Holly Harbour

Year 2 Portfolio

Over the course of my second year as a student of The Sheffield School of Architecture, I have developed a large range of skills and learnt to push my ideas further, without being afraid to take risks. I have taken this time to experiment, using many different processes of sketching, modelling and computer aided design in order to begin to refine my own personal style. I have found all three of our projects this year to be diverse and engaging and I have enjoyed confronting the challenges presented by each of them.

For further information please contact hollyharbour@me.com

Project 1 – Hiking Hut 

In collaboration with Ryan Smith

The site for this project was near the town of Castleton in the Peak District. Our specific site was chosen primarily for its panoramic, south-facing view. We were to design a walkers refuge and our initial response to the site was how we might provide shelter from the frequently strong prevailing winds, with the entrance covered and set back to create a wind break. Upon entering, our idea was that the walker would find themselves in a stone vestibule, still not entirely divorced from the nature outside. From here the guests journey continues on a route through the living area and up a ‘floating staircase’ to the bedroom. Our research into topography inspired the roof design, which reflects the bowl shape of the surrounding valley and is pitched using the same ratio as the site’s slope.

Project 2 – Theatre 

The site for this project is in the heart of Manchester’s lively Northern Quarter. The area holds a rich culture and history as a hub of music and art, making it the ideal location for my unusual Jazz club. The ‘alternative’ nature of the area and the specific characteristics of the site presented an opportunity to design a theatre that is uniquely sculptural and avant garde. The concept of using pipes is both a reference to the instruments associated with Jazz music and to the old pipes, often seen protruding from bare brick walls following the demolition of an adjacent building. The theatre is designed to appear as if a wave of pipes is cascading from the bare brick wall at the rear of the site.

Project 3 – Housing

The site for this project was in Burgreave, one of the most deprived areas in Sheffield. We were tasked with designing a housing scheme to suit a specific demographic and incorporate a communal or public facility. My scheme aims to tackle the growing epidemic of homelessness in Sheffield, through the integration of long-term residential units, temporary, overnight accommodation, retail units and a semi-private workshop. This enables residents to attain their basic necessities and further enhance their quality of life through social interaction within the communal courtyard, the opportunity to generate income through retail and to develop creative passions in the workshop, as well as being able to support others effected by homelessness in the wider community. The concept of the design was to exaggerate the elements of the scheme that separate it most profoundly from living on the streets. Concrete and underfloor heating creates smooth and warm surfaces while an almost monolithic street facade exaggerates the protectiveness of the housing and contrasts against the transparency of the facades looking over the communal courtyard within. The bathrooms are celebrated with a striking quality of light and the form of a staircase wrapping around them, reflecting the importance of such facilities to those who may previously not have had access to them.