Dezeen School Shows: a community hub made from timber and concrete is included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at the University of Portsmouth.

Also featured is a housing development incorporating mixed-use architecture and a project utilising adaptive reuse methods.

University of Portsmouth

Institution: University of Portsmouth
School: Portsmouth School of Architecture
Courses: BA (Hons) Architecture, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, MArch, MA Interior Architecture and Design, MA Architecture: Spatial Design Practices, MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation and MA Architecture: Landscape and Urbanism
Tutors: Paula Craft-Pegg, Roberto Braglia, Nigel Simpkins, Guido Robazza, Belinda Mitchell, Tarek Teba and Oren Lieberman

School statement:

"The Portsmouth School of Architecture embraces the importance of integrated and research-informed design, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration.

"The school encourages exploration of the relationships between architecture, interior design, engineering, conservation, landscape and urban design and across the creative disciplines – this approach enables students to develop comprehensive solutions that address complex challenges, integrating diverse perspectives and expertise.

"By encouraging a wide range of design approaches, the school fosters a holistic view on social, cultural and environmental sustainability – students are empowered to develop impactful designs that are responsive to the context and environment, actively engaging with the values and aspirations of communities while embodying a critical design ethos.

"The BA (Hons) Architecture course merges theory and practice to interrogate various ecologies such as environment, culture, economy, political and aesthetic – students gain expertise in design, construction, sustainability and history and theory, engaging in practical projects and acquiring industry experience.

"The BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design course explores how interior architecture can enable attitudes of care for people, buildings, communities and the environment.

"'Thinking through making' underpins the course through projects concerned with the environment, materiality and adaptive reuse.

"The MArch offers a testbed to explore diverse urban and architectural design theories – teaching is aligned with staff expertise and research, and allows interaction with a range of physical and cultural contexts.

"All design studios emphasise climate crises, social inequalities and the significance of place, advancing through targeted research and experimentation.

"In our MA Architecture degree courses, students augment their creative practice and research by specialising in alternative forms of architecture – these courses consist of Building and Heritage Conservation, Landscape and Urban Design, Spatial Design Practices or MA Interior Architecture and Design.

"Students engage in disciplinary-specific learning whilst also working collaboratively in a rich transdisciplinary environment."

Project Isthmus by Daniel Febvre

"Based within Gosport, the overarching brief within this project is 'coastal resilience'.

"With a rich heritage and relation to war, Gosport is still fighting, economically and socially – and with five military bases, it has little access for public use whilst exponentially growing as a colourless, sub-urbanised and inaccessible town, making out-commuters more prevalent.

"This project aims to tackle issues revolving around housing; design must spill into the urban periphery, integrating a vivid urban network and creating interdependent communities.

"Catering for the diversity of urban growth, while actively solving issues surrounding health, transport and coastal resilience and bringing life back into Gosport and Fareham's regions through subjective pigmentation."

Student: Daniel Febvre
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Leago Madumo and Gregory Martinez de Riquelme

Peckham in Motion by Charlie Mcmanus

"Situated in the dynamic borough of Southwark, Peckham is a vibrant cultural hub grappling with the challenges of gentrification and rising property prices.

"The urban intervention aims to tackle the issues facing the area, whilst exploring alternative visions of inhabitation mapped out through the medium of film.

"The project progresses into an architectural intervention, focusing on housing that reconnects Peckham with its residents.

"The aim is to transform Peckham's dense urban environment into a new landscape that benefits the local communities, rich with cultural significance due to its diverse populations.

"By proposing mixed-use housing, the project aspires to enhance the area's diversity and foster spontaneous interactions, creating a harmonious urban fabric."

Student: Charlie Mcmanus
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Dr Sebastian Aedo and John Pegg

It's Not Paradise – But the Direction Has Changed by Libby Beavon

"Following the traces of the past, can a building, left otherwise to deteriorate, face a new future?

"Treadgolds, a former ironworks building in Portsmouth, is far from paradise.

"Left in a state of disrepair, it remains largely unused and unsafe – old brick walls damaged by smoke, flaking paint, cracking plaster, all traces of things left behind long ago.

"The building remembers its past life within its fabric – honouring Treadgolds' heritage as a making space, the new scheme brings this making concept into modern life – a community creative arts centre and artist residency.

"A place where Portsea residents can come together to create, learn new skills, share, connect and enrich their own futures."

Student: Libby Beavon
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Nigel Simpkins, Rachael Brown and Enrique Moya-Angeler

Domus Dei: Cultivating Futures by Rebecca Masser

"Portsmouth, one of the UK's most densely populated cities, faces significant challenges for its vulnerable youth, including limited green space and high rates of antisocial behaviour.

"Cultivating Futures aims to transform the historic Garrison Church into a dynamic community centre, addressing the challenges of a cost of living crisis and mental health struggles through alternative learning spaces that integrate urban farming practices and cooking workshops to provide hands-on education in sustainable horticulture and culinary arts.

"To foster environmental stewardship and social unity, addressing food poverty while fostering community and belonging, Cultivating Futures hopes to provide a safe, engaging environment for Portsmouth's youth to learn, grow and thrive."

Student: Rebecca Masser
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Nigel Simpkins, Rachael Brown and Enrique Moya-Angeler

Mirror Resilience Innovation Hub by James Davis

"In Casso, 26 residents continue life after the 1963 Vajont Dam disaster, which claimed thousands and created a 'dark tourism' spot – this event still shapes the area's identity.

"Mirror aims to redefine the future by focusing on preparedness through a Resilience Innovation Hub.

"This hub is a centre for research, technology and community engagement, blending experiential architecture with web3 and AI.

"It educates and prepares visitors by engaging them with historical and current events, merging the past and future.

"Using NFTs, crypto and AI, Mirror creates an immersive environment, empowering visitors to contribute to community resilience and problem-solving."

Student: James Davis
Course: MArch
Tutors: Dr Antonino Di Raimo, Paula Craft Pegg, John Pegg and Simone Sfriso

Kaliyugam: Sustainable Futures by Sharath Binu John

"This thesis explores the integration of biodegradable materials, inspired by natural phenomena like frog spawn, lime plaster and transparent gelatine, into sustainable architectural practices.

"Highlighting frog spawn's unique thermal properties and oxygen permeability, the research evaluates materials such as corrosion-resistant alloys and dynamic double-panned ballistic gel for optimal insulation.

"Located in South Downs National Park, the structure adopts a 'glamping' style, featuring flexible and transparent gelatine walls, creating sustainable living space.

"By mimicking the communication networks of trees and plants, the work illustrates how architecture can harmonise with natural processes."

Student: Sharath Binu John
Course: MA Interior Architecture and Design
Tutor: Suzanne Fallouh

Unhomely: Wymering Manor by Keri Andrews

"When visiting the Wymering, there is a sense of Das Unheimliche, to mean uncanny and weird, literally translated into Unhomely.

"Through a series of studies of the site, I found that many narratives breathed throughout the house.

"They flowed through the fabric of the building – by breathing in the house, the smell of the dampness and the decay is unavoidable.

"The house creates a site ghostly effect in the middle of Cosham.

"The section builds on the many human and more than human stories that emerged from its many different histories."

Student: Keri Andrews
Course: MA Interior Architecture and Design
Tutors: Belinda Mitchell, Rokhshid Ghaziani and Mark Lemanski

Connecting the Past and the Future through Conservation Practice by Dana Alsultan and Qais Yaqoob

"MA Building and Heritage Conservation students worked in collaboration with Sustainable Conservation Trust to explore revitalisation strategies for the former pay office and its surrounding historic open spaces in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

"Based on historic and archival research and site and a building pathology analysis, the project established site interpretations, suggested repair methods and developed adaptive reuse interventions for the site.

"The project was supported by hands-on understanding and experience of repair methodologies and site challenges – consequently, embedded revitalisation strategies and interventions, that connect the building to its surrounding tangible and intangible heritage, were developed."

Students: Dana Alsultan and Qais Yaqoob
Course: MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation
Tutor: Milena Metalkova-Markova

The Imbalanced Dress by Linnéa Jakobsson

"The Imbalanced Dress was inspired by Jane Bennett's writings.

"The notion of vibrant matter has helped to further develop an understanding of how things can be seen and not excluded; indeed, we need to be inclusive of all planetary beings when we design.

"Whilst Bennett's words were very present in this task to reconfigure and reconceptualise a piece of furniture, other concepts and practices resonated, such as rhythm analysis (Lefebvre), scoring (Halprin) and the idea that practice is a 'mangle' (Pickering) – all of which helped to create a dynamic, evolving and performative interaction between human and non-human entities.

"This project highlighted the inextricable entanglements of design and research."

Student: Linnéa Jakobsson
Course: MA Architecture: Spatial Design Practices
Tutor: Oren Lieberman

Beyond the blueprint: A day in my life by Jamna Avunhippuram

"This practice-led research challenges and redefines traditional idealised representations within architecture, specifically those concerning domestic spaces, which often obscure the realities of everyday life.

"By delving into the lived experiences of mothers, the essay aims to subvert the prevailing glamorous, clean-line aesthetics that dominate architectural discourse, revealing instead the intricate, multifaceted nature of domestic environments.

"It advocates for a change in basic assumptions in architectural representation, one that authentically embraces motherhood and domesticity, spotlighting the everyday struggles and triumphs inherent in these spaces."

Student: Jamna Avunhippuram
Course: Thesis (MA Interior Architecture and Design)
Tutor: Belinda Mitchell

Symbiosis and the Anthropause by Inchara Shetty

"This thesis uses the Royal Garrison church in Portsmouth, UK, to refigure a heritage site through symbiotic relationships to question traditional approaches to conservation and preservation.

"Through an examination of decay and symbiosis, I explore the potential for symbiogenetic relationships within the context of the anthropause.

"Drawing on the philosophical insights of Donna Haraway and Caitlin DeSilvey, I navigate the complex terrain of human-environment relationships from an interdisciplinary and reflective perspective."

Student: Inchara Shetty
Course: Thesis (MA Interior Architecture and Design)
Tutor: Belinda Mitchell

The Pompey Wedge by Mobolaji Otonye Sultan Esere

"The Pompey Wedge provides a vital new destination tying Portsmouth's key cultural heritage to a new ecological green wedge driven into the carpet of low-density Victorian sprawl.

"Relocating Portsmouth FC's iconic venue on land created from the bomb damage debris of World War Two creates a hub of new high-density housing and commercial development, a new focal point for Portsea island.

"Simultaneously the project takes the opportunity to create a new public rapid transport link and re-negotiate the City's relationship with the globally important ecological asset of its surrounding RAMSAR site and freshwater environments."

Student: Mobolaji Otonye Sultan Esere
Course: MA Architecture: Landscape and Urban Design
Tutors: John Pegg, Antonino DiRaimo and Paula Craft-Pegg

The No Mans Lazarette. A Future Threats Laboratory by Kieran Lawlor

"The No Mans Lazarette proposal transforms a World War Two fort in the Solent from a defensive structure into a state-of-the-art research centre.

"Recognising pandemics as a top threat alongside global warming and war, this centre prioritises the health and wellbeing of researchers, offering world-class facilities and a conducive working environment.

"Focused on antibody research, the centre aims to revolutionise medicine with treatments that enhance life expectancy, reduce costs and improve outcomes.

"It will serve as a hub for a global network of similar labs in fortified structures, funded by the WHO and supported by the World Economic Forum, with all countries having a stake in safeguarding against future pandemics."

Student: Kieran Lawlor
Course: MArch
Tutors: Nicola Crowson, Tina Wallbridge and Angel Moreno

Corner Hub: Corner or Centre? by Lingxuan You

"Corner Hub focuses on transforming street corners into vibrant hubs.

"Thoughtful design connects streets and enhances community cohesion – features include public spaces, greenery, seating and lighting to attract residents and visitors and allow them to communicate with one another and engage in activities.

"Community safety is prioritised with open sightlines and densely planned spaces, creating secure, aesthetically pleasing places.

"Residents benefit from convenience and comfort, while tourists enjoy diverse functions and local culture, promoting interaction.

"Youth groups are major users, enjoying services like youth hostels and micro-offices, making the community vibrant and inclusive."

Student: Lingxuan You
Course: MArch
Tutors: Dr Guido Robazza, Dr Phevos Kallitsis and David Ogunmuyiwa

Incline by Max Irvin

"Set against the backdrop of Gosport's eastern seafront, this project rejuvenates the area by addressing its disconnect from rich historical roots and the current health crisis among its youth.

"Against declining public spaces and fading cultural landmarks, the design proposes a multi-functional community hub, blending a fitness centre, cultural centre and transportation facilities into a cohesive urban landscape.

"Central to the design are inclined green roofs and sustainable materials like timber and textured concrete, reflecting Gosport's maritime heritage.

"The project revitalises the high street and waterfront, fostering a renewed sense of identity and wellbeing through accessible, engaging public spaces."

Student: Max Irvin
Course: BA (Hons) Architecture
Tutors: Dr Graham Ford and Dr Eiman Elbanhawy

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Portsmouth. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.