Our Part 1 Beth has left us for a little while to return to University and continue her Part 2 sandwich course. Before leaving she wrote the following piece reflecting on her six month placement with CWa. Thanks Beth - looking forward to your return this summer!
Reflections on a Placement
It says something about the current culture of architecture, that CWa’s AJ-declared status as a ‘disruptor’ is a magnet for young architectural workers. It is also challenging to describe what this really means: the philosophy is not really ‘to build or not to build [new]’. It feels like the essence of CWa’s practice lies in the beauty of nuance, of thinking carefully, of finding a balance. In Sweden, perhaps they would describe this as the ‘lagom’ approach (not too much or too little), although that is not to say that the practice is necessarily Scandinavian in approach. I think they’d much prefer to be considered Belgian!
Working in this way has been fascinating; your mindset shifts to see even the most simple, apparently mundane decisions can be crafted and intentional. Maybe this is honed through the love for architecture which permeates the practice culture. There is certainly a healthy enough work-life balance that lunchtime architectural conversation and down-time AJ-reading never feels overbearing.
My first project at CWa was a little barn conversion to form a martial arts studio, already an intriguing, unique brief. While apparently straightforward, this soon became a complex exploration of each timber strut, the varying footings, even the ecology. It was a juggling exercise, keeping one eye on costings and specifications, another on building control and another on brief, all while dealing with a decaying structure. Taking this all the way through tender has been enlightening, not merely career-wise but also to the inherent challenges facing those who wish to restore and revive over starting new.
The Bath Assembly Rooms project, on the other hand, has provided a wholly different experience, not least in its aim to revive the Rooms’ use as a gathering place – ‘un-converting’ from its prior museum use. You think you know BIM until you try to use it on an existing building…! It has been great experience to learn ArchiCAD in this context, and it makes you realise that just because the software says something is a wall, does not mean it has to be a wall – which is actually a very useful fact.
These are only two of a myriad of projects, which have varied so greatly that it has made it very difficult to describe my job to anyone who asks! Sometimes we are analysing the decarbonisation benefits of an environmental system, while at other times we are discussing the relationship between a doorway and its user, or debating the sensitivities of removing historic fabric in favour of equal access. It seems to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of working with existing buildings - that each one requires a bespoke approach, and each decision is imbued with purpose, and contextualised within contemporary social fabric.
Returning to university to continue my Part II, I hope not to forget the value of being deliberate, observant and curious. Whether or not I design new or adapt existing, CWa has fostered an appreciation for continuity – not necessarily of appearance, but of spirit and people.
Beth
