The Sill - An Existential Apparatus Part 1 Project 2012 Alexander Davies Northumbria University Newcastle | UK An existential apparatus seeking to engage memories and offer an antithesis to the prevailing spirit of the times. Dwelling stripped to its most primitive form offers an opportunity to explore the sublime. It belongs to all. The Sill is an interpretation centre and bunk-house which provides a base to explore the ineffable beauty of the Northumbrian landscape, it’s formation and human existence on it. It lies in an area which once marked the northern edge of the roman empire. The landscapes distinctive formation can be traced back to volcanic activity over three hundred million years ago. It was this volcanic activity which formed the whin sill. Human life here is amongst the earliest recorded; early neolithic cup and ring markings, iron aged hill forts and a vast network of roman ruins have left their scars on the landscape. This remote area has become a palimpsest of history throughout the ages. Attention has been given to creating distinctive, detailed spaces within the three separate buildings. The fall of the land aims to create a transition between the sunken protected bunk-house, and the open outward-looking interpretation space. The tower joins the stublick chimneys as one of many markers in the Northumbrian landscape. Tutor(s)Mr Benjamin Elliott