Design Studio (Three) Two Architecture BA (Hons)

TUTORS: Eric Guibert & Christopher Daniel

Will we be ‘All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace’?

The Architectural Animism studio continues its focus on regenerative design and the overlap between built and grown architectures.

Inspired by Richard Brautigan’s poem ‘All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace?’ which describes a utopian vision of ‘cybernetic meadow[s] where mammals and computers live together in mutually programming harmony’, we investigated how architecture might negotiate the relationships between other-than-humans, humans and technology within existing buildings.

Starting with the mid-20th century headquarters of the London Electricity Board in Bethnal Green Gardens, we asked how could the building’s re-use and its deconstructed materials nurture biological and cultural diversity at multiple scales. Could a mosaic of ecosystems be created on the site to increase nature connectivity while providing for local residents; to host wildlife and human activities within deep building envelopes? The resulting diverse schemes fall into two categories: those that work with the processes and aesthetics of ruins; or extend the building with lightweight layers.

Archive of DS3.2’s work from previous years: