DAY 6_DESIGN IN THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT - OYSTERMOUTH CASTLE

Oystermouth Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed building located in Oystermouth, Swansea. Together with repairs to the Castle, the project aims to improve the visitor experience through the construction of a new visitor centre.

There are several important opportunities including: conservation and preservation, to ensure long term standing of the castle structure; interpretation and education, providing a stimulating and exciting new entrance building with exhibitions to attract and inform visitors; and prominence, ensuring the new build works to harmonise and respect the existing castle.

The constraints of this project include: the size of the visitor centre, as it needs to be large enough to meet the visitors requirements; and minimising the risk during construction, to avoid damaging the existing building.


The new visitor centre is to be located within the existing chapel. Together with providing visitor facilities it also aims to explain the existing building. One new interesting feature in the design is the new glazed bridge above the ticketing desk and workshop at second floor level. This will be placed where the former aisle to the chapel was located. It is made completely of glass and maximises the natural light to the new visitor centre below. (The section for this can be seen above)

DAY 6_DESIGN IN THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT - GILFACH-Y-BERTHOG

The Grade II* Listed house, Gilfach-y-Berthog, is located near Whitemill, Camarthenshire. The clients for this project would like to restore three of the listed buildings that are currently unoccupiable and are at risk, together with providing a new kitchen extension and a swimming pool in a new outhouse.

Through the use of a physical model the practice was able to show how the new buildings could be added to a very sensitive site. The images above show the before and after proposals.


The size and scale of the new buildings are very important. They should not overwhelm the existing listed buildings. The opportunity has been taken to open up the views of the grand frontage of the house on the approach to the property by removing the existing out-buildings, which are currently in front of the house.

The constraints of the project include bats, which are present on the site and within existing buildings, therefore any proposals need to take into account these implications. Also, the new buildings should be constructed to the modern standards of construction, considering factors such as siting and orientation.

A design and access statement accompanied the planning and listed building applications for this property. This included building and site analysis, opportunities and constraints, the response to objectives of good design (repairs, appearance, layout, access etc.) and the design evolution, along with a range of images and drawings.


Building and Site Analysis includes the information about the history of the building and site, informing the positioning of buildings on site and environmental site analysis. Environmental site analysis refers to the position of the sun throughout the day, views from the property, prevailing wind and the access to and from the property (image above). The approach to the design is informed by the site as much as the clients requirements.

DAY 6_RESTORATION - WEST LODGE/ANIMAL WALL

As part of the Bute Park Restoration Project, the Animal Wall that borders Castle Street is currently being restored. The work involves repairing stone work, cleaning graffiti, re-pointing mortar and repairing the damage to the various animals. Cleaning trials were undertaken on the wall before carrying out the project (below).


It is important that the repairs match the existing walls and great care has been taken to ensure that this is the case. Below is a page from the Schedule of Repairs document that Davies Sutton Architects produced to itemise out the works.


The wall was split into sections within the document to enable the work to be managed. This one shows the Anteater that has lost it's nose and it will now be repaired. To help with this an appeal was made to find old photographs of the Animal Wall with the Anteater's nose still in place.

DAY 6_INVESTIGATING OPTIONS - WEST LODGE/ANIMAL WALL

West Lodge is located in Bute Park, Cardiff and along with the Animal Wall forms the boundary of the park onto Castle Street. As part of a number of projects in the park, the Animal Wall is being restored and the West Lodge is to provide a visitor reception for the park, toilet facilities and suitable staff accommodation. This will provide a new and sustainable use for an existing Cardiff landmark.

The constraints of the West Lodge project relate to the fact that the existing building isn't big enough to provide the facilities required. Consequently, the building needs to be extended. It must be accessible by park users, however, any proposed extensions are limited due to the boundary walls of the existing property.

A series of different options were looked at before deciding on a preferred solution. These are shown below:




The preferred option was Option 2, which was developed further.

The roof of the new visitor centre will be made out of zinc, as this allows a low pitch to be achieved. Also, rendered panels are to be used in the courtyard, giving a contrast to the stone at West Lodge.

A physical model was made to help explain the scheme to the client. This helps the client see the building from different angles and the effect it will have.

DAY 6_DESIGN IN THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT - GALLILEE CHAPEL

Above is a short video showing the proposed construction of a new education centre for Celtic Christian Studies within the existing roofless ruins of the Galilee Chapel. The Galilee Chapel is located in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan. The space will also be used to exhibit Celtic stones.

The constraints of the project include maintaining the historic character of the building and the archaeology of the site (excavations have to be carried out inside the chapel for new foundations).


The existing historic walls and masonry features are to be retained and cleaned. As you can see from the image above, the roof appears to float above the existing ruined walls. Glazing fills the space between the walls and the roof. This allows the new elements to be distinguished from the old elements, so the ruin can still clearly be seen.


A Design and Access Statement is issued as part of a planning application to clearly and consisely explain the project. This one included the opportunities and constraints of the site, the history of the chapel, the planning policy and the response to objectives of good design (environmental sustainability, accessibility etc.). The statement also included a variety of images of the existing ruin and computerized model (shown above), floorplans and sketches. A physical model was also made to show the client how the building would work. This is shown below:

a few videos

End

AUSTIN-SMITH: LORD: LONDON

On Thursday 26th, I got a chance to go to the London Office for Austin-Smith: Lord, which was hugely exciting. There is an international competition ongoing, and as the deadline is very soon, it was essential for Ashley Davies and Rob Firman to check that everything was finalised and up to the standards it should be. The meeting was in total about 4 and a half hours, with lunch in between. The actual meeting was extremely exciting to watch, as it showed the extremely early stages of architecture- there was a brief, and they had to fulfil Stage 1 of this brief, to later hopefully be shortlisted for Stage 2. The design process was intense- there was a storyboard showing how far they had come, and in Stage 2, should they get to it, models are needed to be made, plans further scrutinised, videos and pictures needing to be taken... A lot had to go in with no real knowing that you were even going to get the project.

The Farewell and the Eurostar Train Station

I discovered quite a lot about theatre types though, of which I think I will find extremely useful in the future:


Fan Shaped Concert Hall
In this project, this concert hall should be avoided from an acoustic point of view. The lack of lateral reflections is continuous, and the low ceiling is relatively too small to create an acoustic volume to guarantee late reverberation.




Barbican Hall, London

Shoebox Concert Hall
This is the best design for a concert hall, with high ceilings for the quality of air. This type of concert hall dates back extremely late, where it would be used to impress the guest in a dinner. Haydn's early and middle symphonies and Esterhazy's castle in Vienna were made for this concert hall design, ensuring a 'fullness' of sound.




Concertgebouw-Amsterdam



Vineyard Concert Hall
A typical model of a vineyard concert hall is the Berliner Philharmonie. The audience are located behind and to the side of the stage. There is a large wall section, or partial walls, creating 'vineyard terraces'.





Berline Phillharmonic- Berlin






Arena and Amphitheatre
These consist of curved walls, and need to have reflecting walls.



The International Amphitheatre, Chicago





Multipurpose
The multipurpose hall must have ceilings with variable height, acoustic curtains, a variation of acoustic couplings, an increasing/decreasing stage area, and the theatre must be able to remove parts from the stage. As suggested by the name, this concert hall needs to be fit for all purposes.








Perth Concert Hall



The office in London was fascinating, with millions of models to look at, and the discussion about the competition entry proved worthwhile for London, with many suggestions being made about how the designs should change, and it was best to have a view from fresh eyes.
I also got the chance to observe some of the architecture of the train station, with statues of "The Farewell", showing a couple being reunited, and I managed to get some history of the London train station, in which Ashley said it had been refurbished, as originally the train station walls were covered in soot and coal. It really shows that architects aren't just interested in their own work, but others as well.

Coffees are rapidly becoming my every day drink...

The meeting

Austin-Smith:Lord- London Office.

BUILDING REGULATIONS SEMINAR

In one of our lunchtimes, many of the staff attended a buildings regulation seminar, which discussed the new building regulations for 2010 onwards. It was said that in 2016, there will hopefully be 0% carbon buildings, as the carbon fuels are rapidly become dangerously low. There was also discussion on how there should be much more care on water temperatures, as temperatures such as 55 degrees Celsius can instantly kill if someone was to bathe in them. There was also background information of how fossil fuels are running at an all-time low, and graphs were made showing how else we can deal with this- by use of renewable sources- which all of us watched intently. The regulations for buildings part L (part L is conservation of fuel and power) will be made from 16th October 2010, where it will be extremely difficult to get the ventilation and the elevations to meet protocol. I found this meeting very interesting, but I feel that as I am very inexperienced in this at the moment I definitely would have understood the impacts for the buildings a lot less than anybody else!

The Seminar

Tim mulling over what to do.

CASE STUDY: UWIC

The project manager discussing the problems he had found in this room




The scaffolding holes that have had to be filled in.




The back of UWIC building site- if anybody wants to go through the back, they have to have a card to return.






One of the offices







The Staircase at UWIC


The Outside- the builder is currently working on the T Block, a side project for Austin-Smith: Lord at UWIC.





The atrium view from the second floor


The atrium view from the first floor




The outside of the UWIC building


Tim writing down any problems he had found


UWIC is to be shortly completed, and so it was essential to survey the area to make sure that everything was up to standard. There were certain problems that had been picked up, such as the heating cables being extremely visible, and certain benches being out of place, but overall the architect of the project, and my mentor, Tim Young certainly seemed pleased with the site in general.


The UWIC project had a cost of £13 million, and is the first phase of the masterplan for the UWIC Llandaff Campus.The atrium is the main feature, where students can have lunch and look at their surroundings, as well as serving as the main circulation. There is a 200 seat lecture hall taking place in the first and second floors, and the staircase manages to efficiently run through all of the stairs, ensuring a modern feel.

I think that this experience has made me realise that projects very rarely do not need to be continuously corrected, and sometimes the builders can be seen to not follow plans as well as could be hoped.

The problems shown were:

• Entrance to cladding and canopy to be completed (now completed)
• The canopy- initially this needed to be completed, and the only thing needing done now is moving of a bench and a sealant to the glass.
• The external door was a problem on the last visit. It has since been completed.
• The feed to the door heater was extremely visible, and the copper cover was askew.
• In the enterprise centre the coloured panel was not very near to the door- approx 750mm away, and there will now be a discussion on whether it is best to put it onto the right, making the sign nearer to the door.

Tim explaining that this should not touch the bottom- it was originally meant to be a few metres from the bottom.

Tim assessing the bench

The Staff

Cooking it...

Eating it...


The lone Barbeque-er...



Throughout my time, I found that there were many different attributes to an architect's office- the secretary, Jill, has to do admin, so thinks such as answering phones, recording meetings, typing, being a secretary for project contact list, and arranging meetings. Jill also does invoices, and QA, which is Quality Assurance, and Enquiry, as well as the essential tasks of ordering the stationary and making tea! I asked her about the typical working hours (9-5:30), which I found out were exactly the same as any architect here. When I asked Gill about what her favourite thing was about working as a secretary, she replied that QA and HR were the best, and it sounds like she can really deal very well with people, an extremely important task for any secretary. The role of HR is mainly to make the staff aware of any ongoings and keep them happy, informing them of holidays and any new arrangements. I also found out that Austin- Smith: Lord have only recently been situated here, with them temporarily being situated in another part of Cardiff Bay until this office was built. The architects at Austin-Smith: Lord actually designed the building themselves, as well as all the other offices surrounding it, such as 'The Counting House' (an accountant's)
There are 22 employees at Austin-Smith: Lord Cardiff, and 300 in total at Austin-Smith Lord, so before my trip to Austin-Smith: Lord, I was slightly worried that I would be slightly patronised for having no experience (bar work experience in Year 10...) of architecture, and so everything seemed much more exciting to me than it probably would have had I been there for 10 years. This presumption was not, may I add, because I thought them to be a patronising company, but more so that the collection of people working in there were so qualified- specialists in theatre, and at their own job, and when I met Rob Firman, it was a little like meeting an architect star (he designed the Millenium Stadium). Their actual behaviour towards me was nothing but polite and friendly, and I did not once feel awkward or embarrassed, or made to feel unwelcome. When travelling to London to visit the Austin-Smith: Lord office and asking about how much I owed them for my train ticket, the response was "nothing, don't be silly", and I was constantly offered the free lunch, and their utmost attention. A barbeque is regularly held as well as day trips such as Go-Karting, out for meals, etc. and the atmosphere seems light and friendly from the moment you walk in. You begin to notice things, such as Tim's preference for egg mayo sandwiches (he always has them in free lunches...always....wish I had taken a picture...) and Mark's quick and sarcastic humour, and Rob's real love for his work. I feel if I had been Sam, I most likely would not have had the patience to keep offering her my computer for my SD card or my muttering about how my videos wouldn't upload, or Ashley's patience to upload all relevant information into my folder. I believe the first site I had of Austin-Lord: Smith was Martin's car, and in my video it is clear to see how good he is at managing people, much like Dennis who was quick to suggest options for his site visit, as was Rhian, who also was kind enough to let me huddle under her umbrella whilst she spoke marketing to the project manager on site. Jill, the secretary, was always keen to help, whether it be making coffees and teas, to checking in invoices, to keeping everyone in their place... I think that the work she manages to do is remarkable. As for Kate, when I visited the site in UWIC I heard nothing but praise for her interior designing skills, and the work she puts in to make sure that everything in a building's interior to ensure its perfection is amazing. Although I didn't get time to meet the whole time fully, I feel that from what I have seen, everybody works really well together, and if there is a problem, others will contribute to help. From all the horror stories you hear about, I can assure that in Austin-Smith: Lord, none of these are ever an issue.

CASE STUDY: LOUDOUN

The Loudoun Square Project is currently taking place in Bute Town, in Cardiff Bay. The process had been going on for three years and prior to showing the initial designs, CCHA presented facilitated a series of consultation 'workshops' with the local community and key organisations leading to a master plan of the site. The project has a budget of £12 million, and construction is currently underway, with the site hopefully being completed in 2012. The site will consist of various colourful signposts to ensure that all places are easily located, and sustainability is evident with harvesting of rainwater, and Biomassed fueled heating. The site is going to achieve a BREEAM "excellent". (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), and the houses are designed to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes- 'Level 4'. Loudon will be a health centre for all those that need it, and will be a reconstruction of the current Health Centre in Bute Town at the moment. On the first two floors there will be doctor consultant rooms, and on the third floor there will be offices, with the final floor having flats for residents. There are a further three construction phases at hand, and in the square there will be shops, a new health centre, affordable homes, and community facilities.