BSC ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY combines specialisms in the technological, environmental, material and detailing decisions necessary to solve architectural design problems, from conception to completion. It requires complex understanding of design processes, architectural composition, development, construction technology and management tools, and the effective communication of design information.
In the Architectural Technology studio this year, our 1st Year students experienced a dedicated studio to collaborate in their exploration of Design Principles with a domestic dwelling house at a site linked to our Harrow campus, understanding the synthesis between site analysis and environmental design considerations; 2nd Year students explored interactions between the climate, topography, and social and political economy on the site that shaped the dynamic landscape of the river Thames at Woolwich (Royal Arsenal); and 3rd Year students transformed an existing leisure facility in Bermondsey, with a focus on demountable construction.
BSC ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY combines specialisms in the technological, environmental, material and detailing decisions necessary to solve architectural design problems, from conception to completion. It requires complex understanding of design processes, architectural composition, development, construction technology and management tools, and the effective communication of design information.
In the Architectural Technology studio this year, our 1st Year students experienced a dedicated studio to collaborate in their exploration of Design Principles with a domestic dwelling house at a site linked to our Harrow campus, understanding the synthesis between site analysis and environmental design considerations; 2nd Year students explored interactions between the climate, topography, and social and political economy on the site that shaped the dynamic landscape of the river Thames at Woolwich (Royal Arsenal); and 3rd Year students transformed an existing leisure facility in Bermondsey, with a focus on demountable construction.
THIS YEAR WE set out to explore the role a designer can play in addressing the climate emergency, and how design can address issues of social inequality within affected communities. While maintaining a particular focus on ecology, students were encouraged to be explorative and investigate design which considers collective (human and non-human) environments, landscapes, architectural responses, and architectural technology. We began by exploring the interactions between climate, topography, and social and political economy that shaped the dynamic landscape of our chosen site at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. The studio’s agenda has been to investigate the given site and to look beyond what is visible; to observe the ‘unseen’ and understand the character, quality and conditions of the site. Through a series of inventive and imaginative design projects, the students used models and drawings at a range of scales to investigate their design interventions. This challenged them to create designs which interact with the land, water, weather, climate and human and non-human habitations.
The design principles developed through the mapping of the site and the ‘designing by making’ exercises constituted the starting point for the final project of the year, to design a civic space for Royal Arsenal, incorporating an architectural landscape and spatial form for the community. The students designed and fabricated a physical device, responded to the site and the constraints of materials and technology. The proposals are embedded within the neighbourhood and the community, forming an integral part of everyday life, and beautifying and activating a public space. Students’ site-specific devices have been used in
discussions with the local communities, understanding their neighbourhoods and the issues they face, and as a tool to
engage with the site’s context. These interactive methods have informed the final building proposals that respond to the environmental, ecological and social aspects of the site.
3RD YEAR PROJECTS are divided into two parts: part one/semester one mirrors the process through which Planning Approval is gained, following the process from project conception to general arrangement planning drawings and visualisations. Part two/semester two concerns the technical production of a project, encompassing structural considerations, construction technology, and the production of construction drawings, details and specification.
For this year’s final brief, the design project was set by a real Client, The Arch Climbing Wall Ltd. Third year students were asked to put forward proposals for the significant expansion of a bouldering/climbing leisure facility on an existing site in Bermondsey, London, where part of the existing 15000 sq.ft. structure had to remain. Another constraint – or opportunity – was for the design to facilitate the possible future use of this building. The Clients’ ethos emphasises sustainable best practice, energy efficiency and the need to include elements within the building to mitigate against the poor air quality in its central London location.
These added parameters lead to an interesting range of designs; with ‘demountable’ or temporary structures, and alternative uses for the large commercial space.
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