Westminster colleagues and students have launched The Floating Hide, a bird-watching pavilion they built as part of their course at the Cody Dock community hub on the River Lea in East London. The Quintin Hogg Trust-funded project was created in response to the Lighting Up The Lea Environmental Arts Commission.
The launch event took place on 21 September in Cody Dock, London. Project Leader Maria Kramer, a Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Cities, collaborated with Architecture MA students involved in the Design Studio 20 to construct the bird-watching pavilion from the conception, to briefing and making. They collaborated with Nicholas Alexander and the University’s Live Design Practice which introduces new ways of working collaboratively across sectors by taking multidisciplinary skills within academia and using these in live projects to serve communities. Another collaborator was Webb Yates Engineers, where the students had the opportunity to meet the founder, Steve Webb, who was also part of the design team. He discussed the design and how the structure would sit on top of the reclaimed pontoons, allowing the students to expand their architectural and structural understanding. The collaboration has been built on The Growing Space at Cody Dock, a former real-life building project of Westminster students, which had been nominated by the Architect’s Journal for the Small Projects Award and for the Structural Timber Awards in the category titled Education Project of the Year.
The structure, sitting on pontoons, is constructed from cedar timber with modular light-weight hessian panels treated with gypsum and acrylic resin that have been prefabricated using the principle developed by the engineer Heinz Isler using flexible textiles. Allowing the fabric to hang downward under gravity results in naturally efficient shapes as the hanging structure is in pure tension under gravity and does not resist any bending.
About the live project, Maria Kramer said: “We explored new techniques based on manipulating materials to understand their innate and environmental properties to develop an architecture that embodies the fluidity of the world, where borders are not rigid divisions but dynamic and responsive membranes. It was a unique experience making the panels with this special technique with each one being unique with varied openings. Students gained great hands-on experience from this innovative pavilion."
Jennifer Foster, an Architecture MA student, said: “Participating in the live project provided a fulfilling complement to my studies during the first year of my masters. It offered the opportunity to dive into the local community and understand the wants and needs of real clients. The project allowed for a range of different hands-on experiences including prefabricating large elements of the design in a workshop and also assembling the structure on site. The whole process provided a practical and lifelike insight into the role and responsibilities of an architect on a small-scale project and how all components and contributors come together to realise a project. Building and finishing the scheme on site, ahead of the studio exhibition, spread a sense of pride and fulfilment amongst the studio.”
Lottie Greenwood, another Architecture MA student, said: "The Floating Hide Live Project provided a great opportunity to experiment and explore materiality and making. It allowed us to engage with all the work stages from client and user consultation to design, making and construction and was a great opportunity to learn in and from the real world. Working with a wide range of specialists and consultants promoted knowledge exchange whilst helping to develop my skills in communication.”
Another student Alex Marton said: “The Floating Hide Live Project offers a unique platform for designers to step outside of commercial constraints and reflect on the broader implications of their practice. It encourages exploration of alternative approaches, fostering discussions around designers' role in society and the environment.”
This live project directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the Architecture MA course at Westminster.
The making of structure of The Floating Hide
The exterior of The Floating Hide
The interior of The Floating Hide
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