Birmingham City University: Birmingham School of Architecture and Design

摘要

Thomas's social exploration of his brief and the development of his conceptual narrative goes beyond the expectation of a student at this level. Enveloped in deep theoretical and critical consideration, frame-by-frame, this project is a unique film experience into the life of those marginalised by society. This project is a social response to the unit's brief for the design of a 'halfway house' in Digbeth, Birmingham, and addresses the issues ex-convicts face during rehabilitation, their struggle to integrate into society, the stigma that surrounds them and the risk of re-offending. The first part monitors and explores the activities on the site, using a film sequence broken down into individual frames. The second part continues to explore film-framing techniques, critically studying a sequence of spaces which speed up or slow down the rate at which ex-convicts reform. Conceptually, the building is formed by a sequence of 20 frames, each a module of space formed of in-situ concrete. Slits between each module create strong shadows, adding to the experience of the journey, widening and brightening the spaces towards the journey's end, when a ramp down towards the exit demonstrates the momentum ex-convicts build up in their final months of rehabilitation.