EXPLORING MATERIALITY
Deciding on what materials to use throughout the scheme was led by addressing the key values and strategies of the scheme. By laying out an agenda for the project allowed for me to explore within a realm of understanding and allow myself to continually relate back to. The key materiality values are as followed:
In adhering to these values I began exploring the material possibilities of the three material types shown below:
PRECEDENT: INSPIRING FINAL MATERIAL PALLETTE
Bob Champion Building UEA, Hawkins\Brown
Through exploring brick in depth as welll as timber cladding for the retail units I decided that brick would be too much of a dominant material for the whole training centre. The key material choices for the site are to be vernacular, but however in keeping with choosing natural materials. What inspired me most about UEA Bob Champion Building was how the architects marry the timber cladding and the brick together so easily. The brick becomes the base of the building and the timber 'floats' above. This lead me into thinking how materiality could become a language on site, using brick in private spaces and timber cladding to display the public.
MATERIALITY + PRIVATE/PUBLIC CONCEPT IN FINAL ELEVATION
The final elevation shows how the building has been inspired by UEA Bob Champion building in using the brick as a base and timber clad above, especially in the training centre. The connection of the timber cladding through the site I feel works well as the eye is drawn in by the similiar materiality yet is also attracted to the change in materiality at the base of the building. Using different scales of timber cladding has helped to describe the concept of public in terms of the retail units being completely accessible to the public with larger width clad and the upper half of the training centre clad in half sized timber to present that it is open to anyone in the community who wants to learn but that there is also an element of privacy to the space.