ISSUE #01 SURVIVING ARCHITECTURE & THE SENSES

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Editor– In-Chief

Holly Harrington

Assistant Editor

Wajiha Dadabhoy

Feature Editors

Nick Humphreys

Francesca Heathecote Sapey

Laura Kuhakoski

Wajiha Dadabhoy

Sargon Latchin

Fashion Editor

Sinead Hunter Caprice

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I must say that se ng up this magazine was a great opportunity, and I really want to thank everyone who so enthusias cally got involved and contributed.

I hope that perspec ve will be an outlet for student voices, and

opinions. We will be informing you on interes ng events and exhibi ons and also what is going on with other students and universi es in the

design world.

As we are only a new born publica on, we hope to grow in the future, providing more topics, and informa on.

I am keeping this issue quite personal to LSBU and covering topics such as the stress of por olio hand– ins, sensual places in London to look out for, and also a sneaky interview (of which the video is on our website) with one of our very own staff!

I would love to hear from you if you have any contribu ons :

harringtonholly@rocketmail.com

Happy reading!

Holly

CONTENTS

Architectural Survival Mode

What you missed– Biennale 2010

Embracing the senses

Fashion to live for

Design Diary and Events

Best of………

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What do you need to be a good architectural student? Talent, skill, maths, crea vity, computer genius, all of the

above? Try pa ence, a li le bit of insanity, and a bank overdra !

We all may have ability, but, let’s face it, if you don’t have pa ence, you won’t get very far. All year we always feel

under constant pressure and stress, never mind the constantly losing ba le between food or a night out and

prin ng! Then along comes that por olio hand in twice a year, and the mother load has arrived. Hello never ending

week of all nighters, I wish it was longer since we last met. Unfortunately this is probably one of the most common

experiences in our architectural lives. It is almost necessary to survival and so common we could almost say it is a

rite of passage!

So what are our drugs of choice to survive these horrid things? In the food category, there is an endless range of

pot noodles, or any type of food that merely requires a ke le and can be consumed in less me than it takes to go

to the bathroom. The other op on for the wealthy few, is of course a personal cook, who delivers nutri ous food to

your taste when required, otherwise known as Mother dearest!

As the evening drags on, and the to do list gets longer, we prefer to abuse sugar highs, and caffeine rather than

taking decent breaks. The ke le is never low on water, the world is over if there are no biscuits, and the con nuous

string of ridiculously strong espresso ensues. One sec on down, too many le to count, and the sweet call of

nico ne can be ignored no longer.

Early hours of the morning approach, and you can do nothing but pray that you don’t fall asleep drooling on your

drawing, or decide to put large purple circles on your page, just because! Coffee, sugar, tea, cigare es are now

useless. Nothing can help now as the last two hours approach. You finally take a shower, but you s ll look like the

cast from 28 days later. The por olio flung into the studio, sleep depriva on, untold tension, and severe back pain

begin to kick in. A live squirrel could be in your por olio for all you care at this stage, Maybe now you can finally

sleep………”Hey mate, You coming for a drink?” And the next thing you know you are waking up in a dumpster! But

hey we’ve got to get out some mes don’t we?

ARCHITECTURAL SURVIVAL MODE: ALL NIGHTERS

Words: Holly Harrington

THE VENICE EXPERIENCE

WORDS: LAURA KUHAKOSKI

In the drowning city the old world order is set

in stone. I run past the Nordic and Japanese

pavilions to make it to the Bri sh monument at

the top of the hill. There I meet the rest of the

group and realize I've already spent half a day

in the architect's theme park having seen hardly

any of the par cipa ng countries' exhibi ons.

The bi-annual Biennale, this me themed People meet in Architecture, was curated by

Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA. The exhibi on is tuned to her design Philosophy, and as such there is no big

manifesto but a diverse set of thought provoking installa ons that allow for unique interpreta ons.

This is a look at my set of encounters.

The Venice Biennale is split into two main loca ons - the Arsenale and the Giardini. Exhibi on

spaces in both areas are dedicated to individual architects, ar sts and engineers invited to show their posi on towards architecture. They are given an independent space to transform, making the show

a collec on of different sites celebra ng light and life, with, ideas charging through the air.

The na onal interpreta ons of the rich theme are

displayed in loca ons sca ered around the city in addi on to the few permanent pavilions of the Giardini.

Approaches to the 2010 theme vary from poe c

studies on the boundaries of architecture to

comments on decay and preserva on, to no ons of place making for a be er future. Many par cipants sought to reveal the exquisite cra smanship in

the making of architecture, but, even crude models were exhibited. “This would get you kicked

out of architecture school,” a French man speculated in front of Tom Sachs’ homage to Le Corbusier. The 2010 Biennale aimed to help people relate to

architecture, help architecture relate to people, and, help people relate to themselves. It does so

by giving visitors vivid sensory experiences.

My most memorable encounters include walking through a cloudscape and ge ng splashed by Olafur Eliasson’s installa on. I was s rred by Holland’s Styrofoam models of empty buildings and inspired

by Hungary’s pen filled Pavilion, rejoicing the

architect’s sketch. No par cular sense of style

struck me as hard as the many overwhelming atmospheres. I was cap vated by the numerous

energies. There was a feeling of experimenta on in many projects; a redefining of the possibili es in the industry. In a futuris c room one could meet the people behind the ideas. You could sit in front of a screen and listen to Hans Ulrich Obrist interview

everyone involved in the exhibi on. Ul mately being

alone in a social space, yet also, becoming part of an oral legacy of the fes val.

Even if the biennale is not on, Venice is stunning architecturally and well worth a visit.

The charm of Venice is in that

you will keep ge ng lost in

its’ alleyways. S ll there are

a few sights you should find:

TRAVEL TIPS

FANCY A LITTLE BREAK? WHY NOT CHECK

OUT THESE PLACES IN VENICE

Palladio’s church of San Giorgio

Maggiore

The flooding

Ponte della Cons tuzione aka

Ponte di Calatrava

Castelvecchio Museum in Verona

near Venice, renovated by Carlo Scarpa

Photography by Laura Kuhakoski

Photography by Francesca Heathcote Sapey

EMBRACING THE SENSES

To enter a building and immediately start sniffing or touching it, certainly is not a common reac on to architecture. Our eyes want to see before our taste buds have the chance to make their say. Our sight wishes to explore before our skin is allowed to touch and feel the architecture, let alone judge it. It isn’t something that can necessarily be helped. Our sight is our most dominant sense. But that does not mean it is the only one we rely on. We cannot interact with a building by simply staring at it. Our eyes trace the outlines, whilst our body feels and judges its size as our ears absorb the sounds which emanate from within the building as well as from the building itself. We may not always be aware of how each sense is constantly used since our sight is so busy making itself exercised. However the ques on is, do we use our other senses to their full poten al when it comes to designing a building? Does the architect consider the effect of the senses, other than sight, when he or she designs a par cular component to a building? The second year architecture students have been focusing on the senses since the beginning of this academic year. Taking advantage of the senses, that aren’t visual, in Regents Park and focusing our studio work thus far on the one we chose. The next part of our project goes onto focusing on a sensorial experience within a structure. So what exactly is a sensual place? Well what other way to discover this, than to actually visit ‘a place of the senses’. Then could we go on to inves gate how architecture associates with the five senses. Step one: Find a sensual place in London to visit. Typing ‘sensual places’ into Google I drew blanks (by which I mean sensual places on men and women was the main topic of interest); therefore I decided that it would be a clever idea to put the brief we have been given to full use and see what types of places our tutors considered as ‘sensual’. Turkish baths, perfumery shops, music hubs, and Japanese supermarkets were several op ons. However the place which caught my eye was a small, snug shop just off Portobello Road, which is called ‘Books for Cooks’ (try guessing what the shop sells). Therefore I decided the sense of taste would be a good place to begin this adventure of exploring senses within places… a er all what do you do before you go on a journey? You eat of course!

UNCOMMON SENSE

Words: Wajiha Dadabhoy

“Instead of experiencing our being in the world, we behold it

from outside as spectators of images projected on the surface of the

retina.” Juhani Pallasmaa

Photography by Wajiha Dadabhoy

Stepping outside the sandwiched, brick building, the primary colour, a Persian red, contrasts well with the light shaded bricks, invi ng you into the shop. Pushing open the door, naturally, the first thing I no ce was the layout of the room before me. My sight indulged itself as I glimpsed shelves crammed, neatly with books and books of cooking recipes, of all different types of food. An island at the centre of the narrow room, holding even more books, and finally the room opens up at the back, where a counter can be seen, indica ng that there is in fact a kitchen within this miniature bookshop. Another step further and I smell it. Delicate traces of the aromas from a variety of ingredients, the strongest is a sweet, sugary scent, telling me the tale of what took place in the shop earlier at lunch me. Unfortunately I had missed the lunch period where the kitchen tests the recipes from the cook books themselves. So sense of taste relied mainly on the smell, since the saying goes that half the taste is in the smell itself. Regre ably a er another two minutes, my nose became immune to the fragrances in the air. The scents were obviously in the air upon first entering, however since lunch me was long gone, the smells themselves had faded a great deal along with it. Nonetheless the short tour of the kitchen was an intriguing one. It created a homely mood. The essence of a home kitchen was in the air. There were no hidden mysteries or secret ingredients. The books and recipes were out in the open. The pots and pans were hung for the visitors to see. And the cooking itself took place to be witnessed by the customers who were intending on ea ng the food. It was definitely a unique shop. But was it a sensual place? Well a er visi ng it, I would agree that it is a sensual place. I would say it is sensual in a subtle manner. It had a variety of tastes to indulge upon, with gentle whiffs of smells that exude from the kitchen. And the rows and columns of books made it an interes ng sight comparing it to the welcoming kitchen beyond it. However maybe the impact of the senses wasn’t quite large enough. Perhaps at lunch me it would really come to life. Whatever the case, relying on my senses to figure out if the space was sensual, is a voyage in itself, as you have the chance to release our other senses, and let them go wild.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Hackney Wicked

Photography by Max Letvenenko

Photography by Max Letvenenko

FASHION TO LIVE FOR

Words: Sinead Hunter– Caprice

Architects and their glasses: ICONIC EYEWEAR

‘SERIOUS WORK, SERIOUS EYEWEAR. Architects need glasses as recognizable as a monument’

When we place image and architect in the same sentence what do we think of? Their famous structures, or, their iconic frames? Some would say that they are both as important as each other in terms of iconic image. When an architect designs a building they have to take into considera on not only the type of public which will be occupying the building but also the loca on and how long it will stand for. An architect’s glasses, however, are purely a choice which reflects his or her own personal style. The choice in shape of frame reflect the individual, sort of like the mask of a super hero. However this is not their main purpose. For years glasses have been recognized as the eye-wear of an intelligent person. So once we ck the box of intelligence, what else is le to be read from a pair of conspicuous frames? For each architect they are o en a statement, and with this in mind we have to take into considera on the colour, shape and style.....................

Top 4 eyewear trend setting architects !!

1* At number 1 we have the late Le Corbusier, who I think most would agree possessed the most iconic frames known to architectural fashion ! His trademark black circular frames stood as a recognizable signature, almost as iconic as his structures. If you are able to recol-lect almost every image that can be found of Le Corbusier, many would say that his expression tended to be as ques onable as the as the enigma c expres-sion possessed by the Mona Lisa. So must we ques on his choice of

rather unusual frames ? Contrary to popular believe, architecture was not Le Corbusier’s first love, he in fact sought to pursue a career as a painter. It was in fact Charles l’ Epla enier, a mentor of Le’ Corbusier at the local trade school, L’Ecole d’Art, who saw the poten al architect in Le’ Corbusier. Corbusier enrolled in this school to master the art of watch case engraving, a career choice greatly influenced by his father, with him being a highly skilled watch enameller. When we think of the circular specs of the famous Le Corbusier they do bear some resemblance to a pocket watch...... could Le Corbusier’s choice in frames have been a subconscious choice brought on by the nostalgic reminder of his father’s trade ? Or are we just thinking too much into it ...... you decide.

2* in second place are the specs of the infamous Gordan Kippling, who I have to say are the most original and inven ve glasses which have been seen so far. Gordan Kippling is a New York based architect who owns his own small prac ce. Kippling’s glasses resemble that of science goggles, except with a fashionable edge. Since the exposure of these glasses, Kippling has taken the liberty of releasing a range of different coloured shields for his glasses which allow you chop and change colours to suit almost any occasion. Now that’s what I call dedica on!

3* In third place we have Rafael Viñoly. With his 2 spec trend , in 2003 Mr Vinoly was seen at an appearance regarding a project under construc on for the world trade centre site, wearing two pairs of glasses on his head. From then on this was recognized as something of a fashion signature. ‘Libeskind's glasses are out of control," said Brian Sawyer

4* Mr. Libeskind sits in forth place with his rectangular frames. Daniel Libeskind was born in post-war Poland in 1946, he became an American ci zen in 1965 and is now an interna onal figure in architectural prac ce and urban design. As for Libeskind’s spectacles, they frame his face and are used to highlight his stern expressions. They truly are a pair of serious frames for a serious architect!

What would you like your glasses to say about you ?? Smart and sophis cated or unique and daring? Nowadays you can a find a frame say whatever you want them to.....

What items can an architect not live without ? His inevitable thirst for crea vity ? His compass? His set square ? ... Well what about furniture or the latest mechanical pencil per-haps ? When we think of furniture or drawing equipment a lot of us do not take into considera on the amount of thought that has gone into the design in terms of ergonom-ics. Ergonomics is The, if not one of the most important factors of design, as it is vital to the func on and comfort of the product. A er all an architect must be comfortable when he works.

WHAT ARCHITECTS CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT

Sketching stylishly……..

As students, we want all the style and quality with prac cally no price tag! Terrible expecta ons really, but we want it all the same. So you’ve guessed right for a decent pencil…...its Bic! The Bic-ma c disposable pencil is even recyclable, so its got the ‘eco’-factor! The pencil features a push bu on with a built in eraser, 0.7 mm led and a pocket clip.

The e-mo on range by Castell is known as the Rolls- Royce of pens and pen-cils. The e- mo on Rhombus white pencil is a nice pick with its striking yet sleek appearance. The fat 1.4 mm break resistance lead is perfect for wri ng and sketching. Not only does it have a spring pocket clip but also an eraser under the cap and a handy spare led reservoir.

Un l next me stay unique, stay architectural stay stylish!

CURRENT– EVERY SATURDAY Open City Architecture Walks

5 February - The Square Mile 12 February - East End Transforma on 19 February - Hidden West End 26 February - South London Regenera on

CURRENT- 19.02.11 John Piper Exhibi on

RIBA Architecture Gallery, 66 Portland Place, Fitzrovia, W1B 1AD

Piper’s photographic work is known for influencing many architects is on exhibi on. (FREE)

CURRENT - 20.02.11 Simon Starling: Never The Same River (Possible Futures, Probable Pasts)

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG.

An art exhibi on curated by Simon Starling, exploring the history of Camden Art centre using fragments of past

exhibits. Open Tues– Sun (FREE)

CURRENT - 26.02.11 Emerging Architecture

RIBA Architecture Gallery, 66 Portland Place, Fitzrovia, W1B 1AD

Now in it’s 12th year, Emerging Architecture features a broad scope of new projects by young architects all over the world. Times: 10.00– 17.00pm Exhibit is closed on Sun (FREE)

CURRENT– 27.02.11 Emma Hunt: Horizon

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX

Horizon views from a long haul flight, edited to respond to the architecture of the Hayward Gallery.

Photography exhibi on. Times: 10.00– 18.00PM Daily (FREE)

CURRENT - 03.03.11 Susan Hiller

Timothy Taylor Carlos Place, 15 Carlos Place W1K 2EX

Photography Exhibi on (FREE)

CURRENT - 18.03.11 Ian Forsyth & Jane Pollard: PUBLICSFEAR

South London Gallery, SE5 8UH

The exhibi on explores film, sound works, and video. The ar sts are renowned for their interest in sound, and here they explore what it is to watch an audience and/or to be part of one. Exhibit closed on Mon.

DIARY ….FROM FEB

CURRENT - 09.03.11 AJ Small Projects

NLA Space, 26 Store Street, WC1E 7BT

The AJ recognises the best architecture built for under £250,000 each year. The exhibi on features sheds, a wardrobe, and a bridge to be adorned. Times: Mon-Fri 09.30– 18.00pm Sat: 10.00– 17.00pm Closed on Sun (FREE)

CURRENT - 12.03.11 The Witching Hour: Darkness and the Architectural Uncanny

PM Gallery & House, Walpole Park, Ma ock Lane, W5 5EQ

Exhibi on featuring up and coming talent such as Toby de Silva, Graham Chorlton, David Rowan, Sally Payen, and Chris Keenan. Times: 13.00– 17.00pm Closed on Sun, Mon.

CURRENT - 13.03.11 Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy

Royal Academy of Arts, W1J 0BD

Exhibi on of over 50 architectural projects , including Sir John Soane’s watercolour pain ngs, and Zaha Hadid’s ‘silver pain ng’. Times: 13.00– 16.30pm, Sat &Sun: 10.00– 18.00PM Closed Mon.

Complimentary entry with a valid Royal Academy exhibi on cket. £3 without. RA Friends go free.

CURRENT - 13.03.11 Will Alsop RA

Royal Academy of Arts, W1J 0BD

Will Alsop will be working with students to produce an installa on dealing with the realms of public space.

Times: 10.00– 18.00pm (FREE)

CURRENT - 18.03.11 Bridge Stories Arup Phase 2

8 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 4BJ

A view of Bridge construc on over the last 50 years. (FREE)

CURRENT - 18.03.11 John Stezaker

77-82 Whitechapel Street, E1 7QX

Photography exhibi on of edited images from the 70’s. (FREE)

15.03.11 RCA Lectures– John Gray

Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, SW7 2EU

Places are free but seats need to be booked in advance by emailing: architecture@rca.ac.uk

Times: 19.00– 20.00pm

01.03.11 - 03.03.11 ECOBUILD

Royal Victoria Dock1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

The largest event on sustainability will be held at the Excel Centre. For everyone who wants to learn of more sustainable solu ons in our built environment, hundreds of stands and installa ons will be on display showing the latest in ‘green’ design.

…. MARCH

2ND YEAR LSBU PORFOLIO IMAGES…..

JOSH LETHERBARROW

LAURA KUHAKOSKI

HOLLY HARRINGTON

FRANCESCA HEATHCOTE– SAPEY

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