My architectural focus over the years has gravitated towards the spheres of prefabrication, sustainability, and user-centric design, but it was only in 3rd Year I fully grasped what these concepts really meant and realised what the common factor between most of my projects was.
The CPU Atelier’s themes this year revolved around “Zero Carbon Futures” and “Growth and Shrinkage”.
C.F.P- Catrinel's Fun Palace // Custom. Flexible. Prefab
With a focus on the “Growth and Shrinkage” theme of the atelier, the proposed scheme for my 3rd Year project revolves around prefabrication and flexibility and aims to minimise the environmental impact of demolition and reconstruction in the future. The initial inspiration comes from Cedric Price’s and Joan Littlewood’s “Fun Palace” project and from the desire to create an experimental multi-purpose academic and public building that would cater to the needs of both students and the surrounding community throughout the years.
The project features elements inspired by the temporary nature of theatre sets, with a massive steel frame as the primary structure that can be populated with prefabricated volumes based on the growth in student and surrounding populations. The proposed building pushes the boundaries of industrial design, as the building features two cranes on the green roof that can be used to modify the arrangement of the volumes to fit user’s needs. The façade is a feature in itself, as it comprises of vertical louvers that open throughout the seasons to reveal the colourful interior volumes nestled behind them, much like a curtain opens to reveal the show in a theatrical performance.
