MATTHEW WARRENBERG Academic Portfolio
Academic Portfolio Matthew Warrenberg Stage 2 Architecture Newcastle University 160157637 2017 - 2018
6
10
16
32
68
70
78
136
148
CONTENTS
Semester 1
A Day in the Life of you Analysis and Study of Daily Life
6
Study Type Unite d’Habitation
10
Leith 2030 A Proposal for Leith
16
Dwelling Plus Residential Housing Scheme
32
Inhabit Details of Key Moments
68
Semester 2
Engineering Experience Notes on Blindness
70
Exploring Experience Durham Multi-purpose building
78
Process and Reflection
Crafting Architecture Learning Journal
136
Non-design Work
Other coursework modeules
Work completed after final review
148
5
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOU Analysing the rythms and patterns of my daily life through drawing, vignettes and writing.
MORNING
Bedroom My eyes open to find soft light filtering in through my blinds - despite them being closed - and spreading across the wall. The brightness increases as the sun rises and slowly pulls me out of bed. I lazily shift myself off the bed and search for my flip flops with my feet in the half light, then feel my way along the wall in search of the light switch. I speed up as my brain wakes, promptly grabbing items of clothing from my cupboard and drawers both within close proximity. I stroll over to my ‘work area’ and after leaning over my desk and pulling up the blinds bathing the room in light, settle down on my less than comfortable metal folding chair. I rest my head on the cold desk and reach down for my phone charger to bring my phone back to life. I study my to do list for the day scanning for anything unticked and crossing a satisfyingly thick line through anything completed. My eyes shift upwards contemplating the day ahead as I try to focus past the lines of the wire mesh reinforced glass of my sash window and onto the distant light of a shop sign across The Tyne.
Analysis
7
MIDDAY
Fire escape After making my way out through two sets of doors I step outside into the elements where I get a sense of the days weather, informing my decision for the days outfit - in other words, coat or no coat? I walk forwards letting the door swing shut behind me and rest my hands on the cold railings, feeling the peeling black paint beneath my fingers. The vast skyline extinguishes any sense of claustrophobia I once felt within the confines of my bedroom. I turn from left to right trying to make out buildings which I recognise or noticing certain details like cranes lifting beams for a new construction or an office worker busy at their desk in the opposite building. After a while I lose interest of the view and inspect my surroundings more closely. I peer through the grid of the fire escape I’m standing on and lean over the edge noticing how insignificant the supports for the platform seem to be. I turn around suddenly remembering the door closing behind me and search for a handle, eventually I manage to grip the top of the door pulling it open and step back inside with relief.
8
Analysis
EVENING
Kitchen, living room, dining room As I start to feel hungry, I make my way down the long hallway from my room to the kitchen, my flip flops slapping against my feet and echoing through the windowless passage. The kitchen door is heavy and I lean against it as I push it open. On entering, I stop for a second and ponder as I decide which row of the four LED spotlights to turn on, in the back of my mind considering the electricity bill. I settle on the outer rows illuminating the kitchen worktop and TV. I notice the room is quite stuffy and there is a strong scent of cooking from whoever was previously here. So I swing open the window on the oppisite side of the room, shifting an awkwardly placed chair to allow the window to fully open. I manouvere my way round the furniture towards the fridge to grab a snack which hums slightly louder when I open the door. I navigate my way back across the room over wires and bags to the corner seat of the sofa which gives me good viewing angles of the TV and out the window. I outstretch my legs to rest on the coffee table, but it is too far so I grab the leg pulling it closer to the sofa.
Kitchen furniture when the room is tidy.
Plan
Kitchen furniture when the room is messy.
Section
Position of the four rows of LED spotlights.
9
STUDY TYPE - UNITE D’HABITATION Studying housing typologies to critically analyse and understand the scheme at five different scales from 1: 1250 to 1:5.
CONTEMOPARY NEIGHBOURHOOD
Unite d`habitation, Le Corbusier
1:1250 Location
Case study
11
1:500 MASSING
Le Corbusier originally proposed alternative designs for three previous sites. The main difference between the constructed Unite D'habitation and its unbuilt predecessors is the radical concept of the housing unit being independent and containing everything a family might require.
Highly Serviced Indipendent Housing Block
Recreational Amenities
Dwellings
Diagram showing Le Corbusier’s inspiration from ocean liners.
Shopping Street and Hotel
Dwellings
Public Space
An Illustration Demonstrating the isolation of the Unite just after its construction in 1952.
12
Case study
1:200 programming
13
1:50 DWELLING DWELLING CONTEXT 1 : 50 The designed BY by LE LeCORBUSIER Corbusier IN in THE Unite UNITE d’Habitation D HABITATIONwas IS DESIGNED order to provide housing for more than 1600 occupants in ORDER TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR MORE THAN 1600 OCCUthe post war period. PANTS IN THE POST WAR PERIOD.
The central street is placed every third floor with the double height room intertwined. The bedroom is located in the long THE CENTRAL STREET IS PLACED EVERY THIRD FLOOR WITH side of the room with living room and kitchen on the short THE DOUBLE HEIGHT ROOM INTERTWINED. IS side. Each Unite has two balconies on theTHE twoBEDROOM ends of the LOCATED IN THE LONG OFhas THEenough ROOM sunlight. WITH LIVING ROOM room to make sure theSIDE room There are 23 different types of room meeting all the needs of different AND KITCHEN ON THE SHORT SIDE. EACH UNITE HAS TWO BALfamilies, which are shown on the right hand side. CONIES ON THE TWO ENDS OF THE ROOM TO MAKE SURE THE
ROOM HAVE ENOUGH SUNLIGHT. THERE ARE 23 TYPES OF ROOMS MEETING ALL THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT FAMILY, PLAN -
WHICH ARE SHOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
OVERVIEW
PLAN
SECTION
1:50 Dwelling
14
MODEL -
ROOM TYPES
1:5 Detail
Case study
1:200 model
15
LEITH
2030
To propose a masterplan for 2030 drawing on what was learnt from the study type excercise. Working at the urban scale, it should show an understanding of the neighbourhood through thorough urban and site analysis.
SITE ANALYSIS
We undertook the site analysis for Leith as a group focusing on various aspects with a strategy to attain as much information to help us design for the local community.
21st June 10am
21st June 3pm
21st December 10am
21st December 3pm
Daylight and shadow was very important for this project as we were designing a residential scheme. It was important that the residents had decent sunlight in their homes. From this study, we were able to get an idea of the density of surrounding buildings and whether any large shadows are cast on the site. The overshadowing from surrounding buildings is very minimal, however there is a new residential scheme planned to be built adjacent to the site which we were not able to take into account.
Shadow studies
17
FREQUENCY MORNING 8AM - 9AM
PEDESTRIAN DISTRIBUTION TRAFFIC CONGESTION
MIDDAY 1PM-2PM
EVENING 5PM - 6PM
INTERACTIONS
PEDESTRIANS
FREQUENCY
CARS
PEDESTRIANS FREQUENCY
RESIDENTS SCHOOL CHILDREN
BUSES
WORKERS
LORRIES
OTHER
ELEVATIONS
This elevation looks east and shows the site and some surrounding context. The buildings are mainly low rise apart from one large housing development on the far right. it also shows the split between the industrial and residential sides highlighted by the pink and green colours.
This elevation looks north at the more industrial side and towards the docks. You can clearly see the typical industrial warehouse buildings on the right with kow pitched roofs. The Pond pub in the centre sits as an isolated building and looks quite neglected.
18
Site analysis
NOISE INTENSITY SITE ANALYSIS - NOISE
Sound diagramed fromgenerating noise generating ( data taken fromsite site visit). visit ) Sound diagrammed from noise areasareas (data taken from
PRIVATE QUITE
Less people Trucks coming in and out of the dock ( not frequently )
SEMI-PRIVATE MOST NOISY
Residential area Noise mostly from services, vehicule lines, new construction / scrape metal recycling, the pub
COMMUNAL NOISY School Vehicule line Public Park
Recording
19
THRESHOLDS 1 The top of Bath Road is an important threshold of Leith, as it links the town to the docks - a main access point for importation 2 A major junction on Salamander Street acts as a threshold from the industrial side to the residential side and vice versa 3 Beyond the wooden and wire fenc, west of the apartment blocks on Sailmaker Road, exists a construction site for new housing 4 Salamander Street is a long stretch of road, consisting of multiple warehouses and businesses on one side, contrasting with the other side lined with apartments Bottom of Salamnder Place opens up to a green space in 5 the urban landscape - Leith Links.
Industrial Side
Residential Side
20
Site analysis
SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHICS
Mapping
21
TAXONOMY OF THE DOCK LANDSCAPE
Community Infastructure
Industrial Infastructure
Industrial Machines
The Leith docks consisted of many bespoke and unique elements. This taxonomy aims to categorise a number of them. We intend to use remnants of Leith such as the docks, crane and railway as part of our masterplan.
22
Site analysis
MICRO/MACRO CHRONOLOGY Leith had been Edinburghs main port since the middle ages and as part of this all goods imported in Leith had to be sold in Edinburgh. In 1806 The Old East Dock was opened and by 1817 The Old West Dock was opened. The industrial periods around 1900s was the golden age of Leith with the opening of Leith Central station and electrical tram system linking Leith to Edinburgh in 1907. In this section, we were particularly interested in looking into the development sequence of Leith from 1800s to present days. By looking into this macro-chronology of Leith Dock, we were able to tell the industrialization of Leith in the 1850s to the golden ages of the Leith dock with the complex track system in 1917. The docks went in to decline after the second world war and the last shipyard closed in 1983 ending 600 years of shipbuilding.
History
23
AMENITIES RADII
24
Site analysis
STAKEHOLDING AND JURUSDICTION
Mapping
25
WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
26
Site analysis
COMPONENTS OF LEITH
Docks The dock is inevitably one of the main typologies that make up the character of Leith. Historically, the dock played a huge role in the industrialisation of the port city.
Industry Another component that represents Leith is its industrial scenery. Large scale factories and warehouses can be found nearer to the docks, north of the site.
Housing The residential areas of Leith are mostly situated nearer to Leith Links, south of the industrial area. Our site sits between both the industrial and residential areas.
Leith Links Leith Links is a park south of our site and is one of the main open and communal spaces within Leith.
Industrial Disjunction There is a clear industrial disparity between the east and west. Both sides of the axes are characterised by industrialisation. These areas can be categorised into areas which are undergoing de-industrialisation and those which are undergoing regeneration.
Morphology Disjunction There is a clear scalar disparity between the north and the south. Large scale warehouses are set against the small scale housing in the south. This allows the site to work within both scales.
Site Read at Scale of Industry At the scale of industry, our site is comparatively larger than most industrial buildings in the docks and around our site. Therefore, an industrial scale building could be proposed on our site.
Site Read at Scale of Housing At the scale of housing, our site as a whole is quite similar in comparison to other housing developments. However on the scale of the dwelling blocks within the site, they are smaller.
Site analysis yields
27
URBAN FRAMEWORK
1. All residents shall be part of the Common Community whose Common Purpose is the Manufacturing Process. 2. The Manufacturing Process shall provide affordable modular housing to the public of Edinburgh, The UK and the rest of the world. 3. All design propositions within the Community shall equitably take cognizance of the individual Dwelling the common Process Line, the Supershed, the Common Facilities and the Manufacturing Process generally. 4. All design propositions within the Community shall consider the spatial relationship between the Dwelling, the common Process Line, the Supershed and the Common Facilities. 5. At least one member of the household of a Dwelling within a Process Line shall be employed in the Process. 6. Facilities shall be provided for education of children and adults, leading to employment in the Manufacturing Process. 7. Facility shall be provided for the contribution of retired members of the Community to be involved in such education. 8. Facilities for education, healthcare, childcare and care for the elderly shall be provided in a manner which makes such facility accessible to, and for the benefit of, the entire Community. 9. All Dwellings within the Community shall be designed in such a way as to fully embrace collaboration within the Community and the Industrial Process. 10. All Dwellings within the Community shall adhere to the organisational logic, geometry and dimensions of the Process Lines. 11. All protrusions shall be agreed collectively within the Community. 12. All Dwellings shall have access to external spaces, be properly orientated and be easily accessed from both outside and from the Process Line. 13. All Dwellings within the Community shall be designed in such a way as to minimize environmental nuisance from the Industrial Process. 14. All profit from the Manufacturing Process shall benefit the entire Community.
28
The constitution
LS RIA TE MA
HO
R PO IM
US
EE
XP
OR
D] RL WO T[
T[
WO
RL
D]
HO CO M
MU NI
TY
SU PE RS
US
ED
OC
K
HE D
Co
nc
ret eP lan
Ma
t
LE ITH
US
ED
IS
SE
KS
HO U
SIN
G
FA IR Ho Ho
PO
IN
in Ho us eD Cr oc an k e
WA DE REH S O CU IGN US E E T AS TER RS RS S S SE EMB R RE VIC LER S CY E CL R S ER S
MI
NA TIO N
in
T
us e
us e
Cr
Tu rn
os
tab le
sin g
Po in
MATE
RIALS
ts
IMPO
RT [U
] ST OA T] S TC AS COA ,E T AIL WES -R , UK RAIL T[ OR [UK XP T E E POR X US HO SE E ay U ailw HO h R ilway tis Bri n Ra rth ia No edon l Ca
HO
LIN
Ma
MA TE
K - RA
RIA
IL]
Urban framework
TION MINA
DISSE
IM
PO
RT
[UK
-R
OA
D]
EST TH & W
C
U ITY SO
R
ITY NO
ION C
MINAT
DISSE
AST TH & E
LS
29
Masterplan proposal within Leith.
30
Urban framework
The programme of the building is ordered according to the process of construction of the houses. Starting with the warehouse and ending with recycling, the different parts of the process take the form of lines (six in total) straddling the road in-between. Each line is linked by a rail track accomodating for transportation between the processes. The series of smaller diagrams explain the phasing process and the methods of importing materials and exporting products. As existing buildings on the site must be demolished - some being residential - the residebts will be moved into the inital lines which are built.
Programme distribution and phasing
31
DWELLING PLUS Moving forward and drawing from the site analysis, a proposal should be developed for a small housing scheme within my new masterplan for the neighbourhood, working through varying scales from 1:1250 to 1:50.
APOLOGIA
Structure and order is inherently embedded within this projects design due to the nature of the brief and its constraints. I responded to this with a design which had a well resolved, repetitive, programmatic organisation of dwellings. Despite this, I still tried to introduce unique moments and opportunities for interactions through visual connections between different circulation routes, namely the bridges and central access route. I believe moments like this will help build a stronger sense of community. Quality of living was very important to me as I went through the design process and this was manifested in my final design in two main ways. Firstly, for each dwelling I wanted access to outdoor space for the residents, a space which could offer a connection to nature through vegetation, even though they are more than 10 metres of the ground and surrounded by concrete. The second was the importance of the dwellings receiving good daylighting, which I spent time working out through modelling and drawing. This resulted in the spaced out tiered layout of blocks allowing sunlight to penetrate to the northside of dwellings. I believe this can have a great effect on the well-being of the residents. I drew design inspiration on this aspect from the precedent Branch Hill Estate in London which reaffirmed my decisions. With regards to a live-work situation which the dwellings were designed for, I tried to consider both the strong link the dwellings have with the workplace as well as a need for the residents to temporarily escape from a potentially monotonous lifestyle. My choice of material and design language in terms of treatment of the dwellings facade was underpinned with intent of juxtaposition and a sense of rigour and thoughtfulness. The board-marked, semi-sculptural concrete dwellings atop the industrial assembly line makes for a powerful building, which can instil pride and belonging in the residents for the place that they live.
33
DEVELOPMENT
I began this design project with the aim of designing a building to provide the best quality of living possible within the constraints.
Proposed
Exisiting
34
Development
Sections in context
35
36
Development
Masterplan programming
Supershed
Public/Cultural Strip
The Pond (Pub)
Shops
Terrace
Leisure
Restaurants
Healthcare
Training Centre
Education Centre
Main Entrance
Housing
37
In these two vignettes I was working out a few things. In the first one, there had to be a connection across the road containing the main entrance, so I was trying to work out some kind of circulation and access to the main entrance as it is 10 metres off the ground. In the second, I was demonstrating the fenestration on the street frot of the industrial assembly line. The model on the right was a stand alone idea I had based on the idea of randomly stacked flats creating interesting spaces in between which may be private or public spaces. This ideas was influenced by Habitat 67 in Montreal. I decided not to persue this idea as I felt it had little thought behind it and was just a result of simply placing blocks.
38
Development
One of my initial ideas revolved around the idea of a shared courtyard with flats distributed as a sort of peeled back block to try and allow sunlight in. The concept would encourage interactions between neighbours whilst providing an outdoor space. The idea had some good points but it was a bit complicated and the narrow site width meant the courtyard would be very small.
1:500 massing development
39
I used a wireframe model as a base to sketch over, playing with multiple ideas to see how they would work in 3D. The excercise proved quite succesful and I managed to develop some ideas.
40
Development
PRECEDENT STUDY
Donnybrook Quarter, Hackney, Peter Barber Architects I researched this housing scheme during the massing stage of my design, taking inspiration from the angular block formation and the way sunlight travels through the gaps. Sunlight played a large part in my design from an early stage. For this 1:500 model, I experimented with angular blocks orientated south with gaps in between. The sharp angles could make individual dwelling planning difficult though.
Massing
41
1. Initial seperating of line into angled blocks.
2. Splitting of strip down the middle divides housing into two sections.
3. Cutting front block into scetions and angling of blocks to the south.
The model at the top has equally spaced blocks in front of the continuous block, allowing more light to the back than my previous models. In the model at the bottom I twisted each front block on its axis slightly so they would face South facing the sun. This yielded a different shadow pattern to the previous iteration.
42
4. Further spacing of south side blocks. Shifting south side blocks east slightly to maximise sunlight to flats behind.
Massing
With this 1:100 model, I experimented with a pitched roof, column and beam structure for the assembly line level of my building. Most of the surrounding industrial buildings on and near the site in Leith had low pitched roofs like this. I thought I might incorporate this into my design, but it ended up complicating the floors above too much and in the end, a flat ceiling made more sense.
Development
43
ASSEMBLY LINE VIGNETTES
The crane
Overlooking
Assembly
The pond barman operates the house crossing.
Leaving
44
House crossing
Assembled house leaves assembly line.
Materials arrive from cutters strip.
Quality control check.
Timber frame structure assembled.
Cladding attached to houses.
Flooring and roof assembled.
Windows installed.
Development
PRECEDENT STUDY
ROOF TERRACE
GARAGES
BRIDGE
Branch Hill Estate, London, Benson and Forsyth This precedent was particularly important to my project because it demonstrated to me how multiple aspects of my design had been used in a built housing scheme. The dwellings have access to roof terraces above the dwelling below them which are connected by bridges over 2m wide access paths. The drawing above shows how I worked out the overall plan for the building and various access points and routes. The nature of the site I was working with meant a repetitive configuration worked best. But this meant that there would be very long access paths running along the building, so I had to come up with more than one access point.
Spatial arrangement
ACCESS PATH
0m
6m
45
Moving forward from the massing scale I started modelling my drawn idea, three dimensionally working out routes and specific dwelling positions. For the next model I made I used higher precision to help see my design in more clarity. I also introduced stair cores at the back of the building and a definitive access paths and decks in white card to stand out against the burnt MDF. My next 1:200 model iteration (see opposite page) took the design into more detail attempting to resolve the building tectonically in particular the windows, without just punching squares in the facade. This model helped take me to the next stage in my design and help me start to visualise the building.
46
Development
1:200 modelling
47
48
1:200 model development
PRECEDENT STUDY
Primary Elements
Secondary Elements
Tertiary Elements
Residential Family House, Meiringen, Anderegg The house features a strict cubic form and uses exposed concrete baring the history of its formwork producing a uniform surface finish. The use of cast in situ concrete also yields a sculptural quality, a design intention I used in my dwellings too. Its parapet walls hide a low pitched roof included to meet local building regulations but still gives the appearance of a flat roof, in keeping with its cubic form.
Structure and materiality
49
My housing scheme has three different dwelling typologies and after I decided the dimensions and locations of each one, I set about working on the floor plans. I played around with many different arrangements, considering the way the inhabitants might live and what kind of spaces they would require. When thinking about window locations, I considered where the windows would be overlooking or whether they would be looked into. Then when I had a clear plan, I tried to line up the walls above each other on each floor to keep the building structurally sound.
50
Dwelling plans development
1:100 model development
51
This 1:100 model was extremely helpful in resolving many problems before my final design. In particular, I worked out the connection between the industrial lower part of the building, the commercial intermidiate layer and the dwellings on top. The process also hepled me configure the new Pond (the pub) layout with the expansive staircase/pub.
52
Development
FINAL OUTPUT
My final design focuses on the combination of public and private interactions that might take place and the more private interactions within the accomodation.
N
0m
Industrial access
Site plan and building access
20m
Resident’s access
Public access 53
54
55
Sunlight
Outdoor access
Aspect
Fenestration
RESTAURANT
MAIN ENTRANCE
NEW PUB (THE POND)
Ventilation
56
1m higher
Wind barrier
New pond layout
Output
Building section and diagrams
57
Plan +6m
Plan +3m
Plan +0m
58
Output
Ground floor Ground floor
First floor First floor
Two bedroom three person house
Three bedroom four peron flat
0m
One person studio flat
Building and dwelling plans
1m
0m
2m
59
60
61
62
Final model photos
Internal access bridges overhead
Street perspective
Output
63
Day versus night
64
Output
Inhabitation perspectives, top: ground floor gouse interior, bottom: communal roof terrace.
Axonometric and perspectives
65
Main image: main entrance to building, bottom left: The Pond entrance, bottom middle: The Pond staircase, opposite page: external street view.
66
Output
Public perspectives
67
INHABIT Focusing on the detail scale, 1:5 or 1:10take a key moment from within the dwelling plus proposal to develop as a detail. Concentrating on material, form and construction.
DETAIL MODEL
For my detail model I deceide to cast a concrete section of my dwelling. I lasercut the layered mould which would give the cast object a rough texture similar to board-marked concrete. With the mould, I cast three successive models shown below from left to right. The first one cracked at the weak point where the cast was narrowest so for the next one I added wire reinforcements in the column which worked well. In the final model on the right, I added extra cement to the plaster mixture to give a more convincing concrete colour, however it didn;t really work.
Output 1:10
69
ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE This project allowed us to work in a collaborative manner and help us consider experience on a 1:1 scale through different mediums to what we were used to.
COLLABORATION
The film we were given, Notes on Blindness was a very powerful film with little obvious architectural aspects, so we focused on sound and vision to produce the space around us.
Week 1
Week 2
In the first week, we started working hands on testing multiple ideas through drawing, models, projections and film. We developed three different models refining the space we wanted to make and methods of construction. As a team, everybody worked together collaboratively really well. In the second week we split into two groups, one developing the film and one working on the installation. Due to our early rigorous planning and testing, everything went quite smoothly.
Development
71
PROJECT CONCEPT AND PROPOSAL
One thing that I did that I found very helpful in refining our concept and ideas was to take a transcript of the scene we were looking at (scene 5, 'Notes of rainfall') and highlighting the most important, relevant parts of the main character's narration.
72
Development
Our project concept revolved around sound and the way in which John, the main character in the film, utilised the audibal distinction in the sounds of rain hitting different materials to read the space around him. Therefore, our installation projects various films of rain and water hitting different materials onto hanging surfaces, which without the projection would otherwise be difficult to see. The chair in the centre of the space is the focus of the installation. Its emptiness is a powerful image depicting the idea that there is no longer something there that once was (refering to Johns lack of sight). The use of a shabby, discoloured chair with character helps emphasise this.
1
2
3
4
54
7
I initially worked in my sketchbook developing a concept and narrative for the installation which would convey the experience we were trying to produce. I worked through a series of small pencil drawings, culminating in a final drawing depicting the interior space of the installation. This was not the final constructed installation but it served as a good base to work from.
Installation narrative
73
STORYBOARD
Our storyboard was developed by carefully looking at the scene from the film we chose and discovering that it was made up of sixteen individual scenes. We then worked out our own scenes based on this telling our own narrative of the spatial experience that we percieved in the scene.
74
Development
FINAL OUTPUT
Our film and 1:1 installation were our final outputs. Both were inter-related and worked well together.
Film stills
75
76
Installation photos
Reflection on Project Collaboration and Outcomes Working collaboratively was overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Although challenging in terms of logistically and technically working out physical construction, through group discussion and planning, we executed tasks efficiently and effectively. The opportunity to work with a masters fine art student was particularly useful and insightful. It was great to have an alternative perspective and skill set in developing a concept and experience. Everyone in the group played to their strengths, completing tasks individually - or in pairs - which we were best at, resulting in successful outcomes. I felt that our project outcome (the film and installation) were both completed to a high standard as everyone in the group worked hard throughout the duration of the project ensuring that the results created the experience we were trying to convey to the audience/ user. There were two other particular aspects of the project apart from collaboration which I took away. One was learning about trying to guide a person through a space in a particular way. The other was working closely with different materials in an experimental way, discovering the way light can interact with different materials depending on their properties.
Output
77
ENXPLORING EXPERIENCE A multi-purpose building in Durham with public areas, the impetus being materiality and experience. Our studio material was stone.
APOLOGIA
In response to the brief I decided to explore the impact and uses of contemporary industrial processes for stone, whilst also drawing inspiration from the city of Durham and its landscape for the building. From this starting point and through research and development, I decided my building would be a research facility specialising in robotic processing of stone to create new construction methods and techniques. The building aims to also raise awareness of these new construction methods and remove the stigma of stone being an outdated building material. The building features multiple opportunities for the public to witness and explore the process of development, construction and exhibition of these stone structures. When thinking about the public aspect of the building, I tried to consider how the public would perceive the design and what would be important for them. The challenges of the steeply sloping site ended up helping the narrative of the building, allowing me to organise the building in a zig-zagging manner down the slope, with the processes within the building following on from one another, with the circulation following suit. The idea was to take the public on a journey with various pockets of space along the way providing static moments to observe and learn. From the beginning of the project I knew I wanted to somehow use local Durham sandstone which would help anchor and relate the building to its context, drawing on the rich heritage and memories the city holds. But my intent was for the building to also pave the way for new industrial techniques as well. The way in which I used the sandstone was in the most honest way possible. I decided to use 3 by 1.8 metre slabs of sandstone straight from the quarry still bearing the drilled, rugged surface in order to more literally anchor the building into the site and create a juxtaposition between the completely unprocessed stone facade and the complexly processed stone within. I believe this raw honest use of material produces a sense of timelessness in the architecture allowing the building to relate to the past and the present.
79
SITE ANALYSIS
The site I chose in Durham was particularly challenging as well as very expansive and open. One of the challenges was relating the site and building to the context.
DURHAM
33 mins
In Durham, the local building material is sandstone and is synonymous with Durham cathedral and the castle. So, to generate a connection between the buiding and its context, I decide early on that I would use Durham sandstone somehow in my project. With that in mind, I located the closest working quarries which supply sandstone and identified Sherburn quarry 33 minutes west of Durham. The other quarries on the east side of Durham all extract limestone and various aggregates.
80
Site analysis
Site
Site section
81
7
10
11
8
10
12
12
9
13
7
9 11
13
82
1
4
2
5 6
2
5
8
4
3
3
1
6
83
84
Materiality
Durham's geology
BRICK STONE CONCRETE OTHER
SANDSTONE MUDSTONE AND SILTSTONE
Site analysis
Buildings and structures of interest
Expansive public and semi-public areas
12th century medieval walls
T
P TO TRAIN STATION
B
B
B
B P
P
City mapping
Land use
Flood risk
HERITAGE SERVICES EDUCATION ACCOMODATION RETAIL FOOD
HIGH RISK LOW RISK
Transport links
85
FESTIVAL ROUTE
Through my site analysis, I identified a number of open spaces in Durham which could be utilised as part of my festival route.
1
2
3
4
At each location along the route, a pavilion would temporarily sit in the area showcasing contemporary stone processing methods. Today, many buildings use stone merely as a facade when it has great structural properties already. The festival will aim to raise awareness of new, exciting ways in which stone can be used as a self supporting structural material.
86
Site analysis
1. The pavilion in the market square would provide information about the market whilst acting as a physical, sheltered meeting point.
2. The pavilion at the palace green would act as an information centre for the surrounding buildings such as the cathedral and castle.
3. The pavilion on the river bank would serve as an information point for widlife on the river.
4. The pavilion on the southern point of the peninsula would accomodate seating for walkers.
Contemporary stone stereotomy festival
87
Full map of Durham from 1860s.
The map to the right shows a map from the 1860s super imposed onto the site. We learn from this that the site used to be some kind of landscaped garden called Bow Banks with diagonal paths cutting along the steep terrain. The number and placement of trees was controlled to certain areas unlike the current site which is more like natural woodland. The buildings behind the site had access to the garden via steps running parallel to the river. On the map it indicates the locations of seats and you can imagane it would have been quite a nice place taking advantage of views of the river.
88
Site history
Development
89
90
Development
Final massing
91
PRECEDENT STUDY
Amin Taha, Clerkenwell Close The way in which Amin Taha architects utilise the attributes of stone is by making stone the primary structural element in the building. This results in fewer trades on site and faster construction. It removes the need for complicated stone facades hanging off the structure. According to Bath University's Inventory of Carbon and Energy, there may be as much as a 90% saving in carbon emmissions by building out of raw stone rather than concrete - more if the quarry is local.
92
Structure and technology
BUILDING PROGRAMME DETAILS
BUILDING PROGRAMME DETAILS INDIVIDUAL SPACE REQUIREMENTS
CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP
PROTOTYPING SPACE - 3 RX270 6-axis industrial robot arms (2967mm radius). - Workbench (2000 x 4000mm). - Shelving (500 x 5000mm). - Double height spaceat least, 5m high. - Maximum 7 people.
17m
DESIGNING OFFICE/UNIVERSITY RESEARCH SPACE
10m
10m
289m2
1445m3
- 3 stereolithography 3D printers (280 x 300 x 350mm). - Work tables (1000 x 3000mm). - 1 RX270 6-axis industrial robot arm (2967 radius). - Shelving (500 x 5000mm). - Band saw (550 x 450mm). - Maximum 5 people. - 3m high at least.
100m2
8m
- 4 desks and computers (1500 x 800mm). - A1 printer (1700 x 700mm). - Meeting table (1500 x 2400mm). - 2.5m high at least.
9m
350m3
72m2
180m3
17m
STORAGE SPACE
EXHIBITION/SHOWCASING SPACE
ASSEMBLY SPACE - Common quarried sandstone blocks (3000 x 1800 x 1800mm). - Forklift (1150 x 2140mm). - Lift (3000 x 3000mm). - 3.5m high.
7m
10m
- Work benches (1000 x 3000mm). - Shelving (500 x 3000mm). - Assembly space (6000 x 6000mm). -Scaffolding/timber. - 4m high at least.
12m
9m
63m2
221m3
ENTRANCE SPACE 1
400m3
ENTRANCE SPACE 2
4m
144m2
12m
576m3
ANCILLARY SPACES - Reception desk (1500 x 1000mm). - 2.5m high at least.
- Reception desk (2000 x 1000mm). - Seating (2000 x 2000mm). - 2.5m high at least.
8m
3m 5m
- 2 sets of male and female toilets. - Public lifts. - Power room. - Storage cupboards.
4m 32m2
Schedule of accomodation
100m2
10m
- 3 main ehibiting spaces (largest, 6000 x 6000mm, smaller ones, 4000 x 4000mm). - 3 benches (2000 x 500mm). - 5 individual plinths or surfaces to display models/prototypes. (400 x 400mm). - Space is partially external and internal, spilling out at front of building. - 4m high at least.
80m3
12m2
30m3
6m
30m2
75m3
TOTAL: 842m2
3357m3
93
1
2
3
After calculating the schedule of accomodation and all the floor areas and ceiling heights required. I used the volumes to simply mass the spaces and arrange them according to the adjacency each space required and their position in the process of designing and constructing. The second model starts to deal with circulation, creating a diagonal path which cuts through the centre of the building up the hill. The third model takes it a step further and tries to work out if it is possible to have two seperate circulations, one private running through the building and one public elevated above allowing a birds eye view of the process.
94
1:200 model development
Development
95
96
Development
Plans and sections
97
98
Development
After working in plan for a while, I worked out a more rigourous design which I modelled at 1:200. This time I decided I really needed to cut into the site to work out how the building would sit in it. The circulation had to link from the bottom of the site to the top, so it was important I found out wheteher this was possible with the building volumes I had.
1:200 model development
99
100
Development
1:200 model development
101
102
Development
I tried to re-work my plans to make the wall lengths multiples of three. This was so that the 3m wide slabs of stone would fit more easily in the facade. Some walls worked fine, such as the construction workshop which became 12m by 18m, whilst others didn’t fit.
Dimensions
103
104
Development
1:100 model development
105
PRECEDENT STUDY
Musical Studies Centre, Santiago de Compostela, Ensamble Studio A building I found which particularly interested me was a musical studies centre in Spain. From a distance, the building appears to be a simple design, a solid cubic block upon a grassy slope. As you near the building, the concept and design language comes into clarity. The exterior is made up of seven rows of 1.8 metre high granite blocks of stone expressing an honest, natural solidity. The substantial pieces of granite are almost monolithic and upon approach the scale of them would be understood. The narrow windows only emphasise the granite blocks, which look as if they have just been spaced slightly to allow some light in. The language is continued inside with a distinct relationship between solid and void. This building was useful to me in terms of structure and materiality and informed my design in both those apsects.
106
Materiality and structure
Following the precedent study on the previous page, made a 1:100 model of the whole building trying to depict the facade. I then tried to create some sandstone facades on the next page in a similar way to the precedent I looked at. The actual stone slabs are used as they come from the quarry, so to produce the same effect, I drilled into pieces of sandstone and split them with a hammer and chisel. The result was very pleasing and is the facade I want to use for the building.
Material testing
107
108
109
After the 1:100 model I realised I hadn`t given enough thought to the 5th elevation, the roof. The nature of the site means that it can be overlooked from the Kingsgate bridge as well as from the opposite side of the river. As the construction workshop is the focus of the building, it felt natural to bring attention to it via an interesting roof. I also needed to bring light in to the back of the space which could be done with roof lights. I tested a few different ideas at 1:100 combing multiple roof pitches together which left triangular gaps in the roof. I finally settled on a combination which helped bring light in through roof lights to the south and had some symmetry and order despite the seemingly random roof pitches. I then went on to model the roof at 1:50 to try and work out the structure.
110
Development
Roof development
111
112
Development
After the 1:100 model I made of my entire building, I realised that cladding the entire facade in sandstone would be an overuse of the material and by using it in specific places would make it come across as more important. Therefore, I needed another material to compliment the sandstone. The material I chose to experiment with was concrete which can be pre-cast in panels of similar dimensions to the large sandstone slabs already being used. I wanted the conrete to come across as rough and textured much like stone, so casted a few different samples. My plan was to cast teeth like ridges and then break off the ends to achieve a rugged effect. In the final cast I also experimented with leaving gaps in the ridges to create patterns and interest in the panels.
Facade material testing
113
FINAL OUTPUT
My final design is a multi-purpose building, firmly rooted in the site and its context, providing good public spaces and facilities for research.
0m
114
15m
Site plan
The treatment of the elevation was very important for the building in this project. The front of the building faces onto the river and is viewed from the path, the Kings gate bridge and the other side of the river. So the building has multliple facades, the public spaces are clad in local sandstone whilst the private spaces are clad in pre-cast concrete panels. Each slab of stone or concrete panel is 1.8m high by 3m wide.
116
Section A-A
0m
5m
117
118
Section B-B
0m
5m
119
A
3
5
4 6
1
2 A
3
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Circulation
1. Exhibition space and reception 2. Assembly and finishing 3. Storage 4. W.C. 5. Construction workshop
120
Entrances
Materiality
6. Prototyping workshop 7. Designers office 8. Mezzanine 9. Entrance
Floor plans
B
9
8
7
B
Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Pockets of Space
Roof lights
Windows
0m
Output
12m
121
1. View from Kingsgate bridge
2. View from front of building
1 4
3 2
122
Visualisations
3. Looking into courtyard within building
Output
4. Internal view of construction workshop
123
124
125
For my final model I decided to make a 1:50 sectional model cutting through two of my key spaces, the construction workshop and the exhibition space. I chose to move up to this scale because I wanted to show the structure of the building (steel frame), the wall and roof construction and facade detailing. Also, I wanted to model the combination of different facades for the workshop and exhibition space.
126
1:50 final model
1. Exhibition space and reception 2. Assembly and finishing 3. Storage 4. Construction workshop 5. Prototyping workshop 6. Designers office 7. Entrance
7
6
4
3 5 1
2 3
Output
127
1 0m
0.5m
Window - wall junction
4
1. 300mm pre-cast concrete panels, courses 1800mm high 40mm thermal insulation 200mm void space 40mm thermal/acoustic insulation 20mm plasterboard 2. Zinc roof cladding 60mm insulation 100mm void 60mm insulation 20mm plasterboard 3. 300mm conrete slab 40mm insulation Concrete screed with underfloor heating Polished concrete floor 4. Polished concrete floor Concrete screed with underfloor heating 40mm insulation 300mm concrete slab Services void 20mm plasterboard painted white
1
Wall - floor junction 128
Structural section of workshop
2
1
Wall - roof junction
3
0m
Output
1m
Wall - foundation junction 129
130
Axonometric section
Lifts
Sandstone staircases
Primary steel frame structure
Concrete foundation and floors
Structural components
131
APPENDIX
At a couple of points in this project, I went on a bit of a tangent and the results weren`t very useful or not how I expected them to be.
At this stage, I went on a bit of a tangent which unfortunately didn’t really lead anywhere. Taking the idea of stone vaults and arches, I experimented with the idea of using gravity to create a natural catenary arch which I could use as the structure for the construction workshop. I first of all built a frame scale 1:50 of the workshop and hung weights from string to see what it might look like. Next, I used scrim soaked in wax and hung it from the frame where they hardened in place creating solid arches. The results were very interesting, however, I found it too complicated to turn into an ordered structure.
132
Hanging model
Wax model
133
134
Texture studies
I carried out some material testing near the beginning of the project before I knew exactly how I wanted to use stone. I started out small, using stone samples and breaking them up into buildable brick and column shaped pieces and arranging them to make walls or posts and lintels. However, this wasn’t really so relevant to my design and I stopped there. The images on the opposite page are of some texture studies I carried out on blue foam using a CNC router. The idea was to mimic the way a robotic arm would use a drill to create a pattern in stone. This was interesting, however in the end I decided not to use it for the building facade.
Material testing
135
PROCESS AND REFLECTION The learning journal is a chance to reflect on my process over the year and think about my design development through different media from drawings to models, drawing from the four workshops from the year.
SITE READING
Site reading is very imortant when starting a design project. The building needs to relate to the site and its context as well as respond to many other factors. Site reading can be carried out in multiple ways.
Completed during workshop
Completed during workshop
In this workshop I learnt the importance of recording a site and its context through different methods which weren`t necessarily just photographing everything. Quick sketches and notes serves as good resources to look back at during the design process. For both my design projects, this fed in nicely where I sketched plans and sections for both sites. One technique I used was to make a distinction between industrial and residential buildings in Leith, helping me understand the area in a clear way.I was then able to translate this information into accurate drawings through autocad.
Process and reflection
137
From the workshop, I also learnt the importance of mapping an area. So in Durham I mapped various aspects of the city, such as materialty of the buildings (see opposite page). I then presented the research in a clear easy to understand map using illustrator.
138
Process and reflection
Materiality BRICK STONE CONCRETE OTHER
Site reading
139
DIAGRAMMING
Diamgramming is an inherently important part of the design process and is carried out throughout the development of the project. Diagrams can be may things, drawings, models, anything which explains or depicts something.
Completed during workshop
140
Completed during workshop
Process and reflection
The thing which I took away from this workshop the most was the way in which diagrams could be used to explain something which architectural drawings could not. This fed well into the dwelling plus project where I made a series of axonometric diagrams explaining my design ideas. As well as just for presenting ideas, diagrams also helped me develop them. For example, I made a wireframe diagram (image on right) of our masterplan and drew over it to work out circulation, access and form
141
DETAILING
It is easy to assume that an architects influence stops at a given point. However, successful architecture seeks to achieve a high degree of design resolution at all scales.
Completed during workshop
In the detail workshop, I started to understand how a detail could help generate ideas for the overall design. For example, thinking about the texture of the facade led to a number of models testing different arrangements of posts and lintels to control sunlight. From this, I gave more consideration to the facade of my building and produced some casts of what my facade would be. I also gave more though to the various junctions in the building, especially how different materials might meet each other and what that would look like at 1:1 scale and in turn how that would effect the persons experience.
142
Wall - roof junction
Process and reflection
143
STRUCTURES
Structure is a core part of designing a building and should not just be considered at the end. It can help inform design decisions and be a catalyst for new ideas helping bring your ideas into reality.
Completed during workshop
Completed during workshop
Completed during workshop
During the structures workshop I learnt the importance of a structural grid and that although some of the spaces were particularly angular I could still work out where columns and beams would be. Something else I learnt was to show the structure by using an axonometric diagram, which I completed (see opposite page). This was a good way to clearly declare what the structure for the building is and waht it looks like. I also went on to make a 1:50 section model which showed the steel frame structure and wall construction.
144
Process and reflection
Lifts
Sandstone staircases
Primary steel frame structure
Concrete foundation and floors
145
OTHER SKILLS
Over the year I have developed a number of other skills which have benefited me through the design process and enabled me to communicate my ideas through different representation techniques.
1
2
3
1. Something I learnt at the end of the first project was how to use adobe illustrator to create an axonometric view of the building from the sketchup model. 2. For the exploring experience project I learnt how to tske mutiple sections of the building in the sketchup model and then edit the lines in illustrator to show the building clearly in its context. 3. For the exploring experience project materiality was very important so I decided to learn how to cast concrete. The first time I used an MDF mould which broke, so I then used blue foam which I dissolved with acetone once the concrete had set. This proved to be very successful and I will use this method in the future. 4. Another skill I learnt this year was how to use autocad afficiently so I could draw up plans quickly and accurately. I then learnt how to control line weights in illustrator enabling me to clearly present my drawings. 5. Finally, I have improved my model making skills this year in two ways. Firstly I have sped up the process so I can now make multiple iterations quickly to explore an idea. Secondly, I have discovered new model making techniques and materials to express and communicate my ideas more effectively.
146
Process and reflection
4
5
147
NON-DESIGN WORK
CHARRETTE
The impossible aim for the charrette group was to cast 40 perfect scale models of innovative buildings of the 20/21st century. The idea is to embrace failiure and mistakes, taking ownership of them and celebrating them.
Non-design work
149
ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY PART 1
Individual coursework focusing on detail junctions and constructional layering for a structural bay or length of external wall within my dwelling plus design.
150
Non-design work
151
ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY PART 2
Individual coursework demonstrating the integrated nature of technology and design for a key exemplar building.
152
Non-design work
153
ABOUT ARCHITECTURE ESSAY
3000 word illustrated essay in response to a set question relating to one of the themes cities, cultures or space.
154
Non-design work
155
ABOUT ARCHITECTURE PRESENTATION
A five minute film presentation on marginal spaces drawing on discussions from the seminars.
156
Non-design work
157
DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
A short fully referenced proposal outlining my topic, research methods and outputs.
158
Non-design work
159