Below are works from my first year of Masters Architecture at the university of Greenwich, London, Class of 2018 – 2019.
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Institute of Freeganism
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This project examined modern shopping addiction & over consumption, and in response created the anti-thesis of consumerism, a place where the core value is put on time and this is the only currency. Treatments include more traditional therapies and less traditional group exercises. The site is occupied by ‘freegans’ who are a community that do not accept the capitalist way of life and refuse to use money, they choose to live on site in exchange for their labour, along with the shopping addiction patients who spend around 1-3 months for their rehabilitation. Both groups actively build the site and buildings they live in through a multi-staged process. The building methods are ancient, using adobe bricks as the main building material excavated on site, creating an ever expanding pit, central to the site.
This aerial shows the project at the ‘complete’ stage on site. The terraced dormitories are low density, and circulation is focused along the rooftops, with the ‘streets’ between the terraces used for sun-drying adobe bricks (used for the construction of the project) After completion these ‘streets’ would most likely be turned into green spaces for growing produce, or lush gardens.
This is the perspective view into the workshop building. This would be one of the first to be built on site as this is where much of the woodwork and recycling would be done for the rest of the project.
This perspective shows the entrance to the Freegan living block left, the primary education/therapy building middle left, the main entrance bridge that spans the pit middle and the workshop building right.
This perspective shows what the project would look like during its construction/use. This is a view from the corner of the site looking down a completed terrace left, whit an in-progress terrace to the right. Building these terraces would be part of the experimental group treatment for the patients.
This section shows the relationships between the pit and the surrounding buildings. The thick walls to the left & right are the site boundaries and enforce a feeling of protection from the extreme consumerist life that takes place on the busy streets just outside.
This is the ground plan showing the completed units on site. The large empty rooms at the north side of the plan are used for Yoga, 12 step programs & meditation.
This section shows a cut through the dormitory wing where the Freegan’s live. It features a central chimney that extracts the warm smoke & air from the kitchen, and through a series of heat exchanges can heat the bedrooms within the building.
A section through the workshop. The walls need to be thick as they are load bearing and more effective when using adobe bricks, they also have sticks for reinforcing the structure. The outside of the bricks has a natural plaster that seals the wall, making the whole building appear ear monolithic.
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Part of the program of our course was to make a technical document explaining the various aspects such as site context, construction process, time line, client etc. This document is available by request (contact)
Early concept model made to help build the architectural language of the project. This model was made in around two weeks using a combination of 3D printing, CNC milling, and hand modelling using clay, The entire process documentation is available on request (contact)
Gytis Bickus 