Having found a passion for the built environment, and driven by a curiosity to explore my interest in materials and forms, I chose to pursue a degree in architecture. Each year we had the opportunity to see the works of some of the most renowned architects in the world, such as Le Corbusier, Alvaro Siza, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies Van Der Rohe. Visiting these masterpieces of iconic architecture was an immersive education in the language of design. Each destination told a unique story and taught a different lesson in the foundations of architecture.
The projects I went on to develop in my first and second years, revolved around nature. A plant archive in London’s Deptford Creek, and a housing project in the rich countryside of Dorset. Our allocated sites were rich in diverse ecosystems and teeming with natural activity. I wanted to engage with the complexity of these dynamic landscapes, using them to inform and inspire my design concepts. Understanding and embracing a site’s topography became an integral component of my creative process, influencing spatial arrangements and material selection, and fostering a design approach that aimed to seamlessly integrate the built environment with the natural world.
The brief for my third and final year was to design a social condenser within Chicago’s business district, the Loop. Our immediate site formed an "L" shape, which included a pub and three other commercial units; making up one of the few low-rise blocks in the area with the famous elevated railway wrapping around it. My proposal included an indoor marketplace, exhibition spaces, and artist studios. The site’s aim was to attract a varied audience and establish a dynamic atmosphere, responding to the evolving needs of the surrounding community. This project revolved around materiality and forms. I experimented with a variety of materials to create my own textures to apply to the project's architecture, reflecting the raw and uncompromising nature of Chicago itself. I was also deeply influenced and inspired by Eduardo Chillida's works. I admired the way he manipulated solid materials to create flowing sculptures that generated a sense of activity. There is a fluidity within his designs which I wanted to replicate, creating a powerful interplay between form and space.
See examples of each project’s development below!