Alison Bulbrook

The Paxton Vivarium and Research Centre

This project was designed to complement the historic environment of the Cathedral Quarter of Derby City centre, as well as incorporate materials that would be befitting for an ecology and horticultural research centre. It was also important that the design encouraged community involvement in education and leisurely activities. Conceptually, this project was inspired by the historic forms and the industrial history of Derby, as well as the fluid forms within nature. This led to an exploration of the tension between man-made structures and fluid natural forms and how they complement one another, further developing through the natural structures of the Victoria Amazonica Lily used by Joseph Paxton for the Glasshouse at Chatsworth House and Crystal Palace.

For this project, various software packages were used, including Revit, AutoCAD, SketchUp Pro, Photoshop and PowerPoint. The detailed model was made from various materials, but where possible they had been recycled and repurposed.