The Architects’ Journal Architecture News & Buildings
About the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Location Nottingham NG1 | Courses BArch, MArch, Architect Degree Apprenticeship Level 7 (RIBA validation pending) | Head of school Gavin Richards | Full-time tutors 12 | Part-time tutors 32 | Students 384 | Staff to student ratio 1:12
Undergraduate
Elliot Whatling
Course BArch
Studio/unit brief Craftmanship and Phenomenology (Atelier 3)
Project title Talbot Gallery of Photography
Project description This project explores the connection between old and new craftsmanship through analogue and digital photographic techniques. The approach of the Talbot Gallery is to immerse the visitor in the history of photography. Visitors are exposed to extremes of light and shadow, mirroring the photographic development process of intense exposure to light and dark. During the visitor’s journey, the development from early to modern photography is revealed, weaving the three buildings together while experiencing the tranquillity of the photographic process, helping revive a dying craft.
Tutor citation The project brings to light early photographic techniques, attempting to slow down the pace of modern life and reconnect people with its magical rituals. Framing views by using architectural interventions, it aims to generate experiential moments through the building’s architecture, encouraging visitors to observe the impact of light and shadows on space. Guillermo Garma Montiel
Postgraduate
Zana Kentish Brade
Course MArch
Studio/unit brief Senate
Project title The People’s Assembly – Working Together for a Sustainable Future
Project description Once Boots’ manufacturing base, the Island Quarter site in Nottingham is surrounded by communities dating back to the early 19th century. This proposal puts the needs of the local community at its forefront while promoting ways to cope with the climate emergency. The site is open to the public, with tree-planting, gardens, wetlands and a community park and farm. Existing buildings have been repurposed with timber interiors, forming spaces including a library, lobby and indoor garden. New-build additions include a debating chamber pavilion and greenhouse.
Tutor citation This proposal for a replacement House of Lords in Nottingham combines reuse, regeneration and rewilding in a compelling manner. The buildings’ designs preserve the historic structures while reinforcing them with timber interventions, using prefabricated techniques to create large-span spaces. Kenneth Fraser