Water Flows
University of Waterloo Final Comprehensive Design Studio with Andrew Levitt
The Brough of Birsay sits in solitude and marks the edge of the earth. It is governed not by people, but by the forces of nature. It is as if wind and water were in battle, fighting for dominion. The Brough speaks to no other land. It does not know its neighbor, as the water from which it emerges does not permit for coexistence.
The journey to the Lodge is long and treacherous. You arrive at the foot of the Brough, but the ocean does not permit your crossing. Once the water falls, you make your way across the rocks and up the steep face of the Brough. The journey doesn’t end there; you follow the water, the water is your guide. It flows in a channel and greets you at the first paving stone. It takes you to the Lodge, where it trickles from a pool. One pool leads to another pool, and you begin to understand that water governs this place too.
This studio calls for the design of a traveler’s lodge that sits in isolation. It is situated in Scotland on the Brough of Birsay, overlooking the ocean in a windy and rainy climate. The project provides a temporal experience. The building is elongated, emphasizing the importance of journey and time. Interior spaces are connected to one another by exterior walkways, separating spaces by creating a harsh contrast between the warmth and comfort of the interior and the wind and cold on the exterior. The building follows the slope of the land, and invites the elements inside in an attempt to control the surroundings. Water flows through the building. It is an architecture that strives to tame the untamed and exist in harmony with the world around it.
