Ruskin's Hike

[ruskin’s hike]
casts, cabinets, monoprints, munros
& bothies
schiehallion in five acts
by
jemima brakspear, pauline ramos, and sophie lewis-ward
{mapping a munro}
adam house

abstract
prolepsis
the retelling of our project will begin with a prolepsis, or a ‘flash-foward’
by starting at the end we are able to show the outcome outside of the proper time
frame and give better context as we go through our journey
part I- the bothy [6]
{proposal}
[bothy] - basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge
part II- the plot [58]
{questions and methods}
monoprints
tracing
folding paper
cabinet in five acts
precedents
our characters guide us through the methods that formed our design, each shaping
the final outcome
part III- post script
part III- post script [112]
{appendix}
video
further explorations
last words
2

bothy
basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of
charge.
these postcards function as markers,
connection of our project’s parts, the
video, exhibition and catalogue
their placement marks the page, area
or scene as belonging to a certain
method or theme, allowing the
reader to draw links more easily
monoprint
unruly, chaotic, unpredictable.

in stagecraft, a spike is a marking, usually
made with a piece of tape put on or
around the stage
it is used to show the correct position
for set pieces, furniture, actors and other
items which move during the course of a
performance and are required to stop or
be placed in a specific location
phosphorescent tape can be used to mark
locations under dark conditions
following our method we traced over
it and simplified its form to use as
place markers but also as hatches for
materiality
4

character descriptions
characters
process- figures that play an important role in shaping the narrative
monoprint
tracings
paper
unruly, organic, unpredictable
rigorous, thorough, precise, thick, complex,
layered
garnments, folded, ridged, cloaked, cagoule-like,
wind-breaker
zinc
timber
additional props
roofing, practical, protection, lining
warm, dwelling inside, malleable

part 1- the bothy
[bothy] - basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge.
schiehallion
perth & kinross
50°40’10” N 4°07’43”W
a site in proximity of a rock circle was chosen due to the connection to act five:
man; but also adjacent to a rivulet, cut into the path to make way for water
thus allowing a link to act one: water
as a way of echoing such features of the mountain on our architecture we mirrored
the rock circle with a circular fire pit where man can congregate around
a deep fold in the roof is placed aligned to the rivulet, so to collect rainwater and
direct it into the same flow of water streaming though the siteW
the finale
all characters unite on the stage, the plot is revealed
6

site plan
[1:1000]
site showing rivers, rivulets, contours,
paths and bothy
north up

8

site plan
(1:200)
line drawing
north up

the bothy and the stone circle:
a relationship in tension
[no scale]
black and red
north up
10

site section
[1:500]
section bb and schiehallion’s peak
towards west

selection of site
[no scale]
hatching and tangents mark off our site
12

tangents:
selecting the site
[no scale]
black and white

{design}
forms
the roof shape was derived from one of the folded paper models, which
was turned over forming a series of sloped planes
this was then traced, tangents added and overlaid to form a complex
series of densely layered drawings
by dividing the lines into primary and secondary, the overall shape of
the bothy was informed
replicating the layered drawing, we have designed an architectural
language of layers, each responding to different tangents
the build-up of our walls and roof reflects this
nooks
in the spaces created by the diverging layers we have positioned nooks to be
used as sitting spaces and storage,
allowing the walls to become occupied spaces
hooded architecture
our architecture is also one of cloaked forms due to the harsh nature of the
environment, creating protected hooded spaces
external wall
external wall
a further wall extends away from the building and functions as protection
from the prevailing south west wind, allowing tents to be pitched in a
protected area
roof plan
[1:100]
north up
14

roof plan
(1:100)
line drawing

{program}
stage {plan} is divided into 4 areas : sleeping, eating, washroom and outside
the bothy serves as a shelter for those who ascend or descend schiehallion
for protection from the elements or for an overnight stay
orientated on the site so that dining area can be filled with morning light towards
the east, and the sunrise can be enjoyed over the rock circle
firepit to west to benefit from views of setting sun but still protected under hood of
roof against elements
floor plan
[1:100]
north up
16

floor plan
(1:100)
line drawing

tangents:
the development of
the plan
[no scale]
north up
18

this series of drawings shows the development of the form
for the bothy
beginning with a folded card maquette, we progressed by
tracing its outlines, shadows and folds, then hatched the
forms created by the overlapping lines
our site informed the placement of the bothy due to the
rivulet running through it but also the proximity to the
path
we continued to landscape the surrounding areas marked
out by further tangents, expanding our architecture into
schiehallion
the layers began to inform the materiality of the ground
below and their mirrored relationship with the roof

a
a
section aa
(1:50)
20
line drawing

b
22
b
section bb
section section aa bb
(1:50)
(1:50) (1:50)
line drawing
line drawing line drawing

the lower section of the roof is tilted and v- shaped mimicking the rivulets
that run under and around it
the roof pours all of its water towards this central valley and it is then shed
onto the natural path of the rivulet
the folding roof’s shape is derived from the folding paper technique and is
brought into the real construction by employing a zinc roof that folds itself
along lines tangent to the site
the west plane of the roof is tilted up towards east in order to direct the
smoke from the external fire away from the entrance to the bothy
the folds to direct the smoke speaks the same architectural language as folds
that manipulate the direction of rainwater to the desired location
the addition of an internal wood burning stove has allowed the introduction
of an vertical element to the roof in the form of a chimney
24

section aa
(1:50)
simplified
line drawing

the development of the sections
[no scale]
the development of the sections commenced by interlocking two maquettes,
forming a roof and ground
the form created was traced and then taken into three dimensions, in order to
better visualise the wall/roof connection
these drawings were unsuccessful but provided a solution for these awkward
junctions
26

section bb
(1:50)
technical line drawing

the stage
{materiality}
zinc was the chosen material for the roof as it is sufficiently sturdy for such a
harsh environment and requires a layered contruction build up, which is in line
with our methods
furthermore, its thinness and form (sheet) allows it to be folded in a similar
technique to how we folded card
timber, then created a welcoming and warm interior environment
scottish larch, specifically, is a local timber variety and this is easily souced, and
durable for the external cladding
we selected limestone paving for certain areas due to its durability and resistance
to water and wear
28

materiality plan
[1:200]
1. timber- scottish larch
2. stone- limestone pavement
3. metal- steel
1:200 materiality plan
1. wood - scottish larch
2. stone - limestone pavement
3. metal - steel

the four elements
this drawing shows the four elements to our design: the ground,
the stage, the walls and the cloak
firstly, we carved into schiehallion, creating a space that was
embedded into the rocky ground, and hence a sheltered enclosure
secondly, the stage is divided into its functional spaces by playing
with different floor heights, each with their own designated stage
material
next, the walls act as an intermediate element between the uneven
ground and roof [our main elements]
finally, the folded cloak encompasses all of the elements below
providing a protective shell
30

[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
exploded isometric
line drawing
monoprint background

north elevation [1]
[no scale]
line drawing
the image below highlights the relationship that the stone circle
fire pit holds with the surrounding topography
32

north elevation [2]
[no scale]
rendered

east elevation [1]
[no scale]
line drawing
34

east elevation [2]
[no scale]
rendered

[1]
36

[1] section bb on monoprint
[1:100]
line drawing
black monoprint
[2] sketch of building
[no scale]
[2]
black pen on trace

development sketch
section
[no scale]
38
pen on trace
digital trace overlaid

asbtracted south-west
visualisation
[no scale]
line drawing with photograph of site

the bothy on monoprint
[no scale]
line drawing
multicoloured monoprint
we are using our monoprints as a cohesive
ground texture and visualisation method
40

[1] [2] [3]
model
[1:50]
card
[1] west facade
[2] roof detail
[3] wall-roof connection

due to schiehallion’s remote location electricity is not a possibility, so the
introduction of daylight through floor-roof height openings will be vital
during summer months
however, schiehallion’s location means that come the winter season it will be
cold, wet and crucially, dark
candles and fires will therefore, be the key sources of light and heat in our
bothy, creating a cosy home atmosphere within
the fires will be fuelled by peat which is stored within a nook in our multilayered
wall
the light, heat and smoke given off by fire is represented in these [night time]
atmospheric drawings
fire in the home has been central to a plan layout for decades and invites
communal gathering and socialising
the mugs and plates that accompany our bothy to cook and eat with are
communal with the expectation that everything is left in the condition it is
found [this also includes the toilet and furnishings]
42

light study
[no scale]
night
isometric

light study
[no scale]
night
section aa
44

fern exploration
a great victorian craze, pteridomania (pterido
being latin for ferns) was the huge love affair for
ferns and all things fern-like in britain between
1840s and 1890s
bracken is the most widespread fern species,
covering large areas of scotland's moors and
uplands
unlike many ferns, bracken dies back in winter,
leaving brown, withered fronds that pepper the
landscape
bracken grows in moist soil where wet flushes
occur – the ground below the valley gutter will
provide the ideal conditions for them to flourish
46

{models}
the models consists of card folded, plaster casts and metal sheets
as a method, making models has enabled us to test our designs integrity
parts of model
sheets of card
laser cut
model
[1:50]
layered card on mountboard
top view
48

south east frame south frame east drawing north frame
north east frame south drawing gutter detail

model
[1:50]
model
card
close up of layered wall build up
[1:50]
card
top view,roof removed
50

making the model: a series of timeframe
14:21:30 14:19:25 15:02:12 14:25:43
14:45:01 14:58:52

52
schiehallion ground
lichen patterning echo the mono print marks.

CASTS
{ground}
the casts represent ground for our models
it was chosen for its fludity, allowing it to take up
whatever form we desire but also its mass when dry
the block provide a solidity required when
representing the ground of schiehallion whilst also
having the roughness and richness of the stone

bothy through monoprint
by going back to our technique of monoprinting and making our drawing using
those , we are able to link our proposal back to the methods that allowed it to be
developed
[red]
[black]
[purple]
downstage
upstage
characters
{cut}
{behind}
{within}
54

56

58
we now go back to the start of this story, how it all began ...

part II- the plot
monoprints
method for reading our five acts in the same language and bringing the five
elements of schiehallion into the same stage and allowing for dialogue
tracing
folding paper
cabinet in five acts
precedents

60

62

64

the site
in section
schiehallion in plan [2]
[1:10000]
grey
monotype
[1:20]
multicoloured
monotype
66

stone circle in plan
the cabinet in plan cabinet frame elevation the cabinet in five acts
heather texture
the process involves the mixing of ink with
magnesium powder to achieve desired
viscosity, then rolling the ink onto a flat
surface with a roller to form an even think
layer
a sheet of thin paper is then carefully placed
over the inked surface, then layered over is
another sheet containing the accurate line
drawings
next, a pen, roller, or hand is used to follow
the lines, pressing the paper onto the ink
and marking the sheet
once all lines have been make, the sheet is
carefully lifted and left to dry
schiehallion path

part II- the plot
monoprints
tracing
tracing, manipulating and repeting overlaid elements
on monoprints, finding patterns and motifs
folding paper
cabinet in five acts
precedents
68

informing the plan
[1:100]
pencil on trace

70

forms in tension
[1:50]
pencil on trace

72

schiehallion in plan
[1:10,000]
in grey
monotype

74

locating man
[1:20]
pencil on trace

defining chaos
this drawing is an attempt to summarise the monoprint tracing process
by layering multiple tracings, one creates new shapes, forms and outlines
that can be picked out from the chaos
it allowed a free exploration of the potential arrangement of spaces within
our architectural intervention
as we progress through this technique, the strict, controlled character of our
tracings is questioned and becomes a more open methodology for generating
and guiding the first steps to an conclusion {architectural proposal}
76

tracing the thickness
[no scale]
line drawing
cad

part II- the plot
monoprints
tracing
folding paper
folding of copy of traced prints as method to derive architectural
language and form
use of tangents and lines on tracing as folding and cutting points
cabinet in five acts
precedents
elegant, fashionable, streamlined
78

folded paper maquette
[top view]
red
card

[1]
[1] roof nets
[2] folded ground
[3] net inverted, creating new roof shape
[4] roof placed over grund shape
80

[3]
[2]
[4]

“fold here and twist there,
a bit of squeezing into shape,
a piece of paper becomes as solid looking as stone
no need to cart big blocks of marble up to your studio
when you can get results like this with lightweight materials” [1] [2]
82

[3] [4]
folded paper maquettes
[1] quote from bruce angrave british pathé
[2] tracings of folded models
[3] inverted roof
[4] interlocking roof and ground [top view]
[5] interlocking roof and ground [left view]
[6] interlocking roof and ground [right view]
[5] [6]

folded paper maquette
[no scale]
card
copy of traced monoprint
84

folded paper maquette
[no scale]
card
copy of traced monoprint

acts
ACT ONE ... water
follow the movement of the sunken manmade rivulets; the veins that flow from the
heart of schiehallion.
ACT TWO ... air and light
forest boundaries cut tangents, which cut contours, which creates a new landscape
of geometric planes.
ACT THREE ... plants
browse over a sequence of botanical drawings; held to view tilted in space.
ACT FOUR ... animals
peer through the transparent planes to unearth a series of frozen moments.
ACT FIVE ... man
slide planes that capture scenes from [mans] interaction with the mountain.
86

part II- the plot
monoprints
tracing
folding paper
cabinet in five acts
the cabinet holds the five acts together in relation to
each other and the site
the acts fuction as a device to curate our experience in
schiehallion and index it according the these acts
precedents

framework [steel]
the steel structure works to frame our acts and positions
them accordingly, setting the scene
it lifts, creates planes and allows hanging from performing
the tasks required of it
88

ACT ONE ... water
follow the movement of the sunken manmade rivulets; the veins that flow from the
heart of schiehallion.
[1]
90

[3]
“it is life-giving and it is wild
floods and storms have appalling forces; sea
can drown people, rivers carve out valleys
then too, rivers produce fertile plains and
forests
water works at the heart of life
and it works there by constantly moving”
[2]
[1] rivulet model
[2] water sketch
[3] mary midgley’s ‘philosophical plumbing’

water exploration
[no scale]
layers of rivers, lochs, cityscapes, waterbed
sections and contours
the site area is zoomed in to situate the rivulet to
its surrounding waterways
92

94
ACT TWO ... air and light
forest boundaries cut tangents, which cut contours,
which creates a new landscape of geometric planes.

ACT THREE ... plants
browse over a sequence of botanical drawings; held to view tilted in space.
[3]
[2]
[1]
96

oh, the summertime is comin’
and the trees are sweetly bloomin’
and the wild mountain thyme
grows around the purple heather
[5]
[6]
[1] calluna vulgaris botanical drawing- based on illustration by j. kops et al [1844]
[2] campanula rotundifolia botanical drawing - based on illustration by c. a. m. lindman [1917]
[3] onopordum acanthium botanical drawing- based on illustration by g. h. clark and j. fletcher [1906]
[4] rubbing of bracken
[5]wild mountain thyme- song about heather
[6] collage of nan shepherd’s ‘the living mountain’ and image of lichen
[4]

ACT FOUR ... animals
peer through the transparent planes to unearth a series of frozen moments.
puddock in motion line drawing study
one of the few animals glimpsed during our short visit to schiehallion were tiny froglets
fliting in and out of the mysterious pools of stagnant water dotting the path to the summit
98
paddock
[noun]
from scottish gaelic paddok, equivalent to pad meaning frog or toad

100
ACT FIVE ... man
slide planes that capture scenes from [mans] interaction with the mountain.

45.34
exploration on man
[no scale]
various scales of man and manmade
interventions on schiehallion are overlaid

[1] [2] [3] [4]
‘mans’ location at Schiehallion, past and
present, with the introduction of our
bothy
[an index]
[5]
[6] [7]
102

[8] [9] [10]
[1] stone circle fire pit
[2] stone circle [schiehallion]
[3]wood burning stove and fire
[4]communal mugs and plates
[5]muddy boots
[6] books
[7]candle
[8]sarah wigglesworth’s dinner
table - straw bale house [2001]
[9]sleeping bag
[10]metal gate [schiehallion]
[11]stone remains [schiehallion]
[12]tracey emin’s ‘my bed’
[11] [12]

part II- the plot
cabinet in five acts
monoprints
tracing
folding paper
precedents
james stirling’s university of leicester engineering department
bolles+wilson’s suzuki house
nan shepherd’s ‘the living mountain’
john ruskin
peter salter
104

exploration:
suzuki house + folded paper
[1:100]
digital line drawing
exploration:
james stirling + folded paper
[1:500]
digital line drawing

[1] [2] [3] [4]
progression
[1] map of schiehallion
[2] map with tangents drawn
[3] monoprint of map
[4] traced monoprint
[5] folded copy of monoprint
[6] traced image of model and stirling’s university of leicester elements
[5] [6]
106

nan shepherd
{scottish modernist writer and poet}
‘for unnumbered years, it has welled from the rock, and flown away
it does nothing, but be itself’
‘anywhere in the mountain, the air is clear everywhere and shadows are sharps
and intense’
‘deer seem to float; yet their motion is in a way more wonderful even then flight
the lovely pattern of the limbs is fixed to the earth and cannot be detached from it’
‘these people are bone of the mountain’
we curated our initial narrative as an adaption of nan shepherds novel ‘the living
mountain’
we all read the chapters before the site visit and established five key chapters to
help guide us throughout the day in schiehallion
these chapters have since remained crucial to our project and exist within our
bothy design

john ruskin
{leading english art critic of the victorian era, as well as an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist,
a prominent social thinker and philanthropist}
he did not enjoy the bag of hares; and betook himself instead to “
laborious eradication of a crop of thistles”
the days thus spent at crossmount are “among the few in my life,”
says, “which I remember with entire serenity, as being certain I co
have spent them no better”
“wise thoughts and wholesome sleep after them”
extract from the life of john ruskin by sir edward tyas cook
1. crossmount lodge
2. bracken – pauline ramos [pen, 2019]
3. rocks and ferns in a wood at crossmount – john ruskin [ink and watercolour, 1847]
108

he
uld
1.
the
3.
2.

[1]
stolen details
we studied and replicated elements of peter salters drawings, his book on walmer yard has been a constant refence point throughout
[1]peter salter’s technical section [original drawing]
[2] peter salter’s technical section [sketch]
[3]isolated details
[4]salter’s details incorporated in bothy section
peter salter
{british architect and academic}
110

[2] [3] [4]

post script
{appendix}
our video shows another iteration of our narrative, it is organised in the following
manner: the setting [water, air and light, plants, animals, man], the characters
[monoprint, trace, paper fold], and the conclusion [bothy]
old black and white footage is woven through the plot as a way of highlighting the
points we are making in a lighthearted manner
the following pages show a series of key frames, some highlighted further
112

isometric view of cabinet
ruskin’s hike
casts, cabinets, monoprints, munros,
and bothies
schiehallion in five acts
the setting
[schiehallion- a vast cabinet with
many drawers to open]
water
follow the movements of the shrunken
manmade rivulets; the veins that flow
from the heart of schiehallion
air and light
forest boundaries cut tangents,
which cut contours, which creates a
new landscape of geometric planes
plants
browse over a sequence of botanical drawings;
held to view titled in space
animals
peer through the transparent planes to unearth a series
of frozen moments
man
slide planes that capture scenes from
[mans] interaction with the mountain
the characters
[process- figures that play an important role
in shaping the narrative]
monoprint
unruly, chaotic, unpredictable
stone ruins
114

clean-up process of monoprinting
folded maquette
trace
rigorous, thorough, precise
paper fold
elegant, fashionable, streamlined
the conclusion
[bothy- all characters unite on stage,
the plot is revealed]
bothy
basic shelter, usually left unlocekd and a
vailable for anyone to use
free of charge

further explorations
throughout the course we have engaged in additional explorations which has not
directly informed our design but remained an important part of our entire process
they include a variety of media studies looking at literature, welding and collage,
which all indicate where a change in design direction has occurred
116

study for possible facade treatment
[no scale]
shape derived from contents page of ‘the living mountain’ overlaid
with monoprint
blocked at interactions between both layers

collage
cut, move, place and overlay
118

tracing of welding joints
[no scale]
the fluid, clumsy and unpredictable joints relate
to the undulating contours and topography of
schiehallion

‘to know being, this is the final grace recorded from the mountain’
the end
{final words}
We have thoroughly enjoyed our exploration into schiehallion, shelters and
scripts and have experimented with new medias and explored different methods of
architectural representation
Working as a group has been stimulating and rewarding and we have been
introduced to interesting drawing skills and challenged to question all design
decisions
[ruskin’s hike]
cast, cabinets, monoprints, munros and bothies
the end.
120