By Architect / Artist– Lizzie Bruk and Designer / Artist– Pantipa Annabel Loftus

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Connection to Harringay Warehouse District

Birdhouse is a beacon of warehouse life: a sustainable way to ensure Harringay’s warehouse-living culture:
a) becomes stronger,
b) remains protected,
c) is celebrated through new modalities,
d) is supportive of its valuable citizens.
Birdhouse is a pavilion that aims to solidify Harringay’s artists’ status within the Borough of Hackney, after a 25-year trajectory of successful warehouse co-living. Birdhouse has a come-and-go style capacity. It is a truly public realm that offers a meeting ground between the residential and industrial majority of the district.

Proposal Outline

The formal presence of Birdhouse, as seen from the street, echoes the current Harringay urban character, which is rational, brutal, and boldly large.

The hidden presence of Birdhouse, as seen from within the entryway and garden, explodes with an Artists’ flavour: being free, wild, porous, and playful.

This is a space where artists can volunteer their time under a spectrum of motivations. Hosting large events, conducting small classes, or simply seeking shelter when a change of pace is needed are activities to be had by residents and visitors alike.

Secure in its motivation, yet unrestricted in its patronage, Birdhouse is an Adults‚Äô Playground. It is a place of mystery, phenomena, and expression, with ‘free’ spaces that undulate and grow. Birdhouse offers elevated mobility for adults, such as climbing, swinging, jumping, and exploring – physical options that are often overlooked for over 20-year olds.

We want to continue the notion that what you can do in a warehouse, is what you can’t do in a house! We want to give adults the power to be free, powerful, and be in coexistence with nature. Birdhouse is a recognition of our [human] place within an ecological family, where people, animals, plants, and oxygen flow freely between a cavernous indoor playground and an outdoor activity space.

The construction of Birdhouse is faceted, modular, and randomised in effect: it is in its conceptual phase, where the spirit of its use is what shines in the images presented to you. Its walls are tough, hardwearing, and volumetrically creative. It is a place that encourages you to go outside of your comfort zone, propelling you into ‘discovery mode’.

Like the Tottenham Pavilion brief suggests, our work is a collaboration of our skills: artistry, design, construction, and spatial awareness. When disciplines combine, there is a play and tension that emerges.

Our approach to this assignment reflects the experience of using the space. The space is not defined materially, at its concept stage, but rather is encouraged by its human interactions with a form and volume.

We invite you to explore our imagery, and imagine such a place.

Sincerely,

Lizzie and Annabel