Gavrikova Portfolio

MSA Part I Architecture Student

[email protected] www.linkedin.com/pub/aleksandra-gavrikova/47/146/496

ALEKSANDRA IVANOVA GAVRIKOVA


Portfolio Contents


Projects:

The “Glocal Village”/ Coexistence... in Theory/ 2013-2014

“Grand Junction”/ Hulme and community architecture/ 2013

The Ash Pavilion/ “Fonction Oblique”/ 2012

Pomona Visitor Centre/ Nature within Architecture/ 2012

Material and Connection Studies

Model Work

Group Built Work

Manchester/ Community, Transience, Network

The atelier Coexistence…in Theory introduces a design approach which defies linear thinking in order to stimulate a more complex process to generate a project which has both theoretical and structural depth. Through dialectical analysis we question the territory, the site and the users and filter those through multiple aspects such as history, critical theory and architectural qualities.

Using the dialectic approach, The “Glocal Village” studies the clash between temporary and permanent living by inserting a hostel and family apartments in the existing concrete frame structure situated in Potato Wharf.

The atelier focused on analysing the site through the concepts of place and non-place as described by Marc Augé. This resulted in a series of montages which underlined the ethos of the project.

The Place montage of Manchester Cathedral underlines one of the two main topics of the project- the one of permanence. It is based on the sense of community the cathedral evokes and symbolises as well as its rootedness in Mancunian history giving a sense of continuity and consist-ence. This was then theoretically strengthened by the text by Husserl examining the clash between "home worlds" and "alien worlds". Architec-turally in the building the "home world" is defined by the sense of familiarity.

In contrast, the non-place montages showed scenes from Castlefield identifying it as a space which exudes "spatial violence"(Tschumi, 1944) through the scale, materiality and overall industrial nature of the viaducts and the space-efficient, homogenized, monochromatic architecture of Potato Wharf. This prompted me to view architecture through the filter of globalization and set the scene for the project within a homogenized world which has become a network of connections rather than a collection of places, where people exist in time rather than in space. Those people we can identify as “global nomads” (Sirowy, 2010) or individuals with no sense of belonging to a specific culture or historical context who inhabit an "alien world".

As a foreign student I could closely identify with the theme of globalization. I tried to create a building which would capture the pulsating and elusive feeling of unfamiliarity and the uncertainty upon arriving to a new and “alien” place. I aimed to do that through dramatic and unexpected architectural forms and material qualities which are in an endless opposition with traditional functional units.

The “Glocal Village” / Coexistence... in Theory / 2013-2014

References:

Sirowy, B. (2010). Phenomenological Concepts in Architecture: Towards a User-oriented Practice. Arkitektur-og designhøgskolen Oslo.

Tschumi, B. (1944) ”Architecture and Disjunction”; London; Cambridge mass.

Disused Viaduct

Bridgewater Canal

Bridgewater Canal

Car Park Depot

River Medlock

Potato Wharf Elevation/ Scale, Materiality, Functions


The development of the project was executed mainly through sketching and modelling the two primary aspect of the programme- the family apartments and the external network of bridges added to the original Potato Wharf structure to create a more dignified and experiential space of circulation. The family apartments were designed by interpreting Le Corbusier's units for Unite d'Habitation and include a green roof cantilevered from the existing structure.

Potato Wharf site model/ Group Work

Massing models for family apartments/ Rethinking Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation module

Volumetric arrangement of apartments- considering views and shading

Model study of structure and position of bridges

The biggest challenge the project presented was the re-appropriation of the existing concrete structure to fit the desired programmatic elements and intended archi-tectural qualities. To do that the original plans of the building were acquired via the Manchester City Council. They were analysed and then re-designed to introduce family-size apartments with higher light qualities, bigger living space and bedrooms as well as more storage space. The Corbusian module also allowed for the intro-duction of an open garden space protruding from the original structure. The circulation is completely moved outside the building in the form of overlapping bridges and an external staircase which forms a closed loop. This expansion aims to create quality public space with a dynamic “alien” nature which tries to evoke the uncer-tainty and confusion of the emigrant and at the same time become a place of a chance encounter and interaction between permanent and transient.

Permanent Apartments Gardens Hostel Space expansion Circulation network Original Structure

0m 10m 20m 40m 50m30m


The exterior image of the building is again informed by the dialectic "alien"- "home" world. The East elevation is a three-dimensional mirror façade which faces the neighbouring building on the plot and thus distorts and de-con-structs its image to create the sense of an “alien world” through infinite ever-changing reflections. The proxim-ity and positions of the two buildings allowed for this dramatic almost theatrical effect. Low emissivity reflective glass is used to cover the entire East façade together with the two other elevations the neighbouring buildings share. The glazing is paired together with white oak finish to contrast the coldness of the glass and to allude to the familiarity of the home.


The material and spatial consideration of this façade was driven by the coexistence of the network and the sense of belonging to a community together with the clash between transient and permanent residency. Timber was chosen as the primary cladding material to create a warmer façade which contrasts the steel structure of the con-structed network. The "Rear Window"- effect achieved by glazing most of the façade is used to allow views inside the apartments from the bridges thus merging the boundaries between public and private space.


Transient

Permanent

The “Glocal Village” epitomizes the controversial clash between the globalized world and the rooted in history reality of Castlefield. With subtle references to the atmosphere of the territory as seen through the very first montages into the final design, the project aims to ground itself in the existing environment but also questions its adequacy. The coexistence of the two environments (permanent and transient) promotes understanding and equality between the two user groups- the "global nomads"and the "locally tied". Through taking the notion of the network and the tradition of belonging to a community, The “Glocal Village” aims to rethink civic architecture as a stage for interaction, an epitome of uncertainty and a factor for coexistence.


0m 2m 4m 10m6m 8m

The Network: Tran-sient reality/ Space of Confusion


The Network: Constant reality/ Space of Encounter


“ Grand Junction”/ Hulme and community architecture/ 2013

Ballet studio

Film studio

Roofgarden

Restaurant

As part of my second year in architecture, the studio project included the partial renovation of the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme as well as a landscape proposition and a new building on the neighbouring plot at the site. The design was again devel-oped on the basis of the dialectic approach where the new proposal is an anti-thesis of the old theatre building. The programme of the new-built is orientated around facilitating studios for stage performers as well as acting as a visitor centre. To achieve greater density at the site so as to create a sense of community but also to give freedom to individuality, three buildings take up the plot each with its own programme. The structures are interconnected by a series of bridges with the studio areas being accessible only from the first floor in order to create hierarchy between public and private. The project is informed by the principles of sequence, superimposition, anonymity and the somehow forgotten significance of the Playhouse Thea-tre. The façade of the new building elevates boldly towards the theatre pointing the viewer to it. A canopy of wood and metal defines the language of the edifice and directs the visitor along its promenades. The arts complex is protectively wrapped in glazing leaving most of its eccentricities hidden by the reflections of Hulme.


The visitor centre is experienced as a visual and interactive promenade. It is raised on a meter-high platform to accommodate seating spaces around the public garden as well as to ensure a more distinct entrance. Inside the glazed courtyard between the tree buildings an angular staircase wraps around the ballet studio and leads to the central bridge. It is constructed of metal, wood and frosted glass to let light in between the two buildings on ground floor level. Windows offer views of the inte-rior of the ballet studio. The promenade continues inside the film studio, morphing into a small exhibition space. At the turn, however, the solid wall is interrupted by glazing, granting a glimpse into the blue screen studio. The exterior of the build-ing is defined by the principles of superimposition. Large asymmetrical cuts in the timber cladding reveal a concrete structure while smaller slits accommodate lighting for an almost theatrical effect. The promenade finishes at a roof garden over the third building accommodating the café kitchen. An elevator leads down to the café area and brings the walk through the building to a full circle.

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan


The South and East elevations explore the relationship between the Playhouse Theatre and the visitor centre. The flatness of the façade and the honesty of the materials of the old building are dramatically contrasted by the superimposed multiple materials of the new. Whilst the theatre has a clearly defined locus ( the stage), the new building introduces a sequential circulation through several main spaces. However, the two buildings are visually connected through the use of the canopy in metal and wood in the space between them.



The Ash Pavilion is designed to serve as a dramatic and playful addition to any urban environment. It was designed in the summer between my first and second year in university. A place of refuge, the pavilion is a bold intervention aiming to create a social meeting place in public parks and would act as a shelter from the ele-ments.

The broken line of the elevation forms the roofs and the seats of the pavilion following Claude Parent and Paul Virilio’s “Fonction Oblique” . The structure is defined by slants rather than vertical members and creates an unusual and multi- functional enclosure. In fact, the seats are at a specific angle- 120 degrees. This design deci-sion is informed from recent study according to which the human body should be at a 120-135 degrees whilst in a sitting position thus protecting the individual from suffering from back problems.

The Ash Pavilion offers four spaces, designed for different visitors: a sun chair for couples, a bench area for six, a smaller space for a group of three and a single space seat for the hermit in all of us. All the spaces, however, are connected, thus creating the broken line of the elevation.

The pavilion is built using the method of modular construction ensuring a fast and easy installation with mini-mum waste on site. It consists of an internal aluminium frame sheathed with ash panels for a light and sturdy structure. Five modules are welded in a factory to be delivered and assembled on site.

With its rhythmic form and sharp angles, The Ash Pavilion evokes a true sense of dynamism which would fit any urban environment.



Pomona Visitor Centre was my first building project designed at university. The scheme included the development of a master plan for Pomona Island- a desolate site with a highly strategic position between Manchester, Salford and Trafford. The master plan re-introduces the once exist-ing Victorian Gardens at the site as well as viewing bridges along the former docks of the island dating from the industrial revolution in Man-chester. The building itself acts as a visitor centre for bird-watchers as the site also acts as a natural reserve. This determined the interior design of the project. It is governed by the concepts of verticality and the use of natural materials to evoke the sense of being outside rather than confined into a building. The most striking feature are the soaring 12-meter high primary columns which branch out to support the roof and at the same time to emulate trees. A sinuous bridge connects the lounge on the third floor to a viewing terrace creating an aerial promenade along the “branches”. On the levels below there are a restaurant, a library and reading spaces as well as office spaces and a small class room.


Montage: Verticality/ Nature within Architecture (Visual produced 2013)

Materials and Connections Studies

The “Glocal Village” / Caixa Forum detail model study and implementation/ 2013-2014 “Grand Junction” / Alberto Kalach detail model study and implementation/ 2013

Light Box Pavilion/ Dunham Massey Group Proposal/ Connection Study/ 2012

Practical studies of different materials were an essential part of my second and third year in university. This detail was interpreted and examined from the Caixa Forum in Barcelona. As a connection between concrete and aluminum it was later used to support the mirror façade of the building by fixing it to the existing con-crete structure.

This detail was studied from Alberto Kalach’s Villa de Bravo in Mexico as a part from the “Grand Junction” project. It was extensively used in different forms- as a canopy, staircases, as the structure of the bridges and the roofs of the three build-ings. Building the model was helpful in terms of understanding how to work with the materials as well as studying their structural behaviour.

This detail was studied as a part of the group proposal for a pavilion in Dun-ham Massey as part of my second year in MSA. If chosen the project was to be build from its group members so we needed to consider a fast building strategy which ensures a sturdy structure. The corner lap joint was chosen for its structural qualities and appealing design which is reminiscent of the sash windows of Dunham Massey.

Model Work

The “Glocal Village” /Presentation Model 1:200/ Illogical Reflections/ 2014

“White Water” Canoe- Kayak Centre at Ironbridge/ Continuation of study of “Fonction Oblique” / Presentation Model 1:100/ 2012-2013

Light Box Pavilion/ Presentation Model 1:20/ Group Work/ 2012

The Ash Pavilion/ Presentation Model 1:20/ 2012

Group Built Work

Chime Pavilion at Dunham Massey/ 2012MSA BA3 Coexistence... in Theory Exhibition/ 2014As part of our third year we needed to put an end-of-year exhibition which reflects the ethos of the atelier. As CiT dealt with connections between old and new and re-appropriation we used reclaimed materials such as railway sleepers and concrete tiles to build tables and plinths. The chipboard walls were treated with blackboard paint to bring out the dramatic colours of the drawings and allow for quotes from readings to be written in chalk. The exhibition was build in two weeks during which I had the opportunity to learn how to procure materials, sell back any excess, as well as different ways of fixing and treating wood.

Individual pieces on trace to filter light through window to capture the effect of the space.

In 2012 I took part in the structural design and construction of Chime Pavilion in Dunham Massey for The National Trust as part of my second year in the MSA. My job together with four other people on the team was to revise the original drawings provided by the design team and make sure that the construction of a particular part of the design is sound. We proposed the use of a corner lap joint similar to the one we used in Light Box pavilion for its structural and visual qualities. During the construction process I was in the team which received and prepared the CNC-cut plywood sheets for the on-site construction. In the end, the pavilion was well-received by visitors and staff of Dunham Massey and was published in several architecture websites.


[email protected] www.linkedin.com/pub/aleksandra-gavrikova/47/146/496


Gavrikova Portfolio

Documents

community architecture

alien place

sense of community

concepts of place

nonplace montages

glocal village coexistence

critical theory

alien worlds