The Interview

Today in Birmingham, as I walked by the university, I imagined being interviewed to become an architecture student in another life.  The assignment given in the interview was 'do something with the BT tower- Birmingham to make it look presentable.

Here are my thoughts:-

The dimensions of design.

• Straight lines or curves?  Symmetrical or asymmetrical?
• The roof- a feature or subtle necessity?
• Cladding- materials, maintenance costs, patterns. tessellations.
• How does it fit with the environment?  neighbouring buildings?
• Windows and doors.  
• Dramatic or subtle impact?
• What's the budget?  
• Will it have a design feature?  Something that draws the eye?
• Cultural context? Is it an echo from the past or something new? 
• Smooth or textured?  or both?
• Monochrome or polychromatic?
• Big picture and fine detail.

I then designed my new tower because the current one is a disgrace.

The BT tower- needs some work.

This was the building I was most
impressed with

This is called The Cube  - interesting but
I think it has design problems.

The Malala Library - It's definitely an improvement from the multi-story
car park that was there before.  The interior is splendid.