Throughout my time studying architecture at BCU, I have developed a strong interest in the application of architectural theory to create sustainable design and its impact on local identity. My studio project aims to produce a new geological identity for the community of Moxley, Black Country, by making the incorporeal dimension of architecture visible through the formation of a new ‘local’. It is important for both designers and the public to begin to see a piece of architecture as the process of ‘building’ rather than the product we call ‘building’. Based on the theories of Kiel Moe, roughly eighty percent of the materials used within my design have been sourced, processed, manufactured, and constructed within the site boundary – exposing the processes behind architecture and the geological heritage of the area, while creating a new public space within the new landscape.
I believe that by embedding architectural theory into the design process and allowing it to drive development, the architectural profession could lead the way in the battle against climate change and help build a new relationship between architecture and nature.
