those initial ideas into the car park design. It is the typology that tranditionally plays the role between travel and stay. The piece is sitting on the new commercial area besides the train station. By

shifting the single function of ‘parking’ with short-term offce renting and motel space, it starts the new role of logical city which can bring travel(vertical, horizontal) and stay within itself. And by the setting of numbers elevators which provide everyday needs based on different users’ timetable, it explors the idea of ‘signal box’. From the simplest signal of parking, to further signals of eating, meeting, playing and etc; from dealing with business to enjoying the micro green space and entertainment area, it gives prople who enter Bristol a first face of the modern UK city of twin attraction, commerce and nature.

Wu Ruohong

From Car Parking Machine to the Signal of Logical City

115

Unit 4

Technological World vs. Physical World

Louise Scannell Concerned with the lack of physical engagement with the city in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technological world, I went to Bristol looking for a physical, personal interaction. Upon discovering a lack of human interaction in the city, I was drawn to the shop window as a set of successful triggers, engaging the public and enticing them in to interact with the product and eventually purchase it. My aim was to bring these triggers to the city resulting in a personal interaction, however certain norms of society hinder these triggers, and must be overcome in order for this interaction to take place.A new etiquette will be brought to Bristol, in the form of a lambskin glove - the symbol of greeting, the initial and most important etiquette. This glove will be adapted to suit the user, considering the theories of reflexology of the hand. This etiquette will take place on a parade of shops, where people can show off the glove and interact with others. The parade of shops will include a tailors, where this glove can be fitted to suit the user, an intimate and personal act.

116

Investigating physical interaction

Thresholds

Tannery and Abattoir Facades

Triggers across a shop window

In order to increase interaction and appreciation for the product being bought, the whole process of making the glove will take place in the parade of shops: from raising the sheep, to shearing the sheep, and finally to the abattoir. Cheese, wool and meat from the sheep will also be sold, with the whole processes open for the shoppers to experience.

A Bristol Etiquette

Bristol has a long history of trade beginning in the Saxon period when it was used as a key port in trade with Ireland and South Wales. By the mid 18th Century Bristol had become Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nd largest city and was the main port for the import of foreign goods such as sugar cane, tobacco, rum and cocoa, all of which were products of the slave trade. Bristol profited hugely from the slave trade which resulted in it becoming home to a large number of wealthy merchants who made their money through the exploitation of slave workers. Today Bristol has the largest consumer awareness of Fair-trade products in Britain. However due to the influx of imported goods, consumers have lost their connection with where their products come from. This project aims to reinstate Bristolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection with trade and reinforce the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding and awareness of fair-trade and recycling. The building will house a paper-to-newsprint recycling plant, a fair-trade market and forum for discussion promoting fair-trade, including opportunities for producers to be brought in to present their products and skills. This will help to reinstate the personal link between producers and consumers. The building will also provide accommodation for these visitors. The building will use the existing cave system on the site as cold storage for market goods as a sustainable alternative to electricaly powered refrigerators.

MEng

Bristol Fair-Trade Community

117

Unit 4

Richard Woods

117

Year Three_Unit Five transient tectonics

“…recent work in the ecological sciences seeks to envision landscapes composed of shifting nodes of interaction, driven by dynamic temporal relationships rather than deterministic trends…a nonequilibrium view of natural processes has literally changed the way scientists think about the nature of nature; they now frequently see the change as probabilistic and multidirectional, rather than a progressive march towards clear endpoints…” Kristina Hill, Shifting Sites in: Site Matters The nature of our environment is changing, as is our perception and experience of it through complete accessibility, fast data collection and comparison, modern media, instant information technology, mobility and international exchange. The complex and powerful processes within nature and its formation make landscapes real and authentic, therefore only an architecture that explores a changing nature, its history, processes, its myths and imagination, its model function and its continuous instigation to question, and which relies on nature as an inspiration and a laboratory, can be real and authentic and will therefore be contemporary. This unit explores aspects and possibilities of a changing environment and develop appropriate and imaginative architectural interven-

118

tions – transient tectonics. P1 PANORAMA | observation and imagination The unit starts with a personal construct about a travel down the river Thames - a unique observation inspired by Iain Sinclair’s novel DOWNRIVER - setting the individual theme for research and investigation later leading to individual programming and brief. P2 FLUVIAL PROTOTYPE | generic multiples This project focuses on an architectural object that uses its programme as its concept, relates back to the thematic observation of project 1, explores the condition of the ‘generic’ and the ‘multiple’ as well as the capacity of adaptation to various situations, set into diverse territories and changing conditions along the river Thames. Out of these selected conditions the design will be developed to a large architectural scale. P3 COASTAL PLUG-IN | programmatic plug-in The coastal plug-in is an investigative and complex project adapting and transforming the programme of the fluvial prototype to plug into the delicate and fast changing environment of chalk cliffs. The natural and climate change based processes are to be understood at various timescales and geographic dimensions to initiate various strategies of intervention.

This project will draw on contextual conditions - geology, time, culture, imagination and myth, rhythms, cycles, weather, environment etc. - inventing an architecture, which conceptualizes ‘change’.

Unit leader: Nicola Gerber

The projects are clearly distinguishable, but will have a strong programmatic relationship leading to an individual brief for the final project.

Guest crits: Alison Gwynne, London Brigitte Feuerer, Berlin Tiran Driver, London Amy Corrigan, Nottingham Jaspal Johal, Nottingham

A group of students from the University of Braunschweig worked simultaneously on a similar brief and location – two workshops in Braunschweig and Nottingham explored the idea of a ‘Distant Double’, the potential of parallel and comparative research and the integration of ideas located outside the expected context.

Tutors: Farida Makki Stuart Buckingham

Workshop with University of Braunschweig, Institut fuer Entwerfen 1 Prof. Penkhues, Braunschweig Astrid Bornheim, Berlin Nico Schwartzer, Berlin

This unit challenges inventive capabilities and asks students to develop a unique image of architecture and to conceptually fold complex contexts into a tangible architectural project translating aesthetic and theoretical ambitions through structure and construction. The idea of ‘adaptability’ will be introduced at all scales to further investigate the idea of environmentally responsive concepts.

119

Unit 5

stills from film based around the thames

physical model of observatory

stills from film based around the thames

The building is intended for use by amateur astronomers and members of the public for whom it will be a focal point for observing Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters.The building is sited on a gentle rise on the Beachy Head cliff within a Bronze Age enclosure within the context of the Beaker settlement and makes references in its structure to the Henges and Barrows that stood on the site and the practices of the sun-worshipping Beaker people.The henge and the barrows on the site were aligned with the summer solstice sunrise and the setting moons and served to connect and guide the Beaker people to the passing of time, keeping them in rhythm with the natural world by refer120

ence to the movement of the sun and moon.This connectedness to the forces of nature, the henge as a calender and the creation of a man-made landscape aligned with these forces are the starting point in the building design. The building is a distillation of the invisible forces acting on the landscape which makes reference to the distinct lines and oblique angles of a knapped flint. Virtual and actual pathways were described using connnecting vectors. These axes were interwoven into the fabric of the design giving form to the historical and natural traces on the site. The intention is that by tracing out these connections the user will experience and become conscious

Jessica AtkinsonEvans Belle Tout observatory

Unit 5 Derby Playhouse

Derby Playhouse

The Unit Theme of TRANSIENT TECTONICS was first explored in London from which FLUVIAL PROTOTYPES were developed to explore the Dynamic River Environment at the heart of the city. My AMORPHOUS SENSORY PLATFORM project looked into the movement of people on and around the river, investigating ways that the water can be used as a space in harmony with its environment. The Generic Modules that form a platform are self contained units governed by an Erosion Algorithm dependent of factors such as occupancy and river flow. The platforms were also designed to respond to user activity manipulating their colour, illumination and shape as well as surface texture increasing

user enjoyment as well as illustrating the use to others. The Geological Analysis that formed the early investigation for this project along with the themes of People Movement and Transient Environments also formed the basis for my final project located at BEACHY HEAD. The COASTAL PLUG-IN project presented a site at the end of the South Downs where the Chalk Cliffs meet the sea. My HIKING REFUGE project looks at ideas of Distance and Destination that represent the Typology and Landscape using influence from Geology and Movement Analysis. The ideas of Sight and Passage are used to work with the transient nature of this eroding site and the relationship between CHALK and FLINT is explored

Tom Donald MEng

Transient Tectonics

121

Unit 5

elevation_sculpting the landscape

stages of fluvial prototype adaptation

Rachel Eccles

Healing Spectra

122

The observation of light is dynamic, responsive and inspiring; manipulated and influenced by the environment in which it infiltrates. Project one analyses the adaptive effects of light in the form of reflections along the River Thames, manipulated and transformed by city activity. Project two focuses upon how light can be used to improve the quality of water in a river environment. The ‘O2 Enhancer’ projects artificial light into the river to increase photosynthesis in the phytoplankton, thus producing more oxygen. The O2 Enhancer collects oxygen data,

and at night glows accordingly to enlighten pedestrians on the current pollution state of the river. Healing Spectra is a node for health and well being; patients are bathed in specific wavelengths of natural, coastal light targeting ailments, cured by the application of light. In addition, light waves increase the rate of photosynthesis in medicinal herbs growing natively on the chalk grassland which can be used in alternative healing treatments such as infusion and aromatherapy. The programs work symbiotically to treat patients with emotional or physical ailments through holistic methods of treatment, using the properties of light specific to the coastal environment.

Fluvial prototype

exploring erosion as creative process

Natures of transience_change and movement are processes occurring at different scales: people, nature, the built form and landscape. Developing an architectural language that explores this relationship. Observing Thames tidal movement, the patterns what is hidden and revealed. A prototype floating tidal pathway system offering the urban dweller new routes bypassing awkward areas along existing Thames path. The water flow changes the composition of the path the wearing layered surface changes the appearance the water plantain grow and flower in the seasons. The journey becomes the event dictated by the transient nature of the river over time. The final part of this exploration_southern costal strip between Birling Gap and Beachy Head. Regarding erosion not as a destructive force but a creative process sculpting a transient chalk and pebble landscape hidden and revealed by the sea. The power of this costal landscape evokes an emotional response. A tidal walk a pilgrimage with programmed sets of objects that interact with longshore drift altering the tectonics of the fabric and the journey. A meditative retreat_part of the embedded landscaping objects offers a place of refuge from the tidal cycle to reflect and be engrossed by the raw atmospheric qualities of the place. Not in tension with the landscape of processes of erosion but using them as a means to wear and reveal the building fabric changing the spaces.

Transient Tectonics

123

Unit 5

Nicholas Emblem

Unit 5

Exposed Fragmentation

The_Boundary between the sea and the land is continually changing. It is an edge of uncertainty waiting for nature to reveal new surfaces and expose new debris.

mineral_investigation

fluvial prototype

An uncontrollable process of erosion. The exposure of objects, however fragile is restricted by time as exposed objects become unexposed parts of the landscape. The receding coastline discards this new land of wasteful matter at an alarming rate. Fragmentised along the boundary, this collection of exposed debris, otherwise left to erode can be usable sources. The process of revealing and exposing continues along the entire shoreline; enabling plugging into this cyclic process at any point and our own fragmentation from human interference. The area has no visible function but the plug-in creates a new dimensional layer within the boundary. The natural isolation envelopes the people making a delicate area seem remote and inaccessible. Yet this isolation can be channelled, carefully managed to become a private, visually therapeutic experience. The architecture is driven by the two forces of the natural environment and human development. These become combined in a space of mechanical farming and natural curative, yet both depended on the geology and exposure of cliffs.

Charlotte Gallie 124

Erosion and Sedimentation are eternally linked together and form a duality, one not able to exist without the other. This cyclic action occurs throughout nature in the form of day and night, which is influenced by planetary orbits, as is the Moon’s influence on the tides ‘ another cyclic action. Erosion occurs anywhere a water flow exists, causing it to gradually take away from the land. It’s opposite; Sedimentation allows new land to form. An example of sedimentation in effect is long-shore drift. By transporting sediments around the coast, it allows the functions of both a sea defence and an extension to the land. It is a naturally occurring defence against the waves, which can act as a sort of invisible shield around the coastline or in a more visible way, through the formation of spits. When a spit is created, it can sometimes form an area of shallow water that becomes non-tidal and eventually Salt Marshes. These are safe havens for migrating birds that come to rest and feast upon the small animals living in the marshes. Therefore, as stated, the recurring cycle of creation and destruction is continued in the form of new life for animals living on the land created by the sediments of eroded places.

Transcient Metamorphosis

125

Unit 5

Selvarajah Gauthaman

Unit 5

Site Response

Hattie Haseler

Submerged Archaeological Archive

126

The submerged archive provides a protective environment for objects extracted from the surrounding shipwrecks after being lost to the sea. Once submerged after wreckage, the materiality of the object adapts to the aquatic conditions, creating a delicate shell in which it remains protected. The archive maintains this relationship, storing the objects in its surrounding waters and allowing the public to view the objects in their own en-

vironment thus providing a space which combines air and water. The archive transforms the waterscape, exploding the edge which separates air and water and is so often perceived as the end of the inhabitable and beginning of uninhabitable space. The program uses the unique environment to create new amphibious spaces in which people and objects inhabit the exploded edge and therefore remain in constant transition between air and water.

Project 2 was to create an area specifically for runners. It is a place for business people in the area to go and have a run to clear their heads and frustrations. The running track is on the River Thames and consists of different levels. These paths are an evolving system that changes with the tide and creates different terrains to test different abilities. Project 3 Sound is the original creative tone. One of the most well known healing tones is ‘OM’ it is used for itâ€™s vibrate qualities, when said correctly you will feel it resonate through your body. An illness indicates the body is out of tune and sound can be used to balance the energies. Each part of the body has its own unique natural frequency. Sound Therapy uses the vibrations from sound to resonate the cells of the body and unblock and balance energy pathways and help the healing process. The aim of the building is to enhance the natural sounds around the site to change the perception of a visiting patient, or a person walking through the site

MEng

Sound Therapy Center

127

Unit 5

Melanie Horbury

Unit 5

Madhav Kidao

Cinematic Elegance

128

An examination into architectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence within an â&#x20AC;&#x153;epicâ&#x20AC;? environment and in turn the relationship of architecture and cinema. Exploring these concepts through materiality and escapism an intervention is created which relates both to the individual and a certain site specific detachment from the environment.

Unit 5

Anthony Lee MEng

Transiet Techtonics and Environmental Change

With the constant change of the environment and the upcoming threat of climate change, design and architecture will have to be adaptable to survive. Architecture should react to its environment, being informed by the climatic variabilityâ€™s to create intuitive design to specific site requirements. Transient tectonics develops this idea, using multiple different sites with varying environmental aspects, to show how this architectural manifesto and ideal can work to create architectural installations. The sites used in the years work were the London Docklands, River Thames and Beachy Head near Eastbourne.

129

Unit 5

Emma-Kate Matthews

Transient Landscapes: Flood Fabric and Powerscape

130

Project 2 - The “Fluvial Prototype” projects into the future to a time when sea levels have risen a significant amount and flooding becomes a regular occurence in low lying areas adjacent to coastlines and major rivers - such as London. The prototype views the river’s edge as a continuous surface composed of different components (identified as materials). Its current interactive potential was measured and mapped based upon wet and dry densities of each material found at specific locations along the riverside as a way of understanding the existing condition of the site. An

interactive surface - “Flood Fabric” proposes to articulate the currently un-used space along the riverside in an attempt to increase human activity at the river’s edge whilst acting as a reactive landscape that swells when the river is in a state of flood. Project 3 - The “Costal Plug-in” attempts to provide an architecture that makes the ‘harvesting’ and the monitoring of wave behaviour and rising sea levels possible whilst simultaneously attempting to provide a space in which people may call a retreat, revealing the beauty of these natural but perceivably destructive natural forces.

Unit 5 My project revolves around the colonisation of the chalk cliffs by sheep. The main inhabitants of the cliffs are sheep. The sheep are important to the South Downs because they graze, which allows grassland to thrive, rather than woodland. Grassland is better than woodland as it allows more plant species to grow, thereby promoting plant biodiversity. One of the farms on the site, Birling Farm owns a sheep centre, which I am remodelling. The current centre has over 40 different breeds of sheep, from all over the U.K., some of which are rare. As well as promoting biodiversity by breeding different types, I want to promote it through the wool they produce. Each of the different breeds of sheep has a different sort

of wool. My project will rework the centre to allow people to buy this wool and use it for different types of craft, which they can learn and do within the centre, such as knitting. Eastbourne has an ageing population so activities such as knitting will suit its inhabitants. As the numbers of sheep kept in farms on the Downs for food produce are on the decline, this will provide an alternative use for them and income for the farmers. The centre will also include spaces to allow people to exhibit their work and sell it. Other things to be included are a shop for sheep dairy produce and a cafe. I also propose to move some of the sheep nearer to the cliff edge, as some of the land there is turning into scrubland.

Reena Mistry

coastal plug-ine

131

Unit 5

Laurence Pinn The work which I have produced this year has been influenced by the concepts of movement and connection. The first project, an animated collage centred about the river Thames, explored the movement of discarded objects along this major artery in London. I developed this process into the form of an intervention in the second project, stimulating connections to occur from the movement of objects along of the river. The concept developed into the creation of generic containers to house these seemingly ‘useless’ objects, discarded by one individual and discovered by the next. The final project of the year looked at the way in which the mass movement of physical matter and humans themselves will give rise to the creation of a â€˜human layerâ€™. The impact of human life has recently been deemed so fundamental to the earth that it has been forced into a new geological epoch [the Anthropocene epoch]. The project advocates the mass distribution of knowledge on a virtual level in combination with small scale physical movements as a more sustainable existence. The connections drawn by the building and its programme are associated both with the local movement and global connections it creates. The recession of the cliff on which the building stands gives it a connection with the rapid movement of time and the changes which need to be made before the cliff-edge reaches the building [2200AD].

Connection

132

Unit 5 Bird Metropolis

Emily Thurlow The edge condition is a place of tension, escalation and often conflict. Its inherent variety and contrast set the location for my projects, between 2 biological regions: water and land. At this point, nature is all controlling, and often results in the redundancy of Architecture. Yet it鈥檚 unique infrastructure offers much more than its hostile repute, being a point of heightened activity, movement and life. By the process of extraction, an opportunity arises to control and sustain an ecosystem: an oasis on the edge. In an environment of constant change, the architecture is able to respond to nature, slowly shifting with the cliff retreat. Consequently, new programmes and opportunities are created through space 鈥搕ime. The result: Architecture that is no longer a separate piece of landscape, but successfully woven into natures system.

Vertical Oasis

transient-X-traction

133

Tam Wing Yi Unit 5

The main theme of my project this year is water, the origin of life. I want to look into the relationship we have with water. It started by looking at river-light on River Thames. The light that bounces off the surface of the water changes accordingly to its surroundings. The film that I produced for project one shows the poetic side of river-light. However, it is in fact a mask for the river, concealing whatâ€™s underneath the surface. This led me to design a prototype to get close to the river surface, trying to understand the river water. The prototype reveals other sides that we donâ€™t often see of the river, its’ other states water vapour and ice, creating activities on the river and ultimately bringing us closer to water again. Project three brings this approach of investigation to a larger scale the ocean. I tried to reveal the poetic quality of water and make it function in both emotional and physical ways, which led me to the typology of hydrotherapy. Through inhaling the water vapour and bathing in water, the ocean enters through our pores, cleansing and healing us. In the hydrotherapy centre, we can see and feel our relationship with water in the most intimate of ways.

Transient tectonic

134

Unit 5 The first and second projects considered the benefits of increasing the amount of wild green spaces in central London, by means of an interventional object. The small device is capable of navigating down the Thames to locate brown field

sites where it swells and explodes, releasing a variety of phyto-remediative plant species onto the land. These break down harmful pollutants and clean the site, creating a new ecosystem. A link between pollutant, effective plant species and the associative wildlife was created.

Samuel Wilkinson MEng

.................................

135

Unit 5

Transient Techtonics

The overriding preoccupation in my work this year has been exploring the relationship between the site and the intervention. I have attempted to create interventions that do not attempt to linearly explain or illustrate the chosen site, but rather reveal it through expression of certain qualities and characteristics. Project 1: Time & Place, inspired by the Iain Sinclairâ€™s Downriver, was concerned with revealing the hidden historical narratives of the chosen site Blackheath. In Project 2: Collisions, Bonds & Encounters, I progressed this idea by attempting reveal to the ambiguity between the present and historical by making a complex mechanical landscape which responded through time much like an organism to the complex flows of silt, light and radiation on and in the River Thames. Finally, for Project 3: Monastic Retreat, I concentrated on creating a much more static intervention/ building which focused on revealing and exploring the meditative qualities of the natural flows and rhythms of the site.

Percy Weston 136

Unit 5

Section Up River: Floating Allotment Network

Exploring & Contrasting Fluvial Communities

Researching the Mechanics of Flotation in Models

1 : ‘Continuity of Community’: Walking the river Not just content to associate the Thames, (past and present) with London: I was also keen to see the source and early beginnings of the great River. I was able to arrive at the source At Thamesmead before civil twilight (06:07) and begin walking downstream, acquiring a personal & engaging insight into the variety and dexterity of floral, faunal and civil Communities along it. 2 : ‘Cultivating Community’: A plugin network of floating Allotments A city waste product becomes an allotment workerâ€™s essential agent. Plug in â€˜Floating Allotment Networksâ€™ along the Thames allow continuous dynamic intertidal access from bank to water, providing a unique escape from

the hubbub to the therapeutic, self sufficient Fluvial Allotment Community. Allotments can be floated upstream and downstream between networks as need arises. 3 : ‘Cliff-top Community’: A Tectonic Pier: Permanence and Transience in Tension At Birling Gap, an exciting Tension exists between nature, and there are Two Communities which cross paths here: the residents, and the tourists. A new Tectonic Pier, elevated above the ground perpendicularly to the coast, accommodates a linearly-retracting inhabitable settlement enabling the community to continue to exist. This loose-fit settlement cyclically flexes and adapts within and without to accommodate the seasonal demands of its communities.

Keith Drury MEng

The Effect of Transient Tectonics on Community

137

Unit 5

Rosie Hervey

Layered Skin Surfaces

Project 2: Fluvial prototype Set within the tidal zone of the Thames the prototype explores the natural cycles of the site and responds to the cities lack of space for gardens. A landscape of allotments that capture the rivers silt, providing self watering growth platforms for planting and initiating the re-inhabitation of the rivers edge. The platforms work as a series of interwoven layers that shift with the tide, beds with sensitive planting rising whilst lower platforms with hardier planting being left to flood. Project 3: Layering - time, material skin The chalk cliff face is constantly eroding and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shedding its skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exposing new layers. The porous nature of the chalk allows move-

138

ment and infiltration, initiating exchange across its surface. The building responds to this striated landscape exploring the concept of layering skin. It questions the idea of the skin as a boundary, looking at the relationship between internal and external space and playing with the idea of permeability. The building responds to the fragility of human skin and its sensitivity to exposure, filtering the external environment and offering differing levels of protection to the bathers. As time passes the boundary between internal and external becomes increasingly blurred, as the layers of the building skin erode at different rates, perforations appear within the facade, exposing internal spaces.

Unit 5 Project 2 - Fluvial PrototypeThe research is focus on a historical background of â&#x20AC;&#x153;OSTREA EDULISâ&#x20AC;?The Native Oyster of Europe in London. Ostrea Edulis has been part of the human diet for many centuries. The programme are derived from the oyster culture cycle. It is a system of oyster hatchery from brood-stock to grow-out. This generic oysterland interact with existing fluid environments along the river THAMES. Although the habitat of Ostrea Edulis are mainly distributed around the estuary of the

river, the theme has developed to reintroducing farming oyster along side urban areas in city London. This oysterland with its two anchor points can adapt to different landscape between river and land. It direct people to walk on and off the land when water level changes. The land is composed by modular tubes in which oysters can be growing inside. People experiences a walk of continuous changing of sights inside the oysterland and enjoy in different activities all over the year.

Wanyi Sun

Transient Tectonics Oysterland on River Thames

139

Unit 5

Coastal Plug-in - folding deck

Matthew Alvey MEng

Coastal Plug-in

140

The site for this project is located in an area between Birling Gap and Beachy Head on the delicate chalk coastline around Eastbourne, UK. A stretch of coast known throughout history as a dangerous one, infamous for shipwrecks, suicide and smugglers, therefore the site also has a history of search and rescue, lighthouses and warning signals. The design brief set out for this project is developed from the

pleasure and danger of the sea. Setting a programme that links both provision for Rescue Services and Leisure activities. The Architecture will take the form of a cliff-side intervention that will extend out to sea, providing an access solution to this difficult to access site at the base of the cliffs and encourage new safe interaction with the environment.

Year Three_Unit Six Manifestoes for a Future Architecture

Project 1 : the manifesto

Project 2 : the UTOPIAN PROTOTYPE

Project 3 : the MANIFESTATION

TASK: To devise an architectural manifesto. (… through writing, drawing or film).

TASK: To explore the architectural manifesto. (… through serial maquettes).

TASK: To demonstrate the architectural manifesto. ( … within a site in London).

The Utopian Prototype required the exploration of the manifesto’s 3D implications through a series of maquettes. It was important that the models form a coherent and consistent group through serial progression and differentiation. They each produced small scale serial models leading to a final larger scale model. Thereby it became apparent that some manifestoes cannot exist without a prototype. Special attention was as well given to the following: degree of abstraction, process and parameters of differentiation or seriality, texture and materiality, organisation and structure.

Whereas Project 1 established the manifesto, and Project 2 explored its spatial implications through prototypes, Project 3 consolidated the preliminary ideas, analytical tools and formal language in order to test them against specific constraints and conditions of a physical site in London. What until then remained generic, became spatially and performatively specific.

Ever since Marinetti publicly declared the futurist agenda in 1909, the manifesto has become a ubiquitous form of consolidating and disseminating intentions and beliefs in architecture. What Marinetti began, the unit has continued into the 21st century by formulating and proclaiming their own personal manifestoes, thereby forming the intellectual starting point for their work. By analysing and learning from past examples they devised new, individual manifestoes for a future architecture. The challenge of Project 1 was to establish a preliminary hierarchy in their intellectual and formal agenda that acted as both the instrument and guideline for their future work, reasoning and exploration - thereby marrying the critical and the generative.

There was also further opportunity to develop or amend their manifesto. Both the reworked manifesto and the utopian prototypes together became their analytical tools and formal language to help identify a site and brief for Project 3.

Each chosen site therefore had to be relevant to the initial manifesto and provide a suitable context and test bed for its materialisation. Once a site was chosen, the design brief was clarified within this new context and formulated as a secondary manifesto with a hierarchy of design parameters. Following this new design manifesto, the building design was explored by developing the prototypes further and testing them

141

against the site constraints and refined performative requirements. During this process of design development and testing of ideas, emphasis was given to issues of placement, adaptation, differentiation, proliferation and expiry. These building designs are not to be understood as a final proposal but as a series of proposals that will further the idea of each manifesto and prototype.

Unit Staff: Julie Richards Sam Jacoby Perparim Rama Aaron Chetwynd Jurors: Chris Hill, David Phillips, Ian Hay, Oliver Domeisen, Martin Bull, Valentin Bontjes van Beek, Ridzwa Fathan, Feona Cheng, Anna Chetwynd, Ephraim Joris.ÂÂ

142

Prototype models of narrative structure

The variety and magnitude of information available to us can often overpower our senses, obscuring the reality in which we live. Our perception of reality can be broken down into separate layers. Through a filmic organisation of architecture, I propose to order, edit and narrate these layers, allowing for easier absorption of further information to the senses. This more imageable interpretation reveals the hidden or forgotten aspects of life.

Narrative â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ribbonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concept form

Imageable Architecture

Narrative Spatial structure, plan view 143

Unit 6

Samantha Barclay

Unit 6

The geometric forms of sound informed the design

Prototype models tested sound propagation

Luke Cameron

Acousticity

144

We are currently living in a visually orientated world where we navigate and comprehend by what we see rather than what we hear. We tend to hear anonymous blurs of sound rather than thinking about where these come from and what created them. Architecture is currently used to โ‘control’ acoustics in the sense of stopping sound’s progression, the intention of this manifesto is to create a new built environment which controls sound in a different way; one in which architecture doesn’t form a clear boundary to block sound and instead uses inherent sounds from the site to aid navigation, give a sense of time and rhythm to architecture and also to help link architecture to the site on a further level to visuals. Through use of form, location, function and

materials we can design in a way that reflects, refracts, diffracts and absorbs sound; we can enhance, or simply remove existing sounds in order to make the site more easily understood, identifiable and recognisable. Site specific sounds which happen either at set positions or set times during the week can be utilised through the architecture in order to create a new association between sound and place. People will recognise changes in sound based on their progression through the city and hence will recognise that architecture isn’t simply visual based; it can both utilise sound and also alter it. We will learn to see with our ears as well as our eyes.

Catalogue : System Aggregates

Unit 6

3000001 Aggregate Composition

A manifesto which questions Current methods of urban design. The project seeks to demonstrate the application of a bottom-up urban system, one that has an appreciation of both the individual and urban scales. The proposed system is derived from the organisation and propagation of spatial and programmatic modules. Simple localised rules outline required relationships between these modules, leaving a degree of flexibility and allowing them to manifest into rich and diverse topological organisations.

Generated Form - Final Proposal

Matthew Donkersley

145

Unit 6

THRESHOLD CULTURE Vertical Productive Living Landscapes

The process of urbanisation that has been accelerating since the rennaissance, and particularly since the Industrial Revolution has brought about a spatial division between productive space and consumptive space. As the capital-value of time and land in the urban realm increase, in an age where ‘free’ (as in notworking) time is synonymous with ‘leisure’ and ‘consumption’ (the latter two are interchangeable), an exploitation-based economy finds the productive use of space is the least valuable use of all. In the context of a massive injection of highly concentrated forms of non-renewable energies and petrochemical products, an unequal global distribution of goods in an order inverted according to necessity, the cultivation of food is the lowest priority land use. THRESHOLD CULTURE creates semi-private places for production, observation and socialising that create new habitats for wildlife, plants and people. THRESHOLD CULTURE is a tool for making space and an attempt to survive in a new economic climate. 1. LOOK UP (THE GROUND HAS BEEN SOLD FROM UNDER YOUR FEET) 2. MAKE SPACE TO GROW FOOD (FOOD IS SURVIVAL) 3. TAKE SPACE IN THE STREETS (TODAY IT HELPS YOU, TOMORROW IT WILL HELP THE STREET

Michael Hawkins 146

Unit 6 Fusion Masterplan

Performative fusion

Exploring the ‘Thickened Facade’

Aaron Holden

Manifesto for an Architectural Fusion

“Facade” 1. Architecture a. the front of a building, esp. an imposing or decorative one b. any side of a building facing a public way or space and finished accordingly 2. A SUPERFICIAL APPEARANCE OR ILLUSION The proposed scheme based in the cultural zone of the New Globe Theatre and Tate Modern acts to question the notion of the concealing facade. Elevations reveal the logic of the interior form, route and activity rather than following aesthetic compositional rules based on defined horizontal and vertical grid cell systems. The architecture is intended to respond holistically in both plan and vertical plane, creating an ultimate

fusion between the two. Plotting the relationships between significant node points on existing facades surrounding the site creates a responsive, programme assigned, three-dimensional grid. Threshold becomes habitable, internal programme legible and related to external public event. The process becomes the architecture, the Thickened Facade the realised form.

147

Unit 6

Tanya Ismail A manifesto that uses architecture to reintroduce diversity and interaction back into the cities by readdressing the boundaries that surround our daily lives. The intention is to do this by bringing extreme conditions within closer proximities to test the ways in which we live privately and publicly. A method of weaving challenges the traditional physical, visual and hidden boundaries while using a system of scaled perception to build the moments between these opposites. Each weave serves to represent an alternative to the standard construct of form, program and visual limitations imposed. Architecture is no longer about distinct categories but about experiencing a continuous drift that carries us from one extreme condition into another blurring previous

assumptions of space. The manifestation takes place in Pimlico, an extremely private residential district of central London, filled entirely with a variety of different housing models. The rows of 19th century terraced houses were targeted as the most out of sync with the way we live today, or would want to live tomorrow. The design entails a redesign of a row of 31 homes, to incorporate more spaces of play and gathering as well as provide an adaptable stage for temporal events such as a weekend market that will draw the community together. The houses manipulate party walls, organisation and circulation, identified as the primary constraints.

Targeting components of the terraced house

The manifesto

Dynamic Weaving

148

Unit 6 Manifesto: Technology allows us to communicate with people across the globe; yet distracts us from building meaningful relationships with those around us. Many of us donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know our own neighbours. We must refocus communities towards more sociable ideals. We live in a wasteful throwaway society where everything is expendable. This must change. We will reuse discarded materials, recycling them into useful, functional building components. Using these components we will create temporary structures that move around the city, reconfiguring them to suit new sites and new usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. These new spaces allow people to come together and participate in a variety

of activities, establishing a sense of community. Once community has been achieved, the structure is collapsed, relocated, reconfigured and then re-used. Prototype: A series of models investigating adaptable collapsible means of connecting varied materials. Matrix: Studying the relationships between scale, event, program, connection and materiality.

Nick Jones

commUNITY

Manifestation: The project aims to sensitively insert a series of community event spaces into the existing urban fabric.

149

Unit 6

Green Infrastructure

The creation of a manifesto for a future city provokes an investigation into the city at present. Through a study of Plug-In City by Archigram, the rigid and inward looking structure of the city was called into question. The result was to compare the city to the more free flowing structure of the countryside, where boundaries are permeable and movement is unrestricted. This investigation also raised issues such as the lack of space within the city and its disconnection from the surrounding countryside. The physical boundaries present in the city were examined through a series of prototype models which investigated the existing boundaries and methods of overcoming them. These prototypes became a set of tools to implant a system of ‘Green Infrastructure’ into the city. The site for the example implantation was London. A ‘Green Infrastructure’ system was then set up for the site, using existing green and public spaces, areas of social interaction and existing routes as a series of nodes. A sample Green Route was then chosen and examined further through investigating its existing boundaries. For the final project, one of these boundaries, the River Thames was chosen as the site to use the tool set. The solution to the boundary was developed to be an inhabited green bridge spanning the river between Jubilee Gardens and the Victoria Embankment Gardens.

The Manifestation Masterplan

Manifesto for a future architecture

Sarah Mann Site Map of Manifestion: The Inhabited Green Bridge 150

In the dense urban fabric of a city, the relationship between solid and void is of critical importance to its coherence, legibility and vitality. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to design dead architecture. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to design dead cities. Metabiotic architecture destabilises the apparent static relationship between built form and redundant void, proposing forms driven by our everyday experience at street level and designed to fully integrate programmatic requirements with a flourishing public realm. The north bank of the river Thames near Temple is currently dominated by the Victoria Embankment dual carriageway and a confused mix of both public and private gardens and historical and modern buildings. Metabiotic architecture takes a dynamic role in our reading of the city. By re-configuring the southern edge of Temple and the surroundings, this secluded historical and culturally rich area is provided with a new public domain; no longer will north bank be treated as a back alley for the Strand.

Metabiotic Architecture

151

Unit 6

James Reynolds

Unit 6

Composite shading map: Southbank

Cutting and implanting

Sebastian Roberts

Surgery On Southbank

152

Matrix of surgeries

Stitching infrastructure

The current city is a living organism that needs renewal. Arcological implants will insert/repair/replace and support a part or all of the existing urban fabric and its programs. Implants are grafted onto buildings which then become the stock, the roots of a new building. The implant becomes the scion. The stems/ leaves/flowers and fruits of the

new building. Buildings are driven upwards in an attempt to maximise the use of their footprint and relieve some of the pressure for space in the city with an aim of environmental improvement.

Unit 6

Impose the grid

Tulip Yeung Site: Borough Market, Southwark, London

Nature and functions of the new grid:

Due to increased urbanisation, buildings are expanding and amenity spaces are vanishing, creating urban voids fragments that are separated from each other and with a weak connection with the surrounding structure. In order to maintain the gluidity of the existing infrastructures and reconnect the voids fragments, a new urban grid is imposed on the existing grid.

The new imposed adaptive grid will be articulated with the existing city surface, linking the voids and creating new public grounds and open spaces for pedestrians. Different programs can be inserted and several grid laers can be placed together to form new points of growth. It will also act as a floating infrastructure layers to vibrant the relationship between voids and buildings, address vertical connections and improve the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fluidity.

Site analysis and objectives: There is a lack of leisure venues in the Borough Market Area in London, therefore the imposed programmatic grid will deliver a performance venue and further market expension to improve the circulation, regenerate and preserve the market culture.

Manifesto- Impose the Grid 153

Unit 6

Layers

Layer City is a plate divided city that maximized the ground space to make full use of the volume in a 3 dimensional way. Transition points in the city can be link up more directly. The effort is a deliberate over stimulation to produce mass outdoor space, with an embrace of encouraging communication of spaces, human and culture.

Yan Sin Carrie Yu 154

Unit 6 An event can bring together a group of people, An event is made significant when a group of people come to share it. Spaces are defined by the events that happen within them. Buildings are defined by the spaces within them. Architecture is made significant through communities events. The events and functions needed from the users and environment should in turn describe the pattern/ logic to the building and inform the architecture of the city. The architectural logic should give solutions to the events and functions required within it, but should also ask questions about the spaces by extending the logic of the events and functions outside the physical constraints of the building. As

its users define the spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questions (or exhausts). Further events/ interactions between users are stimulated as a response to the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spatial arrangement, as physical constraints push into social constraints, users will have to talk in order to negotiate and define spaces, whether private or public. Forcing the users to use spaces in new ways, questioning the unique character of the space and that of their presumptions. Consequently, the architecture will grow and cross-programme each and every space with its exhausts, subtly creating a conversation between the building and hopefully to that of the reach of its physical constraints, eventually fading the line between the private and the public domain.

Joseph Bamber

Cross-Eventuality

155

Unit 6

Hau Tung (Cherry) Kwong Fluid Morphology

156

While the traditional city demarcates a figure against the ground of its surrounding landscape, in the contemporary city figure-ground distinctions are revoked. Landscape and built fabric increasingly interact, entangle, interweave. Neither ground nor figure can explicitly be discerned within the amalgamated and indefinable field of territory, thus requiring other formal differentiations. Moving from closed to

open structures, the city as an urban landscape increasingly evolves as a dynamic process, questioning the authority of self-reliant architectural form. The boundaries between architecture, infrastructure, and landscape dissolve while decentering the notion of the architectural object as a closed entity.

Unit 6 The evolution of architecture should be based on existing urban phenomena. This project started by looking at the present articulation: in-between spaces in cities, which defined the ‘urban rhythm’, to investigate the formation of a new cityscape. :stage01 the image of contemporary cities: The speed that technology brings upon shrinks the city in both vertical and horizontal dimension: the different levels in skyscrapers consisted of incoherent and disconnected spaces; the travelling in city relied heavily on underground trains, leads to point to point travel, the city is composed by dissociated points connected by massive transportation network. Our

perceived city is a visual collage of some disconnected fragments ruptured by speed :stage02 the resultant cityscape: The planned linear continuity of streetscape then becomes invalid to travellers, the points can be put anywhere in the city within transportation network. These points like organisms they grow and evolve, by attracting buildings with similar typology and becoming self sufficient, a series of typological islands are formed. The major problem of such islands does not lay on the buildings themselves but the transitional spaces that connect them. They are often being disregard in the design process resulting in spatial redundancy.

:stage03 on operational level: South bank, the 22-acre art and cultural quarter in London, portrays a fine example of typological island. By altering existing and establishing new ‘in-between spaces’, the project wishes to reactivate the dead layers and create a new rhythm to revitalise this world largest cultural complex.

Dick Kar Ida Tam

Urban Rhythm

157

Year Three_ Unit Seven

158

Unit 7

Rand Al-Shakarchi

Opera of Air, Light and Water

A conversation exists between site, object and opera. The architecture deals with texture and skin in harmony with air, light and water as part of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ghost Operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (by Tan Dun). A delicate mix of materials and natural elements make up instruments (architectural spaces) that constantly shift and reconfigure. The instruments resonate according to the changing climate. It therefore addresses the timeline of

the landscape and as a result no performance is ever the same. Each piece can act solely or as part of a whole in the opera. A journey exists through a labyrinth of voids, chambers and veins following three main chapters in the opera; departure, absence and return. The natural elements continually feed the system which when full whistles and echoes, when empty, is silent..

159

Unit 7

Matthew Bryant My project discovers a flattened engine by creating looping systems which move, change and evolve while remaining in the parameters provided. shifting horizons are evolved and the movement of the tides in conwy estuary provide the fuel for the warped reality of the flat engine. Shapes and forms forming fleeting images in the fabric of space and time are present in the falling light and spaces created within, around and by my project. Interconnecting forms and momentary plays of light fall through the voids sinking into and out of darkness. Sound reverberates and draws you down into the oily depths of the wells. materiality is explored through the tactile exploration of the visitor, layers of woods and folding plates of metal reveal shipping ancestory which wear and warp as time goes on. paint is scraped from the outside of artists studios, drifting to the ground where its crushed back into a raw colour mix for repainting. Giant plates of metal are beaten, taken to construct new forms and beaten again. inspiration has been drawn from turners painting method, old man of war ships, oil refineries, shackletons voyage of discovery, and the fiat garage The project functions as artists studios and exhebition spaces and all the gubbins that come with aforementioned functions.

flattened engine

160

Unit 7

Emily Beaumont A synthetic existence, created and realised in architectural form. The ordinary is reappropriated into this bioephemeral labyrinth. The dichotomy of interface and action plays on the alienation we feel towards both our manufactured and natural world. The anxiety of our surroundings is refracted within this architecture.

Transient ecologies

161

Alison Clorley Unit 7

The project begins by looking at the ecological systems of the estuary...the rise and fall of the tide... the action of the water...erosion and sedimentation. These ecological systems make art from the action of the estuary, to display it as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;trace artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the ecology. The project relates time and movement to changes in occupation. Moving parts wear away, altering the fabric of the architecture, changing its position within the landscape. Changing views are linked to a constant shift in the designed object. The systems look at the narrative of the environment in which the story of the surroundings can unfold; dealing with the interplay between environment and self. The systems interact with the estuary to both affect and be affected by it, leading towards creating a space that allows complete immersion. The resultant narrative is a philosophy of performance and interaction of the topography. Each aspect is part of another system; the topography created materialises the philosophical positions. The literature of the project may be seen through its spectacle and panorama, syntax and programming. Art is seen through the framing and panorama; the moments caught in this frame, capturing colour, light, reflections from the water.

Reticulating Landscape

162

The Lace Exchange aims to address the fabric of connections that exist within a city environment. The project is a lens, or a vessel through and in which to examine and contain the narratives of the city’ the street’ the houses’ the furniture the people’and is therefore located in the city itself - on the edge of the ‘Lace Market’ in Nottingham. Here my work attempts to weave together the social, historical and ecological issues found in this location in order to create a city like environment that deals with layers, heat, stores, mechanics, thicknesses, fabrications, depth... It looks at exchanging energies and fabrics between my design and the environment it is sited within. Volumes, lights, air and practices of production become interwoven in a continuous flux. My method is to choreograph a series of ‘journeys’ through streets of the city, extracting fragments and reclaiming them. The objects passed on the way are liberated from the tyranny of the function, appropriateness, and subservient confinement of the street location, to create a ‘park’ of these new spatial objects.

Unit 7

Sally Emery

The Lace Exchange - Internal View

Front Facade of Lace Exchange

Every acquisition, whether crucial or trivial, makes an unrepeatable conjuncture of subject, found object, place and movement. In sequential evolution the collection encodes an intimate narrative. Roger Cardinal.

The Lace Exchange

163

Unit 7

Omar Ghazal

Restitution Island

164

The theme is questioning architecture of gendered metaphors by designing a European Sea Bass farm on the north-east coast of a Puffin Island (Anglesey). The farm is built on four elements based on gender metaphors. The Man columns-roof structure is the translation of the male image. The Female Body is a scattered site for domesticity; womb, decorative ornaments, a wheel and a house. The Girls are

UV treatment system built on the fish tanks. The Boys are hydroponic ponds acting as biological treatment in the water cycle. The goal is to allow the user to become a physical observer of her connection to ecological cycles of the European Sea Bass (e.g. the wheel has to be rotated regularly according to the fish immigration patterns and growth).

Unit 7

Donna Hull

Reflexive Space Stitching

Design Section: Down to the Rowing boat pontoon

External Axonometric

Architecture in practice and the management of society is split into stages and as one follows through these stages it is like a systematic journey through time. Seeing architecture as an ontological system means it would be possible to break down this system and reconfigure it to create a new type of system or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This allows you to transcend through its different states where the new poetic of the system is stimulating. Taking the idea of a sewing machine as the ontological system, I was able to collapse it, allowing for the re-reading of its pieces and the sewing together of them into a different scheme. This created a new system with a new purpose. Allowing the system to create many different combinations of different arrangements, the performance of ideas and the mixing of narratives become possible, much like a stage. This suggests the idea of movement and change within a building. My projects takes its Welsh sites mythological history and sews it together with the Reflexive Environmentalism of the site, in a Systematic Ontological collapse. This was developed into a corridor architecture, which reflexively interacts with the changing water levels of the river, creating metamorphic spaces and an area increase when flooding occurs. Bridging the river enables the stitching together of these new routes, intertwining them with the village and allowing constant accessibility to this unpredictable land. 165

Unit 7

floating shinto shrine_ soft prosthetic

Soft translucent spaces between objects of fixed references. The project is based on a series of events. (Shinto) in a specific site. The narrative is about a fluctuating series of architecture. This inhabits a collective culture. Shinto Japan and Collective Culture, and the sea of Hiroshima Bay. The scheme is soft translucent and fixed in places. The technological aspects incorporated in the project reflect the idea of a way on the method of practice between architecture culture and site. The ED will reflect these series of fixed changed free and passive conditions that are interdependent. The idea of codependent environments, filter water, oil spillage, light, and practice of inhabitation is the method I wish to explore. Overlaying one fallout or practice with another exchanging the use of material and ideas as sustainable architecture. The environment of the building of the practice of the typology become interwoven and flexible. The ED of the components within the system will be responsive and incorporate in these conditions. The materials will be soft transparent, at time fixed or hard and be responsive to change in function. It becomes a flexible responsive osmotic technology

Kaoru Kikuchi a shrine to the section 166

MEng

Unit 7

Weaving Garden Palace

To understand is to understand the difference. A reality based on exchange of material that is woven into the fabric of the reflexive architecture

Samie I K

167

Unit 7

Winston Luk

Restitution Island

Plan In a personal rereading and interpretation of Andre Breton’s ‘Crisis of the Object’ , the Bird is taken to be the object in question. Decontextualising occurs through detaching the form of the Object and locating it within an alternative environment. Reflections, projections, scale, distance and distortion are all tactics for decolonising the Object into new spatial ideas. The building exists as an Engine; the Mechanical Aviary is an attempt to enquire into a novel and unseen environment through the previously mentioned tactics. Projections onto black oil create a new way of viewing birds, and this also questions the validity of how Nature contends against the Machine.

168

Birds, Machines & Oil

Unit 7

Heidi LAM

I am a vessel for my thoughts. This architecture that is myself. This is the self that can be seen, and yet this is not like that which is myself. The architectural system explores dialogue as a flowing reciprocal between two entities. Condensations are formed in the common ground located across the conversation, depositing the products from the

alternating states of the individual vessels of consciousness. The death of external dialogue emerges when the two entities are married into one another, causing the birth of a new communion. Dialogue is no longer the bridge between minds; it becomes the dialect of our consciousness, a vessel containing regenerative archaeologies on which we feed.

Dialogue Becoming

169

Unit 7

gargelling mechanisms

the salt factory

Plan

The ‘undecidable’ , in Derrida’s sense, with the ironic idea of seeing the past is that it is gone, yet it is all round us to see â€“ in its flimsy remains and in what it has become for us now. Presence/absence, materiality/inscription, past/present, those we are interested in/our attempts to understand, what happened/what is left over, life/death, fullness of cultural experience/loss and repetition. Challenging these distinctions that somehow the traces of the past could hold something the past itself did not possess

170

that we might suspect the past did not actually happen the way it did, that the past is not internal to itself, but somehow extends beyond its present, genealogically, into its past and into its subsequent history. Re-characterising the relationships with what remains of the material past and contemporary things in ways that are not based upon the dualistic schemes characteristic of modernist thought/divides (subject/object, structure/agency, nature/culture, etc.). The past keeps returning, but different, in the new associations of the traces and remains, our hindsight.

Dijan Malla

Losing Your Marbles

Rhos-On-Sea promenade with deck chair structures

Promenade[-ing] Machine Plan

Site Section

The Promenade [-ing] Machine (PM) is an architectural theatre based on the revival of the British seaside holidays which is a seasonal event that occurs during the summer months. It is located in Rhos-on Sea in North Wales, where it is influenced by the external influences of the tide and wind. The tide鈥檚 energy is harnessed to power and operate the movement of the PM. This then aids the opening and movement of architectural pieces that create an architectural performance with the movement of curtains, walls, and objects. This is the creation of a performance of props and objects moving around the stage. The stage changes over time, so the PM becomes an architectural performance over time. The idea behind the driving of the stage, came about from the exploration how of external influences can effect an internal space. This is reflected back into the PM, where the stage鈥檚 space changes over time, with. The client Danks is the owner of the PM who works with the owner of the hotels on the existing promenade. The aim for the two is to connect the existing with the new, whilst at the same time creating an external performance to the PM. The driving of the PM produces a performance, where different objects and architectural pieces, help to change the stage scenes. Creating postcard moments for the visitors of the PM.

Promenade[ing] Machine

171

Unit 7

Savan Patel

Unit 7

A Sculptor’s Observatory

My design is a ‘Sculptor’s Observatory’. As the sculptor must consider his work within the space that surrounds it, paying close attention to its relation with the spectator and the harmonious adjustment to the environment, so too must the architect. The building occupies a marginal territory between land and water exploring the natural cycles and processes that are present in the surrounding landscape and apparent in the ambient and latent qualities of the site. The decay of an old jetty once present on the site is explored through a new architecture creating a complex experience of time, deposition and instability. As a melody is constructed of parts related in a harmonious whole so too is the nature of the Sculptors Observatory. Salvage from the sea, beautifully connected to objects apprehended and reacted on by the Sculptor’s soul, define the physical and philosophical essence of the architecture. The home sculpts itself its geography and its boundary directing and re orchestrating the views through and between fixed and moving architectures uncovering new ambiguities inherent in the gaps between objects.

Paul Wild 172

Unit 7

Mahesh De Zoysa Located on the coast of North Wales, the terminal point between land and sea is being explored, the beach. The natural dialectics between this boundary constantly shifts based on climate changes and wave motions. The shifting corpus investigates this relationship using digital technologies that read wave motion and in turn print a new beach within the regulated structure. Environmental cycles cause changes that in turn evoke the shifting of spaces in the form of ventilation fans and openings. Material from the site will be drawn into the structure and processed. The dialectics between the different states of sand will be apparent as the materials and transparencies interact. A fold away garden will appear in seasonal cycles that will act as a secondary system to the beaches primary sensors. Systems within the structure are multifunctional and morph based on climate changes. A design primarily based on aesthetic comfort, then function. Without the desperate desire to be efficient, the objects will constantly perspire erratic, pointless behaviour. This however serves as an aesthetic function.

Fold-Away Garden

The Shifting Corpus

173

Unit 7 Architecture is temporally onanistic.

to unpick established rhythms and meanings.

It doesnâ€™t relate to the slipperiness of human time, and our hectic lives receive very little help from the self-absorbed structures we inhabit. Buildings must become nomadic in time - not temporary exhibition spaces and definitely not part of Speer’s vision - in order to centre the body. Luckily, since time is tied to the structuralism engendered by the move from orality to literature, poetry and music can begin

Sited by a healing spring, and tacking using a strong North Easterly wind, the architecture is kilned from its place, with sheep’s wool, slaked lime and ships’ hulls forming its grids. Centring on an event - the dive - these layers of rhythmic structure and poetic material can begin to exhibit their ability to slide against one another. The construction of the spa relating to this ‘cross’ brings perpendicular elements together to form an architecture of it’s time is predictive, prescriptive and stochastic.

174

Hugh McEwen

Cross Kiln

exhibit! 08

The school extends: Overseas Studies opportunities Field trips 175

Overseas Study Opportunities

There are exciting opportunities to spend a single semester studying abroad during years 2 or 5 of the Architecture course or years 2 or 3 of the MEng Architecture and Environmental Design course. The main facilitator of this is the Universitas 21 network, of which the University of Nottingham is a member. Universitas 21 (U21) is an international network of research intensive universities which fosters close collaboration on a wide range of projects and initiatives, including student exchanges. In the past five years students from the School of the Built Environment have spent a semester studying at one of the following overseas universities: Australia / New Zealand: University of Melbourne University of New South Wales University of Queensland University of Auckland

176

Asia: University of Hong Kong National University of Singapore USA / Canada: University of British Columbia McGill University University of Virginia Europe: Lund University (Sweden) The School is also a participant in the Socrates-Erasmus network and has exchange agreements with TU

Delft (Netherlands) and UniversitĂ degli Studi di Ferrara (Italy). In tandem, the School has a separate exchange agreement with Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada which runs alongside the U21 and ERASMUS schemes. The School also receives students from other universities in Europe and worldwide for periods of up to a year. For more information on these schemes, please visit: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ international/current_students/exchange_study_opp/

Student testimonial Lois James, Year 6 The University of Auckland Spring 2007 Studying at The University of Auckland was an interesting and exciting experience in relation to both educational and social aspects. On the educational side, I enjoyed studying in a new environment and in particular about ideas which are related to life in New Zealand, for example Timber Technology and New Zealand Architecture. Within the Architecture department the IT facilities are superb and the dedicated Architecture library has everything you could possibly need from journals to scale drawings of buildings in the city. The social experience was unforgettable. Living in halls again was at first quite daunting after living independently in Nottingham for the last 4 years. However, it was so much fun; living in an international hall, I now have contacts all over the world! Life in Auckland is relaxed and laid back; eating out was so cheap it was a regular occurrence as well as having fun on a Friday night at the harbour on the waterfront. The University of Auckland Student Union always have events going on and performances throughout the day in an outdoor events space; including lots of free barbeques! Overall, my time at Auckland proved to be some of the best months of my life, I am now so much more independent, confident to travel and just open to new ideas and opinions. Everyday I learnt something new and experienced something memorable. I will definitely be going back to visit Auckland in the future.

177

Student Testimonial Louise Armour, Year 3 The University of New South Wales Spring 2007 Deciding to go on exchange was probably the best decision I have ever made. Although daunting at first it turned out to be an amazing experience. Living in Bondi Beach was tough, sitting on the balcony overlooking the beach, it was hard to remember that I was there to do work. But I managed! The university experience is very different down under and it was interesting to see how things are done over there. The thought of going into third year was scary but it proved to be the perfect challenge. Studio was much the same, everyone worked just as hard and the infamous all nighters were apparent there too! In between working there was surfing, sailing, sunbathing, barbies and camping. The exchange program also did weekend trips to other cities or trips into the bush etc which was a great way to see parts of the country you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t otherwise have gotten the opportunity. It seems like a long time ago now but I will never forget the time I spent there and even now people are still telling me I have an Aussie accent so that place really did rub off on me! Advice to anyone thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thinking of going on exchange -do it.

178

Field Trips Paris Berlin

Chicago

Switzerland Beijing

New York/Boston Havana, Cuba

Mumbai Istanbul

179

Paris First Year Field Trip 12-17 November 2007 Group Leader: Valeria Cernevale

The Journey of Architecture This field trip has been part of the first year studio curriculum for several years, and has proven to be a successful trip in terms of the learning process and the interaction between the students. In many cases it will be the first approach of the student to the analysis of architecture as a discipline and not only as the buildings that constitute the city. 180

The trip takes the students in a journey that starts in the school and drives them by coach to the city of Paris crossing the English Channel by Ferry, this experience shows the change of landscape and the variety of architecture between the 2 cities. In Paris the trip is divided in 4 days that will take the student through a journey where not only architecture is involved but the scheme of the city, the importance of an Axis

-from Arch de la Défense to the Louvre- within the urban context and the figure of a landmark as important as the Eiffel Tower. They are taken to buildings of historical importance and buildings with characteristic typologies or changed typologies. Some important examples are the “Villa Savoie”, D’Orsay museum, architecture museum in Trocadéro, Notre Dame, Institut du Monde Arab and the complex of La Villette.

181

New York - Boston, USA _

182

“...they had, for all the world, those modest structures, exactly the effect of objects diminished by recession into space - as if to symbolize the rapidity of their recession into time. They have been left so far behind by the expensive, as the expensive is now practiced; in spite of having apparently been originally a sufficient expression of it.” Henry James, The American Scene (p11) 1907.

Images: Liberty statue group by Joanne Clarke, opposite page by Darren Deane

183

Chicago, USA

A team of 10 visited Chicago 28th March-3rd April. As well as taking in the tour of historic and present buildings in the famous elevated railway ‘Loop’, the team visited head offices of Skidmore Owings and Merrill, architects of the Burj Dubai and Shanghai’s Jin Mao tower. We also visited the office of Smith Gill, a start up office of partner architects from SOM, who are pushing the boundaries on bioclimatic design thinking in the

184

US. Chicago is experiencing a new wave of tower building and we visited several building sites for super tall towers,  including Calatrava’s Chicago Spire, the Aqua tower, Millennium Park tower and Clare tower. We visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s own house and studio, and his Robie house. We visited Mies’ Crown Hall and Koolhaas’ student building in IIT campus. Chicago is an exhilarating place to visit, and we all want to return again one day.

Beijing, China

Beijing field trip: 9th April -17th April 2008 Main activies: To bring the students study the greatest Chinese City from Architectural and Urban Design point of view, to see the contrast between ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’ within the context, to communicate with local students from one of the top Architecture School in China, to understand the quality of people’s life and how architects and urban designer could improve it through the design. Places visited: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tian An Men square, National Thetre, The Summer Palace, Pei Hai Park, Ming Empyreal Tombs, The Great Wall, Tian Jin Univesity Architectural Department, Beijing Modern City, The Place, CCTV, Olympic Park

185

Berlin, Germany

186

During the Easter break a group of students from 2nd year, Master courses and PhD program engaged in an intensive experience at

one of the most remarcable cities in the world, not just because it contains an impressive collection of architectural master pieces, but

its history, urban structure and cultural life constitudes a unique case of study in the formation of every student of architecture. Group leader: Guillermo Guzman Dumont 187

Istanbul, Turkey

Beginning with a guided tour of the new contemporary art museum ‘Istanbul Modern’ and a lecture by one of Turkey’s leading architects, Tabanlioglu. We then explored the layers of history in Istanbul and visited the Byzantine Basilica Cistern, Cathedral Haghia Sophia and the Ottoman Blue Mosque. Planned excursions out of Istanbul included a 90km trip to the snow capped old Ottoman capital of Bursa and a boat trip up the Bosphorus to Yenikoy and over to Asia. At Yildiz Technical University, Zafer Sagdic gave a lecture on Caravanserai’s followed by a rewarding meal in the tower restaurant overlooking a sunlit Istanbul. As a token of our gratitude all 67 students contributed to ‘Marking Istanbul’ a 10metre long continuous drawing which when complete was hung in the main gallery of the Faculty of Architecture. Further collaborations with Yildiz Technical are planned for the 2008/2009 academic year.

188

Unit leaders: Adrian Friend, Rashiid Ali and Kruti Patel 67 Students (88% of 2nd Year and 12% of 5th Year) From 21st January to 27th January 2008

189

Mumbai, India Year 3, Unit 3 Field Trip

In keeping with the unit’s theme of study - the effects of environmental change on people and their forms of shelter - Unit 3 travelled to Mumbai one of the worldís Megacities. Mumbai, formally known as Bombay, is the world’s most populous city. It has a population of 13 million and a further 7 million in the suburbs, with a population density of 29,042/km2 (compared to London’s 4,697/km2 or New York’s 10,439/km2). More than half the city’s population lives in slums (roughly the equivalent to the population of London). Rapid urbanisation has produced poverty, poor health and employment instability. 85% of residents (the equivalent of the population of Norway) use the city’s public transport each day.

190

A collaborative workshop with students from KRVIA School of Architectural (http://www.krvia.ac.in/) in Mumbai, explored the theme of ‘Transience – Architecture of Impermanence’. Studies of behavior in 5 key sites across the city led to design proposals which addressed the issue of dwelling. The trip included a visit to Ahmedabad taking in the following sites: Adalaj step-wells - Ahmedabad Mosques Jami Masjid and Sidi Sayyid Mosque - Amdavad ni Gufa, gallery and museum, Balkrishna Doshi, 2004 - City Museum, Sanskar Kendra, Le Corbusier, 1957 - Calico Dome, Calico Museum of Textiles, Buckminister Fuller -

CEPT, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology - Indian Institute of Management, Louis Kahn, 1963 - Mill Owner’s Association Building, Le Corbusier, 1956 Sangath Architectural Office, Vastu Shilpa Foundation, Balkrishna Doshi,1979-81 - Sarabhai Villa, Le Corbusier 1955 - Sabarmati Ghandi Ashram, Charles Correa 1958 Monochrome, an exhibition of sample images made on the trip, was held at the school on our return.

191

Havana, Cuba

192

As part of the final project of 3rd yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unit one, a group of 30 students spent 14 days in Havana, Cuba. A workshop with students and tutors of the Universidad CUJAE contributed to a deeper understanding of the city and its rich culture. The images contained in this presentation are a selection of an exhibition prepared by the students Bill Chan and Salim Bamakhrama about their experience. Group leaders: Guillermo Guzman Dumont Mark Gillott 193

194

Diploma in Architecture Course Overview

Diploma modules 07-08 Urban Design - The Dwelling Place - Design for City Living - Urban Design Study - Architecture & Urban Design Project

Environmental Design & Tectonics - Environmental Design in Architecture - Sustainable Housing Design Project - Advanced Tall Building Design

Architectural humanities - Exhibiting with the Past - Explorations in the Depiction of Space - Building Project

The two-year Diploma in Architecture course is designed to achieve two key aims; teaching and learning that is informed by research and a programme structure that provides student choice and enables the pursuit of specialist studies. During the first year of the Diploma students select from a range of design studios in each semester. Each studio shares the common structure of a design module supported by an associated seminar course but the pedagogical approach and theme of each studio varies. The studios reflect staff research interests and students thereby benefit directly from the variety of research carried out within the school. This year students have had the opportunity to select from a total of eight themed studios that draw on the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design and research strengths in architectural theory, urban design, environmental design, sustainable design and architectural technology and within these overarching themes students have addressed a range of design challenges. During the first year of Diploma students also undertake a compulsory professional practice and management course and have the option to go on a one semester U21 exchange where they have the opportunity to experience architectural education in Australasia, North America or East Asia. The opportunity for students to tailor their educational experience to suit their interests and career aspirations continues in the second year of the course. Here each

student undertakes an individual, self-generated design thesis that they develop across two semesters. The students produce their own design brief, select their own site and conduct in-depth research into their chosen thesis theme. The broad range of subject matter and design approach suggested by the work contained within the following pages serves to demonstrate the unique character of the Diploma at Nottingham and is evidence of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for a pluralist approach to design that aims to develop an open, critical and reflective attitude towards the resolution of design problems. Overall, the key objective of the Diploma is to develop well-rounded graduates who can make a positive and relevant contribution to architectural practice on completion of the course. This goal relies on the commitment and dedication of full-time staff and on the invaluable inputs of external tutors, critics and consultants who provide the students with a valuable connection into the world of practice. The pedagogical aims of the Diploma would appear to be wholly supported from practice and industry and in addition to the large number of practices who regularly contribute to our teaching programmes and who seek our Part 2 graduates for employment we would also like to acknowledge those sponsors who choose to declare their support for the programme through Diploma student prize sponsorship and through the Part 2 student bursary scheme.

Graham Farmer Course Director 195

Urban Design The Dwelling Place: The Project is a sustainable residential-dominated mixed-use environment in Nottingham city centre. It focuses on the contribution of housing to the city and explores questions of spatiality, density, and new patterns of living and working. The design aims to promote urban intensity through its engagement with urban patterns, strategically linking context, programme and space across multiple scales. Katharina Borsi Design for City Living: The module will investigate the opportunity for ‘mutualistic homes’ occupying narrow infill sites with city centres whereby the new insertions will help to promote a more sustainable environment through recycling activities. The project will draw inspiration from the Corus Student Competition ‘Wasteworld – living with waste’. Prof. Tim Heath

196

Urban Design Study: Eastside Innovation Gateway The design of urban innovation environments is one of the key challenges facing cities across the world in the shift towards the knowledge economy. The Nottingham local plan has identified Eastside Regeneration zone as a potential location for a cluster of creative industries. Eastside already houses BioCity, a bioscience and healthcare incubator that seeks to expand. The design project seeks to transform Eastside’s typical city fringe environment of isolated buildings and fragmented urban fabric into a vibrant innovation environment that encourages the ‘the meeting of talented minds’. Spatial design strategies will experiment with new patterns of living and working, and explore a new urban morphology that caters for the creative industries cluster and the expanding bioscientific cluster. The project is structured into three stages. The

first stage analyses the site and its context (group work), the second is an overall master plan (group work), and the third stage develops one segment of the master plan in more detail (individual work). Katharina Borsi Architecture & Urban Design Project: The aim of this module is to implement the ideas and principles developed in Urban Design Theory. Students will first undertake a Master Plan of an urban area (An Urban Campus) to demonstrate design within an urban context to create a safer and vibrant environment. In the second phase they will undertake a detailed design of a single building from the Master Plan, again demonstrating their understanding of Urban Design Principles. Prof. Taner Oc

197

Environmental Design & Tectonics

Environmental Design in Architecture The objective of this module is to investigate a design problem (this year the design project is the Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies in Ningbo, China and Nottingham), which requires the integration and resolution of particular environmental design issues, as part of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;architecturalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; programme. The purpose is to explore

198

the implications of integrating environmental control strategies at the formative stages of a design proposal, test strategic options (using physical and computer models), and refine the proposal in the light of critical analysis. Prof. Brian Ford & Benson Lau

Sustainable Housing Design Project The module is developed as a design research studio called ZCARS (Zero Carbon Architecture Research Studio). The aim is to facilitate, through design and research work, engagement with issues of sustainable design and techniques for the prefabrication of architecture. The module will promote the integration of the knowledge and understanding of the use of materials, structures, sustainability, environment and services through the design of prefabricated architecture and components. The project entails design of a housing scheme on an urban site in Nottingham. An important objective is to design spaces within the homes and between the homes that are beautiful and desirable. It will also involve the creation of design/products that are sensitive, beautiful and appropriate, and celebrate sustainability and prefabrication. Prof. M. Stacey + S. Samant

199

Advanced Tall Building Design – ‘The Bioclimatic Skyscraper’ This module investigates the relationship of tall buildings to their urban setting, their role in future cities, their environmental performance and their effect on the wider environment. Climate change is the greatest problem facing mankind – are tall buildings part of the problem or part of the solution? It’s a major design challenge to integrate Bioclimatic Design into the tall building as part of a Green strategy for cities of the future. We are bringing to life Ken Yeang’s environment paradigm, in which the towers are multifunctional and connected and landscaped, and reach to the sky to harvest wind and sunlight as well as increasing the city density. Each small student group will design a tower on a separate site in the city, relating urbanistically to the work of colleagues on adjoining sites. The module is part of an international research effort (TBTARG) to redefine the design of tall buildings. This is the most complex design task in the school, but vastly satisfying to those who meet the challenge. D. Nicholson-Cole + Chris Gaylord

200

Architectural Humanities

Exhibiting with the Past This project, which is run in collaboration with the Department of Art History and the School of Computer Science and Information Technology, explores aspects of exhibition design in relation to the wider architectural design of museums and galleries. It challenges you to explore the art and practice of display, before creating your own exhibition design within the rich context of an existing building. Laura Hanks Explorations in the Depiction of Space These modules examine the intent [of pedagogical landscapes] to capture the momentary instance created by shift in the alignment of forms. The moment or shift that is never really seen is used to construct a pedagogical architecture of sections through the components of a vertical Architecture: small bits, large bits, diaries, windows, thresholds, cupboards and paintings. The instructor forms within pedagogical landscapes are recording devices or measurement systems of time and perspective that have a kinematical / cinematic movement driven by water, light and objects. Jonathan Morris + Phil Watson

201

Building Project The Museum of Redundant Technology In order to understand the forces that drive technological innovation - technical, social, cultural and philosophical - this project will involve the selection, analysis and ‘deconstruction’ of a technological innovation from the past, (as well as consideration of current technological advances that may soon fall into disuse). The first objective is to understand the operation of your chosen technology as an extension of the human body and then to design a building to display it and at the same time interpret the processes and implications of technological change. Ultimately you will also develop a theoretical understanding of the technological status of architecture. The project will be sited in the centre of Nottingham a technologically redundant city (?) - and will include the detail design of exhibition spaces for at least three permanent exhibits. J. Hale

202

Curiosity shop: a look at The Collection, Lincoln’s museum of archaeology Michael Hawkins BArch Year 3

The Collection, section south-north

According to Nietzsche “We need history, but not the way a spoiled loafer in the garden of knowledge needs it”. The Collection was built in 2005, designed by architects Panter Hudspith to house Lincoln’s extensive civic Archaeological collection. A carefully sculpted building it confronts the world with a heavy materiality, anchoring it firmly in the city. Formally the new museum is an agglomeration of parts influenced by the idiosyncratic playfulness of Aalto, Scharoun or Häring; part of Colin St John Wilson’s ‘Other Tradition’. Architect Simon Hudspith acknowledges the humanist tradition of Alvar Aalto saying “we wanted to make a civic building of small elements, a settlement of buildings rather than an icon”. Politically of our times the project received substantial capital funding from the National Lottery and Europe to create a landmark building for the City of Lincoln. Walking up the 1/8 hill from the south, the curved wall of the Audio Visual theatre draws you around to the right and under a glass bridge – a possible reference to mediaeval examples of occupied bridges over narrow streets. Here a heavy glass and bronze door on your left takes you into the Café and up to the museum, whilst the courtyard

opens out ahead providing an amphitheatre-like public space. The courtyard divides the building eastwest, according to what Kenneth Frampton called “the site planning principle of Aalto’s later career, wherein a given building is invariably separated into two distinct elements and the space in between is articulated as a space of human appearance”. Spatially the promenade and the courtyard should make this the more important entry point, but having decided to put the ‘main’ door on the North side the architects have treated the lower entrance like a back door with few clues to its location. For the town hall at Saynatsalo, Aalto provided two flights of steps, the first of which aligns the pedestrian directly with the main entrance; the second flight makes it immediately apparent on reaching the top. At Lincoln, to approach from the west one has to pass under the bridge – a spatial contraction that carries unfortunate associations with car-parks and undercrofts. The entrance is not obvious, being the other side of a waist high wall. Nor is it readily visible if you approach from the East across the courtyard– staff report frequently seeing visitors climbing the more grandiose steps to their left in an attempt to go in through a fire exit. The existence of a large pink sign announcing the entrance testifies to this, having replaced

1 Gallery 2 Orientation gallery 3 Education room 4 Reception 5 Cafe 6 Storage 7 Future development

the brown lettering visible in early photographs of the building. Nonetheless visitors often look directly at the sign, whilst following their feet in a contrary direction to where they feel they ‘should’ be going. The clarity of Aalto’s work at Saynatsalo is missing here, which may be due to the uncertain resolution of the architect’s ideas of courtyard and promenade with a requirement for step free access from the main entrance. I would suggest that The Collection exemplifies three primary phenomena; firstly, a sense of theatre; secondly, a powerful materiality; and thirdly, a political charge as a treasure casket intended to show the past but representing a particular set of contemporary values. We will take a walk through the museum, examining in turn the spaces we pass through, and then stand back to look at the consequences. Entering through heavy bronze framed doors one can already see signs of differential ageing where the handle has been grasped and the threshold trodden. Inside, the café stretches out to the right whilst stairs on your left lead down to cloakrooms, and up to reception and the ubiquitous museum shop. The toilets, reached through a wood panelled lobby, are tucked into the heart of the topography of

203

the building; painted a deep red and artificially lit they reek of the low-lit depths of theatres. Rising from the toilets up tread-lit stairs to the sophisticated if slightly dark café emphasises the comparison. The café gives you the first glimpse of the incredibly detailed surface of the self-compacting concrete that provides the structural frame for the building; proprietary formwork was lined with 75mm horizontal timber planks, echoing the module and materiality of the limestone outer skin. Tie-rod holes left from the casting reveal the method of construction and are plugged with satisfying bungs of polished and varnished timber. Large box windows provide semi-private ‘rooms’ for extra tables and chairs; the thickly expressed boxes look as if they could be wheeled in or out with their occupants in place to set the scene for the next act. The reception area, level with the

looking east under bridge

stairs from toilets to cafe + lower entrance 204

street above, provides a bottleneck between the two conceptual halves of the building through a glass connecting bridge. This gives a good view across the courtyard to the Usher Gallery, the arty ‘older sister’ to The Collection. In summer it is intended that the bridge be enlivened by its spectatorial relationship to the activity in the courtyard below. Taking the steps ahead to the ‘orientation gallery’ is a risky affair – turning back on yourself as you approach the top step allows you to see a cleverly and spectacularly framed view of the Romanesquegothic Cathedral at the top of the hill. Should you be sufficiently impressed to momentarily lose your bearings, a step backwards will send you tumbling to a crumpled heap half a metre lower. This has already happened on several occasions. Although the staff believe they may have solved the problem with a sign and a strip of gaffa tape along the tread of each step, the stone flooring itself contains light and dark shades that could have been used to quietly draw attention to the steps. The ‘orientation gallery’ is a large glass roofed volume tapering to thin vertical windows at the east and west ends. The programme is uncertain, but it does give a flexible room for reception functions or large installations. The entire south wall is also a sound installation, built by leaving stones out of the construction to allow for speakers behind. Different artists have been commissioned to create sitespecific sound-works. The missing stones that allow the sound to permeate the wall subvert it’s solidity as well as the impression that the purpose of the holes is to permit a more mundane function. The walls are naturally lit from the top and sides, and artificially from slots between the wall and floor.

This has the effect of de-materialising the floor, particularly in the two passages that provide a brief final constriction before expanding into the largest space, the hall for the permanent collection. Entering the main gallery you might think that, still at the theatre, you have walked through the lobby, bar and front of house only to miss the performance and end up back stage; even the passageways feel as if they are bringing you beneath the seats of an auditorium. For the ‘backstage’ to be the space of display, is perhaps a clever move. It suggests that the viewer is a knowing participant, wizened in an age of cynicism. One not ‘fooled’ by reconstructed events, but privy to the props and costumes of history. The actors have gone and the viewer can imagine or re-enact for herself the narratives suggested by the exhibits. The materiality of the building is ever present, but the scale has increased and detail has taken a supporting role. Six large rectangular cast pillars define the structural grid and support the smooth faced concrete saw tooth roof. Railed walkways at roof level provide access to the north lights and lighting tracks. The natural lighting of the ceiling avoids the attempt at a ‘suspension of (dis)belief’ through artificial lighting that doesn’t quite come off in many museums (or the pressure for wall space that blocks off all the windows). The impression of being backstage pulls in the spectator to try on costumes after the show, while the dioramas play the part of props left lying around. This could also suggest a film or TV set - for a generation that knows the world through the moving image something that could be part of a film may seem more real than reality itself. The exhibition designers could have played on this as-

pect more; there are costumes that can be tried on, but paradoxically, emphasising the artificiality of the reconstructed dioramas could have served to make them more real. As Walter Benjamin said “Every day the urge gets stronger to get hold of an object at very close range by way of its likeness, its reproduction”. This is ever more true in an age where many social and cultural barriers about what can be seen and touched have disappeared, and the balance between artefact protection and viewer-asparticipant present challenges for any curator. It also brings us to the importance of the body in our relation to the built world, and to The Collection in particular. Phenomenology describes the line of thought investigated by Edmund Husserl who opposed the rennaissance quest for objective truths (the Platonic tradition of searching for the ‘true essence’ of things) instead seeing the world as an accumulation of subjective experiences. A phenomenological approach to architecture is associated with the specific effects of the body (or time, or environmental conditions as perceived through the senses) on the materiality of existence. Maurice Merleau Ponty, author of The Phenomenology of Perception saw the body as the (critical) interface between mind and world. Earlier still, Henri Bergson stated, “the objects which surround my body reflect its possible action upon them”. This implies an appropriation-throughtouch of the physical world by a corporeal (human) being. The powerful materiality of The Collection is clearly intended to appeal to a sensory perception of space, from the bronze door and window frames to the underfoot transitions from stone flagstones to parquet to stone. The timber is rich and warm, but also quietly echoes the lining of the formwork used to cast the

concrete, which itself bears incredibly fine traces of wood-grain. The patination of the bronze is marking time, dulled all over, touched green by rainwater and bright-polished in places by everyday use. It is a building that will also mark the passage of time on a far longer scale as the slow changing stone begins to weather, a response that will be almost imperceptible for many years. To quote Benjamin again “tactile appropriation is accomplished not so much by attention as by habit” - the extent to which the general public and more particularly the staff have appropriated the building is unclear. Herman Hertzberger’s idea of the inhabitant-as-bricoleur is unlikely to be welcome here, as the photogenic finished artefact discourages possession through alteration. Despite the efforts of the architects, the building presents itself as predominantly a visual spectacle that is well suited to vacancy, an architectural photographer and a sunny day. It is perhaps more to be seen than dwelt in, which is fine for the spectators but rather more difficult for the staff that work there who have expressed concerns about some aspects of the building. Museums have traditionally been the treasure caskets of a victorious class or people. Arising as a typology in the 16th and 17th centuries the wunderkammer, or ‘cabinets of curiosities’ began as private collections of preserved animals, fossils or strange man-made objects. During the 18th century, the ‘age of enlightenment’ the public institutional museum was born and ‘scientific’ categorization of exhibits began to divide them into specialisms. Politically, however, the history of the display of artefacts is synonymous with dominance. As Walter Benjamin says “There is no document of civilisation which is not at the same time a document

of barbarism”. Long before the wunderkammer, the Romans would display the spoils of war brought back by the legions as the empire expanded to swallow up new territories. Nearly 2000 years later, in the ‘age of reason’ the new wonder rooms and museums would attempt to show some combination of the following: 1/ A link to the intellect of the Greco-roman empires, the origin of ‘civilisation’. 2/ The dominance of the new global (European) powers over the subjugated tribes and ‘heathen’ peoples of the world, by displaying their sacred artefacts (stripped of context) as dead, barbaric and bizarre. 3/ The superiority of the modern world, by celebrating a linear view of history towards the climax of which the latest man made inventions were inevitably leading. These principles culminated in the 19th century period of great exhi-

orientation gallery

northlights and columns in permanent gallery 205

bitions (seen by Marx as a sign of the fetishisation of commodities) that celebrated the achievements of an industrialising capitalist society. The well-publicised failure of the millennium dome at Greenwich shows how difficult such ideas have become in the post-colonial, post-industrial, pluralistic age in which we live, characterised by Jean-Francis Lyotard and others as the post-modern condition. Museums have attempted to address this breakdown of metanarratives (religion, science etc.) by reassessing the traditional hierarchically affirmative representation of history that has demeaned the importance of everyday life, the marginalised and the underclasses. History as a series of (elite-male) ‘achievements’ in war and science is a reductive conception that represents only one particular worldview, with decreasing relevance in our post-modern age. It is, however, still the predominant view within the western-capitalist political mainstream. Drawing funding from sources like the National Lottery, cultural institutions are under pressure to attract visitors other than the educated middle classes and methods of exhibition are beginning to reflect this. However the reality is that the discarded meta-narratives provided a convenient tool for the art of exhibiting the past as well as a means of understanding one’s place in the world. Museums were conventionally arranged chronologically and hierarchically, reflecting the dominant worldview - without such a normative syntax the politics of the historical exhibition becomes far more problematic. It is also true that the artefacts of the elites last longer and are more easily available to the historians; by contrast the under classes had fewer possessions of poorer quality than kings and feudal lords.

206

For some more radical thinkers, the very act of preservation sterilises both objects and actions in the interests of maintaining a historic continuum. In The Revolution of Everyday Life Raoul Vanegeim wrote: “The function of the spectacle, in ideology, art and culture, is to turn the wolves of spontaneity into the sheepdogs of knowledge and beauty. Literary anthologies are replete with insurrectionary writings, the museums with calls to arms. But history does such a good job of pickling them in perpetuity that we can neither see nor hear them”. Raoul Vanegeim was a member of the Situationniste Internationale, a small group of the French intellectual avant-garde who were influential in the revolutionary insurgency of 1968. The Situationists believed we needed to pull down the culture houses and museums to release the power of the moment, an act of blasphemy in our post-enlightenment society that associates such acts with Nazi book-burning, or the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, it is interesting to think that most of the contents of museums such as the British Museum were originally acquired by theft, inflicting great physical and cultural damage. It is also interesting to consider that it is now generally accepted that our obsessive recording and analysis of information is destroying our mental capacity to remember, just as the sheer volume of information available creates difficulties in establishing authority or meaning. Panter Hudspith have attempted to provide a neutral container for the treasures of Lincoln. Contrary to the spaces of reception, circulation and consumption (although the whole museum could be said to be for the consumption of antiquity), the main exhibition space is a

hangar type room where the only structural intrusion is the columns. The space of display is surprisingly more Norman Foster than Alvar Aalto, providing a single non-hierarchical, orthogonal space in the manner of the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich. The columns at the Collection are a strong visual element; defining a notional grid that must be worked with or against, otherwise this is a highly ‘flexible’ space. The hall could as easily house a market, an art exhibition, political propaganda or a skating rink. Adaptability is certainly a useful attribute – ‘long life, loose fit’, but in a specifically cultural building a more interesting exhibition space could have helped as well as hindered exhibition designers, and hinted more strongly at the plurality of post-modern life. The Collection is a beautiful and sensuous building, carefully carved into its context within the steep streets of an old city. A solid materiality gives gravity to both internal and external spaces, but there is a sense that both in volume and style the building overwhelms the content that is its reason to exist. History is violent, tumultuous and shocking; the differing readings of the past are conflicting and contentious. For me the smoothly inflected civilised order of The Collection fails to convey the provocative nature of interpreting the past, particularly when the exhibition within is small and drily presented. I hope that the temporary exhibition space is used in a more challenging manner. Perhaps we are not all spoiled loafers, but The Collection could be seen as a well kempt pleasure garden of a particular sort of ‘knowledge’. Maybe a ravaged landscape of halftruths and suppositions would suggest more strongly the latent power of the fragments of conflicting histories that we could assemble into the modern day wunderkammer.

Studio Year Six

207

Thesis Projects In the final year of the professional programme students are asked to produce a design thesis. This study provides students with the freedom and opportunity to explore and research those aspects of architecture that are of particular interest to them. The year involves the generation and investigation of a thesis that is declared through a combination of written work and a comprehensive design submission at the end of semester 2. At the beginning of the first semester students develop a thesis proposal and they are allocated a personal design tutor who works with the student for the rest of the year. The design tutors are a combination of school staff and visiting tutors from practice. During the first semester students develop a design brief for their thesis and they also commence work on a design dissertation that records and declares the outcomes of research into the theoretical, technical and practical aspects of their chosen theme and site. In the second semester time is spent developing and refining the thesis and during this period students also produce a special emphasis study that records a process of in-depth research into a key aspect of the thesis. There is no universal or standard model for the design thesis and one of the key features of the final year is a support for a pluralist approach to architectural design. In developing their thesis some students

208

choose to extend themes that they explored within specialist modules during the previous year whilst for others the thesis represents an opportunity to explore personal interests or to intervene in particular places. Whatever the theme it is encouraging to note that much of the work this year continues to be underpinned by a desire on behalf of the students to address a range of relevant and challenging design, environmental and social concerns. Whatever the source of inspiration and underpinning logic for each design thesis the work included in this yearbook certainly demonstrates a healthy diversity of design methods and approaches and provides a small glimpse into the energy, vitality and creativity of the students. However, the finished drawings and models in the exhibition and described within this yearbook can never fully chronicle the experience of a year that often provides a significant personal challenge to the students. The final design declaration is the outcome of a difficult process of organising, managing, questioning and testing themselves that should prepare the students for their subsequent careers in professional practice.

DipArch - Thesis Projects

structural language; transformation of ornament

embedding tradition, deep surfaces

Pacific culture is buried deep within the history Auckland City. However, the real essence of the city is only celebrated in small unconnected ‘pockets’ of activity. Accompanying this, a physical urban issue became apparent with relation to the city grain and the sea. Historically, Polynesians migrated to New Zealand and settled, developing a new culture, now the indigenous race, the Maori. They are vitally important in the history and development of the city; however the very nature of the true identity of Auckland is becoming under threat as it has become a European-dominated territory. The aim of the thesis is to revive the identity of Auckland by introducing the very essence

early concept image; reconnecting city and sea

and history of Pacific culture within a waterfront scheme for a new Ferry Terminal which will incorporate a Pacific Repository Chamber and Crafts Centre. A cultural celebration, which reinstates the memory and infuses cross-cultural dialogues by means of integrating every-day lives of both Aucklanders and its visitors. Inserting the ‘authentic’ into an inauthentic context leads to application and transformation of tradition; including tectonics as “architectural ghosts” that produce experiential spaces which strive to emanate the memory and tradition in a sensitive way, expressing the notion of the distilled ‘authentic’..

Lois James

Rediscovering Identity: Auckland, New Zealand

209

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Jenny Routledge

Central link space featuring restored paddle ship

The sea side town of Newhaven is always part of a journey but never a destination. It’s links with Dieppe are crucial and historically important. A network of cross channel paddle ships and locomotives formed the heart of the town’s harbour. This thesis is centered around the existing and derelict marine workshop buildings on the river front. By relocating and improving Newhaven’s local museum the existing buildings can regain their identity within Newhaven’s industrial past. This will help re-activate the derelict river front on East Quay and connect the area back into the town via the new pedestrian footbridge.

Concept site strategy

Passe nouveau Newhaven

New pedestrian bridge 210

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Architects and designers are always looking to take the next step. To predict what the future will bring, and to create an environment that responds to that change. I strongly believe that product mirrors process. What I mean by this can be seen clearly in the recent past. The invention of iron gave rise to glass-covered arcades, the invention of the lift facilitated tall buildings and mass production in turn led to mass produced architecture. The saying, “a bad workman always blames his tools” perhaps bares some truth, although it should perhaps read, “a workman is limited only to the tools he has been provided with.” In this case the tool is the process. We have now entered a new age, an age of digital technology. These technologies have influenced and affected every sphere of today’s culture, and those influences will drive the invention of future technologies. The architect and designer is perhaps at a cross roads; either embrace new technologies and techniques or remain passive and allow the industry to change around them. The extent of this change goes far beyond the employment of these new tools to recreate existing design methods. The tools that are now available to us facilitate a new style, changing the way we design from the very first contact with a brief to the end product and feedback within the working building.

View down Chapel Bar

Birds eye view of scheme in context

Oliver Higgins

Emerging technologies - The architects response Internal rendering 211

DipArch - Thesis Projects

entrance into courtyard

Darren Oldfield

Architecture as a Technical Nutrient

212

As the distance between sites of production and sites of consumption continues to increase, so too does the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inability to see the human and environmental price of this production.Â? Factories are now a forgotten part of the social environment. In an ever increasing climate of environmental awareness, our factories should be striving to create sustainable products using sustainable, efficient facilities and processes. The surrounding landscapes should be just as sustainable, providing places that local communities will enjoy and not avoid. The initial aim of this thesis is to develop a strategy that will regenerate the former industrial power and success of Chesterfield whilst symbiotically repairing the

exhibition space interior

broken landscape that surrounds the river Hipper. A number of these newly developed paradigms in sustainable product manufacture can be adapted for use in sustainable architecture. The thesis proposes a centre for making, based on the industrial crafts and heritage of the site, which demonstrates this sustainable approach to products and materials in an architectural environment. The architectural aim of the project was to implement the materiality and attention to detail of the craft produced in the building, within the architecture of the building itself.

DipArch - Thesis Projects OWC Section

In recent years, the increased awareness of the adverse impact of human existence on the very stability of the planet has led to a greater focus on the development of ‘greener’ energy sources to meet our demands. This thesis centres around the increasing need to develop renewable energy sources, and with solar and wind power now established forms of energy generation, it will focus on the marine renewables industry. The scheme is located in Hunstanton, it begins with a masterplan for the seafront which has been linked back to the town with the main route from the town centre stretching out to sea, forming the wall of a proposed marina. The building, a test and development centre for wave and tidal stream devices, is positioned along this route. Its linear form is derived from the necessity of the long test tanks required for the devices, and the concept of creating a ‘street on the sea’ as an

extension of the route.As well as generating energy from the tides, the building draws energy from the waves through an oscillating water column which has been designed into the scheme. The device has become fully intertwined within the design, allowing workers and visitors alike to experience the technology. This amalgamation of architecture and infrastructure has lead to an exciting series of interesting and dynamic spaces which also begin to educate and explain the processes within

Rebecca Few

On the Edge of Change

213

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Simon Chiou

Architecture In The Everyday

214

The Nottingham Institute of Culture (NIAC) is a materials and construction research centre for the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture school based in the city. The introduction of a student design/build scheme enables students to get involved with Nottingham projects and also provides local communities with additional support. Twinned with a local charity TANC (Technical Aid for Nottingham Communities) the institute becomes a hybrid of activity between academia and everyday life. Situated in the heart of Nottingham along a main pedestrian route connecting the city with the train station, the NIAC is a more dynamic architectural exhibition that emphasises the existing infrastructure of the site whilst exposing the pro-

gramme to the wider public. Taking the elevated tram line as a structural and social reference, the NIAC is to be partly a self build project - creating an architectural event before the institute is established. The NIAC provides students and researchers with the opportunity to prototype and test innovative construction solutions in a real life setting, away from the campus and into the city. It is an exemplar project that highlights the importance of architecture in a post industrial landscape, where a culture of creativity, innovation and intelligence is reflected in its architecture.

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Nottingham Hydrothermal Centre

Leon Warner

The notion of ・’Sick-note Britain’ is at an epidemic level among our generation, where mental and physical stress has drained moral resolution. The core of this problem can be attributed to the degradation of our ability to sustaining good well-being. The fast pace of modern culture, where academic, and social pressures are causing intrinsic mental and physiological problems, causing detrimental issues of self-harming and bodily abuse disorders are fast becoming the norm.The future of health care is a holistic balance of complementary ・’passive’・ amenities, achieved through the medium of water, alongside conventional ・’active’・ health facilities. The public-private initiative proscribes a close relation between the NHS and leisure

industry to address this problem, where such an intervention will be accessible to the most deprived regions of the city’s community, which will house facilities including synergetic studios, treatment rooms, cardiovascular spaces, along with secular sanctuary chambers, and hydrothermal baths. This typology of complex is most applicable to Nottingham city centre, which suffers from a severe lack of public amenities. The development of a sequential design proposal has evolved through continuity of the public realm and re-invention of the built environment, set in the historic core of the Lace Market, through reconnection of streetscape creating numerous public internal and external enclosures. 215

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Anechoic corridor

The Architectural Autopsy

What killed the Council House?

Hannah Surl

Nottinghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council House lies rotting in Market Square, a decaying physical symbol of an antiquated and outdated political system. Laying the building on the operating table, and conducting a full architectural autopsy reveals the cause of death, and allows a surgical schedule to be prepared.

Found in Translation

216

Failing organs are excised, allowing the architectural body to enter into

a series of reciprocal transplant operations with living donors throughout the city. Council functions are deliberately scattered throughout the urban fabric- redistributing the balance of authority and displacing the formerly comfortable routines of councillors. Fully reliant on the city as an artificial life support machine, the Council House and Nottingham now exist in a state of mutual dependence.

Inhabiting machinery

Project Description: The intent of this thesis is to change the perceptions of, and display the hidden processes of, textile and textile fiber recycling, to encourage an increase in participation. Located in the historic home of textile recycling, Bradford,West Yorkshire, where the rag-and-bone trade originated as a precursor to the modern process, I aim to establish whether the Post-Industrial model of British cities such as this can be challenged by instigating re-industrialisation as a key driver for urban renewal.

Weaving gallery and textile market

Alongside this, the industrial model as a social tool will be explored as a method for re-weaving the fragmented community established in Bradford as a direct result of immigration to fuel historic textile industries in the city. Here, texture, colour and pattern are a shared language, uniting divided populations through a shared purpose and appreciation.

Button market

Jonathan Morrison 217

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Bradford Fibre Exchange

DipArch - Thesis Projects

A New Chinatown, Liverpool

Today’s Western Chinatowns are increasingly guilty of being over commercial, ‘disneyfied’ places which are no longer true representations of the Chinese culture. They have become major tourist attractions and as a result have lost site of what they were originally intended for the Chinese community.

The ambiguous view

Old meets new

Liverpool’s Chinatown is a place in decline, somewhere which has lost its original purpose and vibrancy it once had. The aim of this thesis was to bring a western Chinatown back to life, designing a building which would firstly provide for the existing Chinese community and secondly to be a true cultural teaching ground for the wider public, everything a Chinatown should be. The building is a Chinese Performing Arts Centre encouraging the East to meet West, exposing them to the many different aspects of the Chinese performing arts. The building is to be reminiscent of Chinese Architecture, capturing the underlying concepts which make a building truly Chinese.

Cheryl Tang 218

As a result of the famous festival, Glastonbury is an eclectic town with a diverse community. However with it numerous myths and legends the identity of the town has been lost. The aim of this thesis is to create a centre for creativity, providing facilities for musicians, artists, dancers, actors, etc. Designed to attract people from all walks of life, it is as much about experimentation, as it is to allow amateurs and professionals alike to exhibit their work. A place of alternative education which encourages experimentation and freedom of expression. To embrace the ideals of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Ageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and pagan population the use of local, recycled and organic materials is important, alongside the buildings engagement with its surroundings. Within this it should also embrace the holistic disciplines of the town, its vitality, creativity and spirituality. Sited to allow for the regeneration of part of the town and create a new hub, this alternative centre will build upon the existing culture creating a new identity for Glastonbury.

Rhythm of Life

219

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Jennifer Bayes

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Gemma McConnell

Hackney Carnival Centre

220

The intent of this thesis is to address the issues of social sustainability in our inner city areas. The project focuses on the area of Hackney in London which has a highly diverse community with a constant migration of people. I wished the thesis to address the ever changing population. This manifested itself in a building for carnival, carnival is

all encompassing and an inclusive activity, celebrating the success of a community working together. Historic tradition of carnival is that it is a time for communities to come together, forgetting differences that they may have, uniting and celebrating life.

Oliver Roberts DipArch - Thesis Projects

The current public transport facilities around the Midland Station in Nottingham do not reflect the modern vibrant and upwardly mobile city which they serve. The quality and atmosphere of the facilities do not reflect the ambience of Nottingham as a city in the 21st century. The project aims to form an integrated transport hub for Nottingham. Combining facilities for rail, tram, taxi, bus, bicycle and canal travel; creating a landmark facility acting as a gateway into and out of the city. The importance of knitting the site of the existing train station into the city to form a new urban quarter is another significant design consideration. A series of public open spaces and landscapes are proposed, positioned over the train lines. These allow the barrier which is formed by the existing train lines to be removed and new connections between the city centre and its southern edges to be forged.

Perspective view from train platform

Nottingham. A Transport Interchange. A Point of Exchange. View of entrance plaza 221

DipArch - Thesis Projects

The gallery facade

Matthew Phillips

Fish Island Creative Centre

222

Swan Wharf

Routes through the site

Fish Island is an industrial tract of East London directly to the West of the new Olympic Park, currently under development. This area of the formerly thriving Lower Lea Valley is undergoing a period of dramatic change with many new apartment blocks cropping up along the canal and river side and a gradual loss of existing communities and networks.

space, gallery, cafe/bar, and space for craft fairs revealing the work being produced on site and bringing a new vibrancy to the area.

Fish Island’s New Creative Centre offers opportunities for existing creative industries in the area to retain their foothold, whilst providing workspaces for new start-up creative businesses and public facilities such as a performance

The centre is situated on Swan Wharf, lying on the border of Fish Island and the Olympic Park. The scheme makes use of many of the existing buildings on site exploiting Swan Wharf’s links with the canal. Links are created with the existing artists’ studios and filming studio adjacent to the site, tying existing in with future uses. Contrasting elements of old and new, solid and permeable, permanent and temporary are accentuated and celebrated.

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Stage 3: Frame Raising

Sycamore School, St Ann’s. Community Engagement Day

This thesis originates from a concern of modern day lifestyles and their subsequent impacts upon the behaviour and development of children, noticeably the decline of their independence/appearance within the public realm.The project focuses on the social issues of a deprived neighbourhood within Nottingham City Centre - St Ann’s. Research highlighted a lack of child-friendly ‘third places’ and evidence of cultural deprivation resulting in a sub-culture of bored and uninspired children. Alongside this, extensive community engagement work resulted in the concept of involving the local community in a groundbreaking new project - St Ann’s Cultural Storytelling Centre.

The multifunctional facility will become the England’s first storytelling centre and largest community self-build, providing a programme of events allowing individuals to engage, interact, learn and create. Based on the concept of storytelling it will attract all ages whilst focussing on early intervention, nurturing local creative talent and sensitively addressing adult literacy difficulties. The welcoming timber pavilion will encourage engagement with books, providing an atmosphere ideal for creative learning. The hybrid of integrated typologies will also offer an ideal setting for school/family trips, a new social heart for the community, and increased access to learning for all ages and abilities.

Samantha Worrall

St Ann’s Story

223

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Brick Lane

Rashmeeta Chana

The project is a youth centre with a focus on the arts, located just off Brick Lane. A space that allows local youth and the artistic community to come together - giving the youth the opportunity to create and showcase their work. The dramatic shift in level on the site provides the opportunity to create an amazing space that runs below Brick Lane and the existing urban infrastructure - a subterranean level of inhabitation to the city. The space becomes a catalyst for improving

conditions of economic regeneration (by creating a richer visual environment) It also makes contemporary art more accessible to the public and encourages a sense of community by involving local youth in the creation of public art works. At the weekend the space becomes an extension to the street (Brick Lane) with activities such as the Markets overflowing down into the subterranean space. The thesis has an underlying interest in the relationship between Semiotics and Architecture.

Conceptual image 224

The background of the project started from a study of the history of traditional marine reclamation in the Victoria Harbour front in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.Alongside with a study of vernacular architectural ‘species’ that is still surviving in the metropolitan city of Hong Kong, tradition stilt houses and bamboo scaffolding.

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Wing Lam Cherry Lee

Exhibition hall

The creation approach of the project is to reactivate the harbour front by reusing the disused a cargo ship handling basin on the water edge of Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The design inspiration is to use the same ‘cell’ as the bamboo scaffolding 60mm diameter, by 6 meters long bamboo cane poles to compose a Harbour Front Visitor Centre for the general public to come and learn about the tangible and intangible history about Victoria Harbour .

Small media room

Column joint inspired by venacular lashing technique

Alternative Stretch

Internal shot 225

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Martin Coyne

Growing Out of the Mines

226

This project is focused on the former coal-mining communities along the County Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugged coastline. Until relatively recently the skyline of each of these communities were dominated by the great industrial towers of the pit-head workings. Following the demise of the mining industry in the 1980s nearly all trace of the collieries were removed, leaving the communities without any link to their past nor any physical reminder of the reason for their existence. The design element of this thesis focuses on the provision of new community facilities for the community of Horden which retains a strong sense of community but suffers from a lack of

amenity. The scheme is centred on the former site of Horden Colliery, at its peak the largest in the UK, now largely reclaimed by nature as rough scrubland. The architectural solution also aims to sit within the rough landscape, offering views out over North Sea and to provide a means for the community to promote their past and to allow them to tell the stories from the collieries to a new and wider audience. The scheme aims to draw on the influences of the past while providing for the future of the surrounding area, avoiding a direct pastiche of the colliery forms while at the same time remaining evocative of the sites history and industrial nature.

Chopping it up

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Maria Christina Papaleontiou 35°10’25 N // 33°21’54 E

The walled city of Nicosia,a dense cluster of highly articulated fields of history,seems to exist on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Within it a labyrinthine network seemingly forgotten,its delights and phantasms come alive. The market,an ephemeral environment,tucked neatly in a building at the centre of the city,springs up as a gap in the system where anything could be possible,where people could eat and dance to the rhythms of their own regime. Nicosia is an untamed,autonomous,nearillicit,eccentric process. Events punctuate her,smells and tastes. A celebratory design not nullified into predetermined ends,reinvigorates the city often seen as monocultural,making space for new readings, new feasts. Any feast starts from a well hung,hunk of meat. Hosted within it are robust,muscular infrastructures and layers-skin,fat,bonesaccommodating polyrhythmic events,redefining our sense and sites of civic and cultural belonging. Even those starting over a lountza and halloumi sandwich from a market vendor. “When you share a meal across the table,pick a fight,embrace or engage in sex,you architecturalize your body in relation to others.”(Coates) For Cypriots the culinary understanding of social space comes first. The market through a food-based architecturalisation,could become a unique locale,a particular characteristic,giving the old city, within the larger framework of consumer-based urban participation,a reason d’etre.

Masterplan

Hanging Butchery 227

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Anna Davies

Exploded recycling process in cracked landscape

Concept of lightweight industrial process

The strong cultural heritage on the Isle of Man has a dynamic nature, adapting over time to maintain its relevance in modern society. However this adaption has resulted in a distillation of information. The Island needs to retain its sense of identity and cultural autonomy to attract tourism. Sustaining the Island’s heritage and providing a system to make it less reliant on its neighbours would facilitate this. This project aims to promote the Islands environmental and economic sustainability through the recycling of glass, and its social and cultural sustainability through the ‘recycling’ of its mythology. The recycled glass will create products that benefit the whole Island and the narration/recycling of its folklore will promote the retention of the Islands distinct identity and provide a valuable tourist attraction. The site is a derelict Victorian swimming bath in the coastal town of Port Erin. The industrial recycling process, which produces glasphalt and molten glass for artists runs from land to sea, and forms a backdrop for the mythological storytelling. The folklore will entwine with this process to create a vivid atmosphere to aid the storyteller’s narratives and increase interaction between the stories and landscape. This sensual experience of space will nurture a unique perception of the surrounding landscape and develop a relationship with past and present traditions on the Isle of Man to encourage a sustain-

The Changing Landscapes of Mann

Tales of Manannan - the cleaning process 228

Module Arrangement and Sectional Perspective

Canopy Perspective and Folded Steel Structure

Retractible Bridge Link

Alex Dale-Jones

The Water Squares of Liverpool

This thesis will examine the potential to exploit the activity centred around the progress of the Tidal Stream Energy Industry by introducing a regional ‘hub’ or ‘observatory’ for commercial testing of tidal stream devices beyond the prototype stage in conjunction with associated research by an established local oceanography facility. The site of interest is The Liverpool Docklands with the test area the Mersey Estuary and Liverpool Bay;

an area with an excellence in tidal research, a city with an outstanding history of marine and tidal monitoring, possibilities for additional grid capacity and with public and private sector investment opportunities following the recent acquisition of the Merseydocks and Harbour Company by Peel Holdings Limited. A large area of derelict river frontage is available to the north of the city centre with an existing historic wet dock framework in place capable of providing the neccesary facilities for such an intervention.

229

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Canopy Module Development Study

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Sharareh Setayesh “Imagine a school without hallways. Imagine a school where learning takes place in every space,indoors and out. Imagine a school that is part of its landscape and of its community where no space is marginal,no corner is unimportant” and building itself will become part of the learning tool. Based on the idea that learning is highly individual,the aim of this project was to create a dynamic challenging educational environment for students age between 3-16. The importance of play and physical activities in students’ performance became the focus of the design. Inspired by elements from kid’s playground the aim was to make the space more intuitive and free by the design. While providing spaces for specific functions, the unique structure did not segregate these as isolated activities. It creates a new dialogue between user and form which is open to possibilities. The project is also questioning boundaries between the school and the community and the architecture and landscape. The aim was to blur these boundaries not only through the functionality of the building but also through the design of the physical environment. The intention was to draw landscapes into buildings, walkways into facades, inside to outside and to fold the space into space. A new interaction between landscape and architecture, between nature and artifice has been formed to create a playful landscape of learning.

Unbound

230

DipArch - Thesis Projects Early section through main therapy building

An exploration which evolved from a desire to improve the quality of Architecture in a healthcare setting. Located on Holy Island, west of mainland Scotland, the art therapy centre provides stimulating workshop spaces in which people can not only be healed but can engage in self healing. The Architecture takes advantage of the beautiful natural environment and its ability to aid the healing process of hu-

mans with mild psychological disorders. Pottery,Textiles,Photography and Candle making wokshops provide different means by which patients can express their emotions, whilst interacting differently with the external environment. Isolated residential units allow patiets to escape into the wilderness where they can be more intimately in touch with nature.

Christopher Baldock

Multisensory Intervention for Psychological Disorders

231

VivianVarvara Pashiali DipArch - Thesis Projects

The project is located in the historic centre of Nicosia, Cyprus, an old city famous for its Venetian Walls, beautifully shaped like a star with eleven bastions. But unfortunately, Nicosia, and its old city in particular, is also famous for its diving line, which transformed what once was a vibrating old centre in an area neglected and misused by its population. That is clear generally throughout, but especially obvious in one of the bastions looking onto the contrastingly new and modern city.

The route from the bastion into the old town

This bastion in the threshold of the two â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;citiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has been serving as a car park for decades now, but eventually its regeneration could turn it into a gate to the old city and thus a catalyst for a wider regeneration process. This project proposes then to replace the existing car park with an attractive social hub, where people will be able to relax, enjoy the shadows of canopies and possibly continue their walk inwards to the forgotten centre through a route highlighted by areas of urban agriculture and public spaces.

The bastion with the canopies creating a new wall

. nicosia . the walled city .

232

Martin Spencer

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Church of Interconnection

Church main assembly space with spacial light wall

Churches through history have always been at the for front of design and technology. The Cathedrals were constructed with simple geometric rules of thumb, repeated and adapted to suit by the master stone mason. Great expense was spent on their construction, when many in the town were living in poverty in wooden huts. This thesis will look at the process of designing through a simple set of rules to achieve a result using the computer as a design tool. The tradition stained glass window will be explored as a threshold between the Sacred and Profane, by the amplification of local weather environments through a moving wall. This process leads into a dynamic architecture of changing form which challenges the traditional perceptions of spacial generators in walls, floors and ceilings. The moving wall becomes a transitive material that creates a boundary that is capable of receiving input and giving output which inturn gives interactively and personality. The transitive material will influence the way the preachers will interact and perceive the space and surrounding environment.

233

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Tom Osborne

View north towards tunnel mouth

Conceptual view through processes

Both our city and our technology are becoming hidden. New construction pays little reference to the past, and new technologies are increasingly obscure and immaterial. This leads to objects being quickly superseded, and transient in nature. In contrast, just a few generations ago, technologies stood in a more mechanical, material base. The city too, was more exposed - ‘making’ occurred in the public eye, mill buildings that are now apartments were then mills. The scheme is set on the historic site of Weekday Cross. The site has had many layers of history that are currently being covered by the new Centre for Contemporary Arts. As an alternative proposal, the scheme forms a gallery of process - a route into Nottingham through the site and into the disused railway tunnel that runs underneath the city. This route will exhibit the analogue processes of photography and publishing - two crafts that are now on the brink of dematerialisation, yet were born from material, mechanical beginnings. As per the technologies, the site will remain exposed - its archaeological relics on display. The architecture will highlight the materiality of the crafts, their process and products, and the city, its remains and ruins. In doing so, our current ‘vaporised’ state can be referenced back to its origins, so that as we progress forwards, we do not lose the haptic qualities of the past.

Measures of Time

Exposed materiality 234

Swimming is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports in the country, with a large number of people desperate to get down to their local pool to either thrash out a quick 50 lengths, spend some time splashing around with their children, or just wallow around in the relaxing calmness that the water can provide. For many years now swimming pools have provided the public with opportunities to interact with water in a recreational fashion in a number of different ways. But unfortunately we are currently in a position where there simply arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough opportunities for people to access swimming facilities of any form and the image of swimming is changing. This thesis aims to address the problems associated with swimming in this country and try to provide a possible design solution that will help rediscover the success that swimming once had in Britain, and in particular within London. Located within the Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, the Natural Aquatic Centre will provide facilities for people to interact with naturally cleansed water within the landscape, in the heart Central London. Unlike the tradition chlorinated pool, the Centre will promote natural processes and conditions, unseen anywhere else in the UK. Through encouraging people to indulge in swimming at all levels, the goal is to reduce the number of illnesses and problems of obesity, whilst creating a healthier and more socially interactive society.

The Concept

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Stuart Harwood

First floor plan

Section through the natural pools

The Natural Aquatic Centre

View from the Imperial War Museum 235

DipArch - Thesis Projects Although a controversial topic, there is an ever increasing demand for air travel. With air space running out over London it is becoming apparent that other solutions are needed. Without this there would be detrimental effects to the economy. Dispersal focuses on moving air travel from the central ‘hub’ of London to smaller airports in more locations. Although a controversial topic, there is an ever increasing demand for air travel. With air space running out over London it is becoming apparent that other solutions are needed. Without this there would be detrimental effects to the econ-

236

omy. Dispersal focuses on moving air travel from the central ‘hub’ of London to smaller airports in more locations. Clarity of route and excitement of space are both integral to this project. Without clear and efficient processes air travel loses its foremost advantage over other forms of transport - speed. All too often airports act as a place of in between. I hope to create spaces which are exciting and interesting, enhancing the circulation routes and processes. A passengersâ€™ journey should begin at arrival at the airport, rather than arrival at their destination.

Annabel Baker

Movement and Flight Airport Terminal, Doncaster

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Section through the stadium

Aerial view of the stadium

Robert Starnes

Football Stadium Design

View through surrounding walkway

The key aim of this thesis project is to create an iconic world class stadium for Tottenham Hotspur FC which integrates itself into the local community, creating its own identity and individuality both for the club and the surrounding area. With a large number of clubs having to redevelop their stadiums to meet increasing demands with the ever growing popularity of English football, and the increased ambitions of individual clubs, it is important that key issues are addressed in order for the Stadium to not just be a venue for a single event each week completely detached from the community, but to integrate itself into the community providing a range of activities and resources

to be used at all times during the week. Modern Stadiums in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society are not being utilized as they should. They are creating large holes in the urban fabric that only create a hub of activity once or twice a week, as a result spaces around the stadiums deteriorate becoming intimidating and unsafe on non match days. Within an open area of an urban environment a new stadium has the potential to kick start the redevelopment of an area if planned well, becoming not only a statement of the clubs ambitions and identity but also has the potential to be a potential tourist attraction / landmark and an iconic statement of the surrounding area. 237

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Slowskin

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Gandhi We live in accelerating times and architecture as with everything else no longer stands still. The constant desire to increase the speed of life has disabled our senses and disconnected us for one another and our environment. The eroding qualities of fast living have resulted in a crisis of substance and place. This thesis is for the creation of a Slow Architecture. One which can raise awareness to the invisible qualities of architecture; smell, sound, touch and taste and in doing so create a stronger connection to place, a design which will tell the story of the site’s past and create possibilities for the future. An architecture

238

which promotes durability, human contact and sensation. The design, construction and subsequent use of the building are to be savoured and enjoyed. Torr Vale Mill, a derelict cotton mill in New Mills Derbyshire is seen as a symbol of the redundancy of fast living, in need of a slow awakening. This is to be achieved through various craft based installations into the existing fabric which aim to draw out the building’s character and make the conditions of being in this place explicit. The proposal is not a finished artefact; indeed the passage of time adds a sense of delight not decay to the architecture through weathering, patina, adaption and use.

Catherine Wilson

Slow Architecture

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Adam Barber

Furze Down Special Needs School and Community Farm

The aim of this project was to design replacement accommodation for an existing special needs school in Winslow, Buckinghamshire. Furze Down School is situated within a rural location, and as such its natural surroundings quickly became a driving force behind the design ideas. The site is positioned on the fringe of the village and is separated from the community. This is particularly detrimental to children with special needs whose development relies upon being contained within a setting which, on the one hand is capable of emulating the complexities of the outside world, but on the other can provide a safe and secure learning environment free from distractions.

Combining the school with a community farm helps to establish this environment by encouraging members of the public to visit and become involved with the everyday life of the school. Many of the children at the school have limited social skills and struggle to form relationships. Research has found that these children find it easier to form relationships with animals before developing more meaningful relationships with their peers. The combination of school and farm is also intended to provide training and employment for adults with learning difficulties, as currently many people who leave special needs education are not given the necessary opportunities which they require to succeed on their own.

239

Neil Campbell DipArch - Thesis Projects

The derelict site of Steetley Magnesite Works in Hartlepool is an intriguing array of derelict industrial architecture on disturbed and contaminated land. Inspired by the capacity of wildlife to colonise inhospitable terrains, the landscape is to be devoted to the processes of natural successional change, and so over longterm time scales, be able to heal itself ecologically, reconciling its chemical/industrial past with nature. Seeking to tread delicately over the dune grassland and the wider environment, the new architecture is to be re-shaped from the rubble material currently on-site, giving increased surface area and shelter which is intended to stimulate new growth. At this intensely windy location, recycled concrete and fabric â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;windcatchersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are oriented to catch material for growth and produce optimum growing conditions. This obscure landscape is to provide the user with powerful individual experiences and sense of escapism. A proposed series of small stations connected by a bridgewalk: A Fishing Hut, Personal Sanatorium, Spa, Campsite, Birdwatching Pavilions add a new layer of individual activities. The main features of the site; the chimney, pier and settling & reaction tanks are retained and allocated new uses where appropriate. Integral to the programme is the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system of bioremediation, using slurry bioreactors, treatment beds & phytoremediation fields, incorporating research into GM-

Healing Scarred Landscapes

240

DipArch - Thesis Projects Conceptual Model of Theatre Vortex

Aperture Room

Film is a powerful medium. One of the most thrilling moments one can experience is when the lights go down and the curtain goes up. When we participate in film we surrender to it, allowing the filmmaker to control of our thoughts, leading our eyes to whatever part of the moving image he wishes and our taking our minds on a carefully orchestrated journey. My design proposal for a Lynchian filmmakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house and theatre attempts to exploit the unconscious mind through architecture as David Lynch does so through film. My design proposal aims to interfere with the strict dichotomy between internal and external realms: the space of the psyche and the physical (real) world. I have attempted to provide a retreat from reality by

Site perspective

Vortex interior perspective

exploiting the relationship between body, mind and space. However rather than creating a purely escapist experience, my project endeavors to create spaces that are much more teleological; spaces that inspire the filmmaker and others that allow the public to explore the filmmakers personal space; his dreams, desires and fears, through an architectural language capable of affecting users on a deep subconscious level. The house is designed to subvert traditional notions of domesticity, blurring public with private space. Through its spatial ambiguity one loses all sense of orientation and must succumb to its architecture; inevitably leaving oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical integrity and mental state vulnerable.

Aman Singh

The Lynch Household, 48 Fashion Street, E1 6PX

241

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Material Texture Perspective

James Jeffries

Institute of Material Culture

242

City Walkway Perspective

Concrete Test Piece

Addressing the current dislocation between material development and how this is applied within contemporary societal and cultural environments, the thesis explores a rationale for a fusion of realms. The architectural design is based around an investigation into the relationship between materiality and form, questioning the conventional privileging of form over matter. Tectonic investigations look into how materiality can be used as a method for generating formal expression

rather than being left as an applied finish, subservient to form. Utilising the characteristics of concrete as a unique hybrid building material, fabric formwork is used as a way of generating a language depicted by both the properties of the woven geo-textile fabric and the mass, weight and plasticity of the concrete. Volumes set into the urban site of a former canal-side saw mill represent a modern Chthonian interpretation of strata, including the existing, contemporary dense, and ephemeral.

DipArch - Thesis Projects The Connective Collective begins with the regeneration of an urban brownfield site within the city centre of Nottingham. It seeks to become a working model for sustainability and urban self sufficiency by providing modularised timber family dwellings which are arranged into a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Collectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wall comprised of apartment towers separated by vertical allotments with shared so-

cial space providing access to each apartment tower. The Collective Residential Wall partially encloses and protects a large central productive landscape itself enclosed by a new spur of the Nottingham Canal, which provides private, public and shared growing spaces, gardens and parkland in a manner akin to that of the traditional walled kitchen garden.

Mark Brighouse

The Connective Collective

243

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Sarah Fish York is often regarded of as a tourist city with little thought of the local residents. Under the surface, there lies a thriving creative scene in York, with many aspiring bands trying to make their way in the music industry, and an art college churning out students. This project aims to give something back to the local community, and provide an outlet for this creativity. A Cultural Quarter based on the banks of the River Ouse, comprising a live music venue with recording studios and practice rooms, art studios and exhibition space, along with cafe, restaurant and bar facilities is proposed. Building on the floodplain in a city renounded for its severe floods, the project aims to address the problem of flooding and investigates different approaches to dealing with it. Part of the scheme will be elevated above the flood level, including a new inhabited pedestrian bridge linking the 2 sides of the river; other spaces will be elevated on stilts. Some spaces are to be tanked and made watertight. There will be art studios floating on the river itself, and the live music venue will be allowed to flood, creating a totally unique environment.

Water, Water, Everywhere: Approaches to Flooding

244

The pending energy crisis begs society to rethink its energy habits. Western society is now reliant on importing fuels to feed its energy needs. Even with energy saving strategies society fundamental functionality, communications and economies would not survive without electricity. It is therefore imperative that we become energy self sufficient. With profit making companies controlling our national gridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production we must seek a more localised solution, by harnessing renewable energy tailored to each individual community depending on location and resources available. Architecture can play a key role in making the way energy is produced and consumed, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;visibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; within society. This can potentially educate communities on the effect of energy abuse on the environment. This project investigates the importance of the integration of renewable energy into Nottingham Meadows community, focusing primarily on the storage of solar energy through hydrogen. The solar hydrogen plant will function as a test bed research facility for the solar hydrogen production. It will produce energy for the community as well provide an area where the community can interact both with the process and each other.

Adam Chambers

245

DipArch - Thesis Projects

Solar Hydrogen Centre

Masters Degrees The School runs a number of innovative taught postgraduate courses each with a 12 month programme or 24 months when a part-time route is offered. The postgraduate courses are based on the research expertise of the school and include: Master of Architecture [MArch] in Design this well established and successful programme offers the opportunity to concentrate on architectural design, humanities and technology to an advanced level, providing time for studio-based exploration and innovation across a broad range of projects, while also encouraging the development of sophisticated communication skills. MArch Design is led by Jonathan Hale. Master of Architecture in Technology, [MTec] focuses on the role of technology in contemporary architecture; it explores emergent materials and technologies including rapid prototyping and digital fabrication. MTec is led by Professor Michael Stacey. A key element of MTec is faรงade design and building envelopes, which are evaluated on a performative basis examining integrated environmental strategies and the latest advances in materials, contributing to the design of zero carbon architecture. MArch in Theory and Design explores the potential contribution to the design process of an advanced theoretical input, drawing upon knowledge from other disciplines and introducing a range of critical techniques from outside the traditional domain of architecture. It is led by Dr Laura Hanks. MArch in Urban Design provides students with an understanding of the complex relationship between spatial and design issues and social and economic urban process-

246

es. Led by Katharina Borsi, it addresses urban design as a mode of research and practice that shapes urban environments and responds to urban problems. MA in Architecture and Critical Theory this interdisciplinary programme focuses on the interface between architectural theory and contemporary philosophy / cultural studies and is led by Jonathan Hale. MArch in Environmental Design provides training in integrated environmental design in architecture and builds on a project based approach where technical and theoretical knowledge is well integrated. It is intended for practitioners in architecture and building industry who wish to broaden their knowledge in sustainable building design as well as for people wishing to pursue research careers in these areas. MArch Environmental Design is led by Benson Lau. Master of Science [Msc] in Renewable Energy and Architecture is a popular multi-disciplinary programme examines the integration of passive and active renewable energy systems into the fabric of buildings. Led by Dr Mohamed Gadi students are introduced to the use of simulation techniques and laboratory/engineering methods for analysing environmental performance. MSc in Energy Conversion and Management has a strong emphasis on science, technology and engineering within the context of renewable & sustainable energy technologies in the built environment and is led by Dr Matthew Hall. It also uniquely provides effective management skills and an understanding of the current policies and regulations that are applicable at UK, EU and international level.

MSc in Sustainable Building Technology is specifically tailored towards graduates in building services, architectural environmental engineering, architecture and other related disciplines. Led by Dr Xudong Zhao with an emphasis on the successful integration of renewable and sustainable energy technologies into buildings, which requires an understanding of both design and technology and hence the close cooperation of architecture and engineering. [A collaborative version of this course is offered with a range of international universities include five Chinese universities] MSc in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship provides students from the UK and overseas with advanced skills in Renewable Energy Technology and Business. This MSc is led by Dr Yuehong Su and graduates from the course will be well placed to pursue careers in renewable energy technology industries. Many of the design modules undertaken in studio on these Masters courses are shared with the Diploma in Architecture [RIBA 2] course. Fore more details see www.nottingham.ac.uk

247

Research at the SBE

The School of the Built Environment is an international centre for interdisciplinary research excellence with a particular focus in the area of sustainable development. The School has 37 research active staff plus the support of 17 Industrial and Practice Professors. Research in the School spans five main subject areas: Building Services; Sustainable Energy Technology; Environmental Design and Tectonics; Urban Design; Architectural Humanities. Within these broad areas a number of distinct research clusters exist, bringing together staff from across the four Institutes within the School: Architecture; Building Technology; Sustainable Energy Technology; and Urban Planning. In addition to supporting individual scholarship and publication in areas such as architectural history and theory, the School has particular strengths in collaborative research with industry – exemplified by the Creative Energy Homes research programme begun in 2006 which involves the construction of a number of experimental low-carbon sustainable houses on land adjacent to the School. In 2007 the School established the Centre for Sustainable Energy Technology (CSET) at Nottingham’s overseas campus at Ningbo in China, housed in a new landmark building designed by Special Professor Mario Cucinella. We were also successful in the competition to co-host the new £1.5bn Government and industryfunded Energy Technologies Institute, as part of The Midlands Consortium alongside Birmingham and Loughborough Universities. As part of a broad environmental research agenda, which includes the technical, cultural, urban and design implications of sustainabilJonathan Hale

248

ity, work at the School is actively supporting the UK government’s ambition to see all new homes become carbon-neutral by 2016, as well as the wider UK and EU commitments to reduce carbon emissions globally. Recent evidence of the impact of the School’s activities came with its selection as the focus of an EPSRC/Royal Academy of Engineering international review of research into sustainable technologies. The School is a founding organiser of the annual international Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) conferences, previously hosted jointly by partner institutions in Portugal, Italy, China, and Chile. This year the event is being held in South Korea. The School also hosted two international research symposia in 2007-08: Towards Zero Carbon Sustainable Homes, supported by BASF, RIBA and the EU which included Bill Dunster’s Zed Factory, BRE, the Architectural Association and Faber Maunsell. Plus the Annual Research Symposium entitled: Breathing Space: Biomimetic Design in the Built Environment which included contributions from academics and designers in the UK, Sweden, China and Canada. With new initiatives planned in areas such as digital fabrication – including a new workshop and prototyping facility, the “Creative Construction Centre” – alongside ongoing projects such as Creative Energy Homes, the School continues to work in partnership with practice and industry to invest in facilities to support leading-edge research.

Working with Practice and Industry

The School of Built Environment at the University of Nottingham works actively with its alumni. This takes many forms. Often guest critics and lecturers are alumni and this year have included: Neven Sidor of Grimshaw, Jonathan Hill of Scott Brownrigg and Walter Menteth of Walter Menteth Architects, to thank an indicative selection of practitioners who have contributed to the school. This forms part of our active partnership with practice and industry. The school also holds regular events for alumni, typically on an annual basis. The main 2008 Alumni event is part of Exhibit08: The Nottingham Declaration at the Bankside Gallery, London on 19 June. Why alumni? According to the Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, alumni means former student, or pupil, and comes from the Latin ‘alere’, to nourish a foster-son or pupil. The problem with using the word ‘graduate’ is that not all Nottingham Alumni are graduates, some

are ‘Diplomates’ or ‘Certificands’ and some have no formal qualification from the University. We are keen to welcome all those who have had an opportunity to study at Nottingham. If anyone knows of a better word than ‘alumni’, please let us know! In the meantime, we will refer to a group of former students as ‘alumni’ and as ‘alumnae’ when we know that we are referring to women only; a male former student as an alumnus and a female former student as an alumna. Am I a Nottingham alumnus/alumna? Graduates of the University, and former students who have successfully completed non-degree courses at the University including Diplomates, Certificands, JYA students, Occasional Studies students and Honorary Graduates of the University, are all alumni of the University of Nottingham. In some circumstances we may also regard those who have studied at the University for one term or more as alumni.

How do I join? All former students of the University of Nottingham are entitled to become members of its alumni community. All you have to do is to give us your contact details and we will send you copies of alumni publications (paper and electronic) and invite you to reunions and events in Nottingham, the UK and worldwide! You can also register for Nottingham Online free of charge www.alumni.nottingham.ac.uk How do I get in touch with my friends? You can get in touch with your friends via the Nottingham Online ‘Find a friend’ directory or by contacting the Alumni Relations Team alumni-enquiries@nottingham. ac.uk

249

Diploma Student Bursary Scheme Scheme coordinated by Professor Michael Stacey.

Since the academic year 2006-07 the School of the Built Environment at the University of Nottingham established a student bursary scheme. The aim of this scheme is to forge closer links between the school and practice whilst supporting selected students through the final stages of their education to become architects. The practices range is scale and approach, some are local and many practice architecture internationally, but all are committed to architectural education. Student Bursary The basic bursary offered by all practices in the scheme is £1000 per year for students undertaking fifth year and sixth year at the School of Built Environment, Nottingham. Each practice also offers

Architectural Practice of the Year (Building Awards 2007) and winner of the Low Energy Building the Year (Sustainability Awards 2006), PRP is the UK’s most renowned practice specialising in residential design. Our 360 employees work in four offices in London, Surrey, Milton Keynes and Manchester to deliver projects across the UK as well as in Russia, Spain, France, Montenegro, Ukraine, China and India. We also design care homes, schools, health facilities, leisure complexes, mixed use and commercial buildings. We are accredited as an Investor in People and offer a unique learning and development programme to help staff develop their careers and skills at PRP.

250

An 80+ strong London-based practice with a national and international portfolio. The practice is well known for its skilful integration of new buildings within historic environments, and for its expertise in high-end residential, commercial and mixed-use projects. The firm’s long experience of designing award winning buildings and creating master plans for many of London’s historically important central areas has proved invaluable for developers seeking to create appropriate and sustainable new developments in historic cities around the world. Paul Davis + Partners is currently working on substantial projects in London, Japan, Hong Kong, St Petersburg and Italy.

employment during the summer vacation between these two years. If the bursary recipient is successful in their studies and within the practice it is the intention of the practice to offer the bursary recipient a salaried position and support them through Part 3. For many practices the preferred starting point is to engage a Year Out student from Nottingham and then nominate them for a bursary at the end of their successful year out on their return to Nottingham. The scheme is also open to students joining the School of Built Environment to undertake their Diploma [Part2]. The specific offer of each practice may vary and will be made explicit during the application and interview process. Application forms available at www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe.

Hopkins Architects has been at the forefront of British architecture since we started in practice in 1976. Our design approach combines creative imagination and rational logic with empathy for our clients’ needs. We have pioneered and developed a series of strategies in relation to: membrane architecture and lightweight structures; energyefficient design; the inventive use of traditional materials; the re-use of existing structures in conjunction with new buildings and the regeneration of derelict urban areas. Our practice, of 100 people, works from a studio campus in London. In addition to our large portfolio of work in the UK, our international work is increasing rapidly.

We are a well-established award winning international architectural practice with 130 staff in London plus 60 split between our New York and Melbourne offices. We care passionately about the craft of building. We also try to advocate the green agenda with our increasingly aware clients. Our growing New York and Melbourne offices are an integral part of our organisation, not separate worlds. By discussion placement in either location could form part of the year out experience should bursary students so wish.

Building Design Partnership (BDP) is a firm of professionals in building design, embracing all the skills needed to provide an integrated, comprehensive service. Our key disciplines are architecture, civil, structural and building services engineering; other professions include town planning and urbanism, transport planning, landscape architecture, interior, product and graphic design, lighting design, acoustics and sustainability. BDP has over 1000 people in the UK and Ireland, making the practice the largest architect-led firm in the UK.

Westfield is one of the leading retail development groups in the world. With assets of some ÂŁ23 billion itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behind some of the most exciting initiatives in the UK today. Working with the best architects from Michael Gabellini, to Martha Schwartz, Westfield is at the forefront of design innovation, and, with eight major development initiatives across the UK, including regeneration projects in Nottingham, Derby and Bradford, provides its people with the chance to work at the very cutting-edge of retail architecture.

Benoy is an international architectural practice specializing in regeneration and mixed use development. Our work takes us across the UK, Europe and further a field. With offices in Nottinghamshire, London, Hong Kong and India, Benoy has established a worldwide reputation for creative solutions, borne out of a real understanding of clients needs and responding with a fast moving, collaborative working style. We constantly seek input from all our designers, encouraging them to explore new ideas, use initiative and grasp responsibility. Benoy is a great environment for self-expression, fast learning and career building.

Scott Brownrigg is an award winning architectural practice embracing Architects, specialist town planners, urban designers, masterplanners and interior designers. With lively office locations in London and Guildford we offer good salary and benefits with excellent careers prospects. We have a continuous learning programme and offer the opportunity to work on a wide range of design-led projects within a supportive and creative environment. Our active sports and social calendar includes a wide variety of events such as staff parties, sporting occasions and cultural opportunities.

We have recently been short listed to design the new Media Centre at the heart of the 2012 Olympic games, which reflects our progressive approach to what we do and how we do it. After more than 170 years in business we have established a solid commercial portfolio with Clients who return to us again and again. By continuing to attract commissions for some of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ambitious and high profile projects we are able to develop more diverse and challenging areas of expertise that makes us stand out from the crowd.

251

Industrially Sponsored Studentship Scheme The MSc in Energy Conversion & Management is an exciting and timely new course that covers all forms of energy conversion including renewable energy technologies, biomass & combustion, heating & cooling technologies, materials science and CHP systems. This coincides with the huge demand for young, highly trained engineers who have a strong enthusiasm for sustainability and the environment. The industrial studentships are sponsored by several market leading companies working in this field and are each worth £3,000 towards the tuition fee costs for the student. This also offers the unique opportunity for the student to work closely with the company sponsor over the Easter and summer periods on an individual dissertation project connected with the company’s current research & development activities. The scheme has proved highly successful amongst students and sponsors alike. During the 2007/08 academic year these sponsor companies have awarded industrial studentships:

252

E.ON UK are part of the E.ON Group; the world’s largest investorowned power and gas company. They are the UK’s largest integrated energy company, generating and distributing electricity, and retailing electricity and gas.

ProLogis is the world’s largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities such as manufacturing plants, retail outlets and transportation complexes

A large UK-based consulting engineer company offering fully integrated structural, building services, infrastructure and environmental engineering solutions.

Kingspan Group plc is a building products business focused on establishing leading market positions by providing innovative construction systems and solutions with a global reach.

The Brian Warwicker Partnership PLC provides sustainable and intelligent award-winning designs and innovative engineering consultancy solutions.

The Austin Company UK provide a broad range of Consulting, Design, Engineering, Management and Construction services, producing solutions for complex and challenging projects

School Staff Academic Ford, Brian Prof Heath, Tim Prof Oc, Taner Prof Riffat, Saffa Prof Stacey, Michael Prof Etheridge, David Dr Farmer, Graham Mr Gadi, Mohamed Dr Gan, Guohui Dr Gillott, Mark Dr Hale, Jonathan Mr Hanks, Laura Dr Platt, Stephen Dr Rutherford, Peter Dr Wilson, Robin Dr Yan, Yuying Dr Altomonte, Sergio Dr Borsi, Katharina Ms Boukhanouf, Rabah Dr Cooper, Ed Mr Deane, Darren Dr Guzman, Guillermo Mr Hall, Matthew Dr Lau, Benson Mr Liu, Hao Dr Omer, Siddig Dr Qi, Wang Mr Quek, Raymond Mr Riganti, Patrizia Dr Samant, Swinal Ms Starkey, Bradley Mr Su, Yuehong Dr Wu, Shenyi Dr Zhao, Xudong Dr Zhu, Jie Dr Zhu, Yan Mr Bromley-Smith, Liz Ms Gerber, Nicola Ms Friend, Adrian Mr Howarth, Andrew Prof Edmonds, John Mr Nicholson-Cole, David Mr Short, David Mr

Head of School Chair in Architecture/Urban Design Chair of Urban Design & Planning Chair in SET Chair in Architecture Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Associate Professor (IA) Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Associate Professor (IA) Associate Professor (IA) Associate Professor (IA) Associate Professor (IA) Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Associate Professor (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (Whitbybird) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IA) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IBT/ISET) Lecturer (IA) Studio Leader Studio Leader Studio Leader Teaching Administrator University Teacher University Teacher University Teacher

253

Administrative Amante-Roberts, Zeny Mrs Aston, Angela Ms Boultby, Lucy Miss Clews, Emma Miss Dickinson, Stephen Mr Giberson, Helen Mrs Hardwidge, Claire Mrs Heery, Alyson Dr Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly, Kim Mrs Shaw, Lyn Ms Thomas, Robert Mr

PA to Professor Riffat PA to Professor Ford Receptionist/Administration Assistant Office Manager, Exams Secretary Finance/Accounts Administrative Assistant Secretary P/T ISET & IBT School Manager Admissions/Courses Administrator Secretary, Institute of Architecture, Part 3 Research Administration Manager

Technical Beardsley, Sarah Ms Clarke, Bob Mr Blunt, Andrew Hodgkinson, Patrick Mr Moss, Jonathan Mr Oliver, Dave Mr Taylor, Dave Mr Wheaver, Scott Mr

254

Model Workshop Technician Electronic Hardware, AV Co-ordinator IT Technician Senior Model Workshop Technician Mechanical Workshop/Laboratory Technician Mechanical Workshop/Laboratory Technician Mechanical Workshop/Laboratory Technician Mechanical Workshop/Laboratory Technician

NOTTINGHAM opening & prize giving ceremony: 12.06.08 - 18:30 SBE quad, University Park exhibition 12.06.08 - 15.07.08 LONDON opening & private view: 17.06.08 - 18:00 Alumni event: 19.06.08 - 16:00 Bankside Gallery, London exhibition 16.06.08 - 22.06.08

exhibit! 08

THE NOTTINGHAM DECLARATION For the first time the School of the Built Environment at the University of Nottingham is taking its end of year show to London. The London Show will be at The Bankside Gallery, next to Tate Modern, from the 17th June to 22nd June. Maurio Cucinella, principal of MCA Integrated Design, will open the event. The show’s title is for three reasons: 1. In honour of the Climate Change Declaration signed in Nottingham by Britain’s leading local authorities 2. To celebrate the work of the Students of the SBE and place this in the context of our capital city. 3. To celebrate the commitment of the SBE and our students in tackling climate change by contributing towards a well-designed and low carbon built environment.

Celebrating the students’ work from the School of Built Environment, University of Nottingham.

The show will primary comprise the work of prizewinners selected from all 6 years including BArch, BEng, MEng, MArch and Diploma. Thus both architecture and engineering students will be represented. A selection of representative student work from all years will also be included. The show is being curated collaboratively by students, alumni and staff. Sponsors of this event/ prizes include: Cambridge Architectural Research, Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, The North East Timber Trade Association, Marsh Grochowski, MCA Integrated De-

sign, and Michael Stacey Architects. The exhibition will celebrate the sustained excellence in design and related disciplines achieved by the students of the School of the Built Environment at the University of Nottingham. This work will be recorded in SSE Design Yearbook and on our website www.nottingham.ac.uklsbe. Exhibit08: The Nottingham Declaration at the Sankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London, Se1 9JH. Opening hours 11am to 6pm including Saturday and Sunday.

255

Exhibit Pavilion Project K1BSC2 2007/2008 As part of the Structures and Construction series of lectures for Year 2, there has been a more detailed investigation into the properties and application of key building materials, in particular timber, steel, concrete, brickwork and aluminium. To help with this process, the Exhibit Project has evolved to enable students both to design and construct a small pavilion for the Institute of Architecture to showcase the best student projects completed over the course of the academic year. The end of year show attracts many guests from the construction industry and also includes a prize giving ceremony. The activities are normally led by the Head of School (Prof. Brian Ford) and the Head of the Institute of Architecture (Prof. Tim Heath) from a stand or podium which is placed in front of a seated audience in the turfed quad between the SRB and the Marmont centre. The structure will be predominantly made from timber of any kind e.g. sawn, round wood, ply, engineered timber etc. Additional materials such as steel connections, cables, ropes and fabric may be used as long as the structure can be classified as a timber one. Students were strongly encouraged to explore the use of timber in less conventional arrangements such as fabric structures, space grids, gridshells and tensegrity structures. One of the prime considerations has been the construction technique of the full size stand, either with the use of prefabricated modular components or construction on-site from basic parts. The aim of this project has been to balance the requirements of structural stability, robustness, functional requirements, aesthetics and buildability.

1st place winners Helen Battison, Justin Chan, James Alder, Danny Fenster 256

The main objectives were to: 1- Gain an appreciation and feel for timber materials and construction; 2- Understand that structure & skin perform multiple and interrelated functions; 3- Realise that the design and the construction phases are closely interlinked and that good communication between the design and construction teams is essential. 4- Realise that choice of material / structure / detail and construction technique are integral to the success of a design. 5. Understand the importance of jointing and good detailing. To undertake this project, Year 2 was organised into small self-selected teams, each between 3 to 4 persons, initially to develop the designs in the form of drawings, calculations and specifications. This eventually led to each team constructing a large scale (1:10) model of their specific pavilion.

2nd place winners Jon Kaminsky, Dale Muscroft, Marcus Todd, Andrew Tindale

The project was met with considerable enthusiasm by the students, which resulted in a series of comprehensive drawings and method statements, not to mention many exquisite designs and beautifully crafted models. The spirit of competition was maintained with the eventual selection of a winning scheme by a panel of judges, including Professor Michael Stacey and Adrian Friend, the Year 2 Leader. It is intended this project will be constructed by the students and form the backdrop for the 2007- 2008 prize giving ceremony this year.

John Edmonds RIBA Co-Director, Professional Studies in Architecture 16 May 2008

3rd place winners Shaun Pope, Douglas Sibley, Talal Baweja, Khyle Raja 257

exhibit! 07 prizes awarded Winners

Year

official name of the prize

Li Gan

Dykes Associates Prize for 1st Year Best Design Portfolio

Robert Buehler

BDP Prize for 2nd Year Best Design Portfolio

Emma Matthews

Soc. Chief Archts Local Gov. 2nd Year Student Travel Bursary

Christopher Raven

Scott Brownrigg Prize for the most creative integration of innovative environmental design

Selina Shun Lui

Westfield Prize for 3rd Year Best Design Portfolio

James Wignal

Institute of Architecture Prize for 3rd year Best Portfolio

Edward Pearce

MPL

Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson prize for Management & Practice

Simon Talbot

E-ON UK Prize for BEng Best Portfolio/Dissertation

Elizabeth Long

Institute of Architecture Prize for BA Architectural Studies

Claire Goldthorp

Hilson Moran Prize for MEng Best Portfolio

Gabriel Wang

The Beetham Organisation Prize for Undergraduate Structures & Construction

Richard Meddings

Paul Davis + Partners Prize for Use of Computers in Design (Undergraduate)

Martin Spencer

open

North East Timber Trade Association Prize for the best use of timber

Jonathan Morrison

open

Stephen George Prize for the Integration of Renewal Energy Technologies in Architecture

Robert Ware

open

Institute of Architecture Prize for History and Theory

Anna Michael / Emily Thurlow / Charlotte Freeman / Nisha Vekaria

Institute of Architecture Prize for Undergraduate Construction

Adam Chambers and Alex Dale-Jones

Canary Wharf Prize for Tall Building Design

Martin Spencer

Halsal Lloyd Prize for 5th Year Best Design Portfolio

Oilver Higgins and Yi Wang

CPMG Architects Prize for Excellence in Urban Design

Arpan Pinakin DalalÂ and Milind Khade

Benoys Prize for Masters Best Design Portfolio

Arpan Pinakin DalalÂ

CAR & MSA Prize for Excellence in Architectural Research Methods

258

Nick Green

5&6

Arup Prize for Environmental Design

Adam Chambers and Alex Dale-Jones

5&6

Grimshaw Prize for Excellence in Component Based Architecture

Matt Hayhurst

5&6

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Prize for Drawing/ Presentation (Diploma / Masters)

Sheldon Brown

NDSA Prize for 6th Year Best Design Portfolio

Lizzie Webster

Hegarty Family Prize for 6th Year Design Innovation Prize

Francesca Bailey

Reid Architecture Prize

Lizzie Webster

Scott Brownrigg Prize for the most creative integration of innovative environmental design

Archie Fishlock

Visiting tutors Prize for personal development in year 6

Matt Hayhurst

Clarke:Desai Design Prize for year 6

Joseph Fraher & Gareth Selby

Saffa Riffat Special Award for Architecture and Engineering

Christopher Raven

Bronze Medal nomination 3rd Year

James Wignall

Bronze Medal nomination 3rd Year

Matt Hayhurst

Silver Medal Nomination 6th Year

Sheldon Brown

Silver Medal Nomination 6th Year

259

Christopher Raven, Scott Brownrigg Prize for the most creative integration of innovative environmental design & Bronze Medal nomination 3rd Year

Emma Matthews, Soc. Chief Archts Local Gov. 2nd Year Student Travel Bursary

Robert Buehler, BDP Prize for 2nd Year Best Design Portfolio 260

Claire Goldthorp, Hilson Moran Prize for MEng Best Portfolio

Robert Ware, Institute of Architecture Prize for History and Theory

Gabriel Wang, The Beetham Organisation Prize for Undergraduate Structures & Construction

Jonathan Morrison, Stephen George Prize for the Integration of Renewal Energy Technologies in Architecture 261

Nick Green, Arup Prize for Environmental Design

Adam Chambers and Alex Dale-Jones, Canary Wharf Prize for Tall Building Design & Grimshaw Prize for Excellence in Component Based Architecture

Archie Fishlock, Visiting tutors Prize for personal development in year 6

Arpan Pinakin Dalal and Milind Khade, Benoys Prize for Masters Best Design Portfolio

262

Matt Hayhurst, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Prize for Drawing/Presentation (Diploma / Masters) & Clarke:Desai Design Prize for year 6 & Silver Medal Nomination 6th Year

Lizzie Webster, Hegarty Family Prize for 6th Year Design Innovation Prize & Scott Brownrigg Prize for the most creative integration of innovative environmental design

Francesca Bailey, Reid Architecture Prize

Sheldon Brown, NDSA Prize for 6th Year Best Design Portfolio & Silver Medal Nomination 6th Year

263

exhibit! 08 official prize list Prize

Sponsor

Website

Hayman Graphics 1st Year Drawing Prize

Hayman Graphics

www.hayman-graphics.co.uk

Michael Stacey Architects Prize for 2nd Year Best Design Portfolio

Michael Stacey Architects

www.michaelstaceyarchitects.com

Soc. Chief Archts Local Gov. 2nd Year Student Travel Bursary

Soc. Chief Archts Local Gov.

www.scala.org.uk

Scott Brownrigg Prize for the Creative Integration of Innovative Environmental Design [3rd Year]

Scott Brownrigg

www.scottbrownrigg.com

Westfield Prize for 3rd Year Excellence in Design

Westfield

www.westfield.co.uk

Institute of Architecture Prize for 3rd year Best Portfolio

Institute of Architecture

www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe

Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson prize for Management & Practice

Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson

www.hcd.co.uk

Institute of Architecture Prize for BA Architectural Studies

Institute of Architecture

www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe

The Beetham Organisation Prize for Undergraduate Structures & Construction

The Beetham Organisation

www.beetham.eu

Paul Davis + Partners Prize for Use of Computers in Design (Undergraduate)

Paul Davis

www.pauldavisandpartners.com

UK national section of the International Isover PassivHaus Design Competition

Saint-Gobain Isover

www.saint-gobain.com

Paula Rosa Kitchen design competition

Paula Rosa

www.paularosa.co.uk

North East Timber Trade Association Prize for the best use of timber

North East Timber Trade Association

www.netta.org

Stephen George Prize for the Integration of Renewal Energy Technologies in Architecture

Stephen George and Partners

www.stephengeorge.co.uk

Marsh Grochowski History and Theory Prize

Marsh Grochowski Architects

www.marsh-grochowski.com

Institute of Architecture Prize for Undergraduate Construction

Institute of Architecture

www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe

Canary Wharf Tall Building Design Prize

Canary Wharf

www.canarywharf.com

Halsal Lloyd Prize for 5th Year Best Design Portfolio

Halsall Lloyd

www.hlpdesign.com

CPMG Architects Prize for Excellence in Urban Design

CPMG Architects

www.cpmg-architects.com

Benoys Prize for Masters Best Design Portfolio

Benoys

www.benoy.com

CAR Prize for Excellence in Architectural Research

Cambridge Architectural Research

www.carl.co.uk

264

Arup Prize for Excellence in Environmental Design

Arup

www.arup.com

Grimshaw Prize for Excellence in Component Based Architecture

Grimshaw architects

www.grimshaw-architects.com

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Prize for Drawing/Presentation (Diploma / Masters)

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

www.rsh-p.com

NDSA Prize for 6th Year Best Design Portfolio

NDSA

www.ndsa.info

Hegarty Family Prize for 6th Year Design Innovation Prize

Family of Simon Hegarty

Scott Brownrigg Prize for the Creative Integration of Innovative Environmental Design [6th Year]

Scott Brownrigg

www.scottbrownrigg.com

Foster & Partners 6th Year Architecture Prize

Foster and Partners

www.fosterandpartners.com

Best 3D Printed Model

Cadventure

www.cadventure

For a full list of prize winners and shortlisted entries please visit www.exhibitnottingham.com

265

266

267

Sponsors & Aknowledgements We would like to specially thank the following people that have contributed in the realisation of this book: Professor Michael Stacey Lizzie Webster School Academic and Administrative Staff All the students in the school for their fantastic work. Tim Gibbons and Steve Townsend for designing the event website, the on-line system to collect the students work and for the compsition of their pages. Salim Bamakhrama and Bill Chan for their outstanding images of the school. Eight days a week printing solutions Ltd. Sponsors and Prize donors Last but not least my family for the constant support and patience during the endless nights that took this massive enterprise.

exhibit! 08 is part of:

The donors of prizes have also sponsored Exhibit 08: The Nottingham Declaration â&#x20AC;&#x201C; please see the 2007-8 Prizes.

268

Design Year Book 2008 The School of the Built Environment University Park Campus Nottingham NG7 2RD UK Tel: 44 (0)1159514184 Fax: 44 (0)115 9513159 architecture@nottingham.ac.uk www.nottingham.ac.uk/sbe www.exhibitnottingham.com