Arch

itect

ure

Portf

olio

Alex

ande

r Willi

am M

acka

y

15 -16

New

cast

le U

nive

rsity

Stage two has been an incredible journey of decoding my owninterests in architecture and exploring more artistic approaches to design. Throughout the year I’ve used an array techniques and mediums to put more of a theory influenced twist on my projects, leaning away from a very technical and constrictive development.

I’ve found identity through archi-tecture to be the most captivating aspect of design work and have pushed my projects further with assumed narratives. Envisaging how people approach the blank canvas of a building and how both their character, and the building’s, affect each other is monumentally interesting.

In my final year I intend to further de-construct and evaluate themes of identity in both my thesis project and dissertation. I hope to promote my work through wilder creative avenues and break further away from conventional procedure.

Apol

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Alexander Mackay

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Study Type

Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne

Originally a working class slum, in the mid 1960s, New-castle City Corporation took the decision to redevelop the Byker Area.

Swedish architect and planner Ralph Erskine was tasked with running a rolling development program, where the community was invited to play a major role in the design process.

Erskine intended to maintain some original streets and landmarks to help residents orientate themselves and nav-igate the new layout. He broke away from the then popular brutalist style of building and introduced new materials such as painted softwood.

The result is a bright and interesting selection of dwell-ings, heated through a refuse burning system and producing it’s own micro-climate by use of the unbroken wall of 620 maisonettes.

With most occupants having little room to spare, Erskine introduced Hobby Rooms. A selection of community spaces throughout Byker intended to be used for different interests.

Ultimately without a governing body and loss of social capital, these rooms fell in to disrepair or were claimed by neigh-bouring home owners and extra space.

Byker Hobby Rooms

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Hobby room location

Case study area

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Clockwise

Model making club

Furniture workshop

Photography studio

Vario

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Roo

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in B

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Cutaway

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Clockwise

Dwelling Section

Hobby Room Section

First Floor Plans

Second Floor plans

Chu

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The cyclist hobby room has since been vandalised and is no longer in use. Today, less than five hobby rooms appear functional

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Leith 2025

Leith, Edinburgh

Under the theme of economy, and assuming an economic crash by 2025, my group began envisaging a split from modern consumer culture and a reintroduction of medieval market communities.

The modular market uses the huge unused square outside of the Linksview apartment block. People normally avoid-ed the space for recreation purposes because of the mass surveillance of the apartments.

The market is designed to be flexible for new merchants or for successful ones to expand.

Linksview Modular Market

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Market location highlighted

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Failed economy as a social catalyst

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Variations of modular market system

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At Home in the City

Leith, Edinburgh

Karel Teige was one of the most important figures of the 1920’s and 30s modern-ist avant-garde movement. One of his major theories on architecture was The Minimum Dwelling.

This theory saw the family losing it’s role as an economic unit. With women being ema-ciated and taking up employ-ment outside, their traditional duties being shared around the community.

Teige envisioned the minimum dwelling not as a reduced version of a bourgeois apart-ment or rural cottage, but as a wholly new dwelling type.

My project ran a narrative of crashed economy and the inhabitants of Leith forming closer community groups to make a more economic use of building materials and space.

I projected whole communi-ties living in a single building, reducing inhabited space by communising recreation and dining areas.

Studying Japanese capsule hotels and micro apartments in Manhattan was also useful. The ergonomics of these spaces played an important role in my development.

Teige’s Commune

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Project site highlighted

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Not

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Trib

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Col

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Evolution of FormClockwise

Solid mass

Elevating dwellings above street

Separating communal and private areas

Separating dwellings.

Added kink in dwelling section for psychological threshold in unit

Staggered to introduce internal circu-lation via geometry

Balconies for economic use of roof-tops

Final

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Circulation route to roof from entrance

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Dwelling for Two People

Dwelling orientated for maximum solar gain

Glazing focused at front, storage focused on side walls

Slight dual level section to provide psychological threshold of private/semi-private

Entrance as large sliding door, gives access from kitchen tocommunal dining area

Loud utilities to back of unit

Internal windows to promoteinteraction with communal hub

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Counter-clockwise

Roof

Family dwelling upper floors

Family dwelling lower floors

Professional dwellings

Entrance/Gym

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Des

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Isom

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1:10

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1:200 Model and Context

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1:50 Model

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Communal dining area

Rooftop space

Living unit

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1:50 two person unit model

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Engineering Experience

Йäгала

My early experiences of the project were centred around understanding and decoding Andrei Tarkovsky’s work. Splitting up the powder room scene revealed it’s physical ambiguity through warped space. We further discussed character interaction with this room and began to unravel the film and conceptualise our installation piece.

The entire group helped develop and manufacture the piece, beginning with group members running material tests whilst others worked with structure and form. The three different disciplines gave a really varied and useful set of skills and we got of to a good start. Working to our strengths and planned our storyboard

from our physical work, put-ting a major focus on setting a scene through practical effects over conceptual and contemporary filming.

The nature of our installation piece as a functional film set was a fantastic chance for group synergy. It took the en-tire group to operate the set through piling powder down through slits or operating the interactive canvas base. Al-though the initial construction phase took a long time, this made everything thereafter far easier. We ended up with really interesting shots of the space which cut editing time down dramatically; simply rotating and reversing scenes was our prime visual effect.

Сталкер

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Powder room scene, Stalker 1979

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Screed, powder and light tests respectively

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We thoroughly inspected the scene, looking particularly at the aesthetics and acknowledging the sensations the scene evoked on us. From this, we discussed which features were essen-tial to include in the model in order to evoke a similar sensation. The floor to ceiling height with repeating pillars, the random beams of natural light, the placement of the well and arrange-ment of the sand in a wave-like form were all aspects we believed were essential. We carefully looked at the placement of the sand and how it cre-ated clouds of dust when disrupted. We were unsure of how the exterior of the room appeared, however we pre-dicted it to be above ground level as the characters in the previous scene ascend a set of stairs. We embarked on this project with an equal and indiscriminative attitude. We wanted all the disciplines to have an equal contribution to the project. This, in turn, would expose each individual’s ability and would also help to create a well-rounded and balanced work.

Effe

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Test

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We gathered our ideas and came to a definitive conclusion. We sought to create a maquette that was bleak on the exterior. No decorations or embellishments. This aesthetic would then entice and encourage the viewer to look into the box. We discussed that the experience of looking into the box would be an all sensory one. The viewer should feel immersed in the scene and taken into an unfamiliar world – there should be no distrac-tions. We believed, this could occur if the viewer were to look through a spy hole.

We discussed as a group the sen-sations that arose when we watched the film. These common sensations, we wanted to evoke on our viewer. (Sense of distance from reality, the unknown, cold, pensive, isolated etc.) Certain elements within the interior contribute to the feelings we felt, as a group, when watching the film. The unfinished surface of the pillars add to the cold, disturbing aesthetic. The two broken, deteriorating pillars accentuate the grottiness of the scene and make the viewer feel uneasy and neurotic. We wanted the room to feel cold and inescapable. The mirror at the back of the structure emphasises this hence evoking a sense of isola-tion and distance on the viewer.

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Disassembling the installation

Internal space capped with mirrors for infinite space illusion when filming.

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Final movie stills

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Final maquette

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Exploring Experience

Berwick-upon-Tweed

I intended to create a physical foothold for the Russian ‘Face-book’ equivalent, VK.com. VK is the largest Russian speaking social media website with over 28 million accounts yet is barely known to western web users.

Aesthetically representing a cultural gift from Russia, I wanted to create a visually enveloping structure based on traditional geometric form and more specif-ically, digitalised vernacular. My experiential qualities will come from these shapes and arrange-ments and how users interact or view these areas.

I also researched and reflected on the nature of the online organisa-tion through layout and facilities, perhaps accommodating a more controversial aspect, wherein documents are stored, information is gathered and users are watched

unknowingly. Superficially the facility should represent Russian programmers contribution to the internet with an inviting and playful form hosting a series of culturally important concessions; this could range from traditional crafts, distilled goods and perhaps travel agencies.

VK has also been subject to con-troversies over copyright infringe-ment from users hosting illegal media, temporary blacklisting by the Russian government and being renowned for easy access to pornographic material. Perhaps entwining these darker aspects of the site would give compelling opportunities to divide the struc-ture between public friendly and institutionally private areas. How these spaces could interact and juxtapose is also of interest to me.

Artificial Consulate

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Project site highlighted

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Ambassadors Office

-Private document storage-Viewpoint of Berwick-Access to staff only areas

Digital Profiling Services

-Space for staff to process applications-Photography Area-Booths to fill out personal information forms -Kiosk type area to submit forms

Digital Passport Manufacturing

-Office space for four staff to process applications-Viewpoints of clients applying for pro-files

Profile and Password collection Area

-Waiting room-Connects to manufacturing area-Kiosk for distributing VK welcome pack-ages and new profile information

Permanent Storage Area

-Physical storage areas for paper docu-ments-Printing area-Attached to Profiling Services-Hidden from public access

Server Room

-Guts of business-Away from public access

Bazaar

-Street food stand w/ seating area-Russian Crafts Stalls-Delivery and Storage areas-Lift access to upper levels

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Site

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Dig

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Spacial Language

Profile Manufacturing Route

Ambassador’s office

Circulation hub

Server core

Hard copy storage

Digital profiling

Profile manufacturing

Profile collection

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Private Access Routes

Access to Central Hub

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Materiality and geometry exercise with cast concrete

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Initial 3D massing

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Org

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Massing as a visual exercise to imagine internal spaces of towers

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Full

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The building uses a series of interesting vignette rooms to draw visitors in and up through the profile manufacturing process.

These rooms are visible from outside, intended to make the building look lab-yrinth like and fun. The truth is that the building has a very strict route, visitors will pass by all points on the profile chain. Independent path-finding is a myth here.

Contrasting with this enticing pub-lic route, the staff only areas remain functional and proper. The staff stairwell doubles a as fire escape.

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Rooftop rainwater collection system

Snow cannons

Rooftop facilities

Snow Room Senior Staff Offices

Baba bar

Ambassador’s office

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1:50

Mod

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Showing the profile processing vignette rooms as well as the concrete structure used in all four towers.

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Profile processing

Processing observation

Profile collection

Yaga cafe

Gallery observation

Gallery

Staff room

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Profile registration

Main entrance Server core

Kitchen

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Entr

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Gro

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Four

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Eigh

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Left to Right

Concrete Frame Structure

Interior Frame Inserts

Inner Leaf Masonry

Insulation

Window Inserts

Outer leaf Masonry

Exterior Frame Inserts

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Non Design Work

Newcastle upon Tyne

Architectural Technology Structural Report

Architectural Technology Access Report

21st Century Architecture Poster

21st Century Architecture Essay

Place of Houses Poster

Environmental Design and services Report

Dissertation Studies

Learning Journal

Process and Reflect

The Extras

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My dwelling is based on New York and Boston micro-apartments, these apartments connect to a central com-munal section giving each of them a sheltered wall with half a ceiling and half a floor/full floor covered by another dwelling. Either end of the space is largely glazed, with the front end being a glazed good systems de-signed to give the owner full access to the balcony space when desired (Fig 1). Very open plan and only fea-turing two internal rooms for an entire house. The building is a GluLam structure with Structural Insulated Panels inserted between beams. Al-lowing for minimal wall thickness and being somewhat economic. I did not change wall or roof structure through my changes, nor did I change my window inserts.

My design started as an SAP level B rating (Fig 2), I undertook several changes to improve it’s efficiency. I changed the front and back glazing sections to smaller, thinner windows and replaced the bi folding door area (Front of site) to a simple door and windows instead. This meant less energy was leaving the site through windows. The windows on the sides changed shape but not area, changing how light entered the space for purposes discussed on my DiaLux page. Changing the windows also changed the solar gains in my dwelling, which decreased along with my total internal gains. I removed my chimney but kept all ventilation the same otherwise. I reduced my pri-mary circuit loss by adding a cylinder stat to my water heating system

For the sake of this project I have disregarded the small change in level in the middle of the design.

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Commercial Mutation

Junkspace as a perversion of purity

Junkspace as sterilisation of passion

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Rem Koolhaas - Junkspace

In Koolhaas’ ‘Junkspace’ he comments on the emerging new commercial vernac-ular which has perverted present day architecture. He constantly and sporadically redefines the term junkspace, ultimately conjuring images of tacky, hollow shop-ping malls -places devoid of meaning or beauty. These spaces abuse architecture as a commercial vessel, a complete bastardisation in the name of consumerism.

My work can be interpreted as junkspace being a tumorous growth emerging and consuming pure architecture; a completely out of control mitosis born of adver-tisement and marketing. The imagery can also be read inversely, the sterile and meaningless totally white-washing the interesting and controversial. I see junkspace as an artistic plague, totally enveloping. Junkspace is when Stanstead airport’s once clean form was pumped full of duty free lard. Junkspace is also demolishing the quirky in the name of progress, when a mall paves over and old area of town.

‘Rabbit is the new beef . . . Because we abhor the utilitarian, we have condemned ourselves to a lifelong immersion in the arbitrary . . . LAX: welcoming— possibly flesh-eating—orchids at the check-in counter . . . “Identity” is the new junk food for the dispossessed, globalization’s fodder for the disenfranchised . . . If space-junk is the human debris that litters the universe, Junk-Space is the residue mankind leaves on the planet. The built (more about that later) product of modernization is not modern architecture but Junkspace. Junkspace is what remains after modernization has run its course, or, more precisely, what coagulates while modernization is in progress, its fallout.’

-Rem Koolhaas

Bibliography

Ahmed, Fatema. “Rem Koolhaas: Junkspace - Icon Magazine”. Iconeye.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

“Junkspace”. OMA. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

Koolhaas, Rem, and Hal Foster. Junkspace. Print.

Alex Mackay140545092

Commercial Mutation

Junkspace as a perversion of purity

Junkspace as sterilisation of passion

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Summary My project consists of four tall concrete structures arranged with a large multi floor void between them, This void is glazed off, internalising walk-ways and stairs which span it. Due to how narrow the towers are, the amount of people in the building is low for a nine building, making The original design features a staff circulation core which would also be used as a fire escape. Aside for this core, a labyrinth like route connects the floors which was intended as fun geometry for the buildings visitors. This would be chaotic if the staff core was inaccessible, being hugely difficult to navi-gate the changing layout in advent of fire, to solve this I inserted a second protected fire escape stairwell which spans all floors. This means there are actually three sets of stairs for people to use to escape.

Areas which were previously not connected to both fire escape routes have been, the building would have smoke detectors and fire alarms spread throughout and both protected stairwells have refuge points for wheelchair users. Aside from being physically separated from the other buildings, there are also doorways sealing them.

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Does architecture have an effect on social interaction and in the case of rich-ardson road accomodation, is this positive?

In the wake of accomodation overhaul in the city, Richardson road stands an a section of low rise, dated design. To be demolished in the summer of 2016 and replaced with a new series of housing blocks, Richardson road exists and an infamous destination for Newcastle university students, regarded by many as remarkably sociable and the place to be for outgoing students. I intend to find out, when compared to other halls of residence, if this is the case and why.

I will be making observations of architectural aspects of the halls and how residents interact with them, what effect this has and how it compares to other residences. This study will also take in to consideration social capital generat-ed through geometry and location of the site, noting and analysing any unique aspects between them. Use of space and social interaction will be a massive part of this study, whether spaces are used by residents for their intended pur-poses or adapted, any improvised architecture or rearrangements of thresh-olds and what that might change.Perhaps my largest area of interest is the theme of identity and Richardson Road, I intend to investigate prevailing cultural trends and what effect this has had on people associated with the site. Was it’s reputation present from the start or did it evolve over time? How can a residency with a reputation affect it’s inhabitants and in what way this warps the social interaction between them. Students passing through seem to have a stronger sense of identity than those from some similar areas. However this is not limited to Richard-son road and identity in other accommodations for the university may be an avenue worth exploring.

Around the city of Newcastle there has also been an emergence of new, pri-vately owned accommodations. Speaking to students residing there or talking with the architects who built them may also give me an insight in to the pro-cess behind designing new residence halls and what effect this has on current tenants. Is there a difference between these newer and Richardson and how can I use information gained here. Students seem to be choosing older halls than new, seemingly influenced by price and location but perhaps also reputa-tion. I feel that Richardson may be marketed as a brand from students to other students. Do they choose to go there or do most get assigned it?Research will be undertaken from observation and interaction with focus groups, residents and site staff -from both Richardson Road and other accom-modations. I will be looking to compare and contrast these groups and use the information along with studies of the architecture of these sites to determine an answer to my question. Finding a research method which I can quantify to answer my question will be a large part of my initial work. There may also be scope to compare information gained from staff regarding security call outs, property damages, disruptive gatherings etc.D

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JournalThis year I have documented my progress through a Pintrest blog.

I have updated it with photos throughout the year showing all parts of the design process. I also made note of any useful visits I took part in, I saw it as more a collection of influence mixed in with my own work than a pure transcript of my project.

Ongoing documentation helps digest feedback as it comes, this keeps me looking ahead and focused. Time management is incredibly important and hav-ing a live resource of my own work does help make realistic decisions with what to do next.

Next year I would look to start a wordpress blog or similar, looking to have it bound as a final output. Thinking long term next year is necessary and moving away from a purely image based resource might be a smart move.

I think there is also scope for inviting people to comment and critique my work. This year the journal was more reflective than anything else but I would find an outlet for people to offer opinions very rewarding.

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ExpressingThis year I have pushed myself to express ideas and concept in more abstract realms. I’ve tried to lean as far away from practical but overly grounded design work.

This year I feel like I’ve recog-nised how much room there is for expression, I began by introducing more photo-collage techniques using a range of softwares from CAD to photo editing. With more abstract work, I feel like it allows the reader more scope for interpre-tation with the real skill being how to curve them towards your point.

Later I began experimenting with new modelling techniques as means of introducing more ma-teriality and insight to my though processes.

I tend to shy away from hand drawing as I feel more comfortable working in the realms of sculpture. Next year I would like to investi-gate new areas of drawing and how I can blend this in with the digital techniques I have learnt. Although I value more of a 3D de-velopment process, it can be time consuming. In comparison, I have found using software for initial 3D massing incredibly useful, with how quick I change aspects of a design, it’s far easier being able to quickly manipulate a model than to hand cut again.

Producing works which stimulates me creatively really does help get a project in motion. I still find it difficult to hit the eureka moment which then drives me further on, free and interpretive early stage works have been the catalyst for a lot of empowering design deci-

sions.

In future I would also like to consid-er final output from a much earlier stage, placing a greater emphasis on the experience an onlooker has. How well a presentation draws in observers is paramount to how successful it is.

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ModellingI have always found modelling to be one of the most important aspects of a project. Being able to physically witness a design can give a vast amount of insight. A lot of design development has came though physical prototype models and I feel near instinctive modelling sessions can nicely clear my mind and stimulate good design.

This year I have worked with a host of new materials for the first time and have enjoyed discovering their merits.

I have used computer software to hep produce 3D models accurately, I CNC milled a site model for my engineering experience project. Next year I will be connecting more computer designed work with physical outputs, it’s a quick and easy process which I think gives beautiful results.

I also began casting concrete for conceptual early development pieces, this help stimulate of a lot of thought on materiality, form and experience. Having these objects presented with my final outcome helped show my thought process to onlookers, hopefully revealing

to them aspects which filtered in to my final work.

Working with foam was also inter-esting, I enjoyed the rapid nature of the modelling but felt the rougher outputs may not balance with my graphical style. I think digital mass-ing will still be my go to method.

Next year I’m interested in throwing more of an abstract twist on my modelling as means of expressing my projects. I look forward to trying out new materials and processes and will hopefully produce some very interesting works.

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RepresentingThroughout Stage 2 I have been keen to try out new methods of representation, this was also the first time I’ve ever used most crea-tive softwares.

Discovering how fun and flexible photo collages can be has really fed in to all of my design work, I love how freely they can be inter-preted and ow this can influence the development process. I’ve particularly enjoyed blending 3D modelling and photo manipula-tion and the results it an produce. Using digital work to produce physicals models is something I touched on with my milled site model, next year I would be inter-ested in printing digital models.

With my graphical representation this year, I have leaned towards a minimal, sleeker technique. I think consistency with graphics is impor-tant and that this year gave more a trial run for my thesis project. I’d be envisaging the aesthetics of a presentation, and all the formats it takes, from the of next year.

I even think there’s room to experi-ment with introducing more 3D as-pects to a final outcome, outside of small physical models. I would like to explore the experiential aspects of a pin up and how this can alter how the work is interpreted.