Unit E

The fluctuating fortunes of a watery landscape

This year Unit E aims to tackle the prospect of building in inhospitable conditions, re-framing environmental challenges as distinctive, characterful opportunities to work with nature, rather than against it. We have undertaken research and analysis of the landscape of the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, capturing its atmosphere, exploring its history, and understanding the societies that live, work, and visit this historic area. In recent years extreme flooding events have caused significant economic and social damage and threatened livelihoods. We aim to propose new and positive ways in which to embrace these difficulties, working with the natural conditions to create lasting and beneficial change for the area.

Unit Lead: Alex Chalmers
Unit Tutor: Tom Jelley
Tech Tutor: Mina Samangooei
Structures Tutor: John Hurle
Year 2: Idil Alperen, Charlie Bright, Anastasiia Dubrovskaia, James Ellwood, Keziah Olu-Joseph, Praethong Pattarasup, Matt Phillips, Jordan Shears, Yuen Yi Moly Yau, Maddy Hunt
Year 3: Claudia Alvazzi, Euan Backus, Jem Butcher, Willem Butler, Tara Campbell, Faye Ellery, Frende Hauer, Jonah Ling, Peter Lowe, Oliver Partner, Seren Quinn Lloyd, Jamie Sicely

YEAR 02

Charlie Bright - The Devils Backbone / Ironbridge School of Art - Devils Backbone - The devils backbone GP reimagines the NHS GP typology, with reference back to Oxfords medieval history with medicine and hospitals.
Ironbridge - The Ironbridge schoo — Charlie Bright - The Devils Backbone / Ironbridge School of Art - Devils Backbone - The devils backbone GP reimagines the NHS GP typology, with reference back to Oxfords medieval history with medicine and hospitals. Ironbridge - The Ironbridge school of art is made to reinvigorate the historic town of Ironbridge, once the birthplace of the industrial revolution. The school aims to bring back the future to Ironbridge through radical design while also building upon its history of art, industry and innovation.

James Ellwood - Semester 1 Recompose: Sustainable Burial
Recompose a sustainable burial is
turning humans into soil.
Semester 2 Idea Exchange: Ironbridge Heritage Craft & Research Centre
The process involves
a new typology for the cremation of — James Ellwood - Semester 1 Recompose: Sustainable Burial Recompose a sustainable burial is turning humans into soil. Semester 2 Idea Exchange: Ironbridge Heritage Craft & Research Centre The process involves a new typology for the cremation of humans. As the current practice is extremely unsustainable damaging the natural environment. This method uses significantly less energy and provides a sense of life after death. The soil will be used on site to help grow trees, creating a sense of a memory forest for people grieving after a loved one’s death. The building is more than a space, but a creation of a place to help people deal with potential emotions. As the seasons change their loved one regrows from the soil placed below into a tree of significance and beauty within a landscape of living gravestones. The Idea Exchange is a centre for traditional craft and research into future technologies associated with the development and maintenance of heritage sites and listed buildings. preserved while being allowed to develop due to innovation between skills and technology. These The initial crafts are skills are then used to reuse and rebuild listed buildings and preserve the heritage of the landscape. The concept of Innovation manifests as a physical stone wall in the project built by the users and community. Preserving memories of the past for future generations. The spaces then grow from the wall in stages over time eventually the site is left with the wall as a ruin for the community.

Matt Phillips - Worcester gardens and food centre - Worcester gardens is a proposal to replace Oxford’s Worcester street car park. This central location has great opportunity to become a place to meet, socialise and relax so I went on to design a public garden due to Oxford’s lack of non-college owned green spaces. The building is inspired by the location's industrial heritage and revive’s the area's history of production. The food centre produces food via aquaponics and receives donations, educating people on more sustainable methods of food production. This food is then given away in the food bank market which provides a more enjoyable experience, aiming to destigmatize the use of food banks.

Moly Yau - The project is located in Ironbridge, Telford, a world heritage site. It is also home to the world’s iron bridge, but it’s been plagued by floods, from once to 10 years to now every year. My design is for a community centre with various facilities such as a sports field, aquatic field and dance studio. A community centre can bring many benefits to the community, bringing people together and uniting the community. The design of the building focuses on the use of spaces and the relationship and interaction between them. It is also important that the space is flexible, with folding doors opening up access from outside to inside, creating a flexible space for different activities, such as a weekend market or an exhibition.

YEAR 03

Unit E

The fluctuating fortunes of a watery landscape

Tutors

Students:

YEAR 02

YEAR 03

Unit D

Unit F