Project Summary

This CGI visual shows a proposed art studio located in Digbeth. By providing a CGI visual the form, material palette and lighting of the design can all be portrayed. These aspects have all been designed to reflect the industrial character of the area.

The proposal is part of a wider conceptual scheme which incorporates three proposed live-work art studio buildings dispersed along the disused viaduct in Digbeth.

Plans and Site Plans of the Art Studios

Whilst the winding path between each building connects them at ground level, access and circulation between the buildings can also be obtained at viaduct level.

This public access at both viaduct level and ground level has been designed to encourage visitors to each of the art studios. By making the paths and studios open to the public this allows for additional footfall meaning that the art studios can either be used for performative arts or to exhibit and sell art work.

The Ground Floor Plan of two of the studio buildings shows more detail of the live-work spaces and communal spaces which have been incorporated into the scheme

The above section shows the four storeys of the building, with live-work studios on Ground, First and Second Floor and a communal area on the Third Floor. The Second Floor studio which connects to the viaduct is the barrel-vaulted space featured in the main image.

We also built a 1:20 physical scale model of the communal space on the Third Floor which is where the above photograph was taken.

The Picturesque Concept

This conceptual project of art studios along the Digbeth viaduct was inspired by the picturesque movement, this is the reason for their unusual siting and orientations as well as their unique shapes and materials. Each building along the viaduct has been designed in a similar way to how a folly would be designed in a picturesque garden.

In picturesque gardens such as Stowe, the follies are integrated into the landscape which orchestrates views where the follies can be seen from. The follies are then connected by winding paths through the landscapes. This is also how the location, siting and form of the art studio buildings were determined; based on views with two routes connecting the three follies.

The Outcome – CGI Visuals

The design concept for three “follies” along the viaduct was developed into the proposed design of the three artist studio buildings. These were connected by a winding path at ground level and the viaduct on the upper floors. Some key spaces within the buildings were then developed further, including the art studio shown in the title image and the communal space. Prior to creating a CGI visual of the main Art Studio featured in the title image this was also created as a 1:20 physical model, photographed here:

From this physical model we then developed a 3D model and rendered a CGI visual to showcase the materials in more detail.

Here is the final CGI render taken from the 3D model we developed of the Artist Studio space which was at Viaduct Level.