Alex Ensor
The University of Auckland
Alex Ensor is a Masters of Architecture Professional and Heritage Conservation in his 4th Year - that’s right, we have a conjoint student! We talk to Alex about his favourite design brief which he completed in his last year of his Bachelors.
Alex: I love studying architecture because its a perfect mix between creativity and problem-solving. There is essentially no wrong answers or ways to go about a certain issue, resulting in a variety of responses from students for a singular brief. The sense of accomplishment after months of iterations and design changes all leading towards a final product is what draws me to the degree, with the added inspiration of seeing how fellow students undertake the brief in a totally different way of thinking.
My favourite method of designing a space is through the use of iterative modelling. In my opinion, even rough models constructed using card or paper are able to show moments and ideas that two-dimensional drawing can’t capture. Modelling your ideas also grounds you to your design - it creates an element of clarity especially when you have to translate the ideas in your head to something tangible in the real world.
The drawings and models are from a third-year design course, with a site situated on Motuihe Island. The brief was to design accommodation for both workers and visitors, keeping in mind the constraints of building on an island - materials, cost and time. My response to this was a prefabricated system of elements that could be shipped to the island, creating a modular building that can changed and expanded over time if necessary. A large driving element was also to keep the building as “detached” from the wildlife reserve as much as possible - with the use of removable fixings and elements.
