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Manchester Statement.

I want to study at Manchester University, because I know it is a great course with excellent facilities and teaching.  I have experienced the atmosphere for learning when visiting the university on my further maths open days.  I have studied the buildings in Manchester in detail, and would be inspired working in that environment.  The course has produced some great architects and it would be a privilege to follow in their footsteps.

I recently visited the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry. This building has interested me for a very long time, and it was a privilege to finally go, and see it, last year. The building to me has a reptilian feel, this could be due to the titanium metal plating.  Alternative impressions are of a ship like nature, with the shapes representing the prow of a boat from some vistas; this could be Gehry's intent, due to Bilbao being a shipping port. The twist to this idea is the way he has created a fairytale, or dreamlike feel; achieved by the use of curves stacking up from other angles, which gives the building more of an abstract design.  Overall this building is one of the most brilliant pieces of architecture in my opinion.

There are lots of inspiring architects, so narrowing it down to one is hard. There are qualities that I admire in different architects, for example I love Frank Gehry's abstract style, Mies Van der Rohe’s attention to detail, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s contemporary style, which even today are still considered contemporary.  I would mention the NYC Guggenheim and Falling Waters.  However, the architect I feel most inspired by at the moment is Oscar Niemeyer. He has literally changed the landscape in Brazil, offering modern, contemporary buildings to the cities. Designs like the Niteroi, and the Cathedral of Brasília, are works of art that should go down in history as a turning point in modern architecture.  I have been greatly inspired by his use of structural concrete, which has encouraged me to try working with concrete in Product Design.

A building I have always wanted to visit must be the Empire State Building, designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. I cannot think of any building that sums up a country more powerfully than this one.  As a kid this building defined what America was, and it would be a dream to one day go and see it.  As I have become more interested in architecture I have become fascinated by it’s architectural details. I love that the intent of the building, it was supposed to be a Zeppelin-landing bay, and that creates fantasy.  I really look forward to seeing this amazing piece of architecture.

Some Sketches

I have not studied art since Year 8.  I was chosen to follow the expressive arts BTEC and this then led me to studying GCSE's in Dance and Drama.  I am starting to sketch again now, and intend to use my 'Gap Year' to take an evening class in drawing.  These images show my current ability.

The Cathedral of Brasilia is a building that I am really inspired by.  I drew this sketch from memory of the building.  I scanned the sketch for this blog and using Photoshop I recoloured the picture.  

I have been fascinated by landscape photography in my AS Level Photography course.  This rock buttress forms part of Stanege Edge.  I loved the stark shadow and the strong form set against a polaroid sky.  

This building was drawn of a view from a window in Hebden Bridge.  It could be viewed as a landscape or a city scale study.  I love the way in which the old industrial past of Hebden Bridge is combined with more modern buildings and buildings of an even earlier period.  This shows the way in which heritage is preserved and adapted.

These two sketches are of a buildings interior.  I have used one point perspective to create a sense of the three dimensional nature of interior space.  Having done a sketch I used Photoshop to create a more CAD style image. The use of a small amount of colour has created interest to the viewer.

My final sketch is far more architectural in nature.  I have deliberately left the perspective lines in position.  This image shows my emerging skill in drawing and also illustrates the further technical skills that I wish to develop over the next year.

Some of My CAD Working Using Google Sketchup

This is a garage that I designed for my dad to produce for a client of his carpentry business.  It is currently being constructed and will be clad in waney edge larch weatherboards and oak shingles.

I use Sketchup for fun.  I like to create buildings.  To begin with I would work on the exterior, but as I have become more competent with the programme I have started to add details to all areas.  This is a house that I designed and I have shown a Plan Elevation, A Front Elevation and an Interior detail.

Example of My 3D Work - Product Design AS Level Coursework

This bench was constructed using polished concrete combined with Iroko.  It was inspired by my research on concrete kitchen worktops.  I learnt a lot about the properties of concrete from this project and gained an A grade for this piece of work.

Some Examples of My Photography

 The first four photographs are from my AS Photography study of Architectural Photography.  I chose to focus on the Beetham Tower in Manchester.  These images have been edited using Photoshop.  I studied the exterior and interior of this building in detail.

The following photograph is of glass bricks that clad the Winter Gardens in Sheffield.  I like the repetition and the strong diagonal line that cuts through the picture.

The following image is from my AS Photography exam.  This is a collage which was inspired by Andy Goldsworthy and David Hockney.  All of the individual images are interpretations of the word Concentric.

I have studied a range of creative techniques in photography.  The image below was created using smoke, and then developed using Photoshop to create a kaleidoscope effect.

Thank you for reading this blog and studying my work.

Jaime Davis

February 3rd 2013