Portfolio:Imogen OfferInterior Architect and Designer

Grosvenor Hall, Haywards Heath

Feasibility design for the conversion of existing office space into private residential houses and flats. The former conventbuildings were converted, retaining notable historical features, including a double height chapel space. In addition two new buildings took on a more contemporary design while fitting in with the landscape of the site.

Peter Taylor Associates

Lateward Road & Brook Road South, Brentford

Planning application for new houseing on two council owned garage sites in Brentford.

Peter Taylor Associates

Claverdon, Warwickshire

Residential project on garden centre site- 9 private houses

Peter Taylor Associates

Final Major Project: ‘The Clipper City’

The design saw the conversion of the Former Trinity House Buoy Shed, Kingston-upon-Hull, into a flagship building for the Clipper Round the World yacht race.

Site

Concept

Concept work considered the journey of the individual over the course of the race; the experiences, feelings and emotions of the participants.

The technical side of sailing and yacht construction were also considered toinfluence the design.

Development

Development work expanded on concept, exploring atmospheric approaches to the space, while at the same time using exhibition content to determine the design.

Final Model

Exhibition

The eight stages of the Clipper race are referred to at each of the eight points located around the building. Following the ‘correct’ course will guide visitors through all the four exhibition spaces.

1. Orientation/reception space 2. Sir Robin Knox Johnston 3. History of the Race 4. The Race Today 5. The Voyage

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First Floor Plan showing the three mezzanine exhibition spaces

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BC

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Ground Floor Plan

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Long Section AA

Short Section BB

Resting on the East Bank of the River Hull, the Former Trinity House Buoy Shed shies away from its maritime routes. Nestled amongst the industrial outskirts of the city centre, the building longs for a wave of rejuvenation to carry it back onto a route of purpose.

That purpose is to make Kingston-upon-Hull ‘The Clipper City’.

Hull is to become the permanent host to the biennial Clipper Round the World yacht race, as well as home to the new flagship Clipper Round the World building.

The journey of the Clipper yachts and their crews has inspired the design of the flagship building. An exciting exhibition experience will spread through the building, with the gripping accounts of the incredible journey of the racers. Visitors will embark on their own eight leg route within the building, guiding them through the four main areas of exhibition.

During racing months the building will become a hive of activity, as the route of the Clippers is plotted and live links with some of the yachts and their crew will be broadcast in the space.

Onshore race training facilities are located within a private section of the building for the few days of land faring the participants encounter. This has the option to become a small media centre around the time of the race or to be used for talks and presentations by the Clipper team.

The building will reconnect the city with its waterfront, while at the same time attracting people from all over the globe. The race’s international connections through participants and the ports visited along the route will put Hull on the map as The Clipper City, sparking the resurgence of Hull’s thriving presence in maritime Britain.

Entering onto the part suspended staircase immediately movement is introduced, like step-ping from a solid port onto a boat resting gently on the waves. A sail flaps noisily in the wind; evocative images and film projected onto it introduce the content of the building.

Central to the first mezzanine level, a compass face forms an interactive orientation point from which visitors can embark on their journey through the space.

Choosing the westerly route, thin platforms and stairs have an uneasy feel, the space opening out to the left. Suspended speakers relay sounds belonging to the pro-jections seen across the void. A view is provided into the ‘Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’ exhibit opposite.

Exploration of race history starts with the first race in 1996 and finishes with the first meeting between Clipper Round the World and the City of Hull in 2009. Replica yachts hang just beyond the edge of the angled platform, swaying gently in the air.

A choice of routes leads into a small, darker space. Audio and projected moving images are forced upon the visitor; below water rushes past noisily, while above wind jostling lose rigging and flapping sails transport the mind to the open ocean. This ‘experience space’ is designed to fully absorb the user giving a feel of race sailing in different conditions.

Huge open arches let air rush through the space, a con-stant reminder of the presence of the ever changing weather. Looking out of the west arches at the River Hull, a copy of the view can be seen set into the resin floor identifying the opposite buildings, providing a sense of place within the city

Research and Feasibility Study-Comprehensive Design Report: ‘The Clipper City’

18 19Study of Clipper Round the World

Race Training

‘The purpose of the course can be summed up in one question: “Does it make the boat go faster?”

Clipper Round the World (II)

Training is a core element of the Clipper Round the World experience and transforms novice and inexperienced sailors into skilled racing yacht crews. The course outlines the basics of living and sailing on an ocean racing yacht, developing through active learning on a number of excursions.

The training begins at the company headquarters in Gosport. There are nine days of onshore training broken down as follows:

• Day Skipper Theory (5 days in a classroom)• Sea Survival (1 day requiring classroom/swimming pool)• First Aid (1 day in a classroom)• Radar course (1 day in classroom with computer simulators)• VHF Radio course ( 1 day in classroom with radio simulators)

The rest of the training is done aboard the Clipper 60’s and 70’s themselves, with emphasis on preparation, briefing and team work. At the same time the competitive element is not forgotten. Teams are not only learning how to do things, but later in the training learn how to do them quickly and efficiently so as not to compromise their position in the race. Effects that different problems can have on the boat’s performance, such as a slow headsail change, are therefore outlined in the program. The skills learnt are specific to yacht racing and are quite different from those used in recreational sailing.

Teams are taken on excursions on the training and race yachts to develop the skills learnt; short trips at first and longer as the program progresses. As the race start gets closer, the final phase of training puts the applicants in their teams, moulding them into a working crew. This could be seen as a downfall of the process that all the training is not done within that team. It is recognised that all the participants need to be fully trained, even though some may be competing in one leg, while others are aboard for the whole race. This therefore means crews are not defined till nearer the race start, to ensure teams are balanced with temporary and permanent members. It also allows the Clipper team to place people carefully, matching and balancing skills and personalities to create a model racing yacht crew.

Study of Clipper Round the World

Sea Survival Training (II)

Offshore Training (III)

32 33

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Image: Sir Robin Knox-JohnstonText: (Introduction) Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world. In 2007 he completed his second solo circumnavigation as a competitor in the VELUX 5 OCEANS race. Sir Robin is the founder and Chairman of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and is an inspirational figurehead to those who undertake this challenge of a lifetime.

Image: Knox-Johnston setting off from Falmouth in 1968

Text: “I’ve got a good boat, I’ve got all the qualifications, here’s an opportunity; do I take it or do I spend the rest of my life looking at myself in the mirror and saying ‘I could have done that’. And really it was a no-brainer; I decided I wanted to do it.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (VI)Text: On 14 June 1968 Robin Knox-Johnston set off from Falmouth on the southwest coast of England as one of nine competitors in the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. His boat Suhaili was one of the smallest in the race at just 9.8m long. On 17th January 1969 he rounded Cape Horn 20 days before his closest competitor, Bernard Moitessier, who subsequently abandoned the race. All of the other seven racers dropped out at different stages, leaving Knox-Johnston to become the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world. He completed the circumnavigation, returning to Falmouth on 22nd April 1969 and donated his prize money to the family of Donald Crowhurst, who committed suicide during the race.Image: Knox-Johnston during the race aboard his ship Suhaili.Image: Knox-Johnston’s return to Falmouth in April 1969 after 313 days at sea.

(V)

Model: Suhaili Scale 1:10 Length 980mm Height 1200mmSupporting Text: Suhaili was a 32 foot teak ketch which weighed as much as one of today’s Open 60’s (used today in solo circumnavigation), though about half the size. The biggest difference is the speed, Suhaili was averaging speeds of about 3.39 knots whereas the Open 60’s would be travelling on average at least 15 knots. The circumnavigation took 313 days to complete.

Text: “Forty years ago nobody knew whether sailing alone around the world was even possible – but it was a time of change and adventure, as man landed on the moon and we extended the frontiers of possibility. Of the nine starters in that inaugural race, I was the only one to cross the finish line. Completing the race on board Suhaili was an important moment in pushing the boundaries of our sport. So much has changed since then, in terms of the size and speed of the boats, as well as the technology. However, the harsh realities and dangers of the challenge of sailing non-stop solo around the world remain the same.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (VIII)Video Footage: ‘Gods of the Sea’ Run time 4:38. Mini-documentary about the first Sunday Times Golden Globe race.

Suhaili during the circumnavigation. (VII)

(IV)

Includes interviews with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Chay Blyth, as well as Donald Crowhurst who died during the expedition.

Knox-Johnston aboard during the race. (IX)

Schedule of Accommodation

Text: “I want people to be able to have the chance to get the pleasure out of sailing or boating that I’ve had.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (XI)Text: In 1996, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston established the first Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and has since been heavily involved with the company as Chairman of Clipper Ventures. It is perhaps his greatest achievement to have introduced so many people to competitive sailing through their involvement in Clipper.Text: “The success of the Clipper Round the World Race has been nothing short of incredible. Over 1,800 people have sailed around the world or part of it with Clipper since its inception in 1996. This success has not just been for Clipper but also for all those who dared and achieved so much, especially those who started with no knowledge of the sea and finished as experienced sailors… It has been a personal mission of mine to try to get as many people from as many walks of life possible to find out what life at sea is like.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (XII)

Image: Knox-Johnston returning from his second solo circumnavigationText: In May 2007 Knox-Johnston finished 4th place in the VELUX 5 Oceans Race. This was his second solo circumnavigation and at the age of 68, he was the oldest competitor in the race. Text: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain (XV)Text: “Clipper has one very simple philosophy. We want people to finish the race by saying, ‘That’s the best thing I have done with my life.’ I hope they will add, ‘So far’, because then I KNOW we have truly widened their horizons.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (XVI)

Sir Robin returns to Falmouth in 1969. (X)

Knox-Johnston aboard Su-haili during the Times Golden Globe Race. (XIII)

Triumphant after receiving fourth place in the VELUX 5

Oceans race 2007. (XVII)

Sir Robin on his Open 60 ‘Saga Insurance’ during the VELUX 5 Oceans.(XIV)

Schedule of Accommodation

Research and analysis were carried out and compiled to create a document to aid the design process of the final major project. Every detail of the site and project were scru-tinised and the outcome provided a thorough and well considered base from which to proceed. Areas studied included ‘The Study of Clipper Round the World’, ‘Site Analysis’, ‘Building Analysis’, ‘Case Studies’ and ‘Precedent Studies’.

42 43Site Investigation and Analysis

Site

High Tide Water Line

Low Tide Water Line

Figure 1.

River Hull

Humber Estuary

Site Investigation and Analysis

1:10000 Site Map

Hull Paragon Interchange. (I)

Hull Marina. Start location of Clipper Round the World 2009/10. (IV)

Hull Maritime Museum

Ferens Art Gallery

The Deep sits at the mouth of the River Hull. (II)

Myton Bridge

Hull Tidal Surge BarrierMillenium Footbridge

North Bridge

This map shows the location of the site in relation to the sur-rounding city of Hull. Points of interest are highlighted giving an indication of relevant and notable areas nearby. The Hull Para-gon Interchange is the cities major bus and train station. Within the centre the Hull Maritime Museum and Ferens Art Gallery can be seen. The Museums Quarter, Hull Marina and The Deep are popular places to visit within the city. Currently the east bank of the river offers little to these visitors. However redevelopment projects, including the former Trinity House Buoy Shed, will pro-vide a wide array of activities to stimulate the area. This map also outlines the building’s proximity to the mouth of the River Hull and the tidal movement in the area. Large areas of mud flats are exposed at low tide, some directly around the site hav-ing a negative affect on the aesthetics of the site.

Former Trinity House Buoy Shed, sitting on the east bank of the River Hull (III)

Museums Quarter

Drypool Bridge

128 129Site History

19901:10000

Further development is apparent on this map. Particularly nota-ble is the filling in of Victoria Dock on the east of the River Hull. The site has been used to build a new main road, improving access in and around the city. Queen’s Dock to the North West has also been filled in, now the location of Queen’s Garden and Princes Quay. Near the mouth of the River Hull the South Bridge has been replaced with the Myton Bridge.

Site History

(VIII)

162 163Precedent Studies

The Building

Early inspiration for the design came from the nearby riverside boathouses and the work barns found around Oxfordshire. This allows the building to sit comfortably in its surroundings, reminis-cent of the vernacular architecture of the location. At the same time it can therefore combine more abstract ideas and materials to develop an interesting and modern angle to the approach. The confident structure dominates views of the site but does not impose on the surrounding landscape.

The building is made up of two oak-clad block houses linked by a bridge at first floor level. Combined simply with concrete and glass, the minimalist exterior is modest yet striking and blends effortlessly into its surroundings. Oak was selected as it does not require any long-term maintenance and the timber was tak-en from an old barn in Oxfordshire. Over time the unseasoned oak will take on a silver/grey tone responding to the elements. It is interesting how the architect has chosen to allow this, al-though it was discovered that the timber is not seasoned due to budget constraints. There is a beautiful quality that is best portrayed at a distance, perhaps on arrival to the site. Slight variations of colour in the timber form an irregular striped pat-tern, which somehow gives the building an amiable charm and welcoming expression.

Here the different shades of timber can be seen on the enclosed upper level of the building. (VI)

Precedent Studies

The long rectangular design was a conceptually simple but intel-ligent move to adopt, relating back to the shape and functional design of a rowing boat. A series of pile foundations support the concrete frame of the building, raising it off the ground to avoid the intermittent flooding within the area [above]. An appearance of floating is created and it is difficult not to picture how the site would look when flooded. It might be nice to allow the site to be flooded giving it this intriguing quality all the time. This is an in-teresting aspect to consider within the Buoy Shed, the presence of water in and around the building itself, not just in the adjacent river. The pitched roof refers to the upturned hull of a boat with the keel depicted by the flattened ridge. The form of the roof also associates itself with that of the boathouses and timber sheds along the river.

Views to the left (VIII) and right (IX) of the first floor bridge link show the building standing off the ground. the ‘legs’ of the building have a visual connection back to the supports at the riverside below the Buoy Shed

This site plan shows the linear patters which are also found in the surrounding landscape. (VII)

Previous Work

Conceptual Pieces

Responses to a number of audio and visual pieces, such as ‘Egg Meat’ by Scottish poet Ivor Cutler:

Egg Meat

Mammy, do you want any errands?Yes son. Go down to the Ironmonger to buy me a pound of egg meat.Egg meat? What’s egg meat?Never you mind, just go and buy it. Here’s five shillings and I want the change.Alright. Mammy, can I have something? Yes, keep a penny and buy that.Thanks, I’m away…

Ivor Cutler

Contemporary Pavilion Project: Life Project Halifax Piece Hall

Concepts explored growth, ex-change and layering in reference to the site, its history and itsfuture developments.

Site response installation following a site visit to a building situated on the edge of the River Aire. The piece explored the relationship between the building and the water, focusing on the projection of the site’s history through the reflection in the river.

Drawing

Contemporary Pavilion Project: Life Project Halifax Piece Hall

After conceptual exploration, moving quickly into detailing areas of the pavilion forced quick decisions to be made, allowing the development of the project.

Conversion the Mansion House Stable block into a visual arts centre.Roundhay Park, Leeds.

The proposal considered the external context, drawing on and making connections with the surrounding parkland. It contained a permanent exhibition of Norman Ackroyd Prints, a temporary exhibition of print work and a centre for school groups to explore printing techniques. The process and work of Ackroyd influenced the design of the building and external space.

Models

Contemporary Pavilion Project: Life Project Halifax Piece Hall

Conversion the mansion house stable block into a visual arts centre.Roundhay Park, Leeds.

ContactEmail: imogenoffer@hotmail.co.ukTel: 07999137672