Joseph Nicholson

BArch

My studies and architectural approaches have been heavily influenced by the experience I gained during my placement year, developing an interest in adaptive reuse through my involvement with historic buildings and conservation.

Final Project

The Gasworks

A Sustainable Waste to Energy and Waste to Resourse Hub.

The graduation project involved an investigation into Market Harborough’s industrial heritage, developing a proposal for a circular waste-to-energy hub. The architecture is designed to reflect the cyclical processes of the circular economy, through programme, form and materiality.

A perspective section drawing, cutting through the waste to energy gasholder/ Featured is the machinery, a multi-storey central turret and a biodiverse public realm, rewilded with wildflowers and beehives. — Perspective Section – Waste to Energy Hub and Repair Workshops.

A perspective render of the winter garden, looking upwards towards the timber framed structure which has been maintained. — The Blamford Winter Garden, within the former listed flour mill.

Heritage + Conservation

The project involved an opportunity to conserve a derelict grade II listed building. The proposal features a winter garden, developed to maintain existing features and reveal its structure for visitors to appreciate. The floorboards have been stripped back to reveal the timber and steel frame, and embrace the nature which has already begun to reclaim the building. A by-product of the energy process is steam, an element used to heat the building and winter garden, reflective of the reuse cycles.

A detailed sketch study of the listed building, mapping textures. — Existing Building Appraisal – Texture Mapping

‘Traces of History’ –
A layered map studying the evolution of the site from 1880 to present day.

Physical model of the existing building's structure. Walls modelled from acetate to allow for transparency to the structure. — The Existing Building – 1:50 Model
Created to study its structure and existing form.

Rendered Aerial Site Plan. — Site Plan – 1:300

The public realm has been designed to ‘regenerate nature’. Rewilded and covered with wildflower species to promote biodiversity and create homes for local wildlife and insects.

Internal visualisation of the energy facilities. Machinery is colour coded to communicate the process of waste to energy. — Interior Visualisation – The Gasworks – The machinery is colour coded to visually communicate each stage of the process

The form is derived from the gasholder frames, repurposed from an existing use. This cyclical form allows for the exhibition of all processes within the building, observed from a central core atrium.

Diagram from a series of studies into the circular approach of building materials. Straw Bale. — Building Material Studies – The Circular Economy

Long section of the building, outlining the two cycles of the circular approach. The Technical and the Biological. — Technical and Biological Cycles, Cradle to Cradle, Noth Section – 1:100

Front and Back elevation. Visible is the brick victorian listed building, with the proposed design behind. Two large gasholders, encapsulated by a timber panel mobius loop. — North (top) and South (bottom) Elevation – 1:100

The conceptual representation of the project is embodied within the form of a mobius loop, a symbol which represents a continuous cycle both physically and subjectively. This architecturally represents the function of the site, circulating products and waste, whilst welcoming the local community to spread sustainable awareness through the act of observation and making. This form is embodied within a timber panelled structure, which encompasses the two gasholders and creates a visual infinite loop.

Adaptability + The Circular Economy

Materials passport booklet, hand printed on recycled paper.

All my projects have been centred around the principles of a circular economy. For both Design Studio projects I produced a material passport to accompany the design. These booklets formed a record of

research, identifying key building components, their properties and and potential for adaptability or reuse. This also recorded the origin of materials and the predicted embodied carbon.

An exploded axonometric diagram, outlining the key components of a cinema, designed entirely from cork blocks. — Exploded Axo – Design for Disassembly

North Elevation – P2 ‘The Circular Cinema’ – An adaptable cork building, designed for disassembly.

Work Experience

My architectural projects have been heavily influenced by the enriching practice experience I gained during my placement year, developing an interest in historic buildings, conservation, and adaptive reuse. I was fortunate to work at a leading practice specialising in conservation architecture. This opportunity allowed me to work closely with AABC-accredited architects to formulate a series of proposals, including listed buildings, churches and mixed-use developments. This experience has allowed me to reinforce my studies based on workplace experience, with a unique consideration of conservation and adaptability,

Visionary Thinkers

Visionary Creators

Visionary Makers