Níall McLaughlin
Architects

ARCHITECTURE AS AN INSTRUCTION-BASED ART – HARVARD UNIVERSITY EXHIBITION

SEPTEMBER 2024

An exhibition has opened at the Druker Design Gallery at Harvard University titled ‘Architecture as an Instruction-Based Art’. The exhibition is a selection of drawings which are used to coordinate the process of construction, that is, drawings which reflect the nature of architecture as an “instruction-based” art. We selected a drawing from our International Rugby Experience project in Ireland that shows the complex co-ordination and layering of construction from ceiling to roof level. Here each bay of the sculptural ceiling transitions upwards from an expansive oculus aligned with the building axes, twisting through 20 degrees to accommodate eye-shaped north-facing skylights and bespoke solar shades at roof level.

The exhibition has been curated by the Farshid Moussavi and runs until the 15^th October. More information can be found on the Harvard website here.

PLANNING CONSENT GRANTED FOR PRIVATE HOUSE IN HAMPSHIRE

NOVEMBER 2012

The practice has received planning consent from Winchester City Council for the construction of a new private house in a sensitive area in the Hampshire countryside.

The site sits next to the river Arle, an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by English Nature and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EC Habitats Directive. Permission was granted following extensive consultations and a positive response from the Winchester and Eastleigh Design Review Panel, as well as the support of Natural England and the Wildlife Trust.

The house will have high sustainability credentials including high levels of thermal insulation and airtightness, passive solar heating, ground source heating technology, PV panels and substantial enhancement of the ecology of the site through extensive landscaping works.