Shelter project

The beginning of the year was really exciting for me and one of reason was starting to work on Shelter project. The idea that my shelter could actually be build made me work on this project very hard. It was good that project included not only research but also competition between all of us.
The aim of the project was to create shelter in Botanic garden, for visitors, so they can relax, read a book, have a nice chat or be inspired to do something. We needed to create design for Australasian part of the garden.
Project started with site visit and site analysis, I was really inspired by Eucalyptus trees and decided to take the form of the leaves as my concept. I created really nice concept model, which had a lot of curves. I started to worry that it is going to be very complicated to build such construction from timber. But I decided to take a challenge and find to make it work. I did a lot of research about different ways how to make curves from timber. Finally I found one method; I can use plywood to achieve these complicated forms. I divided each curve in smaller pieces and created 3 templates of curves so combining them you can get different forms. Curve itself is creating a sitting place. For my foundation I decided to use concrete blocks and raise them above the ground level in different heights, so people can sit in different levels.
To sum up, I really enjoyed working on this project, although I spend a lot of time trying to solve different problems, such as structure, fixings, foundation. Unfortunately, my project was not chosen to be built, but I do not regret that I decided to design such a complicated structure, because in the process I got great amount of useful information and knowledge.

Beach project

Second year we start with the same project as the first, but now with a different feeling and emotions. We are not freshers anymore, we are feeling ourselves more confident and comfortable, now we will help first year student to get into all this education system.
Same buses, same beach, even same weather, windy and a bit rainy, but this time everything goes different. After splitting into groups, we immediately and very confident start to put all our idea together. Beach is a place of inspiration, place with huge amount of energy and power; therefore we decided to create space to collect all the energy, place for meditation, place where u can feel the harmony between human and nature. It took quite a long time to find a suitable place, with natural wind protection and inspiring view. Our developing process started with some precedence, we looked at history, how ancient people created such spiritual spaces. First of all we looked at pyramids, their triangular forms are ideal to collect energy and transfer it exactly to the centre. However we decided to modify this form and make more suitable for our project. As a result the form of our meditation space became konuss, because we wanted to avoid having a lot of angles. To construct it we needed 4 base points, which were made from sand and water and 4 pieces of wood, which meet together in the centre. As a decoration element we used shells to define the centre of the floor and footprint of whole structure. Shells created really spiritual atmosphere, because it reminded the floor decoration in temples, where were used mosaique.
Overall, when we finished to work on our project, it appeared as a really mystery place. In the end everybody decided to try to catch some energy and we actually got a lot of positive emotions.

Summer work and sketches

Summer is a great time to get new knowledge, to develop and practice skills you got during the year.
For me this summer break was very useful in fact I had opportunity to see how different things work and practice Auto Cad. As second year programme is based on structures and timber constructions I decided to explore some timber objects to get overall understanding and also to look at some details before running next year. I was quite lucky, because at that moment my brother was building timber-structure sauna, so for me it was possible to go with him and see how actual building process is going. That was really good practice, because usually working on design projects students don’t have chance to see building process, which I think is on of the most important aspect of education. The stage they were working at was roof construction; the main structural elements were bars, 17cm in diameter. Such structure looks very natural and is an ideal for such buildings as sauna. It was a good exercise for me and my brother to draw this construction later.
My next very useful summer experience was creating Auto Cad drawing for one design project. The aim of the project was to rebuild existing entertainment complex in Belorussia. The designer team had all of the drawing on paper and they wanted to have them in Auto Cad to make developing process easier, so my task was to transfer all of the plans to Auto Cad. It was quite difficult to understand all the measurements on these technical drawings and I spend a lot of time to manage to do this. But I was really satisfied when I finished and received good feedback.
I am sure that both of these activities gave me a lot of new knowledge and practice, which will be useful doing my second year.

Research Retreat

Research Retreat is the most important project in this year, which summaries all our new skills and knowledge. The air of the project is to design building for 6 artists, who will come there for inspiration and retreat. Project has important link with Mediator project, which helped me to start work on my ideas. I started with looking at some natural forms on the site, which can inspire me. Site is surrounded by trees and there also two massive trees in the middle, which create different atmosphere and shadows during the year. Therefore, I decided to choose trees as a key point of my design. Starting to think about the form of my building, i was inspired by the form of stump. The idea of creating such form building has quite philosophical concept behind it, stump could be a symbol of repetition of the life. The building will be built around trees, so inside the ‘stump’ there will be trees as a symbol of a new life.
The main concept of my project was to create isolated area, where artists could feel the different atmosphere like no there else, kind of creating a small world. The building will consist of three parts: public areas, with galleries and exhibitions and meeting spaces, working area with six studious and living areas with accommodation and artists living spaces. All of these parts will be separated but at the same time connected, to make circulation easier. Inside there will be an amazing courtyard, which opens exciting view while entering the site. Artists’ bedrooms will be located on the second floor, some of bedrooms located on the east side, so they will receive a lot of morning sunlight. All the bedrooms are concrete boxes with one glaze wall which opens view to the sea.
I am quite happy with the process of the project, as it is not finished I still develop it. It is very interesting to see what I have started with and what I will have in the end. Looking forward for the review, hope what during these last 2 weeks I will make all my ideas work and will find solutions to all issues I have now.

Studying architecture is very important to analyze existing buildings and the best way to do this is to see them not just in books or other written resources but in real life. That is why for us was organized study trip to Edinburg, where we had opportunity to explore an outstanding buildings in the city. During the day we visited plenty of buildings, which were build in different times and for different purposes, but the key point of our trip was visit of Scottish Parliament, building which cause mixed feelings among people. Some of them really appreciate the idea of Enric Miralles and his interpretation of how Parliament building should look like, while others think that it was not worth to spend so much money on a building, which even do not look like a place where important for the country decisions are made. I was also surprised with an external appearance of the building; for me it more looks like complex of flats or offices, however inside where was completely different atmosphere. Miralles paid attention to details, symbols and key history points of the country; he managed to create an atmosphere of power and unity of Scottish people. Public space is constructed as a 3 vaults with crusts on the top, which represent medieval Scotland. One of the typical symbols is cross step gable, which is quite repeatable element in interior design. Miralles also used silhouettes of people in chamber room and as a form of ventilation system to show that the opinion of the people is very important in the process of parliament work. Overall I think that the idea of using symbols work very successful and make local visitors of parliament fell themselves as a patriots, but international visitors feel the power and potential of Scottish people. To show that Scotland is rich with building materials he used only these ones, which are produced or manufactured within the country, such us: concrete, Kemnay black granite, from Aberdeenshire, Caithness stone, Scottish oak and stainless steel. All the materials are used very wisely contrasting and completing each other, as an example, could be granite wall with oak panels, which because of material contrast look incredibly. Different parts of Parliament are built from different materials creating specific atmosphere. Debating Chamber is made using oak from all over the Scotland, as a result uniting energy of different parts of the country; oak roof structure, walls, floor, furniture- all of this make the space as an ensemble. Scottish Parliament is a brilliant example of sustainable building, which became an inspiration for all the rest buildings within the country. All the electricity used in the building is renewable, natural springs provide all needed water, Miralles designed the building using as much natural ventilation and light as he can. A lot of glazed roofs and walls make internal space bright and pleasant for work. Some of the roofs are covered with grass, creating a feeling that you are on the ground floor, while actually you are much higher.

Overall I enjoyed this trip very much, it was really worth it to see the Parliament building, and also all other interesting building to compare used materials, interior and exterior spaces, building connection with environment, see symbols and fascinating elements. All of these is practice, which is integral part of education process.

Tower Project

This semester we started to look more detail at building structures. We had a serious of lectures about loads, forces and basic structural elements, which at the beginning sounds very boring, but is very important for architects, because architecture is not just a great ideas and design of the buildings; it is also study how the things work. So as a way to check how we understood this new teaching material our tutors organized Tower Project, where we could experience new skills.

The project itself was carried in four-people groups and the most exciting thing was what we had only one week to manage it. The aim was to create 1:10 model of 20 m high tower. Monday was the day of research; we spent a lot of time in library trying to find some different towers around the world, which would inspire us. Following that everybody made some sketches how the tower may look like. Tuesday started with group discussion, we picked four ideas and decided to build four different 1:200 models to see how it works. Wednesday was the most important day, we needed to show models to our tutors, explaining some structural aspects, they gave us a piece of advice what we need to change to improve our project. And finally Thursday, the most eventful day, apart from model we needed to draw plans, sections, elevations and also some diagrams explaining some physical aspects, such as tension, compression, bending. So it was long day, we left studio when janitors closed the building and continued working at home. On Friday morning our tower was ready, for us it was more experimental project, it would be quite easy to build something very stable, we run risk when decided to build our tower, because we were not sure about will it work or not. Of course we made some testing before using our small model, but we still had some doubts. Finally then the tower was ready, we realized that it really stands! Our tutors really appreciated our desire to experiment and liked our idea.

The most successful studies are then all the theory you can test in practice, this was also proved working on this project. Such practice made us to use new skills and I think that for the most of students it helped to feel more advanced in structural theory.

Mediator project

First semester started with an interesting project, which on the one hand does not look like an architectural, however, at the end of the work we realised how useful it was in starting Research Retreat project.
The aim of the project was working in groups represent our feelings and impressions about the Hospitalfieild and surroundings. The ways of presenting were slightly different, some groups made installations, some organized journeys our group decided to make a video, which would represent our emotions. The concept of our project was to show the repetition of life, life and death, rebirth and time. This was the key points we were focusing after our site visit. Through group discussions we decided to make a video and created a storyboard. As a Hospitalfield is located near the sea we thought that the connection to the sea would be quite nice way to represent our feeling, so we tried to find some symbols which would show our philosophy. The idea was that the person is going out from water, but it stays dry, he also is holding sand, which falls through finger, this is the symbol of time that goes quick, but we can hold it and even control sometimes so in the end of the video sand goes back to our arms. Waves represent repetition of life and rebirth.
I really enjoyed the process of making the video. We went to St. Andrews beach where our two brave boys went to the freezing sea. It was really exciting experience for them. After we finished filming, we moved to montage. The last stage of the project was creating two books one about Hospitalfield, its features and our concept, another about the process we went through to create this video.
This experience gave me a lot of ideas for the next project and it was really fascinating to see how other groups showed the same ideas in different ways. Such projects help us to think more about the philosophy of the place and how it will influence design of the building, which I think very important to design successful building.