Studio BA 14

Resonance: Voices and Visions the practical work of art, architecture, and the nature of things, constructs for a future…

Studio 14 pursues architectural design that is imaginative, thought provoking, and potentially magical. We are interested in experience; in the sensory qualities of spaces and places; in time, memory, identity, situations and events; in participation; and in ways that architecture might positively engage in shaping the future. We encourage our students to develop purposeful holistic work that takes a long-term view. This may also be understood as a form of 'cathedral thinking'.

This year our work will be located in central Brighton, in the area north of North Street, that is currently dominated by the presence of the 'Kings Place / Theatre' NCP car-park. The inevitable decline in personal car use presents an opportunity to think about the future of this structure, and its surrounding area. Here a wild array of informal street art has evolved, linked to a network of pathways, lost spaces and gardens that are frequented by a diverse range of visitors, rough sleepers, residents and workers. We will investigate the cultural and natural aspects of what is present, and explore how, with reference to the immediate context of global climate change, the ways this area could beneficially evolve over time.

The focus of our work will be the proposed provision of new creative places, spaces and facilities for the interdisciplinary environmental and social arts; this being an aspect of cultural life that is lacking prominence in Brighton. We will begin by exploring the possibilities of providing creative spaces of meeting, exchange, communication and dialogue, in settings that embrace the natural environment. We will look to ONCA to inspire our work. ONCA is a Brighton based arts charity that bridges social and environmental justice issues. With our public programme, we create inclusive spaces for collaborative learning, artist support and community solidarity. …

We will gather understandings by engaging in aspects of creative interdisciplinary art practice. We will attempt to adopt rigorous processes of observation, making, installation, and interaction, whilst exploring the possibilities of collaboration, and the participation of others. We will examine communication in visual and vocal forms; natural flows, openness, boundaries, weather and seasonal change; transitions, and transformations; with the idea of working in parallel at three different scales - city, room, object.

These investigations will be the starting point for projects that may develop in many different or combined directions: towards perhaps attention for spaces of showing or exhibition, performance or dance, talking, listening or story telling, music, making, well-being, tranquillity, or simply experiencing nature. This is a time when the conventions of the formal art spaces have been questioned. Arguably the art now provides new places for politics, escape, fantasy, faith or spirituality. Note that 'resonance' may be defined as the power to evoke enduring images, memories, and emotions.

Key questions are how we might design and build in an inspiring meaningful way, today; and with a language of architecture formed by a considered use material fabric; and the possibilities of handmade, local, low cost, zero-carbon building. The studio is also keen to explore ideas: that a building could be evolve over several transitional states, be unfinished, or allow for its completion by others; and, or that nature might be included as part of the process?

Learning through direct experience is a key aspect of studio 14. There will be study walks locally to experience the natural world, and in contrast, several day excursions to London. Also, provisionally, in January, travelling by train, boat and train we would undertake a study visit to Copenhagen.

Studio tutors

2017 - 2018 Stephen Ryan Jack Wates
2016 - 2017 Stephen Ryan Jack Wates
2015 - 2016 Stephen Ryan Jack Wates
2014 - 2015 Stephen Ryan Nick Wood
2013 - 2014 Stephen Ryan Peter Rae
2018 -2019 Stephen Ryan Asta Sabalis
2019 - 2020 Stephen Ryan Ian McKay

Studio posts

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Gallery Tables

Studio 14 designed 'Tables’ are now in public use at the Grand Parade Gallery. Commissioned by Ben Roberts, the Artistic Director of ...

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London, Buildings, Stone.

As inspiration / information for our 'Paper Clouds' project, on our most recent study visit to London, we looked at several new buildings in ...

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Projects Review

BA Architecture Studios 05, 14 and 17 combined for the Projects Review. We decided that our interpretation of this event would be a 'peer ...

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Kinetic

Studio 14 are interested in the interactive possibilities of architecture. Here is a kinetic Christmas tree formed from physical timber tags ...

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Work in Progress

Here are a few images from the current investigation work of Studio 14 students: Zuzzanah Kaczmarczyk, Zirui Wang, and Christopher ...

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Absence as Presence

In our 'Paper Clouds' project we are exploring aspects of libraries, books and reading. In reading there is a relationship between mark and ...

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Pavilion for Voices

'101st Km Everywhere' is a temporary pavilion installation, that was sited in Bloomsbury Square, London. Although marking the centenary of ...