Last Wednesday, I attended PAM public lectures of BETWEEN DEFINITE & INFINITE by Charlie Sutherland that held at Publika, Kuala Lumpur.​

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Charlie Sutherland studied Architecture at the Mackintosh School in Glasgow. Upon graduating he joined the office of the late Sir James Stirling and worked on a number of international commissions and competitions including the Tokyo Forum, The Paris Library and the Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore. Following the untimely death of Stirling, He continued in the office as an Associate with Michael Wilford and Partners and was responsible for the competition design for the New British Embassy Berlin and the Sto K in Weizen Germany both of which were short listed for the Stirling prize.

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Charlie has been a visiting critic and lecturer throughout the UK and Europe America and the far East – Universities include Oslo, Versailles, Boston ( Northeastern University), Edinburgh, Chongqing and the British School in Rome.

 

He was elected as a fellow to the Royal Scottish Academy for Art and Architecture in 2011 where he is active on a range of committees to promote the links between education and the Academy and was awarded an Honorary professorship at Glasgow University in 2013.

 

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An Turas

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This is a Scottish Arts Council funded project for Architect, Artist and Engineer to collaborate in making a structure for the island of Tiree. Located near to the pier, the structure is intended to act as a ‘shelter’ whilst waiting for the ferry.

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The design was based on reflecting some of the qualities of the island - the big sky and horizon, the white beaches, the monochromatic black-houses dotted over the land - all distilled as a line in the landscape.

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The building is experienced as a 3-part spatial sequence:

 

• The white walls: The white-walled corridor creates a linear cut in the landscape formed by two retaining walls that provide shelter from the wind while allowing travelers to focus on the sky and consider its beauty. In strong sunlight the walls become a surface for shadows and the reflection of light and colour, continually changing according to the weather and time of day.

• The bridge: A direct contrast that moves the visitors from light space to dark space, white to black, outside to inside, exposed to protected. A black felted timber structure with an open-slatted floor reveals the exposed rock below in reference to the traditional building crafts of roof structures, house interiors or boat building of the island.

• The glass box: The glass belvedere at the end allows for a visual experience of the landscape. From a distance a view of the landscape and Gott Bay is framed beyond the black timber box enclosure, providing an introduction to Tiree for arriving visitors or a memory for those departing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The slightly elevated floor provides a three-dimensional landscape experience with a view of the ferry terminal and the old dry-stone dyke snaking down to the shoreline.

 

 

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The Loveshack

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The house sits over three levels on a steep slope on a foundation of mini-piles. These are small steel rods driven into the ground without damaging the site’s protected tree roots.

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Access is by steps leading up the house via a covered timber porch. From the hallway a small flight of stairs leads into the open plan living space with oak floors and south facing picture windows. To deal with the slope accomodation is split over two levels.

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The timber cladding is locally grown, reducing the carbon footprint from source to use. Heating is provided by a wood burning stove. Locally reclaimed cedar, natural wall coverings and organic paints are used in the interior.

 

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Lawson Park

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Situated in the Lake District National Park on the west side of Grizedale Forest the converted farm provides residential accommodation and research facilities for artists, curators and Grizedale guests, along with small scale conference facility, warden’s accommodation and site office.

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Due to planning constraints no changes could be made to the building’s stone exterior. The interior of the Victorian farmhouse has white walls, exposed wood and natural finishes in shades of brown. The renovation also includes fittings in chrome and glass. Daylight is gained through glazed roof openings.

 

In addition to the building, an area of 15 acres surrounding the farm is to be developed for land use and art projects. It includes a meadow, kitchen gardens for food production and fish ponds.

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From this lecture, I have learned how to frame the view and respect to landscape. Adapt to site, integrate with nature element and go green without destroy the nature is very important in architecture nowadays. Besides that, material variation and texture can express different feeling to people.