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Sited within the yearly theme of 'Cultural Understanding,' this year, Year 1 MSci students have embarked on a journey of exploration and discovery in the London neighbourhood of Brixton. In response to the year building brief of London Local/e, the students were tasked with critically contemplating the essence of 'locality' and unraveling the spatial and urban characteristics that define a 'locale.'
Throughout the year, the students have studied and responded to a series of complex site conditions, addressing the intricate interplay of social, historical, technological, political and cultural narratives that shape the fabric of Brixton. With a firm understanding of the site and a unique and original personal lens, each student has crafted a building project that reflects their individual perspectives.
Guided by structural and digital skills classes, the projects showcase an ambitious investigation into locality and 'local elements' as key drivers of the project's programme and narrative. They offer a unique reflection on what it means to create an insertion in a part of the city of London that has experienced significant transformations in recent years.
The building aims to utilise an otherwise redundant enclave within an urban area, where every square meter of land is valuable, to create a beneficial space for the community.
The final proposal is a multi-story library for the youth of Brixton, built upon the concept of alternating stacked platforms that create intimate pockets of space.
The building aims to complement this concept by maximising natural light to reach these spaces, taking advantage of the building’s south-west facing orientation.
Both of these ideas are emphasised by the building’s materiality, which focuses on timber and glass, with brick, to create an urban treehouse.
An evident feature of Somerleyton Passage is how it is activated throughout different seasons. The clubhouse aims to create a unity between the natural soft landscaping of the site and the hard landscaping evident within the building.
The INn is a small building tucked away from the busy main street of Brixton, Electric Avenue. It consists of varying roof planes rotated at different angles to direct and connect the flow of rainwater as it pours onto the building.
Visitors are first greeted by an open garden and communal space before entering the building, which acts as a soft buffer from the busy neighbouring area and creates a sense of retreat.