X-ray / Cut-away

The completed x-ray drawing of the castle can now be used as the base for a series of cut-away drawings exploring how the individual rooms and spaces are held within the solid mass of the tower house form. 

The idea for this type of analysis came from the anatomical drawings of Andreas Vesalius, which peel back skin and muscle in order to explore how a complex arrangement of different organs and processes fit within the three dimensional structure of the human body.

De Corporis Fabrica, Andreas Vesalius

Time for a rant about Dundee's waterfront masterplan

The six proposed designs present a variety of visions for Dundee's future image, all of which are original and stimulating (yes, even Sutherland Hussey's power-station-esk effort is undeniably well thought out, if not particularly popular or pretty). Whichever design is eventually chosen, it will provide interesting spaces to explore, evocative engagement with the river and the city and most importantly, an image of optimism, ambition and individuality at the heart of a city which has often been lacking in self-esteem.

However... The same qualities cannot be attributed to the rest of the waterfront masterplan which, while clearly being an improvement over the current dismal collection of roundabouts, on-ramps and parking lots, still lacks any aspiration to be more than an utterly bland collection of cheaply constructed, generic tat.

Now I understand that the individual buildings in the masterplan have yet to be designed but shouldn't the council's images at least suggest that the area could be filled with interesting, high quality buildings? Has Dundee adopted some obscure planning regulation that requires a certain proportion of the city to be built in the student-accomodation/casino/multi-storey car park style which currently springs from every construction site?

It may not seem immediately important what office or apartment blocks look like, but a city's architecture says something about it's collective character. A city of cheap, unambitious buildings is a city without self-respect.

As we ponder over what the V&A design will say about Dundee to the world, we should also consider what the rest of Dundee will say about itself.

Tired of having to drive to get that technology park vibe?
Well despair no longer... Dundee's got you covered.

X-ray drawing in progress

This is a partially completed perspective drawing of Claypotts Castle showing not only the outer form, but also an x-ray style view of the internal spaces. This technique allows an appreciation of how the spaces sit within the seemingly solid form of the castle. In particular, it is helpful to illustrate how features such as window openings, fireplaces and alcoves puncture the solid mass of the external walls. The drawing also demonstrates the splayed nature of the window reveals which are wider on the internal surface of the walls, allowing light to wash along their surfaces and reducing glare in the rooms.