Design for Studio Domicile/Artisanal and Retail Facilities

This project was undertaken in the first semester of my third year of study at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. This was an individual project and all the work produced here is my own.

The goal of the design was to make a space that would allow for artisanal residents to produce and sell pottery. The designated location for this project was at the Bridge of Alford in rural Aberdeenshire. On site, there were the remains of a derelict building which previously
functioned as a general store and post office. The qualities of this structure were worth preserving and offered a starting point from which the design could grow.

I wanted the form of the building to
acknowledge its function while acting as a landmark. The curvature of the roof shape was representative of pottery and aimed to maximise the building’s
efficiency.

The three functions of the project were
individualised by their lighting
conditions and volumes. This was achieved through the variable ceiling heights within the spaces.

The form of the roof and the building’s sparse material palette provided unifying factors connecting these elements together.

Pottery’s textural quality was echoed in the
materiality of the spaces allowing for a non-visual method of understanding and navigating.

The design sprouted like a fungus from dead wood. An undulating roof supplied the central visual key of separation from the existent one. Drawing passerby’s attention, the roof referenced the form of pottery and invited them to investigate its essence.

This project created a material object, sitting within the landscape hinting at its purpose while containing an element of unfamiliarity like something spotted on the horizon.