For my Final Major Project I chose to focus on a social idea. I wanted it to change the area where it will be located. I like the idea of rehabilitation, to bring better quality of life to a neighborhood's inhabitants. My final outcome differs from my project proposal. I wanted something with an actual purpose and that we don't see everywhere. I quickly found my location in the Borough of Hackney. I visited lots of places around london, but none of them caught my eyes like Hackney did. I love this area, I'm used to go there a lot since I've moved in London. I think it is beautiful and full of life. Unfortunately I also found lots of contrasts, when it comes to architecture and more importantly between the inhabitants. At first I just wanted to focus on a place where anyone will come and gather together, no matter the age, the wealth, the religion, etc. I wanted a place for everyone to enjoy. My project was to create a pop up and covered flower market, with a little café and some independent concerts venues. After discussion with my tutor and peers, I realised that my project was a bit simple. There were already so much markets, cafés and events venues in East London (It is now a very trendy location) and my project won't be that original. Then I tried to focus on my research and learn more about Hackney history and population. I also had the chance to meet someone who is working for Hackney Council. His work is to help young offenders to get back to a normal life. I was shocked to discover that child poverty and violence is an actual issue within the borough. Between all the borough's parks, I chose Haggerston Park for its easy access and its large amount of unused spaces.
I decided to mix my new area and my first one. The principal audience will be children but I also wanted this centre to be positive for everyone. I also wanted it to earn its own money, as it is a social project I didn't want the council to suffer from it. A stage will be situated within the centre, at the back of the biggest building, and will be surrounded by a field. The council will be able to rent it to private agency to organise concerts. The centre will also have the possibility to throw its own events or to use this place as a playground for children.
The park walkers will have the possible to come and buy snacks and drinks for the centre's canteen (also used by the children and staff). This extra money will be used to buy toys and organise activities. I created this centre to be a part of Hackney's life and I hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
My plan was first created for my primary idea but I managed to use it anyway. I tried to follow my targets' order but at the end my everyday inspirations help me to finish the project. I would have changed things on my design even the last weeks if it was relevant and better for my project.
I love traveling and discover new places and I think that what surrounds us is our first source of inspiration. I went lots around London, always with my camera and I was taking pictures of anything I found interesting. I would then put pictures on my blog and sometimes sketchbook. I went to some exhibitions (some of them really helped me to find ideas such a Sensing Spaces at the Royal Academy of Arts or ART 14, a big art fair).
I tried to draw as much as possible on my sketchbook and notebook, and pay attention to materials and technics used by the artists. I went to Richard Deacon's exhibition and I was amazed to see how he uses textures and shapes to create miscellaneous structures.
I focus a lot more at one particular building, as it shows on my sketchbooks and blog. Not long after the start of the project I went to my hometown, Marseille, in France and I went to visit Le Corbusier's Cité d'Habitations. I already knew this architect's work before going, thanks to Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton, but I had no idea this building was this brilliant. I think this is one of my biggest inspiration. When I went back to London I researched as much as possible on Le Corbusier's work and I found what I wanted to show on my project. Simple structures that have an actual purpose. There are 3 different buildings and we don't use them the same way. I wanted to create simple and cheap buildings with easy to find materials.
I also tried to borrow books from the library and watch movies and documentaries quite frequently.
My favourite sources of expression were my sketchbooks and I think we can easily see my train of thought on them.
Even if I didn't use lots my FMP Plan, I tried to organise my work into targets that I had to achieve every week. My main concern was to find a design that everyone will enjoy and also find a purpose that will suit everyone. My goal was to work in partnership with local people by creating questionnaires. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find people concerned and thrilled to help me. I changed my target so my new inspiration will be the area's history.
The target that was the most difficult to achieve for me was the final models' one. I prefer creating my models on the computer, as I think its looks way more realistic and it is easier to show your idea quickly and efficiently.
I think it would have been better for my project if I had done more testing models, with different materials and shapes. I think I should had dedicated more time to that. But at the end, I am really happy with my final designs, and I tested my buildings with Sketchup and other rendering softwares to see different possibilities.
I also had the wish to create a social structure. I think the proposed activities met this target. There is an entire building dedicated to social workers, such as volunteers and psychologists that will help parents and children whenever they need it.
The farm building is here to sensitize children to animals and nature. There is a little kitchen garden at the top of the building where children will be able to grow their own vegetables.
The stage area is also good for the borough's artistic scenes. It will allow young and unknown artists to perform in front of a large audience. At the end of the year, the centre will organise a show and all the children will have to present something they are proud of. I think they need to find something that really interests them in order to avoid boredom and delinquency.
In therm of design, it took me almost the whole weeks to arrive at how I wanted my buildings to look like. I was inspired by other children's centre's floor plans and from the beginning I wanted to create 3 buildings with one bigger than the others (the entrance one). I focus on the origami building's design, I wanted it to reflect the local area and in the same time to be original and cheer the place up. As this building is already full of colour and fairly large, I wanted the two other to blend into their surroundings. That's why the main materials are wood and glass. All the buildings have massive windows to allow the light penetrate into the building. We need an important amount of light to work and live. At first I designed all my building to be slightly bigger but then I realised (thanks to children's questionnaire) that I needed to keep as much grass areas as possible because they love playing outside. I added an extra storey to the origami building and the farm one. Thanks to that, the floor area will be smaller but the total area in square meters will remain the same.
The floor plans changed a lot. I've done some research on how big classrooms needed to be and what kind of amenities children's centres need. I also needed enough space for emergency exits and disabled access.
At the beginning of the project we were given groups and I found it really helpful. They were the ones that opened my eyes and made me change my idea. I think their feedbacks were relevant and useful. They encouraged me to do more research and find an idea that has an actual meaning, for me and for my audience. It helped me to manage my time because I knew every two weeks or more I had to discuss and show the new things I had achieved.
But I think that what helped me the most was one-to-one tutorials. My tutors guided my research, as one of them is an actual architect, he told me how he was achieving things with his clients. It helped me to picture how my work needed to be in a more realistic way. I liked talking to them because explaining my project was a perfect way to understand it clearly and to be sure of what I wanted. I also had the chance to do an internship with Dransfield Architects in central London for a period of a month. They helped me to understand the FMP and to start my research at the very beginning. I also had good advice from my family and friends in France. They are not doing art studies nor are architects and had a different look at my project. They comforted my idea of a social project because they found it different of what we can see everywhere.
Now my project is finished and I am glad with the outcome, but if I had to change something I would have tried to work with local people a bit more. I should have forced myself to find people even if lots sent me away.
I also should have spent more time creating test models, and playing with colours and materials.
Thanks to my internship I learnt how to use VectorWorks. I think it was really helpful for floorplans, elevations, sections, maps… I gained lots of time and I like the rendering. I think this is an important sofware that actual architects work on it, and I will use it in my future career.
I think I have changed my way of drawing and how I was seeing the world around me.
The FMP comforts me on my idea to work on social development. Architecture is for me a way to change people’s quality of life. I hope next year when I will start my degree I will have the chance to work on projects like this and learn new things about social housing and rehabilitation.
