Architectural Design Project

Module Lead

Prof David Richards

Tutors

Carl Leroy-Smith
Howard Clarke

Wimborne St Giles is a small village in rural East Dorset known for its rich history, picturesque views, and strong sense of community. It is it is part of the esate of the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury and home to the family seat, St Giles House. This estate has long been committed to enhancing the community through initiatives such as the neighbourhood plan, which supports local businesses, improvements to environment, and aims to address new housing needs.

Each design took a specific architect – such as Louis Kahn, Glenn Murcutt and Rem Koolhaas – as the initial point of inspiration. In keeping with the client’s ambitions, all of the proposals needed to consider low-carbon development, conservation of green spaces and local impact, as well as accessibility, the site topography and infrastructure.

With the Shaftesbury Estate as the client, the students were allocated different locations in and around the village, and tasked with presenting a RIBA Stage 3 proposal for a new dwelling, suitable for short- or long-term let to a family or group of friends.

Outputs from the project included scale models, CAD renders, architectural plans and elevations. Extensive structural calculations and drawings were also a key requirement, as well as analyses of environmental impact.