TIM  LAHAISE  ARCHITECT

The Gray’s School of Art building is one of the only confident examples of Modernist architecture in Scotland, however, it’s excessive energy use and poor control of interior temperatures year-round has put the building under threat of demolition.

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As such, the concept for my design was to upgrade the building with a double-skin façade, essentially wrapping the existing glass and steel building in a second layer of glass, to create a buffer zone between the exterior and interior climates. This would allow for improved insulation and constructive use of solar gain throughout the year through the use of a heat-recovery system. Following this, the interior design of my proposal would be based around transparency and light, and softening the cold materials with the introduction of wood. Wooden slats therefore became a key component in the design, used to divide space while maintaining visual transparency and passage of light.