Simona D'Sa

Material Histories

The culmination of our group’s site research and discoveries 
is depicted in the final drawing, a synthesis of our collective insights. Our exploration traversed various scales, ranging from 1:1 to 1:200, tracing the route from Cardrona Forest, Peebles, ascending towards Moffat Plantation forests, and culminating at the Sawmill in Lockerbie. The initial section portrays a tangential cut through the sawmill, symbolizing the progression through time. This unfolded perspective reflects our most impactful experiences 
and the facets that remain vivid in our memories. The subsequent section illustrates a radial cut, offering a bird’s-eye 
view of the Moffat plantation. Here, we delve into the intricate patterns of plantation management and the strategic felling of trees to optimize timber yield. Lastly, the transverse section unveils the anatomy of the Cardrona forest, focusing on native Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce and Scots Pine trees. A Venn diagram mapping interdependencies intricately illustrates the symbiotic relationship between each element in the forest-to-sawmill process, highlighting the vital role of mutual support and propagation. In this comprehensive depiction, we not only document our journey but also delve into the interconnectedness of nature and industry, offering a nuanced understanding of forestry practices and their ecological implications and the temporality of the current relationship. 

Dunbar and The Ridge

The Ridge is a local charity in Dunbar, East Lothian, dedicated to empowering vulnerable community members through job opportunities and training. However, the 30-mile distance and transportation expenses to Edinburgh create barriers to local employment and education access. Despite these challenges, The Ridge addresses various issues such as mental health, food poverty, and unemployment, offering tailored support to help individuals become self-sufficient. Specialising in traditional construction skills, The Ridge provides high-quality training and employment opportunities for those facing barriers. Additionally, it partners with Historic Environment Scotland to teach stonemasonry and timber joinery, contributing to the preservation of the Dunbar Conservation Area. The organisation also operates productive community gardens, offering flowers, fruit, and vegetables while serving as safe spaces for volunteering and learning. The produce is made available to the community either directly from the gardens or through local community growers.

A Drying and Dyeing Shed

In alignment with the philosophy of endowing natural resources with intrinsic value to reduce waste, and inspired by an exploration of natural airflow and solar gain strategies, a tower has been erected. Its purpose: to serve as a hub for drying herbs and flowers, as well as facilitating the natural dyeing of fabrics. Employing traditional scarf and sandwich joints, crafted to accommodate standard timber dimensions, the tower stands imposingly, intentionally designed to harness vertical air currents. Nestled beside the pre-existing south-facing masonry wall in Empire Close, serving as a natural UV filter, its East and West-facing shutters elegantly channel airflow, enabling the organic drying of flowers and herbs.  The traditional roof truss is angled to blend with nearby buildings, using timber shingles to match neighbouring slate roofs.

Warp and Weft- Structural Weaving

The vocabulary of weaving became prevalent in an approach to understanding the site. 
An analysis of thresholds and access, disrepair and derelict, and existing urban fabric led to an interpretation of weaving and binding to strengthen the site.  As such I was intersted in the strucure of a loom and the creation of fabric, understanding that as Annie Albers quoted that ‘a weaver has to think structurally, as the loom passes the weft threads left- to right, right to left’, building up a plane of fabric between two fixed points.  As such the three cuts of wood were used to help frame an understanding of weaving tectonically.  The radial- The warp are the threads running through the lengths of the looms across  which treads are woven. I likened to the broken and disconnected Riggs. 
The tangential—The weft is the threads woven cross-wise to form the web. It is understood as the timber interventions that are woven through to strengthen and mend. 
The transverse- the forming of the web in building up a plane of fabric and bringing together the community and site. 

The proposal is centred around three gardens: a dyers' garden, a kitchen garden, and a well-being garden. Drawing inspiration from the intricate interplay of the weft and warp in weaving, the design orchestrates a choreographed sequence of spaces, dictated by the changing direction of floorboards, to gracefully guide visitors through the site.  

The design delves into the interplay of rhythms, shadows, and light, integrated within the layers of framing inserted within, inside and outside the primary structural timber posts on a strategic grid. This consideration extends to the creation of conditioned and unconditioned spaces strategically crafted to accommodate a proposal that considers the ease of assembly and disassembly of timber infrastructures.