Heritage Related Design sketch section

Heritage Related Design Studio

Encouraging creative and innovative design proposals that respond to the context of significant built heritage assets.

Historic buildings present particular challenges when considering new design proposals in their vicinity. Our studio focuses on interventions in these contexts, whether building a dialogue between old and new as adjacent yet separate designs, creating new extensions, considering design solutions within the footprint of the existing building itself, or a combination of these. Our ethos is to encourage creative and innovative design ideas whilst respecting and adding value to the existing historic built context.

Semester one saw us working with the Friends of Williamson’s Tunnels to design a visitor centre on the site of Joseph Williamson’s house; a businessperson in Liverpool renowned for building a network of underground tunnels. Responses including sweeping roof structures to create bold and contemporary forms inspired by the original tunnel designs below, ramped subterranean entrances giving direct access to the exposed kitchen ruins, as well as vast atriums overlooking these and the original Williamson house façade.

In semester two we explored designs for a traditional building skills hub for the National Slate Museum Wales. We worked amongst ruined slate worker cottages that are a part of the former Dinorwic slate quarry. Design strategies at this industrial yet picturesque site ranged from a series of grouped buildings carefully connected via landscaping, interventions directly working with the slate cottages, as well as elements giving prominence to the panoramic views over Llyn Peris and Yr Wyddfa.

The projects shown here are a celebration of the efforts of the entire studio, who showed resilience, skill and dedication to produce a variety of creative design responses throughout the year.

Students

Maria Anselmo da
Rocha
Zhongxuan Bai
Joe Camlin
Sam Cole
Yue Dai
Emily Dodd
Max Dresler
Ryan Farrell
Daisy Foster
Maddy Gallant
Rebekah Garner
Veronica Gawlik
Tomasz Gogol
Freya Harrison
Abi Jones
Cadi Jones

Mieraf Koeber
Sonja Losonci Johnson
Ethan Martin-Yates
Rupert Morley
Caio Owen
Ciaran Robinson
Izzy Saxon
Ellie Smith
Zuzanna Staniecka
Charles Thadwald
Sam Thomas
Alex Walker
Nianxue Xia
Zhaoyun Xing
Ziting Xiong
Yilun Zhu

Studio Tutors

Dr Nick Webb
Stephen Graham
David Raynor
Dr Torsten Schmiedeknecht

Special Thanks

Heather McGrath-Alcock
Dr HanMei Chen
Dr Stuart Gee
John Hinchcliff e
Lowri Ifor
Chris Iles
Cadi Iolen
Katy Marks
Tom Stapledon
Dr Ataa Alsalloum
Claudia Briguglio
Sarah Hare
Dearbhail Keating
Charles Rattray
Dr Giamila Quattrone
Rebecca Sawcer
Laura Sherliker
Matina Vrettou

Guest critics

Dr Ataa Alsalloum
Claudia Briguglio
Sarah Hare
Dearbhail Keating
Charles Rattray
Dr Giamila Quattrone
Rebecca Sawcer
Laura Sherliker
Matina Vrettou