Offer of designing a hotel

1885 Job interview…
Lady Burdett-Coutts: I heard you picked up a building and moved it.
CT: Ah, yes. Chicago. It had its difficulties, being brick. Some fell off. But we did it. Big crane. Leverage. Steam. Lifted it up, turned it around and plonked it down on the piles prepared on the other side of the street.
LBC: My advisors were impressed. So they suggested you design a hotel for Southend on Sea. In brick. It would not need lifting.
CT: I have a year ahead of me.
LBC: You are not staying in England?
CT. It remains to be seen. There are opportunities in the Antipodes I hear.
LBC: Ah, you’ve been reading Samuel Butler?
CT: Actually the New Zealand Company prospectuses.
LBC: Well, we’d better press you into service before you leave us again.
___________
Voice-over
Who knows what other buildings CT would have designed in England? But he migrated to other shores, other stories. But before setting sail, he left this one which stood for eighty years.

Westward Ho

Handle Design

Engineer meets with designer:
Bill: A lever is easier to operate, especially for older people with arthritis or kids who might struggle with a round knob.
Steve: I get that, but a round door handle just looks better. It fits the design of this door and the house. A lever handle might be practical, but it would throw off the whole aesthetic.
Bill: Design is important, but so is functionality. Imagine someone coming home with groceries. A lever handle lets them push it down with an elbow or even a hip. A round knob? They’d have to set everything down just to open the door. Wasn’t always so.
Steve: Hmm. Car doors have changed a lot, too. Remember the Ford Model A door handles? A Tesla door handle is recessed.
Bill: Yeah, Ever watched someone try to figure out how to open a Tesla door for the first time? Or in an emergency?

_________
Voice-over
Form follows function, ensuring usability without compromising design.

Oatlands

Coffee in a stone café…
Ronald: We nearly drove right past.
Andrew: Historical gem isn’t it. Impressive stone buildings. And many of them built by convict labor.
Ronald: True, but they got built and are here today as a historical reminder and how far we've come. It's important to remember the past, even the difficult parts.
Andrew: Look at this. Oatlands has the largest collection of Georgian sandstone buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 150, with 87 of them along the main street. And the Callington Mill, for example, not only produced flour but also had an illegal distillery on the side.
Ronald: Nice to have pleasant historical spots to drop into on a journey. A chance to learn something new along the way. Reminds me, I must send a donation to Wikipedia.
_________
Voice-over
A lot of history is packed into this Tasmanian village. The name can be traced back to a village in England founded in the time of Henry VIII.

Callington Mill, Oatlands TAS, Wiki.

The Poetry of Plumbing

Hotel desk
Receptionist: Good evening Mr Lynch! I hope you’re enjoying your stay. Everything alright with your room?
Lynch: Oh, yes, wonderful. I was particularly intrigued by the exposed plumbing below the wash-basin. I was tempted to call it “a poem of plumbing.”
Receptionist:  The pipes are exposed to allow for easy access in case of a sudden leak or any urgent maintenance. This way, there’s no need to tear off walls or panels.
Lynch: Clever. It also adds a design feature to the room while being practical.
Receptionist: Functionality with a bit of artistic flair you might say. Enjoy your stay.
_________
Voice-over
Plumbing, is derived from the Latin “plumbum” for “lead”, which early pipes were made of. Lead being soft is easily shaped. Gradually an awareness of lead poisoning led to copper being used. Which has been replaced by cheaper materials such as stainless steel or PVC.

House Relocation

Two halves of a house arrive on site
Contractor: Any problems?
Owner: A few hiccups along the way. The narrow roads. The trucks barely fit down some streets. Then, there was a low bridge that we had to navigate around, which added a couple of hours.
Owner: Anything else?
Contractor: Hmm. Also an issue with one of the truck’s hydraulics. And then there was an unexpected roadworks that weren’t on our route plan, causing another delay.
__________
Voice-over
Getting there is only the start. Factor in positioning the house halves in soft ground, levelling, breakages, reinforcement, connecting utilities, exterior and interior finishing and the process of inspection and approval.

An aesthetically designed… WOOLSHED?

Farmer meets architect…

Edward: I like the house. But I need a woolshed.

Michael: For?

Edward: You know. Shearing sheep. Handling the wool. Getting the fleeces ready for collection.

Michael: How big?

Edward: A few shearers. Flocks of a hundred sheep.

Michael: Out of the weather?

Edward: Oh yes. 

Michael: (producing a simple woolshed on CAD) Something like this?

Edward: Can’t you add a more style? Like you did for my house?

Michael: OK. (producing a fancier version on CAD) More like this?

_________

Voice-over

Michael argues with his client emphasizing that the design of a grand house centers on luxury and aesthetics which contrasts with the functions of a woolshed as being driven by agricultural functions. Edward eventually accepts that low maintenance and practicalities of shearing sheep are not easily rendered into a luxurious aesthetic woolshed. He ends up with corrugated iron.

Woburn, Lower Hutt

In the archive…

Michael: I'm looking for any early photos you might have of a property called Woburn, designed by C.T. Natusch. Quite a mansion, with ornate facades, beautiful door and window surrounds, and attention to aesthetic details.
Aaron:

Let me check. Woburn, you said? I believe we do have a sketch of Woburn in our records. It shows the whole building.
Michael: Nice to know that there are records of it. Unfortunately, the house was bulldozed down some time ago.
Aaron: Yes, shame when significant architecture is destroyed. Ah, here’s the sketch.
Michael: I also have a later photo from the National Library. Interesting to compare. 
_________
Voice-over
Mansions often showcase the wealth and status of families. This one, built for Edward Vivian Riddiford (1842-1934), son of wealthy runholder Edward Joshua Riddiford (1879-1911), did just that.

Talking while Drawing

Sketching vs watercoloring

Interviewer: Can you explain why you feel comfortable talking while sketching with a pencil but not while painting with watercolor?

Stanley: Yes, it's something I've thought about. Pencil and paint, watercolors, that is, are different media. 

Interviewer: Different strokes for different folks?

Can talk...

Stanley: Not different folks. It’s media-driven. In sketching you can pause and in watercoloring you can’t. With pencil I can
stop and resume without losing the flow. With watercolor, once the paint is on the paper, you can’t correct easily.

Interviewer: So technicalities govern the workflow?

Stanley: There are techniques requiring close attention, like wet-on-wet, dry brush, and layering.

Interviewer: Is there anything in the way the two media make you feel?

Can't talk...

Stanley: Oh yes. Sketching is more casual. With painting it feels more intimate, almost like a dialogue between me and the canvas. So talking is like another person interrupting the conversation.

________

Voice-over

When sketching with a pencil mistakes can be erased easily and you can pick up where you left off. Watercolor painting requires adaptability and embracing imperfections. In other words, knowing when to control and when to let go, to anticipate how the paint will behave while also allowing for serendipitous effects. 

Framing a Watercolor

Of display, light and wood…

Stephano: Nice picture. Quite delicate. Any ideas for how you'd like it framed?

Basil: Something classic to match the age of the drawing itself maybe. A simple wooden frame with a subtle design to complement the intricate details of the watercolor.

Stephano: What about the color of the frame? Would you prefer something that blends in with the drawing or stands out to make a statement?

Basil: Blending in. Focus on the artwork itself rather than the frame.

Stephano: Good choice. And where do you plan to hang it? Is it going in a well-lit area or somewhere more subdued?

Basil: I'm thinking of placing it in my study, which gets plenty of natural light during the day but isn't directly exposed to sunlight.

Stephano: Alright, I suggest using UV protective glass then, to prevent any fading.

_________

Voice-over

A hundred years ago, some architects used their drawings as an artistic exercise. No doubt it also helped secure the contract.

Glass Book: Toyama Library and Glass Museum

On returning from the station…

Glass Book

Marion: Oh, it was incredible! I visited the Toyama library and glass museum. The architecture is mind-blowing, especially the way the use of wood and glass. 

Kazuki: Kengo Kuma's work is always impressive. What stood out the most?

Marion: Maybe the sense of space and the soaring wood pillars soaring up six floors.

Kazuki: Like being in a forest?

Marion: Yes, like in a forest. But, you know, it’s a museum, a museum of glass sculptures. Beautiful, delicate works of art. So I thought, maybe the library itself is like a glass book, each section a different chapter filled with knowledge and stories.

Kazuki: A glass book? Interesting metaphor. Yes, that street face of blocks and shards could be seen as representing glass book. 

___________

Voice-over

Toyama City Library: more than just a library, it’s an experience.

The DT Suzuki Museum

Returning to the homestay…

Kazuki: So how was your day?

Marion: Fascinating! I visited five museums, but the D.T. Suzuki Museum was the best.

Kazuki: It's a special place.

Marion: So Zen. The simplicity of the building and the few artifacts it held somehow captured the essence of Suzuki's teachings.

Kazuki: The architecture is modern, yet the atmosphere evokes a sense of tranquility and contemplation.

Marion: I spent the most time in that museum, especially in the book collection. Visitors were quietly leafing through the texts, absorbing the wisdom.

Kazuki: Ah, the books. Suzuki's words are timeless, aren't they? Did you go outside to the gardens?

Marion: I did. People were sitting quietly, contemplating, some even meditating.

Kazuki: That's the design philosophy. To create harmony between the mind and nature.

_________

Voice-over

So spare the structure, so few the artifacts, so deep the impression.

At The Boatshed

Looking out on the harbor…

Rosalind: Waterfront dining is so charming. What do you think about the architectural features of this Boatshed?

Benedict: The design exploits metaphors. The exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. They give the place a rustic and nautical feel, don't you think?

Rosalind: Hmm. Feels like we're on a ship.

Benedict: And large windows to maximize the water view and connect diners with the surroundings. 

Rosalind: I also love these hanging pendant lights. They look like vintage ship lanterns, adding to the maritime theme.

Benedict: And warm yellow lighting, yes. And see these distressed wooden tables and chairs? They give the place an old-world, cozy vibe.

Rosalind: Cozy indeed. It's like having dinner on a boat.

_________

Voice-over

Restaurants are not just about the food; it's also about the ambience and the experience. Architecture plays a big part in that.

Declining Communities

Inheriting a house…

Hiroshi: Have you decided what to do about the house?

Mariko: It's a bit complicated. Admittedly the house is free, but on the other hand, renovating it will cost almost as much as building a new one. I'm not sure what to do.

Hiroshi: Bit of a dilemma. Location isn’t great either, I mean the population is declining and services along with it.

A money pit?

Mariko: It's not exactly a thriving area, yes. Plus, my sister living next door, that’s OK, but she might move away.

Hiroshi: And I recall you saying that your sister’s house is two storeys high and blocks the light.

Mariko: The two buildings also look unbalanced. And it’s not as though the old house has any significant historical or sentimental value.

Hiroshi: Maybe it’s more practical to just start afresh in a house in a more vibrant location.

__________

Voice-over

Besides the thrill of getting a free house, considering long-term satisfaction and convenience are important. Renovating or building a new house is a burden that takes time, effort and money. 

Archive Preserved

After the move…

Richard: All the furniture has gone into storage.

Guy: And the drawings and documents?

Richard: They’re safe. In boxes. Ready for the regional archive.

Guy: I had hoped the furniture could have become a mini museum and the papers stored in the drawers for interested people.

Richard: Moving the furniture out saved the documents. Mostly people access old plans and records online now.

__________

Voice-over

Artifact storage plus a website. Probably 5% of access through artifact-viewing and 95% online glimpsing. Some lovely old watercolor architectural plans.

Zelensky and Kahn: Green and Brick

PR media and a construction medium…

Marshall: Zelensky usually elects to appear in a green T shirt. I can imagine him asking, “What are you saying to me, green?” And green says to Zelensky, “I am the color of the fields, I am the color of Ukraine, I am the color of combat.”

Woody: I see where this is going. It’s about the medium suggesting how it is used. In much the same way, Louis Kahn said, "You say to a brick, 'What do you want, brick?' 

Marshall: He talked to the brick?

Woody: Perhaps he was being figurative. I don’t know. But he would go on to say, “And brick says to you, 'I like an arch.'”

________

Voice-over

Media decisions carry a message. Building materials define a design. 

1954 house plan discovery

Locating old plans in an archive…

Bill: I think I’ve seen drawings for the Williams house in the collection here.

Sarah: It’s good of you.

Bill: No worries. Main reason for keeping a collection of old drawings is to help people understand an old house they bought.

Sarah: Here’s a Williams And a photo. That's it!

Bill:1954. There are half a dozen drawings showing floor plans, elevations and structural details.

Sarah: Wow. This is a godsend. 

Bill: Do you want the drawings or will scans do?

Sarah: Scans are fine. Keep the originals in the collection.

________

Voice-over

Archives have their uses. Most people only want the scanned copies or photographs. The originals which take up space can be kept in a central repository, purpose designed for preservation and printing.

Projects built and unbuilt

Sorting through the collection…

Jonathan: Shouldn’t we just toss out the projects that were never built?

Sally: He wouldn’t have liked that. He said the unfinished ones were sometimes like sketches of great paintings that were never completed.

Jonathan: There is something grand about the neo-classical parking building.

Sally: Yes, the Depression put paid to that. In contrast, the very modernistic and spartan art gallery did get built.

___________

Voice-over

Sorting through a collection of architectural drawings raises a dilemma. To throw, or not to throw? That which never was built may have been greater than that which was.

Repurposing a Gentlemen's Club

Change of management…

Reflecting society of 1904

René: You’re still a member of the club?
Guy: Yes. You know how it came about. My father pushed me into it, at the time I felt a bit pressured but I thought I can resign anytime. After a few years of paying annual fees and never using it, I decided to resign. I mean what relevance is a “gentlemen’s club” in the 21st century? So I went into the manager’s office and there was a glamorous woman behind the desk. “Hi, I’m the new manager,” she says and talked about changes. Well, I paid the fee.
René: And has she wrought changes?
Guy: Oh yes, very wrought for some old-timers. There are women members now, more bathrooms, a coffee shop, meeting rooms, events. Progress. Oh, and staying a night is half the rate of a hotel. Savings covers the annual fee.
_________
Voice-over

Old chaps going in for a drink before going home for dinner seemed an inefficient way to run an old heritage building with high maintenance costs. A new business plan turned it around. Took a woman to reimagine its role, reweave the social fabric, refuel the flame.

Beginning from the end: house design and lesson design

Parallel approaches…

Teacher: Need a template to plan the lessons.

Architect: Sure. A sort of floorplan in architectural terms.

Teacher: Like planning a house?

Architect: When you design a house, the first thing you locate are the windows. You walk on a site and visualize the views.

Teacher: See what you mean. So an online lesson should have a vision which then leads to its goal-setting.

Architect: Yes, first visualize the outcome then specify the steps.

Teacher: Got it. the upfront mantra in neon should be “performance objective”. What skillset will this lesson deliver? What is the student expected to DO after sitting through a Zoom session?

_________

Voice-over

House design works backwards from walking on a site and imagining the views which then determines the floorplan and walls. Instructional design is working backwards from imagining the demonstrable performances of students at the end of a lesson which helps write the lesson objectives.

Library at Devonport

On the waterfront…

.

René: Lovely, the way it sits on the site, commanding views of the sea, the street, the hotel across the road and the trees in the park.

.

Guy: We walk around and turning every corner there’s a surprise. That’s a feature of Ian Athfield’s architecture, although he died in 2015, his firm still carries out his vision.

.

René: I heard he was interested in the Japanese Metabolists’ approach to architecture. Is there any evidence of that in this library?

.

Guy: Well, metabolism was about organic growth, and the building is largely of wood.

_________

Voice-over

Ian Athfield (1940-2015). A style that was eclectic, that involved detailed elements and intricate accretions.

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