industria

This area is the first impression many visitors get when entering Waterford from the north. The urban strategy undertaken by the South Bank group was conscious of its responsibility to create a ‘welcome’ to visitors. The ESB pylons are removed from their prominent hill position and the projects are large scale and striking. The abandoned train line is brought back to service the new industries while bicycle lanes are introduced around the city supporting the development of a new velodrome.

Structure creating space is an area Dónal Ryan looks at in his thesis. He proposes a Sports Research and Development centre where the structure forms both the interior and exterior spaces allowing a clear reading of the building. Waterford has many sports connections with one of the finest sports institutes in the country and this centre, while being of benefit to Waterford would serve athletes across the island as there are no such facilities currently in Ireland.

The Ard na Rí group proposed a series of pedestrian walkways through Sion Hill overlooking the city of Waterford. People coming from the city or the train can reach the top of the hill through a new pedestrian lift joining the new hillside routes. They also intend to reinvigorate the barren landscape by planting wildflowers and gorse.

Andries Burger investigated and assessed today’s hyper-connected workplace, its relation to the worker, society and place while exploring its built physicality. The project proposed a research and test facility primarily for automated aerial vehicles. The building produced overlapping human and machine spaces, with the human space containing spacial occasions for idleness, contemplation and reflection.

The development of a National Conservation Zone for the Irish Honey Bee was central to Ailbhe Cunningham’s thesis. She approaches the workplace as a series of interrelated and integrated ecological, cultural and economic tasks. The project uses he existing structure of a former hotel on Sion Hill showing suitable and significant workplaces could be established within overlooked and abandoned structures.

The north quay is currently a vacant, underused frontage, formerly a ship building, grain processing and port the area was once a hub of activity. The North Quays group aimed to populate this area with industry once more and create a new ‘industrial city’ across the river. A pedestrian loop was established with two pedestrian bridges allowing residents to interact with the river’s edge and the train line to the port is reopened.

A deep study and evolution of the Mat Building was the remit of Edoarda Mercuzio Cerpelloni’s thesis. Defined as a large-scale, high-density structure organised on a modulated grid, this archetype symbolizes the anonymous collective. An evolution of the Mat Building was achieved by rooting it to site. It then evolved beyond its 2D configuration and grows in height, acting as a landscape for the site.

Oksana Lastovetsky based her thesis on a study of the architectural and urban strategies that are publicly considered to be monumental, in scale, form or concept. The building needed to work for many industries and in the future could be modified to suit a specific function. The project set out to design a beautiful space for large scale activities. The interaction of people in this space also became an important part of the project.

This thesis, by Max Federov, explored how an existing structure can influence a new design and how light can be the middle third between the new and the old. If light appears where the structure is expected to be, in a junction between new and old, it can create a different dialogue. In the old grain malting plant Max proposed a craft co-op of micro breweries with a public bar for tasting the building’s produce.

Architecture, it can be said, is inherently concerned with aesthetics. David Graham explored this idea with a thesis on structure and skin, interior and exterior relationships and space formed by function. The building hat developed these theories was a Cruise Liner Terminal with spaces to house multiple programs from retail to concerts. 

A water treatment plant, proposed by Christopher O’Keeffe, attempts to re-configure our attitude toward water. By allowing the public to occupy spaces around and engage with the facility while bringing people to the river’s edge, attention is brought to this often undervalued resource. 

The group positioned along the City Quays look to redefine the city skyline with a series of towers, the highest of which is 17 floors tall. They envisage a more porous city block attempting to join the quays back into the city centre in reaction to the current disjuncture between the two. New pedestrian routes devised through each of the sites allow this freer movement.

Dáire Kelly investigates the fragmented urban block from informal backlands to internal dead space. A building’s true use can be uncovered through the rear elevation in the backlands. These spaces are usually seen as negative but there is a trend in Europe of sub cultural occupation, appropriating them for cultural and social needs. The aim of this thesis is to repair the urban fabric of Waterford City.

The perception of space, the ways in which we perceive based on our ability to look beyond the general was the topic of research in Julie Molloy’s thesis. Cubist and minimal art techniques are introduced into the working environment as a means of testing moments in time from the viewpoint of the worker. Using a mannequin factory as the working typology,functional processes are applied to abstract ideas in order to alter the current perception of working life.

David Egan plans to redevelop the South Quay, replacing the current surface car parks with a new public space and kiosk buildings. The thesis looks to examine the idea that the boundaries of a building need not be immutable and how an ephemeral boundary can be achieved through the use of transparent and reflective material.

Americana is a hotel designed by David Lawless concerned with the importance of first impressions. It creates experiences which are conducive to making deals, a place where investors can be courted and deals brokered. Positioned on the quays it holds a prominent position and a lasting first impression of the city of Waterford.

An urban promenade along the river flood plain is the main aim of the St John’s River group. This area floods annually and therefore each of the projects had to accommodate this issue. The urban promenade will define a character to the river with the creation of walkways, public spaces and the planting of five species of tree; downey birch, silver birch, aspen, scot’s pine and black thorn.

Brendan Spierin was focused on bringing people together, encouraging social interaction and serendipitous encounters. His project is in reaction to speculatively built offices by designing the first purpose built co-working space in Ireland. The building is driven by a ‘shifting atrium’ space which houses all the communal elements of the programme.

Investigating the different facets of well-being, broken into three area; social, emotional and physical, and their relationship to architecture is the basis for Ross McCarthy’s thesis. He found that Waterford’s social and emotional well-being had regressed and its sense of identity was lost. The establishment of a boat manufacturing industry was in response to Waterford’s historical, cultural and social context aimed at re-establishing a unique identity.

A centre to encourage connection between the working and unemployed citizens of Waterford was the physical representation of Wayne Holmes thesis. He looked at blurring boundaries and adopting typologies from both high and low culture encouraging chance encounters and promoting the idea that it is not what you know but who you know for employment opportunities. He strives to create something ordinary that is beautiful and legible to everyone.

The research for Thomas McPhilips’ thesis was based on Colin Rowes’ ‘Phenomenal Transparency’. It is about a cognitive experience, giving glances and allowing a person to assume what they are seeing. The typology employed is a YouTube Space, a media production building for internet content. The building is wrapped in an air of mystery with glimpses into some areas where access would normally be denied, placing the public in positions similar to actors and producers while other times the production crew overlooks the public.

Vincent O’Byrne draws on Robin Evan’s comparative essay: “Figures, Doors and Passages” for his thesis. His proposed building is a new city block with the goal of weaving living and working typologies simultaneously into the fabric of the city. The block consists of 2 storey offices/shops/cafés with two bed apartments/one bed studio/workshops located on the 3rd and 4th floors creating a bright and busy public street. A raised residential courtyards towards the center of the block adds another dimension of space and activity to the fabric of the city, onto which the apartments, workshops and studios all have access forming a family of entrances and new communities.

Reusing vacant sites and restoring medieval heritage is a key point to the work of The Social Quarter group. They aim to expand on the redevelopment and pedestrian provisions that have already taken place in the Viking Triangle in Waterford.  As part of the scheme each business has a duty to give something beneficial back to the city.

Carl Laffan interest is in “The City After Dark”, an often overlooked area of social interaction. The typology explored is a Poitin Distillery which houses a 24 hour process allowing both day and night exploration. Night-time activity plays a major part of the economy, tourism and a platform for social engagement.

Circulation is of importance in Brendan Daly’s thesis, looking specifically into the cloister typology. The cloister’s original design intentions lend themselves to the workplace, in this project for Dogpatch who find communities of tech entrepreneurs working together towards common goals.

Ballybricken was once a bustling commercial center in Waterford but today it is largely desolate with priority for vehicle traffic. This group devised a terraced outdoor music venue, a new community playground and relocated green areas to bring back it’s once thriving community.

Peter Hogan looks at material honesty in modern architecture. The thesis was born from an exploration of timber joinery and carpentry. The project provides a craft community for Etsy.

Located in the medieval fabric, The City Wall group intends to fold working life back into the heart of the declining city center. They establish a new east-west pedestrian route which introduces new public spaces through the quarter.

Cora Corbajo studied how to achieve perfection and improve the workplace by influencing people’s perceptions to make them see our reality.

Ilze Antonova looked to revitalise space in Waterford city by inhabiting vacant buildings and adding some new spaces. She explored new buildings in old settings.

Susie Newman explored duality through architecture. Her thesis looked at spiritual space and scientific space while testing what one means in the context of the other.

Eva-Lena Hemmingsson was interested in how place can begin to dictate what we should build there, This place can then become rich in materiality and experience.

Gillian McAllen examined the art of urban design. She achieved this bu observing the existing urban layers and adding further layers, thus creating a new internal landscape to the city.

See the photos of the INDUSTRIA launch night here.

The exhibition was opened by Laura Magahy, Executive Chair of Irish Design 2015. Other speakers included Dermot Boyd (DSA) and Anne-Marie Tierney Le Roux (IDA). Drinks were provided by McGargles & John Lemon.

PRESS COVERAGE FOR INDUSTRIA Irish Times

Sunday Business Post (print edition) Irish Architecture Foundation  Irish Design 2015 RIAI

AAI Bustler

Society of Architectural Historians

Irish Building Magazine

Architecture Ireland

INDUSTRIA committee members have been occupied the past week in constructing timber stands to present the industria exhibition.  The stands have been constructed in DIT’s woodwork workshops, with help and guidance from the expert DIT staff.

FINAL DESIGN CRITIQUES

Industria students have passed the final hurdle of the academic year with the final critiques. 

The critic’s panel included: DSA final year staff; Dermot Clohessy (IDA); Patrick Lynch (Patrick Lynch Architects); Grainne Hassett (Hassett Ducatez Architects + UL); Alistair Hall (Hall McKnight Architects); Sharon O'Brien (WIT); Michael O'Dell (O'Dell Architects UCD + AAI President); Orna Hanly (Head of School DIT) Donal Hickey (Donal Hickey Architects + DIT); Anne Marie Tierney Le Roux (IDA) Tom De Paor (De Paor Architects + UCD); John Parker (ABK Architects + UCD); Jennifer Boyer (DIT); Dominic Stevens (Dominic Stevens Architects + DIT); Alice Casey (TAKA Architects + DIT); Miriam Delaney (DIT) 

See more photos of the crits here.  

Oksana Lastovetsky  The Fab Lab city is an experiment in the merging of visual monumentality with an urban humanity. It explores permanence alongside temporarity and a flexible future vision. See how Oksana’s project has developed here. contact: [email protected]

Vincent O’Byrne

The characteristics of the site along St. John’s River created a long, natural boundary condition to Waterford’s city centre. It would need to be bridged, and thus raised interesting questions about passing through the buildings I was to put there. In exploring the thesis, the design becomes an exploration of how one can create an active, publicly engaging street edge alongside a quieter, more private residential edge. How does a doorway or threshold then mediate between the two?

See how Vincent’s project has developed here.

contact: [email protected]

Dáire Kelly

Makers Community

The thesis is concerned with the margins of the city in particular its dead spaces. Analysing the fragmented urban block, the focus is on the informal nature of the backland.

I aim to repair the urban fabric through the reintroduction of an active street edge. By inserting a makers community into the block, I hope to reinvigorate the social narrative within the city. Through this restructuring I hope the citizens will take back ownership of their city.

See how Dáire’s project has developed here.

contact: [email protected]