library of 10 questions-studio for a stranger

the client: richard hollandthe architect: gøran johansen april 2009

Interview with my client, Richard HollandStudent architect, Sheffield school of architecture.

When is your birthday? September 7th, 1983

What line of work do you do?I`m a student architect

What kind of room would you like?The room should be in context to my study, like a Studio environment.I like making models, hand-drawings and photography, producing work.In one way I`m very tidy, almost strict/controlled, but in another way I could be quite messy.Almost like a split personality. Are you a night or day person?I like to work during the day, you know, finish at 7 pm. Separate my work from my life,But I can easily work in the evenings also, if necessary.

Are you urban or nature?I am all into infrastructure and urbanism, like the oil-rigs I`m currently working on.Like Post-industrial. I just love the silo-tower on that other side there, across from BAS.But I don’t like the down town city Centre kind of urbanism. I am an outdoors type of guy. I`ve lived in Canada, where I went canoeing and camping.I grew up in the country. And I love getting away.

What do you do for relaxation?I like to play guitar, watch films and take photos, I love going out, finding a good motif and take the time to get a good picture.

Are you a social person?I am very social, even when it comes to working. I like working with or close to someone, collaborating and exchanging ideas and experiences. Do you often listen to music?I listen to music all the time, when I`m out walking or inside working. I don`t like silence at all. But when I read, I need to focus, and not have music. But I don`t read that much. I find listening to music very relaxing.

Do you like to travel?And I would probably move abroad when I have graduated, don`t know where yet.I don’t feel that I belong somewhere, and I do not own many belongings. In fact you could fit all my belongings in one bag.

If you could take just one thing with you, to an island, what would it be?I would take an acoustic guitar with me, even though I don’t have one.

Assumptions I had to make:

The location is in Sheffield, near the school or his home.This because he wanted a workspace related to his study. To be able to use this space in a realistic matter, it has to be within a close perimeter of his world of study/living.

The project as a whole has to be as believable as possible, in regards to size, budget and in how it is located. I make this assumption, because Richard was all the time talking about a real situation, describing his everyday life in an authentic surrounding.

workspace in context to study

grew up in the country

split personality post-industrial

separate work from lifeloves music

likes to travel very social

separate work from life

work at daytimefocus on work, then live

post-industrial

grew up in the country

split personalityloves music

likes to travelvery social

natural elementsback to basicwildernesscalm

urban but not downtownoil-rigsre-useold silosretrofit, rough, large space

tidy VS messyflexibilitydiverse space/interior does not like silence

good acoustics

contact, direct & visuallyaccessabilityshared space

few belongingsstorage, or lack of itmovable workspace/interior

workspace in context to study

my client is studying at sheffield school of architec-ture, and hens his workspace needs to be related tothe school or his home, in sheffield.

not knowing sheffield, i desided to give him a challange.

sheffield

clients home

clients school

this is a map of the present and future oil-feilds outside the coast of norway

what i do, is i apply this map upon the map of sheffield, adjusting it so that the city of bergen, witch is our connection, is apllied on to the school, and then twisting the map so that the clients home is coherent with our greatest landmark, Nordkapp. then he can locate these spots, and see what qualitiesthey give.

the immigrant and I

separate work from life

work

life

isolate amongs everyday life

or

elevate above everyday life

the elevation becomes a transformation from life to work

My client is a hard worker, but likes to separate work from the rest of his life.

he primarily likes to works from morn-ing, to afternoon. not that much during evening or nights. he is a daytime person.

so, the focus on developing the space, needs to be on daylight/daytime.

split personality

space of orderspace of chaos

it could be two equal spaces, but i should be twodifferent spaces, in quality.so that it does not matter what space is chaos orwhat is order, the distinction between the twospaces would function as an internal transformation from the one to the other.

light from side

light from above

glass wood concrete

working with light andmaterials to strengthen the differensesof the two personalities

post-industrial

my client is currently working with a project on the reuse of old oil-rigs.and has a fascination for post-industrial architecture like oil-rigs, cranes and old silo-buildings

very social

my client is very social, and enjoys to work with other peo-ple during study.

but wanting to separate his work from life, i thought the workspace should not trigger to much social invitation.I want him to be close to the social arena, but in a remote state of mind.

the space it self should have the possibilites of functioning with two or more people, so there should be space for more than just my client.

loves music

He loves music, and listens to it all the time.he is not found of silence. so the space needs to be a good acoustic space.

likes to travel he likes to travel, and has very few belongings.he said he could fit everything he owned in one suitcase.

so, when it comes to storage, it would only be relatetd to study. therefore no need for too muchstorage-space

the concept

my client loves to travel, and does not feel at rest, anywhere. so my conceptbecame like an immigrant. with the challange given him, he could locate a spot that could give him the necessary basis for his study.

park water street residential school

oil-rig - his work, his passion workspace - his work, his passionto elevate his workspace above life, but not away from life

the construction

basis

folding

dividing

sectioning

strenghten

I base my main construction on the reuse of steel, using the shapeof the oil-rig as a foundation.by dividing the sections like i have, it creates a more rythmic movement, instead of stoping at the corner, it continues around.

the size is a result of how little space is needed for two-three people to be able to work. much like the efficient use of space on an oil-rig.

split personality, two spaces. giving them differentqualities by hight, depth, light and material.

one is light and bright, the other is heavy and dark.

glass-roof

massif wood

steel-plate roofwith inside insulation

glass-walls

massif woodwith underlined steel-constructionsteel-pipewith inside spiral staircase

steel-construction

facade 01 facade 02 facade 03 facade 04

the plan and facades

7000

7000

30m2

the interior

i wanted to try and combine screens, storage and furniture in one.and came up with a system on sliders. five panels, having the ability to convert into shelves, desk for sit-ting, and desk for standing. And at the same time function as screening for light and privacy.

these screens can be moved around, removed or ajusted to what suits the situation best, at the time.

perspective view of one possibility

2800

1300

700

3500

2770

6000

3500

6000

5000

5300

2200

acoustic absorbent panels

acoustic reflecting ceiling

section Bsection A

the ephemeral immigrantmy client is a student, a drifter who likes to travel, and explore.

in such matter his workspace becomes an ephemeral immigrant,which will disappear.