Technical Studies
Five technical tasks, from reading a ruin to drawing the details of its reuse.
- Year
- 2022–23
- Type
- Technical portfolio, module DESN30158
- Role
- Individual coursework, five tasks
- Scope
- Five tasks, 1:100 to 1:5
Background
The site behind the drawings
Tasks 1, 4 and 5 are set at Lumsdale Valley, the same site as the graduation project: a scheduled water-powered mill landscape in Derbyshire, built in local gritstone and limestone and powered by Bentley Brook. Reading its stone walls, timber lintels and lost roofs is the starting point for the later detail drawings of reusing the existing structure.
Sources
Material palette
What it feels like.
Gritstone and lintel are photographed on site by Wentao Zhang; oak, zinc and limestone are texture samples from Architextures.
Materials and specification
What it is made of.
Materials and build-ups studied across the five tasks, with the sustainability case for each.
| Element | Material | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Existing wall | Birchover gritstone, random facing stone | Pink to buff, fine-grained mill-stone grit; density 2250 kg/m³, compressive strength 60–70 N/mm² |
| Insulated wall | 300 mm insulation with timber façade inside the retained limestone | Detailed at 1:20 and 1:5 with waterproof membrane and insulation frame |
| Floors | Oak boards on an anti-vibration, sound-absorbing layer | Shown in the 1:20 junction details |
| Finishes studied | Zinc, limestone, oak, timber, raw metal | Chosen for durability, recyclability and low embodied energy |
| Reused structure | Brick veneer, mortar break, flashing, concrete foundation, below-grade waterproofing | Section at 1:16 with 1:5 details |
01 Task 1 · Observing the ruins
Task 1, Existing Building Observations. The Lumsdale ruins are recorded by photograph, hand sketch and notes: gritstone walling, timber lintels, and how stone was moved to site.
02 Task 1 · Roof structure
The existing building redrawn from the site model: an isometric at 1:100 with the timber roof pulled out and studied, then plan, elevation and side view. The roof is a pitched timber truss carried on the surviving stone walls.
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03 Task 2 · Timber structure
Task 2, Construction Methods. A timber case study redrawn from research: Nest We Grow, College of Environmental Design UC Berkeley with Kengo Kuma & Associates, Takinoue, Japan (2014, 85 m²). Drawing by Wentao Zhang.
Precedent study
Nest We Grow, timber frame.
The frame drawn at 1:60 with every member sized. Numbers on the drawing refer to the list.
- 160 × 160 × 6147 mm glued timber strips, original colour
- 79 × 262 × 9655 mm glued timber strips, original colour
- 4 × 160 × 160 mm composite support columns
- 52 × 126 × 799 mm timber slats forming the pavement
- Micro-terrain base of mixed cement
04 Task 2 · Joint details
Three connections pulled apart as exploded isometrics: structural fixing screws with gaskets, an oak boardwalk fixing, and a metal patch reinforcing a strip joint.
05 Task 3 · Wall construction
Task 3, Interior Finishes. The wall build-up of D4 House by Edwin Hurtado + Holger Cuadrado (Loja, Ecuador, 2020), analysed as a 1:25 isometric and section. Drawing by Wentao Zhang.
Precedent study
D4 House, wall build-up.
Isometric and section at 1:25 of the hollow-block wall, glazing and floor edge. Numbers refer to the list.
- Stainless steel metal layer
- Anchor strap, fixing the connection between hollow blocks
- Double glazing, gas-filled for insulation and to reduce fogging
- Aluminium window trim
- Interior walls, wrapping the wall structure
- Hollow blocks, the central layer of the wall
- Reinforcement bars, positioning and strengthening the block structure
- Interior flooring surface, marble
- Floor structure layer, connecting the tiles to the foundation
- Foundation metal frame between ground and first floor
06 Task 4 · Daylight and water
Task 4, Sustainable Design, applied to the Lumsdale scheme: a glazed roof disc and patterned screens to bring in daylight, and a small hydroelectric strategy using the waterfall.
07 Task 4 · Insulation and ventilation
A 300 mm insulated wall with a timber façade inside the retained limestone, drawn at 1:20 and 1:5, and cross ventilation through the building.
08 Task 5 · Reusing the existing structure
Task 5, Detail understanding and technical drawing. A 1:16 wall section through the reused structure, with two 1:5 details showing fixings, flashing, mortar break and foundation.