DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS

STAIR PROJECT
WILLIAM LINNELL
N0338129

BRACEBRIDGE PUMPING STATION

To start the project a site was

chosen which would give the design
parameters and context. A searching for
sites around Nottingham revealed the
dilapidated Bracebridge Pumping
Station, a Grade II sewage pumping
station. Converting this site into a
residential building would ensure the
project was in keeping with the sites
listed exterior and would make the most
of its architectural resources.
The Station itself began pumping
sewage away from local towns and
villages to surrounding fields and
farmland in 1881. Post World War 2,
there was an ever reducing need for
this service, and the engines were
replaced with electric motors which were
easier to maintain. A few decades later
the need disappeared, and like industrial
Victorian buildings, it was left to ruin.
Today the site has seen better days but
it remains a beautiful example of
Victorian craftsmanship and detailing.
Feared the dehumanising effects of the
Industrial revolution, the Victorians gave
their industrial buildings intricate
detail; at Bracebridge this can be seen
in the window arches, pedestals and roof
as well as detail in the chimney. This
beautiful detailing stands as a great
testament to the skill of its Victorian
Builders. Any proposal should match and
compliment the history and skill behind
the existing site.

EXISTING

PROPOSED

The proposal for the site is a residential conversion, changing the dower
from a derelict shell into a spacious five bedroom house spread over four
floors and a mezzanine. The third, and top floor is a pitch to dormer roof
conversion, which opens up the house to beautiful views of the
surrounding farmland and waterways. Proposed modifications to the exterior
of the site have been kept to a minimum. The modifications which are been
proposed have been carefully considered to compliment the buildings existing
facades.

The proposed floors are connected by a sleek and stylish modernist staircase design.
The stairs are a simple polished concrete with a rich dark wood tread which appear to
almost float their way up to the floor above. A steel structure is behind this floating
illusion, supporting each step with minimum exposure. These industrial materials are
complimented by the existing exposed brickwork of the Station and add a new life to the
sites history.
The staircase between the open plan living space on the ground floor and the mezzanine
level is one of the main features of the proposal. The following visuals explore and
communicate different elements of this, as it is the first things users see when entering
the house and when interacting with the space.

The exposed brick and concrete of the existing building are part of the stations fascinating
history and give the interior space its character. To celebrating this, similarly honest materials
have been chosen to construct the staircase. This visual expresses these materials, and how they
will work together and bring a life and to the ground floor.
To achieve this I have worked with realistic material textures to construct the visual. The main
existing material is a red brick, which is represented using a simple brick texture. The proposed
flooring and staircase tread will be a dark lacquered wood and the main body of the staircase is
constructed in a polished cast concrete which will be supported by a fine steel structure.

This visual was constructed on PhotoShop from a still taken from a Google SketchUp construction
of the proposal. Using the photo editing software, the still was deconstructed the various planes
were replaced with realistic textured layers. To fit into the visual, each layer had to be modified
and manipulate to work with the perspective of the visual. With many different surfaces at
different levels, this had to be done carefully many times to ensure the view did not look odd.
Once every surface had a texture, layers of shading were built up and the background was
faded to give the staircase visual priority. To make the shading and shadows of the visual appear
as realistic as the textures in the visual, the layers were reworked several times and additional
layers were overlaid to give visible depth and dimension.
The final stage of the visual was to add a figure to give the staircase relatable scale. To ensure
this figure complimented the visual, a real photo was used. To ensure the figure did not appear
as a main element of the visual it was faded out before a shade over lay was added. To complete
the visual a faint ground shadow was given to the figure.

By using the same material for both the tread of the stairs and the floors, each floor is
connected with by the same material language. This material, a dark lacquered wood, compliments
both the existing brick and the proposed concrete, creating a harmony between the new and old.
Concrete has been chosen as the main material of the staircase because of the character it will
give to the living spaces and makes the staircase become a feature when entering the house and
interacting with the space. The choice behind material was based upon the idea of the heavy
concrete juxtaposing the staircases light lofty appearance, and in doing so becoming an intriguing
centrepiece as well as a beautiful functional staircase.

ONE

Following on from the previous visual which highlighted the proposed

materials and how they would work together, second visual to showcases
the light weight appearance of the staircase and how the materials would
complement to this effect. To achieve this light watercolour slips were used
to represent the materials, whilst using simple planes to take the interest
away from the background.

To begin this visual a two point perspective of the staircase being viewed
from the kitchen area was hand sketched. The drawing was then and scanned
into Photoshop and tidied up. From here, like in the first stage textures
were layered onto the image. To give the drawing dimension, each surface
had to be layered individually to ensure the perspective was correct.
Once the background textures had been added, shade and add shadows began
to be rendered in to compliment the concept behind the visual. This meant
that the background had basic shading to give it depth, but little detail. The
staircase had the most work put into it, each surface was given shaded
individually, and then shadows were added onto the background to show how
light would travel through the space.
The idea of fading out the lines was played with and the final decision was
to remove them completely. Although the outcome makes the visual appear
simple, it works in its favour and goes hand in hand with the concept behind
the drawing.
Similar to the first visual, a figure was the final thing to be added. Like
the visual, the figure needed to have little detail, but still add character to
the drawing. This figure was then faded out, so the image behind it could be
easily seen and a simple shadow overlay was added to give the figure
dimension.

The outcome is a light and playful visual, which expresses the lightweight
characteristics of the design. The use of light colours and lack of dark
tones help float the visual float on the page and communicate the airy
nature of the design.

TWO

ANIMATED VISUAL: VIEWABLE ONLINE

WJLINNELL.WEEBLY.COM/UNIVERSITY.HTML

The final visual uses technique which had not been tested before to create for a short animation
showing the staircase in use. To achieve this final outcome several different techniques, including
model making and photo editing and software had to be explored and tested before they could be
combined to create this visual.

The first stage of creating the visual was to make a 1:10 model. This was done by using the plan
and section of the space to create a 2D map of the parts on AutoCAD. The parts were then
printed onto 3mm MDF using a laser cutter. The precision and accuracy of the drawing and
cutting of the parts allowed for them to be fitted together tightly with little need for glue, which
kept the construction and final model tidy.
The next step was making a pliable figure which could climb the stairs. This was done using wire
because, like the MDF, the wire was an honest industrial product which complimented the visual
and the concept behind the whole project.
The next stage was photographing the model with the figure. To do this a set was made up which
used artificial light to replicate how day light would travel through the space. With a camera fixed
to the angle which showed the whole profile of the staircase multiple shots could be
taken. Between each shot the figure had to be manipulated to show it climbing the stairs, until it
had reached the mezzanine level.
The completed photos were then formatted on Photoshop ready for the animation software. At
this stage it was decided to extract the colour out of the images and leave them black and white,
like a Victorian photograph. This lack of colour in the images ensured no attention was given to
the materials used in the model and all focus was on the movement of the figure which gave the
animation an antique quality.
The last stage was to put the photos into an animation software, GIFmaker.me, online. The
programme allowed me the size of the images and the speed they changed to be edited. When the
images had been organised in the correct order, the animation was then saved and published
online.

The outcome of the animation gives the visual a fun and energetic quality. This entertaining
character gives a real sense of how the proposed space will work and how users will interact
with it.

THREE

Altogether the three visuals communicate different a characteristic and element of the proposal
through the trial and testing of different software and presentation styles.
Each technique used, be it physical or virtual model-making, photo taking or editing or one of the
others used, plays an important role in the steps which lead to a completed visual. Layering these
techniques expresses certain elements of a concept and all together tell a story of a design. In
this instance, they show the how the proposed material choice will work with the existing and how
these materials will help create the illusion of a light weight staircase as well as how users will
eventually interact with the space.
Communicating elements like this is a vital role of a designer as it will sell a schemes, ideas and
proposal to a clients.
After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.