Louie Memorial Pavilion – Community Hub, Oxford (United Kingdom) 2016
Interior Architecture students at Oxford Brookes University in their second year participate in a ‘live project’ that has social emphasis. It is part of their design curriculum. In the following case, students were asked to expand and redesign an existing dilapidated community pavilion in Botley (Oxford) in collaboration with the local community and trustees.
The Louie Memorial Pavilion has become over the last five years a lively community hub hosting many activities. Regardless of its poor physical conditions it seems that there has been an increase in local initiatives for activities that take place under its roof. Strong community spirit rather than the building performance, is the driving force. The aim of the ‘live project’ was to propose a series of functioning yet inspiring designs to accommodate the current activities and future potential whilst conveying the community ethos; it was also to provide leverage for a renovation campaign for the pavilion. The students’ proposals were presented to the public at an exhibition on-site and was reported by the local press. The captivating images were instrumental for the trustees to approach the parish council. It now supports the campaign and has initiated a fundraising process.
Client: Louie Memorial Pavilion Trust – Emmett Casely
Tutors: Orit Sarfatti, Dr Andrea Placidi, Genevieve Peel
Students: Oluwatoyosi Adenuga, Annabelle Stillman-Jones, Shahad Osman, Louisa Chessher, Beth Dawson, Yee See, Alyssa Kirton, Marie De Montaigne De Poncins, Isaac Nwaku, Naomi Cessford, Isabel Quadrado, Molly Ward, Isis Dapling, Megan Wright, Parmida Amininavaei, Hio Ngai, Gintare Guzaviciute
Research Question: Can a students’ project inspire and inform a community to take actions?
United Kingdom, Months, Self-funded, 11-50, Undergraduate, Propositional, Collaboration, Curricular, Interior Architecture, Students with tutor, Oxford Brookes Univ.
