Approaching Architecture: A Case Study on Portsmouth's Empty Buildings.

 Approaching Architecture: A Case Study on Portsmouth's Empty Buildings.

As a student attending a weekly class, I am always excited about what we will learn and do next. Last Friday, our professor split us into groups and tasked us with marking and presenting empty buildings in Portsmouth. My group decided to approach the assignment in a unique way, setting ourselves apart from the other groups.

We began by scouring data provided by the Portsmouth City Council to find empty buildings in the vicinity. After discovering four empty buildings, we were unsure of how to proceed but relied on our instincts, just as we would when tackling a renovation project. We marked the location of the buildings, conducted basic site analyses and surveys, and then returned home to brainstorm ideas on how to present our findings.

One thing I particularly love about our studio is the lack of restrictions on how we complete our assignments. As Zaha Hadid once said, "There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?" With this mindset, I came across a software called Caddmapper, which allowed me to download 3D block models directly into SketchUp. I downloaded all the 3D files required for my studio and began marking the selected empty buildings, highlighting them alongside green spaces. This enabled me to better understand the empty buildings and circulation systems of Portsmouth.

Initially, I thought about creating a 3D walkthrough on Lumion, but it quickly became apparent that we wouldn't have enough time to complete everything. Instead, we decided to mark the abandoned buildings on AutoCAD and render the plan in Photoshop as a presentation format. During class, each group presented their findings, and it was fascinating to see Portsmouth from different perspectives. None of the presentations was alike, which made it even more interesting.

The day ended with Carrie Fung's class on sustainable practices, which focused on the bigger picture. While I agree that we need to address larger-scale sustainability issues, I believe it's equally essential to start small. For instance, by using sustainable materials, vernacular materials, and sustainable building practices, we can make a difference. We could even organise hands-on sustainable building material workshops, inspiring everyone to think more sustainably.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed last Friday's class and the challenge of approaching the assignment from a unique angle. I look forward to applying the same mindset and creativity to future projects and finding new ways to improve sustainability practices in the field of architecture.