Architectural Design Investigation: Stage 1

(published 13/12/2021)

The Project

The project required me to design a Maggie centre, a building that supports people with cancer. They are always situated on a hospital site and provide non-medical support.

The site given was the green at the end of St James’s at Portsmouth. Formerly a mental health institution. The area has always, historically, been surrounded by medical buildings. The story given around the site was that it was to be used, partially, as a cancer care unit, and the Maggie centre would support this (This is for the purpose of the University brief, and there is no evidence that this will happen).

This work is worth 20% of one unit. It is the final design before the final presentation. The final presentation is worth 80% within this unit and will be completed in conjunction with the communications unit.

Hybrid Orthographic’s and Verbal Presentation

Orthographic drawings were used to present my idea, in addition to my sketchbook and several models. As the project is only in the development stage, students were given actionable feedback to improve upon our work. My initial feedback has been that the line drawings are beautifully made, and the only thing that I have left to do is to make final decisions about the materials I wish to use.

The presentation itself was extremely nerve-racking. It’s one of the key skills I, personally, need to work on throughout my degree. Last year I took classes in presenting, through the academic skills department. My tutor also coached me on how to give a presentation when you are nervous. In my sketchbook (below) you will see Brown tags with keynotes or phrases. The purpose of these were to help me get back on track if I became tongue-tied while presenting my work.

I was pleased with my presentation and the drawings. I will need to improve my vehicle drawing skills. The car that I drew on the line drawings looked a little bit like an animal’s head rather than the front of a parked vehicle. I was pleasantly surprised, however, how quick and precisely I could draw the foliage and entourage within the digital drawing of the building.

The Sketchbook

The sketchbook was a required part of the presentation. However, due to studio time limits, I did not get my full five minutes of presentation time and did not present all the relevant parts of my sketchbook. Tutors and Head of Year reassured the final speakers that their sketchbooks would be looked through, thoroughly. They were pleased with the volume of work I had appeared to have done, and I was delighted to have my presentation time cut short.

We had an insightful lecture on sketchbook presentation. The talk allowed me to be freer with my sketchbook. It also provided ideas on how to make the most of your presentation. Students were told not to shy away from having foldout’s and random pieces of information just stuck in. I have been discouraged from doing this in previous design courses. I feel that the pullouts and the random pieces of paper and material give sketchbooks their character and sense of mystique. It makes the organisation of the project easier as well.

Brief and Inspiration

In the first studio of the year, each member of the class brought in an object they associated with recovery. It was presented to the rest of the studio class and inspire our Maggie centre designs.

I chose a cuppa. A British tradition surrounding the drinking of a hot beverage, typically tea. Initially, I looked at the logical reasons behind using a cuppa as an item of recovery. I was not sure that I wanted to explain my personal reasons for choosing this object of recovery. However, during presentations and conversations with tutors, it became apparent that this project required students to become reasonably personal. Later in the project, one of my tutors suggested that I diagrammed the feelings and keywords behind my choice. I enjoyed doing this because it allowed me to clearly explain my decisions and visually connect them to the design.

Maggie Centers

During my (level 3) BTEC, I completed a project based on the Maggie brief. So though I completed the initial research suggested by the unit leader(which involved watching a documentary), I directed my initial research into looking at the key features of several Maggie centres. During this research, I discovered that the centres all had an otherworldliness. I believe the fantasy edge created character and provided space for service users to safely process their illness and escape the daily stresses it brings.

Initial models

my initial models explored the journey of making a cuppa.

Copper

I explored copper and other metals, as they have similar colours and tones to tea and coffee.

Design Process, Studio Culture and Scale

The lecture talked about how to use the studio. We would have usually had this lecture within the first year, but we have rarely been in the studio due to covid. I prefer working at home as there are fewer distractions and I have all my equipment to hand. However, I have enjoyed discussing work with my colleagues and seeing their work in real life. I have also enjoyed having access to the workshop and on-campus shop, as they have provided me with different creative options.

Scale was also explored during this week in order to understand the proportions of Maggie centres.

Unfortunately, I missed a few classes for reasons surrounding my health. My tutors were very supportive, helping me get the most out of the unit. In perspective, I would still not be fit to go back to work if I was in my normal job (Health Care Assistant). I am lucky to be able to continue my studies. The alternative would have been sitting at home bord, spending another year not doing what I love (cue the violin). It was important to pace myself and find new ways around tasks. Overall I achived a lot during the first part of the academic year. I dropped my Jewellery making business and only created a few blogs. However, I (inadvertently) became secretary to the mature student's society in which I have taken an active role. I've also completed most of the work set for me. I'm calling it a win.

Diagramming

Diagramming my design solution helped me make key decisions.

Developing Initial Ideas

Bringing ideas together in line with the brief.

Alice in Wonderland Exhibition

I researched the V&A's Alice in Wonderland exhibition to gain further insight into expressing fantasy or otherworldliness in an architectural setting. Its theme strongly connects to tea, linking it to the design project's theme. I found that scale, proportion and movement were significant devices used within the exhibit.

The Sketchbook Lecture and Organising Space

Site visit and Research

during the site visit, I noticed that the access would need careful consideration. Access from the main road would be tricky, due to the level of traffic. This is especially important as the end-users of the building may not be feeling that great, making traffic negotiation harder than usual.

Trees beautifully surround the site, creating a natural bubble within a busy city. Additional trees will be used around the Maggie’s centre, giving it its own bubble (in line with the design’s aim to create an otherworldliness) and linking it to the site.

After the visits, I looked through historical maps. The site was originally surrounded by water on both sides. The water slowly disappears through time, and domestic buildings appear on top. I was not sure this was a significant issue. However, after last week’s major flooding, water damage should be considered when creating a building in this area. I also noticed a lot of possible historical precedents. These were not followed up except during the site visit, where I tried to view other buildings on the site. The site itself is undergoing construction, and even the buildings you can see have security guards.

Upon reflection, a few things are missing from my site evaluation. I could have researched some of the presidents. There are also no site sketches and no atmospheric drawing. I wasn’t able to fully walk around the site at the time. I would typically do a second site visit, but this wasn’t completed either. However, these are things I can improve on in the future.

During research into the sites natural lighting, I noticed that the site would have a lot of shade from the trees in summer. Reversing in the winter when the trees lose their leaves. The trees will also affect the wind reducing its effect on the site.

Additionally, I looked at the scale of the site in comparison to existing Maggie’s centres. The experiment was reassuring as I was concerned about depriving local people of public space. Especially as Portsmouth(according to an article I read recently) lacks green areas. The extra trees will reduce some of the pollutions created within the city. Hopefully, balancing out the loss of access. Perhaps (if the building was ever built) the centre would allow local people time within the rose gardens, further extending its benefits to the area.

Sacrificial Sections

during a studio session, the class was asked to create quick drawings of our potential building. The exercise was interesting. However, I feel that I was at the wrong stage of my design process to gain its full benefit. I soon realised that the next step for me was creating a model.

Copper Models

I chose to make the models out of copper (rather than card, etc) as the material felt relevant to the theme, and it allowed me to apply my hobby to architecture. Developing a design with such a permanent making method forced me to be, a bit, more creative. Leading me to ideas for the construction of the roof and the rest of the external envelope.

The Maggie’s Centre Visit (Southampton)

we (the students) were lucky to have an online zoom lecture given by the AL architects who created the Southampton Maggie centre. He talked about the devices and practical considerations of the Maggie centre.

During the next week’s visit, I noticed how the centre’s layout gives the user plenty of choices regarding interaction. The central focus was the communal kitchen table. Private rooms surrounded the kitchen. Offering the services users different interaction options. This device was used within my design.

I noticed a range of textures within the interior and exterior of the building. Giving the building character and a homely quality. Different types and levels of lighting were used, creating an even and relaxing atmosphere.

The foliage surrounding the building followed the other Maggie’s Centres theme of creating another world. Foliage created a barrier between the car park, the main road, and the overlooking houses. Protecting its inhabitants.

The garden, though small, created choices of direction and a range of areas to use. Lighting and surfaces used within the garden produced a grotto effect at night, enhancing the sense of otherworldliness.

The site itself is similar to the St James’s site. It is also at the edge of the hospital grounds close to a main road. A L architects approached access in a similar way to how I planned to approach it. By drawing people away from the main road.

The Final Stages of Development

A hybrid approach to drawing plans and sections was used to develop the design. This allows me to make the most of digital efficiencies, without losing the hand pen thought process.

I consider different circulation scenarios, building proportions, environmental factors and accessibility when making my final choices. Aiming to create space for conversation in connection to my object of recovery and the diagrams I drew. I also drew on my Alice in Wonderland exhibition research to make decisions about openings and enhancing the counselling pods.

Some spaces were mocked out using masking tape and furniture to understand how they work at a 1:1 scale. Sir Michel Hopkins Round building (David Mellower Factory) served as inspiration for the roof.

References

Presentation Notes