It's really interesting to see all the work going on in studio this week, especially the cross-unit, extra curricular work. Right now is a great time to get involved with OSA Magazine. We're looking for members in leadership roles next year, so if you're first or second year undergraduate, or first year masters, come along to one of our meetings at 1pm in studios on Fridays, to find out more.
SPECS Knitting Session
On Thursday, SPECS met to have a session investigating architectural knitting and crochet. SPECS aims to bring together students from different years, specialisms, and design studios to create synergy and new ideas. The tutors were Luisa Pereira Pires from AAD, Emily Walsh from Zone 5, and Kerry Fox from DS2, and undergraduate students came along to learn from our research.
There is due to be another session on Friday at 2pm in AAD - come along to see what we've been up to!
What's On
Natural History Museum, London - Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford - Interaction - Furniture students from the Rycotewood Furniture Centre are exhibiting their work
Student of the Week
We're highlighting a group this week - Marie Abella, Maanana Atrey, and Gabriela Garcia Portuondo from IARD. This term, IARD have been asked to create a masterplan for an area in Norwich. They explain their design like this:
'As part of our regeneration project, the IARD (International Architectural Regeneration & Development) cohort developed a strategy proposal aimed at enhancing and conserving the existing values of at-risk sites. This year, our site is located in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
The site in Norwich is Anglia Square. It is a Brutalist complex built in 1970 by Alan Cooke and Partners, and has suffered a dramatic decline due to the opening of other shopping centers in the city. This fact has led to the local rejection to the place currently associated with drug-related incidents, vandalism, and other social deprivation issues.
During the analysis of the site, the team identified culture, local retail, housing and business as vehicles for regeneration. The vacancy of most of the spaces of the complex and the composition of the square allows to create a phased development that will progressive solve the weaknesses and threats identified: security; lack of human scale, visibility, sociality; and the lack of green spaces in the area.
The strategy is to create a new ecosystem of enterprise that targets the physical aspects of the square as well as the retail, commercial, housing and cultural sectors. Using the unique, independent culture that Norwich strives for, the program thus develops into 4 phases: The first one includes the refurbishment of Sovereign House to turn into a revived office and digital fabrication space for Norwich’s growing technology industry, as well as the refurbishment of shops to make way for mixed-use independent retail and workshop centres in the ground floor of Anglia Square. The second stage starts with the demolition of a discount department store, where we retain the structural columns and slabs to make way for a new, independent, organic market. It will continue with the pedestrianisation of the flyover through Anglia Square, along with the creation of green, interactive spaces using locally-designed artistic installations. The third stage focuses on the refurbishment of facades and cladding of Gildengate House (artist studios), and the movement of chain business into the ground floor of the building. It will also include the re-homing of the former cinema, a social landmark for the local citizens, into a cafe and Anglia Square ‘s own public library. Funding from the commercial and retail-led interventions ensures that the regeneration of the multi-storey car park will be sustainably developed as a mixed-tenure housing scheme. Overall, our aim was to utilise and reinvent the Square as a catalyst for urban renewal. Through these holistic modes of regeneration we aim to reactivate, reinvigorate, and promote Norwich’s unique history.'
