Erin Barclay
Assistant Art Director
BSc. Architecture
Campus: Marine Research Facility
Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, Ireland
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Lough Hyne is a marine lake and nature reserve in West Cork. The lake is connected to the sea by a narrow channel, creating a unique tidal range and ecological conditions making it an invaluable site for marine biological and environmental research.
The current onsite facilities are inadequate. I wished to create a self-sufficient micro-campus with a dedicated laboratory, accommodation for a lecturer and students, and adequate storage for all diving and research equipment, with minimal impact on the site, using timber elements which could be brought to site and assembled with minimal use of machinery. The site is almost inaccessible except by boat.
The new facility would also generate most of its own power using roof-mounted solar and photovoltaic panels and would employ a reed bed filtration system for the management of waste.
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Campus:Fencing Club and Bike Workshop
Western Road, Cork, Ireland
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I identified a need among niche university clubs and societies for a dedicated practice area, particularly those clubs such as fencing with specialised equipment requiring copious storage and set-up time. The space required for such a facility lent itself to a long-span structure which I felt could fulfil several functions. This coupled with the growing popularity of cycling and bicycle maintenance in Cork led to the inclusion of a bicycle repair facility on the ground floor.
The space is flexible enough to allow it to be occupied by different users over time, eg the fencing salle which would ordinarily be used in the evening could also be used as a studio for children's dance classes during the day. The mesh facade which covers the first floor fenestration therefore provides shading and privacy during the day, and would act as a lantern when lit from within in the evening, helping to draw attention to and promote niche clubs such as fencing.
Library
Youghal, Co Cork, Ireland
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Passage West is a linear town close to Cork City. Prior to the dredging of the River Lee it was a major industrial and shipping hub, but since the mid 20th century when large ships were able to pass into the city itself, the town has been in decline.
A new library and community arts centre on the site of a ruined convent and school would serve to regenerate the part of the town which is now merely a literal passage from the City to more affluent holiday areas to the south.
My impression of the convent site was that of the romance of its ruin, and the wilderness of the enclosure formed by the old convent and the school. I wished to preserve this feeling of enclosure by occupying the old convent, and replacing the school with an introspective building, intended to invite visitors to inquire as to what lies behind it.
School
Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland
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The town of Cobh has in recent years become something of a dormitory for Cork city, and has been the site of numerous "ghost estates" since the economic downturn.
Following a photographic study of these ghost estates, we as third year students were asked to design a primary school which could be used by the wider community. The site is a large disused green area in the centre of one of Cobh's estates. It incorporates a general purpose hall with a stage which can be accessed seperately to the main part of the school, and a small outdoor amphitheatre.
The school's organic form was influenced by the flow of car and pedestrian traffic towards the site, to ensure the safest approach for children walking or cycling to school, while also sheltering outdoor areas from the prevailing winds.