In addition to the precedence studies performed at the beginning of the project and the ones within my briefing booklet, I have looked at two more buildings which have inspired me recently. Whilst progressing through my designs, an idea struck to open the school up into being more like a campus. I am investigating the potential of spreading buildings out and removing barriers from the public to make the school more of a social destination for all. Throughout all of my design processes I am constantly considering form and design in the back of my mind. At this point in time I am only working diagrammatically in order to establish appropriate atmospheres, connections and hierarchy of spaces. However, I remembered the existence of two buildings in Nottingham which partly fit with the separating idea, and fit even more with industrial/ factory theme in the back of my mind. The buildings in question are the Virgin Active Gym and the adjacent abandoned building behind it, marked on the map below. Both of these buildings are brilliant connections to my current ideas, although in different ways. The Virgin Active Gym is located inside an old train station and has kept hold of all the architectural features which suggest this. It is a beautiful brick building in which the modern equipment has been carefully juxtaposed to create a wonderful repurposing of the spaces. It shows that the industrial era architecture can transfer very well into the present day and take on new purposes with beauty. This is an inspiring work of renovation which would work with appropriate significance in regards to the history of the school's site. Above: Facade Of Virgin Active Gym, Nottingham. Taken By Self. Below: Photos Or Virgin Active Gym, Nottingham. www.virginactive.co.uk and www.google.com/maps. The second building is just being the Virgin Active Gym and is currently abandoned. The building is no more than a shell of brick with some dark and unsafe rooms attached around the outside of it. The main central area has collapsed away and is now filled with scaffolding and plant life. This building has been a fascination for me a long time. It is probably one of the most run down buildings in the city, if not the most, but it possesses an immense beauty to it that can't be found elsewhere. The contrast of old brick being supported by modern metal to ultimately house nature is amazing to me. I adore the repeating patterns of the scaffolding and the way that it never breaks outside the shell, as if respecting the building that once was. This building proves to me how well the combination of old, new and natural works and symbolises this combination in perfection to me. Despite this, for most people it is a forgotten silhouette which sits in the background of the city. From the outside it still fits in perfectly well with the industrial heritage of Nottingham, but the inside tells a completely different story. It is this which I am finding to be such an inspirational connection between my current design ideas and this particular building. Below are several photos taken by myself of the abandoned building. The final interesting factor about these two buildings is that they are separate. Although they are not exactly forming a campus as my school may well do, they feel linked to one another, connected. The difference in purposes that they serve and the ways in which they have been treated over time is interesting given their proximity to one another. However they are both wonderful examples of how the ideas in my mind for the direction of this project can work very well indeed.
Below is an attached PDF document of the final briefing booklet designed for this project. It will be an invaluable tool to reference back to throughout the project. The ProblemIn the current socio-economic state, to produce another generic school would be unnecessary. The same would also be true of a school with direction, but no purpose. I wish to give my project a true reason for being, to open up an opportunity to truly educate, encourage a creative profession and make a difference which is responsive of what is needed. Below I have prepared documents outlining the problems which I have chosen to use as a driving influence behind my design ideas and concepts. Please click it to enlarge. Other statistics found include: British people drink the most units of alcohol in one sitting out of all of Europe. People in the UK are not the most regular drinkers in Europe. The countries which drink the most frequently drink the least amount of units. In Italy and Portugal people tend to drink little amounts, but often. 6 out of 10 people drank up to two glasses every day. Approximately 9% of men and 4% of women are alcohol dependent in the UK, but only 6.4% of all dependent drinkers will access treatment for it. Across the UK, alcohol related crime costs £11 billion per year. 20% of violent incidents across the UK during 2010-11 happened inside or around a pub/ club. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/7616405/Britain-is-the-binge-drinking-capital-of-Europe.html https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/help-and-advice/statistics-on-alcohol/ The IdeaMontpelier Community Nursery |
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