Dossier CIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

After the initial site visit it was clear what the focal point was. Due to sightings and mapping in the immediate area, the site plays a big part in the London Cycle Network. Directly outside the site is a Barclays Station where you can hire ‘Boris Bike’s’ so naturally the area has a big boom in the cycling world. Cycling is one of the most utilised and most popular methods of transport within the City of London which gives the project a good stance on creating a Creative Hub. Obviously health and fitness come with the trade when looking at cycling, so naturally this became a huge part of my project also. The site was in a construction state when i visited, this had a big influence on some aspects of my project.

Work Stage 01: PreparationCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

I decided after identifying the users and programs of my project that the two focal points were cycling & the London Cycle Network, i wanted to be quite literal about this and created a design process which used literal imagery warping. From warping two ‘obvious’ images which i chose i created a warped mesh. The warped mesh allowed me to generate abstract ‘elements’ which can be connected and overalyed to create ‘interven-tions’ these ‘interventions’ have an iteration for every floor of the site building. The stacking of these ‘interven-tions’ determines the void cut on each floor creating a physical/literal link between the programs on each floor.

Work Stage 02: Concept DesignCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

The layout of each floor responds to an invisible grid system, every floor is completely 100% adaptable. The floors are made up of the ‘modules’ featured above which like the layout are completely adaptable. The void cut out (replaced with glass floor) featured above is responding to the ‘intervention’ which has been allocated to this floor. Running around the edge of the glass floor void is an adaptable tensile form which is user inter-active, this gives the user full control in defining the space with the use of a remote control motorised winch system which is attatched to the tensile form (made up of lycra a material associated with cycling attire).

Work Stage 03: Developed DesignCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

Module Tensile Lycra Form Glass Floor Cut

The absolute focal point of this project is the user interactive tensile form. The facility provides the tools,space and means to create a healthy lifestyle and diet which can involve some very monotimous activites. In order to make the spaces interesting i have created this tensile form which users can adapt to their wishes and therefore gives them the ability to control and adapt the atmosphere of that space. The form came from the abstracting process which started the project. It creates a physical abstract manifestation of the buildings uses and users.

Work Stage 04: Technical DesignCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

1)Steel Plates 2)Bolts 3)Neoprene4)Lycra

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The absolute focal point of this project is the user interactive tensile form. The facility provides the tools,space and means to create a healthy lifestyle and diet which can involve some very monotimous activites. In order to make the spaces interesting i have created this tensile form which users can adapt to their wishes and therefore gives them the ability to control and adapt the atmosphere of that space. The form came from the abstracting process which started the project. It creates a physical abstract manifestation of the buildings uses and users.

Work Stage 05: Specialist DesignCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

1)Steel Plates

These renders show what the space could look like if executed effectively, they show the space at a construct-ed level. The materiality is quite simple, utilising the raw concrete from when the building was in construction this eliminates any distraction to the central space and the need to re-clad the interior walls and ceilings. The central space is created with the use of the stretched tensile form (toughened lycra) which is attatched to the motorised winches mounted on the structural beams.

Work Stage 06: Construction CIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

The motorised winch system needs to be maintained with the use of standard lubricating oil to make sure the mechanism doesnt cease up. The interface will also need regular cleaning with antibacterial solution to elimi-nate the risk of infections & illness spreading.

Work Stage 07: Use & AftercareCIAD:6001 - Creative Hub

The stretched lycra will need to be replaced every 5 years due to the nature of the material, the lycra will eventually start sagging. Apart from this general day to day maintenance involves keeping away from naked flames, high tempered lighting and sharp objects.

Personal Development Plan

PastMy design career started from an early age, i was always drawing, always making something. In my last two years at secondary school this was finally noticed and i was given the unique opportunity to travel to college two days a week whilst at school to complete a BTEC First Diploma in Art and Design as part of a Young Apprentiship scheme, for which i earned triple distinction*. From here i applied for UCA Rochester which was the right place for me, i had an interview and got a place at the college, i was thrilled. I completed my first year at merit/distinction level. Upon transi-tion through to second year we had to choose a direction (3d,2d or fashion). I was completely stuck, i loved illustration and graphics, yet my mind was telling me ‘career choice’. I chose 3d, which i was never very good at, my models were below average and my mind just didnt think or design in 3d. I ended up going on to achieve merit/merit/distinction as a final grade, so i did very well, i opened myself up to a media which i never had before, and embraced it. From here i looked at various universities, none felt right. The tutors at UCA Rochester organised a viewing for our class at UCA Canterbury, i instantly felt at home, it had to be here.

PresentOnce i started at UCA Canterbury, it was immediately obvious how much of a change going from college to university it was, i had a very hard time in first year adjusting to the workload and style of working which i wasnt used to. In sec-ond year i had it down, my mind was thinking architecturally but more focused on the interior space which is my focal point within projects. In second year i completed two projects which had a very deconstructive nature. I am interested in simplistic and traditional also but my design process seems to have a way of directing me down this path. Now, in third year i have just completed my final major project which i am very proud of. Again, another deconstructive project but looking more at the idea of creating a community and a hub for the city of london. I think that if i went back and did this project again from the start, i would have chosen one floor to really focus on, there is so much more i could have looked at and gone into detail with but when you’re developing a scheme which runs through multiple floors of a building its hard to be specific. All in all i am happy with the outcome, at the start i was unsure which direction it would take and was slightly worried as my ideas just werent up to scratch but with lots of hours and hard work i put together a scheme in which i could cater for my two users effectively and offer adaptable spaces.

FutureWith the technical side put aside, i am very much in love with creating graphical representations of spaces, through different media, this is something i would love to be doing whether it be architectural or graphical with no relation to structure. Ideally i want to be in London working in practise, i want to feel a part of a team which pull together to create beautiful things. I am interested in the technical side, but if i had to choose i would go down the representation route, its my comfort zone i suppose. For my final project i created a specialist design element which is a modular table/desk which is on casters. The idea is that with such a simple form and lots of space within it, it can be adapted to the many functions and uses needed in a space such as mine where i am hosting two users and many uses. I want to continue working on this a make a real product out of it, this will hopefully show some of my skill set in a real live project. Aswell as that i will be applying for various jobs in London at design studios and architectural studios in the hope to find a team willing to take me on.