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Archipelago: The Monastic Retreat

Part 2 Project 2013
Christian Walker
 University of the West of England | UK
200 years ago, in order to meet the economic needs of Bristol, the excavation of the new cut created the floating harbour. This major intervention diverted the tidal River Avon around the harbour, allowing trade ships to continuously float in the harbour unhindered by the previously destructive 30ft tidal range. Out of this intervention a new island was born – Spike Island – bounded by the floating harbour to the North and the new cut to the South.

Archipelago, our group utopian masterplan, proposes a further manipulation and expansion of the waterways to meet the contemporary social, economic and environmental needs of Bristol. This manipulation divides Spike Island into an archipelago of smaller islands, each surrounded by a body of water. The water defines the islands whilst acting as a boundary for the experimental activities within.

My individual design project, The Monastic Retreat, is sited on the Ecotopia island of the Archipelago. Ecotopia has been isolated from the city and allowed to succumb to the natural processes of decay and deterioration, which is in stark contrast to the adjacent experimental island – New Baltic Wharf offers residents a 24 hour fast-paced lifestyle dominated by technology, virtual reality and social networking. Whilst being a vibrant and exciting existence, it is also physically and mentally draining and cannot be sustained.

The Monastic Retreat responds to the dualities of the masterplan and the resident’s lifestyles by offering a counterpoint to New Baltic Wharf. A slow-paced sensory revival, freed from the grip of technology, where they can stay for a week or more and engage in hands-on, multi-sensory experiences as part of a contemplative monastic daily routine.

The duality also manifests itself in the building’s programme, which is divided into two cloisters connected by a continuous, protective boundary wall: one cloister for the Benedictine Monks who run the retreat alongside their monastic duties; one for the retreat tourists.

Economically the scheme falls into the wellness tourism sector, which is rapidly growing globally, perhaps indicating that our current urban lifestyles are not dissimilar to those of the New Baltic Wharfians.
Christian Walker
Tutor(s)
Mr Jonathan Mosley
2013
The Monastic Retreat responds to the Archipelagos contrasting islands of tranquil Ecotopia and fast-paced New Baltic Wharf.
The cells each have a mezzanine for practicing lectio divina [divine reading] with expansive views along the Avon gorge, aiding contemplative thought.
Extracts of the site analysis in parallel with a study of the Greek monastic island Mount Athos, which helped determine the project site and key urban strategies.
A study of Neal Stephenson’s utopian fiction Anathem inspired the first sketch model of the building.
Top left: public entrance controlled by opening / closing the restored pedestrian swing bridge; Bottom left: view across the new cut to the Retreat; Right: 1:500 model photographs.
Earth spoil arising from other schemes within the Archipelago masterplan would be used to create the rammed earth walls of the Retreat.
An abstracted version of the plan, describing the sensory experiences along the linear progression through the buildings cloister wall.
Ground Floor Plan showing the arrangement of the secular cloister [south] occupied by the retreat tourists and the sacred cloister [north] of the monks.
Several varieties of apple are grown within the orchard to ensure that a well-balanced cider can be produced for many months of the year in the Cider Hall.
Allotment gardens adjacent to the refectory to provide food for the monks and visitors as well as create sensory experiences.
The meditative practice of copying manuscripts is supported by the production of paper from bark by the visitors – another sensory experience.
Counselling spaces are carved out of the rammed earth walls, with seating designed to suit varying levels of conversational intimacy.
1:20 plan of a typical cell leading off the rammed earth cloister wall.
1:20 section through a typical cell leading off the rammed earth cloister wall.
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