MSA Stage 3 School of Architecture

Ryan Woods (He/Him)

An Industrious Hub in a Post-Industrious Landscape

I am a current RIBA Part 1 Architectural Assistant, where I have spent my first three years of study at The Mackintosh School of Architecture.

My practice is heavily inspired by social sustainability and adaptable design, as well as developing a strong interest in the psychology and politics of space. I believe architecture should act as a catalyst for social mobility, yet also give agency to the user(s) to continue to build and develop community and conviviality, long after the project has been realised.

As a recent Part 1 graduate, I am seeking work opportunities within energetic team-orientated practices that share a similar interdisciplinary and community-centric pedagogy.

Contact
R.Woods1@student.gsa.ac.uk
Website
Instagram
Projects
The Urban Food Exchange
An Industrious Hub in a Post-Industrious Landscape

The Urban Food Exchange

An Industrious Hub in a Post-Industrious Landscape … 

The Urban Food Exchange is a project aimed at combining agricultural practices and production with the pressing demand for sustainable food growth and distribution in rapidly expanding urban environments.

Through the collaborative spirit of the communities along Glasgow’s Forth and Clyde Canal, the scheme offers a place to exchange knowledge, expertise, skills and experiences through the prism of food cultivation and production.

Informed by the studio catalysts of ‘Energy, Landscape and Culture’, the proposal investigates the idea of collective memory through the site’s industrial vernacular and cultural identity.

The communal heart of the proposal, The Hub, is constructed from modular structural components. The kit-of-parts assembly allows the building to grow and adapt over time; securing the longevity of the building, even after it has outlived its context.

The campus-style House accommodates the residential quarters, yet also combines the rejuvenation of existing buildings with gardens and productive urban farming. This tangible experience of being amongst agricultural practices whilst partaking on a short course intends to leave a lasting impression on the participants.

View to the 'House'

Material Junctions

Remnants of industries past and present are visible on the surface of the site's physical fabric. The layering of time juxtaposed with the layering of industrial material forms a visual and emotional connection to the cultural significance of the canal. This bricolage of found material illustrates the rich narrative of the canal's history and informs the direction of its future.

Urban Transitions

The Applecross site sits within the periphery of the city centre, the M8 motorway being the defining feature that denotes the 'true' city centre from the 'rest'. As you journey up through Spiers Wharf, the rumble of the motorway fades. Applecross acts as the 'in-between', the urban vs the suburban. In observing this, we could say that Applecross is transitional space.

Perspective Section

Hub

The 'Hub'

A Vessel for Growing

Site Plan

Monoliths v The Ephemeral

Site Isometric

Ground Floor Plan

Floor Plans

Site Section

Exploded Construction Axonometric

The Hub

Winter Garden

Apartment Configurations