Tectonics

Art and Performance Works -

Assemble of the History
Tectonics
By Agnieszka Michslaka
S11720088
MArch Architecture
ARC 7210 Architectural Speculations 2

09 June 2020

This portfolio has been prepared as a part of the Ar-

chitectural Speculations 2 module for MArch course
at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design at
Birmingham City University.
LOCATION
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1. View at the corner of Graham and Brook Street, listed building.

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Street
Graham
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Towards City Centre

Towards Jewellery Quarter centre

Site Boundry

2. Baker and Finnemore building 3. Blocked access from Graham Street 4. Gate facing on Graham Street 5. Access gate from St Helens Passage
facing Newhall Street

7.

6.

8.

6. Deakin and Francis access gate and building 7. View behind the gate, back of 8. Access gate to the private part of 9. View up hill James Street
5. the J.T Wattson metalworks Northwood Street and listed building

9.
Location

3.
4. Site is located in Birmingham, Jewellery Quarter Site, as a part of the Industrial Middle of the Jewellery
1. N Conservation area. It is bounded by Graham Street Quarter Conservation Area., is located in the promi-
2. to the south, Vittoria Street along the south west nent gateway position, facing Newhall Street, leading
side, Regents Place to the north, James Street to the to the city centre in a straight line.
Listed Buildings north east and Brook Street to the south west. It is
Gates - no access to the private part of Northwood Street
mainly occupied by the A.E Harris premises, but its
south-eastern corner is occupied by the metal press-
Verhicular circulation
ing manufacturer, Baker & Finnemore.There are two
Controlled Verhicular movement - private road/carpark listed buildings on site.
Pedestrian circulation Access to the site is very ristricted, protected with
gates. Northwood Street, which is cutting site in half is
Controlled pedestrain circulation - private road/carpark
in fact a private road with gates on both sides.
Site Boundry
 3. One of the A.E Harris premisses

2. 1.
3.
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oodS
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Nor
5.
6.
4. Building facade, tile detail

Site Boundry

5. External fire escape staircase.

6. Heavy in appearance brick wall facade

Location

Buildings facing private part of Northwood Street are

all of industrial purpose. There is a mix of buildings
dated around 1950-1980, but also a listed building,
all with materiality dominated by brick. Windows and
entrance metal shutters are all painted in distinctive
A.E Harris blue color. Additionally external spiral fire
escape staircases are also painted.

1. View at the entrance gate and listed building 2. View down the private part of the Northwood Road
PROCESS
2030 Level 06

30 years 3m

2000 Level 05
20 years 2m
1980 Level 04

30 years 3m

1950 Level 03

40 years 4m
NEW RESIDENTIAL
BUILDINGS
NEW RETAIL & LEISURE
1910 Level 02 FACILITIES
NEW F&B FACILITIES
30 years 3m

1880 10 years = 1m hight Level 01

INDUSTRIAL FACTORIES ON SITE INDUSTRIAL FACTO-

RIES
AND STAN’S CAFE ON

110 years 11m

PROPOSAL

1770 Ground Floor 1770’S 1880’S 1910’S 1950’S 1980’S 2000’S 2020’S 2030’S 2050’S

Project Timeline

Timeline and Stratum

Proposal becomes a vertical timeline of the urban

changes on the site.
 Type 1
Type 2

Type 2 Type 1 Invert

Project is inspired by the idea of inverted conditions

based of a theory of binary pairs from Structuralism,
where two contridicting conditions define each other
and has characteristic of their own, began to frame the
direction of design process. Mass models of seven lay-
ers of time allowed to explore different charasteristics
of the site. First, type 1 of the models allows to ex-
plode footprint, open space area and circulation. Sec-
ond, invert of type 1, becomes interpretation of what
is invisible in type 1. Inverted characteristics of topog-
raphy and buildings shape, size and heights, began to
define prevoiusly invisable spatial conditions.
 T T
A A
B B
U U
L L
A A
P R
L A
E S
N A
A

Tabula Plena
It is trying to establish a link with the eastetics of the
builing pre-bombing. In this example project addresses
Tabula Plena book by Bryony Roberts is disscussing This book is questioning preservation against the
it in the internal spaces.
aspects of urban sites full of existing buildings. In this densification, positioning it next to architecture and
context tabula plena site is pictures as a game board urban planning as a discipline capable of integrating a
left in mid-play, with pieces mapping out strategies new and historical architecture. As a case study book
and past ambitions, this condition of found strategies is disscussing the Hoyblokka building, The Govern-
offers an invitation to rearrange, challange and ques- mnet building in Olso, Norway. After 2011 bombing
tion what still exists. open space in front of the builidng and its facade has
been completly demolished. Proposal disscussed in
the book is looking at the aspects of distinctive art
and textures on the original external and internal walls
of the building.
 Imprints of the existing buildings from site. Imprint 01 Imprint 02

Process of pressing white clay against the existing facade.

Imprints Imprint 03 Imprint 04

Inspired by the idea of inverted conditions and the

methodology of the building as a timetine, collection
of textures of the existing facades began. By using
ready mix white clay imprints of 14 different textures
has been collected.
Imprint 05 Imprint 06 Imprint 09 Imprint 10 Imprint 13

Imprint 11 Imprint 12 Imprint 14

Imprint 07 Imprint 08
 Inverted texture ap-
plied on a brick later
used in thr proposal
(apply for all texture
types)

All combined textures

to be applied on a new
materials

Inverted textures Inverted textures Inverted textures Inverted textures Inverted textures Inverted textures Inverted textures

1770 1880 1910 1950 1980 2000 2030

2050

Invert - Site textures

Collected texures has been arranged on a timeline

based on a roughtness of them to represend particular
period of time. Textures and information they carry
will then be translated into elements and materials
representing specific periods of time reinstated in the
proposal.
 TILE
DEVELOPMENT
 Detail Section

L’IRCAM (Extention) By Renzo Piano

The IRCAM (L’Institut de Recherche et Coordina-

tion Acoustique/Musique) by Renzo Piano is a brick
themed extention. Renzo Piano used perforated bricks
placed into panels and attached into the building metal
frame. As you are able to see behind the bricks they
become much lighter in appearance. Facade itself is
build out of layers which can be easily distinguished,
reaveling structure behind. Project will experiment in
Bricks sitting in a metal frame a similar way with layering of the facade system and
suspending imprints in a metal frame.
First larger tile prototyp and initial imprint of the facade.

First tile prototype and mold.

Further Experimentation

Imprint to capture small details and texture of the existing facade. Starting with a small sample imprint I began to exper-
iment on slightly larger scale and produced a bigger
tile, achieved in the same method pressing against the
existing facade.
Back of a tile would have to be attached to the sppporting lightweight frame with brackets. It will then be attched onto the frame with a brackets on rods.

Back of the tile with a supporting frame. Tile with a supporting frame will be attached to the rods.

Front of the tile. Brackets bolted together.

 Ceramic tile to frame assembly, exploded axo. Ceramic tile to facade assembly, exploded axo.

Tectonic Detail 1_5 Copy 1 Copy 1 Copy 1 Copy 1

1 Ceramic
Tectonic Detail 1_5 Copy tile with1bracket
1 Copy frame1to frame assembly, exploded section.
Copy 1 Copy 1 Ceramic tile with bracket frame to frame assembly, exploded section.
Assambled ceramic tile with brackets to frame.
 A

large piece of white clay, rolled.

C A

D B

Large tile capturing different textures, pressed against existing facades.

Tile- final model

With a resolved tile to frame assembly I began to

produce final version of a larger tile which will contain
broader variety of textures on its surface. With a tex-
ture samples selected and larger piece of rolled white
clay, I went on site again and pressed clay against the
existing facades.
Production of large tile, capturing 4 imprints textures of the existing buildings.
Small samples - imprints from the site Larger tile sample, one texture type - imprint from the site Large tile with a mix of textures - imprint from the site

Summary of tile production process

 Final tile model

Final tile model has been paonted trated to imitate

surface finish of a ceramic tile.
 FACADE
DEVELOPMENT
 Ceramic detail texture

Facade ceramic texture

Facade
Render view 01 Render view 02
After developing tile I began resolving how it will be
attached to the structural frame of the building. Fa-
cade channels and fixing type is based on a The IR-
CAM buildings as a precedence.
 19
50
Section 4
4 1:5

Ceramic tile fixed to facade frame, axo.

Tectonic Detail 1_5 Copy 1
3
Ceramic tile to facade frame assembly, exploded axo.

Tectonic Detail 1_5 Copy 1

3
50

50
195

195
245

735

245

735
195

195
50

50
Ceramic tile to facade frame assembly, exploded section. Ceramic tile fixed to facade frame, section.
Section 4 Section 4
4 1:5 4 1:5
 19 500

773
773

100
3104
773

3205
773

3104

2445
3
5 155 5 155 5 155 5
A120

100
100

Full hight axo.

Ceramic tile to facade system and structure.
 Tools

Final model

For final model I have chosen to make a 1:1 model of

a structue beam frame to facade system connection
detail.

Painted MDF boards to imitate iron cast metal finish

 Final model

Assembly process
 Final model

Final model
Final model with facade render - collage
PROPOSAL
Performance Works-entrance
Ground Floor
 SEMI -OPEN

Flutted glass

Performance Works

Facade of Performance Works is composed out of 3

facade systems. They are defined by the space they
create:
-Closed-Ceramic Tile detail or glass in frame
CLOSED
Semi-open- Flutted glass panels
-Open-Frame with explosed rods supporting planting
Ceramic tiles
 Theatre

Facade of the Theatre building is also composed out

of 3 facade systems, with a mojority of flutted glass
panels and ceramic panels.