ME MARGARET HOWELL
This project develops one of the east set of railway arches at Valentia Place, Brixton into an atelier studio where the British clothing designer Margaret Howell could create garments for an exclusive new bespoke product range: ‘ME Margaret Howell’.
The interior design scheme has been developed to acknowledge the qualities and influences relating to Margaret Howell’s work. As such the proposal aspires to create a quality interior that is utilitarian, subtle, elegant and timeless and captures the designers interest in craftsmanship, modernism and ‘Britishness’. An industrial sized timber door slides across the corten steel façade to reveal a single volume interior where Isokon’s iconic ‘Penguin Donkey’ bookcase is the inspiration for the main spatial move as a new cross-laminated timber mezzanine has been installed within the arch like a gigantic piece of timber furniture. By placing this object in the centre of the space the zones to each side can be used to display an eclectic collection of inspirational images and objects as well as pieces from the clothing collection. A client consultation space (with fitting room) occupies a more intimate space under the mezzanine whilst, to the rear, the staff kitchen and rest space opens out onto an informal wild garden. A subtle staircase (integrated into the structure of the mezzanine) takes staff up to the workspace at first floor level where workers can enjoy the quality of the brick arch above.
The materials used and the quality of detailing are deliberately subtle and understated; timber, felt, plywood pegboard and corten steel are complimented by a carefully curated selection of furniture and products including Vitsœ shelving and furniture by Jean Prouvé and Charles and Ray Eames.
ELEMENT - FLOOR
Group Project by Chiao-Ming Lin, Kayla Shaw, Xiaofei (Cassie) Wu, Tietang (Dennis) Wang
Designed by Berthold Lubetkin and the Tecton Group, and completed in 1934, The Penguin Pool at London Zoo is an icon of British modernist architecture. The design sought to both mimic the penguin’s natural habitat and provide a stimulating environment while also creating a theatrical stage on which they would display themselves to visitors. The defining feature is a pair of impressively thin interlocking spiral ramps that extend from hidden columns and appear to hover over the pool entirely unsupported.
The Penguin Pool has a detached visiting experience between penguins and visitors which hasn’t resulted in a particularly successful piece of design practically. The individual response aims to improve the visiting engagement while not over expose penguins’ habitat to the public that caused psychological illness to them previously.
PROXIMITIES I - 106 COMMERCIAL STREET
Group Project by Xia (Bishop) Bi, Mariana Cunha, Chien-Wen (Wendy) Hsu, Chiao-Ming Lin
The site, 106 Commercial Street, is a 19th century stable building, sits opposite the famous Old Spitalfields Market and is centred around a triple-height atrium.
106 boasts exposed brickwork and many original features including the stable areas themselves, spread over 3 floors, timber beams and an arch entrance.
The site is used for three projects in the portfolio including Proximities II, Inhabitations and Identities.
PROXIMITIES II - MY sTORY oF tHE sTORY oF CHRISTMAS
A Christmas Invitation
The project concept is based on the title ‘A Christmas Invitation’ which people around the site area are all welcome to celebrate Christmas at 106 Commercial Street regardless of cultural, religious and ethnic background. The design is a representation of Santa’s home which attempts to get people who are usually excluded from Christmas to feel more engaged in the celebration and have a more authentic experience in an inclusive homey spatial setting.
The project is to design an introductory journey for the Christmas exhibition from the entrance on Commercial Street through the foyer to the museum space. The storyboard illustrates the narrative of the project. A typical sequence of the journey of visiting a private household is adopted as the design concept as a personal response to the brief. A mixture of literal and conceptual elements that form the cosy atmosphere to a private household is used as the design strategy for this project.
INHABITATIONS - THE M.A.C. TREE
M.A.C. is the abbreviation of Music/Art/Culture.
The project aims to create a place where different cultures are celebrated through the three aspects mentioned. Rather than interpreting differences of people’s backgrounds and ethnic origins as boundaries, the pub unites its visitors and the surrounding community precisely based on the diversity of population in London.
IDENTITIES - UNDER PRESSURE
The project is a Bass Guitar shop inspired by Queen ‘s song “Under Pressure”. The project aims to correspond to the song physically, psychologically and conceptually through the choice of structural strategy, materiality and spatial arrangement.
SELF-SERVICE BOOKSHOP
The project is a self-initiated interior concept proposal for a self-service bookshop in Taiwan. The main approach of the project is to have the least possible commercial interference for both physical and psychological customer experience. It provides a simple environment for the public to enjoy book shopping. Self-service machines that comprise most services are adopted as a hinge to give more privacy and freedom to customers as well as improve business efficiency. All sections other than book displays are centralised in two collectives to keep distractive user circulations within a given area and maintain overall cultural atmosphere of the bookshop.
LIVING DENSITY IN CAMDEN
In Greater London, high urban density is though a familiar phenomenon, it has still been gradually spreading to an even wider area from the central part of London than before. In the Borough of Camden where the project is located, its housing prices are now ranked the third-highest in London. Especially in Camden Town where its feature local culture, businesses and advantageous transportation location have led to the gentrification of the area. People renting housings in Camden who work in the more central part of London or even residents who are local to Camden are now facing issues to the increasing housing costs.
The project is based on a visit to a case study of a basement flat in a typical Georgian terraced house in Camden found on the Airbnb website. The decision made for the project agenda and strategy is through the thorough analysis of this case. The project agenda is informed by this observation in which intends to reduce the potential housing/land cost when it is not in use as well as aiming to improve living quality which is often sacrificed in urban living. The strategy to achieving the agenda is to minimise private spaces and maximise the variety of communal amenities. The entire project is based on the same principle and logic in informing every design decision. The project considers the economics and feasibility of this project in reality.
CROYDON FESTIVAL
The project is to enhance the services offered by Crisis Skylight Centre in Croydon, London through transience and mobility.
Facilitating their services with the aid of our tailored satellites, in the hope of giving people confidence out of homelessness with ease and convenience.
The proposal aims to integrate the satellites into the Croydon Skylight Centre as a feature to the proposed plans by Crisis, as well as create awareness around Croydon with the travelling satellites.
In addition to elevating their spirits with and enjoyable event held once a month, the proposal sims to create a community within the event by honing the service networks around Croydon, into a focused space. With the result of frequent visitors who have an opportunity to give back to Croydon and Crisis through what they have learned from utilising the satellites and additional services withing the Skylight Centre.