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Ben PitcherMasters Stage One 2013-2014
Plymouth University
An Engineering and Detail minded individual with a fantastic work ethic and orientation towards Sustainable Buildings and Design -
Masters Term One Masterplanning and Urban Strategy
In the first term - as groups of three we analysed the Millbay area of Plymouth with the aim of identifying existing issues and potential solutions to the social decline of the area. We proposed a Grid masterplan inspired by New-York and Barcelona to increase population density and create a more diverse Poly-centric area of the city. The ferry port was identified as the key issue in the area, obstructing public access to the water and removing access accross the site. The ferry is also only infrequently in berth.
CV - Ben PitcherEducation
09/2013 to 05/2014 > Masters Stage One Plymouth University - Awarded the Prize for Professional Studies09/2009 to 05/2012 > BA (Hons) Architecture from Plymouth University09/2007 to 06/2009 > Richard Huish College - A-Level Spanish, Physics, Psychology, AS-Level ICT
Career
10/2013 to PresentHand Drawn Home, Providing Rendering and 3D modelling design Services, Regular Ad-hoc
09/2013 to PresentSolvatec UK, Contract Work for Site Surveys, Solar Systems and Engineering Design, Ad-hoc
04/2013 to 09/2013Crawford Wright Architects, Small practice working as an Architectural Assistant with CAD and SketchUp, six projects from inception of brief to building regulations. Two days Weekly.
03/2013 to 04/2013Solvatec CH, Switzerland based Solar Engineering, provided visualisations, roof layout plans and system designs, also trained several staff in the use of CS5 Photoshop and SketchUp to continue providing 3D visuals for solar shading analysis and client representation. Full-time
10/2012 to 02/2013Marsh Planning, Site surveys followed by AutoCAD modelling, specialised in listed buildings. Ad-hoc
08/2012 to 09/2012Green Form Design, Architectural Assistant working on Low Environmental Impact Eco-Homes and producing marketing material, also contributed with site visits and other office projects. Full time
06/2007 to 09/2012BFC Solutions Ltd, Design and IT assistant, providing 3D visuals services for Solar Installations. Ad-hoc
Summer 2010 and Summer 2011Taunton School, Maintenance Department, worked in several positions as required, Carpenter, Basic Plumbing, Brick/Blockwork and Painting. Full time
No Known Medical Conditions Advanced SketchUp Pro 7,8, 2013,2014Spanish Speaker (Medium to High level) Advanced Photoshop CS5, CS6Qualified Archery Instructor Basic AutoCAD 2012-14Full Clean UK Driving License Intermediate Artlantis Studio 4Able to Learn New Software Very Fast Advanced Microsoft Office,1998-2013Introduced to V-ray, Vectorworks, ArchiCAD, 3DS max Intermediate InDesign CS5, CS6
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For the second term we were required to action part of our proposed Masterplan.
My Proposal was to integrate the ferry queue areas into public spaces and take part-time usage of some of the streets to provide queues for larger goods vehicles.
The increased volumes of interational travel from the new Third Terminal and the Cruise ship passengers prompted the idea to create a Centre of Culture to celebrate the international social connections. The Culture Centre would also tie into the local education network to become a part of the Fractal-system offerring research and learning and working facilities as well supplying a Ferry Waiting area when necessary.
Night-Time Ferry Usage
Day-Time Public Usage
The ProposalNew X-ray Systems scan every vehicle safely with the occupants inside, each scan only takes a few seconds and can allow immediate boarding. This is also a security improvement upon the existing system where only some cars are chosen at random to be searched manually. A more thorough search is both safer and more efficient. Similar systems are now being adopted in International Airports.
The pergola-style grid is the new proposed solution for creating usable public space in a car queueing space.
The pergola grid consists of upright columns spaced in a grid around the diagonal of the queue lines. The queue lines can be illuminated when required through floor fitted L.E.D. lights. By minimising the impact of the queue requirements on the space, other activities such as recreational sport and markets can occur within the space. A trellis mounted over the columns is planted to create shade from the sun.
I used the building as an excercise in designing a perfectly stable and environmentally balanced structure that incorporates a an unprecedented double-skin curtain facade with kinetic mesh elements, and PV solar glazing.
This is combined with new and pioneering technologies such as KromatixTM Solar Glass and Gigacrete Fly-ash Concrete.
The Kinetic mesh in the building is comprised of two sheets of square perforated metal sheet which overlap each other when moving at a diagonal via electronic actuators.
The double skinned double glazing offers superb insulation, solar gain is the main affectant of internal temperatures, the mesh provides variable automated shielding, the increasing surface area of the metal increases in temperature inside the cavity thus increasing the stack effect ventilation which is more finely controlled via automated louvers mounted between each floor over perforated ceiling tiles.
The mesh is also continued through the interior of the building allowing changes of use within the internal spaces e.g. for privacy/dark during projector presentations.
The building operates a part-mechanical, part-natural ventilation system, powered predominantly by solar gain and partly by the solar PV energy generation.
Each core of the double-skin facade rises all the way to the roof of the building where it is collected and combined inside insulated ducting prior to entering one of the pair of heat exchangers where latent heat is removed from the outgoing area and used to supplement the temperature of the incoming air which is drawn by the low pressure (supplemented by a pump) down to the basement where the air is heated or cooled as appropriate by a seawater heat-pump - mounted just above sea-level in the basement to reduce the energy required to circulate the fluid from the Inner Basin.
The airflow rises up through the central core of the building (South to the Right) and is drawn across each floor area, less so on the Northern (Left) side where the literacy resources are stored in a more stable shaded environment. The ceiling tiles on each floor are perforated grids which allow airflow through, the tiles are of varying profiles to provide differrent acoustic level controls in varying spaces.
The Ground floor of the building is the main public space which is part lecture space, part waiting area, part theatre, part public space, in order to maintain auditory privacy for the rest of the open-plan building the central core is filled with a grid of acoustic baffles (highlighted in red) to allow visual connection but to subdue volume and reduce echoes for audiences.
The seating (located on the North and West sides of the building) provides a sheltered undercroft front to the street that houses small Kiosks for culturally themed food and merchandise sales.
The Design project was very interesting for myself and I worked most particuarly on the engineering and detailing involved. My passion for working my upmost to high levels of detail and complexity was carried across to my other modules.
The Dissertation I researched focused on Princess Yachts in Plymouth and how their built environment and infrastructure affects the social conditions in the Stonehouse Locality. For this report I received a 1st level mark of 75.
For my Sustainability module I completed a comprehensive study into the feasibility of completely converting the city centre of Plymouth to Solar PV energy generation and subsequently how an ESCo (Energy Services Company) could work to install vast quantities of PV modules across the whole city. My tutor commented that my essay was one of the most convincing and relevant reports.
My Professional studies module in the first term involved using my Spanish language skills to research Lima in Peru, researching the Architectural Urban Activists involved in the drive against political repression and obstruction to the completion of a much needed city-wide rail/metro network.
The secondary part of my Professional studies module involved organising and running the University’s Vertical Team project. This included liasing with a North Devon based school and a community-owned village hall, and creating a student project that would involve a selection of their students working with the BA Architecture Students of the University over a two day event where the students travel to both locations. The task being to design a Cafe extension for the village hall for use by the whole community, the project is of genuine interest for future construction. The student designs were later combined into one final proposal.
Post the VTP, for my Proposal I produced what was by far the most comprehensive student project - including a complete detailed costing, full building regulations drawings and drawings ready to be submitted to planning. I received a mark of 90. Subsequent to my work this year I have been awarded the Prize for Professional studies.
With the company beginning to move into the UK market, I am involved part-time assessing the feasibility of potential South-West based projects, undergoing site surveys and liasing with other involved partys.
I have been involved with solving waterproofing issues on an Educational/Office building with a solar KromatixTM re-clad - the same product as which I had used in my second Term design project this year.
Other projects include Car Park shelter installations with electric charging points, Curved Seam roof installations amongst others.
Crawford Wright Architects LtdPRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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Several months working part time on six seperate projects, I was involved as the Architects Assistant, attending all site visits and client meetings. The projects were at various stages of design, some were still refining briefs, others post-planning, others post-building regulations. The majority of the work was CAD based, although hand sketching was used to produce concept ideas and to work out construction details. Working here was very enjoyable and was very insightful across a range of small scal projects.
A month and a half spent in Basel, Switzerland prior to beginning the Masters Programme, I worked on 39 seperate projects from small 15 module residential projects up to 3,000+ module larger installations.
I was also tasked to train two members of staff in the use of Photoshop and SketchUp to continue providing my services after my time with them ended.
My training completely revolutionised their working style, halving the time it took to draw up designs for arrays, increasing productivity and the drawing accuracy and allowing the team to provide accurate geo-located solar shading calculations.They are now also able to provide basic visualisations for customers (particuarly for residential projects) which are often used for the planning applications.
I was also tasked to design an experimental mesh facade to overlay on-top of vertical-mount modules to test solar losses against the aesthetic appeal. The product prototype was ordered and is currently undergoing a 12 month testing programme. Initial results exceeded expectations.
The company is reguarly represented with trade stands at exhibitions, I was involved with designing the layout and specifying ancillaries for 3 seperate exhibitions.
I was also involved in projects for Swiss based Herzog de Meuron Architects and Lutz Architects.
Windmill House, Ashburton Road, Totnes,TQ9 5JT
Ground Floor Plan
1:100 @ A3
03/12/2012
Marsh Planning
Studio 3, Floor 2, Birdwood House, 44 High Street, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5SQ07975725895
1
P2005/12/002
I worked predominantly on two projects, one a survey of a large existing building prior to change of use applications, the other a complex listed building in Devon that required a considered extension design to appease planning.
One month full-time work experience, designing 2/3/4 bed modular pre-fabricated eco-houses designed to be orientated South on various sites, the buildings included rain-water collection, green rooves and solar rooves (both transparent and solid module options), and also sliding wooden blinds for solar shading into the bedrooms and living areas. The work at the practice ended due to insufficient work through the practice.Other projects I worked on here included car ports, first-floor building extensions and a small office building.
Any references are available upon request
Additional Information:
- Student representative for the 3rd Year BA and for Masters Stage One.- Attended ARUP Engineering Awareness Week (2008) for insight into the company and practical education.- Keen Amateur Photographer specialising in Light-painting and Star-trails.- Car (VW) enthusiast attending and winning concourse events (two trophy wins), and track-day racing.- Somerset County Champion Archer in 2009
