Dublin School of Architecture

TIMBER: BUILT WORKS Students of Architecture & Design - Europe

Compiled by Paul O’ Brien

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Timber: Built Works Students of Architecture & Design - Europe

Edited & Assembled by Paul O’ Brien

Dublin School of Architecture Press

1st - 5th Year Studio & External Projects.

Dublin School of Architecture,Dublin Institute of Technology,Bolton Street,Dublin 1, Ireland.

dublinschoolofarchitecture.com

Head of School: Orna Hanly

Timber: Built Works Students of Architecture & Design - Europe

Dublin School of Architecture PressIssue No.3

ISBN 978-0-9568502-0-1

Design - Paul O’ Brien, Paul Kelly, Noel Brady© Dublin School of Architecture

Contents

Writings

Introduction 04 by Paul O’ Brien

Forestry in Ireland 08 by Brian Attley The Construction Workshop 11 Method as an Educational Tool by Kieran Donnellan

Selected Projects

Lunch Box 24 Adapt-a-Bale 30 Evolutionary Walk 36 Timber Loggia 40 Urban Furniture 48 Tea House 50 Avanzada 54 Isin Chapel 62

Biographies 71 Credits 72

Paul O’ BrienIntroduction

This book is the third in a series of publications by the Dublin School of Architecture Press. The intention of these books is to highlight and celebrate, in a variety of content and subject matter; the accomplishments of both students and tutors of the school. This edition focuses on the extracurricular research and experimentation carried out by current students and recent graduates of the Dublin School of Architecture and various other schools of architecture throughout Europe. The workshop method of construction is conducive to better design as it involves collaboration and skill sharing. The lasting effects of participation in workshops can been seen throughout the body of work students produce to thesis and beyond.

The theme of this book centres around education, craft and workmanship. It is quite fitting that the release of this edition coincides with the amalgamation of the various departments in architecture and construction from DIT Bolton Street to the Linen Hall. The Linen Hall has served independently as the School of Trades for DIT for many years. With this new merging of disciplines and facilities, I believe, the way in which architecture is educated in our school will morph and evolve positively for the foreseeable future. This new direction will be bolstered by a greater understanding of tectonic elements and the creation of the 1:1tactile model.

March 2012

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Writings

European Larch, Larix decidua (centre)

Brian Attley

Forestry in Ireland

Timber is arguably just as desirable and beautiful as any precious metal and never hasanother material been so adaptable, especially for construction. Underlining its appeal is it’sability to be worked with tools by the human hand. Architects’ are well aware of the formstimber can be fashioned into but it is worthwhile understanding how trees grow in order toappreciate the properties and uses of this natural resource.

Seed-bearing plants (Spermatophyta) represent a substantial part of the plant kingdom. Thisgroup subdivides into Gymnospermae and Angiospermae. Gymnosperms are coniferousneedle-leaved trees referred to as softwoods, while Angiosperms are broad leaved trees alsoknown as hardwoods and can be either deciduous or evergreen. It is worth noting thatwhether timber is a softwood or hardwood has no consequence as to the softness orhardness of the wood. A cross section of the trunk will reveal the annual growth rings and inmany cases the differences between softwoods and hardwoods are clear. The distinctbanding corresponds to one year’s growth and accordingly a good year is marked by a widering. Drought and poor conditions result in narrow rings. Softwood conifers grow continuallythroughout the seasons albeit at a reduced rate across the winter months and thus havewider growth rings. In contrast, deciduous hardwoods have narrow growth rings as the treemainly grows during spring and summer. Following the same principles tropical hardwoodsgrowing along the equator do not produce growth rings. As the suns presence is consistentthroughout the year, so is growth. Slower growth helps produce a harder and denser timbercapable of being finished to finer tolerances. Joinery is therefore commonly reserved tohardwoods while carpentry to softwoods. Furthermore working hardwoods requiresmachinery not capable of being transported from site to site, joinery is generally confined tothe workshop and carpentry to construction sites.

In Ireland softwoods are readily available in comparison to hardwoods. As one of Ireland’sfew sustainable building materials it comes with great relief that it is a rapidly growingindustry. Recent studies found that production levels for all private plantations in Ireland wereabove the average for the UK, Canada, USA and Sweden. Coupled with the great servicetrees provide in storing large amounts of carbon (3.4tonnes/ha/yr) to help Ireland’s legalobligations under the Kyoto protocol, architects’ will begin to enjoy specifying more and morenatively grown timbers for construction projects. This will further reduce the carbon footprint ofthe built environment. However there is a considerably complex story to realizing this.

Following the Ice Age, Ireland was left with a limited stock of native tree species, namely oak,beech, chestnut and elm. Over the centuries Ireland has experienced a near completedestruction of its forests due mainly to land-hunger. Ireland’s forest cover was believed tohave stood at 80%, dwindling to 1% by the end of the 18th century. These historical events,particularly the latter, have made this country’s ability to produce timber very difficult.Presently Ireland has the lowest forest cover in all of Europe. Standing at 10.15% against theEuropean average of 30%. The Government intends to boost this figure to 17% by 2030.

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Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii

Stemming Ireland’s near deforestation at the turn of the last century, the Irish Stateestablished state forests or plantations on sub-marginal, mountain sides and peat-lands.Plantation forestry, whereby young trees are planted rather than waiting for natural seeding toreplace felled timber. This process produces more uniform growth, and is more amenable tocontrol. These forests are now managed by Coillte, a state owned company. Only exposure tolerantfast growing conifers can survive in such exposed and rugged locations. ImportedSitka spruce is the most numerous; hence why the Irish countryside resembled a patchworkof Christmas trees. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) was the species best suited to theavailable forest sites across Ireland while Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) conserved for thepoorest locations. Others include Scots Pine (Pinea sylvestris), Norway spruce (Abies alba also know as European whitewood or white deal), European larch (Larix decidua) andDouglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Native broadleaves such as oak (Quercus robur), beech (Fagus sylvatica), chestnut(Aesculus hippocastanum) and elm (Ulmus campetris), which are highly prized for joinery andfurniture making, simply do not thrive in the high-altitude marginal locations. High winds leadto stem breakage, forking and a reduction in the quality of timber. Subsequently coniferousspecies have become the mainstay of Irish forestry.

9Pinus contortaPinus contorta

var. contorta

25mm

var. latifolia

Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis

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Following World War II, planting was understandably slow. There has however been adramatic change in the ownership and species mix in Ireland’s forestry due to incentives fromthe State and European Union mostly in the private sector. An increasing amount of nativeforests are in private ownership and amounts of broad leaves are strengthening. Broad leafplanting has increased from 5% to 30% of annual planting in recent years, although coniferswill continue to represent the backbone of Ireland’s timber industry. Notably these types oftrees require a different environment to prosper, which would be land prime for agriculture.Sheltered areas such as valleys and locations lower in altitude are ideal for broad leaf growth.Unfortunately broad leaf forests are generally less than 25 years old. As most of these forestswere established as recently as 20 years ago it is fundamental to understand that we will notsee the fruits of these labours for yet some time. The economic viability of broad leaf forests isa timely exercise; it takes oak 120-140 years to mature compared with conifers, which cometo maturity between 35-40 years. As the majority of broad leaf forests are in private ownershipand are not of commercial sizes the availability of hardwoods will continue to be a difficultaffair.

As it stands Ireland’s developing timber and forestry industry is geared towards providingsoftwoods rather than hardwoods. Native conifer forests are juvenile by comparison toEuropean standards and as such producing high-grade softwood timber is not possible, as amajority of existing conifer plantations possess only small sawn logs. Not surprisinglysoftwood exports are only suitable for pallet wood, fencing and packaging; with only 3.7% ofall of Ireland’s softwood timbers before the millennium being of construction grade quality. Iwill admit that these facts are somewhat disheartening when you consider the thousands ofhomes that were built during the last decade. However there is another side to this coin. Ire-land requires little imports of medium density fibreboard (MDF) or orientated strand board(OSB), Ireland is one of the main producers of these panel products in Europe. Although weproduce very little construction grade timbers, there are definite signs Ireland makes the mostof what is has. Similarly the demand for forest-based biomass increased by 35% between2006 and 2010. Many of the modern coniferous plantations are currently being thinned, aprocess whereby selective removal of inferior stems benefits the growth of remaining trees.This is best done when the specimens are between 15-20 years old. This early harvestsupports our indigenous biomass industry and makes an indelible impact on our landscape.

Ignoring the punk tactics of Coillte and the shaven likeness of the hills across Ireland, forestsand woods make a huge contribution, aesthetically and environmentally to our landscape.Even in architecturally impoverished surroundings a single tree can bring delight. Knowledgeof both forestry and horticultural, is not an achievement I can boast however a small insightwill add another dimension to stepping outside and appreciating this wonderful material.

Brian Attley, April 2012

Kieran Donnellan

The Construction Workshop Method as an Educational Tool

‘Conceiving and designing space...are only possible when I know

the conditions of realisation and can master them as well’

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This essay is a brief explanation of the benefits of undertaking construction workshops tostudents in architecture related disciplines. The opinions expressed are based onexperiences from my involvement with such workshops in the past. This involvement hastransformed my understanding of architecture, and I only wish that I had come across themethod sooner.

I have been a tutor for four major student workshops in recent years, and the supervisor ofone other. These workshops were always the most ambitious undertaken in each studentassembly, and involved a far greater level of difficulty than most tutors experience at theseevents. Overcoming these difficulties has put me in a unique position to analyse andevaluate the construction workshop method in a very comprehensive way. Trying to predictand overcome the various issues that present themselves has become a passion for me inmy attempts to harness and tame the problematic construction workshop method, so that itcan be accessible to all young students. The lessons that I have learned from one SESAM(Rome), three EASA’s (Italy, Manchester, Spain) and one MEDS (Istanbul) form the core ofmy knowledge thus far, and are the reserves of experience that I will draw from in my aimto firmly establish the construction workshop pedagogy in Ireland.

I know that the education offered by Ireland’s architecture schools can be greatly enrichedby offering students the opportunity to participate in construction workshops. I have testedthe validity of this method as an educational tool many times, and have never beendisappointed. It is impossible for someone who commits their efforts to such a workshop,not to learn a great deal from the experience.

Learning by Making

The goal of most professional architectural endeavours is to create physically realizedbuildings at one-to-one scale. The architectural team must be masters of all parts of thedesign and realisation processes, in order to achieve the best results possible. It is theunderstanding of how to lead the physical realization of designs that ensures consistencywith the original concept. This consistency, from concept to tectonic, is what lends abuilding, and thereby the architectural legacy of it’s designers, either a genuine ordisingenuous quality.

Unfortunately, the education of students in the field of architecture in Ireland is, for themost part, confined to the design process and associated architectural theory only. It is im-perative that this theoretical bias be broken, by adding an accredited practical module

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where students build projects at one-to-one scale. Speaking from my own experiences, theact of building even modest structures has a major impact on a design student, whether it be their general understanding of their design discipline, their ability to detail other projectsupon their return to the studio, or even their fundamental approach to a design processitself.

Already, there are third level institutions around the world who incorporate fully accreditedconstruction workshops into their curriculum. Their students can chose to elect themselvesfor such modules on a regular basis throughout their education. If we can achieve thesame standard here in Ireland, our students can gain a clearer perspective of the goals oftheir studio based design exercises, and in so doing, dispel many of the myths about‘aesthetic/functional/structural purity’ that occupy and confuse the minds of youngdesigners at an early stage in their development.

Physically realizing small design projects is a great real world test of spatial qualities.There is a certain permanence in the lessons learned from a built space, even temporaryones, that standard theoretical college projects seldom offer. Even after a good finalpresentation, theoretical projects can undergo more changes and be consideredinconclusive even then. A built project serves as a much more stable developmentalmarker and proof of concept for the highly active mind of a young designer.

Fundamentals of Construction

The process of building something drives home the fundamentals of constructiontechniques in a way that standard Design Technology lecture modules cannot. I havereviewed many of the strategies used by lecturers of these modules in Europe, and foundthat the majority bear the same flaw. The words ‘construction’, ‘material science’ and‘assembly processes’ feature many times in documents that describe the importance ofpromoting keen awareness of the fundamentals of construction. However, few of thesestrategies ever involve the act of construction itself, and even those that do tend to focuson small cut-away details of a project or on material science experiments. If a DesignTechnology lecturer really wishes to ingrain the fundamentals of construction andarchitectural tectonics in a student, the most logical means of doing this is to get thestudent to build something substantial enough to portray a spatial atmosphere that theycan inhabit and occupy. Only then can they develop a thorough understanding of theconstruction detailing needed to support their conceptual ideas.

Connecting Estranged Disciplines

Construction workshops offer a great demonstration to students of the difficulties faced byprofessional builders when realizing a design. As project leaders, the architectural teamshould have a firm understanding of what they are asking a builder to do. In any walk oflife, successful leadership skills are built upon strong grass root experiences. By exposing students to this concept, an attitude of mutual respect between collaborating constructiondisciplines is fostered from an early stage in their education.

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The issue of connecting estranged architectural disciplines is also paramount here. Mostbuilding projects are lead by a team of individuals from different architecture relatedspecialities. Currently, the relationships between these specialities in colleges are quitepoor, with little or no productive contact between them over the course of their wholeeducation. In my opinion, there is little difference between what students from thesevarious disciplines are capable of in a construction workshop environment during theirearly college years. Workshops undertaken during this period are a great way of creatingcordial relationships that can result in much greater cross pollination of ideas in later years.

Creating Harmonious Collaborations

In traditional studio based group work scenarios, such as site analysis for example,students learn to cooperate to cope with large workloads. However, this process is mostoften seen as a temporary commitment to be left behind as soon as possible to allow eachstudent to pursue their own designs. It is very seldom that these students engage inmeaningful collaborative work in college, despite the high reliance on this process for themajority of their professional careers. A true collaboration is a meeting of minds and ideas,where an individual’s design methods and skills merge with those of another temporarily,often creating methods and results that neither party would consider otherwise.

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Most students in architecture related disciplines enter third level institutions having spentthe majority of their secondary level education as part of an academic elite. The nature ofthe Irish secondary education has meant that in many cases, these students will haveacted as a benchmark for high academic achievement, and as such are predisposed tohigh individual performances. When these students are introduced to the world ofArchitectural education, team work does not come easily to them because so many willhave enjoyed a predetermined status as a leader of sorts. This is why traditional groupwork and ‘guerilla’ projects are prone to disharmony and therefore under performance.

My experience with construction workshops has led me to believe that carefully supervisedgroup workshops with a simplified pass/ fail grade based on commitment are a far morereliable and fair way of conducting successful group work exercises. Students must bethought how to undertake academic group work before they should be left to do it forthemselves, particularly during their early college years of wrestling with the sudden shockof non objective grading and feedback.

Non competitive workshops show students how to pursue successful collaborativeprocesses. This teaches them how to find the type of collaborator most appropriate forthem to work with following graduation, simplifying the process of establishing professionalpartnerships.

A Fresh Perspective

Construction workshops are an opportunity for students to break away from the traditionalhierarchy of the studio environment. Different students respond better or worse to differenteducational stimuli, but the often isolating effect of the traditional studio based educationtends to promote the ways of thinking established by the tutor group in control of thatstudio. While it is true that many students will respond well to the traditional studioenvironment, it is not true for all. Although the introduction of the construction workshoppedagogy will benefit everyone who participates, in some cases the positive response willbe far greater in those students who will thrive on the new flexibility being added to theirarchitectural education.

I am dedicated to the aim of establishing the construction workshop pedagogy as astandard part of the education of Irish Architects in the future, and I look forward to workingwith the staff and students of interested Schools of Architecture to realise this goal.

Kieran Donellan, May 2012

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Selected Projects

Happy Sunshine Architect’s + EASA Students

Lunch Box PavilionLocation: Letterfrack, Galway, IrelandConstruction Year: 2008Area: 12sqm.

Special Mention, Architectural Association of Ireland Awards, 2009

The Lunchbox pavilion was constructed as a permanent structure and showcase piece as part of EASA 2008 in Letterfrack. Letterfrack is a well established and renowned furniture and joinery col-lege in Connemara. With this in mind, the pavilion was constructed of timber and employed a variety of joinery techniques, many of which were learned from a tutor’s father; a master cabinet maker. The pavilion sits in the college courtyard which helped define both it’s scale and geometry.

The form of the pavilion was derived using the undulating landscape of Connemara as the principal reference. The major peaks of the Twelve Bens were emulated to create an exaggerated mountain-scape. This mountain-scape was thus inverted in order to allow the ‘three peaks’ to touch the ground in a similar way to a traditional three-legged stool.

The pavilion was successfully constructed by a team of international architecture students in a two week period; during one of the wettest August’s in recent history. Presently, the external cladding has ‘silvered’ in tone and now matches the cladding of the college café. The internal cladding still retains it’s vibrant yellow tones.

25Scale 1:2500

Site Section. Scale 1:200

28

Section aa 1:50The super structure is constructed with glulam timbers. The external timbers are

stacked with ties back to the super structure introduced every 4-6 layers. A sedum

green roof system was laid upon the marine plywood sheeting to finish the structure.

A secret down pipe draws water down via one of the legs.

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Plan 1:50The glulam frame is bolted into three galvanised steel shoes, which are chemically

anchored back to concrete pad foundations. An apex forms the central space to the

pavilion.

Dermot Ryan + EASA Students

‘Adapt-a-bale’ Birdwatching ShelterLocation: Letterfrack, Galway, IrelandConstruction Year: 2008Area: 15sqm.

ADAPT-A-BALE started out as a straw bale workshop. The original intention was to experiment with the material and construct a temporary structure or structures which explored the potential and adaptability of straw as a building material. At the beginning of EASA 08 in Letterfrack, Connemara National Park were approached for permission to build a series of temporary structures on their property. Park officials expressed a desire for a more permanent pavilion and suggested the idea of a Bird Watching Shelter. A site was chosen and materials and tools were transported with the help of Park staff.

While a wholly timber structure would have been more appropriate in such an exposed location, the decision was made to pursue the original intention of building using straw. The Park staff agreed to help in the completion of the project post EASA; especially in the application of lime render to the elevation, a crucial step in order to weather the pavilion and protect the straw. The resulting pavilion was constructed with load bearing straw walls on a suspended timber floor which was supported on low impact car tyre foundations. Timber ladder frames were used to brace the straw walls and a mono pitch timber roof was added. All openings were framed with Orientated Strand Board (OSB).

The pavilion eventually succumbed to the elements on the exposed site and had to be dismantled. All timber used was salvaged and reused for other projects in the park; the straw was spread out over the site and allowed to decompose naturally, the seeds present in the straw encouraged the growth of a wild flower meadow which resulted in increased bird numbers in the area.

31Scale 1:5000

Section aa. Scale 1:50

Floor Plan. Scale 1:50

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Donnellan, Kelly, Murray, O’ Brien + SESAM Students

Evolutionary Walk PavilionLocation: Villa Borghese, Rome, ItalyConstruction Year: 2009Area: 20sqm.

This pavilion was designed for the Small European Students of Architecture Meeting (SESAM) 2009 workshop in Valle di Canne, Rome. Each workshop group was provided with a metal U-shaped structure (4.8m square), in which to explore the theme of Evolution: Celebrating Charles Darwin. The concept of this project was to explore man’s physical, mental and spiritual evolution. The infill structure was constructed using domestic stud wall frames, no fixing to the metal frame was allow-able. Each wall was clad with OSB to achieve an interesting surface internally.

Visitors are led on a journey through the pavilion where they discover a variety of spaces articulated WR�KHLJKWHQ�DZDUHQHVV�RI�SDUWLFXODU�IDFXOWLHV��7RXFK�ă�FUDZOLQJ�WKURXJK�D�GDUN�DQG�QDUURZ�SDVVDJH��RXU�FRQFHUQ�LV�ZLWK�WKH�WH[WXUH�RI�WKH�VXUIDFHV�LPPHGLDWH�WR�XV��9LVLRQ�ă�ZH�VWDQG��ZKHUH�ZH�DUH�presented with a view of the park in the distance. We become more aware of the world around us. 6HOI�DZDUHQHVV�ă�ZH�GLVFRYHU�D�JHQHURXV�EULJKW�OLW�URRP��ZKHUH�D�VPDOO�PLUURU�DWWUDFWV�RXU�DWWHQWLRQ��Upon seeing ourselves we become aware of our own physical limitations. We are objects in space. 6SLULWXDOLW\�ă�7KH�PLUURU�DOVR�GLUHFWV�XV�WR�D�VHDW�LQ�DQ�DGMRLQLQJ�VSDFH��6LWWLQJ�KHUH��LQ�D�FKLPQH\�WR�the sky, we reflect on our experience.

37Scale 1:2500

Exploded Axonometric

39

Floor Plan. Scale 1:50

Conceptual Section. ‘The Process of Evolution’

Attley, Donnellan, Kelly, O’ Brien + EASA Students

LoggiaLocation: Darfo Boario Terme, Angone, ItalyConstruction Year: 2009Area: 45sqm.

Special Mention, Architectural Association of Ireland Awards, 2011

Published in Plan Magazine no.234, Dezeen, Archdaily, Architecture Ireland, Casabella

Located in Angone, Northern Italy, this building serves as a meeting place and gallery for the local community group. Constructed of wooden post and beam structure with polycarbonate infill panels; Loggia was built by students of architecture during the annual European Architecture Students As-sembly competition (EASA).

The Loggia team, led by 4 Irish students, chose to respond to the assembly theme by re-interpreting the traditional Italian meeting/market place typology of the ‘Loggia dei Mercanti’. Loggia represents the most ambitious achievement of Irish students in an international design and build competition. Loggia is about Rhythm - establishing Patterns and then proceeding to break them. Pattern and Ec-centricity are inseparable.

41Scale 1:2500

Exploded Axonometric

43

Joinery Detail

Typology StudyThe super structure is constructed with glulam timbers. The external timbers are

stacked with ties back to the super structure introduced every 4-6 layers. A sedum

green roof system was laid upon the marine plywood sheeting to finish the struc-

ture. A secret down pipe draws water down via one of the legs.

Section aa. Scale 1:50 Section bb. Scale 1:50

45Ground Floor Plan. Scale 1:125First Floor Plan. Scale 1:125

47

The Office Of Social Intervention On A Small But Vital Scale

Urban FurnitureLocation: Temple Bar Square, Dublin, Ireland (moveable)Construction Year: 2011Area: 7sqm.

Excerpt from thesis: ‘Making Architecture as Social Furniture’ by Paul O’ Brien

The Urban Furniture Project was a short experiment carried out by three final year architecture stu-dents (The Office Of Social Intervention On A Small But Vital Scale) who share similar interests regarding the use of public space in Dublin. The intention of the experiment was to document and understand how people use public spaces when the established criteria has been modified. In this instance we presented a gift of furniture to the public; it could be manipulated in any way they chose. This was the last of a series of three experiments. The furniture was designed as an adaptable dais and was constructed in less than a week.

At 11am on a busy Friday, the furniture was placed on Temple Bar Square. Temple Bar was chosen as an optimal location, the reason being: one can only sit here if one pays for the privilege. Hypocriti-cally, the team spent a long time in a cafe, paying for coffee and observing people interacting with the new furniture. People used the boxes in their own ways, moving + shifting to suit their means. One particularly enjoyable event occurred when the furniture was configured as a stage, upon which, a bluegrass quartet performed for a half hour. The experiment was successful in urban terms but it also re-instigated the use of trades facilities for students in the Linen Hall after a long spell of noncoopera-tion between various disciplines in Bolton Street.

49Scale 1:400

Conway, Chambers + Crowley

Tea HouseLocation: Linen Hall, Bolton St., Dublin, IrelandConstruction Year: 2011Area: 6sqm.

The Teahouse was constructed in response to a fourth year studio brief. The program for the brief was open; the concept was to examine the existing empty studio space and to create sub-spaces on a human scale therein. It was stipulated that the spaces be fabricated from plywood and be used to display drawings and store models. Three students collaborated to create something which fulfilled their needs; on a scale otherwise not achievable by any student independently.

The final design derives from the maximum dimension of a plywood sheet (2440mm). The outer passageway denies the user direct access to the inner space and forms a spacial threshold which contains a doorway at the end. Through the doorway, one enters the internal volume which contains a stair to the upper deck. Conceptually the structure is comprised of two intersecting volumes. The deck is notched together to keep the thickness to a minimum, allowing for maximum head height below and maximum balustrade height above. Again notching is used to support the outer walls without the use of screws and covers the profile of the cross notching of the upper deck. The inside of the structure is lined in translucent paper to create spacial autonomy inside, sculptural qualities on the outside, as well as giving the surface a unique animated appearance at night. The floor of the deck is retracted from the edge to allow natural light to play on the outer surface.

51Scale 1:125

Section aa. Scale 1:75

53Exploded Axonometric

Breathnach, Donnellan + EASA Students

AvanzadaLocation: Cadiz, SpainConstruction Year: 2011Area: 35sqm.

Published on: www.dezeen.com + www.archdaily.com

This temporary exhibition pavilion was built as part of the student event EASA, in Cadiz, Spain in July 2011 by a team of 29 students and two Irish Tutors. The concept for the pavilion was inspired by the maritime history of Cadiz, and in particular, the Galleon sailing vessel.

Most people strolling trough Cadiz harbour would not be aware of the historical significance of the area: first that it was used as a launching pad for the Spanish colonization of the America’s; and second that the type of ship needed for the task was built on the very ground that they walk on. Our team saw the opportunity to highlight the history of the site, and created a pavilion whose design was partly inspired by the material palette of the Galleon. Rope, always relegated to servant duties, is allowed to relax and becomes a skin, expanding and contracting to reveal the artwork inside. The im-pressive carpentry of a Galleon hull is realized in the Pavilion through the use of exaggerated timber structural member sizes, along with fully revealed joinery. The inversion of apparent mass between rope and wood, from the typology to the Pavilion offers a welcome change to normal realizations of boat-inspired architectural concepts. The pavilion was to host exhibitions by young artists who would display their work during the course of the Pavilion’s lifetime. The artwork would respond to the mari-time theme and in so doing would create a strong conceptual relationship between container and contained. The morphology of the project is based on a folded + stretched container, referencing the activities of the modern shipyard. Key axis, lines of sight, and shading opportunities determine the angles of the arms of the Pavilion.

55Scale 1:2500

Exploded Axonometric

Floor Plan. Scale 1:100

Section aa. Scale 1:100

Section bb. Scale 1:100

61

Breathnach, Donnellan, O’ Brien + MEDS Students

Isin ChapelLocation: Siliviri, Istanbul, TurkeyConstruction Year: 2011Area: 6sqm.

Published: Plan Magazine no.234, Dezeen, Archdaily, Architecture Ireland, Casabella, Micro Architecture

This project was built as part of the MEDS, Meeting of Design Students, Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2011 by a team of 18 students and 3 Irish tutors, all of whom are recently qualified graduates. The concept for the pavilion involved the exploration of spatial concepts relating to religious typologies from the Western and Eastern cultures that have shaped Istanbul. This was in response to the event theme of ‘Bridging Cultures’. The name of the project is inspired by its origins in religious typologies, but the intention was simply to create a space that offers repose.

The pavilion occupies its site like a Greek temple, boldly situated on a prominent rock outcrop that allows it to be seen for miles along the local shoreline. Particular natural characteristics of the site, such as small cliffs and areas of thick wild grass, are used to lead visitors on a journey around the pavilion, before gaining access. Upon reaching the entrance, the chapels’ rectangular form ceases to be the regular datum highlighting the irregularity of the surrounding landscape, and folds in upon itself to create an inviting portico. The interior leaves Greek Classicism behind in favour of the in-timacy of the Turkish Mosque typology. Just like the low horizontal datum, and soft ornate prayer carpets of the Blue Mosque, the lower realm of the Chapel invites visitors to sit and relax, rewarding them with a stunning sea view. Beams of sunlight from a roof light bathe the visitor as they move to take their seat. At this point, one becomes aware of the meaning of the ring of baffles, as the slight views through them mimic that of looking through the wild grass beyond.

63Scale 1:2500

Floor Plan. Scale 1:100

Section aa. Scale 1:100

Section bb. Scale 1:100

69

Roof detail of Tea House.

Paul O’ BrienBorn in Dublin in 1985, Studied architecture at DIT Bolton Street where he graduated with a BArch (Hons) in 2011. One of the highlights of the academic experience was be-ing “Highly Commended” in the RIAI Travelling Scholarship, 2010. He has worked with a series of architectural practices including Donal Hickey Architects and PAC Studio Architects whilst studying.

During college, Paul was heavily involved in the architectural student workshop scene throughout Europe. To date he has been a tutor for three built timber construction workshops. The Loggia Workshop at EASA, in Northern Italy was award-ed a “Special Mention” in the 2011 AAI Awards. The most recent project, the Isin Chapel, built in Istanbul as part of MEDS, has been well received by both National + Interna-tional architectural media.

Paul is a founding member of the post graduate NAMAlab initiative, and is heavily involved in the distribution of the NA-MAlands publication. Currently, both Paul and a colleague are working on a feasibility study for DIT Bolton Street and its surroundings and has recently began work on a number of projects in Beirut with an emerging Architectural practice.

Brian AttleyBorn in Dublin in 1986. Studied architecture at DIT Bolton Street. Worked with Derek Tynan Architects and ODOS Ar-chitects before graduating from DIT with a BArch (Hons) in 2010. Following his final year, his thesis was awarded in the 2010 Opus Architecture Student Awards with a ‘Highly Com-mended’ nomination. His thesis design for a Traditional BoatWorkshop was the genesis for Attley’s interest in wood based construction and domestic timber industries.

Brian is currently working in Lotts Architecture, a design-led architectural practice, while undertaking a Professional Di-ploma in Architecture at University College Dublin. To date Brian has worked on several architectural and landscape de-sign projects. Additionally he has worked on a variety of his-toric building projects, including measured surveys to con-servation standard. Notable works include an extension to a public school, the restoration of a 19th century gate lodge and the modernisation of an 18th century church.

Kieran DonnellanBorn in 1985 in Limerick City, Kieran studied Architecture at Dublin Institute of Technology, graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons). He has worked with Mur-ray O Laoire Architects and is the first representative from the discipline of Architecture to join the County Clare based Ground Up Artists Collective (GUAC).

Kieran has co-led some of the most successful design + build workshops for Architecture students of recent years in the international student organizations: EASA, SESAM and MEDS. These workshops include: EvoWalk, Loggia (Special Mention AAI Awards 2011), Avanzada and Isin Chapel. All of these projects have been published in national and inter-national Architecture press. Kieran has given a lecture in the University of Architecture in Llubjiana, Slovenia, under the theme of Emerging Architecture. In 2010, he was invited to supervise the Hope Gallery project in EASA Manchester.

Kieran is currently working as an Architectural consultant for DIT Bolton Street. From the expertise gained as a tutor at various student workshops, Kieran aims to introduce this educational method into the curriculum of Irish Schools of Architecture.

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Biographies

Credits:

Photographs:

Page: 1,4,72 Paul O’ BrienPages: 6 - 11 Courtesy of Bioimages

All other images have been reproduced by the kind permis-sion of Kieran Donnellan and all Tutors and Participants whose projects feature in this book.

I would very much like to thank Brian Attley and Kieran Donnellan for their excellent written contributions and enormous amounts of work that both have put in, in order to this book a success. A huge thanks is also in order for all tutors who submitted material for the projects featured that we have not had the privilege to work on.

I would also like to thank Paul Kelly and the DSAP Committee members for selecting me to edit and assemble this book.