In my final year project I focused on creating a civic public building in Torquay, the English Riviera in Devon on the UK’s South West coast.
The concept behind this work was to understand what history and industry had been lost, and how to bring some of it back. The design intention was to re-introduce the trades of ironmongery and blacksmithery - historically found in Torquay back into the community. The rejuvenation of the original crafts helps to encourage and provide a livelihood through apprenticeships for the young and unemployed in the area, allowing a community immersive experience within the buildings design whilst linking back to its historic industrial past.
Site plan 1:500 and Poem written on site about Blacksmithery and Ironmongery in the Torquay Location
Examples of site strategies and site considerations
The Forging process and it’s three stages. Heating, Shaping and bending and various techniques that can be used.
Lino prints of an existing forge exploring the crafts connection to light.
The Programms concept - The training cycle where students enter at apprentice level and their connection to spaces within the building.
Variations of roof formations - Grey card and Balsa Wood
Elevation of Scheme showing public frontage
Section of Scheme cutting through forge and public areas such as a public shop and refectory
Render of interior view of the Forge
Visual of Public facade as approached from a community walkway
Rendered view of external public courtyard space
Technical Section of Public Frontage including corresponding render
Interior Model photos of Forge 1:20
Interior Model photos of Forge 1:20
This short civic project during my third year looked closely at the ideas of ‘Spannish Steps’ taking inspiration from Rome’s famous public intervention. The task was to create a small scale public space which would act as an offering to the town within Torquay’s main shopping district.
The main focus was to reform public banks of a long buried river that once swept though this location. This project engaged in giving back greenery to the city centre as well as encouraging exploration with the use of hidden cave-like shops engulfed by the banks and informed by the existing typography.
Exploded Elevation of the site in existing conditions - Highlighted in Red is key areas in need of improvement.
Analysis of how the site is currently used and areas of interest in terms of public interaction
Map showing location of underground hidden river in Torquay
River Bank analysis and poem about the hidden river through my site.
Development models of proposal - 1:500 using white and brown card.
Development of Design showing connection to existing typography.
Plan of scheme.
Section of Proposal through public shop hidden in the typography of the stairs.
Ground Floor visual approach from Fleet Street.
Close up of main curve in scheme, showing how steps wrap around existing buildings.
For the final second year project we where asked to design a primary school within the garden village area of Rhiwbina in the outskirts of Cardiff. I was influenced by the schooling concept known as ‘Forest Schools’ where children are encouraged to learn and spend most of the time outdoors connecting and learning from nature.
Many children within today’s society often have limited opportunities to connect to nature and understand how our environment and ecosystem works. Within this schools design the development of child and nature was one in the same. As the child grew so would their understanding of how nature can impact their lives and of those around them. Children crave adventure, exploration, endeavours and also fun. This can all be achieved by being able to explore the great outdoors. Schools in Britain spend most of their time teaching children within the confines of a classroom setting, this is something I would like to change and challenged throughout this project.
Site collage showing main areas of movement around site.
Initial studies into the site, locating trees and where wildlife has nested and looking at water movement in brook
Threshold Sketches - Fine line pen
Concept image showing relation to teaching spaces and the outdoors - exploring and engaging with nature.
Concept storyboard
Bubble Diagram outlining movement within classroom space
Plan showing layout of school including playscapes and interactions. Hand drawn with fine line pen
Roof plan of school- Hand drawn with fine line pen
Section through site and entire scheme, hand drawn with fine line pen
Section of Classroom space showing connections to outdoors and technical details.
Renders showing the internal and external conditions of the school. External shows hidden compartments containing wellies and coat hooks for when the children are outside. The interior image shows how each classroom has its own greenhouse where the children can grown plants depending on their age and skill level. This is then shown as staff and parents progress around the school.
Renders showing the children exploring the brook in both summer and winter. Children are encouraged to be outdoors in all weathers and exploring how their surroundings change depending on the external environment.
Technology page showing construction of walls and roof and render showing public facade which looks onto walkways.
Sketchbook pages showing play equipment details and axonometric’s showing progress through the design process and final design indicating green spaces between.
1:25 interior and exterior model of a classroom space - Balsa Wood, Grey card, Brown card and White card.
Initial school idea in model form, made using white and brown card.
During a two-week vertical studio with Welsh School of Architecture I was enlisted with a group of other students from my year and the year below to help to create a giant woodcut with a theme of our choice. We worked in collaboration with a local print maker who works with large scale wood cuts.
The project created large-scale prints of the entire plate as well as small sample prints when deciding what type of paper to print on. This project encouraged teamwork and problem solving to create an overall successful design. This project was a really exiting and innovative thing to do, I learnt lots of new techniques which has helped to encourage my interest in printing and working within a team. Many thanks to Pete at the Print Market Project in Cardiff for his assistance and inspiration.
Process of creating the Giant Woodcut - drawing the design, cutting the wooden plate, Sanding the design, Rubbings and test prints before printing the final design.
The final Print exhibited in our Vertical studio exhibition within the Welsh School of Architecture.
Test prints where placed with masking tape onto the back of the plate to see at a distance what paper looked best.
A sample piece of print showing the texture of the water under the bridge.
Image showing inked up wooden plate, helps to highlight texture and pattern.
During this competition we where asked to design a portable theatre space for Theatre Lolo who are a children’s travelling theatre company that create pieces about history, or subjects to do with young children all the way to teenagers. The playful, rebellious and immature nature of a child’s imagination leads them to break simple rules and norms through play; the meaning of a toy can change throughout a game, reinventing the aesthetic and use of the object. A child’s perception of space is therefore a key aspect of this project. The use of simple props by Theatre Lolo, cardboard boxes painted white or fabric lying across a space, allow children to create the scene in their imagination.
The aspiration of the structure is to enhance this environment, creating a boundary between an internal and external space. Through the use of colour, form and light an intensified internal world is designed, enhancing the imagined space the children desire. The proposal for the scheme was to create a panel structure, which allowed for parts to be removed and replaced with colour prospects, open spaces or with wood to help to create a landscape or backstage to the production. The panels also had to be easily to construct as well as be easy to travel from place to place within a single van. This means that we had to create something that could work within a small or large area but yet still create atmosphere and connection to the audience.
Our front page outlining our design and showing a 1:20 section of the proposal.
Our second page outlining the tech and construction within the design and various layouts the boards could be placed in as well as how the objects would be moved and constructed from loading to leaving the location.
My first term project in second year was based around housing in the Garden Village of Rhiwbina just outside Cardiff. The scheme incorporated large garden spaces and residential homes for the over 65’s. By creating a community garden in front of the resident’s homes it enabled connection and communication between the elderly and the young within this area. Also by allowing the elderly residents to move out of their large family homes it enables younger families to populate these properties and areas. Therefore encouraging this connection further.
The ground floor properties are more suited to those with physical disabilities whilst as the apartments above are designed for those who are more physically able. The apartments are connected by a community walkway, which enables accidental encounters encouraging a community within the residents.
Site analysis of the unused car park and garages in Rhiwbina garden village. Top Site analysis, Middle analysis of greenery around the site, Bottom site paths from surrounding housing.
Analysis of how green spaces where used surrounding the site.
Project concept diagram showing the connections between the elderly living in the housing, the young and their families and the cultivation taking place in the community gardens.
Examples of the types of plants that would be placed in the sensory garden area of the community garden helping to create an immersive atmosphere.
Exploratory sections showing various designs and connections to the garden spaces.
Ground Floor plan of housing scheme.
First Floor plan of housing scheme.
Plans showing the differences between the first and ground floor apartments.
Section through housing scheme, showing connection to the upper and lower floors as well as community garden.
The various wall types located within my scheme, ranging from heavy masonry used to separate apartments, thin timber supporting walls used to separate spaces within the apartments and light hedge walls to separate spaces in the garden space.
Sketches showing the various spaces within the building and area. From left to right, Ground Floor Apartment, First Floor Apartment, Ground floor walkway and the use of existing buildings towards the entrance of gardens and site.
Development models showing progress of scheme using iterative models. Made using grey card
1:25 final housing model looking at the different types of walls and their connection together.
My final 1st year project focused around creating a building to heal, looking at the theme of Soma and Space. I decided to choose the disability of epilepsy; particularity the light sensitive kind. I wanted to create a building that not only made a space suitable for sufferers but also helped to heal or treat thepatients using less medication.
The research focused around how music can help ease the symptoms of epilepsy, and I have tried toimagine the music’s sound wave as part of this design.
Site image showing Field in Cardiff Bute Park as the location for Harmony building.
Defined by the size of my building I analysed the sky looking at how shadows would effect the internal lighting and how I would need to diminish these for the patients.
Anatomical image of the brain structure and how brain waves are effected with different types of epilepsy.
Breaking down the music, separating each layer and looking at the music’s form and shapes.
Plan of building, including private rooms and a community kitchen. The curves within the building representing the curves and rythem in the music.
Sections through building showing the dramatic roof form and levels within the building.
Concrete material studies, outlining various types of concrete going to be used in the building.
Detailing of roof showing the light sensitive panels and coloured perspects.
1:50 model using concrete and grey card showing details of benches surrounding the edge of scheme.
Watercolour painting of internal conditions showing glass rectangles and coloured panels.
Interior view of model showing the light changing panels and seating arrangements.
For my first term individual project at the Welsh School of Architecture we where asked to create a dwelling space in the local Arts area of Coed Hills. This allowed us to experience a site for the first time as well as think about the act of dwelling in more precise terms.
For my project I decided to use the woodland space as my inspiration, I used the tree canopy’s shapes and shadows to inform my design. I placed a large glass ceiling so that when the occupant slept in the dwelling they would be encouraged to look up into the trees and sky. This space was designed as a single space dwelling and included a sleeping area and an area for socialising, the occupant would use the on site toilets and main cooking facilities.
Site images showing the tree canopy and light entering.
Plan of dwelling showing the different zones.
Section of Dwelling showing how a tree is situated in the center.
Model images, showing how the sleeping area would have shelving behind, other images show patterns on the exterior of the dwelling in between the dark burnt oak panels.
