Design [over] Site

Design Over Site

Site Over Design

Group Digital Portfolio Submission

Module ARC8058/68 Linked Research

Academic Years 2021-2022 & 2022-2023

Tutors: Katie Lloyd Thomas & Will Thomson

MArch Architecture, Newcastle University APL

Anushka Juneja, John Roberts & Zongshui Jiang

Prologue: Site [Over] Design

Critical Research Statement 05

Project / Document Evolution 07

Part A Engaging The Building Site Facade

Investigating and Reimagining Construction Hoardings

Chapter 01: Interpreting

Hoardings: What, Why & Where? 15

Typologies: Materiality & Functionality 17

Typologies: Building Site(s) 19

The Nitty Gritty: Rules & Regulations 31

Literature Review 33

Chapter 02: Documenting

Newcastle Upon Tyne 39

United Kingdom & Ireland 55

The World (well, nearly) 71

Chapter 03: Engaging

03a Access Denied 85

03b A Kit of Parts 99

03c Scaffolding & the City 117

Part B Perceiving The Building Site

Interrogating Methods of Representation

Chapter 04: Framing

Sites of Enquiry 131

Introducing the Window 141

Chapter 05: (mis) Representing

Exhibiting The Building Site 147

Unfolding The Building Site 151

Chapter 06: (re) Presenting

06a Crossing the Threshold 165

06b Temporality & Time 169

05c Ridg(e)id Hierarchies 173

Chapter 07: Appendix

Process / Additional Work 179

Epilogue: Site [Over] Design

Critical Reflections 197

Research Bibliography 199

Anushka Juneja

From: Surat, India

BA Degree: APIED, India

Experience: Two years in architectural practice

@ Studio ii with lots of first hand site experience

and interaction with the workers, gaining

information from their practical knowledge.

Favourite Hoarding: Scaffold Tunnel

John Roberts

From: Sheffield, England

BA Degree: Liverpool, United Kingdom


@ HCD Architects, but limited experience of

the construction site outside of a few summers

working with a small-scale builder.

Favourite Hoarding: Timber Panels

Zongshui Jiang

From: Hefei, China

BA Degree: Hefei UoT, China


@ Bianyugou-Zao, although visits to site were

unfortunately restricted due to the ongoing

pandemic, mainly working remotely instead.

Favourite Hoarding: Scaffold Mesh

Site / Design Design / Site

Contents Page & Team Introductions

01

02

Prologue Site [Over] Design

Research Preface & Project / Document Evolution

“The separation between the design and its execution

is a specificity of the construction field - a version of

the separation between the tasks of conceiving and

prescribing, and those of realising, which is a typical

feature of capitalist production on the whole”

Sergio Ferro

03

04

Design [Over] Site Site [Over] Design

‘Site [Over] Design’ is a linked research project that stems from Transforming Ferro/

Transforming Knowledge (TF/TK), a project based on the works of the Brazilian-

French architect and theorist Sergio Ferro (About Sergio Ferro — TF/TK, 2022). TF/TK

is an initiative that intends to respond to the global crisis in the building industry by

looking at Ferro’s primary inquiry of research – that is about the relationship between

architectural design, the construction site, and production and labour of building. The

focus of TF/TK is to ‘advance the critical understanding of this relationship with the

aim to foster, responsible and just alternatives and develop urgently needed field of

Production Studies’ (About the TF/TK Project — TF/TK, 2022).


Critical Research Statement

Ferro’s work sheds light on the reality of the building site today, which contradicts

the humanist social aim of architecture in general. He argues that “architecture’s very

existence is predicated on the separation of design from the construction site” (About

the TF/TK Project — TF/TK, 2022). Through his works, he indicates that the role of

the labour power on the building site is just that of a service provider rather than a

collaborator and this is owing to the capitalist production of value in architecture.

Hinging upon a central focus of workers and the construction site in TF/TK, the primary

aim of this research is to further explore the issues and relation between architectural

design and practical aspects of the construction site. The linked research brief is

named ‘Design [Over] Site’, titled as a direct reference that pays homage to Sergio

Ferro’s key text, Dessin Chantier: The Design and The Building Site (Thomson, CSM

Event 2022). We have chosen to retitle the production of this project as the reverse

of that, in order to clearly depict how, for us, the focus has drastically shifted from

the viewpoint of design i.e. the architect, to that of the worker on the building site.

‘Site [Over] Design’ is therefore a means of investigating the building site beyond its

edges and shifting attention to the social dynamics of the site. We are bringing to the

forefront our experiences of uncovering the building site and the methods that we

devise to represent them.

The work that we have produced for this project, as shown in this document, has

predominantly been separated into two distinct sections, as below.

PART A | Engaging the Building Site Facade

Investigating Construction Hoardings

PART B | Perceiving the Building Site

Investigating Methods of Representation

Part A is a summative collection of our interpretations, documentations and individual

analysis drawn from encounters with exterior of the building site. This represents a

perspective for experiencing the exterior of the building site. Part B offers a change of

view, by moving within the interior of the building site. Crucially, it explores how this

new perspective can be represented, in a variety of mediums.

The study and practice of architecture, and therefore architects themselves,

lie on the threshold between this division. Figuratively speaking, we sit atop

of the hoarding looking both inward and out. We are so closely associated

with the practice of construction, and yet we spend the majority of our

time isolated from the where this work is physically carried out, despite

having ‘designed’ it.

By dividing this body of research into two parts, we are therefore able to

showcase our understanding and interpretations of the building site from

both the inside and outside, striving to analyse and represent the journey

of crossing this threshold. We have worked through this process together,

although at certain points we found it better to represent it individually.

By doing so, we were able to contrast and compare our findings with each

other, allowing us to build up a more comprehensive understanding as a

collective.

05

06


Project / Document Evolution

07 08

Part A

Engaging with the

Building Site Facade

Building Site Facade

Investigating and Reimagining

Construction Hoardings

Engaging The Building Site Facade

‘Engaging The Building Site Facade’ began with reading about the ‘Constructing

Post War Britain: Building workers’ stories (Constructing post-war Britain |

University of Westminster, London, 2022). This project compiles the stories of

workers who constructed important examples of post-war architecture and

infrastructure such as the Barbican development, M1 motorway, Sizewell A

Nuclear Power Station, The South Bank Arts Centre, and Stevenage New Town.

These stories are told from the perspective of building workers, and they throw

light on the social and technical gap in the construction industry. The project

focusses on ‘a subject which has been largely ignored’ (Constructing post-war

Britain | University of Westminster, London, 2022) – understanding architectural

design and the construction site via the point of view of building workers from

their oral histories which are ‘an invaluable record of working life’ (Constructing

post-war Britain | University of Westminster, London, 2022) in the industry.

The architectural education system as well as the profession of architecture pays

little to no importance on the construction site away from the construction itself.

As architecture students with limited experience in the field, we headed into this

research with a very confined knowledge of the building site. Reading, discussing,

and trying to understand from the Building Workers’ Stories, we started observing

the various construction sites around us; leading to an immediate change in our

perception of the construction site. Our limited knowledge of the site that came

from our education and experience was altered. Looking at the building site

was not only about the building itself but also was a means to understand the

workers and learn from their experiences. Noticing these sites, we realised that

hoardings are the gateway to the construction site and are the initial physical

and visual barrier due to which one cannot look at or experience the activities

happening beyond them. We began observing hoardings all around us and it

has now become a natural reflex for all of us ever since we started engaging with

this research.

Hoardings, which are a legal requirement for any construction site, have become

such a normal part of life that they just fade into the background as we pass them

on a day-today basis. They are a screen between the life of the city and the life

of the building site; becoming both the literal and physical edge between a site

and its context. We see hoardings everyday becoming a backdrop to our daily

walks (Octink, 2019), but rarely do we stop and look at what they are masking.

They ensure that the life beyond them remains hidden away and the life outside

of them continues as normal. These visual barriers not only hide the life inside

the site but also hide the workers who are involved in the building process. What

starts off as a tangible, visual barrier can now be interpreted as a perceptual and

emotional barrier.

Analysing the hoarding was the first step we took towards understanding

the building site. By looking at the hoarding instead of the building itself, we

“examined the space of production, i.e., the building site, through familiar

conceptual tools that architecture usually employs for thinking about buildings

and form” (Will Thomson, Concrete Experiments). We went in depth of the

fundamentals of the hoarding and its typologies based on which we were able

to categorise distinct types of building sites. Along with observing hoardings

all around us, mapping and compiling them, we engaged with the hoarding

itself through which we developed our individual lines of research inquiry. These

interests were then refined and represented distinctly by each one of us. “By

using the visual capacities and training that we developed in architecture” (Will

Thomson, Concrete Experiments), the building site that usually go un-observed

or un-theorized in architecture has been brough to the forefront.

Engaging The Building Site Facade

Part A: Introduction & Outline

11

12

Chapter 01 Interpreting

Hoarding Typologies, Sites & Regulations

“Architecture forms part of a larger whole,

that of the entire scope of construction”

Sergio Ferro

13

14

Hoarding Analysis

Hoardings are, by definition, temporary structures of solid

construction, erected around the perimeter of any construction

site. Despite their temporary and incidental nature, they are

important and necessary structures that serve a purpose. They

are primarily there to protect the passers-by from site-work and

to keep the construction work concealed, but the benefits of

hoardings are multifold.

Hoarding Interpretations

What, Why & Where?

- The practical benefits like ensuring the safety of site-workers,

visitors as well as the general public from dust, flying debris

and various hazards.

- Preventing any unauthorised access and keeping

the construction site secure of any intruders. Also, the

safeguarding of the site and workers from theft or vandalism

of any kind.

- Shielding activities happening on the construction site from

public view generating interest amongst the people.

- For marketing and advertisement purposes of various

companies or organisations involved in the construction

project which eventually helps in brand awareness and

recognition.

- They are the ideal locations for displaying any important

information, warnings or wayfinding signages for the general

public.

- Showcasing the final product of the construction and

generate anticipation and buzz around the project.

- These are also used to restrict access to public or vehicles

from entering certain areas and divide zones.

- Hoardings may also used to spread a message in the society

or generate community engagement.

Different sites require different types and forms of hoardings.

These types may vary due to factors such as the location of

the site, the site conditions, the use of the hoarding and what

it is required for, the type of construction, the time period of

construction work, site climate and context and many more.

We observed these different types of sites and hoardings and

segregated them into two typologies:

01. Hoardings based on functionality and materiality

02. Hoardings based on the typology of site

The following pages aim to distinguish these typologies and

breakdown their individual characteristics, starting with materiality

before explaining the types of site.

15

16

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is usually used for construction sites above

ground and have been traditionally used for many years.

Scaffolds can be made of various materials such as steel

bars, aluminium, bamboo, wood and many more.

PVC Composite Hoarding

PVC Composite Hoardings are multi-purpose and can be

used in any type of environment or climatic conditions.

These are quick to fix and remove so can very easily be

used in temporary sites where a visual barrier is required.

Scaffolding Tunnels

This type of hoarding is used when a safe passage

through a large construction site must be created. These

are generally used in city centres or malls where a clear

secure path from the construction is required for the

general public to pass.

Mesh Hoarding

These are see-through mesh panels which are generally

used at temporary sites where a visual barrier is not

required like at a roadworks site. Mesh panels cannot be

used for longer periods as these can’t withstand high

wind pressures. These are generally used on temporary

site as they are easy to put up and move around.

Timber Hoardings

Timber hoardings are the traditional and the most

common choice. They are the lowest-costing but are the

least robust on their own. For support, these can be set in

concrete, post-mounted or installed with concrete blocks

used as counterweights.

Half Mesh / Half Solid Hoarding

This combination of mesh and solid hoarding is ideal

for areas that have high winds such as coastal and rural

areas. These allows the wind to pass through whilst also

offering better site visibility.

Steel Hoarding

These galvanized steel hoardings are strong,

heavy-duty flat or corrugated panels. These

are used where site security is required.

Exterior Hoarding

Hoardings differ according to the space and context they

are to be put in. The exterior hoardings have a different

ground fixing system to the interior ones.

Hoadring Typologies

Materiality & Functionality

Aluminium composite Hoarding

Aluminium composite are the perfect balance between

steel and timber hoarding because of the reasonable cost

and adequate robustness. These are appropriate for most

projects and can have a clear and simple aesthetic as

they are the easiest for graphics to be applied onto.

17

Interior Hoarding

Hoardings differ according to the space and context

they are to installed within. The interior hoardings are

wall systems that be used for partitioning or restricting

interior space temporarily.

18

Site Typology 01

The Large Building Site

MAJOR / LARGE

CONSTRUCTION SITE

01 The Large Building Site

These sites are typically found to have Timber or PVC composite

hoardings. They often have a large amount of imagery along

their outer faces because they are often to become commercial

buildings so there is the need to ‘sell’ the project, with the

large graphics being the easiest way to achieve this. This can

also result in a higher level of innovation on the facade of the

hoarding, although this would typically be confined to elevation

with quieter, back-streets often left plain and unbranded due

to the lower levels of passing footfall.

At such sites, the hoardings are often place right up to or on the

outer edge of the pavement leaving little dedicated space for

passers-by. This can also sometimes lead to a new pedestrian

route being required which spills out into the road, thus having

a knock-on effect on the traffic. When compared to other site

typologies, there is highest level of worker and vehicle activity

going into and out of the site, often requiring multiple entryexit

gates with security systems in place.

19

20

02 The Spillover Building Site

SPILLOVER SITE

These are the sites where construction activity begins entering

the public realm of the street. This usually occurs when

restoration work is being undertake to the facade of a building,

requiring scaffolding for the workers to access the upper levels.

Typically, accomodations will be made to ensure the safe

movement of pedestrains via a tunnelled walkway below the

scaffold when work is confined to the upper floors, or a new

pathway around the scaffold if work is taking place at the street

level too. Additional precautions are often seen through the

wrapping of steel scaffold tubes with a sponge-like material.

Site Typology 02

The Spillover Building Site

21

This site engages differently the public when compared to other

typologies as the spillover creates new, unintended functions

such as cover for nearby workers taking a smoke break or

enclosure for homeless people at night. Although classified as

an individual typology, the characteristics of these sites can also

be seen around large building sites, and sites within the block.

22

Site Typology 03

The Building Site Within A Block

SITE WITHIN

A BLOCK

03 The Building Site With A Block

Here, we find a building site that is sandwiched between

two other buildings or structures, commonly found within a

terraced street or block. This may be due to, or as a result of,

the demolition of a building which previously existed within

this space. Alternatively, the site could be in a transitional

state between these two phases, and as such is empty with

hoardings required between the two adjacent structures to

keep the public out. These may be in scaffold or timber form,

with only one entry-exit point onto the street.

23

24

04 The Abandoned Construction Site

Site Typology 04

The Abandoned Building Site

25

ABANDONED

CONSTRUCTION SITE

These are sites where construction work has been left

unfinished, postponed or stopped altogether due to a

multitude of problems, although finances are often a key driver

to any of them. The site is therefore lifeless and empty, although

its hoardings remain in place, becoming somewhat of a semipermanent

feature of the street(s) that the sites is on.

An irony can be inferred here, as the hoardings becomes the

finished element of the site, whereas the building (for which

the hoardings were erected for) is left unfinished.

26

Site Typology 05

The Temporary Building Site

TEMPORARY

CONSTRUCTION SITE

05 The Temporary Building Site

Temporary building sites exist as a conversion of public space

for the period of a short amount of time, often days or maybe

weeks, in order for maintenance work to be carried out. They are

most commonly be seen for roadworks, which may not strictly

be within an architectural realm, but can fall into the wider

construction sector if these works are part of a masterplan,

for example. Generally, lightweight hoardings such as heras

fencing or plastic bollards would be used to allow for a more

rapid assembly and disassembly of the site, although this is

dependant on the level of safety and restriction required. This

means they can change on a day-to-day basis, especially if the

work is completed out-of-hours, such as at night.

SPILLOVER SITE

27

28

INSTANTANEOUS SITE

Site Typologies 06

The Instantaneous Building Site

29

06 The Instantaneous Building Site

This typology is an extreme example of the ‘temporary’ building

site due to the need for restriction, or the implication of it, for

only a very short space of time i.e. less than a day. Examples

of this would be small restorative or redecoration work being

carried out, such as painting or window/door re-fitting. Because

of this, they do not necessarily require a ‘hoarding’ as such, just

a demarcation of the space that is required for the worker(s) to

carry out the necessary tasks, for instances plastic sheeting or

hazard-warning signs/cones.

30

Hoarding Rules & Regulations

Construction site hoardings are a legal requirement. The Health and Safety

Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation in Great Britain that stipulates

that all employers and the self-employed must take reasonable practical

steps to ensure the health and safety of the general public (Davies, 2022).

In compliance to this act and Construction (Design and Management)

Regulations 2015, it is required that the hoardings are set in place before

any construction work starts. Breaches of health and safety regulations can

result in an unlimited fine or even imprisonment if human lives have been

put in danger (Plasloc, 2022).

Under the CDM 2015, the principal contractor is obliged to plan, manage,

monitor and co-ordinate health and safety during a project’s construction

phase (Hoarding, 2021). However, as hoardings are classed as temporary

works, a Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) can be employed to oversee

the construction and removal of any hoarding. TWC’s are also responsible

for scaffolding and any other temporary structures that are used on site.

Within the Regulations, the specific sections relating to safety hoarding

and fencing are (Safesite Facilities, 2019):

Section 17- Safe places of construction work

This regulation states that action must be taken to ensure that no person

gains access to the construction site unless they have authorisation to do

so, and that the site must be made and kept safe for people working there.

Section 18 – Good order and site security

This regulation sets out the standards for cleanliness on construction sites

and highlights the requirement for clear perimeter safety signage and

fencing.

Safety Guidelines:

In order to protect the public and prevent access to a construction site,

there are various requirements for construction site hoarding, which can

be summarised into the following Safety Guidelines for Construction

hoardings (Plasloc, 2022):

- The hoarding should be high enough so that it cannot be scaled.

- The hoarding should be sturdy enough that it cannot be knocked down.

- The hoarding should obscure the site from view to deter theft and the

temptation for people to enter.

- Access to the site should be controlled via secure gates, access points, etc.

Planning Requirements:

Before any site hoarding is fitted, the principal contractor is required to

take adequate planning and provision (Plasloc, 2022):

- Take a risk assessment, identifying any hazards and assessing their risk

- Define the perimeter of the site that needs protecting

- Identify a suitable solution for protecting the site (hoarding, fencing, etc.)

- The contractor or TWC is then responsible for erecting any site boundary

and ensuring that it is equipped with sufficient warning and information

signage.

After a plan for the hoarding design is put in place, a relevant design check

certificate is to be obtained. This can be granted by a Temporary Works

Co-ordinator. The person granting the design check certificate needs to

ensure the proposed hoarding is compliant with a recognised code like BS

5975:2008 and that it is strong and suitable enough in the context of that

particular construction site. Hoardings also must be regularly inspected

and any maintenance, if required, should be done immediately (Plasloc,

2022).

Technical Requirements:

The recommend height for hoarding is 2.4m, although a height of at least 2m

is suitable for most building sites (Plasloc, 2022). However, for construction

sites located in city centres or where children might attempt to gain access

or a high-security site, a 3m hoarding is more suitable (Plasloc, 2022).

They need to be large and sturdy enough to remain firm when faced with

heavy winds, along with pedestrian and vehicular impacts (Hoarding, 2021)

Unless access is provided elsewhere, the hoarding also needs one or more

gates for pedestrians and/or vehicles with an access control system to

ensure security.

Other features installed with the hoarding include viewing panels,

information panels, lighting, and high-security toppings such as barbed

wire, razor wire or rotating spikes (Hoarding, 2021)

The Nitty Gritty

Rules & Regulations

31

32

Literature Review

Secondary Research Analysis

Literature Review

In addition to our primary narrative and focus in this section

- analysis of hoardings - we have also covered several other

aspects relating to the wider construction site, i.e. beyond the

hoarding itself. This has mainly been in the form of reading

existing literature and writing responses to them. The following

summaries aim to give a brief overview of this additional

reading, in the chronological order we read and discussed

them.

Building Workers Stories | University of Westminster

Led by a research team at the University of Westminster,

this series of booklets collated the stories and memories of

building workers from notable post-war architecture and civil

engineering construction projects. These were the Barbican

development, the M1 motorway, Sizewell Nuclear Power

Station, The South Bank Arts Centre, and Stevenage New Town.

All these stories provided us with a fascinating insight into each

project, from the alternative perspective of the workers who

lived and breathed their construction. In the case of The South

Bank Arts Centre, the construction workers were given a set of

drawings from the architects with a specified finish and form

for each piece of in-situ cast concrete. The method for how

to achieve this, however, was not specified and therefore this

responsibility for assembly was left in the workers hand, thus

giving them an element of power in the building process. This

narrative links into some of what Sergio Ferro is trying to better

understand through his writings, how the relationship design

[off site] and construction [on site] operates, and how this has

come to be.

“They designed where the walls were, they designed the cavity,

they designed the pattern, but not how to do it. We had to find

a way of doing that” [Building Workers Stories, The South Bank

Centre, Page 31].

Encounters With Labour | Will Thomson

‘Encounters with labour: migrant workers, architects and

building sites in China’ is an article written by William Thomson,

one of our tutors for the ‘Design [Over] Site’ project. It is a summary

of his knowledge and experience of Chinese construction sites,

as he tries to better understand the role of foreign architectural

design within the growth of the rapidly modernising Chinese

cities, with global architects using them as a “blank slate for

33

design…erasing place and context, an illusion sustained by

social and geographic distance” [Thomson, 2018]. We all found

the text very informative, with the revelations regarding some

of the health and safety procedures particularly eye-opening,

and Zongshui confirming this from his own experience

having worked in architectural practice in China for two years.

Furthermore, the separation between design and construction

is emphasised through the distinct classifications between the

architects and workers, highlighted by the ‘No Construction

Workers’ sign outside the offices of an architecture practice

William Thomson visited [Thomson, 2018].

Field Diaries | Prue Chiles & Carolyn Butterworth

Field Diaries is a chapter written for the book ‘Architecture and

Fieldwork’ and aims to summarise both authors experiences of

designing and building their own homes - something of a rarity

for architects, even if it is a commonly asked question when you

tell someone you work in the profession.

Oh, you do architecture. Are you going to design your own house?

The text outlines that Carolyn and Prue had differing experiences

of this process, with the key factors being the role of different

drawing types and their relationship with the builder who was

responsible for construction. In summary, what is evident is

the importance of “scratch notes” - the drawings that you work

out on site with the builder, creating solutions to problems as

and when they surface. As architects, we may often think that

because we draw ‘construction details’ we know the ins and outs

of a building’s assembly, however it is in fact the knowledge

of the builder that forms the foundation of construction, with

formal drawings instead only supporting the design intent.

Concrete As Weapon | Sergio Ferro

Ferro writes about architecture as the production of commodity,

whose ‘modern’ practices demanded a division of labour in

order to generate the highest profits. This attitude was seen in

the architectural drawing, whose language alienated builders,

couching them as ignorant manual labour. The situation was

exacerbated through isolating each part of the construction

process, which effectively gave architects complete control and

removed all agency from those who built their designs. In Ferro’s

conceptualisation of architecture, the process of designing

buildings could not be separated from their construction. He

witnessed the working conditions on site, the poor pay, lack of

34

food, the dysentery that was rife, and the dangerous building

practices that seemed to have no regard for the lives of the

workers. He saw these working conditions as part of a system of

organised repression and control, where the work camps were

controlled by a constant threat of violence.

“The proliferation of labor disputes was related to the accelerated

progress of industrialization, which led to the deskilling of labor,

lower wages, the imposition of stricter discipline in the factories,

and the increased influence of supervisory and management

personnel, which was vigor- ously contested by the workers” [Ferro,

2017 | Page 10].

Ferro offers a fascinating alternative perspective into the events

that led up to the French Revolution, and how the roles of unions,

such as the CGT, were influential in it. The CGT [Confédération

Générale du Travail or the The General Confederation of Labour]

was founded in 1895 with the intention to “offer workers a social

and political solution different from the socialism promoted

by political parties” [Ferro, 2017]. His use of abstract nouns to

describe and persuade the reader about the struggle that these

workers faced against the underlying capitalism - “for capital…

to repress strikes became a matter of survival”.

Ferro muses that the materialistic evolutions we have witnessed

throughout the changing periods of architectural style

were somewhat born out of this battle between the workers

and hierarchical powers that govern design. Construction

methodologies using iron and concrete were arguably

accelerated because of the workers striking, and although they

did not entirely replace the timber construction trade, of which

the workers held superior knowledge of, it did however create

a new craft. Iron and concrete could not be monopolised by

this new craft though, i.e. the skilled labour force, so they would

become weapons against them. The mason was now at war

with the mechanic.

Concrete did not come with any “alliances” between workers,

bypassing the traditional trades [Ferro, 2017]. It came with the

creation of the ‘technician’, - essentially engineers who hold

the know-how for a particular methodology or practice. This is

something that can be increasingly seen in modern architectural

practice with ‘architectural technicians/technologists’ who

are not involved in ‘concept/idea design’ work but instead in

work solely on ‘detailed design’ aspects of the job. This could

be an indication that design, theoretical then technical, has

been further removed even further from the physical acts of

construction.

The History of Architecture As Seen From The Building Site |

Sergio Ferro

We read the this text much more recently and as such we

have not yet compiled a written response to it, although we

unanimously agreed it was the most enjoyable reading to date.

The following quotes have therefore been chosen by the three

of us as interesting points to reflect on.

“The separation between the design and its execution is a specificity

of the construction field - a version of the separation between the

tasks of conceiving and prescribing, and those of realising, which

is a typical feature of capitalist production on the whole”

“The supposedly generous and dignified social mission of

architects had its feet in the muck, withthe rampant and shameful

exploitation of construction workers”

“We tried instead to develop a history that enables one to see both

head and feet at the same time —the magnanimous ideal and the

muck down below. A history of architecture seen from the building

site”

“There was no architect... He was a construction worker. His tool

was a construction divider, tracing what was to be done directly

onto the stone... it served to make immediate decisions on site.

Designing was not an external, separate activity, it was one of the

moments on the building site”

“Another symbol aptly expresses this change: instead of the large

divider, it is the handheld compass that now dominates - instead

of the instrument of production, the instrument of design. For the

first time during the period we are examining, there is a divorce

between design and building site.”

“Gone was the stone mason who onceerected walls and sculpted

columns. From then on, bricklayers to one side and sculptors to the

other”

“Workers no longer sold the fruits of their labour, but their labourpower

itself”

“In order to prove their own necessity, architects could not cling to

the logic of construction: this was still in the hands of the workers.

Their design had to go beyond. And precisely by going beyond, by

overtaking the logic of construction, architects had toeither fall

short or fake the impossible”

Literature Review

Secondary Research Analysis

35

36

Chapter 02 Documenting

The Hoarding Inventory

“The paradox of the building site lies in the

fact that, although inescapably essential to

the realization of architecture, the building

site must inevitably vanish, superseded by the

durable forms of the completed building”

Timothy Hyde

37

38

Hoarding Inventory 01

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Inventory 01 Newcastle Upon Tyne

We began our investigations of hoardings in and around the

city of Newcastle, where we study at University. This was where

we first started summarising our findings into the classifications

and typologies of hoardings. outlined in Chapter 01. It was at

this point that several interesting points of discussion were

raised, and key observations were made.

What can make construction spectactular?

Speed of assembly?

Size of site?

We rarely never see hoardings from the inside, only from the

outside, i.e. through the eye of the construction worker. What

do they see beyond their own construction site from within?

The following images in this chapter, throughout each section,

are a compilation of our own photography and explorations.

39 40

Newcastle University Business School



Newcastle Upon Tyne

Newcastle University

41



42


Newcastle Upon Tyne

Market Street

Market Street

Bigg Market

43

44

Cloth Market

Collingwood Street


Newcastle Upon Tyne

Riverside Walk

45

Grainger Town

46


Newcastle Upon Tyne

Bigg Market

Kings Gate

Dean Street

Pink Lane

47

48

St James Boulevard


Newcastle Upon Tyne

Pitt Street

49

Ridley Place

50

Albany Road


Newcastle Upon Tyne

Kings Gate

Pilgrim Street

Melbourne Street

51

52



Newcastle Upon Tyne

Cloth Market

53

Westgate Road

54

St James Boulevard


The United Kingdom & Ireland

Inventory 02 The United Kingdom & Ireland

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and

Northern Ireland. Bordering the latter is the Republic of Ireland.

Over the last year or so, we have each visited a number of cities

within the UK and Ireland. This has allowed us to photograph,

document, and compare the numerous hoardings we have

come across in these places, having initially just studied those

in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The most notable observation we made is that the hoardings

in major cities, such as the capitals, better utilise the entire

surface area of the external face than when compared to

hoardings in smaller cities or towns. This could be because of

the higher level of footfall that passes by their site every day,

resulting in a better opportunity to market either their own site,

or sell the space to a third party for advertisement. In London,

for instances, advertising space is likely to come at a premium

price so hoardings create additional an additional supply of it.

We have also observed several occurences where the renovation

of existing buildings has turned them into ‘mega scaffold’

structures, due to need for additional support to the existing

frame. Examples such as the renovation works on London’s Big

Ben or Glasgow’s School of art showcase their new exo-skeletal

forms, drawing a resonance to the high-tech era of architectural

design.

55

56

Belfast, Northern Ireland



Edinburgh, Scotland

57


58



Alnwick, England

Dublin, Ireland

Glasgow, Scotland

Dublin, Ireland

59

60

Dunbar, Scotland

Dunbar, Scotland



Edinburgh, Scotland

61

London, England

62




Dunbar, Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland

Sheffield, England

63

64

Dublin, Ireland



Edinburgh, Scotland

65

Sheffield, England

66

Edinburgh, Scotland



London, England

Whitburn, England

Carlisle, England

London, England

67

68

London, England

Whitburn, England



Cambridge, England

69

London, England

70


The World (well, nearly)

Inventory 03 The World (well, nearly)

Whilst compiling our inventory of hoardings, we realised we

were working across several scales of enquiry. Initially close to

home in Newcastle, then across the UK and Ireland and then

we zoomed out to a wider picture of the world. This was initially

because of Anushka and Zongshui’s first hand experiences of

construction sites across India and China, respectively, but then

also grew as a result of taking our interest in hoardings with us

when we travelled abroad throughout the year.

The differences in purpose, regulation, and innovation of

hoardings brought about interesting discussions within our

seminars. For example, what ‘conditions’ make construction

‘extraordinary’? Many of us have seen the fascinating

timelapses that show the speedy construction of the hospitals

in China that were rapdily built to match the demand following

the Covid-19 pandemic. On the complete opposite end of the

spectrum to that is the supposedly snail-paced works being

carried out to complete La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which

seemingly never ends! Despite their opposing timescales, the

construction sites seem equally frantic and important to their

respective stakeholders.

71

72

Surat, India

Mumbai, India

Mumbai, India



Vadodara, India

73

Surat, India

74



Mumbai, India

Hefei, China

Beijing, China

Mumbai, India

Mumbai, India

75

76

Barcelona, Spain

Salamanca, Spain



Freiburg, Germany

77

Freiburg, Germany

78



Old Town, Corfu

Freiburg, Germany

Old Town, Corfu

Old Town, Corfu

79

80

Chapter 03 Engaging

Individual Analysis, Mapping & Modelling

“The separation between the design and its

execution is a specificity of the construction field

- a version of the separation between the tasks of

conceiving and prescribing, and those of realising”

Sergio Ferro

81

N.B. The following chapter is split into three sections, where we have each endeavoured to engage

the hoarding via various means of representation. Initially, we were all tasked to select a particular

site from our hoarding explorations and analyse it in further detail. Whilst we have all done this to an

extent, certain aspects of the following work follow a more conceptual basis which stemmed from our

own personal interest and intrigue in the project. As per the table of contents, the work is ordered as

following: 3a Anushka Juneja, 3b John Roberts, and 3c Zongshui Jiang.

82

Heading into this research about the building site and its

workers and hoardings, I realised, very quickly how less

observant I was towards this edge between the site and its

context. As an architect, what always mattered was the work

happening beyond the hoarding, something that the hoarding

was supposedly concealing from the rest of the world. But

looking and observing different construction sites with respect

to hoardings became a natural reflex after engaging with

this research. Looking at hoardings, I was intrigued as to how

a hoarding would be inferred in different ways relating to its

immediate context. Through my investigation, I have tried to

understand and look at hoardings in two ways primarily:

My main analysis is that a particular hoarding typology reacts

to its context in different ways according to where and how the

hoarding is put in place. The main steps of my research that I

have elaborated further upon in the next few pages are:

Hoardings: Analysis

AJ - Engaging The Hoarding

03a Access Denied

Anushka Juneja

a.

b.

Hoarding – in itself

By uprooting the hoarding out of its context and observing

it as the mundane edge which is present to demarcate a

divide and ensure safety of the general public. I tried to

understand the hoarding in itself, without the layers that

are added on to it for various reasons – be it advertising,

enticing customers, brand recognition or anything else.

Hoarding – in context

By observing hoardings as we see them – in the context of

the construction site. I tried to understand the relationship

between hoarding and its surrounding and the impact it has

on the passer-by’s in different situations and circumstances.

“Our human way of understanding is often based on context –

we tend to try and understand the background scenarios before

we attempt to make a decision, on what to do next or on what

to believe. We can prove the validity of context through many

examples; one of which is the Ebbinghaus illusion. This optical

illusion demonstrates how we interpret and evaluate what we

see, and experience based on what is around – the context.”

Ar. Naomi Mathew (Mathew, 2020)

83

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

I started with looking for a site wherein I could identify a

few different situations where the context of the hoarding

was different.

I studied the hoarding individually removing it from the

context. The elements that make a hoarding what it is and

its technical details. The working and the functioning of the

hoarding itself

I identified the different contextual situations in which the

hoarding is placed in the same site and have explored some

of them in depth.

One of my questions in this investigation is also how the

hoarding is the edge – and how it is reacted to from the

inside of the site.

84

Site introduction

The initial idea was to identify different situations of the

relationship between hoarding and its immediate context –

could be in one particular site or various sites. While looking

at hoardings around Newcastle, I came across this site in the

city centre wherein, at the first glance, I was able to identify

multiple such conditions.

The site is a large construction site in the city centre where a

multi-storey office complex is being constructed. It has multiple

entry-exit points – some for workers and a few for service

vehicles. I have identified the following contextual situations

between the street edge and hoarding.

Hoarding on the main road (Elaborated further ahead)

BANK HOUSE

Hoarding on the back street (Elaborated further ahead)

Hoarding on the main road – the junction where the

hoarding covers the pavement, and it becomes a part

of the construction site.

Hoardings on the inaccessible edge

Hoardings: Site Introduction


Bank House Site Location Plan

85

Unfortunately, due to rules and security measures on the site,

I was unable to gain access* to the site to explore in detail the

relationship between the hoarding and the site from inside. But

I have tried to – through pictures and glimpses of the inside I

got from the mesh gates.

* Upon visiting the site later on as part of the group site-visits, gave me a glimpse

to better understand how this edge relates to the inside of the building site. I

have further detailed this in the following poges.

86

Hoarding Modelling

18mm THICK WOODEN BOARD

FLOOD LIGHT

WOODEN PANEL TO

SECURE JOINT

1120 mm

1120 mm

The aim of this hoarding model was to keep the main focus on the hoarding itself,

its technical details and various elements attached onto it. I tried to replicate the

hoarding on the site via these models but consciously chose to take the colours out of

the hoarding model, which is very typical of an architectural model. By displaying the

hoarding as a plain entity, I keep focus on primarily the hoarding itself.

Hoardings: In Isolation

Hoarding Modelling

WOODEN PANEL FOR

SAFETY FROM ROAD

2200 mm

Isolated Hoarding and its elements - Front

FLOOD LIGHT

18mm THICK WOODEN BOARD

2200 mm

METAL/TIMBER RAIL TO

SUPPORT JOINT

METAL TRIANGULAR

SUPPORTERS

CONCRETE COUNTERWEIGHT

FOUNDATION BLOCKS

500 mm

Isolated Hoarding and its elements - Back

800 mm

300 mm

Hoarding Model photographs

87 88

Context 01_ Back Street edge of the site

There was a typical situation in the back street edges of the site,

there was an ongoing temporary road construction which left a

mere 2m alleyway for pedestrians. This made the pedestrian or

passer-by feel very unsafe and uncomfortable to pass through.

The hoardings on this edge were left blank and plain with little

to no advertising graphics.

BANK HOUSE

Hoardings: In Context[s]

Back Street Edge

Bank House Site Plan - Back street edges

89

90


Back Street Edge

Temporary Road Construction Site

2m Alleyway between site edge and

temporary site

Site Hoarding Edge

Axonometric 3D of the back street edge of the site

91 92

Context 02_ Main Street edge of the site

This is the typical situation on the main street edge of the site that

has heavy vehicular flow.

The hoarding is sitting directly at the threshold of the right of way as

the pavement was taken into the construction site and there was no

pedestrian access.

The hoardings are decked with company logos, advertisements, and

views and details of the upcoming project as these hoardings are

more visually accessible from far.

BANK HOUSE


Main Street Edge

Bank House Site Plan - Main street edges

93

94


Main Street Edge

Axonometric 3D of the main street edge of the site

95 96

To conclude my investigation, I would conclude that hoardings

are a blank canvas which can be interpreted and sculpted in

many ways. Hoardings not necessarily need to be a warning

that means ‘construction ahead.’ As designers, we could use

this opportunity to make the hoarding a medium through

which the building site can be explored and showcased via an

interesting lens to the general public. This can be acheived by

approaching hoardings more than temporary boundaries but

as a canvas during the phase of construction. Also, we should

be responsible in terms of how these hoardings are affecting

the pedestrians and keep in mind the ease of access and

practicality which I notice is not the case in few situations.

Hoardings: Conclusion


Hoardings - the inside edge

The outside of the hoarding is always given more attention

and is made visually appealing or used for various purposes.

However, I tried to look at the back of the hoarding and its

relation to the construction site itself. How are these edges

used from inside? How do the site workers treat this edge?

Hoardings from the back are just plain and have blocks for

support and hold them in place. These hoardings, in some

cases, have some instructions for the site workers stuck on

them or just some discussion drawings drawn onto in some

situations. These hoardings, from the inside, are essentially just

a secondary edge. There are heaps and piles of construction

materials or various other construction related items lying

next to this edge, which is the hoarding, essentially just exists

without paying much heed to. The actual edge is that of these

heaps and piles.

97

The primary purpose of this edge between the construction

site and the context – the hoarding is just for human safety and

to conceal the site itself. But there can be so much more done

and explored around this edge.

“Him I consider the architect, who by sure and wonderful reason

and method, knows both how to devise through his mind and

energy, and to realise by construction, whatever can be most

beautifully fitted out for the nobles needs of man, by the movement

of weights and the joining and massing of bodies.”

Leon Battista Alberti, This Then is the Architect

(Divisare, 2020)

98

The Lifetime of a Hoarding | Camden Town

The site of my initial studies is located on Camden High Street in London.

Although slightly set back from the road and pavement, the site has a strong

presence for pedestrians passing by on their way to Camden Market, which

is only a stone’s throw away, slightly further up the road. I chose the site as I

remembered seeing it whilst visiting London on several occasions when growing

up, subconsciously noting the oddity that it is within its context - a semi-derelict

structure surrounded by large, bland hoardings, directly across the street from

one of London’s most vibrant and frequented tourist markets, dazzling with its

array of craft and culture. Fast forward ten or so years to the summer of 2021

when I once again passed by the site whilst visiting the market, but this time

the site had finally received a facelift, with its new

function soon to be opened to the public. It made

July 2008 - July 2012

The main building is

covered in an illustrated

fabric and fronted

by a row of low-rise

independent retail units,

which seem busy .

me question what had been happening to the

site in the meantime, and how its appearance had

changed throughout that time. Using Google Street

View’s timeline feature, I was able to extract a series

of snapshots from several intervals to analyse. The

explorations were initially very informative and

brought about interesting conversations within our

seminars. I also compiled the snapshots into a short

video - click here to view.

Oct 2015 - July 2016

The mesh hoarding

has been replaced by a

plainly-painted timber

hoarding, presumably to

strengthen the security

of the site.

May 2017 - Mar 2018

Works on the renovation

of the building mean

scaffolding and

additional traffic

hoardings are required

for pedestrian safety.

Hoardings: Analysis

JR - Engaging The Hoarding

03b A Kit of Parts

John Roberts

99

May 2014 - May 2015

The retail units in front

of the building appear

to have ceased trading

and have been partially

covered with timber

hoardings.

July 2015

The retail units have

been demolished,

replaced by a wireframe

mesh hoarding with a

coloured fabric covering.

Jan 2021 - June 2021

The plain timber

hoardings have been

replcaed by more

vibrant, informative

hoardings depicting the

projects proposal.

July 2019

The scaffolding has

been removed with the

building now covered

in a mock fabric facade.

The plain timber

hoardings remain.

100

Hoardings: Analysis


Heart of the City | Sheffield

My mapping of hoardings continued back

at home, in Sheffield. I felt this was apt as

I spent most of my life growing up there,

and had returned there to undertake my

part one architectural experience following

my undergraduate degree in Liverpool.

Sheffield is no stranger to regeneration

projects due to its unique social history,

although they have, more often than 01not,

failed Heart to live of Sheffield up to the billing. Development Whether that

be the case for the latest one remains to be

seen.

The ‘Heart of the city’ development is a 500-million-pound project that aims to

reinvigorate Sheffield City Centre through the creation of a mixture of new and

repurposed buildings, alongside numerous public urban spaces, including a new park.

The scheme boasts that approximately 1.5m sqft of both new and existing floorspace INSERT will

PUN HERE

be formed, bringing with it the creation of around 7,000 new jobs, all with INSERT

PUN

the

HEREaim of

boosting economic growth by £3.7 billion by the year 2030. The impact of the proposals

stretches up to 7 hectares, so it has understandably been split into four separate phases,

The ‘Heart of the City’ development

is a £500-million project that aims to

of which one is complete and the second is well underway.

reinvigorate Sheffield City Centre through

the creation of a mixture of new and

repurposed buildings, alongside numerous

public urban spaces, including a new park.

The scheme boasts that approximately

1.5m sqft of both new and existing

floorspace will be formed, bringing with it

the creation of around 7,000 new jobs, all

with the aim of boosting economic growth

by £3.7 billion by the year 2030. The impact

of the proposals stretches up to 7 hectares,

so it has understandably been split into four

separate phases, of which one is complete

and the second is well underway.

Each phase of construction relates to a particular area of the development, and most the

individual sites that are currently under construction lie next to important pre-existing

routes through the city centre, for example, shoppers heading to The Moor, or students

and staff commuting to and from the universities. As such, the hoardings which separate

the construction sites from the public access routes play a key role in both their primary

intended function, safety, and security, and also that of marketing the scheme to

passers-by to inform them of what they can expect from it. Public response to the scheme

has been mixed right from the beginning when it was originally conceived, more than 15

years ago, through to more recently when key aspects of the proposal changed, such as

the unfortunate permanent closure of the retailer John Lewis, which has stood as a staple

ingredient to the city centre for many people’s lifetimes. Branding and selling the scheme,

therefore, plays a key role in how popular and successful it all is when it is completed.

The following montage is an analysis of a particular section of hoarding which lies along

one of the key routes through the development, bordering one of the larger sites.

101

!

i

?

Hazard Warning / Information

Site Entrance / Exit Gateway

Development Information

Site Location / Diversion Info.

Cliche / Generic Wordplay

Cliche / Generic Imagery

‘Sunny Day’ Visualisation

Informal Public Intervention

Vacant / Unused Panels

INSERT

PUN

Each phase of construction relates to a particular area of the development, INSERT HERE

PUN HERE Cliche / Generic Wordplay

and most the

Carlisle

House

Kangaroo

Cubo

Leah’s

individual Workssites that are currently under Yard construction John Lewis

Radisson

lie next to important pre-existing routes

(Closed)

Blu Hotel

through the city centre, for example, shoppers heading to The Moor,

Cliche

or students

/ Generic Imagery

and staff

Elshaw

commuting to and from the universities. House As such, the hoardings which separate the construction

Stirrings

Cambridge

Place

St. Collective

sites from the public access routes play a key role in both their primary

‘Sunny

intended

Day’ Visualisation

function,

safety, and security, and also that of marketing the scheme to passers-by to inform them of

Isaac’s

Grosvenor

Building

what they can expect from it.

Informal Public Intervention

House

‘Heart of Sheffield’

Telephone House

Burgess

House

Hoarding

Hazard Warning / Information

Site Entrance / Exit Gateway

Development Information

Site Location / Diversion Info.

Development Plan

Public response to the scheme has been mixed right from the beginning Vacant / Unused when Panels it was

originally conceived, more than 15 years ago, through to more recently when key aspects of

the proposal changed, such as the unfortunate permanent closure of the retailer John Lewis,

which has stood as a staple ingredient to the city centre for many people’s lifetimes. Branding

and selling the scheme, therefore, plays a key role in how popular and successful it all is when

it is completed.

The following montage is my analysis of a particular section of hoarding which lies along

one of the key routes through the development, bordering one of the larger sites. Above is a

key which annotates my interpretation of the function of each section of hoarding, whether

deliberate or otherwise. I have summarised my conclusions at the end of the montage.

!

i

?

? !

i

102

Hoardings: Analysis


WE’RE BRINGING

A MIX OF

MIXED USES

TO THE HEART OF

SHEFFIELD

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

i i

! i i ?

103

104

“THE NORTHERN

OF COOL”

Hoardings: Analysis


i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

105

i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

106

i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

The first two icons depicted on the collage, both in blue, relate

to the site itself and are placed there for the benefit of the

public to alert them about the dangers of the site, but also the

construction site workers as they pass in and out of the site. The

next five, all in grey, refer to signage on the hoardings which is

specifically placed solely for those passing by, i.e. the public.

Within these, there is information regarding the development,

wayfinding maps if a diversion has been caused by the works,

and what I have termed ‘generic’ content. By this I mean

cliché phrases or pictures which are deliberately designed

and placed to try to win over locals about the development -

maybe because, as I mentioned further up, public response to

the scheme has been mixed.

Hoardings: Analysis


“We’re bringing a mix of mixed uses to the heart of Sheffield”

“Welcome to the outside city… bringing the outside in”

This ‘generic’ content can be seen across the country on

hoardings, such as some that we documented in the UK and

Ireland section in chapter two. In whichever location it is

found, it aims to persuade the reader about the development

in positive terms. In the case of this hoarding, the building site/

process of construction could be a core value that is discussed

on the hoardings given Sheffield’s rich history of manufacture

and making. However, at no point does it mention the work

that is ongoing within the site. The only slight reference to it is

the sign which boldly states:

“Take a look behind the hoardings”

i

i

i

INSERT

PUN HERE

INSERT

PUN HERE

Upon reading this one would be forgiven for thinking that

scanning the QR code might lead to a webpage or video in

which the construction work that is being undertaken is

documented, recorded, or discussed - maybe the QR code

acts as a window to what goes on beyond. Alas, not. Instead,

a webpage filled with yet more generic, cliché text captions

and imagery, with no shortage of sunny day visualisations [a

rendered image of what the proposal will look like, from the

perfect angle with the lighting just right… not what it will

come across like in reality on a rainy November evening].

107

108

Hoarding Modelling | A Kit of Parts

The first two elements of my research had led me to the conclusion that hoardings are

essentially the facades to a construction site, hiding the reality of what construction

really is. This, to a degree, is how many building facades operate, painting one story

on the outside, when on the inside, another is unfolding. This therefore also applies

to hoardings, something which is backed up by our explorations and analysis - they

are depicting something externally which has no relation to the ongoings of its

construction. If you switched two similarly sized and constructed hoardings from two

different sites, you would barely notice they had changed as they are all essentially a

large kit of parts. This revelation fuelled my interest in reimagining a set of hoardings

that could be interchanged and replaced as the user pleases.

Unauthorised entry to this

site is strictly prohibited

The concept for the format of the models came from those of plastic model kits, often

seen to create small-scale replica models of planes or other military-related artefacts.

Users obtain the kits and proceed to ‘snap-out individual elements from which they

can assemble the final model. I initially related this to ‘playing with toys’ but I am unsure

if that is a fair assumption given the effort people put into their passion for them, seen

here. Using a set of scaled drawings of hoardings, I proceeded to laser cut the kits,

before ‘snapping’ the pieces out and assembling them. It brought about a questioning

of whether or not, intricate scaled modelling of an object actually brings you closer to

the construction of it, or if it takes you further away due Unauthorised to the entry illusion to this of reality.

SITE SAFETY NOTICE


WARNING CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS

Parents are advised to warn children of

the dangers of entering construction sites

1. All visitors must report to reception

2. Permissions must be obtained before

entering the site or any work area

3. Safety procedures must be observed

4. Personal protection and safety equipment (PPE) must

be used at all times when on site

5. All persons entering this site must comply with the regs

under the Safety, Heath and Welfare at Work Act 1974

Safety helmets

must be worn

Protective footwear

must be worn

Hoardings: Modelling






WARNING CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS

Parents are advised to warn children of

the dangers of entering construction sites

4. Personal protection and safety equipment (PPE) must

be used at all times when on site

5. All persons entering this site must comply with the regs

under the Safety, Heath and Welfare at Work Act 1974

1. All visitors must report to reception

2. Permissions must be obtained before

entering the site or any work area

3. Safety procedures must be observed

109

Safety helmets

must be worn

Protective footwear

must be worn

SITE SAFETY NOTICE

‘Snap-out’ model kit intention 01

110

‘Snap-out’ model kit intention 02



Plastic Traffic Hoarding

Steel Mesh Hoarding

Steel Mesh Hoarding

Plastic Traffic Hoarding

Concrete Traffic Hoarding

Steel Mesh Hoarding

111

112

PPC Aluminium Hoarding

Hoarding Model Kits - “collect the set!”



Hoarding Model Kits - “collect the set!”

113

‘Snap-out’ model kit 01 ‘Snap-out’ model kit 02

114

The Child & The Hoarding

Following on the physical, scale modelling of hoardings

and keeping with the concept of reimagining hoardings

as artefacts which can be manipulated by the user, I

produced a few conceptual images of what it would look

like if hoardings were something that could be purchased

as a toy, such as Lego. This raised an interesting an

interesting question of whether and why we have an

attachment to ‘playing’ construction as a child, and if so,

at what point and why do we lose it? Playing with Lego

is surely one of the most popular pastimes for children

growing up, creating a tangible connection with making

and assembling items in a certain prescribed order, but

leaving the opportunity for this to be altered slightly or

even changed entirely. Design, assembly, and disassembly

all happen simultaneously, allowing the outcome to be

entire product of the ‘worker’ [child]. In the images, a

deliberate irony would play out – any ‘proper’ Lego toy

set could only be constructed once the hoardings set had

first been set up.



115

116

Scaffolding and its Relationship to the City

Scaffolding is a temporary working platform erected to ensure the smooth

running of the various construction processes. The scaffolding presented in

this paper is mainly used to construct buildings in the street, occupying part of

the street space and mainly on the facade. As the focus of the study is on the

relationship between construction sites and people, the emphasis in this paper

is on the safety measures for construction personnel and pedestrians in the

construction process.

Analysis of protection for construction workers

For the safety and protection needs of scaffolding, different components have

different requirements for safety needs. In this paper, the following aspects are

considered:

Working surfaces

Boards are provided as the main working surface and are at least 600mm wide in width

to ensure that the working surface can be ascended properly and that a sufficiently wide

working surface can be provided.

Scaffold boards must comply with the requirements of the relevant standards, e.g. thick

timber scaffold boards for scaffolding must be at least 38mm thick with a minimum

overhang of 50mm and a maximum overhang of 150mm. Three load points must be

provided for every 1.2 metres. If the maximum span of the scaffold is exceeded, there is a

risk of the boards breaking.

Up and down stairs

Climbing ladders set up for working platforms should prevent falls through gaps in the

climbing ladders on the working surface of the scaffold. Scaffold climbing ladders should

be covered in such a way as to prevent accidents from occurring. See images above.

Hoardings: Analysis

ZJ - Engaging The Hoarding

03c Scaffolding & the City

Zongshui Jiang

Guardrails

The scaffold should be fitted with at least one guardrail at the initial stage, at

least 950mm above the platform, in order to prevent workers from falling in

the vertical direction. When installing the working platform of the scaffold,

complete the installation of the double guardrail (with a gap of no more than

470mm). To prevent falls from internal gaps, the gap between the working

platform and the facade (greater than 225 mm) and between the working

platform and the opening in the external facade (e.g. a window) should be

guarded in the same way as the exterior surface with double guardrails. The

main guardrail should be retained at all times, even during changes to the

scaffolding or during the demolition phase. See images below.

Specification for guardrails

117

The state of the guardrails on-site

Specification for stairs

Protection of the surrounding population

118

The state of the stairs on-site

When erecting scaffolding, the relationship with the surrounding population can occur in

many different contexts. For example:

- On public footpaths or roads

- In places or locations where the public is present

- In schools, homes and care homes

- In the homes of private clients

Each project requires a risk assessment based on its own site, and this section mainly

describes the protection for pedestrians.

Ground floor access

Scaffolding for footpaths in public areas allows pedestrians to walk under the

installed ground floor scaffolding. The free passage is achieved by removing some

of the diagonal supports below the ground floor and stabilising the scaffolding by

increasing the height of the ground floor to provide sufficient headroom and installing

additional spcae. Pavement scaffolding requires additional safety features such as

lighting, protective panels or foam mats. See images below.

to the substructure between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise.

5. Sleepers or fenders may need to be leaned against the kerb independently of the

scaffolding (especially if the external scaffolding is less than 450 mm from the kerb).

6. Maintenance must be arranged for lighting, protective equipment (including

hazard tape around standards) during their service life.

Protection Fans

Where required by the risk assessment, adequate protection fans should be

provided to protect the public and prevent material from falling onto the footpath or

carriageway. See images below.

1. The protection fans should not obstruct the passage of pedestrians or vehicles.

Protection fans installed for protection should be at least 2.44 m above the pavement

and a minimum distance of 0.45 m between the scaffold and the protection fans.

2. If the protection fans cannot provide a clearance of 0.45 m from the road, it must

be installed above a height of at least 5.05 m, measured from the road to allow for

taller vehicles to travel, and there may be some local highway authorities that require

a higher height.

3. Consider how much protection may be required for the protection fans (by the

analysis of the risk assessment)

4. The need to prevent the panels from being blown away by the wind

5. If for full access from the bottom of the scaffold and where the external area does

notallow for pedestrian and vehicular traffic; the protection fans may be omitted.

Specification for ground floor access

The state of the access on-site

The specific measures are

1. Where not protected by hoardings, all areas close to public access should be fitted

with high visibility hazard warning tape up to 2.0 m in height, or preferably foam

padding.

1. There should be no pointed or unprotected nuts or bolts within 2.0 m of the

scaffold from the ground. This can be achieved by fitting plastic caps to the exposed

tube ends and using protective covers or wraps.

Hoardings: Analysis


3. The scaffold floor at pavement level must be free from tripping hazards. Pedestrians

should be warned of this by the provision of a visible foundation plate on the base

section of the scaffold. Visible vertical boards may also be provided at the boundary

between the access area and the exterior to alert and separate the interior and

exterior areas. 150 mm wide boards can be provided to be fixed to the kerb. Walkways

and driveways for scaffold access must be kept free of any stacking of equipment and

materials.

4. The scaffold must be adequately lit at all times. Lighting is provided by lights fixed

119

Specification for protection fans

120

The state of the fans on-site

Modelling Scaffolding

From the previous analysis, these strict rules and regulations are partly to ensure the

safety of construction workers and pedestrians, and to minimize the impact on the

streets. However, its existence itself has a more negative impact on the environment

of urban streets. Here, based on the original characteristics of scaffolding construction

site system and combined with the traditional Chinese shadow puppetry art form, I

hope that this construction site can be more active in the expression of urban streets.

Netting can act as a curtain to express the shadow, while the workers working in the

interior can express their work content and methods in the form of a story, making

people in the past more aware of the workers hidden behind the scaffolding and their

work content. And to express it to the street in a more positive way.

As an important part of the city, the construction site plays an extremely important role

in the construction and maintenance of the city. And its existence does have a certain

negative impact on the urban environment. How to make its existence more active on

the premise of ensuring its function and security is something we can consider more.



Impact of construction sites on streets

Chinese traditional shadow puppet art

The expression of shadow play is to use the shadow of the object controlled by the

person behind the curtain to shine light onto the curtain for the performance of the

story. People can use different forms of objects to express different stories. And in

the construction site of scaffolding, a similar structure can be tried to express. Debris

Scaffolding construction site model

121 122



Light and shadow art display

123

Light and shadow art display

124

Part B

Perceiving the

Building Site

Building Site

Interrogating Methods

of Representation

Perceiving The Building Site

The main revelation from the first part of our research– an extensive and technical look of the

building site façade, i.e., the hoarding – is that architects and designers need to develop a sensitive

approach towards the building site “to shift thinking away from considering construction only

for architecture” (Will Thomson, Concrete Experiments). There is a need to cross this threshold

between the designer and the building site, in theory and in practice, to develop a responsive

approach. Coming from our experience of learning barely anything about the building site in our

architectural education, we understand that there is a dire need to throw light on the building site

for better understanding. Learning from multiple readings from the first part of this research and

observing the site hoardings, we now enter the building site, both literally and metamorphically

(Access Denied, Part A – Unfolding the Building Site)

we visited were distinctly different to each other which initiated conversations amongst us

regarding the standard perception of the building site vs the process of a transformation

of the site to a building. These perceptions are categorically very dissimilar and unlike to

one another. This process also gives us an insight into what it takes for an outsider to get

access to the building site and what it entails is very specific to each site. We intend to

display the accumulation of this research and its representation through an installation

for the upcoming opening of the Farrell Center in Newcastle in April 2023. This display will

be a method to represent the key takeaways from our body of work to spark a sense of

inquisitiveness about the building site in the viewer. This installation is a means for us to

use as our representation of the social facets of the building site.

Perceiving The Building Site

Part B: Introduction & Outline

In the second part of ‘Site [Over] Design’ we go beyond the façade and uncover the building site;

developing our research to focus on the internal organization and life of the layered building site

which has multiple aspects and dynamics to it. The various facets of the building site include the

dynamic between the site workers, site manager and the designer; the condition of the worker on

the site; the experience of individuals in various roles on the site; the process of access to the site

for these individuals; the health and safety of the workers on site; the hierarchy on the building

site; the emotional connect of workers to the building and the building site; the idea of where the

site begins and ends; and many more.

There is also an aspect of the permanence and temporality of a building site which we draw on

from ‘The Building Site Redux’ by Timothy Hyde. This reading, which was done in the first section

of the research pertaining to the site from outside, talks about how a building site is ephemeral

and it is important “to regard the building site as a nexus of social meaning” (Timothy Hyde). The

building site is a complicated process which is in a state of change. This everchanging process of

a building site, standard but unique to each site, depends on the elements and groups of people

involved in accordance with the stage of the building itself. The life cycle of the building site is

intermittent in comparison to the permanence of the building.

After this initial step of observing and understanding the building site from the inside, we shifted

our focus to developing methods of representation for the various aspects of the building site. Using

the standard architectural approach to portray the building site via plans, we also realized how not

to represent the building site. The inability of getting across the social dynamics of the building

site was the main shortcoming of this representation technique. We recognized how the classic

technique of architectural drawing was a misrepresentation of these facets of the building site or

rather were a representation of the site through the spatial lens of an architect. This development

of a representation method is an insight to our individual perceptions of the building site that

also aligns with our lines of inquiry from the first section of the research. The striking observation

here is also that the representation for each building site and its various aspects are very distinct

and depend on our individual understanding and narrative. Our aim is not to definitively answer

what a building site is. Rather, our narrative seeks to convey the various facets of the building

site through alternative forms of representation, and through that to provoke new conversations

around it.

The process of visiting these sites involved a back-and-forth series of conversations between the

site officials and initially our tutors who helped us establish connections with the various parties

involved. The initial visits gave us an introduction to the different types of building sites. The sites

127

128

Chapter 04 Framing

Sites of Enquiry & Introducing the Window

“Oi, we’re trying to work here

and you’re taking our lift slots”

“We’ve booked and queued

for our slots on the lift!”

“*£$%&#@!!!”

129

“Who do you think pays

you to work? The client!”

“Well we’re the client”

Exchange witnessed between worker

and architect whilst on visit to Site 03

“Prick!”

130

Visiting The Building Site

The timeline opposite depicts the chronological order in which

we visited the sites, having arranged access to them with intial

help and guidance from our tutors to establish the connection.

Beyond this, we communicated and organised each visit directly

with the relevant site managers. Although depicted as singular

moments, each visit was prefaced by a series of events, such as

the exhange of emails or telephone calls to establish when it

was feasible to visit, agreeing travel arrangements, organising

and collecting suitable PPE, travelling to the site, etc etc. We

were fortunate to be able to borrow PPE from the university

and access to a car, however this is not always the case. This

highlights another layer of barriers - ‘invisible’ hoardings - to

the building site.

Visiting The Building Site

Chronology & Organisation

The following pages outline the approximate location of each

site, along with some chosen photographs and listed figures,

as interpreted. Note, these are not site interpretations for

reference and context.

131

132

Name: The Ridge Centre

Location: Dunbar High Street, Scotland

Site Size: Small

Workers: Min. 1 / Max. 5 (per day)

Conditions: Linear / Unique

On Site: Ongoing Project (indefinite)

Visited: 1x (as group)

Public Engagement: High (very permeable)

Site 01

The Ridge Centre

133

“Up to visiting this site, I thought that you

entered a building site when you crossed the

threshold of the hoardings, however visiting

The Ridge made me question this somewhat.

The informality of the site, and its relationship

with the town of Dunbar, make it unique and

unimaginable prior to visiting.”

134

Name: Whitburn Conservation Centre

Location: Souter Lighthouse, Sunderland

Site Size: Small


Conditions: Windy / Bleak / Scenic

On Site: < 1 Year (total)


Public Engagement: High (very visible)

Site 02

Whitburn Conservation Centre

“The state presented by this construction

site is a vague, unknown state. Since the

boundary (fence) is not visually blocked,

people can clearly see what facilities are inside

or what the construction workers are doing

when they come here. In my opinion, this

sense of ambiguity can be strengthened to

some extent. A kind of curiosity can promote

the communication between construction

personnel and tourists.”

135

136

Name: Bank House Development

Location: Pilgrim Street, Newcastle

Site Size: Large

Workers: Min. 75+ (per day)

Conditions: Urban / Busy

On Site: < 2 Years (indefinite)


Public Engagement: Low (very private)

Site 03

Bank House

137

“This site is a typical modern construction site. All the work is

done in an orderly manner according to the corresponding

regulations and indicators. Everyone performs their own duties

and completes the workload they require within the scope of their

positions. Likewise, the building under construction presents a socalled

order, with each different material fitting perfectly into its

place, in a systematic, repetitive, intensely planned and controlled

state without any surprises. Construction workers are more like

robots, getting orders to repeat their work, accepting inspection

and management from superiors, and facing their work with a

blank or indifferent face.”

138

Name: The Farrell Centre

Location: Eldon Place, Newcastle

Site Size: Medium


Conditions: Urban / Intrusive

On Site: < 1 Year (total)


Public Engagement: Low (private)

Site 04

The Farrell Centre

Hierarchies of site management become

especially apparent here. Conflicts between the

‘design team’ and reality of M&E coordination

– clashing over size/amount/position/finishing

of services throughout the building - do not go

unnoticed to the worker or the visitor.

139

140

Introducing the Window

To this point, we have produced a body of research relating to and about

the building site façade – something we say too often goes unnoticed. We

have interpreted the typology of the hoarding through its materiality and

functionality, and designated building sites based on their external façade,

all via the accumulation of an inventory of hoardings spanning three

different scales. We have then, individually, worked to engage with said

hoarding, and reimagine its perception through a series of mappings and

model-making exercises. There is, however, the question of how we use

this body of research to try to expose the building site on a wider scale.

The fourth site presented to us an opportunity for this problem. The Farrell

Centre, instigated by British architect Terry Farrell is to open to the public

in 2023 as a “centre for architecture and cities in Newcastle”, aiming to

“widen the debate around the crucial roles that architecture and planning

play in the contemporary world” (Newcastle University, 2022). As part of

the opening, we were offered the opportunity to present an installation

piece to feature in the renovated ‘front window’, immediately adjacent to

the main entrance.

The key element of this offer was our ability to place something which

is normally hidden away and taken for granted, i.e. the building process

and site, into the limelight and onto centre stage. We would therefore be

reinterpreting a temporary element as a permanent feature by figuratively

placing it on a pedestal for all to see.

This triggered a realisation that we need to represent our research

and findings to someone other than within the academia or practice of

architecture, or even from the building site. To initiate this process, we

decided to portray our research thus far by framing it through a series of

questions in order to better engage with potential audiences. The window

would therefore become the framing device through which we would

represent the building site.

Framing The Building Site

Introducing the Window

Does the hoarding keep the outside out, or the inside in?

Is construction just a phase?

How many building sites did you pass today?

Who belongs on the building site?

How many building sites did you really notice?

N.B. the creation an installation for the opening of the Farrell Centre was

originally planned to be included within the document, however the date for

opening was delayed so we were unable to work as originally planned. The

following chapters are therefore our group and individual responses to mediums

through which the building site can be represented and misrepresented,

though with less specific relation to the installation at this time.

141

142

Framing The Building Site

The Spolia Inventory

143

144

Chapter 05 (mis) Representing the Site

Architectural Techniques of Misrepresentation

“Almost all criteria of architectural aesthetics -

harmony, equilibrium, the ‘magnificent play of

volumes’, etc. - accentuate the stasis of the work of

architecture. The formal agitation of Gehry, Libeskind,

and their colleagues tells only of the movements of

the drafting hand, the supposed act of creation”

Sergio Ferro

145

146

(mis)Representing: Exhibiting The Building Site

(mis) Representing

Exhibiting The Building Site

Our intial progression for the installation revolved around how we would turn our

work into an exhibition, however this proved daunting due to the fact that we are

architecture students and not museum curators. This was relieved somewhat by the

reframing of the opportunity as an ‘installation’, rather than an ‘exhibition’. This was not

to be an exhaustive process where we needed to cover every detail we had discovered;

it was about selecting the key themes we took an interest in, and find a medium of

representing them. The drawings opposite and above outline some of these initially

misguided design proposals for inhabiting the window space.

147

148

(mis) Representing

Exhibiting The Building Site

Another possibility for realising an ‘installation’ of the building site would be to collect

artefacts and spolia from the building site to place on display. Items which would

otheriwse be disregarded due to their monotony within the site day-to-day, would

now be curated - ‘one mans trash is another mans treasure’. Whilst this was more

closely aligned with a truer representation of the building site, it still felt somewhat

lacking in that it failed to convey the social characteristics of each site we had been

visiting. It felt like an architectural response.

Whilst the findings of our research are definitive and notable, they have taken place

from the exterior of the site; understood and realised through the scope that we wish

it to be. Now, however, we are at the stage of crossing that threshold and entering

the site. If we were not before, we are now engulfed by a multitude of new social and

physical inputs, coming at us from every angle. We are expected to adapt to the pace

of this new environment, whilst trying to document, analyse and interpret each and

every facet we come across. Studying architecture does not teach you a response to

this though, as, like our engagements with the hoardings to this point, it allows you

to stay within a realm of comfort; working in an environment with like-minded others.

149

150

(mis)Representing: Unfolding The Building Site

Our secondary misrepresentation was that which followed the most conventional

drawing of the architect; the plan. By studying our site notes and photographs we

drew accurate, scaled plans of each site, aiming to depict the key elements which

related to the temporarality of it in comparison to the permanence of the final building,

which is often the convention for architectural drawings. They would be ‘drawings of

construction’, rather than ‘construction drawings’ . The physical medium for realising

them would be through the making of a hand-out flyer, which was to be given out at

an event hosted by our tutors, Katie Lloyd Thomas and Will Thomson as part of the TF/

TK project. This opportunity, like the installation in the Farrell Centre, provided us with

another opportunity to produce a form of representation for the building site. The

concept here was that participants would each receive a folder flyer, before proceeding

to unfold it with one of four possible site plans on the inside.

(mis) Representing

Unfolding The Building Site

The execution and production of this technique was, as an isolated object, somewhat

satisfactory. However we realised that this was in fact, once again, a misrepresentation

of the building site as it portrayed them as homogenous products, impossible to tell

apart from the outside. This was an inference to our research in Part A, which categorises

the interpretation of hoardings into typologies of site - yet by doing this to represent

the site, we mislead participant by implying that the lens of construction is fixed, when

in fact it is a multitude of lenses overlaid with each other. We realised that architectural

methods don’t work here; we needed to better connect these representations in order

to produce a more accurate product for the installation.

151

152

(mis) Representing

Drawings of Construction

153

154

(mis) Representing

Site 01 - The Ridge

155

156

(mis) Representing

Site 02 - Whitburn Conservation Centre

157

158

(mis) Representing

Site 03 - Bank House

159

160

(mis) Representing

Site 04 - The Farrell Centre

161

162

Reflecting on (mis)Representations

The initial presentation of the site (which we now call [mis]

representation]), as shown above, was in the form of the most

conventional tool an architect has – the plan. These plans

were majorly used in the production of the flyers for the event

hosted by our tutors and were also a part of the presentation

that we did for the Design symposium at Newcastle University.

This symposium was a collective where we presented our work

and got feedback from an open panel of tutors.

(mis) Representing

Reflections

Post our site visits, we often discussed the social nuances that we

noticed on the site and how these facets are never brought to

light when it comes to talking about the building site. However,

after the production of the flyers and the design symposium,

we realized how little our drawings represented our thoughts

and what we wished to convey. Showing these plans to a third

person would convey the physical observations we made

but more importantly wouldn’t show our social and personal

observations. These techniques of using an architectural plan

to show the building site are so ingrained in us as architecture

students that this was our first thought to show the site as it is.

Realizing these shortcomings in our presentation methods,

we brainstormed on how we should represent each building

site. One important revelation here was that we cannot have

a standard method of representation for all sites as each site is

unique in its own ways and have very different facets to each

other. Coming from this, the idea was then for each one of

us (team of 3 students) taking up one of the sites we visited

and devising a distinct method of representation for our

observations and experiences. Although we each selected a site,

before getting started with individual representations, we sat

collectively as a group and discussed the various observations

that each one of us had for each site. This gave us an insight

to try and understand the various facets of the site and then

going on to devise a representation method. These techniques

of representing each site are shown further in the next chapter.

163

164

Chapter 06 (re) Presenting the Site

Reimagining Representation of the Building Site

“To appreciate and claim these experiences for architecture

will require an architecture that understands its encounters

as fully human connections to those most closely engaged

with the physical world and its material production. Doing

so requires rethinking architecture and construction not

as separate social spheres. Each is incomprehensible and

incomplete without reflection of the other”

William Thomson

165

N.B. The following chapter is once again split into three sections, with us each taking on a different site

in order to produce a truer perception of what the building site is. This was due to our realisation that

the methods of representation we were utilising up to this point failed to truly capture the essence of a

particular site. The subjectivity of this reflects the uniqueness of each site, something we realised as we

visited each one. The idea is that these methods of representation would be re-applied to the context of

the Farrell Centre installation, if and when we come to work on that. Again, as per the table of contents,

the work is ordered as following: 6a Anushka Juneja, 6b John Roberts, and 6c Zongshui Jiang.

166

Crossing The Threshold - Anushka Juneja

I initially chose this site for my individual investigations for the outside

of the building site. The first part of my engagement with the building

site was through the building site façade, i.e., the hoardings. The

major takeaway from that experience was how the site was hidden

behind the hoardings and even after multiple trials, I could not gain

access to the inside. However, the point of access into the site was

open visually – via the mesh gates, physical access was assuredly

denied. I wondered if it were any other type of a site, maybe a smaller

site that was not as big and commercial a project, I might have been

able to gain access.

Crossing The Threshold

Anushka Juneja

06a Crossing The Threshold

(re)Presenting the Building Site - Anushka Juneja

Coincidently, I got to experience the site from inside when a more

official route to gain access to the site was taken by our tutors. This

overall visit was an extended experience from the building site itself.

This visit essentially began from our process of trying to gain access

to the site to meeting with someone in the Ryder office who would

take us around the site and then finally walking up to the site and

looking at the building site itself Coming back from this visit with a

lot of photographs captured on our cameras and very many social

observations from the site, representing our perception of the

experience was the next plan of action. Coming from our architectural

education and techniques of architectural representation, we, as a

group, made drawings of the building site mapping various visitor

and workers routes through the site. Making these drawings, which

were unable to present the social dynamic across to the view, led

us to understand the shortcomings of the presentation style we

used. This made us realise the need to devise a new representation

method, which would be unique to each site – as the building sites

themselves are very unique.

In representing the Bank House, I have focussed on the facet of access

which was the most apparent and striking to me. The representation

of the site maps my experience of the site, both from the outside

and inside, through a timeline. I have documented the various social

nuances on the site that particularly stood out for me. The journey

begins from being denied access to finally crossing the threshold

and experiencing the other side to then again zooming out and

representing the site.

167

168

ACCESS

DENIED!

ACCESS DENIED!

MARCH’ 2022

My first experience with the Bank

House site was during my initial

investigations early on in the project.

I tried multiple times to gain access

to the site via various entrances

but none of my requests were paid

heed to. My primary engagement

was with the various types of hoardings

on the edges of the site which

depends on its relation to the immediate

context. The site is huge and

has different types of hoardings all

around.

My understanding is that following

safety protocol is the main reason

of being denied entry to the site.

Reflecting on this experience, I also

realise that gender could also have

been a factor in the situation given

the absence of female presence on

the site.

From: Will Thomson <Will.Thomson@newcastle.ac.uk>

“I would love the opportunity to talk with you more about the project,

and hope to discuss any possibilities for students to engage...”

From: Mark Thompson <MThompson@ryderarchitecture.com>

“Apols for the delay. @Peter Barker leads our research efforts so I suggest

you meet with him to explore...”


“Would 10am on Thursday, 19 May work?...”

From: Peter Barker <PBarker@ryderarchitecture.com>

“ l look forward to meeting you and Katie at our office...”

INTRODUCTION MEETING WITH TUTORS

From: Katie Lloyd Thomas <katie.lloyd-thomas@newcastle.ac.uk>

“We would be able to make the morning of Monday 6th June for

an initial team meeting and site visit...”

From: Haley Drummond <HDrummond@ryderarchitecture.com>

“...hope to set something up week commencing 25 July...”.


“Many thanks for getting in touch and organising this trip...”


“Apologies for the delayed response. I will look into arranging a site visit...”


“My preference would be for weds 27th or Thurs 28th...”


“I wondered if you'd been able to fix a date and time for our visit...”


“Apologies for the delay, how would 14:00 on 28 July suit you both?...”


“ It would be myself, Will and our three MArch students Zongshui Jiang,

John Roberts and Anushka Juneja joining”

EMAIL INVITE TO THE TEAM


“I am writing to check in about plans for our visit on 28 July...”


“...arrive at Cooper’s studios please for 13:50 Jack will be able to walk

you all to site. PPE will be required...”


“We'll see you at the office at 1.50. We can borrow PPE from the school...”

BANK HOUSE SITE VISIT

April 7, 2022

May 11, 2022

May 12, 2022

May 17, 2022

May 19, 2022

May 19,2022

May 26, 2022

May 26, 2022

May 30, 2022

May 30, 2022

June 13, 2022

June 14, 2022

June 14, 2022

June 14, 2022

July 18, 2022

July 25, 2022

July 25, 2022

July 28, 2022

BACK AND FORTH IN COMMUNICATION TO MAKE A SITE VISIT POSSIBLE!

APRIL’ 2022 - JULY’ 2022

Our tutors were in constant contact with the Ryder team to make a site visit for the team possible. This took quite

a lot of waiting and going back and forth for a final planned date. This demonstrates the efforts required to gain

access to a commerical site like this one.

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY

ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP

Pick PPE

Stopped to meet Tom,

the site manager.

RYDER OFFICE

Meet with Jack, our guide.

CAR PARK

Park Car and carry PPE

to RYDER office

Entered

the site

Walking Route

Car Route

BANK HOUSE

SITE

DAY OF SITE VISIT!

JULY 28, 2022

The day started with picking up PPE (which was requested by the Ryder member) from the

workshop and bringing it to the car. We then drove to a car park nearby Ryder’s architecture

office where we met Jack Dearlove and got ready for the site in our PPE. We walked through the

town in hi-viz jackets, boots and hard-hats which was a unique experience. We then met Tom,

who was the site manager and who was going to show us around with Jack. He checked our

PPE and since we had forgotten gloves, he asked someone to get us some while he and Jack

introduced the project to us.

Taking the elevator to go to the top floor of the building.

We walked up to the elevator and stood there waiting behind a group of people with a

trolley. This group seemed to be in queque waiting for the elevator. Eventually, we were

called up in front and as we entered, we vitnessed a bitter exchange between a worker

and Jack. This was on the lines of us being a hindrance when they are trying to do their

job to which Jack’s reply was “who pays them to do the job.”

This was the most notable experience of our site visit where a heirarchy was extablished.

Tom’s authority on site led us to use the elevator first and Jack’s reply to the worker was

to clarify who gets priority. This situation left us quiet and startled for a minute where we

looked at each other and tried to gauge how we should react. It was an awkward situation

for us as visitors who did not have much to do rather than notice peoples’ reactions.

Entered to a huge site with heaps of materials arranged

in a haphazard manner.

I realised the vast scale of the site as we entered through

the mesh gates. The ground was full of materials in an

arrangement which seemed messy but still organized.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE SITE!

A mock up structure.

The first thing we saw was a 1:1

mockup detail of the window junction

which we were explained was made

to demonstrate the level of quality. On

conversation, I got the impression that

it was more as a part of the checklist

than a necessity.

Smoking Shelter on site

Restricted access via a set path.

A walkway with barricades was set

in place for visitor safety. The site

workers did not use this path which

gave an additional impression of

restriction on the site.

All eyes on us as we’re alien additions to the site.

I felt quite awkward and uneasy walking

through the site. This was an experience we discussed

later on and realised was maybe because

of the lack of female presence on the site or just

because we felt like we did not belong there.

JOURNEY TO THE TOP OF THE BUILDING VIA THE ELEVATOR

Elevator

Building

Site Entry

JOURNEYING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM VISITING EACH FLOOR

REFLECTING ON THE EXPERIENCE!

The visit essentially ended after we walked

back to the car and parted ways but the main

experience of the site was until we went up

the building. Coming down via the stairs and

stopping at every other floor, Tom invited us

to look around and he was open to answer

any questions we had.

Although Tom and Jack helped us through

and answered any questions we had, it was

quite evident that they had no emotional

attachment to the building itself. They were

there fulfilling their job. Also, the heirarchy on

site as well as beyond the site from the workers

to the designers office was very obvious.

This was not only visible via the elevator situation

but was also noticeable is Tom’s and Jacks’

body language on site. Also, the tiny smoking

shelter is a small example of the recreation

space that thw workers create for themselves

in their place of work.

The crossing of the threshold led me to experience

both the interior and exterior of the site

with understanding of the restriction of access

at various stages.

Temporality & Time

Time & Temporality

John Roberts

06b Temporality & Time

(re)Presenting the Building Site - John Roberts

The methodologies we had been applying to representing the

building site to this point, were, somewhat incomplete and found to

be lacking as they did not portray a true essence of the social and

environmental facets each site offered. In order to better perceive my

chosen site, I decided to look at it through the lens of time, at a variety

of scales. One of the key elements about the site is its proximity to

the sea, with this part of the north-east coastline well-known for its

erosion across recent decades, although a series of strategies are

already underway to mediate the risk. Regardless, the ground below

the constructed building will be at risk of erosion within the next

50-100 years, something which the client, planning committee and

architects were fully aware of before committing to any detailed

design. This is almost reminiscent of the way in which the building

site erodes away after construction, but may return if remedial works

are required.

My mapping shows a series of timescales, inspired by Prue Chiles’

‘Site Time - the process of building through and with time’. Starting

at the bottom with elements of deep time, moving through life time

and the event time to ‘sight’ time - my additional to the scale which

outlines the day on site. By charting these differing scales, we can see

just how miniscule the existence of the building site is in comparison

to the temporal context. This led me to come to the realisation

that the building site is, in essence, a series of layered occurrences

throughout time; a palimpsest of experiences that exist until they

don’t. The building relies on the existence of the building site to

exist, but then the latter would not be if it were not for the former.

The collaged timeline is deliberately layered, creating a gradual

experience for the reader. Upon an initial of brief glance, one may

pick out only the key elements, however when studied for longer, the

background layers of the drawing come forwards, allowing us to see

different sequences of time from the building site.

171

172

Ridg(e)id Hierarchies

Zongshui Jiang

06c Ridg(e)id Hierarchies

(re)Presenting the Building Site - Zongshui Jiang

Ridg(e)id Hierarchies - Zongshui Jiang

This part is my description and understanding of the

construction site at Dunbar’s Ridge. This construction

site is a very special existence. I have never encountered

similar construction sites in my previous experience.

It is a complete and sustainable system of building

construction and teaching, which includes the study

and restoration of ancient buildings, teaching students

who want to participate in the profession through the

knowledge generated by theory and practice, while

taking advantage of the characteristics of the site to

create public Spaces that serve the community. During

the visit, I felt a lot of their enthusiasm and motivation

for their work, and made contributions to better research

and restoration of ancient buildings, as well as to make

the community more active. So here, I hope to present

the story of this visit and my own feelings by collage, and

show this special building construction system with my

own understanding of this system.

175

176

Chapter 07 Project Appendix

Additional / Process Work & Photography

“Our primary interest here is the design, which

first emigrates, then falls in love with itself, and

then finally begins to speak a different language

altogether, unknown to the building site”

Sergio Ferro

N.B. The following work is a snapshot of the work behind producing the process of research outlined in

this document. Sketch drawings, note-taking and photography were the main mediums in which we

conveyed our ideas when working within the group, along with other additional research strands which

did not end up tying into the project evolution as we have depicted it.

179 00 180

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

181

182

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

183

184

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

185

186

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

187

188

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

189

190

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

191

192

Process Appendix

Site [Over] Design

193

194

Epilogue Site [Over] Design

Critical Reflections & Biblography

“They designed where the walls were, they designed

the cavity, they designed the pattern, but not how

to do it. We had to find a way of doing that”

Building Workers Stories

195 00 196

Anushka Juneja

This linked research project has been a journey to not just glancing through the building

site and looking into the building but to look at the building site itself. This journey has

been a step-by-step process from investigating the outside to experiencing the inside

of the building site. The process of looking at, observing, and understanding that the

various types of a building site depend not just on the scale of the project but also

on the depth of the process that goes on behind the scenes of the site. The building.

site in itself is an entity with can be treated separately from the building, which is

the outcome. We as architects are obsessed and accustomed to understanding the

completion of a building as realization.

As mentioned by Timothy Hyde in The Building Site Redux, ‘Building site is a means

to an end. A disappeared building is a loss whereas the disappearing building site is

merely in avoidable.’ The understanding and realization that the building site is the

process that a building goes through to progress to the final building. The idea of the

building site is permanent but as the building progresses, the permanence of the site

itself disappears. The existence of the building site is not necessarily dependent on the

building but a building, which is the outcome, simply cannot be actualized without

the building site.

Reflecting upon the experience of this linked research, I believe that is a deeper

understanding of the building site beyond its physical and architectural facets. Most

importantly the understanding of how different the typical architectural representation

is to present a social situation and conflict of the building site. The production of the

flyer was more so a physical representation of the building site rather than the social

one. This exercise was a turning point in understanding the representation of the

building site. Also, the sense here is that via these representations, we cannot, even

if we want to, be conclusive. The building site is open to interpretation and can be

perceived and then represented in various ways. These methods can be all distinct and

unique to each other – just as the building site itself is.

Zongshui Jiang

Before I got involved in this project, my understanding of construction sites was

mainly based on the glimpse of construction sites passing by the street, the snippets

of construction sites seen in various news and videos, or the visits to the construction

sites with my parents when I was a child. However, I have never really understood and

entered the construction site after studying and working in architecture.

After a year of subject study and a visit to the construction site, I have gained a lot

of new understandings of the construction site, and gradually realized that as an

architect, the end of design should not just hand over the drawing to the construction

company, but also have more thoughts about the whole process from design to

construction. In this process, we, as architects, have very little control, but we may be

able to communicate more with the people involved in the project, as RIDGE DUNBAR

saw in the harmonious and sustainable building restoration and education system,

can we have more possibilities?

During this learning process, Will and Katie gave us a lot of help in learning and helped

us get opportunities to participate in the construction site. Their kind and warm

attitude enabled me to better and more enthusiastically integrate into this learning. I

am also very happy to be my classmates with John and Anushka. When I had difficulty

to enter this course at the beginning due to language and other reasons, they gave

me a lot of help, which made me confident to continue learning. Moreover, I learned a

lot from their serious attitude towards learning. I am very happy to meet such a good

teacher and classmates!

This year’s study is very wonderful and unforgettable. I hope I can always remember

this experience in my future work and life.

John Roberts

I believe I enjoy architecture because of the social structures that it engages with, in

both academic and professional contexts, and this research project has given me the

opportunity to explore some of them at a deeper level, especially those that are not

always at the forefront of architectural debate. I would never have thought that the

initiation task of investigating the hoarding would have led to such a deeper level of

discussion, nor the subsequent impact it would go on to have throughout our research

portfolio. It has also changed othef genre of the camera roll on my phone, which used

to be dominated by pictures of buildings, but it now an array of composite hoardings,

heras fencing panels and scaffolding poles.

Throughout my time working in practice, I feel site visits were regarded as somewhat

of a formality, done for the gain of the architectural drawing process such as checking a

survey, or for the necessity of box ticking throughout construction and when finished.

As such, I came to regard the processes of the building site as a time consuming

and monotonous, as each one felt much like any of the others. This perception has

undoubtedly changed however, due to the realisation of the temporality of the

building site, which may only exist for a moment within the lifespan of the building

which it produces. It should therefore be command more of an appreciation from the

profession and study of architecture, which comprehensively undersell it.

I am proud of the body of work Anushka, Zongshui and myself have compiled over

the last year. I do believe, however, that it asks more questions than it answers in some

ways due to the difficult and subjective nature of representing the building site. This

is something I wish to further pursue, however, and so the opportunity to create or

at least contribute towards an installation in the Farrell Centre would be a perfect

opportunity for this.

Building sites are all around us, so maybe the first step to understanding, changing

and improving their relationship with architecture is to properly see them. Could we

then move beyond the idea of the building site being a temporary area, and becoming

more of a permaneant object within the setting of the city.

Critical Reflections

Site [Over] Design

197

198

Bibliography

Site [Over] Design

Bibliography

TF/TK. (2022). About the TF/TK Project / Sobre o Projeto TF/

TK: — TF/TK. [online] Available at: https://www.tf-tk.com/

resources/about-project [Accessed: 27 May 2022].

TF/TK. (2022). About Sergio Ferro — TF/TK. [online] Available

at: https://www.tf-tk.com/resources/about-ferro [Accessed: 27

May 2022].

Westminster.ac.uk. (2022). Constructing post-war Britain |

University of Westminster, London. [online] Available at: https://

www.westminster.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/centrefor-the-study-of-the-production-of-the-built-environmentprobe/projects/constructing-post-war-britain

[Accessed 28

May 2022].

Octink. (2019). What is a hoarding and what is its purpose? -

Octink. [online] Available at: https://octink.com/what-is-ahoarding/

[Accessed 27 May 2022].

Designingbuildings.co.uk. (2021). Hoarding for construction

sites. [online] Available at: https://www.designingbuildings.

co.uk/wiki/Hoarding_for_construction_sites [Accessed 27 May

2022].

Davies, S. (2022) ‘Rules, Regulations and Requirements for

Construction Hoardings’ [Blog]. Available at https://www.

presson.co.uk/rules-regulations-requirements-constructionsite-hoardings/


Plasloc - Internal and External Hoardings. 2022. Construction

Hoarding Guidelines - Plasloc - Internal and External Hoardings.

[online] Available at: https://www.plasloc.com/news/

construction-hoarding-guidelines/ [Accessed 28 May 2022].

199

Hoarding, T. (2021). Site Hoarding | Board Construction for

Building Site - Procter Contracts. [online] Procter Contracts.

Available at: https://www.proctercontracts.co.uk/fencingsystems/temporary-site-works-hoarding/

[Accessed 28 May

2022].

Safesite Facilities. 2019. Site Hoarding Regulations &

Requirements for Building / Construction Sites. [online] Available

at: https://www.safesitefacilities.co.uk/knowledge-base/sitehoarding-requirements-for-building-and-construction-sites


Mathew, N., 2020. Why is concept and context important

in Architecture? - RTF | Rethinking The Future. [online]

RTF | Rethinking The Future. Available at: https://www.rethinkingthefuture.com/architectural-community/a2633-whyis-concept-and-context-important-in-architecture/

[Accessed

4 June 2022].

Divisare. 2022. LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI THIS THEN IS THE

ARCHITECT. [online] Available at: https://divisare.com/

books/440-leon-battista-alberti-this-then-is-the-architect

[Accessed 5 June 2022].

UofTDaniels (2021) “The Building Site, Redux” Timothy

Hyde, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=WSFdRXEQJno (Accessed: January 18, 2023).

Julia Dwyer. ‘Inscription as a collective practice: Taking Place

and “The Other Side of Waiting” In Harriet Edquist, Laurene

Vaughan(eds.) The Design Collective: An approach to Practice.

Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012, p.35

https://www.farrellcentre.org.uk/about

200

The End.

Design [over] Site

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?