President’s Medal nomination for UMC Graduate

A huge congratulations to UMC Architects Part 1 year out student Daniel Farnsworth whose final year design project has been nominated by Nottingham Trent University for the RIBA 2019 President’s Medals award.

This is a significant achievement for Daniel, who joined UMC Architects in August 2019 following the completion of his Part 1 degree. UMC Architects were delighted to support Daniel throughout his Part 1 final year as part of the RIBA Student Mentoring programme with Nottingham Trent University and therefore witnessed the hard work and dedication Daniel applied to his scheme.

The President’s Medals are the Royal Institute of British Architects’ international awards scheme, celebrating the talent of outstanding students nominated by Schools of Architecture worldwide.

Daniel’s project focused on the design of a new library and mindfulness meditation retreat in the heart of Venice, Italy.

Daniel explains, ‘the project’s programme is a library and a mindfulness meditation retreat. These functions strive to unify the exterior and interior spaces through carefully considered spatial arrangement, which reveal Venice’s unique urban temperament, natural exceptionality and cultural power. The books’ knowledge help the visitor to find themselves’.

‘The play of solids and voids is key to the success of the lighting conditions achieved inside the building. The two direct routes lead into the main civic space, enabling visitors to interact with the boats and adjacent train station. These routes emphasise the views out into the lagoon, creating a direct visual link with the mountain range located north-west of the city. The project honours Venetian architectural heritage respectfully and subtly, through a modern style whereby elements such as columns and loggias are developed to create new experiences for the visitors’.

‘Influenced by the work by Carlo Scarpa, the poetry of tectonic has been considered to create a unique sense of harmony and a delicate and intimate experience, Furthermore, to celebrate the opportunity of the rising water levels, the lagoon has been brought into the outdoor civic space by a delicate element that encourages people to use the public space in-between buildings’.

UMC Architects are incredibly proud of Daniel’s achievement with the recognition of being nominated for the award richly deserved.