AAI 2nd Year Student Design Competition (1 week project)
(Nominated for Bruce Shortt Prize for best design project in UCD School of Architecture 2013-2014)
The brief for this competition was as follows:
"You are required to design a Hill Walkers Shelter along a Walking Route over a mountain in
Connemara. Your design is to be part of a Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) where
nine farmers will build and maintain the shelter and any access gates/styles along the Walking
Route through their lands.
This basic project for a small Shelter, just 10 sqm in size, is intended to challenge the designer to
find meaning and clarity in their work, and demonstrate to themselves and others that their skills
are needed in society. Designers are asked to consider not just the physical environment of the
site but also broader cultural and economic environments."
My approach was to create a simple and economic structure, constructed mainly from recycled materials which would be familiar to agricultural workers. This resulted in a discreet structure clad in corrugated sheeting which would be allowed to rust over time and blend with the colours of the Connemara bog.
The cylindrical form, inspired by Eileen Grey's tubular work; World War II era air-raid shelters, and the sculptural forms of Shuhei Endo's buildings, allows for two distinct areas in the shelter with separate functions. The sleeping area has staggered bunks across three levels to accommodate the six inhabitants whilst on the opposite side a built in stove offers heat and the opportunity to cook food.
The elevated floor is fitted with hatches to give access to underfloor storage home for emergency supplies and visitors' belongings.
Final Presentation Board
